PRIMIE M~ IIM
SPEECH NOTES FOR MT.. ISA.
11T. ISA ** NOVEMBER 23
1. THIS IS MY FIRST STAY AS PRIME MINISTER IN
YOUR RICH AND REMARKABLE CITY. FEW CITIES COPE SO
WELL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF ISOLATION$ YOUR PROSPERITY IS
GUARANTEED BY-VAST NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE UNIQUESPIRIT
OF YOUR PEOPLE. AUSTRALIANS EVERYWHERE RESPECT'.
THE VIGOR, THE FORTITUDE, THE STRONG COMMUNAL PRIDEI FOR
WHiICH MT. ISA IS FAMOUS.
2. FROM THE BEGINNING my GOVERNMENT HAS-GIVEN
THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTHERN,
AUSTRALIA, WE CREATED A DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT.
HEADED BY MY COLLEAGUE REX PATTERSON. WE ESTABLISHED THE
NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. WE ARE UNDERTAKING A
THOROUGH STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS OF THE NOR TH-WEST
OF QUEENS. ND STRETCHING FROM MOUNT ISA TO THE GULF OF
CARPENTARIA A REGION WITH GREAT BEEF AND FISHERIES
POTENTIAL AND RICH IN MINERALS INCLUDING LEAD, ZINC, COPPER,
URANIUM AND PHOSPHATES.' THE STUDY WILL HELP US INTEGRATE ALL
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION, RATIONALISE TRANSPORT
U COSTS AND CO-ORDINATE THE PROVISION OF POWER AND ESSENTIAL
PUBL SERVICES. PROPER DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR WATER RESOURCES
IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTUR . E OF MT. ISA. WE HAVE RECOGNISED
THAT NEED. ON 11 APRIL 1" 4 AN AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE OtIEENSLAND GOVERNMENT
FOR A LOAN UP TO $ 2 MILLION TO COVER ADDITIONAL COSTS TO
BUILD THE JULIUS DAM FOR THE MT. ISA. WATER SUPPLY. THE
AGREEMENT WAS IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY THE PREM. IER TO
THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT UNDER THE OLD NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. 2/
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LEGISLATION AUTHORISING THE LOAN HAS BEEN PASSED BY THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A FURTHER REQUEST FOR $ 14.8 MILLION TO COVER THE
MT. ISA CITY COUNCIL'S SHARE OF THE COST OF THE DAM IS TO BE
DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT MEETING OF THE SCREENING COMMITTEE OF
THE NATIONAL WATER PROGRAM. I KNOW OF YOUR DEEP CONCERN
ABOUT THIS PROJECT. MR JACK SHEPHERD, THE LABOR CANDIDATE
AND ALD. TONY MCGRADY HAVE MADE STRONG REPRESENTATIONS
TO THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE SCHEME. THE GOVERNMENT WILL
DO ALL IT CAN TO SEE THAT DAM IS COMPLETED QUICKLY.
4I. WE WANT TO ENSURE THE PROPER DEVELOPMENT OF
MT. ISA'S MINERAL RESOURCES COPPER, LEAD, ZINC AND
PHOSPHATES. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT-THESE RESOURCES ARE
EFFICIENTLY TRANSPORTED TO COASTAL PORTS, SMELTERS OR
REFINERIES AND MY COLLEAGUE REX CONNOR IS CONSIDERING
A PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE THE RAILWAY BETWEEN DUCHESS
MILES ' ITH OF PIT. ISA) AND TOWNSVILLE. THE EXISTING LINE
IS BEING V -D TO CAPACITY AND IS SUBJECT TO FLOODING.-
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE LINE SHOULD MAKE POSSIBLE A
SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE-IN PHOSPHATE PRODUCTION. AT PRESENT
AUSTRALIA IMPORTS 2.8 MILLION TONS OF PHOSPHATE A YEAR.
THE 6OVERNMENT BELIEVES PHOSPHATES COULD BECOME ONE OF
OL' MAJOR MINERAL EXPORTS, PERHAPS OUTSTRIPPING LEAD,
COPPL,. AND ZINC. SUCH AN INDUSTRY WILL SUBSTANTIALLY
ASSIST " R BALANCE OF PAYMENTS, INCREASED PHOSPHATE
SUPPLIES WILL ENABLE" US TO BOOST PRODUCTION OF WHEAT
AND OTHER GRAINS. 93/ t
To FURTHER IMPROVE MT. ISA'S TRANSPORT LINKS.
