❓ Mr. McGrath asks about the Swan and Canning Rivers enhancement project and its benefits for South Perth. The Minister details various projects, including oxygenation plants, weir replacement, wetland construction, and riverbank restoration, highlighting increased funding for the latter, which will directly benefit South Perth.
AnsweredQoN 421Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SWAN AND
CANNING RIVERS — ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
421. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the
Minister for Environment:
I noticed recently the minister's budget announcement
about the Swan River, which flows through my electorate of South Perth, and I
was wondering whether he could enlighten the house on this program for the
enhancement of the Swan and Canning Rivers. What do some of these projects
include, and will there be any benefit for my constituency of South Perth?
CANNING RIVERS — ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
421. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the
Minister for Environment:
I noticed recently the minister's budget announcement
about the Swan River, which flows through my electorate of South Perth, and I
was wondering whether he could enlighten the house on this program for the
enhancement of the Swan and Canning Rivers. What do some of these projects
include, and will there be any benefit for my constituency of South Perth?
AnswerView source ↗
There will be many direct benefits for the member's
constituents in South Perth, and indeed, for constituents of electorates right
across the length and breadth of the Swan River and for —
Mr A.J. Simpson :
Sixteen local governments!
Mr A.P. JACOB : For
16 local governments across that area! I think most Western Australians
interface with the Swan River at some point. I will just run through some of
the works we have been doing. In the past year alone, work has already
commenced on the third oxygenation plant for the Canning River, up near the
Nicholson Road bridge, and planning is already underway on upgrades for the
other two oxygenation plants on the Canning River. Also, members may be very
interested to know—it is a credit to the Minister for Water here—that
the Kent Street weir will be replaced as a part of this year's state
budget. It is a long sought-after project. Some $4.8 million will go into that
project. The construction of a nutrient-stripping wetland in Ellenbrook, which
I have previously updated the house about, is well underway. In fact, it is
nearing completion for winter!
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Mr
J.E. McGRATH : This is very good news for my electorate and I am
finding it difficult to hear the good news.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park! Members! Member for Kwinana!
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr A.P. JACOB : All
of these projects benefit the entire Swan River and, as I have said, that $4.05
million commitment to the Ellenbrook wetland, which is one of the major
tributaries flowing into the Swan River. But coming directly to the member for
South Perth's electorate, what has mattered the most to him is our
riverbank restoration program. Since 2008, this government has spent $9.2 million
on over 100 riverbank restoration programs in the Swan and Canning Rivers park.
We put $1 million into that program last year, and we had $1 million for this
year and the next three years in last year's budget. We have now
doubled that funding to $2 million—$2 million the year after and $2 million
the year after that, building on top of the $1 million we have already spent in
this term of government. Therefore, a total of $7 million is now set aside for
riverbank restoration projects. It is important to recognise that program
operates on a matched-funding basis with local government; so that further $6 million
that we will be spending over the next three years will be —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : By
the local governments, so we will be —
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, this is not your question.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
will get into the specifics in just a second for the member for Victoria Park;
I will only be too happy to. This program will release at least $12 million
over the next three years into our river wall program. That is significant—it
came up in estimates—because one of our key performance indicators is
how much we spend per linear metre on riverbank restoration. That will be
increasing, and the key reason is that areas that have been significantly
overlooked —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Maylands, I call you to order for the first time. The member for Gosnells
and the member for Jandakot are both called for the first time. Minister, can
you bring this to a conclusion.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Certainly; I am just getting to the member for South Perth's area.
Indeed, a commitment he took to his constituents going into the last election
was those river walls in South Perth. I think they were built back in the 1940s
or 1950s —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Those river walls were overlooked for decades, because it is a very expensive
area of the river walls to fix. Now with extra funding, it means we can go back
to those very difficult and very expensive areas. Perhaps the most iconic of
those are the river walls directly adjacent to Mends Street jetty. That will be
the first project we will be undertaking.
Several members interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am hearing interjections from members opposite.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr A.P. JACOB : As
I said, it is a doubling of the funding of the river walls program. It will go
well above and beyond the South Perth river walls. It will —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells, I call you to order for the second time; member for Perth,
for the first time.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Above and beyond just South Perth, we will be putting a lot of that investment
in place this year, and I am just talking about this year's program
into Belmont. Also, into areas such as Bayswater —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Maylands, I now call you to order for the second time. Can you wind
this up, please.
