Parliamentary Debates
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NEW SOUTH WALES PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FORTY-THIRD PARLIAMENt'-FOURTH SESSION 1fi.egi1>la:tiu.e arouudl During the Session you will be called upon to consider the Government's legisla Wednesday, 8 August, 1973 tive and financial proposals and other mat ters of importance to the citizens of this Fourth Session of FortY-Third Parliament-Opening of Session-Administration of the Government State. Assent to Bills-Legislative Council Representatives on UniversitY Councils-Law of Evidence Bill (pro forma) (first reading)-Vacant Seat (Issue of An occasion to which we all look for Writ)--Death of Sir Leslie Herron, Lieutenant Governor-Questions without Notice-Governor's ward, with great pleasure, is the forthcoming Speech: Address in Reply-Special Adjournment. visit of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. ,FOURTH SESSION OF THE FORTY-THIRD Honourable Members will be aware that PARLIAMENT Her Majesty has graciously consented to The House met at noon, pursuant to a officially open the Opera House later this proclamation of His Excellency the Ad year. ministrator of the Government. On a more sombre note, I express my The PRESIDENT took the chair. deep feeling of personal loss arising from The Prayer was read. the death in office earlier this year of the The Clerk of the Parliaments read the Lieutenant-Governor, the Honourable Sir proclamation. Leslie Herron. In addition to his outstand OPENING OF SESSION ing service to the State, including a long term as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, His Excellency the Governor entered the Chamber, and was received by the Presi the late Sir Leslie was most active in com dent, who was accompanied by other munity affairs. I am sure all Honourable members and officers of the House. A mes Members share my regret at his passing. sage was forwarded to the Assembly that His Excellency desired their immediate Since I last addressed you here the death attendance. has also occurred of Mr John Julius Thomas Stewart. Mr Stewart had been a Member The Assembly being come, of the Legislative Assembly for some fifteen His Excellency was pleased to deliver the years and his passing is a great loss to this following Speech: Parliament and to the State. HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLA TIVE COUNCIL, AND MEMBERS OF THE 1972-73 was a year of considerable LEGISLATIVE AssEMBLY, economic change. The year opened with It is my privilege to address you today, rising unemployment, sluggish consumer at the Opening of the Fourth Session of demand, and uncertain rural prospects, but the Forty-Third Parliament of New South by the close of the financial year there had Wales. been some improvement. 1 2 Opening of Session [COUNCIL] Opening of Session Consumer demand was increasing, pro Development of the State by expansion duction was rising and the housing industry of its industrial potential, and the conse was active. Unemployment had fallen, and quential creation of employment opportuni labour shortages were beginning to appear. ties, has continued to be a major objective However, there was still significant un of the Government. A trade mission under employment in country areas and business tl.:J.e leadership of the Minister for Decen capital expenditure was yet to fully recover. tralisation and Development recently visited the South-East Asian area to promote sales It is relevant to mention that, in con of the State's goods and to seek opportuni junction with the Federal Government, over ties for suitable joint manufacturing ven 37 million dollars were available to public tures. The visits undertaken by this mission authorities and councils for the relief of and similar missions in recent years have unemployment during the last financial year. been very effective in sponsoring increased A pleasing feature of the economic up sales of Australian products and identifying swing has been the recovery in the rural potential markets in this area. sector. While revaluation and the Common As part of its overall development activi Market have created problems for some ties, the Government has continued its primary industries, good prices for wool policy of encouraging the establishment and and the buoyant state of the meat industry expansion of industries in the State's coun have combined to dispel much of the earlier try regions. In 1972-73, approximately uncertainty. High export prices for rural 10.7 million dollars were spent or firmly products have also contributed to Austra committed in providing assistance to no less lia's favourable balance of payments than 140 country industries. position. A new phase in implementation of the The major problem has been the con Government's decentralization policy has tinuous rise in costs. Industrial hold-ups been introduced by the selection of Bath