Parliamentary Debates (HANSARD) THIRTY-NINTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Tuesday, 10 May 2016 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 10 May 2016 THE SPEAKER (Mr M.W. Sutherland) took the chair at 2.00 pm, and read prayers. SENATE VACANCY — ELECTION OF PATRICK LIONEL DODSON Statement by Speaker THE SPEAKER (Mr M.W. Sutherland): I advise that a joint sitting of both houses was held on Thursday, 28 April 2016 and that Patrick Lionel Dodson was duly elected as a senator of the commonwealth Parliament. CHAMBER SEATING PLAN Statement by Speaker THE SPEAKER (Mr M.W. Sutherland): Members are advised that I have approved an amended seating plan for the government side of the house. “REPORT OF THE INQUIRY INTO THE LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PERTH MS LISA SCAFFIDI” Statement by Minister for Local Government MR A.J. SIMPSON (Darling Range — Minister for Local Government) [2.01 pm]: I advise that in November 2015, the director general of the Department of Local Government and Communities authorised an inquiry into matters arising from a Corruption and Crime Commission report concerning the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, Ms Lisa Scaffidi. The inquiry was concerned with the question of whether Mayor Scaffidi had complied with her obligations under the Local Government Act 1995 and subsidiary legislation to disclose gifts she had received and contributions that had been made to travel that she had undertaken. The report alleges that Mayor Scaffidi failed on multiple occasions between 1 January 2008 and 12 October 2015 to disclose gifts and contributions to travel in the annual returns that she was required to lodge with the City of Perth’s chief executive officer. The report also makes other findings regarding Mayor Scaffidi’s conduct. The director general of the Department of Local Government and Communities has considered the various ways these matters can be dealt with. The director general considers that the most appropriate course is to commence proceedings in the State Administrative Tribunal, alleging that the Lord Mayor has committed serious breaches. The director general is seeking advice from the State Solicitor’s Office on making those allegations. The director general provided the report and her decision to me on Friday, 6 May. Given the substantial public interest in and continued scrutiny of the conduct of Mayor Scaffidi, I believed it to be in the public interest for the report to be tabled in Parliament at the first opportunity today. In accordance with parliamentary processes concerning such reports, I table the document titled “Report of the Inquiry into the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth Ms Lisa Scaffidi”. [See paper 4138.] Motion On motion without notice by Mr A.J. Simpson (Minister for Local Government), resolved — That this house authorises the publication of the “Report of the Inquiry into the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth Ms Lisa Scaffidi”. ROY HILL PROJECT Statement by Minister for State Development MR W.R. MARMION (Nedlands — Minister for State Development) [2.03 pm]: It is with great pleasure that I stand today to report on my recent visit to the Roy Hill iron ore mine, located 115 kilometres north of Newman. The project represents a $10 billion investment into our Pilbara region. The mine will produce 55 million tonnes of lump and fines iron ore per annum at full capacity. The first of many shipments set sail from Port Hedland on 10 December 2015. Whilst at the mine, I inspected the open-cut pit, crushers and the largest single-feed processing plant in the Pilbara region. The mine has an accommodation village, designed to house over 2 000 workers in very comfortable conditions, with access to a wide range of leisure and relaxation facilities. The mine is only one part of the Roy Hill project. The project also includes significant new facilities at Port Hedland’s inner harbour, which I also toured, and a 344-kilometre railway. The Roy Hill rail component operates under the provisions of the Railway (Roy Hill Infrastructure Pty Ltd) Agreement Act 2010, which is managed by the Department of State Development. At full capacity, five ore trains per day will operate from the 2514 [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 10 May 2016] Roy Hill mine, carrying 138 tonnes per car, with a total payload of 31 109 tonnes of ore. Trains are loaded at the mine using a state-of-the-art train loading system controlled from a remote operations centre in Perth. Trains deliver ore to Roy Hill’s facility at Port Hedland’s inner harbour. The facility is capable of receiving, stockpiling, screening and exporting 55 million tonnes per annum of iron ore as lump and fines, and has been designed to accommodate possible future expansion. During the project’s four-year construction