Hansard 28 April 1994
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Legislative Assembly 7867 28 April 1994 THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 1994 From Mr Livingstone (2 019 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will continue to give full support to the Smithfield- Kuranda Sky-rail project. Mr SPEAKER (Hon. J. Fouras, Ashgrove) Petitions received. read prayers and took the chair at 10 a.m. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT PETITIONS Overseas Trip to Papua New Guinea The Clerk announced the receipt of the following petitions— Hon. W. K. GOSS (Logan—Premier and Minister for Economic and Trade Development) (10.02 a.m.), by leave: On 18 April this year I Great Sandy Region Draft Management undertook a two-day visit to Papua New Guinea Plan for a round of meetings with senior Government From Ms Robson (39 signatories) praying Ministers, including the Prime Minister, and to that the Parliament of Queensland will ensure deliver addresses to the Papua New Guinea that road, track, beach and airstrip closures Business Council and the Papua New Guinea proposed in the Great Sandy Region Draft Press Association. This visit was the ninth Management Plan be not implemented. ministerial-level visit to Papua New Guinea since August 1991 and is part of the continuing program by the Queensland Government to Dryander National Park build close and enduring ties at the highest level with a country which is both our closest From Mr Livingstone (29 signatories) neighbour and a significant trading partner. praying that the Parliament of Queensland will reject any motion to revoke the dedication of the I seek leave to table and have incorporated area of Dryander National Park adjacent to the into Hansard a detailed report of this recent visit eastern arm of Double Bay. to Papua New Guinea. MEETING NOTES Somerset and Albany Island VISIT TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA MR WAYNE GOSS, M.L.A. From Mr Lingard (157 signatories) praying PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND that Somerset and Albany Island at Cape York be officially proclaimed as a 'sacred European site', Monday, 18th April, 1994 that all claims be revoked in respect of title and RECEPTION TO MARK THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH that a caretaker prevent any further desecration. OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA QUEENSLAND BUSINESS WEEK I was the host of this reception at which Papua School Transport New Guinea's Minister for Commerce and Industry Mr David Mai officially opened the From Mr Davidson (250 signatories) second Papua New Guinea Queensland praying that school transport be made available Business Week. to families free of cost. The first of these events was held in September 1992 and was organised substantially by the Trade and Investment Development Division of Police, Noosa/Tewantin the Department of Premier, Economic and Trade Development with participation by the Papua From Mr Davidson (611 signatories) New Guinea Queensland Business Association. praying for a greater police presence in the On this occasion, the week's activities were Noosa/Tewantin area and that more severe largely organised by the Association, and penalties be imposed for offenders. involved 20 Queensland companies who took part in functions and meetings in Port Moresby and Lae. School, Chuwar In addition to its involvement with Papua New From Mr Livingstone (2 263 signatories) Guinea Queensland Business Week, the praying that a State secondary school facility be Queensland Government has also provided assistance to the Papua New Guinea constructed at Chuwar as a high priority. Queensland Business Association which has Sky-rail, Cairns and Kuranda seen its membership grow from an initial 20 to more than 120. 28 April 1994 7868 Legislative Assembly The association's increasing membership and Mr Nilkare discussed a number of issues in his the level of support shown for this year's Papua portfolio areas. He suggested, among other New Guinea Business Week highlights the points, that Queensland could potentially growing interest being shown by Queensland provide advice in the area of local and central companies in Papua New Guinea. government relationships. Further talks will be RECEPTION HOSTED BY PRIME MINISTER continued at officer level. PAIAS WINGTI MEETING WITH THE OPPOSITION LEADER, Prime Minister Paias Wingti hosted a reception at CHRIS HAIVETA Parliament House for both myself and a visiting Mr Haiveta expressed his support for Australian Parliamentary delegation. The Queensland's trade connections with Papua New reception was well-attended by senior ministers Guinea and provided a general outline of the and officials of the Papua New Guinea Opposition's economic development policies. Government in addition to leading business ADDRESS TO THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA people. In a brief address I re-affirmed AUSTRALIA BUSINESS COUNCIL Queensland's commitment to building close ties of commerce and friendship with Papua New The Papua New Guinea Australia Business Guinea. Council is the premier private sector nation-to- nation level body for co-operation between firms. Tuesday, 19th April I has a reciprocal body, the Australia