2004-06-15
Censure Motion – Brought on by Government
Mr MILLS to MADAM SPEAKER
Can you confirm that never in the history of parliament in the Northern Territory has a censure of government been brought on by a motion sponsored by government; further, that a censure motion has never been brought on prior to Question Time; and further that, at the expense of proper respect being afforded a condolence motion for Mr Djerrkura, this is a disrespectful stunt.
ANSWER
Rather than give you an answer off the top of my head, we are going to ask the officers if they will research and we will get back to you with that answer.
Territory Economy
Mr BONSON to CHIEF MINISTER
Despite the determination of the Leader of the Opposition to talk down the Territory, can the Chief Minister inform the Assembly what recent economic figures demonstrate the health of the Territory economy?
ANSWER
I thank the member for his question because, again and again, we hear the opposition talking down the Territory. It was only in this place in debate in May that the Opposition Leader said: ‘You look around and the place is in ruins’. Those were the words of the Opposition Leader. What did he mean, ‘the place is in ruins’? Does he look around this beautiful city of ours that we love and visitors love, and of which visitors say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know Darwin was like this’ - is that what he is talking about when he says, ‘You look around and the place is in ruins’? Is he talking about the opportunities in the Territory when he says ‘the place is in ruins’, where businesses are busy planning for now and the future? Or does he look around and look at our lifestyle and say ‘the place is in ruins’?
I have just come from announcing the second BassintheGrass. Are the 6000 or so young Territorians who will go to BassintheGrass and see great Australian bands like Grinspoon and The Superjesus going to agree with the Opposition Leader that this place is in ruins?
The opposition has a track record here. They have priors. Member for Katherine, are the tourism industry and the community of Katherine talking to you yet about your war zone comments regarding the community of Katherine? The member for Katherine damages the prospects of the tourism industry in Katherine by her very stupid comment that has made her community very angry.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: As late as this morning, we had the opposition in here talking down Alice Springs and the confidence that Alice Springs’ residents should have in the hospital. If anything, our community is asking that we, as the leaders of this community - the 25 parliamentarians who make up the parliament of this Territory - have confidence in the Territory and lead with pride in the Territory. They expect that from the leadership of the Territory.
It is almost as though the opposition and the Opposition Leader want to see the Territory in ruins, and think that it is their political opportunity to talk down the Territory. We know the impact of talking down the Territory on business, on people moving here to live, work and invest, and on that critical industry - our tourism industry.
Yet the Opposition Leader thinks that it is smart political talk to say: ‘You look around and the place is in ruins’. Well, let us take a look at the statistics. If we put the rhetoric aside, let us see if he is simply wrong or right …
Mr Mills: Population growth …
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, order!
Ms MARTIN: Which has grown by 0.3%. Okay, slow, but it is growing. On that aspect, do you think it is smart to talk down the Territory? I think you do.
Let us take a look at what we are spending, what we are building, what work is available, what we are driving, and who is travelling and where. Let us take a brief look at those figures. In retail, April to April, up 4.6% across the Territory. That is an increase of $150m to $158m. Building residential increased 48.4%, April to April. That means there are more homes and units being built. Housing finance for a full year is up 30%. If you do the April to April comparison, it is up 9.5%. This is the place about which the Opposition Leader says: ‘You look around and the place is in ruins’.
Let us look at jobs – the second lowest unemployment in the country at 4.9%. In the last two months, March to April, 200 more full-time jobs in the Territory. We are celebrating it. What is the opposition saying? ‘The place is in ruins’. The ANZ job adverts between April to May show a 5.3% increase in the number of jobs advertised between those two months, and in a full year that was a 15.4% increase - more opportunities for us to find jobs. Motor vehicles: 6.7% increase in a year.
Let us look at some of the brief facts from tourism: airline seats, domestic to Darwin, from June to June comparison - 27% increase; in Alice Springs - 11% increase. Hotel occupancy in Darwin over May and June - at its best - full. The industry is saying their forward bookings are very strong, and the prospects are looking much better. In building, in retail, in jobs, the prospects are looking much better.
We on this side of the House are celebrating with Territorians. What is the opposition doing? They are talking down the Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Well, I am very pleased to hear, Chief Minister, that we are having BassintheGrass but not Lust in the Dust.
- Ms MARTIN: Bass in the Dust.
