Mr BURKE - 1995-05-25
Can the minister advise the House of progress on the East Arm port development?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I will be very pleased to advise the House of progress made on this most exciting project. I encourage members to stand on the balcony of this building and look out over our present port to see the speed and size of the development of the new East Arm port. Members would be aware that a $15m contract was awarded to Henry Walker Contracting Pty Ltd on 20 December 1994. The due date for completion was 12 August. As members know, we had a record wet season and the rains hampered progress. As a result, the date for completion of that contract moved from August 1995 to September 1995. However, I am advised that the contractor is now progressing very well. I went out there the other day to see how everything is progressing. I encourage honourable members, and any member of the community who has an interest or who wants to see something exciting happening, to take a trip out there. An observation platform has been erected enabling people to stand above the level of the mangroves to see what is happening.
uptohere
Some changes have been required. Originally, it was hoped that some of the rock armour could be sourced from the Quarantine Island area but in the event all the rock armour had unfortunately to come from Mt Bundy. That created a slight increase in cost in that particular phase of the development. However, the advice that I have received is that savings are being made in other places in order to keep the whole project within budget.
One of the exciting aspects is that the Department of Transport and Works and the contractor have entered into a partnering arrangement. That is a system of management whereby both sides work together to try to minimise costs in order to obtain advantages for both parties. The profits are shared and the losses are shared. Instead of the traditional method, whereby the parties end up fighting over the interpretation of the contract's provisions and argle-bargle over rise-and-fall provisions, both parties work together to try to obtain the best arrangement.
There has been blasting in that Quarantine Island area which has enabled 700 000 m3 of material from there to be used as fill. The dredging subcontractor has commenced and he will be on site for another 2 months. The Marine Ecology Unit of the Museums and Art Galleries is monitoring constantly the water quality in the areas adjacent to construction. I am very
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pleased to advise that, to this stage, nothing has occurred to create any concern about detriment to the environment. Everything is going extremely well. I believe that fortnightly environmental reports are issued which are available to anyone.
The project is exciting. As I mentioned in my budget speech, the next stage involves expenditure of $19m and includes work on the new liquid wharf area, which is a forerunner to the changeover of the oil tank farm. That is another exciting project in itself. It will allow for residential development adjacent to the CBD. The port is a great project, and I urge anyone who has an interest in what is occurring there to go and have a look. It is very exciting.
Page 617
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I will be very pleased to advise the House of progress made on this most exciting project. I encourage members to stand on the balcony of this building and look out over our present port to see the speed and size of the development of the new East Arm port. Members would be aware that a $15m contract was awarded to Henry Walker Contracting Pty Ltd on 20 December 1994. The due date for completion was 12 August. As members know, we had a record wet season and the rains hampered progress. As a result, the date for completion of that contract moved from August 1995 to September 1995. However, I am advised that the contractor is now progressing very well. I went out there the other day to see how everything is progressing. I encourage honourable members, and any member of the community who has an interest or who wants to see something exciting happening, to take a trip out there. An observation platform has been erected enabling people to stand above the level of the mangroves to see what is happening.
uptohere
Some changes have been required. Originally, it was hoped that some of the rock armour could be sourced from the Quarantine Island area but in the event all the rock armour had unfortunately to come from Mt Bundy. That created a slight increase in cost in that particular phase of the development. However, the advice that I have received is that savings are being made in other places in order to keep the whole project within budget.
One of the exciting aspects is that the Department of Transport and Works and the contractor have entered into a partnering arrangement. That is a system of management whereby both sides work together to try to minimise costs in order to obtain advantages for both parties. The profits are shared and the losses are shared. Instead of the traditional method, whereby the parties end up fighting over the interpretation of the contract's provisions and argle-bargle over rise-and-fall provisions, both parties work together to try to obtain the best arrangement.
There has been blasting in that Quarantine Island area which has enabled 700 000 m3 of material from there to be used as fill. The dredging subcontractor has commenced and he will be on site for another 2 months. The Marine Ecology Unit of the Museums and Art Galleries is monitoring constantly the water quality in the areas adjacent to construction. I am very
Page 616
pleased to advise that, to this stage, nothing has occurred to create any concern about detriment to the environment. Everything is going extremely well. I believe that fortnightly environmental reports are issued which are available to anyone.
The project is exciting. As I mentioned in my budget speech, the next stage involves expenditure of $19m and includes work on the new liquid wharf area, which is a forerunner to the changeover of the oil tank farm. That is another exciting project in itself. It will allow for residential development adjacent to the CBD. The port is a great project, and I urge anyone who has an interest in what is occurring there to go and have a look. It is very exciting.
Page 617
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016