2004-12-02
Motor Vehicle Registration Costs
Dr LIM to TREASURER
In a little over 18 months, your government has increased car registration three times. The last increase in July this year saw the cost to register an average family car rise to around $498. Yesterday, TIO announced a $25m profit, and immediately forecast increases of another 7%, which will see registration costs rise to about $535. In the space of 12 months, registration costs for the average two-car family will have increased by more than $150. You defended these planned increases on radio today. Given your government has also announced huge windfall tax profits …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order Madam Speaker! Question Time is a time for the opposition to ask questions, not make statements. I urge you to rule that the honourable member get to the point and ask his question.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, thank you! Let us have short questions and short answers. Member for Greatorex, your question.
Dr LIM: I have the question here, but they interrupted me. Minister, you defended these planned increases on radio today. Given your government has also announced huge windfall tax profits in your mid-year annual report, why will you not act to make sure that this government-owned organisation will not increase car registration costs again?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will be as brief as I can in the answer, but I do want to correct the basis of the question in the first place; that is, that registration costs have gone up three times. Nothing could be further from the truth. Registration remains at $160, the lowest in Australia by a big margin. That was the figure when we came to government in 2001; it has not been touched.
What has been touched and what has been increased is the compulsory third party component of registering a car. Let us be very clear about this: if we take a state/territory comparison, the registration fee for a new Holden Commodore in the Northern Territory is $160; in New South Wales it is $378; in Victoria it is $187; in Queensland $353 and so on; and the all-state average is $277. We stand at $160, the lowest and way under the all-state average.
If we go to compulsory third party, this is what has been increased. This is the direct cost of running MACA, which is widely acknowledged as a good, no-fault scheme, having good benefits. It is a good scheme, but it has to pay for itself. It cannot be cross-subsidised by other parts of the TIO business, such as housing, finance or insurance. MACA is a stand-alone scheme that has to pay for itself.
Inside MACA there are medical costs. You have benefits tied to normal weekly earnings. Normal weekly earnings go up by about 3% or 4% a year. Hospital costs go up by 3% to 6% a year, all of which have to be covered in the premium.
Last year, the member might recall, we were faced with a massive premium increase to keep MACA solvent - something in the order of 35% was the recommendation that came from the Territory Insurance Office. What did government do in the face of that alarming increase? Government, and taxpayers’ money, put $10m into MACA to keep it solvent and to keep the otherwise 35% increase at that time down to much more moderate - and I am talking about May last year, it was around 8% when premiums rose. No business
Mr Dunham: What? A mere 8%?
Mr STIRLING: No business in the world can stand in one spot and say: ‘No, we are not going to put them up’, or ‘We are not going to put them down’, because you just do not know what the reality is in that cycle next time it comes around. We do know that there are escalating costs inside the scheme. We know it is a good scheme, and we want to preserve the scheme. However, the fact is the Territory accident rate, on an Australian comparison, stands dreadfully high and, of course, that incurs costs.
In relation to why we do not give it back, I am reminded of something someone from Treasury said to me the other day: ‘There will be claimers, because you picked up a bit of extra duty because of the economic activity, stamp duty, conveyancing duty ...
Mr Burke: A bit of GST here and there.
Mr STIRLING: … and the like.
If you want to give it all back when times are good, what happens when times are tough?
Mr Dunham: They are tough now, mate.
Mr STIRLING: What happens in three or four years when the economic cycle turns down …
Mr Dunham: They are tough now. It is only John Howard bailing you out.
Mr STIRLING: … as it was when we were elected to government in August 2001, when there was not a construction industry out there? You could not find a cement mixer in Darwin. We were stretched to the limit because they left nothing in the bank either except a massive deficit ...
Members interjecting.
Mr Dunham: Oh, it is our fault that MACA has to go? It is our fault. Should have worked that out.
Mr STIRLING: There was nothing. It was very difficult for this government to stimulate economic activity and get the place back on the rails. Therefore, if you want to give it all away …
Mr Dunham: You want to find a new excuse, mate.
Mr STIRLING: … when times are good, what is there when times are bad and business is looking for stimulation and government expenditure to up its capital works - which we have done with three capital works record budgets in a row …
Mr Dunham: Oh, gee, we would love that debate brought on, too.
