Cancellation of Rockingham Road project

The City's response to PerthNow about Cockburn Council's cancellation of the Rockingham Road project, 20.4.26

Question: Confirming council returned $5.8m funding to Main Roads WA, and will now be expected to budget $3m itself in ‘essential’ road renewals for the 2026/27 financial year?
Answer: Yes. Council has resolved to cancel the Rockingham Road Improvement Project and return $5.8m in State Government funding secured through the Metropolitan Regional Road Group (MRRG) Road Improvement Program to Main Roads Western Australia.
Council has also requested the CEO list $3m in the draft 2026-27 Budget to fund essential road and footpath renewal works along Rockingham Road between Coleville Crescent and Phoenix Road. These works will be City‑funded and prioritised through the Asset Management Plan.
 
Question: Why has it taken so many years to cancel the project from when it was first adopted in 2019? (Were there delays? Budget issues?)
Answer: The project was formally adopted by Council in April 2019 and progressed through planning, investigations, design development and funding approval processes over subsequent years.
State Government funding was secured through the MRRG Road Improvement Program in the 2023-24 financial year, with an approved three‑year delivery window expected to culminate in 2026-27. Up until December 2025, the project was tracking toward delivery.
In December 2025, Council received confidential legal advice which identified high and unmanageable risks associated with progressing the project as originally resolved. It became clear that continuing to pause or redesign the project would create increasing risk of non‑compliance with the agreed MRRG delivery timeframes.
Following consideration of both the legal risk exposure and the delivery timeframe constraints of the grant funding, Council supported the officer recommendation that neither proceeding under the revised risk profile nor continuing to delay delivery represented a prudent or sustainable position, and resolved to cancel the project.
 
Question: Why was the community not consulted when the City recommended cancelling the project?
Answer: The recommendation to cancel the project arose directly from confidential legal advice received in December 2025, which could not be publicly released or form the basis of community consultation.
Following Council’s decision, the City will provide direct written notification to impacted stakeholders and publish an update on the City’s website outlining the decision and the next steps regarding essential asset renewal works along the corridor.
 
Question: Or if council would like to comment in general on the cancellation of the project.
Answer: The City is disappointed the Rockingham Road Improvement Project was not able to be delivered, as it was a long‑standing strategic initiative intended to improve safety, amenity, connectivity and streetscape outcomes within the Phoenix Town Centre.
Funding of $5.8m was secured through the MRRG Road Improvement Program in 2023-24, with delivery anticipated over a three‑year period culminating in 2026-27, and the project was tracking toward delivery prior to December 2025.
Confidential legal advice received at that time identified high and unmanageable risk exposure for the City if the project were to proceed as originally resolved. At the same time, ongoing delays created increasing risk of non‑compliance with the agreed MRRG delivery timeframes, which could negatively impact the City’s standing and credibility in future State funding programs.
Having regard to both the legal risk profile and the grant delivery requirements, Council supported the officer recommendation to cancel the project and return the MRRG funding.
Council has requested $3m be included in the draft 2026-27 Budget to deliver essential road and footpath renewal works along Rockingham Road, with any remaining upgrades to be considered through future programs, including the Underground Power Program.