❓ Question about job creation and community benefits from the Ord-East Kimberley Expansion Project, funded by Royalties for Regions. The Minister's answer highlights Indigenous employment and a youth employment expo, amidst significant parliamentary interjections and debate.
AnsweredQoN 316Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ORD–EAST KIMBERLEY EXPANSION PROJECT —
ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS
316. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
The Ord region is undergoing a major transformation thanks to
investment from royalties for regions. Can the minister update the house on
efforts to ensure that the local community can capitalise on the economic
opportunities created by the project, in particular jobs in the region?
Several members interjected.
ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS
316. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
The Ord region is undergoing a major transformation thanks to
investment from royalties for regions. Can the minister update the house on
efforts to ensure that the local community can capitalise on the economic
opportunities created by the project, in particular jobs in the region?
Several members interjected.
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West Central for the question.
He still has some fans on the other side of the chamber! They clearly do not
understand that he worked out what was going on and they had no idea what was
going on! Anyway, that is how it is.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah!
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : It
is something about the Nationals getting its percentage of the primary vote
into the high forties that —
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : It
is great that the member was able to improve his percentage of the primary vote
from the low thirties when he was on the Labor side to the high forties when he
is on our side!
The SPEAKER : Just
answer the question, please, minister.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
got thrown off by all the interjections from those opposite. The Ord project is
continuing to progress very well. Some major milestones will be reached, with the
beginning of clearing on the project. It is important to update the house on
the job opportunities created through the Ord project. Everyone in the chamber
would know of the big challenges in attracting new jobs into the East
Kimberley. It has been challenging to find Indigenous job opportunities in that
remote part of the state. The way in which the Liberal–National
government framed the Ord project has had a lot to do with providing those
opportunities for the Indigenous community. The Ord project has employed more
than 550 people since it began in 2009, with a strong proportion of Indigenous
workers, and new opportunities are being created all the time. As well as that,
Aboriginal businesses that received their first opportunity under the Ord
project are now branching into other contracts in the wider community. That is
really important to ensure that the benefits of the project continue to
flow.
On Thursday last week, the inaugural
Kununurra Youth Employment Expo was undertaken to showcase careers in the
region. The event aimed to help young people learn about employment,
apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities in the region and, in particular,
those associated with the Ord–East Kimberley expansion project. The
expo was organised by LandCorp —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
Would you have closed the Ord project, member?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro! Minister, just answer the question and come to a conclusion,
please.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
The opposition spokesperson on agriculture just said that the Ord project —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : That is 550 jobs that the member for Warnbro would have let go
and opportunities for Indigenous people that would have never happened.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : We have had our interjections with the member for Warnbro.
Minister, will you just come to a conclusion, please.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
About 25 local businesses exhibited at the expo, displaying a wide variety of
jobs from banking and customer service to machinery operators and agricultural
science. We are making sure that we are linking people, particularly Aboriginal
people, to opportunities in the existing businesses and government agencies in
town, as well as construction jobs on the project. More than 230 students from
six schools across the region attended, including from the East Kimberley
Clontarf Academy, Wyndham District High School and Kununurra District High
School. The students were also taken on a tour of the expansion project so that
they could see the jobs that are undertaken. Following very positive feedback,
the state government will continue to ensure that our young people in the East
Kimberley region have the opportunity to be skilled up to get the opportunities
to participate in the workforce. That is why the Premier of Western Australia
and the Prime Minister at the time, Kevin Rudd, actually made this —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Member for North West Central, I call you to order for the first time.
Minister, will you please wind this up.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
That is why the Premier of Western Australia and the Prime Minister at the time
put in place this project. It has been transformational for the East Kimberley
and it is very disappointing that a project of this magnitude and of this
importance to the region does not have bipartisan support from Labor members
opposite.
He still has some fans on the other side of the chamber! They clearly do not
understand that he worked out what was going on and they had no idea what was
going on! Anyway, that is how it is.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah!
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : It
is something about the Nationals getting its percentage of the primary vote
into the high forties that —
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : It
is great that the member was able to improve his percentage of the primary vote
from the low thirties when he was on the Labor side to the high forties when he
is on our side!
The SPEAKER : Just
answer the question, please, minister.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
got thrown off by all the interjections from those opposite. The Ord project is
continuing to progress very well. Some major milestones will be reached, with the
beginning of clearing on the project. It is important to update the house on
the job opportunities created through the Ord project. Everyone in the chamber
would know of the big challenges in attracting new jobs into the East
Kimberley. It has been challenging to find Indigenous job opportunities in that
remote part of the state. The way in which the Liberal–National
government framed the Ord project has had a lot to do with providing those
opportunities for the Indigenous community. The Ord project has employed more
than 550 people since it began in 2009, with a strong proportion of Indigenous
workers, and new opportunities are being created all the time. As well as that,
Aboriginal businesses that received their first opportunity under the Ord
project are now branching into other contracts in the wider community. That is
really important to ensure that the benefits of the project continue to
flow.
On Thursday last week, the inaugural
Kununurra Youth Employment Expo was undertaken to showcase careers in the
region. The event aimed to help young people learn about employment,
apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities in the region and, in particular,
those associated with the Ord–East Kimberley expansion project. The
expo was organised by LandCorp —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
Would you have closed the Ord project, member?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro! Minister, just answer the question and come to a conclusion,
please.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
The opposition spokesperson on agriculture just said that the Ord project —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : That is 550 jobs that the member for Warnbro would have let go
and opportunities for Indigenous people that would have never happened.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : We have had our interjections with the member for Warnbro.
Minister, will you just come to a conclusion, please.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
About 25 local businesses exhibited at the expo, displaying a wide variety of
jobs from banking and customer service to machinery operators and agricultural
science. We are making sure that we are linking people, particularly Aboriginal
people, to opportunities in the existing businesses and government agencies in
town, as well as construction jobs on the project. More than 230 students from
six schools across the region attended, including from the East Kimberley
Clontarf Academy, Wyndham District High School and Kununurra District High
School. The students were also taken on a tour of the expansion project so that
they could see the jobs that are undertaken. Following very positive feedback,
the state government will continue to ensure that our young people in the East
Kimberley region have the opportunity to be skilled up to get the opportunities
to participate in the workforce. That is why the Premier of Western Australia
and the Prime Minister at the time, Kevin Rudd, actually made this —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Member for North West Central, I call you to order for the first time.
Minister, will you please wind this up.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
That is why the Premier of Western Australia and the Prime Minister at the time
put in place this project. It has been transformational for the East Kimberley
and it is very disappointing that a project of this magnitude and of this
importance to the region does not have bipartisan support from Labor members
opposite.
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