Mr STIRLING: … in order to keep construction activity and economic activity steaming along?
That is the answer: registration costs have not moved. MACA premiums have, which is widely acknowledged. We stemmed the increase last year, but no one - go to Woollies and ask them if they are going to put the price of milk up over the next 12 months. What a nonsense! And you stand here and ask the Treasurer if MACA premiums are going to go up over the next 12 months. Well, I do not know that - I do not know.
At some point, TIO will provide information, and Treasury will look at that information in relation to the solvency of the scheme and what it needs to carry itself through the next 12 months. Decisions will be made on that information at that time. However, no one can stand and say: ‘Oh no, they are not going to go up next year’, or, ‘We are going to reduce them’.
Madam SPEAKER: Before we go on, member for Drysdale, you had about six outbursts during that answer, so please try to control yourself.
Capital Works Contracts – Benefits to Territorians
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Can you update the Assembly on contracts that been won by Territory small business, and the jobs for Territorians that are being generated by capital works in his portfolio?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. As members would be aware, in this financial year there is a record capital works budget of $441m. Since the budget has been bought down, there have been a number of extra capital works that have been added into that budget, notably $10m for beef roads over two years. DIPE, the department I help administer, has the lion’s share, if you like, of that capital works budget. I am pleased to report to the House that, since 1 July, over 93% of the contracts awarded through DIPE have been to Territory companies. I believe that is a fantastic achievement.
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: That is in accord with this government’s priority of keeping the Territory moving ahead - and I say it again for the member for Macdonnell: keeping the Territory moving ahead.
This is, of course, of great benefit to small, medium and even larger size businesses within the Territory. If the member for Macdonnell, or anyone else on the other side, wants to peruse the Gazette, as recently as 1 December, there were contracts awarded by DIPE in Alice Springs, Alice Springs, Alice Springs, Alice Springs, Winnellie - these are all Territory companies - Casuarina, Palmerston, Daly River, Alyangula, Katherine, Winnellie, Katherine, Darwin, Alice Springs, Darwin, Darwin, Peppimenarti. Similarly, the week before. I will not go through it though, as I believe members can get the flavour. There were no businesses from outside the Territory. This also shows that our Territory businesses are competing against interstate businesses and winning important contracts all through the Territory.
This financial year to date, expenditure in DIPE has been $86m, and the NT share has been more than $80m, or in excess of 93% of expenditure to date. We estimate that this year’s record capital works budget will generate over 4000 jobs for Territorians; right across the Territory. We have long-term plans for generating jobs, and we are proud of our capital works budget and of Territory companies.
Alice Springs Teachers - Resolution of Grievances
Dr LIM to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
You tabled the so-called grievance report on the Central Australian office of DEET at the last sittings in October. However, you seem to be paralysed by inaction with the recommendations of the report. Grievances such as bullying and harassment have not been resolved. Whilst I have high regard for the General Manager, and presently Acting General Manager, the newly-appointed General Manager has gone on annual leave until next year …
Madam SPEAKER: Your question?
Dr LIM: When will the grievances brought by state teachers be resolved?
Mr Ah Kit: It is a matter before the House.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. However, as my colleague, the member for Arnhem pointed out, it is a question before the House for debate this afternoon. Nonetheless, I am happy to take the question. I am pleased to hear the member for Greatorex speak with confidence of Paul Newman, who is Acting General Manager. Paul came out of Principal Group Clusters at Katherine schools, and we expect him to be doing a fine job in the absence of Rita Henry.
The appointment of Rita Henry to the senior position in the Central Australian DEET office is one that has been widely applauded, as she has been acknowledged as a person of great integrity and capability, and a person who will get the operations of DEET in Alice Springs going, looking after people, as she is a people-focussed person. You can never have too many of them in the public service, or in senior positions.
It is a fact that Rita has been heavily involved in and around the secondary review this year. She is not in a position to take up her new position in Alice Springs until early in the new year. Public servants are entitled to annual leave. Rita is one of those people who puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She, more than anyone else I can probably think of, is entitled to her small annual leave break.
Again, I refer the member for Greatorex to his own comments in relation to Paul Newman. He said he was happy with that appointment; therefore, he ought to be happy with Paul running the place until Rita is able to take up the position. They both certainly have 100% confidence from me and the chief executive of DEET, and we expect them to do an excellent job through next year and beyond.
