Opposition slammed over Old Perth Port development

15/12/93

Transport Minister Eric Charlton said today that the Opposition had hit new lows in its handling of the Old Perth Port development.

Mr Charlton described as a nonsense John Halden's accusation that the development was hushed up.

"Original approvals stretch back three years or more, and this project has had wide public exposure," he said.

"The implication drawn by Mr Halden that this smacks of some sly little arrangement involving the Premier again demonstrates his ruthless tactic of character assassination under the cloak of Parliamentary privilege."

Mr Charlton said he was not required to give approval or call tenders for the proposed Old Perth Port project because the development received appropriate formal approvals in 1990.

Neither was he oblighed or required to call for expressions of interest because the previous Labor government had already accepted a developer.

"There was no formal tendering process or calls for expressions of interest because it was the development proponent who approached the previous government which, between 1988 and 1990 accepted the development plans proposed," Mr Charlton said.

"The proposals did not go before Cabinet in 1988 because the approvals mechanism involved the Planning Commission, the Swan River Trust and the Perth City Council.

"That process is repeating itself now with the scaled-down version of the development going before the PCC and again before the Swan River Trust this afternoon.

"There was no need to take the matter to Cabinet as approvals, issued by the previous government, were still in place and final approvals for stage one were being considered by the council and the Swan River Trust.

"It was on that basis I agreed to a continuation of negotiations between the proponent and the Department of Marine and Harbours in order to conclude the development."

Mr Charlton said the development was first proposed by a company called Margaret River Holdings, which in 1988 set up an associated company, Barrack Square Limited.

Some time after the approach to the previous government, Barrack was purchased by Hawkins Court, which continued work on the development proposals up to the present time.

Mr Charlton said there had been ongoing discussions since 1990, when the project got bogged down between Russell Hawkins of Hawkins Court and the Department of Marine and Harbours.

He said he had not discussed the issue with the Premier prior to it becoming the subject of Opposition attack in Parliament.

"Mr Halden has tried to create the impression that something sinister has taken place when it was his own government that approved the original proposal three years ago," Mr Charlton said.

"He claimed in Parliament that the revised proposal was bigger than the original development, which is wrong.

"The original plan for stage one took up 1,427 square metres and this has been reduced under the revised proposal to 1,035 square metres."

Media contact:  Dean Roberts 321 7333