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STATEMENT BY THE RT. HON. J.D. ANTHONY, M.P.  .  MINISTER FOR NATIONAL RESOURCES Ã¢ÂÂ

A number of decisions has resulted from the GovernÂ­

ment's examination of the proposed expenditures of the

Department of National Resources and of the statutory authorities .

responsible to me. Â·

Ã¢ÂÂ   Ã¢ÂÂ   Ã¢ÂÂ   '  I

URANIUM EXPLORATION

As I announced on 1 February 1976Ã¢ÂÂ the Government is

of the view that exploration for uranium in the Northern

Territory should be a matter for private enterprise and not the

Australian Atomic Energy Commission. Accordingly, the Government

has decided that uranium exploration by the Commission should end

in the current field season. Savings of $890,000 in 1976-77

should be achieved. ;  ‘

SNOWY SCHEME .  ,  Â·

The Government has decided that expenditure by the

Snowy Mountains Authority on works judged to be essential in

1976-77 will hot exceed $3.25 million. This represents a

reduction of the order of $10 million on the submitted estimates

of the Authority in 1976-77. .

In arriving at this decision the Government has

decided that a number of routine items of Snowy expenditure, and

a proposed new headquarters building in Cooma, should be deferred.

Only essential works, e.g. works required for safety reasons, are

contemplated in the expenditure provision for the Snowy in 1976-77.

o

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An investigation is to be made of ways in which the

New South Wales and Victorian Governments might share in

financing assets required for the operation and maintenance

of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. In the meantime the Authority

will not enter into commitments except in respect of assets

which clearly form part of the permanent works of the Scheme.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

The Bureau of Mineral Resources and the Division of

National Mapping, both within my Department,  and the Australian

Atomic Energy Commission, which also is responsible to me,

engage in substantial activities of a research and development

kind, the total cost of which for 1975-76 is estimated to be

$40.2 million. .  .

Forward Estimates submitted by the Department and

the Commission sought a total level of expenditure for these

activities of $44.2 million for 1976-77 to which would need to

be added provision for unavoidable cost escalation which might

be expected to occur during the coming year.

Whilst attaching importance to these activities,  the

Government has concluded that the current need for restraint

demands that the level of these activities must be confined

within that which is achievable within the current year’s level

of expenditure, with allowance for unavoidable cost escalation.

This decision will produce a saving of about $4 million on the

submitted Estimates. .

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WATER RESOURCES -  .

The Government has confirmed an offer to assist the

Queensland Government and the Proserpine River Improvement

Trust in the construction of a new levee bank system along the

Proserpine River in North Queensland to mitigate the damaging . .

and disruptive effects of flooding in the area. A grant of

$374,400 to Queensland over three years is involved. _ Â·Ã¢ÂÂ  ,

The Government is also to make a grant of $2 million

to New South Wales towards the cost of weirs on the Namoi

River to enable the more efficient management of releases from

storage and natural river flow for use in one of the State's

more productive agricultural areas. The timing of this grant

is to be discussed with the New South Wales Government.

THE PIPELINE AUTHORITY.  . . .

Under the arrangements made by the former Government,

The Pipeline Authority has a contingent obligation to construct

laterals from the Moomba/Sydney pipeline to certain country

towns in New South Wales. In anticipation of a request by

the Australian Gas Light Company to proceed with the construction

of those laterals, The Pipeline Authority had made provision in

its forward estimates. The Government has decided to make no

provision for the construction of these laterals in the Estimates

pending consideration of all the issues when the 1976-77 Budget .

is being.formulated.

In addition the Government has decided that no

provision should be made for planning and design of new

pipelines in 1976-77.

All told, the submitted Estimates have been reduced -

by about $12.5 million. '

20 May 1976

