❓ Dr. Honey questions the Premier about environmental impacts of the Kwinana outer harbour, particularly seagrass loss. The Premier defends the project, citing environmental considerations and future economic benefits.
AnsweredQoN 832Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTPORT —
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
832. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
When the Premier considered
progressing approval for the new outer harbour at Kwinana, was he aware of, and
what consideration did he give to the fact that around 80 per cent of the
original area of seagrass coverage in Cockburn Sound has already been lost
because of previous development, and that the remaining seagrass in Cockburn
Sound is benthic primary producer habitat, critical as spawning ground for
important fish species such as pink snapper and that previous Environmental
Protection Authority studies into locating the outer harbour at Cockburn Sound
have shown that this will destroy over another 300 hectares of critical marine
habitat?
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order! Member
for Cannington, please do not interject.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
832. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
When the Premier considered
progressing approval for the new outer harbour at Kwinana, was he aware of, and
what consideration did he give to the fact that around 80 per cent of the
original area of seagrass coverage in Cockburn Sound has already been lost
because of previous development, and that the remaining seagrass in Cockburn
Sound is benthic primary producer habitat, critical as spawning ground for
important fish species such as pink snapper and that previous Environmental
Protection Authority studies into locating the outer harbour at Cockburn Sound
have shown that this will destroy over another 300 hectares of critical marine
habitat?
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order! Member
for Cannington, please do not interject.
AnswerView source ↗
The decision about location for
Westport took into account the impact on the environment. It is a no-brainer.
Of course we have done that. We understand the important role that seagrass
plays not only in the Cockburn Sound but
also in terms of a fish nursery. That is one of the reasons we have done a lot
of work recently on seagrass planting , and
sowing, for want of a better description, snapper fingerlings to make sure that
we continue to keep stocks rising . The best way we can save Cockburn
Sound is to have appropriate industrial development. Through the prosperity
that will create we can undertake more work.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr R.H. COOK : We know that in
the past there has been a range of impacts on seagrass beds in Cockburn Sound
and we have learnt a lot from those days. The dark old days of industrial
development in Cockburn Sound as part of the Kwinana industrial strip are over.
We are moving forward in a much more informed way to make sure we continue to
not only have as little impact on the environment there as possible but to have
a positive impact. It begs the question:
what is the member's solution? What is the member's policy in
relation to transport infrastructure?
Dr D.J. Honey : Maximising use
of Fremantle port—we said that.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr R.H. COOK : The member has
indicated by way of interjection that he wants to flood the streets of
Cottesloe with trucks. He wants to flood the streets of Fremantle with more
trucks. He wants to flood the streets of Riverton with more trucks. He wants to
continue to drive Fremantle into gridlock as part of his plan—to drive
Fremantle into gridlock. We will remind the Western
Australian community that it is 116 days until the next election. We have seen some small samples—some morsels—of policies from the other
side over the last couple of weeks. We have seen how they do not have an answer
or solution. It is a risk to the Western Australian economy. We know that this
is an important piece of transport infrastructure.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Premier, pause for a moment
please. The member for Cottesloe asked this question, not the member for
Vasse. The member for Cottesloe has interjected a couple of times but nowhere
near as many times as the member for Vasse. I understand that some of the
Premier's comments will definitely have provoked you; however, if the
member for Cottesloe would like to have the opportunity to ask supplementary
question, I would ask both of you to desist from interjecting.
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker,
we know that ultimately Fremantle port will reach capacity. It has a natural
capacity of around about 1.4 million containers. We are already at 860 000
containers, so we know that not acting now is not an option. Let us take the
member for Cottesloe's idea for a moment, that we continue to invest in
the Fremantle port to, ultimately, sweat that asset to within an inch of its
life. What a waste of taxpayer dollars! The taxpayers of Western Australia know
that we ultimately have to have a long-term solution to our container port
capacity. A long-term solution around container port capacity is the
development of Westport. It is a fundamental piece of economic infrastructure
that we need to do the work for now to make sure that it is ready for the
future so that we can continue to make sure that Western Australia prospers and
that our container port capacity does not become a handbrake on the economic
progress and lives of Western Australians.
Westport took into account the impact on the environment. It is a no-brainer.
Of course we have done that. We understand the important role that seagrass
plays not only in the Cockburn Sound but
also in terms of a fish nursery. That is one of the reasons we have done a lot
of work recently on seagrass planting , and
sowing, for want of a better description, snapper fingerlings to make sure that
we continue to keep stocks rising . The best way we can save Cockburn
Sound is to have appropriate industrial development. Through the prosperity
that will create we can undertake more work.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr R.H. COOK : We know that in
the past there has been a range of impacts on seagrass beds in Cockburn Sound
and we have learnt a lot from those days. The dark old days of industrial
development in Cockburn Sound as part of the Kwinana industrial strip are over.
We are moving forward in a much more informed way to make sure we continue to
not only have as little impact on the environment there as possible but to have
a positive impact. It begs the question:
what is the member's solution? What is the member's policy in
relation to transport infrastructure?
Dr D.J. Honey : Maximising use
of Fremantle port—we said that.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr R.H. COOK : The member has
indicated by way of interjection that he wants to flood the streets of
Cottesloe with trucks. He wants to flood the streets of Fremantle with more
trucks. He wants to flood the streets of Riverton with more trucks. He wants to
continue to drive Fremantle into gridlock as part of his plan—to drive
Fremantle into gridlock. We will remind the Western
Australian community that it is 116 days until the next election. We have seen some small samples—some morsels—of policies from the other
side over the last couple of weeks. We have seen how they do not have an answer
or solution. It is a risk to the Western Australian economy. We know that this
is an important piece of transport infrastructure.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Premier, pause for a moment
please. The member for Cottesloe asked this question, not the member for
Vasse. The member for Cottesloe has interjected a couple of times but nowhere
near as many times as the member for Vasse. I understand that some of the
Premier's comments will definitely have provoked you; however, if the
member for Cottesloe would like to have the opportunity to ask supplementary
question, I would ask both of you to desist from interjecting.
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker,
we know that ultimately Fremantle port will reach capacity. It has a natural
capacity of around about 1.4 million containers. We are already at 860 000
containers, so we know that not acting now is not an option. Let us take the
member for Cottesloe's idea for a moment, that we continue to invest in
the Fremantle port to, ultimately, sweat that asset to within an inch of its
life. What a waste of taxpayer dollars! The taxpayers of Western Australia know
that we ultimately have to have a long-term solution to our container port
capacity. A long-term solution around container port capacity is the
development of Westport. It is a fundamental piece of economic infrastructure
that we need to do the work for now to make sure that it is ready for the
future so that we can continue to make sure that Western Australia prospers and
that our container port capacity does not become a handbrake on the economic
progress and lives of Western Australians.
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