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WILL HELP BUILD THE LANDSBOROUGH
HIGHWAY FROM MT. ISA TO BRISBANE AS A FULL-SCALE ALL
WEATHER ROAD. THIS ROAD WILL BE PART OF OUR NATIONAL
HIGHWAYS PROGRAM, FOR WHICH WE ARE PROVIDING $ 1.126 MILLION
TO THE STATES OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. MT. ISA WILL
S THUS BE LINKED EVENTUALLY BY FIRST-CLASS HIGHWAYS TO
BRISBANE, SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE. NO STATE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN
ABLE TO BUILD THIS HIGHWAY SYSTEM DESPITE THE MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS THEY HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
FOR ROADS, MY GOVERNMENT WILL SEE THE JOB IS DONE:. I KNOW
PARTS OF THE EXISTING ROAD FROM MT. ISA TO BRISBANE ARE
-IN BAD REPAIR. As FAR AS POSSIBLE WE WILL GIVE PRIORITY
TO THESE SECTIONS. WE WILL SPEND $ 24 MILLION IN QUEENSLAND ON
NORTHERN BEEF EXPORT ROADS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
IT IS WORTH RECALLING THAT THE BJELKE-PETERSEN GOVERNMENT
PROM " D IN 1972 TO MAKE ALL QUEENSLAND STATE HIGHWAYS FULL
BITUMEN OfS BY 1975. THIS WILL NOT BE DONE. THE BITUMEN
SURFACE OF THE FLINDERS HIGHWAY FROM MiT. ISA TO TOWNSVILLE
NOW HAS A TARGET DATE FOR COMPLETION IN 1976.
6. THE LABOR GOVERNMENT WANTS EVERY CITY AND
RFGION TO PROVIDE AMENITIES AND SERVICES TO ITS CITIZENS
CO., F ABLE' WITH THE BEST IN . AUSTRALIA. TO' REDUCE INEQUALITIES
BEThCEN REGIONS WE EMPOWERED THE GRANTS COMMISSION TO
RECOMMEND " ANTS FOR. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES ON THE BASIS OF
COMPARATIVE NEED. MT. ISA IS RECEIVING $ 250,000 FROM THE
GRANTS COMMISSION AND CLONCURRY $ 86,000. 3114/ 11111
7. THESE GRANTS ARE HEAVILY IN FAVOUR OF RURAL
AREAS. BRISBANE HAS RECEIVED $ 3.12 A HEAD FROM THE GRANTS
COMMISSION GRANTS, WHILE RURAL AND PROVINCIAL CITIES
AND COUNCILS ARE RECEIVING $ 6.23 A HEAD. THIS GIVES THE
LIE TO ANY CLAIM THAT WE ARE FAVORING URBAN AREAS AT
THE EXPENSE OF THE COUNTRY DWELLER. WE ARE MAKING BIG
GRANTS FOR SPORTING AND RECREATION FACILITIES IN QUEENSLAND
CITIES. MT. ISA IS RECEIVING $ 115,000 FOR A COMMUNITY
RECREATION CENTRE. THIS IS EASILY THE BIGGEST SINGLE
GRANT FOR A QUEENSLAND CITY FOR THIS PURPOSE, TOTAL SPORTING
GRANTS TO QUEENSLAND AMOUNT TO $ 536,200.
8. A REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SECURITY WILL BE OPENED AT MT. ISA AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE PROBABLY BEFORE 30 JUNE NEXT YEAR.
THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, MR BILL
HAYDEN, AND HIS DEPARTMENT ARE KEENLY AWARE OF THE
DIFFICULTIES FACING RESIDENTS OF MT. ISA CLAIMING PENSIONS
AND BPNIFEFITS. A SOCIAL WORKER WILL BE INCLUDED AMONG THE
STAFF Ot-TH' MT. ISA OFFICE. THERE ARE 340 AGED PENSIONERS,
133 INVALID PENSIONERS, 123 WIDOW PENSIONERS, AND 3,929
FAMILIES RECEIVING CHILD ENDOWMENT PAYMENTS IN THE AREA.
9. THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT. IS CONSIDERING AN
APDLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR A 34-BED HOSTEL FOR
THL " RE OF AGED PEOPLE IN MT. ISA. THE APPLICATION IS ON
BEHALF OF THE MT. ISA MEMORIAL GARDEN SETTLEMENT FOR THE AGED.
