❓ The Minister for Regional Development updates the house on the benefits of the Royalties for Regions program's investment in regional training, highlighting investments in Durack Institute and Indigenous training in the Ord project. The answer also includes a political attack on the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 314Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
royalties for
regions — training investments
314. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I understand that the Liberal–National government has
made a significant investment in training through the royalties for regions
program, as well as ensuring that there are training opportunities for
Indigenous people on large infrastructure projects such as the Ord–East
Kimberley expansion project. Can the minister please update the house on the
benefits of this royalties for regions investment?
regions — training investments
314. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I understand that the Liberal–National government has
made a significant investment in training through the royalties for regions
program, as well as ensuring that there are training opportunities for
Indigenous people on large infrastructure projects such as the Ord–East
Kimberley expansion project. Can the minister please update the house on the
benefits of this royalties for regions investment?
AnswerView source ↗
The issue of training was prominent in the Parliament
yesterday, so it is a very good question from the member for Geraldton. I
congratulate him on the hard work he did to ensure that through the last
budget, under the control of Minister Collier, there was a $15 million announcement for the Centre for Health
Industries Training and Workforce Development at the Durack Institute of
Technology in Geraldton. A further $9 million to the Durack Institute was also
announced to build a centre for resource sector workforce training. That is a
massive investment into training infrastructure in the member's
electorate.
Further to that program, the skills
training initiative, $110 million has been allocated over four years—$17
million in this budget—to upgrading and refurbishing regional training
facilities, developing dedicated regional training centres and replacing
outdated IT infrastructure. Basically, this is the first boost in a long, long
time for that very important training infrastructure in regional communities.
The program will have an impact across many regions. There will be a
substantial impact in the midwest through those two investments in the Durack
Institute, but also through substantial investments in the midwest, goldfields,
the Peel and the south west. The good students from Great Southern Grammar
politics class, who are down in Parliament today, will be very interested to
hear about the substantial investments in training in the Albany region. That
may be training that they choose to take up in later stages of their careers.
I was very interested to see in some
of the Leader of the Opposition's media yesterday that he called for a
greater focus on training in major government projects such as the Ord project.
One would have thought, given that the Leader of the Opposition is the shadow
spokesperson for regional development and he is happy to advance the idea that
government should do something about training in the Ord, he would be over his
brief in making that comment on the radio. Unfortunately, once again he was
not. I am very happy to report that the focus on training initiatives and especially
Indigenous training activity in the Ord has been substantial.
Ms R. Saffioti :
Have you seen the recent numbers?
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
There have been 14 apprenticeships for Aboriginal people and 47 Aboriginal participants
in the Ord expansion program to date. Fourteen apprenticeships —
Several members interjected.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
For the first time ever, the government put a loading of —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Maylands, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the second time today. I
have not invited you to keep on talking. If you want to ask a question, stand
and ask the question.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
The indignation of those opposite, who oppose the project, is interesting,
because if they were still in government, the project would not be happening.
There are 14 Aboriginal apprenticeships and 47 participants in the project.
This occurred because in letting the contract for the Ord expansion, the
government placed a 40 per cent weighting on the head contractor to build
Aboriginal involvement and job creation into the project. The government made
sure through part of the tender that this would take place. We are very, very
proud of the role of Indigenous participation in that project. It is pretty
hard to criticise it when members opposite spend all their time in Parliament
criticising doing the project at all. I do not take opposition members'
criticism of that project.
Further to that, there is another great story in training in
regional areas. That is through the community resource centres. Through the
community resource centres, 80 traineeships are being offered across regional
Western Australia. These trainees have been so engaged and involved in the
process that many of them have taken the opportunity to write to me, as the
minister responsible for the community resource centres, and explain to me what
those centres have meant for them in moving into the workforce. I will quote to
members some of those letters —
I have received a job that is giving
me an awesome start into the workplace I have a fabulous job that I am able
to learn tons of things everyday and broaden my knowledge of how the business
industry operates.
Further —
Through my traineeship at the
Community Resource Centre I have learnt so many life skills and met so many
unique and interesting people that have already helped me shape the way I
perceive the world and others around me. On top of this, I am also gaining a
lot of knowledge about administration, which will definitely help me in many of
my future endeavours.
