P RDIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA FRIDAY, 22 OCTOBER 1982
CIVIC RECEPTION, PORT AUGUSTA
We have had a useful discussion with your council earlier
this morning on a number of matters of their concern and they
will be followed up. You have always shown a very marked
degree of civic pride in this city and I think you have a
great deal of pride in what you have achieved.
You know that our attitude to local government is one which
we have tried to make sure that local government have available
to it the resources which are necessary to meet their own
responsibilities. We don't believe that people in Canberra
can sit down and say well local government must do this or that
and therefore we'll introduce a whole host of programs
which would limit your owqn flexibility. Wie believe
in supplementing the rescurces of local government in a way
which have either made it possible for local governments to
do more of the things that they wanted to do, and if. they
wanted to choose another path in some cases ( inaudible)
made it possible, then not to raise rates by as much as they
otherwise would have had to increase them.
I don't know if I shculd tell-the story but I was visiting
Burke in western NSW on one occasion in 1976-77 and they said
they hadn't put up their rates since 1968, as a farmer that
is an example that I would dearly have loved my own local
government authorities to follow. I amn afraid they had other
ambititions and hadn't attempted to.-
There are significant developmeP~ ts occuring here the Norther
power staftion having a good deal of money spent on it and I
would like to draw attention to the fact that the last Loan
Council and Premiers' Conference, we made decisions that
released the development of electricity authorities from the
shackles of the Commonwealth or Loan Council control and now
it is a matter for the state electricity authorities or for
state governments as to how much money they raise. I don't think
the alleged control of the Loans Council ever really made much
difference because if you didn't get official loan funds the
electricity authority knew how to get the money from . trade
credits for leasing arrangements of one kind or another.
The earlier controls were operating very much.-as a farce.
I suppose that is one of the reasons why we said we should abandon
it and people should do their own thing in a responsible way.
I think it is a sensible change and a sensible -advance because
I don't believe state governments or electricilty authorities are
going to be in the business of erecting power stations just for
the fun of it. They erect power statL-iQls if people are going to use
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PORT AUGUSTA
the power and if they start to erect power stations in the
capacity to ( inaudible) and I have no doubt that the
erectors of whatever state it might he waould take it out
on some future occasioa.
That is a sensible devolution of authority of control from
Canberra back where it ought to be in charge of the states,
or particular authorities.
In the last Budget we introduced a new bicentennary roads
progam and it is going to be financed by a special levy under
sunset legislation on distillate and on petrol. I found that
people don'It mind paying that additional levy because it is
going to be a great benefit to road construction around
Australia. Substantial progress will be made with the national
highways program, there will be much greater funds for urban
arterial and rural arterial roads arid there will be additional
funds also available for local government to spend as they
think fit on their own motorways. As we approach the Australian
bicentennial year in 1988 we are going to look forward to a time
when road networks throughout this country is much better than
we had ever dreamt it could be and this will be as a result of
this bicentennial program.
I hope shortly Ralph Hunt will have collected the various proosals.
for construction under the program from all the states and
put them together and then it is proposed there will be a major
launch of the progam in which everyone is going to be able to see
what national highways, what arterial roads,.. what urban transport
proposals are being accepted under the program. About $ 2,500 billion
in all and then, progressively over the next five years we will
be able to see what advances are being made under it.
We are ( inaudible) in the states. We are going to insist that
big construction signs be put up wherever the works are in
progress which indicates that it is some of your bicentennial.
money being spent on road construction. Normally we provide the
money and the states put up the sign ( inaudible) We thought we
would get. in first-and say that the signs are going to l4ave to
go up saying that it is part of the bicentennial program.
In South Australia ( inaudible) funds for roads will go up
substantially over the next two or three years in total.
In 1982/ 83 about an increase of 30% and the next year about
another 30%. In this year the funds for local roads is going
up about 24% and 18% again next year. This is providing a
substantial supplement to the standard road program where
there have been a number of represen tat ions from local government
that not enough was being spent. Everyone is going tobenefit
from this program, not just the people who live in particular
areas, businesses, commerce, mining developments and tourists
who just want to go about this country aid see what they can of
it.
One of the things which holds up exicting prospects for the future
is the development of Roxby Downs. The proposed expenditure is
about $ 1.4 billion. Doug Anthony in answer to a question in the
Parliament this week indicated that there could be between
18,000 jobs during the construction phase, up to
8,000 or a little more during -Che pa-oduction phase and up to
$ 650 million worth of annual production. These are prospects 3
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that would hold great hopes for development inthe Iron Triangle.
If * Roxby Downs then I have no doubt that David Tonkin will
be pressing firmly to see that the final decision in relation
to uranium enrichment is for a site in this state.
At the moment I still have to be impartial between the states
because I am not sure if David Tonkin on one hand and
Joh Bjelke-Petersen on the other would ( inaudible). The
report that has just been produced indicates that the favoured
site are in South Australia or in Queensland. I know that
David Tonkin has substantial arguments that he put with
great vigour which he believes that South Australia should
have first priority over those sites. I would expect him
to say that but let me only say that I believe the arguments
he puts, he puts with great strength, vigour and they obviously
carry great validity. It would make an enourous amount of
difference for South Australia if you had the Roxby Downs project
going ahead with all the money being spent on it and the jobs and
opportunities for the Iron Triangle and this city, and if that
( inaudible) my decisions in relation to uranium enrichment
it would do an enormous amount for this state. I know that is what
the Premier is working for with all the vigour that he can
command. I hope that you don't think I am being ( inaudible)
butthis could only happen if uranium is mined at Roxby Downs,
it cannot happen otherwise. When you have a situation * in
Europe, Japan and many other places the continued-operating
of their factories, the heating of their homes in winters that
are much colder than anything we have ever found in Australia,
they are becoming increasingly dependent upon power from nuclear
energy, then I really do think it is a ridiculous policy to
say that Australia could not be assisting and providing the
power and the fuel that is necessary for those purposes. It
goes ahead anyway, it will go ahead safer if Australia is
involved in -the business'. than if it is all left to other people.
Policies which show that the uranium industry has to be killed
off, that it cannot proceed, I think are policies of despair
and certainly policies that would deny enormous opportunities
for this city and the. Iron Triangle. These are some of the
questions which South Australia will be making a judgement in
two or three weeks time. I wish I had a few votes in that election
but I don't.
Thank you for your hospitality, I welcomed the opportunity of
meeting you and your council and others of your community
and Tamie and I appreciate your hospitality very much indeed.