Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of Senator Brown, the Deputy Chair of the National Capital and External Territories Joint Standing Committee, I present the committee's interim report on Governance in the Indian Ocean Territories. I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

I seek leave to incorporate Senator Brown's tabling statement in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

I rise, on behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, to present the Committee's interim report on Governance in the Indian Ocean Territories

In March of this year the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development requested that the Committee undertake an inquiry into the governance and administrative arrangements in Indian Ocean Territories—that is Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

The Committee was asked to inquire into the interaction between formal institutions and the Indian Oceans communities, particularly: the role and capacity of the Administrator; consultations mechanisms; the role of local governments; and opportunities for economic diversification and development.

As part of this Inquiry the Committee held briefings and hearing in Perth, Canberra and Indian Ocean Territories.

An important part of the Committee's inquiry was a visit Committee members made to the Indian Ocean Territories in April 2015—a visit I was regrettably unable to participate in.

Through this visit Committee members were able to engage with the communities of the Indian Ocean Territories and gain valuable evidence and insight into the day-to-day challenges that residents face.

There are many strongly held views within these communities and I, on behalf of the Committee, would like to thank all those who participated in the briefings and hearings and gave evidence.

The evidence provided to the Committee illustrates a number of complex challenges facing the Indian Ocean Territories.

One thing that was made very clear by the evidence of the residents of the Indian Ocean Territories, was the high level of frustration with the current system of governance, which has many layers of bureaucracy and unclear delineations of responsibility.

These issues are not dealt with in this interim report and will instead be dealt with in subsequent reports after the Committee has the opportunity to gather further evidence about these challenging issues.

Instead this interim report deals with some aspects of the Indian Ocean Territories economic development where the evidence on how to proceed has been clear and consistent.

The interim report makes three recommendations intended to quickly boost the economy in these territories.

Firstly, the Committee recommends reopening the Christmas Island Casino.

The Committee's report explores the required policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks that would facilitate the reopening of the Christmas Island Casino.

It is the Committee's view that once appropriate frameworks are in place, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development should conduct an appropriate process to assess proposals from private sector proponents.

The evidence to the Committee on this issue was clear - the community wants the casino reopened.

This has been an ongoing issue for a time and work on this is long overdue.

It is promising that the Indian Ocean Territories Administrator recently issued a bulletin advising that Australian Government has agreed to undertake initial consultation regarding the proposal to re-establish a casino.

The Committee's second recommendation is that the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development reinstate the capacity for international fee paying students to attend Christmas Island High School.

The Department previously allowed Christmas Island District High school to accept international fee-paying students, however this approval was withdrawn shortly after it was granted.

Provision of education services for international fee-paying students is often touted as one of Australia's stronger and most profitable exports, and in the brief period when the school on Christmas Island was able to accept international fee-paying it was demonstrated that there was the same potential to provide a range of flow-on effects to the local economy.

Finally the interim report recommends that the Australian Government calls for expressions of interest for the delivery of freight by sea to the Indian Ocean Territories for the carriage of Australian Government goods, to be followed by a full tender if appropriate.

A reliable and affordable shipping service is critical for residents to support business and further development. An expression of interest process would determine if there is capacity to improve efficiency and achieve better value for money to ensure that shipping service best serves the needs of residents and the Australian Government, as the single largest user.

In the interim report the also Committee highlights the Mining to Plant Enterprises Project on Christmas Island as an example for possible economic diversification. This project, through a research partnership between Murdoch University and Christmas Island phosphates, is looking at the viability of establishing agriculture on exhausted mining leases. The Committee recognises the project's achievements to-date and wants to see the project continue to thrive.

I commend the interim report to the House.