❓ Opposition Leader questions the Minister about mining companies withdrawing from training arrangements at Pilbara Institute campuses in Newman and Tom Price, leading to staff reductions. The Minister's answer is considered evasive, prompting points of order.
AnsweredQoN 361Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PILBARA INSTITUTE — NEWMAN AND TOM PRICE
CAMPUSES
361. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
I have a supplementary question. Considering that the
minister is keeping such a close eye —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie–Preston, I hope we are not disturbing you! Leader of
the Opposition, start again.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : Considering that the minister is keeping such a close eye on
this issue in relation to Newman and Tom Price, and that 65 students in Newman
are now losing the staff who run their TAFE, which mining companies have pulled
out of joint arrangements in Newman and Tom Price; and did the minister
authorise the removal of all staff from both those TAFE colleges?
CAMPUSES
361. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
I have a supplementary question. Considering that the
minister is keeping such a close eye —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie–Preston, I hope we are not disturbing you! Leader of
the Opposition, start again.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : Considering that the minister is keeping such a close eye on
this issue in relation to Newman and Tom Price, and that 65 students in Newman
are now losing the staff who run their TAFE, which mining companies have pulled
out of joint arrangements in Newman and Tom Price; and did the minister
authorise the removal of all staff from both those TAFE colleges?
AnswerView source ↗
As the Leader of the Opposition is
no doubt aware, the state training providers are independent institutions, and
through their governing councils, the managing directors work with the chairs
and with the governing councils to make decisions to ensure that the state
training providers can continue to be sustainable. If the mining companies
withdraw from their contracts and there is no-one there to replace those
contracts, we have to look at a more flexible arrangement. We are clustering
Newman, Tom Price, Paraburdoo and the Port Hedland campuses to ensure that we
can deliver a sustainable training program —
Point of Order
Mr
M. McGOWAN : My question was very specific: considering the minister
is keeping such a close eye on this issue, which mining companies have pulled
out; and did the minister authorise the removal of those staff?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I do not think the Leader of the Opposition was listening to
the first part of my answer. I said that Rio had withdrawn from its work
readiness program at the Roebourne campus without notice early in term 1. At
the Newman campus —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : No, if members had been listening, they would have heard me
say that at the Newman campus there were 65 students enrolled during the year
in a safety program that was on a commercial basis. Seven of those students
were being managed from the Hedland campus and will continue to be so. That
front office is closing on 21 May because it is no longer sustainable to
deliver those courses at the Newman campus. Those students will continue to be
serviced via the Pilbara Institute through the Port Hedland campus. It is an
unfortunate set of circumstances; it is not a perfect world out there in the
Pilbara, and mining companies are pulling back.
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Again, the
supplementary question was simple. No part of the Leader of the Opposition's
question was about Roebourne. He asked: which mining companies pulled out at
Newman and Tom Price? We are waiting to hear an answer to the supplementary
question.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
As I have said previously, the Pilbara Institute operates as a cluster. It
includes Roebourne, Newman, Tom Price, South Hedland Pundulmurra campus,
Karratha campus and Onslow. They work as a cluster; we work to ensure that we
can deliver a sustainable training product. Obviously, we want that institute
to be viable into the future. We cannot control what the mining companies will
do, but I am very pleased to say that FMG is continuing with its work readiness
program and its Vocational Training and Employment Centre program. We will
monitor that closely. If those companies do pull back from the training
contracts they have and the training programs being delivered in the Pilbara,
we will work with those students to transition them into other arrangements
that will ensure that they will be able to be employed into the future.
no doubt aware, the state training providers are independent institutions, and
through their governing councils, the managing directors work with the chairs
and with the governing councils to make decisions to ensure that the state
training providers can continue to be sustainable. If the mining companies
withdraw from their contracts and there is no-one there to replace those
contracts, we have to look at a more flexible arrangement. We are clustering
Newman, Tom Price, Paraburdoo and the Port Hedland campuses to ensure that we
can deliver a sustainable training program —
Point of Order
Mr
M. McGOWAN : My question was very specific: considering the minister
is keeping such a close eye on this issue, which mining companies have pulled
out; and did the minister authorise the removal of those staff?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I do not think the Leader of the Opposition was listening to
the first part of my answer. I said that Rio had withdrawn from its work
readiness program at the Roebourne campus without notice early in term 1. At
the Newman campus —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : No, if members had been listening, they would have heard me
say that at the Newman campus there were 65 students enrolled during the year
in a safety program that was on a commercial basis. Seven of those students
were being managed from the Hedland campus and will continue to be so. That
front office is closing on 21 May because it is no longer sustainable to
deliver those courses at the Newman campus. Those students will continue to be
serviced via the Pilbara Institute through the Port Hedland campus. It is an
unfortunate set of circumstances; it is not a perfect world out there in the
Pilbara, and mining companies are pulling back.
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Again, the
supplementary question was simple. No part of the Leader of the Opposition's
question was about Roebourne. He asked: which mining companies pulled out at
Newman and Tom Price? We are waiting to hear an answer to the supplementary
question.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
As I have said previously, the Pilbara Institute operates as a cluster. It
includes Roebourne, Newman, Tom Price, South Hedland Pundulmurra campus,
Karratha campus and Onslow. They work as a cluster; we work to ensure that we
can deliver a sustainable training product. Obviously, we want that institute
to be viable into the future. We cannot control what the mining companies will
do, but I am very pleased to say that FMG is continuing with its work readiness
program and its Vocational Training and Employment Centre program. We will
monitor that closely. If those companies do pull back from the training
contracts they have and the training programs being delivered in the Pilbara,
we will work with those students to transition them into other arrangements
that will ensure that they will be able to be employed into the future.
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