PM: Well it's great to be back here in Townsville, and I'm here of course with the Federal Member for Dawson, James Bidgood and we're here at this important social housing project. I've just been speaking to the builders, and he has said to me that this project here, which is eight units of social housing just on this site, has been pretty important for his business in what's been a difficult year in the economy, and a particularly difficult year for the building industry.
On site, I think he said to me, there is about 30 people working, including four apprentices. This is therefore, a part of the wider Australian story at the moment as we roll out social housing across the country, as we roll out our stimulus strategy across the country, to make a difference to the economy. Our national stimulus strategy is about this - nation building, supporting jobs and apprenticeships today while building the sort of infrastructure we need for tomorrow. And that's what's happening here in Townsville as well.
Here in Townsville we are investing some $69 million in some 257 new social homes. This is an important addition to the overall housing needs of this city and this growing part of Australia. This will bring to the total investment in this area some $83 million, and for the region as whole, some 304 homes. That makes a difference in people's lives. There is a shortage of social housing, and this is also a huge injection to the economy, and jobs.
The building work funded under stage one of this project, is providing work for 30 roofers, electricians, carpenters and renderers, including 11 apprentices. If you look across the country, we estimate that the social housing component of our stimulus strategy is supporting more than 15,000 jobs. If you looked across the state as a whole, that's Queensland, the social housing initiative involves more than 4,000 new properties at a total investment of more than $1.08 billion.
So it's not just here in Townsville, it's not just here in North Queensland, it's right across the state of Queensland, and it's right across Australia. A very large-scale investment in what is the biggest addition to social housing by way of a national investment in the country's history.
But again I go back to what the overall needs are. That is, here we are, still in the midst of an unfolding global economic challenge, still uncertainty in the global economy, real impacts on the Australian economy at home. So you can either stand back and do nothing or you can step up to the plate and do something. This government, 12 months ago decided we'd step up to the plate and do something. It's called the national stimulus strategy and it's called nation building for recovery, nation building for the future, supporting jobs and apprenticeships and small business today while investing in infrastructure we need for tomorrow.
I just add one other thing before I take your questions. I've just been out to the RAAF base as well, and can I say I've been talking to them about their local housing needs. Construction has also begun on all 118 new Defence houses funded under the stimulus plan, supporting 82 direct and 205 indirect local jobs and 56 properties are already completed. So therefore, right across the housing needs of this community, the Australian government is investing. Investing in what we need for our Defence community and what we need for the general community as well as making a difference for jobs today while building the housing infrastructure Queenslanders and Australians need for tomorrow. Over to you, folks.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister do you have an update on the (inaudible)
PM: Yes, let me speak to that. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is coordinating a search and rescue operation in Australia's search and rescue zone. As the search and rescue situation is ongoing, limited details are available at this stage. The priority is seeking to ensure the safety of life at sea for all involved.
I'm advised that on Sunday 1 November, yesterday, a distress call was received by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority from a vessel North-North-West of Cocos Island. The location of this rescue is some 2,706km from the nearest point of the Australian mainland and some 700km from Cocos Island. The location is in Australia's search and rescue zone and this zone is some 53 million square kilometres.
The vessel was inside Australia's search and rescue zone. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority issued a general alert requesting immediate assistance from vessels near to the reported distress location. Responding to this request, a fishing vessel made contact with the vessel and reported to AMSA that it was not sinking but was taking on water. Initial indications are that approximately 40 people were believed to have been on board. The Taiwanese fishing vessel advised that it did not have capacity to take all the people on board. At the request of AMSA, the nearest available vessel, the LNG Pioneer, proceeded to the location. The LNG Pioneer is believed to be a Bahamas-flagged vessel.
Last night AMSA received reports that a vessel had sunk approximately 350 nautical miles North-West of Cocos Island. The latest advice is that 17 people had been recovered and are on commercial vessels. The search for other survivors is continuing. An RAAF P3 surveillance aircraft is on its way to the scene to assist in the rescue operation. No further information is available at this stage.
Therefore, the priority here is to rescue life at sea. Our assets have been deployed. We've coordinated with other vessels in the area but this is a very difficult search environment.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) clear that they're willing to put themselves in danger to get to Australia?