Fannie Bay Seniors Village
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for HOUSING
Could you inform the House as to the progress of the new Fannie Bay seniors village, and just which Territory businesses have been involved in this exciting project?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question. The member for Fannie Bay and I attended a small ceremony at the new Fannie Bay seniors village at lunchtime today, marking the final handover of the village to Territory Housing by the contractors, John and Tony Tomazos of Gratis Pty Ltd two weeks ago. Residents are starting to move into the 40 two-bedroom dwellings in the village already, proving what a great community asset Territorians have at Fannie Bay.
The best thing about the $7.5m project is what a great home-grown project it has been from day one. The design work was carried out by Steve Huntingford and Colin Brown of Jackman Gooden Architects. It is really well designed and built, and beautifully landscaped. The project was led by John and Tony Tomazos. Gratis Pty Ltd assembled a small army of subcontractors and suppliers from every imaginable trade skill to finish the job two weeks ahead of time and on budget. Congratulations to all the locally-based companies made up of Northern Territory Concretors, DABSCO, HB Blocks, Boral Concrete, PDQ Enterprises, Halikos Roofing, Top End Joinery, Paradise Landscaping, OneSteel Reinforcing, CSR Emoleum, Curb North, Innocente Transport, City Ceramics, Cullen Bay Electrical, Project Plumbing, MI Poullas Painting, Northern Territory Pest and Weed, Trade Building Suppliers and Dick’s Pumping.
I am sure all of us in this House, in a truly bipartisan way, would congratulate each and every one of these companies. It is an enormous credit to Territory industry and workers. Also on this, I would like to give special praise to the on-site foreman, Nick Koulouriotis. Nick has done an excellent job in organising the project work. I also give credit to Trevor Collins and Peter Siebert. Their teams in Territory Housing, under CDSCA Assets, have been in there and working well with Nick. It has really been a labour of love and I know they are really happy with the result. To this must be added John Simondson and staff from the Tenancy Section of Territory Housing, and also to the project manager and supervisor from DIPE, respectively, Boon Ng and Col Curby. Congratulations, fellows, on a job well done.
This is a fantastic result for just one of the hundreds of projects the government is involved with every year, supplying local businesses and local jobs to really help move the Territory forward.
Mango Air Freight Trials
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for BUSINESS and INDUSTRY
The mango air freight trials were a worthwhile initiative that had the support of Territory freight forwarders, growers, exporters and industry bodies. I listened to you on radio praising the work that officers had done - you said over 18 months - to plan this process and to initiate the trial. How can you make something that took 18 months in the planning go so badly wrong so quickly? What were the factors that your government overlooked that caused this service to fail from its beginning? Why did you not identify these issues during your 18-months planning process?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. Yes, I can certainly say, as minister responsible for this trial, I am disappointed that the trial has finished early. We are going to go through a review and audit process with industry, and internally within the department. We will have this audit chaired by an independent person to understand what has gone wrong with this particular exercise.
The reality of this trial is that it was a business development exercise. It was a partnership between the Territory government, Northern Territory Airports and MAS Kargo to initiate a regular freight service between Darwin and Kuala Lumpur, and to build the freight volumes over the time period of 16 flights to be determined. It was a business development exercise, and the Territory government and Northern Territory Airports would contribute on a 60:40 basis, $10 000 a flight, to assist with ground handling charges and airport fees.
The problems really occurred when there was a change of personnel within MAS Kargo, and some confusion that we are still trying to get to the bottom of. When the first flight was pulled at short notice by MAS Kargo, a lot of industry freight forwarders and growers were very nervous about committing their freight to that particular airline. When the second flight was pulled for lack of volume – and there was never any commitment in the agreements that we had with MAS Kargo to pre-book volumes onto that flight – confidence from the industry, which had to get their fruit to the marketplace, people took the option of alternative routes out of Brisbane.
There are lessons to be learned. However, I can say to the industry that it will not deter me. We have to develop a regular air freight service out of Darwin to cater for the produce that is coming out of the Northern Territory. We will learn lessons from this trial. Once we have the results of that audit, I will be happy to come back and update the House.
