2003-08-19
Northern Territory Economy
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, you marked your two years in office by telling Territorians you are happy that everything is on track. Business confidence in your government is minus-33.5%. Unemployment in the Northern Territory is the highest of any mainland jurisdiction in Australia, and is up 2% for the same time last year. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures show, that in the last month, 800 jobs have been lost, bringing the number of jobs lost so far this year to 4500. The participation rate in the work force has dropped from 73.9% in January to 71.1%. Will you now admit that, after two years in office, your election promise of a jobs policy was a fabrication? You have not created one new job in two years and, had it not been for the 1400 jobs the CLP created with the Alice to Darwin rail link, the job situation would have been far worse.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yesterday - yes, the Opposition Leader is correct - we did mark two years in office. When talking to the media, I made it very clear that we came from a very low base when we took over government in the Territory. Under the previous government, we had seen the economic indicators for the Territory decline in a steady downward trend for the best part of four years before we came to office. In the year 1999-2000 …
Ms Carter: What? Like business confidence? I do not think so.
Ms MARTIN: Oh, the member for Port Darwin is here. Excellent.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! That is out of order, Chief Minister.
Ms MARTIN: When we came to office, we had inherited one growth year, 1999-2000, where there was 0.01% growth in the Territory economy. What we inherited was a very sluggish economy, one that was not growing.
I make no apologies about the last two years; they have been tough. There was a lot of work to be done. We inherited an irresponsible and fraudulent budget, and so the last two years have been hard. I have stood in this place and said it, and I have talked to business, about times being tough. Some businesses across the Territory are doing very well, some are still facing tough times. However, coming from those days when we had no growth in the economy, we now have, by recognised forecasters, Access Economics, BIS Shrapnel, supported by our Treasury forecasts, a 4% growth in our economy this year and over the next five years - good, strong growth in our economy.
There is no denying that our unemployment figures are at a high that we feel is unacceptable. They are volatile figures. Take the announcements made over the last few weeks: Toll into the Business Park, with hundreds of jobs involving Toll and its expansion in warehousing and distribution in being the first tenant for the Business Park. Go back to June, look at the announcement from Bechtel, with 1300 jobs in the building of an LNG plant on Wickham Point and the associated pipeline - strong jobs in the Territory, strong jobs growth. There is a myriad of other projects that we have seen come on board.
I have recognised the importance of our rail project in underpinning and sustaining jobs over the last few years; but new jobs are coming on board. They are a key aspiration for all Territorians, not only a job, but a better job - a higher skilled, higher waged job. That is what this government is about. We have seen that happen.
Managing an economy is not an easy task. We saw the last government sit there while the economy trended down. For four years, there was a trend down in the economy. We inherited an economy that was struggling. I am proud to say today that the growth figures are encouraging. They are the second-highest in Australia, to Western Australia, and we would like to see them build further.
Business confidence, which hit a low - not as low as it did under the Opposition Leader - is growing. We are working with business in a much more cooperative and partnership way than did the previous government. I am confident this economy is growing and that there will be jobs, not just in Darwin, but across the Territory, in more remote areas - certainly in Central Australia.
While I cannot stand here and say that, in two years we have been able to turn around what happened in the previous four years under the Country Liberal Party, it is turning around. We are determined to see jobs and population growth in the Territory, and to see the Territory lifestyle enjoyed by more and more who are attracted to the Territory, to enjoy working and living in this wonderful part of the world.
Investment Attraction Campaign
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Could you please advise on the success to date of your recent interstate investment attraction campaign?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would be delighted to, because an important part, as I indicated in my last answer, is building the population of the Territory. There is no doubt we need to have a greater population for strong, steady, future growth in the Territory.
The investment mission that targeted Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong is a critical element of the Territory marketing campaign. The primary objective of the campaign is to market the Territory as a great place to invest, work and live. We are not only targeting local investors, because 85% of investment in the economy is local, but also national and international - and that is whether you are an individual or member of a corporation.
During my recent investment mission to Sydney, I met with a whole range of groups. I was at the National Infrastructure Summit where I met with other state ministers. I had lunch with the Australian Business Limited, a very diverse group of top business people, not only from Sydney, but from Canberra and South Australia as well. I met with Macquarie Bank representatives, members of the rail consortium and other senior business people from across a whole range of areas, and also media organisations.
We are monitoring the result of that, and we will do that carefully. However, let us take one indicator of what happened in that week of targeting New South Wales. In the last two weeks of July, we had 1000 hits on the NT government web site. Up until now, 19 August, we have had 9500 hits on the NT web site, and nearly 2000 of those are from people who have never been there before. We are really seeing a growth of interest in the Territory. One anecdote - two fellows turned up in the Territory this week and were looking for jobs. When asked in conversation why they were here, they said: ‘Well, we were leaving down south and thought we would go to Cairns, and then we saw those ads and thought, let’s go to the Territory’. They both have jobs, which is great.