Taxation - Wet Hire Duty
Mr MILLS to TREASURER
You represent a government that is, in fact, no friend to Territory business. You have demonstrated this by not meeting with Territory small business operators outside this parliament today. This adds insult to injury when your business minister cancelled a previous meeting with five minutes’ notice. Minister, when will you meet with these Territory businesses?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. There would be very few who would join him in a claim that this government is no friend of business following the budget that I handed down in this parliament on 18 May, where we went much further than business expected in relation to reducing the impost of payroll tax.
The Chamber of Commerce, the Property Council – everywhere I went to talk about the budget, I received plaudits and commendation from business. That is not to say that there will not always be individuals, from time to time, disgruntled with government for one view or another
The Leader of the Opposition refers to a company called Dick’s Pumping Service. Dick Leech and Julie Harris own a company that offers a concreting service, where building firms hire their expertise and equipment for concrete pumping and, I am advised, for particularly difficult footing circumstances and high rise, because they have, obviously, a sound reputation for delivering that type of service.
The Territory Commissioner of Taxation, on a random audit some time ago, determined that this company fell under the auspices of the wet hire provisions. This was a stamp duty arrangement introduced by the CLP and abolished by this government - as a business-friendly move again - in Budget 2003. The commissioner determined that this company owed back taxes on wet hire provisions prior to the date of abolition at the time of the budget in 2003. The company disputes that - often companies do dispute tax assessments - and discussions have ensued. It is a two-step process at this stage, although we are changing that as a result of this year’s budget. The first step is to put your objection back to the Taxation Office; they go through a process and make a decision. That step was taken and the Taxation Office stood by their ruling.
Mr Leech and Ms Harris met with Alf Leonardi from my office, and Mike Butler from Treasury, on Friday, 30 January where they put their case to them. Those issues were forwarded to the Treasurer and Treasury. They met with the Chief Minister. They have held discussions with members of the staff of the Minister for Business and Industry.
The decision is that the matter must run its course through the normal appeal processes. The company has at its disposal an opportunity to challenge the commissioner’s determination. They have done so. They have an opportunity to challenge this further by taking the matter to the Supreme Court. They have done this; an appeal was lodged some months ago. That is the proper process and that is where it should be decided. The commissioner is separate from government in his decision-making - rightly so. It is the commissioner who makes those decisions, independent of government.
The matter is before the courts. It would be inappropriate for me to go further than to outline the background, as I have. There is an appeal lodged in the Supreme Court over the Taxation Office’s decision, and it will be heard. One side will be found to be right in the decision to be made by the Supreme Court. That is where it rests. It would be inappropriate for me to go further on any detail - not that I know any more than that, and nor should I. It is a matter between a business and the Taxation Office.
Horticulture Industry
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
In Howley Crescent, Anula, there is a small business called Ed’s Wafers and Fruits - he sources local produce - which is in great demand by all the neighbours and people from around the area. He is doing great business. However, he has trouble keeping up with demand. Can you tell the House what support government is providing for the expansion of jobs in the horticulture sector, and what potential exists for diversification in the industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is a very important question, because the Territory’s horticulture industry extends from Darwin to Katherine, and to Central Australia. It has a value of production of $86m a year and predictions are that, every five years, the value of production will double. We do have a comparable advantage. We produce fruits and vegetables out of season, or early season. We already know about the success of the mango industry, with one million trees planted. However, the horticulture industry now produces a variety of produce. To tell you the truth I admit that a few years ago I was not aware that the horticulture industry in the Territory would produce these kinds of fruit and vegetables. Some of them are exotic to me and to many Territorians.
With your indulgence, Madam Speaker, I would like to showcase some of this exciting produce. I say with your indulgence because, a few weeks ago, in the federal parliament, the member for Franklin was expelled because he produced an apple. Madam Speaker, I would like to produce more than an apple.
Members interjecting.
Ms Carney: Kon the fruiterer!
Mr VATSKALIS: I am proud to be called Kon the fruiterer because of the support we provide to the industry. Bamboo shoots, sold in Sydney and Melbourne which is fantastic; a small jackfruit; a carambola. However, the one that really blew me was the okra which, for me, is associated with many Mediterranean countries, and I would never have believed it could be produced in the Territory. Cocoa - if you like chocolate, these are pleasant eating. Custard apple, limes, snake vines and if you like Indian food, curry leaves.
