❓ Question regarding the commitments made in the James Price Point gas hub agreement, specifically concerning the limits on the precinct's use. The Premier responds by defending the agreement and criticising the Wilderness Society for spreading misinformation.
AnsweredQoN 454Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
JAMES PRICE POINT GAS HUB — AGREEMENT COMMITMENTS
I refer to a newspaper opinion article titled “Battle for the last great wilderness” that includes a quote from the environmental group spokesperson about James Price Point being — … a big block, which will be a port for gas, bauxite, alumina from the Mitchell Plateau, coal … zinc … and other usual suspects — gold, diamonds, uranium, copper and mineral sands. Could the Premier please detail the commitments made in the agreement that he tabled yesterday regarding the limits around the use of the precinct at James Price Point? Mr C.J. BARNETT
I refer to a newspaper opinion article titled “Battle for the last great wilderness” that includes a quote from the environmental group spokesperson about James Price Point being — … a big block, which will be a port for gas, bauxite, alumina from the Mitchell Plateau, coal … zinc … and other usual suspects — gold, diamonds, uranium, copper and mineral sands. Could the Premier please detail the commitments made in the agreement that he tabled yesterday regarding the limits around the use of the precinct at James Price Point? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West for the question. I know that it is something that has been concerning people in not only Broome but the whole north west of the state. I have said to the various environmental groups directly that I acknowledge and respect their opinion and that their position is that they oppose development in the Kimberley. I can accept that and I can respect their opinions and I defend their right to say them. I have also said to the same groups that, even though they may oppose the LNG precinct at James Price Point, the government has a wider agenda for the Kimberley, which is the Kimberley wilderness parks proposal to create the Prince Regent national park and four major marine parks. About $68 million has so far been committed to the Kimberley. Even though those groups are opposed to James Price Point, we will treat that proposal quite separately and we will work with those groups on the environmental programs. We will give contracts to those organisations if they have a competency to work with us. We will do that. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can keep the issues separate. That approach taken by the government gets sorely tested when an environmental group, knowing better, deliberately goes out into the community and to the media with a direct intent to mislead, if not lie. I was very disappointed, not in the article written in The West Australian yesterday, but in the quotes from the Wilderness Society. I will not repeat the entire quote that the member for North West read out, but I want to say that this is the quote, which I accept, in the newspaper from the Wilderness Society — “The vision for JPP is a big block, which will be a port for gas, bauxite and alumina from the Mitchell Plateau, coal ... zinc ... It goes on and on. The Wilderness Society knows that is untrue. Mr J.J.M. Bowler : That will not stop them from saying it! Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for North West for the question. I know that it is something that has been concerning people in not only Broome but the whole north west of the state. I have said to the various environmental groups directly that I acknowledge and respect their opinion and that their position is that they oppose development in the Kimberley. I can accept that and I can respect their opinions and I defend their right to say them. I have also said to the same groups that, even though they may oppose the LNG precinct at James Price Point, the government has a wider agenda for the Kimberley, which is the Kimberley wilderness parks proposal to create the Prince Regent national park and four major marine parks. About $68 million has so far been committed to the Kimberley. Even though those groups are opposed to James Price Point, we will treat that proposal quite separately and we will work with those groups on the environmental programs. We will give contracts to those organisations if they have a competency to work with us. We will do that. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can keep the issues separate. That approach taken by the government gets sorely tested when an environmental group, knowing better, deliberately goes out into the community and to the media with a direct intent to mislead, if not lie. I was very disappointed, not in the article written in The West Australian yesterday, but in the quotes from the Wilderness Society. I will not repeat the entire quote that the member for North West read out, but I want to say that this is the quote, which I accept, in the newspaper from the Wilderness Society — “The vision for JPP is a big block, which will be a port for gas, bauxite and alumina from the Mitchell Plateau, coal ... zinc ... It goes on and on. The Wilderness Society knows that is untrue. Mr J.J.M. Bowler : That will not stop them from saying it! Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
I thank the member for North West for the question. I know that it is something that has been concerning people in not only Broome but the whole north west of the state. I have said to the various environmental groups directly that I acknowledge and respect their opinion and that their position is that they oppose development in the Kimberley. I can accept that and I can respect their opinions and I defend their right to say them. I have also said to the same groups that, even though they may oppose the LNG precinct at James Price Point, the government has a wider agenda for the Kimberley, which is the Kimberley wilderness parks proposal to create the Prince Regent national park and four major marine parks. About $68 million has so far been committed to the Kimberley. Even though those groups are opposed to James Price Point, we will treat that proposal quite separately and we will work with those groups on the environmental programs. We will give contracts to those organisations if they have a competency to work with us. We will do that. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can keep the issues separate. That approach taken by the government gets sorely tested when an environmental group, knowing better, deliberately goes out into the community and to the media with a direct intent to mislead, if not lie. I was very disappointed, not in the article written in The West Australian yesterday, but in the quotes from the Wilderness Society. I will not repeat the entire quote that the member for North West read out, but I want to say that this is the quote, which I accept, in the newspaper from the Wilderness Society — “The vision for JPP is a big block, which will be a port for gas, bauxite and alumina from the Mitchell Plateau, coal ... zinc ... It goes on and on. The Wilderness Society knows that is untrue. Mr J.J.M. Bowler : That will not stop them from saying it! Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