I have given Territorians a commitment that I will do everything I can to encourage further investment in the Territory. This first instalment of the investment campaign will be followed by similar campaigns in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide through the rest of this year.
Private Sector Growth
Mr REED to CHIEF MINISTER
In yesterday’s NT News, the Chief Minister is quoted as saying: ‘The biggest change in the Territory economy over the past two years has been the growth of private sector investment’. The biggest change, in fact, is a little more than that. Is it not a fact that the increase in private investment last year was due directly to the railway? Is it not also a fact that, in the Treasurers’ Economic Review published last Friday, the March quarter figures for this year show that private investment has fallen by 13.5%, and employment fell by 6%, the biggest fall in seven years? Can you detail where the growth in the private sector has come from in relation to your remarks in the NT News yesterday?
ANSWER
The negative, negative opposition, Madam Speaker! One of the factors of the Territory economy has always been that government is a major driver, and we recognise the importance of that. This is why we made the announcement last week of $100m to facilitate the building of a convention and exhibition centre, which will then be the catalyst for that broader development of the waterfront of $600m. What we are looking at, over 10 to 15 years, is a $500m private sector investment - just in this project - into the Territory economy.
It is interesting that a $3bn investment by the joint venturers in Bayu-Undan is off the radar for the opposition - entirely off the radar! When we look at what we want to see come into the Territory economy, it is that private sector investment: the investment for first gas in the Territory, for an LNG plant for $1.5bn, and for the associated developments in the Timor Sea. There should be an excitement right …
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I asked the Chief Minister to explain the difference between her assertions in the NT News yesterday, of ‘great private sector growth’ and the 13.5% fall in private sector investment from her Treasury’s document and, indeed, the fall in 6% employment over the last seven years. It is nothing to do with what is happening in relation to the projects …
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Katherine knows there is no point of order. Ministers and the Chief Minister have freedom to answer the question as they will.
Mr Reed: Well, she is not answer the question.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I am very directly answering this question …
Mr Reed: You are not.
Ms MARTIN: Very directly. We had …
Mr Reed: You are saying it is up, they are saying it is down.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker! Have you finished? Thank you.
Mr Reed: When you have given the answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: The announcement of the investment from the joint venturers in Bayu-Undan, and specifically ConocoPhillips with the LNG plant, was made in June. It is a significant $3bn investment over the next three years in the Territory economy. What part of that does the member for Katherine not understand? I have said clearly: economic growth is starting to pick up. I say this very clearly: I am not skiting about past figures …
Mr Reed: The biggest growth over the last two years.
Ms MARTIN: If I was the opposition I would be very quiet about past figures, Madam Speaker!
What we have is the most significant private sector development announced on 15 June by the Bayu-Undan joint venturers, ConocoPhillips, in an LNG plant. We applaud this. What followed hard on its heels, was Alcan, Woodside, Blacktip, a 1000 km pipeline, $1.5bn private sector investment in an Alcan alumina smelter expansion. This is private sector investment that is happening, and a lot of work has taken place to get it to this stage. We are confident in our future, unlike the opposition.
Mr Reed: Thank you, ‘Clumsy Clare’.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Katherine, you should withdraw that.
Mr REED: I withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: You know you are not supposed to refer to members by name.
Northern Territory Economic Indicators
Mr KIELY to TREASURER
Last week, the Treasurer informed members about positive Territory economic indicators in housing finance and home affordability. Can the Treasurer please update the House on other economic indicators, showing the strength of the Territory economy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question, because I do want to bring to the attention of the Assembly this afternoon two further indicators of the health of the Territory economy; that is, average weekly earnings for Territorians and the Territory Construction Index.
Under average weekly earnings, the Northern Territory ranks fifth in the level of wages throughout Australia, but the second strongest growth in Australia, just behind the ACT, over the period May 2002 to May 2003. The Australian average for this period was 5.7% in average weekly earnings; the Territory’s growth was 6.8%. When you include part-time workers in that mix, the wage levels rank fourth in Australia; with growth at 7.4%, the second highest in the nation.
The annual growth in wages in the Territory has been escalating since November 2001, when wages growth in the Territory absolutely bottomed out at just 1.4% for that annum. This growth occurred in the Northern Territory, in Darwin in particular, at a time when Darwin has had below average CPI increases for the last few years. So it is a double whammy for our workers; their wages are up and CPI on a national average is down - which is double good news for our workers. This ABS graph clearly shows an increase in average weekly earnings in Australia at a time when the Territory’s was dropping, with this steady increase coming out of November 2001, and continuing to climb and outstrip the Australian average. I table that graph, Madam Speaker.
