Mr ELFERINK - 1997-11-27
On the radio this morning, I heard George Brown, the Lord Mayor of Darwin, threaten to approach the pilots association to ask them to boycott flights to Yulara in response to the government's decision to dissolve the Yulara Town Council. Can the Treasurer comment on the stupidity of such a plan, and how it would harm the Territory's multi-million-dollar tourism interests, as well as threatening the jobs of the people who live in Yulara, simply in support of a community council that has essentially become irrelevant?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the honourable member is obviously very concerned about the prospects of the more than 600 employees at the Ayers Rock Resort. I do not think they would have been very happy to hear Lord Mayor George Brown's comments today. I quote from what the Lord Mayor said on the radio this morning:
We could do some fairly drastic things, like asking supporters of local government associations of Australia
not to holiday at Yulara. Or we could be even more dramatic than that and approach the pilots association to
say that they will not fly tourists into Yulara for 1 day of each week until Christmas or something like that.
I wonder if Lord Mayor George Brown spoke to Mayor Andy McNeil of Alice Springs before he made that outrageous suggestion. It is an outrageous suggestion because it would impact on the livelihood of people working at Yulara and on the livelihood of the tourism industry, not only in Alice Springs but all across the Northern Territory. There are presently 62 flights per week into and out of Ayers Rock. There were 51 016 arrivals and 51 205 departures between July and October inclusive. If one flight per week was boycotted, such as a 737-400 or something of that kind with about 100 passengers on it, then 100 people would not flow on to Alice Springs. Some 70% of the guests of the Ayers Rock Resort also go through Alice Springs. Alice Springs would be a significant loser if the Lord Mayor's proposal were followed through. I think it was highly irresponsible.
George Brown would have been much more productively employed by staying here in Darwin and assisting the local business community to prosper and employ more people. He might even have given orders for some footpaths to be fixed in the northern suburbs, to help the people there to have a more appropriate lifestyle, rather than looking elsewhere in the country to denigrate Territorians' opportunities and their ability to obtain gainful employment.
It is interesting to note the responses that come from various people around the Territory in relation to the closure of the Yulara Town Council. I have had a number of approaches from people in Darwin who have said I took an albatross from around the neck of Yulara by getting rid of that council, and could I not also get rid of the Darwin City Council? The local member, the member for Port Darwin, has also had approaches along those lines. I think there is a message in this for local governments. They are not providing the sorts of services that people seek from them. What is the budget of the Darwin City Council? It is perhaps $24m a year.
Mr Stone: I believe it is $26m.
Mr REED: I do not believe the people think they are getting what they want. They would like to see watered parks - some green grass rather than the browning of Darwin.
The Lord Mayor of Darwin has done the Northern Territory a terrible disservice by suggesting that another airline strike should be imposed on the Northern Territory tourism industry and on Territorians who are working hard to grow our economy and assist the Territory to prosper. He should be absolutely ashamed of himself. He should come home here to Darwin as quickly as possible so that he can take care of the people here instead of denigrating Territory workers and damaging the economy through his irresponsible comments.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the honourable member is obviously very concerned about the prospects of the more than 600 employees at the Ayers Rock Resort. I do not think they would have been very happy to hear Lord Mayor George Brown's comments today. I quote from what the Lord Mayor said on the radio this morning:
We could do some fairly drastic things, like asking supporters of local government associations of Australia
not to holiday at Yulara. Or we could be even more dramatic than that and approach the pilots association to
say that they will not fly tourists into Yulara for 1 day of each week until Christmas or something like that.
I wonder if Lord Mayor George Brown spoke to Mayor Andy McNeil of Alice Springs before he made that outrageous suggestion. It is an outrageous suggestion because it would impact on the livelihood of people working at Yulara and on the livelihood of the tourism industry, not only in Alice Springs but all across the Northern Territory. There are presently 62 flights per week into and out of Ayers Rock. There were 51 016 arrivals and 51 205 departures between July and October inclusive. If one flight per week was boycotted, such as a 737-400 or something of that kind with about 100 passengers on it, then 100 people would not flow on to Alice Springs. Some 70% of the guests of the Ayers Rock Resort also go through Alice Springs. Alice Springs would be a significant loser if the Lord Mayor's proposal were followed through. I think it was highly irresponsible.
George Brown would have been much more productively employed by staying here in Darwin and assisting the local business community to prosper and employ more people. He might even have given orders for some footpaths to be fixed in the northern suburbs, to help the people there to have a more appropriate lifestyle, rather than looking elsewhere in the country to denigrate Territorians' opportunities and their ability to obtain gainful employment.
It is interesting to note the responses that come from various people around the Territory in relation to the closure of the Yulara Town Council. I have had a number of approaches from people in Darwin who have said I took an albatross from around the neck of Yulara by getting rid of that council, and could I not also get rid of the Darwin City Council? The local member, the member for Port Darwin, has also had approaches along those lines. I think there is a message in this for local governments. They are not providing the sorts of services that people seek from them. What is the budget of the Darwin City Council? It is perhaps $24m a year.
Mr Stone: I believe it is $26m.
Mr REED: I do not believe the people think they are getting what they want. They would like to see watered parks - some green grass rather than the browning of Darwin.
The Lord Mayor of Darwin has done the Northern Territory a terrible disservice by suggesting that another airline strike should be imposed on the Northern Territory tourism industry and on Territorians who are working hard to grow our economy and assist the Territory to prosper. He should be absolutely ashamed of himself. He should come home here to Darwin as quickly as possible so that he can take care of the people here instead of denigrating Territory workers and damaging the economy through his irresponsible comments.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016