2008-02-20
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Member for Arafura
Member for Arafura
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I seek leave of absence for today and tomorrow for the member for Arafura, as the member will be representing me as Chief Minister at the Council of Federation meeting in Adelaide tomorrow.
I also advise the House that today and tomorrow I will take questions on the Department of Employment, Education and Training; and Arts and Museums, and the member for Karama will take questions related to Family and Community Services and Women’s Policy.
Leave granted.
Crime Statistics - September 2007
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
The September quarter 2007 crime statistics make disturbing reading. Comparing the September quarter with the previous year, the rate of violent assaults increased in Darwin by 107%, Palmerston by 88%, Alice Springs by 36%, Katherine by 26% and across the Territory by 55%. Your government has offered a variety of excuses for the surge in violent assaults since Labor came to office. We have heard assaults have risen because police reporting methods have changed, or because of the introduction of Domestic Violence Units, or even as a result of having more police. All excuses aside, is it not the ugly truth that violent assaults in the Territory have increased alarmingly and your government is clueless about how to deal with it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. We have debated these statistics in this House extensively over the years, and there is absolutely no doubt that those figures do reflect an increase in assaults that are reported to police. As I have said before, this is a direct result of the police focusing in on domestic violence. The creation of Domestic Violence Units in Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Darwin are giving women a lot more confidence in reporting domestic violence and assaults to the police, because they know that the police will prioritise these reports and that they do follow up on them. We have given police the capacity to issue domestic violence restraining orders. There has been a significant increase but, if you talk to anybody who actually works in the field of domestic violence, increased reporting is directly a result of increased confidence in the police to investigate, to apply restraining orders and also to investigate breaches of restraining orders.
From 1 July to 31 September 2007, there were 1279 restraining orders initiated by police, with the powers that this parliament and government gave them – an 18% increase compared to the previous period. There were 979 offences recorded for failing to comply with a domestic violence restraining order – a 36% increase. When these orders are actually issued by police or the courts, women have the confidence, if they are breached, to go to police knowing that the police will act. Very significantly, this is what is leading to the increase in these statistics.
As Chief Minister and Police minister, I am not going to put my head in the sand and deny that there is no other violence being perpetrated across the Northern Territory apart from domestic violence. However, the rise in numbers that you can see in the reports are a direct result of increased police activity, police focus, and confidence in women across the Northern Territory in reporting these offences to police that did not exist prior to the Domestic Violence Units being put in place right across the Northern Territory.
We are also aware - and anybody who lives in the Territory will know this - that a large number of random acts of assaults and violence across the Northern Territory are a direct result of over-consumption of alcohol and the trauma that alcohol problems across the Northern Territory cause. We have debated, again uphill and down dale, the measures we are putting in place to combat alcohol-related violence in the Northern Territory. Then we have separate issues regarding Mitchell Street that the police are focusing on as well.
These figures are related to a complex set of issues. They are not related at all to an enormous epidemic of random violence that is increasing across the Northern Territory; they are very specifically related to the good work that the police are doing in really focusing in on domestic violence, with dedicated resources are being put to that; increased confidence of women across the Northern Territory to report; the capacity for police to issue their own orders; and the confidence that women have in police in that, if there are breaches of those orders, to report those breaches to police and for police to take action - a 36% increase.
That is the story around the statistics ...
Mr Mills: That is your story.
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition would try and paint another picture, but these are the facts. Domestic violence certainly is a scourge on our society. It is not tolerated by this government. A large amount of it is alcohol fuelled. We will continue to take a very proactive, public policy approach to deal with the issues of violence and excessive alcohol consumption right across the Northern Territory.
Exploration of Angela and Pamela Uranium Sites – Effect on Economy
Mr HAMPTON to CHIEF MINISTER
Cameco/Paladin has been announced as the successful applicant to pursue an exploration licence over the Angela and Pamela uranium prospects. What could this mean for jobs and economic development in the Alice Springs region?
Members interjecting.
Mrs Braham: What are they looking for?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would have thought the members opposite would want to hear about a very exciting announcement in regard to the future of the Central Australia economy made today by me and the Mines minister at lunchtime.
Members of this House would know that, just south of Alice Springs, there has been knowledge of a well-known and highly prospective uranium deposit since the 1970s. It was protected by a reservation from occupation, which is a legal term where nobody else could apply for exploration licences over that area. Some 18 months or so ago, this government took the decision to remove the reservation from occupation from this prospective area, and there has been a very significant amount of interest from exploration companies, both internationally and nationally, in applying for the exploration licence.
Today, we announced that Cameco/Paladin, a joint venture, has been given the rights to apply for the licence after a very thorough and exhaustive process that has been signed off by probity auditors. Both Cameco and Paladin are companies that undertake exploration activity in and are well known in the Northern Territory This application for exploration licence will lead to significant millions of dollars being spent on exploration in the area, which will be a direct benefit to the economy of Central Australia.
