FORRESTFIELD–AIRPORT
LINK — SOIL CONTAMINATION
1072. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Minister for Transport:
It may surprise honourable members
to learn that I refer to PFAS-contaminated soil excavated from the Forrestfield–Airport
Link and to information obtained under freedom of information laws that revealed
an email exchange on 3 April 2018, which were described as emails between the
Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Public Transport Authority as
attached.
(1) Who wrote an
email on that date, apparently to someone in the PTA, stating —
The DWER review of the site-specific
risk assessment presents an opportunity to advance our discussions with the
Commonwealth but also a risk. The risk is that DWER technical staff may review
the report to the nth degree and provide a plethora of comments which are not
useful.
(2) To whom was
that email sent?
(3) Noting that
the same email followed with —
To mitigate this risk I suggest the
following:
The name is redacted —
� has a conversation with � —
Someone redacted —
to stress the importance of DWER's
review and to request a pragmatic response that is in the interest of the
State. I believe that � —
Someone redacted —
should review DWER's response
before it is issued.
(a) who did the author of this email
suggest initiate this conversation;
(b) who did the author suggest the
conversation occur with; and
(c) who did the author suggest review
DWER's response before it is issued?
(4) On what other
occasions has the government, the minister or the PTA attempted to influence
DWER to produce a review ''that is in the interest of the state'',
which I presume means in the interest of the McGowan government?
(5) What would
happen to a private sector company that attempted to exert the same influence?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON
replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Transport.
(1)–(5) The
suggestion in the email from a non-executive officer of the Public Transport
Authority sent to other officers of the PTA and copied to a non-executive
officer of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet was part of ongoing
discussions between DPC, PTA and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation about the site-specific risk assessments
for utilisation of Forrestfield–Airport Link tunnel spoil material
containing PFAS chemicals. The discussions were carried out in accordance with
the ''PFAS National Environmental Management Plan'' and aimed to
assist the Australian government and Perth Airport Pty Ltd in making a determination
on the re-use of the spoil on Perth Airport land.