The future of the industry in the Territory is bright ...
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: The furry one is the hairy melon vine - that is the name they give it.
It is an exciting industry and our government will do anything possible to support it. Recently, I appointed the Horticulture Partnership Group, a high-level expertise group, to offer advice on the strategic direction of the industry for the next 10 years. In this group we not only have people from production, but from the packing, transport, marketing and business sectors. I also authorised a strategic review of the horticulture industry to be undertaken by Dr Nigel Scott, a well-known researcher who worked for many years with CSIRO. The outcome of the review will be a strategic vision for the industry not for the next year, two years or five years, but for 10 years.
I recently launched the NT Food Identifier, because we want to establish a brand name for produce from the Territory. We have had some success, especially barramundi exports to America. We want to ensure that quality produce from the Territory is identified as NT food produce in order to maximise our market penetration and our market share.
We have a commitment to horticulture infrastructure, and I have asked the Horticulture Partnership Group to advise me what the industry wants, in order to spend money strategically on things that the industry really wants - not one person, but many persons.
We will continue development with the mango industry. We will work with the industry to find new banana varieties resistant to Panama disease. We will work with the industry to produce and increase productivity in the table grape industry, and also to try new rambutan cultivars, tropical ornamentals, flowers, citrus varieties and Asian vegetables.
We recognise the Northern Territory Horticultural Association as the peak representative body. I would like to congratulate Mr Tom Harris, the president of the association, the members and the committee for the work they have done, and thank them very much for working closely with us in order to improve and to make sure the industry succeeds.
The horticulture industry of the Territory has a bright future. This government is committed to work with the industry, and to spend the money to make sure that the industry will continue to grow, and Territory fruit and vegetables will be exported, not only in Australia, but all over the world.
Taxation Review Tribunal – Access to
Mr MILLS to TREASURER
Your response to my last question clearly indicates that you will not be meeting with those workers who assembled outside the parliament. Therefore, I ask you, will this government allow Dick’s Pumping Service access to the new Taxation Review Tribunal as an alternative to going to the court, as a cheaper way of resolving this dispute with the revenue office?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. It is a bit difficult for me to give an answer on the spot. In principle, I have no objection. The whole reason we are setting up this new and independent appeals process ...
Dr Lim: Stop the court process for this fellow. Stop this for Dick.
Mr STIRLING: It is their Question Time, Madam Speaker, I am very patient.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Allow the Treasurer to have the floor.
Mr STIRLING: The very reason we are setting up this new and independent appeals process was because of the perceptions that were out there. It was because the appeals process was located …
Mr Dunham: Oh, it is being heard by taxation? Oh, so it could be flawed!
Mr STIRLING: For 26 years this was in place and we are …
Mr Dunham: The current system could be flawed. Give up! You have an obsolete, redundant tax. Give it up!
Mr STIRLING: ... and now they want to criticise it. Now they want to review it. You are a goose - sit down and shut up.
I have no problem in principle with allowing access to that. However, I cannot and will not give an unequivocal assurance right now, because we have a situation that is (1) before the courts and (2) the second process is yet to be put in place. I cannot even give a date as to when that will be, although all expedited effort is going in to set that in place. However, in principle, there is no difficulty at all, but I cannot give an unequivocal assurance for those reasons.
Dundee Beach - Electricity Supply
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
The Martin Labor government made an election commitment to extend electricity supply to Dundee Beach - a favourite fishing and camping spot for many of us in Darwin. Karama and Malak residents regularly head down there with their boats. Indeed, we made a promise to extend it to the Wooliana Road in the Daly River region. Can you update Territorians on progress in meeting these election commitments?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. She has mentioned two areas where we gave an election commitment: undergrounding power and also power out to Dundee and Wooliana.
There was another important election commitment that we gave: to freeze domestic power prices. That is exactly what we have done. The other day I was reading through my briefings and having a look at domestic power prices in the Territory, comparing them to interstate. We stack up very well with other capital cities in our domestic power prices. That is a very important election commitment that we have honoured and will continue to honour.
In addition, we also gave another commitment, and we have extended this price freeze to more than 6000 small businesses. Not insignificant; a very important commitment.
