❓ Question regarding consultation and road assessments for increased grain transport to Bunbury Port. Minister's response focuses on government investment in road upgrades in the region, particularly the Collie-Coalfields Highway.
AnsweredQoN 118Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUNBURY PORT — GRAIN TRANSPORT
118. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the commencement of the construction of the export
facilities for Bunge Agribusiness Australia at Bunbury port following approval
for 500 000 tonnes of grain to be exported annually from this facility.
(1) Did the
minister consult with the Shires of Collie and West Arthur before the decision
was made to transport grain through those shires?
(2) What
assessments on the Coalfields highway between Arthur River and Collie were
undertaken by Main Roads before the approvals were given?
(3) Which roads
or highways will the bulk of the grain transport trucks use to access Bunbury
port; and, will these highways require improvements to ensure safe passage?
118. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the commencement of the construction of the export
facilities for Bunge Agribusiness Australia at Bunbury port following approval
for 500 000 tonnes of grain to be exported annually from this facility.
(1) Did the
minister consult with the Shires of Collie and West Arthur before the decision
was made to transport grain through those shires?
(2) What
assessments on the Coalfields highway between Arthur River and Collie were
undertaken by Main Roads before the approvals were given?
(3) Which roads
or highways will the bulk of the grain transport trucks use to access Bunbury
port; and, will these highways require improvements to ensure safe passage?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
thank the member Collie–Preston for the question. I assume he supports
the export of wheat through Bunbury port.
Mr M.P. Murray : I certainly support the
road upgrade, yes.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I think it is a really
good outcome for farmers in regional Western Australia because it means grain
producers can have choice when it comes to determining who will handle,
transport and ship bulk grain. I think that is a good outcome and we will
finally get some competition in that aspect of —
Point of Order
Mr M.P. MURRAY : My point of
order is about the question. The question I asked was about the roads, not
about the grain itself.
The
SPEAKER : Minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The point I was simply trying to make is that this is an important step forward
for farmers. It is an important step forward to introduce competition into
grain handling. The grain that will be exported by Bunge out of Bunbury will be
transported, in the first instance, by road—approximately 500 000
tonnes per annum. How it gets there is yet to be fully determined because it
will depend on the farmers from whom Bunge procure that grain. On the balance
of probabilities, a fair proportion of that grain will use the Coalfields
highway and the extension through to Darkan, and I will get back to that in a
second. There is also a probability that some of that grain will come up South
Western Highway and trucks will be able to use the new entry into Bunbury port
through the Bunbury outer bypass stage 1, which is currently under
construction, and the extension of the port access road—two important
road projects undertaken by this government in the south west. Some of that
grain may travel down the Forrest Highway to Bunbury. It really depends on the
decisions of farmers. However, it will impact on Collie–Coalfields
highway. The good news is that this government, unlike the Labor government for
the eight years that it sat on this side of this place, is investing money in
the Collie–Coalfields highway.
I go through some of that detail. As the member for Collie–Preston
is aware, we have already committed $25 million to that road. Some of that
money has been spent and some will be spent when the balance of that state
forest exemption is taken out of state forest and becomes road reserve. That is
a great outcome, for not only heavy-transport users bringing grain down the
hill into Bunbury and taking their trucks back up there, but also the people
the member represents in this Parliament, because that piece of road will be
made safer and for the first time in a long time Collie–Coalfields
highway will be upgraded. But there is more than that because we have also made
commitments to continue the upgrade of the Collie–Coalfields highway.
