Systemic Failure

Page 3 of 14 pages : significant questions (jump to page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14) :

“The Rainbow 2000 Project is considered to be a ‘dead issue’. Concern has been raised as to whether approval has been sort from the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs for the use of the word ‘Anzac’. Thank you for the offer to distribute funds from the exhibition to help (with) future Anzac celebrations.”

Laurie Fraser MBE, Secretary, Albany Sub-Branch, Returned & Services League of Australia Letter : 6 Feb 2006

“The Prime Minister conveys his best wishes for all those involved in the (Albany Anzac) exhibition. It is hoped that the hard work put into the promotion of Albany and the Great Southern region will produce significant long term benefits for the local area and Western Australia as a whole.”

Suzanne Kasprzak, Private Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister, Commonwealth of Australia Letter : 7 Feb 2006

“I appreciate your offer to present the (Rainbow 2000) Strategy to me and the invitation to attend the Albany exhibition in April. However, I regret that I am unable to accept your offer to present the Strategy or attend your exhibition. I invite you to continue to liaise with local and State agencies involved in planning and regional development in the region.”

Alan Carpenter, Premier, State Government of Western Australia Letter : 17 Mar 2006

“We are confident in stating that the large majority of port customers strongly support the (Albany) ring road concept, and it is only a minority which for the moment do not. This is not the first occasion when the Port User’s name has been associated with a stance in which funding for a major project has been imperilled.”

Alan Birchmore, Chairman, Albany Port Authority Extract : Albany Advertiser (Page 7), 15 Jun 2006

A consultant to the Capital City Perth Strategy : “Perth could never be a world-class city given the current planning system. The Byzantine institutional structure of conflicting political prerogatives and bureaucratic turf warfare is in my view incapable of delivering a world-class city. There is a need for greater interaction between bodies developing plans for the CBD and foreshore areas.”

Patric de Villiers, Past Chairman, Heritage Council WA Extract : West Australian (Page 60), 23 Aug 2006

“The question we should be asking is who owns the harbour. The future of Albany and our export potential is to construct an outer port. Yet we still have the State Government ignoring our potential and talking about another port at Fremantle at a cost of billions. We have an iron ore company encouraging our State Government to support a multi-million dollar power supply so they can pipe magnetite for export from Albany. Irrespective of how much dredging is done, Albany port will be too restrictive for large bulk carriers. If an outer port was constructed the transport costs would be less and more importantly we would have a perfect vehicle for live stock transport. We would have a vibrant inner port conducive for servicing the exploration for oil and tourist ships and we could get on with the foreshore development.”

John Robertson, Master Mariner, Albany Extract : Albany Advertiser (Page 6), 19 Sep 2006

“While the Minister has noted your comments, she does not share your view that the current planning system in WA requires a new approach to development assessment. Properly formulated local planning strategies supported by zoning schemes based on the Model Scheme Text are capable of achieving sound planning outcomes.”

Rob Giles, Chief of Staff, WA Minister for Planning & Infrastructure Letter : 4 Oct 2006

“I think the main deficiency in our present system is its weakness in the regions, and it’s in the regions where the big resource development projects are happening. It’s our regions where equity and access is most important. Each region needs to have a lead agency, to which the regional (government) branches and other agencies can relate and operate through … there has to be seen to be a whole of government input.”

Jeremy Dawkins, Chairman, WA Planning Commission Extract : WA Business News (Page 3), 26 Oct 2006

“The Albany Waterfront Development and the Albany Entertainment Centre constitute an unacceptable future threat to the continuity of port access.”

Ian Peacock, Past Chairman APULG Statement : Albany Waterfront Action Group PCYC, 28 Oct 2006

“What we are currently witnessing is the systemic failure of governance expressed through elected representation, public administration and legislation across all four levels – local, regional, state and federal, premised mainly on the division of equity / inequality in Australian society (Core KRAs).”

Neil Smithson, Smithson Planning Statement : 10th Anniversary Rainbow 2000 Project Evaluation, 12 Nov 2006

“The locality of the Albany Entertainment Centre would interfere with the port (access). I believe there will be a conflict of interest. The time for waterfront development was when the port was being relocated.”

Wilson Tuckey MHR, Member for O’Connor Extract : Albany Advertiser (Page 5), 21 Nov 2006

“The life-line for the region and then de facto the City is the port. Why compromise its access and viability with firstly the building works (for the Albany Entertainment Centre) and secondly more activity during its now year-round activity from grains, timber, mineral sands and hopefully iron-ore.”

Michael Pemberton, Past President Albany Chamber of Commerce & Industry Extract : Albany Advertiser (Page 6), 21 Nov 2006

“Thank you for your letter dated 13 November enclosing a copy of your correspondence to the Prime Minister (10th Anniversary Evaluation) about your regional planning strategy for Albany and the Great Southern. The views expressed in your correspondence have been noted, and I appreciate you taking the time to make a copy available to the Premier.”

Rita Saffioti, Chief of Staff, Office of the Premier of Western Australia Letter : 23 Nov 2006

“The secret is now well and truly out about our attractive lifestyle and the opportunities offered by the region. This is reflected in the high employment growth enjoyed by the city, now the highest in Australia at 11.6%. To those of us that live and work here, this presents new opportunities for ourselves and our children. The flip side to this growth is an increase in development pressure, as infrastructure and community resources respond to meet these new demands.”

Lawrence Cuthbert, Chairman, Frederickstown Progress Association, Albany Newsletter : 30 Nov 2006

On Monday 4th December 2006 at 7.00pm, there was a Special Electors Meeting at the City of Albany Chambers convened by the Albany Waterfront Action Group to ‘derail’ the Albany Waterfront Project. Motions put and carried by the 200 strong gallery included no-confidence in the City Council; rescind current structure plan and development plan; revoke MOU with State Government; start community consultation process afresh; remove entertainment centre from AWP; don’t use Emu Point land to pay for AEC; request detailed plans and photo-montage; relocate AEC to Centennial Oval or Mercer Road; request State to issue leasehold title and not freehold title for all development lands. On Tuesday 5 December, Council endorsed the appointment of the AEC Architects : Cox Howlett and Bailey Woodland JV (Perth) in association with Roberts Gardiner (Albany).

Despite an 11% decline in trade last financial year - “Albany was well on track to become the largest woodchip port in the country, and one of the top two or three woodchip ports in the world. It is particularly pleasing to see representatives from other regions in Australia which are about to enter the harvesting and export phase of the industry, coming to our port to see what is regarded as best practice. They (Woodchips) are increasingly reducing our seasonal dependence on grain and adding much needed tonnage and shipping movements for all port-related activity in the City.”

Brad Williamson, CEO, Albany Port Authority Extract : Albany Advertiser (Page 10), 7 Dec 2006

“2.66 million tonnes of product was handled across the wharves last financial year. That tonnage will steadily grow as the significant capital projects undertaken last year ($100m CBH Upgrade) have readied the facility for greater throughput. As a trade facilitator for the Great Southern, the Albany Port Authority has efficiently met all the export and import requirements of operators in the region. All these activities are undertaken with full recognition that a balance must be struck between increased activity at the 24 hour, 365 day working port and our social and environmental responsibilities. During the past year the port has again had to carefully think through the planning issues associated with a new trade. This time, iron ore for the Grange Resources Ltd Southdown (Magnetite) deposit.”

Alan Birchmore, Chairman, Albany Port Authority Extract : Albany Advertiser (Page 10), 7 Dec 2006

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Albany, Western Australia