2005-10-12
Road Safety Services - Funding
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
In 2004-05, $10.2m was budgeted for road safety services, yet last year’s spending dropped to $8.7m. In the 2005-06 budget, funding was cut from the previous year to $9.2m. Income from speed cameras has increased, yet the carnage on our roads continues. You said on ABC radio on 6 October: ‘Road deaths are, you know, so pointless, they are so damaging to our community and you look at the grief it causes friends and families, and we really have to stop it’. If you do really care about this issue, why have you cut funding to road safety services, and will you take up the CLP’s proposal to establish a task force comprising community representatives, road safety experts and others to examine all of the evidence and provide some strategies to government aimed at reducing our road toll?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, like the Leader of the Opposition and every member of this House, I am extremely concerned by the number of fatalities on our roads. As of 10 October, 43 people have died on our roads this year. We should all be concerned. When you look at a breakdown of what has happened, there have been a significant number of those fatalities where those who have died have not been wearing seatbelts. I cannot say definitively whether there is a particular relationship between that and the death, but one imagines there is. We have some specific tasks to do about reducing fatalities on our roads. As a parent of two children, looking at some of those who die on our roads, it is just a horrifying thought for any parent that you should lose a child on the road, or for anyone to lose a friend in an accident on the road.
We have some specific challenges. The first one – and we have already moved on that a couple of weeks ago – is to really target the wearing of seatbelts. The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport released a new campaign targeting the wearing of seatbelts, and that is currently on the electronic media. We have had the police with a road blitz, enforcing the wearing of seatbelts, checking speeding traffic, and giving a new focus to random breath testing. We are certainly tackling the elements that are going towards those fatalities on our roads.
Regarding the issue raised by the Opposition Leader about reducing the funds going to road safety, I do not think that is the case. However, I do not have the figures with me. We have made no decision to reduce funding to road safety. I suspect part of that might have been the change to DTAL, perhaps. I am just speculating here, that DTAL, driver education, is now funded through DEET. I will get those figures for you. I am fairly confident to say that we have not reduced our effort in road safety. The police are very conscious of taking a particular focus on those elements that we have identified as being part of the current unacceptable level of road fatality.
One death is far too much. We can identify where the problem is and we will be focusing on that. I say to all Territorians, to parents, to those who drive: ‘Be careful, do not take our roads for granted. Talk to your children and friends about being careful’. Much of it is about being careful; do not chance it on the roads. We do not want to see accidents and fatalities.
The police have responded. We have targeted campaigns for seatbelt wearing, for speeding on the roads and for random breath testing. We will keep it up, and we will ensure that we can get those unacceptable levels down. I would love to come in here and say ‘zero’.
Police Water Safety Patrol
Mr KIELY to CHIEF MINISTER
Hundreds of Territorians take to the water every week for work and leisure, or just to enjoy our great lifestyle. Can you please update the House on the latest measures to boost water safety for anglers and boaties in and around Darwin Harbour?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an excellent question for today. The House remembers that, two years ago, we, as government, unveiled our $75m Building Our Police Force plan. There were two very strong elements of that, one of which was the human resources side of police. We have committed to 200 extra police by the end of next year. The other was boosting and upgrading equipment existing and new officers will need to do their job. One element of that record injection of resources was a $1m coastal vessel purchasing program; a four-year plan to boost the water patrol and search and rescue capabilities of our police force.
At lunchtime today, along with the Police minister, the Police Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner and members of the Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit, I was delighted to officially launch the latest instalment in that plan, the 14 m police patrol vessel The Beagle Gulf. What a very fine vessel it is. It is now out on Darwin Harbour where it will be stationed. It cost $440 000 and is 14 m long. It is the largest boat in the NT Police fleet. It is the fourth boat to be delivered by that coastal vessel program.
As I said, the new boat will be here in Darwin, and will patrol the waters in and around Darwin Harbour and about 30 nautical miles out to sea. It will be a big boost for our Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit. They have the numbers. We found when we came to government that it had the numbers but did not have the boats to do the job. It is very difficult to be a Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Officer and not actually be able to have the boat to get out on the water. They do an important job for us; they enforce the Fisheries Act. They also, importantly - because so many people in Darwin love to get out in the water across the Top End - come to anglers who are in distress and help them out.
There are two more boats still to come from the $1m vessel program. I am pleased to advise that local business, Territory Marine, has won the contract to build these two 7.4 m vessels. The first of the boats will be delivered this financial year, stationed at Wadeye, and the second will be delivered in the 2006–07 year and will be stationed at Ngukurr. In addition, the 6.1 m Finniss, which is currently stationed in Darwin and, having seen it on the water today, is a very fast boat. The member for Nhulunbuy will be delighted, it is going to Nhulunbuy. The Finniss is off to Nhulunbuy.
The coastal vessel program will ensure that the police have at least eight vessels more than 7.4 m long stationed in key points around the Northern Territory by the end of 2007. I am sure we should all welcome to Darwin Harbour such a very fine boat in The Beagle Gulf launched today.
