City of Kwinana praised for Roe 8 alternate

A Senate inquiry examining the feasibility of the Perth Freight Link was held in Kwinana last Wednesday with local government and experts in industry, transport and agriculture putting their case forward for an alternative.

The City of Kwinana’s Indian Ocean Gateway proposal and the potential for an outer harbour in the Cockburn Sound were hot topics of discussion, with a Senate report with recommendations to the Government to now be compiled by April 29.

Four senators from the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee heard the IOG’s proposal of using Anketell and Rowley roads as an alternative to the State Government’s contentious Roe 8 project.

City Mayor Carol Adams and chief executive Joanne Abbiss told the committee that this would cost $700 million less than continuing with the Roe 8 road project linking to Fremantle Port.

With a consensus that moving operations away from Fremantle Port is necessary in the future, the IOG also proposed the construction of a new harbour in Kwinana.

Ms Adams told the Senate that the IOG was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Western Australia.

“There is an incredibly strong business case, with extensive justification and a range of options which the government could explore to construct an outer harbour,” she said.

“It will create tens of thousands of new jobs, generate billions in annual revenue for the State and set WA up economically for the next 100 years.”

The City’s proposal was backed up by the Kwinana Industries Council, with director Chris Oughton saying he felt the inquiry went well.

“I believe the senators were generally interested in finding out what the outer harbour means for industry in Kwinana, the community and the State,” he said.

“I await with interest the content of their report.”

Senator Glenn Sterle, who chaired the inquiry, told theTelegraph that the City deserved “to be put on a pedestal” for showing the initiative to present an alternative to the Perth Freight Link.

“The opportunities that this project could create, not only in construction but the knock-on effect of manufacturing, services and transport — this is so forward thinking,” he said.

Senator Scott Ludlam congratulated the City for “doing the work of an entire government” and offering a solution “advocated by experts”.

The City of Rockingham has been criticised after turning down an invitation to attend.

Mayor Barry Sammels said that the City “strongly supports the orderly development of the outer harbour concept” but saw “no value in becoming directly involved in what is essentially a political inquiry”.

Mr Sammels has labelled the IOG an “aspirational marketing pamphlet” in the past, as it does not consider the City’s planning framework for the Rockingham Strategic Metropolitan Centre.

Senator Sterle said the City of Rockingham should have attended.

“They should have come and said to the committee that they don’t agree and tabled a better idea,” he said.

“We incorporate other people’s views in all our inquiries and reports.”

Mr Oughton said the City of Rockingham’s absence was disappointing.

“It was particularly disappointing that the City of Rockingham did not make a presentation, especially given part of its municipality is within the Western Trade Coast,” he said.

“An outer harbour is a vitally important piece of major infrastructure that will have a profound economic benefit for the region.”

Senator Sterle said State Government ministers were invited to present a case for the Perth Freight Link and their refusal to attend was “gutless and pathetic”.