❓ WA Premier Gallop discusses the benefits of the Ravensthorpe nickel project, highlighting job creation and revenue for both the state and commonwealth, while criticising the Commonwealth Government's lack of financial support for local employment opportunities.
AnsweredQoN 125Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
What benefits will flow to Western Australia and the rest of the nation from the recently announced Ravensthorpe nickel project? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
Last week I was very pleased to announce that BHP Billiton has made a decision to go ahead with that project, and I visited Ravensthorpe to indicate the support that the State Government is putting in. This will be a good project not only for the Shires of Ravensthorpe and Esperance but also for Kalgoorlie-Boulder because of the strong link of that city with our mining industry. I remind the House that this is a $1.4 billion project that will create 1 000 new jobs during construction and 300 permanent jobs once the mine is operational. I indicated that the State Government has put $18.4 million towards this project. As members know, BHP Billiton has also been talking to the Commonwealth Government about the Commonwealth providing support for this project; and, indeed, I have written to the Prime Minister myself to support the efforts of BHP Billiton to get commonwealth support for this project. I remind the House that over the 22-year period of the project, the Commonwealth will receive $1.4 billion in revenue and the State will receive $614 million. There is no doubt that the Commonwealth Government, as a level of government in Australia, will obtain an enormous revenue benefit from this project. Therefore, it is interesting that the Commonwealth Government has chosen to give zero support for this project. That is typical of the attitude of the Commonwealth Government to developments in our State. The issue is not that this project would have gone ahead with or without commonwealth support, because we all know that it would have gone ahead. The Commonwealth Government is trying to spread the red herring that it does not need to give support because the decision has been made to go ahead with the project. The Commonwealth Government is missing the fundamental point that the state support, as well as the commonwealth support, will maximise the chances of getting local employment opportunities in the regions of Western Australia. The Commonwealth Government, by spreading that red herring on this issue, is indicating its ignorance of what is taking place in Western Australia. What is more, it is indicating that it does not have the same attitude towards the development of our State as this Government. The attitude of this Government has always been to maximise the local opportunities that can be provided by these projects. The senior management of BHP Billiton has phoned me about this issue. We will continue to work with it to try to achieve these maximum benefits for local employment opportunities. Here we have it: the Commonwealth Government, closeted in Canberra and concerned with the issues that are developing in Canberra, and with no knowledge or understanding of what is taking place in Western Australia, has tried to argue that the project would have gone ahead anyway without that support. That misses the point. We are trying to maximise the local opportunities that go with that development. The Western Australian Government, 10 out of 10; the Commonwealth Government, zero out of 10. I hope that the Liberals and the Nationals in this Parliament will join us in condemning the Commonwealth Government for its lack of support for the local job opportunities that we could get from this magnificent project.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: Last week I was very pleased to announce that BHP Billiton has made a decision to go ahead with that project, and I visited Ravensthorpe to indicate the support that the State Government is putting in. This will be a good project not only for the Shires of Ravensthorpe and Esperance but also for Kalgoorlie-Boulder because of the strong link of that city with our mining industry. I remind the House that this is a $1.4 billion project that will create 1 000 new jobs during construction and 300 permanent jobs once the mine is operational. I indicated that the State Government has put $18.4 million towards this project. As members know, BHP Billiton has also been talking to the Commonwealth Government about the Commonwealth providing support for this project; and, indeed, I have written to the Prime Minister myself to support the efforts of BHP Billiton to get commonwealth support for this project. I remind the House that over the 22-year period of the project, the Commonwealth will receive $1.4 billion in revenue and the State will receive $614 million. There is no doubt that the Commonwealth Government, as a level of government in Australia, will obtain an enormous revenue benefit from this project. Therefore, it is interesting that the Commonwealth Government has chosen to give zero support for this project. That is typical of the attitude of the Commonwealth Government to developments in our State. The issue is not that this project would have gone ahead with or without commonwealth support, because we all know that it would have gone ahead. The Commonwealth Government is trying to spread the red herring that it does not need to give support because the decision has been made to go ahead with the project. The Commonwealth Government is missing the fundamental point that the state support, as well as the commonwealth support, will maximise the chances of getting local employment opportunities in the regions of Western Australia. The Commonwealth Government, by spreading that red herring on this issue, is indicating its ignorance of what is taking place in Western Australia. What is more, it is indicating that it does not have the same attitude towards the development of our State as this Government. The attitude of this Government has always been to maximise the local opportunities that can be provided by these projects. The senior management of BHP Billiton has phoned me about this issue. We will continue to work with it to try to achieve these maximum benefits for local employment opportunities. Here we have it: the Commonwealth Government, closeted in Canberra and concerned with the issues that are developing in Canberra, and with no knowledge or understanding of what is taking place in Western Australia, has tried to argue that the project would have gone ahead anyway without that support. That misses the point. We are trying to maximise the local opportunities that go with that development. The Western Australian Government, 10 out of 10; the Commonwealth Government, zero out of 10. I hope that the Liberals and the Nationals in this Parliament will join us in condemning the Commonwealth Government for its lack of support for the local job opportunities that we could get from this magnificent project.