The Liberal–National
government is absolutely determined to make sure that training and opportunity
is happening in these projects. We are also very happy as a Liberal–National
government to be delivering one of the lowest youth unemployment levels on
record. The place to be in Australia, and almost the world at the moment, for
young people who are looking to move into the workforce, is Western Australia—whether
they are in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, this is the place
to be—with many of these initiatives being driven by the Liberal–National
government. I do not know why the Labor opposition raises this as an issue,
when it actually does not get its facts right, and, further, does not have a
plan for it itself.
yesterday, so it is a very good question from the member for Geraldton. I
congratulate him on the hard work he did to ensure that through the last
budget, under the control of Minister Collier, there was a $15 million announcement for the Centre for Health
Industries Training and Workforce Development at the Durack Institute of
Technology in Geraldton. A further $9 million to the Durack Institute was also
announced to build a centre for resource sector workforce training. That is a
massive investment into training infrastructure in the member's
electorate.
Further to that program, the skills
training initiative, $110 million has been allocated over four years—$17
million in this budget—to upgrading and refurbishing regional training
facilities, developing dedicated regional training centres and replacing
outdated IT infrastructure. Basically, this is the first boost in a long, long
time for that very important training infrastructure in regional communities.
The program will have an impact across many regions. There will be a
substantial impact in the midwest through those two investments in the Durack
Institute, but also through substantial investments in the midwest, goldfields,
the Peel and the south west. The good students from Great Southern Grammar
politics class, who are down in Parliament today, will be very interested to
hear about the substantial investments in training in the Albany region. That
may be training that they choose to take up in later stages of their careers.
I was very interested to see in some
of the Leader of the Opposition's media yesterday that he called for a
greater focus on training in major government projects such as the Ord project.
One would have thought, given that the Leader of the Opposition is the shadow
spokesperson for regional development and he is happy to advance the idea that
government should do something about training in the Ord, he would be over his
brief in making that comment on the radio. Unfortunately, once again he was
not. I am very happy to report that the focus on training initiatives and especially
Indigenous training activity in the Ord has been substantial.
Ms R. Saffioti :
Have you seen the recent numbers?
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
There have been 14 apprenticeships for Aboriginal people and 47 Aboriginal participants
in the Ord expansion program to date. Fourteen apprenticeships —
Several members interjected.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
For the first time ever, the government put a loading of —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Maylands, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the second time today. I
have not invited you to keep on talking. If you want to ask a question, stand
and ask the question.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
The indignation of those opposite, who oppose the project, is interesting,
because if they were still in government, the project would not be happening.
There are 14 Aboriginal apprenticeships and 47 participants in the project.
This occurred because in letting the contract for the Ord expansion, the
government placed a 40 per cent weighting on the head contractor to build
Aboriginal involvement and job creation into the project. The government made
sure through part of the tender that this would take place. We are very, very
proud of the role of Indigenous participation in that project. It is pretty
hard to criticise it when members opposite spend all their time in Parliament
criticising doing the project at all. I do not take opposition members'
criticism of that project.
Further to that, there is another great story in training in
regional areas. That is through the community resource centres. Through the
community resource centres, 80 traineeships are being offered across regional
Western Australia. These trainees have been so engaged and involved in the
process that many of them have taken the opportunity to write to me, as the
minister responsible for the community resource centres, and explain to me what
those centres have meant for them in moving into the workforce. I will quote to
members some of those letters —
I have received a job that is giving
me an awesome start into the workplace I have a fabulous job that I am able
to learn tons of things everyday and broaden my knowledge of how the business
industry operates.
Further —
Through my traineeship at the
Community Resource Centre I have learnt so many life skills and met so many
unique and interesting people that have already helped me shape the way I
perceive the world and others around me. On top of this, I am also gaining a
lot of knowledge about administration, which will definitely help me in many of
my future endeavours.
The Liberal–National
government is absolutely determined to make sure that training and opportunity
is happening in these projects. We are also very happy as a Liberal–National
government to be delivering one of the lowest youth unemployment levels on
record. The place to be in Australia, and almost the world at the moment, for
young people who are looking to move into the workforce, is Western Australia—whether
they are in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, this is the place
to be—with many of these initiatives being driven by the Liberal–National
government. I do not know why the Labor opposition raises this as an issue,
when it actually does not get its facts right, and, further, does not have a
plan for it itself.
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