PM Transcripts

FOR PRE S: P. 11. 17o. 53/ 97
Q~ JLEUID FLOkODS" co ON'.> i mjT
AS S I OT A' C E
St-itement by the Prime T-linister, H-irold Holt
In i. sth-tement on 29th 1967, my colle. iiue
the Rio-ht T) IHP onourr ble John McElaen, is Acting rime 141ister, s .1id
thait tte Premier of Queensh-nd h-d requested ' assist'rnce in respect
of flood dcim'g e in north Queensbind ?-nd thtt the Premier been
informed th-it the Commonl. elth . vould. pirticipite with the Stite on
the customary dollair for dolh-r baLsis f or the relief of personal
hairdship. 11r. M,. cE1wTen added th it when the Queenslmid iovernment
haid forwairded -in aissessment of da-m ite done -to other issets, the
Commionwe-ilth w,. ould A* ve prompt consideation to the cuestion of
aissistance to the Slate to help in flinancing the r~ sior-. tion of
tho.; e aissets. Since then the Premier of Queensland has provided
anm assessment of the fin'rncial'-issist-ance needed for the relief of
person-il hardship and distress, '-nd for the restora tion of -ov-rnment
md murici palC property d-tamag ed by the floods. These are the -ire , s
in 1.-. hich the Comm., onwe lth hi-i. s b.-: en pripared to tssist with relief
in disisters of this order.
The Quuensh-nd authorities aissessed the imount
required for the relief of p-rsond-. he ' rdship . A 1 ,250 000 rind
the Common:, z ilth ha-s idvancead 625,000 is its estim-AeA sh-ire
of this rtlief.
prop.. erty da) rn,.-ed ' b. Jy ithth er et o-rodd st, o t" hoev ePnrmemenite r aneisd tiLmoctatle1d Atuht,' h. to rtihtye cost
of restoration -wou ld be about 41.5. m. The Conm -nw,-ealth's policy
is to aissist the " t. te concerned, on a, dollatr for do. Llar ba. sis, in
the restor-ition of such as2sets ,., here t he cost involved wi-ould Lue
anm undue burden on the StAe's finainciail resources . and I haive
informed the Premier thait the Commron-we J--th is prepaired to uive
assistance on this b-isis in aIddition to the fin~ incia-l help it h-is
given for the relief of personal hai-rdship.
1 AY-9 1967.