Question regarding the commercial viability and pricing structure of the Oakajee Port project, with the Premier's response indicating a long-term commercial approach despite initial losses.

AnsweredQoN 599Legislative Assembly
Asked
12 August 2009
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

OAKAJEE — PUBLIC INVESTMENT
I have a supplementary question. Will the Premier tell us whether this project will be fully commercial and whether the port users will be required to pay a fully commercial rate of return on all the taxpayers’ funds invested in the project? Mr C.J. BARNETT

AnswerView source ↗

This investment is being undertaken on a commercial basis. Will the port return a positive cash flow in the first couple of years? No. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be charged? Mr C.J. BARNETT : No. Mr E.S. Ripper : What will it charge? Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition wants to ask the question — Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: This investment is being undertaken on a commercial basis. Will the port return a positive cash flow in the first couple of years? No. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be charged? Mr C.J. BARNETT : No. Mr E.S. Ripper : What will it charge? Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition wants to ask the question — Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
This investment is being undertaken on a commercial basis. Will the port return a positive cash flow in the first couple of years? No. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be charged? Mr C.J. BARNETT : No. Mr E.S. Ripper : What will it charge? Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition wants to ask the question — Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will they be charged? Mr C.J. BARNETT : No. Mr E.S. Ripper : What will it charge? Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition wants to ask the question — Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No. Mr E.S. Ripper : What will it charge? Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition wants to ask the question — Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr E.S. Ripper : What will it charge? Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition wants to ask the question — Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the Leader of the Opposition wants to ask the question — Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr E.S. Ripper : I want to hear the Premier answer it. He is not answering it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am attempting to. Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Opposition members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think this is probably the worst performance I have ever seen from an opposition. I have been here for a long time, nearly 20 years, and I have never seen such ineptitude and such discourtesy. However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
However, the port will operate on a commercial basis. I would hope that within a period of around 10 years, maybe five optimistically, it will be operating in a surplus position. We will take a long-term view of that commerciality — Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; the member has asked her question. It is my turn to answer it. We will apply both user and capacity charges on a commercial basis.

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