Secondly, the Territory Construction Index – this index is independent of government and formulated by the Territory Construction Association and put out in the form of a graph – also shows construction activity up until July 2003, and has been increasing steadily since the election of this government. The figures stand in absolute stark contrast for the period of the Burke administration, which dropped from 200 on the index in January 1999 to below 120 by July 2001. My friend, the member for Casuarina, well knows this, because all his Greek mates were sitting down the road having coffee and he used to join them at lunch times, when normally they would have been out on their cement mixers on the small construction projects and R and M contracts around town – they were all sitting down there because you blokes did not put any money into capital works. You blokes bleated about a capital works program then never cashed it. They were sitting down there drinking coffee for two years. We came in and there was barely a job in the construction industry.
This activity in this graph was measured prior to the recent announcements by the government and with Wickham Point yet to take off. If we look at this graph – and remember this is January 1999 - this is about the time that the now Opposition Leader took over as Chief Minister. She is a rocky ride all the way down to the bottom, until we get here in mid-2001 - election August 2001, Martin Labor government, and she is a steady climb since …
Mr Dunham: Yes, and who did that? It is called the railway, big guy! How do you reckon that happened? Let us work this out, Syd. This one is not your call.
Mr STIRLING: There is the graph, there is the reality, one ski all the way down to the bottom. Here is the Labor government …
Mr Dunham: Your Defence build-up, your railway, your port?
Mr STIRLING: … steadily working hard with business and industry to get that graph up where it should be. I table that graph; you guys might find it interesting.
Mr Dunham: Your budget papers say construction is going to fall.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale, enough!
Employment Figures
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
In June last year, you proudly announced that employment in the Northern Territory had broken through the 100 000 jobs mark. On the figures released on 7 August by ABS, 6200 Territorians have lost their jobs since then. In fact, the number of people employed in the Territory now is lower than when you came to government two years ago. There are fewer people participating in the work force and fewer people in the Territory. What do you say to those 6200 Territorians who have lost their jobs under your government? How do you think they should celebrate your government’s second birthday?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I indicated very clearly in a previous answer that we are disappointed with the jobs figures. We inherited an economy that was not growing, and to turn that around takes time. However, what we are confident of - and if you look at figures like the ones just tabled by the Treasurer - our economic growth is picking up in a sustainable way.
As well as inheriting an economy that had been run down by the previous government - and have no doubt about it, when you have a year like 1999-2000 where there is absolutely no growth in the economy, zero growth, then you have reached a very poor state in any state or territory’s growth. That has started to grow. We are very pleased about that …
Mr Mills: No, this has happened since you came to government.
Ms MARTIN: The member for Blain asked a question and he should listen to the answer.
There is no doubt about it, the last two years have been tough years. They have been tough years for a number of factors outside this Territory or any other state’s control: the impact on tourism of 11 September and the collapse of Ansett, then followed by SARS and the impact of that. They have had a disproportionate effect on the Territory economy. When you look at the profile …
Mr Dunham: Syd said it was going through the roof; you say it is going down.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale, you have been spoken to once already.
Mr Dunham: I am just confused with her answer, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! No interjections.
Ms MARTIN: When you look at the profile in tourism, say, of who comes to the Territory, about 50% of tourists who come to the Territory are international. Those impacts of 11 September and SARS had a dramatic effect. For other states, about 25% of their visitors are international. We worked hard to pick the domestic market up. However, there is no doubt about it, something like 15% of jobs are in the tourism area - a dramatic impact.
We are confident now that that is picking up; the figures that are now indicators in our economy are showing that there will be substantial jobs growth. Look at projects like LNG and the pipeline, and the others that are coming on board such as the growth of the Business Park, the completion of the railway and the port and the opportunities for jobs growth there, the associated Defence projects, and other mines projects. We have an economy that is growing. We have an economy that will sustain further jobs growth.
Alice Springs – Larapinta Stage 4 Residential Land Release
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Can you please update the House on progress with the proposed Larapinta residential land development in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. As you are aware, in March this year, the Martin Labor government reached an agreement-in principle with the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation to enable residential land to be released in Alice Springs. Lhere Artepe has agreed to relinquish native title over land in Larapinta to allow for development of residential allotments. As a result, a preliminary engineering report identified the extent of developable land and necessary headworks, and we have now identified two areas. One is at the end of Robina Street to intersect with Larapinta Drive, and the other extends from the end of Albert Drive.
Dr Lim: Are you going to table that?
Mr VATSKALIS: Certainly, I will table it, with great pleasure, member for Greatorex.
It is with great pleasure that I inform the House that, from 12 August, Lhere Artepe agreed to the commencement of construction of headworks for both developments, and to the survey and subdivision of the Robina Street development to create new parcels, member for Greatorex.
Following this, arbitrary notification of the subdivision under the Planning Act will take place in two weeks, and there will be further discussion for the second parcel of land.
Mr Baldwin: Have you figured out who owns the land?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: We have allocated, member for Daly, $1.5m for headworks, and we have engaged a consultant to design and document the headworks. A detailed engineering survey for the development will take place next week. Construction of headworks will commence immediately, and it is expected within eight weeks.
