JOBS — RAILCAR MANUFACTURING — BELLEVUE
209. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
Speaking of great economic
outcomes, I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to
creating more local jobs by bringing railcar manufacturing back to Western Australia.
(1) Can the Premier update the house on how this
government's investment in the new Metronet railcar facility in
Bellevue will revive WA's railcar manufacturing industry?
(2) Can the
Premier outline to the house how this investment builds on this government's
record of creating more local jobs and delivering a stronger economy?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
(1)–(2) In
2017, the then shadow Minister for Transport—now Minister for Transport—and
I made a very strong commitment that we would bring railcar manufacturing back
to Western Australia, and I am very proud to say that we have delivered.
Twenty-seven years after the Liberals and Nationals closed down railcar
manufacturing in Western Australia, we have now brought it back to our state.
We have now opened the new railcar
manufacturing facility in Bellevue–Midland that will revive local rail
manufacturing. It is located around two kilometres from the Midland
railway workshops, which has a certain symmetry and justice to it. We will
deliver 246 locally manufactured electric railcars and six diesel railcars to
replace the Australind. There will be ongoing maintenance and potential
opportunities for further railcar manufacturing and repairs using this
state-of-the-art facility for both public and private enterprises across the
state. Hundreds of jobs, thousands potentially—at least hundreds of
indirect jobs—will come out of this, and we will have delivered under
the Western Australian Jobs Act more than 50 per cent local content as a consequence. A lot of suppliers and important
local businesses such as McConnell, Hoffman Engineering and Aerison will
provide a lot of the materials and equipment that will go into manufacturing
the new railcars here in Western Australia, and we are doing it at a lower
price than we could have if we had acquired them from Queensland or Victoria. I
note, of course, that this was opposed by the opposition—opposed by the
Liberal Party. The former Liberal leader Liza Harvey opposed this, and I note
that she is no longer here.
This project will also ensure huge
support for apprentices and a rebirth in manufacturing for the state. As part of our plan for jobs, we invested $7 billion
in economic recovery and key industries have kept operating. We now have
some of the strongest economic figures of anywhere in not just Australia but
also the world. The latest Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
report shows that that confidence has held firm in the first half of this year.
The primary driver, according to the CCI consumer confidence survey that it
undertook and published today, is the state government! The CCI report says —
� the State Government continues to
be the most significant factor underpinning Western Australians'
confidence.
�
Three out of five � Western Australians
considered the State Government to have positively influenced their confidence
this quarter �
Dr D.J. Honey: Sign them up.
Mr M. McGOWAN: What was that—sign
them up? I respect that the business community of Western Australia understands that the role that the state
government has played has kept our economy strong, but this survey also shows
that consumer confidence in WA is the highest in Australia. That is important
for retail, hospitality and other businesses around the state.
I am pleased to see that railcar
manufacturing is back because of the actions of this government. I am pleased
to see we have a very strong economy. I am pleased to see that consumer
confidence is the highest of anywhere in Australia. The CCI says that is
because of the role of the state government.
The SPEAKER: I do note that
the local members is very, very happy, too!