That's a bit of a problem, isn't it? I mean, this is a real tale of neglect over the last decade. GLOVER: Well the horrific - the Kakadu announcement happened last week, I think, and as part of the coverage, people had photographs of crocodile warning signs which you could no longer read. That's not just investment in Sydney, we're investing in Kakadu, we're investing in Jervis Bay, we're investing in Uluášu, we're investing in our marine parks around Australia. And just incidentally, we have also announced that we're doubling funding for our Commonwealth national parks. I think when you're talking about this sort of history and this sort of beauty, it is important that we take a national approach to them. And, I mean, look, they're significant for every Australian. A couple of them, obviously, were former military or naval properties. So, the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust has taken over a number of these properties in recent years. These are really Commonwealth properties, aren't they, that you've got a responsibility to maintain? Some people might wonder why this is federal money, not state money. But if it's not safe, then you can't have it for those big public uses. We've had some fantastic concerts on it in recent years. It is also, just incidentally, really, really beautiful and we want people to be able to enjoy it. So, it's got a really special place for a lot of people more recently, still, who worked there and got their qualifications there. As you say World War I, World War II, there was naval shipbuilding there, so there's military history there, there's industrial history, thousands of people went through there working in the workshops, getting their apprenticeships, their trades qualifications on Cockatoo Island. It's one of the reasons that Cockatoo Island is World Heritage listed for its convict history. I mean, one of the things that we'll be fixing is the historic Fitzroy Dock, which was built by convicts like it was chopped out of the rock. It was a really - Cockatoo Island, it was a really important gathering place for First Nations Australians from different parts around the harbour coming onto Cockatoo Island - Wareamah - and it's got the convict history, as you say. MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Yeah, which is the wonderful thing about it. This is a complex place to - both to rehabilitate, but also to open to the public in a way because you've got overlaying aspects of of history, indigenous, naval, industrial, et cetera. GLOVER: Now, about half of it will go to to Cockatoo Island. And it's really important to protect and preserve our history, but it's also really important so that people can continue to have access to these places. We've got a really good, comprehensive list of work that needs to be done and we want to get on and do that maintenance work. We're talking about cracked sea walls and wharves and docks that are so unsafe that people can't walk on them anymore. I mean, we're talking about Cockatoo Island - Wareamah - North Head Sanctuary in Manly, and a number of other properties around the harbour that have really been, well, in some cases, literally falling into the harbour. So, tomorrow night, what you'll see in the budget is $45.2 million over two years to do some really long overdue structural repair work to these really special places. ![]() ![]() MINISTER PLIBERSEK: That's exactly right. ![]() This has been a long time coming in a way, hasn't it? We've got these quite well identified areas which really need remediation, but that hasn't happened. TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Hello, Richard. The Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, joins us now to give us a hint as to what might be announced tomorrow. And that's what the federal Budget is set to announce. In the words of the first British governor back in 1788, "the finest harbour in the world." Trouble is, the edges of that magnificent harbour, and some of the islands too, aren't always what you'd hope for in terms of their condition, with a backlog of harbour edges and islands repair and clean up. RICHARD GLOVER: Our wonderful harbour might look a little choppy and cold today, but close your eyes and picture it on a beautiful sunny day - the sparkling jewel.
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