Moving on from that, if companies then apply for a mining lease into the future, and approval to mine is granted, the notional inground value of the deposit may now exceed $1bn and will lead to a significant new mining enterprise with many millions of dollars in capital construction, hundreds of jobs and, potentially, billions of dollars worth of value to the Northern Territory economy.
It is a very exciting day for Central Australia. It certainly will lead to jobs and investment. As the world continues to grapple with the issues of global warming, countries are looking more and more to cleaner sources of energy. The prospectivity for uranium in the Northern Territory, and also the abundance of gas that we have to our north for production in LNG, is certainly going to see the Northern Territory’s resource sector well positioned into the future. So, great news today for investment, the economy, and jobs in Central Australia. I am sure this is something that people in Alice Springs will support very strongly, because it is going to lead to many more jobs and more sustainable economies in the Central Australian region.
Median Prison Sentences - Reduction
Mr MILLS to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
In the statistical information produced by the Department of Correctional Services in 2000-01, it was revealed that the median sentence length for sentenced persons held in custody was 239 days. By 2006-07, the median sentence length for a sentenced person held in custody had fallen to 121 days. Why have median sentences fallen by half over the period of the Labor government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I thought he was going to ask why we have so many people in gaol, why are our gaols are overfull, why we are looking at capital works in our gaols. The Leader of the Opposition has asked me this question, but sentencing in our courts is a matter for our courts. There is a separation of power between parliament and the courts. We have certainly brought in a lot of laws and put in a lot of extra police. In short, it is up to the courts to determine the sentences that people get.
Mining Exploration Prospects
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for MINES and ENERGY
We have just heard the Chief Minister talk about the opportunities for exploration at the Angela and Pamela prospects. I am interested to know: is the interest in exploration reflected in other prospects in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder for his question. As the Chief Minister quite rightly pointed out, we have just announced the successful application for an exploration licence at Angela/Pamela for Cameco/Paladin. I am pleased to say that 37 applications were received from international and national companies.
That just shows the intense interest that is out there, and is an example of the exploration and mining boom that is happening in the Northern Territory at this moment. The number of exploration licences, on average, for 2004 to 2006 was only 295 per year. That grew in 2007 to 656 and, up until the end of June this year, 1092 exploration licences have been approved, which shows that the interest is there.
Exploration expenditure has increased fivefold since 2000-01 when it was $18m; it is now over $100m in 2007-08. It is a testament to the investment and attraction strategy that this government has put in place. Since the introduction, if we go back to 2003 to 2007 and the Building the Territory Resource Base program, $15.2m was spent on this program which showed a 72% increase in exploration. Since then, last year, we announced the new $12m program, Bringing Forward Discovery. That is focused on bringing mineral and petroleum discoveries back into the Northern Territory and increasing what is already there. This will guarantee the long-term wealth-generating capacity for the Northern Territory industry sector.
Last week, I spoke of the China Investment Strategy that we have undertaken, where we are trying to get Chinese businesses interested in coming on board with Australian companies and setting up business links for them. There is a follow-up to that now. I can proudly say that this government is looking at a Japanese mineral investment strategy also, to undertake similar aims to what we have working with China.
The mineral and petroleum industry accounts for around 25% of the Northern Territory economy and, if you throw in alumina and the liquified natural gas program, that increases to 40%. That just shows the significance and importance of this sector to the Northern Territory economy.
The high prospectivity of the Northern Territory will mean more jobs, and will, obviously, boost our economy. I support the Chief Minister’s statement earlier and the announcement today. It will really boost the economy and jobs sector in Central Australia, and I am pleased to say that that will have long-term effects on that area.
Minimum Mandatory Sentencing – Assaults on Public Sector Employees
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
This morning, I introduced a bill providing for minimum mandatory sentences for an offender convicted of assaulting a public sector employee on the job. An offender convicted of belting a nurse, teacher, doctor or ambulance officer will serve a minimum of two weeks gaol time for the offence. We now need to end the revolving door our courts have become. Will you throw your weight behind this toughening of the law?
Madam SPEAKER: Pause, Chief Minister, I will seek advice on this.
I will allow the question.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I agree with the Leader of the Opposition, that people who serve the public, whether they are working for Northern Territory public sector agencies or in the private sector, should not be assaulted in the course of their work. What this government has done since we came to office is very significantly increase the penalties and put better protection around those people who serve the public.
Only this week, we are introducing legislation to give the same legislative protection to bus and taxi drivers who work for the private sector as those who work in the government sector. We certainly agree with the opposition that these people who provide a vital service to the public should not be assaulted in the course of their work, and the courts should take this issue very seriously in the event people are charged and convicted.
