Biography
THE HON ALANNAH MacTIERNAN BA LLB BJuris JP MLA
Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
Member for Armadale
Alannah MacTiernan graduated in arts and later law at the University of Western Australia. Alannah worked for five years with the Commonwealth Government in Aboriginal Employment and Training. In 1981, she established and operated a local newspaper.
In 1987, she began legal practice in the commercial law department of Dwyer Durack, becoming a partner in 1992.
Alannah's public life began in 1988 with her election onto the Perth City Council, where she served until 1994. She was first elected to Parliament in 1993 as Member of the Legislative Council for the East Metropolitan region, and subsequently won the Legislative Assembly seat of Armadale at the 1996 election.
Alannah was appointed Minister for Planning and Infrastructure following the change of Government in 2001. This portfolio combines planning, lands, transport and roads, and includes three departments, eight port authorities, five development authorities and the Pastoral Lands Board.
Integration of Planning & Transport
A key policy change has been the introduction of a macro-planning framework - fusing land use and transport planning into a single agency, ensuring an integrated planning system. The merging of skills and capacities of different agencies was seen as a catalyst to a more intelligent way of land use and transport planning, producing more effective outcomes for the community.
New MetroRail
One of the most significant achievements of the Minister's term is the New MetroRail project - effectively doubling Transperth's railway network by extending the Northern Suburbs line to Clarkson, delivering 93 new railcars capable of speeds up to 130kmh, constructing a new depot at Nowergup, a new spur line to Thornlie and seeing the start of construction of the Perth to Mandurah railway. It is estimated that 170,500 passengers per day will be travelling on the network. The project will also importantly provide the underpinning for a network of transit-oriented development and the reshaping of our city to reduce car dependence.
Planning and Community Engagement
Alannah is committed to involving the community more deeply in decision-making. She has pioneered deliberative democracy in WA, including citizens' juries, consensus conferences and forums, multi criteria analysis conferences and deliberative surveys, to successfully address complex and often contentious issues. Notably, the largest ever community engagement event in the Southern Hemisphere, Dialogue with the City, was staged in Perth in 2003 culminating in an interactive forum with 1,100 members of the Perth and Peel communities. The engagement process, involving the community, industry, local and state government, continued over a year, resulted in a forward thinking, metropolitan strategic plan known as Network City.
Ports, Roads & Regional Infrastructure
Alannah has been instrumental in securing a large number of strategic regional infrastructure projects over the last four years, including upgrades at all eight ports, helping the ports to accommodate larger vessels as required by the State’s vast primary industries, and encouraging port freight onto rail. Key road projects include Roe Highway Stages 5, 6 & 7, the Tonkin Highway extension, Geraldton Southern Transit Corridor, and Stages 1 and 2 of the Tom Price to Karratha road, as well as upgrades to dozens of regional roads, bridges and river crossings, improving access and safety for remote communities. In addition, regional air services, airports and boating facilities have been improved, providing a higher level of service to regional communities, and freight rail projects have been approved in Albany, Geraldton and the South West.
Cycling
Alannah has been pivotal in the development of world class cycling facilities in Western Australia with the investment of $50million on new cycle ways and cycling facilities across the State including placing 640 new bicycle lockers at railway stations. Under Labor Government, greater prominence has been given to cycling in all planning.
Alannah was recently announced the winner of a prestigious national Bicycling Achievement Award at a national ceremony conducted by the Bicycle Industry Traders Association.
Coastal and Environmental Planning
Alannah has undertaken some of the most significant reforms and innovations in coastal and environmental planning for Western Australia. Key achievements have been the establishment of the Coastal Planning Coordination Council, the development of a coastal planning policy and the commencement of the first ever Metropolitan Coastal Planning Strategy. Alannah also played a pivotal role in securing a sustainable future for the world renowned Ningaloo Reef through the development and implementation of the Ningaloo Coast Strategy.
Pastoral Industry
The Minister has bought together record numbers of pastoralists at two industry forums known as the Gascoyne Musters. These have led to working groups involving industry, government and indigenous groups and environmentalists, developing new strategies for Rangeland management. The Government has committed to a more secure form of tenure through rolling leases to better environmental performance through the formation of the Rangelands Management Council.