❓ Hon Bruce Donaldson asks if the Government is seriously considering a drainage system proposal for salt-affected land in the wheatbelt. Hon Kim Chance responds that it's currently a concept, but the Government will consider a formal proposal with design and costing, contingent on a favourable cost-benefit ratio.
AnsweredQoN 737Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Following a recent meeting at Corrigin, the wheatbelt channel steering committee indicated that it wants to develop a system of drains for salt-affected land in the region. It has indicated that approximately 700 kilometres of arterial channels from Qualandary Crossing near Beverley are draining saline water into the Yilgarn and Mortlock River catchments. The channels from Qualandary Crossing to Kurrenkutten near Bruce Rock are expected to save some 760 000 hectares of salt-affected land. Is the Government looking seriously at this proposal? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
This is not a proposal; this is a concept. When the concept becomes a proposal and can be subject to the normal design and costing requirements, I believe the Government will be more than happy to look at it. To the extent that we have been able to do some preliminary costings, those costings are variously estimated at between $500 million and $1.2 billion. However, against a possible benefit - Hon Barry House: Call it a railway and it will look cheap! Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied : This is not a proposal; this is a concept. When the concept becomes a proposal and can be subject to the normal design and costing requirements, I believe the Government will be more than happy to look at it. To the extent that we have been able to do some preliminary costings, those costings are variously estimated at between $500 million and $1.2 billion. However, against a possible benefit - Hon Barry House: Call it a railway and it will look cheap! Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
This is not a proposal; this is a concept. When the concept becomes a proposal and can be subject to the normal design and costing requirements, I believe the Government will be more than happy to look at it. To the extent that we have been able to do some preliminary costings, those costings are variously estimated at between $500 million and $1.2 billion. However, against a possible benefit - Hon Barry House: Call it a railway and it will look cheap! Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon Barry House: Call it a railway and it will look cheap! Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied : This is not a proposal; this is a concept. When the concept becomes a proposal and can be subject to the normal design and costing requirements, I believe the Government will be more than happy to look at it. To the extent that we have been able to do some preliminary costings, those costings are variously estimated at between $500 million and $1.2 billion. However, against a possible benefit - Hon Barry House: Call it a railway and it will look cheap! Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
This is not a proposal; this is a concept. When the concept becomes a proposal and can be subject to the normal design and costing requirements, I believe the Government will be more than happy to look at it. To the extent that we have been able to do some preliminary costings, those costings are variously estimated at between $500 million and $1.2 billion. However, against a possible benefit - Hon Barry House: Call it a railway and it will look cheap! Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon Barry House: Call it a railway and it will look cheap! Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon KIM CHANCE: That is entirely - The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has answered the question. He is being led astray again. Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
Hon KIM CHANCE: Not at all, Mr President. I was about to say that if it is a proposition that can reasonably save an area as massive as 760 000 hectares, and that can be proved, even at the highest point of that cost indication, it could well be a highly desirable principle to go ahead with. Members should be aware that drainage concepts are not new in this State and we have substantial drainage projects. We have a substantial and mature means of raising the funds for those projects and a well-established area of law which can designate the costs to the appropriate beneficiary. I do not think anything at all can hold us up on this issue. Obviously there are environmental issues, but if the cost benefit ratios stack up, of course the Government will be interested.
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