Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Regional Australia, upon notice, on 16 March 2012:

(1)   Has the Department or Ministers Office been approached by, or provided funding and other support to, any of the following organisations since March 2011:

If so, for each organisation:

(a)   can details be provided of the nature of the contact or funding and support; and

(b)   did the contact or funding and support relate to proposals to develop a port at Point Torment, Western Australia.

(2)   Has the department been approached by any organisation (other than those listed above) in regard to a proposal to develop a port at Point Torment since March 2011.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) The Minister's Office and the Department have not had any contact with Azure Funds Management Pty Ltd, Point Torment Supply Base Pty Ltd, Indigenous Investment Management Pty Ltd, KRED Enterprises Pty Ltd or Kimberley Regional Economic Development Corporation Pty Ltd.

  Azure Capital wrote to Minister Crean on 6 May 2011, providing support for a proposal to develop the Foundry Digital Media Hub in Midland, WA that had been submitted to the Regional Development Australia Fund. The Minister did not respond to this correspondence. The Department has not had any contact with Azure Capital.

  The Department regularly interacts with the WA Government on a range of issues linked to portfolio responsibilities, for example, regional development, local government, arts, sport and Indian Ocean Territories, and specifically on the East Kimberley Development Package and Northern Australia Ministerial Forum.

(1) (b) No

(2) No