Mr BALCH - 1999-11-25
During the last sittings, the Leader of the Opposition made the perplexing claim that the town of Murgon in Queensland shares characteristics with Port Keats. Is the Chief Minister able to tell Territorians a little more about Murgon and the absolute absurdity of the Opposition Leader’s comparison?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, among some of the more intriguing and shallow responses that the Leader of the Opposition makes in this House, she spent her time in response to the Foundations for Our Future document Encouraging Strong Northern Territory Regions and Communities - a very comprehensive plan - criticising the government because it had not created a township like the one in Queensland called Murgon, and because those similarities weren’t there, somehow we had failed in regional development. We saw a further example yesterday when an MPI on regional development essentially dealt only with the member for Nhulunbuy’s own electorate - another time-wasting effort by the opposition.
It intrigued me when the Leader of the Opposition picked Murgon. It seemed to me that if I had a look at Murgon I could get an insight into how she sees regional development going in the Northern Territory. So I did a bit of work on Murgon. I’ll take the time to explain to the House a little about this township of Murgon that the Leader of the Opposition believes is quite similar to Port Keats.
Murgon lies within the area of Murgon Shire Council and although it has a resident population of approximately 2210 - she said a similar population - the shire for service-delivery and rating purposes has a population of approximately 4700 people. So it’s double from a rating point of view. Murgon was established in 1906 to provide a service centre for an already-successful local sheep and cattle industry. It is located 260 km north-west of Brisbane and 107 km west of Gympie. It is accessible from 3 highways - the Burnett ...
Mr Stirling: You know more about this than you know about …
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: ... and Bruce Highways. You don’t like hearing this, do you?
Mr Stirling: It’s irrelevant. It’s just a waste of time.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The interjections are also a waste of time.
Mr BURKE: Murgon is a prosperous little town with an economy based on dairy and pig farming and grape and olive crops, as well as tourism. It has 2 primary schools, a secondary school, a hospital, a police station, an ambulance service, 3 banks, 2 hotels, 2 motels, 3 caravan parks, 3 restaurants, and a fully-reticulated 9-hole golf course. Murgon has a twice-daily bus service to Brisbane and a once-daily bus service to Gympie and on to the coast.
There are approximately 1700 rateable properties in the Murgon Shire Council area, providing the council with an annual income of approximately $1m in general rates and $730 000 in utility charges. The median price for a 3-bedroom home in Murgon is estimated at $75 000. They can, in Murgon, actually own their own houses and also own their own land. Therefore they can borrow from the banks - a little different from what we have in Port Keats.
Significantly, Murgon is located within the electorate of the former long-term Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. The local dam, which provides a year-round water supply and recreation facilities, bears his name. A major median strip through the town is named after the former Premier’s wife, Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen. Can anyone see any similarities at this stage with Port Keats? Maybe I’m on the wrong track.
Port Keats, on the other hand, is some 420km from Darwin, at the end of the line. It’s accessible by road for only 7-8 months of the year. Unlike Murgon, there are no intersecting bitumen highways there. It was established as a Catholic mission in 1935 and was, consistent with the rest of the Territory, administered by the Commonwealth government for the next 40 years, until Territory self-government in 1978.
The land on which Port Keats is built was originally an Aboriginal reserve and, more recently, Aboriginal unalienable freehold land conferred under the Commonwealth Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 Access to the settlement was tightly restricted. There was no real opportunity for entrepreneurial investment, like that offered in Murgon. The Aboriginal Land Rights Act continues to be a significant barrier to economic development, particularly inhibiting private investment.
Despite its relatively early stage of development, Port Keats has services which compare favourably with other Aboriginal communities. It has government services, banking facilities, a school, recreation facilities and a store. Significantly and pleasingly, the council is becoming more organised. Kardu Numida recognises the potential of people in the area and is currently working with the Northern Territory government to realise that potential.
It is abundantly clear that the 2 towns are very different historically, geographically, economically and socially. Consequently you can’t compare them on any reasonable basis. This is so typical of the Labor Party. I can surmise from the Leader of the Opposition’s comments that the way we ahead for regional development in the Northern Territory is to aim for something like a French restaurant at Port Keats because that would make it more similar to Murgon. I can only gauge, from her speech, that, that would be the thrust of their regional development policy.