Fatal Traffic Accident – Louisa May Turner
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
I refer to you to the death of a seven-year-old girl, Louisa May Turner, who was killed in a car accident last month. Within days of that accident, the foreign driver of the other vehicle appeared in court. He received a suspended sentence and has since returned to Germany. Why did this matter go to court before the investigation into the accident had been completed? What were the reasons for the apparent rush? If there were a series of mistakes responsible for this farce, what where they? What are you doing to ensure that it does not happen again? Will you publicly release the findings of any review that you undertake?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question because it certainly was a very tragic accident. To all of us here who are parents, the death of a seven-year-old child in a motor vehicle accident would be absolutely devastating. We would all find it hard to put ourselves in the place of the Turner family, and our condolences go to the family.
From the outset, the Leader of the Opposition has it wrong. The police did conclude their investigation prior to charges being laid. If is she has been advised that investigations were not complete, they were ...
Ms Carney: The driver of the other vehicle was in hospital unconscious.
Mr HENDERSON: If the Opposition Leader wants to listen, she will get the answer.
What has happened since that time is that the Police Commissioner has ordered a review of the investigation that took place in terms of whether all operational and protocol procedures had been adhered to. That review has now been completed. The review file has been forwarded to the DPP’s office to advise the commissioner, and also the DDP, whether appropriate charges were laid in this particular instance. My understanding is that the DPP is pretty close to determining, from that particular file, whether those charges were appropriate.
However, with a tragedy such as this, and the media speculation that surrounded it, it certainly was a tragic circumstance. A seven-year-old child has died, but that does not necessarily link to the point that the other party involved in the accident is guilty of a criminal offence. Accidents do happen; they are tragic when they occur. In this particular circumstance, the issues do seem to be pretty unusual. However, I have every confidence in the Police Commissioner who has undertaken, off his motion, to conduct a review into that particular investigation.
The file is with the DPP. As soon as the DPP makes their determination, that will be made public.
Illicit Drugs in Remote Communities
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
We all know the devastating impact illicit drugs have on the lives of individuals and communities in remote parts of the Northern Territory. Can the minister please update the House on outcomes being achieved by the Northern Territory Police in quelling the tide of drugs into remote communities?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because, as I advised the House yesterday, a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days in the member for Macdonnell’s electorate. As minister for Police, and also as a member of Cabinet, whenever we travel to remote communities - whether it is with individual MLAs or Community Cabinet - the one issue that is always first and foremost on people’s minds in the communities and communicated to government - particularly through the Women’s Forums, as the Chief Minister has said before - is the issue of drug running into our remote communities across the Northern Territory.
One thing that is very certain is that the people who peddle drugs into our remote communities for their own profit peddle in misery – misery in the amount of money that flies out of those communities for those drugs that does not go towards feeding children and maintaining families. It has certainly been an issue right from the first day of our government nearly five years ago; we said that we are going to attack people who deal in drugs throughout the Northern Territory community.
As part of that, 12 months ago the Police Commissioner established the Remote Community Drug Desk, which is a particular unit of the police staffed by eight drug enforcement section officers, including an intelligence officer, who actually take intelligence from the communities - from the police who are stationed throughout the communities in the Northern Territory - as well as from urban areas, and target particular peddlers of drugs. Their work was enhanced about six months ago when, for the first time, the Drug Squad in the Northern Territory received two drug detector dogs, Scent and Monty, who have been on the job for six months. These dogs are proving to be a very effective fight in this particular area.
In the last six months, the Remote Community Drug Desk team has seized 21 cannabis plants, 15.9 kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of $1m across the Northern Territory, 20 gm of methylamphetamine - and I am sure the member for Nhulunbuy will be horrified to hear this - 392 kg of kava with an estimated street value of $300 000. That is a significant piece of police work in the last six months and I commend those officers.
They have also conducted 20 remote community operations, issued three drug house notices, 25 people have been arrested and 27 summonsed on a total of 138 drug- and firearm-related charges. Through the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act, the police have retained four vehicles worth an estimated $102 000, and $25 000 in cash since February 2005.
We will continue this fight against drugs being peddled, not only in our urban centres but in our remote communities. From day one when we came to government, we said that we were going to attack this area. There is absolutely nothing more heinous as a crime, to my eyes, as the people who deliberately target remote communities which, in large part, are impoverished from the start, and bleed those communities of money for their own personal gain and profit. Well, the police are now stepping up their fight in this area. The drug dogs are doing a really good job. Madam Speaker, I commend the police on their efforts to date.
Fatal Traffic Accident – Louisa May Turner
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
I refer again to the death of seven-year-old Louisa May Turner last month. As you know, the person who caused the accident was a foreign national. He appeared in court only days after the accident, and was convicted, receiving a suspended sentence. Can you please explain why the Director of Public Prosecution’s guidelines were not followed in this case - and I table a copy of the DPP guidelines. Secondly, why it was that the name of the offender did not appear on the court list on the day he went to court? Finally, why no victim impact statements from the family were provided to the magistrate when he heard the matter?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can only offer some of that information you have requested. However, I will pass on what I am aware of in this particular case. First of all, I certainly share the sentiments of the minister for Police in offering my sympathy to the family. We have been dealing with them through the Victim Support Unit and we know how traumatic, as you would expect, this event has been.
