❓ Ms McGurk questions the Minister for Transport regarding risk management of Fremantle port after a ship hit the traffic bridge, potentially disrupting train services. The Minister defends the existing risk analysis and highlights planned safety improvements.
AnsweredQoN 609Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FREMANTLE
TRAFFIC BRIDGE
609. Ms S.F. McGURK to the
Minister for Transport:
I have a supplementary question. There are now predictions
that services on the Fremantle train line could be interrupted for up to three
weeks. Will the minister admit that this government's risk management
of the port is hopelessly inadequate?
TRAFFIC BRIDGE
609. Ms S.F. McGURK to the
Minister for Transport:
I have a supplementary question. There are now predictions
that services on the Fremantle train line could be interrupted for up to three
weeks. Will the minister admit that this government's risk management
of the port is hopelessly inadequate?
AnswerView source ↗
The risk analysis for this port goes way back. The port of
Fremantle has been around for a lot longer than this government. There have
been independent analyses, particularly following the barge mishap of 2011, and
it has been found by an independent body that the processes in place are adequate.
As I explained yesterday, there are shoal waters, and it was expected that a
ship of this size could not breach those shoal waters and hit the bridge.
Ms
S.F. McGurk : They did, though.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : Obviously it did!
Several members interjected.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : We have said that this has occurred and it is obviously not
adequate. We have also said —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you, members!
Mr
D.C. NALDER : We have also said that we are putting in place safety measures
for that bridge. We are going to spend $20 million and we are in the process of
doing that. This incident has occurred and we are not shying away from it. We
are putting processes in place. I can say that the Labor Party did absolutely
nothing for the Fremantle Traffic Bridge when it was in power; members opposite
make these claims now, but there is no change to the risk for the Fremantle
Traffic Bridge or the rail bridge. They sit there and accuse us, but we are
doing it, we are putting things in place and we will protect that rail bridge.
Fremantle has been around for a lot longer than this government. There have
been independent analyses, particularly following the barge mishap of 2011, and
it has been found by an independent body that the processes in place are adequate.
As I explained yesterday, there are shoal waters, and it was expected that a
ship of this size could not breach those shoal waters and hit the bridge.
Ms
S.F. McGurk : They did, though.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : Obviously it did!
Several members interjected.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : We have said that this has occurred and it is obviously not
adequate. We have also said —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you, members!
Mr
D.C. NALDER : We have also said that we are putting in place safety measures
for that bridge. We are going to spend $20 million and we are in the process of
doing that. This incident has occurred and we are not shying away from it. We
are putting processes in place. I can say that the Labor Party did absolutely
nothing for the Fremantle Traffic Bridge when it was in power; members opposite
make these claims now, but there is no change to the risk for the Fremantle
Traffic Bridge or the rail bridge. They sit there and accuse us, but we are
doing it, we are putting things in place and we will protect that rail bridge.
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