Mr A.P. JACOB : We
will be spreading that money across a lot of electorates. But most people would
have to agree that area down there on the South Perth foreshore is one of the
most popular and one of the most visited areas of our river foreshores. The
importance of fixing up those river walls near Mends Street jetty is clear to
all of us in this house. It is a task that has been let go for decades, but
will now finally be undertaken, thanks to the doubling of that funding of the
river walls project. I look forward to updating the house further on what river
projects will be undertaken in the future.
constituents in South Perth, and indeed, for constituents of electorates right
across the length and breadth of the Swan River and for —
Mr A.J. Simpson :
Sixteen local governments!
Mr A.P. JACOB : For
16 local governments across that area! I think most Western Australians
interface with the Swan River at some point. I will just run through some of
the works we have been doing. In the past year alone, work has already
commenced on the third oxygenation plant for the Canning River, up near the
Nicholson Road bridge, and planning is already underway on upgrades for the
other two oxygenation plants on the Canning River. Also, members may be very
interested to know—it is a credit to the Minister for Water here—that
the Kent Street weir will be replaced as a part of this year's state
budget. It is a long sought-after project. Some $4.8 million will go into that
project. The construction of a nutrient-stripping wetland in Ellenbrook, which
I have previously updated the house about, is well underway. In fact, it is
nearing completion for winter!
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Mr
J.E. McGRATH : This is very good news for my electorate and I am
finding it difficult to hear the good news.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park! Members! Member for Kwinana!
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr A.P. JACOB : All
of these projects benefit the entire Swan River and, as I have said, that $4.05
million commitment to the Ellenbrook wetland, which is one of the major
tributaries flowing into the Swan River. But coming directly to the member for
South Perth's electorate, what has mattered the most to him is our
riverbank restoration program. Since 2008, this government has spent $9.2 million
on over 100 riverbank restoration programs in the Swan and Canning Rivers park.
We put $1 million into that program last year, and we had $1 million for this
year and the next three years in last year's budget. We have now
doubled that funding to $2 million—$2 million the year after and $2 million
the year after that, building on top of the $1 million we have already spent in
this term of government. Therefore, a total of $7 million is now set aside for
riverbank restoration projects. It is important to recognise that program
operates on a matched-funding basis with local government; so that further $6 million
that we will be spending over the next three years will be —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : By
the local governments, so we will be —
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, this is not your question.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
will get into the specifics in just a second for the member for Victoria Park;
I will only be too happy to. This program will release at least $12 million
over the next three years into our river wall program. That is significant—it
came up in estimates—because one of our key performance indicators is
how much we spend per linear metre on riverbank restoration. That will be
increasing, and the key reason is that areas that have been significantly
overlooked —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Maylands, I call you to order for the first time. The member for Gosnells
and the member for Jandakot are both called for the first time. Minister, can
you bring this to a conclusion.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Certainly; I am just getting to the member for South Perth's area.
Indeed, a commitment he took to his constituents going into the last election
was those river walls in South Perth. I think they were built back in the 1940s
or 1950s —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Those river walls were overlooked for decades, because it is a very expensive
area of the river walls to fix. Now with extra funding, it means we can go back
to those very difficult and very expensive areas. Perhaps the most iconic of
those are the river walls directly adjacent to Mends Street jetty. That will be
the first project we will be undertaking.
Several members interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am hearing interjections from members opposite.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr A.P. JACOB : As
I said, it is a doubling of the funding of the river walls program. It will go
well above and beyond the South Perth river walls. It will —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells, I call you to order for the second time; member for Perth,
for the first time.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Above and beyond just South Perth, we will be putting a lot of that investment
in place this year, and I am just talking about this year's program
into Belmont. Also, into areas such as Bayswater —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Maylands, I now call you to order for the second time. Can you wind
this up, please.
Mr A.P. JACOB : We
will be spreading that money across a lot of electorates. But most people would
have to agree that area down there on the South Perth foreshore is one of the
most popular and one of the most visited areas of our river foreshores. The
importance of fixing up those river walls near Mends Street jetty is clear to
all of us in this house. It is a task that has been let go for decades, but
will now finally be undertaken, thanks to the doubling of that funding of the
river walls project. I look forward to updating the house further on what river
projects will be undertaken in the future.
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