Cairns regions with the proposed Cape York spaceport to be included at a later date.
Queensland's Minister for Northern Development and member of a Barron River, Martin Tenney, gives the project his enthusiastic support.
It's one of the most exciting ventures that's ever happened to North Queensland. And as Minister for Northern Development, I'm going to get right behind it.
The object of the zone is to broaden the economic base of North Queensland by accelerating the development of high value added export oriented manufacturing industries.
To be eligible for zone incentives and special treatment, companies must comply with a strict set of guidelines.
This includes their ability to inject significant new capital investment and to create major new job opportunities.
Overseas and interstate manufacturers who can either earn export dollars or reduce the need for imports by supplying the domestic markets will be encouraged.
The governing board is composed of businessmen successful in their own right.
People who have shaped the economy of Northern Queensland and representatives from local and state government.
But it's private sector driven. The people that will basically be running it will be very successful North Queensland entrepreneurs and they will be working very closely with both local and state government representatives.
North Queensland was chosen as the site of the state's first enterprise zone because of its diverse range of natural resources, international standard research facilities, the wide range of skills within the workforce,
the ready access to the markets of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim and the existing infrastructure including modern port and international airport facilities.
We will be implementing within the next couple of months a wide range of general assistance measures that everyone will be able to access such as a North Queensland Office of the Industrial Suppliers Office,
we'll be widening activities of the Small Business Development Corporation, we'll be implementing a one stop shop so if someone is going into business they will be able to go to one person, one office and access all the approvals that will be necessary.
These will all be programs that will be implemented under the enterprise zone corporations administration.
Major initiative in bid for Cape York Space Base.
Man sought after murder at Bikegang party.
Queensland thrashed by Victoria at the Gabba.
Had a very good evening to you. Details today of a potential breakthrough in efforts to build a spaceport on Cape York. Industry Minister Bob Borbidge will recommend to cabinet tomorrow the government establish a special strategy and planning agency to coordinate private industry efforts.
As state correspondent Spencer Jolly reports such efforts are already well advanced.
Industry Minister Bob Borbidge returned from a tour of US space bases firmly committed to pushing for a rocket launching base on Cape York.
But Mr Borbidge warns there are a number of other countries in the race for a commercial launch facility as well and while he'll tell his colleagues Queensland is in front now it has to maintain the momentum.
We're in front at the moment but we have to stay that way and that means that the government closely has to give consideration to a spaceport development strategy.
One of the two consortia working on plans to develop the spaceport the Cape York Space Agency is due to report current progress in June.
But already project manager Bill Shirley says the odds for the base being built are encouraging.
I don't know maybe 60 40 in favour but it was a time that it was probably 80 20 against.
This weekend top aerospace planners representing Japanese German British and American companies and corporations such as McDonald Douglas have arrived to work with the agency's experts compiling the June report.
These companies have links with potential end users of the launching base.
The space agency agrees with Mr Borbidge's push for the government to create a space development strategy.
I think that this would all be a very big advantage if they really got with it this way.
So advanced are the space agency's plans that its report in June will even contain commitments to use the base conditional only on environmental impact studies and necessary legislation being passed.
Industry Minister Borbidge is determined his government will set the stage for the project.
We're dealing with probably the single most significant project in the history of Australia.
Spencer Jolly national 9 news.
One man is dead another fighting for his life in hospital after a wild brawl on a country property last night.
Members of the Odin Warriors motorcycle club were involved when a party near Kaminya turned violent.
Neighbours in the normally quiet township west of Brisbane awoke to sounds of gunfire and screams just after one o'clock this morning.
Police found one man dead with multiple stab wounds and another in a serious condition.
He'd been shot four times.
Witnesses told police the two men had been partying with about 25 adults and 15 children.
After a heavy drinking session and some drugs a fight broke out.
Police say one man produced a 32 caliber pistol and sprayed five shots, several narrowly missing the children but striking the other man in the chest.
Then a third man who police are still looking for rushed the gunman and stabbed him to death.
I understand there was about four from a motorcycle club here and they've left and they're assisting us at the moment with getting their members who were here together so we can get statements from them.
Whilst there may have been many other reasons for the tragedy occurring police say it's quite clear alcohol and drugs were the main contributors.
Michael Lyons national 9 news.
And Australia is becoming a more dangerous place to live according to a new federal government report.
The National Committee on Violence has found a sharp increase in the number of robberies, sexual assaults and street attacks over the past decade.
Also growing alarm at domestic strife.
Within families, within homes themselves the risk also of becoming a victim of violence is quite high and it's those risks that perhaps people are not sufficiently alerted to.
The committee will hold public meetings in all capital cities soon.
Its final report due later this year.
After a week of renewed speculation on his future John Howard has signalled that he's determined to stay in control of the opposition.
But now he's facing another embarrassing question involving his party president John Elliott who's allegedly involved in a controversial tax saving scheme.
With Labor's unexpected win in the West Australian election again focusing attention on the leadership of the federal opposition.
Mr Howard tried to play down the question of his popularity when he appeared on the Sunday program this morning.
