Mrs BRAHAM - 1995-10-11
Last night, I was surprised to hear the member for MacDonnell ditch the Labor Party's previous position on the World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin which, as we know, involves 20% of the Northern Territory. Obviously, as a central Australian, I was pleased to hear him do so. Has the government's position changed in relation to the listing, given that it would appear that the Labor Party's position has changed overnight?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can confirm that the government's attitude towards the World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin has not changed. We have opposed it very strongly since the suggestion was first made, rather rudely might I add, by the then federal Minister for the Environment, Ros Kelly, that the Lake Eyre Basin be included on the World Heritage list.
At a meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, on 10 July 1992, I recall being surprised, in company with other ministers from around the country, to see that the agenda included a proposal to include the Lake Eyre Basin on the indicative list of areas around Australia to be considered for World Heritage listing. Over the period of 6 weeks leading up to the ministers meeting, the proposal had changed from referring to `the region', which is a small area surrounding Lake Eyre in South Australia, to `the basin'. There is a considerable difference between the 2 in that the Lake Eyre `region' comprises Lake Eyre itself plus its close environs whereas the Lake Eyre `basin' includes 40% of South Australia, 5% of New South Wales, 40% of Queensland and 20% of the Northern Territory. It is a massive area.
For the benefit of honourable members, I table a map that depicts that area as it affects 20% of the Northern Territory. It is a substantial part of the Territory. The dark shaded area on the map covers the areas of those states and the Territory that I just indicated.
At that meeting, ministers were extremely concerned about the intentions of the federal government. I am pleased to say that, at that meeting on 10 July 1992, I played a pivotal role
Page 849
in having the proposal to add certain areas to the indicative list withdrawn. I returned and duly reported that to Territorians, only to be criticised by members opposite. The surprising thing about what occurred last night is that it indicated a monumental shift in the ALP position in that the member for MacDonnell is opposing the World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin. That is in direct conflict with previous ALP policy, statements made by the Leader of the Opposition and by the then shadow environment minister, the then member for Victoria River, Gary Cartwright. On 13 July 1992, the latter said that I was misrepresenting any possible World Heritage listing of Lake Eyre. He went on to say in a media release that I was engaged in `paper tiger bashing with Canberra' in opposing the World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin.
One of the reasons why the Territory government was strongly concerned about the proposed listing was that the Lake Eyre Basin could include the Palm Valley and Mereenie oil and gas fields. Certainly, it includes many pastoral leases in the southern parts of the Northern Territory, and it includes tourism and other activities that people are pursuing both in the lifestyle sense and in trying to eke out an income. I agree with the comment by the member for MacDonnell last night that the listing would have an enormous social and economic impact on people in that area if it were to proceed. What I cannot allow to pass without comment is the behaviour of the member for MacDonnell. Simply because he has seen some documentation in a publication from the Uniting Church, to which he referred last night, he cannot now appear to be full of concern and a latter-day saint and saviour of the people concerned if the World Heritage listing does proceed. However, quite apart from that, this turnaround displays an enormous level of incompetence on the part of the Leader of the Opposition and his team in that, a few years ago, they were opposed totally to anything that we did or said to convince the federal government not to proceed with its proposal for World Heritage listing ...
Mr Ede: Wrong!
Mr REED: ... of the Lake Eyre Basin.
I have copies of your statements. Look at page 1067 of the Parliamentary Record for 20 August 1992. When I was responding to his remarks last night, the member for MacDonnell interjected that he does not remember anything about it and that he never had anything to do with it. When I was giving an answer to a question in the Assembly on 20 August 1992, the member for MacDonnell interjected and indeed moved a point of order against me because he did not like the answer. He was familiar with the subject and was aware that it was discussed here 3 years ago. We were fighting for the rights of Territorians and members opposite were opposing our position. If they had not opposed our position, we would not be discussing this problem today. If they had supported us in our approaches to the Commonwealth not to proceed with that World Heritage listing, the member for MacDonnell would not be contradicting the ALP's own policy now. There is obviously division among the members of the opposition. They do not know what they are doing. They are demonstrating grave levels of incompetence, and they are not helping Territorians.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr REED: Read what has been said in the House. Read copies of your own environment spokesman's comments about the government's opposition to the
Page 850
Commonwealth's proposal for World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin. This is a very serious issue. There is a conflict of opinion and direction among opposition members, in particular the member for MacDonnell. They need to get their act together. This is an important issue and enough people are affected by this ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, they sit there and laugh. I will send this to the people to whom the member referred last night. I will expose the fact that, a few years ago, he did not want to know about this problem. He supported the Commonwealth's position. He was a Commonwealth representative in the Northern Territory in relation to its intention to have the Lake Eyre Basin included on the World Heritage list. I will expose to Territorians the fact that the member for MacDonnell did not support this government's actions a couple of years ago. Because he now thinks that it is a nice thing to do, he is prepared to ditch his earlier policies. I will show people how contradictory and incompetent he is and that he has never had any interest in this matter. He has never had any previous concern about the very serious position that people will face if their properties are included in an area that is on the World Heritage list.
Mr Speaker, I table the documents to which I have referred.
Mr Ede: No, the other one.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I will table a copy of the Parliamentary Record if that is what the Leader of the Opposition wants. He is again indicating his incompetence.
Do you want me to table a copy of the press release that your colleague issued? Is your system so inadequate that you cannot obtain a copy of a press release that your spokesman for the environment issued 3 years ago? Are you able to obtain it? I will table it for you because your incompetence obviously extends to not knowing what your colleagues are doing at present or what they have done in the past.