In the last sittings, I gave a report to this parliament on progress on undergrounding power in the Nightcliff area. It has been very pleasing progress. Once again, reading my briefs last week, it was very good to see that there have been contracts awarded to a number of local firms for the extension of that work. There will be significant numbers of households in the Nightcliff area that will have underground power on by Christmas. So there you go ...
Mr Dunham: They already have the power on.
Dr BURNS: I said underground power, member for Drysdale.
Mr Dunham: Do you think they use hurricane lamps, and leave their windows open?
Dr BURNS: Well, you might go back down your hole, too, member for Drysdale.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Dr BURNS: In terms of power to Dundee, we have made a $5m commitment to extend electricity supply to Dundee Beach, something the CLP promised election after election …
Mr Dunham: Lies, lies, lies!
Dr BURNS: ... but never, ever did ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale, withdraw that comment. You know better.
Mr Dunham: I do withdraw the comment that we made a promise that we had not made, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Just withdraw.
Mr Dunham: I withdraw.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I have a recollection of Mick Palmer and the member for Goyder, I think it was, who went there to a public meeting and gave such an undertaking. Of course, I would stand corrected by the member for Drysdale. The people out at Dundee know what was promised to them previously. When I have met them they have said: ‘You are not going to be like the CLP, are you, and not deliver?’ I said: ‘No, we will deliver on our promises. We are a government that delivers on our promises’.
Mr Dunham: Without a co-payment. That is what we promised.
Dr BURNS: Survey and design work … If you do not want to hear it, member for Drysdale - we are achieving. All you can do is sit in your own morass in opposition. We are achieving, we are delivering on our promises.
Survey and design work is well advanced. Tenders for construction will be called later this month. On-ground works are planned to start in September 2004, and there will be six months for the powerline to reach Dundee Beach and the Lodge areas. There will be 100 km of 22 kV line with approximately 500 power poles, and the capacity to supply approximately 1000 properties. Residents in the area have been widely consulted and they are very happy about this.
Here is one that I am particularly happy about, and I must acknowledge my colleague, the minister for CDSCA, in his support for power for Wooliana. We work well together; we discuss these things. I know he is as pleased as I am about this particular advance. It was another election commitment of ours, and it has been honoured in the 2004-05 budget. As I say, my colleague, the minister for Community Development, has played a leading role in this. There will be $2.4m for PowerWater in 2003-04 to relocate the Naiyiu power station and construct the Wooliana powerline, including upgrade of the power station which, as most members would be aware, is prone to flooding.
This is a fantastic initiative. It is going to benefit not only the community, but a lot of people along Wooliana Road. When the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries and I went to the Barra Nationals, I gave a little hint to the people at the Banyan Farm, and they were overjoyed at the prospect of electricity coming there, and the positive impact that will have on their business.
Madam Speaker, we are a government who delivers. We make progress and I am proud to be part of a government that gives progress, not empty promises.
Palmerston - Integrated Health Care Service
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for HEALTH
In the Northern Territory government Gazette dated 19 May 2004, your department has hired a consultant to do a feasibility project for an integrated health care service at Palmerston. Can you tell the House what the terms of reference are for this $140 000 project, and whether it will be considering whether the government and Danila Dilba Health Services might be in the same precinct in Palmerston?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for this question, because this exploration of an integrated health service between Palmerston and Litchfield Shire is a very important initiative. The purpose of the study is to look at how the services we are currently providing separately within areas of Litchfield and Palmerston can be brought into a more powerful and complete network, working on ambulatory care arrangements coming out of the clinics or the hospitals, going down to community level and home care.
The project, as you quite rightly pointed out, is under way. I do not have the terms of reference with me, but I can certainly make them available to the House for members. I will provide them as soon as I can get hold of that document.
The study itself is being jointly conducted under our government and the Commonwealth government. The key stakeholders involved in the scoping up of the arrangements are our department, the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Danila Dilba, Aboriginal Medical Service, local health professionals working in both Litchfield and Palmerston, the Top End Division of General Practice, Palmerston City Council, the Department of Defence, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory, Royal Darwin Hospital and Yilli Rreung, the ATSIC zone.
Mr Dunham: It used to be them.
Dr TOYNE: I am good on the Central Australian stuff, but the Top End stuff is a bit hard.
