2003-08-14
AustralAsia Railway – Secured Contracts
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
The Darwin to Alice Springs railway, which the CLP proudly delivered for Territorians, was left in your hands at the change of government. The first train is just five months away and, after two years, you have secured only one customer for our industrial park.
In the two years you have had, how many national and, importantly, international contracts has your government helped broker to ensure the railway is a success and achieves the CLP vision of an AustralAsia land/sea bridge into the Asia Pacific region?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question because, only at lunch time today, I was meeting with Michael Fox who is the General Manager of Property for Toll Holdings. They are our first tenants into the Business Park, which was only the commitment for $9m made by this government last December. A lot of work has taken place in the interim. That announcement was made today, and it is a great one for the Territory.
The announcement last December was $9m into the development of a Business Park - a significant commitment from government. Today’s announcement from Toll, Australia’s leading freight and logistics company with a long history of working in the Territory, is worth $17m over the next four years. The first stage of their building a consolidation and distribution facility - and it will be state of the art - is $6.5m. As Michael Fox said today: ‘We signed the contract with government at lunch time yesterday and we started work straight away’. That is on the first stage, which is $6.5m, and includes new cold storage facilities.
We were delighted to hear Toll say again that they are committed to local industry participation and growing local jobs. That is what we want to hear from companies who work in the Territory, that they are committed to local industry, local participation and local jobs.
I congratulate Toll on being the first tenant in the Business Park. They are a great Australian company. The money that was committed by this government last year is the first stage. Michael Fox talked about the opportunities for Toll here. As a company, they are committed to moving freight by rail, so theirs is a big commitment to the new rail project. They see those opportunities for moving goods into Asia now opened up because of the rail and the port.
I am pleased to stand here with this great new story for the Territory. We have heard a lot from the opposition this week, bagging opportunities and developments that have been strongly supported by our community. The only voice of dissent is our whingeing, whining, negative opposition.
I have never stood in here and denied that the railway project was put together under the previous government, and I have congratulated the Country Liberal Party, particularly making a point of the work that was done. I remind the Country Liberal Party that we supported the railway wholeheartedly. It had bipartisan support through those difficult days - let me remind the Opposition Leader - of the final negotiations and legislation. Do not try to pretend, opposition, to rewrite history.
You would expect the strong bipartisan support that Labor, in opposition, gave to the railway and the port development, would be there from the opposition with such a major development as our waterfront redevelopment and convention centre. But, no, not there at all. The anti-development opposition, the anti-development CLP, can only find negatives about a significant development for Darwin - local jobs, local businesses, support for tourism and new opportunities. What do we hear? Carping and bagging.
Considerable work has been done in Australia and overseas to promote the central trade corridor of rail and port, and that work will continue. We are working, through the Office of Territory Development, very closely with FreightLink and we will see those opportunities emerge. As the Opposition Leader knows only too well, they do emerge slowly. What we have to see is the new trade route operating, which is very critical for any business looking at the opportunities of a new trade link. They want to see it operating and we are working very closely with them.
We are talking about the opportunities in Darwin, the economic development that is happening here, and there is a lot of interest. There have been a lot of business people, both from Australia and Asia, visit Darwin to look at those opportunities. We will continue to work with them because, when the first train arrives here on 17 January next year, what it will be is the start of opportunities for the Territory. It is not the end point; it is the start of growing business, jobs and real economic growth for the Territory. I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I also thank some hard-working public servants, who were the ones who finalised this contract. They did the hard work with the contract with Toll, and will be continuing with the other businesses that want to set up in the Business Park. I thank the AustralAsian Trade Route Group task force, and the chair, Brian O’Gallagher, from the Office of Territory Development; from DIPE, we have Neville Jones and John Coleman, who both made an immense contribution; and from the Department of Justice, Alastair Shields. They did the work, and they will continue to do it.
Housing Affordability
Mr BONSON to TREASURER
The Commonwealth government has recently attacked state and territory governments, blaming them for the increasing cost in housing. Can the Treasurer please advise what impacts have the federal Liberal government’s own policies had on housing prices, and what policies has the Territory Labor government put into place to reduce tax on private home purchases?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for this question. It is quite clear that the recent criticism by the federal government of states’ and territories’ conveyancing duty on residential properties - especially first home buyers - are heading into that area to say that is what is making housing less affordable than it should be.
On the back of that criticism, they announced an inquiry into first home ownership, conducted by the Productivity Commission, to be completed by March 2004. That is no more than a thinly disguised vehicle to carry forward an attack on states and territories because, if they were fair dinkum they would have their inquiry, but they would also look at the impost of the goods and services tax and the effect that that has had on home affordability.
On the one hand, they want to claim credit for the $7000 first home owner grant scheme. In fact, it is the states and territories who thump up the money for that - in the case of the Northern Territory, $8m a year. Originally, to offset the impost of the GST, there was the first rollout of money from the GST for the states and territories. Once we have gone past the guaranteed minimum amount, as we have in the Northern Territory, we are on our own. We have to continue to find the $7000 first home owner grant, although it is a federal government policy, and a policy we support. However, we are not seeing the money for it now as we did at the outset.