The headworks in the area will include an intersection on Larapinta Drive, construction of a cul-de-sac at the end of Crown Street, construction of a water pumping station, an extension to Albert Drive, and extension of existing service mains. How many lots and how much? That depends upon the developer and, of course, on market forces.
What is important is that, for the first time in 10 years, we see real land being released for development in Alice Springs. In the past week, it was very disappointing to see the member for Greatorex, who supposedly represents the people of Alice Springs, talking down this project, trying to frighten people from Alice Springs saying that it was not going to happen, and if it happened, it would not be sustainable, and if it were sustainable, it was going to be too expensive! Wrong, Madam Speaker!
Dr Lim: What is the price? Tell us the price.
Mr VATSKALIS: Not only that, the member for Macdonnell …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Greatorex! I would like to hear this answer. I have an interest in it.
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, obviously, you are the real representative of the people of Alice Springs, and you want to hear so you can inform your constituents.
Not only that, the member for Macdonnell wanted to compulsorily acquire the land because it was not progressing quickly. They want to go back to their good old ways - confrontation, litigation and nothing happens. This government is honest; and is going to provide land for the people of Alice Springs, and this land will be released at the beginning of 2004.
Darwin City Waterfront Project – Involvement of Parliament
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
Thank you, Madam Speaker, we should not forget it is our birthday, too!
Chief Minister, last Monday you announced that the government was to build a convention centre. Last Tuesday, you answered a number of questions in parliament, which allowed, in instalments, this House to hear from the government what it intended to do. I support the convention centre, too, Chief Minister.
There has been no opportunity to debate the proposal or hear a full and detailed description of the project outside of Question Time or media releases. Bearing in mind the proposal is said to be worth $600m, of which $100m will be government funds, will the Chief Minister be making a ministerial statement on the convention centre during these sittings of parliament so that parliament can be involved too?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there has been a fair amount of discussion in this parliament. We have been offering briefings widely, not only to members in the House. I do not know whether the member for Nelson has had a briefing. We will have a briefing as soon as possible.
At this stage, there is a lot of work being done to develop the project. That work has been going on over the last few months. I imagine, as the expressions of interest process is developed and goes out to the nation, that we will have a more substantial discussion in this House, probably October or November this year.
However, member for Nelson, I am very happy to give you a briefing. I was delighted that the Opposition Leader finally took up the invitation and had a briefing. Well done, Leader of the Opposition. We have been talking widely to our community, briefing them, and you will see more of that happening over the next few weeks. This parliament is an appropriate place, and before the end of the year we will have that debate.
Antisocial Behaviour
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
You have apparently pledged to tackle antisocial behaviour over the next two years. Clearly what you have done to date has failed. I will quote from the letter that I will table, dated 29 July, sent to me by a business in Alice Springs. It is a one-and-a-bit page letter that says:
- The antisocial behaviour in this area has quite noticeably increased to the point where we feel something drastic needs to be done.
Chief Minister, something drastic does need to be done and, after two years, do you intend to do anything?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Araluen. However, it should be based on a little information and fact, rather than just the member for Araluen’s hyperbole, which she is particularly good at.
The member for Araluen knows only too clearly that last financial year we put funds into tackling the problem. We put $5.25m worth of funds in this budget. There is a lot of activity taking place; some of it immediately, like extension of community patrols. The other is looking further at how we tackle the problems on our streets right across the Territory - Darwin and the other major urban centres. It is an important issue to tackle.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MARTIN: I am glad to hear the sounds of ‘hear, hear’ from the opposition, because what did the opposition do when they were in government? What did …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: This is a very important question, because it goes to the heart of the absolute hypocrisy coming from the opposition. Twenty-seven years of one government, and what did we see happen to the problem of antisocial behaviour in our communities? It grew by the year. What was done to tackle it? Very, very little. We had a previous Chief Minister whose best attempts were to say: ‘Let us monster and stomp’. Nothing was done by the previous Chief Minister, the now Opposition Leader, when he was in government to tackle the problem. We have had the guts to say this is a problem, it does demand whole-of-government attention, and that is the work that is being done.
Let me give you an example. A Territorian who lives on the Esplanade, in the member for Port Darwin’s electorate, said for the last few years she has felt very uncomfortable about going out in the early morning or late at night - in fact she has not done it - or being on the Esplanade in her place of residence by herself. Only a couple of weeks ago, she said: ‘I am delighted, I can now go out. After a number of years, I feel confident to do that. I can go walking at 6.45 am and I can spend that night …
Ms Carter: It is not what the action group says.
