PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT27SPEBR19
ADDRESS TO LIBERAL PARTY DINNER, CANBERRA
Margaret Reid, John Atwill, Bob Ellicott, John Knight,
John Haslem, Jim Leedman and his team, ladies and gentlemen.
It is good to be here tonight, and good to see so many
people coming to this annual ACT Liberal Party function.
I have been asked to speak about Canberra, and I wanted
to try and say something about the future how I believe
Canberra is going to develop as a greater and greater national
capital capturing the pride of all Australians.
But first I would like to trace some of the beginnings of this
city and try and link together how the history of Canberra is
very much bound together with the history of the Liberal Party.
Because it was thirty years ago in 1949 with Sir Robert Menzies
and the decisions that were made after that great election victory
that really led to the development of Canberra as a great city
and as a great capital.
Canberra has come a long way since its beginnings. In 1912
there were two tiny villages Hall and Tharwa nine large
pastoral stations, a few buildings scattered near the Molonglo
Crossing. In 1925 it was still fairly rural when A. P. Herbet
visited Parliament House during the construction period and
he wrote, " Our guide pointed to a concrete mixer and said,
' that's the Senate'. He then took us to a crowd of men hard at
work in a cloud of dust. ' That's the Lower House', he said.
Finally, they too, us out to a grand terrace... . our friend
pointed to an empty field and said, ' That's the National
Library'. ' Remarkable', we said, and so it was, for at
that moment there was passing through the National Library
a real Australian cow".
I remember seeing dairy cows on Molonglo Flats when I first
came to Canberra, about 24,. 25 years ago. Just after the
Second World War, the only buildings of significance were
the temporary Parliament House, and Bob Ellicott is doing
something about that, the Australian War Memrorial, the Hotel
Canberra where too many stories were probably told too late
at night, the Hotel Kurrajong, the old Patent's office and
East and West Block where the power of the Public Service
used to reside.
Before the creation of Lake Burley Griffin in the early sixties,
Canberra was in a sense, two cities, seperated by a flood plain,
or a dairy farm or a golf course, depending upon the weather
or your own inclination. The flood plain was even used by
Lord Casey as an airport I-am told at times. I do not know
what the air traffic controllers were doing then.
Despite continuous opposition from people in the States, and
by people who really did not know what the Liberal Party was
about in seeking to build a great capital, despite the claims
of waste and all the rest, over 30 years there have been dramatic
changes in this city from a little over 20,000 people in 1949 to
230,000 today. 27 SEPTEMBER 1979
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Now, with maturity, Canberra gains dignity and becomes yearly
more impressive as a significant city. The society of Canberra,
the community of Canberra is more sophisticated, more
cosmopolitan. People from many different lands are represented
as is made quite plain by the very fact that we are meeting
tonight in the Hellenic Club. On a more mundane and material
level, Canberra has the highest weekly earnings of any State
or Territory in Australia
In the intervening years, Canberra has seen major construction
including the National Library, the Treasury, the Belconnen
Offices, the Academy of Science, the Mint,' the Russell Defence
complex, the Woden Valley development, the building of
hospitals, the National University itself which is a
creation since the Second World War, the Black Mountain
Tower. And I suppose many of these are musts for the 2 million
visitors that come to Canberra each year.
During this time, fifty suburbs were developed, containing
more than 50,000 homes, compared again with 30 years ago
with about 3,500 homes. Now these developments have not just
happened. They occured because people had a conception of
what Canberra should be about. They occured because people
had an idea of what the seat of Government should be about.
They occured because people believed that the main policy
departments, the great departments of State my own, Treasury,
Foreign Affairs, Trade should have their policy divisions in
Canberra-giving-substance-to the seat of Government, and at
the same time, giving substance to the Australian capital.
So initiative was required, both by Government and by the private
sector which must continue to work in partnership and now I
believe, more than ever before. often there was a need to
overcome prejudice. I can well remember from an excursion into
western Queensland and Sir Robert was attacked for building
a lake in Canberra. He said, " Well, people have been telling
me to go and jump into the lake all my life. So I thought
it was time I had one".
