❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Leader of the Opposition's comments on the closure of Tier 3 railway lines and its impact on truck movements, particularly concerning grain transport and exports through Bunbury. The Minister refutes the Leader's claims.
AnsweredQoN 507Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TIER 3 RAIL — LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION'S
COMMENTS
507. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for
Transport:
Can the minister please clarify the
Leader of the Opposition's comments around tier 3 rail?
Point of Order
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : As I understand the standing orders, the minister
can be asked about the operations of his agency. I do not see how he can be
asked about the opinion of another member of Parliament. I think the member has
badly phrased the question, and therefore it is not in accordance with standing
orders.
The SPEAKER : As we all know, tier 3 rail is part of transport.
Questions without Notice
Resumed
COMMENTS
507. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for
Transport:
Can the minister please clarify the
Leader of the Opposition's comments around tier 3 rail?
Point of Order
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : As I understand the standing orders, the minister
can be asked about the operations of his agency. I do not see how he can be
asked about the opinion of another member of Parliament. I think the member has
badly phrased the question, and therefore it is not in accordance with standing
orders.
The SPEAKER : As we all know, tier 3 rail is part of transport.
Questions without Notice
Resumed
AnswerView source ↗
I think it is vitally important
that I take this opportunity to clarify a few untruths that have been spoken in
this house and out in the broader community by the Leader of the Opposition. I
can understand the concern of the member because the Leader of the Opposition
said in this house yesterday that the closure of tier 3 railway lines would see
tens of thousands of trucks in the metropolitan area.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West
Central, I call you to order for the first time. Member for Cannington, I do
not want to hear from you.
Mr D.C. NALDER : The Leader of the Opposition said that we would see
tens of thousands of trucks in the metropolitan area. I can categorically say
that all he needed to do was have a conversation with Co-operative Bulk
Handling Ltd to understand what it would do should the tier 3 railway lines
close. They are expected to close on 30 June. CBH is organising bin-to-bin
transfers. It will shift that grain by truck through to Brookton or
Kellerberrin, with the odd load to Merredin. The closure of tier 3 railway
lines will see zero extra truck movements in the metropolitan area.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order now for the
third time.
Mr D.C. NALDER : It is very clear that the Leader of the Opposition
has little knowledge of what happens in one of our critical industries in the
regional parts of Western Australia. I have a map that I would like to table
for members of Parliament that shows tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 railway lines.
The tier 3 railway lines are the dotted blue ones. They are to the east of tier
1 railway lines. Those tier 1 railway lines run to Kwinana, Geraldton and
Albany; they do not run to Bunbury. Guess what? The Leader of the Opposition
was on 6PR back in April. We are pointing out that with the expansion of grain
trucks going to Collie and the south west, exporting out through Bunbury, and
with the closure of tier 3 rail lines, which is a broken promise of the
government, there is a huge increase in grain trucks running around those roads
but there is no commensurate improvement in the roads, particularly to the east
of Collie. If those tier 3 railway lines remained open, guess how many fewer
trucks there would be on those roads to Bunbury? There will be zero. It would
be the same number, because if we look at this map, we see that there is no
railway line into Bunbury.
Mr S.K. L'Estrange interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Churchlands, I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr D.C. NALDER : The other thing I want to point out is that these
bins where the tier 3 railway line is are holding grain for CBH. How much grain
does CBH export out of Bunbury? It exports zero. Again, there is this whole
argument. I was listening to John Cecil on ABC regional radio when I heard the
Leader of the Opposition say exactly the same thing. He was asked whether Labor
supports exporting grain out of Bunbury. The Leader of the Opposition said on
radio said that yes, it does.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston!