Ms MARTIN: This is a true story, so whatever hyperbole you have …
Ms Carney: So is this letter which, no doubt, you will read with great interest, Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: I was delighted to hear that. When you look at what we have already put in place across the Territory, we are seeing that antisocial behaviour has decreased. I am not saying it has gone away. If you had a government who said we could reduce it or eliminate it within six months, it cannot be believed. It is not believable to say that. However, what we are doing is putting all the strategies in place that will see a significant reduction in antisocial behaviour. We are committed to this, in stark contrast to the CLP. We are seeing those decreases happen right across the Territory. There is a lot more work to do; a lot more commitment. This is not about one year’s program, this is about year after year after year. However, we have the commitment and it stands in stark contrast …
Ms Carter interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, enough!
Ms MARTIN: … to those who are asking this question.
Madam SPEAKER: Before we go on, I believe the member for Araluen sought leave to table that letter. Is leave granted?
Leave granted.
Alice Springs Sporting Facilities
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
You recently reported on some excellent sporting initiatives in the Top End. Can you please advise the House on government initiatives in relation to sporting facilities in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. The government has a $5m election commitment to facilitate the upgrade of facilities at the Traeger Park Sporting Complex. This commitment is being progressively put in place to ensure a high quality sporting precinct for the people of Central Australia. The commitment is being honoured through a partnership with the Alice Springs Town Council and the facility user group, known as the Traeger Park Users Group. This ensures community consultation in every stage of the process.
This year’s NT budget included further funding of $2.5m towards upgrading the Traeger Park facility. $800 000 was previously spent on upgrades to the hockey facilities in the year 2002-03. The upgraded facility has already been utilised to host two national level hockey matches. The $2.5m provided in this year’s budget will be allocated to upgrading lighting of the main oval and improvements to spectator facilities. Tenders for upgrading the high voltage power supply to Traeger Park, as part of the lighting upgrade, have recently opened. These tenders will be closing on 3 September this year.
The AFL is aware of plans to upgrade Traeger Park. As members in this House are aware, government has had recent discussions with the AFL and the AFLNT and, in those discussions, we emphasised the significance of the plans to upgrade Traeger Park. The lighting upgrades plan for this year will increase the possibility - and I say possibility at this stage - of securing an AFL pre-season match. It will also provide other high profile sporting events for Central Australia. Improved floodlighting will, of course, facilitate night use by local sporting groups.
I believe the partnership between the government and the Alice Springs Town Council, along with the Traeger Park Users Group, is on the way to transforming the vision of Traeger Park as a sporting facility of national quality into reality.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I suggest if you are going to have a pre-season AFL match, you invite Melbourne.
Itinerant Problem in Darwin
Mr MALEY to CHIEF MINISTER
It is very interesting you should talk about flats on the Esplanade in your earlier answer. Two years ago, you told Territorians that you were going to fix the itinerant problem. Yesterday, at a nationally significant event hosted by the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia - Vietnam Veterans Day - during this solemn ceremony at the Cenotaph on the Esplanade, a number of drunken, alcohol-consuming itinerants were yelling and screaming within easy earshot of everybody, including you in your capacity as Chief Minister, and the Commissioner of Police. It was embarrassing and the Labor government should be ashamed. Why will you not take steps to deal with this problem? What are you going to say to the Vietnam Vets who attended that ceremony?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that was a very important event yesterday, Vietnam Veterans Day. I was pleased to see the member for Goyder there. I did not actually hear that happen.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: To be very honest …
Ms Carter: We all heard it.
Ms MARTIN: I did not. I accept that it happened, but I did not hear it. I would like to say that it is not acceptable to have that happen. I reiterate what I said in my previous answer: this is a problem that has taken many years – and I would say almost a compliance and inaction of a previous government to have it develop as it did. We are certainly putting in place the strategies. I do not condone the behaviour.
When I speak about what we are doing for antisocial behaviour, I make some very key points. We in the Territory welcome people to move around and visit urban centres in capital city like Darwin. That is very welcome. However, there are behaviours we expect, whoever you are on our streets. We do not tolerate drunken behaviour, harassment, the breaking of the Summary Offences Act in our public places, and sleeping in our public places. These are the strategies that we are putting in place, after years of neglect of a problem that has grown in many parts of the Territory – and you would agree, in Alice Springs it has been a significant problem.
I am pleased to see that over the period December 2001 to June 2002, there were 1220 reports of drunks and disturbances in Alice Springs. In the period December 2002 to June 2003 there was half that number. That is just one example of what is happening when you target a problem, you start putting the resources in and you put strategies in to deal with it.
I apologise to the Vietnam Veterans for that disturbance yesterday. It is a fact of life …
Mr Reed: Which you did not hear.
Ms MARTIN: I will not stand in here and say I did hear it when I did not. I did not hear it. I was focussed on the service, which was a beautiful, very emotional one. These are the kinds of activities that were neglected under the CLP and we have a lot of work to do, but we are doing it.
