July 2020 16 Hon Alannah MacTiernan MLC M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 Thursday Minister for Regional Development; Agriculture and 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Q!:) 17 18 19 July Food; Ports; Minister Assisting the Minister for 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2020 State Development, Jobs and Trade Daily Itinerary 8:30 AM depart for Maroomba Terminal Driver: 9:00 AM depart for Geraldton (King Air)/ Arrive 10:00 AM Travelling with Minister: Cole Thurley Tim Hoffman Mark Scott Pilots: To be met by: Dr Rochelle MacDonald 10:00 AM depart for Wharf 4, Geraldton Port Driver: Dr Rochelle MacDonald 10:30 AM Media: Geraldton Port funding Venue: Wharf 4, Geraldton Port 11 :15 AM Informal morning tea with port workers Venue: Mid West Ports Authority Office 11 :55 AM depart for The Geraldton Grammar School Driver: Dr Rochelle MacDonald 12:00 PM Mid West Business Leader's Lunch + Networking/Port Masterplan community and stakeholder announcement Venue: The Geraldton Grammar School - Batavia Hall, 134 George Road Geraldton Speech notes, Event brief, Invite list, and Briefing notes in small folder Contact: Gavin Treasure 2:00 PM depart for Gerald Hotel Driver: Gavin Treasure 2:30 PM Media: Digital Farm Mid West announcement Venue: Gerald Hotel Rooftop Media statement, Talking points, Map of Digifarm, Event brief, Invite list and Briefing notes in small folder Contact: Rob Smallwood, DPIRD 4:30 PM depart for Murchison Tavern Driver: Laurie Graham 5:00 PM Pollie in the Pub event with Laurie Venue: Murchison Tavern 7:00 PM dinner with MWPA Board and Exec Venue:- home of 8:30 PM Overnight in Geraldton Accommodation: ~tHotel, 25 Cathedral Ave, Geraldton Government of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC Minister for Ports MEDIA STATEMENT Thursday, 16 July 2020 $11.6m investment in job-creating Geraldton port infrastructure • $1 Om McGowan Government investment in Geraldton Port Wharf 4 Strengthening and Rail Replacement project • $1.58m investment into Geraldton Fishing Boat Harbour upgrades • Projects to create more than 90 jobs over the next 12 months and extend life of critical port infrastructure • Geraldton Port Master Plan endorsed to guide future growth The McGowan Government will invest $11.6 million into critical infrastructure upgrades at Geraldton Port as part of the Western Australia Recovery Plan, creating more than 90 local jobs and securing future export opportunities in the Mid-West. The announcement comes after the McGowan Government endorsed the Port of Geraldton Master Plan, charting growth at the port over the next 15 years up to 50 million tonnes per annum throughput. The $1 O million Wharf 4 Strengthening and Rail Replacement project will upgrade a key piece of Geraldton Port infrastructure, paving the way for long-term growth in mineral sands export from Geraldton. Wharf 4 is the primary export wharf for mineral sands, talc and concentrates from Geraldton Port, shipping 1.2 million tonnes of mineral sands and concentrates in 2018-19. The original Wharf 4 structure was constructed in 1965 and plays a role not only in mineral sands exports, but in mooring grain export vessels to neighbouring Wharf 3. The $10 million improvements to Wharf 4 and associated rail will extend the design service life of the structure by another 25 years and will allow for the continuation and growth of mineral sands and concentrates shipping through Geraldton. The McGowan Government is also investing $1.58 million into upgrades at the Geraldton Fishing Boat Harbour, including new walkways, toilets, fuel bowsers and street lighting. The two projects will create more than 90 jobs with significant opportunities for local businesses, with the bulk of the works expected to be complete in the next 12 months. Endorsement of the Geraldton Port Master Plan follows extensive analysis and community and port user consultation, charting the infrastructure required to maximise the throughput and efficiency of the existing Port. Its implementation would support throughput of up to 50 million tonnes annually - up from 15.9 million tonnes in 2018-19 - and lead to a substantial boost to the Mid-West economy and local jobs. The Port of Geraldton Master Plan is available at http://www.midwestports.com.au/ Subscribe to have media releases emailed automatically from www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au Comments attributed to Ports Minister Alannah MacTiernan: "The McGowan Government is pushing forward its investment in Geraldton Port, building economic capability in the city and securing the long-term future of export industries in the Mid-West. "Our substantial investment means mineral sands and concentrates exports from the Mid-West can grow, providing industry with the confidence to expand or develop new projects in the region. "These projects also provide a real job boost in Geraldton over the next 12 months as WA continues its COVID-19 economic recovery, creating around 90 jobs - with the vast majority of the work expected