❓ Question regarding the gazetted status of Port Geographe, responsibility for channel maintenance, and the use of Special Area Rate funds for dredging costs. The answer clarifies responsibilities and funding arrangements between the City of Busselton and the Department of Transport.
AnsweredQoN 2468Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Is Port Geographe a gazetted port? (2) Who is responsible for maintaining the entrance channel to the port and can the Minister confirm funds collected through the Special Area Rate (SAR) are used towards dredging costs: (a) if yes, why, and will the Department of Transport allow residents who pay the SAR to access information relating to the breakdown of those costs; and (b) if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
13 March 2018
Responded by
Minister for Transport
Response time
6 days
(1) No
(2) The City of Busselton is responsible for maintaining the entrance channel, through an agreement between the City and the Department of Transport (DoT). As part of this agreement DoT acts as a subcontractor to the City to perform coastal maintenance works which includes maintaining the entrance channel.
The City collects the Special Area Rate funds which are paid into its Waterways Management Reserve. The City makes the reserve available to DoT to fund some of DoT’s overall coastal maintenance costs for the facility. DoT provides the City with a breakdown of the portion of the coastal maintenance costs that requires reimbursement from the reserve. It is a matter for the City to determine the extent to which ratepayers are provided information on how the rates it collects are being used.
(2) The City of Busselton is responsible for maintaining the entrance channel, through an agreement between the City and the Department of Transport (DoT). As part of this agreement DoT acts as a subcontractor to the City to perform coastal maintenance works which includes maintaining the entrance channel.
The City collects the Special Area Rate funds which are paid into its Waterways Management Reserve. The City makes the reserve available to DoT to fund some of DoT’s overall coastal maintenance costs for the facility. DoT provides the City with a breakdown of the portion of the coastal maintenance costs that requires reimbursement from the reserve. It is a matter for the City to determine the extent to which ratepayers are provided information on how the rates it collects are being used.
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.