Successive Liberal Governments have developed this city, this
capital, and in particular I think we need to note the
contribution of Sir Robert Menzies. So many buildinggs, so much
of this city bore his print, his idea, his conception, of what
a great capital should be. The National Library standing on
the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin is just one lasting tribute
to his wisdom and foresight in helping to build this city.
And of course, Lake Burley Griffin itself.
Sir Robert was ably assisted by Sir John Overall of the National
Capital Development Commission and the continuing work of that
Commission which goes on to this day.
Since 1950, the population of this city has grown, as you all
well know, by nearly 8% a year. There was, of course, no way
in which this rate of growth can be continued indefinitely
into the future. It is now around still above the national
average and hopefully at a sustainable level, but obviously
there have been very real problems in the transition from
that rapid rate of growth to the current growth of 2%. / 13
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What slower growth has meant adjustments. I think that at some
, time the change was going to be inevitable but unfortunately
there have been difficulties. Bob Ellicott and your own Members
are well aware of that and I am aware of it.
The Public Service transfer programme had to slow down once most
of the great departments of State had come to this city.
Despite what some people might think, there is not an
inexhaustable supply of Public Servants to go on coming to
this city from Melbourne and Sydney and other places.
It is important to make sure that the Public Service maintains
its links in the commercial centers in the States just as
it is important that the great policy elemenits of major departments
should be housed and placed in the capital itself.
We have got to remember that Government spending had to be
brought under control. It had to be reduced to a level which
you and everyone else as tax payers.,: were prepared to sustain
on a long term and sensible basis. The hot house of Labor
years had to be put behind and responsibi. lity had to be
re-established. So we are well aware that there have been,
that there ara difficulties, and these I hope we can work
together to overcome.
But much of the solution not all of it much of the solution
to Canberra's problems is fundamentally the same as the solution
for the'rest of Australia itself. Sensible economic management
that enables Governments and people and industries to plan
for the future. That is just as important to Canberra as it
is to the rest of Australia.
To have inflation down and competitiveness up, to have overseas
investment increased, and thus increase employment, to increase
economic activity and to establish a growing confidence in
Australia as indeed there how is, here and overseas. The
Government is very firmly committed to its Liberal philosophy.
and that partnership which is so essential between Government
and private enterprise and private initiative. It is the role
of Government to create the conditions for development and
growth. I think-Bob Ellicott has probably given more-attention
than any other Minister for the national capital to ways in
which private sector involvement and interest and investment
in Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory can be encouraged
and enduced to come here.
Ithink much of the future in Canberra will lie in the success
of those particular efforts. Now we are looking to the future
of this city as we look to the future of the rest of Australia.
We look to the future so that Canberra can grow, steadily,
firmly and confidently into the 1980s having a pretty fair
idea of what lies ahead. But we can do this in a number of ways:
further developing this city as a symbol of Australia's national
identity, our strength of purpose and our pride as a nation;
consolidating the development of the departments of State
in Canberra; and encouraging the development of the private
sector as we never have before.
The Government has taken a number of decisions which will set
the broad guidelines for some major developments in the coming
years. Decisions to construct a new and permanent Parliament House
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on Capital Hill. The decision in principle to construct new
Commonwealth Law Courts which include the Federal Court, the
Supreme Court of the Capital Territory, the Conciliation and
Arbitration Commission and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
A National archives headquarters, a new institute of criminology,
and the Government inspite of a Public Works COmmittee, has not
forgotten the Casey University proposal.
I can remember about 11 years ago in a Cabinet meeting when
that particular proposal was first put to Cabinet. I think the
argument took three hours and I got beaten, but I have never*
ceased to believe that the concept of Casey University makes
sense for Australia's armed services and for the development
of the defence forces. I venture to say that that is a military
view at the most senior level, just as much as it is a civilian
view. In addition to that, the High Court of course is going to be
open very shortly. The National Gallery buildings are also
nearing completion in year or two. In May of 1980, Her Majesty
the Queen will open the High Court building, a magnificent
building which will add to the dignity of this capital.
