Hansard 22 May 1991

Hansard 22 May 1991

Legislative Assembly 7651 22 May 1991 NOTE: There could be differences between this document and the official printed Hansard, Vol. 318 WEDNESDAY, 22 MAY 1991 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. J. Fouras, Ashgrove) read prayers and took the chair at 2.30 p.m. PETITIONS The Clerk announced the receipt of the following petitions— Education of Deaf Children From Mr Burns (854 signatories) praying that the Minister for Education investigate the possibility of classes for deaf children being conducted in the inner suburbs. Mr W. Gynther, Principal, Toowoomba State High School From Dr Flynn (765 signatories) praying that Mr W. Gynther be retained as principal of the Toowoomba State High School. Outpatient Facilities, Wynnum Hospital From Mr Burns (777 signatories) praying that outpatient and casualty facilities be installed at the Wynnum Hospital as announced by the Minister for Health. Freight Transport, Winton-Hughenden From Mr Johnson (323 signatories) praying that the Winton to Hughenden road be urgently upgraded and that rail freight concessions be granted. Station Nightclub, Burpengary From Mr Hayward (541 signatories) praying that the Licensing Commission be instructed to revoke the licence of the Station Nightclub at Burpengary or cause it to be permanently closed. Petitions received. PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table— Report of the National Crime Authority for the year ended 30 June 1990 Reports for the year ended 31 December 1990— Ministerial Consultative Council on Curriculum Board of Teacher Registration Orders in Council under— Gas Act 1965-1990 Grammar Schools Act 1975-1989 and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982-1990 Education (General Provisions) Act 1989 Fauna Conservation Act 1974-1990 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1975-1990 Proclamations under— Griffith University Act 1971-1990 Legislative Assembly 7652 22 May 1991 Education (Tertiary Entrance Procedures Authority) Act 1990 Regulations under— Education (Tertiary Entrance Procedures Authority) Act 1990 Adoption of Children Act 1964-1991 Statutes under— University of Southern Queensland Act 1989 Queensland University of Technology Act 1988-1990 By-laws under the Recreation Areas Management Act 1988-1990. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Report of Commission of Inquiry into the Conservation, Management and Use of Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Region Hon. W. K. GOSS (Logan—Premier, Minister for Economic and Trade Development and Minister for the Arts) (2.34 p.m.), by leave: Today, I table in this House the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Conservation, Management and Use of Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Region. The release of this report today represents the final stage of the implementation of the Government's pre- election commitments in relation to this unique area for Queensland. Prior to the 1989 State election, the parliamentary Labor Party promised the people of Queensland three things in relation to Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Region. Firstly, it promised that my Government would immediately expand the Great Sandy national park on Fraser Island and extend Cooloola national park. On 12 January 1990, only one month after the election of my Government, the Environment Minister, Pat Comben, visited Fraser Island to announce the extension of the Great Sandy national park by 23 000 hectares, a 44 per cent increase. At the same time, Mr Comben announced that Cooloola national park was to be enlarged by 22 per cent to cover almost 55 000 hectares. Secondly, we promised to protect the environmentally sensitive areas and the scientific reserves on Fraser Island. That, too, was done within weeks of our taking office. The third, and in this Government's view the most important, promise that we made in relation to Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Region was that we would establish an overall conservation and management plan for this significant region. The release of the commission of inquiry's report today sees the development of the promised overall conservation and management plan for the region enter its final phase. The commission's report and its associated papers are the most comprehensive set of documents ever prepared on Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Region, or on any environmental issue in Queensland. The central volume of the report has been confined to conclusions in a brief form, which is able to be easily read and understood by every Queenslander, so that the entire community can form an overview of the difficulties, understand their complexities and comprehend the decisions and the reasons they are made. The report and the associated papers represent the work that has never been done in relation to conservation and management regarding Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Region. This is the work that had to be done before a comprehensive conservation and management plan could be implemented. As I said in February at the National Public Issue Dispute Resolution Conference, the decision to commission this inquiry was not based solely on our pre-election commitment to develop a long-term conservation and management strategy for this unique and environmentally significant area. It was also based on a real understanding of the complexity of the issues involved and a desire to ensure wide public consultation and involvement in the development of a long-term plan for the region. In conducting this investigation, the commission of inquiry has undertaken an exhaustive study of many complex and difficult issues associated with the region. In Legislative Assembly 7653 22 May 1991 doing so, the commission held three public hearings, undertook numerous inspections of the region, received 544 submissions, published an initial discussion paper and a detailed final discussion paper, which were available for public comment, and in February, in Brisbane, held the national conference on public issue dispute resolution. The commission of inquiry was conducted in the most professional, open, fair and proper manner. As I have said on numerous occasions, Governments that set in train processes which are comprehensive, orderly and fair, at some public expense, should not do so unless they intend to base their decisions on the outcome of those processes. This Government was fully committed to the commission of inquiry, its staff and its work. Now that it is completed, the Government will base its actions on the recommendations and the material considerations of this report. The report contains some 94 recommendations relating to Fraser Island, the Great Sandy Region and public issue dispute resolution dealing with a broad range of issues. I draw honourable members' attention to the more significant recommendations of the report. Perhaps most significantly, the report recommends that the Queensland Government request the Commonwealth Government to nominate the Great Sandy Region for inscription on the World Heritage List. For an area to be considered to be of outstanding universal value and nominated for World Heritage listing, it must meet one or more of the four criteria set down by the World Heritage Committee and the conditions of integrity fulfilled. In making the recommendation, the report states— "Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Region overall meet the four prescribed criteria for World Heritage listing, plus the associated conditions of integrity. Fraser Island possesses an overwhelming range of features not found elsewhere in Australia and is unique in a global context." Further, it states— "World Heritage listing of this area would be compatible with the optimum conservation, management and use of the region, and would emphasise the need to maintain its ecological integrity." Clearly, if this recommendation of the report was to be implemented, it can only be done after careful consideration and individual decisions by each level of government. There will also be a need for close consultation and cooperation between the Commonwealth Government and the Queensland Government. Today, I have written to the Prime Minister, forwarding a copy of the commission's report and seeking further discussions regarding this recommendation, including the financial implications of this proposal. In addition, the report recommends the enactment of separate legislation, tentatively titled the Great Sandy Regional Park Act, to provide for the management, planning and control of the region. In doing so, it recommends that the management plan cover a broad range of issues, including strategies for conservation, marine and wetland areas, development, access and infrastructure, forestry management, mining management, recreation, tourism and visitor management, Aboriginal management, visual resource management, water quality management, waste management and fire management. These recommendations are a clear recognition of the complexity of the issues involved in the conservation and management of this unique region of Queensland and, I believe, confirmation of the need to embark on this wide-ranging inquiry. Clearly, contrary to what some in the community would have us believe, the issues surrounding this region are much more than simply logging. After detailed examination of forestry practices on Fraser Island, the commission of inquiry has recommended that logging generally be phased out over a six- month period, with the possible exception of continued logging of blackbutt trees in previously logged areas for an initial period of five years, if such limited continued logging is feasible. In order to leave no stone unturned, and in the interests of the

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