However, at the stroke of a pen by the Coalition government, a 10% tax was applied to absolutely everything used in the construction of a house, where previously, building supplies and materials was an area of the industry that attracted very little by way of wholesale sales tax.
Our stamp duty, by contrast, is on a sliding scale. It hits a maximum of 5.4% at the top end of $500 000, and home buyers pay considerably under 5.4% anyway, due to the concessions that this government has made available. Therefore, it is the Commonwealth, not the Northern Territory, that has the hand in the pie when it comes to taxation on housing.
We promised, pre-election, to cut stamp duty on housing for first home buyers. We lifted the threshold from $80 000 to $125 000, the point at which stamp duty is payable. We delivered that to first home buyers in the 2002-03 budget. However, we went further. We introduced a stamp duty rebate of $1500 for any Territorian buying a home to live in, regardless of whether it was a first home for them, or whether they had owned a home here or interstate.
Since 20 August last year, when the changes were introduced, more than 1350 Territory families, to 30 June this year, have taken advantage of that principal place of residence rebate. That has saved more than $2m, money that can be spent in the shops and stores in the Northern Territory to furnish and set up that new home they have brought. The first home buyers concession has been taken up by over 900 people, a total saving to them on an average of $3400 on the purchase of their first home - in total, over $3m extra money circulating in the Territory economy than if no concession applied, and $1.2m more than that paid under the former government.
All of those concessions mean that the first home owner’s grant scheme in the Northern Territory saves home buyers some $13m a year. That is the reality of the Northern Territory. I say again, if the Commonwealth is fair dinkum about their Productivity Commission inquiry into this, be fair dinkum and put the effect of GST on home loan affordability into the picture as well.
Darwin City Waterfront Project – Environmental Impact Statement
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Yesterday, the Chief Minister told Territorians that a decision on a preferred bidder for the Stokes Hill Wharf tourism precinct development will be made in June 2004, yet she also told Territorians that the environmental impact statement process will begin next month and not be completed until July 2004. How can an environmental impact statement be undertaken when the preferred developer has not been chosen and the detailed plans not known? Further, how could you expect the development consortium to commit $600m in a development proposal in advance of them knowing whether the environmental impact statement would support their proposed concept?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the environment portfolio belongs to my colleague, the member for Johnston, so the question should be addressed to him.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston - you mean the Minister for the Environment and Heritage.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take this question, as environmental impact statements fall within my ministerial responsibility. To answer the question from the Leader of the Opposition, the environmental impact statement will look, basically, at what operations will have to be undertaken to prepare the site for the convention centre.
As the Leader of the Opposition would be aware, there have been quite a lot of industrial sites there. There could possibly even be some contamination from some of the industries that have been carried out. Furthermore, there are some heritage sites that need to be protected. Therefore, the environmental impact statement that is being spoken of is purely about what is required to prepare the site for the construction of the convention centre.
Darwin City Waterfront Project – Environmental Impact Statement
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
A supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I assume from the minister’s answer that a separate environmental impact statement process would, therefore, have to be conducted once the detailed plans of the development are received, approved and decided upon by government?
ANSWER
That is correct, Leader of the Opposition. That would be implicit in the tender that is accepted. All the tenderers would have to submit an environmental impact statement as part of their tender.
Housing Affordability
Mr KIELY to TREASURER
I was very interested in what you were saying about the government helping out first home buyers, particularly from my area. Can the Treasurer please advise the Assembly on how the Territory compares with the rest of Australia on housing affordability?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question and I am delighted to respond …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, would you cease for a minute. There is too much chatter from both sides, particularly that end of the Chamber - both sides.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, yesterday, in Question Time, I was talking about the buoyant state of the Northern Territory housing market. I am pleased to say, despite the increases in prices that we have seen over the last 12 months, housing affordability in the Northern Territory does remain the best in Australia.
House prices in Darwin have risen by 11.5% over the past five years to March; much of that increase in the last 12 months. In that five-year time frame, average weekly earnings have risen by 20% in the Territory, well in advance of house prices. Further, interest rates are at 30-year lows across the market. As a consequence, housing affordability in the Territory is the highest of any Australian state or territory, although coming down a little as a result of the increases in house prices over the last 12 months. However, the Territory is still definitely the place to be if you want to get in and own your own home.
All of that has been helped by the Territory government’s changes to stamp duty arrangements. The median house price in Darwin is $215 000, compared to $460 000 in Sydney, $347 000 in Melbourne, $265 000 each in Brisbane and Canberra. Only Perth, Adelaide and Hobart had lower prices than the Territory, according to the Real Estate Institute in March 2003. As a proportion of the median house price in each state capital, the Territory stamp duty for first home buyers is the second-lowest in the country, just behind Queensland. Further, home owners buying a second or subsequent principal place of residence in the Territory will pay the third lowest rate of stamp duty behind Queensland and Tasmania. No other jurisdiction offers these types of concessions.
