❓ The question challenges the Minister on perceived inconsistencies between his stance on Australian ownership of ports and the potential for overseas investment in a Derby port, questioning the basis for public funding of the Oakajee port. The Minister deflects by accusing the Labor Party of opposing key infrastructure projects and highlights the specific nature of the Derby port as a supply base, distinct from a broad export port like Oakajee.
AnsweredQoN 856Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PORTS — DERBY AND OAKAJEE
I refer to the minister’s often stated views that ports in Western Australia must be Australian-owned, including as recently as on 11 March 2009 when he stated in this house that we will not have any overseas country or overseas interest-owned ports. (1) How does the minister reconcile this statement with his views expressed on Sunday that a new port in Derby should be privately funded and owned by overseas investors? (2) Does this change of view not mean that he has committed $700 million of public money to a port at Oakajee based on a set of prejudices that he no longer believes? Mr C.J. BARNETT
I refer to the minister’s often stated views that ports in Western Australia must be Australian-owned, including as recently as on 11 March 2009 when he stated in this house that we will not have any overseas country or overseas interest-owned ports. (1) How does the minister reconcile this statement with his views expressed on Sunday that a new port in Derby should be privately funded and owned by overseas investors? (2) Does this change of view not mean that he has committed $700 million of public money to a port at Oakajee based on a set of prejudices that he no longer believes? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
(1) How does the minister reconcile this statement with his views expressed on Sunday that a new port in Derby should be privately funded and owned by overseas investors? (2) Does this change of view not mean that he has committed $700 million of public money to a port at Oakajee based on a set of prejudices that he no longer believes? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
(2) Does this change of view not mean that he has committed $700 million of public money to a port at Oakajee based on a set of prejudices that he no longer believes? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
(1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
(1) How does the minister reconcile this statement with his views expressed on Sunday that a new port in Derby should be privately funded and owned by overseas investors? (2) Does this change of view not mean that he has committed $700 million of public money to a port at Oakajee based on a set of prejudices that he no longer believes? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
(2) Does this change of view not mean that he has committed $700 million of public money to a port at Oakajee based on a set of prejudices that he no longer believes? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
(1)-(2) We know that the Labor Party is opposed to Oakajee; we know that the Labor Party is opposed to the state government investing in and owning the common user infrastructure, being the outer harbour and channels; and we know the Labor Party is frustrated that my close friend Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has supported that project and has matched the government’s funding dollar for dollar. I know that these three things upset members opposite. Oakajee is a multiuser, multiproduct port for a range of different companies that own resources of varying nature and value. It is about servicing a wide mineral province. The proposal that this government is working on with Japanese group Inpex is for a supply base to be established at Derby to service its development of the Ichthys gas field and potentially other gas fields. It is basically a port specific to their project, although we will ensure that should another project wish to use that supply base in the future that capacity will be in place. This is not seen as a broad export port. It is a supply base to an individual project for taking equipment and machinery backwards and forwards. If the state assists, we may well build the access road out to the port and we may make some land available. Again, that is the model of most of the essentially projects-specific ports developed in the Pilbara and elsewhere around Australia.
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