P. M. No, 69/ 1962
PROVISION OF COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FOR DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS IN TI, KIMBERLEY
REGION OF WESTERN AUSTRAIA
Statement by the Acting Prime Minister_ Senator the Hon,
WoH, Spoon(,, r
The Acting Prime Minister, Senator Spooner, announced
today that the Commonwealth Government has agreed to extend
beyond the current financial year the provision of financial
assistance to the State of Western Australia for developmental
projects in the Kimberley region.
Senator Spooner recalled that the Commonwealth has
for some years been actively participating in the financing
of developmental expenditure in the northern part of Western
Australia0 Under the provisions of the Western Australia
Grant ( Northern Development) Act 1958-1959, the Commonwealth
undertook to provide up to œ 5 million towards the cost of
developmental projects undertaken by the State in the area
during the five years commencing 1st July, 1958, Expenditure
under the Act to 30th June last amounted to œ 3,568,000 and a
furthe-2 œ 1,432,000, to bring the total Commonw'ealth payments
to œ 5 million, is being provided this financial years The
projects assisted under the Act include the Crd River diversion
dam and certain port improvements and investigations.
In addition to the œ 5 million grant, and also to
its regular annual payments to the State under the Commonwealth
Aid Roads Act 1959, the Commonwealth made a grant of œ 500,000
to Western Australia in 1961-62 for the improvement of the
Wyndham-Nicholson and Wyndham-Hall's Creek roads for the
transport of beef cattle During the year, the State Government
also spent at least an equal amount from its own resources on
other beef cattle roads in the Kimberley region. Improvement
of road transport facilities in the region is expected to lead
to a significant rise in beef production and thus to an increase
in export earnings, and Senator Spooner said that the work
being carried out has already begun to show tangible results
in terms of an increased off-turn of beef cattle. Cattle
numbers transported to the meatworks at Wyndham were nil in
1960, 3,902 in 1961 and 11,167 in 1962o
As announced by the Treasurer in his recent Budget
Speech, provision was made in the Commonwealth's 1962-63 Budget
for a further grant of œ 700,000 to Western Australia for beef
roads purposes, and also for payment of an amount of œ 300000
towards the construction of a new jetty at Derby to facilitate
particularly the shipment of cattle from the region served by
that porto Senator Spooner said that inter-governmental arrangements
in respect of the further assistance measures provided
for in the 1962-63 Budget were recently discussed between
representatives of the two Governmentso The Commonwealth was
represented at these discussions by Senator Spooner as Acting
Prime Minister and Senator Paltridge as Acting Treasurer, and
the Western Australian Government was represented by Mr. C0W.
Court, the State Minister for the North-West, o. 0008 oo/ 2
2
At the discussions, Mr. Court on behalf of the
State Government emphasised in particular that to enable
the State to go ahead with the construction and improvement
of beef cattle roads and the Derby Jetty project on a properly
planned basis, it was highly desirable for the Commonwealthts
position in relation to the future financing of the two projects
subsequent to 1962-63) to be determined.
With regard to beef cattle roads, Senator Spooner
said the Commonwealth Government has now agreed to provide to
the State in addition to the grant of œ 700,000 this financial
year and the grant of œ 500,000 last financia year further
grants of œ 750,000 for each of the three years 1961-64, 1964-65
and 1965-66. In effect, the scheme of Commonwealth assistance
will be extended to take the form of grants of up to œ 3,450 000
over the five year period 1961-62 to 1965-66 inclusive, on the
understanding that over the period the State will from its
own resources spend at least an equal amount cn the construction
and improvement of beef cattle roads in the area.
Senator Spooner said it is intended that the Commonwealth
grant of œ 700,000 in 1962-63 will be spent on the same
two roads as the grant of œ 500 000 last year ( namely the
Wyndham-Nicholson and Wyndham-Aallfs Creek roads). As to the
future the State Government has prepared a general programme
of road works covering the five year period, and the roads on
which the Commonwealth grants after 1962-63 are spent will be
subject to the Commonwealth's approval.
Senator Spooner commented that there will now be a
comprehensive scheme of Commonwealth financial assistance
totalling œ 13 million for beef roads covering broad areas of
northern Australia. In addition to the grants of œ 3.45 million
to Western Australia, the Commonwealth has already undertaken
to provide grants of œ 5 million for the construction of beef
cattle roads in Queensland over the five year period from
1961-62, while in the Northern Territory a programme of beef
roads to cost œ 4.57 million over three to four years is under way.
With regard to the Derby Jetty, the project is
scheduled by the tate for completion by the end of 1963-64 at
a total estimated cost of œ 800,000. Senator Spooner said
the Commonwealth Government has now agreed to provide to the
State financial assistdnce of up to the full amount of œ 800,000,
of which up to œ 300,000 is to be provided in 1962-63. One
half of the assistance will be in the form of a grant and one
half in the form of an interest-bearing loan repayable by the
State over 15 years.
Senator Spooner added that legislation to approve
the arrangements for the provision of Commonwealth financial
assistance for beef cattle roads in the Kimberley region and
for the Derby Jetty project will be introduced during the
forthcoming sittings of Parliament.
CANBERRA, 27th September, 1962.