The more concessions the government is able to offer, of course, the less the home buyer has to borrow from the bank, and that is why Northern Territory housing affordability remains the best in Australia. Information from the Real Estate Institute of Australia and AMP in the form of a graph clearly shows home affordability indicator for the March quarter 2003, with the Australian average on the far right in green, the lowest home affordability in New South Wales on the far left, and Northern Territory just ahead of ACT at the top of the tree. I table that graph for members’ information.
Darwin City Waterfront Project – Nature of Project
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Regarding the waterfront development, yesterday in parliament, and later by press release, your Chief Minister said:
- National advertisements will be placed in early September 2003 calling for expressions of interest to develop the waterfront site - including a convention and exhibition centre - as a build, own, operate and transfer back to taxpayers after 25 years.
Why has the government decided that the waterfront development will be a build, own, operate and transfer project? Was it a recommendation of the consultants, or a separate government decision? Can you explain the elements of such a build, own, operate, transfer scheme?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Opposition Leader has quite correctly said that the Chief Minister announced this development. I will ask the Chief Minister to explain to you all these questions you ask, for the simple reason that …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr VATSKALIS: I find it quite amazing that the Leader of the Opposition …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, are you going to transfer the question?
Mr VATSKALIS: Yes.
Madam SPEAKER: That is quite acceptable, you are able to do that.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the project is within the Office of Territory Development. That office is within the Department of Chief Minister. If the Opposition Leader had chosen, up until now - I believe a request has come through for a briefing. Well done! The briefing is from the Office of Territory Development, so you know where the question should be directed. It simply shows an ignorance and a lack of interest in this very important project.
Could I just make reference to the last three questions? Knock, knock, knock. That is all we are getting from the opposition about this project. The Leader of the Opposition said: ‘Oh, can you explain what a BOOT project is?’. What do you think the railway project is? That is a 50 year transfer; this is half of that. You know what the project is. You are simply trying to find more and more angles to knock what is such a significant project for the Territory. We heard on Tuesday how, once they had asked - I think it was nine - questions about it and each one negative with no support, they finally threw across the House: ‘Oh, and you have to be colluding with a developer’. No evidence, just more and more knocking of what is a significant and very important project. Yesterday, there was a burst of enthusiasm from right across our business community, leaving that lone and lonely voice of the opposition not supporting the project.
A BOOT project is a sensible way to approach this - a build, own, operate and transfer project. This is a piece of infrastructure, the convention and exhibition centre, that will make an immense contribution. A BOOT scheme is one of the ways of doing it. We believe - and we have looked at the railway project - on good advice, that this is the way to go, and 25 years ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: If the opposition would listen, we are talking about the convention and exhibition centre as a BOOT.
Mr Reed: That is not what you said yesterday.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine!
Ms MARTIN: It is absolutely what I said yesterday, but the cloth ears of the opposition do not listen.
We are talking about a BOOT scheme, used regularly around Australia. It is one thing that is encompassed in the projects we are talking about within public/private partnerships, a very accepted public/private partnership framework that, talking last week in Sydney to an infrastructure summit, was welcomed.
We are going to move forward in this process of building a convention and exhibition centre …
Mr Baldwin: Was it a recommendation of the report? That was the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly!
Ms MARTIN: … and the associated redevelopment of the wharf with accountability. It will be done carefully and professionally. We will have an independent probity auditor overseeing the whole project and, may I say, very akin to the railway project ...
Mr Baldwin: Was it the recommendation of the report?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, that is twice. You are on a warning!
Ms MARTIN: So, stop, opposition, who we supported on the railway project. We supported and trusted the public sector advice to carry this through properly, yet cynicism, scepticism and knocking is all we hear from this opposition. It is extraordinarily disappointing. We will have a successful project, despite the opposition.
Mr Baldwin: And we will watch the process.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, I need to give you a warning. If you have a question to ask, you know the process of asking it; not by interjection.
Mr BALDWIN: Yes, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Now, member for Arafura.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I think someone stole his lollies at lunch time.
Mr BALDWIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I do not think she can reflect on me in that way.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, withdraw that.
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: I have asked the member to withdraw. Enough! No further comments.
Information Act – Operation of
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The government’s landmark Information Act has been operating for six weeks. Can the minister please advise how many requests for information have been received since the commencement of the Information Act on 1 July 2003?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for this question, because it is a very important time for the Territory that this new set of rights for Territorians is now in action. The act commenced on 1 July this year following the detailed implementation work that was done across government agencies. Since then, we have had 43 requests for access to government information across 12 of our government agencies. Of these 43 requests, 19 relate to personal information and the remainder are inquiries about government information.
