Labor pledges Forrest Highway run-on lanes

Labor has revealed its election commitments for Murray-Wellington ahead of the State election in March. Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke was joined by Premier Mark McGowan in Pinjarra last week to unveil their plan for the electorate. A top priority on the list was making Forrest Highway safer — a hotspot for fatal crashes in recent years. Mrs Clarke said this was something communities were “crying out for”. “Binningup, Myalup, Preston Beach and the Forestry Road intersection on Forrest Highway will get run-on lanes,” Mrs Clarke said. Along with her commitment to making roads safer, she also promised to invest in sport, education and the elderly. The Leschenault Leisure Centre will receive a $3 million investment to include two additional courts, associated spectator seating and storage. Half a million dollars was promised to Harvey Senior High School to upgrade the STEM classrooms. A further $610,000 was committed to the Harvey Senior Citizens to renovate the centre. Mrs Clarke said Labor’s vision would ensure young people were prepared for jobs in the future. Mr McGowan said creating jobs and training opportunities for West Australians would always be his number one priority. However, Mrs Clarke did not have any major plans to boost tourism — an industry left ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. She promised tourism trails in the region and acknowledged more needed to be done to draw people inland from Forrest Highway. Mrs Clarke said she was open to ideas and proposals on how to get people travelling down South Western Highway to rejuvenate towns such as Harvey and Waroona.