Mr D.C. NALDER : The only way grain will get out of the Bunbury port
is by truck. Guess what? There is a little history behind the closure of tier 3
railway lines that members may want to know. When tier 3 railway lines were put
before an industry committee, CBH was part of that industry committee —
Mr M. McGowan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr D.C. NALDER : CBH was part of the committee that looked at
whether the tier 3 line should be closed. In 2009 every member of that
committee voted that it should. What did this government do? It put $120 million
into road improvements to ensure that the trucks could carry that grain safely
out of the CBH sites. I do not understand where the Leader of the Opposition is
coming from when he claims that what this government is doing is bad for
regional Western Australia. We are working extremely hard to deliver great
outcomes for farmers and to deliver great outcomes for regional Western
Australia. It is clear that the Leader of the Opposition has no idea what
occurs in regional Western Australia. I table the map.
[See paper 1782.]
that I take this opportunity to clarify a few untruths that have been spoken in
this house and out in the broader community by the Leader of the Opposition. I
can understand the concern of the member because the Leader of the Opposition
said in this house yesterday that the closure of tier 3 railway lines would see
tens of thousands of trucks in the metropolitan area.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West
Central, I call you to order for the first time. Member for Cannington, I do
not want to hear from you.
Mr D.C. NALDER : The Leader of the Opposition said that we would see
tens of thousands of trucks in the metropolitan area. I can categorically say
that all he needed to do was have a conversation with Co-operative Bulk
Handling Ltd to understand what it would do should the tier 3 railway lines
close. They are expected to close on 30 June. CBH is organising bin-to-bin
transfers. It will shift that grain by truck through to Brookton or
Kellerberrin, with the odd load to Merredin. The closure of tier 3 railway
lines will see zero extra truck movements in the metropolitan area.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order now for the
third time.
Mr D.C. NALDER : It is very clear that the Leader of the Opposition
has little knowledge of what happens in one of our critical industries in the
regional parts of Western Australia. I have a map that I would like to table
for members of Parliament that shows tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 railway lines.
The tier 3 railway lines are the dotted blue ones. They are to the east of tier
1 railway lines. Those tier 1 railway lines run to Kwinana, Geraldton and
Albany; they do not run to Bunbury. Guess what? The Leader of the Opposition
was on 6PR back in April. We are pointing out that with the expansion of grain
trucks going to Collie and the south west, exporting out through Bunbury, and
with the closure of tier 3 rail lines, which is a broken promise of the
government, there is a huge increase in grain trucks running around those roads
but there is no commensurate improvement in the roads, particularly to the east
of Collie. If those tier 3 railway lines remained open, guess how many fewer
trucks there would be on those roads to Bunbury? There will be zero. It would
be the same number, because if we look at this map, we see that there is no
railway line into Bunbury.
Mr S.K. L'Estrange interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Churchlands, I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr D.C. NALDER : The other thing I want to point out is that these
bins where the tier 3 railway line is are holding grain for CBH. How much grain
does CBH export out of Bunbury? It exports zero. Again, there is this whole
argument. I was listening to John Cecil on ABC regional radio when I heard the
Leader of the Opposition say exactly the same thing. He was asked whether Labor
supports exporting grain out of Bunbury. The Leader of the Opposition said on
radio said that yes, it does.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston!
Mr D.C. NALDER : The only way grain will get out of the Bunbury port
is by truck. Guess what? There is a little history behind the closure of tier 3
railway lines that members may want to know. When tier 3 railway lines were put
before an industry committee, CBH was part of that industry committee —
Mr M. McGowan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr D.C. NALDER : CBH was part of the committee that looked at
whether the tier 3 line should be closed. In 2009 every member of that
committee voted that it should. What did this government do? It put $120 million
into road improvements to ensure that the trucks could carry that grain safely
out of the CBH sites. I do not understand where the Leader of the Opposition is
coming from when he claims that what this government is doing is bad for
regional Western Australia. We are working extremely hard to deliver great
outcomes for farmers and to deliver great outcomes for regional Western
Australia. It is clear that the Leader of the Opposition has no idea what
occurs in regional Western Australia. I table the map.
[See paper 1782.]
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