If my memory serves me correctly, there is another $28 million—$22 million
to continue the work up around Collie between the Wellington Dam turn-off and
Collie and another $6 million to put a decent passing lane as people come up
the hill at Roelands. These are fantastic outcomes for the people of Collie
and, more generally, the people of the south west. It will mean that that road
can do what roads should do—that is, facilitate transport to and from
the port. There is still some work to be done on the road between Collie and
Darkan. My parliamentary secretary, Hon Jim Chown, was in Darkan a week or two
ago talking to the local council about that very issue and we will work with
the council to provide the necessary upgrades to that road from Collie through
to Darkan and from Darkan through to Wagin. I will conclude with this: one of
the reasons we can do that is that this government made the bold decision to
increase funding for regional roads, because we are taking a significant amount
of the money that people donate to government at speed and red-light cameras
and investing it in upgrading regional roads, and some of that will go into upgrading
not only the road between Collie and Darkan but also, I suspect, Collie and
Wagin to the east. This is a great outcome. It is a great outcome for the port
of Bunbury, it is a great outcome for farmers who will start to have choice and
it is a great outcome for the people of the town the member for Collie–Preston
represents in this place, because at long last someone is spending money on the
road that matters so much to them.
thank the member Collie–Preston for the question. I assume he supports
the export of wheat through Bunbury port.
Mr M.P. Murray : I certainly support the
road upgrade, yes.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I think it is a really
good outcome for farmers in regional Western Australia because it means grain
producers can have choice when it comes to determining who will handle,
transport and ship bulk grain. I think that is a good outcome and we will
finally get some competition in that aspect of —
Point of Order
Mr M.P. MURRAY : My point of
order is about the question. The question I asked was about the roads, not
about the grain itself.
The
SPEAKER : Minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The point I was simply trying to make is that this is an important step forward
for farmers. It is an important step forward to introduce competition into
grain handling. The grain that will be exported by Bunge out of Bunbury will be
transported, in the first instance, by road—approximately 500 000
tonnes per annum. How it gets there is yet to be fully determined because it
will depend on the farmers from whom Bunge procure that grain. On the balance
of probabilities, a fair proportion of that grain will use the Coalfields
highway and the extension through to Darkan, and I will get back to that in a
second. There is also a probability that some of that grain will come up South
Western Highway and trucks will be able to use the new entry into Bunbury port
through the Bunbury outer bypass stage 1, which is currently under
construction, and the extension of the port access road—two important
road projects undertaken by this government in the south west. Some of that
grain may travel down the Forrest Highway to Bunbury. It really depends on the
decisions of farmers. However, it will impact on Collie–Coalfields
highway. The good news is that this government, unlike the Labor government for
the eight years that it sat on this side of this place, is investing money in
the Collie–Coalfields highway.
I go through some of that detail. As the member for Collie–Preston
is aware, we have already committed $25 million to that road. Some of that
money has been spent and some will be spent when the balance of that state
forest exemption is taken out of state forest and becomes road reserve. That is
a great outcome, for not only heavy-transport users bringing grain down the
hill into Bunbury and taking their trucks back up there, but also the people
the member represents in this Parliament, because that piece of road will be
made safer and for the first time in a long time Collie–Coalfields
highway will be upgraded. But there is more than that because we have also made
commitments to continue the upgrade of the Collie–Coalfields highway.
If my memory serves me correctly, there is another $28 million—$22 million
to continue the work up around Collie between the Wellington Dam turn-off and
Collie and another $6 million to put a decent passing lane as people come up
the hill at Roelands. These are fantastic outcomes for the people of Collie
and, more generally, the people of the south west. It will mean that that road
can do what roads should do—that is, facilitate transport to and from
the port. There is still some work to be done on the road between Collie and
Darkan. My parliamentary secretary, Hon Jim Chown, was in Darkan a week or two
ago talking to the local council about that very issue and we will work with
the council to provide the necessary upgrades to that road from Collie through
to Darkan and from Darkan through to Wagin. I will conclude with this: one of
the reasons we can do that is that this government made the bold decision to
increase funding for regional roads, because we are taking a significant amount
of the money that people donate to government at speed and red-light cameras
and investing it in upgrading regional roads, and some of that will go into upgrading
not only the road between Collie and Darkan but also, I suspect, Collie and
Wagin to the east. This is a great outcome. It is a great outcome for the port
of Bunbury, it is a great outcome for farmers who will start to have choice and
it is a great outcome for the people of the town the member for Collie–Preston
represents in this place, because at long last someone is spending money on the
road that matters so much to them.
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