Page 4920 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 11 December 1990
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is an important component of land care and the Government has set aside $100,000 this year especially for community tree planting projects. Funding applications are currently being received and friends of nature park groups have been established throughout the community.
Additionally, Mr Speaker, two short-term positions are about to be filled using funds made available under the national soil conservation program - one of an environmental education officer to educate children in the ACT and the south-east region as to the requirements and needs of land care and tree development, and one of a land care coordinator who hopefully will be used in the implementation of the land care schemes between the Government and the Land Care Action Committee.
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I request that any further questions be placed on the notice paper.
DEATH OF DR C. HIGGINS
MR KAINE (Chief Minister): Mr Speaker, I move:
That the Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of Dr Christopher Higgins and tenders its profound sympathy to his widow and sons in their bereavement.
Dr Higgins' sudden and untimely death at the age of 47 has extinguished a brilliant career before it realised its full potential. The nation has lost a most distinguished public servant and a gifted intelligence. Born in Murwillumbah, Dr Higgins graduated from the Australian National University with first-class honours in economics. He gained his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. In pursuit of his academic interests he was a senior Fulbright-Hayes scholar at that university in the 1970s. He was also a visiting associate professor at the University of British Columbia in the same decade.
Dr Higgins' public service career began with a position in the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1963. In 1969 he joined the Commonwealth Treasury and made significant contributions in the field of economic modelling and macro-economic policy. He is recognised in particular for his leadership in developing the Treasury forecasting model.
Dr Higgins represented Australia in the international arena as Minister, Economic and Financial Affairs, to the OECD, and as Director of the OECD's Department of Economics and Statistics. In 1984 he returned from Paris to the position of Deputy Secretary, Economic, in the Treasury, and he succeeded Mr Bernie Fraser as Secretary to the Treasury in 1989.
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