STANDING COMMITTEE ON
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION —''PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS: THE NEED FOR
DISCLOSURE AND FAIR COMPENSATION''
864. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Transport:
I
have a supplementary question. For many years, some of my constituents in
Chapman Valley have been disadvantaged by
the Oakajee Narngulu infrastructure corridor, which most likely will now form
part of the Dongara–Northampton route. Will the minister ensure that
addressing their plight is prioritised so that they receive just compensation
as soon as possible to put an end to the many, many years of waiting?
Ms R.
SAFFIOTI replied:
Member for Moore, as I said in my
answer to the member for Geraldton's question, the years of uncertainty
are years that I want to end, and this is the issue. Under the previous
government, there were liens on that for many, many years. When we won
government, I met with some individual landowners and representatives from the
shire and they said, ''We just want certainty and we want the ability to
move on'', and that is why we went through this process. As I said, the
easiest thing for me to have done would have been to not do anything for
another year. But my view is that we want to provide certainty and that is what
we are working through. Once we finalise routes, there are processes in place. I feel for those people who live in
Chapman Valley because they are the ones who, for over a decade—because
the previous government never finalised the route—have had uncertainty.
I particularly feel for those people. One of the driving forces in doing this
route alignment, having a preferred route and now trying to finalise it through
individual negotiations with landowners, is to give people certainty so that
they can get on with their lives. That has always been a big challenge for us.
It is something that I have prioritised because I do not like it when people
cannot get on with their lives. They need certainty and we are striving to give
people certainty, particularly those in Chapman Valley who have had 15 years of
uncertainty.