SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. E. G. WHITLAM, M. P.
FOR THE OPENING OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT CENTRE, HOBART,
FRIDAY$ 22 FEBRUARY 1974
THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR ADMINlISTRATIVE BUILDING
ERECTED IN TASMANIA BY ANY AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SINCE
FEDERATION. THE NEED FOR THE BUILDING AROSE IN THE LATE
1960s WHEN THE LACK OF SUITABLE PREMISES AVAILABLE FOR
LEASING FORCED THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO BUY LAND
AND PLAN THE BUILDING. ITS CONSTRUCTION IS VERY MUCH
IN ACCORD WITH THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON OFFICIAL
BUILDINGS$ THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FAF. D WITH
AN INCREASING RENT BILL WHEREVER IT 0AINTAINS OFFICES.
IN MANY AREAS I. EASING HAS RESULTED IN ITS OFFICES BiNCG
UNDULY SCATTERED. THE GOVERNMENT HAS THERZFORE SiATED
THAT ITS FUTURE POLICY WILL FAVOUR GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP,
THE SITE FOR THE NEW AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT CENTRE
IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AS IT IS ON THE FRINGE OF HOBART'S
RETAIL BUSINESS CENTRE, YET NEAR ITS EXPANDING
ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL CENTRE. IT IS READILY
ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC USING EITtIIR PRIVATE CARS OR PUBLIC
TRANSPORT$ THUS, IN THIS ONE BUILDING, THE GREATER PORTION
OF THE COMMONWEALTH'S ADMINISTRATIVE AND W8LFARE SERVICES
IN HOBART WILL BE EASILY AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY.
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO BE HOUSED IN THE
BUILDING INCLUDE SOCIAL SECURITY, IMMIGRATION AND LABOUR AND
THE AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE.
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THE GOVERNMENT CENTRE, BUILT AT A COST OF $ 5,2 MILLION,
IS ONE OF SEVERAL BUILDING PROJECTS PLANNED FOR HOBART BY
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, A MULTI-STORY BUILDING IS
PROPOSED ON THE SITE ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING HOBART CENTRAL
TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, THE GROWTH OF THE NUMBER OF TELEPHONE
SUBSCRIBERS IN THE HOBART AREA HAS PUT GREAT PRESSURE ON
EXISTING FACILITIES, A MAIL EXCHANGE AND TRANSPORT COMPLEX
IS ALSO PROPOSED FOR THE CITY,
THE MINISTER FOR SCIENCE ANNOUNCED ON 25 JANUARY THAT
THE ANTARCTIC DIVISION OF HIS DEPARTMENT WILL MOVE ITS
HEADQUARTERS TO HOBART. THE DIVISION IS NOW DISPERSED OVER
SIX LOCATIONS IN MELBOURNE AND HOBART, A NEW UNIFIED COMPLEX
TO COST ABOUT $ 3 MILLION IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1977,
THIS IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF MOVING BUILDINGS NOROF THEEXPENDITURE
OF ABOUT $ 3 MILLION ON THE HEADQUARTERS,
YOUR EXCELLENT PORT FACILITIES WILL BENEFIT FROM MOUNTING
THE ANNUAL EXPEDITIONS TO THE ANTARCTIC, THE UNIVERSITY
OF TASMANIA WHICH HAS HAD A LONG ASSOCIATION WITH THE DIVISION
IN RESEARCH WORK ON COSMIC RAYS WILL BE IN A POSITION TO
CO-OPERATE MORE CLOSELY IN OTHER AREAS OF RESEARCH AND
BUILD UP ITS SCIENTIFIC REPUTATION, T; IE ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE
OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, SIR GEORGE CATLAND, AND THE ACADEMIC
STAFF OF THE UNIVERSITY TO THE TRANSFER OF THL DIVISION
UNDERLINES THE LONG-TERM IMPORTANCE THAT THEY SEE IN MY
GOVERNMENT'S DECISION,
WE WILL BE CO-OPERATING CLOSELY WITH THE TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT
AND THE HOBART COUNCIL AND OTHER AUTHORITIES IN THE SITING
AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEADQUARTERS, WE ARE ANXIOUS TO ADD
TO AND NOT DETRACT FROM THE GREAT CHARM OF YOUR CAPITAL,
IN ADDITION, A NEW MULTI-STORY BUILDING; DUE TO BE
COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 1975, IS BEING CONSTRUCTED AT THE
REPATRIATION GENERAL HOSPITAL, HOBART, AT A COST OF
MILLION, THIS BUILDING WILL CONTAIN TWO THIRTY-BED
WARDS PREVIOUSLY HOUSED IN 50 YEAR OLD PREMISES, PARAMEDICAL
FACILITIES AND NURSING STAFF ACCOMMODATION. NURSING AIDE
TRAINING WILL BE UNDERTAKEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TASMANIA
AT TIHIS HOSPITAL. THIS TRAINING IS AT PRESENT BEING
UNDERTAKEN IN VICTORIA AND, AS THIS RESULTS IN HIGH WASTAGE,
THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO HELP RETAIN THESE. SKILLS
LOCALLY, IN LINE WITH PRESENT POLICY, ANY SPARE BED CAPACITY
AT THE HOSPITAL WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY GENERALLY,
THE NEW BUILDING ACTIVITY IS IN LINE WITH A GENERALLY
GREATER AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT EMPHASIS ON TASMANIA, IT HAS
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED ITS EXPENDITURE IN HOBART AND THE
REST OF TASMANIA IN THE LAST YEAR, TOTAL PAYMENTS TO THE
TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT IN 1973/ 74, FOR ALL PURPOSES AND INCLUDING
THE STATE'S LOAN COUNCIL PROGRAM, ARE ESTIMATED TO TOTAL ABOUT
$ 228 MILLION,
THIS IS AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $ 32 MILLION OR 16 PER CENT
OVER PAYMENTS IN 1972/ 73, IT REPRESENTS MORE THAN $ 570
PER HEAD OF POPULATION IN TASMANIA, COMPARED TO AVERAGE
PAYMENTS TO ALL STATES OF ABOUT $ 337 PER HEAD. THIS IS
ONE INDICATOR OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S RECOGNITION
OF THE SPECIAL NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF TASMANIA.
TWO AREAS THAT HAVE BENEFITED PARTICULARLY FROM A
MUCH GREATER INFUSION OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FUNDS ARE
HOUSING AND EDUCATION, ADVANCES TOTALLING $ 16.3 MILLION
WILL BE MADE TO TASMANIA IN 1973/ 74 UNDER THE NEW HOUSING
AGREEMENT WITH THE STATES. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF NO LESS
THAN 82 PER CENT OVER THE CORRESPONDIN, ALLOCATION IN
1972/ 73, THE PURPOSE OF THE HOUSING AGREEMENT IS TO ASSIST
TASMANIA AND OTHER STATES TO PROVIDE MORE HOUSING FOR NEEDY
PERSONS. FOR EDUCATION, TASMANIA IS EXPEC: TED TO RECEIVE GRpi'iFS
TOTALLING ALMOST $ 19 MILLION IN 1973/ 74. THIS IS AN INCREASE
OF 111 PER CENT OVER THE PRECEDING YEAR. IN 1972/ 73 THE
COMPARABLE INCREASE WAS ONLY 12 PER CEN1, THIS MASSIVE
INCREASE WILL PROVIDE MORE MONEY FOR UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES
OF ADVANCED EDUCATION, TEACHERS' COLLFGES, TECHNICAL COLLEGES,
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND PRE-SCHOOLS, iN THE SPECIFIC
FIELDS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TASMANIA WILL
RECEIVE A TOTAL OF $ 20 MILLION IN 1974 AND 197j, FOLLOWING
THE GENERAL ACCEPTANCE BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVCRN I[ WNI OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE KARMEL COMMITTEE. THE FIRST PAYMENT
UNDER THE STATES GRANTS ( SCHOOLS) ACT 1973 $ 962,000 FOR THE
FIRST QUARTER OF 1974 HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
THIS BUILDING IS A TANGIBLE SYMBOL OF THE EXPANDED
ACTIVITY OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IN TASMANIA. WE HAVE
DIRECTED OUR POLICIES IN THE LAST 15 MONTHS TO ENSURING
THAT THIS STATE SHARES IN THE BENEFITS OF THE NEW
INITIATIVES WHICH WE ARE TAKING THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DIRECT OUR POLICIES TO THAT. END.
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