❓ Mrs O'Malley asks about the benefits of the Kwinana port for freight and the economic consequences of not building it. The Minister responds by outlining the government's plan for the port and criticises the opposition's previous policies.
AnsweredQoN 510Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTPORT TASKFORCE —
AUTOMATED OUTER HARBOUR
510. Mrs
L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the government's
decision to endorse the recommendation of the independent Westport Taskforce
for Kwinana to be the site for a new long-term container port.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how a new port
in Kwinana will ensure Perth has a modern uninterrupted freight corridor
that takes trucks away from built-up suburbs like those in my electorate?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what will be the financial and economic
consequences of not planning for a new port at Kwinana?
AUTOMATED OUTER HARBOUR
510. Mrs
L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the government's
decision to endorse the recommendation of the independent Westport Taskforce
for Kwinana to be the site for a new long-term container port.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how a new port
in Kwinana will ensure Perth has a modern uninterrupted freight corridor
that takes trucks away from built-up suburbs like those in my electorate?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what will be the financial and economic
consequences of not planning for a new port at Kwinana?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Bicton for that question,
and of course her commitment to the Westport vision and strategy. We took this policy to the last election—a
policy to plan for a new outer harbour—and also a number of short-term measures. We welcome the
recommendations from the Westport Taskforce report. I would like to put on the
record my thanks to Nicole Lockwood and her whole team for the work they
undertook, the consultation, and the stakeholder engagement. It was absolutely
excellent. Can I thank that team for the work that they did. I heard the member
for Vasse questioning the independence of Nicole Lockwood, again willing to
criticise everything that this government does. This is a plan for Western Australia's
economic future. It will secure our role as Australia's major trading
state and will make sure that generations of Western Australians can benefit
from the most modern and efficient transport and port infrastructure in
Australia. The final report has recommended a land-backed port to be built in
the Kwinana industrial area connected to a freight corridor via Anketell and
Tonkin Highway. The recommended container port at Kwinana will include
upgrading Anketell into a freight route that will connect directly to Tonkin
Highway to Muchea in the north and down to the south west. It will also be
supported by an enhanced rail network and new intermodal terminals. That is
what the community demands and deserves from a government—a government
willing to plan for the future and to deliver on its commitments. This report
now allows the government to get on with the planning involved and protecting
the road and rail corridors, and, of course, the environmental assessments and
the further work that needs to be done as part of the business case. In the
meantime, we will continue to do the work of getting freight onto rail. As the
member for Bicton knows, we have already increased the amount of freight onto
rail, which was down to 11 per cent under the previous government, to 20 per
cent, and that represents 110 000 truck movements per annum.
What
is the Liberal Party's view of it all? Again, it appears that it has a unity
ticket with the Maritime Union of Australia on this issue. Let us go
back to its policies in government. Its policy in government was to privatise
Fremantle port. It now stands up and talks about automation when the plan was
to privatise Fremantle port. That is why it wanted to build Roe 8 and 9—to
maximise the value of the port. We understand that. I quote the member for
Riverton. Dr Nahan said —
� the sale of Fremantle Port would
solve the government's future problem of having to expand capacity in
10 to 15 years, which would require a $2 billion to $4 billion investment.
''There is a need to build an
outer harbour, logically in Kwinana, and a lot of work has been done on that,''
he said.
It appears that the former member for
Vasse was on board. We know that former Premier Richard Court was on board and
former Premier Colin Barnett was on board, and of course the member for
Riverton. It is logical—it makes
sense—to build an outer harbour. Let us get on with it. Let us be
bipartisan on something that had a bipartisan
approach for decades until the Liberal Party scrambled together the Perth
Freight Link project. This is a project for Western Australia's
economic future. I am proud that we have delivered this report to ensure the
economic prosperity of generations to come.
and of course her commitment to the Westport vision and strategy. We took this policy to the last election—a
policy to plan for a new outer harbour—and also a number of short-term measures. We welcome the
recommendations from the Westport Taskforce report. I would like to put on the
record my thanks to Nicole Lockwood and her whole team for the work they
undertook, the consultation, and the stakeholder engagement. It was absolutely
excellent. Can I thank that team for the work that they did. I heard the member
for Vasse questioning the independence of Nicole Lockwood, again willing to
criticise everything that this government does. This is a plan for Western Australia's
economic future. It will secure our role as Australia's major trading
state and will make sure that generations of Western Australians can benefit
from the most modern and efficient transport and port infrastructure in
Australia. The final report has recommended a land-backed port to be built in
the Kwinana industrial area connected to a freight corridor via Anketell and
Tonkin Highway. The recommended container port at Kwinana will include
upgrading Anketell into a freight route that will connect directly to Tonkin
Highway to Muchea in the north and down to the south west. It will also be
supported by an enhanced rail network and new intermodal terminals. That is
what the community demands and deserves from a government—a government
willing to plan for the future and to deliver on its commitments. This report
now allows the government to get on with the planning involved and protecting
the road and rail corridors, and, of course, the environmental assessments and
the further work that needs to be done as part of the business case. In the
meantime, we will continue to do the work of getting freight onto rail. As the
member for Bicton knows, we have already increased the amount of freight onto
rail, which was down to 11 per cent under the previous government, to 20 per
cent, and that represents 110 000 truck movements per annum.
What
is the Liberal Party's view of it all? Again, it appears that it has a unity
ticket with the Maritime Union of Australia on this issue. Let us go
back to its policies in government. Its policy in government was to privatise
Fremantle port. It now stands up and talks about automation when the plan was
to privatise Fremantle port. That is why it wanted to build Roe 8 and 9—to
maximise the value of the port. We understand that. I quote the member for
Riverton. Dr Nahan said —
� the sale of Fremantle Port would
solve the government's future problem of having to expand capacity in
10 to 15 years, which would require a $2 billion to $4 billion investment.
''There is a need to build an
outer harbour, logically in Kwinana, and a lot of work has been done on that,''
he said.
It appears that the former member for
Vasse was on board. We know that former Premier Richard Court was on board and
former Premier Colin Barnett was on board, and of course the member for
Riverton. It is logical—it makes
sense—to build an outer harbour. Let us get on with it. Let us be
bipartisan on something that had a bipartisan
approach for decades until the Liberal Party scrambled together the Perth
Freight Link project. This is a project for Western Australia's
economic future. I am proud that we have delivered this report to ensure the
economic prosperity of generations to come.
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