Fame Cove Preservation
PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS
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FAME COVE PRESERVATION
Mr MARTIN (Port Stephens) [5.15]: I advised the Minister for the Environment that I proposed to make a statement tonight about a matter of importance to the constituents of the electorate of Port Stephens - land at Fame Cove. Fame Cove land has become an issue in Port Stephens in recent times. It was referred to during question time last week and has been mentioned in various debates in this House. The Government is fully aware of the concerns of the people of Port Stephens. Fame Cove is on the northern foreshores of Port Stephens. The land includes a parcel of 900-odd acres owned by Blue Metal Industries and 100 acres, or 40 hectares, owned by Australian Paper Manufacturers.
At the end of last year, Australian Paper Manufacturers made it known that it was offering the land for sale because it was surplus to requirements. Auditors had obviously indicated it was an asset not capable of producing money for the company and recommended that it should be disposed of. It is a truly beautiful piece of land. It has Aboriginal and considerable heritage significance for New South Wales. The land is priceless and cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of private developers.
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I was approached in January this year by a group of people who had formed Friends of Fame Cove. I gave an undertaking to the Friends of Fame Cove that I would not make this a political issue but would go through all normal channels in an endeavour to negotiate with the Government in an effort to have the land acquired for future public use. Acquisition of the land is vital, not only for the people of Port Stephens but for many thousands of Australians who visit the area. The land was to be offered for sale on 23rd January, 1993. As a result, representations were made by the local community and a suggestion made to the company that the land pass into public ownership. The company agreed.
I understand that, from that point onwards, the Federal Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories, the Hon. Ros Kelly, wrote to the New South Wales Minister for the Environment on 29th January, indicating that the Federal Government wanted to join with the New South Wales State Government to acquire the land for the people of New South Wales. The Federal election was announced on 7th February, which means there is no problem with constitutional or Westminster propriety. There has been a degree of toing and froing but that cannot be allowed to continue. The people have accepted the offer of the Federal Government and call on the New South Wales Government to make its position clear. A decision must be made by next Friday, when the country will go into a suspended state until a new Federal Government is sworn in. By that time, the company will have offered the land for sale, and I assure the Minister that there are private developers wanting to acquire it. That cannot be allowed to happen.
Today I received advice, as did the Minister for the Environment, that the Great Lakes Shire Council has agreed to accept care, control and management of the land if it is acquired. So there is no impediment from that quarter to the acquisition. The Premier and the Minister for Planning have been made aware that today is D-day. The Opposition is urging the Government to make a statement today in the interests of the people of New South Wales, without any attempt at political point scoring and for no other purpose but to do the right and proper thing for the people of Port Stephens and the people of New South Wales. They deserve a fair go. I am calling on the Minister for the Environment to make the Government's position clear. Should he choose to do so, he will get headlines tonight as a great supporter of the needs of New South Wales.
Mr HARTCHER (Gosford - Minister for the Environment) [5.20]: I definitely agree with the honourable member for Port Stephens: I am a great supporter of the people of New South Wales. I also agree with his comment that this matter cannot continue, and neither should nor will it continue. On 29th January the Commonwealth Minister wrote to me offering to pay half the cost of the land and seeking a response from me. I responded on 12th February, and let the record show - as the honourable member for Port Stephens well knows - that I agreed to pay half the cost of the land. I also raised with the Minister the future management of the land, how it was to be costed and who would have responsibility for it. I received no reply to that letter. Because I received no reply, on 1st March I again wrote in identical terms, asking the Minister whether she was willing to enter into an agreement with us about future management of the land, its costing and future ownership. I repeated that we would pay for one half of the acquisition. It is now 9th March and I still have not received a reply from the Federal Minister.
Mr Martin: The Minister does not understand the Westminster system.
Mr HARTCHER: The honourable member for Port Stephens has implied that the silence of the Federal Minister is excusable because the Westminster system prevents her from making commitments. The Westminster system has not stopped the Prime Minister, in his last days in office, offering $600 million to the people of South Australia for their State Bank; it has not prevented him today offering millions of dollars on leaded petrol and millions of dollars on other environmental issues. The Federal Government is prepared to pour money into these issues but it is not prepared to come good with one half the cost to acquire this land.
Madam DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! The Minister's time for speaking has expired.
Mr HARTCHER: We would very much like to acquire the land -
Madam DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HARTCHER: - but we are entitled to know -
Madam DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! I call the Minister for the Environment to order. The Minister's time for speaking has expired. The Minister will take note of the Chair, like all honourable members, when he is called to order.