❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier about delays to the Kimberley on-country youth justice facility, citing slow progress and low expenditure. The Premier attributes delays to a major flood event and his recent assumption of office, reaffirming commitment to the project.
AnsweredQoN 638Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORRECTIVE SERVICES —
ON-COUNTRY RESIDENTIAL FACILITY
638. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier
I refer to comments from a Department
of the Premier and Cabinet spokesperson in November last year that the
Kimberley on-country facility was progressing well and that the program was
expected to commence in 2023. I also note the answer provided to me by the
Minister for Regional Development stating that only $564 000 of the allocated
$3 million has been spent and that that money is purely for planning.
How
can Western Australians be confident in this government's approach to
youth justice given the lack of progress in delivering the on-country
facility?
ON-COUNTRY RESIDENTIAL FACILITY
638. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier
I refer to comments from a Department
of the Premier and Cabinet spokesperson in November last year that the
Kimberley on-country facility was progressing well and that the program was
expected to commence in 2023. I also note the answer provided to me by the
Minister for Regional Development stating that only $564 000 of the allocated
$3 million has been spent and that that money is purely for planning.
How
can Western Australians be confident in this government's approach to
youth justice given the lack of progress in delivering the on-country
facility?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. I would also like to commend the Minister for Regional Development
who is doing a lot of work in this area. It is an important project and one to
which we are committed. In November 2022, I suspect that particular member of
the public service that the member paraphrased was probably correct. What that
particular member of the public service did not have an insight into was that
by January 2023, we would have a once-in-a-hundred-year flood episode in the
Kimberley that changed everything.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please, members!
I would like to hear from the Premier.
Mr R.H. COOK : I appreciate
the Leader of the Opposition's frustration because we are all
frustrated by the flood but for different reasons. We are concerned
about the impact it had on the community, the devastation that it caused and
the wiping out of the Fitzroy River Bridge that devastated the economy of the
region. The Leader of the Opposition is
worried because he has perhaps missed out on the opportunity for a little
political hit here, but that is not
our concern, member. That was a one-in-a-hundred-year event and the particular
facility that we are anticipating for the Marlamanu project was impacted
by that flood. Obviously, we need to take account of that. It has an impact in
terms of our risk management profile for the facility and on our ability to
redevelop the facility because, quite frankly, we wanted all tools and shovels
on the job to fix the impact of that devastating flood episode. But we are
committed to the project and we will continue to move forward with it.
Since November 2022, as the member
mentioned, something else happened: I became Premier. I am committed to the
project, and I have tasked the Minister for Corrective Services with the job of
including it as part of his work around juvenile detention to continue to make
sure that we reform that area. Progress is being made. I am sorry that it is
not to the member's satisfaction. I think a once-in-100-year flood
probably has something to do with the delays that we are experiencing, but we
look forward to continuing that project. Progress is being made. I am sorry
that it is not to the member's satisfaction.
question. I would also like to commend the Minister for Regional Development
who is doing a lot of work in this area. It is an important project and one to
which we are committed. In November 2022, I suspect that particular member of
the public service that the member paraphrased was probably correct. What that
particular member of the public service did not have an insight into was that
by January 2023, we would have a once-in-a-hundred-year flood episode in the
Kimberley that changed everything.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please, members!
I would like to hear from the Premier.
Mr R.H. COOK : I appreciate
the Leader of the Opposition's frustration because we are all
frustrated by the flood but for different reasons. We are concerned
about the impact it had on the community, the devastation that it caused and
the wiping out of the Fitzroy River Bridge that devastated the economy of the
region. The Leader of the Opposition is
worried because he has perhaps missed out on the opportunity for a little
political hit here, but that is not
our concern, member. That was a one-in-a-hundred-year event and the particular
facility that we are anticipating for the Marlamanu project was impacted
by that flood. Obviously, we need to take account of that. It has an impact in
terms of our risk management profile for the facility and on our ability to
redevelop the facility because, quite frankly, we wanted all tools and shovels
on the job to fix the impact of that devastating flood episode. But we are
committed to the project and we will continue to move forward with it.
Since November 2022, as the member
mentioned, something else happened: I became Premier. I am committed to the
project, and I have tasked the Minister for Corrective Services with the job of
including it as part of his work around juvenile detention to continue to make
sure that we reform that area. Progress is being made. I am sorry that it is
not to the member's satisfaction. I think a once-in-100-year flood
probably has something to do with the delays that we are experiencing, but we
look forward to continuing that project. Progress is being made. I am sorry
that it is not to the member's satisfaction.
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