❓ The Minister for Transport provides an update on interim measures and long-term recovery efforts following the Kimberley floods, including road reopening, bridge construction, and ferry services. The Minister defends against calls for a royal commission, emphasising practical solutions.
AnsweredQoN 125Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KIMBERLEY FLOODS —
TRANSPORT LINKS
125. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the devastation caused by
the Kimberley flood event and ex–tropical cyclone Ellie. Can the
minister update the house on the interim measures this government has put in
place to ensure that people in flood-affected communities can stay connected
and essential freight and supplies can be provided, and can the minister advise
the house how the government is progressing with the long-term recovery across
the region?
TRANSPORT LINKS
125. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the devastation caused by
the Kimberley flood event and ex–tropical cyclone Ellie. Can the
minister update the house on the interim measures this government has put in
place to ensure that people in flood-affected communities can stay connected
and essential freight and supplies can be provided, and can the minister advise
the house how the government is progressing with the long-term recovery across
the region?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Geraldton for that question. I also want to recognise the
strong advocacy of the member for Kimberley. On behalf of the house, we
all extend our condolences to the member for Kimberley on her recent loss.
As we know, the Kimberley floods had
a devastating impact in that region. We have been working very hard with the
community and of course with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services to
get the reconnections
happening. It is a challenging time.
It is a challenging area with variable water flows, and, of course, we are
trying to address all these challenges during the wet season.
Two
weeks ago, the Premier and I visited the Great Northern Highway at Willare to
inspect the works that had been completed
to allow for that road to reopen. In just 24 days, the workers employed by Main
Roads and the contractors in that region had that road reopened. It is
now open 24/7 in both directions. Over 50 000 tonnes of material were used,
with 55 items of plant and 90 workers at the site. There were 24 local
businesses engaged and 14 per cent of them were Aboriginal businesses. That
reopening allowed for the vital connection to be re-established and gave a sense of relief to those in Fitzroy Crossing and
in Derby. I again thank all the workers for the work they undertook.
We now have and will soon be signing
a contract with the Georgiou Group and BMD Constructions for the construction
of the new Fitzroy River Bridge. We undertook a tender process that would
normally take about a year. We did that in about three weeks. We have now
established the preferred contractors and we will be signing the contract very
soon for the construction of the new Fitzroy River Bridge. We know that, again,
this one will be challenging. We are now doing forward works in looking at the
design of the bridge, but we know that this reconnection is vital for not only
Fitzroy Crossing, but also the entire Kimberley and north west.
Yesterday, the new ferry
services started to operate across the Fitzroy River, and the new barge
services are operating and taking the community back and forward for the
first time in that area. That barge service was, again, something that we put
in place to ensure that there is connectivity. We will continue to work in
particular in relation to the water levels in the river to make sure that we
can operate that barge effectively and safely and look at expanding it from
transporting people to other freight and other connections.
We will also be commencing work on
construction of the new low-level river crossings in the next month. Again, pending water flows, this new low-level crossing
will allow for connectivity in the dry season. It very much addresses many of the concerns that have been expressed by key industry groups like the
pastoralists to make sure that we have connections in the dry season to be able
to move freight in that entire area.
As members can see, there has been a
lot happening. I want to thank the crew who have been working up north. I want
to thank the member for Kimberley for her work liaising with the community
members, and my colleagues, in particular the Minister for Emergency Services, Hon
Stephen Dawson, who are working together to try to address all the outstanding
issues.
Of
course, this is one of the issues the Premier alluded to. One of the members in
the other house, Hon Neil Thomson ,
reckons we need a royal commission into the floods in the Kimberley.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Why did it
rain so much! I do not know why we would need to do that. As members can see,
we are out there delivering practical solutions on the ground. We could run a royal
commission that spends millions of dollars and distracts us from the task at
hand, which is getting those connections in place and making sure that the
community is once again connected.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Opposition.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
thank the member for Geraldton for that question. I also want to recognise the
strong advocacy of the member for Kimberley. On behalf of the house, we
all extend our condolences to the member for Kimberley on her recent loss.
As we know, the Kimberley floods had
a devastating impact in that region. We have been working very hard with the
community and of course with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services to
get the reconnections
happening. It is a challenging time.
It is a challenging area with variable water flows, and, of course, we are
trying to address all these challenges during the wet season.
Two
weeks ago, the Premier and I visited the Great Northern Highway at Willare to
inspect the works that had been completed
to allow for that road to reopen. In just 24 days, the workers employed by Main
Roads and the contractors in that region had that road reopened. It is
now open 24/7 in both directions. Over 50 000 tonnes of material were used,
with 55 items of plant and 90 workers at the site. There were 24 local
businesses engaged and 14 per cent of them were Aboriginal businesses. That
reopening allowed for the vital connection to be re-established and gave a sense of relief to those in Fitzroy Crossing and
in Derby. I again thank all the workers for the work they undertook.
We now have and will soon be signing
a contract with the Georgiou Group and BMD Constructions for the construction
of the new Fitzroy River Bridge. We undertook a tender process that would
normally take about a year. We did that in about three weeks. We have now
established the preferred contractors and we will be signing the contract very
soon for the construction of the new Fitzroy River Bridge. We know that, again,
this one will be challenging. We are now doing forward works in looking at the
design of the bridge, but we know that this reconnection is vital for not only
Fitzroy Crossing, but also the entire Kimberley and north west.
Yesterday, the new ferry
services started to operate across the Fitzroy River, and the new barge
services are operating and taking the community back and forward for the
first time in that area. That barge service was, again, something that we put
in place to ensure that there is connectivity. We will continue to work in
particular in relation to the water levels in the river to make sure that we
can operate that barge effectively and safely and look at expanding it from
transporting people to other freight and other connections.
We will also be commencing work on
construction of the new low-level river crossings in the next month. Again, pending water flows, this new low-level crossing
will allow for connectivity in the dry season. It very much addresses many of the concerns that have been expressed by key industry groups like the
pastoralists to make sure that we have connections in the dry season to be able
to move freight in that entire area.
As members can see, there has been a
lot happening. I want to thank the crew who have been working up north. I want
to thank the member for Kimberley for her work liaising with the community
members, and my colleagues, in particular the Minister for Emergency Services, Hon
Stephen Dawson, who are working together to try to address all the outstanding
issues.
Of
course, this is one of the issues the Premier alluded to. One of the members in
the other house, Hon Neil Thomson ,
reckons we need a royal commission into the floods in the Kimberley.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Why did it
rain so much! I do not know why we would need to do that. As members can see,
we are out there delivering practical solutions on the ground. We could run a royal
commission that spends millions of dollars and distracts us from the task at
hand, which is getting those connections in place and making sure that the
community is once again connected.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Opposition.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
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