PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 381

November, 1974

GREAT BARRIER REEF

The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, said in Cairns today that the Australian Government would create a marine park based on the Great Barrier Reef in order to protect the reef from oil drilling.

PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 380
24 November 1974
INDUSTRIES ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
The Prime Minister today released an exchange of
correspondence with the Industries Assistance Commission.
" I have asked the Industries Assistance Commission
to provide to the Government the fullest information about
the social and locational implications of its recommendations.
The Chairman of the Commission intends re-examining reports
as yet undecided by the Government to identify any
supplementary recommendations which might be appropriate in

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER
AT CAIRNS AND MAREEBA, OLD.
24 NOVEMBER, 1974
1. THERE ARE FEW CITIES WHICH I VISIT MORE OFTENWHETHER
FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE THAN CAIRNS. IN
MAY I OPENED YOUR NEW CIVIC CENTRE AND CULTURAL
COMPLEX SYMBOLIC OF THE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY
OF THIS CITY AND YOUR REGION. SINCE THEN WE HAVE
DONE A GREAT DEAL-MORE FOR THE WELFARE AND PROGRESS
OF CAIRNS. WE HAVE MADE A GRANT OF $ 18,750 TOWARDS
YOUR BASKETBALL STADIUM AS PART OF my GOVERNMENT' S
DRIVE TO EXPAND SPORTING AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

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,

PRIME MINISTER'S PR,-S, CONFERENCE, j-2 IS, N'VMBER 1974
QUESTION: Are you going to make any major announcements here
in Mt Isa?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't have it in mind to make any particular
announcement, any one announcement. The approach that my
Government has to Mt Isa can be seen from the fact that we have
set up a Department of Northern Development. We particularly
want to concentrate on developing this most distant part of
Australia and the first Minister for Northern Development,
Dr Rex Patterson, is a public man who knows the North from

SmMRGo: 6: 30 p. m.
( Brisbane Time)
TRANSCRIPT OF C HANNEL 0 INTERVIEW WITH PRIME MINISTER
BRISBANE, NOVEMBER 22, 1974
INTERVIEWER: Sir, the big, burning issue in Queensland at the
moment is Mr. Crean, which was announced yesterday.
Can I ask you a few questions. When did you take
the decision to relocate Mr. Crean?
PRIME MINISTER Oh, about three or four weeks ago.
INTERVIEWERWhy did the public not know about it till yesterday?
PRIME IN1ISTER 1For t wo reasons. Dr. Cairns was away a week ago and

J, AUSTRALIA
PROME BF33NISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 378
22 November 1974
Joint Statement by Mr E. G. Whitlam, Prime Minister,
and Mr Bjelke-Petersen, Premier of Queensland
GREAT BARRIER REEF PETROLEUM DRILLING ROYAL COIMISSIONS
Mr Whitlam and Mr Bjelke-Petersen released today a
summary of the Report of the Great Barrier Reef Petroleum Drilling
Royal Commissions. The Report had previously been presented to the two
Governments on 1 November; however, because of the length of the
Report, 1100 pages, printed copies will not be available until

* i) A USf K A . I A
PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 379
22 November 1974
INDUSTRIES ASSISTANCE COMMISSION REPORTINDUSTRIAL
TRACTORS
The Prime Minister, Mr Whitlam, announced today that
the Government has accepted the recommendations of the
Industries Assistance Commission in its report on Industrial
Tractors. The report was released on 13 August 1974.
The Government's decision to implement thf! Commission's
recommendations will mean that crawler tractors will continue
to be dutiable at minimum rates while the General rate for

37
PRESS STATEMENT NO. 376
21 November, 1974
BRISBANE FLOOD MITIGATION
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, said today that
flood mitigation works in Brisbane had been delayed by the
Queensland Government's failure to co-operate with the
Australian Government.
In a written reply to a question from Senator
K.* Martin ( Queensland), Mr. Whitlam said: " As long ago as
23 March 1973 1 emphasised that the provision of detailed
information was essential to our decision.
" That information has still not been provided by

THE MINISTRY
After calling on the Governor-General, who
returned to Canberra today, the Prime Minister announced
that the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr J. F. Cairns, had agreed
to become Treasurer and Mr Frank Crean to become Minister
for Overseas Trade.
Because of the legislation before Parliament for
which they were responsible, the ministers would be sworn
into their new portfolios at the end of the present session.
The announcement was being made at the present
time because the Governor-General felt that this was the