have caused losses. urst/ Orange as the State's first pilot growth Wage rates have continued to rise strongly centre and by the Government's decision to at about 10 per cent per annum, and prices re-locate the Central Mapping Authority in by nearly 8 per cent. The effects upon the that area. economy and the State's budget have been The proposal for the development of of continuing concern to the New South Albury/Wodonga as a further growth centre Wales Government. is also fully supported by the New South With the assistance of a special advance Wales Government and details of the joint of 15 million dollars from the Common arrangements to apply have been the subject wealth, approved in 1972, and unexpectedly of discussion with representatives of the buoyant stamp duty revenues, the Govern Commonwealth and Victorian Govern ment finished the year with a budget deficit ments. of only just over 3 million dollars. The Government recognizes that decen The carry-forward effect of wage in tralization can be stimulated also by de creases granted in 1972-73 and the cost of velopment of the regional tourist industry further increases that seem to be inevitable and four Tourist Development areas have in 1973-74 will, however, create an ex been selected to receive priority for Gov ceedingly difficult task for the forthcoming ernment expenditure and assistance to Budget. achieve accelerated development for tourist Opening of Session [8 Auo., 1973] Opening of Session promotion. The areas are Coifs Harbour/ megawatt pumped-storage hydro-electric Grafton, Snowy Mountains, Central West station on the Shoalhaven River south of and Port Macquarie/Hastings. Sydney is under construction. The establishment in the past year of The past year has seen major advances Regional and District Advisory Councils in the implementation of the Government's throughout the various areas of the State programme of water, soil and forest con represents a major step forward in the Gov servation works. ernment's regional re-organization pro Work on Stage II of the 45 million dol posals. It is expected that these Councils, lar Copeton Darn project on the Gwydir which include private citizens and repre River is now complete and preliminary work sentatives of local and State administrations, has commenced on the Windamere and will play an important and continuing role Brogo Dams. in co-ordinating the planning and develop ment of their regions. An additional weir on the Darling River has been completed at Louth and work on The programme for the re-development the Marebone Weir, Macquarie River, has of the ports of Sydney, Newcastle and commenced. Action is proceeding towards Botany Bay has proceeded ahead of the calling of tenders for the construction schedule. of two major weirs on the Namoi River. Work at Newcastle, where a major pro A substantially increased building pro gramme is in progress, has included dredg gramme is being undertaken by the Housing ing to restore the main Steelworks Channel Commission and an extensive programme to a depth of 36 feet. of land acquisition for future Government Also, despite adverse weather conditions, housing activity is being continued. substantial progress has been made by the Almost 300 dwellings are currently under contractor on Stage 1 of the Botany Bay construction at Macquarie Fields as part port development scheme. of the first neighbourhood to be built by In addition, a contract has been let for the Housing Commission in the Campbell the deepening of the two harbours at Port town/Camden New Town Area. Kembla. This work, when completed, will During last year 906 units for elderly permit the entry of vessels in the 100,000 persons were completed under the joint pro tonnes range and make Port Kembla one of the deepest harbours in Australia. gramme financed from State and Common wealth funds. Following completion at Red To meet the demands of industry and of fern this year of the first high rise block the increasing population, expansion of the for elderly persons, work has now been State's electricity generating capacity has commenced on the construction of two also continued. thirty-storey tower blocks at Waterloo which At Vales Point Power Station, work has will provide 464 units for aged persons who commenced on the installation of two addi wish to live close to the City and who have tional 660 megawatt units to meet the ex no objection to living in flats serviced by pected electricity requirements of the latter lifts. part of the decade. During the past financial year the Metro A 500 megawatt coal-fired power unit politan Water, Sewerage and Drainage at Wallerawang is scheduled for commis Board spent 105 million dollars on new sioning in the 1975-76 period, and a 240 water, sewerage and drainage works and 4 Opening of Session [COUNCIL] Opening of Session Jaid more than 600 miles of water mains A major re-organization of the adminis and sewers.