NOTI. S H1OR 1ilLI-PRIME MINISIER
/ MAkYbUkUUGI, LD.
3 NUVLIIULI 19i71
J WL IIAVL AI'PRUVLJD rIL FIRST DIRECT GRANTS EVER MADE BY
AN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS,
FOR THE FIRST TIME AN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS READY TO
IIELP LOCAL COUNCILS DELVELOP THEIR SERVICES AND AMENITIES
FOR THE PEOPLE. MARYBOROUGH CITYCUNIL IS RECEIVING
$ 130,000 ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE GRANTS COMMIIDN.,
LOCAL COUNCILS THROUGHOUT QUEENSLAND ARE RECEIVING
MILLION. THESE GRANTS ARE GIVEN WITHOUT INTEREST;
THEY NEED NOT BE REPAID. THERE ARE NOi STRINGS ATTACHED,
THEY CAN BE SPENT BY THE LOCAL COUNCILS AS THEY SEE. FIT.
THEY ARE MADE ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF AN EXPERT INDEPENDENT
BODY. THEY INVOLVE NO POLITICAL PATRONAGE OR FAVOURITISM,
THE DJELKE-PETERSEN GOVERNMENT HAS LAWAYS RESISTED
ATTEMPTS TO INVOLVE THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN THE WELFARE
OF LOCAL COUNCILS AND REGIONS. IF THEIR EFFORTS HAD BEEN
SUCCESSFUL MARYBOROUGH TODAY WOULD BE $ 130,000 WORSE OFF
AND COUNCIL RATESWULD BE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO RISE
FURTHER.
2. UNDER LABOR'S PROPOSALS A HIGH-GRADE ALL-WEATHER HIGHWAY
WILL LINK MARYBOROUGH WITH BRISBANE AND EVENTUALLY WITH
SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE. DESPITE OPPOSITION OBSTRUCTION
WE HAVE PASSED THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE
$ i1,126 MILLION FOR OUR NATIONAL ROADS PROGRAM OVER THE NEXT
THREE YEARS, a / 2
WI-. ARE THE F-IRST NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 10 UNDERTAKE THIS
L5. LN11AL I'PUGRAM, NO SIATI GOVERNMLNI HAS HAD THE
1; iiU Jl! CI. i I 0 I1 AI. ONI NO I'LIVlOUS Fl.) ERAL GOVERNMINT
CARLD ENOUGH TO DO IT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THE
NECESSARY CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS.
WE WANT TO SEE-MARYBOROUGH-PROPERLY SERVED BY SHIPS OF
IlE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL LINE. MR. BJELKE-PETERSEN, ALONE
AMONG THE PREMIERS HAS PREVENTED A. NL. SHIPS OPERATING
BETWEEN PORTS WITHIN HIS OWN STATE. QUEENSLAND CITIES
HAVE BEEN DENIED AN ESSENTIAL SHIPPING SERVICE SOLELY
BECAUSE OF THE OBSTINACY AND PREJUDICE OF THE OUTGOING
PREMIER. MR. BJELKE-PETERSEN'S ATTITUDE IS NOT SHARED
BY THE AUTHORITIES IN OTHER COASTAL PORTS. MR. BORZI,
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CAIRNS HARBOUR BOARD, AND A FORMER
STATE CANDIDATE OF THE NATIONAL PARTY, SAID IN HIS
1973-74 ANNUAL REPORT:
" THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL LINE'S WEEKLY CARGO
SERVICES TO AND FROM THE SOUTH BROUGHT INCREASED
TRADE AND REVENUE. UNFORTUNATELY THE BOARD'S
SUPPORT OF MOVES TO HAVE A. N. L. GRANTED THE
PRIVILEGE OF CONDUCTING AN INTRA-STATE CARGO
SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO DATE."
-3-
Ll, THE BJELKE-PETERSEN GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO
CO-OPERATE IN OUR EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN THE WALKERS LTD.
SHIPYARD IN MARYBOROUGH, WHEN WALKERS ANNOUNCED THEIR
DECISION TO CEASE SHIPBUILDING WE IMMEDIATELY SOUGHT
WAYS OF KEEPING THE INDUSTRY GOING. ON 24 APRIL I
INVITED WALKERS LTD. AND THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT TO
JOIN WITH US ON A 50-50 BASIS TO ESTABLISH A NEW SHIPBUILDING
AND ENGINEERING WORKS AT MARYBOROUGH AND
REHABILITATE WALKER'S EXISTING FACILITIES WHILE THE NEW
YARD WAS BEING BUILT. MY COLLEAGUE, CHARLIE JONES, THE
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT, VISITED MARYBOROUGH TO SEEK WAYS
OF KEEPING THE YARD OPEN. HE OFFERED TO GO IT ALONE
IF THE OTHER PARTIES REFUSED TO CO-OPERATE. WALKERS
REFUSED THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S OFFER TO LEASE THE
YARD AS A GOING CONCERN. THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT
REJECTED OUR OFFER TO TAKE A HALF SHARE IN REHABILITATING
THE YARD AND DEVELOPING A NEW SHIPBUILDING AND ENGINEERING
WORKS. THE WORKFORCE HAS NOW DISPERSED AND MUCH OF THE
EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN SOLD. MARYBOROUGH HAS : BEEN DEPRIVED
OF THIS THRIVING AND IMPORTANT INDUSTRY LARGELY BECAUSE OF
THE ATTITUDE OF THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT. ,/ 4
LIINDUSTRIAL
ACTIVITY IN MARYBOROUGH IS AT A LOW EBB
BECAUSE THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED TO ATTRACT
INIIW IIJ: i) UI RI I U 1111 l iN, MAIRY'( ROUGIRI ( S INPUSTRIAL
rITATEi IS VIiTAU'AI. LY UNUSEI. D YE. T THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT
REJECTS OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
WHICH WOULD STIMULATE EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS CONFIDENCE.
lMUNCY I-ROVIDI) ED BY THE / AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS SPENT
MORE SLOWLY AND SPARINGLY BY QUEENSLAND THAN BY ANY OTHER
STATE. So FAR THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HAS SPENT ONLY
18% OF THE MONEY AVAILABLE IN CAPITAL GRANTS FOR EDUCATION
IN 1974 AND 1975. IT IS BUILDING FEWER HOUSING COMMISSION
HOMES THAN ANY OTHER STATE DESPITE OUR OFFER OF A VIRTUAL
BLANK CHEQUE FOR WELFARE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, ONLY Ai
STATE LABOR GOVERNMENT LED BY PERC TUCKER AND WORKING IN
CO-OPERATION WITH THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT CAN DEVELOP
" IARYBOROUGH'S FULL POTENTIAL AS AN INDUSTRIAL CITY.