The announcement that the MRA has rejected the 3 Oceans development at Scarborough Beach has left many people scratching their heads.
Especially given the rumours the MRA had already endorsed the project.
There is no doubt this would have been a landmark project for the area but the size and scope of the project had many locals worried about the long-term impacts. But was the MRA's decision a mistake? I for one was looking forward to the reopening of the Contacio European Beer Hall, which from memory only served one European beer.
That aside, the 3 Oceans development boasted the creation of around 2000 jobs, supported the drive for infill living and would have provided a solid tourism boost to the area. The real shame though is the loss of 350 additional car bays which the area so sorely needed. And despite this being a private development, the real question is what is the MRA and state government's true plan for Scarborough and Perth?
At a little over 200 pages long, the Australian Government's Infrastructure Plan I am sure is a riveting read. They say you should not judge a book by its cover, but given this was in PDF I think I am safe. Inside the report I am guessing you will find a large amount of rhetoric about best practice with a few case studies for good measure. I can only speculate but no doubt there will be chapters dedicated to the importance on budget and on time completion; considering the impacts of construction on the wider community; supporting sustainable growth and meeting the challenges of the future. I can guarantee you won't find any mention of using infrastructure promises to win votes.
So, what is the purpose of infrastructure planning? To meet the challenges of the future and ensure value for money for taxpayers. No doubt future Perth will face many challenges that current infrastructure regimes must look to answer. But what happens when future challenges are put aside in favour of present day challenges?
Infrastructure projects in western Australia have a chequered history mostly because they are never guaranteed and usually awarded to the lowest bidder. Rarely on time, rarely to budget we are poorly ranked on a global scale in terms of our ability to deliver large scale construction projects. You won't need to look far to see that this is the case - look at the Perth Children's Hospital for instance. The classic example of what happens when you go with the lowest bidder.
Granted, competition for skilled labour has been high over the mining era - how could local projects possibly compete with those FIFO wages and the promise of a Maloo ute and jetski. Now I am certainly not suggesting a shortage of skilled labour in Perth, but attracting the right talent is only part of the issue when it comes to such large-scale projects. After all, the cover of the Infrastructure Plan says so.
Why do I bring this up? Well in honour of the Scarborough towers that were demolished before being built, I thought I would look at some of the wins, failures and broken dreams that make up the chequered history that is infrastructure development in Perth.
The Wins:
The Perth Stadium
Surely this is a success story. The stadium or cray pot as it has come to be known seemed like it went up overnight. The area looks awesome and will no doubt be a centrepiece of future Perth. The only complaint is, 60,000 seats? We will never fill that! Cue the first ODI and what happens? At least the stadium is opened to provide plenty of access, and don't forget about the footbridge which is the only thing to hold out longer than the AFL. I look forward to its finish date of 2021.
The Mandurah Railway Line
At only 5 months late and 17% over budget, I am calling the extension to the spinal chord that is the Perth railway a win. Adding 10 stations and 70 km of railway down the Kwinana Freeway, the project was slightly overrun due to being more complicated than originally thought. It is a good thing then that the more complicated, centralised and interconnected route was not adopted. But I guess they aren't called smart riders for no reason. Now what to do about that midday traffic between Safety Bay Road and Berrigan drive?
The too soon to tell:
Scarborough Redevelopments
Last week we saw the completion of the pool down at Scarborough beach. For anyone who has taken a drive down there in recent days will no doubt notice how the development is starting to take shape. Surprisingly on schedule, one cannot help but shake a nagging suspicion they have forgotten something? Swimming pool? Check. Skate Park? Check. Play Ground? Check. Bars and Restaurants? Check. Car Park???.Public Transport??? I think the White Sands may get a whole lot busier.
Metronet
A "congestion busting masterpiece" as defined by Mark McGowan, the project will bring Perth one step closer to a connected city. On the back of this, the Metronet project promises to promote higher density living, revitalise activity centres and make public transport more accessible. The first stage of the plan is underway, but can anyone guarantee what the overall project plan is for Metronet? I only hope it survives the next election.
The Failures:
Childrens Hospital
I once knew a project manager on the hospital, and he assured me it would be open in early 2015. Nearly three years on, with no formal date, it is hard to know how many issues need to be resolved. Sure, everyone knows about the lead concerns, but what about preservation and maintenance of the essential hospital equipment? Or the critical updates to software and the network system? These types of issues will plague the hospital long after it does eventually open and the consequences could be far worse. It is also hard to believe that the lessons learned from Fiona Stanley failed to make their way into this project. All I can say is, won't someone think of the children!
Roe 8
When quotes such as "The Perth freight link just dropped out of the sky" are bandied about there was always going to be problems. No doubt there would have been environmental impacts, the hire a mob ensured that, but it is hard to know whether the project would have been a success given the project stopped almost as quickly as it started. I am marking this one as a failure given planning and stakeholder engagement were poorly managed. As for the environmental impacts, I am not qualified to make a judgement call (much like the rest of this article).
The Broken Dreams
East Perth Power Station
Go to the MRA dedicated website and you will see the timeline for the East Perth Power Station ends at 2015? Perhaps the only explanation for this was it was tied to some apocalyptic calendar and the thought was the end of the world would come before the area was ever redeveloped into the vibrant water front community. Considering the latest plans involve turning the site into a museum of mining, infill living and vibrant communities are high on the infrastructure planning agenda.
Train Line to Ellenbrook
A recent article from the ABC described this as a political football. I think it is more like a political Hacky Sack being juggled between the left and right foot. The March election was to be the turning point at which the dream would finally be realised, this time it wasn't about winning votes. Except when no money was set aside in the infrastructure plan. It is just as well money is not required when you build a tunnel to Ellenbrook?
Mark Campbell is the co-founder of Landguide.com.au
