2015-09-17
Attorney-General – Call for Dismissal
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Will you show the community leadership expected of you and sack your Attorney-General?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, no.
Ms Fyles: So arrogant.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Following the last debate, I find that comment to be highly offensive and I ask that it be withdrawn.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I did not hear the comment, but under Standing Order 62 if the member who made the comment could withdraw it.
Ms FYLES: I withdraw.
Ice – Government Action
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
In February this year, the soft-on-crime Labor opposition demanded urgent action by September to tackle the ice scourge in our community. Why have the opposition and Independents now, when the need is greatest, prioritised petty politics over the safety and security of Territorians? Surely it is risky for the opposition and Independents to go cold on our plan to put the heat on ice.
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. It is a serious one. Any drugs in our society are dangerous and anything we can do as a government to improve the situation should be supported. Yesterday in this House, as most people would be aware, we moved a motion to allow debate and, hopefully, passage of legislation that would strengthen an additional tool in the toolbox for police, in order to declare certain sections of road across the Northern Territory as drug restriction zones. This would give power to police to search vehicles, much like how people are pulled over and breath tested. Police have a right to pull a car over and test the driver’s breath to see if they are over the limit. This new legislation would give police the right to apprehend people and search vehicles and property.
Social media went absolutely mad last night. The vast majority of people who responded to posts I saw last night, as did other members on this side, clearly indicated the community was on side and the opposition got it wrong.
This was an opportunity for this House to use the facility of standing orders, which we use to make laws, at our call to move this legislation forward and we could have done that. As the member for Nelson said yesterday, we could sit here and wait another 30 to 60 days or we could act now. We heard the member for Karama and the opposition demanding this government to take action on ice and do something immediately. We have been working solidly behind the scenes with the ice committee.
At the end of the day, this was not politically driven at all. Police have asked for this tool. We took that request and we brought it into this House. We thought there would be a consensus to provide police with this tool, but no, the opposition wanted to play politics. They want this to sit. I have photos of Territorians who are dead because of ice, or killed in car accidents where ice was involved. These are the faces of those people and their families who have you to blame for having to wait another 60 days. It is shameful.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Attorney-General – Call to Resign
Ms WALKER to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and JUSTICE
Fifty per cent of the members of this House have just supported a censure motion condemning your appalling behaviour. Will you do the honourable thing and resign?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I think I made it pretty clear that I do not intend to resign, not because I am bullying my way through this, but because I have a passion for the work I do. As I said in the debate immediately before this, I have always worked very hard for the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory and I will continue to do so. I fully expect the behaviour of this House to decay, but I will not be one of those people that steps through that process, I hope. The questioner here has recognised my commitment and passion for my job. I remind the member for Nhulunbuy we all are capable of error.
This has not been a comfortable time for me. As an Ambassador for White Ribbon Australia I underwent a thorough checking process to make sure I could wear the ribbon. The language I used yesterday is out of context with the modern environment and I regret using it. I have apologised, but I will not resign because I will continue serving the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory with the dignity that has been ascribed to me by the member for Nhulunbuy. I am grateful to the members for Namatjira and Fong Lim for their comments.
I will continue to strive and work hard, and I will be driven, as I always have been in this job, until such time as circumstances see me removed from it. Then I will get on with the rest of my life.
Railway – Mount Isa to Tennant Creek
Mr BARRETT to CHIEF MINISTER
Moving on to economics, which the Country Liberals are much better at than our opposing Labor colleagues, can you please provide an update on the proposed Mount Isa to Tennant Creek railway?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. During Question Time yesterday I referred to his previous employment at the Port of Darwin. I know he thoroughly enjoyed that and is still passionate about the port. I can understand why he has asked a question about a railway line, following his passion of supply chain logistics.
Members of this Chamber and the public would be aware that in the budget this year we committed resources to support a study of the railway line proposed between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. Recently we went out to tender, identifying providers that could present a proposal to undertake a consultation on modelling around the Tennant Creek to Mount Isa railway.
We have been very successful, obtaining the services of Port Jackson Partners, which is the same firm, by way of chance, providing consultancy services to the Northern Territory government on the North East Gas Interconnector, or the NEGI, proposed between the Northern Territory and the eastern seaboard.
