❓ Hon Bruce Donaldson questions the government about the withdrawal of companies from the Ord Irrigation Scheme stage 2, focusing on the role of native title claims and other contributing factors. Hon Kim Chance acknowledges sugar prices as the primary reason but admits native title issues were a component and the government is working to address concerns.
AnsweredQoN 1076Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
As the companies involved in the joint venture to develop the Ord Irrigation Scheme stage 2 are withdrawing from the project - (1) Is the Government now pursuing other potential developers for this project? (2) Were native title claims a major contributing factor to the action taken by the joint venture companies in walking away and also in now attracting other new potential developers? (3) What other factors may have also contributed to the collapse of the development? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(1) Is the Government now pursuing other potential developers for this project? (2) Were native title claims a major contributing factor to the action taken by the joint venture companies in walking away and also in now attracting other new potential developers? (3) What other factors may have also contributed to the collapse of the development? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(2) Were native title claims a major contributing factor to the action taken by the joint venture companies in walking away and also in now attracting other new potential developers? (3) What other factors may have also contributed to the collapse of the development? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(3) What other factors may have also contributed to the collapse of the development? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(1) Is the Government now pursuing other potential developers for this project? (2) Were native title claims a major contributing factor to the action taken by the joint venture companies in walking away and also in now attracting other new potential developers? (3) What other factors may have also contributed to the collapse of the development? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(2) Were native title claims a major contributing factor to the action taken by the joint venture companies in walking away and also in now attracting other new potential developers? (3) What other factors may have also contributed to the collapse of the development? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(3) What other factors may have also contributed to the collapse of the development? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
(1)-(3) In regard to the decision of the Ord stage 2 joint venturers not to proceed with the development, the member asked whether the Government was pursuing other proponents. I am not sure that I would use the word “pursuing”. The Government is certainly speaking to other proponents - whom I do not feel free to name - with a clear interest in the sugar industry, who have indicated interest in at least a portion of the stage 2 proposal. With reference to the role of native title issues in the decision, I do not know any reasons for the joint venturers pulling out apart from those they gave in their public statement. In that statement Wesfarmers Limited and Marubeni Pty Ltd indicated that a collapse in sugar prices was responsible for their decision not to proceed. Native title issues were certainly a component. I did not go to Kununurra to attend the meeting that preceded the decision, but I understand that native title issues were discussed. In particular, it is clear that the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people feel unhappy about the failure generally to address the issues that have arisen from the stage 1 project, and were unhappy about proceeding with stage 2 while deficiencies remained in stage 1. I have been informed - because I was not directly involved in those discussions - that the attitude of the Government is that it is healthy for those issues to be placed on the table, and the Government will be working with the Miriuwung-Gajerrong people to correct the problems they see, and hopefully encourage them to adopt a positive attitude to future expansion of the Ord irrigation area. The direct answer to the question, however, is that the collapse in sugar prices was stated to be the reason not to proceed. I think I have now answered the question because the member went on to ask what other factors were involved. Hon Bruce Donaldson: Could one reason possibly have been that two States were involved? Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
Hon KIM CHANCE: One of the good things that flowed from that meeting - which I did not attend, but which was attended by Hon Eric Ripper, Hon Clive Brown and others - is that the relationship between the Northern Territory Government and the Western Australian Government was reaffirmed in the stage 2 proposal. There is now a great deal of clarity between the two Governments towards that, and similar trans-border developments.
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