2002-10-10
Falconio Investigation
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Minister, police are expected to charge a man with murder over the disappearance of British tourist, Peter Falconio. I take the opportunity to congratulate the police for their exhaustive efforts in bringing this case to a close. However, minister, should the charges be laid, what are the prospects of this case going before the Territory courts before the man appears before South Australia’s courts on other charges? Is there any possibility that this man will not come to trial in the Territory for many years, that is, after he serves any sentence imposed by a South Australian court should he be convicted there?
ANSWER
I have some information in relation to the Falconio matter. It is a matter we have to treat with a degree of caution. The information relating to the jurisdictional questions that the Leader of the Opposition has referred to would be better placed with the Minister for Justice, but I will give the Leader of the Opposition the information I have and if he is happy, the Minister for Justice may take up the inter-jurisdictional matters.
Last night, Northern Territory police advised that, based on information provided by the South Australian police regarding the DNA of the person who is being held in custody in South Australia for some time, they were unable to exclude that person from the Falconio investigation.
Whilst we would welcome that latest development as a significant breakthrough - certainly the police and, indeed, the entire Northern Territory community - we do have to be careful and cautious in any statements that are being made about it.
I have been advised that Territory detectives have travelled interstate to investigate the matter further. They are particularly interested in the activities and movements of this person in and around the time of July last year. The police have advised that they are hopeful of issuing a warrant for the arrest of the person in the near future, and they advise that the warrant will be for the charge of murder.
It has been a long running investigation, certainly not a sprint, not even a middle distance. We said, as it unfolded, that it is a marathon. It is critical that all steps taken right throughout this investigation, and from here to whatever else develops in the future, need to be taken very carefully to ensure that there is no adverse impact on any potential judicial proceeding.
I join the Leader of the Opposition in congratulating the Northern Territory police on their efforts. It is a case that has attracted national and international publicity and media interest, and the police have had to conduct their work under the close scrutiny of that national and international media. I believe they have performed admirably and with immense professionalism. I would also like to thank interstate police for their cooperation, support and assistance in this matter over the last 12 months, including the cooperation we received from New South Wales earlier this year. I expect that support will be ongoing. Throughout the investigation, the public have continued to provide a wealth of useful information to the police and I am sure that will continue.
In relation to that other matter, if the Leader of the Opposition so wishes and the Minister for Justice is happy to take it, I would ask him to conclude the answer
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I can inform the Leader of the Opposition that what will happen in the event that charges are laid in this case by our police service, the provisions of the Commonwealth Service and Execution of Process Act then come into play. It allows our police to go and execute a warrant of arrest in South Australia on this person.
They then would apply to a South Australian court for an extradition order to bring that person here to face our courts. At this stage, although it is still preliminary as to the whether we have the basis for laying the charges, our Director of Public Prosecutions and his counterpart in South Australia are discussing the matter as to what position they are going to take on it.
Employment Statistics
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, employment figures were released today. What do these figures say about employment in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question for the Territory because jobs and jobs growth is a key focus of this government and, quite properly, a key focus of any government. One of the things we deal with in the Territory constantly is the volatility of labour force figures and, because of our small numbers, those figures can be extremely volatile.
Looking at today’s release from the ABS, September figures show that our unemployment rate was 4%, and that is down from 7.6% in August 2001. This is the lowest rate in Australia. Only a year ago, we were up above the national average; we are now down at the lowest in Australia. If you also look at that, we can do a comparison with where we were, another detail of that, showing that 12 months ago it was high and is now down at the lowest level in Australia. I put that together with the fact that there is volatility in the market and always volatility in our figures but, for Territorians, excellent news that our unemployment rate is at 4%.
Over the past 12 months, our employment has increased by 1800 to 98 900 in trend terms. If you look at those 12 months, that represents 150 jobs a month. If we want to do a comparison, under the previous Chief Minister there were 63 jobs a month. So 150 jobs a month over the last year and 63 a month for the previous Chief Minister.
Mr Burke: We did not have a railway then, for starters. What have you done in the last 12 months? What have you actually done besides taxing people?
Ms MARTIN: I pick up the interjection from the Opposition Leader. Of course the railway has played an important part in that, and we welcome the railway. How many times have I stood in here and recognised the work done by the previous government to get that railway project complete? We congratulate you.
Mr Burke interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: When we look at the 860 people who are employed in the Northern Territory because of the railway, 860 people with jobs, some of those Territorians …
Mr Burke interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, Order!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, with the railway project, 860 people employed on that, some of those Territorians who probably have the best job in their life and are developing skills for future jobs in more regional parts of the Territory.
The budget this year put in place a number of measures to support business and construction, including cuts to stamp duty and to franchises. I especially make mention of the new principal place of residence rebate. It is all very well for the Opposition Leader to say: ‘We did it all’. What a load of rubbish! Good initiatives from this government, certainly when it comes to the residential construction market.
Mr Burke interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Major cuts in stamp duty, both for first home owners and every single Territorian to get a stamp duty cut because of our principal place of residence.
Mr Burke interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Look around the Darwin skyline. Look to the sceptical opposition who just want to bag the Territory, who want to pull down business confidence. Look at what is happening in our skyline: We have the Mitchell Centre, the TIO Building, and we’ve got Chinatown soon with new unit developments …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: If the opposition took the …
Mr Burke interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your interjections have been too many.