We are certainly aware of the review that the police have carried out and the fact that that is now with the Director of Public Prosecutions. I cannot inform you of the exact process or the actions that were taken in laying the initial charges; I have to get that information for you. My briefings have followed the process through to the DPP in the current review of the case.
As to what guidelines the DPP applied then or now is a matter for the DPP. It would be most improper for me to be asking the DPP how exactly he has followed his guidelines; he is an independent statutory officer. I can also say that the bill that we put through today for future events of this type will certainly redefine the offence of dangerous driving causing death or serious harm. One would certainly hope that that clarifies the way in which charges should proceed.
I will obtain the information for you on those early stages of this because it has only come to me with the review from the police going to the DPP.
Draft Parks and Conservation Master Plan
Ms McCARTHY to MINISTER for PARKS AND WILDLIFE
The draft Parks and Conservation Master Plan is being advertising quite extensively at the moment. Could you provide the House with an update on just where the plan is?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. I had the pleasure of launching the draft Parks and Conservation Master Plan on 12 September 2005, which has now gone out for an eight-week public comment period. I acknowledge my predecessor, the member for Johnston, who had carriage of the Parks and Wildlife portfolio and had seen a lot of the work and development happen. As the minister who now has carriage, it has been great to realise this document which has been the result of our government’s commitment to develop a long-term plan for conservation in the Territory.
The draft master plan provides the future direction for conservation of the Northern Territory’s wonderful diversity of plant and animals, our biological diversity and for the continued development of our parks and reserves over the next 15 years. All relevant stakeholders, industry groups, as well as both the Northern and Central Land Councils were involved, not only with the development but also present at the launch. They have had quite extensive involvement over an 18-month period.
The master plan explores a full range of issues concerning the conservation of the Northern Territory’s biodiversity across all land tenure, including Aboriginal and pastoral lands as well as the marine environment. The draft master plan focuses on three key areas. The first is setting the priorities for biodiversity and conservation; establishing partnerships in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and providing new directions for the Northern Territory’s parks and reserves.
Mrs Braham: Are you going to have public meetings?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Member for Braitling, if you listen, I will get to the point of when the consultations close and how you can have input.
It is important that we ensure everyone in the community, as well as members, has access to the draft master plan, and they have their say on its content and the direction that we are taking. We have also undertaken an extensive advertising campaign. The members sitting opposite, as members on this side, would have seen the many advertisements on television, heard it on the radio, and seen the advertisements in the local newspapers. There have been displays at our shows, community forums, at council offices and individual and community group meetings. The member for Blain has also had quite an extensive briefing in my office on the parks master plan. There is also an informative web site that I would encourage all members to visit; that is www.parksmasterplan.nt.gov.au.
An informed and interested public is critical to the success of the master plan, because this is about leaving a legacy that will benefit Territorians and all generations to come by protecting our special environment. I encourage everybody in the House to contribute. Submissions close on 4 November, member for Braitling, and the draft master plan will be revised based on the many community consultations that we will have right throughout the Northern Territory - not only in the Top End because there are a lot of parks which I am sure the members in Central Australia will have a real interest in. I look forward to releasing the final master plan by the end of the year.
Territory Insurance Office - Sale
Mr WOOD to TREASURER
Following a report in yesterday’s Financial Review, I believe an internal message was relayed to TIO staff stating that TIO was not going to be sold. On the radio this morning, you intimated that the selling off of TIO was a possibility. Could you please say whether the staff of TIO have been given a bum steer, or is there a real possibility that TIO, or part of it, will be sold? Is it true, if it is to be sold, as quoted in the Australian Financial Review, the reasons for it are that the Territory Insurance Office could be sold to fund a $600m waterfront development, or additional sale proceeds could be used to fund promised tax cuts?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I say at the outset that was not my report, a Northern Territory government report, or the Treasurer’s report in the Australian Financial Review. Reporters will report on any number of things from time to time, but let us be very clear: that was not my report, nor was the speculation around, if it ever was sold, what those proceeds might be put to.
I will be very clear at the outset, and it is very important that everyone understand this issue: this government has made no decision to sell TIO. What we are doing is embarking on a study, which will probably take two to three months, to fully inform government as to the best way forward for TIO. We have done a lot of work in the last couple of years around TIO.
I well recall, from the many years in opposition, the difficulty we had in understanding just exactly how TIO went about its business. Its finances were never very clear, and we needed to understand very clearly how TIO operated when we came to government. Over the last couple of years, we have had studies done to separate the different arms - the finance from the insurance from the MACA side of the operation - so that there is very clear transparency and accounting, as there always should have been around those different business arms of the Territory Insurance Office.
That was an important body of work and it gave us a lot more understanding, with the benefit of Mr Tsouroutis, the Manager of TIO, who clearly understood how these things should operate in a proper financial recording and accounting sense from his previous background in this industry. He has gone about those tasks very well, and very clearly brought the organisation to a much clearer and more stable financial footing than it probably ever has had in the past.
Notwithstanding that, we have undertaken a study to look and project into the future to give government advice and options as to what would be a way forward; the best possible management, including an option of sale of one or various arms, or all in fact, of TIO. No decision has been made. There is a body of work about to commence. That will take about two to three months. Based on that much clearer and full information at its disposal, the government will make a decision probably some time in the new year.