Port Jackson Partners come to the Northern Territory government with a good sense of experience and background in Australia, with an international context of modelling railways. Port Jackson Partners’ role will be to work in conjunction with other activities of government. The Northern Territory government is working closely with the Queensland government, identifying barriers and opportunities to build a rail line between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. They look at easements, environmental matters, sacred sites, water crossings, geological makeup and the like.
The Port Jackson Partners concept will follow the same modelling approach we have used for the pipeline, looking at what the economic enablers are to permit or prohibit the rail getting under way. It also looks at what it will cost to build the rail in today’s time frame, what factors were involved in the 2004 investigation by the former Labor government into the railway line, what we need to do to make it stack up economically, and some of the economic opportunities that can be supported by a railway line, but can also support it to get up and running.
We have set a time frame of eight to 12 weeks to let government know what the parameters may be. There will be subsequent steps in investigation to see how we can bring these to fruition. It is not a short-term model with a yes or no answer, but it is the first step in a range of processes, which gets us in line with building infrastructure for the next century.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
White Ribbon Workplace Accreditation
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Will you commit, with Labor and the Independents, to adopting the principles of the White Ribbon Workplace Program and commence the accreditation process for this House immediately?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, domestic and family violence is no matter for playing political games, and it is no laughing matter. Everybody would be well aware of the Northern Territory government’s approach to family violence in the Territory. The Ministers for Women’s Policy and Police, and the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice all speak frequently on these matters, as do we all on this side of the Chamber. It does not matter if you are a local member in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin, Nhulunbuy or anywhere else, we too often see the scourge of domestic violence in the Northern Territory.
It has been going on for many a long year. It will not be fixed today or tomorrow, but every effort we make to see a reduction in the scourge of domestic violence is an effort that will go a long way to provide a safe environment for women and children in the Northern Territory. Alcohol plays a large part in domestic violence incidents in the Northern Territory, which is why we are working hard on measures to limit the wholesale supply of alcohol, as well as the demand for it, and treat people with chronic addictions to alcohol.
We are trying to get more people into work. The more people who work, the less demand there is. That is a known fact. We are working hard through temporary beat locations, stopping the supply. We have the lowest amount of alcohol from a wholesale base arrangement since the 1990s.
We are working hard with policing, Alcohol Protection Orders and paperless arrests. We are working to assist those people with chronic addictions to alcohol. We are doing that through mandatory alcohol rehabilitation where 458 people have been referred in the last year to get off the grog. Not every case is a success. We do not get a 100% success rate through mandatory alcohol rehabilitation, but we get people off the grog for up to three months. We get people to regain cognitive ability in their brain to function for three months and be able to say they do not want to drink.
When questions like this come up about domestic violence we take them seriously. We are acting, putting measures in place to stop the supply of alcohol, which too often gets involved with domestic violence.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
White Ribbon Workplace Accreditation
White Ribbon Workplace Accreditation
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Will you immediately sign up with the Independents and Labor to adopt the principles of the White Ribbon Workplace in this Chamber?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, that is the same question as before. Notwithstanding whether he answered it or not, it is not technically a supplementary question, so if you can rephrase it please.
Mr GUNNER: Chief Minister, do you agree with the principles of the White Ribbon Workplace and do you think they should apply here in this Chamber?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, of course I agree with the principles of the protection of women and all Territorians. One thing I also agree with is not talking about ourselves as politicians, but talking about Territorians and seeing how we can improve the level of amenity within the Northern Territory as well as the level of service provision for Territorians, and continue to make our streets safer. The streets in the Northern Territory are safer now than they have been since the 1990s.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It is a simple yes or no question.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Chief Minister is framing his answer. I will give you some more leeway if you can please get to the point, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: At the start of my answer to the second supplementary question I said I support the principles. I also said we will continue to apply those principles by ensuring the ongoing protection of Territorians, making our streets safer.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Does the Chief Minister believe those principles should apply in this House?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition has asked the question a couple of times now; you have seven seconds to answer.
Mr GILES: We will continue as a government to apply those principles in all that we do right across the Northern Territory.
Public Service Numbers
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
We have a fantastic and hard-working public service. I would say we have the best public service in the country. I want to thank them for the way in which they deal with my constituents’ inquiries. On behalf of all of us in the Chamber I thank them very much for the hard work they do in delivering strong outcomes for Territorians.