Humpty Doo Police and Fire Facility
Mrs AAGAARD to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Can you please advise the House on how construction is progressing on the Humpty Doo police and fire facility, and how local business has benefited from this project?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nightcliff for her question. I am sure the member for Nelson will be very interested in the answer. For the past 24 weeks, Northern Territory firm, Norbuilt, has been busy constructing the $2m police and fire facility at Humpty Doo.
The shopping centre there is a hive of activity, with contractors coming and going. I have had feedback from residents at Humpty Doo and businesses in that shopping centre who are very pleased with the new infrastructure going up there. I know the member for Nelson recently expressed his surprise at how big the facility is going to be. Again, I extend an invitation to the member for Nelson for the opening that, hopefully, will be early in the new year.
In 24 weeks, Greg Thompson and the crew at Norbuilt have completed about 70% of that facility. There is still about 30% to go. We are heading into the Wet Season, but we are still on target for an opening early in the new year.
It goes to show that this government is investing in capital and facilities across the Northern Territory for the police force and the fire services. This is the second new facility constructed under the watch of this government. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of opening the new police station at Kintore.
Mr Stirling: I promised it to them.
Mr HENDERSON: Your promise, Syd, your commitment. I was very pleased to open that facility. That was another $2.5m investment in capital, built by Alice Springs firm, Sitlzers.
This government’s capital works program is delivering jobs, delivering to small business and to the people of the Northern Territory through new and improved facilities, which are much appreciated by the police and the residents who live in and around those facilities.
Madam SPEAKER: You will remember next time, minister, to refer to members by their electorate.
Local Government – Relations Between Department and Association
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
There is a serious breakdown in relations between your department and the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory. Just a few examples are: partnership agreements between councils and your department have dragged on for ages with no tangible outcomes; the business system set up at 15 councils by LGANT has been continually frustrated by 18 months of negative feedback; LGANT was not invited to a recent review of IHANT, even though councils own 50% of the houses; and operational funding is steadily decreasing for smaller councils. Why is there an anti-LGANT attitude in some levels of your department? Will you intervene and direct the department to work cooperatively with LGANT?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. To my knowledge, there is no anti-LGANT feeling at all. In fact, I have addressed …
Mr Elferink: You want to go and speak to the councils, mate.
Mr AH KIT: Will you shush up and listen? You might learn something as shadow spokesperson.
I have addressed most of the LGANT meetings when they have been held in Alice Springs and Darwin. In fact, we have a pretty good relationship, I understand, with LGANT.
Yes, I will take on board your concerns. However, I would like for you to approach me with those concerns, in writing, if you wish, or talk to my Chief Executive Officer.
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: Well, there are not many members opposite who take up the opportunity to be briefed. You sit in here and you do not know much at all because you are too lazy. You are disorganised, you are tired and you are looking for the Christmas break. We are here to work for Territorians; if you are not, go home.
However, I digress. We have a partnership agreement being organised with LGANT. The department pays considerable attention to the maintenance of an effective relationship with LGANT, and it seems that LGANT shares the view that there is value in an effective professional relationship. As with any such relationship between a government agency and a peak organisation, there will inevitably be times when there are disagreements. Importantly, though, there is a strong commitment to maintenance of the relationship, allowing us to rise above such disagreements to continue the joint commitment of developing local government in the Northern Territory.
If there are concerns at the municipal level then, certainly, I will seek those out from the department. However, as I say, we have a partnership process in place, similar to the partnership process that we have entered into with the Palmerston City Council. We have a funding arrangement where they receive some $260 000 a year under an agreement. The department recommend to me we should be increasing that to $300 000 a year. This is for human resource management and support to councils. It is also support that is offered by way of recruitment for chief executive officers of community government councils and municipal councils. We have regular meetings.
The Local Government Act, as I have said in this Assembly earlier, will undergo another review. We know what happened to the last one; it took seven years to introduce amendments to the act. Certainly, we do not want that process to continue. I will look at the concerns raised by the member for Nelson, and will report back to him or to this House, if he so wishes, on the relationship as it stands. That is the best I will do. I will continue to ensure that there is a good relationship developed, because LGANT has an important role to play in helping councils and municipalities to move forward in the Northern Territory.