This bill has just landed on the Table today. I have not seen the detail of the bill. I can say what this government has done. We have put in a range of measures, particularly on our public transport service with closed circuit television cameras, and the announcement of CCTV in and around our major public areas at Casuarina and in Darwin. People should be able to go to work and have the protection of the law. I have not seen the detail of the Leader of the Opposition’s bill, but this government has done a lot to protect people who provide these services.
Cruise Ship Visitations
Ms SACILOTTO to MINISTER for TOURISM
Can you update the House on the increasing number of cruise ship tourists visiting the Top End and the Northern Territory government’s efforts to attract more cruise ships to Darwin?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I am very pleased to report that, in 2007, we saw a record number of cruise ship passengers in Darwin. Thirty-seven cruise ships brought 17 012 passengers to Darwin. That compares with about 10 700 in 2006. In addition, we saw crew numbers increasing from 6011 in 2006 to 9100 in 2007. The direct/indirect economic contribution of the cruise ships arriving in Darwin is around $80m nett for 2006-07. In addition to that, it is supporting around 85 jobs. The cruise industry has a significant flow-on effect for the broader Northern Territory economy. It is not only the shops in the mall that benefit, but also the tour operators, taxis, restaurants and souvenir shops. Everybody is actually a target for people who have been stuck on a ship for three or four days, and when they are let loose in a town like Darwin to spend their money, they spend like it has gone out of fashion.
On Monday, we saw the cruise ship Nautica carrying 700 passengers and, on Friday, we will see the Astoria with another 600 passengers. In March, we are expecting five more cruise ships with 6000 passengers arriving in Darwin. Let us not forget we have the Orion and the Coral Princess which operate from Darwin during the Dry Season.
The Territory government, through Tourism NT and the Port Corporation are working very closely with tourism operators, the council and cruise companies to ensure that Darwin remains focused for the cruise ship industry. It is a very fluctuating industry and that is why we are focusing on them and want to bring them here.
The new Darwin cruise ship terminal, worth $5m, this year will help us attract even more cruise ships to Darwin by providing better passenger facilities and a better welcome to Darwin. One of the comments I hear from people on cruise ships and cruise ship operators is that Darwin is now a very beautiful tropical city. They actually like coming here and they cannot wait until the terminal and the waterfront are finished. It will be one of the most beautiful entry points in our city.
Wadham Lagoon – Monitoring of Water Levels
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
For a number of years, your department has been monitoring water levels at Wadham Lagoon on Whitewood Road at Howard Springs. Can you please say why these water levels are being monitored, and how long will the monitoring program continue? Is the government involved in any ongoing legal action which relates to these water levels? Could you please give some idea on how much money has been spent so far on those monitoring and legal costs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. By way of background, in relation to the question that the member asked, a permit was issued to construct a dam on lot 205A in 1997. In 1998, there was significant rainfall. If you recollect, that was the year of the Katherine floods, which caused localised flooding for some residents in the area of Wadham’s Lagoon. Consequently, it was decided that the inlet and the outlet to the dam needed to be lowered, and the drainage under Whitewood Road significantly upgraded - all at the expense of the Northern Territory government. An intensive hydrological monitoring program was then implemented to monitor the effectiveness of the works.
The monitoring involved daily readings of three or four separate gauges, with more regular readings during high rainfall events. A data logger was also installed to monitor the actual lagoon levels and rainfall. It should be noted that more intensive rainfall events than the 1998 flood have been experienced with no consequential flooding to the infrastructure, clearly showing that the improvements to the drainage infrastructure are effective. Intensive monitoring has been undertaken over the past nine years. This involves annual reading of gauges located in the lagoon on the southern side of Whitewood Road, and both up and down through to the culverts located over the entrance of 5094, 215 Whitewood Road.
Empirical data collected to date confirms the effectiveness of the current drainage system in coping with all the major flood events, as long as it is properly maintained. Consequently, monitoring of the lagoon levels only has been continued, and it is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
In regard, member for Nelson, to ‘Is there any ongoing legal action which relates to the water levels?’ I can inform the member that there is no current legal action pending in regard to this issue. As to how much has been spent on both monitoring and legal costs to date, all monitoring has been performed using existing resources within the department. All legal advice has been provided either by the Department of Justice and/or using internal departmental legal resources. There has been no extra cost to government or the Territory community in dealing with the monitoring and legalities associated with this issue.
Alcohol-Related Violence - Statistics
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
In your answers to my questions today, you have claimed alcohol is the cause of much of the problem relating to violence in the Territory. On 18 October 2005, you said that there were only about 200 to 300 drunks on our streets in the Territory. The police apprehended that handful of people 26 448 times last year. The Police, Fire and Emergency Services have a $226m budget and employs 900 police officers. Why, with those resources, are you still not able to keep our parks and streets free from a handful of drunks?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question because statistics can paint 1000 stories. At least he is having a go today in trying to create some sort of picture that is not supported by the statistics. The reason that more people are being taken into protective custody is because there are more police out there. There are an additional 200 police across the Northern Territory. There are more police in Alice Springs and Darwin than there have ever been under the CLP. With the increased police activity, more people are being taken into protective custody. Those are the reasons for that particular rise in numbers.