Can you please provide details of what the Northern Territory government is doing to strengthen and develop the public service?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. We are holding up our high levels of honesty and integrity. You would remember when we came to government, when Labor said public servant jobs would be slashed and we said they would not. Labor even put ads on the television saying we have cut public servants when we have not. Labor has come out with a new document talking about restoring integrity to government, but even as recently as this week they have ads on television saying public service numbers will be cut.
I can give some advice to the House on the numbers of public service employees in the Northern Territory. When we came to government on 25 August 2012, there were 20 062 full-time equivalent employees in the Northern Territory. There are now 20 215, which is 153 additional full-time equivalent employees, and along with this there has been a 0.8% increase in the number of permanent employees, providing much more certainty to many employees in the public service.
We often congratulate public service employees for all they have done to assist government, because when we came into government we wanted to see a range of policies and initiatives implemented. Those things could not have been successful without the support of the public service.
We have the lowest unemployment in the country because our policies are supported by the public service. There is less alcohol since the 1990s being distributed in the Northern Territory because of the application of government policies by the public service.
We have the lowest CPI in the country, the highest level of land release and the safest streets since the 1990s due to the support of the public service.
We are supporting and recognising the public service through our salaries. The 3% per annum pay rise Northern Territory government employees have received is higher than their counterparts have received in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. Whilst pays are going up, CPI is coming down to 0.2%, which is the lowest in the country.
We have made a range of changes, including flexible work arrangements, simplified recruitment processes, recognition of long service, the Future Leaders Network and providing support for public servants who want to study Asian languages. We have gone one step further; we sought to increase the number of Indigenous employees within the public service, doubling it from 8% to 16% by 2020.
We thank the public service for supporting us in achieving all our goals since coming to government.
White Ribbon Workplace Accreditation
Ms WALKER to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and JUSTICE
Understanding you have charge of the Domestic Violence Directorate, will you commit with Labor, and the Independents, in the spirit of bipartisanship, to adopting the principles of the White Ribbon Workplace and commence the accreditation process immediately for this parliament and all who work in this building?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I am a White Ribbon Ambassador, and I went through an accreditation process. It was not an easy process to go through. I cannot, however, speak for this parliament.
This parliament is not run by the Attorney-General or any other member in it, save one. The Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly is, effectively, the CEO of this Assembly and if she chooses to go down that path I will be happy to work with her. Whether or not we go down an accreditation process, the question must be asked whether we are prepared to take it on as just the principles. That is the real question.
As I have said before, I have stridently fought domestic violence issues in this government’s three years to the point where I have done it on physical grounds on a number of occasions, where I have stepped in between perpetrators and their victims. That has been done, for some strange reason, at what seems to be the amusement of some sections of the media. I concern myself enormously with those sorts of things.
As far as I am concerned, the principles of White Ribbon are something I wear at all times and proudly. Through loose use of language, for which I have fulsomely apologised, I have stepped outside those principles. I recommit myself in the same way that when, at the most recent domestic violence ball, when I swore the oath we all take I finished it with, ‘So Help Me God’. I meant it then and I mean it now.
Mitchell Street Mile
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
It is great to hear the second Mitchell Street Mile has attracted some first-class athletes for the elite sections of the event, which probably was not the class Mr Elferink and I ran in. It was also wonderful to hear the event is now Australia’s richest middle distance event. Can you please update the House on how the event is shaping up for this weekend?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is true, the Mitchell Street Mile, an event made possible by the Northern Territory government, is now Australia’s richest middle distance event with more than $35 000 in prize money on offer. We have some first-class runners coming to the Territory for the event. Australian Olympians Ryan Gregson and Collis Birmingham will join other elite athletes, including Philo Saunders, Josh Wright and Jordan Gusman, and our local top runners Darren Peacock and Michael Ryde, as well as others for the men’s elite category.
In the women’s elite category, it is fantastic to see Japanese champion Ruriko Kubo is competing along with Olympian and Commonwealth Games runner Genevieve Lacaze, elite Canberra athlete Melissa Duncan and Commonwealth Games steeplechaser Madeline Heiner. Joining them are elite local athletes Lisa Allen, Andrea Foot and a few others.
As I have said before, it is not just about the elite runners. The Mitchell Street Mile has an event for everyone. There are categories for the young ones and categories for us old ones. There are categories for Defence and service personnel, an open run and, for the first time, the fancy dress category, which I am looking forward to because I will be the judge, along with others so I do not have to take total responsibility.
It is a year of firsts for the Mitchell Street Mile. As well as the great prize pool, this year the event attracted a charity sponsor in the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a worthwhile charity which will be present at the event.
