Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I get on to what I was going to speak about tonight, I want to briefly pay tribute to Steve Irwin and to acknowledge the great loss that his very untimely and very unexpected demise will be to Queensland and the rest of Australia. He was a larger than life character and the sort of personality whom, I think in many cases, more reserved Australians may not have automatically warmed to. I saw one description of him as having out-Americaned the Americans in terms of hyperenergy and chutzpah. But, over time, the fact is that people recognised that, whilst he certainly had hyperenergy, it was the real deal—what you saw was what you got—and that he was a very genuine person in his extraordinary enthusiasm, passion and thrill, almost childlike excitement, for life and wildlife. I do not know the details of the tragic occurrence today. He certainly diced with danger plenty of times before and produced much public interest as a consequence of that. Whether he diced with danger once too often, I guess we will find out.

But I do think his contribution to Queensland and to Australia must be acknowledged. He was somebody who obviously became enormously successful, but he used that success to promote greater positive awareness of Australian wildlife and Australia. He put a lot of the money he earned into buying areas of wilderness in Queensland—and I think elsewhere in Australia—to protect and preserve it, and to improve biodiversity and the environment for wildlife to regenerate in. He was somebody who recognised the dangers of commercial extractive use of wildlife. I certainly supported his concern about initiating or developing safari-hunting industries around crocodiles. He supported a strong concern, awareness and respect not just for Australia’s wildlife but for animal welfare in general. He ran a zoo. I do not want to overstate that; I think there are always some problematic welfare aspects to running zoos. Nonetheless, the clear delight he took in showing off wildlife and nature to people was something that clearly struck a chord with many people.

I acknowledge the contribution he made and also express condolences to his wife and children. As people may recall, Steve Irwin copped a massive media bucketing—an enormous overblown shark-feeding frenzy that the mass media can get into from time to time—in January 2004, where he made a mistake when he, perhaps unwisely, took his newborn son close to a crocodile. Nonetheless, there was a gross overreaction to that. People were calling for him to have his children taken off him, family services were called up and called on to act, there were comparisons with Michael Jackson—all sorts of extraordinary overreaction that you get, sadly, when a shark-feeding frenzy starts in the community. Many people who just would not know lectured and passed opinion on whether or not he was a bad father. I would not know for sure but, to me, he sure looked as though he had a great love for and pride in his kids. That makes it all the more tragic because there are many kids whose parents do not have that love, so when they do have parents who love them who die when the children are of such a young age, it is a really tragic occurrence.

Following that tragic intro, I now want to shift to a good news story. I want to congratulate the WuChopperen Health Service, based in Cairns in Far North Queensland, which has won the major award at the 2006 Indigenous Governance Awards which were announced last Thursday night in Melbourne. As their name clearly indicates, these awards recognise and reward excellence in governance in Indigenous organisations. There were eight finalists from an overall field of 47 applicants. The chair of the awards committee, Professor Mick Dodson, said that the common theme shown by all eight finalists was the ‘vision, commitment and capacity to deliver’ and that ‘all these factors are directly connected to leadership’. Unfortunately, all sides of politics can attach a lot of ideology to the discussion of Indigenous affairs. I think that, across the board, we should put ideology and partisan philosophy aside, wherever possible, and recognise when things are working and when good work is being done, and support that and make people aware of it.

While it is appropriate to focus on the failings, it is also appropriate to recognise that there are many good news stories out there and many positive things happening on the ground. Whether in the political arena, the mainstream media or the wider community, we should provide support to these organisations and these people where things are working positively. I have visited the WuChopperen Health Service in Cairns, and I would recommend it to anybody who is interested in community based health care in general. It is a positive example of grassroots community health being delivered effectively and appropriately to Indigenous peoples in Far North Queensland. Even though it is based in Cairns—and obviously it works effectively for the community there—it is an essential healthcare provider which also deals with chronic disease management, oral health and social health and wellbeing, which also oversees medical services for remote regions. Whilst Cairns is a bustling metropolis, it is also a service point, particularly for Indigenous peoples throughout Far North Queensland. Across Cape York in particular, and out to the west, there is a wide range of different cultures and different language groups. To deliver an effective and appropriate health service to people from all those different backgrounds, circumstances and cultures is a very difficult task which should be acknowledged, recognised and congratulated.

I would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate the other finalists, particularly the other main winner. WuChopperen was the winner in the category of organisations that have been established for more than 10 years. The winner of the category for organisations that have been established for less than 10 years was Gannambarra Enterprises in New South Wales. I saw a good story in, I think, the Koori Mail on one of their enterprises in Wagga Wagga, a car detailing business called Deadly Details. There is also the Gannambarra Pottery, an arts and crafts centre. This organisation is operating effectively and developing sustainable business opportunities for local Indigenous people. These things are happening at the community level.

I would be remiss as a Queenslander if I did not also acknowledge one of the other finalists in the category of organisations that have been in existence since prior to 1996, and that is the Yarrabah Shire Council. Perhaps coincidentally—or perhaps not—Yarrabah too is in the Far North Queensland region. It is just a half-hour drive south of Cairns. It is a beautiful picturesque location. The rainforest and the mountains are behind it, and the beautiful Pacific Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are just out from the shore. Yarrabah Shire Council has been operating as a local government body for more than 20 years. Aboriginal local government councils in Queensland not only have to deal with roads and rubbish—without the rates, I might add—but also have to provide many other essential services to the local community. They do much more than what many local councils have to do. It is pleasing to see Yarrabah Shire Council being recognised for its strong development and the success it is having in the area of governance. I emphasise that it is an incredibly difficult task which I think any organisation, Indigenous or non-Indigenous, would struggle with. It is doing well, and it has challenges ahead, but it is important that successes like this be recognised.

I congratulate all the other finalists as well. I thank Heather Ridout, from the Australian Industry Group, Gary Banks, from the Productivity Commission, and Professor Dodson for their support for important and positive initiatives like this. I just wish there was more recognition of this in the media. I note, from Professor Dodson’s comments on Crikey today, that the story did not strike too much interest from the mainstream media. I think that is a shame.