❓ Mrs. Marshall asks about the Westport project's economic impact and risks of inaction. Premier Cook outlines the project's benefits, criticizes the Liberal Party's stance, and emphasizes the need for timely action to avoid economic consequences.
AnsweredQoN 808Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTPORT —
CONTAINER TRADE
808. Mrs M.R. MARSHALL to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's decision to build a new container port in Kwinana.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the decision to build this generational
economic project will position Western Australia for the next century?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house of any risks to the state if this significant project
is not delivered?
CONTAINER TRADE
808. Mrs M.R. MARSHALL to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's decision to build a new container port in Kwinana.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the decision to build this generational
economic project will position Western Australia for the next century?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house of any risks to the state if this significant project
is not delivered?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. It is an important one. Yesterday, Western Australia was offered a pathway
forward for long-term growth. The WA Labor government will build a new port in
the Kwinana industrial area. The business case has been completed for Westport.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Liberal Party, could you try to not interject on every single question?
Mr R.H. COOK : Yesterday, I joined
the Deputy Premier; Minister for Transport and other cabinet colleagues to announce
that the business case for Westport has been completed. I want to thank the
Westport team and the Deputy Premier for their incredible work on this. We know
that the port of Fremantle is getting full. The new port will be needed by the late 2030s. We know that as
Fremantle reaches its capacity, its efficiency will drop away. We know
that it cannot handle the next generation of large container ships. Once it is
full, we will then be relying on eastern states' ports in relation to
these goods.
We know from the business case that
failing to act on a new port in Kwinana will actually lead to a $5 billion hit to our economy year in, year out. More importantly,
we know who will be paying for the inefficiencies there; it will be in
the household goods that Western Australian families buy because those goods
have had to be shipped over from the east coast. Not only is this an important
piece of work for our economic future; it is also about making things affordable for Western Australian families.
To get the project moving, we are investing $273 million to move through
the project definition planning phase and other works associated with the early
stages of construction. After that, we can appoint contracts and get on with
the job.
There will be naysayers and
critics; we know that. When we make big decisions on behalf of Western Australians to set up the state for the future, there
will always be those who will seek to criticise and drag us down and to try to stop Western Australia from going on a pathway forward. In fact, the Leader of
the Liberal Party claimed yesterday that the port of Fremantle is at only 30 per
cent capacity.
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : It is interesting; I have been getting
constant interjections all question time from the Leader of the Liberal Party,
but she is silent on this particular point.
The SPEAKER : That is a very
good thing, but, yes.
Mr R.H. COOK : We know that the
Fremantle port is significantly above 860 000 container movements and has a capacity
of around 1.4 million, and those 860 000 container movements are about 50 000
more than last year. We know that the growth of the port is continuing, and we
need to act now if Western Australia will continue to move forward. The Liberal
Party's position on this is to ignore it the way it ignores all
infrastructure. It is incapable of making tough decisions on behalf of the
people of Western Australia, such as big infrastructure projects like Metronet,
the women's and babies' hospital and now Westport. It does not
stand for anything, and it has no plans. It is a blank canvas when it comes to
infrastructure, and it is a risk to the future economy of Western Australia.
We
know that we need to act now to secure the future of Western Australia
tomorrow. If it is left to members opposite, we will simply see more dithering;
more congestion on our roads, particularly in Fremantle and the surrounding suburbs;
and we will continue to see a mighty brake put on the economy. As I said
yesterday, if we do not act now on Westport, it will be a brake on our economy.
The Liberal Party is another thing that will be a brake on the economy. If the
Liberal Party is allowed to get into government—if we risk having the
Liberals in government—Western Australia will not be able to progress.
We will not see the infrastructure that we need. Madam Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cottesloe,
you did not ask this question. You have also been continuously interjecting .
The Premier is concluding his answer and I suggest you do not keep
interjecting.
Mr R.H. COOK : I am trying to
conclude but the interruptions are incessant, Madam Speaker. It provides me
with an opportunity to remind the chamber once more that when the Liberal Party
was last in government, it tried to sell the port. It tried to privatise the
port.
Liberal members oppose Metronet.
They oppose the 72 kilometres of rail line out to Ellenbrook. We remind the
Ellenbrook community of that. They opposed the extension of the rail line to
Yanchep. We will be reminding that community too that the Liberal Party opposed
it. They opposed the extension of the line to Byford. We will be reminding the
community about that. Now the Liberal Party oppose this economy-building
infrastructure project called Westport. We will be reminding the community
about that as well.
Once again, I want to take the
opportunity to commend the Deputy Premier, who, as shadow Minister for
Transport in 2016, put a Fremantle outer
harbour in our WA Labor plan for jobs , which is about providing
long-term economic benefit to the people of Western Australia. Under her
stewardship, this is now coming to pass. Under the Liberals and Nationals,
there is no long-term economic plan. There is no long-term economic future.
