2003-02-27
Building Regulations
Mr REED to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Do you agree with builders and building certifiers reporting in today’s NT News, that the cost of building a home will increase by $5000, and building certification charges will increase by $250 per home as a result of your new regulations that dictate window size, glazing thickness, building design, colour schemes and other mandatory regulations? Do you also agree that these regulations remove individual choice and destroys the freedom and easygoing lifestyle of Territorians? Like the control of air space over Katherine Gorge, isn’t this just another con job; that is, a mess?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a very interesting question, because I thought the member served as a minister of this government for a large number of years and, as such, he should know that government always directed how you built your house under the Building Code of Australia. Governments specified the material …
A member: Well, why haven’t New South Wales and Victoria done it?
Mr VATSKALIS: The member for Daly, who also served as a Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment should have better knowledge about it. Nowhere is there any imposition about what colour you are going to use to paint your house. There is no imposition about painting it white, yellow, or purple with blue spots.
Let us start from the beginning about the so-called imposition of the government directing how you are going to build your house. What you read today in the newspaper is true. The Building Code of Australia has changed, and you could easily have come to it, but these conditions were a Howard government initiative. It is part of the greenhouse strategy.
Mr Reed: Oh right.
Mr VATSKALIS: Certainly, and if the member for Katherine was actually reading the newspaper before, he would find out, despite what he wrote in his newsletter, that all these changes did not happen in secrecy because they were widely advertised. Members of the Building Code of Australia came to Darwin, they had seminars and, also after that, my department advertised widely in NT News. This is the real size of the advertisement that went into the newspaper advising building professionals about the proposed changes to the Building Code of Australia.
To go further, talking about lifestyle and about this terrible Martin government putting more constraints on the building industry, well, Tasmania and South Australia have immediately adopted these changes. New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT have not yet, for the simple reason their existing regulations are tougher than the ones the Building Code of Australia demands. They are proposing to adopt it on 1 July 2003 after they streamline their legislation to comply with the Building Code of Australia.
Mr Reed interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: The member for Katherine’s former profession was as a ranger …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, enough!
Mr VATSKALIS: Unfortunately for the member for Katherine, I implemented and enforced the Building Code of Australia for seven years in my previous life, and I know how it works, how changes are made and how people are obliged, by law, to comply with the requirements of the Building Code of Australia.
You should know that, living in a place like the Territory which is hot and humid, somebody has to be out of his mind to paint his roof black, brown or deep blue. The reality is …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr VATSKALIS: … and I will explain why, member for Katherine.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr VATSKALIS: I will explain why. You can actually paint it black but, because of additional insulation, you have to consider the cost of additional energy you have to expend to cool your house down, because dark colours …
Mr Reed interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Obviously, physics was not your strong point at high school. Dark colours absorb heat.
Let us go back to the cost of housing. Builders in the Territory already implemented these changes before they were ever incorporated into the Building Code of Australia. Most of the builders in the Northern Territory already build under these standards. If they have done it, the cost to the house will be $2000, and probably for a big house $5000. The reality is, you pay $2500 extra to construct your house, for a house that will be there for 50 years. The savings in energy in a 30-year life on the house are significant. The reality, member for Katherine, is that Territorians know very well about your allegations, about your expertise in science and, certainly, about your expertise in the budget, in budgeting and about counting money.
Well, I am sorry, member for Katherine, you are being mischievous and you are prepared to mislead the public. It is very interesting to see that the CLP in the Northern Territory is not supporting the Howard government initiative. You must be the only Liberal party, or that side of politics, that is not supporting initiatives of your colleagues in Canberra. Your allegations are totally untrue and will only create mischief in the community.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: All right, that is it. You have had your little fun for the first question. Do not expect any more leeway. You have been far too loud.
Review of Lawn Bowls
Mr KIELY to CHIEF MINISTER
Can the Chief Minister please advise the Assembly of the outcomes of the recent review of lawn bowls in the Northern Territory.
ANSWER:
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question and am delighted to answer it. Earlier today, I had the pleasure of announcing the government’s positive response to the review of lawn bowls in the Territory, and had the delightful experience - and thank you to the Darwin Bowls Club - of having my first lawn bowl. I can report to the House it is a most enjoyable experience. One of my bowls got that far from the kitty, so I am feeling very proud of myself.
Members will recall that the former Arafura Bowls Club got into serious financial trouble last year and was put into the hands …
Mr Baldwin: Oh, we remember. A lot of people remember this. You took their land away.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, just resume your seat for a moment. I have spoken once, do not try me today.
Ms MARTIN: I would have thought members would be interested. Anyway, I hope that members do remember that the former Arafura Bowls Club got into serious financial trouble last year and was put into the hands of a judicial administrator. The club was managed by the judicial manager up until September last year, when it was decided that the only thing to do was to wind the club up.