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale, I am speaking.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, it is sad to hear such a churlish attitude from the opposition. It is churlish, whingeing and negative. In a community like ours, business confidence is important to be supported. If business looks to what this government is doing, what is happening in our CBD and the confidence of business like Hastings Deering, a major development happening close to your electorate, Opposition Leader. Hastings Deering have been in the Territory for 50 years making a real statement of confidence in the Territory, and I congratulate them for the building that is starting now on Wishart Road and should be completed by March next year.
So, business showing confidence in the Territory. Again, if the look at the NT Business Review today, BIS Shrapnel strongly supporting growth in the Territory’s housing market. Headlines: NT Housing Industry to Boom, in a counter-cyclical way from the rest of Australia. Again, supported by this government, are important changes to stamp duty, both for first home owners and for the principal place of residence, welcomed by the Real Estate Institute nationally and in the Territory. So to hear the opposition say: ‘Well, what have you done?’ - a lot! Today’s figures show that we are on target.
NT Police – Remote Station Funding
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Minister, according to the figures that you released to me this morning, funding for all bush stations in the NT is 10.7% less than the amount actually spent last year. Minister, you have explained this cut as being caused by fluctuations in expenditure on a station-for-station basis, and that you are holding some money in reserve. How much money is actually being reserved for bush stations? Isn’t withholding of monies simply a measure to pressure police stations in the bush to spend less?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I can assure him in relation to the assertion in the last part of the question, nothing could be further from the truth. It would be always the case that prudent management would hold some money back for those unexpected urgent matters that have to be attended to. It is no good saying: ‘Sorry guys, we cannot fix it because you have used up all of your money’. That is simply not going to get the station or the officers across the line. I would have thought that would be the case, a quite common scenario, that management would hold back. It is no different in the global sense, I suppose, of government holding a set amount in Treasurer’s Advance for those unexpected, untoward, expensive things that have to be fixed.
Mr Elferink: How much is in reserve?
Mr STIRLING: I do not have the answer to the question of just how much is held back. I will seek further information and, hopefully, by the end of Question Time, I will have an answer for you. However, I would have thought that, far from the terminology you used, it is prudent and proper management.
Territory Discoveries – Future
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for TOURISM
Minister, as part of the development of the Tourism Industry Five Year Strategic Plan 2003-07, two options for the future of Territory Discoveries were explored. Has a decision been made yet on the future of Territory Discoveries?
Mr Dunham: Good question, Mattie.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a good question and, indeed, it is a very good answer. The government is definitely going to be keeping Territory Discoveries, and we will be building on its capabilities. We will be restructuring the financial arrangements of Territory Discoveries to be more transparent, and to clear up the tangled web of inefficient intricacies in its financials between the Tourist Commission, Treasury, and its customers. It really is quite a mess. However, it is onwards and upwards for Territory Discoveries, and this decision has come about as a result of extensive …
Ms Carney: Of the petitions, a result of the petitions.
Mr HENDERSON: I will get to the member for Araluen in a minute, Madam Speaker. Extensive consultations through the strategic review process. It has been a difficult time for the tourism industry. It certainly is a different global picture in which we operate now than we were 12 to 14 months ago.
We have received 75 written submissions, and we have had hundreds of operators attend forums up and down the track. I would like to pay tribute and thank everybody who has taken the time to put submissions into the whole strategic review process. Out of that review, we have paid detailed attention to the priority issues.
We could not have conducted this review with any degree of transparency at all without considering the future of Territory Discoveries, the wholesale arm for operators in the tourism industry. We went out and consulted with operators, and also wholesalers, seeking responses, innovations and ideas about how we can best meet the needs of tourism operators in the Northern Territory. That was done in an open and transparent way, a genuine requirement to explore all options.
However, whilst that process was going on, we had the shadow minister for tourism - and she is developing a bit of a track record here - whilst we are trying to be open and transparent with the industry and putting options on the table, she was basically running a line that we were going to kill off Territory Discoveries, that a decision had already been made that this was all part of a scare campaign …
Ms Carney: I wonder why the industry organised a petition to you, minister. Oh, they must have just made it up.
Mr HENDERSON: Here we go again. Three press releases and I will quote from them. 20 June 2002: ‘Government is planning more cuts to tourism’, and I quote:
- Now in its sights are the Holiday Centre in the prime location of Darling Harbour and Territory Discoveries.
Again, on 27 June 2002: ‘… Government plans to sell off the NTTC’s Territory Discoveries …’. Likewise on 14 August: ‘… its plans to sell off Territory Discoveries’.
Ms Carney You are becoming too predictable, minister! Surprise me!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Araluen, order!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the shadow spokesman for Tourism has not once got it right in terms of any other pronunciations that she has made.
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: She has been running out deliberately misleading and scaremongering operators in the tourism industry whilst we were running an open and public review to try and position the industry as best we possibly can, but all we have had is misleading and scaremongering from the member opposite and it gives her no credibility whatsoever.
First of all we had the running up and down the track with the lines that we were going to cut funds to the Regional Tourism Associations.
Mr Dunham: Yep. You were.
