❓ A parliamentary question regarding the economic benefits of uranium mining in WA is answered by the Minister, who highlights past investments, potential future revenue, and criticizes the Labor party's anti-uranium stance, framing it as a threat to the state's economy and job creation.
AnsweredQoN 788Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
URANIUM
MINING
788. Mr J. NORBERGER to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the minister
please update the house on the economic benefits that would flow from the
development of the uranium industry in Western Australia?
MINING
788. Mr J. NORBERGER to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the minister
please update the house on the economic benefits that would flow from the
development of the uranium industry in Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question, and I would be delighted to answer the question.
Before I do, I
congratulate the two champions in field hockey—the men's
champion, YM Coastal City, which defeated Wasps on the weekend 2–1, and
the women's premiers this year, Westside Wolves, which beat Curtin Trinity
Pirates. Western Australia is lucky to have probably the strongest domestic
hockey competition in the world, and I was privileged to see lot of
international players, both men and women, playing on the weekend.
Congratulations to the Western Australian Hockey Association.
I am delighted to be
able to talk about the important economic benefits that uranium brings to
Western Australia. When the Liberal and National Parties came to government in
2008, we put up a sign, ''Door Open for Business in Western Australia''—the
door is open for uranium mining. Since 2008, $300 million has been spent on
uranium exploration in Western Australia. That $300 million would not have been
spent if the Labor government had been in power. That $300 million means
substantial jobs for Western Australians and lots of flow-on benefits to the
community. WA is positioned now for the possibility of a $1 billion per year
revenue export business from our uranium exports by about 2020. China already
has 29 nuclear power stations and it plans to treble that by 2020 and to treble
that again by 2050. We are well placed for the rapidly developing areas of
China, India and also Saudi Arabia. It was a big surprise—or is it a
surprise?—that when I got a copy of Labor's draft 2015
environmental platform, it stated —
In Government, WA Labor will:
� Oppose the mining and export of
uranium;
That was very
disappointing. As Minister for Mines and Petroleum, how disappointed was I? What
does that mean?
A member: Shock-horror.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : It is shock-horror. It means that in government, WA Labor
will oppose the creation of 1 500 construction jobs, oppose the creation of 500
mining production jobs and oppose the creation of hundreds of indirect jobs
related to the mining industry. Members opposite oppose Western Australia
playing a major part in reducing carbon emissions in China, India and Saudi Arabia.
I believe this has been driven by the member for Gosnells and his friends in
the Conservation Council of WA and their 1970s policies such as encouraging
local governments to declare themselves nuclear-free zones.
Mr
D.A. Templeman interjected.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : It is the Eagles, 1994—a very modern tie!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
W.R. MARMION : The reality is that Labor is a threat to the economy of
Western Australia, and I know the member for Joondalup recognises this.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : You have had
enough now about the 70s gear, thank you very much. You have got one minute,
thank you.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I will conclude with some other words. These are not my
words; they are words from Mr Reg Howard-Smith, and I quote —
From a local perspective, it was
disappointing to see the Labor Party pursue an anti-hydraulic fracking policy.
Together with WA Labor's
long-standing, yet irrational —
They are his words, not mine —
anti-uranium stance, these policies
fly in the face of providing new energy sources to international and domestic
markets craving access to competitive energy sources. This approach risks the
future of vibrant local energy industry and the associated benefits and —
More importantly —
jobs.
for the question, and I would be delighted to answer the question.
Before I do, I
congratulate the two champions in field hockey—the men's
champion, YM Coastal City, which defeated Wasps on the weekend 2–1, and
the women's premiers this year, Westside Wolves, which beat Curtin Trinity
Pirates. Western Australia is lucky to have probably the strongest domestic
hockey competition in the world, and I was privileged to see lot of
international players, both men and women, playing on the weekend.
Congratulations to the Western Australian Hockey Association.
I am delighted to be
able to talk about the important economic benefits that uranium brings to
Western Australia. When the Liberal and National Parties came to government in
2008, we put up a sign, ''Door Open for Business in Western Australia''—the
door is open for uranium mining. Since 2008, $300 million has been spent on
uranium exploration in Western Australia. That $300 million would not have been
spent if the Labor government had been in power. That $300 million means
substantial jobs for Western Australians and lots of flow-on benefits to the
community. WA is positioned now for the possibility of a $1 billion per year
revenue export business from our uranium exports by about 2020. China already
has 29 nuclear power stations and it plans to treble that by 2020 and to treble
that again by 2050. We are well placed for the rapidly developing areas of
China, India and also Saudi Arabia. It was a big surprise—or is it a
surprise?—that when I got a copy of Labor's draft 2015
environmental platform, it stated —
In Government, WA Labor will:
� Oppose the mining and export of
uranium;
That was very
disappointing. As Minister for Mines and Petroleum, how disappointed was I? What
does that mean?
A member: Shock-horror.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : It is shock-horror. It means that in government, WA Labor
will oppose the creation of 1 500 construction jobs, oppose the creation of 500
mining production jobs and oppose the creation of hundreds of indirect jobs
related to the mining industry. Members opposite oppose Western Australia
playing a major part in reducing carbon emissions in China, India and Saudi Arabia.
I believe this has been driven by the member for Gosnells and his friends in
the Conservation Council of WA and their 1970s policies such as encouraging
local governments to declare themselves nuclear-free zones.
Mr
D.A. Templeman interjected.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : It is the Eagles, 1994—a very modern tie!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
W.R. MARMION : The reality is that Labor is a threat to the economy of
Western Australia, and I know the member for Joondalup recognises this.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : You have had
enough now about the 70s gear, thank you very much. You have got one minute,
thank you.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I will conclude with some other words. These are not my
words; they are words from Mr Reg Howard-Smith, and I quote —
From a local perspective, it was
disappointing to see the Labor Party pursue an anti-hydraulic fracking policy.
Together with WA Labor's
long-standing, yet irrational —
They are his words, not mine —
anti-uranium stance, these policies
fly in the face of providing new energy sources to international and domestic
markets craving access to competitive energy sources. This approach risks the
future of vibrant local energy industry and the associated benefits and —
More importantly —
jobs.
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