Because building our future and enhancing our unique lifestyle are major priorities of this government, we decided to assist the club and the club’s creditors by purchasing the property at fair value as determined by the Australian Valuation Office. All of the club’s creditors were paid in full before Christmas last year. Some of the debts that the club had accrued included: staff superannuation and wages entitlements of $50 000; unsecured members’ loans of $25 000; loans from other sporting bodies, including the Disabled Sports Association, of $65 000; secured members’ loans of $234 000; and other creditors, including many tradespeople, $154 000.
Because of our support for lawn bowls and sport in general in the Territory, government initiated a full assessment of the future of lawn bowls. That review is complete and that is what I released today. The review considered participation rates in the sport, demographic trends and other relevant issues. The review concluded that, following the closure of the Arafura Club, the number of facilities in the Darwin and Palmerston areas was adequate for current and projected participation rates. The review also recommended the amalgamation of the NT men’s and women’s bowls associations into a single peak body, and the development of a strategic plan for NT lawn bowls, specifically addressing the promotion of the sport and with a target for junior development.
The government will provide funding for the preparation of this business plan. That is what good governments do. They assist sports to develop in a more progressive and effective future. This government aims to enhance our unique lifestyle in which sports play such a vital role.
Government has decided to rezone and sell the land previously occupied by the Arafura Club. This will provide another development opportunity; more jobs for Territorians. Part of the proceeds from the land sale will be used to offset the government’s payments to the former club’s creditors. Government will provide up to $250 000 from the land sale for the upgrade of lawn bowl facilities in the Darwin and Palmerston regions. In addition, the Minister for Community Development will be working with peak lawn bowls organisations to identify any other lawn bowls needs in the Territory. The balance of any funds received from the land sale will be used to fund further sports development and recreation in the Territory - vital elements of our Territory lifestyle.
The unfortunate financial difficulties of the former Arafura Sports and Community Club required the government to act to protect staff entitlements and club creditors, including tradespersons. I am very pleased to inform the Assembly that the nett proceeds from the land sale will be fully invested in securing the future of Northern Territory lawn bowls and Territory sports generally.
Mining Supply and Service Opportunities in Alice Springs
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Could you please advise the House what steps are being taken by the government to improve mining supply and service opportunities for businesses in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. This is a great success story. The increase in mining and services supply contracts coming into Alice Springs has lifted significantly over the last couple of years. It was a specific initiative of the Alice in 10 suite of projects. Alice in 10 had a mining service centre project, and the focus on that was to increase service and supply opportunities for local business.
Madam Speaker, you would be well aware, one of the key drivers of that project working in my department was your daughter, Michelle, who did an absolutely fantastic job in being a key instigator in that project that has delivered significantly for the business community in Alice Springs. It has improved relationships with resource developers and prime contractors. The fourth Petroleum and Mining Supply Seminar will be held in Alice Springs in August. It is an annual event organised by DBIRD. It is an excellent forum for miners and their service and suppliers to get together and build relationships.
I commend miners in the Northern Territory regarding their absolute commitment to, wherever possible, source locally in the Northern Territory. It has been key work that my department has been doing with the major mining companies, and we have really seen some great outcomes.
I would like to talk specifically about one company in Central Australia that is working very cooperatively with local business, and that is the new operator of The Granite mines, Newmont. Newmont is an extremely important player in the Northern Territory and the Australian mining industry. Earlier this year, Newmont announced that they have allocated $40m for exploration in Australia, with the Tanami region being their main target, specifically within 150 km of the existing mines.
The proposed NT exploration this year is worth $12m, and Newmont has 90 exploration licences in the Northern Territory that have just been granted on ARLA land as a result of the excellent working relationship that Newmont have developed with the Central Land Council. I commend both parties on reaching that agreement, because those agreements turn into investment, jobs and, hopefully, new mines for the Northern Territory.
Newmont’s Tanami mining operations employ 700 people in Central Australia, 20% of whom at the moment are indigenous, and they are seeking to increase that component of their work force. They spent $120m in the Northern Territory last year, $80m of which went into Alice Springs, and that is an increase of about 70% over where it was just two years ago. It has been a huge turn around in Alice Springs, and great commendations to everybody who has been involved.
We are committed to working with Newmont, and with all project operators in the Northern Territory. We are opening up land which is leading to investment. That investment, ultimately, is going to turn into the development of new projects in the Northern Territory and, more importantly, jobs for Territorians.
Electorate Offices – Relocation of Member for Millner
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
Today’s NT News reveals $100 000 in taxpayers’ money is being spent shifting the member for Millner from almost new premises at the Jape Shopping Complex to the Rapid Creek shops. This comes on top of the $115 000 spent on improving the comfort of the member for Karama. Chief Minister, the money being spent on the comfort of these two politicians alone is almost a quarter of the cost needed to open the Accident and Emergency facility at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Chief Minister, why is the comfort of your politicians more important than the health and wellbeing of sick Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question because, as the former Chief Minister would know, the fit-out for electorate offices are an important component of a local member being able to do their job effectively. It certainly was the process that was in place under the previous government, and one where the fact, for example, when I moved …
Mr Burke: Garbage! They are new offices.
Mr Reed: We did not have an unopened emergency centre.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the Opposition Leader asked the question, then simply does not want to listen to the answer.