As I outlined earlier this week, we are introducing a comprehensive package of measures to deal with the issues of antisocial behaviour right across the Northern Territory, with a frontline patrol that will have police and Justice officers who will engage with camps that emerge in the long grass, and intervene early to ascertain why people are here, why they cannot get home, and move them into temporary accommodation. We have additional resources that have been applied to sobering-up facilities across the Northern Territory, with alcohol courts in place that can now place orders on people.
We have had the Justice minister announce and legislation passed through this House, that identification is required in many parts of the Northern Territory for people to access takeaway alcohol and prevent people who have orders against them from purchasing alcohol. This is a complex matrix of very important issues. There are no silver bullets. The CLP is an absolutely policy-free zone. They might try and pick away at what the government is doing around the edges, but look at their website. Look at the announcements from the opposition about …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, what are the complex policy solutions that the opposition may have to deal with those issues? They have none. They are an absolute policy-free zone on this issue. There are more police in the Northern Territory than there ever were under the CLP. They are doing a very difficult job out there. The reason there are more people in protective custody is because there are more police out there keeping our streets safe across the Territory.
Cattle Exports
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
I recently heard that there has been an increase in the number of cattle exported from the Port of Darwin. Can you please tell me why this has occurred?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder again for his question. As we all know, the live cattle export industry is vital to the pastoral industry of the Northern Territory and, in particular, the Top End. I am pleased to say that records are still being set. Last year, 283 000 head of cattle left the Port of Darwin for Indonesia and Malaysia and parts of South-East Asia. That is 55 000 head up on 2006. I am also pleased to say that, of that 283 000 that left the Port of Darwin, Northern Territory cattle numbered 247 000, which is up 24 000 on 2006. It is significant to see that our cattle are leaving our shores for Indonesia.
I was pleased to deliver an opening address recently to celebrate Siba shipping’s world record haulage with their ship, the Stella Deneb. It transported 22 184 head of cattle across to Indonesia. Those cattle were loaded in 34 hours, which equates to around about 11 cattle per minute. It is quite an extraordinary feat to have that done, and I acknowledge the skill of the organisations involved and the coordination that went to ensuring that these cattle were placed on the ship in good welfare: the export depots; the trucking companies that delivered the cattle to the port; my division of Primary Industry, obviously, for the work that they have undertaken; the veterinarians; the stockfeed companies who supply the feed for the trip; and, obviously, the stevedores on the wharf who helped load the cattle. That was supported by the state-of-the-art infrastructure that is on the wharf at the moment. As you can see, our government is supporting the industry by ensuring that infrastructure is up to date.
Our industry conforms with the highest regulatory standards that are required for animal welfare. I am pleased to say that we go through a number of processes to ensure that the conditioning of the animals is up to scratch when they leave the port. They are only short haulages - three to six days at the most - to get to their final port of call, with similar climate conditions, obviously, and we have an experienced stock handler on board. It just goes to show that our animal welfare issues are well addressed.
Indonesia is our main focus. However, I want to look at other areas of the market. We need alternative markets for our cattle. I am pleased to say that, next month, I will be travelling to Vietnam with members of my Division of Primary Industry, with the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association and the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association. We will be meeting with a number of people and the government while we are in Vietnam. This is a follow-up to the previous Chief Minister’s visit last year. We are looking to develop alternative avenues for our high-quality Northern Territory cattle.
Reporting of Apprehended Drunks – Alleged Withholding of Information
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
As you are probably aware, each year the Police annual report carefully lists where drunks were apprehended and how many there were. In this year’s annual report, the total number of drunks was not included; they were only added as an addendum, and there is no detail as to where they were apprehended. Why are you withholding this important information from Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as a courtesy, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. If he is going to ask me questions, he should at least get his facts right in the premise of the question. The Police annual report to this parliament is not my report; it is the report from the Police Commissioner. The Police Commissioner reports to me and to this parliament. It is not my report. I do not direct the Police Commissioner how he lays out his report.
As I said earlier, the reason we are seeing more people taken into protective custody is because we have more police on the streets than we have ever had before. One of the great tragedies of CLP rule during the early 1990s was that the CLP, for four years in early 1990s, did not recruit one single police officer in the Northern Territory - not one single police officer. If you are not recruiting police officers, you do not have police out in the community dealing with crime and antisocial behaviour. That was a direct policy of the CLP for four years not to recruit any police officers for the Northern Territory.