Mr HENDERSON: Has not happened - it is not a case of it has not worked, it did not happen. You fly a kite and pull it down. There has been not one constructive suggestion from the member for Araluen. At a time when the industry has been struggling all she has been doing is knocking the efforts of the Tourist Commission, of operators trying to keep this industry afloat in tough times, and worst of all, if she had any credibility at all, this is a public process, this strategic review, no submission from the member for Araluen at all apart from knock, knock, whinge, whinge and misleading Territorians.
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister has answered the question and he is now continuing on a personal diatribe.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I think the minister was responding to interjections.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the strategic review is on track, the new five-year plan for the industry is due to be delivered in mid-November this year. I thank all of the operators in the industry who have taken the time to put constructive input into this process, as opposed to the destructive comments from the member opposite. We will continue to work with the industry to build this vital industry for the future of the Northern Territory.
Justices of the Peace – Court Work
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Recently, I have heard there are moves to stop JPs from operating in the courts. Could you please tell the House whether there has been any such move, who is behind the move and why do they want JPs out of the system? Keeping in mind that JPs work for much less than magistrates and therefore save the government money, could the minister say whether he supports the use of JPs in the courts?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am glad the member for Nelson asked that question because I can put on the public record our continued and unqualified support for the Justice of the Peace structure in our justice system. It is a very valued part of our court process and other justice processes. Not only are these people very respected citizens and acknowledged as such through being awarded the office of Justice of the Peace, but they are a very important entry point to our formal processes of justice.
We will be continuing the support of Justices of the Peace. I have met with Charlie Parrott, the President of the Justices Association, and I have assured him directly of our continued support. We have been very happy to fund them to go to the national conference that has occurred since I became Attorney-General.
What I will say is that we want to work to expand the representation of JPs in different parts of the Northern Territory community. I would like to see some indigenous Justices of the Peace. I would like to see some drawn from the ethnic parts of our community so it is truly representative of the way the Northern Territory population is as a multicultural community. But I can absolutely assure you of our continued support.
Capital Works Program - Education
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Can the minister inform the House on the progress of the 2002-03 capital works program for education?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question, because there was a difficult fiscal situation when we came in and a difficult time in which to frame this budget. We put education right at the top in terms of dollars and our commitment to it. There are six items on the 2002-03 capital works program, over $12m, plus one revote project which will bring the total to over $13m.
Remote schools provision: $3m allocated to upgrade remote schools, including Maningrida, Papunya, Milyakburra and homeland centres in the Alwyawara and Amatjere cluster. Those projects are to be at the design and readiness stage by March 2003.
Minyerri School, there is provision for new library, classroom, storage and toilets, cost approximately $340 000, and the design and documentation for that project to be at readiness stage for tender by March 2003. Completion target date: December 2003.
The Alice Springs High School, one that we inherited which should have been adjusted and seen to by our predecessors, to upgrade the airconditioning stage two. We have already done stage one. Estimated at $1.26m, stage one completed May 2002. The majority of the work for stage two, because it is a working school, has to be carried out during the 2002 Christmas break to minimise disruption with a final completion target date of April 2003.
Parap Primary School stage one, estimate $2.24m. Design and documentation work has already been completed. The project is ready to go to tender this month with a completion target date of June 2003.
Nhulunbuy High School, a new multi-purpose hall estimated at $2.1m. Design and documentation progress with contract target date of November-December 2002. That is on track. That was the commitment that was made. Anticipated completion date around September 2003.
The Mitchell Centre: relocation and consolidation of the DEET Darwin-based staff into the new accommodation, around $3.75m. The building is on target to be completed in April 2003, DEET staff to relocate during May and June next year.
Leanyer Primary School, a revote project of $1.24m. Upgrade existing administration, library and student support areas. The contract target date is October 2002, this very month, and a target completion date of March 2003.
Projects funded under the non-government capital assisted grant schemes will progress based on acceptance and signing of funding deeds. I am pleased to be able to provide the House with updated information as these projects work through the design and documentation stage, out to tender and contract letting stage. I will continue to advise the House of progress as they come to completion.
NT Holiday and Information Centre - Darling Harbour, Sydney
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for TOURISM
Minister, on 20 June in this place I asked whether it was true that the Holiday and Information Centre at Darling Harbour was facing closure, and at the time you accused me of having it all wrong and spreading rumours. You said that Darling Harbour was part of the strategic review and that you would not pre-empt the review.
Minister, as you are aware, the closing date for submissions for that review was the 4 October. On that same day, the Tourist Commission announced that the Holiday and Information Centre at Darling Harbour would be closed. Minister, why did you mislead parliament when you said that you would not pre-empt the review, and why was the decision made without even reading the submissions from industry?
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Spinner - and come in spinner once again! Madam Speaker, I do apologise; I was getting a bit ahead of myself. Yes, the holiday shop will be closed at Darling Harbour from 31 October this year. We will get to the reasons, because they are pretty compelling and I will take members through them.
As part of the consultation process, the 75 written submissions and the couple of hundred operators who attended workshops, that process demonstrated there was overwhelming support from the tourism industry in the Northern Territory, through written submissions – dozens of them – and verbal input for the closure of the NT Holiday Shop which they saw was not meeting their needs. In fact, the number of visitors to the Holiday Shop has declined considerably in Darling Harbour since it opened.