Just two years ago I, myself, moved my office within the Parap Shopping Centre from an office space that was not adequate to do the job, to one that now is adequate. At the time, I wondered whether this expenditure was justified. The tender was let, it was to a local company; they got the work, so it was supporting local businesses and jobs. My electorate office now is a much better functioning electorate office that can better support the community. So, making sure that we do have effective electorate offices that are well positioned in our electorates is part of doing the job properly.
To listen to the implications of the question, implies that not one member on the other side has ever moved their office. Let us take the member for Port Darwin. The member for Port Darwin had an office in Stuart Park and decided to move to Larrakeyah. The member for Goyder did the same thing. The member for Drysdale did the same thing. This is part of the life of the electorate requirements of our parliament and, certainly, when it is done, it must be done effectively, and it must be done for good reason. However, it is supporting local businesses. Those small businesses in the Territory certainly appreciate the important work when it is being done locally.
Government Departments – Travel Bookings
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Madam Speaker, I ask the question on behalf of yourself as the member for Braitling.
Minister, given the need for government to promote small business confidence, and knowing that travel agencies in the Northern Territory are doing it tough due to the downturn in domestic and international travel, and with reports that some are cutting jobs and services, will you direct all government departments and agencies to book travel through local agencies and not direct to the airlines or through the Internet?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. This is certainly one of the specific issues that is being looked at, because it has been raised with me regarding the procurement review that is going to Cabinet in March. I suppose government does have a range of options in procuring travel. There is a lot of travel that is undertaken on behalf of government every year, using the methods and means of booking that travel have obviously evolved with technology these days, specifically given how easy it is to book airline travel over the Internet.
This is a balance for government in being mindful of expenditure of the taxpayers’ dollar in funding travel as efficiently, effectively and as cheaply as possible for the taxpayer, and also balancing the needs of local business. I can say to the honourable member that this very specific issue is part of a procurement review that is being undertaken at the moment. That review is going to Cabinet in March, and as soon as government makes a decision we will be making that public.
Electorate Offices – Relocation of Member for Millner
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, small and medium business have bluntly stated that your policies work against them. Today’s newspaper provides a blatant example of this. Why is a Queensland company being paid in the vicinity of $100 000 to move the member for Millner from his fairly new offices in the Jape shopping complex to the Rapid Creek Shopping Centre? Why was this money given to a Queensland company without any tender process? Why have you not given local Territory firms the chance to get this contract work?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the relocation of the electorate office of the member for Millner has been awarded to an interstate company because they are the owners of the Rapid Creek shops. There is a standard certificate of exemption arrangement, signed into being in 1995, that allows owners of buildings to have first crack at refurbishment and refit, or in-fit of new offices. In this case it happens that the owner of Rapid Creek shops is using a local businessman to do the job. He has a company registered in Queensland. That is simply all it is.
The decision as to which offices are refurbished, refitted or relocated is not one that is made by me as Chief Minister, and you would know that. It is one that is decided on by the Speaker, and if you have any further issues on that you might like to refer it to the Speaker.
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister said that this is decided by you, but the contracts were awarded by her Department of Corporate and Information Services.
Madam SPEAKER: Can I just say the budget is part of the Legislative Assembly budget, as you probably know, and the Chief Minister was quite correct in saying it changed hands. The new owner is a Queenslander, but he is using local contractors to do the job and it goes through DCIS. If the Leader of the Opposition would like a fuller briefing later, can you please let us know.
Information Act
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The new Information Act passed late last year implements one of the Martin government’s key election commitments. Can the minister please advise the House about the implementation work that is currently underway across government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I am very proud of our new Information Act; it gives Territorians, for the very first time, access to government information and protection of their privacy.
Our new Information Commissioner, Mr Peter Shoyer, starts work this coming Monday. Peter Shoyer brings with him extensive experience through his employment within the office of the Queensland Information Commissioner for eight years in total, six years of which he has been the Assistant Information Commissioner for Queensland.
In the meantime, we have been working very hard to prepare for the operation of the Information Act through an Information Act implementation team, which has been established across all agencies. Information officers have been nominated for each agency, and they have the responsibility for implementing the necessary practices and procedures of their own agency. Training and briefing sessions have been conducted for all information officers, and many executive and senior management groups across government in Darwin, Alice Springs and other parts of the Territory. We are looking forward to seeing the Information Commissioner come on board next week. We will be discussing with him the appropriate time for the act to commence, but it must commence before 1 July. We are on track with the implementation of this important reform.
Before I close, I would like to remind members that the member for Nelson put a bit of a wager on about who we were going to appoint for the position, and he presented an envelope in the House. The wager was $100, and I do not want the member to get a reputation for reneging on his bets, so I would call on him to make good with the money.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, you did wager a bet with the minister, and I believe you lost it. What do you have to say?
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, things have been pretty crook lately. and people are wondering why I actually have not been able to shave. Well, the economy is so flat, gas has not come onshore, the railway’s still chugging along, public liability has gone up. That is how crook things are mate, the economy is flat. I have had to save up all me money, no shaving for the last three months. However, I have been able to get up a few dollars here, out of the cookie basket. The missus has not had any pocket money for a while.