However, nothing could be further from the truth to say that government is about to sell, or has decided to sell, TIO. I am advised that staff were told that no decision had been made about the sale or otherwise of TIO. That situation was described as media speculation by the TIO Board, and probably much of that Financial Review article is, indeed, speculation.
Fatal Traffic Accident – Louisa May Turner
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Another aspect surrounding Louisa May Turner’s death was that, when the person responsible for it went to court, his name was not on the court list. This also occurred in the case of a prominent Territorian charged with child sex offences. Do you know why it was that the name of the foreign national was not on the court list in this case? Can you understand the family’s heartache and frustration and, if so, why will you not meet with them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the question about the name on a court list was put to the Minister for Justice …
Ms Carney: I am asking if you know anything about it; that is the question.
Ms MARTIN: I have no knowledge of whether names are on court lists or not. The Minister for Justice and Attorney-General has undertaken to follow up the outstanding issues from that previous question and I am sure he will.
I have received some information from the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, if you just give me a moment. We are advised that there was no name on the court list because the matter was brought forward on the list at the request of his lawyer as he pleaded guilty and wanted to leave the country. This is not an unusual event. Cases are expedited on the court list regularly and often this means names do not appear. I imagine, as a lawyer before you came into parliament, you would have understood that process …
Ms Carney: It is not common.
Ms MARTIN: Well, my advice, which I have received from the Department of Justice, is that that does happen from time to time, and that there was an explanation in this case. Whether or not the Opposition Leader accepts that, that is the advice that I have.
Ms Carney: Will you meet with the family?
Ms MARTIN: I am not aware that there has been a request for me to meet with the family. I know that many members working in government have had conversations with the family. I am not aware of a request for me to meet with the family. This is a very distressing case and I certainly feel very strongly for that family - what a dreadful thing to happen. I know that our thoughts have been with them since the time of the accident. However, I say again to the Opposition Leader: I am not aware of a request from the family to meet with me.
Development of Consumer and Retail Confidence in Economy
Mr NATT to TREASURER
During the election, the Treasurer said that the government would continue to develop consumer and retail confidence in our economy. Has the Treasurer had any indicators which can show how these important sectors are developing?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for his question. A fair indicator - only one, but a fair indicator - of how the economy is progressing can be seen in the measure of retail confidence that exists, both in retail on the one hand and, specifically, the sale of motor vehicles, is not a bad barometer of how people see things are going. Both retail spending and new motor vehicle sales have shown, and continue to show, quite strong signs of growth in the Northern Territory.
In the year to August, ABS figures show the Northern Territory retail turnover increased by 5.8%, the second highest of any jurisdiction and well above the national level of 3.5%. Therefore, in dollar terms, Territorians and tourists spent around $110m more on retail products in the 12 months to August 2005 compared to the same time the previous year. Total spending for the year also went through $2bn, and that is a milestone in itself.
In the same year to August, Northern Territory new motor vehicle sales were the highest they have been since the ABS began using them as a measure. The Northern Territory also outstripped other jurisdictions with growth of 11.1%, more than double the national increase of just 5.1%. Sales of utes, other light commercial vehicles, trucks and buses are the primary reason for the growth, increasing by 18.6% in their own right. In the same period, the sale of – and ABS have picked this up from America, no doubt – sports utility vehicles - it is not a term I would use but ABS use it as a description of vehicles – recorded 12.2% growth, while new passenger vehicle sales were up 6.7%. The majority of new motor vehicle sales, importantly, are in the private sector, and those record rates of motor vehicle sales and continuing growth in retail trade figures underline strengthening consumer confidence in the Northern Territory.
Importantly, that growth has been sustained for over a year now and does look set to continue. I, and the government, takes it as further evidence that we are continuing to keep economic growth and development at the front and centre of our agenda as we promised during the 2005 election campaign.
Allegations Concerning CEO and Labor’s Strategy Advisors
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
The Northern Territory Public Service is currently awash with rumours about the relationship between your public service head, Paul Tyrrell, and the ALP’s spin machine, Hawker Britton. Crikey.com is reporting that he turned up at ‘party strategy meetings with ALP spinners, Hawker Britton’. The National Indigenous Times has labelled your CEO ‘a participant in developing your racist campaign at the last Northern Territory election’. It is concerning that you have done nothing to protect your head public servant from these allegations reported in the national media, and we would like to know why you have not?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, what an extraordinarily ridiculous question. How do you so-called ‘protect’ people from things that are simply made up? If you could predict that somebody was going to - say for example, in the National Indigenous Times or in Crikey.com - make up something, then maybe you could do something about it.
Ms Carney: So he was not at those meetings?
Ms MARTIN: I have read both those articles you referred to, and they are simply not true. If the Opposition Leader had been concerned, she might have rung me straightaway and said: ‘I am concerned about this’ ...
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: If her concern is about protecting public servants, I would have thought that she would have rung straightaway. I say very clearly that, as head of the public sector, my CEO understands what the role of a CEO is, and what the divide is between that and being involved in party politics. He has been in the public sector for a long time. He has been a CEO for a long time, and certainly understands where that divide is. There is absolutely no way that I, as Chief Minister - or any minister in this government - would want a CEO to cross that line. I believe we are very conscious of it all the time.
