Dr LIM - 1998-02-25
Media reports have indicated that the Tiwi Islands will not become the site for a satellite launching facility. Can the minister inform the House whether this is the case and the reason for the decision? I know that his department has done a great deal of research into this matter.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is with great disappointment that I confirm that a project which aimed to establish a satellite launching facility in the Northern Territory will not proceed. The Brisbane-based company, Space Transportation Systems Ltd, has informed me that the Russian Proton rocket will not be made available for launching from anywhere in Australia because International Launch Services, the international consortium that markets the Proton rocket worldwide, considers an Australian launch site to be commercially unviable.
The Northern Territory government has worked very closely with Space Transportation Systems over a period of 3 years to investigate the feasibility of this project and to try to ensure that there would be no barriers in its way. In February 1995, the company first visited the Territory to establish whether the area might be a suitable launch site for the Russian Proton rocket. Members would be aware that, originally, a potential launch site was being looked at at Gunn Point. Interest moved to Melville Island for technical reasons.
I have spoken to the chairman of Space Transportation Systems, Mike Ahern. I was concerned about some rumours that the project had moved offshore from Australia because a request for assistance from the federal government had been rejected. I am pleased to be able to say that, in fact, that was not the case. The company itself was very pleased with the reception it received from the federal government and the support of all the federal agencies in relation to the project. It was extremely pleased with the dealings it had in the Northern Territory, both with the government and with the Tiwi Land Council and the people of Melville Island. It believed that all those systems were in place. The company itself ...
Mr Bailey: You have created division in the community. You are a bunch of hypocrites.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: The company has spent some money on carrying out the environmental impact study. In the early days, the Territory government, the Queensland government and the federal government contributed $25 000 each to examine and develop the feasibility of an equatorial launch site in northern Australia.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Isn't this wonderful, Madam Speaker? Absolutely wonderful! I have tried very hard not to respond to the
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rude and ignorant interjections from members opposite ...
Mr Bailey: When it is convenient for you, you run that sort of line. However, when it is convenient for him to bash blacks, he runs that agenda.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: You are a bunch of hypocrites!
Mr STONE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I think the interjection about 'bashing blacks' should be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, I think that was over the top.
Mr Bailey: What have we had for the last 5 days? If that is unparliamentary, we are setting new standards on what can be interjected.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I ask the member for Wanguri to withdraw that remark.
Mr BAILEY: To suggest that he bashes blacks?
Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: Speaking to the point of order ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I have asked you to withdraw the remark.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw.
Mr MANZIE: It is interesting that, when there is evidence that some issues relating to Aboriginals have caused problems to projects, and factual information is presented in the House, the opposition jumps on the racist bandwagon. Now that there is an example of a situation where Aboriginal people ...
Mr Bailey: You are the most mealy-mouthed slime in here.
Mr MANZIE: ... have approached a project in a spirit of enthusiasm, the member for Wanguri still tries to throw in the racist card. He cannot help himself. He does not like to see things move along successfully. His contribution to this Assembly ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, will you get on with your answer to the question?
Mr MANZIE: ... is extremely poor. Now that we are talking about a project where all Territorians work very hard to ensure its success, he still likes to try to interfere and stop the information from being heard.
The door is not closed for people to set up a launch site for equatorial satellite processes. This particular company was the Lockheed Martin Krunichev consortium. Krunichev is the Russian group that built the Mir space station. It certainly does not intend to proceed in Australia, but there are other companies. The window of opportunity is shrinking because, once the launch process is set up, it will not be duplicated. Processes are being discussed by Boeing Zenith to set up a launch for small rockets on a disused oil platform in the Christmas Island area, although that certainly does not match the ground launch facility that was being examined here.
We will continue to provide assistance to any organisation that wants to establish in the Territory, as with any organisation that will create jobs and activities for Territorians. In this instance, a great deal of hard work was put in without success. I want to thank all the officers involved - all
Page 11
the members of both federal and Territory government organisations and the Tiwi people for the enthusiasm with which they approached this project.
