Legislative Council
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Legislative Council Tuesday, 5 May 2009 THE PRESIDENT (Hon Nick Griffiths) took the chair at 3.30 pm, and read prayers. BILLS Assent Message from the Governor received and read notifying assent to the following bills — 1. Prisoners (Interstate Transfer) Amendment Bill 2009. 2. Treasurer’s Advance Authorisation Bill 2009. FIRST HOME OWNER GRANT AMENDMENT BILL 2009 Statement by President THE PRESIDENT (Hon Nick Griffiths): On Wednesday, 8 April 2009, the First Home Owner Grant Amendment Bill 2009 was read a first time, and debate on the bill was adjourned at the conclusion of the parliamentary secretary’s second reading speech. Standing order 230A applies to the bill. I advise the house that the bill now stands referred to the Standing Committee on Uniform Legislation and Statutes Review. ESPERANCE PORT — LEAD CARBONATE REMOVAL Statement by Minister for Transport HON SIMON O’BRIEN (South Metropolitan — Minister for Transport) [3.32 pm]: I would like to update the house on the removal of the Magellan Metals lead from Esperance. Members will recall that the town of Esperance was contaminated with lead carbonate during the handling and loading of this concentrate at the Esperance port during the period April 2005 to March 2007. On 15 March 2007, the Department of Environment and Conservation—DEC—issued a prevention notice under section 73 of the Environmental Protection Act prohibiting the export of lead carbonate from the Esperance port. Since that time, about 8 500 tonnes of lead carbonate have been stranded at the Esperance port. Magellan Metals, in association with the Esperance Port Authority, developed a lead removal plan for the safe removal of this stranded lead. That lead removal plan was ultimately approved by DEC in conjunction with other relevant agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Mines and Petroleum. The plan has been adhered to in the removal of this stranded lead. The lead carbonate has been placed into double-lined two- tonne bulka bags, which have then been placed into shipping containers and subsequently sealed. These operations have been carried out in the shed operating under negative pressure. The emissions from the exhaust system of the shed where this bagging operation has been carried out have been continually monitored during this process. There has been no detectable lead in the exhaust emissions during the bagging and containerisation process. This is most important to the Esperance community. I am pleased to advise that the lead carbonate has now been exported from Esperance. The first shipment of 600 tonnes was exported in late March. A second, larger and final shipment of 329 containers of about 8 000 tonnes departed from Esperance to China last night. The shed in which the lead had been stored will now be dismantled, and the shed materials will be disposed of safely. Consideration of the statement made an order of the day for the next sitting, on motion by Hon Ed Dermer. METROPOLITAN RAILWAY — ELLENBROOK EXTENSION Statement by Minister for Transport HON SIMON O’BRIEN (South Metropolitan — Minister for Transport) [3.35 pm]: I rise to update the house on developments in the government’s election commitment to an extension of the rail network to Ellenbrook. I advise the house that this government is progressing plans for a study of rail services to Ellenbrook. To honour the government’s election promise, the Public Transport Authority—PTA—called for tenders in December 2008 to define a rail route to Ellenbrook. Tenders closed on 22 January 2009, and bids were received from eight consultants, with prices ranging from around $500 000 to $1.5 million. The PTA considered that before that level of expenditure was committed, some more basic preliminary work was required and advised me accordingly. The PTA has recommended to me that a pre-feasibility study should now be undertaken to provide strategic advice to the government to assist the government in making a decision about how best to serve the area with 3188 [COUNCIL - Tuesday, 5 May 2009] public transport. I have since agreed to this recommendation. The PTA commenced the required work at the end of April and will provide the government with a preliminary report by the end of August 2009. I assure the house and the community that there is no cancellation of plans, nor is there any decision not to proceed with planning for public transport links to Ellenbrook. Before construction of any railway, strategic advice is always sought by the government to study issues such as the likely patronage; the social, environmental and heritage issues; and alternative public transport options. That work is required before proceeding to a more detailed planning and design stage of any feasible transport option that may emerge. Consideration of the statement made an order of the day for