Tough on Drugs Plan - Update
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The first point in the government’s three-point Tough on Drugs plan was implemented one year ago by giving police the powers to tackle illicit drug dealers and manufacturers. Can the minister please provide an update to the House on what has been achieved in the last 12 months since the law commenced.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for a very important question. Indeed, this is a week of birthdays. A year ago we began our campaign against drug dealing in the Northern Territory. At the time we introduced these laws and began to apply them, a drug user could get a taxi around Darwin and say: ‘Foils at Moil, please driver’, and the driver would know exactly where to drive him. It was like going to the supermarket; you would go and get a bottle of milk, couple of sangas and then off to the Foils at Moil and get your drugs for the day. That is what we inherited from a government that was, at the time, still claiming that this problem was minuscule in the Northern Territory.
The drug house legislation we brought in allowed the police to have houses, hotels, and nightclubs being used to supply drugs declared by the court to be drug premises; seek to have liquor licences suspended for up to 14 days where licensed premises were also declared drug premises; search declared drug premises without warrant for evidence to close them down; advise landlords so they could take steps to get rid of these people from their buildings; and obtain restraining orders against people on drug premises. They were tough laws and we do not resile from that at all because we had a tough problem to combat.
The police have advised that 20 of these drug houses have now closed as a result of these new laws and 68 first warnings have been issued to people who have been found in possession of drugs, and evidence that there were dealing activities going on. The distribution network of drugs in our major population centres is seriously discomforting. I will give further warning to dealers in the Northern Territory who are pushing drugs into our remote communities: we are also after you.
I am sick and tired of seeing reports, coming from sources as serious as the Coroner, saying that people on this so-called harmless drug of marijuana have become so depressed after a heavy session that they committed suicide. Fifty-seven cases within the Tiwi Islands and, almost without fail, if there was a suicide attempt or a successful suicide, heavy marijuana use is a precursor to it. This is not a harmless drug, and we are not going to back off on marijuana any more than we are going to back off on other illicit drugs.
We also introduced laws to punish the possession of precursors for amphetamines, as well as instructions and equipment involved in the production of amphetamines. Police advise that there have been 10 charges for possession of amphetamine precursors, and four charges of possession of instructions and equipment involved in production of those types of drugs. On top of this, over $300 000 in proceeds from these sorts of activities have been put under claim in the last two months, as the minister for Police announced the other day. All of these impacts are going to slow the drug trade in the Northern Territory. We have to slow this trade, just as much as we have to reduce the misuse of alcohol in our community.
Throughout this debate, we have claimed that there is a strong connection between property crime, particularly house break-ins, and heavy drug dependence. Since we came to government, there has been a 36% reduction in enter with intent. That is a third off the top of that area of crime in the Northern Territory. We are not claiming that every one of those people who have been apprehended and taken out of the crime cycle into gaol, in many cases, were drug users, but a hell of a lot of them were. This is a damn good start to getting things under control for Northern Territory people.
Vandalism in the CBD
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Last Friday, my electorate office had six holes punched in the windows by the user of a slingshot. I was not the only one to suffer that day. Today, the following businesses in the CBD have been hit: Redco, the Post Office, the new TIO building, the old TIO building, Bridge Autos, Raine and Horne, Cavenagh House and Tamarind House. Is this another illustration of the Martin Labor government being unable to address lawlessness in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a timely question from the member for Port Darwin, given the example she provided of damage caused by slingshots, probably used by young hoods in the community. I can say today that we have the police and the Department of Justice looking at strategies to prohibit and outlaw the use of slingshots in the Territory. That work has been going on for some weeks now. It is not an announcement that I was going to make today but, given the member for Port Darwin has raised the issue, that work is occurring. It has yet to be determined which is the best legislative method to achieve it, but that work is happening at officer level within government at the moment.
The fact that people can walk into various retail premises around the Northern Territory and purchase a slingshot with ball bearings as ammunition is not acceptable. We are looking at ways to outlaw those weapons in the community. That is the specific issue addressing this concern and what was in the paper today. It is certainly something that is being worked on, and we will act as soon as we receive the appropriate advice when we will introduce the legislation or regulations that will get us there.
In terms of the lawlessness - in the emotive language used by the member for Port Darwin - again, as my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General just enunciated, we certainly agree we have problems with antisocial behaviour and crime in the Northern Territory. However, unlike the opposition, who just have rhetoric as part of the solution to the issue, we are introducing legislation that is starting to get on top of the problems. We are starting to see the reduction in property crime as a result of those legislative moves.
It will only get better, with the government’s commitment to $75m over four years to bolster our police force so that we can have a better visible deterrent on the streets across the Northern Territory. Also, letting those people who indulge in criminal acts across the Northern Territory know there are going to be 200 additional police out there who are going to pin you for the damage that you do. The strategies are in place, the funding is in place, the figures are coming down, and all we have is the rhetoric from members opposite.