Leasing of Motor Vehicles through Salary Sacrifice
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for BUSINESS and INDUSTRY
The question is a little lengthy, but it is an important question on behalf of the motor traders industry. You would be aware that, under salary sacrificing initiatives for public servants that are being sponsored by your government, public servants are being encouraged to purchase motor vehicles under what are known as novated leasing arrangements. Are you aware that, due to a lack of consultation with the motor industry regarding the conditions of these leases, only one Territory business is in a position to offer such leases and, worse, some vehicles are being purchased interstate by public servants to the dismay of local traders who rightly believe the government should be supporting them? These purchases are being arranged by a Western Australian company named Fleet Network.
Given your Chief Minister is spending nearly $0.5m on a marketing campaign telling Territorians they should be spending more money in the Territory, why is the government supporting a process that unfairly disadvantages most Territory motor traders? Why is the government providing an unfair advantage to interstate agents and traders over local businesses? Why was the industry not consulted fully prior to these arrangements being put in place?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question, because I am aware of these concerns and issues. I have been discussing them with the Motor Traders Association and individual operators in the industry.
The Western Australian company that the member for Brennan talks about came to the Northern Territory some months ago now - I do not have the dates with me - and took out an advertisement in the Northern Territory News, expressing to put on an information evening for public servants to advise them of the novated leases they could access via the salary sacrificing arrangements under the EBA.
This company took a commercial opportunity to provide information to public servants. It was not sponsored, encouraged or endorsed by government. This was a commercial initiative that this company chose to take. I can say to the honourable member - and I may be one or two vehicles out here - my recollection, as of a point in time about two weeks ago, is that, of the 16 vehicles that public servants have accessed under this novated lease arrangement this year, 14 of those vehicles have gone to one local Territory company, and two have gone to the Western Australian company. What it does say - and what I have asked my department to get back to me - is that public servants are not jumping over themselves to access these provisions under the EBA. I certainly do believe there are opportunities for us to promote those opportunities better than they are being done at the moment. When I get that advice back from my CEO, it is something that I will be taking up with the Motor Traders Association.
However, regarding the volume of business that may have gone interstate - it is two vehicles. If I am incorrect, I will come back and let the House know. The other vehicles have gone to a Territory trader. Both the Territory traders and the interstate business have taken commercial opportunities based under the EBA provisions that were awarded in the last round. It is an issue that I am aware of, and - I certainly agree with the member – it is an issue that needs to be better promoted.
Alice Springs – Residential Land Release
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Can the minister update the Assembly on the release of new residential land for development in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as many members would be aware, there have been blocks released in Larapinta Stage 4. A Territory company, Asland, has been issued with a lease to develop and release the first 40 residential blocks in Alice Springs. This is a historic milestone for Alice Springs, despite the negativity of some members opposite to this particular project.
This has shown that we can work well with the native title holders, agreement can be reached, and there can be successful progress in such things. It also restores our faith in Father Christmas, because there was one member here last year who asked, as a Christmas wish, for land to be released in Larapinta. It is happening, member for Greatorex - ho, ho, ho!
Dr Lim: It has been released three years late!
Dr BURNS: I will pick up on that interjection. It could never be fulfilled under the previous government because they would never have negotiated in such a way with the native title holders in Alice Springs. Ideologically, in Alice Springs at least, I believe they were opposed to that kind of approach. I also mention the member for Macdonnell, who urged the government to pay the native title holders off and just bog the whole process down within the courts - probably, as I have said before, for several years. Well, that did not occur; we and the native title holders negotiated in good faith. I congratulate Lhere Artepe; they have done very well.
I also congratulate Asland for winning the tender to develop the first 40 blocks. I know that people like Mr Michael Hannon and Mr Michael Sitzler are very enthusiastic about the process.
Next year, there will be a further release of 45 blocks by government. The next area will be Mt John Valley. Members will also be aware of potential developments along Ragonesi Road which are very close, from my information, to getting the tick. The outlook is bright for Alice Springs, under this government that is moving the Territory ahead.
Alleged Intimidation of Hay Farmer at Gunn Point
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Your government professes it supports Territory business, yet it has thrown hay farmer, David Gray, off the Gunn Point Prison Farm. A senior member of your staff phoned Mr Gray, threatened and abused him, telling him because he had spoken to the CLP about his problems with government, there would be no goodwill forthcoming from the Martin government. Why have you defended these bully-boy standover tactics and taken no disciplinary action against your minder who abused and used intimidation to threaten hay farmer, Mr David Gray?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is interesting that the member for Macdonnell is asking this question and not the shadow. I thought we were lining up, matching one for one. I was starting to feel like …
Members interjecting
Mr Burke: Answer the question!
