6' d 3, 7 3,
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
MR E. G. WHITLAM, AT THE
SIGNING OF THE ALBURY-WODONGA
AREA DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
JUST NINE MONTHS AGO, SIR ROBERT ASKIN, MR HAMER
AND I MET HERE IN ALBURY-WODONGA AND AGREED ON A HISTORIC
PLAN FOR A NEW AUSTRALIAN CITY IN THIS AREA. IT GIVES ME
GREAT PLEASURE TODAY TO MEET THE PREMIERS AGAIN TO SIGN
THE ALBURY-WODONGA AREA DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
! ITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE STATES THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT INITIATED THE MEETING IN JANUARY, BUT FROM THAT
DAY IT BECAME A JOINT VENTURE. LET'S NOT IMAGINE THAT THIS
IS AN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT PROJECT EXCLUSIVELY FAR FROM
IT, ITS SUCCESS DEPENDS ON CONTINUED'CO-OPERATION BETWEEN
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE STATES. THE THREE
GOVERNMENTS ARE EQUAL PARTNERS.
THE JANUARY MEETING WAS THE FIRST STEP. IT THEN
BECAME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MINISTERIAL COUNCI.
MR UREN, MR FULLER AND MR BYRNE TO ESTABLISH AN AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE THREE GOVERNMENTS WHICH WOULD EMBODY OUR JOINT
COMMITMENT AND PROVIDE A SOUND BASE ON WHICH THIS AREA CAN
GROW IN HARMONY WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
-2-
THEY HAVE DONE WELL, THE DOCUMENT WE HAVE BEFORE
US TODAY IS EVIDENCE OF THAT, IT IS A CREDIT TO THEM AND
TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, IT REFLECTS A CONTINUING
SPIRIT-OF CO-OPERATION AND PROVIDES A FIRST-CLASS EXAMPLE
OF HOW THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE STATES CAN WORK
TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOUSANDS OF
AUSTRALIANS OVER THE NEXT FEW DECADES,
THE PREPARATION OF THIS AGREEMENT HAS BEEN A
FORMIDABLE LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TASK, IT HAS TAKEN ONLY
NINE MONTHS, I KNOW THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
WOULD LIKE MORE ACTION, BUT THE IMPORTANCE, THE SIZE AND
THE. QUALITY OF THIS PROJECT CALL FOR A GREAT DEAL OF
FORBEARANCE AND PATIENCE ON THE PART OF US ALL,
A PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE AGREEMENT IS TO ESTABLISH
A STRONG AND EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION TO BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GROWTH COMPLEX,
EXPERIENCE OVERSEAS AND IN THIS COUNTRY HAS SHOWN CLEARLY
THAT THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN THE SUCCES) F F
NEW CITY DEVELOPMENT ,/ 3
-3-
DETAILS OF THE DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION WERE
ANNOUNCED AND WELL PUBLICISED BY THE MINISTERIAL COUNCIL
ON 4 JULY, To REFRESH YOUR MEMORY CHARTS HAVE BEEN
CIRCULATED AND I HOPE THEY WILL BE WIDELY BROUGHT TO THE
NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC,
AT FIRST GLANCE THE FORM OF THE ORGANISATION MAY
APPEAR COMPLEX, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY IT IS NOT, IT IS A FULLY
INTEGRATED ORGANISATION WITH COMMON MEMBERSHIP AND COMMON
STAFF, THE THREE LEGAL CORPORATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET
THE CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE THREE GOVERNMENTS,
IN PRACTICE, HOWEVER, THE ORGANISATION WILL WORK AS A SINGLE
ENTITY RESPONSIBLE TO THE MINISTERIAL COUNCIL,
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES OF THE
ORGANISATION WILL IDENTIFY WITH ONE BODY AND ONE GOAL
NAMELY THE CREATION OF A NEW GROWTH CENTRE WITH A HIGH-QUALITY
ENVIRONMENT, IMAGINATIVELY PLANNED AND DEVELOPED,
I WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO'SEE THAT PROVISION
HAS BEEN MADE FOR A CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL TO PROVIDE A VEHICLE
FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT, OVER THE PAST
NINE MONTHS THE INTERIM CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, MADE UP OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS,
HAS PLAYED A VITAL AND CONTRIBUTING RO'LE IN THE DEVELOPMENT
SO FAR, ,/ 4
THE AGREEMENT OF COURSE REQUIRES COMPLIMENTARY
LEGISLATION AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE STATES ARE CURRENTLY
DRAFTING BILLS, YOU HAVE MY ASSURANCE THAT THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION WILL BE INTRODUCED WITHOUT DELAY
AFTER THE SIGNING OF THIS AGREEMENT,
YOU WILL ALSO BE AWARE THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
HAS ADVERTISED FOR A CHAIRMAN OF THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,
WE SHALL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THE RIGHT
MAN FOR THIS ALL IMPORTANT POSITION,
YOU WILL ALSO BE AWARE THAT $ 9 MILLION HAS BEEN
BUDGETED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FOR EXPENDITURE IN
1973-74 ON THE FIRST PHASE OF THE ACQUISITION PROGRAM UNDER
THE PROVISIONS OF APPROPRIATE STATE LAND PRICE STABILISATION
LEGISLATION AND SELECTED PUBLIC WORKS, THIS IS ONLY THE
BEGINNING IT WILL BE A CONTINUING COMMITMENT,
AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE ON
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PLANNING STRATEGY, A FIRM COM1ITMENT
HAS BEEN GIVEN, AND INCLUDED IN THE AGREEMENT, THAT AREAS TO
BE ACQUIRED FOR URBAN AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT WILL BE
ANNOUNCED NO LATER THAN 30 JUNE NEXT YEAR, THE MINISTERIAL
COUNCIL WISELY DECIDED NOT TO WAIT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
THE DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION BEFORE PLANNING COMMENCED,
WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO SEE THINGS HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY,
BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE VERY
NECESSARY MAJOR STUDIES. THAT ARE UNDERWAY BEFORE THE OVERALL
STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT IS ANNOUNCED.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECORD THE SATISFACTION OF THE
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND MY OWN PERSONAL SAT ISFACTION AT
THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THIS FIRST PHASE IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF ALBURY-WODONGA, IT AUGURS WELL FOR THE
FUTURE AND, AS I HAVE SAID, PROVIDES AN HISTORIC EXAMPLE
OF HOW THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE STATES CAN WORK
TOGETHER IN THE INTERESTS OF THE TOTAL AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY.
-o-o-o-0-o-0-o-