Shadow Minister for Ports Libby Mettam says Labor has wasted $10 million of taxpayers’ money and three years to tell the public what it already knows – that an Outer Harbour is not required.
“We have known since 1996 that we have needed a long-term plan,” Ms Mettam said.
“Today’s announcement only spells out more bureaucracy at a time when Western Australia has record unemployment. What we need is local jobs right now.
“The Labor Government needs to get behind the Liberal Party in a bipartisan manner and invest in Roe 8/9, which will create thousands of jobs in the southern suburbs.
“The people of the southern suburbs should be very concerned that this announcement commits them to at least another decade of congestion and poor road safety outcomes.
“This simply represents a four-year plan to develop a business case and is set to threaten jobs at Fremantle Port.
“Clearly the Labor Government is obsessed with shutting down Fremantle Port, which has been a key part of the WA economy for the past 130 years, with daily operations supporting 2000 direct and 6000 indirect jobs.
“This is a process which has always had one outcome. It is based on flawed data, which makes an assumption that our consumption will triple over the next 48 years and which was directed to ignore the benefits that the Roe 8/9 project would provide to Fremantle Port.
“This taskforce has taken three-and-a-half years and cost taxpayers $10 million, including almost $650,000 in spin doctors.
“At a time when we are experiencing a jobs crisis in WA, this whole exercise has been a waste of taxpayers’ money because we have known for years that an Outer Harbour will not be required for decades.”