Under the provisions of the act, once a request has been accepted, agencies have 30 days to respond to applicants. All agencies are currently working within that time frame. To date, 12 requests have been finalised and closed, a further 14 are being processed, and 17 are being held pending further advice from the applicant. The latter category covers cases where details of the applicant or the content of the request need to be confirmed or clarified.
I take this opportunity to comment on a request that has been received from the opposition for disclosure of all the material prepared for the Estimates Committee hearings in June 2003. Like any other application, information will be released in accordance with the terms of the Information Act. As with all applications, assessments of estimates material is required on a document-by-document basis. That assessment will determine whether there is any information that should not be released in accordance with exemptions under the act, to protect public, private, Territory and commercial interests. The opposition has been advised that, given the volume of the information which needs to be analysed across a number of government agencies, delivery of the documents will require additional time, as allowed under the act.
The fee structure of the act has been established to ensure some of the costs of processing applications can be recovered, but that fees do not present a barrier to information access. Provision of personal information is, rightly, free of change. Other applications have an application fee of $30, and carry a processing charge of $25 per hour. These fees are in line with other jurisdictions. In cases where applicants are seeking specific information, these charges will be contained and very modest. However, the opposition’s request is extremely wide and would cost tens of thousands of dollars being spent, after they have had the longest ever Estimates Committee process in the Territory’s history.
There is an expectation that a request for government information be well thought out and targeted to obtain specific information …
Mr Elferink: So, we cannot get the information from you publicly and we cannot get it through your freedom of information legislation?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Macdonnell!
Dr TOYNE: The opposition’s approach is a salient lesson at this early stage of the operation of this act and, as I have been telling other Territorians, think very hard about your applications, put a bit of thought and work into it, and you will be able to get all the information you need with reasonably modest costs. The opposition has shown both laziness and lack of focus in what they are trying to do here, and they are on a fishing expedition. You will get your information, but it is going to cost you.
Mr Elferink: Good quote.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Macdonnell, you have been interrupting continually and I am sure a lot of us would like to have heard that answer.
Sentencing Decision in Criminal Matter
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
On behalf of yourself as member for Braitling, and myself, Attorney-General, as you would be aware, ATSIC, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister have made addressing domestic violence in Aboriginal communities a policy priority. In light of that fact, are you asking the Director of Public Prosecutions to see if there are grounds for appeal in the sentencing of Maningrida Council’s Shane Namanurki, who received a two-year suspended sentence for bashing his de facto who spent 11 days in hospital, had to have skin grafts and is now permanently disfigured?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for that question. Within the relationship that I have with the DPP - who, you will understand, is an independent appointment - yes, I am.
Alice Springs – New Housing Estate Development
Dr LIM to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
I hope this time the minister can answer the question. I refer you to an article in the Sunday Territorian of 20 April 2002, announcing a $210m housing estate containing 700 blocks of land in Alice Springs, near the Alice Springs Golf Club. The project promises to employ 300 people during each of the 10 years taken to complete the project’. Minister - you frown - can you advise the House of the discussions you have had with the developers; what is the current status of the development; and when can Territorians expect an announcement by your government that the project will commence?
ANSWER
I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. I find it curious that the government has to give a response for a private development. What he actually quotes from the newspaper is a proposal by a private developer in Alice Springs who came and saw us, spoke to us, put the plans for the development on the table, and it is up to him to develop it. It is not a government development …
Dr Lim: What is your response?
Mr VATSKALIS: It is not the government’s responsibility to sponsor or develop it. If the developer is genuine, he can put a submission to the DCA, and can then proceed with the development - nobody stops him - the same way as another developer in Alice Springs proposed to subdivide his land. He put it to the DCA, the DCA made a decision to put it to me to make a decision about it.
This government does not make deals with private developers. This government is not going to pay money to develop land for public developers. This government, believe it or not, in contrast to you, believes in private enterprise initiative. If the developer is genuine, he can always approach us with his development.
Australian Health Care Agreement Summit
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Would you please provide information to the House about the Australian Health Summit that you will attend in Canberra next week?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her very important question. This Sunday, I am joining an alliance of about 250 key health and consumer groups at the Australian Health Care Agreement summit. The summit is being chaired by the esteemed clinician, Professor John Dwyer, who is the National Public Hospitals Commission Task Force Chairman. It will involve 24 key health and community service organisations who are lobbying Health ministers around Australia about advancing reforms to Australia’s health system.
The summit will be looking at the things which we have been looking at as health ministers over the past 18 months, particularly what sort of national health system do Australians want, need and support, and can we afford it? This is very closely linked with the Australian Health Care Agreement which we are currently negotiating with the Australian government. One of the things which has been really concerning us is that the federal government has, in fact, said to all states and territories that they are not really willing to negotiate: ‘This is the offer, you take it. If you do not take it, there are going to be huge penalties for the Territory and other states’.
