PM PRESS OFF 062 732923 No. 1O~ 18 23P0
PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
THE OPENING OF COM4MONWEALTH GOVERNMENT CENTRE,
TOWNSVILJLE, 24 SEPTEMBER 1985
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.
I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED COMING TO QUEENSLAND, AND
PARTICULARLY TO TOWNSVILLJE.
IT WAS NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO THAT I TURNED THE FIRST SOD
OF THIS NEW BUILDING A PHYSICAL TESTAMENTr TO THE
COMMONWEALTH'S INTEREST IN AND INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS
REGION. THIS NEW CENTRE WILL MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO
PZOPLE LIVING IN THE TOWNSVILLJE AREA. PERHAPS MOST
IMPORTANTLY IT WILL IMPROVE THE CONVENIENCE AND
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE 18
COMMONWEALTH DEPARTMENTS PREVIOUSLY SCATTERED THROUGHOUT
THE TOWNSVILLE AREA BY PROVIDING A SINGLE CONTACT POINT.
OF PARTICULAR CONVENIENCE ARE THE SHOPFRONT FACILITIES
LOCATED AT STREET AREA LEVEL WHERE THEY WOULD BE EASILY
ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC PARTICULARLY THE AGED AND
HANDICAPPED. BEYOND THAT, THE $ 11 MILLION SPENT ON BUILDING AND
FURBISHING THIS CENTRE HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANY PERSONS IN TOWNSVILLE.
NOW COMPLETED, THIS CENTRE WILL PROVIDE A MODERN AND
WELL-DESIGNED WORKING ENVIRONMENT. I NOTE TH-AT THE NEW
CENTRE FEATURES SEVERAL ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES
INCLUDING THE USE OF TINTED GLASS AND SUNSCREENS ON ALL
WINDOWS, ROOF INSULATION, SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEMS WITH
ELECTRIC BOOSTERS AND THE AUTOMATIC REDUCTION OF
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING LEVELS IN OFFICES AFTER HOURS OR
WHEN NATURAL LIGHTING LEVELS ARE ADEQUATE.
MY GOVERNMENT IS PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CENTRE
AND PROUD OF THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTION THAT OUR PUBLIC
WORKS PROGRAM MAKES TO THE QUEENSLAND ECONOMY. WE WILL
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BE SPENDING AN ESTIM4ATED $ 133 MILLION ON OUR PUBLIC
WORKS PROGRAM IN QUEENSLAND IN THIS YEAR.
THAT PROGRAM WILL~, OF COURSE, INCLUDE WORK ON THE
TOWNSVILLE AIRPORT WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO COST IN EXCESS
OF $ 15 MILLION WHEN COMPLETED. I EXPECT THAT THE
BENEFITS TO THE PEOPLE OF TOWNSVILLE OF THAT PROJECT
WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL, PROVIDING IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS
AND ACCESS TO AND FROM THE REST OF AUSTRALIA.
OUR PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM IS MERELY ONE SMALL PART OF M4Y
GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL ECONOMIC STRATEGY BASED ON THE
PRICES AND INCOMES ACCORD. WE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED To
RESTORE PROSPERITY TO THE ECONOMY THROUGH SUSTAINED NONINFLATIONARY
GROWTH AT RATES NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE
UNACCEPTABLY HIGH LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT.
MY GOVERNMENT'S CREDENTIALS AS EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC
MANAGERS HAVE BEEN CLEARLY ESTABLISHED. DURING OUR
PERIOD IN OFFICE* THERE HAVE BEEN 430), 700 NEW JOBS
CREATED, AND UNEMPLOYMENT HAS FALLEN TO 8.3 PER CENT
AUSTRALIA-WIDE.
I AM PLEASED THAT TOWNSVILLE HAS PARTICIPATED IN THIS
RECOVERY AND HAS IN FACT FARED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN
QUEENSLAND AS A WHOLE DURING THE RECOVERY. THE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN TOWNSVILLE IN DECEMBER 1984 WAS 9.2
PER CENT. WHILE STILL UNACCEPTABLY HIGH* THAT FIGURE
COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH A RATE OF 10.9 PER CENT IN
DECEMBER 1984 FOR THE NORTH AND FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND AREA
AS A WHOLE AND A RATE OF 10 PER CENT FOR QUEENSLAND.
I NOTE THAT THE GROWTH IN EMPLOYMENT GENERATED BY THE
EXPANDING TOURIST INDUSTRY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND
THAT THE OPENING OF THE BREAKWATER ISLAND CASINO IN 1986
IS FORECAST TO EMPLOY OVER 400 PEOPLE.
WITH ITS DIVERSIFIED ECONOMY, YOUR CITY IS WELL PLACED
TO SHARE IN THE ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT MY GOVERNMENT" S
POLICIES HAVE BROUGHT TO THE ECONOMY.
IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT I BELIEVE THIS LATEST
COMMONWEALTH COMMITMENT TO TOWNSVILLE TAKES ON A
PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE.
THERE WOULD BE SOME WHO WOULD PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE
THIS DEVELOPMENT. AMONG OUR GUESTS TODAY IS LIONEL
SAMPFORD THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
ELECTORAL COMMISSION IN BRISBANE. HE WAS, I BELIEVE
AS THE THEN ELECTORAL RETURNING OFFICER FOR ' HE DIVISION
OF HERBERT A GUEST AT THE OPENING BY SIR REGINALD
SCHWARTZ IN 1963 OF THE FIRST COMMONWEALTH B3UILDING IN
TOWNSVILLE. HE WOULD UNDERSTAND AS MUCH AS ANYONE THE PARTICULAR
PLEASURE I NOW HAVE IN FORMALLY DECLARING THIS NEW
COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT CENTRE OPEN. .1 Q 1L w -LJS