If anybody has been to Darling Harbour recently and actually visited the Holiday Shop there, I will accept that it was a good idea at the time, but the end of Darling Harbour where it is now is pretty run down, with large retail vacancy rates in that section of Darling Harbour and considerable disquiet amongst operators there. There have been articles in the Financial Review about the future viability of that part of Darling Harbour.
The Holiday Shop was costing us approximately $626 000 a year to run, and the return on that investment to the Tourist Commission last year - wait for it, for a $626 000 a year spend - was $207 000. Hardly a roaring success story at a time when we are seeking every cent we possibly can to get into the marketing arena, to drive tourism numbers to the Northern Territory, to drive airline capacity back to the Northern Territory. We were locked into a five year contract with the Holiday Shop. It is one that we cannot escape from, so tightly was it locked up by the previous minister, so we are looking to sublease that area.
In the next two years, the savings are estimated at an approximate minimum of $250 000 a year. If we can sublet that, or another tenant is found, we are looking at savings of about $400 000 a year, which is money we can put back into marketing for the tourism industry, so it is a good business decision. It is a business decision that the industry will benefit from and one in fact the industry in the Northern Territory called for. The lone voice in the wilderness that said we should be keeping this office was the member for Araluen.
Ms Carney: That is rubbish and you know it.
Mr Dunham: Is that true? You haven’t lied then, have you? There was only one person who called for it to be kept open.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There was reference to lying there, he can withdraw it.
Mr DUNHAM: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: And I suggest to you that you refrain a little from the interjections you are making at the moment.
Fire at Yulara
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Can the minister please update the House on the latest developments of a large fire currently burning in the Yulara region?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question, especially considering the fact that this fire was not reported extensively in the media. The fire was deliberately lit two weeks ago east of Curtin Springs Station. It is now a 60 km front burning out of control in the Yulara region. Of course, dry conditions and winds did not help much, and the fire has burnt a lot of the grazing country and threatened a number of properties. The Bureau of Meteorology predicted severe winds and we were really scared that the fire would threaten the Yulara Resort and the township. Fortunately, the predicted weather did not arrive and the firemen and the bushfire people have managed to do some back burning around the Yulara region and to work towards controlling the fire which, as I said, is about 32 km stretching Lasseter Highway and east, and it is about 30 km north of Yulara.
It was a very tight situation, but people from the Bushfire Council and firemen worked very hard throughout the night. The situation now is not under control, but the township and the resort are not under threat. The fires at Owen Springs and Curtain Springs Station are now under control, but they burnt out a lot of country.
The next problem we are going to face is dust storms because the ground cover has been burnt. I would like to thank very much the people who worked very hard throughout the night to protect the township and try and control the fire, especially Mr Neil Phillips, Regional Manager, Bushfire Council of the Northern Territory; Mr Tony Secker, Bushfire Council of the Northern Territory; John Cleeman, Acting Station Commander, Yulara Fire Services; Alice Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigades and all the volunteers who worked tirelessly all night to control that fire.
Territory Discoveries – Brochure Tender
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for TOURISM
Minister, are you aware of a Northern Territory Tourist Commission request for tender called ‘Darwin publishing of the Territory Discoveries brochures’? Can you explain why this tender was awarded to an interstate company for the sum of $39 815 when a number of local firms with the requisite expertise tendered for the work at a range of costs, the highest being $25 000? Given that you are the minister for business as well, why aren’t you supporting local businesses?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a good question from the member opposite. I have to say, as the minister for business who has participated in quite a number of business round tables around the Northern Territory since we came to government, the whole issue of government procurement is certainly up there as perhaps the highest issue that is continually raised with government of concern to business operators across the spectrum in the Northern Territory. It is a process we did inherit from the previous government. That process is under review in the Treasurer’s office at the moment, the Treasurer being the minister responsible for procurement. We are out again talking to the business community about the problems with the procurement processes of government.
This issue has come to my attention. I have asked for a full report from my department and I am happy to come back and provide the House with details when I have the report.
Fax Scams - Protection of Territorians
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Territorians have been the target of a number of so-called fax scams. In fact, I believe you, minister Toyne, were sent these faxes offering you the opportunity of modelling, TV work in the UK, a four-day wonder diet …
Mr Ah Kit: Haven’t they got my fax number?
Ms LAWRIE: … and a cheap Porsche. A makeover, perhaps, minister? What is the government doing to protect Territorians from these fax scams?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for a most interesting question. I thought I would bring these along just to give other members a chance to take up a career in modelling, buy a Porsche for $21 800, go on a diet and take off weight as I have done, and Jack’s on one, too, and work from home and make a fortune.
These have been coming into the Territory and I must say when I fancied myself as a model, it did take the staff up there a fair while to talk me out of it. However, this is a very serious issue for the Northern Territory. We seem to be the current target. Perhaps this is a global targetting, but we are certainly seeing a lot of these now in the Territory.
These scams cost Territorians a lot of money by tempting consumers with, as you can see, pretty unrealistic offers. The fax-back scams have been forwarded to many consumers and traders around the Northern Territory, and these examples today are just some of many that we have seen coming in. The cost to the recipient is $5.50 per minute, and will cost as much as it takes up to 20 minutes to process the return. You are paying for the incoming reply on your fax machine; the consumer is charged by phone fax line time by the phone company. Payment is included in your phone account and the scammer receives a payment from the phone company.
Other fax-back offers include four and five-day diets, so if the four-day one does not work, you can try a five-day one. Also, as we have seen, sports cars.