The event has attracted a healthy number of registrations. So far, more than 500 people have put their hands up to take part and we are expecting a lot more. It will be a wonderful afternoon. There will be a special family-friendly area set up outside the Mitchell Centre as well as a live broadcast by Territory FM, and race photos will be available for participants.
Athletics Northern Territory has done a great job with the Mitchell Street Mile and I pay tribute to General Manager John Bowden for his enthusiasm and energy in driving the event. I do not know if members are aware, but John is a fine athlete and a former world record holder in the 4x1 mile relay, and he is a former Commonwealth Games athlete. He has a passion for his sport and I thank him for his commitment to the Mitchell Street Mile.
I also thank the tireless team at the Department of Sport and Recreation which has worked hard all year on all the fantastic sporting events this government has made possible.
Rhonda Diano Oval
Mrs LAMBLEY to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
In April 2015 you made the very positive funding announcement of $2m to build a new national standard athletics track in Alice Springs. Although very pleased athletics are being catered for in Alice Springs, local Braitling residents are now demanding they be consulted on the use of the Rhonda Diano Oval primarily for athletics. The oval is an important hub of the community, used for a wide range of sport and recreational activities. Restricting the use of this oval to only athletics, and the plan to place a 1.8 m fence around the oval, is upsetting some residents.
I attended the August Ordinary Meeting of the Alice Springs Town Council on 31 August. It was clear there was not much consultation on the oval being used for athletics. Would you consider doing some consultation on this important matter affecting the residents of Braitling?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, a public meeting is being held on this subject on Sunday in Alice Springs. Another meeting is planned for later in the month. I do not have the exact dates. The facility is owned by the Alice Springs Town Council. We have made money available to the Alice Springs Town Council to develop this facility. The council will be doing this consultation and I expect there will be much more of it over the next month.
CLP Ministers’ Comments
Ms FYLES to CHIEF MINISTER
It is clear your government has not been listening to the community’s response on the comments from the member for Port Darwin. The Deputy Chief Minister said:
- … when did we become so thin-skinned in this House?
Your Treasurer stated he would not have apologised, and said:
- I would have said, ‘Toughen up, princess!’
He also said:
- This is a storm in a teacup.
Do you support the comments of your senior ministers?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I support everybody on this side of the Chamber in everything they do or say. It is part of being a team, working together and supporting one another. When I am not in this Chamber and am in the community, people ask me about politics and I answer by saying I support everybody in politics in the Northern Territory, any member in this Chamber, any minister or otherwise in government.
I listened to the debate we just had, which was lost by the member for Nhulunbuy, and the comments that were made. Yes, there are some emotions when you talk about such topics. There is also a high degree of sensibility in how the Westminster system came about, and why democracy and debate is important to improve policies and service delivery in the Northern Territory. We should not spend too much time reflecting on ourselves. We should spend more time reflecting on the Northern Territory.
I took heart from the second speech in the last debate by the member for Nelson, who said, ‘Can we just get on with the job?’ or words to that effect. Today, from this side of the Chamber, we have spoken about such topics as public service employees and how the numbers have increased since we came to government. We have also spoken about the Mitchell Street Mile.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. Do you support the comments made by your senior ministers?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I believe the Chief Minister has answered it somewhat and he still has a minute to formulate an answer.
Mr GILES: I was just talking about the Mitchell Street Mile, promoting tourism, economic development and lifestyle activities for Territorians to get outside. It also provides leadership to young people within the Northern Territory and around Australia about being active, going for a run and being outdoors, not sitting in front of computers or TVs. That is an exciting opportunity.
There will be many more questions through the day. That is what we should be talking about, not about ourselves. It is a comment I use in public frequently. We need to stop talking about ourselves. Today, no doubt, the opposition will continue to ask questions about politicians, not about Territorians, which is where we lose the heart of debate in this Chamber. That is one of the reasons Australians hold politicians in such poor regard. They are always talking about themselves. Put policy on the table and if you philosophically do not agree with something then debate it. Do not keep talking about us. We do not want to talk about ourselves and we do not want to talk about you. We did not talk about you in the last debate; we could have, but we did not. We want to talk about the Territory.
Bushfire Mitigation
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Can the minister inform the House about what the Country Liberals government is doing to protect Territorians from the devastating impact of bushfires?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. I know he has an interest in this, given a great deal of bushfire mitigation work is occurring in his electorate from plans put together by the Country Liberals government.