Travel Industry – Government Support
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Could you please inform the House how the Martin Labor government is supporting important segments of our local travel industry? Can you also advise, if you are aware, of any alternative approach that has been taken by other members of this Assembly?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to advise the House today that, as minister, I initiated a ‘meet the government’ travel buyers event in Darwin recently, to help alleviate the impact some of the significant global events have had on our travel agents, in particular, over the last couple of years. I do not have to reiterate those events. However, 11 September, the Ansett collapse, the Bali bombing, and SARS, have all had an impact across our tourism sector, and our travel agents have been hit very hard.
Our travel agents have also had that compounded with advances in technology, particularly the use of the Internet, where people now go on-line and book holidays and air fares direct with airlines. Each of those challenges would have been significant for that sector of our business community, but combined, it has been very tough times. I can advise honourable members, there are around 80 registered travel agents across the Northern Territory, 63 operating in the greater Darwin area, and all competing for about $14m a year worth of government travel.
We organised the ‘meet the buyers’ session, whereby travel agents could come in at a single venue and meet with all of the purchasing officers across government departments, and give an opportunity to those travel agents to actually explain how they can add value to government purchasing of travel. The feedback I have had from those people who attended has been very positive, and we are going to be expanding that. We will conduct a similar event in Alice Springs, and other ‘meet the buyer’-type seminars during October Business Month, where government purchasing agents can meet with members of the business community trying to sell. This is a practical example of how we as a government, through the procurement reforms, are trying to support Territory business.
Other members of this House have chosen their own special ways of trying to support the travel industry. One in particular, the member for Goyder, appears to have concentrated his efforts in supporting the Qantas flight between Darwin and Sydney on a number of occasions. As we know, the member for Goyder jetted off to Sydney again last Thursday. We know the member for Goyder loves Sydney, because that is where he struts his stuff as a barrister in the Sydney courts. Looking at the statistics, he has been in Sydney for 25 days this year already. That is more days than the member for Goyder has actually been sitting in this parliament. He has made four trips to Sydney since he has been in this parliament, all supported by the taxpayer. Although the travel industry and Qantas, I am sure, supports this patronage, we are left scratching our heads on this side of the House and wondering: what is the benefit for Territorians of the member for Goyder spending so much time in Sydney, honing his legal skills.
Last week it was revealed. In this parliament, on General Business Day, the most significant issue that the opposition could put before this House was the Cruella DeVille dog and cat fur trading bill, which the member for Goyder brought into this parliament. Where did this great idea originate? Not in Darwin Harbour because, of all of the issues facing Territorians, a large-scale illegal trade in cat and dog fur, I do not believe, is the single largest issue facing Territorians. Just this weekend, I was doorknocking my electorate and nobody mentioned it to me. Therefore, it must have originated on the leafy shores of Sydney Harbour, maybe where the member for Goyder was - after a hard day in the courts in Sydney - having a skinny caf latte or a cocktail. This is a priority for the opposition on General Business Day: the Cruella DeVille cat and dog fur bill.
If a former army colonel cannot control the member for Goyder and his antics, what hope does the opposition have in a former schoolteacher from a Christian school in Palmerston? How is he going to control the member for Goyder and his flights off to Sydney to dream up legislation that is really going to benefit Territorians? The member for Goyder’s trips to Sydney to do whatever it is that he does, are misguided and show an opposition failing in its duty. It underscores one truth: when you have people like the member for Goyder on your team, you deserve to be treated as an irrelevant group of knockers. I would urge whoever is going to lead the opposition into the future that, when you travel and support the local travel industry, bring something back of relevance to Territorians.
Mr Burke: The RSPCA will enjoy that transcript.
Mr Maley: Yes, they will love that and so will the North Australian Canine Association. They were all sitting there listening.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order, thank you!
Lake Bennett – Water Licences
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
The reason I asked a number of questions about Lake Bennett last week is to make sure that you are fulfilling a promise you made in relation to a question I asked previously about the Ombudsman’s report on the lack of reporting that was received on the issue of Lake Bennett water licences. You said: ‘This is not going to happen again as long as I am the minister of this department’. Bearing in mind that this dam was built as an irrigation dam in 1970, the previous licences were issued for no more than two years without the required geotechnical report but your department has now issued a 10-year licence, and this dam wall is part of a tourist resort, do you believe a visual report of the dam wall was acceptable instead of a geotechnical analysis before a new licence was issued?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I have some details about Lake Bennett and the dam wall. The initial report on the proposed dam was prepared by the Water Resources Branch in 1973, based on which the dam was designed in 1974. As a matter of fact, we do not know when the dam was constructed. A safety assessment report was carried out by Coffey and Partners in 1980. Consequently, a remedial measures report was undertaken - also by Coffey and Partners - in 1980. In September 1985, a full geotechnical report and review was undertaken by Calder and Associates.
The report made a number of recommendations which led to another extensive report by John Calder and Associates in 1987. All remaining works were completed in 1987 and signed off by the Controller of Water Resources, Fred Barlow, in 1987. In 1988, the government issued a water licence under section 14(c) of the Control of Waters Act. The then minister signed this licence and also accepted an invitation to open the resort. The minister was Mr Barry Coulter.
