He said Mr Abbott promised to cut state infrastructure projects, such as the irrigation project, in his election costings.

You can read Mr Ripper’s statement here:

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MEDIA STATEMENT
Monday, 6 September 2010
WA infrastructure projects at risk if Tony Abbott is PM
Many Western Australian infrastructure projects will be at risk if Tony Abbott becomes Prime Minister, Labor Leader Eric Ripper said today.
Mr Abbott promised to cut funding for states’ infrastructure projects in his election costings.
“The Barnett Government has relied on Federal funding for key WA projects and under a Federal Liberal Government all of the projects would be at risk,” Mr Ripper said.
Federal Government investment in Western Australian projects includes:
$236million for Northbridge link;
$339million for the Oakajee Port;
$195million for the Ord Stage 2 project – Commonwealth’s Nation Building – East Kimberley Development Package;
$180million for the Great Eastern highway upgrade;
$255million for the State Rehabilitation Centre at Fiona Stanley Hospital;
$180million for Midland Health Campus;
$595million for public housing; and
up to $17million for GP super clinics across Western Australia.
“Federal Labor also promised $480 million from 2011-12 for the WA Gateway project and a further $100 million to complete the full upgrade of the Great Eastern Highway from Kooyong road to Tonkin Highway. Mr Abbott did not match these commitments,” he said.
“As the traffic to and from the Perth airport grows along with our mining industry the WA Gateway project is becoming more and more critical. Yet the earliest a Federal coalition government would make Federal funds available for this project is 2014-15.
“Traffic around the Perth airport is already approaching gridlock. Without the project, road transport to Perth airport will become completely dysfunctional.
“Mr Barnett must say how WA can possibly complete these projects without Federal funding.
“I have no doubt Mr Barnett will simply respond with an attack on the mining tax. Yet on behalf of their shareholders, most of whom live outside Western Australia, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have already agreed to pay this tax.
“Simply attacking the tax leaves unanswered the basic question now confronting Mr Barnett and all Western Australians – where is the money coming from for these vital infrastructure projects if Mr Abbott wins power.”
Mr Ripper warned all Western Australians that the failure of a Federal Government to continue to delivery vital funds for major projects would mean bills would continue to rise.
“Mr Barnett prefers to raise family bills whenever he has budget difficulties. Electricity bills have risen 45 per cent since Mr Barnett was elected and water bills have increased by almost 30 per cent,” he said.

Kimberley Echo [read this story]

Terry Redman

Agriculture minister Terry Redman says 50,000 hectares of East Kimberley land could be cultivated.

Mr Redman said he will release a survey commissioned by his department in which new land was assessed for farming.

You can read his statement here:

27/8/10                                                                                          Media Statement

Survey points to Kimberley potential.

A soil survey to be released by Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman in Kununurra this evening has identified more than 50,000ha of land in the

East Kimberley that could be suitable for agricultural production.

The survey was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture and Food and funded from the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program.

It identified tracts of red sandy soils, locally known as Cockatoo sands, which offer potential for horticulture development in the Ord area.

“These soils are characteristically deep red, sandy earths and loamy earths that are well drained and capable of cultivation early in the dry season,” Mr Redman said.

“The chemical and physical characteristics of these soils are comparable to, or better than, existing horticultural soils under development in the Pilbara and South-West of Western Australia.”

The field survey identified approximately 8,000ha of Cockatoo sands close to the existing Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) and a uniform area of more than 37,000ha of Cockatoo sands about 50km north of the Ord River.

It also identified deep brown sands, known as Pago sands, that can also be developed for agriculture.

The survey findings coincide with the release of a report investigating water availability for agriculture in the Ord region.

The report concluded that water allocation or reliability would not limit further expansion of the ORIA in the short to medium term.

“There are obviously many other environmental, social, cultural and economic issues that need to be taken into consideration when talking about the expansion of horticulture in the East Kimberley,” the Minister said.

“There will be a need to assess the water availability in some of the areas outside the ORIA, as well as further work on the soils in the high priority selections.  Other issues to be examined include native title and costs of development.

“However, these two reports do provide an exciting insight into the massive potential for the East Kimberley to become one of the great food growing areas of the nation.

“The State Government wants to develop agricultural and diversification opportunities to grow the north, and we see a bright future for sustainable food and fibre production using modern, low-impact production techniques.”

The Department of Agriculture and Food will establish trials on Cockatoo sands next year to further test potential crops and irrigation techniques.

Kimberley Echo [read this story]

A variety of product made from bananas are being tested to create markets for perfectly good fruit that is currently thrown away.

ABC [read this story]

They are from Coleambally, the same district as the two farmers who are harvesting their first Kimberley rice crop.

Kimberley Echo [read this story]

He said successful crop trials of rice and chia have already been made as part of the project.

ABC [read this story]

Following the collapse of the sugar industry Spike Dessert of the Hoochery decided to import a tiny sugar mill from Columbia, and to crush sugar from his own acreage to continue making cane spirit and rum.

ABC [read this story]

UWA Professor Jorg Imberger said the lake is probably taking up 2-3% of our state’s man-made emissions already.

ABC [read this story]

They have lodged a patent for the new process, which they expect to be used for increasing yields of oil in the Ord Valley.

ABC [read this story]