Page 3413 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 11 October 1994
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I have here a document in relation to some points Mr Berry made in his snide comment about the coalition's record in government. I will read out a few of them. A coalition government, the Fraser Government, established the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; Fraser Island was protected; Kakadu and Uluru parks were proclaimed; Christmas Island National Park; the marine nature reserves, Coral Sea proclamations in 1982; unleaded petrol was introduced; Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act of 1981; Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act; air quality monitoring; Environment Protection (Nuclear Codes) Act; Environment Protection (Alligators Rivers Region) Act; Murray River Commission; secured listing of the Great Barrier Reef in 1981 for world heritage, Kakadu in 1981, Willandra Lakes in 1981, and proposed listing of Lord Howe Islands group in 1982.
Mr Lamont: Madam Speaker, I rise to take a point of order. Madam Speaker, I hate to be encouraged to do so; but I would draw Mr Stefaniak's attention to the question that is before the house, and that is the importance of Canberra Nature Park and Namadgi National Park to the concept of the bush capital. I am not quite sure what the last seven minutes have been all about.
MR STEFANIAK: If Mr Lamont had been listening, five of the last seven minutes were specifically in relation to the ACT, and specifically to those regions and to how they can be developed as a tourist resource.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Stefaniak. The point of order was in relation to relevance and I am sure that you know all about that. Please proceed.
MR STEFANIAK: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Humphries: Mr Berry raised the issue in the first place.
MR STEFANIAK: Mr Berry did raise the issue, and I was simply responding to that. At any rate, I think that what I read out would refute Mr Berry's comment in relation to the coalition.
No-one doubts, Madam Speaker, the importance of the Canberra Nature Park and the Namadgi National Park for the concept of the bush capital. There are a number of things that can be done to improve the awareness of people - especially those outside the country, but also our own Australian population outside Canberra - of what beautiful sites there are, especially in Namadgi, and what a great tourist attraction it is. That awareness can be developed a lot more than it is at present by encouraging international tourists to stay here an extra day and to take in some of the natural beauty of the ACT, specifically Namadgi and specifically some of the flora and fauna which they simply will not get a chance to see in the rest of Australia.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I would urge this Government, when it talks about ecotourism, to look at what can be done to encourage local tour operators, because it does not have a terribly good record in that regard. Mr Berry has raised an important matter which is worth commenting on.
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