❓ Mr. Miles asks about erosion at Quinns Rocks Beach and meetings between the City of Wanneroo and the Minister's staff. The Minister clarifies that his chief of staff did not meet with the Mayor and criticises the City's request for funding.
AnsweredQoN 756Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
QUINNS ROCKS BEACH
756. Mr P.T. MILES to the
Minister for Transport:
The member for Butler made some comments in the house
yesterday on erosion at Quinns Rocks and meetings that took place between the
City of Wanneroo and the minister's staff. Could the minister please
provide the house with any further information and some clarification on the
issue?
756. Mr P.T. MILES to the
Minister for Transport:
The member for Butler made some comments in the house
yesterday on erosion at Quinns Rocks and meetings that took place between the
City of Wanneroo and the minister's staff. Could the minister please
provide the house with any further information and some clarification on the
issue?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Wanneroo. I
am very happy to provide that clarification. As I said yesterday in the house,
the member for Butler basically made an assertion and then he made a request.
His assertion was that my chief of staff met with the Mayor of the City
Wanneroo—I think that is right, member for Butler.
Mr J.R. Quigley :
Staff members.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
No, the member for Butler said my chief of staff.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The member for Butler said ''chief of staff'' repeatedly and he
went on to —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girraween! Can we move on, minister?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
He said my chief of staff met with the Mayor of the City Wanneroo and that I
was invited and refused to meet him. Of course, I did some research. My chief
of staff has never met with the Mayor of the City Wanneroo on this particular
matter. Some may say that that is misleading the house—some may say
that, because it did not happen. I was accused by the member for Butler of
refusing to attend a meeting that never happened.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
They did meet, member for Butler, with representatives of the agency.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
They did meet with representatives of the agency and a member of my staff, at
the request of the Minister for the Environment. That happened, but there was
no meeting with my chief of staff. Second, the member for Butler requested that
I commit 50 per cent of some emergency funding pool to the City Wanneroo. I
researched that and it does not exist. I was criticised for attending a meeting
that did not happen and asked to allocate money out of a pool of funds that
does not exist. It is funny what happens, member for Butler, when we scratch at
the truth sometimes.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
In relation to the request from the City of Wanneroo—a request has come
in—it has formed the view that it needs between $2.5 million and $3 million
to provide some short to medium-term solutions around the beachfront. That is
notwithstanding the fact that the studies to determine what the city needs are
not finished. The city has written to me and said that it is the city's
view that the majority of that funding should be paid for by the state government.
This is an area that is traditionally the responsibility of local government.
As I said yesterday, from Esperance in the south, Emu Point at Albany, the cut
in Bunbury, the various beaches in the metropolitan area, the Jurien Bay marina
right through to Beresford beach in Geraldton, local governments are under a
lot of pressure to try to protect their coastal environment. For the City of
Wanneroo simply to write to us and say that it is our responsibility is not an
acceptable outcome. I took the opportunity —
Mr M. McGowan :
What about the seagrass in Busselton?
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The Leader of the Opposition can ask me about that any day.
I took the opportunity to peruse the financials of the City
of Wanneroo, because I figured that if this was such a big priority, it would
be up there in lights in its budget for this year. I have a couple of
interesting observations. Firstly, the City of Wanneroo has about $145 million
in cash—some in restricted accounts and some in non-restricted
accounts. At the start of this year, $33.7 million of that sat in an account
called the strategic project reserve—$33.7 million. To get an
understanding of the City of Wanneroo's priorities on this subject,
there was $100 000 —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time. I do not want to
call you next time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
To put the City of Wanneroo's priorities into perspective, 100 000 is
allocated to beachfront restoration at Quinns Rocks; $1.6 million to expand the
administration building to fit in more staff; and $350 000 to fix the reception
desk at the Civic Centre. My message to the City of Wanneroo is simply this: do
not just come to the state government and ask us to resolve these types of
issues. It is primarily the city's responsibility; and if it is
primarily its responsibility, it should be reflected —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time. You are lucky
that you drowned out the member for Butler.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
It should be reflected in its expenditure priorities. Secondly, if the city
wants solutions to its problems, it should not get the member for Butler to
come into this place and pedal half-truths on its behalf.
am very happy to provide that clarification. As I said yesterday in the house,
the member for Butler basically made an assertion and then he made a request.
His assertion was that my chief of staff met with the Mayor of the City
Wanneroo—I think that is right, member for Butler.
Mr J.R. Quigley :
Staff members.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
No, the member for Butler said my chief of staff.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The member for Butler said ''chief of staff'' repeatedly and he
went on to —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girraween! Can we move on, minister?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
He said my chief of staff met with the Mayor of the City Wanneroo and that I
was invited and refused to meet him. Of course, I did some research. My chief
of staff has never met with the Mayor of the City Wanneroo on this particular
matter. Some may say that that is misleading the house—some may say
that, because it did not happen. I was accused by the member for Butler of
refusing to attend a meeting that never happened.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
They did meet, member for Butler, with representatives of the agency.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
They did meet with representatives of the agency and a member of my staff, at
the request of the Minister for the Environment. That happened, but there was
no meeting with my chief of staff. Second, the member for Butler requested that
I commit 50 per cent of some emergency funding pool to the City Wanneroo. I
researched that and it does not exist. I was criticised for attending a meeting
that did not happen and asked to allocate money out of a pool of funds that
does not exist. It is funny what happens, member for Butler, when we scratch at
the truth sometimes.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
In relation to the request from the City of Wanneroo—a request has come
in—it has formed the view that it needs between $2.5 million and $3 million
to provide some short to medium-term solutions around the beachfront. That is
notwithstanding the fact that the studies to determine what the city needs are
not finished. The city has written to me and said that it is the city's
view that the majority of that funding should be paid for by the state government.
This is an area that is traditionally the responsibility of local government.
As I said yesterday, from Esperance in the south, Emu Point at Albany, the cut
in Bunbury, the various beaches in the metropolitan area, the Jurien Bay marina
right through to Beresford beach in Geraldton, local governments are under a
lot of pressure to try to protect their coastal environment. For the City of
Wanneroo simply to write to us and say that it is our responsibility is not an
acceptable outcome. I took the opportunity —
Mr M. McGowan :
What about the seagrass in Busselton?
The SPEAKER :
Leader of the Opposition!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The Leader of the Opposition can ask me about that any day.
I took the opportunity to peruse the financials of the City
of Wanneroo, because I figured that if this was such a big priority, it would
be up there in lights in its budget for this year. I have a couple of
interesting observations. Firstly, the City of Wanneroo has about $145 million
in cash—some in restricted accounts and some in non-restricted
accounts. At the start of this year, $33.7 million of that sat in an account
called the strategic project reserve—$33.7 million. To get an
understanding of the City of Wanneroo's priorities on this subject,
there was $100 000 —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time. I do not want to
call you next time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
To put the City of Wanneroo's priorities into perspective, 100 000 is
allocated to beachfront restoration at Quinns Rocks; $1.6 million to expand the
administration building to fit in more staff; and $350 000 to fix the reception
desk at the Civic Centre. My message to the City of Wanneroo is simply this: do
not just come to the state government and ask us to resolve these types of
issues. It is primarily the city's responsibility; and if it is
primarily its responsibility, it should be reflected —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time. You are lucky
that you drowned out the member for Butler.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
It should be reflected in its expenditure priorities. Secondly, if the city
wants solutions to its problems, it should not get the member for Butler to
come into this place and pedal half-truths on its behalf.
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