Consumer Affairs is now working very proactively with other states and the Australian Competition Consumer Commission to have some of these fax lines closed down. Consumer Affairs have been advising and raising awareness of these offers through the media and Consumer Affairs Help Line. The Help Line receives over 15 000 inquiries per year, and I urge all Territorians and certainly members of this House to get this message out in your electorates that these scam merchants are out to get money out of Territorians’ pockets.
International Air Services to Darwin
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for TOURISM
Minister, as you are aware air services in and out of Darwin are at an all time low. What are you doing to improve this serious situation? You said in the Estimates Committee hearing that you have not travelled to Asia to talk to leaders of airline companies. My question is when, if at all, do you plan to take the lead on behalf of the Territory tourism industry to persuade Asian airlines to travel to Darwin?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a very timely question from the member for Araluen. I concur that the issue of significant cuts in inbound international air services into Darwin is the most significant issue facing our tourism industry at the moment. I do have good news for honourable members. We interviewed recently for the position of our Aviation Executive Development Officer.
Mr Reed: That’s the fifth announcement on that matter.
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Katherine can carry on with his snide comments, but this is a good initiative and it has been very well received by industry.
A job offer was made last week. The person who was offered the job comes from a very senior position previously in the aviation industry, was in town in Darwin with his family last weekend, and we are hoping for a decision this week. In the event that this person does not accept the job, I am quietly confident that we have a couple of very good fall back options. That position, as I have advised honourable members before, is a partnership position - again that word partnership - with Darwin International Airport to really get some industry backbone into developing business cases that we can put to airlines, both domestically and internationally.
On the issue of when I am going to be in Asia talking to airlines, the Chief Minister and I will be visiting the Philippines in a couple of weeks time. I will be coming back through Singapore and Malaysia and talking to operators there. I also have made numerous representations to airlines, both directly and through the department, through government’s Aviation Committee, to airlines. A lot of work is being done and, unfortunately, we are in a situation, if honourable members are reading the industry comment, where Australia over the last 12 months has seen a 10% decrease in international visitation numbers.
We are at a time where we see, internationally, the aviation industry in terms of its market capitalisation $US10bn less than what it was 12 months ago. We have significant downturns and economic recessions in Germany and Japan, two of our source markets. It is a tough time, but we are out there doing the work. We are getting the expertise onboard. We will be in Asia in the next couple of weeks and, fingers crossed, we are hoping for a better capacity into Darwin in the lead-up to the next tourist season.
East Arm Wharf – Methanol Australia
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
It has been reported in the NT News on 13 September this year that the Territory government has been asked to spend up to $15m to upgrade the East Arm wharf to handle work related to Methanol Australia’s proposed offshore methanol production plant. The work would reportedly include strengthening the wharf to take extra weight, providing roll on-roll off gantries and installing work sheds. Can the minister tell us whether the government has agreed to the work requested by Methanol Australia and at what cost to the taxpayer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I have to admit I was very surprised when I read the article in the newspaper on 13 September 2002. The reason I was surprised was because I was not aware of any such letter received by my department, or by the Darwin Port Corporation, and when I asked the Office of Territory Development, they had not received a letter, either.
We decided to follow it up with the company. I have to say that such a letter was not sent to us. What we are doing now is we are in preliminary discussions and we cannot put a figure on any possible upgrade. I cannot even tell you if it will happen or when it will happen.
So there is no cost to taxpayers. We are in preliminary discussions with the said company, but I assure you a letter like that described in the newspaper was never received by the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, the Darwin Port Corporation or the Office of Territory Development.
Suburban Shopping Centres - Upgrade
Dr BURNS to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Can the minister advise the House of the government’s intentions to reinvigorate community centres, particularly our shopping centres, and will designs take into account community safety aspects?
ANSWER
I thank the member for his question. A lot of Australian cities, and Darwin in particular, are designed around the community shopping centre, a school and a park. The idea was excellent at the time, but now we have problems as the shopping centres are becoming a bit old. Some are run down. I know very well, I have some in my electorate. The member for Johnston has a couple in his electorate.
Of course, as they run down, they become a focus for antisocial behaviour, they attract itinerant people and, in general, they present an unpleasant picture for the community. I am very pleased to say that we are working very closely with the Darwin City Council to address some of these issues. The City Council has prepared a priority list of shopping centres that require upgrading, and the government is going to work very closely with the council to upgrade some of these centres.
The first shops upgrade program will occur in Parap. Parap is a small shopping centre in the centre of the Parap community. Every Saturday there is a market which attracts hundreds of people, not only from Darwin, but a lot of tourists. The Darwin City Council will put $150 000 towards that upgrade and the government will match that dollar for dollar. What we are trying to do in Parap is to upgrade the facilities and also take into consideration design issues, especially to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour. I would like to thank the aldermen for their hard work: Aldermen Robin Leslie, Ian Frasier, Carole Miller and also the Parap Traders Association led by Anne Aldersdale.
This is only the beginning because there are a number of shopping centres that are going to be upgraded. In my electorate, Alawa and Tiwi are down. Millner needs upgrading, something that was never done. You never spent any dollars, you let them go down, you did not pay any attention to any of those shopping centres and we are going to fix them. We are going to upgrade them and what is important is it is in partnership with the Darwin City Council.