I made these comments in June 2005: not one police officer recruited by the CLP in four years; an absolute atrocious legacy and one that has been rectified by this government. It was also acknowledged by the now member for Greatorex in his previous career as a shock jock. The member for Greatorex actually said …
Mr Conlan: I was shocking the government into action and I am proud to wear that. Thank you very much. Thank you very much; I am proud of that.
Mr HENDERSON: It would be interesting if he repeats it now.
Mr Conlan: It shocked the government into action. It is a badge of honour, Chief Minister, thank you.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The shock jock from Alice Springs, who is now the member for Greatorex, agreed with me. I wonder if he agrees with me now? He said: ‘You are right, minister. We have taken the CLP to task on that and we have highlighted that for them’. So, even the CLP may be in denial in terms of their neglect …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Their absolute neglect of police when they were in office. At least they have somebody on the backbench now who agrees with the government, agrees that the CLP did neglect police for many years. Maybe the Leader of the Opposition, in trying to get some policy grunt into the opposition, might look at a beat-up and actually give the police portfolio to the member for Greatorex, who does recognise that, in the past, the CLP absolutely neglected our police force in the Northern Territory.
This government has rebuilt it, and we will continue to build our police force in the interests of community safety across the Territory.
Island Ark Project
Ms McCARTHY to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
Can the minister update the House on the progress of the Island Ark Project aimed at protecting the northern quoll from extinction?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. I am delighted to report that the Island Ark quolls are doing extremely well. As one of the Territory’s smallest carnivorous animals that likes to dine on frogs, the northern quolls were seriously threatened by the cane toad invasion. In 2005, as a matter of fact, they were listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union. Research had shown that their numbers were declining. Of course, the impact of the toad, combined with the synchronised annual breeding cycle, means that the quoll has a very short lifespan and, within that 14 weeks or so, they have one opportunity of getting together and breeding. If you chuck in a feed of cane toad in between that, and that opportunity for breeding and reproducing has gone. That was the main impact and reason why the quoll populations were dropping and getting on to the endangered list.
The Island Ark Project aims to establish safe refuges on islands to protect quolls from invasion of the cane toad. I am pleased to say that one of the previous ministers in this portfolio, the member for Johnston, was instrumental in helping to get these quolls out to the island. Sixty-five northern quolls were translocated to Astell and Pobassoo Islands. I believe the number is now in the thousands, so they have been very successful in breeding. We have been keeping an eye on northern quolls and visited them in December last year. Their current population is estimated to be well up into the thousands. The relocation of quolls has had no significant impact on the island’s ecosystem or biodiversity, so that is great.
The Island Ark Project has been a great success and is a shining example of this government’s commitment to working in partnership with the community. We could not do it alone. We could not do it without the people who live out in the bush who help us. I am pleased to talk of the role of indigenous Territorians in preserving our wildlife, which is very important. The cooperation of indigenous ranger groups ensures the continuation of a number of threatened species programs. The Gumurr Marthakal Rangers based at Elcho Island assist with the ongoing monitoring of the northern quolls on the island. The group has also been fundamentally successful in another project on Marchinbar Island, the only known location in the Territory of the endangered golden bandicoot .
The quoll program is a collaboration between the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the island’s indigenous owners. Other partners include the Australian Geographic, the Threatened Species Network, the Natural Heritage Trust, the Territory Wildlife Park and Parks Australia.
We will continue to monitor the quoll numbers, but I do not think it is too early to offer hearty congratulations to all those involved in this great project.
Public Housing – Tenancy Managers
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for HOUSING
I am not sure whether to congratulate or commiserate with the minister for getting this portfolio.
The decision to restrict drinking on the common grounds of public housing, in my opinion, was a good one. Unfortunately, it has caused visitors to now drink in tenants’ units or houses, which is a bad one. Quite often, when we raise complaints with Territory Housing, we are told that it is a police matter. Your Tenancy Managers do not go to public housing unless we raise a complaint. I believe we do not have enough Tenancy Managers to cope with the load they have. Could you give me an indication of what is the ratio of Tenancy Managers to houses or units? Would you put in, as part of the tenancy agreement, a clause that says there can only be a certain number of visitors at any one time?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. It is a difficult situation with housing. People renting public housing have certain rights. I understand why we have to restrict drinking in public areas. It is very difficult to police, but people should be allowed to drink in their houses. As I said yesterday in my comments to the Chief Minister’s statement to parliament, their problems should not become other people’s problem. I mean business about this. I am not going to tolerate people having 10 or 20 visitors in their premises, having an all-night party. The first thing to do is try to help these people understand that they cannot have visitors from everywhere. Sometimes, the visitors arrive unannounced and unwanted, and people have to put up with it, so we are going to support them.
With regard to Tenancy Managers, when we won government, the ratio was 74 tenancies to one manager. Now it is 49 tenancies to one manager, so we have nearly doubled it.
