WESTPORT TASKFORCE
860. Hon TJORN SIBMA to the Minister for Ports:
I refer to the minister's
statement this morning concerning the Westport Taskforce shortlist, and in
particular her indication of the Stephenson–Hepburn plan as
justification for that shortlist.
(1) Has the
minister always been guided by the long-range land use planning of the
Stephenson–Hepburn plan in her official decision-making?
(2) If no to (1), what are the details?
(3) Has the
McGowan government ever deviated from the Stephenson–Hepburn plan in
its decision-making?
(4) If yes to (3), what are the
details?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
(1)–(4) I
think this is a trick question! I point out that my reference to the Stephenson–Hepburn
plan was simply to make clear how long we have been talking about an outer
harbour. I could have probably used 1996 as an example, when Richard Court
endorsed the naval base at Kwinana as the preferred site for a new container
facility. I could have referenced the decisions that were made by our
government. I could have referenced the work that was done by Hon Simon O'Brien
when he was transport minister —
Point of Order
Hon TJORN SIBMA: Is the minister reading from a prepared
answer to my question or is she ad-libbing?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN: There is no obligation —
The PRESIDENT: Minister, can I have a say before you
do? Member, I am not too sure, but I know that the minister is perfectly
capable of providing an appropriate answer without having to read off a set
document. I am sure that she is responding with a warm-up preamble and then she
will provide whatever written response she has.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN: I know that some people would
perhaps struggle to do other than read a pre-prepared text.
The premise of the member's question was incorrect in
saying that the Hepburn–Stephenson plan had guided the government. That
was merely a reference to the fact that this has long been in the planning. What
the member is getting at, and what he thinks is his trick question, is that the
Hepburn–Stephenson plan also refers to a thing called the ''Fremantle–Midland
Junction Highway'', which he might say is now Roe 8 and Roe 9. We
addressed this issue some 15 years ago. I note that the Hepburn–Stephenson
report states that this route —
� runs largely through virgin
country, and the land could be secured now without much difficulty.
In the intervening 16 years,
there has been a change in values there. Things that were considered old swamps
and great things we could move
through are now valued wetlands. We were fully cognisant of the ''Fremantle–Midland
Junction Highway'', but we
know that this is a valuable environmental site and we made a commitment, which
was overwhelmingly endorsed by the electorate, that we would not trash
it.