The report in Crikey.com is a type of leap of imagination – you take some facts, put them in a different time frame and you make a conspiracy. We have seen that before in this House, and where does it usually come from? The opposition.
Ms Carney: Crikey.com! It is even in Mr Latham’s book; such a valuable resource is Crikey.com.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, you will cease interjecting.
Humpty Doo Fire Fighters
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
This week has been a great week for announcements for the government’s election commitments, especially things like the expanded and new bus routes in the rural area. I believe it is time we had a look at what has already been delivered in the last 12 months, and one of those things is the fire station at Humpty Doo ...
Members interjecting.
Mr WARREN: Of which I am very proud - very proud.
Minister, you and I went out there the other week. We met some really hardworking people, and I am very proud of them too, as I am sure you are …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, would you please just ask the question?
Mr WARREN: Would you like to tell the House the outcomes those hardworking, rural fire brigade people are achieving?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Goyder, for a very good question of relevance to the people of the rural area and to Territorians, as opposed to the conspiracy theories that rattle around in the Leader of the Opposition’s head that she would only be interested in. This is of interest to people in the rural area.
I did travel through many parts of the Goyder electorate with the new member for Goyder a couple of weeks ago and spoke to many of his constituents on a number of issues. We visited the new police and fire station there and they are doing a great job in delivering results for the rural area.
There are five fire officers based at the station - four operational members and a Hazard Abatement Officer. I am sure the member for Nelson would acknowledge that they are achieving really good outcomes and improving awareness. While we were sitting down having a cup of tea talking to the people there, the Hazard Abatement Officer advised that, since March, there has been a 98% compliance rate in relation to the installation of firebreaks in the rural area. A 98% compliance rate is the best ever. It is as a result of the good work of those officers at Humpty Doo and the good commonsense of the residents in complying with those fire breaks. It is a massive improvement on previous years.
Behind this improvement, proactive work of visiting landowners and better access for obtaining permits have played their part. However, actually getting out there talking to the people, working together, has achieved those big outcomes. There have been 211 letters sent out on fire break matters and the fire service has only had to hand out two infringement notices. The improvement in public safety and property safety has been very significant. On top of this work, the officers have also responded to 45 grass fires, four motor vehicle accidents, one Hazmat incident, four medical assists and a variety of other calls.
I join with my colleague, the member for Goyder, congratulating those officers; they are doing a great job. The new police and fire station is really improving outcomes for residents in the rural area, which is something that is of real interest to Territorians, as opposed to the conspiracy theories rattling around in the Opposition Leader’s head.
Oncology Services – Appointment of New Oncologist
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for HEALTH
I received representation 10 days ago that the Northern Territory’s only oncologist is leaving at the end of the year. I understand it has been very difficult to get a replacement for him. It has been proposed that a fortnightly visiting service may take over. As you would appreciate, that is really not good enough for people who are being treated with cancer. Can you give me some up-to-date information on when you will appoint a new oncologist?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes, the member is quite correct that we are attempting to find a replacement oncologist to take over from the specialist we are losing. The attempts to do that started on 30 July. We had not located a would-be applicant to take up a position in the Northern Territory at that stage. Headhunting efforts have continued since then, though, and are continuing as I speak, to look for a person who could base themselves in the Northern Territory as distinct from a visiting service. It is a very competitive market. We are finding it is, obviously, going to take a lot of work to get such a specialist here. We are working with the heads of interstate oncology units to see if they can put the word around that we are looking for a specialist. Funnily enough, when we advertised that position we also advertised for a haematologist. We got one of those, so we just have to get the other position filled.
Whilst we are on how the service is going to be carried in the meantime, we have advertised for a new nurse coordinator position in line with the support services for oncology patients that we announced prior to the election. The coordination and planning position is expected to commence work at the end of this month. This position will also oversight the required data collection for patients involved in receiving the latest treatments available through the national trials that are going on at the moment.
Additional to that, we have an ongoing and deepening relationship with Royal Adelaide Hospital. In fact, the Royal Adelaide oncologists are already providing a visiting service to Alice Springs Hospital ...
Madam SPEAKER: Can I just ask whoever’s phone that is to take it out of the House. Thank you. We are having an issue with mobile phones today.
Dr TOYNE: Why does this always happen to me, Madam Speaker? It is some sort of plot.
To return to the task at hand, the Royal Adelaide Hospital will continue to provide a visiting service to Alice Springs. I was speaking to an oncology patient the other day who is receiving follow-up monitoring and treatment for a condition that he had, he is now quite comfortable with the visiting service in Alice Springs. I believe it can work in many circumstances; however, it is not as good as having a Territory-based specialist. We are using videoconferencing facilities to link to multidisciplinary teams which allows our hospitals to work together with people interstate.
Member for Braitling, it is a very valid question. We are certainly as anxious as you are to see the position filled. The position is there; there is no problem about paying a person to work for us, we just have to find them.