Last week I was very pleased to announce that BHP Billiton has made a decision to go ahead with that project, and I visited Ravensthorpe to indicate the support that the State Government is putting in. This will be a good project not only for the Shires of Ravensthorpe and Esperance but also for Kalgoorlie-Boulder because of the strong link of that city with our mining industry. I remind the House that this is a $1.4 billion project that will create 1 000 new jobs during construction and 300 permanent jobs once the mine is operational. I indicated that the State Government has put $18.4 million towards this project. As members know, BHP Billiton has also been talking to the Commonwealth Government about the Commonwealth providing support for this project; and, indeed, I have written to the Prime Minister myself to support the efforts of BHP Billiton to get commonwealth support for this project. I remind the House that over the 22-year period of the project, the Commonwealth will receive $1.4 billion in revenue and the State will receive $614 million. There is no doubt that the Commonwealth Government, as a level of government in Australia, will obtain an enormous revenue benefit from this project. Therefore, it is interesting that the Commonwealth Government has chosen to give zero support for this project. That is typical of the attitude of the Commonwealth Government to developments in our State. The issue is not that this project would have gone ahead with or without commonwealth support, because we all know that it would have gone ahead. The Commonwealth Government is trying to spread the red herring that it does not need to give support because the decision has been made to go ahead with the project. The Commonwealth Government is missing the fundamental point that the state support, as well as the commonwealth support, will maximise the chances of getting local employment opportunities in the regions of Western Australia. The Commonwealth Government, by spreading that red herring on this issue, is indicating its ignorance of what is taking place in Western Australia. What is more, it is indicating that it does not have the same attitude towards the development of our State as this Government. The attitude of this Government has always been to maximise the local opportunities that can be provided by these projects. The senior management of BHP Billiton has phoned me about this issue. We will continue to work with it to try to achieve these maximum benefits for local employment opportunities. Here we have it: the Commonwealth Government, closeted in Canberra and concerned with the issues that are developing in Canberra, and with no knowledge or understanding of what is taking place in Western Australia, has tried to argue that the project would have gone ahead anyway without that support. That misses the point. We are trying to maximise the local opportunities that go with that development. The Western Australian Government, 10 out of 10; the Commonwealth Government, zero out of 10. I hope that the Liberals and the Nationals in this Parliament will join us in condemning the Commonwealth Government for its lack of support for the local job opportunities that we could get from this magnificent project.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: Last week I was very pleased to announce that BHP Billiton has made a decision to go ahead with that project, and I visited Ravensthorpe to indicate the support that the State Government is putting in. This will be a good project not only for the Shires of Ravensthorpe and Esperance but also for Kalgoorlie-Boulder because of the strong link of that city with our mining industry. I remind the House that this is a $1.4 billion project that will create 1 000 new jobs during construction and 300 permanent jobs once the mine is operational. I indicated that the State Government has put $18.4 million towards this project. As members know, BHP Billiton has also been talking to the Commonwealth Government about the Commonwealth providing support for this project; and, indeed, I have written to the Prime Minister myself to support the efforts of BHP Billiton to get commonwealth support for this project. I remind the House that over the 22-year period of the project, the Commonwealth will receive $1.4 billion in revenue and the State will receive $614 million. There is no doubt that the Commonwealth Government, as a level of government in Australia, will obtain an enormous revenue benefit from this project. Therefore, it is interesting that the Commonwealth Government has chosen to give zero support for this project. That is typical of the attitude of the Commonwealth Government to developments in our State. The issue is not that this project would have gone ahead with or without commonwealth support, because we all know that it would have gone ahead. The Commonwealth Government is trying to spread the red herring