❓ Minister MacTiernan reports on the successful completion of the Geraldton port dredging project, highlighting its economic benefits for grain farmers and the commencement of mining operations due to the project.
AnsweredQoN 1187Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the minister advise the House of the progress in dredging the Geraldton port as part of the Gallop Government’s $103 million investment in its port enhancement project? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and in particular for his great support for this innovative project. I also thank the National Party, which has been a great supporter of the project, as has the member for Greenough. I cannot say, unfortunately, that every member of the House was supportive of the project, as there were some sceptics. However, I am very pleased to say that the cutter suction dredger, Leonardo da Vinci, has now completed its main work; in fact, it completed the work on Saturday, 11 October. I am sure the Premier will be pleased to hear that we expect it to complete all its work by tomorrow. A little mopping up is left to be done by trailer suction hopping dredgers Nina and Pinta , which will be completed in the next week or two. However, fundamentally the project has been completed and has been a tremendous success. Of course it has been a challenging project to manage. We knew there would be the issue of its impact on seagrass, but we ensured the project was managed in such a way that the seagrass would be left in sufficient condition to be able to regenerate. Certainly all the work to date has indicated that the seagrass will receive sufficient light to regenerate because we have been able to finish the project before the second spring sets in. It has been a very positive project. It could not have happened at a better time for Geraldton and all those in the grain industry. It is expected this year that record shipments of 2.4 million tonnes of grain will be shipped through the port; that is, two and a half times more than was shipped last year. Later this month there will be a historic event in which the first Handimax-class vessel will be able to come into the Geraldton port and be single loaded. Each grain farmer will save between 70c and $1 a tonne as a result of this project. The project will be funded through a port enhancement charge. However, the difference between that charge and the penalty the grain farmers paid for being able to load only half a ship means that not only will this brilliant project be paid for more quickly but also farmers will get an extra $2 million back in their pockets this year. Of course, the Mount Gibson project, about which many were sceptical, has proved to be a success and would not have gone ahead unless we embarked on this project. I am pleased that Mount Gibson Iron Ltd announced to the Australian Stock Exchange only yesterday that mining operations had commenced at its new iron ore mine at Tallering Peak and that the construction of a $5 million shed at Geraldton port is well under way. Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and in particular for his great support for this innovative project. I also thank the National Party, which has been a great supporter of the project, as has the member for Greenough. I cannot say, unfortunately, that every member of the House was supportive of the project, as there were some sceptics. However, I am very pleased to say that the cutter suction dredger, Leonardo da Vinci, has now completed its main work; in fact, it completed the work on Saturday, 11 October. I am sure the Premier will be pleased to hear that we expect it to complete all its work by tomorrow. A little mopping up is left to be done by trailer suction hopping dredgers Nina and Pinta , which will be completed in the next week or two. However, fundamentally the project has been completed and has been a tremendous success. Of course it has been a challenging project to manage. We knew there would be the issue of its impact on seagrass, but we ensured the project was managed in such a way that the seagrass would be left in sufficient condition to be able to regenerate. Certainly all the work to date has indicated that the seagrass will receive sufficient light to regenerate because we have been able to finish the project before the second spring sets in. It has been a very positive project. It could not have happened at a better time for Geraldton and all those in the grain industry. It is expected this year that record shipments of 2.4 million tonnes of grain will be shipped through the port; that is, two and a half times more than was shipped last year. Later this month there will be a historic event in which the first Handimax-class vessel will be able to come into the Geraldton port and be single loaded. Each grain farmer will save between 70c and $1 a tonne as a result of this project. The project will be funded through a port enhancement charge. However, the difference between that charge and the penalty the grain farmers paid for being able to load only half a ship means that not only will this brilliant project be paid for more quickly but also farmers will get an extra $2 million back in their pockets this year. Of course, the Mount Gibson project, about which many were sceptical, has proved to be a success and would not have gone ahead unless we embarked on this project. I am pleased that Mount Gibson Iron Ltd announced to the Australian Stock Exchange only yesterday that mining operations had commenced at its new iron ore mine at Tallering Peak and that the construction of a $5 million shed at Geraldton port is well under way. Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
I thank the member for the question and in particular for his great support for this innovative project. I also thank the National Party, which has been a great supporter of the project, as has the member for Greenough. I cannot say, unfortunately, that every member of the House was supportive of the project, as there were some sceptics. However, I am very pleased to say that the cutter suction dredger, Leonardo da Vinci, has now completed its main work; in fact, it completed the work on Saturday, 11 October. I am sure the Premier will be pleased to hear that we expect it to complete all its work by tomorrow. A little mopping up is left to be done by trailer suction hopping dredgers Nina and Pinta , which will be completed in the next week or two. However, fundamentally the project has been completed and has been a tremendous success. Of course it has been a challenging project to manage. We knew there would be the issue of its impact on seagrass, but we ensured the project was managed in such a way that the seagrass would be left in sufficient condition to be able to regenerate. Certainly all the work to date has indicated that the seagrass will receive sufficient light to regenerate because we have been able to finish the project before the second spring sets in. It has been a very positive project. It could not have happened at a better time for Geraldton and all those in the grain industry. It is expected this year that record shipments of 2.4 million tonnes of grain will be shipped through the port; that is, two and a half times more than was shipped last year. Later this month there will be a historic event in which the first Handimax-class vessel will be able to come into the Geraldton port and be single loaded. Each grain farmer will save between 70c and $1 a tonne as a result of this project. The project will be funded through a port enhancement charge. However, the difference between that charge and the penalty the grain farmers paid for being able to load only half a ship means that not only will this brilliant project be paid for more quickly but also farmers will get an extra $2 million back in their pockets this year. Of course, the Mount Gibson project, about which many were sceptical, has proved to be a success and would not have gone ahead unless we embarked on this project. I am pleased that Mount Gibson Iron Ltd announced to the Australian Stock Exchange only yesterday that mining operations had commenced at its new iron ore mine at Tallering Peak and that the construction of a $5 million shed at Geraldton port is well under way. Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Of course, the Mount Gibson project, about which many were sceptical, has proved to be a success and would not have gone ahead unless we embarked on this project. I am pleased that Mount Gibson Iron Ltd announced to the Australian Stock Exchange only yesterday that mining operations had commenced at its new iron ore mine at Tallering Peak and that the construction of a $5 million shed at Geraldton port is well under way. Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and in particular for his great support for this innovative project. I also thank the National Party, which has been a great supporter of the project, as has the member for Greenough. I cannot say, unfortunately, that every member of the House was supportive of the project, as there were some sceptics. However, I am very pleased to say that the cutter suction dredger, Leonardo da Vinci, has now completed its main work; in fact, it completed the work on Saturday, 11 October. I am sure the Premier will be pleased to hear that we expect it to complete all its work by tomorrow. A little mopping up is left to be done by trailer suction hopping dredgers Nina and Pinta , which will be completed in the next week or two. However, fundamentally the project has been completed and has been a tremendous success. Of course it has been a challenging project to manage. We knew there would be the issue of its impact on seagrass, but we ensured the project was managed in such a way that the seagrass would be left in sufficient condition to be able to regenerate. Certainly all the work to date has indicated that the seagrass will receive sufficient light to regenerate because we have been able to finish the project before the second spring sets in. It has been a very positive project. It could not have happened at a better time for Geraldton and all those in the grain industry. It is expected this year that record shipments of 2.4 million tonnes of grain will be shipped through the port; that is, two and a half times more than was shipped last year. Later this month there will be a historic event in which the first Handimax-class vessel will be able to come into the Geraldton port and be single loaded. Each grain farmer will save between 70c and $1 a tonne as a result of this project. The project will be funded through a port enhancement charge. However, the difference between that charge and the penalty the grain farmers paid for being able to load only half a ship means that not only will this brilliant project be paid for more quickly but also farmers will get an extra $2 million back in their pockets this year. Of course, the Mount Gibson project, about which many were sceptical, has proved to be a success and would not have gone ahead unless we embarked on this project. I am pleased that Mount Gibson Iron Ltd announced to the Australian Stock Exchange only yesterday that mining operations had commenced at its new iron ore mine at Tallering Peak and that the construction of a $5 million shed at Geraldton port is well under way. Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
I thank the member for the question and in particular for his great support for this innovative project. I also thank the National Party, which has been a great supporter of the project, as has the member for Greenough. I cannot say, unfortunately, that every member of the House was supportive of the project, as there were some sceptics. However, I am very pleased to say that the cutter suction dredger, Leonardo da Vinci, has now completed its main work; in fact, it completed the work on Saturday, 11 October. I am sure the Premier will be pleased to hear that we expect it to complete all its work by tomorrow. A little mopping up is left to be done by trailer suction hopping dredgers Nina and Pinta , which will be completed in the next week or two. However, fundamentally the project has been completed and has been a tremendous success. Of course it has been a challenging project to manage. We knew there would be the issue of its impact on seagrass, but we ensured the project was managed in such a way that the seagrass would be left in sufficient condition to be able to regenerate. Certainly all the work to date has indicated that the seagrass will receive sufficient light to regenerate because we have been able to finish the project before the second spring sets in. It has been a very positive project. It could not have happened at a better time for Geraldton and all those in the grain industry. It is expected this year that record shipments of 2.4 million tonnes of grain will be shipped through the port; that is, two and a half times more than was shipped last year. Later this month there will be a historic event in which the first Handimax-class vessel will be able to come into the Geraldton port and be single loaded. Each grain farmer will save between 70c and $1 a tonne as a result of this project. The project will be funded through a port enhancement charge. However, the difference between that charge and the penalty the grain farmers paid for being able to load only half a ship means that not only will this brilliant project be paid for more quickly but also farmers will get an extra $2 million back in their pockets this year. Of course, the Mount Gibson project, about which many were sceptical, has proved to be a success and would not have gone ahead unless we embarked on this project. I am pleased that Mount Gibson Iron Ltd announced to the Australian Stock Exchange only yesterday that mining operations had commenced at its new iron ore mine at Tallering Peak and that the construction of a $5 million shed at Geraldton port is well under way. Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Of course, the Mount Gibson project, about which many were sceptical, has proved to be a success and would not have gone ahead unless we embarked on this project. I am pleased that Mount Gibson Iron Ltd announced to the Australian Stock Exchange only yesterday that mining operations had commenced at its new iron ore mine at Tallering Peak and that the construction of a $5 million shed at Geraldton port is well under way. Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Dr G.I. Gallop: May I interject to say that a planeload of journalists flew from Perth to Barrow Island last week? We flew over Geraldton and saw the wonderful example of Labor Party economics at work. We flew further north over Oakajee, and I told the journalists to look down to see $20 million-worth of Liberal money that has come to nothing for the people of Western Australia. That is their economics! The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
The SPEAKER: Order! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We can understandably indulge the Premier in his enthusiasm for this project. It is true that Geraldton and the mid west was put on ice for eight years while a non-productive project was pursued. The Labor Government has come in and done the hard work. We can share what the Leader of the Opposition said in this House - Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
Technically, the Geraldton harbour could be dredged, but it is not economically viable to any significant extent. . . . The previous Government examined whether it could be done in Geraldton harbour and, again, the conclusion was that it could not. It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
It is a cannot-do Opposition, but a can-do Government.
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