❓ Mr. Logan asks if BHP Billiton committed to purchasing tugboats from WA shipbuilders. Minister Brown acknowledges the question, emphasizes the importance of local content in major projects, and states he's sought information from BHP Billiton.
AnsweredQoN 1318Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to BHP Billiton’s plans to purchase four new tugboats for its Port Hedland iron ore operation. Has the company given any commitment to purchase the tugboats from Western Australian shipbuilders to create jobs and opportunities for Western Australian workers? Mr C.M. BROWN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question and for his continued interest in the manufacturing industry in Western Australia. I have been given to understand that BHP Billiton intends to acquire a number of tugboats. I am unaware of how it will source them, although I have sought a response from BHP Billiton about Western Australian industry’s involvement in building those boats. Major resource projects in the mineral, oil and gas sectors are very important to this State. They create employment opportunities and revenue flows from them to either the State or the Commonwealth or both. However, importantly, they also create opportunities for local input from industries such as the fabrication industry and other local service providers and producers. It is the Government’s very high expectation that every opportunity will be taken to ensure that local content is maximised. That is not to say that exorbitant prices in Western Australia should be accepted when prices elsewhere are more competitive. However, it means that a lot of focus ought to be given to ensure local content. In many other countries it is either a strong or absolute moral requirement to maximise the opportunity for local manufacturing and service industries for major resource projects to go ahead. The Western Australian Government takes that view very strongly and it was very pleased to see in areas such as Woodside Pty Ltd’s fourth train development a very high local content in the order of 65 per cent. Certainly there were high levels of local content in the expansion of the West Angeles project and the BHP Billiton Ltd project in Port Hedland. It is important that those levels continue in marine operations, particularly in the purchase of tugs and in offshore development. This is an important issue. I am sure BHP Billiton, with which we are working very well on a range of projects, together with a number of other major resource producers in Western Australia, will continue to have regard to the Government’s strong commitment to maximise local content at every opportunity.
Mr C.M. BROWN replied: I thank the member for his question and for his continued interest in the manufacturing industry in Western Australia. I have been given to understand that BHP Billiton intends to acquire a number of tugboats. I am unaware of how it will source them, although I have sought a response from BHP Billiton about Western Australian industry’s involvement in building those boats. Major resource projects in the mineral, oil and gas sectors are very important to this State. They create employment opportunities and revenue flows from them to either the State or the Commonwealth or both. However, importantly, they also create opportunities for local input from industries such as the fabrication industry and other local service providers and producers. It is the Government’s very high expectation that every opportunity will be taken to ensure that local content is maximised. That is not to say that exorbitant prices in Western Australia should be accepted when prices elsewhere are more competitive. However, it means that a lot of focus ought to be given to ensure local content. In many other countries it is either a strong or absolute moral requirement to maximise the opportunity for local manufacturing and service industries for major resource projects to go ahead. The Western Australian Government takes that view very strongly and it was very pleased to see in areas such as Woodside Pty Ltd’s fourth train development a very high local content in the order of 65 per cent. Certainly there were high levels of local content in the expansion of the West Angeles project and the BHP Billiton Ltd project in Port Hedland. It is important that those levels continue in marine operations, particularly in the purchase of tugs and in offshore development. This is an important issue. I am sure BHP Billiton, with which we are working very well on a range of projects, together with a number of other major resource producers in Western Australia, will continue to have regard to the Government’s strong commitment to maximise local content at every opportunity.
I thank the member for his question and for his continued interest in the manufacturing industry in Western Australia. I have been given to understand that BHP Billiton intends to acquire a number of tugboats. I am unaware of how it will source them, although I have sought a response from BHP Billiton about Western Australian industry’s involvement in building those boats. Major resource projects in the mineral, oil and gas sectors are very important to this State. They create employment opportunities and revenue flows from them to either the State or the Commonwealth or both. However, importantly, they also create opportunities for local input from industries such as the fabrication industry and other local service providers and producers. It is the Government’s very high expectation that every opportunity will be taken to ensure that local content is maximised. That is not to say that exorbitant prices in Western Australia should be accepted when prices elsewhere are more competitive. However, it means that a lot of focus ought to be given to ensure local content. In many other countries it is either a strong or absolute moral requirement to maximise the opportunity for local manufacturing and service industries for major resource projects to go ahead. The Western Australian Government takes that view very strongly and it was very pleased to see in areas such as Woodside Pty Ltd’s fourth train development a very high local content in the order of 65 per cent. Certainly there were high levels of local content in the expansion of the West Angeles project and the BHP Billiton Ltd project in Port Hedland. It is important that those levels continue in marine operations, particularly in the purchase of tugs and in offshore development. This is an important issue. I am sure BHP Billiton, with which we are working very well on a range of projects, together with a number of other major resource producers in Western Australia, will continue to have regard to the Government’s strong commitment to maximise local content at every opportunity.
