❓ Mr. Marmion questions the Minister for Defence Issues about the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) strategic infrastructure and land use master plan. The Minister responds, detailing collaboration with federal counterparts and progress on the plan, expected by November/December.
AnsweredQoN 613Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AUSTRALIAN MARINE COMPLEX
STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND LAND USE MASTER PLAN
613. Mr W.R. MARMION to the Minister for Defence Issues:
My question is also to the Minister
for Defence Issues, so wake up! Can the minister table the Australian Marine
Complex strategic infrastructure and land use master plan or —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Can we
just have a straight question without any interjection.
Mr W.R. MARMION : Can I start
again?
The SPEAKER : Start again.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.R. MARMION : Can the
minister table the AMC strategic infrastructure and land use master plan or can
he confirm that he has only just let the contract after two and a half years of
government?
STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND LAND USE MASTER PLAN
613. Mr W.R. MARMION to the Minister for Defence Issues:
My question is also to the Minister
for Defence Issues, so wake up! Can the minister table the Australian Marine
Complex strategic infrastructure and land use master plan or —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Can we
just have a straight question without any interjection.
Mr W.R. MARMION : Can I start
again?
The SPEAKER : Start again.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.R. MARMION : Can the
minister table the AMC strategic infrastructure and land use master plan or can
he confirm that he has only just let the contract after two and a half years of
government?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you for the question, member.
That is extraordinary! I could add to the answer to the question from the
member for Baldivis. The reason we forwarded to the Minister for Defence the
report commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers on strategic reasons for
shifting full-cycle docking and the ACIL Allen report on the economic benefits
of shifting full-cycle docking was that I talked to her about it and I undertook
to do that shortly after her election. I was working very closely with the
office of the former Minister for Defence, that magnificent contributor and one
of the best ministers the former Morrison government had, Christopher Pyne. His
office collaborated on the ''Western Australian Defence and Defence
Industries Strategic Plan'', which the Premier launched at the Indo–Pacific
Defence Conference only in October last year. Part of the agreement we had with
Minister Pyne was that we would work on that strategy, it would be done in
conjunction with defence and our strategy would reflect defence interests and
requirements in Western Australia. The other part of the agreement with
Minister Pyne was that we would work together on preparing an infrastructure
plan for the AMC that meshed well with Western Australia's requirements
and plans but also met the requirements of defence. Before that part of the agreement
could be undertaken, the federal government went into election mode. The
requirement of the agreement was that we would take the lead on our strategic
plan, in collaboration with the federal government, and it would take the lead
on the infrastructure requirement plan, and we would support the federal
government. That did not happen before the election because it went into
election mode and everything slowed down. After the election, I met with
Minister Reynolds and appraised her of the agreement. She knew of it anyway
because she had been privy to the entire discussion. She was very supportive of
continuing the plan. The intention was to reflect defence requirements with our
infrastructure plan for the Australian Marine Complex. It would be pointless
for Western Australia to pursue a plan for infrastructure in Henderson without
accommodating all the requirements of defence, so we are working with it. The
only hold-up with that plan has been on the federal defence side providing the
information necessary for us to pursue compiling our plan. It is true that we
have commissioned a plan. We have commissioned Advisian and other consultants
that have been commissioned with the support of Oropesa, which is a specialist
in the maritime environment—infrastructure requirements and ports. It
is doing that work. It is now getting consultation and support from federal
agencies by the federal minister's office. Not surprisingly, there was
a little bit of a hiatus after the election whilst new ministers got their feet
under the desk and agencies began to respond to or confirm federal government
policy in this regard—but the work has been done. It is hilarious that
the opposition should even suggest that somehow I should be embarrassed about
the fact that we have commissioned an infrastructure plan. I can confirm that a
week and a half ago I was in Canberra meeting the Minister for Defence and the
Minister for Defence Industry, and we undertook to provide that plan by about
November or December. That is what they wanted. That is when they asked for it.
There is no delay; there is no expectation that we should have done it already.
The first undertaking I had with the minister was to provide strategic reasons
in the national interest that full-cycle docking should come to Western Australia.
We have done that. We have very publicly launched that. The Premier launched
that campaign yesterday, but, in advance of that, the minister was given those
reports and she is fully appraised of our argument. We are now working on the infrastructure
plan. It will accommodate full-cycle docking requirements as well.
That is extraordinary! I could add to the answer to the question from the
member for Baldivis. The reason we forwarded to the Minister for Defence the
report commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers on strategic reasons for
shifting full-cycle docking and the ACIL Allen report on the economic benefits
of shifting full-cycle docking was that I talked to her about it and I undertook
to do that shortly after her election. I was working very closely with the
office of the former Minister for Defence, that magnificent contributor and one
of the best ministers the former Morrison government had, Christopher Pyne. His
office collaborated on the ''Western Australian Defence and Defence
Industries Strategic Plan'', which the Premier launched at the Indo–Pacific
Defence Conference only in October last year. Part of the agreement we had with
Minister Pyne was that we would work on that strategy, it would be done in
conjunction with defence and our strategy would reflect defence interests and
requirements in Western Australia. The other part of the agreement with
Minister Pyne was that we would work together on preparing an infrastructure
plan for the AMC that meshed well with Western Australia's requirements
and plans but also met the requirements of defence. Before that part of the agreement
could be undertaken, the federal government went into election mode. The
requirement of the agreement was that we would take the lead on our strategic
plan, in collaboration with the federal government, and it would take the lead
on the infrastructure requirement plan, and we would support the federal
government. That did not happen before the election because it went into
election mode and everything slowed down. After the election, I met with
Minister Reynolds and appraised her of the agreement. She knew of it anyway
because she had been privy to the entire discussion. She was very supportive of
continuing the plan. The intention was to reflect defence requirements with our
infrastructure plan for the Australian Marine Complex. It would be pointless
for Western Australia to pursue a plan for infrastructure in Henderson without
accommodating all the requirements of defence, so we are working with it. The
only hold-up with that plan has been on the federal defence side providing the
information necessary for us to pursue compiling our plan. It is true that we
have commissioned a plan. We have commissioned Advisian and other consultants
that have been commissioned with the support of Oropesa, which is a specialist
in the maritime environment—infrastructure requirements and ports. It
is doing that work. It is now getting consultation and support from federal
agencies by the federal minister's office. Not surprisingly, there was
a little bit of a hiatus after the election whilst new ministers got their feet
under the desk and agencies began to respond to or confirm federal government
policy in this regard—but the work has been done. It is hilarious that
the opposition should even suggest that somehow I should be embarrassed about
the fact that we have commissioned an infrastructure plan. I can confirm that a
week and a half ago I was in Canberra meeting the Minister for Defence and the
Minister for Defence Industry, and we undertook to provide that plan by about
November or December. That is what they wanted. That is when they asked for it.
There is no delay; there is no expectation that we should have done it already.
The first undertaking I had with the minister was to provide strategic reasons
in the national interest that full-cycle docking should come to Western Australia.
We have done that. We have very publicly launched that. The Premier launched
that campaign yesterday, but, in advance of that, the minister was given those
reports and she is fully appraised of our argument. We are now working on the infrastructure
plan. It will accommodate full-cycle docking requirements as well.
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