Page 2477 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 14 November 1989
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One industry that could be encouraged to develop here is the education industry. As we have already seen, our national university and associated research schools, when added to the new Canberra university, close to a developing technology park, and our developing TAFE system, when coupled with a strong public and private education system, provide a degree of incentive for encouragement for the education industry to come to the ACT.
There is an ever-increasing desire by our neighbours - and I mean overseas neighbours - to obtain the benefits of our education system. They are prepared to pay and provide opportunities for related industries to service their stay. Friends and relatives of those who come to us from overseas to study would also increase demand on the service sector and the tourist industry of the ACT.
The multifunction polis concept could clearly find a home in our city. The concept may just provide that core industry used by regional geographers to meet the growth pole and spread effect concepts of Perroux and Myrdal, which are part of the development theory on which many of these concepts of regional development are based. For that, Mr Speaker, is really what this whole concept is about - providing an opportunity for our city to become a key player in the nationwide participation in the proposal for a multifunction polis.
It could be argued that what we in the ACT should be doing is seeking to build on the benefits of Canberra, which I have already outlined, such as our high standard of living and lack of problems suffered by the huge urban centres of Melbourne and Sydney by way of long commuter times, traffic and pollution problems. If we are to have a chance to participate in the MFP program it is important to start to encourage the relocation of workers and industries with the higher-level skills to join in these benefits. I have no doubt that there may be some who would object to this concept on purely selfish grounds.
What do I mean by this, Mr Speaker? It has been said that Canberra is the best kept secret of our country. Why should we share it? Unfortunately, the realities of the situation are that we must provide opportunities and employment for our children. We must never forget that the multiplier effect ensures that one new job creates many more. The nature of that new job often determines the extent of this multiplier effect.
Fortunately, we have some more things going for us than the good burghers of Campbelltown did when they sought to promote and develop what is known as the Macarthur region. What initially was considered as a growth centre for the development of manufacturing on the outskirts of Sydney would seem to have its major role in life being a dormitory suburb for the main Sydney employment centres. Mr Speaker, we can do better than that. We must do better than that.
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