❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding illegally dumped toxic waste near Mundaring Weir and its potential impact on the water supply, as well as concerns about budget cuts affecting the Department of Environment and Conservation's pollution response unit. The Minister acknowledges the issue is under investigation but avoids providing specific assurances.
AnsweredQoN 365Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MUNDARING WeiR — TOXIC WASTE
I refer the minister to the article in today’s The West Australian entitled “Dumped ‘toxic waste’ threatens water supply”. (1) Can the minister assure the house that no toxic material made its way into Mundaring Weir as a result of the illegally dumped drums? (2) What advice has the minister provided to the Minister for Water on this matter? (3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
I refer the minister to the article in today’s The West Australian entitled “Dumped ‘toxic waste’ threatens water supply”. (1) Can the minister assure the house that no toxic material made its way into Mundaring Weir as a result of the illegally dumped drums? (2) What advice has the minister provided to the Minister for Water on this matter? (3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(1) Can the minister assure the house that no toxic material made its way into Mundaring Weir as a result of the illegally dumped drums? (2) What advice has the minister provided to the Minister for Water on this matter? (3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(2) What advice has the minister provided to the Minister for Water on this matter? (3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(1) Can the minister assure the house that no toxic material made its way into Mundaring Weir as a result of the illegally dumped drums? (2) What advice has the minister provided to the Minister for Water on this matter? (3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(2) What advice has the minister provided to the Minister for Water on this matter? (3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(3) Will the minister also assure the house that the essential work that the Department of Environment and Conservation’s pollution response unit undertakes will be protected from the government’s three per cent budget cuts to front-line services? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
(1)-(3) I was very concerned when I was advised by the department yesterday of the matter that the member has raised. It is not really appropriate for me to raise issues that are now under investigation by the department, suffice to say that it is looking into the matter. I know that it has made public calls to identify witnesses to the incident. I assure the house that the department is treating this matter very seriously. Obviously, the matter is now under investigation by the department, and I expect that the department will deal with this matter as it does with any other similar matter.
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