to go to local subcontractors, in line with our commitment to local content in regional WA. "The Port Master Plan is an important guide for the Mid-West region and the Western Australian economy, providing strategic guidance for investment decisions that will provide significant economic value and local jobs in the region. "Our investment and the Master Plan will help to set the Mid-West up for the next 15 years and continue to stimulate economic activity in the region." Media contact: Mark Scott Page 2 Government of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC Minister for Agriculture and Food MEDIA STATEMENT Thursday, 16 July 2020 Broadband boost for Mid-West and West Midlands • Digital connectivity boost for the Mid-West and Dandaragan under Round 2 of the McGowan Government's Digital Farm Grants Program • Program accelerating the expansion of fast, reliable, affordable, enterprise-grade broadband in regional Western Australia The McGowan Government will invest an additional $1 million to improve digital connectivity in the Mid-West and West Midlands to drive agricultural jobs in the regions. The funding will support two projects delivering high-speed, enterprise grade broadband services to an estimated 130 farming enterprises, over an area of 13,500 square kilometres. The two projects build on the success of the first round of the Digital Farm program, which has delivered high-speed broadband to farmers in the Chapman Valley and North Midlands. The grants, under the second round of the Digital Farm Grants Program, have been awarded to Geraldton-based wholesale network company, Logic IT Solutions. The two projects will deliver a fixed wireless network from Geraldton to Mullewa to improve speeds and fill the gaps, along with a fixed wireless network for the Dandaragan area. The Digital Farm Grants Program is bridging the 'digital divide' in regional Western Australia by delivering fast, reliable, affordable and scalable broadband outside the fixed line and fixed wireless National Broadband Network. The program has extended broadband to more than 1,200 agribusinesses, across 41,000 square kilometres from Kununurra to the Great Southern over the past 12 months under the inaugural round. Comments attributed to Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan: "Reliable, enterprise-grade broadband is absolutely critical for modern farming businesses to remain competitive in a 21st century market. "These two projects in the Mid-West and West Midlands build on the rollout in the regions under round one of the Digital Farm program, filling the gaps and ensuring farmers across the northern grainbelt have access to high-speed broadband. "Both projects will use, where possible, existing towers deployed from the first round of the program to extend further into rural areas where connectivity is lacking. "These new projects will be delivered by a local Geraldton provider, with strong local in-kind support from the City of Greater Geraldton and Shire of Dandaragan. "Improved digital connectivity to the farm will enable previously unimaginable access to digital tools, models and products to support farm efficiency, from internet-based farm decision tools to remote monitoring." Media contact: Mark Scott Subscribe to have media releases emailed automatically from www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au Min/Agency ref: File ref: MWDC180413 Event Brief Event Name: Informal Business Leader's Lunch & Networking Session · Co-sponsored by MWDC, MWPA and MWCCI Location: Batavia Hall, Geraldton Grammar School 134 George Road, Geraldton WA 6530 Time and date: 12.00pm - 2.00pm Contact on the day: Gavin Treasure Audience: Geraldton Business Leaders & Port lnvitee's Dress Standard: Smart Casual Met By I Contact: Lara Dalton (Deputy Chair- MWDC) Gavin Treasure (CEO - MWDC) Speech duration: Minister introduced Gavin Treasure (MWDC CEO) by: Order of Proceedings: 12.00pm -1.00pm Lunch and Minister to mingle and meet business leaders 1.00pm MWDC CEO to do *Welcome to Yamatji Country, plus recognition of the significant milestone achieved through the successful Geraldton Alternative Settlement (ILUA) Agreement (GASA) through the collective efforts of the Hutt River, Mullewa Wajarri, Widi and Southern Yamatji claimant groups. *I'd like to welcome you all to Yamatji Country and pay my respects to Yamatji elders past, present and emerging. {Optional extra - 'Yamaji' is a Wadjarri word to identify Aboriginal people from the Gascoyne/Murchison and Mid West region of Western Australia. Yamaji people have a strong connection to their Country. There are · approximately twelve community groups in this region. Each group has a distinct language and variations in its culture and customs. 1.05pm Introduction, acknowledgement to Minister's presence (Minister for Regional Development; Agriculture and Food; Ports; Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade). Acknowledgement of Ian Blayney MLA and Laurie Graham MLC. 1.07pm Acknowledge the MWCCI & MWPA as event partners for the event.