In the media in Victoria today, there was a suggestion that the Victorian government had signed the agreement. I advise the House that this is entirely untrue. We have contacted the minister for Health in Victoria and she has put out various statements today indicating that this is completely untrue. I can assure members of this House that this government, together with all other Australian governments of every state and territory, are committed to continue to attempt to negotiate a better deal - in this case for all Territorians.
I understand that the Council of Australian Governments, which is meeting on 29 August and which the Chief Minister will be attending, will also be calling on the Prime Minister to look at this whole situation. What we are being offered in the Northern Territory is not an acceptable deal; it is one which will mean a backward step for all Territorians. This particular offer means $16m less for Territorians than if we had been looking at the current agreement.
I hope all members in this Chamber will be supporting me in going to this summit, and attempting to get a better deal for all Territorians in our health care agreement.
Alice Springs – Larapinta Stage 4 Residential Land Release
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Alice Springs is strangled by the lack of residential allotments. Larapinta Stage 4 would help alleviate this problem. The Minister for Central Australia promised the real estate industry that the lots would be turned off by Christmas 2002. That did not happen. The revised dates since then have been April 2003 - nothing has happened; July 2003 - nothing has happened; Christmas 2003 - nothing looks like happening; and recently you let it slip that the deal was in trouble. When will this problem be fixed, and how much will the blocks cost when the problem is finally fixed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the only thing I will agree with the member for Macdonnell is that Alice Springs lacks land available for building houses. Everything else is a figment of his imagination. My colleague never stated it was going to be released in Christmas 2002. I do not even recall that one. We never said it was going to be released in 2003. We have always maintained that the blocks will be released early in 2004.
For your information, the engineering report is nearly completed, and the only thing remaining to be resolved are two issues with sites of significance. This is going to be released very soon. As to the information that I said it is not going to happen, that is absolutely rubbish! Everybody here knows where this information, or misinformation, comes from.
Alice Springs – Larapinta Stage 4 Residential Land Release
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
A supplementary question, Madam Speaker. The question was how much will the blocks cost, as well.
Madam SPEAKER: I will allow the question to be re-asked.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the price of the blocks will depend upon the final number of blocks. Pick a price, any price. How much do you want your block to cost? You tell us. Until we find out the number of blocks, you cannot put a price on them. How much would it cost in any development? Unless you do your costing, and until you know the number of blocks, you cannot put a price on them.
Tourism Sector - Recovery
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for TOURISM
We are all aware of the challenges that are being faced by the tourism industry, not just in the Northern Territory but throughout Australia and, indeed, globally. Can the minister please advise the House of any indications of recovery in the Territory tourism sector, and what prospects are there for job growth in the industry?
ANSWER
I thank the member for his question. There is no doubt that the tourism industry has been doing it tough over the last couple of years. However, I believe there are very positive signs of growth within the tourism industry. Underlying that, the return of airline capacity into the Territory is fundamental. As members in this House would be aware, this government has been working very hard in that regard. In fact, we promised that we would entice Virgin Blue into the Territory before the election, and that has occurred.
Now, domestic airline capacity into the Territory is equal to that of pre-11 September and the collapse of Ansett. In fact, over the last year there has been a 14% to 15% increase in domestic airline capacity into the Northern Territory. Having said that, we would still like to see more domestic capacity into the Territory, and we are working very hard to get Virgin Blue to put on a service between Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. That is a crucial route that needs more competition on it.
Internationally, I am in close contact with our Aviation Development Director, who is working very hard and met with quite a number of international airline companies, and there are some positive signs there. In increased international arrivals into Australia, because most of our tourists are international, unfortunately, those numbers are still down. However, there have been pleasing signs of recovery from the UK market of between 7% and 8%. The signs are there, and we are well poised in terms of our international marketing campaign.
I believe our domestic campaign is biding well, and I have had very positive feedback from people interstate, from the industry. I am told that forward bookings are very, very strong, although one has to remember that patterns of booking have changed over the past two years, where people tend to book much later for a holiday than they did historically. These are important signs. I am getting feedback from the industry, particularly in relation to what is called the self-drive market and the caravan market, that right up and down the highway it is very strong. In car rentals, the advice I have is that the cars are all booked out, similarly with accommodation. We want to see an extension into the shoulder season, and that is why we are extending our ad campaign into that. We are very hopeful of that occurring.
Of course, it is being talked about here today in negative fashion, but the convention centre will add quite a lot, particularly to the Top End, to Darwin, in terms of 1500 delegates. It is going to add about 69 events to our calendar, and pump about $10m extra into the Darwin economy. In employment, tourism is the largest employer in the Territory. There has been a report put out, the Drake quarterly employment forecast, of an anticipated growth of 9.5% in the hospitality industry. So, whilst times have been hard, I believe there are real signs of growth. I believe the Territory tourism industry over the next 12 months will see substantial growth.
Madam SPEAKER: I have to admit, minister, I am surprised you did not comment on the international flights from Japan now operating into Alice Springs that commenced last week.
