Ms LEE - 2014-02-11
Could you inform the House about the recent shipment of buffaloes that left Darwin for Vietnam?
Ms Walker: Do you think buffaloes are the next great economic opportunity for Nhulunbuy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we can hear the carping and whining coming from the member for Nhulunbuy all over again. This is the same thing. She talks about what we are doing in Gove and the region, the wild buffaloes are an opportunity to support trade, to sit down with Gularrwuy Yunupingu and many of the senior traditional owners and talk about what you would do to support industry and the region. All you do is throw stones again. No wonder you went missing.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, if you could address your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr GILES: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today was another exciting day like yesterday, being on the Tiwi Islands with the member for Arafura, witnessing the signing of a deal between Mitsui, Australia’s fourth largest export company, and the Tiwi Islands to export wood chip overseas. It was a fantastic day. Then early this morning the member for Katherine, the minister for Primary Industry, and I were at the port at East Arm Wharf watching the loading of the first shipment of buffalo to Vietnam. Two-hundred-and-twenty-two buffalo were loaded this morning to go to Vietnam, through SEALS export company to be imported by Animex through the Haiphong Province in the north of Vietnam. That is fantastic. It was supposed to be 600 but due to the Wet Season the road conditions were too bad to get the cattle out. In a week to a fortnight, another 600 will go out. We have already accepted an order for 1500 more to go in April.
This is the start of a brand new industry and a fantastic outcome that will add economic benefit to the Northern Territory. The most exciting thing for the member for Arnhem, which she and I have spoken about, is the opportunity it presents for local Aboriginal people in her electorate to export wild harvest catch and buffalo behind the wire. It is talking about real jobs in remote and regional areas. That is what we are all about, creating jobs for local people. It is what we saw yesterday in Arafura; it will make a massive difference.
It was good being there with the member for Katherine today, talking about primary industry. There was a range of support for us, but there was no support for former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Joe Ludwig, the former Agriculture minister. They would not have been invited by us, because they would be opponents to a live buffalo trade, like they and Labor were to the live cattle trade. I remember former Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, standing in Nhulunbuy with nothing to say; the member for Nhulunbuy had nothing to say that day either. He simply nodded his head when Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister, ceased the live cattle trade – completely stopped an industry. Today we reflect on recommencing the live cattle trade. We had a fantastic opportunity yesterday in commencing the wood chip industry and we started the buffalo industry today. Be there in two weeks and have a look. Great job, minister for Primary Industry.
Ms Walker: Do you think buffaloes are the next great economic opportunity for Nhulunbuy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we can hear the carping and whining coming from the member for Nhulunbuy all over again. This is the same thing. She talks about what we are doing in Gove and the region, the wild buffaloes are an opportunity to support trade, to sit down with Gularrwuy Yunupingu and many of the senior traditional owners and talk about what you would do to support industry and the region. All you do is throw stones again. No wonder you went missing.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, if you could address your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr GILES: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today was another exciting day like yesterday, being on the Tiwi Islands with the member for Arafura, witnessing the signing of a deal between Mitsui, Australia’s fourth largest export company, and the Tiwi Islands to export wood chip overseas. It was a fantastic day. Then early this morning the member for Katherine, the minister for Primary Industry, and I were at the port at East Arm Wharf watching the loading of the first shipment of buffalo to Vietnam. Two-hundred-and-twenty-two buffalo were loaded this morning to go to Vietnam, through SEALS export company to be imported by Animex through the Haiphong Province in the north of Vietnam. That is fantastic. It was supposed to be 600 but due to the Wet Season the road conditions were too bad to get the cattle out. In a week to a fortnight, another 600 will go out. We have already accepted an order for 1500 more to go in April.
This is the start of a brand new industry and a fantastic outcome that will add economic benefit to the Northern Territory. The most exciting thing for the member for Arnhem, which she and I have spoken about, is the opportunity it presents for local Aboriginal people in her electorate to export wild harvest catch and buffalo behind the wire. It is talking about real jobs in remote and regional areas. That is what we are all about, creating jobs for local people. It is what we saw yesterday in Arafura; it will make a massive difference.
It was good being there with the member for Katherine today, talking about primary industry. There was a range of support for us, but there was no support for former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Joe Ludwig, the former Agriculture minister. They would not have been invited by us, because they would be opponents to a live buffalo trade, like they and Labor were to the live cattle trade. I remember former Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, standing in Nhulunbuy with nothing to say; the member for Nhulunbuy had nothing to say that day either. He simply nodded his head when Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister, ceased the live cattle trade – completely stopped an industry. Today we reflect on recommencing the live cattle trade. We had a fantastic opportunity yesterday in commencing the wood chip industry and we started the buffalo industry today. Be there in two weeks and have a look. Great job, minister for Primary Industry.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016