We will share the results of the study as soon as it has become available to us, and we have been able to assess it and the government’s response to it. However, we certainly look forward to progressing this initiative for the benefit of both the people of Palmerston and Litchfield Shire. I am sure we can provide a much greater sense of connection, particularly for the people in Litchfield Shire, to their health services. That is very much in line with what we have put in our priorities within the Building Healthier Communities five-year framework.
Alice Springs Hospital – Intensive Care Unit
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH
When you ‘categorically’ - and I am using your word – denied that the Intensive Care Unit at Alice Springs Hospital was closed, was that a deliberate attempt to mislead the media and the public, or had you been misinformed by your staff?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question because it gives me a chance to clear up this matter, which did make its way into the media debate at one stage.
The first thing Territorians have to understand is that there are levels of care within the intensive care area of critical care. In fact, there are three levels of intensive care that are defined by the Australian and New Zealand Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine. Basically, Level 1 is providing immediate resuscitation and short-term cardio-respiratory support for critically-ill patients. It also plays a major role in monitoring and prevention of complications. Level 2 leads to a high standard of general intensive care, including complex multi-system life support. Level 3, the tertiary level, is virtually the highest possible level of ongoing intensive care that the hospital can produce.
The introduction of an intensivist into the Alice Springs Hospital has the effect of going from Level 1 to Level 2 of the intensive care levels. Co-existing within the unit in Alice Springs is the High Dependency Unit, and that is, again, another level of care that hospitals try to provide in the critical care area. It provides a level of care that is intermediate between intensive care and general ward care. Patients can be admitted to HDU from an operating theatre, for example, for post-operative care and monitoring …
Dr Lim interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: There seems to be a bug bouncing around over there, Madam Speaker. … also from the general wards if the severity of the illness escalates. In our Intensive Care, High Dependency Unit in Alice Springs, at the moment, we have a combination of high dependency and Level 1 intensive care. With the intensivist, we will have Levels 1 and 2.
Jeff Byrne, the hospital manager, and I were both asked the same question during the media scrutiny of what was going on. When I was asked the question, I said: ‘Yes, we have patients in there on high dependency care. We have also moved up to Darwin a patient from the ICU who needed more high-level care with the loss of the intensivist at that stage’. That was interpreted, I believe, to say that I was claiming the unit was still open. Well, it was still open, because it …
Mr Dunham: Oh, so you have apologised for nothing?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr TOYNE: … is a combination unit of high dependency and ICU. That was what I said. Jeff Byrne also said it was open, based on the fact that it had both high dependency and some of the Level 1 ICU care available to it for any patient who was admitted there for those levels of care.
I can certainly report that, following Tarun Weeramanthri’s visit to the hospital, in fact, the staff themselves have some confusion about when the units are open or not open. It is probably the wrong question to be asking in that the real question is: what level of care is available within that unit, given that there were real nurses working there, there were real doctors working there, there were real specialists in the hospital who could come in and enter the care process as needed. Care was going on in that unit throughout the whole period of this debate. The only issue was: what level of care?
I do not believe I have misled anyone. I know for a fact, from speaking to the nurses who were working there, the hospital management and to my executive, that care was going on in that unit throughout the course of this debate. The only issue is what level of care there was at various stages.
Police Force Recruitment
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police strength is of vital interest to people in the Northern Territory, which include, of course, constituents of the Millner electorate. Can the minister please update the Assembly on the rate of recruitment into the police force this year, and how this compares to other organisations?
ANSWER
I thank my colleague, the member for Millner, for his question. As members are aware, the government has funded a record rate of recruitment to the Northern Territory Police Force, with an unprecedented number of graduates going through the training college at the moment. Whilst I am on my feet, I am sure I have the support of each and every member of this House in my congratulations to the staff of the training college who do an unprecedented and a great job in getting those recruits through the college.
Ms Martin: Fifteen new officers into Alice Springs.
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely, Madam Speaker. Lots of good news - additional police officers throughout the Northern Territory.
The strength of the police force is growing at a rate never seen before and, since January, there have been three recruit squads, seeing 81 new trainee constables start. It really is a sight on those parades to see three separate squads on parade at any one time.
I have had a chart prepared to illustrate what is happening and how things are moving ahead. If we actually see ...