East Timor – Mosquito Borne Diseases
Mr BONSON to MINISTER FOR HEALTH
Can you inform the House on the support this government is providing to our East Timorese neighbours to manage the unacceptably high levels of mosquito borne illness in the region.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. We have had a very longstanding relationship between East Timor and our Health Department. In August, some of our officials went to the inaugural congress of the East Timor Medical Association, which was held in East Timor. Meetings were held around that congress with senior officers of the East Timor Ministry for Health and AusAID representatives to determine how we can practically help the development of the health system in East Timor.
East Timor continues to suffer unacceptably high levels of malaria, dengue and other mosquito borne illnesses. For quite some time now, the Northern Territory has provided technical advice and support in this area - in fact, for the last 15 years. The need for ongoing planning and support in managing mosquito vectors was put as a very high priority by the East Timor health officials. The Department of Health and Community Services is recognised as having national and international expertise in this particular area of health service delivery. We are planning a workshop to be held in East Timor in the near future to design a project to reduce the incidence of malaria and dengue through surveillance control and management of vector mosquitoes.
AusAID will fund the work that our people will do in combination with the East Timorese. As an additional benefit alongside the obvious deepening friendship that we have with the East Timorese, we also reduce the risk of re-introduction of malaria and dengue into the Northern Territory itself.
Skate Park – Fannie Bay Electorate
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
I refer to comments you made in the House on 17 October 2001:
- Another issue for Fannie Bay is getting the skate park around the Parap pool area. I assure young Joel Hill and all the lobbyists from the skate park team that we are working to get a solution.
You went on to say that it was your job as Chief Minister to deliver on that one. It is nearly four years since you made that statement. Why - we and others ask - have you failed to deliver on that commitment to your own electorate? Where is the skate park?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is with sadness that I answer this question about the skate park. Not that I do not support skate parks, but when we consider what we delivered in government over four years - which was meeting our commitments consistently - I have to put my hand up and say I have failed on the skate park.
Ms Carney: Okay.
Ms MARTIN: Yes, I have failed on the skate park, but only through circumstances outside my control.
The skate park was a commitment, and something that George Brown and I talked about many years ago with young skaters in Parap. We looked at appropriate council land to put that skate park on. The most appropriate council land was the Parap Pool. It would work; it was going to be part of a larger facility there. The young skaters would have supervision of people going to and from the pool on Ross Smith Avenue and they would also have access to a kiosk and toilet facilities. It was going to be a good place.
I was thwarted in this intention because the council then decided to do future directions for their three pools across Darwin, and one of those is Parap Pool. So, we waited. They had a consultancy, discussions with the community, I think they did more consultancies, and the whole issue of where the pools were going became one that did not actually seem to have a resolution. I would ring every few months and say: ‘Do we have resolution on this one yet?’ and it would be: ‘We are getting there’. It is very frustrating, because the appropriate place to put the $300 000 commitment for the skate park is at somewhere like Parap Pool. Simply to say: ‘Let us find an isolated piece of land’ is not acceptable. As young people are the skaters, you cannot put a skate park in a remote part of the electorate that cannot be easily accessed and does not have appropriate adult supervision.
Council did not disagree about putting it at Parap Pool, we just could not get a resolution of what was going to happen within the Parap Pool area. There was discussion in the consultant’s report about what might go at the Parap Pool in the future - some kind of major water facility. There was discussion about what was the future of Nightcliff Pool and Casuarina Pool, and it seems to have gone around a number of times.
I am very pleased to say that we only had a meeting of the task force for the Parap skate park about two weeks ago at the council chambers. We had interested parents and skaters. Mind you, those skaters have got a little older since I first talked to them. We are setting targets for getting this done. I have said to the council many times: ‘Look, I know you are doing an assessment of the future of the Parap Pool area. I know that we have now added a complication by making a commitment to move netball’, which is part of the council land there, and that will happen in two years – a $5m commitment to move netball from the Parap area to Marrara – but I said: ‘Just give us a piece of land’. I have identified the piece of land for about three years now and I believe we are back on target. So, even though I failed to do it in four years, we are back on target, I believe, and we can deliver that skate park for Parap.
However, I have often said to people: ‘The skaters will be grandparents before we do this unless we get moving’. I have also said: ‘We have been able to deliver on multimillion dollar promises. This one has thwarted us temporarily’. But we will get there, we just have to move in conjunction - the dollars are there, council has to find the space and commit to that space. I believe we are getting closer.
I apologise on the floor of the House to my young skaters. They were in primary school when we first started talking about this when I was in opposition, some of them are now almost leaving school and I wish them good luck in Year 12.
Jabiru Town Council Report
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Jabiru has been without a local government for quite a long time. Could you please say when the report about Jabiru Town Council will be released? When was the report actually completed? When will the people of Jabiru have an elected council, which is their right?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I am pretty certain the response that I am about to give will also be of interest to the member for Arafura. By way of background information, it is important to understand that the Jabiru Town Council operates pursuant to the Jabiru Town Development Act which allows the Jabiru Town Development Authority to delegate its powers and functions to the Jabiru Town Council.
Member for Nelson, you will be aware that, prior to August last year, there were some concerns expressed about a whole range of issues in regards to the Jabiru Town Council. As a result of that, the Jabiru Town Development Authority initiated an investigation which was carried out by inspectors of my Department of Local Government. What we can now describe as an interim report at that point in time raised some other matters of concern.
