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NATIONAL BROADCAST AND PRESS CONFERENCE
ON DARWIN DISASTER, SYDNEY, 30 DECEMBER 1974
PRIME MINISTER:...... will have the responsibility for looking
after-the people of Darwin, most of whom, of course, have been
now evacuated from the city. And the Minister for the
Northern Territory, Dr. Rex Patterson, will have prime responsibility
for the reconstruction of the city. As you know, it
had already been decided that there should be a payment of
special benefits to families which were evacuated from Darwin
for the two weeks after they left, that there should be free
accommodation in hostels for those few weeks. We have now
decided that the special benefits, $ 31.00 per week and $ 5.50
per child will also be paid for the first two weeks also
free of means test for the wives and children who have remained
in Darwin and we have also decided that special benefits will be
paid for women who have been evacuated for Darwin after the
first two weeks for a further month. Mr. Hayden will be
responsible for the general question of the movement, and
the return of the evacuees and former residents. As you know
the Government has undertaken the expense of evacuation and will
undertake the expense for return. And Mr. Hayden will look
aftex the we! lfare of the evacuees and the former cititens
while they are still away from Darwin.
To deal with the reconstruction of the city, its been
essential to create some new structure. The existing
Departments and instrumentalities, both those which are
Federal Departments and instrumentalities and those which were
set up in the Territory itself, are obviously unable to cope
with the new situation, the most serious natural disaster ev. cr
to strick Australia. We have decided to establ. sc a Par-,: 1n
Reconstruction Commission, It will be composed of representatives,
of the Department of the Northern Territory, of Urban and
Regional Development and Housing and Construction, of nominees
of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and the
Darwin City Council and there will be a Chairman, I~ m very
happy and proud to announce that Sir Leslie Thiess has accepted
the Chairmanship of the Commission. It will be established by
Statute as soon as the Parliament reassembles on the 11
February. We would hope for the co-operation of both sides of
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in seeing that the legislation is passed promptly. It will
be essential that the legislation take effect early, so that
plans and performance can go ahead for the new city without
any delay at all. We are appointing the members of the
Commission as an interim commission forethwith. Dr. Patterson
is in~ touch this afternoon with both the Legislative Assembly
and the City Council asking them to appoint their nominees
the Ministers concerned, Dr. Patterson himself, Mr. Uren,
Mr. Johnson, are appointing the nominees of their Departments
forthwith. and Sir Leslie Thiess has accepted as I have mentioned
to you, the appointment. He is one of Australia's great
achievers. You remember when a quarter of a century ago the
Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority was established,
the only people who were able to fulfill the contracts which
the Authority was le~ tting were overseas companies, Americans,
British, French, Norweigen, and consortions of such companies.
And at last Sir Leslie Thiess, in that world-wide competition
secured contracts and carried out some of the largest of the
operations on the Snowy. He has, of course, been a pioneer,
in the North, in very many areas, discovering, developing the
natural resources of our country. He's harness skilled from
all around the world, he has lead consortions of Australian as
well as overseas companied in that respect. I believe that
there is no man in Australia who would be better fitted to
bring together the whole strain of Departmental and representative
people who will be involved in reconstructing this city,
planning-and achieving this new gateway to Australia. * And he is
a very great man in the engineering and the management field
and a man who has the respect of everybody in Australia and
particularly in the North. He's done very many great things in
his life. This will be one of the greatest.
Now until the Act is passed. early next month, the
interim Commission can be advisory only, but nevertheless, we
expect that all the bodies concerned, the National and the
Territories instrumentalities and Departments will co-operated
with getting the plans underway very quickly indeed.
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It will be necessary of course to have regard to
, the whole use of the land in the Darwin metropolitan area.
The Commission will have in its Charter the best use that
can b6 made of the land of the public buildings, which in
general are still standing, in sound condition, and also
the type of new domestic construction which is required.
It's too glib to say, as some people have, that the houses
in Darwin were gerry-built. They wereno more gerry-built
than the houses in any other Australian capital. Unfortunately
however they were not appropriate to a cyclonic coast and
so therefore we rely on the experience of many authorities
as the CSIRO building research unit, there is the faculty
of engineering in the James Cook University,* and there aremany
professional organisations which have offered their
services in planning the new Darwin, to see that it is a
place where people can go back and resume their lives with
confidence. The Commission, the Reconstruction Commission, the
Darwin Reconstruction Commission, we expect will be established
for a period of five years. We want to give confidence to
* people who have lived in Darwin and-to those who are iminded
* to work-and live there, that this job will be seen throughto
completion, but we also want to give confidence that. we
expect the job will be able to be fully and satisfactorily and
6o~ undily achieved within a reasonable space of time.