I would like to thank all the members for their efforts. They lobbied the council and government to upgrade, starting with the member for Fannie Bay; the member for Johnston; the member for Millner; Karama has a good shopping centre; Malak; my electorate of Casuarina Alawa; a number of shopping centres will be upgraded because they are getting a bit old and they require upgrading.
Darwin-Singapore Air Service
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for TOURISM
Minister, in the Estimates Committee hearing you undertook …
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: Well, if you do not think tourism is important, government, then I shall tell those in the industry.
Minister, in the Estimates Committee, you undertook to give consideration to chartering aircraft to establish air services between Darwin and Singapore. Can you tell us whether you have undertaken those investigations and, if so, what was the outcome?
ANSWER
Again, thanks to the member for Araluen for the question. Yes, it was an interesting debate. Approached in the right way, the Estimates Committee process can be a two-way exchange of information and feedback. The member for Katherine went back to an initiative of the previous government that occurred in the pilot’s strike in Australia. I forget when that was, but it was in the mid-1980s, when we had the situation across Australia where both Qantas - or TAA as it was then – and Ansett were grounded during the pilots strike and there was no national capacity, and people were stranded. Not only did it strand tourists, but it stranded business and family travel around Australia. At that time, the previous government took an initiative to charter a plane to provide some additional capacity to that which the RAAF was providing in keeping essential travel moving. The member for Katherine asked whether we have looked at something like that.
We did, and we have to say that we are in a totally different climate from then. The problem we have at the moment is not the issue of domestic travel for which Qantas is serving us reasonably well, and certainly has rebuilt that capacity that was lost after the Ansett collapse, but the problem that we have, Madam Speaker …
Mr Reed: It wasn’t intended for domestic; it was Darwin to Singapore.
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Katherine should actually listen to the answer rather than mumbling through his glasses, Madam Speaker.
We did look at that, and the issue that we do have is international capacity into Darwin, a very complex area, particularly on the Darwin to Singapore leg where Qantas withdrew significant capacity last year.
After extensive discussions, and without pre-empting outcomes, we are loathe to enter and compete in the international aviation market. If we do intervene and compete - and one has to ask why we would do that. There are some good reasons on one side of the equation in terms of inbound capacity, but that would come at a cost. Analysis is that if Qantas and other operators cannot make a profit on that particular route, and that is obvious in the fact that they are not committing capacity to that at the moment, the cost to the taxpayer would be huge.
What we are doing, and as I will be in Singapore in a couple of weeks time, is talking to a number of international carriers to see how we can work with them and support their operations into the Northern Territory through cooperative marketing through the Tourist Commission. We are getting close with a couple of operators, and now is not the time to directly intervene into that market place, particularly as we are entering the slower part of the tourist season in the Top End. We have decided against directly intervening in the market. We will be working with those operators, and I will be in Singapore in a couple of weeks time.
Sport - World Anti-Doping Code
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
I understand that at the recent meeting of the Australian Sport and Recreation Ministerial Council, the World Anti-Doping Code was considered. Does the government support the Anti-Doping Code, and what efforts are being made to contribute to the fight against doping in sport?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. I am sure all members would support the general principle that drugs have no place in sport. Just as fighting the illicit drug problem in the broader community requires a vigilant and pro-active approach, so too does the prevention of the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport. The Australian government, as a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has undertaken to consult with key stakeholders in Australia, which includes state and territory governments, regarding the worldwide harmonisation of anti-doping policies and programs through the development of a World Anti-Doping Code.
As a part of that process, the Commonwealth government has sought the views of the Northern Territory government. The issue was also on the agenda at the Sport and Recreation Ministers Council meeting held in August, one that I was unable to attend. It gives me an opportunity to put on the record, once again, my disappointment at the childish nature of the opposition in not wanting to pair, because if they do not wish to pair as other parliaments in the country do. At the end of the day, pairing enables us to put, at Ministerial Council level, the Territory position in respect of our situation. More importantly, the failure of the opposition to agree to pairing precludes us from seeking further funds to benefit Territorians.
Australia is at the forefront of anti-doping strategies, and it is not expected that the adoption of the code will significantly impact on what is already occurring. Nevertheless, although the code will apply more at international and national levels rather than state or territory level, we will still need to develop legislation that is consistent with the national approach. Currently, we have no policies or legislation in place to deter athletes from using performance enhancing drugs.
Along with other states and territories, we agreed in 1997 with the National Drugs in Sport framework but as yet no progress has been made on any of the items under that framework. So for the past five years we have been lagging behind the other states. I am just wondering why the dopes opposite – oops! I mean previous government - placed no priority on joining the national anti-doping effort.
We have a responsibility to be contributing to a uniform and consistent approach across Australia in the fight against drugs in sport. To this end, I have instructed officers of my department to liaise with the Commonwealth and to begin work on developing policies and legislation that will complement the international code. In its preamble, the World Code refers to the values of sport and goes on to conclude:
- Doping undermines these fundamental values of sport. Doping artificially creates an unlevel playing field for athletes and can threaten their health. Doping takes the fun and enrichment out of sport and subverts sport as a vehicle for building character and manifesting human excellence. Doping tarnishes the public credibility of sport and discredits sport as a way to build communities and promote peace.
I am pleased the Northern Territory Martin Labor government will be playing its role in the fight against drugs in sport.