A member: You are kidding aren’t you?
Mr WOOD: Yes, and I would like to present this to the honourable member and hope he can put it to a good cause. It is real money, if you mob do not agree. There it is – real money - $100. Thank you very much.
Dr TOYNE: Madam Speaker, I will make sure this goes to the Youth Encouragement Scheme, as directed by the member, and thank you for paying up.
Madam SPEAKER: Did the member tell you what the name was in the envelope?
Dr TOYNE: No, I do not think I want to make that public, Madam Speaker.
Mr WOOD: Madam Speaker, it just says ‘Wrong!’.
Awarding of Tenders
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
Local businesses must despair of getting any work from this government, if they pick up today’s newspaper and see the tenders that have not been awarded. Again, I give an example of this: why has a New South Wales company been awarded almost $1m management fee to manage staff removal and relocation across the Territory for the Department of Employment, Education and Training for the next three years? Why couldn’t this business have gone to Territory companies, or at least a company that operates in the Territory, has operated in the Territory, and presently employs 100 Territorians and has had the contract?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not know the details of that. It is within the Department of Employment, Education and Training. However, I will assure the …
Mr Burke: What do you think Territorians think?
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I will assure the Leader of the Opposition that I will get details of that and inform the House.
National Tourism Awards
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for TOURISM
Last weekend, the National Tourism Awards were held in Adelaide. Could the minister please inform the House as to whether any Northern Territory tourism operators were recognised at this event?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for her question. There were, indeed, two Territory tourism companies which won prestigious awards at the Australian Tourism Awards. Both of them were from Central Australia. One, a tour operator, an Aboriginal company, and the other one, a luxury camp site. They were Anangu Tours at Uluru, and Longitude 131, the luxury camp site at Ayers Rock, which is owned by Voyages Hotels and Resorts. As it is an Australia-wide competition, the standard of competition is extremely high. This is the third year in a row that Anangu Tours have won the award and they have now been inducted into the Tourism Hall of Fame. They have won five awards in the past eight years and surely, here is a Aboriginal company that is certainly doing it right and I congratulate them.
Longitude 131 won an award in the new tourism development awards category. I have not had the opportunity to stay there. I have seen some of the advertisements in magazines. It is very luxurious and it is attracting a very special clientele into the Territory. I commend Voyages Hotels and Resorts.
We are seeing, through the tourism awards and these winning recipients, a very high standard, a lot of product development. It comes at a time when the tourism industry is in distress, there is no doubt about that. I reiterate our government’s commitment to the tourism industry - my commitment as minister and the commitment of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission.
It is quite upsetting to hear remarks such as those made by the member for Katherine. It is quite untrue that there has been a $2m cut to the budget of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. I laid it on the record and detailed here yesterday, that that is not true. There has been no mid-year cut to the budget of the Tourist Commission. In fact, in the out years, there is an increase to the recurrent expenditure.
Mr Reed: There is a decrease. In these papers, there is a decrease of $2m.
Dr BURNS: Oh, member for Katherine, you can talk about decreases. I understand what the budget is about. Do you know how I understand? Because I was involved in the Public Accounts Committee into your rort and deception. You are still promulgating them through your newsletters. I will be writing to the Katherine Times and telling the people of Katherine just to watch out for what you say, because you have not learnt.
Registration of Nurses
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Are you aware of a complaint to you from an experienced nurse from Daly River, who has faced numerous hurdles over many months, trying to be registered here in the Territory, starting with being advised by staff of the Nurses Registration Board to go to Queensland and do a re-entry program. Given the Northern Territory has a shortage of nurses, what are you doing to keep this experienced nurse in the Territory, and to prevent similar difficulties being faced by other nurses when they try to get re-registered?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question - a pretty unusual question because I do not actually have any jurisdiction in registration. That is done by the Nurses Registration Board. In relation to individual nurses, I do not get involved with the registration, or otherwise, of individual nurses. However, as I outlined in the House the other day, we have a lot of things in place to attract nurses to the Northern Territory, including things to do with education. If there is a specific issue in relation to this particular nurse, then I would recommend that the member for Port Darwin bring it to my office for attention and we will look at it.
Aboriginal Child Health Initiative
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Can the minister inform the House of initiatives which are being implemented to improve the health of indigenous children in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is nice to have a positive question. Certainly, this government is positive and forward looking, not like the people on the other side who are just looking into the past at all opportunities.
I have spoken in the House on a few occasions about additional resources we, as a government, have put into indigenous child health. Resources have been allocated to increase staffing with specialist child health skills to visit remote area communities, assisting staff on the ground to improve child health services within the communities. This is jobs in communities, a wonderful initiative from this government.
