DUST MANAGEMENT —
PORT HEDLAND
734. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to comments made by the
member for Pilbara recently that suggest that the government will facilitate an
industry-led buyback of residences in Port Hedland.
(1) When does the
minister anticipate that the government-facilitated scheme will start and for
how long will it run?
(2) Which minister will be responsible for negotiating
the terms of and responsibility for the buyback scheme?
(3) Will the scheme apply to both
commercial and residential properties?
(4) Is the
minister aware of any planned use by either BHP or the government of the land
to be purchased under the scheme?
(5) Other than being extended, what
changes are mooted for the port improvement levy?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
(1) Our aim is to
have a scheme in place within the next six months. We recognise that the
transition of the West End will take some time. I anticipate that the scheme
will be open for more than 12 months.
(2) We are
working through the details of how that scheme will operate, but it is clear
that this issue crosses multiple portfolios, including ports, planning and
lands.
(3) It will apply only to residential properties, as
commercial properties are not adversely affected by rezoning.
(4) Planning for
the future of the West End will occur through the Western Australian Planning
Commission improvement plan scheme process that is already underway. Some new
activities have been suggested from time to time, including tugboat maintenance
and other port-related commercial activities.
(5) We are examining different
models for bringing together industry contributions.