The National Gallery opening will be in 1982, and that
will be an exciting event. It will enable Australians to see
perhaps for the first time, the excellence of the national
collection that was begun by Sir Robert Menzies under arrangements
made about 30 years ago, and which has continued steadily ever
since.
The Director of the Gallery, James Mollison, has and is making
an enormous contribution to the development of that collection
and it must indeed be exciting for him as it is for Australia,
to look forward to the opening of Australia's own National Gallery.
As further evidence of the Government's commitment of the
Liberal Party's commitment to the development of Canberra
as a national capital, as a center point of Austral~ ian pride
and achievement. I am pleased to announce that the Government
has decided to introduce legislation establishing a National
Museum of History in Canberra. It will be the Museum of Australia.
An interim council will be appointed. It will bring forward plans
for the development of the museum for'the first stage-of buildingsp
three inter-related themes, natural environment, Aboriginal
history, European civilization and Australia. This is important
to Australians. It will be important to overseas visitors. It
will take some time to develop clearly but we need to understand that
the planning and development for the National Gallery began
a long while ago, and it is past time when we began the planning
for the museum of Australia.
The transfer programme is important to the continued development
of this city but at some point, the large significant transfers
of the past come to the end. In this sense, I suppose Australia
runs out of Public Servants, at some point, but there are still
some public transfers and they will continue while there is a
need for more people to come here particularly from policy areas
of significant policy departments.
While units exercising national responsibilities may come here
and need to, we need also to remember that departments must
retain in regional areas in the States and in the capital cities
of the States so that policies can be implimented, and to make sure
that the central offices are kept informed of local issues
and local needs.
But, we also need to understandtha those transfers to Canberra
improve efficiency of administration, the standard and
responsiveness of advice, of access and of communication at
the highest policy levels. Over the next five years or so,
transfers will take place in the order of 1,800 jobs
involving the departments of Transport, which will most significantly
be involved, Employment and Youth Affairs, Postal and
Telecommunications, Productivity, Industrial Relations and
Defence. Details viill be finalised after consultation between the Public
Service Board, the departments concerned and-the consultation
that we are commited to undertake with the peak councils.
The actual timing of the transfers will need to be considered
in the light of present and future accommodation requirements
in Canberra itsel~ f.
I would -like something' more about private enterprise in
this city. Tourism Canberra acts as a powerful magnet
for tourists as we all know~ attracting over 2 million visitors
each year. The Government hopes that this can be increased
very significantly. A tourist office is being established
in Sydney and that office will attract more overseas tourists,
assisted we would hope, by lower international airfares.
But the'location of Canberra, a gateway to the Snowy Mountainsits
relative proximity to Sydney and to Melbourne, its accessibility
by air and by road all act to enhance the tourist potential of
Canberra and the possibilities for further growth.
Indeed, the more this city is developed as a great national
capital, the more it attracts Australians to come and visit
and see their own national capital. I think one of the interestin,
things is that sometimes people come here as sceptics, but
if they do, they generally leave with a sense of great
national pride in their capital.
Private enterprise is important and there are examples of
our Liberal approach . working in co-operation with--the
private enterprise sector now becoming more clear within
this city. The old Canberra brick works are being developed
asa tourist attraction, costing $ 1 million or more.-
The. Northbourne Avenue Motel Devblopment, again at considerable
cost. The flood lighting at Bruce Stadium is going to be upgraded
so that colour television can be translated. I am sorry the Soccer
club, Canberra City, are not here to know that. It seemed a little
wasteful to have lighting which was only good for black and white,
and so the lighting is being upgraded.
Then there are other examples of tourist attractions. The
Cockington Green Minature Village, the Canberry Fair project,
a major tourist centre on the old.-Jolimont site is subject to
a feasibility study. These are the kinds of things that people
can be involved in, helping to forge this city through into
the 1980s and beyond. We sought submissions for the development
of a convention centre and a hotel,. possibly including a casino
in the business centre of Canberra. / 6
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The House of Assembly has recommended that a licence be
granted for a casino the'Government has yet to make a
decision on that but I do not believe that there is great,
in principle, opposition to the concept.