the next sitting, on motion by Hon Ed Dermer. PAPERS TABLED Papers were tabled and ordered to lie upon the table of the house. COUNTRY AGE PENSION FUEL CARD Statement by Minister for Regional Development — Tabling HON WENDY DUNCAN (Agricultural — Parliamentary Secretary) [3.39 pm]: As the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Regional Development, in accordance with section 82 of the Financial Management Act 2006, I seek leave to table a statement made by the minister on Tuesday, 5 May 2009. Leave granted. [See paper 707.] CITY OF WANNEROO STANDING ORDERS LOCAL LAW 2008 — DISALLOWANCE Notice of Motion Hon Shelley Eaton gave notice that at the next sitting of the house she would move — That the City of Wanneroo Standing Orders Local Law 2008, published in the Government Gazette on 21 November 2008 and tabled in the Legislative Council on 3 December 2008 under the Local Government Act 1995, be and is hereby disallowed. BILLS Notices of Motions to Introduce 1. Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Bill 2009. 2. Child Exploitation Material and Classification Legislation Amendment Bill 2009. Notices of motions given by Hon Simon O’Brien (Minister for Transport). PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE Urgency Motion THE PRESIDENT (Hon Nick Griffiths): Members, I am in receipt of a letter in these terms — Dear Mr President Pursuant to Standing Order 72, I hereby give notice that today’s sitting I intend to move; That the Council consider as a matter of urgency, the current Liberal National Government’s lack of ongoing planning for and construction of public transport infrastructure in Western Australia. The letter is from Hon Ken Travers. In order for Hon Ken Travers to move his motion, at least four members should stand. [At least four members rose in their places.] The PRESIDENT: I invite Hon Ken Travers to move his motion. HON KEN TRAVERS (North Metropolitan) [3.42 pm]: I move the motion. I move this motion because we have long had debates in this state about public transport. To develop and enhance our public transport system requires constant planning and construction work. Two significant issues currently face this state, and probably the world—one is climate change, and the other is providing job creation stimulus for people in the community. It is generally accepted these days that infrastructure projects are a good way of creating jobs because they have a very high multiplier effect and flow-on impact throughout the community. One way of dealing with those issues in Western Australia is to build public transport infrastructure. It would address the problems of climate change and create jobs for the future. The previous government had three different public transport infrastructure projects on the go in the metropolitan area, and a number of emerging projects in regional Western Australia that would build and enhance our public transport infrastructure. [COUNCIL - Tuesday, 5 May 2009] 3189 The metropolitan area projects included the extension of the railway line to Butler and Brighton; the development of the Ellenbrook railway line; and the development of the airport railway line. The airport railway line has been often talked about, but it would actually be more than an airport railway line; it would also be a foothills railway line. The plan was for it to run via the airport and also service a large section of the community situated behind the airport whose access to Perth is effectively blocked by the airport. At the beginning of the year, I actually began to think that the government had finally got it. Hon Simon O’Brien: What was the third project? You mentioned the rail line to Butler. Hon KEN TRAVERS: Butler, Ellenbrook and the airport—three railway line services. At first it looked as though the government had cancelled the Butler rail service project, but in February the Premier announced that, as a result of the review and in recognition of the need to provide stimulus, the government would get on with the job of extending the railway line to Butler and Brighton. That was part of a package of measures designed to create economic stimulus. The heading of an article that appeared in The West Australian on 13 October 2008 suggested that the Premier would make the rail link a top priority. Another article was headed “Barnett full steam ahead”. Sorry; those were the wrong quotes. However, in February there was a general acceptance that the Butler railway line would go ahead and that it would become a priority for the government to get on and build the Butler and Brighton railway line. In question time recently, I asked the Minister for Transport what was happening with the railway line extension to the northern suburbs: when would it start, and when was it likely to be completed? One would expect that if these projects were a priority, the government would be getting on with them.