Bushfire mitigation is a key priority for the Country Liberals government; it is something we take extremely seriously. It gives me great pleasure to update the House on a new joint federal and Northern Territory government initiative. The Commonwealth will provide support of $904 000 over three years, and the Northern Territory government will provide funding of $1.1m over that time. The works will be carried out under the National Bushfire Mitigation Program. Together we will better prepare local communities and enhance bushfire mitigation outcomes.
As we all know in the Territory, and as we recently saw at Howard Springs, bushfires can be devastating on local communities. Families, business owners, pets and livestock can all be adversely impacted. Our firefighters and bushfire volunteers do an outstanding job. So far this year volunteer crews have battled 367 controlled and wildfire burns in the Top End, out of which there were 72 in Katherine, 22 in the Barkly and 14 in the central region. On behalf of Territorians I thank each bushfire volunteer working hard to look after the lives and property of Territorians. They do an amazing job.
Mitigation is an important way we can assist to reduce the risk of disaster and heartache through bushfires. This combined funding will go towards a range of initiatives, including the development of a new fire management planning framework. Fire management plans will be developed across the Territory. This government is unwavering in its support for bushfire mitigation across the Northern Territory, and the bushfire council and bushfire volunteer brigades have never been better resourced or better supported by any government.
When we came to power in 2012 we committed an ongoing extra $1m per year for bushfire work. This additional funding will go on top of that and complement the work already being done by Bushfires NT and the wonderful people in our bushfire brigades.
Bullying Comments – Public Sector Standards
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
Are you aware the bullying and threatening behaviour towards female members of this Assembly last night would constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct if committed by a public servant? Such behaviour would give rise to disciplinary proceedings under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act and could result in demotion or termination of employment. Why is there one standard for public servants and another for ministers?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for her question. It seems a bit odd to still be fielding questions about a topic that has already been canvassed over the course of two hours of debate in this House. We take issues of bullying in the workplace seriously, and the public sector has measures in place that deal with that type of behaviour. Different to the public service, as has been described by a number of people in this House today, is politics and what happens in the robustness of debate, including the freedom of speech expected within this House and the ability for members to stand up and say what they think. The member for Fong Lim described the Westminster system of parliamentary debate and how important it is for the democratic process to remain as robust as it is.
When I hear this type of question from those opposite, it makes me think back to the comments they often make and some of the things they say across the House. I will look at some of those examples again. Ms Walker said on 29 April 2015:
- And I tell my constituents how useless you are and that you do not care about them.
Mrs Price then said:
- I take offence to that.
Is that not bullying?
Ms Walker: It was not a threat of violence.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: The member for Nhulunbuy also said on 19 March 2014:
- I had the briefing, you goose.
Is that not bullying across the Chamber?
There are many examples I can point to where the member for Nhulunbuy, and other members opposite, have used words in this Chamber to bully members of the government. I notice they have some targets over here. The member for Stuart, minister Price, often seems to be the target of those opposite, which is reprehensible and disgraceful behaviour by those opposite. They not only attack the government, but an Aboriginal woman who is working very hard as a competent minister in this government. Yet you try to shoot her down in flames whenever you get the opportunity.
Do not come in here lecturing this government about bullying. Your behaviour is absolutely disgraceful.
Education – New Special School in Bellamack
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for EDUCATION
I note with excitement that a tender was awarded for a new special education school to be built in the ever-growing region of Palmerston in Bellamack, which happens to be in the electorate of Blain. Can you please inform the House of the benefits this will have for Territory families.
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his great question. There will be many excited parents knowing we have announced today that Sunbuild is the successful tenderer to build the $21.35m special needs school in Bellamack. The school is currently unnamed, but we will have a competition at some stage in the future to find a good …
Mr Wood: The Nathan Barrett school?
Mr CHANDLER: No, it might be the Wood school or something like that.
It is good to see a local company has won this contract.
Mr Giles: You could call it the surplus school because it is paid out of surplus, not debt.
Mr CHANDLER: Surplus school, right. This is exciting; it is 84 new places. I commend the previous government for building a new Nemarluk School. As most people know, Nemarluk on Bagot Road was an old structure and it was run down. It has turned around today; it is used for a different purpose and is a great space. But as a special needs school it was outdated and the previous government had committed to it.
