Question Time

Riverbank Precinct

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (14:39): Prior to the election there was some speculation as to whether or not—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I can wait out the time.

The SPEAKER: Whenever the member for Finniss has finished. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: There was some speculation about there being a number of large buildings on the area immediately to the south of the building in which we are presently sitting—or standing, in my case.

Mr Williams: You mean north.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: North. Just checking. At least the member for MacKillop is paying attention; that is very good.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: It is the opposition's question time.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: So the area which is immediately to the north—and I congratulate the member for MacKillop for picking that one up; very good—is what is generally referred to by people as 'the plaza'. It is called that because it is, in fact, the Hajek Plaza. It is bounded on its east by King William Street, it is bounded on the south by this building, it is bounded on the north by the long-lasting contribution of a former minister, I think minister Laidlaw. She created something of a canyon which separated this bit from the bit over the other side. It is bounded on its west by a series of cooling towers, a tangle of old concrete structures, and a very large hole.

There is nothing at all in the document or the plan or the decision made by the government in relation to the future development of the Riverbank Precinct which breaches the undertaking given, the understanding that the Premier and the cabinet had, which was that the plaza, as I have described it, would not have plonked upon it a large tower—

An honourable member: The plaza area.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am telling you what was said. That is the plaza area. It actually—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It has a distinct set of boundaries. You can actually identify them. There is King William Street, there is the gap that appears between the plaza on this side and the plaza over there and the Festival Theatre, and then there is a series of rather tangled constructions which are immediately at the back corner of Parliament House. There has been an observation of the undertaking. There is no multistorey building, 20-storey building or 13-storey or 16, going on the plaza.