❓ Mr. Cook questions the Premier about a $1 billion lawsuit related to the James Point port proposal, specifically regarding a 2009 meeting with Mr. Buckeridge and the government's stance on the project. The Premier acknowledges the long-standing dispute and clarifies the government's position.
AnsweredQoN 656Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
JAMES POINT — PROPOSED PORT
656. Mr R.H. COOK to the Premier:
I refer to reports that Western Australian taxpayers are
being sued for $1 billion in damages by Mr Len Buckeridge and his consortium.
(1) Did anyone
from the State Solicitor's Office attend the Premier's meeting
with Mr Buckeridge in April 2009?
(2) What commitments did the Premier provide to Mr Buckeridge
at that meeting and were they recorded?
(3) What is the Premier's principal objection to the
James Point proposal?
656. Mr R.H. COOK to the Premier:
I refer to reports that Western Australian taxpayers are
being sued for $1 billion in damages by Mr Len Buckeridge and his consortium.
(1) Did anyone
from the State Solicitor's Office attend the Premier's meeting
with Mr Buckeridge in April 2009?
(2) What commitments did the Premier provide to Mr Buckeridge
at that meeting and were they recorded?
(3) What is the Premier's principal objection to the
James Point proposal?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(3)
This is an issue that dates back to 2001. It has been in dispute for some time,
including all the years of the previous Labor government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : It
was a National Party initiative, wasn't it?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, it was not.
Mr R.H. Cook : It
goes back to the Court government.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, it does, or 2000. It has been an issue for 12 years. The
proposal by James Point Pty Ltd was for two projects. One project was to build
a land-backed berth for bulk commodities, including live animal exports. The
other was a massive reclamation project to build a man-made island in the
middle of Cockburn Sound. Do members think that is a good idea? I do not.
Mr E.S. Ripper :
That was the Fremantle port proposal.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, and I do not think it was a good idea. That is what Mr Buckeridge
and his joint venture partners were proposing.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Belmont!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The issue had not progressed during the years of the Labor government. Mr
Buckeridge tried to reactivate it under this government. As a government, we
have made it clear that we support the construction of a land-backed berth to
handle both bulk products and, presumably, live animal exports. Indeed, we have
offered and there have been negotiations over land and transport access, but
the state government is not going to give land away at a heavily discounted
price. The offer has been made and the Minister for Transport primarily has
been handling that.
With respect to what I read in the paper about the meeting
that I had in 2009, I have known Len Buckeridge for a long time. He has made a
huge contribution to this state. He employs several thousand people. My memory
of that time is that he was a constituent of mine and he wanted to talk about
the issue, to which I agreed. I went to his house on a Saturday morning, I
think, for the principal reason that he had been very ill. There were no formal
negotiations. We discussed the project. I made it very clear to him that the
government was supportive of developing the initial project but we did not see
that we would be supporting the other one. However, any formal negotiations have
been done quite properly with the involvement of the Department of State
Development, the Department of Transport and the State Solicitor.
(1)–(3)
This is an issue that dates back to 2001. It has been in dispute for some time,
including all the years of the previous Labor government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : It
was a National Party initiative, wasn't it?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, it was not.
Mr R.H. Cook : It
goes back to the Court government.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, it does, or 2000. It has been an issue for 12 years. The
proposal by James Point Pty Ltd was for two projects. One project was to build
a land-backed berth for bulk commodities, including live animal exports. The
other was a massive reclamation project to build a man-made island in the
middle of Cockburn Sound. Do members think that is a good idea? I do not.
Mr E.S. Ripper :
That was the Fremantle port proposal.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, and I do not think it was a good idea. That is what Mr Buckeridge
and his joint venture partners were proposing.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Belmont!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The issue had not progressed during the years of the Labor government. Mr
Buckeridge tried to reactivate it under this government. As a government, we
have made it clear that we support the construction of a land-backed berth to
handle both bulk products and, presumably, live animal exports. Indeed, we have
offered and there have been negotiations over land and transport access, but
the state government is not going to give land away at a heavily discounted
price. The offer has been made and the Minister for Transport primarily has
been handling that.
With respect to what I read in the paper about the meeting
that I had in 2009, I have known Len Buckeridge for a long time. He has made a
huge contribution to this state. He employs several thousand people. My memory
of that time is that he was a constituent of mine and he wanted to talk about
the issue, to which I agreed. I went to his house on a Saturday morning, I
think, for the principal reason that he had been very ill. There were no formal
negotiations. We discussed the project. I made it very clear to him that the
government was supportive of developing the initial project but we did not see
that we would be supporting the other one. However, any formal negotiations have
been done quite properly with the involvement of the Department of State
Development, the Department of Transport and the State Solicitor.
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