Tourism Industry Statistics
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for TOURISM
Minister, in the latest ABS figures related to tourism accommodation, it shows declines in all categories for the Northern Territory when comparing June quarter of 2001 to June quarter of 2002. Room nights are down, room occupancy rates are down, guest nights are down, bed occupancy rates are down, guest arrivals are down, average length of stay is down, and takings are down by approximately $2.5m. Will you now acknowledge that the tourism industry is doing it tough, and needs a minister who can devote sufficient time to the portfolio, to participate and do something about revitalising this critical industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for her question. It is important that we put this in context. The tourism industry does not exist in isolation in a national, regional or global context. The figures the honourable member quotes, 1 June 2001 through to 1 June this year - you do not have to be a rocket scientist given the events over that period that those statistics were measured. They were tragic events on a global scale, and devastating events here in Australia with the collapse of Australia’s second airline, Ansett, that had 46% of the Territory’s market.
You could not have those events without having a significant and long-term impact on the tourism industry. That impact has not just been felt in the Northern Territory, it has been felt across Australia. In all of those market sectors across Australia, we are down. That was the information that came through loud and clear at the Tourism Ministers Conference in Auckland, New Zealand that I attended a few weeks ago. The sobering thought for the tourism industry in Australia and globally at the moment is the potential for further international stability which is only going to dampen tourism on an international basis and therefore affect the Northern Territory even further.
That is why at that meeting I had a motion, supported by other states and territories and the Commonwealth minister, to work collaboratively to put a risk management strategy in place in the event of further global and/or economic downturns, and work cooperatively with the states and the Australian Tourist Commission in terms of doing whatever we can to support our industry in the event of similar future activities.
In the last 12 months, despite the significant downturn - it is a bit churlish for the member to say for me to ‘finally acknowledge’ the industry is doing it tough because I could come back here and provide about two dozen quotes on the Parliamentary Record where I stated that the industry has been doing it tough.
We did invest in the industry in the Northern Territory. We have put $2m per year into supporting Virgin Airlines’ entry into the market place in the Northern Territory which was opposed by members opposite at the time. There has not been one positive comment from members opposite about Virgin’s presence in the market place in the Northern Territory. They were accused of cancelling flights because of low passenger numbers when that was not the case. The member for Drysdale accused them, and he is on the Parliamentary Record, of having a shoddy fleet.
In this budget, we have committed an additional $1m over two years into international marketing to drive further numbers to the Northern Territory. We have to be mindful that the tourism industry is a global industry, and when there is a downturn globally, that does affect the Northern Territory.
The challenge for us is to have those risk management strategies in place, to work cooperatively with the other states and the Australian Tourism Commission to drive and to keep visitor numbers coming to Australia, and then to see that dispersal throughout Australia. That is what the strategic review is working on. Despite all the doom and gloom the member opposite has been peddling, rather than being cooperative and trying to work with the industry and with government to maintain our market share, compared with what could have been, if we look back to September/October last year after those two cataclysmic events, we could have seen devastating losses in the Northern Territory and in Australia’s tourism industry with dozens, if not hundreds, of operators going broke and hotels closing. That has not occurred. The industry has done it tough, but they have been very resilient. They have worked very closely and cooperatively at a regional level and at a government level with the Northern Territory Tourist Commission.
We have put the extra money in through supporting Virgin and $1m additional into marketing, and what the industry now needs is support and talking up, not continuing carping and knocking of the industry at this tough time.
Tennant Creek Hospital - Ophthalmology Upgrade
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
I understand there have been ophthalmology upgrades at the Tennant Creek Hospital. Can you please provide the House with information on how this will benefit the people of the Barkly?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. It is a very important question for the people of Barkly. I am happy to advise the House of the outright purchase of a phaco-emulsification unit, which was approved in July 2002 at a cost of $90 000. This enables intra-ocular surgery such as cataract procedures to be completed in Tennant Creek. The provider of the equipment, Bausch and Lomb, are currently carrying out final preparation and testing prior to clinical use at Tennant Creek Hospital.
I am very pleased to announce that the ophthalmologist, Dr Henderson, will perform the first cataract surgery in Tennant Creek …
Mr Dunham: On 6 and 7 November.
Mrs AAGAARD: … on 6 and 7 November 2002.
Mr Dunham: A total of 12 procedures will be carried on these on two days.
Mrs AAGAARD: A total of 12 procedures will be carried out on those two days.
Mr Dunham: We know this, Elliot. We know all this stuff, mate.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Speaker, this is a very important initiative for the people of Tennant Creek and one that I know the member for Barkly has been very keen to see proceed in Tennant Creek.
The people of Tennant Creek have, under this government, received a lot of attention in the health portfolio. We have been very happy recently to announce the renal facility at Tennant Creek, and we are doing a lot of work at the Tennant Creek Hospital.
I am very pleased to announce this today, and I am happy to further brief the House, particularly those opposite who seem to have no interest whatsoever in this, should they develop some interest in the future.
Tourism Industry Statistics
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for TOURISM
Members interjecting.
Mr Baldwin: Part-time Paul.
Ms Carney: I’m pleased you’re pleased, Part-time!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Araluen.
Ms CARNEY: Minister, according to the latest ABS statistics, employment in tourism accommodation has dropped by 5% between June 2001 and June 2002. The figures are even worse for Darwin where more than 9% of jobs have been lost.
