❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the economic impact of the Varanus Island gas explosion, drawing parallels to the Longford disaster and questioning government assistance for affected businesses and workers. The Minister's response deflects blame and avoids specific commitments.
AnsweredQoN 275Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
APACHE ENERGY GAS PLANT EXPLOSION — COST TO STATE
I refer to the 1998 explosion at the Esso gas facility in Longford, Victoria, which, aside from the cost in lives, cut Victoria’s gas supplies for a fortnight and cost the Victorian economy $1.3 billion. (1) What is the preliminary estimate of the full cost of the disruption to the Western Australian economy caused by last week’s explosion at Varanus Island, given that full gas supply may not be resumed for many months? (2) Is the full cost likely to be in excess of $1.3 billion? (3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN
I refer to the 1998 explosion at the Esso gas facility in Longford, Victoria, which, aside from the cost in lives, cut Victoria’s gas supplies for a fortnight and cost the Victorian economy $1.3 billion. (1) What is the preliminary estimate of the full cost of the disruption to the Western Australian economy caused by last week’s explosion at Varanus Island, given that full gas supply may not be resumed for many months? (2) Is the full cost likely to be in excess of $1.3 billion? (3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN
AnswerView source ↗
(1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(1) What is the preliminary estimate of the full cost of the disruption to the Western Australian economy caused by last week’s explosion at Varanus Island, given that full gas supply may not be resumed for many months? (2) Is the full cost likely to be in excess of $1.3 billion? (3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(2) Is the full cost likely to be in excess of $1.3 billion? (3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(1) What is the preliminary estimate of the full cost of the disruption to the Western Australian economy caused by last week’s explosion at Varanus Island, given that full gas supply may not be resumed for many months? (2) Is the full cost likely to be in excess of $1.3 billion? (3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(2) Is the full cost likely to be in excess of $1.3 billion? (3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(3) Given that the likely economic impact of this shortage will cut across industry sectors, has the government given any consideration to how it will assist and compensate Western Australian businesses for these costs? (4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(4) How, in particular, will the state government support workers who will be laid off because of the shutdowns already occurring in Western Australian industries as a result of this gas supply shortage emergency? Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: (1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(1) First of all, I refer to the comparison with the Longford incident. This is not Longford; this is a situation in which we have lost 30 per cent of the gas supply of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline. Approximately 1 000 terajoules of gas a day can travel through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline, and we have been reduced to just over 700 terajoules a day. In the Longford incident, more than 80 per cent of the gas supply was lost and a significant number of people were killed or injured. It was a catastrophe for the state. As a result, the Victorian government implemented its emergency powers, as it should have. If we were in a similar situation, we would do exactly the same thing; we would implement the emergency powers that we have in place. We have not done so because the incident here is not the same type of incident as occurred in Victoria. Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. One of the jobs that the committee is doing is identifying who is actually being impacted on by the loss of energy, whether as a direct result of the loss of gas supply, or from the costs involved in having to change to diesel. Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr T. Buswell : Is that the committee you’re not on? Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr A.J. Carpenter : We’re both represented on the committee. Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr T. Buswell : I’m not doubting your competence, Premier. I’m glad you’re there. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
The SPEAKER : Members! Hopefully, everyone who thinks he should have a say in this answer has finished, because what members have been saying means nothing to what the minister is saying. I ask the minister to continue. Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Obviously, we do not yet know the full cost to the economy. That is the sort of information that will be fed to the committee from industry representatives, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. (2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(2) I do not know where the figure of $1.3 billion has come from. We will probably find out why that has been raised tomorrow in the matter of public interest debate. Obviously, we have no idea whether the cost will be $1.3 billion. (3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(3) With regard to cutting across industry sectors, and compensation, as members would know, this incident has occurred in a private company. Apache has claimed force majeure, and another private company to which it supplies gas, Alinta, has done exactly the same thing. How that is resolved in terms of insurance claims and negotiations is really up to the parties themselves. (4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
(4) With regard to the workers who have been laid off, the Premier has already answered that question.
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