I am pleased to advise members that today I am meeting with Professor Fiona Stanley, Australian of the Year, and members of the Institute for Child Health Research to discuss an Aboriginal child health initiative. This initiative has received strong in-principle support at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in December 2002. A proposed partnership between the Institute for Child Health Research, Rio Tinto Ltd, the Commonwealth, Western Australia, Queensland and Northern Territory governments is recommended to work together aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of indigenous children and families across northern Australia. This is an excellent opportunity for a cross-jurisdictional approach at addressing an important commitment of this government: improving the health standards of indigenous Territorians.
We understand the close links between foetal and childhood ill-health, and the links with the development of chronic disease in later life. The Aboriginal Child Health Initiative will complement government commitments made to the current child health initiatives. Members of my department are also meeting with Professor Stanley and members of the Aboriginal Child Health Initiative. Discussions will clarify how this initiative can be implemented in the Northern Territory, ensuring that the implementation complements current Northern Territory government indigenous child health initiatives, and determining how the governments of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland can work together on this important health initiative. Once again, an important area which shows that we are working for all Territorians.
Lee Point - Status of Ownership of Land
Mr BALDWIN to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Minister, one year ago today, your Chief Minister said in this House:
- Negotiations with the federal government have been stepped up over the future of Lee Point, and we are now awaiting an answer from them. We are increasingly confident of an outcome soon, and this will see the development of hundreds of residential blocks in an area close to town and close to existing services.
Minister, could you tell us what is the current status of your negotiations for this very important piece of land?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his interest in the new suburb of Lee Point. He is quite right. Actually, he announced it before the election. I remember it very well; big headlines: ‘Lee Point, big suburb’. Well, if they were elected, he would not have seen his new suburb at all. However, I am telling you now that we have been advised by the federal government that they intend to sell Lee Point and they have put a price on it.
I have written to Robert Hill, the Minister for Defence, telling him that the Budget Cabinet is going to determine it, and the way we are going to develop it. Lee Point will become a reality by this government. Lee Point will be out there providing houses for Territorians in the Darwin area; providing jobs for Territorians. There are negotiations with interested organisations and developers, and they will continue. This new suburb is going to be opened by the member for Casuarina and the member for Wanguri, not by the member for Daly.
Mr BALDWIN: A supplementary question, Madam Speaker.
Lee Point - Status of Ownership of Land
Mr BALDWIN to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Madam Speaker, given the answer the minister gave, is it true that this settlement of the negotiations for this land occurred last July, and that the minister has been sitting on his hands since July last year, and the federal government have been awaiting an answer. Why doesn’t he tell Territorians why he has held this project up for nearly eight months?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will be very glad to answer that, and I will tell you why. Because I was not prepared to fork out the money that the Commonwealth wanted for that piece of land, like you would have done. We negotiated …
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: We were not prepared to pay what they wanted. We try to save money for Territorians, and we direct this money to all the problems you left behind you in health, education and police. I am not going to give Territorians’ money to anybody out of the Territory because they are mates in Canberra. I will negotiate and negotiate. I will buy, and I will pay the price I want to pay, not what Canberra want us to pay.
Members interjecting.
Mr Reed: You have misled the House.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! If the member for Katherine wants to make a statement such as the minister misled the House, he should do so by way of substantive motion or withdraw his comment.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, you know the rules, withdraw.
Mr REED: I will withdraw that, Madam Speaker, and look forward to the comment from the minister.
Schools - Shortage of Male Teachers
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
In the NT News today, there is an article about the shortage of male teachers in our schools. In an attempt to turn this situation around, would your government look at alternative schemes which fast-track males into teaching. I am alluding here to males who may have retired, or been made redundant through job changes, who could have gained many life skills which could be counted as prior experience. Would the minister also consider a Deputy Chief Minister’s grant for men, to assist men who may want to get into teaching?
ANSWER
I thank the member for his question, Madam Speaker. Can I say at the outset, it is not a new phenomenon. When I first went to teach in Nhulunbuy, in 1979, at the primary school and the Nhulunbuy Area School, I was one of 35 teachers on staff. It was, in those days, by far and away, the biggest primary school in the Northern Territory. I was the only male. The acting principal was a male, but he was non-teaching. I was the only teaching male out of a staff of 35. So, if you go back that many years, 23 years, that was a problem even then, and it was a problem across Australia and it has remained so. Less so in the secondary. Secondary seem to attract and retain many more males within the teaching staff than primary.
Other states are starting to look at and adopt different means and schemes of incentives of some sort to bring the type of person into the teaching service that the member was referring to - older workers retrenched or simply people looking for a change. The richer life experience of the person, perhaps in their 40s, after a lifetime out there in the work force, could be a valid way of enriching the teaching service. I am attracted, at least in principle, to the idea.
I would not want to comment on the last point made, something like a Deputy Chief Minister’s grant or that type of approach. However, I am sure the department keeps in touch with developments in other jurisdictions, and I will be asking the department what other states and jurisdictions are doing, to try to do something to address this imbalance. It has been around a long time and, if there are affordable and practical schemes operating in other jurisdictions that we think could have applicability in the Northern Territory, we would be very keen to look at them. I thank him for his suggestion, and I will see where things are up to.