Mr J.J.M. Bowler : That will not stop them from saying it! Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for North West for the question. I know that it is something that has been concerning people in not only Broome but the whole north west of the state. I have said to the various environmental groups directly that I acknowledge and respect their opinion and that their position is that they oppose development in the Kimberley. I can accept that and I can respect their opinions and I defend their right to say them. I have also said to the same groups that, even though they may oppose the LNG precinct at James Price Point, the government has a wider agenda for the Kimberley, which is the Kimberley wilderness parks proposal to create the Prince Regent national park and four major marine parks. About $68 million has so far been committed to the Kimberley. Even though those groups are opposed to James Price Point, we will treat that proposal quite separately and we will work with those groups on the environmental programs. We will give contracts to those organisations if they have a competency to work with us. We will do that. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can keep the issues separate. That approach taken by the government gets sorely tested when an environmental group, knowing better, deliberately goes out into the community and to the media with a direct intent to mislead, if not lie. I was very disappointed, not in the article written in The West Australian yesterday, but in the quotes from the Wilderness Society. I will not repeat the entire quote that the member for North West read out, but I want to say that this is the quote, which I accept, in the newspaper from the Wilderness Society — “The vision for JPP is a big block, which will be a port for gas, bauxite and alumina from the Mitchell Plateau, coal ... zinc ... It goes on and on. The Wilderness Society knows that is untrue. Mr J.J.M. Bowler : That will not stop them from saying it! Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
I thank the member for North West for the question. I know that it is something that has been concerning people in not only Broome but the whole north west of the state. I have said to the various environmental groups directly that I acknowledge and respect their opinion and that their position is that they oppose development in the Kimberley. I can accept that and I can respect their opinions and I defend their right to say them. I have also said to the same groups that, even though they may oppose the LNG precinct at James Price Point, the government has a wider agenda for the Kimberley, which is the Kimberley wilderness parks proposal to create the Prince Regent national park and four major marine parks. About $68 million has so far been committed to the Kimberley. Even though those groups are opposed to James Price Point, we will treat that proposal quite separately and we will work with those groups on the environmental programs. We will give contracts to those organisations if they have a competency to work with us. We will do that. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can keep the issues separate. That approach taken by the government gets sorely tested when an environmental group, knowing better, deliberately goes out into the community and to the media with a direct intent to mislead, if not lie. I was very disappointed, not in the article written in The West Australian yesterday, but in the quotes from the Wilderness Society. I will not repeat the entire quote that the member for North West read out, but I want to say that this is the quote, which I accept, in the newspaper from the Wilderness Society — “The vision for JPP is a big block, which will be a port for gas, bauxite and alumina from the Mitchell Plateau, coal ... zinc ... It goes on and on. The Wilderness Society knows that is untrue. Mr J.J.M. Bowler : That will not stop them from saying it! Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
Mr J.J.M. Bowler : That will not stop them from saying it! Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, it probably will not, member for Kalgoorlie. They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
They know it is untrue; they know what they said to the journalist was a lie, and they know what they are saying to the Western Australian public is a lie. I will not deal with groups that deliberately lie. I can respect differences of opinion, but I will not deal with a group that lies to the public in that way. I place on notice that those in any environmental group can protest, object, disagree with the government, criticise me if they want, but if an environmental group wants to work on environmental projects, I will require integrity in what they say. The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
The report had been talked about publicly and details had been released, but I remind members in the house that this week I tabled the report as promised in Parliament. The report makes it very clear on page 1 that James Price Point, if it proceeds, will be limited to use as an LNG precinct. It is laid down in each agreement and the agreement with the Aboriginal people that it can be used only for an LNG precinct. The report goes on to state that it will be the only LNG precinct on the Kimberley coastline. This is 230 kilometres away from the Horizontal Waterfalls. It is 700 kilometres away from the Bungle Bungles. It is hundreds of kilometres away from most of the parts of the Kimberley that people most identify as the spectacular tourist areas. For the Wilderness Society to come out and report to The West Australian, and indeed for The West Australian to repeat, something that is absolutely incorrect, and to do so deliberately, I must tell members that the Wilderness Society has just lost a whole heap of brownie points with this government.
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