❓ Question regarding the status of the Southern Forests Irrigation Scheme and federal funding. The Minister's answer deflects blame to the previous government's application and the current federal government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 854Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOUTHERN FORESTS
IRRIGATION SCHEME
854. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $19 million commitment to the southern forests irrigation
scheme, which will support agriculture across Manjimup and Pemberton.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house what is preventing this job-creating project from
commencing?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether the Deputy Prime Minister committed to
supporting this important project during his recent visit to Manjimup?
IRRIGATION SCHEME
854. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $19 million commitment to the southern forests irrigation
scheme, which will support agriculture across Manjimup and Pemberton.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house what is preventing this job-creating project from
commencing?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether the Deputy Prime Minister committed to
supporting this important project during his recent visit to Manjimup?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Murray–Wellington
for that question.
(1)–(2) The southern forests irrigation scheme is a very
important job-creating scheme for the Manjimup–Pemberton area.
This project had its genesis during the time of the previous government. It
committed $19 million or thereabouts to that scheme and put in an application
to the federal government for some $40 million to bring that project to
fruition, along with a contribution of about $10 million from the growers in
the Manjimup area. When we came into government, members opposite were very
quick to jump to their feet and demand to know whether the McGowan government
would support this project in Manjimup. The member for Roe on 28 June demanded
to know what I was doing to ensure that the state did not miss out on the
federal funding and whether it was caused by my delay in decision-making. Soon
after that, having gone through the amount of mess in the water portfolio, we
confirmed that we would commit the $19 million required to get the southern
forests irrigation project up and running. The Treasurer has put in his budget
$19 million for the southern forests irrigation project.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, it was very quiet when you were not here for most of question
time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : That is right.
He missed the beginning.
It was with some disappointment that
in September last year, the federal minister responsible, who at the time was
Barnaby Joyce, advised the state government that he had rejected the
application for funding for the southern forests irrigation scheme because, as
we found out, the application submitted by the previous government was
deficient in the information provided. Along with Hon Alannah MacTiernan, we
provided the additional information requested. Since that date, we have been
waiting for the federal government to give us funding —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, please!
Mr D.J. KELLY : We have been
waiting for the federal government to confirm that it would fund this project.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members to my right!
Mr D.J. KELLY : We have now
been in office for 18 months and we have been waiting for the federal
government, led by the new National Party minister, to make a decision on this
project.
I got very excited a couple of weeks
ago, because I saw that the National Party was having its state conference in
Manjimup. The current federal Leader of the National Party, whatever his name
is, was attending the conference, so I thought: this is the perfect
opportunity. The federal Leader of the National Party is in Manjimup, the
epicentre of the southern forests irrigation scheme. Surely they will make an
announcement that the federal government will fund this important project. What
did we hear? Absolutely nothing. Yet again, this is an example of the state National
Party complaining to us about what is not happening, but what is really holding
back regional WA in so many areas is support from the federal government.
Federally, the National Party spends money like it is going out of fashion in
states such as New South Wales and Victoria, but when it comes to assisting
regional areas in Western Australia, the National Party over here is hopeless.
The National Party federally knows how hopeless the National Party is here in
WA. As a result, its advocacy falls on deaf ears.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, you are on the sheet. I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : I would like
to know whether the National Party here in WA is still supporting the southern
forests irrigation scheme. If so, what is it doing about it? Is the Liberal
Party in WA still supporting this scheme, because I noticed that the shadow
Minister for Water is out there encouraging people who are opposed to it. Is
the Liberal Party of WA supporting this scheme? If so, what is it doing to
secure that federal funding?
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
for that question.
(1)–(2) The southern forests irrigation scheme is a very
important job-creating scheme for the Manjimup–Pemberton area.
This project had its genesis during the time of the previous government. It
committed $19 million or thereabouts to that scheme and put in an application
to the federal government for some $40 million to bring that project to
fruition, along with a contribution of about $10 million from the growers in
the Manjimup area. When we came into government, members opposite were very
quick to jump to their feet and demand to know whether the McGowan government
would support this project in Manjimup. The member for Roe on 28 June demanded
to know what I was doing to ensure that the state did not miss out on the
federal funding and whether it was caused by my delay in decision-making. Soon
after that, having gone through the amount of mess in the water portfolio, we
confirmed that we would commit the $19 million required to get the southern
forests irrigation project up and running. The Treasurer has put in his budget
$19 million for the southern forests irrigation project.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, it was very quiet when you were not here for most of question
time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : That is right.
He missed the beginning.
It was with some disappointment that
in September last year, the federal minister responsible, who at the time was
Barnaby Joyce, advised the state government that he had rejected the
application for funding for the southern forests irrigation scheme because, as
we found out, the application submitted by the previous government was
deficient in the information provided. Along with Hon Alannah MacTiernan, we
provided the additional information requested. Since that date, we have been
waiting for the federal government to give us funding —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, please!
Mr D.J. KELLY : We have been
waiting for the federal government to confirm that it would fund this project.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members to my right!
Mr D.J. KELLY : We have now
been in office for 18 months and we have been waiting for the federal
government, led by the new National Party minister, to make a decision on this
project.
I got very excited a couple of weeks
ago, because I saw that the National Party was having its state conference in
Manjimup. The current federal Leader of the National Party, whatever his name
is, was attending the conference, so I thought: this is the perfect
opportunity. The federal Leader of the National Party is in Manjimup, the
epicentre of the southern forests irrigation scheme. Surely they will make an
announcement that the federal government will fund this important project. What
did we hear? Absolutely nothing. Yet again, this is an example of the state National
Party complaining to us about what is not happening, but what is really holding
back regional WA in so many areas is support from the federal government.
Federally, the National Party spends money like it is going out of fashion in
states such as New South Wales and Victoria, but when it comes to assisting
regional areas in Western Australia, the National Party over here is hopeless.
The National Party federally knows how hopeless the National Party is here in
WA. As a result, its advocacy falls on deaf ears.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, you are on the sheet. I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : I would like
to know whether the National Party here in WA is still supporting the southern
forests irrigation scheme. If so, what is it doing about it? Is the Liberal
Party in WA still supporting this scheme, because I noticed that the shadow
Minister for Water is out there encouraging people who are opposed to it. Is
the Liberal Party of WA supporting this scheme? If so, what is it doing to
secure that federal funding?
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
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