EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
DELEGATION FOR RELATIONS WITH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
30th EP/Australia Interparliamentary meeting
25 February - 4 March 2007
SYDNEY, CANBERRA, ULURU, PERTH, MARGARET RIVER
DRAFT PROGRAMME
Saturday 24- Sunday 25 February - Sydney
Individual arrivals of participants in Sydney
Accomodation: Hotel Intercontinental 117 Macquarie Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel.: (02) 9253 9000
Saturday 24 February - Sydney optional activity booked for some : • 19:30 Saturday: La Traviata, Sydney Opera House
Sunday 25 February - Sydney
18:45 Sydney harbour sunset cruise and dinner (hosted by Parliament of Australia, will include several MPs and other public figures) Monday 26 February - Sydney and Canberra
08:15 Luggage outside rooms for collection
08:30 Check out, depart hotel
NB: appointments requested, still to be confirmed
08:15 Luggage collection from outside rooms
08:30 Check out from hotel
08:45 Depart hotel for Government House
09:00 Call on Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, Governor of New South Wales tbc Venue: Government House
10:00 Depart Government House for NSW Department of State and Regional Development
10:15 Roundtable meeting with members of Europe-Australia Business Council, Senior officials of the NSW Department of State and Regional Development; the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability; the Department of Natural Resources tbc
Venue: Department of State and Regional Development MLC Centre Martin Place Cnr King and Castlereagh Streets
11:45 Depart MLC centre on foot for the Parliament of New South Wales
12:00 Arrrive NSW Parliament House for pre-lunch drinks in courtyard
Venue: NSW Parliament House, Macquarie Street (entry via Legislative Assembly steps)
12:30 Lunch hosted by the President of the Legislative Council, the Hon. Dr Meredith Burgmann MLC and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Hon. John Aquilina MP - tbc
Venue: Speaker’s dining room
13:50 Depart NSW Parliament for airport
15.00 Depart Sydney airport Flight QF1453
15.50 Arrive Canberra Depart for the Parliament [Luggage to be taken directly to hotel]
16.30 Courtesy call on Presiding Officers of the Parliament of Australia, Senator the Hon Paul Calvert (President of the Senate) and the Hon. David Hawker MP (Speaker of the House of Representatives)
venue: President’s suite, Australian Parliament House (depending on numbers)
17:00 Depart Parliament House (Senate entrance) for hotel
17:20 Depart hotel for the European Commission Delegation to Australia and New Zealand
Venue: 18 Arkana Street, Yarralumla
17:30 Briefing with European Commission and EU member state diplomatic representatives
18:25 Depart European Commission delegation office on foot for reception at the residence of the Ambassador for the European Commission Delegation to Australia and New Zealand, HE Mr Bruno Julien
Venue: 18 Arkana Street, Yarralumla
18:30 Attend joint reception co-hosted by the European Parliament and the Ambassador for the European Commission Delegation to Australia and New Zealand, HE Mr Bruno Julien
20:00 Transport available for return to hotel
Evening free for private arrangements, including some arrangements for dinner between MEPs and their counterpart EU member state diplomatic representatives.
Accommodation: The Hyatt Hotel Commonwealth Ave Canberra ACT 2600 Tuesday 27 February, Canberra
08:00 Breakfast meetings at hotel with like-minded political groups (eg: EPP-ED with members of coalition, PES with members of ALP, ALDE with members of the Australian Democrats; potentially UEN with Family First)
09:15 Assemble at rear of hotel and depart for Parliament House
09:30 Meeting with the Hon Kevin Andrews MP, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs tbc
10:30 Meeting with the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, Minister for Environment and Water Conservation tbc
11:30 Meeting with the Hon Mal Brough MP, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs tbc
12:30 Lunch hosted by Chair (Senator Grant Chapman) and Members of Australia/Europe Parliamentary Group
Venue: House of Representatives Members and Guests Bar Confirmed
14:00 Attend Question Time
Venue: House of Representatives Chamber
14:30 Attend Question Time
Venue: Senate Chamber
15:00 Depart Parliament House for Australian National University (ANU)
15:15 Roundtable meeting with Professor Simon Bronitt, Director, ANU National Europe Centre; Dr Ben Wellings, Deputy Director; Mr John Gage, Visiting Fellow and ANU colleagues for discussion on security matters
Venue: Building 67C, 1 Liversidge Street
NB: may be turned into public diplomacy event (Mr Rack will speak for ten minutes on constitutional affairs and Mr Haensch for ten minutes on security issues)
16:00 Depart for Parliament House
House of Representatives entrance 16:15 Formal Interparliamentary Delegation Meeting with Chair (Senator Alan Ferguson) and members of the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
Venue: Committee Room 1R1 Note: request made for longer meeting
17:15 Courtesy call on The Hon Alexander Downer MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs tbc
17:45 Depart Parliament House for hotel
House of Representatives entrance
Other possible backup meetings • Meeting with Minerals Council • Meeting with National Farmers’ Federation • Meeting with members of Parliament press corps
18:15 Assemble at rear entrance of Hyatt Hotel and depart for Parliament House
18:30 Dinner hosted by Presiding Officers, Senator Calvert and Mr Hawker
Venue: Private Dining Room Parliament House
20:30 Transport available for return to hotel
Accommodation: The Hyatt Hotel Commonwealth Ave Canberra ACT 2600 Wednesday 28 February, Canberra-Sydney-Uluru
05:30 Luggage for collection outside rooms
05:45 Check out and depart hotel
06.50 Depart for Sydney -Flight QF560
07.40 Arrive Sydney airport for transit to Uluru (use of Qantas lounge secured)
08.45 Depart for Uluru - Flight QF726
10.40 Arrive Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Met on arrival by Ms Jan Sporn, Director, Parliamentary Relations and Education Unit, Northern Territory Parliament
Transfer to hotel.
