Mr SLIPPER (5:14 PM) —There has been an ongoing debate over the issue of unexploded ordnance in Australia. For those who might not be aware of what this is, unexploded ordnance includes bombs, artillery shells and similar munitions that lie idle and unexploded, a potential hazard, in hundreds of locations right around our nation. There are currently 1,196 identified UXO sites around Australia, and one of those sites is in my electorate of Fisher on the Sunshine Coast.

I have been fighting to make sure that we achieve an appropriate outcome and an equitable solution with respect to the issue of UXOs. On the Sunshine Coast I believe that all levels of government bear some responsibility for the current situation. Obviously the Australian government was defending Australia and these particular items were fired as part of our defence preparations. However, the principal problem locally has been caused by the fact that the government of Queensland permitted the freeholding of the land and its use for subdivisional purposes and the City of Caloundra approved subdivisional plans without requiring in each case that the land be cleared of UXOs. So we have a situation where UXOs are partly on private property and also on public land. What we want is an outcome that will ensure that they are cleared from those areas where they pose a danger to the public. As a parent, I, of course, experience concerns when I look at the dangers to young children when they locate these UXOs. Happily, no lives have been lost, and let us hope that that remains the situation.

The issue of UXOs locally was recently ignited when a team from the Caloundra City Council, using a mini excavator, came across what they suspected was a UXO. They were doing water mains work on a road owned by the Queensland state government. Naturally, the work was brought to a standstill as their Caloundra Council superiors were notified and they in turn notified the police and the military authorities. As it turned out what they had found was not a UXO at all; it was something else. However, the local state member, Chris Cummins, jumped on the bandwagon and claimed that the Australian government should bear the full cost of clearing these items.

The Caloundra City Council and I have had discussions and they are coming forward with a plan of what they suggest should be done, but, as I said earlier, all levels of government bear some responsibility here—particularly the state government and the local authority, because we would not have the present situation had the state government not approved the freeholding and had Caloundra City Council not permitted the plans for the subdivision to proceed. What we need to do is look at those areas of public land that are used by the public, work out a map and work out costings. In my view, there then has to be an appropriate compromise arrangement whereby the federal government, the state government and the local council work together to remove this potential menace. (Time expired)