Page 12
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is with great disappointment that I confirm that a project which aimed to establish a satellite launching facility in the Northern Territory will not proceed. The Brisbane-based company, Space Transportation Systems Ltd, has informed me that the Russian Proton rocket will not be made available for launching from anywhere in Australia because International Launch Services, the international consortium that markets the Proton rocket worldwide, considers an Australian launch site to be commercially unviable.
The Northern Territory government has worked very closely with Space Transportation Systems over a period of 3 years to investigate the feasibility of this project and to try to ensure that there would be no barriers in its way. In February 1995, the company first visited the Territory to establish whether the area might be a suitable launch site for the Russian Proton rocket. Members would be aware that, originally, a potential launch site was being looked at at Gunn Point. Interest moved to Melville Island for technical reasons.
I have spoken to the chairman of Space Transportation Systems, Mike Ahern. I was concerned about some rumours that the project had moved offshore from Australia because a request for assistance from the federal government had been rejected. I am pleased to be able to say that, in fact, that was not the case. The company itself was very pleased with the reception it received from the federal government and the support of all the federal agencies in relation to the project. It was extremely pleased with the dealings it had in the Northern Territory, both with the government and with the Tiwi Land Council and the people of Melville Island. It believed that all those systems were in place. The company itself ...
Mr Bailey: You have created division in the community. You are a bunch of hypocrites.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: The company has spent some money on carrying out the environmental impact study. In the early days, the Territory government, the Queensland government and the federal government contributed $25 000 each to examine and develop the feasibility of an equatorial launch site in northern Australia.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Isn't this wonderful, Madam Speaker? Absolutely wonderful! I have tried very hard not to respond to the
Page 10
rude and ignorant interjections from members opposite ...
Mr Bailey: When it is convenient for you, you run that sort of line. However, when it is convenient for him to bash blacks, he runs that agenda.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: You are a bunch of hypocrites!
Mr STONE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I think the interjection about 'bashing blacks' should be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, I think that was over the top.
Mr Bailey: What have we had for the last 5 days? If that is unparliamentary, we are setting new standards on what can be interjected.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I ask the member for Wanguri to withdraw that remark.
Mr BAILEY: To suggest that he bashes blacks?
Members interjecting.
Mr BAILEY: Speaking to the point of order ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I have asked you to withdraw the remark.
Mr BAILEY: I withdraw.
Mr MANZIE: It is interesting that, when there is evidence that some issues relating to Aboriginals have caused problems to projects, and factual information is presented in the House, the opposition jumps on the racist bandwagon. Now that there is an example of a situation where Aboriginal people ...
Mr Bailey: You are the most mealy-mouthed slime in here.
Mr MANZIE: ... have approached a project in a spirit of enthusiasm, the member for Wanguri still tries to throw in the racist card. He cannot help himself. He does not like to see things move along successfully. His contribution to this Assembly ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, will you get on with your answer to the question?
Mr MANZIE: ... is extremely poor. Now that we are talking about a project where all Territorians work very hard to ensure its success, he still likes to try to interfere and stop the information from being heard.
The door is not closed for people to set up a launch site for equatorial satellite processes. This particular company was the Lockheed Martin Krunichev consortium. Krunichev is the Russian group that built the Mir space station. It certainly does not intend to proceed in Australia, but there are other companies. The window of opportunity is shrinking because, once the launch process is set up, it will not be duplicated. Processes are being discussed by Boeing Zenith to set up a launch for small rockets on a disused oil platform in the Christmas Island area, although that certainly does not match the ground launch facility that was being examined here.
We will continue to provide assistance to any organisation that wants to establish in the Territory, as with any organisation that will create jobs and activities for Territorians. In this instance, a great deal of hard work was put in without success. I want to thank all the officers involved - all
Page 11
the members of both federal and Territory government organisations and the Tiwi people for the enthusiasm with which they approached this project.
Page 12
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016