Sadly, many students spend over an hour on buses from the rural area and Palmerston to get to Nemarluk. The new school being constructed at Bellamack will provide another opportunity for them.
There will be parents who choose to continue at Nemarluk, and good luck to them; it is a great school. Those who decide to send their children to the new school at Bellamack will not have to endure the long trip every day going out to Nemarluk. It will also free up some spaces at Nemarluk, and we know many students would like to go there.
We have some great special needs schools across the Territory. I have full confidence in Sunbuild constructing this school. The works will start almost immediately and it will be opened in the first term of 2017.
The construction will include the following: three general learning areas consisting of 24 classrooms; withdrawal and teacher preparation areas; a hydrotherapy pool and associated change rooms; a multipurpose hall; specialised outdoor learning areas; covered drop-off areas for buses and parents; an administration building; and security for access control of all doors throughout the school.
We on this side of the House take education seriously. The new special education school in Palmerston adds to the growing list of schools assisting students with disabilities. We have Nemarluk School, Henbury School, Kintore Street School and Acacia Hill School.
This is great news for special education in the Territory as we continue to meet these needs in a growing area. It should be resourced and I am proud to be part of a government which has put the resources into this important area.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Roadwork Funds
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for TRANSPORT
You have announced another $2.5m to upgrade a stretch of the Stuart Highway so a few people, as your figures show, travel in excess of 130 km/h. This brings it to a total of $6.9m overall on highway upgrades to allow for the open speed limit. Louise Bilato from the Northern Territory Road Transport Association said recently on radio this money could have been spent more appropriately on many other roads in the Northern Territory which need upgrading.
Is the NT Road Transport Association right, and why was that money not spent on sealing or upgrading sections of roads like Gunn Point Road? It is in such poor, corrugated condition there is a high risk of injury or death if nothing is done soon.
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, this is fantastic news for the Northern Territory. This government is investing hundreds of millions of dollars. There is a $1.4bn infrastructure budget in this year alone. We are putting hundreds of millions of dollars into new roads, repairs and maintenance, and new bridges. We are linking the Mereenie Loop. These are roads that will provide long-term assets for many years to come. The little amount of money it takes, when you compare the entire budget, to do something to a piece of road to allow people to drive more safely at high speeds is a great thing. It is bringing business back into the Northern Territory. There are companies that want to come to the Territory, like they did many years ago, and test their vehicles in the hot temperatures at high speeds.
Having read the report, I commend Territorians. They are not being stupid; they are doing exactly what we hoped they would do and are being responsible. The conservative way of approaching this is to put the responsibility with the people.
It is fantastic we have some roads in the Northern Territory with open speed limits. Does that mean people can drive like idiots? No, they cannot. Police can still pull people up for driving at excessive speeds or if they feel their vehicles or driving skills are not capable, or if they have bald tyres or their cars are unregistered. Those things still occur. We had decades of open speed limits but, through the lack of investment in our roads, many deteriorated to being potentially unsafe to drive at open speed limits. We are investing in those roads more than any other government has in the past, hundreds of millions of dollars.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance:
- An answer shall be succinct, concise and directly relevant to the question.
Do you think the NT Road Transport Association was right when it said this money should be spent more appropriately on other roads that need upgrading; yes or no?
Mr CHANDLER: I am answering that. We are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on roads across the Northern Territory, more roads than have ever been fixed before. The repairs and maintenance budget is bigger, as are the capital works and bridges budgets. We are spending $2m on that section of road. We could sit here and argue whether we could spend it on that bit of road there or this bit of road here, but we sit down with experts and plan where the best investment is. There are roads being fixed to help our cattle industry across the Northern Territory. We are fixing roads and bridges to help tourism, for Territorians. We will continue to do this with record budgets into the future.
Festivals in the NT
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for ARTS and MUSEUMS
Territorians have enjoyed a plethora of festival events this year from the Top End to the Red Centre, and I do not think anyone in this House could argue that the Italian Festival was not the best event of the entire festival season this year. It was a brilliant event. I congratulate the Italian community for putting on such a wonderful festival. I hope it continues well and truly into the future.
Apart from the Italian Festival, and apart from the enjoyment factor, celebration of skills, talent, culture, artistry and the fact thousands of locals have had a feast of fun through these events, I am curious if the numbers stack up.
Can the minister please tell us whether these festivals have performed as well this year as they have in the past?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the Italian Festival this year, as I did the Greek Glenti. I thank the member for her question.