There has been a very great deal-of public support
for vairious appeals. The Australian Government will naturally
accepL its proper responsibility in rehabilitation of the
families and reconstruction of the structures. Fortunately
most of them were insured. They were covered by normal insurance
policies, by contrast with the situation at the time of the
Brisbane floods, whe'n mozt of tfi. private structures were not
covered by insurance. There have been a very great number of
contributions, Lord Mayors, Premiers appeals and the whole
range of charitable, voluntary organisations * in Australia.
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I should imagine that there has never been an appeal which
has drawn supportfrom so many regions in Australia as well
as the whole garnet of voluntary organisation. To give
the first instance which came to my notice between midday
on Thursday and 11 p. m. on Friday, the citizens of Alice
Springs, about 13,000 in number contributed $ 105,000 in a
radio appeal. If that is repeated throughout Australia
then the people of Darwin will know directly and promptly
the feelings that their fellow citizens throughout the
nation have for their plight. The Minister for Northern
Territory, Dr. Patterson has been asked to co-ordinate the
various appeals. There are many foreign countries which
have contributed, some European, large nations, some quite small
African nations. Throughout our neighborhood, all the island
states in the Indian ocean and the South Pacific have sent us
messages. Now the Cabinet was particularly wanting to place on
record its appreciation of the Natural Disasters Organisation
under Major-General Alan Stretton. He's a major-General,
because hes career hitherto has been in the Armed Forces, but
he is Ddrwin'in a civilian capacity. There is not martial
law in Darwin, the whole of the organisation in that city has,,
been on civilian lines but the authority is exercised by civilian
police and all the citizens of Darwin who remain there have
contributed towards the rehabilitation of families the
reconstruction of the city. It's a great civilian effQrt.
Now the Natural Disasters Organisation was only authorised
last February. It came into operation on the 21 October. This
is been it's baptisimal fire, and I believe that all Australians
can be proud indeed of the way that this organisation under the
Director-General, Major-General Stretton has responded. This
disaster happened on Christman Day in the most remote part of
Australia and relief was under way in record. time. Over 7,000
people were evacuated by air alone at the height of the
evacuation exercise and we want to place on record the
improvisation, the tireless efforts of the Armed Forces and of the
airlines, Qantas, Ansett and TAA have never carried so many
people in such difficult conditions. And many of you will have
seen, as : I did at Mascot, and at Adelaid, the way they were
received on arrival by Government Departments and by the
whole range of volunteer organisations. So the Cabinet
wanted to record its appreciation which we believe is
shared by the whole Australian people, at the performance in
extraordinarily remote difficult conditions of Australia's
newly established Natural Disasters Organisation.
Are there any questions you wish to ask me about the
Darwin situation?
QUESTION: Yourvisit to the airport yesterday was obviously
well recieved. And provided comfort to the refugees who were
there. In view of the fact don't you think that in time of
distress your continued presence in Australia would. be moreappreciated
by the-refugees and Australians-generally than a
return to Europe?
PRIME MINISTER: No I do not. I've told you the Ministers
who will have prime responsibility in these matters. I have
committments on behalf of the nation with seven governments
in Europe and two in Asia. Obviously I should honour those
conmmittments. The arrangments have now been made for
Australia and the evacuees from Darwin by air have nearly all"
arrived now. They' re in good hands.
QUESTION: Could not your Foreign Minister handly that work
equally as well?
PRIME MINISTER: As I have said before there are many things
that can only-be done at the level of Head of Government, that
is understood in every other country, it should be understood
in Australia.
QUESTION: Prime Minister, are you aware that there has been
some breakdown in the services and the handling of people when
they have actually been arriving in places like . Sydney, for
instance, baggage has come in unlabled, there's been a suff it
of funds which has be en operating, in fact overlaping one another,
we' ye also had the situation of too many goods being demanded and
accommodation probably knocked back by people who were originally
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prepared to offer it. Do you think in the light of that there
. should be some sort of post mortem in the operation, not from
Darwin where it seems to have been excellent, but in the
capital cities themselves?