Papua New MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER PAIAS Guinea Business Council. Members of both WINGTI councils include major firms with interests in both Prime Minister Wingti and I discussed a range of countries. issues of bilateral interest. In particular, the In my address I re-confirmed Queensland's Prime Minister raised the question of whether the commitment to our relationship with Papua New Queensland tourism industry could participate in Guinea and detailed some of the steps we had the development of new tourist destinations in taken to strengthening our ties of commerce and his country. I undertook to send the Prime friendship. Minister a copy of the Queensland Government's INSPECTION OF RURAL recently completed Cairns Regional Tourism TELECOMMUNICATIONS SHOW, TELEKOM Strategy as a first step in further investigation of RUMANA the matter. The Papua New Guinea Government has MEETING WITH THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER authorised the government-owned Post and SIR JULIUS CHAN Telecommunications Corporation (PTC) to Sir Julius Chan, in addition to discussing the dedicate half of its dividend to rural prospects of closer tourism links between communications. This will mean a multi-million Queensland and Papua New Guinea, also dollar boost to services in this sector with suggested that both centres could co-operate to significant opportunities for Australian suppliers identify trade, investment and commerce of goods and services. opportunities in the Pacific Islands. I said that This display was an initiative jointly of Austrade the Queensland Government had begun and PTC, with a theme of extending investigating prospects in the Pacific region and telecommunications to Papua New Guinea could exchange information with the Papua New villages. Guinea Government. Of the twenty-four participating Australian MEETING WITH THE MINISTER FOR FINANCE companies, six were from Queensland or from AND PLANNING, MASKET IANGALIO Queensland branches of Australian firms. Mr Iangalio, who until January this year was the ADDRESS TO THE INAUGURAL DINNER OF THE Minister for Mining and Petroleum, outlined, in PAPUA NEW GUINEA NATIONAL PRESS CLUB broad terms, the Government's financial management strategies. He also discussed the This function was attended by a wide range of Australian Government's decision to change its representatives from the media, diplomatic, legal method of providing financial assistance to and business communities of Papua New Papua New Guinea from budget support to Guinea. project aid. In my address I again discussed Queensland's Mr Iangalio said this change would require Papua commitment to a strong relationship with Papua New Guinea to develop further capacity in the New Guinea before taking questions from the areas of identifying, designing and constructing floor on a range of issues. projects. We agreed that Queensland had the potential to assist Papua New Guinea in these areas. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Further talks on issues raised will be continued Great Sandy Region Management Plan at officer level. Hon. M. J. ROBSON (Springwood— MEETING WITH THE MINISTER FOR Minister for Environment and Heritage) PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS AND VILLAGE (10.05 a.m.), by leave: In March 1990 this DEVELOPMENT, JOHN NILKARE Government commissioned an inquiry into the Legislative Assembly 7869 28 April 1994 conservation, management and use of Fraser interest groups, two meetings with Fraser Island Island and the Great Sandy region. This inquiry residents, and I met several times with Fraser was undertaken by Commissioner Tony Island residents. Fitzgerald who reported to the Government in A summary of the draft management plan May 1991. Once that report was complete, was posted to all landowners within the Great decisions were taken that sandmining interests Sandy region and a full draft was made available in the region would be terminated and that to all landowners free of charge. Up to 2 000 logging on Fraser Island would cease by the end copies of the draft management plan were of 1991. distributed to the general public, interest groups Together with the Commonwealth and community organisations. Three hundred Government the Queensland Government and fifty submissions were received and were established a $38m growth and development taken into consideration when preparing the final package for the Great Sandy region to provide management plan. This management plan for those who lost their jobs or whose reflects the hard decisions that this Government businesses were directly and substantially has taken in relation to the Great Sandy region affected by the decision to end logging. The and it follows up with the decisions necessary to retrenched workers have now been assisted and ensure that Fraser Island and the Great Sandy the businesses have been compensated. region will continue to be recognised and Commissioner Fitzgerald recommended managed as an asset of outstanding value. that the region be nominated for World Heritage Let me outline some of those decisions. listing and in December 1992 Fraser Island was There will be no sandmining on World Heritage inscribed on the World Heritage List as Australia's listed Fraser Island.