Is Dean Nalder A Mole?

Is Dean Nalder a mole in the WA Government?

He is obsessed with burrowing underground and, in the process, undermines his own government, as a spy might do, by floating whacky ideas.

It is true that destroying existing urban development to widen roads like Stirling Highway is of questionable value, but transport professionals know that building more roads, however you do it, is no solution to congestion - quite the opposite, as more roads simply generate more traffic. 

And if you did build, say, another Stirling Highway under the existing one, where and how would drivers get on and off - or must they all go all the way from Perth to Fremantle? Access/egress points would take large amounts of land - most likely at places where land is at a premium, because those are the places people want to get to.

Cheap though tunnelling might be in Perth sand, the cost would still be substantial. It is disingenuous of the Minister to claim that it would not be at the expense of public transport and cycling - unless he has somehow found the money tree that Premier Colin Barnett appears to believe exists somewhere, if only he could find it.

It's time, Minister, to commit to cost-effective strategies for walking, cycling and public transport to provide real options for the people of Perth, which would also improve road traffic conditions for those who still have to use cars, commercial and freight vehicles.

The West Australian, 23rd February, 2016