THE PROP. TO ERECT THE GARDEN SETTLEMENT HAS BEEN HEAVILY
SUPPORTED BY K. ISA MINES AND THE UNIONS. THE ESTIMATED
COST OF THE PROJECT IS +-371,000, DISCUSSIONS ARE TAKING
PLACE BETWEEN THE MEMORIAL GARDEN SETTLEMENT ORGANISATION
AND THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY TO ARRANGE THE
TRANSFER OF HOSTEL BED ENTITLEMENT FROM ANOTHER ORGANISATION
TO ENABLE A GRANT TO BE MA'DE UNDER THE AGED PERSONS HOSTEL ACT
WHEN THE RELEVANT LEGISLATION HAS BEEN PASSED.
ABOUT $ 170,000 HAS BEEN RAISED FOR THE PROJECT
IN THE NT. ISA AREA. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS EFFORT, MR
HAYDEN HAS INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY
TO GOVE THE FULLEST POSSIBLE SUPPORT TO THE PROJECT.
MY COLLEAGUE LIONEL MURPHY, THE ATTORNEYGENERAL,
ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT ONE OF TWO NEW REGIONAL
BRANCHES IN QUEENSLAND OF THE LEGAL AID SERVICE WILL
BE AT MT. ISA.
11. ALTHOUGH RURAL ELECTRICITY COSTS IN QUEENSLAND
ARE THE HIGHEST IN ALL THE EASTERN STATES,' THE BJELKEPETERSEN
GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO CO-OPERATE WITH US IN
SEEKING WAYS TO REDUCE THESE COSTS. HIGH ELECTRICITY COSTS
HELP PUSH UP PRICES OVER A WIDE RANGE OF GOODS AND SERVICES.
THE BJELKr--PETERSEN GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO USE ITS WIDE
POWERS TO CONTROL PRICES AND RESISTED OUR ATTEMPTS TO
OBTAIN COMMONWEALTH POWER OVER PRICES BY REFERENDUM.
THE PEOPLE OF MT. ISA VOTED YES IN THE PRICES REFERENDUM LAST
YEAR. THE BJELKE-PETERSEN GOVERNMENT HAS IGNORED THEIR
EXPRES-9) WISH FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION TO RESTRAIN PRICES.
12. THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY
GENEROUS TO QUEENSLAND IN ITS FINANCIAL ALLOCATIONS.
QUEENSLAND HAS RECEIVED MORE FROM US THAN IT HAS RECEIVED
FROM ANY PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT IN CANBERRA, OUR TOTAL PAYMENTS
TO QUFENSLAND IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR WERE $ 739 MILLION
-OR $ 382 PER HEAD COMPARED WITH AVERAGE PAYMENTS TO ALL
STATES 3L5 PER HEAD.
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13. I HAVE DRAWN ATTENTION TO MR BJELKE-PETERSEN'S
OBSTINATE REFUSAL TO CO-OPERATE WITH US IN PROJECTS FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUEENSLAND AND THE BENEFIT OF HER
CITIZENS. HE HAS SPURNED OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE TOWNSVILLE
A GROWTH J. EHE HAS. SPURNED 0UeR--& F-FVNDS FOR LAND
STABILISATION, HE HAS REFUSED TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS ON
OUR OFFER OF FUNDS FOR ABORIGINAL ADVANCEMENT. MR
BJELKE-PETERSEN HAS THROWN AWAY $ 50 MILLION IN FEDERAL
FUNDS FOR THIS STATE. HIS ATTITUDE IS AT ODDS . WITH
THAT OF ALL THE LIBERAL PREMIERS AND ON MANY ISSUES, SUCH
AS ABORIGINAL LAND RIGHTS, WITH THE ATTITUDE OF A FORMER
LIBERAL PRIME MINISTER, MR GORTON.
14., QUEENSLAND'S ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES ARE FLAGRANTLY
RIGGED AGAINST LABOR, IT IS NOT JUST BRISBANE VOTERS WHO
ARE DISADVANTAGED BUT PEOPLE IN PROVINCIAL CITIES LIKE
MT. ISA. HERE YOU HAVE 16,002 ELECTORS', THAT IS ALMOST
EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE AVERAGE ENROLMENT IN BRISBANE
SE" TS ( 16,059). You HAVE CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN THE AVERAGE
NUMB-ELECTORS ENROLLED IN ALL PROVIIICIAL CITY SEATS
( 15,510), MUCH MORE THAN THE AVERAGE IN THE COUNTRY ZONE
( 11,215), AND NEARLY TWICE THE AVERAGE NUMBER IN THE
WESTERN AND FPR NORTHERN ZONE fr; ISA PfCf"-;.
ARE PRIME VICTIMS OF 1iR LJELKE-' ETEkSEN'S SCANDALOUS
GERRYMANDERING,