PM: I think it's too early to speculate on circumstances surrounding a vessel like this until all the facts are established. Our first priority must be to attend to lives at risk on the high seas. That's why we have international arrangements for search and rescue operations. This vessel was identified within the Australian search and rescue area.
As far as the proximity of Australian vessels are concerned, at the time at which this was issued, the nearest Australian Government vessel was over one and a half days steaming time away, hence the normal arrangements were put in place to identify vessels under other flags who could assist and that is exactly the procedure we have followed. So our priority right now has to be, as you would expect of any government, to deploy necessary resources to attend to lives at risk on the high seas.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: I do not have that information available to me.
JOURNALIST: Do you know where they'll be taken to now?
PM: I do not have that information available to me now either, because all of the efforts right now are legitimately dedicated to attending to lives at risk at sea.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) so far in Indonesia regarding asylum seekers is continuing. Is there anything the Government can do to help resolve that?
PM: As the Indonesian Government said recently, they, Indonesia, has infinite patience in handling this matter. We have patience in handling this matter. It's a difficult matter. Patience is what's required to deal with these complex matters and we intend to work it through, however long it takes. And that's what we're in the process of doing.
JOURNALIST: Will you be taking much notice of the ACTU's call for a more humanitarian approach to this case?
PM: Can I say that we believe that our policy, in dealing with asylums seekers and immigration policy and border protection, our policy, the Government's policy, is a responsible policy in the national interest. We'll get criticised from people on the far right and from, sometimes from the left, but can I say our job is to act in the national interest through this responsible policy which we have implemented consistently since this Government was elected and will continue to implement into the future.
No-one should pretend that any decisions concerning border security will ever be popular. They will not. This is a very hard area for government, but our job is to implement a responsible policy in the national interest, one which is hardline on people smugglers, humane in dealing with asylum seekers. A responsible policy in the national interest - that's what we've implemented since the Government came to office, that's what we'll be implementing into the future.
JOURNALIST: On another matter, when do think your position might be (inaudible) on Traveston Dam, or do you have any thoughts on it?
PM: The question properly lies within the province of the Environment Minister, Peter Garrett. Under the statute, which is the Biodiversity Act, the Environment Minister is required to make his own, independent decisions concerning environmental matters which are put before him. How long he takes to make that decision and when those decisions will be made properly lie within his independent purchase, and I'm confident the Minister has these matters well in hand.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the economic data comes out today, later today. What's your argument to the Opposition, who will inevitably call for the stimulus to be wound back, and what's your tip for the Cup?
PM: Let me try and take those in sequence. Here we are in Townsville. We are in the midst of one of nearly 20,000 units of social housing nationwide and we're aiming to make a difference. Making a difference to people's lives, who come and live here; making a difference to the subbies and the small businessmen who get work out of projects like this and the apprentices who get trained and making a difference to the overall local economy. That's our action plan, that's our strategy, that's our stimulus strategy, that's our nation building for recovery. It's the right and responsible course of action for Australia.
The alternative will be sit back, sit on your hands and do nothing. Remember, because of the Government's stimulus strategy and the strong work by Australian business, Australia, of the major advanced economies, is the fastest-growing economy in the world, the only one of the major advanced economies not to have gone into recession, with the lowest debt and the lowest deficit and the second lowest unemployment.
None of that happened by magic. It happened because we as a government decided to step in and make a difference when it comes to employment opportunities here.
I'm sure Treasurer will speak when the latest economic data is released, but this Government has pursued a responsible, mainstream strategy dealing with the challenges of the worst economic crisis, globally, in three-quarters of a century, and there are clear-cut results in terms of this economy, unique among the major advanced economies, having avoided going into a recession.
You ask about the Melbourne Cup. I'm tipping Shocking, and you might say 'why am I tipping Shocking?' That's a very good question. Shocking has done recently, in various Queensland starts- I'm from Queensland, you're from Queensland, I'm encouraging you all to get behind Shocking. The odds, I'm told, are 10:1, barrier 22, four years old, and has done very well recently in the Lexus Quality and I believe is the horse to watch come the big race tomorrow in Melbourne.
Thanks for your time.