Page 851
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can confirm that the government's attitude towards the World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin has not changed. We have opposed it very strongly since the suggestion was first made, rather rudely might I add, by the then federal Minister for the Environment, Ros Kelly, that the Lake Eyre Basin be included on the World Heritage list.
At a meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, on 10 July 1992, I recall being surprised, in company with other ministers from around the country, to see that the agenda included a proposal to include the Lake Eyre Basin on the indicative list of areas around Australia to be considered for World Heritage listing. Over the period of 6 weeks leading up to the ministers meeting, the proposal had changed from referring to `the region', which is a small area surrounding Lake Eyre in South Australia, to `the basin'. There is a considerable difference between the 2 in that the Lake Eyre `region' comprises Lake Eyre itself plus its close environs whereas the Lake Eyre `basin' includes 40% of South Australia, 5% of New South Wales, 40% of Queensland and 20% of the Northern Territory. It is a massive area.
For the benefit of honourable members, I table a map that depicts that area as it affects 20% of the Northern Territory. It is a substantial part of the Territory. The dark shaded area on the map covers the areas of those states and the Territory that I just indicated.
At that meeting, ministers were extremely concerned about the intentions of the federal government. I am pleased to say that, at that meeting on 10 July 1992, I played a pivotal role
Page 849
in having the proposal to add certain areas to the indicative list withdrawn. I returned and duly reported that to Territorians, only to be criticised by members opposite. The surprising thing about what occurred last night is that it indicated a monumental shift in the ALP position in that the member for MacDonnell is opposing the World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin. That is in direct conflict with previous ALP policy, statements made by the Leader of the Opposition and by the then shadow environment minister, the then member for Victoria River, Gary Cartwright. On 13 July 1992, the latter said that I was misrepresenting any possible World Heritage listing of Lake Eyre. He went on to say in a media release that I was engaged in `paper tiger bashing with Canberra' in opposing the World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin.
One of the reasons why the Territory government was strongly concerned about the proposed listing was that the Lake Eyre Basin could include the Palm Valley and Mereenie oil and gas fields. Certainly, it includes many pastoral leases in the southern parts of the Northern Territory, and it includes tourism and other activities that people are pursuing both in the lifestyle sense and in trying to eke out an income. I agree with the comment by the member for MacDonnell last night that the listing would have an enormous social and economic impact on people in that area if it were to proceed. What I cannot allow to pass without comment is the behaviour of the member for MacDonnell. Simply because he has seen some documentation in a publication from the Uniting Church, to which he referred last night, he cannot now appear to be full of concern and a latter-day saint and saviour of the people concerned if the World Heritage listing does proceed. However, quite apart from that, this turnaround displays an enormous level of incompetence on the part of the Leader of the Opposition and his team in that, a few years ago, they were opposed totally to anything that we did or said to convince the federal government not to proceed with its proposal for World Heritage listing ...
Mr Ede: Wrong!
Mr REED: ... of the Lake Eyre Basin.
I have copies of your statements. Look at page 1067 of the Parliamentary Record for 20 August 1992. When I was responding to his remarks last night, the member for MacDonnell interjected that he does not remember anything about it and that he never had anything to do with it. When I was giving an answer to a question in the Assembly on 20 August 1992, the member for MacDonnell interjected and indeed moved a point of order against me because he did not like the answer. He was familiar with the subject and was aware that it was discussed here 3 years ago. We were fighting for the rights of Territorians and members opposite were opposing our position. If they had not opposed our position, we would not be discussing this problem today. If they had supported us in our approaches to the Commonwealth not to proceed with that World Heritage listing, the member for MacDonnell would not be contradicting the ALP's own policy now. There is obviously division among the members of the opposition. They do not know what they are doing. They are demonstrating grave levels of incompetence, and they are not helping Territorians.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr REED: Read what has been said in the House. Read copies of your own environment spokesman's comments about the government's opposition to the
Page 850
Commonwealth's proposal for World Heritage listing of the Lake Eyre Basin. This is a very serious issue. There is a conflict of opinion and direction among opposition members, in particular the member for MacDonnell. They need to get their act together. This is an important issue and enough people are affected by this ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, they sit there and laugh. I will send this to the people to whom the member referred last night. I will expose the fact that, a few years ago, he did not want to know about this problem. He supported the Commonwealth's position. He was a Commonwealth representative in the Northern Territory in relation to its intention to have the Lake Eyre Basin included on the World Heritage list. I will expose to Territorians the fact that the member for MacDonnell did not support this government's actions a couple of years ago. Because he now thinks that it is a nice thing to do, he is prepared to ditch his earlier policies. I will show people how contradictory and incompetent he is and that he has never had any interest in this matter. He has never had any previous concern about the very serious position that people will face if their properties are included in an area that is on the World Heritage list.
Mr Speaker, I table the documents to which I have referred.
Mr Ede: No, the other one.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, I will table a copy of the Parliamentary Record if that is what the Leader of the Opposition wants. He is again indicating his incompetence.
Do you want me to table a copy of the press release that your colleague issued? Is your system so inadequate that you cannot obtain a copy of a press release that your spokesman for the environment issued 3 years ago? Are you able to obtain it? I will table it for you because your incompetence obviously extends to not knowing what your colleagues are doing at present or what they have done in the past.
Page 851
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016