There was a further report which was undertaken by, again, Local Government inspectors of my department - not the same people; other people undertook that investigation. The investigation has been under way, as I understand it, for probably close to 12 months. That report was completed yesterday actually, when it landed in my office. The report is embargoed until Friday of this week when it will be considered by the Jabiru Town Development Authority. They will make some decisions of what the long-term future might be. As the report is embargoed, I believe it is inappropriate for me to make any further comment.
What I can say, member for Nelson, is that I will work very actively with the Jabiru Town Development Authority to ensure that a council is put in place, subject to what they say to me, and the department will consider all reasonable requests to bring that about. I agree that Jabiru people deserve a council which allows them to govern matters relative to themselves. We will do everything we can to work with them and to restore local government to Jabiru.
Recreational Fishing
Mr KNIGHT to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
During the recent Northern Territory election campaign, the Martin government committed to spending more than $10m on supporting recreational fishing over the next four years. Can you inform the House of initiatives you intend to pursue to ensure that fishing remains the lure of the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I have said many times in this House that fishing is the lure of the Territory. I am pretty sure by now members of the opposition understand my accent.
Fishing is, indeed, the lure of the Territory, and attracts around 100 000 tourists from down south, the east and the west. That is the reason we have over 120 fishing tour operators to provide these tourists with a catch of a lifetime. We will certainly continue to improve facilities.
A few weeks ago, we added another part to the Lee Point artificial reef, the Kaylee, an ex-commercial fishing vessel, from Mr John Conway, a resident of Alawa, who kindly donated his old fishing vessel which was sunk there to provide a new opportunity for recreational anglers. It is only 15 minutes out from the Nightcliff boat ramp, which will provide easy access to people who want to fish and travel back quickly.
The Darwin Port Corporation towed and assisted in the sinking of the vessel, and Tat Hong Rentals kindly donated their time and crane to move the vessel from the dry dock to enable it to be towed. Thank you very much to Tat Hong Rentals and the people from the Darwin Port Corporation.
In the past four years, we have spent $1.5m for the upgrade of the Buffalo Creek and Dinah Beach boat ramps. The Dinah Beach boat ramp is one of the most popular boat ramps in the Darwin area. In the next four years, we intend to spend $2m, $500 000 a year, to further improve recreational facilities, including the facilities in Borroloola and other regional centres, not only in Darwin, which are very good facilities for recreational anglers.
In addition to the $2m over the next four years, we intend to spend $2.8m for a new boat ramp in Hudson Creek, and $7m for the floating pontoon in Dinah Beach to assist the people embarking and disembarking from boats in different tidal ranges.
Soon I will be asking those anglers where they want the facility built. I will place advertisements in the newspaper, and I will ask the Fishing Access Working Group to consider the nominations we receive, and to prioritise all the suggestions received. It will be money well spent. I have been told before by people who come from down south that, really, the Territory is the place to go fishing, not only in inland waters and rivers, but also in the harbour.
Before I conclude, I would like to make an admission. Like the Chief Minister, as the member for Casuarina, I put my hand up, yes I have not delivered on my Casuarina skate park. The reason is very similar to the Chief Minister: because I have the same issue with the council. The place we identified was actually the Casuarina Pool. The council asked us to wait until they finalised the review of the public facilities, which we did. Nothing has eventuated yet. However, despite the fact we have not delivered the Casuarina skate park, I have delivered $2m for the renovation of the Nakara Primary School, which was not renovated for 30 years under the CLP government. I have delivered $2.5m for the upgrade of the Alawa Primary School, something that was not done for 30 years under the CLP government. We delivered improved television reception in the northern suburbs. We delivered a roundabout at the Casuarina Coastal Reserve that was promised 18 years ago by the CLP government and never delivered. We also delivered a hospice that the CLP government never delivered.
Yes, we did not deliver the skate park …
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: I agree with you. However, we have had discussions with Tracy Village to incorporate the skate park in their new $800 000 development.
Mrs BRAHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is not answering the question. You really should make him sit down.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr VATSKALIS: We intend to incorporate the skate park near the new development of Tracy Village with the $800 000 this government promised and will deliver.
Fuel Subsidy from GST Revenue
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
This year, your Treasurer will receive an unexpected bonus of $137m from the GST. In fact, since the GST was established by the federal Coalition in 2000-01, the Northern Territory has received bonuses totalling in the vicinity of $600m. In opposition, you were very concerned, it seemed, about high fuel prices, but since then you have forgotten that it was a CLP Treasurer who provided a subsidy for Territory motorists and not your Treasurer, and at a time when the CLP did not have the massive GST revenue that you do. Will you follow the lead of a CLP Treasurer and your good friend, Peter Beattie in Queensland, and direct your Treasurer to provide a subsidy to lower the price of fuel for Territory motorists?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the price of fuel concerns us all. As you passed a bowser, it was not all that long ago that you looked at a dollar for a litre of fuel as being very high. Now we have up to $1.32 and $1.35 in Darwin and higher in other parts of the Northern Territory. I would have thought that the Opposition Leader would have first directed this question of who can effectively do something about the cost of fuel to her federal colleagues.