Dr BURNS: All right, I will answer the question.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Cease for a moment, minister. I know you have not started, but let us wait until everyone is quiet.
Dr BURNS: Okay, Madam Speaker. In relation to Mr Gray, he had operated out of that area on an ad hoc basis for a number of years. The basis of the ad hoc arrangement between Mr Gray and the government was that he was, basically, the caretaker of buildings at the old Gunn Point Prison Farm. It came to a point where the buildings were in such a dilapidated state that a caretaker was no longer needed. That is the long and short of this matter.
In relation to claims made by the member for Macdonnell, Mr Gray has made a number of claims about documents and assurances that he has from this, that and the other. When I have challenged Mr Gray to send me that documentation, he never did. Mr Gray was given a three-month extension, and probably another four-week extension to the arrangement, which, as I say, was a very ad hoc arrangement. Then, subsequently, he approached me and I gave him another three-month arrangement. I am not sure whether I have Mr Gray’s letter here, but he wrote to me when he was after this last three-month extension, saying that he would have all his bits and pieces off the lease area at Gunn Point at the end of that three months. Then he came back and said he wanted it extended again for June.
Mr Gray has had a pretty good deal out of the government. He has been able to run cattle on that whole Gunn Point property. He has been able to farm hay, and has essentially cleared land and has cultivated under that particular …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was very specific. What is the minister going to do to discipline his own staff who have threatened Mr Gray?
Dr BURNS: I have set out the lease arrangement with Mr Gray. When these allegations were made, I questioned my staff, and I do not believe the allegations have substance.
Livestock Export Requirements
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
What impact will new livestock export requirements have on live exports from the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his very important question. New livestock export standards have been put in place by export working groups and the Livestock Export Standards Advisory Committee. This committee was formed to provide advice to the Commonwealth Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The new standards were put in place from 1 December 2004.
Unfortunately, very recently, AQIS put a new interpretation of the guidelines for export standards and required that all cattle for export have to be kept in a registered export depot for seven days. That created a lot of problems for the cattle industry which, until now, have used a combination of on-farm, transport and export depots to accommodate the cattle for seven days prior to export. The other problem was that are not enough registered export depots available in the Territory.
The Cattlemen’s Association made representation to my department and me. The department’s Chief Veterinarian Officer approached AQIS and discussed it with them, and now AQIS have accepted that, the farm, transport and export yards can be utilised as export depots to keep the cattle for seven days prior to export. There was a great sigh of relief from the cattle producers and exporters as it makes things easier for them.
The cattle industry, at the moment, despite the fact that the dollar is approximately US78 , is doing very well thank you very much. The herd in the Territory is about 1.9 million cattle, and last year we had a turnover of 550 000 cattle. There is also an increased demand for Territory cattle, not only from South-East Asia, but also from interstate. Last year, we saw approximately 100 000 cattle come from Queensland to be exported through Darwin. This year, we have seen 50 000 cattle going from the Territory to Queensland for restocking properties after the drought in the southern states.
In addition, cattle production is very important to regional centres, with three store sales held in Alice Springs recently. The cattle commanded really high prices - $2.08 per kilo of live weight. We also saw store sales in Katherine recently for the first time in many years.
The cattle industry is very important for the Territory; it creates a lot of wealth. We are exporting cattle to South-East Asia, and also exporting expertise and know-how to South-East Asia for the management and slaughtering of cattle. The new arrangements put in place will further strengthen our cattle markets, and also indicate that our cattle industry is well ahead of the other states, because we have put in place arrangements to make it easier for the producer and the exporters, and clients who want to buy cattle from the Northern Territory.
Owston Nominees – Provision of Hay Feed
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Can you confirm that hay farmer, David Gray, is the same person who supplied hay for property developer, Warren Anderson? Can you also confirm that the Martin government sought Mr Gray’s cooperation in pursuing its case against Mr Anderson in the courts?
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: Sorry, Madam Speaker, I missed the last part of the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, there was an interjection from the member for Karama. We do not want to hear it so often.
