❓ Ms Carles questions why taxpayers are subsidising Magellan Metals' clean-up costs after lead contamination in Esperance. Premier Barnett defends the decision as a policy judgement to clean up the area and prevent future contamination, citing the state's responsibility for environmental legacies.
AnsweredQoN 126Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MAGELLAN METALS — ROYALTIES AND CLEAN-UP COSTS
I have a supplementary question. Based on the figures the Premier has just provided, that still leaves an $8 million deficit to Magellan. Why is Magellan being subsidised by the taxpayer? Mr C.J. BARNETT
I have a supplementary question. Based on the figures the Premier has just provided, that still leaves an $8 million deficit to Magellan. Why is Magellan being subsidised by the taxpayer? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
It is a fair question. I guess it is one of those policy judgements, but the state government just took a decision to do what was required to clean up Esperance and to make the necessary improvements to the port so that there could be no further contamination from lead or indeed from nickel or anything else. I think that is a fair result at the end of the day. Magellan has contributed. I think the member’s point of view most likely would be that Magellan should meet the full cost. That has not happened. When there are serious cases of pollution, particularly contamination with heavy metals and other products, the legacy unfortunately falls to the state government of the day and invariably goes on into future generations, Wittenoom being the classic example, so I guess that successive governments reluctantly bear that burden. The SPEAKER : Minister for Health. Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: It is a fair question. I guess it is one of those policy judgements, but the state government just took a decision to do what was required to clean up Esperance and to make the necessary improvements to the port so that there could be no further contamination from lead or indeed from nickel or anything else. I think that is a fair result at the end of the day. Magellan has contributed. I think the member’s point of view most likely would be that Magellan should meet the full cost. That has not happened. When there are serious cases of pollution, particularly contamination with heavy metals and other products, the legacy unfortunately falls to the state government of the day and invariably goes on into future generations, Wittenoom being the classic example, so I guess that successive governments reluctantly bear that burden. The SPEAKER : Minister for Health. Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
It is a fair question. I guess it is one of those policy judgements, but the state government just took a decision to do what was required to clean up Esperance and to make the necessary improvements to the port so that there could be no further contamination from lead or indeed from nickel or anything else. I think that is a fair result at the end of the day. Magellan has contributed. I think the member’s point of view most likely would be that Magellan should meet the full cost. That has not happened. When there are serious cases of pollution, particularly contamination with heavy metals and other products, the legacy unfortunately falls to the state government of the day and invariably goes on into future generations, Wittenoom being the classic example, so I guess that successive governments reluctantly bear that burden. The SPEAKER : Minister for Health. Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Health. Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: It is a fair question. I guess it is one of those policy judgements, but the state government just took a decision to do what was required to clean up Esperance and to make the necessary improvements to the port so that there could be no further contamination from lead or indeed from nickel or anything else. I think that is a fair result at the end of the day. Magellan has contributed. I think the member’s point of view most likely would be that Magellan should meet the full cost. That has not happened. When there are serious cases of pollution, particularly contamination with heavy metals and other products, the legacy unfortunately falls to the state government of the day and invariably goes on into future generations, Wittenoom being the classic example, so I guess that successive governments reluctantly bear that burden. The SPEAKER : Minister for Health. Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
It is a fair question. I guess it is one of those policy judgements, but the state government just took a decision to do what was required to clean up Esperance and to make the necessary improvements to the port so that there could be no further contamination from lead or indeed from nickel or anything else. I think that is a fair result at the end of the day. Magellan has contributed. I think the member’s point of view most likely would be that Magellan should meet the full cost. That has not happened. When there are serious cases of pollution, particularly contamination with heavy metals and other products, the legacy unfortunately falls to the state government of the day and invariably goes on into future generations, Wittenoom being the classic example, so I guess that successive governments reluctantly bear that burden. The SPEAKER : Minister for Health. Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Health. Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Thank you. I presume that concludes question time? The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
The SPEAKER : It does conclude question time, thank you, Minister for Health. Giving you the call always concludes question time.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.