As you have heard, there was a geotechnical report done in 1988. When the new owner of the resort came to us to apply for the licence, we issued a licence under the condition that there would be a full geotechnical report undertaken every five years. The next ones are to be in 2007, and then in 2012. As you realise, there is a lot of documentation, reports, counter-reports – many reports - undertaken for the dam. This is a pretty good indication that the dam is in good condition. If you have any information that the dam is not in good condition, please forward it to the department and we will examine it.
Royal Darwin Hospital – Contamination of New Wing Airconditioning
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
As you know, I have been told by a member of the public that the airconditioning unit at the new wing at Royal Darwin Hospital was contaminated when the wing was opened. I have written to you requesting a copy of the test reports provided just prior to the opening. Will you be providing those results to me so that, on behalf of Territorians, I can be assured that there is no substance to the story? Can you assure Territorians that the airconditioning unit at the new wing was safe at the time of opening?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Port Darwin knows that I have written to her on this issue, and we have followed it up because it does seem to be quite serious. The member for Port Darwin is significantly misleading the people of the Northern Territory on this. The company involved, which has been doing some kind of air space technological tests at the hospital, provided a report to the hospital. All of the specialists who were involved with making sure that all of these things are correct before the opening of the building indicated that there were no problems.
When the member for Port Darwin wrote to me about this issue, naturally I was very concerned. She had talked to me about it previously as well. We contacted the company involved, and they were very upset that the member for Port Darwin was spreading this lie that there were issues, both with their testing results and with the airconditioning unit at Royal Darwin Hospital. The people who own this company said that the member for Port Darwin had rung them, and they were very concerned that they were being defamed as a business.
I would like to say, categorically to this House, that there is nothing whatsoever wrong with the airconditioning in the new extension of the Royal Darwin Hospital. It is very disappointing that the member for Port Darwin would wish to spread such outrageous suspicion when she knew perfectly well that there was nothing wrong with the new building. There is no way that this government would have opened a new extension to the Royal Darwin Hospital if we had any concept that there were any problems with that airconditioning unit. To suggest that the specialists at our hospital and, indeed, the individual company involved, would be doing anything such as you are suggesting is absolutely outrageous. You should be withdrawing and apologising to this House and to the people of the Northern Territory.
Capital Works Program
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
The government is rolling out a massive capital works program to provide jobs for Territorians. Can you please update the House on how the cash flowing from the 2003-04 capital works program is supporting Territory businesses and providing jobs for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. As you are probably aware, in my budget speech for 2003-04, I announced that the government is putting out a program in excess of $500m with a real cash allocation of $434m. This is the second-highest cash allocation against a capital works program on record. This not only allows the government to obtain the revoted projects from 2002-03, but also to start the initiatives’ infrastructure in the Northern Territory. We heard criticism before of the two years of the Martin government, but let us compare the last two years of the Burke government and the first two years of this Labor government.
This Labor government has spent $102m more in real cash in this period of time. However, not only that; with $434m, we will be supporting 2500 jobs in the Territory. My colleague, the member for Nhulunbuy, mentioned my Greek colleagues, and I know was happening before the elections. I know very well that now, if I go to the Galleria, I sit down by myself, because everybody else is out there working. I will ask members of the opposition to confirm it, because their staff are going to sit with the Greek contractors and there are not any - only the two coffee shop owners are there, sitting by themselves.
The leader of government, Clare Martin, announced $100m foreshadowed for the construction of the convention centre: that means support for jobs, retail businesses and tourism. Not only that, the port continues: $38m in the economy of the Territory, $2.5m for the completion of the Wickham Point road and the service for the LNG plant; Darwin Business Park has $6m for subdivisional works; rail passenger terminal, $9m - $6m in Darwin and nearly $3m in Katherine; Finke River Bridge on the Stuart Highway, $5m. Not only that, $1.5m for the Larapinta subdivision I announced a few minutes ago. There are initiatives like the Tiwi Islands road, $1.5m; 10 km sealing of the Tanami Road; and I do not have to mention the Mereenie Loop Road.
Again, the Leader of the Opposition criticised the government and mentioned everything about doom and gloom. I would like to quote from a leaflet produced by the Territory Construction Association. They were not our friends in the past; I would say they were friends of the other side. What they said in their August newsletter is:
- The NT government forecast in the budget in May that residential construction would increase by 25% over 2003-04. The May residential building approvals suggest the upward trend has started, with an original increase of 125.6%.
In the same month, Housing finance for the construction and purchase of new houses rose by 32%.
This all adds to anecdotal evidence that there has been a significant recovery in the housing market in the mid- to premium range. Investors are also coming back into the housing market in a significant way.
Madam Speaker, these are not our words; these are the words of the Territory Construction Association. I am prepared to table this document so the member for Greatorex and his colleagues can have a very good look at what is happening in the Territory today.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016