Justice System – Involvement of Indigenous and Ethnic Territorians
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
What is the government doing to encourage indigenous and ethnic Territorians to be involved in the justice system?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Our government is a government for all Territorians and, wherever possible, we are trying to involve Territory groups in the business of government. One of these initiatives is to encourage more indigenous and ethnic people to become Justices of the Peace.
Trained Justices of the Peace can carry out various quasi-judicial functions, and assist the court in settling minor disputes and non-serious offending in the community. We believe this initiative will widen the pool of JPs and make access to JPs easier for Territorians. A wide range of language skills and cultural knowledge amongst our JPs will enhance access.
To advance the initiative, in the indigenous community the Department of Justice has consulted with the Aboriginal Justice Advocacy Committee and they have agreed to put forward names of suitable indigenous people to take up positions of Justices of the Peace. We will also seek expressions of interest at forums such as the Kurduju Crime Prevention Council and other indigenous groups. Advertisements seeking expressions of interest and complementary stories were placed in publications, which will be widely circulated in indigenous communities.
A similar process of calling expressions of interest from members of the ethnic communities is taking place through the Office of Ethnic Affairs. The Department of Justice has already received numerous inquiries and, since December, has sent six applications to prospective applicants. Increasing the numbers of indigenous and ethnic people as Justices of the Peace is just one way we are becoming a government of the people of the Northern Territory.
Subdivision of NT Portion 3951, Petrick Road, Alice Springs
Mr BALDWIN to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Minister, last December you overturned a decision by the Alice Springs Development Consent Authority regarding the subdivision of a block in rural Alice Springs. Whilst many Alice Springs people are concerned with your decision, my question concerns itself with the processes of that decision. I am informed that you made the decision without any reference to your department but, more importantly, your decision and the reasons for that decision must be tabled in this Assembly within three sitting days of making that decision.
Your deadline expired last Thursday. Are you in breach of the Planning Act, and indeed, have you broken the law, and does this breach of the law invalidate your decision?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member very much for his question. I believe he refers to a subdivision regarding NT Portion 3951 Petrick Road, Alice Springs. The member is quite right. When the minister directs the Development Consent Authority to change or not to approve a specific development under section 85 of the Planning Act, he is required within three days of the next sittings of the Assembly to table it.
He also made reference to some people who are concerned in Alice Springs. I believe there are some people concerned in Alice Springs, but there are also a lot more people supporting my decision not to approve any subdivision of less than two hectares in this particular area. I refer to several articles in newspapers in Alice Springs. I had some very strong alliance amongst the people of Alice Springs, and also on the other side of politics. On 4 December 2002, in the Alice Springs news, Mr Elferink stated:
- This is an example of where strong submissions to the minister by residents seems to have taken effect. It is gratifying to see the minister has taken notice, and he has been listening to the overwhelming opinion of local residents.
Mr Elferink also said that he ‘spoke to the minister during last week’s parliamentary sittings urging him to block the issue of the development’.
I inquired with my department about the legality of the notice and about the legality of tabling it, because I was concerned. However, my department advised me that there is a legal doubt as to whether the notice needs to be tabled in parliament, because I have not directed the DCA to ban a specific development. What I said to the DCA is to prohibit any development under two hectares in the area. Because we do not have the legal opinion, looking at this one. I intend to table that one in parliament next time.
Mr Baldwin: Did you send anything to the Development Consent Authority? If the answer is yes, you are in breach.
Mr VATSKALIS: I also intend to state that I still believe that no development less than two hectares should take place there, and I am prepared to redirect the DCA about this development. I believe I still have the support of the member for Macdonnell.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! I would have liked to have heard that answer.
Ejection of Member from Victorian Parliament
Mr KIELY to LEADER of GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Yesterday, a Victorian MP was evicted from parliament for feeding her 11-day-old baby. What does the government think about this incident, and could it happen in the Northern Territory?
Ms Carney: It was a Labor Speaker, too, which was very interesting, wasn’t it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question and pick up on the interjection from the member for Araluen. It is very interesting, and certainly on this side of the House, we were all shocked to see, last night on the TV news, Kirstie Marshall being ejected from the floor of the Victorian parliament for feeding an 11-year-old infant on the floor of the parliament. In fact …
A member: 11-day-old infant.
Mr HENDERSON: Eleven-day-old, sorry 11-day-old baby, Madam Speaker. The fact that the House used a really old-fashioned standing order in regards to a stranger in the House has caused us to ask the same question, rhetorically, whether that could happen in this particular parliament. I believe we have the same standing orders. In discussions on our side of the House today, I foreshadow that the government will seek to make some minor changes to ensure that if this event was to occur in this House, we would not see the same Victorian outcome that we saw in the parliament in Victoria yesterday.
I believe I am safe in the assumption in saying that I am not aware personally of any of our current members of this House who may happen to make use of this new provision - certainly within the next nine months. However, I would be the first to congratulate any member in this House if it were to be true that we were to have a happy occasion. I am foreshadowing that we will be seeking to make a very simple amendment to our standing orders. I would urge all members of this House to support that amendment to ensure that we do not have the same Victorian attitudes displayed in this House, and that we can set the pace around Australia in making a very small, but very symbolic amendment, to make our House as representative of our community as we possibly can.