that it does not need to give support because the decision has been made to go ahead with the project. The Commonwealth Government is missing the fundamental point that the state support, as well as the commonwealth support, will maximise the chances of getting local employment opportunities in the regions of Western Australia. The Commonwealth Government, by spreading that red herring on this issue, is indicating its ignorance of what is taking place in Western Australia. What is more, it is indicating that it does not have the same attitude towards the development of our State as this Government. The attitude of this Government has always been to maximise the local opportunities that can be provided by these projects. The senior management of BHP Billiton has phoned me about this issue. We will continue to work with it to try to achieve these maximum benefits for local employment opportunities. Here we have it: the Commonwealth Government, closeted in Canberra and concerned with the issues that are developing in Canberra, and with no knowledge or understanding of what is taking place in Western Australia, has tried to argue that the project would have gone ahead anyway without that support. That misses the point. We are trying to maximise the local opportunities that go with that development. The Western Australian Government, 10 out of 10; the Commonwealth Government, zero out of 10. I hope that the Liberals and the Nationals in this Parliament will join us in condemning the Commonwealth Government for its lack of support for the local job opportunities that we could get from this magnificent project.
Last week I was very pleased to announce that BHP Billiton has made a decision to go ahead with that project, and I visited Ravensthorpe to indicate the support that the State Government is putting in. This will be a good project not only for the Shires of Ravensthorpe and Esperance but also for Kalgoorlie-Boulder because of the strong link of that city with our mining industry. I remind the House that this is a $1.4 billion project that will create 1 000 new jobs during construction and 300 permanent jobs once the mine is operational. I indicated that the State Government has put $18.4 million towards this project. As members know, BHP Billiton has also been talking to the Commonwealth Government about the Commonwealth providing support for this project; and, indeed, I have written to the Prime Minister myself to support the efforts of BHP Billiton to get commonwealth support for this project. I remind the House that over the 22-year period of the project, the Commonwealth will receive $1.4 billion in revenue and the State will receive $614 million. There is no doubt that the Commonwealth Government, as a level of government in Australia, will obtain an enormous revenue benefit from this project. Therefore, it is interesting that the Commonwealth Government has chosen to give zero support for this project. That is typical of the attitude of the Commonwealth Government to developments in our State. The issue is not that this project would have gone ahead with or without commonwealth support, because we all know that it would have gone ahead. The Commonwealth Government is trying to spread the red herring that it does not need to give support because the decision has been made to go ahead with the project. The Commonwealth Government is missing the fundamental point that the state support, as well as the commonwealth support, will maximise the chances of getting local employment opportunities in the regions of Western Australia. The Commonwealth Government, by spreading that red herring on this issue, is indicating its ignorance of what is taking place in Western Australia. What is more, it is indicating that it does not have the same attitude towards the development of our State as this Government. The attitude of this Government has always been to maximise the local opportunities that can be provided by these projects. The senior management of BHP Billiton has phoned me about this issue. We will continue to work with it to try to achieve these maximum benefits for local employment opportunities. Here we have it: the Commonwealth Government, closeted in Canberra and concerned with the issues that are developing in Canberra, and with no knowledge or understanding of what is taking place in Western Australia, has tried to argue that the project would have gone ahead anyway without that support. That misses the point. We are trying to maximise the local opportunities that go with that development. The Western Australian Government, 10 out of 10; the Commonwealth Government, zero out of 10. I hope that the Liberals and the Nationals in this Parliament will join us in condemning the Commonwealth Government for its lack of support for the local job opportunities that we could get from this magnificent project.
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