Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 763 asked in the Legislative Council on 11 September 2018 by Hon Robin Scott

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

JOBS — ESPERANCE PORT

763. Hon ROBIN SCOTT to the Leader of the House representing the Premier:

(1) Will the minister confirm that aims of the August 2018 decision by the McGowan government to waive royalty payments and issue discounted port charges for the Koolyanobbing iron ore mine's new owner, Mineral Resources Ltd, included the preservation of jobs at the Esperance port?

(2) At the time of announcing the decision to waive royalties and issue discounted port charges at Esperance, was the government aware that the Southern Ports Authority would open expressions of interest for voluntary redundancies for 18 staff based in Esperance, as reported online by The Esperance Express on 5 September 2018 at 11.30 am?

(3) To what extent has the policy of banning the two Yilgarn iron ore mines, which would have generated a billion dollars in life-of-mine royalties and port charges, contributed to the fragility of the jobs outlook in Esperance?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) The decision was made to support jobs in the Yilgarn and Esperance regions, including at Esperance port. The continuation of iron ore exports from the former Cliffs deposits will continue to form a significant component of throughput at Esperance port.

(2) The government was aware that the Southern Ports Authority would continue to restructure its workforce. The continuation of iron ore exports through Esperance port will reduce workforce impacts at the port.

(3) The government's decision not to approve Mineral Resources Ltd's proposal to mine deposits in the Helena and Aurora Ranges took into account environmental values, economic benefits and social impacts.