In a sense I don't care about that what matters is whether I am addressing the problems of this country and people see me as having a solution.
Mr Howard vowed to retain the opposition's top job even if he appeared a little hesitant.
And is your view still that the only way you'll be removed is to be blasted out?
Yes.
The opposition leader was also questioned about claims that Liberal Party boss John Elliott had uncovered a tax loophole that could cost the federal government up to 100 million dollars from beer sales.
The scheme is said to allow Carlton and United Breweries to rent stubbies of beer to drinkers and so avoid paying sales tax on the bottles.
Mr Howard said all businessmen had a responsibility to the community although he would not make a moral judgment on Mr Elliott without knowing all the details.
But I accept that there is a line beyond which you shouldn't go.
I'm not suggesting for a moment Elliott has gone beyond that line on this occasion.
Finally after his early criticism of Bill Hayden's appointment as Governor General Mr Howard again showed he was willing to forget political differences.
I intend to put aside my reservations about the wisdom of choosing him because of the respect I held for the office.
Mr Howard wished Mr Hayden well and said he would be attending Thursday's swearing in ceremony.
Brad Schmidt, National 9 News.
When we return tonight Bob Hawke returns home after Asian tour.
And the last moments of a cargo ship after Cuban collision.
Ever had that sinking feeling? Slick Sam from Slick Sam's Cars has. He's desperate to make a sale.
One phone call will save Slick Sam from a sticky end.
Ah yeah hello is that Mike Carney Toyota?
Oh that Mike Carney's done it again.
Don't you get in a sticky situation? Try Mike Carney Toyota used cars. When you buy a car you make a friend.
Quality and after sales service are their biggest selling features.
Duck into Mike Carney Toyota used cars Duckworth Street Garbet and see for yourself.
For auto care being an accredited mechanic is not enough.
We put them through another test.
Ours.
To sift out the ones who don't understand the latest diagnostic equipment.
Who can't work on a range of cars or give an accurate quote.
So that all you'd be left with are the ones you can trust.
That's a guarantee we prepared to make nationwide.
Auto care. We set the standard.
If you're on the market for a fridge, washer, TV, video or hi-fi system.
In fact anything electrical there's a few electrical shops to choose from.
But if you want to buy from one that's locally owned has the lowest running costs.
Hence the lowest prices and all those famous kitchen and laundry brands.
Like Bosch, Miele, Smeg, Flanco, GE Americana and Maytay.
And plenty of easy parking then there's only one place to go to.
That's Gary Thigh's Better Appliance Center 165 Ingham Road West End Townsville.
I love you my darling. Will you marry me? Regency Jewelers.
Je vous aime pour l'amour de votre vie, chère Regency.
Je t'aime, mon amour. C'est un signe de mon amour, de ma Regency.
Merci pour m'avoir aimée, Regency Jewelers.
Join in the crazy outrageous addicts of America's top comedians.
Richard Pryor, John Candy and Hume Cronin star in Bruce Dismillion's 8.35 Wednesday.
The Nepalese peace pagoda on the expo site will be dismantled tomorrow
and shipped back to Japan. The group trying to keep the pagoda in Brisbane
couldn't raise the $50,000 needed to buy the structure.
Donations fail to reach even half the target.
And new hope tonight for residents affected by Kingston's toxic waste.
Cleanup coordinator Dr Sally Leavesley is to recommend some residents be
immediately relocated. The government's disaster expert has just completed a
survey of the Diamond Street area. Her recommendation that 19 people be
offered immediate contracts on their properties.
Features of the contract include a clause to allow time to fund another
house and an option to stay put should residents change their minds
after signing up. Dr Leavesley's survey revealed not all
residents in the affected area wanted to move,
though 14 homeowners indicated they wanted to sell up now.
The report in the hands of Emergency Services Minister Russell Cooper has been
discussed with the Premier, who today indicated the anxiety may soon be over
for some Kingston residents. And I think some of them
will have to be relocated for their own emotional well-being.
And that's just necessary on advice of the medical teams.
There's a lot of fear in the community there. At Bega on the southern New South
Wales coast, residents rallied to support the region's
woodship industry. Arriving at a convoy of timber trucks,
the group demanded logging licenses be renewed immediately.
And they've all agreed that the industry must function on environmentally
sound sustainable basis. I've not met one major figure in this
industry that wants to rip into the environment.
Conservationists stayed away from the protest.
Andrew Truan, National Nine News. At the end of his two-week Asian tour,
Prime Minister Hawke is tonight flying home from New Delhi bringing good news
for Australian business. With several multi-million dollar trade
deals wrapped up against strong foreign competition,
the Prime Minister spent his last day playing tourist.
After a fortnight of formal conferences and a lot of commercial wheeling and
dealing, it was finally time for a little sightseeing.
Mr. and Mrs. Hawke traveling south of New Delhi to the ancient capital
of India's Mughal Empire. But even amid the splendor of the past,
Mr. Hawke was boosting Australia's future in this part of the world.
An Australian company has beaten off stiff international competition
to win an important defense contract with India.
We had tough competition from that, the French, we've beaten them.
That's how we should because we're