LIBERALS COMMIT TO DELIVERING KARNUP TRAIN STATION

A future Zempilas Liberal Government will build the long-promised Karnup Train Station, delivering the public transport connection local residents have waited more than a decade to see.

WA Liberal Leader Basil Zempilas said the commitment would provide residents with the timetable and certainty Labor had failed to deliver after nearly a decade in government.
The new Mandurah Line station would serve Secret Harbour, Golden Bay, Singleton, Karnup and surrounding communities.

Residents currently face a bus journey of approximately 20 to 25 minutes to reach Warnbro or Lakelands stations, which are separated by about 14 kilometres – equal to the longest gap between stations on Perth’s metropolitan rail network.

Mr Zempilas said Labor had repeatedly promised Karnup Station but had never funded its construction.

“Labor promised Karnup Station in 2013, again in 2017 and again in 2021. Nearly a decade after Labor came to government, there is still no money in the State Budget, no construction timetable and no delivery date,” he said.

“Labor has delivered years of announcements, excuses and delays. The Liberals will deliver the station this growing community was promised.

“Locals have waited long enough. They deserve a firm commitment, not another promise designed to get Labor through an election.”

A future Liberal Government would allocate $90 million to the project, with construction to commence in 2029.

The allocation is based on publicly available information and comparable projects, including Lakelands Station, which was completed in 2023 for approximately $72 million.

The final cost would be refined through detailed design, procurement and project development.

Liberal candidate for Secret Harbour Ryan Robertson said the station would provide a vital connection for one of Western Australia’s fastest-growing areas

“People in Secret Harbour and surrounding suburbs are tired of being told Karnup Station is coming,” Mr Robertson said.

“They have watched Labor make the same promise election after election while the station has remained unfunded and undelivered.

“Every day, residents are forced to travel north to Warnbro or south to Lakelands before they can even begin their train journey.

That means longer commutes, more cars on local roads and more pressure on local families.

“Karnup Station is essential infrastructure for the future of this fast-growing community.”

Karnup’s population is projected to grow from approximately 2,975 people in 2026 to more than 5,200 in 2031 and 11,500 by 2036.

Mr Robertson said public transport infrastructure needed to keep pace with that growth.

“This commitment gives local people a clear choice,” he said.

“Labor has delivered nearly a decade of delays and excuses. The Liberals are committing the funding, setting a construction date and giving this community certainty that Karnup Station will finally be built.”