Madam SPEAKER: I make the comment that this House has a standing order, and it is good to hear the government say they are considering changing it. There is always the option for someone to, in fact, sit in the Speaker’s Gallery, where they are not away from the House, and come in when it is voting time. However, I do remind members, we did have a precedent in this House. The previous member for Nelson used to nurture little joeys in her bra. I am not sure whether there was lactation there, but it did occur.
Road Maintenance
Mr MALEY to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Anyone who drives on our roads can tell you that road surfaces are full of potholes and drains which are unmaintained, resulting in flooded roadways, and that roadside verges are not being slashed. Minister, when will you reduce these hazardous road conditions and return the Territory road network to its former, well maintained state?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his hilarious question. There were standard roads before we came to power. Are you kidding me? Let me tell you when I am going to do it - when it stops raining, like you did. You never spent money to fix the roads when there were floods, when it was raining.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Today’s newspaper quite rightly says that the Stuart Highway has a lot of potholes. Let us not forget, that within two weeks, we have managed to surpass any other record of rainfall in Darwin and the Top End. We have reached nearly 800 mm of rain. Roads suffer.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: The roads under our control will be fixed when it stops raining. Our people will be out there, our contractors will be out there to fix them.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, would just stop a minute. I just cannot hear your answer. There is too much noise going on. Too many interjections from both sides. Please speak slowly, minister.
Mr VATSKALIS: The roads will be fixed. It is simply a question of when the rain will stop. Let me remind you that, when we came into this House, when we came into government, we found only $6m in the budget for minor repairs, and by November there would not be any money in the coffers to repair roads. We had to inject an extra $10m just to keep small contractors - people with small businesses, some of whom live in the member for Brennan’s electorate. We met them when we went to the Palmerston Business Association meeting, and they were complaining bitterly to us that there was no work out there. The roads are going to be fixed. Just organise for the rain to stop and I am going to start fixing the roads. You do that; I will fix the roads.
____________________________
Distinguished Visitor
Madam SPEAKER: Before we continue, I would like to acknowledge the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of the Senator for the Northern Territory, honourable Trish Crossin. On behalf of all members, I extend to you a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
____________________________
Marrara Oval and AFL Pre-Season Match
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Can the Chief Minister please inform the House of the latest progress in upgrading Marrara Oval No 1, and the forthcoming AFL pre-season match that will be played there tomorrow night?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for the question and know that the member for Karama is very interested in tomorrow night’s match, as all members are, I am sure. As I pointed out in the House last week, the Aboriginal All Stars v Carlton match that was played recently at Marrara proved that it is one of the best playing pitches in the nation. Any of us who were there that night to appreciate what was a wonderful game, particularly with the outcome, would appreciate what a wonderful venue it is now.
Tomorrow night, we will see this reputation enhanced with the AFL pre-season Wizard Cup match between the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows. Interestingly enough, Madam Speaker, as you are probably very aware, both sides have birds as their emblems. So, it really is a feather in the Territory’s cap that Marrara has been selected as one of the sites for the pre-season Wizard series.
For anyone who is really passionate, both sides will be training at Marrara later this afternoon, from 5.30 pm onwards. That provides a great opportunity for fans to take a look at their teams in action before tomorrow night’s big game. The coaches boxes at Marrara have been finished. They did not quite make it for the All Stars game, but they are now finished, so the first stage of the redevelopment of Marrara is completed; and that is the expansion that focusses on football.
We are well advanced on the works on the cricket pitch preparations that are necessary to host the cricket when it happens in July. So many are looking forward to that very first test match in the Territory. It is good to see Bangladesh doing well in the World Cup Series, and performing better in each match they are playing. Tomorrow night will be for the Territory …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: There were a couple of very good scores, including one from the captain. They are doing well. Everyone here is aware that Bangladesh would be described as an emerging nation in cricket, if you look at where Sri Lanka was a decade ago and where they are now. Bangladeshis are passionate about their cricket - absolutely passionate about their cricket. I have watched with interest the Bangladeshi team’s performance in the One Day Series, the World Cup, and, bit by bit, their reputation is being enhanced. I thoroughly support their presence here in July.
Tomorrow night will be a Wizard night with heaps of Marrara magic. I urge Territorians to get along to the game. Our upgraded stadium will be televised into homes - the match and the stadium, of course - across the country, showing what great facilities and what a great lifestyle we have here in the Territory. I believe our government’s decision to invest in the Marrara upgrade has provided jobs for Territorians. The upgrade has made a significant contribution to enhancing the Territory lifestyle, and the $2.5m that has gone into Marrara will certainly continue to do so.
The pre-season football matches, and the international cricket this year, are a great boost for tourism, a boost for the accommodation sector and a good boost for Territory business generally. Madam Speaker, I hope, in tomorrow night’s match, that the better team wins.