Mr Dunham: You got the exits, have you? Resignations on that chart? Resignations down there? So you did not nett it out? Not netted out, that right, Hendo? That is a bit of a problem, mate.
Mr HENDERSON: You would think the member for Drysdale would be interested in this, would you not? You would think the member for Drysdale would be interested in the growth of our police force and the record recruitments that are going through. As we can see, in January, 27 were recruited, which was up to 54 in May, and 81 through to July/August, and up to 120 that we predicted this year. Madam Speaker, 120 new police officers are being recruited to our wonderful police force in the Northern Territory. That is a record rate of recruitment.
More police officers mean reduced crime and safer communities, and that is what we can see is starting to occur across the Northern Territory. This is outstanding growth. If you compare it to that period of 1991 to 1994 when not one police officer was recruited into the Northern Territory - an absolute abrogation of responsibility by the previous government - you can see that this organisation is growing in strength.
However, there is a corollary to this; that some organisations get so caught up in their own world of division and incompetence that they decline. Compare the growth in the police force to what is happening with the opposition: with a gap of just three weeks, the new Leader of the Opposition lost the member for Daly, who picked up his bat and ball and decided to go home and, prior to that, we had the member for Goyder who had picked up his bat. They decided that they would lodge their vote of no confidence in the Leader of the Opposition and they were off seeking greener pastures.
I have prepared another graph to illustrate what is happening. As we can see, at the rate of decline of this organisation here, if we project this, the CLP are on track to have no members on that side of the House by Christmas. If you look at today, 40% of them could not even be bothered to turn up for Question Time …
Members interjecting.
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We know how foolish he is with questions and we know how foolish he is with understanding standing orders ...
Mr Kiely: What is your point of order?
Mr DUNHAM: … but, even Mr ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr DUNHAM: I cannot say. … knows he cannot reflect on the presence or absence of a member.
Madam SPEAKER: Absence of members. No, you cannot. Minister, withdraw.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I did not name any members. However, we are just talking about the decline ...
Madam SPEAKER: Just withdraw.
Mr HENDERSON: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. … the decline in the strength of the organisation opposite. While the strength of the Northern Territory Police Force is growing, fuelled with $75m of additional expenditure from this government, the Leader of the Opposition has overseen an organisation in decline.
Madam SPEAKER: I need to comment on the fact that I am very pleased to see the minister is recycling cardboard.
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely, Madam Speaker.
Alice Springs Hospital – Care of Patients
Mr DUNHAM to MINISTER for HEALTH
My question is about the Alice Springs Hospital. How common is it in other Australian hospitals for patients to be transferred from the intensive care unit to the emergency department to be intubated and ventilated?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not know how common it is in other hospitals around Australia because I do not have responsibility for them.
Members interjecting.
Dr Lim interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Attendance Officers in Territory Schools
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Given the government’s commitment to improving educational outcomes in the Territory, can the minister update the House on the work of attendance officers in Territory schools?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question, because I would be delighted to. The first two of the eight attendance officers commenced in March 2003 in Palmerston and Alice Springs. A position was provided to Thamarrurr Regional Council, Wadeye, and positions based at Sanderson High and Katherine commenced at the start of this school year, 2004. The officer based at Groote Eylandt commenced during Term 2, 2004, and the Tennant Creek officer commenced during Term 2, 2004. The last attendance officer position will be based at Yirrkala and is scheduled to commence at the beginning of Term 3, 2004. Therefore, by the beginning of Term 3, 2004, we will have fulfilled our election commitment on this issue.
The initial work for the attendance officers has been to identify students at risk - those not enrolled and not attending school - and to develop strategies to engage or re-engage them back into the school. These strategies, of course, involve coordination, in the first place with the student, the student’s family, the school, the school community overall, and government and non-government organisations. Cyndia Henty-Roberts, the Katherine attendance officer, has identified and engaged 175 school-aged students: 64 of those were new enrolments, 15 have been engaged in education and other training programs; 96 were re-engaged into the school system. A parent education program has been developed around this and will commence in Term 3 in Katherine.
The attendance officers, Evelyn Myatt in Palmerston and Jayne Thompson from Sanderson, are working closely with the alternative education teams in schools to provide the intensive support needed for these students and their families to reintegrate these students and support them back into school and school programs. Both attendance officers have developed very strong partnerships with officers from local indigenous and government organisations.