As honourable members appreciate, it is not an easy task to pull together big events or even smaller grassroots occasions. Literally hundreds of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations do that every year with the proud backing of the Northern Territory government.
I do not have time to go through all the wonderful festivals we have had in the NT so far this year, but I will pay special tribute to a handful. The Darwin Festival takes more than 100 staff under General Manager Mark Crees to deliver each year. This year we had a new artistic director, Andrew Ross, and they have done it all extremely well.
I believe there was something for everyone in this year’s festival, from the popular and acclaimed Darwin musical, Prison Songs, to wonderful theatre offerings like Poli-Gobble with Max Gillies, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Northern Territory government made the festival possible, with $1.32m in funding provided for this year’s operations and multi-arts program. It was all part of our aim to build a confident culture that supports significant occasions and events. Dr Crees says this critical support covers around one-third of the festival’s expenditure and allows us to leverage corporate sector support and employ over 100 people in delivering the festival, and this year it welcomed around 800 artists.
The facts and figures speak volumes for the festival. Around 90 000 attended the festival. Box office income was around $950 000, with 26 000 tickets sold. Thirty shows were sold out, an estimated 450 local artists were produced, website users increased by 12% on last year, and social media following increased by 32%.
It is not just the Darwin Festival which has yielded good results this year. In Central Australia they have also had a solid period of cultural celebrations, such as the Desert Mob 25th anniversary, Bush Bands Bash, Desert Divas, Desert Song Festival, Alice Desert Festival and the Alice Springs Beanie Festival, all of them supported by the Northern Territory government. They have had some good turnouts.
Music NT Manager, Mark Smith, said the Bush Bands Bash had the biggest audience it has ever had. The story is similar for the Desert Song Festival and the Beanie Festival; attendance was great and sales, especially at the Beanie Festival, were up.
The Territory government is proud to make it possible for these festivals to occur and thrive.
Environment Centre – Protection
Mr McCARTHY to MINISTER for the ENVIRONMENT
When diminishing, devaluing and essentially bullying this week, the Treasurer said the Environment Centre NT is a nonsense organisation and a tainted political organisation. He said it was not about protecting the environment or environmental outcomes.
Ms Anna Boustead of the Environment Centre NT has responded by saying:
- The Environment Centre NT is a non-partisan community group, made up of over 300 members and many thousands of supporters who wish to see the Territory’s outstanding natural and cultural assets protected and managed for future generations. We do not take any political sides, however we do unashamedly advocate for better environmental policies and practices.
Leave granted.
Mr McCARTHY: The Treasurer defines the Environment Centre as a nonsense and tainted political organisation. Minister, will you stick up for this vital community group providing critical advice for good decision-making and policy?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I have been on the record as supporting the Environment Centre over many years and I do not back away from that. However, I made it clear the Environment Centre had some concerns when the budget allocation was cut and it had to apply for this through grants. The logic used in making this decision was that prior to the establishment of the independent EPA, the government would use the Environment Centre as a source for getting its independent advice separate from government agencies.
With the establishment of the independent EPA I made it clear to the Environment Centre, when I was asked these questions, that I already had a source of independent advice. While I do not question the skills and capability of those at the Environment Centre, I told them they are entitled to apply for grant funding through the EPA. The grant funding has been redirected to specific areas.
I can give you some points about that grant funding. The funding for 2015-16 opened for application in March 2015. General grants are limited to $10 000 with a provision that larger deserving projects can be funded. Grants were made for projects delivering clear environmental benefits in the area of waste and pollution. I am happy for the Environment Centre to apply for these, even though I do not get a say in it. The independent EPA makes these allocations.
These grants closed on 22 May and 34 applications were received. Approvals for the 2015-16 successful grant recipients were finalised in August 2015. There were 30 grants, in other words 30 projects, which were funded through the project grants program. Of these, eight were in Alice Springs, 15 focused on remote and rural areas and seven were based around the Darwin and Palmerston areas.
Applications for school grants also closed on 10 April and seven applications were received. Six of these applications were awarded funding. A second school grant opened in September this year to create more opportunities for schools to access funding.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Will you call on the Treasurer to apologise to this vital community group?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Barkly, sit down. You are on a warning. You know that is entirely inappropriate. It is not a point of order.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, you have 30 seconds, would you like to continue?
Mr HIGGINS: No, I have finished my answer, thank you.