phase, the total Western Australian local content was reported at 72 per cent, or $6.6 billion, with the rest of Australia accounting for 5.4 per cent, or $491 million. At its peak the project’s construction workforce reached 6 000 people, and its continuing operations will employ around 2 000 people. The Roy Hill project is one of the fastest construction start-ups of any major greenfield project in Australia. With a work ethic like that and a planned mine life of 20 years, I am confident that Roy Hill will continue to provide jobs and royalties to the state for a long time to come. COMMEMORATION WAY PROJECT Statement by Minister for Veterans MR J.M. FRANCIS (Jandakot — Minister for Veterans) [2.06 pm]: In the lead-up to Anzac Day this year, I announced the Commemoration Way project, which is an initiative designed to recognise Western Australian recipients of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. As a state government initiative to support the Anzac centenary, this project will see the installation of 19 plaques at various rest stops along the South Western and Albany Highways. Each plaque will be dedicated to one of Western Australia’s 17 Victoria Cross recipients and two George Cross recipients and will contain brief biographical details and part of their citation as gazetted. The concept of this project is based on Remembrance Driveway, on the Federal and Hume Highways between Sydney and Canberra. Some members may be familiar with that system of roadside parks and rest stops on the east coast. It is appropriate that the highways selected for this project lead to Albany because Albany is home to the National Anzac Centre and has a unique connection with the Anzac story. Albany was the last part of Australia many soldiers who were a part of the first two convoys saw as they headed off for Egypt and later Gallipoli during the early stages of the Great War. The Victoria Cross is awarded for extreme gallantry in the face of the enemy and the George Cross, which is open to service personnel and civilians, was instituted to recognise extreme bravery that did not involve contact with the enemy. In 1975, the Cross of Valour replaced the George Cross. To date, no Western Australian service personnel have been awarded this honour whilst on operations. The series of plaques will be rolled out between Anzac Day and Remembrance Day 2016. The Department of Corrective Services will provide a work party of minimum-security prisoners to install the plaques. Main Roads Western Australia will update its guide to rest stops and amenities in Western Australia to indicate rest stops that have a plaque of a VC or GC recipient. For those interested in a fuller account of each recipient, the guide will also have a link to the state government publication “This Gallant Company of Brave Men”. The objective of this project is simply to encourage all Western Australians to become more familiar with and maintain a sense of appreciation of these extraordinary 19 Western Australians who showed magnificent heroism despite risk to their own lives. PERTH STADIUM — CONSTRUCTION Statement by Minister for Sport and Recreation MS M.J. DAVIES (Central Wheatbelt — Minister for Sport and Recreation) [2.08 pm]: I rise to inform the house that ongoing construction of Perth Stadium has recently resulted in an additional $76 million of contracts awarded to Western Australian companies. This year will be the busiest year of construction with more than 1 000 workers expected on site. Bibra Lake–based Nilsen was awarded a $48.8 million contract for the main electrical services package, to supply power and lighting to the stadium. Malaga-based MPM Group and Jandakot-based Axis Plumbing Group were awarded $15.7 million and $11.8 million contracts respectively for the supply and installation of the ductwork and water systems for the stadium’s air conditioning and ventilation. Balcatta-based Floorwise will supply and install the flooring for the stadium’s main technical and operational area. To date, more than $367 million of Perth Stadium construction contracts have been awarded to Western Australian companies, creating 346 new local jobs. The most recent contracts will create 56 new jobs across the trade areas and sustain 97 jobs. Local companies are also benefiting from construction of the new six-platform Perth Stadium rail station, which I understand is 30 per cent complete, and the Swan River pedestrian bridge. To date, more than 73 per cent of contracts for those projects have been awarded to Western Australian businesses. Perth Stadium is now more than 40 per cent complete and is on track to open for the 2018 Australian Football League season. It will be the state’s premier sporting stadium and forms part of this state government’s significant investment in ensuring that Western Australia is home to world-class sporting and entertainment venues.