❓ A parliamentary question regarding DevelopmentWA's involvement in a Middleton Beach development, contrasted with homelessness, and the Premier's response defending the agency's role and criticising the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 866Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEVELOPMENTWA PROJECT —
MIDDLETON BEACH
866. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Premier:
Can the Premier advise the house why
DevelopmentWA is involved in building a mixed-use residential and commercial
development on Middleton Beach when more than 9 000 people in Western Australia
experience homelessness every night?
MIDDLETON BEACH
866. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Premier:
Can the Premier advise the house why
DevelopmentWA is involved in building a mixed-use residential and commercial
development on Middleton Beach when more than 9 000 people in Western Australia
experience homelessness every night?
AnswerView source ↗
The
member obviously does not understand, at all, how DevelopmentWA works.
DevelopmentWA is the old LandCorp and
Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, which were merged—a long-awaited
project that we put in place. It is a state government land development agency.
It develops land. It is called DevelopmentWA. It does both commercial and
residential developments and is doing some marvellous developments all over the
state—for instance, the redevelopment of the old Subiaco Oval and
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children sites. It does industrial estates all
over the state, regional and metro, such as Meridian Park.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Ocean Reef
Marina.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is doing
the Ocean Reef Marina. It particularly does projects in regional WA. Sometimes
those projects are much needed in regional Western Australia and have been
awaited for years. Clearly, the private sector
does not get on and do them, or does not reach the hurdle rate or the rate of
return that a private sector developer might wish to achieve. The state
has had this model going back basically 180 years. We have had this model in various forms for 180 years. We have done all
sorts of wonderful developments around the state through this model .
From the tone of the member's question, it appears that the Liberal
Party does not support this model anymore. Is that true? Does it not support
this agency, DevelopmentWA, actually getting out and doing these innovative and
exciting developments that create jobs for Western Australians? Do members
opposite not support that now?
I
do not think there is any vetting of the questions, because whenever one of
these dumb questions is asked, suddenly everyone over there looks at their phone! One or two members over there—perhaps
one who is about to retire—do not
have a poker face. I can always rate the question based upon the look on the
face of one of the members opposite . I will not say which one, but he
gives it away, Mr Speaker!
Frankly, this question shows how
unfit for office the Liberal Party is. That is what it shows. The member does
not even understand the way the land development model works in Western Australia.
Just so the member knows, back before the 2013 election, the Liberal Party
policy was to compulsorily acquire the land at Middleton Beach so that it could
be developed. That was the policy it took forward—compulsory
acquisition so that the state could get on and develop the land. That was the
policy that Colin Barnett put in place.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Bought it but
didn't develop it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes. It was a compulsory
acquisition process because the old hotel that was on the site had been demolished and the land was sitting there
unused. This government has ensured that Middleton Beach is being redeveloped. There is a new shark safety net going in, development of the
foreshore and boardwalk, and a seawall being built because of the sea level
issues that are increasingly occurring. There is a marvellous development going
on there that will create jobs for people in Albany. I am going to make sure
that the people of Albany understand that Rebecca Stephens, Peter Watson and
this government are committed to important commercial, residential and job
opportunities for the people of Albany, and the Liberal Party is not.
member obviously does not understand, at all, how DevelopmentWA works.
DevelopmentWA is the old LandCorp and
Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, which were merged—a long-awaited
project that we put in place. It is a state government land development agency.
It develops land. It is called DevelopmentWA. It does both commercial and
residential developments and is doing some marvellous developments all over the
state—for instance, the redevelopment of the old Subiaco Oval and
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children sites. It does industrial estates all
over the state, regional and metro, such as Meridian Park.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Ocean Reef
Marina.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is doing
the Ocean Reef Marina. It particularly does projects in regional WA. Sometimes
those projects are much needed in regional Western Australia and have been
awaited for years. Clearly, the private sector
does not get on and do them, or does not reach the hurdle rate or the rate of
return that a private sector developer might wish to achieve. The state
has had this model going back basically 180 years. We have had this model in various forms for 180 years. We have done all
sorts of wonderful developments around the state through this model .
From the tone of the member's question, it appears that the Liberal
Party does not support this model anymore. Is that true? Does it not support
this agency, DevelopmentWA, actually getting out and doing these innovative and
exciting developments that create jobs for Western Australians? Do members
opposite not support that now?
I
do not think there is any vetting of the questions, because whenever one of
these dumb questions is asked, suddenly everyone over there looks at their phone! One or two members over there—perhaps
one who is about to retire—do not
have a poker face. I can always rate the question based upon the look on the
face of one of the members opposite . I will not say which one, but he
gives it away, Mr Speaker!
Frankly, this question shows how
unfit for office the Liberal Party is. That is what it shows. The member does
not even understand the way the land development model works in Western Australia.
Just so the member knows, back before the 2013 election, the Liberal Party
policy was to compulsorily acquire the land at Middleton Beach so that it could
be developed. That was the policy it took forward—compulsory
acquisition so that the state could get on and develop the land. That was the
policy that Colin Barnett put in place.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Bought it but
didn't develop it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes. It was a compulsory
acquisition process because the old hotel that was on the site had been demolished and the land was sitting there
unused. This government has ensured that Middleton Beach is being redeveloped. There is a new shark safety net going in, development of the
foreshore and boardwalk, and a seawall being built because of the sea level
issues that are increasingly occurring. There is a marvellous development going
on there that will create jobs for people in Albany. I am going to make sure
that the people of Albany understand that Rebecca Stephens, Peter Watson and
this government are committed to important commercial, residential and job
opportunities for the people of Albany, and the Liberal Party is not.
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