Accommodation: (tbc) Sails in the Desert Hotel Uluru
NB: delegation accompanied throughout Uluru leg by Northern Territory Parliament Speaker Jane Aagaard, Ms Jan Sporn, and (tbc) an indigenous MP from the NT Parliament.
13:00 Informal lunch at hotel
14:00 Departure for Uluru cultural centre explanation of Anangu culture (indigenous tribe) and of the Uluru environment Uluru base tour and Mutitjulu walk
16:30 Return to hotel
18:30 Depart for "Sounds of Silence" dinner - booked but tbc by EP Thursday 1 March, Uluru-Perth
05:30 Assemble in hotel foyer for optional sunrise over Uluru tour
07:30 Return to hotel
09:00 Baggage collection from outside rooms
09:15 Check out
09:30 Depart hotel for Katatjuta (The Olgas) (30 min coach drive from Uluru) – guided tour – gorge lookout - short walk
12:30 Return to hotel (change before departing for airport)
13:00 Depart hotel for airport
13:50 Depart Uluru on flight QF 1923 to Perth
15:50 Arrive Perth (time difference 1:30) Depart directly for Office of Premier
17:00 Meeting with Hon. Alan Carpenter MLA , Premier and Minister for State Development, tbc
Venue: 197 St Georges Terrace
Accommodation: Intercontinental Perth Burswood Resort Bolton Ave and Great Eastern Highway Perth 6100
Free evening Friday 2 March, Perth -> Margaret River
07:30 Baggage collection from outside rooms
07:45 Checkout
08:00 Depart hotel for Austral shipping
08:45 Meet Mr Bob McKinnon, Managing Director of Austral Shipping for presentation and tour of shipyard
venue: 100 Clarence Beach Road Henderson
10:15 Depart Austral Shipping for Department of Industry and Resources
11:00 Meet with Mr David McCulloch, Manager, Market Development – Europe and colleagues of the Department of Industry and Resources for presentation and discussion
Venue: 1 Adelaide Terrace East Perth
12:00 Depart for Woodside Energy
12:15 Meet with representatives of Woodside Energy
Venue: Level 24, 240 St Georges Terrace Perth
13:15 Depart Woodside for Fremantle
13:45 Informal lunch (own arrangements) at Fremantle fishing boat harbour
14:30 Depart Fremantle for Margaret River by coach
18:30 Arrive hotel
19:30 Informal BBQ dinner with regional authorities at hotel, hosted by EP and including Nick Power, CEO of Margaret River Wine Industry Association
Accommodation: Quay West Resort Bunker Bay Bunker Bay Road Bunker Bay, Margaret River Saturday 3 March - Margaret River
NB: Accompanied throughout day by Mr Nick Power, CEO Margaret River Wine Association
08:15 Depart hotel for Leeuwin Lighthouse (heritage site) Cape Leeuwin Augusta
09:00 Depart lighthouse for Lake Cave (limestone caves) Caves Road Margaret River
09:30 Tour of Lake Cave
10:00 Depart Lake Cave for Leeuwin Estate winery
10:30 Drive through Boranup Forest ecological protected area, re-growth karri forests
10:45 Leeuwin Estate and vineyards - meetings with viticulteurs Stevens Road Margaret River
11:20 Depart Leeuwin Estate winery for Voyager Estate
11:30 Voyager Estate and vineyards - meetings with viticulteurs Stevens Road Margaret River
12:15 Depart Voyager Estate for Vasse Felix vineyard via mouth of Margaret River
13:00 Lunch and meetings with viticulteurs at Vasse Felix Estate Caves Road and Harmans Road south Cowaramup
15:00 Depart Vasse Felix for hotel
15:30 Return to hotel for free time
19:00 Dinner at hotel, Other Side of the Moon restaurant, with local winemakers
Accommodation: Quay West Resort Bunker Bay Bunker Bay Road Bunker Bay, Margaret River Sunday 4 March, Margaret River->Perth ->Europe
09:30 Luggage collection outside rooms
09:45 Check out and depart hotel
10:00 Depart hotel for Margaret River township
10:15 Informal walk, Margaret River
11:00 Depart Margaret River for Perth and onward flights to Europe (flights depart around 16h00: return drive should take less than four hours)