❓ Mr Grylls asks the Minister for Water about the progress of a sorghum cropping trial at Warrawagine station, and the Minister provides a detailed update on the project's potential for large-scale irrigation and economic diversification in the Pilbara region.
AnsweredQoN 215Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
IRRIGATED SORGHUM — TRIAL CROPPING
215. Mr B.J. GRYLLS to the
Minister for Water:
I was delighted that the minister
could join me last weekend at Warrawagine —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members! That question is finished.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
was delighted that the Minister for Water could join me last week at
Warrawagine pastoral station near Marble Bar to see the progress of its
cropping trial. Could the minister please update the house on the work being
done to grow sorghum in the desert?
215. Mr B.J. GRYLLS to the
Minister for Water:
I was delighted that the minister
could join me last weekend at Warrawagine —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members! That question is finished.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I
was delighted that the Minister for Water could join me last week at
Warrawagine pastoral station near Marble Bar to see the progress of its
cropping trial. Could the minister please update the house on the work being
done to grow sorghum in the desert?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question, his enthusiasm for the
project and the invitation to visit his electorate. Warrawagine station and the
Woodie Woodie manganese mine are on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, about
140 kilometres east of Marble Bar in the Pilbara. The project we were visiting
is a great example of science, innovation and agriculture combining to
capitalise on the abundance of fresh water being discharged from a ridge of
open-pit manganese mines on the station. A couple of weekends ago the Minister
for Agriculture and Food, Hon Ken Baston; the member for Pilbara; Hon Jacqui
Boydell, member for Mining and Pastoral Region; and I visited the mine and the
station with Robin Mills, who is the pastoral station lessee, and members of
Consolidated Minerals, the mine operator. The visit coincided with the final
preparations for the trial cropping of about 150 hectares of irrigated sorghum.
Subject to the land tenure process, which the Minister for Regional Development
and Lands is currently working on through Water for Food and his portfolio,
there is potential for this to be expanded into a 12 000-hectare extensive
farming envelope along the Oakover River plain and creek systems. The Woodie
Woodie trial that we were visiting began as a one-hectare drip-fed irrigation
trial of sorghum in 2011–12 that produced some spectacular results. It
indicated that 90 tonnes per hectare of sorghum biomass might be replicated
through the commercial-scale trials. There are now three 38-hectare centre
pivots in place on a pastoral diversification permit at Woodie Woodie. One is
funded as a commercial trial through the Pilbara hinterland agricultural
initiative, which is funded by royalties for regions, and two are funded by the
private sector and are owned and operated by Warrawagine Cattle Company.
Project operators for the Pilbara hinterland agricultural initiative are
running the commercial trial for the Department of Agriculture and Food, and
have plans to incorporate a biodigester into the project on-site. This means
they are testing the viability of creating methane gas or compressed natural
gas to generate electricity for both the 500-man mine camp and the operation of
the centre pivot irrigators.
It is a fantastic
program, with flow-on effects from investment by the state government. The
Woodie Woodie farm trial and the potential expansion into large-scale irrigation
that we have talked about fits very neatly into the state government's
Water for Food program that comes under the Department of Water and the
Department of Regional Development, and we are also working very closely with
the Department of Agriculture and Food. It is a fantastic example of our
government having made an investment and partnered with the private sector to
diversify our state's economy. It is also a perfect example of state
government investment and policy work, giving the private sector confidence to
make that investment.
If the house will indulge me,
perhaps I can suggest that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
might potentially arrange to hold its next board meeting at Warrawagine
station. I am sure that Robin Mills and Consolidated Minerals, who are working
at the coalface of expanding and delivering better outcomes for this state,
would be very happy to have them up there.
Mr D.J. Kelly :
Perhaps you should just write Deidre Willmott a letter instead of wasting our
time.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
have done that, member for Bassendean. I have also spoken to her in person.
Mr
D.J. Kelly : Well, why are you wasting our time?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Right, through the Chair, thank you minister.
Ms M.J. DAVIES :
That is just a perfect example of why the Labor Party has no credibility in
regional Western Australia—absolutely none whatsoever. This project is
an absolutely outstanding example of investment from the state government,
giving the commercial and private sector the opportunity to make further
investment to grow and diversify our state's economy. It is absolutely
outstanding. I thank the member for Pilbara for the invitation, and look
forward to updating the house as this project progresses.
project and the invitation to visit his electorate. Warrawagine station and the
Woodie Woodie manganese mine are on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, about
140 kilometres east of Marble Bar in the Pilbara. The project we were visiting
is a great example of science, innovation and agriculture combining to
capitalise on the abundance of fresh water being discharged from a ridge of
open-pit manganese mines on the station. A couple of weekends ago the Minister
for Agriculture and Food, Hon Ken Baston; the member for Pilbara; Hon Jacqui
Boydell, member for Mining and Pastoral Region; and I visited the mine and the
station with Robin Mills, who is the pastoral station lessee, and members of
Consolidated Minerals, the mine operator. The visit coincided with the final
preparations for the trial cropping of about 150 hectares of irrigated sorghum.
Subject to the land tenure process, which the Minister for Regional Development
and Lands is currently working on through Water for Food and his portfolio,
there is potential for this to be expanded into a 12 000-hectare extensive
farming envelope along the Oakover River plain and creek systems. The Woodie
Woodie trial that we were visiting began as a one-hectare drip-fed irrigation
trial of sorghum in 2011–12 that produced some spectacular results. It
indicated that 90 tonnes per hectare of sorghum biomass might be replicated
through the commercial-scale trials. There are now three 38-hectare centre
pivots in place on a pastoral diversification permit at Woodie Woodie. One is
funded as a commercial trial through the Pilbara hinterland agricultural
initiative, which is funded by royalties for regions, and two are funded by the
private sector and are owned and operated by Warrawagine Cattle Company.
Project operators for the Pilbara hinterland agricultural initiative are
running the commercial trial for the Department of Agriculture and Food, and
have plans to incorporate a biodigester into the project on-site. This means
they are testing the viability of creating methane gas or compressed natural
gas to generate electricity for both the 500-man mine camp and the operation of
the centre pivot irrigators.
It is a fantastic
program, with flow-on effects from investment by the state government. The
Woodie Woodie farm trial and the potential expansion into large-scale irrigation
that we have talked about fits very neatly into the state government's
Water for Food program that comes under the Department of Water and the
Department of Regional Development, and we are also working very closely with
the Department of Agriculture and Food. It is a fantastic example of our
government having made an investment and partnered with the private sector to
diversify our state's economy. It is also a perfect example of state
government investment and policy work, giving the private sector confidence to
make that investment.
If the house will indulge me,
perhaps I can suggest that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
might potentially arrange to hold its next board meeting at Warrawagine
station. I am sure that Robin Mills and Consolidated Minerals, who are working
at the coalface of expanding and delivering better outcomes for this state,
would be very happy to have them up there.
Mr D.J. Kelly :
Perhaps you should just write Deidre Willmott a letter instead of wasting our
time.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I
have done that, member for Bassendean. I have also spoken to her in person.
Mr
D.J. Kelly : Well, why are you wasting our time?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Right, through the Chair, thank you minister.
Ms M.J. DAVIES :
That is just a perfect example of why the Labor Party has no credibility in
regional Western Australia—absolutely none whatsoever. This project is
an absolutely outstanding example of investment from the state government,
giving the commercial and private sector the opportunity to make further
investment to grow and diversify our state's economy. It is absolutely
outstanding. I thank the member for Pilbara for the invitation, and look
forward to updating the house as this project progresses.
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