Dr BURNS: Oh, that is coming up, Madam Speaker.
Alice Springs – Larapinta Stage 4 Residential Land Release
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Now that the minister has given a cast iron commitment that Larapinta Stage 4 will be turned off by early 2004, will the minister state that he will move to acquire the land if that deal is not achieved by that time?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is a very interesting hypothetical question. No, the government is not going to acquire the land for the simple reason that last night I had a discussion with the Chairman of the Central Land Council who works with the Lhere Artepe people. I asked him how they think it is progressing. He assured me it was progressing very well, and very soon we are going to get a result. The reality is we have a signed agreement that they are going to develop their half of the deal, and we are going to develop our half of the deal. This is going to happen, so there is no need to acquire land in Alice Springs.
Charter Flights from Japan into Central Australia
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for TOURISM
Madam Speaker, I know this question is dear to your heart - the arrival of charter flights from Japan into Central Australia. Indeed, it is very good news for our tourism industry. Minister, can you please inform the House about the success of this venture, and the economic benefits it has brought to the Central Australian region?
Madam SPEAKER: I apologise, minister. I could not help my enthusiasm.
ANSWER
That is all right, Madam Speaker. You foreshadowed a very important issue. We have had three charters, and they have been through the very hard work of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, Mr Richard Doyle in particular, and I commend their efforts.
As most members would know, over the last week there have been three charters from Japan arrive into Central Australia - 737s each carrying about 220 people. All but one of those charters was completely full. I believe the one that was not full only had about five empty seats. The Japanese wholesalers are very happy about it, and already they are talking about further charters into Central Australia.
The Northern Territory Tourist Commission contributed $100 000 for cooperative marketing for these flights. The Australian Tourism Commission also put in $100 000, a Japanese wholesaler, HIS, put in $14 000, and Kintetsu, who are the main wholesaler, contributed $312 500 to the cooperative marketing. Once again, I mention the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, where staff undertook a familiarisation visit with the Managing Director of Kintetsu, who visited the Northern Territory earlier this year. They took him to Uluru and other places.
Most of the people who came to Central Australia in the charter have had three nights in Central Australia. Some of them spent one night in Alice, one night in Uluru and the other night in Kings Canyon, and there are many different permutations and combinations of that. I am sure they are going to go back and tell their friends and family back in Japan what a fantastic destination it is. At a monetary level, it is estimated these visitors injected over $1.2m into the Central Australian economy.
These charters are very important. I had the opportunity to meet with senior Qantas executives last night. Not only did I suggest to them that we put on a few extra flights from Singapore to Darwin, I also suggested that these charters are certainly the way to go, because it is Qantas planes that are really running the charters. I believe this has been very successful; it is the way of the future. The Japanese market is very important for us, and I look forward to developing that market further.
Fatalities on NT Roads
Mr DUNHAM to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Today’s front page of the NT News informs us of yet another road fatality, bringing us inexorably towards the worst road toll ever. Minister, your single-minded objective of reducing speed has garnered an enormous amount of revenue. Ironically, as speed comes down, as you claim, the road toll climbs. When will you put some of the enormous cash reserves from speeding into effective strategies to reduce the Territory’s road toll?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for his question. However, as he probably realises, the accident happened on a straight stretch of a road that has no speed limit. We do have an increasing number of fatalities, I agree. It is very sad. As a matter of fact, we had 32 fatalities this year, six up from last year. Of the fatalities, 26% were Aboriginal people and 10% overseas visitors. What are we doing about it? We have now erected signs in Alice Springs in foreign languages: Italian, German, Japanese and Aboriginal. I also instructed my department to put these foreign language signs in Adelaide River and on the Arnhem Highway to prevent further deaths and accidents of overseas tourists.
Interstate visitors were about 16% of fatalities, and 80 fatalities, or 58%, among non-Aboriginal Northern Territory residents. Of all those accidents, only 15% were alcohol-related, and speed was one of the less significant issues. The police are still investigating what caused the fatal accident yesterday on the Victoria Highway. I cannot comment on that, but the reality is that we have a very high rate of fatalities. It concerns me. We will do everything possible to reduce fatalities, but the reality also is that we have an extensive network that is not bituminised. That is sometimes a key factor, especially if people move very quickly on these roads if they are not in 4-wheel drive mode.
My department, together with the Road Safety Council and the police, will be working very closely in order to reduce the fatalities. The multilingual signs are one example of that. We will produce more and, if necessary, as I said before, we are prepared to introduce speed limits in areas where we have seen a significant number of fatalities. Lasseter Highway was a good example, and we have now seen a significant reduction in fatalities and the severity of trauma in accidents on Lasseter Highway.
