❓ An update on the Perenjori multipurpose parenting and early childhood centre is provided, highlighting government investment and contrasting it with the opposition's perceived lack of support for regional infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 565Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERENJORI MULTIPURPOSE PARENTING AND EARLY
CHILDHOOD CENTRE
565. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Regional Development:
Can the minister please provide an update on the Perenjori
multipurpose parenting and early childhood centre?
CHILDHOOD CENTRE
565. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Regional Development:
Can the minister please provide an update on the Perenjori
multipurpose parenting and early childhood centre?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Moore for the question and his
passionate advocacy for young kids in his electorate.
Given the focus on infrastructure in the Parliament over the
past couple of weeks, this is a good opportunity to talk about one of the
smaller projects that would not normally be talked about in question time. But
for the local community in Perenjori it is absolutely vital, and I think it
shows the sharp contrast between the type of government that the Leader of the
Opposition would have run, and the type of government that the Liberal‑National
government is. We have had record infrastructure spending year after year after
year. We are rebuilding the state of Western Australia and setting it up for
the future, and we stand by absolutely every single one of those infrastructure
commitments. Just today, the Minister for Planning has talked about Elizabeth
Quay—an outstanding development on the waterfront of Perth and one that
will come to fruition in the next couple of years. There is substantial work
underway, and it was opposed by those opposite. Just down the road at Burswood,
the new sports stadium is starting to come out of the ground. That is a
transformational project for Western Australia, and those opposite mocked and
laughed and said they would not do it. In the election campaign, the opposition
wanted to get rid of Elizabeth Quay and get rid of the Perth Waterfront plan,
and I can absolutely guarantee that if the Leader of the Opposition had taken the
treasury bench, Perenjori would not have had a childcare facility.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : If
the Leader of the Opposition had the treasury bench, Perenjori would not have
had the type of infrastructure important to that community.
What has happened in Perenjori? After the Liberal–National
government came to power, it made a decision about the banded iron formations
and the environmental policy that allowed the opening up of the iron ore
precinct in the midwest. The opposition did not spend any money on
infrastructure when it was in government because there were no projects out
there to build infrastructure for. Off the back of that project, the iron ore
precinct is underway, and the small town of Perenjori—formerly known
for wheat and wool, basically—is now the fastest-growing area in the
midwest, experiencing 50 per cent growth in the past four years. There is a
mini-boom in the community of Perenjori. That has put considerable pressure on
services in the area, such as health, education and child care, and that is why
the government has invested $1.1 million for the Perenjori multipurpose
parenting and early childhood centre. This centre, which has a total value of
$2 million, will provide a 19-place childcare facility, health and education
rooms, community training programs, a playgroup, a toy library and Aboriginal
early childhood development services, and it will all be built right next door
to Perenjori Primary School, to take advantage of the synergies in that little
precinct. It will provide a one-stop shop for children and their parents, who
will be able to access child care, child health services and early childhood
education all in the one place. This is absolutely vital as we look to retain
families in the area with the skills to facilitate the growth of the iron ore
precinct in that area.
As well as government money, funding was sought from
Lotterywest, $300 000; Mount Gibson Iron, $200 000; Karara Mining, $50 000; and
the Shire of Perenjori put in $145 000 of its own ratepayers' money.
This is all part of the Mid West Development Commission investment plan, which
is looking to make sure that the midwest can take advantage of the
opportunities coming from the growth and development of that sector.
Again, this is a small example of a project building the
infrastructure of Western Australia to take advantage of the opportunities here
for the present and to make sure that we can build into the future—a sharp
contrast between the slash-and-burn, do-nothing approach that the opposition
would have taken if it was in government.
passionate advocacy for young kids in his electorate.
Given the focus on infrastructure in the Parliament over the
past couple of weeks, this is a good opportunity to talk about one of the
smaller projects that would not normally be talked about in question time. But
for the local community in Perenjori it is absolutely vital, and I think it
shows the sharp contrast between the type of government that the Leader of the
Opposition would have run, and the type of government that the Liberal‑National
government is. We have had record infrastructure spending year after year after
year. We are rebuilding the state of Western Australia and setting it up for
the future, and we stand by absolutely every single one of those infrastructure
commitments. Just today, the Minister for Planning has talked about Elizabeth
Quay—an outstanding development on the waterfront of Perth and one that
will come to fruition in the next couple of years. There is substantial work
underway, and it was opposed by those opposite. Just down the road at Burswood,
the new sports stadium is starting to come out of the ground. That is a
transformational project for Western Australia, and those opposite mocked and
laughed and said they would not do it. In the election campaign, the opposition
wanted to get rid of Elizabeth Quay and get rid of the Perth Waterfront plan,
and I can absolutely guarantee that if the Leader of the Opposition had taken the
treasury bench, Perenjori would not have had a childcare facility.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : If
the Leader of the Opposition had the treasury bench, Perenjori would not have
had the type of infrastructure important to that community.
What has happened in Perenjori? After the Liberal–National
government came to power, it made a decision about the banded iron formations
and the environmental policy that allowed the opening up of the iron ore
precinct in the midwest. The opposition did not spend any money on
infrastructure when it was in government because there were no projects out
there to build infrastructure for. Off the back of that project, the iron ore
precinct is underway, and the small town of Perenjori—formerly known
for wheat and wool, basically—is now the fastest-growing area in the
midwest, experiencing 50 per cent growth in the past four years. There is a
mini-boom in the community of Perenjori. That has put considerable pressure on
services in the area, such as health, education and child care, and that is why
the government has invested $1.1 million for the Perenjori multipurpose
parenting and early childhood centre. This centre, which has a total value of
$2 million, will provide a 19-place childcare facility, health and education
rooms, community training programs, a playgroup, a toy library and Aboriginal
early childhood development services, and it will all be built right next door
to Perenjori Primary School, to take advantage of the synergies in that little
precinct. It will provide a one-stop shop for children and their parents, who
will be able to access child care, child health services and early childhood
education all in the one place. This is absolutely vital as we look to retain
families in the area with the skills to facilitate the growth of the iron ore
precinct in that area.
As well as government money, funding was sought from
Lotterywest, $300 000; Mount Gibson Iron, $200 000; Karara Mining, $50 000; and
the Shire of Perenjori put in $145 000 of its own ratepayers' money.
This is all part of the Mid West Development Commission investment plan, which
is looking to make sure that the midwest can take advantage of the
opportunities coming from the growth and development of that sector.
Again, this is a small example of a project building the
infrastructure of Western Australia to take advantage of the opportunities here
for the present and to make sure that we can build into the future—a sharp
contrast between the slash-and-burn, do-nothing approach that the opposition
would have taken if it was in government.
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