Since Graham Farmer Freeway opened, traffic volumes on Orrong Road have increased significantly and it often operates at capacity, with around 65,000 vehicles, or 85,000 people, travelling along it every day.

Congestion along Orrong Road/Graham Farmer Freeway costs our local economy up to $49.5 million every year in lost productivity. Congestion on this stretch of road is expected to increase as population and traffic volumes continue to grow.

Safety is a priority. Between 2018 and 2022 there were more than 40 crashes which led to serious injury on this section of Orrong Road. With increasing traffic volumes, the risk of crashes will increase.

With population, traffic volumes and congestion forecast to increase, we are planning for the future.

The 2024 engagement builds on the 2019 process, when Main Roads initially sought community feedback on a lowered expressway. 

We are looking to work with community and stakeholders to consider a broader range of options, including the lowered expressway, through a more participative community engagement process which will incorporate a diverse range of people and a place-based approach to road design.

A deliberative panel is a group of randomly recruited community members and stakeholders. The panel is demographically diverse and representative of the wider community. Panel members are given a clear remit, with a suite of briefing materials, before being taken through an independently facilitated process to deliberate and present recommendations supported by their decision making. Panels typically use a super majority model where 80% of the group must agree on the recommendations put forward.

Aha! Consulting has been engaged by Main Roads WA to facilitate the deliberative panel process.

This panel will include 70 randomly selected people who demographically represent the broader population. A number of places on the panel are filled through an expression of interest, and you are invited to apply to be selected for the panel by 30 September 2024. Express your interest in being on the panel here.

We will appoint a 70-person deliberative panel, to provide advice and rationale to Main Roads for the future development of Orrong Road.

The deliberative panel will explore how people use Orrong Road and then develop and review a range of options. They will be asked to consider factors like heritage, place, environment, technology and innovation in transport, and cost.

Feedback from the deliberative panel will be used by the project team to refine options and develop a business case for construction funding.

We will carefully consider how we can meet the needs of all road users, including people who walk, ride, and people with disability.

Along Orrong Road between Great Eastern Highway and Leach Highway, there are 17 pedestrian crossings, as well as many active transport facilities on adjacent routes. There is also a desire to incorporate part of Orrong Road in the State Government's future cycling network.

The deliberative panel will be invited to consider all of these elements to discuss and develop the final recommendations for Main Roads.

Earlier consultation identified the importance of the trees in the median along Orrong Road, which will need to be considered by the deliberative panel. The final design will need to demonstrate how any impacts to the median trees may be mitigated.

We will continue to seek feedback from the wider community over the course of the Planning Study. The Project Team will always be available to answer queries and receive feedback. To stay up to date about future opportunities to have your say on the future upgrade of Orrong Road, subscribe to receive email project updates.

Any future upgrade to Orrong Road will need to be financially viable. We will ensure that the deliberative panel are informed about costs, benefits and other factors as they consider the future of Orrong Road.

While there is currently no funding for construction, Orrong Road often operates at capacity, with around 85,000 people travelling along here every day, which is forecast to increase to 130,000 in the future. One of the outputs of this stage will be to develop a business case to seek funding.

This project is planned as two distinct phases. Phase one is broad community and stakeholder engagement and a deliberative panel process to deliver recommendations to Main Roads for the future of Orrong Road.

Phase two is detailed planning and development work, including ongoing community and stakeholder engagement. This will culminate in the submission of a business case to seek funding for construction.

We are now inviting expressions of interest for people to take part in the deliberative panel. Or you can provide feedback by completing our survey.

The deliberative panel will be selected by late October and will commence their first session in November 2024.