❓ Mr. Rundle questions the government's decision to award a fire truck contract to a Perth-based company over regional businesses. The Premier defends the decision, highlighting a regional component involving a Collie facility and job creation.
AnsweredQoN 1122Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIREFIGHTING —
TRUCKS AND APPLIANCES
1122. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
Further to the Minister for
Emergency Services' response, I refer to a decision by the government
to award the Perth-based company Frontline Fire and Rescue Equipment contracts
worth $125 million to build fire trucks. Why did the government overlook two existing
regional businesses in Narrogin and Collie that are equipped and willing, and
tendered for the same contracts?
TRUCKS AND APPLIANCES
1122. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
Further to the Minister for
Emergency Services' response, I refer to a decision by the government
to award the Perth-based company Frontline Fire and Rescue Equipment contracts
worth $125 million to build fire trucks. Why did the government overlook two existing
regional businesses in Narrogin and Collie that are equipped and willing, and
tendered for the same contracts?
AnswerView source ↗
I think the minister just outlined
what an outstanding arrangement it is, but I want to explain it to the house.
Essentially, the government provides firefighting equipment for our bushfire
volunteers all over Western Australia. Hundreds of new appliances are being
constructed as part of this contract. It was a tender process. We wanted to
ensure that it had a major regional component and that a regional community got
a fair share of the work. Although Frontline was the successful tenderer, there
is a major regional component of work. A facility will be built or established
in the community of Collie to ensure that a large component of the work —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Let me
explain. A large component of the work for the new vehicles will be undertaken
in the community of Collie. This will mean that at least 20 jobs will be
established in Collie. The Collie contractor did not win the open tender.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Just listen!
The SPEAKER : Members, just
listen.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Instead of
just saying that we are going to ignore the tender process, we have ensured
that a regional community, which is Collie, gets a part of the work. The
business known as Frontline—the member has probably never visited it
but I will describe it; it is a big operation and very professional—will
establish a facility in Collie that ensures that around one-third of the work
is undertaken in the Collie community.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That community
will continue to have a role in important manufacturing. At the press
conference, the CEO of Frontline was very excited by the opportunity in Collie.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : This is
guaranteeing regional jobs.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I know you like
to chitchat and laugh with each other, but another 55 people in the chamber
want to hear the answer.
Mr M. McGOWAN : When the CEO
spoke about it at the press conference, he was very excited by the prospect of
having a south west facility or headquarters in which to do maintenance work,
sell spares and parts and all those things, and making Collie a hub for that
sort of work. For a major business to establish there, that is a good outcome for Collie. The alternative was that the Collie
tenderer missed out and we allocated all the work to Frontline in Malaga because it won the tender, and that would be the ultimate outcome. We ensured
that there was a regional component as part of the outcome. Unfortunately, the
Collie tenderer did not win the tender. I think the National Party is
suggesting that we should ignore the tender process and give it to the Collie
tenderer.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We have not
done that. We have come up with a very elegant solution that ensures that the
winning tenderer does a large part of the work in the community of Collie as
part of the process.
what an outstanding arrangement it is, but I want to explain it to the house.
Essentially, the government provides firefighting equipment for our bushfire
volunteers all over Western Australia. Hundreds of new appliances are being
constructed as part of this contract. It was a tender process. We wanted to
ensure that it had a major regional component and that a regional community got
a fair share of the work. Although Frontline was the successful tenderer, there
is a major regional component of work. A facility will be built or established
in the community of Collie to ensure that a large component of the work —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Let me
explain. A large component of the work for the new vehicles will be undertaken
in the community of Collie. This will mean that at least 20 jobs will be
established in Collie. The Collie contractor did not win the open tender.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Just listen!
The SPEAKER : Members, just
listen.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Instead of
just saying that we are going to ignore the tender process, we have ensured
that a regional community, which is Collie, gets a part of the work. The
business known as Frontline—the member has probably never visited it
but I will describe it; it is a big operation and very professional—will
establish a facility in Collie that ensures that around one-third of the work
is undertaken in the Collie community.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That community
will continue to have a role in important manufacturing. At the press
conference, the CEO of Frontline was very excited by the opportunity in Collie.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : This is
guaranteeing regional jobs.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I know you like
to chitchat and laugh with each other, but another 55 people in the chamber
want to hear the answer.
Mr M. McGOWAN : When the CEO
spoke about it at the press conference, he was very excited by the prospect of
having a south west facility or headquarters in which to do maintenance work,
sell spares and parts and all those things, and making Collie a hub for that
sort of work. For a major business to establish there, that is a good outcome for Collie. The alternative was that the Collie
tenderer missed out and we allocated all the work to Frontline in Malaga because it won the tender, and that would be the ultimate outcome. We ensured
that there was a regional component as part of the outcome. Unfortunately, the
Collie tenderer did not win the tender. I think the National Party is
suggesting that we should ignore the tender process and give it to the Collie
tenderer.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We have not
done that. We have come up with a very elegant solution that ensures that the
winning tenderer does a large part of the work in the community of Collie as
part of the process.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.