Major resource projects in the mineral, oil and gas sectors are very important to this State. They create employment opportunities and revenue flows from them to either the State or the Commonwealth or both. However, importantly, they also create opportunities for local input from industries such as the fabrication industry and other local service providers and producers. It is the Government’s very high expectation that every opportunity will be taken to ensure that local content is maximised. That is not to say that exorbitant prices in Western Australia should be accepted when prices elsewhere are more competitive. However, it means that a lot of focus ought to be given to ensure local content. In many other countries it is either a strong or absolute moral requirement to maximise the opportunity for local manufacturing and service industries for major resource projects to go ahead. The Western Australian Government takes that view very strongly and it was very pleased to see in areas such as Woodside Pty Ltd’s fourth train development a very high local content in the order of 65 per cent. Certainly there were high levels of local content in the expansion of the West Angeles project and the BHP Billiton Ltd project in Port Hedland. It is important that those levels continue in marine operations, particularly in the purchase of tugs and in offshore development. This is an important issue. I am sure BHP Billiton, with which we are working very well on a range of projects, together with a number of other major resource producers in Western Australia, will continue to have regard to the Government’s strong commitment to maximise local content at every opportunity.
Mr C.M. BROWN replied: I thank the member for his question and for his continued interest in the manufacturing industry in Western Australia. I have been given to understand that BHP Billiton intends to acquire a number of tugboats. I am unaware of how it will source them, although I have sought a response from BHP Billiton about Western Australian industry’s involvement in building those boats. Major resource projects in the mineral, oil and gas sectors are very important to this State. They create employment opportunities and revenue flows from them to either the State or the Commonwealth or both. However, importantly, they also create opportunities for local input from industries such as the fabrication industry and other local service providers and producers. It is the Government’s very high expectation that every opportunity will be taken to ensure that local content is maximised. That is not to say that exorbitant prices in Western Australia should be accepted when prices elsewhere are more competitive. However, it means that a lot of focus ought to be given to ensure local content. In many other countries it is either a strong or absolute moral requirement to maximise the opportunity for local manufacturing and service industries for major resource projects to go ahead. The Western Australian Government takes that view very strongly and it was very pleased to see in areas such as Woodside Pty Ltd’s fourth train development a very high local content in the order of 65 per cent. Certainly there were high levels of local content in the expansion of the West Angeles project and the BHP Billiton Ltd project in Port Hedland. It is important that those levels continue in marine operations, particularly in the purchase of tugs and in offshore development. This is an important issue. I am sure BHP Billiton, with which we are working very well on a range of projects, together with a number of other major resource producers in Western Australia, will continue to have regard to the Government’s strong commitment to maximise local content at every opportunity.
I thank the member for his question and for his continued interest in the manufacturing industry in Western Australia. I have been given to understand that BHP Billiton intends to acquire a number of tugboats. I am unaware of how it will source them, although I have sought a response from BHP Billiton about Western Australian industry’s involvement in building those boats. Major resource projects in the mineral, oil and gas sectors are very important to this State. They create employment opportunities and revenue flows from them to either the State or the Commonwealth or both. However, importantly, they also create opportunities for local input from industries such as the fabrication industry and other local service providers and producers. It is the Government’s very high expectation that every opportunity will be taken to ensure that local content is maximised. That is not to say that exorbitant prices in Western Australia should be accepted when prices elsewhere are more competitive. However, it means that a lot of focus ought to be given to ensure local content. In many other countries it is either a strong or absolute moral requirement to maximise the opportunity for local manufacturing and service industries for major resource projects to go ahead. The Western Australian Government takes that view very strongly and it was very pleased to see in areas such as Woodside Pty Ltd’s fourth train development a very high local content in the order of 65 per cent. Certainly there were high levels of local content in the expansion of the West Angeles project and the BHP Billiton Ltd project in Port Hedland. It is important that those levels continue in marine operations, particularly in the purchase of tugs and in offshore development. This is an important issue. I am sure BHP Billiton, with which we are working very well on a range of projects, together with a number of other major resource producers in Western Australia, will continue to have regard to the Government’s strong commitment to maximise local content at every opportunity.
Major resource projects in the mineral, oil and gas sectors are very important to this State. They create employment opportunities and revenue flows from them to either the State or the Commonwealth or both. However, importantly, they also create opportunities for local input from industries such as the fabrication industry and other local service providers and producers. It is the Government’s very high expectation that every opportunity will be taken to ensure that local content is maximised. That is not to say that exorbitant prices in Western Australia should be accepted when prices elsewhere are more competitive. However, it means that a lot of focus ought to be given to ensure local content. In many other countries it is either a strong or absolute moral requirement to maximise the opportunity for local manufacturing and service industries for major resource projects to go ahead. The Western Australian Government takes that view very strongly and it was very pleased to see in areas such as Woodside Pty Ltd’s fourth train development a very high local content in the order of 65 per cent. Certainly there were high levels of local content in the expansion of the West Angeles project and the BHP Billiton Ltd project in Port Hedland. It is important that those levels continue in marine operations, particularly in the purchase of tugs and in offshore development. This is an important issue. I am sure BHP Billiton, with which we are working very well on a range of projects, together with a number of other major resource producers in Western Australia, will continue to have regard to the Government’s strong commitment to maximise local content at every opportunity.
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