Lake Bennett – Water Licences
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Yesterday, in response to a question about Lake Bennett, you said that the conditions of the new water licence for Lake Bennett could not be released to a third party. I have a copy of the water licence, which was made available in the tender documents for the sale of the resort. Why did you say the conditions of the water licence were not available to a third party, when I can receive one in a public tender document; and why should not the details of the water licence be available to a third party or the public?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I specifically referred to a particular licence issued to an individual businessman. We did not have the approval of that person, because this lies between the government and the individual. However, my advice this morning was that copies of this licence can be obtained under the freedom of information legislation because it is not commercial. I am happy to provide the licence to the member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: I already have one.
Mr VATSKALIS: No, you have the letter from Halliburton; that is not the licence. The licence is a special licence, with 12 specific conditions, that specify exactly what you are allowed to have and what you are not. This licence is issued to a specific business. I am prepared to hand you this licence with all the conditions.
Telstra and Northern Territory Government Small Business Awards
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Would the minister please advise on the outcomes of the recent Telstra and Northern Territory government Small Business Awards process?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. I take the opportunity today to say good luck to the Territory small business entrants in the Telstra National Small Business Awards, which will be held in Melbourne tomorrow night. To the management and staff of Overell Aircraft Maintenance, Morgan Buckley Solicitors and Walkabout Australia, I am sure that each and every member of this Assembly would wish those Territory small businesses all the best in the awards.
The Telstra and Northern Territory government Small Business Awards were presented in Darwin on Tuesday 22 July at the MGM Grand, in front of a record audience. I take this opportunity to congratulate Telstra on their ongoing national support and sponsorship of these awards. It really is a credit to their organisation, in a fine public company in Australia - and long will they stay majority publicly-owned, I hope - putting something back to small business across this great nation.
Once again, the government had no hesitation in agreeing to become the partner sponsor of the Northern Territory awards, because we do appreciate the important role that these awards have amongst our business community and, very importantly, promoting excellence in business management, which will allow our companies to compete, not only locally, but nationally and internationally.
I take a moment to provide details of the entrants in this year’s competition. Firstly, the winners. Walkabout Australia is the winner of the Commonwealth government Micro Business Award. Walkabout Australia is an Alice Springs-based business, promoting and selling indigenous arts and crafts. Since 1988, more than 30 Aboriginal artists have been designing and hand-painting jewellery, pottery and clothing, with the range recently expanding to include artwork and children’s wear.
This year, Walkabout Australia will launch its international marketing campaign. That is fantastic, for an indigenous business in Alice Springs. Again, I am sure we would all encourage that business and give them every amount of support that we can; it is vital. This afternoon, we will be debating the government’s Indigenous Arts Strategy. We are the first government in Australia to actually have an international arts development strategy and putting money towards that. It is becoming more and more an important part of our regional economy. It offers economic opportunity to indigenous people in all corners of the Northern Territory, and it is great to see this company, Walkabout Australia, leading the way.
Morgan Buckley lawyers are the winners of the Panasonic Australia Business Award. Morgan Buckley, a company that any of us who have been in the Territory for any time would know, has been a strong representative in our legal community. The company was formed in 1987 when two husband and wife teams merged, and they now employ 38 people. To Morgan Buckley, again, good luck tomorrow night.
Overell Aircraft Maintenance is the winner of the MYOB Business Award and the 2003 Telstra and Northern Territory Small Business Award - a fantastic achievement. Overell Aircraft Maintenance is based at Darwin International Airport. They provide maintenance services to over 50 clients, including light aircraft. They have the capacity to provide maintenance to aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 737. They employ 15 staff at the airport. It is a magnificent achievement for a Darwin company based at the airport to win the Northern Territory award and be competing on the national stage …
Ms Martin: Four years in operation.
Mr HENDERSON: Four years in operation, as the Chief Minister says - a magnificent achievement and I am sure they will do very well tomorrow night.
I would also like to acknowledge the firms who took the time and put in the effort to enter the 2003 NT awards. In the Commonwealth government Micro Business Award, Beancounter Enterprises; EcOz Environmental Services - a company which is going from strength to strength and has more work than they can possibly handle at the moment; Hanson Training Services; Helen Summers Optometrist; and Millecom all participated as finalists. In the MYOB Business Award, H2O Trade Centre and Medical Equipment Management were finalists. In the Panasonic Australia Business Award, Northern Air Charter and Rooney Shipping and Trading were also finalists.
To those companies who nominated, congratulations. From talking to companies who nominate for these types of awards, it really gives them an opportunity to focus in on their business, to understand and help further refine and develop their business plans in promoting excellence, and understanding where their competitive advantage lies. It takes time, but I am sure that it has very beneficial returns to these businesses.
Madam Speaker, on behalf of all members of this House, I wish those businesses best of luck for tomorrow night.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mataranka Better Half Club – Lease of Land
Mr BALDWIN to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Minister, the Mataranka Better Half Club was offered a block of land with a Crown lease in perpetuity title to build a non-denominational church. After consultation with the Northern Land Council, your government then changed this to a 50-year lease to satisfy native title concerns. That offer was accepted this year, albeit with some misgivings from the Better Half Club. Can you explain why you have now revised the offer, yet again, and cut that offer to only a 25-year lease?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as the member mentioned, there was a negotiation with the Northern Land Council. Instead of acquiring the native title interest, there was a negotiated lease for 50 years. However, one of the things that the member has to remember is that a minister does not sign or process the leases, they are processed by the department. I am not aware of the change, but I will find out and come back to you with this information. I will give you the reasons behind why it changed from 50 years to 25 years.