Last year, we know the Alice Springs attendance officer, Anita Kruger, identified 127 students and enrolled 109 into schools, and many of those students have since moved back to their communities. Some 40 are still attending schools in Alice Springs. This year, 51 students have been identified, 39 of those enrolled in our schools.
Leah Wyman at Tennant Creek and Jaqueline Amagula at Groote Eylandt have only recently been appointed, and I look forward to early reports of their activity on the ground and the results that they bring forward.
This program is yet another strong sign of our determination to effect real change in education across the board, and particularly indigenous education. To keep the Territory moving ahead, we have to improve those educational outcomes, as I said, particularly for indigenous Territorians where the situation has been seriously bad for very many years.
Alice Springs Hospital – Midwife Numbers
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH
At the end of this roster, 10 midwives are leaving the maternity unit at Alice Springs Hospital. I am advised that precious little has been done to replace them. What do you have to say to the pregnant women of Alice Springs due to give birth at Alice Springs Hospital in the next few months?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the first thing I would have say is, I will treat the assertions of the member over there with some reservation, given what we have seen of the truth or otherwise of some of the earlier assertions she has been making. I do not know how many midwives are thinking of leaving the Alice Springs Hospital. If midwives are thinking of leaving the Alice Springs Hospital and, in fact, leave, we will recruit midwives to replace them.
What I do know is that we have successfully recruited a midwife into Alice Springs only this week, and we will see the same effort put into recruiting after anyone leaves.
I say this again to the member for Port Darwin: do not make these assertions unless you are very sure of your facts, because it is all part of running down the public confidence in our hospital and its services.
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: Oh, they are finally finished?
Madam Speaker, I ask the member to be very careful about the facts she puts out on public record.
Madam SPEAKER: I do hope the members for Macdonnell and Goyder will report on their journey later on, and how long it took them.
Finke Desert Race
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Madam Speaker, I am certain that this question will interest the member for Macdonnell. I understand that the Finke Desert Race was an outstanding success. Minister, can you please inform the House of the benefits of the Martin government’s investment in this great event?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is very well timed, two competitors have just joined us.
Before I go into the answer of this question, I will give a quick update on information on the previous question. We are currently 0.5 of a full-time equivalent midwife down out of a total of 28 positions that are attached to the hospital. That might give you some idea that we have a fair few midwives down there.
Madam Speaker, the Finke Desert Race. Well, what a fantastic event it was this year. I am sure the members for Macdonnell and Goyder would have had a great time. In fact, I know at least one of them did, because I saw him at the Finke Hilton after he had done the first leg. Good on you for going in it; it is terrific.
Mr Elferink: Thank you.
Mr Maley: Thank you for your support, too.
Dr TOYNE: This year we had 290 bikes, 90 buggies and other four-wheel vehicles - or at least they were four wheels when they started; some of them ended up with less than four wheels when they finished, or failed to.
The government investment in the start/finish line had a spectacularly successful impact on the event. The crowd at the prologue on the Saturday, and on the two days of the actual race, were raving about the fantastic view they had of the competition and the choice of different viewing points around the area.
I would like to pay tribute to the people who drew that together. Obviously, the first people I would mention are the Finke Desert Race organising committee and all their volunteers who absolutely worked their hides off from the Monday before the event to the first day of competition to get that venue ready. The reason they had to do that in such a huge rush was because of the weather we had in Alice Springs. Anyone who lives there or was visiting at that time - I believe there was a CLP golf day in the middle of all that, with the rain pouring down. There was an enormous amount of work to be done in the last four days leading to the event. Honestly, when I got there, I thought: ‘Are they going to make it or not?’
The other group that must be given huge credit is the low security prisoner work crews that came over from the gaol. They did a superb job, working in very difficult conditions - boggy ground, pouring rain, not that pleasant in terms of temperature - and they just kept slogging away. They put in seven kilometres of fencing to create the central enclosure in the middle of the prologue track and all the fencing along the main straight.
The third group is the subcontractors, Danny Orr particularly, who carried out the work the government had put up for tender. We got there.
It was a fantastic event. To give members a quick rundown on the outcome: King of the Desert was David Fellows, with navigator Tony Pinto - a local boy in his Jimco Buggy - with a time of 4h 2.26m. They beat the bikes well and truly again this year. Stephen Greenfield could only manage 4h 22.28m for the 470 km.
