Election promise: Federal and state Labor pitch $32 million train station parking upgrade

On Monday, Ms Teede joined federal shadow minister for infrastructure, transport, cities and tourism Anthony Albanese to announce the potential cash splash at the local transport hub. 

Federal and state Labor committed to spilt the funding down the middle, at $16 million apiece. 

Their vision is to create an extra 1000 car bays at the site, which would bring the total to 2,200 spaces. 

The federal funding will be drawn from Labor's $300 million National Park and Ride Fund and form part of the state government's METRONET public transport project. 

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Ms Teede said the upgrade would ease parking shortages and encourage more commuters to use public transport. 

“People are having to get to Mandurah station earlier and earlier just to get a park. People in Mandurah deserve a fair go, not longer commutes and parking fines," she said. 

She said the 1000 new bays would be built on a portion of the existing car park. 

Ms Teede said the difficulty of finding a parking space at the Mandurah Train Station was a key issue raised by constituents whenever she door-knocked or campaigned around the community.

"This train station is a major hub for a very large part of the Canning area,” Ms Teede said.

"We all see the congestion on this freeway. It's so important that we encourage people to take up... public transport. That will take pressure off our infrastructure on that freeway."

While it was all smiling in Labor's camp, Liberal MP Andrew Hastie said Monday's announcement mirrored the party's 2017 election promise - that was never delivered.

The incumbent federal member for Canning took particular aim at Mandurah MP David Templeman. 

"They’re just throwing more money at a problem they could have fixed two years ago," Mr Hastie said.

“At the 2017 state election, David Templeman promised $20 million for a bigger Mandurah Train Station car park. He only managed to get $16 million.

“Nothing has happened. If Labor can’t build a car park for $16 million, how can they now be trusted to build one for $32 million?

“David Templeman is good at singing, but not delivering."

However, the state Labor minister firmly stated that his party had a "strong commitment" to infrastructure state-wide. 

"Only the Labor Party has a track record in delivering quality, public transport in this state," he said. 

"We were the party that electrified the system throughout Perth. We were the party that extended the rail both north and south. We've got the METRONET plan. 

"I can remember very, very clearly when the Liberal Party argued against the rail line to Mandurah. It was outrageous but the people of Mandurah saw through that pathetic argument and voted with their feet.

"We have a commitment that is there to be seen, a stark contrast to [the] Liberals. [They] have never had their heart in actually delivering quality public transport. 

"With Mellisa as our member for Canning and with Anthony of course as our federal transport, infrastructure minister this project is going to be delivered."

However, Mr Hastie also questioned Labor's direction.

“At no point in the last two years have WA Labor raised this project as a priority with the federal government. They’ve made no request for funding," he said. 

“A better train station car park is a good thing, but there are many other needs in our community – like the hospital.

“Why isn’t Labor serious about the Peel Health Campus? Why are they kicking the can down the road on the Lakelands Train Station?

"Labor doesn't have a plan for Mandurah or the Peel region." 

On February 6, Mr Hastie joined federal health minister Greg Hunt to announce a $25 million cash injection for the region's troubled Peel Health Campus. 

At the time, Mr Hastie said the immediate, cash splash was an indication of the Liberals commitment to bettering the region. 

When questioned on Labor's intentions over the future of the Lakelands Train Station, Mr Albanese said his party was "working our way through it, one at a time".

"We'll be making further announcements during the campaign across Perth and indeed across WA about infrastructure," Mr Albanese said on the matter. 

Ms Teede said she had received substantial feedback regarding a future station while door-knocked in Lakelands on her campaign trail. 

"I'm talking to people in Lakelands. Definitely, there's strong desire from sections of that community to have a station there," Ms Teede said. 

In April 2018, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull visited the northern Mandurah suburb to reveal that funding had been earmarked for the station if a $2 million business case gives the green light.

For now, Mr Albanese said his party would direct there focus at improving the Mandurah station, which he described as "a great legacy of a previous state Labor government".

"I've been back to Mandurah three times in the past 12 months and what's very clear is that commuter car parking is at a point whereby it's broken, Mr Albanese said. 

"It needs new infrastructure and that is why our commitment of $16 million, to be supported by the state government, is about us supporting people's capacity to get onto public transport. It's so important."

Murray-Wellington MP Robyn Clarke was also at the announcement on Monday and said she was "proud" of the partnership forged between state and federal Labor for the commitment. 

"It has been a Labor government that has been the forefront of rail infrastructure," Ms Calrke said. 

"This is a great announcement. In my electorate, we've got one bus service from Pinjarra to Mandurah but for the rest of the electorate, they have to drive. This is their only car part really that they can come to make access to the train line." 

Have an opinion on the issue? Send the Mandurah Mail team a letter via editor.mandurahmail@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

Follow Caitlyn Rintoul on Twitter via @caitlynrintoul.