Visitors
The
SPEAKER : Before I give the next
call, on behalf of the member for Bateman, I would like to recognise Hannah from year 6 at Brentwood Primary School and her family and friends who are here
in the public gallery today. I give the call to the Leader of the Liberal
Party.
question. It is an important one. Yesterday, Western Australia was offered a pathway
forward for long-term growth. The WA Labor government will build a new port in
the Kwinana industrial area. The business case has been completed for Westport.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Liberal Party, could you try to not interject on every single question?
Mr R.H. COOK : Yesterday, I joined
the Deputy Premier; Minister for Transport and other cabinet colleagues to announce
that the business case for Westport has been completed. I want to thank the
Westport team and the Deputy Premier for their incredible work on this. We know
that the port of Fremantle is getting full. The new port will be needed by the late 2030s. We know that as
Fremantle reaches its capacity, its efficiency will drop away. We know
that it cannot handle the next generation of large container ships. Once it is
full, we will then be relying on eastern states' ports in relation to
these goods.
We know from the business case that
failing to act on a new port in Kwinana will actually lead to a $5 billion hit to our economy year in, year out. More importantly,
we know who will be paying for the inefficiencies there; it will be in
the household goods that Western Australian families buy because those goods
have had to be shipped over from the east coast. Not only is this an important
piece of work for our economic future; it is also about making things affordable for Western Australian families.
To get the project moving, we are investing $273 million to move through
the project definition planning phase and other works associated with the early
stages of construction. After that, we can appoint contracts and get on with
the job.
There will be naysayers and
critics; we know that. When we make big decisions on behalf of Western Australians to set up the state for the future, there
will always be those who will seek to criticise and drag us down and to try to stop Western Australia from going on a pathway forward. In fact, the Leader of
the Liberal Party claimed yesterday that the port of Fremantle is at only 30 per
cent capacity.
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : It is interesting; I have been getting
constant interjections all question time from the Leader of the Liberal Party,
but she is silent on this particular point.
The SPEAKER : That is a very
good thing, but, yes.
Mr R.H. COOK : We know that the
Fremantle port is significantly above 860 000 container movements and has a capacity
of around 1.4 million, and those 860 000 container movements are about 50 000
more than last year. We know that the growth of the port is continuing, and we
need to act now if Western Australia will continue to move forward. The Liberal
Party's position on this is to ignore it the way it ignores all
infrastructure. It is incapable of making tough decisions on behalf of the
people of Western Australia, such as big infrastructure projects like Metronet,
the women's and babies' hospital and now Westport. It does not
stand for anything, and it has no plans. It is a blank canvas when it comes to
infrastructure, and it is a risk to the future economy of Western Australia.
We
know that we need to act now to secure the future of Western Australia
tomorrow. If it is left to members opposite, we will simply see more dithering;
more congestion on our roads, particularly in Fremantle and the surrounding suburbs;
and we will continue to see a mighty brake put on the economy. As I said
yesterday, if we do not act now on Westport, it will be a brake on our economy.
The Liberal Party is another thing that will be a brake on the economy. If the
Liberal Party is allowed to get into government—if we risk having the
Liberals in government—Western Australia will not be able to progress.
We will not see the infrastructure that we need. Madam Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cottesloe,
you did not ask this question. You have also been continuously interjecting .
The Premier is concluding his answer and I suggest you do not keep
interjecting.
Mr R.H. COOK : I am trying to
conclude but the interruptions are incessant, Madam Speaker. It provides me
with an opportunity to remind the chamber once more that when the Liberal Party
was last in government, it tried to sell the port. It tried to privatise the
port.
Liberal members oppose Metronet.
They oppose the 72 kilometres of rail line out to Ellenbrook. We remind the
Ellenbrook community of that. They opposed the extension of the rail line to
Yanchep. We will be reminding that community too that the Liberal Party opposed
it. They opposed the extension of the line to Byford. We will be reminding the
community about that. Now the Liberal Party oppose this economy-building
infrastructure project called Westport. We will be reminding the community
about that as well.
Once again, I want to take the
opportunity to commend the Deputy Premier, who, as shadow Minister for
Transport in 2016, put a Fremantle outer
harbour in our WA Labor plan for jobs , which is about providing
long-term economic benefit to the people of Western Australia. Under her
stewardship, this is now coming to pass. Under the Liberals and Nationals,
there is no long-term economic plan. There is no long-term economic future.
Visitors
The
SPEAKER : Before I give the next
call, on behalf of the member for Bateman, I would like to recognise Hannah from year 6 at Brentwood Primary School and her family and friends who are here
in the public gallery today. I give the call to the Leader of the Liberal
Party.
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