Mr ELFERINK: I will ask the question again. Can the minister confirm that hay farmer David Gray is the same person who supplied hay to property developer Mr Warren Anderson? Secondly, can he confirm that the Martin government sought Mr Gray’s cooperation in pursuing its case against Mr Anderson in the courts?
ANSWER
Lovely question, Madam Speaker. I welcome the question, although I am somewhat intrigued what that …
Mr Dunham: Well, answer it yes or no then.
Mr AH KIT: I will answer it if you will shush up and stop being rude. Did you take your tablets this morning?
In regards to hay, hay farmers and DIPE – how does hay fit with community development? I am querying that in my mind …
Mr Dunham: You fed it to the starving rhinos. Don’t you remember the hippopotamus was skinny? You can’t remember that?
Mr AH KIT: Well, if the department was in touch with DIPE, and if there were problems in regards to the animals at Tipperary – if there was - and if there was hay organised, it certainly was not done from my office with the minister and ministerial advisors organising hay. We are not in the business of organising hay for animal farms throughout the Northern Territory or anywhere else in the country.
I suggest if he would like to know the real answer to that question, he should contact my department or …
Mr Elferink: No, I am asking you. You are in charge of the department.
Mr AH KIT: It may be an operational matter with which I am not involved. I have a CEO who runs my department - quite professionally and efficiently at that.
The second part of his question may be a question for the minister for Justice, because I do not see how that fits with my responsibilities up there on the fifth floor, either through my department or my portfolio responsibilities. However, you may wish to contact Mike Dillon, the CEO of the department, and ask him whether he chose to work with Department of Justice. Or you may wish to ask the minister for Justice whether there was discussion about who and how the Martin Labor government was going to assist Mr Gray in any affairs against my mate, Warren Anderson.
Mr ELFERINK: Supplementary, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No, we have had enough.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, he flicked it at the Attorney-General. I think the Attorney-General now should answer this question.
Madam SPEAKER: No, we have had enough.
Mitchell Creek – Impact of Development
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Regarding the destruction of the headwaters at Mitchell Creek, could you please say who gave permission as required under the Water Act to destroy large sections of the upstream reaches of Mitchell Creek? Will your government continue to allow the destruction of the creek to occur? How does the destruction of Mitchell Creek fit into the Darwin Harbour Management Plan your government boasts so much about? Will you - as Palmerston City Council have asked for - halt development in the area until a catchment management plan has been developed for the creek?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question, and I presume he is talking about the area around the Stuart Highway.
Mr Wood: Delfin’s area and the remainder of the creek.
Dr BURNS: There have been some works carried out on Mitchell Creek as it crosses the Stuart Highway and runs along behind the suburb of Farrar. Permission to do that work goes back prior to 2001. I have driven past that area. It is not a very pretty area and I do not think it is particularly well done. To some degree, the horse has bolted in terms of that area of Mitchell Creek. However, I can assure this House that I am committed to the preservation of what remains of Mitchell Creek.
I believe there was a report carried out in 1996 about the drainage and conservation areas of Mitchell Creek. That report did not go anywhere, but I will give a commitment here and now in this House that I am prepared to work to try and implement the study to ensure the values of Mitchell Creek remain.
If the member for Nelson is talking about just below Stage 1 of the Delfin development, and coming back to the later stages, some of the controversy has been a petition that has been tendered to the House by the member for Blain - yes, that is another area that concerns me. However, I find it rank hypocrisy for the members for Blain and Brennan to run around telling the minister that he should be rezoning this land, when the whole development plan was hatched under their government.
Mr Elferink: It is never your fault, is it? You never have responsibility in relation to anything.
Dr BURNS: It is a bit of hypocrisy. I can assure this House that Delfin feel the same way about it too. I have had discussions with Delfin, as I have with people who live around that particular area. I am looking for a negotiated way through. However, to ask me to rezone that land just like that and expose the government to all sorts of compensation, I am not going to do that …
Mr Wood: What about the Water Act?
Dr BURNS: I am not going to rezone that land, but I will find other ways of trying to safeguard that particular area. I am working with Delfin, and I have given some assurances to the residents there.
Mr Wood: Use the Water Act, minister.
Dr BURNS: Well, I do not believe I can, under the advice I have so far. If it was in a rural area, I probably could, member for Nelson. However, in the particular area within Palmerston we are talking about, my advice thus far has been that, because it is a residential development in an area like that that ...
