❓ Question regarding land sales at Elizabeth Quay, with the Premier providing a positive update on the project's success, highlighting land sales exceeding budget and criticising the opposition's previous negativity. Heated debate ensues.
AnsweredQoN 756Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELIZABETH QUAY — LAND SALES
756. Ms E. EVANGEL to the Premier:
I note the strong interest and
ongoing investment in Elizabeth Quay, as demonstrated by the recent sale of two
lots for $85 million. Could the Premier please provide the house with an update
on this exciting project?
Mr
W.J. Johnston interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you, member for Cannington.
Mr
W.J. Johnston : Where's the 36 000 square metres of retail space?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I call you to order for the first time.
756. Ms E. EVANGEL to the Premier:
I note the strong interest and
ongoing investment in Elizabeth Quay, as demonstrated by the recent sale of two
lots for $85 million. Could the Premier please provide the house with an update
on this exciting project?
Mr
W.J. Johnston interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you, member for Cannington.
Mr
W.J. Johnston : Where's the 36 000 square metres of retail space?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I call you to order for the first time.
AnswerView source ↗
Elizabeth Quay was opened at the end
of January this year. Around 30 000 people came along to celebrate that.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, they did.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : In a short time Elizabeth Quay has become the face of Perth.
In every promotion and every advertisement, Elizabeth Quay is front and centre
all the time. The Labor Party—the opposition, the hapless mob in this
house—simply criticised Elizabeth Quay and it continues to do so. It
said, ''You'll never sell the land. It'll be a wasteland
for a decade.'' Do members opposite remember all those speeches about
the wasteland? They talked about the Lawrence of Arabia landscape. Here we are
in October, just nine months later, and during the recess —
Mr
M.P. Murray interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I call you to order for the
first time. I have been lenient with you.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : During our recent two-week recess, as the member for Perth
said in her question, two further lots were sold for a combined price of $85 million—the
highest price ever for land in the City of Perth. It is the best land in a fairly
subdued real estate market. That amounts to $13 700 per square metre. Those
buyers, CA and Associates, which is a local business with a Malaysian
connection, will be building 300 residential apartments, 170 short-stay
apartments, which is good for Perth, a hotel and a restaurant, and retail
options, just for the member opposite. He can go shopping there in the retail
options. They will be just for him! They will call it the grumpy store for
miserable people like the member for Cannington. He can go along to that.
Of all the lots on Elizabeth Quay,
this development that was meant to fail, only one is left to be sold, and a small
queue of people want to bid for it. As for the financial side, already to this
point—with further money to be paid and the remaining lot to be sold—the
amount of money collected by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority exceeds
the budget for the total that was ever to be collected from land sales. It is
already in front on a cash basis —
Mr
W.J. Johnston : That is not true.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, it is, sunshine! Go down there to grumpy store—of
course it is true!
Mr
W.J. Johnston : You haven't got any of the money!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, we have. We have $175 million, when the target was $170
million. There is still more money to come in and there is still a block to
sell. The member for Cannington is the most negative person, apart from the
member he sits opposite—absolutely negative. Well done to the member
for Perth. This is a fantastic project. The people of Perth love it. Since
Elizabeth Quay opened, it has had three million visitors. The Ritz–Carlton
Hotel is already under construction —
Mr
W.J. Johnston : It is already for sale!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It is under construction—gee whiz! The member for
Cannington is so miserable. He is such a poor performer. He has never achieved
a major project in his life and he never ever will.
of January this year. Around 30 000 people came along to celebrate that.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, they did.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : In a short time Elizabeth Quay has become the face of Perth.
In every promotion and every advertisement, Elizabeth Quay is front and centre
all the time. The Labor Party—the opposition, the hapless mob in this
house—simply criticised Elizabeth Quay and it continues to do so. It
said, ''You'll never sell the land. It'll be a wasteland
for a decade.'' Do members opposite remember all those speeches about
the wasteland? They talked about the Lawrence of Arabia landscape. Here we are
in October, just nine months later, and during the recess —
Mr
M.P. Murray interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I call you to order for the
first time. I have been lenient with you.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : During our recent two-week recess, as the member for Perth
said in her question, two further lots were sold for a combined price of $85 million—the
highest price ever for land in the City of Perth. It is the best land in a fairly
subdued real estate market. That amounts to $13 700 per square metre. Those
buyers, CA and Associates, which is a local business with a Malaysian
connection, will be building 300 residential apartments, 170 short-stay
apartments, which is good for Perth, a hotel and a restaurant, and retail
options, just for the member opposite. He can go shopping there in the retail
options. They will be just for him! They will call it the grumpy store for
miserable people like the member for Cannington. He can go along to that.
Of all the lots on Elizabeth Quay,
this development that was meant to fail, only one is left to be sold, and a small
queue of people want to bid for it. As for the financial side, already to this
point—with further money to be paid and the remaining lot to be sold—the
amount of money collected by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority exceeds
the budget for the total that was ever to be collected from land sales. It is
already in front on a cash basis —
Mr
W.J. Johnston : That is not true.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, it is, sunshine! Go down there to grumpy store—of
course it is true!
Mr
W.J. Johnston : You haven't got any of the money!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, we have. We have $175 million, when the target was $170
million. There is still more money to come in and there is still a block to
sell. The member for Cannington is the most negative person, apart from the
member he sits opposite—absolutely negative. Well done to the member
for Perth. This is a fantastic project. The people of Perth love it. Since
Elizabeth Quay opened, it has had three million visitors. The Ritz–Carlton
Hotel is already under construction —
Mr
W.J. Johnston : It is already for sale!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It is under construction—gee whiz! The member for
Cannington is so miserable. He is such a poor performer. He has never achieved
a major project in his life and he never ever will.
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