SECOND READING SPEECH
by
THE PRIIIVVI INIST, THE RT. HON. R. G. ~ ZE
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESEI\ TATIVES. CANBERRA, W~ EDYESDAY, 18TH OCTOBER, 1961
QUEENSLAND GRANT ( BEEF CATTLE ROADS) BILL, 1961
This Bill seeks the approval of the Parliament to a grant of financial
assistance to the State of Queensland for the construction of beef cattle roads
in that State. In February last, I announced the Government's interest in1 a number
of large enterprises which would assist with development and increase export
earnings. Included in the list was " road development in the North, including
North and Western Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the North of
Western Australia. 1" Following a very careful examination of the whole
question of road requirements in the North, and consultation with the StateL;
concerned, the Government decided on an immediate programme of assistance in all
three areas. The current Budget includes a special allocation of œ 350,000
designed to speed up road development in the Northern Territory, and we have
also agreed to a special grant to Western Australia which is the subject of a
Bill I shall be introducing shortly. The present ffeasure covers the assistance
we plan for the State of Queensland.
It is perhaps unnecessary for me to stress the great importance of
transport to the development of our sparsely-populated northern areas, or to
1well on the part played by the beef cattle industry in those areas and the
significance of beef as an export earner. These facts are well-known, and
there is also general acknawlhdgment of the further fact that droving as a means
of moving cattle from place to place is rapidly being superseded, where suitable
roads are available, by the use of motorised road trains. The use of road
trains speeds up movement. More importantly, its general availability has the
side effect of promoting quite significant changes in animal husbandry,
allowing cattle to be " turned off" at much younger ages and thus increqising the
productivity and overall efficiency of individual properties, as well as
producing, in most instances, an end product of higher quality.
Expert economic studies, designed largely to measure the cost of
roads against the value of the benefits expected to flow from their
construction, have shown that there is much scope in Queensland f or roads
expenditure which should produce really worthwhile results. Apart from the
Queensland section of the Barkly Highway between Camooweal and Mount Isa, there
is practically no road in the west and north-west of the State suitable for the
regular transport of cattle.
Earlier this year, I announced that, as a first step, we had agreed to
provide œ 650,000 of the first œ 1,000,000 spent on the construction of a road
between Noirnanton and the Tovnsville-Mount Isa raillway at Julia Creek. This
work is now well under way, and the 1961/ 62 Budget has made provision for the
Commonwealth contribution of œ 650, 000.* However, at Budget time it was
announced that we were ready and willing to go much further than this, and in
subsequent discussions with the Qlueensland Government woe have agreed to an allinclusive
grant of œ Smillion to be rmde over a period of five years for
expenditure on approved road works.
In effect, we have left the Normanton-Julia Creek arrangenent as it
stands, and we have added a further œ 4,350,000 as a straight-out grant which
does not have to be matched by corresponding expenditure on the part of the
State. Put in another way, if the State spends a total of œ 5,350,000 on
approved roads during the prescribed period, it can qualify for a Commonwealth
grant of œ 5million towards this expenditure. The grant would be made
available progrossively over the period and so provide for financing of the work
as well as ultimate assistance,
The actual roads on which expenditure will qualify for
reimbursement will be selected in the first instance by the State, but must be
approved by the Treasurer. Neturally from a Common-wealth viewpoint we want the
funds to be applied to the best advantage, and thus the Treasurer is required
to have regard to certain criteria essentially the effect on beef production
and the relationship between cost and benefits before giving an approval.
The Bill also provides that the Treasurer may approve standards of
design or construction and that, if he does so approve, then the State must
comply with those standaids to be eligible for a grant in respect of the -Tor
concernfd. On this aspect I can say that there is already a very substantial
measure of agreeme~ nt on standards.
I feel sure that there will be general support for this measu.' e
which, in conjunction with other assistance proposals already before the House
or to be introduced, should contribute greatly to that development of this
country and its resourcesz in which we all believe.
I commend the Bill to the House.