We do have problems in housing, I do not deny that. We have seen significant improvement because we now have acceptable behaviour agreements. We are prepared to evict people. We have had people evicted because they did not comply with the agreements, and we will continue to do so. I said before, it is not their right to have a house. It is something that the government offers to people at the low socio-economic level. At the same time, they have obligations and they have to comply with these obligations. We are going to support the people who want to escape this cycle of antisocial behaviour through visitors but, at the same time, we are going to crack down on people who decide to have all-night parties in public housing.
Housing – Plans for the Future
Mr HAMPTON to MINISTER for HOUSING
Housing Territorians is a critical role for government. Spending on housing was an important part of Budget 2007, brought down in May last year. Can the minister please provide an update on the government’s investment in housing for 2007-08, and what plans are in place for the next few years?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. The government’s commitment to housing extends the length and breadth of the Territory. It is a commitment that has seen us spend hundreds of thousands of dollars since we came to office, and we plan to spend an extra $1bn in the next few years.
In 2007-08, we put $93m of real money in for construction - $18.5m of this went to government employees’ housing; $5.5m for upgrades to three major unit complexes; and $50m for remote housing. To date, we have rolled out $46m, and we will spend all the money by the end of the financial year.
Since 2001, we have invested $207m in public housing, capital works and repairs and maintenance; $275m to housing in remote communities - we have put an extra 1000 houses in remote communities; $103m in houses for government employees - that is more than $0.5bn since 2001. We have a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, which will mean more money from the Commonwealth, and we will see around $950m in the next few years invested in public housing and housing in remote communities.
This government will oversee the single biggest investment in housing in the Northern Territory’s history. We will see more housing in the Territory than ever.
Liquor Sales - Increase
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
You have maintained in your answers here today that the numbers of apprehensions for drunks has been the product of having more operational police. Since the Australian Labor Party came to power in the Territory, liquor sales have increased by nearly 10 million litres per year, mostly in the Darwin area. How can you maintain, with a straight face, that is just more police activity when you are selling the equivalent of four Olympic-size pools of liquor more every year?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Opposition Leader for his question. The one thing that we can both agree on is that the excessive consumption of alcohol in the Northern Territory causes a disproportionate amount of violence, particularly domestic violence, and also leads to antisocial behaviour and crime. The reasons why alcohol consumption in the Darwin and Palmerston region have gone up, I would have thought - I have not seen those figures or got to the bottom of them - would have been about the significant population growth that we have seen in Darwin and Palmerston since 2001. Look at the number of unit developments and houses that have been built, the increase in tourism in the Northern Territory, and the increase in the amount of economic activity in Darwin.
In 2001, when we came to office, Darwin was on its knees. We had zero percent economic growth, we had negative migration growth from the Northern Territory to interstate, and all of that has turned around. I do not have the figures off the top of my head about how many more people are residents in Darwin now, or how many more units and houses have been built. If we actually look at those figures, the number of new houses and units would be in the many thousands. Look at occupancy rates in units and houses with less than 2% vacancy rates. That, in part, would be a large part of the increase that the Opposition Leader is throwing around in his pretty coloured chart that he has here today, as well as the recovery in tourism.
If people remember, in 2001 we had 11 September, the collapse of Ansett, the collapsing Northern Territory economy; and you could fire a cannon down the mall and not hit a tourist. Look at the tourism increase that we see now. All of those issues would lead to the increase in alcohol sold in Darwin. It is the bleeding obvious. Anybody would be able to understand that, Madam Speaker - anybody apart from the Leader of the Opposition.
Computers for the Community Program
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for CORPORATE and INFORMATION SERVICES
I recently received a letter from your predecessor offering to assist community organisations in my electorate through the donation of surplus Northern Territory government computers. Could you advise the House on the progress in delivering this program?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. This government is very pleased to acknowledge the work performed by a range of community organisations throughout the Territory. With this in mind, the Department of Corporate and Information Services has developed the Computers for the Community Program. This program assists and supports public activities in the Northern Territory through the donation of former government computers.
The desktop computers are three or more years old and have been used by NT government agencies. The computers have been refurbished and have been installed with the Windows XP operating system. A 17 inch monitor is included with each computer. The initiative has been developed in conjunction with Futjitsu Australia as part of their obligations under the NT government’s Desktop and Helpdesk Services contract.
Since the program started, more than 20 applications have been received and 30 computers have been donated to community groups. Groups who have received the computers include the Darwin Basketball Association, Mindil Aces Soccer Club and the Alice Springs Golf Club. In addition, the Nyirrannggulung Mardrulk Ngadberre Regional Council in Katherine has received three computers for their community homework centre.
Members interjecting.
