Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services, Housing, Youth and Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Lord Howe Island is a unique community and part of the federal electorate of Sydney. Lord Howe Island is north-east of Sydney and is World Heritage listed for its unique flora, fauna and marine environment. On a recent trip to Lord Howe Island I held a morning tea for my constituents. They wanted to talk about the fact that, despite its beautiful natural environment and rich history, Lord Howe Island faces many of the same problems as other isolated communities. In particular, an issue raised with me by a number of people was the ageing of the island population. What could be done to help people who wanted to stay in their own homes? Could their accommodation be extended for carers? Will the respite care available through the wonderful Gower Wilson Memorial Hospital be adequate into the future? They face the same sorts of issues that people around Australia face.

The Gower Wilson Memorial Hospital, with its excellent staff, including Dr Frank Reed, provides a marvellous service for islanders and visitors. It has had its battles with health bureaucrats who do not understand that an island 700 kilometres from the mainland, an island that can be cut off for days from the outside world, needs a bit of extra attention at times. There is a very sensible proposal from islanders to buy a second-hand ultrasound machine, for example. Having worked with the islanders and staff of the hospital on previous issues, like the distribution of pharmaceuticals on the island, I look forward to taking on other challenges which will improve the lives of the people I represent.

I also met with the staff and elected members of the Lord Howe Island Board, which does a fantastic job of maintaining the island and protecting its natural and cultural heritage. The board does a lot more than your average council. It maintains the airstrip, roads and national park on the island. It faces costs that many other councils do not have and it does all of this in an environment where most of the supplies have to be shipped in by boat or flown in at great expense.

We had an excellent discussion with members of the board about the draft threatened species recovery plan that is being proposed by the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation. I am very much looking forward to the possible reintroduction of the phasmid. Members might know that this is an insect that became extinct on Lord Howe Island but was rediscovered a few years ago on Ball’s Pyramid. I have also been very impressed by the very successful reintroduction of the critically endangered Lord Howe woodhen into the natural environment and the successful breeding of the woodhen in its natural environment. But I want to point out to the Department of Environment and Conservation that any plan for threatened species has to also take into account the culture and heritage of Lord Howe Island. Islanders have lived there for many generations—in many cases, six generations—and they love and respect the environment that they live in. Their involvement in a threatened species plan will be critical to its success.

I visited the teachers and children of the marvellous Lord Howe Island Central School and was able to congratulate them on their excellent achievements in the Schools Spectacular. Lord Howe Island was one of three featured schools from New South Wales. Darlington, another school in my electorate, also featured.

Lord Howe Island is home to the world famous Kentia palm. Larry, the manager, showed me the nurseries where these plants are germinated and packed for shipping overseas. They ship between 1½ and 3 million seedlings overseas in a year. Kentia palms from Lord Howe Island were one of Queen Victoria’s favourite plants and on her instructions were placed by her coffin as she was lying in state. Along with tourism, they are one of the main sources of income for the island and a world-beating example of sustainable industry.

There is no better place in the world for a family holiday than Lord Howe Island, but Lord Howe Island is a unique community whose permanent residents face serious issues—the high cost of living, particularly the high cost of fuel, limited accommodation, a restricted range of health, education and other welfare services, and reliance on a mail system which, with a lot of pressure, has greatly improved but which will never be 100 per cent certain, limited internet access and so on. Some restrictions go with the territory—I am sure no-one really misses having mobile phone coverage. Whenever I can, I will look for ways of working with islanders to improve their quality of life and support them in caring for the most beautiful place on earth.