PRIME MINISTER:* I believe your questions would give a completly
wrong impression. I saw hundreds of people in. Sydney, at
Mascot yesterday, I saw many scores, some hundreds at Adelaide
on Saturday night and my impression was that the people
waiting for relatives and friends and the people who were
arriving were very pleased indeed with the arrangements which
had been made by the airlines, by the Departments and by the
Civil Voluntary Organisations. it was a remarkably effective
effort at co-ordination.
QUESTION: Prime Minister, Sir has it been determined yet whether
Darwin will be built in situe or, making use of existing
infra structure or will the town be built elsewhere. Will some
of the northern suburbs be bulldozed as Dr. Patterson is
reported to have suggested. Have any important decisions along
these lines been decided yet?
PRIME MINISTER: In general terms Darwin will be reconstructured
where it i's. The particular places where installations or
suburbs will be built or rebuilt iill of course be left to the'
Darwin Reconstruction Commission. There is a very valuable
infra structure in Darwin. The public buildings are basically
quite sound, they can be restored quite promptly. It still
has to be ascertained how many people will want to live in
Darwiin and also it has to be ascertained in what areas they can
be most appropriately housed. So in general terms Darwin will
be reconstructured where it is. After all it is a big port, it
is a big airport and everywhere in the tropics people like to
live on the coast. It's true that you don't get cyclones 100
kilometres from the coast, but people don't like the climate
100 kilometres from the coast. So Darwin, as a general area
will be reconstructured. No question about thAt, but of course
I wouldn't I specify which suburbs will be rebuilt or which
new suburbs would be built. That will be decided, 1 ~ u2hupe
after proper consideration by this representative Reconstruction
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Commission which we're establishing within the next couple of
days in an interim form and which I hope will become a
Statutory body in the middle of February.
QUESTION: Prime Minister, quite apart from the location of
Darwin, will the decision on what kind of city Darwin will
be in the future, be a matter for the Government or for this
newly constituted authority?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it will be finally of course to the
Government like all these decisions, but it will be on the
advice, after investigation and report by the Darwin
Reconstruction Commission.
QUESTION: Will any attempt be made to repopulate Darwin t o the
extent that it was prior to the cylcone, Does the Government
regard the population of Darwin previously to have been adequate
in excess,-or what size.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is a matter for people themselves
to decide.. Nobody can be made to leave Darwin or to go to Darwin
3or to go back to Darwin, That is for people themselves to
decide. one of the things I would imagine to be ascertained
is how many of the people who have left Darwin want to go back.
I found some yesterday quite determed to go back they love
the place. There are others who, somewhat fewer in number it
seemed to me, who would not go back.
QUESTION: One of the persons who I talked to in Darwin who
was sticking with his house, said that he didn't want to leave
until such time as he was assured or had some information that
the Government and his insurance company would help him rebuild
it. The insurance companies, we were told in Darwin yesterday,
have agreed that they're going to pay out on these claims
on the normal claims, but have you had any information as to
whether they are under strain in meeting the size of the claims
that will be made from Darwin, the insurance companies that is?
PRIME MINISTER: I have no doubt whatever that-the insurance
companie will honour the contracts which householders and
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business people have with them. I would also expect that all-
' the insurance companies would be in a financial position to
meet the claims. After all within the last year the Government
has passed legislation guaranteeing the soundness of insurance
such as there has been for the last 30 years, guaranteeing the
soundness of banks. So that nobody should be in any doubt that
hisinsurance company will honour the claim. The Minister for
Repatriation and Compensation. Senator Wheeldon is investigating
the whole of this matter. It i's of interest, of course,
that in Darwin there were a very great number of people who
were injured who under the law as it stands, including all the
forms of compulsory insurance that there are inAustralia for
third-party insurance on the roads, or workers compensation
insurance in shops and factories, all those people that in
Darwin wouldn't have been covered thatway,. this was a natural
disaster. Senator Wheeldon says you can't sue a cyclone,
but under the legislation which he's introduced in the Senate
it's gone through the House of Representatives already as you
know, the National Compensation Bill, anybody who is injured
in Darwin, for any cause whatever would be assured of a proper
income as long as he remained injured. This is a very clear
example of the necessity of having a National Compensation
Scheme. QUESTION; Did Cabinet receive an estimate of the total cost of
Government assistance to Darwin.
