TRANSCRIPT
THE HON PETER COSTELLO MP
Treasurer

Doorstop Interview
Karratha
Thursday, 18 July 2002
7.00 pm (WA Time)

SUBJECTS: North West Shelf, asylum seekers, Karratha

JOURNALIST:

Well, firstly Treasurer, you landed here today and had a look at Woodside. Youre off to Hamersley Iron tomorrow. Virtually the gas and the iron ore in two days. How have you found the resources sector up here so far?

Oh, I think it is a terrific part of Australia, and the contribution that it makes to export earnings and employment is second to none. We are quite familiar with the North West Shelf. I have had a lot of dealings with Woodside over the last year, and we had the opportunity to look at the rig today and talk to them about future development. That is a very important export industry for Australia. And tomorrow I will be speaking to Hamersley Iron, which is another one of Australias great export industries. This is an area which has wonderful natural resources, great entrepreneurial companies which are now developing them, and it is making a terrific contribution to Australias future.

Was that your sole purpose for coming to the North?

Well, I had numbers of purposes. One is, I wanted to visit the North West Shelf, the Woodside development, because we have a number of issues before us at the moment on development of that and other resources. I also had the opportunity in Karratha to open a new and exciting development from WesTrac, and also to meet some of the local business people and talk to them about issues which are of interest to them.

Mr Costello, I understand this isnt your first trip to the Pilbara. Can you tell us about the first time you came up here?

The first time I came to the Pilbara actually was about 25 years ago, when I came as a guest of Lang Hancock and stayed with him at Wittenoom, and had a look at Tom Price. I think I was a nineteen year old student at the time. It was my first exposure to the iron ore industry and it was terrific. I have never forgotten it. It has taken me far too long to get back and Ill make sure that my next trip doesnt take as long again. It is a terrific area of Australia and I love coming here.

Treasurer, obviously you would be aware of the potential expansion on the Burrup Peninsula with other large resource industries. How important is that for Australia?

Look, it is very important. We have announced at the Commonwealth level, support for methanex, for its development. We have announced support for the fourth train in relation to Woodsides plant. That indicates how important we think this is. And the Prime Minister recently was in China on behalf of Woodside, where it is pitching for a major contract to China, and if it got that it would probably be in a position to go ahead with a fifth train. And that indicates just how important we see it, the fact that the Prime Minister is lobbying in China. I am here to have a look over the facilities. And we have engaged in support for these big resource projects.

Treasurer, there has been some community resilience to developments on the Burrup. Is the Federal Government going to have any input to facilitate business in the area?

Well, I am not getting involved in the planning issues because obviously they will be matters for the locals. But whatever the location of the future developments, I would like to see them happen up here in the North West. That is the important thing.

What about the possible destruction of the Aboriginal [inaudible] rock art gallery?

Well look, all of the claims in relation to sacred sites and in relation to environmental matters will have to be taken into account, and I am sure they will. At the end of the day, decisions will be made. But let us be clear that the important decision is that the development go ahead. The siting of that is a matter which should be carefully examined, but let us make sure that the development of these resources in this area goes ahead.

WA sometimes considers itself the poor cousins to you guys over in the East. Coming over and visiting and seeing the resource sector, do you feel it has given yourself a better understanding of what WA actually puts into the Australian economy?

Oh look, the contribution from minerals from Western Australia is very, very important. It is not just minerals. Western Australia has very good wine growing industries as well. Great agricultural industries, it makes a terrific contribution. And it has some pretty good football teams, too, that make a big contribution to the AFL. Too good a contribution, sometimes.

Treasurer, probably about seven years ago the Reverend Tim Costello visited Karratha and had a few things to say. Do you expect your trip will be as memorable and, you know, what is your views of ?

Well, it will be very memorable for me and I hope memorable for the companies and the people that we have been able to visit. I must say it is a terrific part of the world.

Weve had the two young kids, asylum seekers, that were found to have come out of Woomera detention centre, turn up in Melbourne and report to the British Consulate. Is that an embarrassing thing for Australia?

Oh look, the Governments position in relation to asylum seekers is very clear. That is, people who are assessed to be genuine refugees have the opportunity of coming in an orderly process. Most people who come to Australia as refugees are assessed and given visas to come. You cannot have a situation where people self-assess themselves, pay smugglers and then turn up in Australia. That is not the way to run a humanitarian refugee programme. We will continue to run our refugee programme in accordance with proper humanitarian principles and we will not be distracted from that one way or the other.

Just finally, you have shown Federal Government support for developments in the area. There are six projects pegged for the Burrup at the moment. Will you support further applications for more projects or will you let it be swayed by the wants of the community?

Look, we have a very orderly process in relation to Commonwealth assistance. We have an investment coordinator, we have a set of clear principles that have to be considered, and we have a Cabinet decision-making process. And it is only after you have gone through all of those areas that the Government assesses assistance. You have got to remember, at the end of the day, too, that these are taxpayers funds that the Government is committing, and the taxpayers want to make sure they are getting value. And that is why we have very orderly process, and any other applications I am not pre-judging them one way or the other will have to go through that process. Thanks very much.