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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 38 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 17 February 2022 by Dr D.J. Honey

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT — KWINANA

38. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade:

I refer to the McGowan government's border backflip on 20 January and the media reports today that a $700 million waste-to-energy project in Kwinana is now at risk due the state's border chaos and confusion.

(1) How many more examples of businesses, big and small, leaving our state, postponing or cancelling major projects are required before the minister shows leadership and states a firm date to reopen?

(2) How many of the promised 350 jobs for this project that the minister announced by media releases in December 2019 are now at risk because of the ongoing border uncertainty?

Mr R.H. COOK replied:

I thank the member for the question.

(1)–(2) It is a good example to all members assembled to never believe the premise of an opposition question. Opposition members simply come into this place and make assertions that are untrue or untested and they simply extend that to match whatever political rhetoric they want to spin on the day. As the member is aware, there is a legal dispute with the Spanish-based technology company that is providing the burners, for want of a better description, at the waste-to-energy plant that is currently being built in the Kwinana industrial area. That dispute has been ongoing for some months and the project has met a range of challenges, which has led to the inevitable outcome of the companies having to test their legal positions in relation to each other in court. That dispute has been going on for some time—long before the decision that was taken and communicated on 20 January.

I suggest that opposition members do not embroil themselves in the legal arguments in a dispute between two companies. The opposition should simply maintain the priorities that the McGowan government and the people of Western Australia have always held central; that is, if we are to ride out this COVID-19 pandemic, we want to protect lives and the economy. That is the basis upon which all decisions have been made. As the Leader of the Liberal Party just heard the Premier say, we have an unemployment rate of 3.7 per cent and some industries are going better now than they ever have, but we want to transition beyond the current situation. That is the work that the Premier and the Minister for Health are undertaking today in an ongoing manner, and they are doing a really good job.