Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Absolutely. But Western Australia has a right to complain and the others just like to whinge. Minister, can you give us some idea of when the decision on the BGC brickworks will be made? The brickworks is in Hasluck but the airport is mainly in Swan, and people are asking me what is happening with that. I am surprised that the member for Hasluck is not here to ask that question himself.

An issue of concern to me is that, in the lead-up to the last federal election, Westralia Airports Corporation advised me that they intended to be in dispute with the council about rates. I was also advised that the reason the airport corporation did not proceed and did pay the rates is that they did not want to do that in an election year because my seat was so marginal. I find it quite extraordinary that they would play politics with something as important as this, particularly given that they would disadvantage their own shareholders by not pursuing something that they thought would be valid in terms of not paying their rates. I am very disappointed that they have been playing politics with this issue and have waited until after the election to raise the matter this year, whereas in other jurisdictions like Torrens, Brisbane and Sydney issues about rates have been raised. I am particularly concerned because Westralia Airports Corporation are one of the largest donors to the National Party. We do not have any National Party seats in Western Australia, yet they are still prepared to pay a lot of money and it would appear that they are playing politics with this issue.

Minister, have you seen the petition from the City of Belmont itself, which I tabled in the last sitting week, concerning this matter? There is also a petition, signed by 2,500 residents of Belmont, raising concerns about the rates. You mentioned that you would not want to see federal funding for freeways and infrastructure going to support the airport. I can appreciate that that should be paid for by broader areas. Local councils have to bear the burden of a lot of the costs in relation to airport operations. Perth, in particular, has a lot of road infrastructure that copes locally with the airport. For example, we have to put traffic-calming measures in local roads, because people who are trying to get to the airport will use those roads rather than the main thoroughfares. That is a major expense that councils need to pay. Whilst airports say that they are not getting these services, a lot of things are happening off the airport site that local councils have to be responsible for.

You mentioned that the airport corporation and the department will negotiate to try to resolve this issue. I commend you on that. Can you give me some time frame as to when those negotiations might take place? Legal advice was mentioned before. Can you give us some idea when that legal advice may be available? I understand that you may not want to talk about some of these issues in this forum, which might be broadcast, but I would appreciate knowing personally, if not publicly, what is going on.

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