What have you done to restore those jobs, and perhaps you could begin by creating another job for yourself by giving over the portfolio of Tourism.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, before you answer, I want to caution the member for Araluen. The commencement of your question was most disorderly.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, again I thank the member for Araluen for her question. I refer her to a large part of what I said in answer to the previous question, just in the interests of time, for the answer to this question because the circumstances and the time period are exactly the same, and you could not have a downturn in terms of all those accommodation indices without the consequential flow on in terms of employment.
Moving on from that, and we can refer to five or seven minutes of answer to the previous question, what we won’t be doing is putting more barriers in the way for international visitation to the Northern Territory, particularly to our icons that drive so much of that inbound tourism to the Northern Territory, especially Uluru and Kakadu. We certainly are not out there advocating and championing fee increases for Kakadu and Uluru, unlike colleagues in Canberra of the members opposite, and also unlike the federal member for Solomon, Mr David Tollner.
We see that any increases in fees into Kakadu and Uluru will be a direct barrier to increased visitation numbers to the Northern Territory. I would like to take members back to a debate that was running a couple of weeks ago, and one which Dave Tollner jumped into with both feet in his mouth this week. I take members back to Minister Hockey’s Lateline interview on 3 September this year. I was sitting at home watching that interview, and I must admit I nearly choked on the glass of wine I was drinking when I …
Mr Dunham: Chardonnay, was it? A nice Chablis?
Mr HENDERSON: It wasn’t Chardonnay, actually, it was a glass of red, probably a glass of Barossa Shiraz or something like that after a couple of VBs earlier in the evening.
The quote from Minister Hockey, and it really was quite extraordinary - and I don’t mind Joe; I think he is quite a good bloke and he is doing a not too bad job there as the federal tourism minister - I quote from minister Hockey:
- In the Northern Territory, there are park entrance fees to Kakadu, whereas there are no fees to Litchfield. So there has been a decrease in the number of visitors to Kakadu over the last 12 to 18 months.
I thought: ‘Gee, this guy has been badly briefed, he has only just been up here’ but that is because he was escorted around by the member for Solomon and the member for Goyder, I think it was, at the time. They did a bit of pig shooting on the Mary River somewhere and had a little boat trip. He obviously wasn’t briefed too well because he then went on to say:
- I’m not saying there shouldn’t be fees charged for entry to national parks. In fact, there may be an argument that they’re too high or too low, but it’s when you have one park that has entrance fees and another, I think Litchfield doesn’t have any entrance fees, I think it’s important when we start to consider the future of the tourism industry in Australia that we look at ironing out some of the differences in the applications of fees and charges in different places.
So there’s Minister Hockey, either arguing for actually taking off all fees into Kakadu altogether, or to introducing fees into Litchfield National Park. I couldn’t believe this argument. Then we have Dave Tollner coming in a couple of weeks later, and here is the quote:
- I agree with that. There has to be some sort of parity in pricing.
So, Madam Speaker, $16.50 for Kakadu; zero for Litchfield. The argument that there is a disproportionate parity there, and here’s David Tollner, the member for Solomon, saying there has to be a parity in pricing. Unless he is in there arguing in Canberra for the abolition of fees into Kakadu where, at the same time, the Commonwealth government is looking at a significant fee increase, one on which I have vigorously lobbied on behalf of industry to oppose, but not a peep out of David Tollner or members opposite.
He is either arguing for that position, or he is arguing for fees into Litchfield. Madam Speaker, we will not be imposing fees on Litchfield Park. We will be in there fighting for tourism operators in the Northern Territory for the Commonwealth to keep their hands out of tourist pockets for entrance fees into Kakadu, and it would be great to have some support from CLP members in this House and the federal member, David Tollner.
Consumer Affairs Council
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Minister, the Consumer Affairs Council has been advertising in recent newspapers for new members to be nominated. Why is the council being restructured and what has been changed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am very excited about the Consumer Affairs portfolio, and I am looking forward to the reinvigoration of the Consumer Affairs Council. As we speak, people are being sought from throughout the Territory to start membership of that council for its next term and we are wanting to get a very wide representation of membership. We want to see members from our regional centres, from Darwin and from our remote communities.
The council received very little support or attention from the last government. We intend to see Consumer Affairs take a much more prominent role in the priorities of our government. The council has recently developed a new strategic policy and procedures plan, and that is to be implemented along with the new council membership.
The activities of council members are to advise me on consumer issues; have input into educational programs on consumer affairs; assist the development of strategies on a range of consumer issues; and provide comment from a consumer perspective on new and reviewed legislation.
I am particularly proud that, as a result of my attendance at the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs in Adelaide, the Northern Territory has been trusted to take carriage, at a national level, of Indigenous Consumer Affairs issues. We will then, on an ongoing basis, prepare submissions back to the MCCA, and it is our responsibility to consult with indigenous people regarding the issues that particularly impact on them.
I am therefore concerned to see indigenous and remote area consumers represented on our council, and to be generally involved in the input to government positions on these very important matters. Today’s examples I brought to this House in the form of the fax scams are just one of hundreds of different examples of what Consumer Affairs are working with every day.
I look forward to working both with the council and with the Consumer Affairs Commissioner to get some of these issues sorted out in the near future.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016