❓ Mr. Blayney asks the Premier for an update on the Oakajee port and rail project, highlighting its potential economic and social benefits. The Premier responds with progress updates, including foundation customers and increased port capacity, while also noting complexities and political dynamics.
AnsweredQoN 109Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
OAKAJEE PORT AND RAIL PROJECT
The Oakajee port and rail project is set to be a catalyst for a period of growth in the Mid West, delivering huge economic and social benefits to both my electorate and the entire state. Can the Premier please update the house on how the project is progressing with state and federal support? Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Tell us about the steel mill! The SPEAKER : There are some people in this place who I am sure would like to ask questions, and I would like to give them that opportunity; the member for Armadale is one of them. I am sure she will get the chance to ask a question if she rises to her feet. Mr C.J. BARNETT
The Oakajee port and rail project is set to be a catalyst for a period of growth in the Mid West, delivering huge economic and social benefits to both my electorate and the entire state. Can the Premier please update the house on how the project is progressing with state and federal support? Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Tell us about the steel mill! The SPEAKER : There are some people in this place who I am sure would like to ask questions, and I would like to give them that opportunity; the member for Armadale is one of them. I am sure she will get the chance to ask a question if she rises to her feet. Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Tell us about the steel mill! The SPEAKER : There are some people in this place who I am sure would like to ask questions, and I would like to give them that opportunity; the member for Armadale is one of them. I am sure she will get the chance to ask a question if she rises to her feet. Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : There are some people in this place who I am sure would like to ask questions, and I would like to give them that opportunity; the member for Armadale is one of them. I am sure she will get the chance to ask a question if she rises to her feet. Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Tell us about the steel mill! The SPEAKER : There are some people in this place who I am sure would like to ask questions, and I would like to give them that opportunity; the member for Armadale is one of them. I am sure she will get the chance to ask a question if she rises to her feet. Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : There are some people in this place who I am sure would like to ask questions, and I would like to give them that opportunity; the member for Armadale is one of them. I am sure she will get the chance to ask a question if she rises to her feet. Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. Mr Speaker, your electorate also obviously includes Oakajee. Today saw yet another important step forward for the Oakajee project. Members may not be aware, but Oakajee Port and Rail today announced two things, perhaps the most important being the three foundation customers for the port: Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, Karara Mining Ltd and Crosslands Resources Ltd. Those three companies have committed to being the foundation investors and customers of the Oakajee port. That is a significant commercial step forward. Associated with that was the announcement that the initial port capacity will not be 35 million tonnes but 45 million tonnes. Again, that is another significant step forward. As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
As I have said a number of times, this is a complicated project—probably one of the most complex projects the state has ever undertaken, for a range of reasons. Despite those complexities, it is progressing and today is a significant step forward. I want to thank local members; particularly, in this case, the member for Geraldton. He has a key role to play, as indeed you do, Mr Speaker, in dealing with local authorities, landowners and other people affected in the area. I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
I know that the state Labor Party opposes progress on the development of the Oakajee port, but I again remind members that my good friend—he is not quite such a good friend at the moment—Hon Kevin Rudd is a strong advocate of Oakajee, and a strong advocate of the state and commonwealth governments joining together to build that key piece of infrastructure, the common-user port facility. I am sure that by the time of the federal election, even the candidate for Canning will be converted to the cause of Oakajee. I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
I will conclude with a final comment to the house. This is a complex project with many players. It is not the world’s greatest iron ore resource, but there are a number of resources. The expectation is that by approximately 2020, something in the order of 100 million tonnes of iron ore will be going out through Oakajee. If that is realised, total expenditure by both government and private investment, but principally private investment, in the area will be in excess of $10 billion. This is a project in total scale that is right up there with some of the biggest projects of the Pilbara region. It is very important for the development of the state that we have major investment and major job creation in the northern part of Western Australia.
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