Burt candidates Matt Keogh and Matt O’Sullivan attempted to woo the Armadale business community in a heated debate organised by Business Armadale on June 22.
The Labor and Liberal candidates discussed a range of issues impacting the area including major infrastructure projects, NBN and unemployment.
The two butted heads over the Armadale/North Lake Road Bridge and Denny Avenue projects. Mr Keogh said the Armadale region had been overlooked in favour of other regional centres and the federal Labor commitment of $80 million for the bridge and $25 million for the road would improve connectivity.
“The Mandurahs, Rockinghams and the Joondalups seem to get a hell of a lot more attention than we do even though we are identified as a major regional centre,” he said.
“I think the urgent infrastructure needs in the area are the duplication of Armadale Road…as well as that connection east-west over the freeway with the Armadale Road bridge.”
Mr O’Sullivan said he saw both projects as important but didn’t want to throw money at uncosted projects.
“(The bridge) is something that absolutely needs to happen and so what I’ll be fighting for is a costed and funded program,” he said.
If elected he would get agencies like the City of Armadale and MetropolitanRedevelopment Authority together to develop a plan for Denny Avenue and Kelmscott CBD.
The candidates also spruiked their versions of the NBN with Mr Keogh saying their fibre to the premises model would be faster and more reliable.
Mr O’Sullivan questioned the Labor party’s ability to deliver the project on time and on budget.
Examiner Newspapers is a member of Business Armadale.