This Foundations for Our Future document is about what we call regional development This is called a plan. This is called a plan of action for regional development in the Northern Territory, and it has a bit more substance to it than coming into this House and drawing similarities to a place like Murgon, of which similarities there are none.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, among some of the more intriguing and shallow responses that the Leader of the Opposition makes in this House, she spent her time in response to the Foundations for Our Future document Encouraging Strong Northern Territory Regions and Communities - a very comprehensive plan - criticising the government because it had not created a township like the one in Queensland called Murgon, and because those similarities weren’t there, somehow we had failed in regional development. We saw a further example yesterday when an MPI on regional development essentially dealt only with the member for Nhulunbuy’s own electorate - another time-wasting effort by the opposition.
It intrigued me when the Leader of the Opposition picked Murgon. It seemed to me that if I had a look at Murgon I could get an insight into how she sees regional development going in the Northern Territory. So I did a bit of work on Murgon. I’ll take the time to explain to the House a little about this township of Murgon that the Leader of the Opposition believes is quite similar to Port Keats.
Murgon lies within the area of Murgon Shire Council and although it has a resident population of approximately 2210 - she said a similar population - the shire for service-delivery and rating purposes has a population of approximately 4700 people. So it’s double from a rating point of view. Murgon was established in 1906 to provide a service centre for an already-successful local sheep and cattle industry. It is located 260 km north-west of Brisbane and 107 km west of Gympie. It is accessible from 3 highways - the Burnett ...
Mr Stirling: You know more about this than you know about …
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: ... and Bruce Highways. You don’t like hearing this, do you?
Mr Stirling: It’s irrelevant. It’s just a waste of time.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The interjections are also a waste of time.
Mr BURKE: Murgon is a prosperous little town with an economy based on dairy and pig farming and grape and olive crops, as well as tourism. It has 2 primary schools, a secondary school, a hospital, a police station, an ambulance service, 3 banks, 2 hotels, 2 motels, 3 caravan parks, 3 restaurants, and a fully-reticulated 9-hole golf course. Murgon has a twice-daily bus service to Brisbane and a once-daily bus service to Gympie and on to the coast.
There are approximately 1700 rateable properties in the Murgon Shire Council area, providing the council with an annual income of approximately $1m in general rates and $730 000 in utility charges. The median price for a 3-bedroom home in Murgon is estimated at $75 000. They can, in Murgon, actually own their own houses and also own their own land. Therefore they can borrow from the banks - a little different from what we have in Port Keats.
Significantly, Murgon is located within the electorate of the former long-term Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. The local dam, which provides a year-round water supply and recreation facilities, bears his name. A major median strip through the town is named after the former Premier’s wife, Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen. Can anyone see any similarities at this stage with Port Keats? Maybe I’m on the wrong track.
Port Keats, on the other hand, is some 420km from Darwin, at the end of the line. It’s accessible by road for only 7-8 months of the year. Unlike Murgon, there are no intersecting bitumen highways there. It was established as a Catholic mission in 1935 and was, consistent with the rest of the Territory, administered by the Commonwealth government for the next 40 years, until Territory self-government in 1978.
The land on which Port Keats is built was originally an Aboriginal reserve and, more recently, Aboriginal unalienable freehold land conferred under the Commonwealth Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 Access to the settlement was tightly restricted. There was no real opportunity for entrepreneurial investment, like that offered in Murgon. The Aboriginal Land Rights Act continues to be a significant barrier to economic development, particularly inhibiting private investment.
Despite its relatively early stage of development, Port Keats has services which compare favourably with other Aboriginal communities. It has government services, banking facilities, a school, recreation facilities and a store. Significantly and pleasingly, the council is becoming more organised. Kardu Numida recognises the potential of people in the area and is currently working with the Northern Territory government to realise that potential.
It is abundantly clear that the 2 towns are very different historically, geographically, economically and socially. Consequently you can’t compare them on any reasonable basis. This is so typical of the Labor Party. I can surmise from the Leader of the Opposition’s comments that the way we ahead for regional development in the Northern Territory is to aim for something like a French restaurant at Port Keats because that would make it more similar to Murgon. I can only gauge, from her speech, that, that would be the thrust of their regional development policy.
This Foundations for Our Future document is about what we call regional development This is called a plan. This is called a plan of action for regional development in the Northern Territory, and it has a bit more substance to it than coming into this House and drawing similarities to a place like Murgon, of which similarities there are none.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016