Madam SPEAKER: While we are talking about Bangladesh and Marrara, may I remind honourable members that we will have a delegation from the parliament of Bangladesh here in March. It will be an opportunity for us to show them the stadium and I trust all members will be able to join with us in hosting an event for them.
Lambrick Avenue-Chung Wah Terrace Intersection Traffic Hazard
Mr MILLS to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
With particular reference to the previous answer to the question asked from this side, minister, I wrote to your office a year ago seeking your assistance in addressing an issue of traffic safety to many Palmerston and rural residents, which is the Lambrick Avenue-Chung Wah Terrace intersection. With yet another motor vehicle accident reported in Monday’s NT News, it is the view of many residents that we are fortunate to have avoided a fatality to date. Minister, after a year of waiting for this response, when will the concerns of motorists be given more than a letter acknowledging receipt of my letter?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question in regards to the Chung Wah Terrace-Lambrick Avenue intersection. This intersection was upgraded in 1999 as part of the extension of Lambrick Avenue through to the Stuart Highway. My Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment has undertaken a traffic study of the existing intersection in response to a number of complaints regarding this intersection.
Options to upgrade the intersection are currently being investigated. The department is going to upgrade the intersection. The design work is to commence shortly with the construction work to be undertaken in the current financial year. This work is already under consideration, funding has been obtained from the federal government under the Black Spot program, and it is going to happen in the current financial year, following the end of the Wet. There is not much we can do during this period of time. We are getting on with it. The reality is that it is going to happen, and it is going to happen this financial year.
Moratorium on Industrial Land Development
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Minister, yesterday you put out a media release, which I have here, talking about anti-development and anti-jobs. In this media release, there is no mention of Middle Arm Peninsula but, at the same time, you have said that the member for Nelson is demanding that the government place a moratorium on industrial land development sites - no other mention of anything else. Minister, have you misled the community about what my viewpoint is about the moratorium?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I am really sorry if he actually misunderstood what I said in my press release. What I said, and what the member suggested here in parliament during the debate, was to investigate other areas for future industrial development and put a moratorium on the Middle Arm Peninsula. The reality is - and members on the other side should know - that the department, under their instructions for 20 years, investigated other areas and the area the member for Nelson suggested. Of the areas they investigated, they were found to be either not of the size appropriate for industrial development, to conflict with other use in the area, and all to have constraints like watercourses or the water table.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is totally irrelevant. Another argument for the government approving the Standing Orders Committee to look at it. Is this irrelevant. I asked why this statement came out which says something that I did not say.
Madam SPEAKER: I think the minister is addressing your question.
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, certainly I have not misled the parliament or the public. What I said is, that is what the member for Nelson wants us to do, and we are not going to do it. The only people who misled the public here, and they continually mislead the public, are the people who yesterday voted in support of the member for Nelson’s motion. These are the same people who are going to stand up for Middle Arm and Wickham Point, Phillips LNG, Methanex and GTL, and all of a sudden they have discovered their green inner self: ‘Look, we are Greens, we are better than you, we support you’.
Well, the reality is, member for Nelson, your newly found friends are the ones who are actually going to …
Mr BALDWIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He made an allegation about misleading the public, but he clarified who he means. If he means us, on this side of the House, he should withdraw that or do it by a substantive motion.
Madam SPEAKER: I have to admit, I did not hear the particular claim, but minister, do you recall what you said?
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, I did not allege that they misled the parliament, I said they are misleading the public, the people out there. I continue to say that, because this is what they told us before and, all of a sudden, now, they come out and say: ‘Oh no, we do not want any development there, we always did not want development there. We want green areas’.
Members interjecting.
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr BALDWIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Do not shout at me, member for Daly!
Mr BALDWIN: Well, I am just …
Madam speaker: I don’t care! You wait until you have been acknowledged before you speak. You know the rules of this parliament. And that applies to everyone. Do not speak until you are called.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER
Awarding of Tenders
Awarding of Tenders
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the Chief Minister has further information.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Yes, Madam Speaker. I gave a commitment to the Opposition Leader to give him the details of the question he asked about the DEET contract that was awarded for arranging the removal and relocation of teachers from interstate to the Territory. It was awarded to a company called Move Dynamics.
Move Dynamics, I have been informed, won the contract because their bid represented best value for money for the Northern Territory. Move Dynamics have an office at Berrimah. Interestingly enough, Toll Transitions, a national company based in Sydney, had provided this service to the department previously under an arrangement put in place by the previous CLP government.
Swimming Pool Fence
Registration Fees Revenue
Registration Fees Revenue
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I also provide an answer to the specifics of a question asked by the member for Goyder on Tuesday about how much revenue had been collected from pool fence registration fees. I have the details of that. I am sure the member for Goyder will be interested.
Up until Wednesday - that is up until yesterday - there had been 706 pool fence inspections, 315 registrations issued and 62 compliance certificates. A total of just over $20 000 in interest-free loans and grants had been approved under the early registration incentive scheme. Registration charges for new pools built since 1 January 2003 totalled $200. So, registration fees for new pools - which is where they apply and where they only apply - a massive amount that will turn the budget deficit around, of $200.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016