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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-04 Daily Xml
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POINT LOWLY

Ms BREUER (Giles) (15:15): I rise today to give notice that I intend writing to the Minister for Regional Development to ask him to investigate the Whyalla Economic Development Board, following allegations about a potential serious conflict of interest with respect to the proposed development of the deep water harbour in the middle of the quite globally significant cuttlefish aggregation on the Point Lowly peninsula near Whyalla. These allegations are serious and go to the heart of good governance.

A decision was supposedly made by the board to support the port on the Point Lowly peninsula and ignore the investigation of alternative sites. A press release was issued on 26 February in the CEO's name, and subsequent stories were published in the Whyalla News and The Advertiser as a result. I am told that the CEO of the board and the chair made the decision without consulting their own board. Board members were advised by email of the press release.

Firstly, I believe that as a matter of urgency the chair of the Whyalla Economic Development Board needs to clarify his relationship with one of the companies involved in the consortium planning to build the port on the Point Lowly peninsula and that any investigation needs to answer the following questions:

1. Is BIS Industrial Logistics part of the consortium looking to build the port on the Point Lowly peninsula?

2. Does the chair of WEDB hold a senior state management position in BIS Industrial Logistics?

3. If the chair holds a senior position in BIS Industrial Logistics, have his actions been endorsed or encouraged by the company and, if not, what is the company's view on his actions?

This chair is an outstanding member of our community, and he has served for many years in various roles. However, I believe that in this situation he needs to be extremely careful in his role as chair when decisions are made that directly affect his business involvements. Also, I believe that the members of the Whyalla Economic Development Board have to ask whether they should be consulted on major policy directions or whether the board is just a rubber stamp for the CEO and the chair; and they need to ask whether they accept what might turn out to be a major conflict of interest.

The statement issued by the CEO and the chair is in direct conflict with the stand taken by the Whyalla City Council, which was based on extensive consultation with the Whyalla community, and directly criticised the council, which substantially funds the organisation. I will be asking the new Minister for Regional Development, Paul Caica, to have a serious look at this matter.

I fully support the unanimous position taken by Whyalla council following an extensive community engagement process, and now I note that the council's position was fully endorsed by the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association at its AGM on Monday. So, now all local and regionally elected representatives are calling for a new port site selection process that involves regional communities and other interested parties from the start and a process that takes into account from the beginning environmental, social and economic considerations.

The current process patronises regional communities and amounts to a handful of senior bureaucrats in Adelaide making all the decisions and at the end of the process giving communities a few minutes to react, followed by a big rubber stamp. Regional communities deserve to have a real say about what happens in their backyards. We always have the welcome mat out for new investment, but that does not represent an invitation to come and trash our backyard and ignore the residents.

It is in the interests of all parties to work together on site selection so that the long-term needs of the mining industry can be met in a way that does not compromise important environmental and social assets. I believe that the Whyalla Economic Development Board, with whom in the past I have had a productive and respectful alliance, should have understood our community and its role in it and supported the people of Whyalla in opposing this port in the present location.

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