PRIME MINISTER : No none whatever, there will two Bills brought
before Parliament when it meets on the 11 February. One will be
to-establishthis Darwin Reconstruction Commission. The other
will be to made a special appropriation for all the expenses
of one kind or another for the remainder bf this financial year
for Darwin. and some of these matters will be expenses for
personal propoerty, some will be for social service payments,
as many of these payments are being made on more generous
conditions that apply at the moment, without means tests, and
so on. And all the matters which the Government will have to
finance will be in that appropriation Bill and I would expect
that within the four weeks the Cabinet we'll be having thenA,
all those amounts will be quantified for the remainder of this
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financial year. So there was not an estimate made today
-but arrangements were made for the estimates all to be in
hand within four weeks. and there will be an appropriation
Bill Introduced to meet all those expenses.
QUESTION; Will the people of Darwin be allowed to go back and
rebuild as soon as they feel they are able to, or will they
need prior permission from the Reconstruction Authority?
PRIME MINISTER: The Reconstruction Commission will clearly
have the responsbility where it is best to have houses, what
sort of houses. It would be quite irresponsible to allow
people to build houses of the type which didn't withstand the
cyclone and it would be no comfort to some people to rebuild
in areas which may be developed for other purposes. Clearly
the whole question of the use of land is one of the things
which will have to be scrutinised and determinied much more
carefully than in the past.
QUESTION; Will that include the timetable for the people
to be allowed back into the area?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm only concerned with where the houses wo~ ild
be built. After all nobody can be prevented from going anywhere
in Australia. Nobody can be compelled to go anywhere in Australia.
There are at the moment-, for the next week or so, some
limitati ons on movrement into Darwin because theairfield can't take
all the movements required of it. Incidentally, I should have
mentioned to you that Major-General Stretton and the Natural
Disasters Organisation will hand over their responsibilities on
Thursday. The Governor-General will be up there at that time
I expect and the Department of the Northern Territory will
resume its normal role in administering the city.
QUESTION; Are you aware that politics has entered into this
situation with your Minister for the Media, Senator McClelland
refusing to co-operate in helping TV commercial networks get
film back to Sydney, becau . se quote" They opposed! his change of
Media control in the Senate"
PRIME MINISTER: I don't believe this. I brought some films
back yesterday, the previous night, on Saturday night, for
various commercial things and Senator McClelland was
up there, and so also was the Head of his Department and the
head of the ABC. I don't appreciate aspertions being made
about my Ministers like this. I have no reason to believe
th allogation you make has any foundation whatever.
QUESTION; Does the answer to the question before the last,
about the appropriation this year, mean the the Government
intends to finance the rehabilitation of Darwin without
cutting back other programmes?
PRIME MINISTER: At this stage welfare payments, I wouldn't
think there's any justrification for cutting back on
expenditure. After all no expenditures were cut back on the
Queensland floods. There may later clearly have to be some
postponement of other structural expenditure, for instance
there's a limited number of town planners available and one
then has to determine the priority for their services. But
the immediate matters, the matters which I was stating would
be in thz Appropriation Bill introduced on 11 Februrary are
of the welfare character. Now just because you have to make
unexpected payments to people who have to be evacuated from
Darwin or who are homeless in Darwin, is no excuse clearly for
reducing welfare payments for which Parliament has already
made provision.
QUESTION: Mr. Prime Minister, at a different political level
from the one raised earlier, to what extent do the Government's
plans to reconstruct Darwin and rehabilitate its citizens
depend upon the aquiscence of the Opposition on matters such
as Senator Wheeldon's Compensation Bill, the establishment of
-it1!. rities etc.' Have you been in touch with Mr. Snedden and
Senator Withers for instance? Have they indicated that they are
quite wLiling to go ahead with...
PRIME MINISTER: I don't believe that either have expressed a
view about the National Compensation Bill. I won't assume
they';; ,-oe IL. It's been referred unamimously by the
J I t r
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Senate to a Senate Conmmittee I think the arguments for the
National Compensation Bill are overwhelming, not the least
of the arguments is the fact that so many people as the law
stands now everywhere in Australia have no compensation
at all for injuries which they suffer in events such as this.
Now if the Bill was already in then people would be entitled
to this compensation forethwith, you wouldn't have to make any
special provision whatever.
QUESTION: Surely it's going to take some time for the Darwin
Reconstruction Commission to get down to the nitty-gritty of
actually building houses. What temporary arrangements are you
making for accommodation for the people who want to stay in
Darwin? PRIME MINISTER: There are some buildingsthere such as motels
which can be fairly quickly habitable. But I would think that
this Commission will produce results as quickly as is possible
to do so. There are a great number of people who have to
contribute to its deliberations and Sir Leslie Thiess will get
them working together quickly and effectively.