❓ Question regarding the Minister for Environment's comments on the Horizontal Falls tourism ban and the alleged misrepresentation of stakeholder views. The answer clarifies the meeting's organisation and stakeholder positions.
AnsweredQoN 304Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
TOURISM — HORIZONTAL FALLS — MINISTER'S COMMENTS
304. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Environment:
I
refer to comments made by the minister on 6PR regarding community and industry
reaction to the government's decision to ban commercial boat
crossings through the world-famous Western Australian attraction called
Horizontal Falls.
(1) Did the
minister request the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry to facilitate the
meeting on 22 March 2024 referred to in his comments to the media?
(2) If yes to
(1), did the minister's office make recommendations as to who would be
invited?
(3) Has the
minister received any correspondence from any organisations present at that
meeting regarding the minister's mischaracterisation of their views on
the closure of the falls?
(4) Does the
minister still stand by his assertions made on 6PR on 25 March that there is
consensus from the Shire of Broome, tourism
operators, the chamber and the Broome Visitor Centre that supports the minister's decision, when those organisations have subsequently expressed that this was
not their view?
304. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Environment:
I
refer to comments made by the minister on 6PR regarding community and industry
reaction to the government's decision to ban commercial boat
crossings through the world-famous Western Australian attraction called
Horizontal Falls.
(1) Did the
minister request the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry to facilitate the
meeting on 22 March 2024 referred to in his comments to the media?
(2) If yes to
(1), did the minister's office make recommendations as to who would be
invited?
(3) Has the
minister received any correspondence from any organisations present at that
meeting regarding the minister's mischaracterisation of their views on
the closure of the falls?
(4) Does the
minister still stand by his assertions made on 6PR on 25 March that there is
consensus from the Shire of Broome, tourism
operators, the chamber and the Broome Visitor Centre that supports the minister's decision, when those organisations have subsequently expressed that this was
not their view?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Environment, I provide the
following answer.
(1) The minister's
office and a representative of the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry
discussed the opportunity for the minister to meet with key local businesses
and stakeholders that have an interest in the future of tourism at Horizontal
Falls.
(2) The Broome
Chamber of Commerce recommended which local businesses and stakeholders should
be invited.
(3) Here is the
kicker. On 26 March, the minister received correspondence from the Shire of
Broome advising that it did not have a formal position on the government's
decision to phase out traversal of the falls.
(4) The meeting
of businesses and local stakeholders on 22 March was respectful, positive and
productive. During that meeting, attendees overwhelmingly supported the need to
work together in partnership with government
and traditional owners to develop new tourism products that would ensure that
Horizontal Falls remains a world-class tourism destination into the
future.
of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Environment, I provide the
following answer.
(1) The minister's
office and a representative of the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry
discussed the opportunity for the minister to meet with key local businesses
and stakeholders that have an interest in the future of tourism at Horizontal
Falls.
(2) The Broome
Chamber of Commerce recommended which local businesses and stakeholders should
be invited.
(3) Here is the
kicker. On 26 March, the minister received correspondence from the Shire of
Broome advising that it did not have a formal position on the government's
decision to phase out traversal of the falls.
(4) The meeting
of businesses and local stakeholders on 22 March was respectful, positive and
productive. During that meeting, attendees overwhelmingly supported the need to
work together in partnership with government
and traditional owners to develop new tourism products that would ensure that
Horizontal Falls remains a world-class tourism destination into the
future.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.