CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY FMRAR( orD UNTIL DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
LAUNCH OF ILLAWARRA REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
WOLLONGONG, 27 SEPTEMBER 1990
Nearly two years have passed since the Illawarra community
started the ball rolling on what has turned out to be a
great reassertion of the confidence, strength and optimism
that characterise this region.
In October 1988, on a visit to Wollongong, I was given a
document that outlined a new plan for getting the Illawarra
back on track.
You called for three things: the convening of a Regional
Economic Summit, the formation of a Regional Consultative
Council, and the development of a regional economic action
plan. At the time, that might have seemed an ambitious proposal.
But today we are celebrating the fact that, with the launch
of this report, you have achieved each of those three goals
you outlined to me two years ago.
The regional summit was held last July and from the
reports I received from the five Ministers of my Government
who attended, it was a path-breaking success.
Out of that Summit came the establishment of a Consultative
Council that would develop an economic strategy for the
Illawarra. It was my pleasure to appoint Stephen Martin as
its Chairnin, end to see that the Federal Government could
" r. vide the financial resources to fund the Council's work.
This report is the product of the Council's work, and I can
tell you at the outsct that it is a very welcome report,
both becaucR of the obvious effort that has gone into
preparing it and because of the breadth of community support
that exists for it. iI
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I want especially to thank Stephen Martin for his tireless
efforts in bringing this project to fruition; in many ways
his work has been a classic example of what a local member
can do for his constituents through hard work, imagination
and leadership.
I am not here just to pat people on the back for a job well
done. But before I turn to the substance of the report, I
want first to underline the significance of what you have
done here.
The fundamental problem facing the Illawarra is its
dependence on a narrow range of industries, particularly
coal and steel. You don't need me to remind you of the
difficulties the region as a whole faced when those two
industries were hit hard in the early 1980s.
In this dependence on a narrow range of industries, and in
your consequent vulnerability to economic fluctuations, you
embodied many of the economic difficulties experienced by
Australia as a whole.
As a nation, we have for too long relied for our prosperity
on doing a few things well a few relatively easy things
such as shearing sheep or digging up minerals while
neglecting the harder job of building a diverse and
competitive economy.
It's been the principal tasks of my Government to try and
shake Australia out of those old complacent habits; to make
us more efficient and more cooperative in our economic
practices; and to encourage Australians to be more creative
and energetic in looking for new industries and new products
that we can sell on the increasingly competitive markets of
the world.
And just as the Illawarra region embodied many of the
economic problems faced by Australia, so you embody as
this report shows our hopes as a nation for a more
cooperative, diverse and productive future.
The way in which employers and trade unions cooperated with
the Federal Government to put the steel industry back on its
feet was an eloquent proof of that. The steel plan simply
could not have succeeded without the commitment of each
party to work together in the interests of ensuring the
region, and the nation, retained a competitive and
productive steel industry.
The results are on the board: increasing exports,
strengthening productivity, and a dramatically improved
industrial relations scene. Here at Port Kembla, hours lost
through industrial disputes last year were just over five
per cent of the levels of 1981 a dramatic turnaround by
any standards. I
I 4. 3.
So it's crystal clear that there is a new spirit at large in
the Illawarra a new commitment to work together as a
community so that the vast potential of the region can be
fulfilled. That's what makes this report such a welcome achievement,
and that is why it provides such a firm foundation for the
future of -the region.
As you recognise in this report, manufacturing will always
be importanrt for the Illawarra, and there is a number of new
industries such as marine engineering that could be natural
complements to the strong base that has already been
established. Some improvements could also be made to your
transport infrastructure to sustain such developments.
Perhaps even more exciting are the prospects outside
manufacturing the new opportunities for employment and
growth in tourism, finance, retailing and high-tech industry
such as telecommunications.
Of critical importance to this is the expansion of the
educational and skills base of the local economy.
The University of Wollongong is now the second-largest
employer in the Illawarra. The Commonwealth has increased
its funding for the University by 150 per cent in real terms
since 1983. But equally significant for the future has been
the way ina which the university itself has embarked on
cooperative projects with industry that have generated
significan~ t new revenues the turnover from cooperative
research programs has grown from $ 300,000 in 1985 to
$ 14 million this financial year.
These changes have not by themselves solved the problems the
Illawarra faces. But they do help diversify the local
economy and so make it better able to cope with fluctuations
and better able to offer satisfying jobs to the people of
the Illawarra. They help the region, and the nation,
generate new exports to earn new income abroad. And they
help us build not just a lucky country but a clever country
that can stay ahead of the constantly changing game in those
critical activities of scientific research and development.
I don't pretend that I can give you an answer today to all
the issues you raise in this report. I'm not here to
announce new financial commitments on the requests made in
this report. I can commit, and I do commit, my Government
to look carefully at all the proposals made here and to
provide a detailed responsa to it as soon as we can.
4.
I notice in particular the report's emphasis on the need for
better cooperation between different levels of government,
since efforts to develop an effective regional approach have
been hampered by a degree of duplication and lack of
coordination. As you know, I am initiating a major effort,
with the State Premiers, to improve the efficiency of our
Federal system, and I will be chairing a Special Premiers'
Conference at the end of October to address this very issue.
In this regard, I make the point that many of the projects
suggested in your report would stand a much better chance of
attracting Commonwealth funding under current programs if
the State Government were to raise the priority it places on
tackling the problems of the Illawarra.
I can only echo Stephen Martin's words: this is not a
wish-list report; it is a hard-headed and sensible set of
achievable solutions to the problems faced by the region.
I congratulate you on this report and I give you my
commitment to continue working with you to ensure the best
possible future for the Illawarra.