The Commonwealth Heads. of Government Meeting will be held in
Australia in two years time. This is a meeting of 40 Heads
of Government. It is a unique meeting because I do not know
any other assembly where a significant number of Heads of
Government are prepared to give up to eight or ten days
of their time to get to meet together, to talk to each other,
to understand each other's problems and hopefully to make
some contribution to the resolution of difficult issues.
The last conference at Lusaka certainly opened the door
to the settlement of one of the most difficult international
problems of the last 15 to 20 years in Rhodesia, and the advice
we have from London is that the Constitutional Conference
has been moving forward steadily and making better progress
than might have been expected at the outset.
The next meeting will be in Australia and it is a great honour
to Australia I believe that the conference will be held here.
There is no final decision yet about the actual
location of the conference but we are determined to make
sure that Canberra participates at least in some part of
the conference if the particular needs of the conference
in terms of accommodation make it impossible to have the
major part of the conference in this city.
So, the Commonwealth Heads of Government will be coming
to Canberra, part of the conference at least will be held
this city but, we have not made final decisions about the
actual location of the major part of the conference.
The natural gas pipeline will be coming to Canberra. It has
been approved in principal. It will be a spur line from the
Moomba-Sydney pipeline. It will provide alternative fuel source
which will I suppose be all the more welcome as oil prices rise.
Itwill supply Canberra and Queanbeyan and again will be a useful
development for this city.
Bob Ellicott has established the Canberra Development Board.
This city has reached the stage where attractions, the attributes
of this city, need to be marketed in the wider Auttralian scene.
Ithink the Quest of Quests was one example of that bringing
much of Canberra to the notice of a very large audience right
around Australia.
But the Government cannot do these things alone. The Canberra
Development Board under the Chairmanship of Laurie Muir,
the senior partner of one of Australia's leading stockbroking
firms will promote and encourage further investment in Canberra
by the private sector. It is a great challenge in front of the
Board but we have high hopes for its success in the years ahead.
The Board will build on the infrastructure the Government has
and is creating in Canberra and encouraged private sector
investment in the maturing stages of Canberra's growth as
a city.
THe programmes I have announced tonight, the major works underway,
the major works planned, the major decisions made, the continuation
of the transfer programme, the creation of the Canberra . Developmnent Board
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and the resources that have been developed over many years,
largely by Liberal Governments in this city, have all demonstrated
the firm and lasting committment of the Commonwealth Government
to a prosperous and viable national capital.
There is one last thing I would like to say about the national
capital. It might perhaps be more relevant to people who live
outside Canberra in the States than to people who live in
it. There is some kind of a message in it for all Australians
because I believe we have earnedgand justifiably earned but I
wish we had not, the name of being a nation of knockers.
How often do we hear Australians saying, " We can't do it
so well, Australian workmanship isn't so good, Australian
motorcars aren't as good as some that are imported", and
how often do we hear people who live outside Canberra saying
something derogatory of this city and of this capital, as though
it were a waste as though it were something unnecessary in
the Australian Commonwealth. Well, I think that we should have
out growniat kind of attitude long ago and I hope that people
who live in Canberra, people who come and visit this city as
the time passes, will all go away as advocates of Canberra.
Because, if Canberra did not exist, if it had not been established
here many years ago, I suspect there would be a need today to
establish this capital as a mark of identity, as a symbol of
Australia' s national pride, of what Australia is all about,
what Australia stands for, what the Government and people in
partnership intend to do. I believe much has been achieved in
Canberra of which we all should have a reason to be very
justly proud. I would like to think that all Australians could
share in that and increasingly, a number do. But still we
sometimes find, you know Canberra is unnessary, what is
Government support of it all about. People I. suppose think, is
it popular sometimes to knock this city? Well, if it is, they
ought to understand that if they knock this city they are
knocking themselves and they are knocking this nation.
I believe it is time that we put that past us. It is time
that we began to understand what Australia is all about.
and that Canberra is part of it a great city, surely largely
an administrative city but an important an important
part of this nation, the best nation in the world.