Lake Bennett – Geotechnical Report on Dam
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
The Ombudsman’s report on the issuing of licences for Lake Bennett shows that, after five years from 1997 to 2002, no geotechnical report for the dam wall was ever received by your department. The Ombudsman does say that the CEO of DIPE had advised that a new licence was issued on 26 September 2002 to the current owner of the Lake Bennett Resort, following a satisfactory geotechnical report on the embankment. Which company supplied the geotechnical report which your department said was satisfactory for the issuing of a new licence?
ANSWER
Regarding Lake Bennett, it has been specified very clearly that the condition of the new licence to the new owner requires a geotechnical report by 30 August 2007, and again by 30 August 2012. The department has received a letter from Halliburton KBR, signed by Brian Colless, that the member for Nelson presented yesterday. The person who performed the visual inspection investigation states in the letter that the earth mound, or dump, was constructed in the 1970s and late 1980s. It has been subject to some extreme weather; namely, record Wet seasons and deluge from tropical cyclones and rain depressions. It has withstood these events without any problems. It appears to be quite sound and, as I stated previously, in a state of good repair. Obviously, the department refers to this letter and, while this might not be a geotechnical report as referred, Halliburton is a reputable firm; they would not produce this kind of letter unless they were satisfied with the condition of the dam.
Crime Prevention Projects – Access by the Community
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The government is committed to working in partnership with communities on crime prevention. Can the minister please advise the House how the community can access funding for crime prevention projects?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. The next round of the $400 000 a year crime prevention grant scheme will close on Friday, 22 August. I would urge members to encourage community groups in their various electorates to make sure they put ideas in for this round of grants.
Previous applications funded have covered a wide range of crime prevention projects, including: the restorative justice program being run by Territory schools for youth at risk; a diversionary training program at Paradale community outstation, which services small communities around Peppimenarti; extended Night Patrol services; a multicultural council to address the use of alcohol and other drugs within the Darwin ethnic communities; Tennant Creek Town Council for lighting in Patterson Street and Haddock Park; Palmerston City Council for the development of the Palmerston/Litchfield Regional Community Safety Plan; Palmerston High School and Nakara Primary School, for projects to discourage crime by erecting stronger security and safety lighting and signs; and for some of our regional crime prevention councils to develop crime prevention and youth safety strategies.
These show the broad range of projects being worked on at the community level across the Territory. These are a very important resource for the emerging network of crime prevention groups throughout the Northern Territory, both in our remote regions and our main urban centres. In tandem with the announcement this week by the Police minister of the substantial new resources going into our police force, and the revival of the capacity of our police to play their front line role in crime prevention, the continued roll-out of these initiatives brought forward by the community throughout the Territory is going to give us a powerful two-pronged attack on the levels of criminal behaviour.
Of particular interest to us is pests and antisocial behaviour, so I will make sure that a copy of one of these grants goes to ‘Mr Bugger-off’ of Coconut Grove.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper. I am sure honourable members would be pleased that there have been 21 questions in Question Time today. That must be something close to a record.
Mr Stirling: 56 questions this week - unheard of. It would have taken us three sittings to get 56 questions …
Mr Dunham: Yes, 56 questions, no answers. Spit it out, big guys.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Drysdale. Before we go on I believe the Minister for Environment and Heritage has some supplementary information he wishes to give.
SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER
Darwin City Waterfront Project – Environmental Impact Statement
Darwin City Waterfront Project – Environmental Impact Statement
Dr BURNS (Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, on the question I answered about an EIS in relation to the Darwin City Waterfront Project, I would like to clarify the following issues that will be identified by the EIS process that I mentioned, that may have an effect on the bids. These will be progressively provided to the bidders and taken into account as they frame their proposals.
One EIS process will be required, as the EIS that is going to be done will be broad enough to cover the range of proposals that we are likely to receive. An environmental management plan that comes out of that will be novated to the successful developer and will be part of the final negotiations between June and December 2004.
Detailed investigation into remediation issues will identify the work that the government will do to prepare the site - again between June and December 2004,.
Mr Reed: So you have completely messed it up.
Mr Henderson: Get behind it, guys! You are anti-development.
Mr Reed: You lot are not talking to each other about this project.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: Read the Hansard.
Mr Reed: Well, we cannot believe your answers.
Mr Henderson: Do you support the convention centre on the wharf, or not?
Mr Baldwin: Absolutely.
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: No inconsistency, just detail.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! That is enough. You have had your fun. We will continue with Government Business.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016