[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Bell Bay Port: Sturges No Idea Then-No Plan Now_K Booth MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

BELL BAY PORT: STURGES HAD NO IDEA THEN AND NO PLAN NOW

$150 million of Taxpayers Money Hangs in the Balance

Kim Booth MP
Greens Member for Bass

Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today described the loss of ANL container freight
from Bell Bay Port to Burnie as an embarrassing failure on behalf of the
Bartlett government to deliver on strategic infrastructure policy, and
have slammed the Minister for Infrastructure, Graeme Sturges, as being
so incompetent that he was unaware of the plans despite the Ports
Corporation being in talks with Burnie Port to facilitate the freight
transfer.

Greens Member for Bass, Kim Booth MP, said that it is unacceptable that
weeks following ANL's shock announcement that they were transferring
their container freight, that Minister Sturges could not detail a plan
for the future use of the Bell Bay Port or the $150 million of allocated
public money yet to be invested in the Port.

"Despite the Bell Bay Port being touted by the Minister as being the
strategic entry point for container freight into the State, Graeme
Sturges apparently had no idea that the Ports Corporation at Burnie Port
was in discussions with ANL to transfer that company's freight load away
from bell Bay and to Burnie," Mr Booth said.

"The shock transfer of ANL container freight to Burnie, with the
knowledge of the Ports Corporation, is a crucial Bartlett government
policy failure and is an indictment on the disinterest and incompetence
of Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges."

"It is deeply alarming that a major policy setting of the government's,
this time the investment into Bell Bay Port as a strategic container
freight entry point, can be overturned by the Ports Corporation and one
company, while the Minister remains unaware, disengaged and
disinterested."

 "This Minister is so disengaged and disinterested that not only did he
have no idea at the time that container freight was being poached to
Burnie, but he still does not have any strategic forward plan for Bell
Bay. This is unacceptable."

"The Minister must detail what is intended for the future use of Bell
Bay, what is now going to happen to the $150 million of taxpayers money
earmarked for further investment into the Bell Bay Port, and also
provide an explanation to the people of George Town who have invested in
that area on the basis of the government's original plan for the Port."

"After all, Mr Sturges is both the Minister responsible for
Infrastructure and the Ports Corporation."




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