❓ WA Water Minister Kobelke discusses the Federal Government's stance on funding a Kimberley canal project, citing economic infeasibility based on comments from Malcolm Turnbull and an independent inquiry. He then challenges the opposition's view.
AnsweredQoN 197Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER SUPPLIES - KIMBERLEY
Can the minister inform the house of any indication from the federal government that it would provide financial support for a canal to bring water from the Kimberley to Perth? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
Can the minister inform the house of any indication from the federal government that it would provide financial support for a canal to bring water from the Kimberley to Perth? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I think that members are well aware that the Premier has signed the National Water Initiative on behalf of the state. We are seeking to undertake a range of projects with financial assistance from the commonwealth. As part of his familiarisation, Malcolm Turnbull, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for water resources, was in Perth recently. We had the opportunity to meet with him. I was very interested in his comments, which were reflected on radio 6PR on 9 April. We should keep in mind that Mr Turnbull was a merchant banker. When he was asked about funding for a canal to bring water from the Kimberley, he stated - I don’t think it would qualify . . . I think most people recognise that whether it’s a canal or a pipeline, the economics are just not feasible, not realistic, the cost of the water, by the time it got to Perth, would be so much greater than, for example, the cost of desalinating water on the spot. We very clearly see that even before the release of the report by Professor Appleyard, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who is responsible for water resources at the national level, made it clear that it was his view that it would be a waste of money to give any support to a canal or pipeline to bring water from the north of Western Australia. With all the evidence presented by an independent inquiry, and with quite extensive research and engineering analysis, we have the facts to back that up. We can see that even the parliamentary secretary was aware of some of the concerns before that was the case. I am very interested in knowing whether the opposition spokesperson on water resources, the member for Darling Range, agrees with Malcolm Turnbull about the cost aspects. Mr J.H.D. Day : I agree with good vision and you are not showing any! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I think that members are well aware that the Premier has signed the National Water Initiative on behalf of the state. We are seeking to undertake a range of projects with financial assistance from the commonwealth. As part of his familiarisation, Malcolm Turnbull, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for water resources, was in Perth recently. We had the opportunity to meet with him. I was very interested in his comments, which were reflected on radio 6PR on 9 April. We should keep in mind that Mr Turnbull was a merchant banker. When he was asked about funding for a canal to bring water from the Kimberley, he stated - I don’t think it would qualify . . . I think most people recognise that whether it’s a canal or a pipeline, the economics are just not feasible, not realistic, the cost of the water, by the time it got to Perth, would be so much greater than, for example, the cost of desalinating water on the spot. We very clearly see that even before the release of the report by Professor Appleyard, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who is responsible for water resources at the national level, made it clear that it was his view that it would be a waste of money to give any support to a canal or pipeline to bring water from the north of Western Australia. With all the evidence presented by an independent inquiry, and with quite extensive research and engineering analysis, we have the facts to back that up. We can see that even the parliamentary secretary was aware of some of the concerns before that was the case. I am very interested in knowing whether the opposition spokesperson on water resources, the member for Darling Range, agrees with Malcolm Turnbull about the cost aspects. Mr J.H.D. Day : I agree with good vision and you are not showing any! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I think that members are well aware that the Premier has signed the National Water Initiative on behalf of the state. We are seeking to undertake a range of projects with financial assistance from the commonwealth. As part of his familiarisation, Malcolm Turnbull, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for water resources, was in Perth recently. We had the opportunity to meet with him. I was very interested in his comments, which were reflected on radio 6PR on 9 April. We should keep in mind that Mr Turnbull was a merchant banker. When he was asked about funding for a canal to bring water from the Kimberley, he stated - I don’t think it would qualify . . . I think most people recognise that whether it’s a canal or a pipeline, the economics are just not feasible, not realistic, the cost of the water, by the time it got to Perth, would be so much greater than, for example, the cost of desalinating water on the spot. We very clearly see that even before the release of the report by Professor Appleyard, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who is responsible for water resources at the national level, made it clear that it was his view that it would be a waste of money to give any support to a canal or pipeline to bring water from the north of Western Australia. With all the evidence presented by an independent inquiry, and with quite extensive research and engineering analysis, we have the facts to back that up. We can see that even the parliamentary secretary was aware of some of the concerns before that was the case. I am very interested in knowing whether the opposition spokesperson on water resources, the member for Darling Range, agrees with Malcolm Turnbull about the cost aspects. Mr J.H.D. Day : I agree with good vision and you are not showing any! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.H.D. Day : I agree with good vision and you are not showing any! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I think that members are well aware that the Premier has signed the National Water Initiative on behalf of the state. We are seeking to undertake a range of projects with financial assistance from the commonwealth. As part of his familiarisation, Malcolm Turnbull, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for water resources, was in Perth recently. We had the opportunity to meet with him. I was very interested in his comments, which were reflected on radio 6PR on 9 April. We should keep in mind that Mr Turnbull was a merchant banker. When he was asked about funding for a canal to bring water from the Kimberley, he stated - I don’t think it would qualify . . . I think most people recognise that whether it’s a canal or a pipeline, the economics are just not feasible, not realistic, the cost of the water, by the time it got to Perth, would be so much greater than, for example, the cost of desalinating water on the spot. We very clearly see that even before the release of the report by Professor Appleyard, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who is responsible for water resources at the national level, made it clear that it was his view that it would be a waste of money to give any support to a canal or pipeline to bring water from the north of Western Australia. With all the evidence presented by an independent inquiry, and with quite extensive research and engineering analysis, we have the facts to back that up. We can see that even the parliamentary secretary was aware of some of the concerns before that was the case. I am very interested in knowing whether the opposition spokesperson on water resources, the member for Darling Range, agrees with Malcolm Turnbull about the cost aspects. Mr J.H.D. Day : I agree with good vision and you are not showing any! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I think that members are well aware that the Premier has signed the National Water Initiative on behalf of the state. We are seeking to undertake a range of projects with financial assistance from the commonwealth. As part of his familiarisation, Malcolm Turnbull, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for water resources, was in Perth recently. We had the opportunity to meet with him. I was very interested in his comments, which were reflected on radio 6PR on 9 April. We should keep in mind that Mr Turnbull was a merchant banker. When he was asked about funding for a canal to bring water from the Kimberley, he stated - I don’t think it would qualify . . . I think most people recognise that whether it’s a canal or a pipeline, the economics are just not feasible, not realistic, the cost of the water, by the time it got to Perth, would be so much greater than, for example, the cost of desalinating water on the spot. We very clearly see that even before the release of the report by Professor Appleyard, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who is responsible for water resources at the national level, made it clear that it was his view that it would be a waste of money to give any support to a canal or pipeline to bring water from the north of Western Australia. With all the evidence presented by an independent inquiry, and with quite extensive research and engineering analysis, we have the facts to back that up. We can see that even the parliamentary secretary was aware of some of the concerns before that was the case. I am very interested in knowing whether the opposition spokesperson on water resources, the member for Darling Range, agrees with Malcolm Turnbull about the cost aspects. Mr J.H.D. Day : I agree with good vision and you are not showing any! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.H.D. Day : I agree with good vision and you are not showing any! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary? Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.H.D. Day : Three weeks ago you were asked what criteria you were going to use to assess whether there should be a second desalination plant or Yarragadee water should be used. You had no idea. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The member does not agree with the parliamentary secretary. The opposition spokesperson on water resources is, as Malcolm Turnbull says, being unrealistic. Not only do we have an opposition that is a rabble, but also it is unrealistic and irrelevant to the people of Western Australia.
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