Mr BONSON: I am pleased that members across the other side of the House are happy that we are doing positive things for our community. Computers have also been sent to the Gunbalanya Community Council in Oenpelli.
A website has been developed that provides information about the program, plus a fact sheet and a simple application form. The site can be accessed via the main Northern Territory government webpage at www.nt.gov.au and by following the link titled ‘Computers for the Community’ on the right-hand side.
I understand my predecessor, as minister, the member for Barkly, recently wrote to all members of the House informing them of this initiative. I urge members to spread the word to any appropriate Northern Territory group or organisation that has a need for computers.
Habitual Drunks Legislation
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
In 2000-01, 13 779 drunks were apprehended for protective custody in the Territory. After six years of ALP government, that number has increased to 26 448 drunks being apprehended. Prior to the last election, your government said it would introduce legislation to deal with habitual drunks. No such legislation has appeared and the numbers of drunks on our streets are growing. Will you now keep your commitment to create habitual drunks legislation to get these people off our streets?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we have met our election commitment. I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I remind Territorians that this government did create, through legislation, alcohol courts that have the legislative capacity to put prohibition orders on people, and also to compel people to attend counselling, treatment and rehabilitation services. We have done that. We have followed through on our election commitment.
We always have to try to keep ahead of this issue. That is why, in the House this week, I announced the most comprehensive plan ever put in place to try to deal with the issues of antisocial behaviour in Darwin, Palmerston and across the Territory. That is why my colleague, the Minister for Alcohol Policy, is putting in place, on a region-by-region basis, a suite of reforms to try to reduce the amount of alcohol being consumed in the Northern Territory. That is why, with the measures that have been put in place with the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan, we have seen a reduction of 10% in the consumption of pure alcohol consumed - something like 100 000 litres of pure alcohol less.
As I said before, the reason there are more people in protective custody is because there are more police out there, more police activity, taking people who were previously on the streets and left in the streets and the parks into productive custody. We met our election commitments. We are building on those with the most comprehensive plan ever put in place in the Northern Territory. Compare that to the opposition. They might nitpick around figures, and pull figures out and compare year-on-year statistics, but any comprehensive plan to deal with this issue - just a policy-free zone.
Menzies School of Health Research - Funding
Ms SACILOTTO to MINISTER for HEALTH
Can you please inform the House how the Territory government’s recent commitment of $5.5m to the Menzies School of Health Research will support cutting-edge national research into tropical and indigenous health?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. The Menzies School of Health Research is a very important institution within the Territory, not only for the health research they carry out, but also the way in which they train people and the courses they offer. They are very sought-after courses for people in the Territory but, also, interstate and internationally.
I pay tribute to a previous CLP government that set up the Menzies School of Health Research. That was a very farsighted thing to do. However, I emphasise this government’s ongoing commitment to the Menzies School of Health Research, as the member for Port Darwin said, with a grant of $5.5m which, allied with a grant from the Commonwealth government of $5m in the 2007 Budget, has meant that Menzies can now expand. Expand they must because, over the years, they have been gaining more and more grants. They have become the premier institution in Australia in indigenous health research. They are also a centre for other areas of research - certainly a lot of malaria and TB research that is done at an international level. They have a current workforce of 162 staff. The projections are that, on current growth, that will rise to 400 in a decade; hence, the need to expand their infrastructure and accommodation.
It was also a great pleasure to attend the Menzies School in January 2008 and have a half-day presentation from the various units within Menzies about the research they are carrying out. The research that they are undertaking is very forward looking. It is certainly in line with government’s priorities around maternal and child health, education and the links between all of those things and health.
They have a very good team out there that is led by Professor Jonathan Carapetis. We should all be proud of the Menzies School of Health Research, the work they do and, of course, the contribution that they have made already and will make into the future.
Aboriginal Communities – Permits for Travelling on Roads
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Yesterday, I asked this question: if roads within a community centre are maintained using money raised from shire rates, and a permit is required to travel on those roads, will ratepayers in that shire who contribute to their rates for the maintenance of those roads be allowed to travel on those roads without a permit? If not, does that not make the roads private and, therefore, ratepayers’ funds cannot be used on private roads? Your response was to tell me about the range of services local government provides; the importance of reform; greater accountability for road funding; lobbying transport minister Albanese, and funding roads will continue.
Why did you avoid answering my question? Will you please answer the question I put to you yesterday?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. However, I did answer your question yesterday.
Mr Wood: No, you did not.
Mr KNIGHT: You talked about the roads funding. It comes from the Commonwealth government. It gets filtered through directly to councils ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have a question here, and there is no mention of road funding from the Commonwealth. It is ratepayers’ funding.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, resume your seat. Minister, please continue and try to answer the question as asked.
Mr KNIGHT: Member for Nelson, I am happy to take that matter up ...
Mr Wood: I gave it to you yesterday, through the Whip.
