Assembly Thursday, 9 September 1999
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Parliamentary Debates (HANSARD) THIRTY-FIFTH PARLIAMENT THIRD SESSION 1999 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thursday, 9 September 1999 Legislative Assembly Thursday, 9 September 1999 THE SPEAKER (Mr Strickland) took the Chair at 9.00 am, and read prayers. NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PROGRAM 1999-2000 Statement by Minister for Works MR BOARD (Murdoch - Minister for Works) [9.04 am]: I inform the House of the State Government's $397m non- residential building program 1999-2000. Over the past seven years the non-residential building component of the capital works program directed towards government projects has increased by 53 per cent, at an average rate of 6.5 per cent per annum. The social infrastructure provided by the non-residential building program supports the community, particularly in the areas of education, health, justice and law and order. The projects involved are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for all Western Australians through increased infrastructure and by producing more jobs and stimulating economic growth. The non-residential building program, which is up by $59m on last year's allocation, is a vital means of work for the State's building industry and is fundamental for the general economy. Industry estimates are that every $1m spent through the non- residential building program results in employment opportunities for at least 20 Western Australians. This program generates direct and indirect employment for around 16 000 Western Australians in the construction industry, which is responsible for around 31 000 jobs in this State. The Government has responded to the cyclical nature of the construction industry by increasing its construction program in a period of industry downturn. Predicted 1999 activity is down by almost 30 per cent from its peak in 1998. Reflecting this downturn, the Government's capital works program is expected to provide around 50 per cent of the non-residential building industry activity in WA this year. Many of the major builders who are winning government contracts employ very little, if any, in-house labour. As a result, the majority of work involved in the construction of non-residential buildings is completed by small local businesses. Nearly 20 per cent of all small businesses in Western Australia are in the construction industry, and almost half the projects in 1999- 2000 will cost less than $500 000 and will be built by the two smallest categories of builders involved in government projects. One of the most important aspects of the non-residential building program is the work that it brings to regional areas, and this year the regions represent around 30 per cent of the projects. Important works included in this year's program include the $22m Shenton College - the new high school to replace Hollywood and Swanbourne Senior High Schools, for which building tenders are due to be awarded in mid-September - the $12.5m stage three of the Broome District Hospital, the $45m police academy at Joondalup, the $80m Acacia Prison in Wooroloo, and the $22m second stage of the Peel Senior Campus. The 1999-2000 non-residential building program has been published in this easy-to-read report. The report contains short descriptions of each project and budget details. The projects have been listed under both ministerial portfolios and Legislative Assembly electorates. Non-residential building projects provide valuable community based infrastructure, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Western Australians. The Government, assisted by the Department of Contract and Management Services and client agencies, strives to ensure new public buildings are provided in the most cost-effective way. The $397m plan will provide a major boost to the construction and building industry in Western Australia. I will send every member of this House and the other place a copy of the residential building program report, which will be tabled in this House next week. KARRATHA AIRPORT FIRE SERVICE Grievance MR RIEBELING (Burrup) [9.07 am]: My grievance is not against the Government, but attempts to enlist the Government's support in efforts to stop an action of the Federal Government. I apologise if I am hard to hear, but I still have the flu. Moves are afoot to close down the fire services at Karratha Airport. Talks with China are currently taking place in Canberra, and I am sure that the Deputy Premier hopes some announcement will be made about liquefied gas emanating from Western Australia to the Chinese market. Karratha will be the hub of that development if that eventuates, and the volume of air services through Karratha Airport will increase dramatically. We hope that the State Government will lend its voice to calls for the air service, the only one provided by the Commonwealth in the north of the State, to be retained. The level of aircraft traffic at the airport is under an artificial line drawn by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in determining such matters. A review is taking place of the volume of traffic which justifies an air service of this type. That review is due to report to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in June of next year, and the move to close the fire service is pre-emptive of that review. We are of the view that the proposal to remove the fire service is based purely on economic grounds and it has nothing to do with safety. It is of great concern to the people of the north and regional Western Australia that the only fire services in Western Australia that will remain will be those in Perth. That concerns people such as me who fly on a regular basis. It is important to note that not only fixed-wing commercial aircraft fly into Karratha Airport. It is the busiest helicopter airport in Australia outside military heliports. There is a mixture of air traffic that is unique to Karratha. The offshore oil industry is reliant upon the movement of helicopters. As I said, it is the second busiest heliport in Australia. The only one that is busier is a military airport. That mix presents additional dangers to the likelihood of an aeroplane accident. The 968 [ASSEMBLY] problem for the air services is that Australia is relatively safe in terms of air accidents. That does not mean that we should not be vigilant to ensure that protective services are put in place at the busiest airports so that if there is conflict or a crash we have the services to respond. To have no services between Darwin and Perth leaves a large gap in protective services. I have been advised by experts that if there is no response to an air crash within three minutes, there is no point in bothering; the first three minutes are the most vital. Eighty per cent of all accidents occur within a five kilometre radius of airports - with planes taking off and landing. It is vital to have in place the protection of fire services. The shire and the State Government know that the future of the Karratha air service is vital for the development of the State. The shire has invested $12m over the last six years in upgrading the air services. Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia have said that they intend to fly larger aircraft into Karratha. The shire also wants to attract overseas flights into Karratha. The extensions to the airport, which the Deputy Premier has seen, have been built so that the Australian Customs Service can operate in conjunction with international flights. Not having a fire service would reduce the chances of Karratha having international flights. Therefore, as I said, the shire has invested $12m to improve the air services, not reduce them. Only Qantas and Ansett will benefit from a reduction in costs and they are keen to reduce costs. I will bring to this place next week a petition signed by approximately 1 000 concerned residents. I will direct the petition to the Federal Minister for Transport. Active involvement by the State Government at the moment is the only thing lacking. The State, through the Deputy Premier, should advise the Commonwealth that the removal of the fire service at Karratha Airport is a backward step and that the services should be retained because of what is likely to happen in the Pilbara region, as I have done by letter. If the Deputy Premier lends his support to that call, the federal minister will defer a decision until the review is completed. The intention to remove the service is crazy. The review may recommend more services and it will cost much more to reproduce them than to retain the current service. MR COWAN (Merredin - Deputy Premier) [9.14 am]: I have noted the comments made by the member for Burrup. I assure him that now that he has alerted me to the situation, I will take it up under my responsibilities as Minister for Regional Development. I will also ensure that I liaise closely with the Minister for Emergency Services and the Minister for Transport who also have responsibility for airport provision in regional Western Australia. I have had dealings with the Civil Aviation Authority in Canberra based on our attempt to identify Western Australia as a suitable area in which to conduct flying training. I know that it is difficult to convey our needs to the relevant authorities and to get them to provide undertakings for services or financial assistance, whether it be navigational aids or whatever. We have found it difficult to get cooperation from commonwealth authorities. It is true that Karratha is growing in stature and in air traffic. There is no doubt that, sooner or later - we would prefer sooner - the development of other offshore gas fields is likely to occur and that will involve the movement of a large number of personnel staffing those platforms.