Rita Saffioti says Ellenbrook rail opening her biggest political moment, dedicates it to believers & doubters

Rita Saffioti has declared today’s opening of the $1.65 billion Ellenbrook Line the “biggest moment” of her political career as she reflected on a 16-year-journey to deliver one of the State’s biggest infrastructure projects. Ms Saffioti was chief of staff to Alan Carpenter in 2008, when the then-premier first promised a rail line to Ellenbrook — the same year she first entered Parliament as the Labor member for West Swan, which largely abuts Ellenbrook and includes part of the suburb proper. Now, as WA’s Transport Minister, she gets to cut the ribbon on a project she has led since Labor won power in 2017 — a rail line many thought would never happen. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will also be on the first train from the new Bayswater station to Ellenbrook on Sunday. “It (Sunday’s rail line opening) will be the biggest moment of my political career,” Ms Saffioti this week told The Sunday Times. “I am feeling relief, and excited. “But moreso relief. This has been a long journey.” The Ellenbrook line was more than just another big infrastructure project, Ms Saffioti reflected. For her, delivering this project was also something deeply personal. “I can’t imagine a world showing my face to my electorate if I didn’t deliver this rail line,” she said. “I couldn’t show my face. “That’s how I feel about it. “It’s personal. It’s pride and commitment.” When Ellenbrook — 28km north-east of the Perth CBD and on the fringes of the Swan Valley — was first established in 1994, a rail line linking the suburb to the Perth CBD was always in the thinking. But residents have had to wait for 30 years. The new 21km line extends from the new Bayswater station, travelling up Tonkin Highway before travelling east along the southern fringe to Whiteman Park, before heading north towards Ellenbrook along Drumpellier Drive. Someone who lives in Ellenbrook can now be in the city in 30 minutes by taking the train along the entire 27.7km route. It’s projected that by 2031 about 18,000 people will each day board the five new train stations along the route at Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook. Ms Saffioti said some of the initial residents of Ellenbrook would be at Sunday’s opening. She dedicated the project to them. And in typical Saffioti style, she also dedicated the opening to the “doubters” — politicians, bureaucrats and others who thought a rail line to Ellenbrook would never happen. “This is for the people of Ellenbrook who have been waiting for this — those original residents,” she said. “I dedicate this to the believers, and the doubters. “I also dedicate it to them (doubters) and all the people that tried to fight me along the way.” The former Colin Barnett-led Liberal/National government reneged on the idea of an Ellenbrook line after also having promised the project in 2008, believing it could not be justified on projected patronage. Ms Saffioti says her promise in 2013 to her electorate to deliver the Ellenbrook line, if elected, probably saved her political career. While Labor lost that election, she hung on to retain her seat. “We bought 200 packets of Ikea train sets and what we did was we got a card and wrote: ‘Only Rita Saffioti and WA Labor will lay the tracks for Ellenbrook’,” she reflected. “And we stuck a piece of the Ikea train track on the card. “In the three days preceding the 2013 election, we delivered them to 2500 homes on their front door. And it cut through. “I went in (to that election) with a 4 per cent margin. There was a 6 per cent swing against us (Labor). I should have lost that election. But I defied the swing and held on, winning by about 2 per cent. “And one of the reasons I believe I won was that I campaigned on the Ellenbrook rail line.” When Labor won the election in 2017, the Ellenbrook line was put on its infrastructure agenda, as part of a wider $12.5b Metronet spend that currently includes 18 projects. With Ms Saffioti now transport minister, contracts to build the Ellenbrook line were signed three years later, with construction beginning in 2021. “I cried when we signed the contracts in 2020. It was just such a relief to get that done,” she recalled. “People had trusted me. So I wasn’t going to let them down.” Metronet managing director Ashley Vincent said the Morley-Ellenbrook project had been complex. “On face value, most people know you’ve built a new rail line, but what they don’t see is the incredibly complex elements that go into delivering a project like this,” he said. “We’ve tunnelled under Tonkin Highway, completely transformed the heart of Bayswater with a significant new train station and viaduct structure, and demolished and reconstructed major bridges. “As part of this we have built three new intersections, three new roads for station access, two rail pedestrian bridge underpasses at Ellenbrook Christian College and Whiteman Park station and three road pedestrian underpasses at Drumpellier Drive, Benara and Gnangara roads.” But the project has not been without controversy. What was initially touted as a $850 million project in 2008 became a $1.1 billion project when contracts were signed in 2020. That cost has now ballooned to $1.65b, with the Federal Government kicking in $925m. Ms Saffioti believed most West Australians were “realistic and pragmatic”, understanding there had been huge increases in building materials over the last four years. “The construction process was a very challenging one, particularly because it was being built through some of the biggest price and resource impacts emanating from COVID,” she said. “The cost of key materials like concrete, steel, diesel and labour increased significantly but the reality is, once you’ve started the build you have to get it finished. “Despite the enormous challenges, the workers involved have done an incredible job and have been able to maintain the time line we set at the time of contract award.” And she refuted claims that the Government’s massive infrastructure program had just exacerbated already existing skills shortages, particularly in the housing sector. “There’s no doubt there have been some skills shortages in WA,” she said. “But that’s also as a result of our mining sector continuing to boom. “I think the idea it’s all the Government’s fault (skills shortages) because of our projects is probably wrong, given the percentage of government investment is still less than private sector investment.” Ms Saffioti said completing the rest of the $12.5b Metronet projects was an immediate priority. “We have still got the rest of Metronet to finish, the elevated rail through Vic Park and Cannington, the Thornlie-Cockburn link, the Byford extension and the Midland station,” she said. “They’ll be done by the end of next year.” Her next Mt Everest? “Our Mt Everest is to win the next election,” Ms Saffioti said. “I am Calabrian. It’s always a glass half empty for me. “I just fight and fight until we win and then I think about the next challenge. “I never plan too far ahead, because when you get ahead of yourself in politics, people cut you down.”