Mr KNIGHT: It probably applies directly to the Litchfield Shire Council that you are talking about. I understand they have a very innovative roads construction program, which has won a national award - and congratulations to them for doing that.
Member for Nelson, I am happy to get a full answer for you. However, the roads funding that comes primarily to those councils, and which gets delivered every single year, will continue and we will try to get more of it.
Mrs Miller: Not on private roads.
Mr KNIGHT: I will try to get an answer for you on that specific issue, because I am not too sure exactly what you are referring to. I am happy to give you the answer.
Weddell Power Station
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
The construction of the Weddell Power Station in my electorate of Goyder is the largest power infrastructure investment by the NT government in over 20 years. Can you please update the House on the progress of this major infrastructure investment?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is true that the Weddell Power Station is the biggest power generation project undertaken in the Territory in the last 20 years. The Weddell Power Station is located at the existing Weddell substation on Channel Island Road. It is very close to Channel Island and Wickham Point, so we only need infrastructure for the provision of gas and other services. The supplier of the turbines is General Electric Energy, the leading supplier of turbines of this kind in the world. The site works, switchyard and balance of plant is manufactured and constructed by United Group Infrastructure.
The tender included a local industry participation plan. By completion, up to $10m of subcontract works will have been undertaken by Territory companies. Currently, 40 Territory companies have contributed to the project to an estimated value of $406.4m. We start work on the site in April 2008. The second transmission line has been energised since January 2008. The trial of the plant and synchronisers will be undertaken in February 2008 and, within 30 days, the power generation will supplement power to Katherine, Darwin and Palmerston.
This is part of the $840m expenditure by Power and Water for new construction and repair and maintenance. It will consist of three generating units. The first is installed, the second will be installed in 2008, and the third one in 2009-10, which will be a co-generation unit, utilising the exhaust of the other two turbines.
At the power station, power is generated by two turbines, very similar to turbines that power a Boeing 747. It is cheaper to modify it to use gas and put it on the ground. It is a big, expensive infrastructure project - $126m total. It will increase the power generation by 50%. Our current Channel Point Power Station produces about 270 MW. This will produce about 140 MW, a significant investment in energy production for the Territory.
Antisocial Behaviour – Intervention Policy
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
According to your own figures, with an average of, say, 250 regular drunks on our streets, each must have been apprehended about 106 times last year. Surely, this demands an intervention policy. The CLP does have a policy to deal with habitual drunks. As a part of that policy, any person apprehended three times in six months for being drunk will become subject of a control order, and a failure to comply with that order will mean a likely gaol sentence. Will you now show some courage and support such an idea, or will you simply continue to promise new programs that amount to zero?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question and announcement via a question in Question Time of a new CLP policy. Good luck that they are thinking about new policies.
The issue of dealing with antisocial behaviour across the Northern Territory is not a one-shot-in-the-locker policy approach. It requires a complex set of issues to be dealt with. Earlier this week, I introduced in this parliament the most comprehensive plan ever seen in the Northern Territory to deal with these issues. It involves a new frontline patrol service being staffed by police and Justice officers to intervene early, before people start making a nuisance of themselves, to encourage people to move home ...
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: You love your pretty coloured little charts there, Leader of the Opposition. I have already explained what has led to those increases.
We have also announced a significant increase in funding for temporary accommodation. We have also announced the re-establishment of the Night Patrol to work with police. We have announced additional funding to organisations to assist people to get home. We have announced a dedicated response line where people can call and have calls coordinated by police to despatch people out to deal with the issues.
We are also working on the causes of the issues. This is where the CLP fall down, as a result of 27 years of neglect. We are seeing significant increases in expenditure, as the Minister for Housing told us, for housing in the bush. If we improve housing and education in the bush, we get jobs and economic development happening in the bush, that is going to make a very significant impact over time on the problems that we are seeing around the long grass and with excessive alcohol abuse across the Northern Territory. This is about a comprehensive plan. We are going to seize the moment to work with the Commonwealth government on the causes of so much of this antisocial behaviour.
What does the CLP have, Madam Speaker? A one-shot-in-the-locker, quick one-page media release policy approach to life. Put out a media release. That is their policy. In 27 years, they did nothing. They could not even provide a secondary education system in the bush after 27 years. They decimated our police force by refusing to recruit for four years. They allowed overcrowding to explode in housing across the Northern Territory. They had no focus on delivering jobs in the bush. There was zero growth in the Northern Territory economy when we came to government.
I am not saying this is easy, but we have a comprehensive approach to this right across the Northern Territory. If the CLP have a policy at all, it is on a one-page media release. We are getting on with the job. We are investing in our police force, in education, in housing, and in non-government organisations to deal with these issues. We will continue to work across the Northern Territory to reduce antisocial behaviour in our towns and cities and communities across the Territory.
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016