We know that the member for Solomon is fairly useless when he goes to the parliament in Canberra. We know that Senator Nigel Scullion flits about offering advice on where to best position nuclear waste dumps and other things that are of no value to the Northern Territory. When we asked both the member for Solomon and the CLP Senator to be effective with Senator Ian Campbell when it came to crocodile hunting, we saw the effect of their lobbying. You would have thought you would have directed this question to the federal government, because the federal government …
Members interjecting.
Ms Carney: Your money! Your money! Open your wallet, Treasurer, to help Territorians!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is all very well to yell and be hysterical, but as you asked a question, I thought it might be relevant to give an answer. Direct this to the federal government because they are currently sitting on a $13.6bn surplus, and about ...
Ms Carney: You are swimming in money. You are swimming in it!
Mr Mills: You get $600m.
Ms MARTIN: We have a budget of just $3bn ...
Mr Mills: This is dishonest.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain!
Ms MARTIN: … and this is sitting …
Mr Mills: It is just dishonest.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, cease interjecting.
Mr Mills: I cannot sit still and listen to this rubbish.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the federal government has a budget surplus of $13.6bn. Most of that is accrued through the excise from fuel. In fact, the figure is $13.2bn. Who has the dollars …
Mr Mills: You have received $600m.
Ms MARTIN: … to be able to do something through their direct action on fuel excise? The federal government! So I call on the members of the CLP - the once proud CLP …
Mr Mills: Oh, come on!
Ms Carney: So you will not show leadership! You want someone else to do it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Mills: Give them the GST back and let the federal government do something.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain!
Ms MARTIN: … to put the pressure on their colleagues and mates in Canberra, the Coalition government, to do something about the cost of fuel ...
Mr Mills: It is appalling! You accept the GST on fuel. You have changed your tune since you have come to office!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, I have had to speak to you seven times in a row. I am afraid that if you interject any further you will be thrown out of the House.
Mr Mills: Seven? My apologies, I was carried away.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, that is where the direction should be, on the fuel excise collected by the federal government - $13.2bn. Every time you go to the bowser, that is where you really get hit on that excise on fuel. Direct that question to the federal government.
Mr Wood: Plus GST!
Ms MARTIN: Yes, we received more funds through the grants process and, yes, since the GST has been in place we have received additional funds. However, I am happy to go through in the House where we spent those funds. What we will do is tell the 137 extra police we have throughout the Territory: ‘We cannot afford you anymore, we are going to tell you not to do your job anymore’. We are going to tell the extra teachers we have put in place, the extra nurses we have put in place: ‘We cannot afford you anymore’.
We have very specifically spent those funds on services for Territorians where it counts. If we are going to look at taking the Opposition Leader’s advice, I would like her to offer in that advice where she would like us to cut services. Would she like us to cut health services, education services, the police services, perhaps? Would you like to cut the marketing dollars we are putting in our second biggest industry, tourism? A grasp on reality from the opposition would be a good thing. Let us put the focus on where it should be, which is on the federal government and the enormous excise they collect from every single Australian who takes their car to the service station and fills up with fuel at a very high price.
It is a good question from the opposition; it needs to be better targeted, I feel. That is where I will leave it. However, while I am on my feet, can I just respond to the first question the Opposition Leader asked?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes.
Ms MARTIN: That question was regarding road safety expenditure. Just to check with the Opposition Leader, it was from the police budget you were talking about, wasn’t it?
Ms Carney: It would have been, Yes, your budget papers.
Ms MARTIN: It was? I did not quite understand when you asked the question. If that is right I am answering the right question, so that is fine.
You were talking about police expenditure, and I believe you said it had been reduced between the 2004-05 year and the 2005-06 year. I am pleased to provide further details on this. If you go to the current budget papers at page 153, Budget Paper No 3, the allocation for Road Safety Services carried out by the NT Police for this coming year is $9.2m. If you look at the same page, the estimated expenditure on Road Safety Services in the previous year was $8.7m. We have seen a difference between the two financial years, an increase in $0.5m. We have not cut ...
Ms Carney: No, you have not!
Ms MARTIN: I am giving an explanation here.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order Madam Speaker! No, that is not correct. The Chief Minister does have an obligation to be honest. She needs to refer to the 2004-05 budget and the 2005-06 budget.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order. If you feel that there has been some kind of misleading of the House you can seek to provide a personal explanation.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, in terms of dishonesty, I refer the Opposition Leader to the budget papers. They are the figures I have read …
Ms Carney: The way you expressed yourself before was not okay.
Ms MARTIN: … with an increase of $0.5m between the 2004-05 year and the 2005-06 year. That is our budget paper, that is our commitment. We take safety on our roads very seriously. The fact that there are any deaths is unacceptable. We are certainly targeting the causes of accidents as we have been able to identify them.
I will give a breakdown to the House. Of the 43 deaths this year, 10 of those are speed related, 17 are alcohol related and 20 are seatbelt related, and there is one that we have identified as fatigue. I tell Territorians quite honestly, our police are targeting; we are going to stop that level of road fatalities. We had a much better year last year - 35 fatalities, not acceptable. The previous year was at 53, and we are not going to see that kind of level this year. I say, watch it, Territorians, our police are going to focus on those three causes of what is happening with fatalities on our roads.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016