McArthur River Mine – Alleged Pollution
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for MINES and ENERGY
There have recently been a number of statements about the McArthur River Mine, including that the mine is causing pollution of the McArthur River downstream. Can you please update the House on whether this is true and, if so, what is being done to fix it?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. There is a great deal of investigation going on at the McArthur River Mine site in relation to environmental approvals. Most people are aware there is a waste rock dump with acid-forming rock, which was burning for some time. The government has some concerns about the practices there.
I can assure people those at McArthur River Mine are working very hard to find solutions. That work will continue. There are ongoing discussions with McArthur River Mine. It has also been in the media and discussed publicly that government has asked for an increased environmental bond.
In relation to how the water has been affected, I am not aware of the water being polluted, but there are investigations in that area. In the natural environment there, contaminants naturally occur in the water. It requires monitoring, which has been going on over a number of years around the McArthur River to ensure lead and other contaminants remain at natural levels. For a long time people have been catching fish with lead contamination, not caused by mining activity, but because it is in the natural environment.
Member for Nelson, this is a difficult area for government. We are committed to maintaining our natural environment and making sure our environmental regulations are first class. It is a difficult matter for the McArthur River mining company because it has to deal with these issues to the satisfaction of the Northern Territory government.
Increasing the environmental bond comes at a significant cost to the company and, as a government, we are working diligently with the company to work through those issues. I hope in coming weeks I can give further assurances the mining operation will continue, and maximum effort has gone into making sure contamination, if there is any, is limited to the mine site and can be dealt with when the mine is decommissioned.
Million Dollar Fish Competition
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
There is a great deal of excitement around the Northern Territory, the country and the world about the Million Dollar Fish Competition. Can you please outline, for the House and for Territorians listening at home today what the competition hopes to achieve?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, there is competition around Australia because the Northern Territory is going so well with low unemployment rates, low fuel prices, low house prices, debt coming down and growth rising. There is excitement all around the nation about that. There is also excitement around the nation about what is happening on the tourism front.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to update Territorians on tourism numbers increasing by 5.6%, on the back of the recent international visitor surveys. The national visitor surveys indicate 1.3m visitors came here in the last year.
Around 40 000 people come to the Territory from interstate each year to fish. There is a peak and an off-peak season. We have been working in the off-peak season to increase visitation numbers. Over the course of 18 months to two years we worked on a concept we called Million Dollar Fish. We tag some fish, put them in the water and encourage people to fish for those valuable prizes.
I can inform the House, as of today, 28 900 people have registered for the competition, which includes 225 from overseas; 6121 from New South Wales; 6574 from Queensland; 4693 from Victoria; 408 from Tasmania; 2615 from WA; 356 from the ACT; and 1846 from South Australia. Between 1 October and the end of February next year, those people have the opportunity to win the prize money.
On top of that there are 4877 Territorians who want to catch the million-dollar fish. The way it works is 76 fish are caught, and 75 of them get a $10 000 price tag put on their dorsal fin. One of them is tagged with a million-dollar prize. They are then put back in the water. If you are registered and catch a fish in that time, between 1 October and the end of February, you can get that prize money.
There is much excitement going on. The excitement is such from interstate, overseas and in the Northern Territory that it is hard to contain.
The excitement coming from the member for Karama about the million-dollar fish is palpable. There are 152 days to catch the million-dollar fish. The member for Karama has already bought 152 hats so she can try to win the million-dollar fish to pay off her legal bill of $215 000. She could try to catch 21 of the $10 000 fish.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 62: offensive. I ask that he withdraw.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, the member for Karama found your remark offensive. I ask that you withdraw, please.
Mr GILES: Mr Deputy Speaker, I am more than happy to withdraw anything the member for Karama found offensive. If it is the fact she is expecting Territorians to pay her $214 000 legal bill …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 62; he should withdraw that as well, as I find it offensive. Chief Minister, you go too far.
Mr GILES: I am happy to withdraw, but I reaffirm this: the Million Dollar Fish Competition is a unique initiative in Australia. I encourage more people to throw their lines in and try to catch this million-dollar fish. Beat off the member for Karama, who is trying to pay off her legal debt.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Standing Order 62; I ask again for the Chief Minister to withdraw.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please, you have been asked to withdraw the comment twice already, and you keep making the same comment. Withdraw it once and for all.
Mr GILES: I withdraw the comment about the million-dollar fish.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016