The Finke race is now a bit longer than it used to be because you have a new prologue track before and after you start the race proper. Therefore, you are looking at another 16 km or so on top of the full race.
Second in the cars were Shannon and Ian Rentsch from Warrnambool in Victoria, and our own Peter Kittle and Adam Ryan came third. For Peter to reconcentrate and go out there and do the job to get a third only days after his dad’s funeral was a fantastic effort,. The fourth placegetter in the buggies was very significant to the future of the event. This was Hilton Quinn, a USA driver who drives off-road in the USA. He was absolutely blown out by the event, which had all the terrain that he sees in the off-road events in America, all in the one race. He just could not believe the standard of the competition and the toughness of the terrain.
On the bikes, Gavin Chapman and Jamie Cunningham took second and third. We got 51 cars home out of 90, and about 250 bikes or quads would have got home. We lost a few, but that is the nature of the event.
A special mention of Mark Burrows, the outright winner 2002-03, who blew his engine 12 km from Alice Springs, which just shows you it can take down anyone in the race at any time. I know Mark will be back. He is a fantastic ambassador for our event and for off-road racing generally. He is a pleasure to have in the event and I certainly hope he will be back.
Antony Yoffa, the Chairman of the Finke Desert Race Committee, always does a brilliant job. He got down all right, I do not know whether he got back. I had to come up here to go to parliament, gentlemen.
I cannot wait for next year, the 30th running of the Finke Desert Race. It has a huge tradition behind it now. Let us get some of these Yanks out here and show them how to race. We will continue to develop the start/finish line and do other work around the track to make it safer and better as a competitive venue.
Madam SPEAKER: I congratulate the members for Goyder and Macdonnell. I guess it was a bit of a learning experience to find out how fast they actually did go. We will not mention the fact that it took you about eight hours compared to their four. We are very proud of you, and the fact that you got up and did it. Perhaps if I was 30 years young I might too. Let us hope you are there next year as well.
Darwin City Waterfront Project
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
The government has said that there are now three consortia left to be considered for the new waterfront development. When asked why the people could not see the three designs, I think the words used hinged on that over-worked phrase ‘commercial-in-confidence’. Why cannot the public at least look at the broad outlines of the design, so they can see what designs are being put forward, see if any of our natural or built environment will be disturbed, and - horror of horrors - even allow them to say which design they prefer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can assure the member for Nelson that, when we are developing the waterfront, there will be some disturbance of what is down there. That is a fact of life; we are building. We are changing what is currently an abandoned industrial site, which can be the gateway to Darwin when it is developed. I believe it is a very exciting thing that we are doing change.
We have gone through a process of calling for expressions of interest. We had three who came to the final round. Their bids were received in May. I remind the member for Nelson and others that this is $100m of government money for the convention and exhibition centre, and the rest is a private sector project. It is not simply a matter of the bits of the process. There are lots of aspects of this to do with risk, and where risk is transferred, to do with the financial aspect, and this is a very complex process. It is not actually something that you could say would be easily decided between the bidders.
It is commercial-in-confidence; that is a fact of life for this process. It is part public/private partnership and part private development. When the successful bidder is announced, then that process will be published. There will be a considerable public process, there will be consultation happening, and there will be lots of opportunity for comment.
In the interim, what those consortia have put to government is their intellectual property. That is how these projects run around the country, and that is the terms with which we go into this marketplace. It is a fair process. It is one that is exciting for the Territory. It is one that will produce, for $100m investment in the waterfront, a major project to recast the face of Darwin as it greets the water, and produce for Darwin a convention centre that will actually stimulate our tourism market. The flow-on from business is considerable.
It is an exciting project, and there will be full opportunity, as there has been, for the community to offer the consortia what they would like to see at that waterfront - some of the parameters, the importance of the environment, the public stake, the private stake. All those have been done very comprehensively and have gone to the consortia, and they are reflected in the bids.
It is a very exciting time for the Territory, and I certainly believe our community will look forward to the successful bidder being announced, probably in August, and having a full opportunity to make comment and talk with the successful consortia about the waterfront.
[Editor’s Note: Question Time ceased due to proposed motion of censure being moved.]
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016