❓ A parliamentary question regarding delays and red tape impacting the Inpex project and mining applications in WA, with the Minister responding by highlighting WA's strong economic growth and investment.
AnsweredQoN 34Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INPEX PROJECT — NORTHERN TERRITORY AGREEMENT
I refer to the decision by Inpex, which is proposing a $20 million project in the waters off the Kimberley coast, to enter into a project facilitation agreement with the Northern Territory government after being bogged down in red tape with this government. (1) Is it true that the project was first referred to the Environmental Protection Authority in May 2006, and that Inpex has incurred around $25 million in costs, yet it is bogged down in red tape and still only halfway through the EPA process? (2) Is the minister aware that there is a backlog of around 18 600 mining applications, which unbelievably is almost equal to the total number of mining tenements in existence across Western Australia? (3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER
I refer to the decision by Inpex, which is proposing a $20 million project in the waters off the Kimberley coast, to enter into a project facilitation agreement with the Northern Territory government after being bogged down in red tape with this government. (1) Is it true that the project was first referred to the Environmental Protection Authority in May 2006, and that Inpex has incurred around $25 million in costs, yet it is bogged down in red tape and still only halfway through the EPA process? (2) Is the minister aware that there is a backlog of around 18 600 mining applications, which unbelievably is almost equal to the total number of mining tenements in existence across Western Australia? (3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(1) Is it true that the project was first referred to the Environmental Protection Authority in May 2006, and that Inpex has incurred around $25 million in costs, yet it is bogged down in red tape and still only halfway through the EPA process? (2) Is the minister aware that there is a backlog of around 18 600 mining applications, which unbelievably is almost equal to the total number of mining tenements in existence across Western Australia? (3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(2) Is the minister aware that there is a backlog of around 18 600 mining applications, which unbelievably is almost equal to the total number of mining tenements in existence across Western Australia? (3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(1) Is it true that the project was first referred to the Environmental Protection Authority in May 2006, and that Inpex has incurred around $25 million in costs, yet it is bogged down in red tape and still only halfway through the EPA process? (2) Is the minister aware that there is a backlog of around 18 600 mining applications, which unbelievably is almost equal to the total number of mining tenements in existence across Western Australia? (3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(2) Is the minister aware that there is a backlog of around 18 600 mining applications, which unbelievably is almost equal to the total number of mining tenements in existence across Western Australia? (3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(3) What will the minister do about the ineffective management of the mining industry, which is directly responsible for increasing sovereign risk and forcing massive resource companies to seriously consider abandoning Western Australia? (4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(4) How many jobs, particularly Indigenous jobs, and how much revenue would Western Australia lose if the Inpex project went to the Northern Territory? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
(1)-(4) What was our rate of economic growth last year? I think it was 6.3 per cent. What was our economic growth forecast this year? I think it was seven per cent. How much has business invested in this state in the past five or six years? It is more than $100 billion. How many projects are in prospect in this state? According to Access Economics, it is $164 billion worth of projects. It looks as though the economy is doing terribly badly because of the mismanagement of the state government! We are experiencing the most enormous period of economic growth that this state has ever experienced! There has been a fantastic vote of confidence from businesses in this state — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
The SPEAKER : Order! I do not know whether the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe understand that when they are on their third call to order, the next one means they are out. To continually interject in an endeavour to stop the answer is disorderly. If those members do that again, they will be out. Do they understand? The Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER : Businesses are putting their dollars behind their confidence in the state of Western Australia and its future. More than $100 billion worth of private sector investment is driving our economy, and $164 billion is in prospect. That is 30 per cent of the nation’s prospective projects, according to Access Economics. That is the answer to the question from the member for Roe. Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Just to come to a couple of specifics, the member should ask the Minister for the Environment if he is concerned about the way in which environmental processes are being handled. I think it is worth noting that any project that involves the processing of liquefied natural gas in the west Kimberley will need the approval of not only the state government, but also the commonwealth government. We will need to proceed very carefully, in this area of great environmental sensitivity, with significant Aboriginal heritage and exclusive possession native title, if we are to get approval not only through our system, but also through the commonwealth system. We have set up a very good process called the Northern Development Task Force. That process is designed to select a single LNG processing hub in the west Kimberley, in a way that will secure not only state approval, but also commonwealth approval. I ask the member for Roe: is it the Liberal opposition’s policy to have a string of LNG processing sites in the west Kimberley, or is it its policy to support our approach of a single LNG processing hub? What is its policy? Does the member support the hub? Let me ask the Leader of the Opposition, as the member for Roe will not answer. Does the Leader of the Opposition support a hub or a string of LNG processing sites? Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr T. Buswell : I do not support your policy of putting the hub in Darwin; that is what I don’t support. Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER : There is no answer. Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Several members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
Mr E.S. RIPPER : Let it be recorded that the Leader of the Opposition will not deny that the Liberal opposition’s policy is for a string of LNG processing sites up and down the Kimberley coast, regardless of environmental, heritage or native title sensitivities. The Leader of the Opposition had a chance to deny it. I will give him another chance. Will he deny that that is his policy? Opposition members were so vociferous and so full of interjection until they were asked the key policy question. Businesses have voted with their dollars about the performance of Western Australia, and the vote has been one of overwhelming confidence in our future.
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