Mr Wood: That is not the fault of the creek.
Dr BURNS: … it is not available to me.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson!
Dr BURNS: I am negotiating, and I hope to report to the House, possibly next year, that there has been some success.
One assurance I have been able to get from Delfin is that they are not really going to proceed with that development in a precipitate fashion until we can work through the issues.
Education - 100 Additional Teachers
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
What progress has been made towards the filling of the government’s election commitment to employ an additional 100 teachers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question, because I am indeed proud, as minister for Education, to say: ‘Yes that pre-election commitment of 100 extra teachers in the system has been fulfilled’. It comes at a cost, as you would appreciate - $8.14m ongoing. However, it is a real investment in our kids, in Territory education, and further evidence of just how much money this government is prepared to invest for the future.
On coming to government, we found essential support services across classrooms for our teachers in critical areas - special education, behaviour management, literacy/numeracy - had been neglected by our predecessors. Well, we have turned that around, and it has been a big part of the 100 extra teacher promises.
As I announced late last week, seven sport and PE teachers will be employed across the Territory early next year, and it is those seven that complete the 100 extra teachers above formula in the Territory. Therefore, there is no question about how you can find these teachers, because they are not inside the formula; they are all extra. There are 100 of them as I speak.
The most significant allocation inside the 100 was to that area of special needs - 28 of the 100 have gone to special needs. It is one of the most challenging areas in education, and teachers who work as special needs teachers, specially trained to deal with kids with special needs, deserve our undying admiration for the commitment that they bring to the job - the love, care and compassion they show for those kids. I go to all the special areas and, to say these jobs are challenging and difficult, is a tremendous understatement considering the difficulties that some of these kids have. We are proud to accord that whole area of special need the attention it deserves.
Literacy and numeracy, of course, is the cornerstone of education. We do under-perform in comparison with the rest Australia. We have committed significant resources to the Accelerated Literacy Program. It is a program that, I believe, can make a difference in accelerating literacy from year to year. Twelve teaching positions out of the 100 have gone to assist with the further expansion of accelerated literacy across the Territory.
An area of priority first identified by the Australian Education Union and COGSO and parents, was support for schools in addressing behaviour management. We hear a lot about behaviour management and how it is more of a problem year by year than it ever was when either we were at school or involved face-to-face in school. Eleven of the 100 positions have gone to behaviour management positions created under the Student Wellbeing Project. They are working across 20 schools across the Territory. We are the first jurisdiction in Australia to address this need. It is a need right across Australia, and we are the first government to actually say: ‘Let us put in place a behaviour management specialist to work with our classroom teachers across these issues’.
Ten teachers are working in schools in support of students who speak English as a second language; seven teachers in alternative provision of education for those students who have become disengaged over time; five positions were created as assistant principals in group schools to further support those students scattered across remote and small schools in the Territory; five positions are to support schools through the Capability Development Unit, set up to deal with schools that are either in strife or slipping into strife; and five positions have been added to the relief teacher pool, particularly in those areas where relief teachers are difficult to find.
The others include: four positions to support learning and technology in school, the LATIS program; and two to the Northern Territory Music School. I was delighted to see that we could fit two under the 100 cap, because a number of programs had actually fallen off because they had been funded under various federal funding programs which had dried up. By being able to put two extra music teachers into that music school, the schools were delighted because we were able to get the programs back up and running.
Two teachers are in Alice Springs developing a remote education resource package: one is allocated to a Lighthouse School, and one educational research position is based at Charles Darwin University. I hope that adds up to 100. I certainly know that there are 100 there. If I have not listed them all there, someone will, no doubt, further advise me. It is a commitment that we are enormously delighted to meet at this stage of government when we are just a little over three years in.
Alice Springs - Public Housing Tenant Problems
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
You are aware of a public meeting in Alice Springs two weeks ago, at which about 200 local residents attended to discuss problems created by public housing tenants. Will you support the CLP’s policy of changing the Residential Tenancy Act to make it easier to evict problem tenants? Do you admit that your government has failed to deal with problem tenants, thereby causing nearby residents to be frustrated, afraid and concerned that their housing values will and have decreased?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I did not know that the member for Araluen was the shadow minister for Housing.
Ms Carney: I live in Alice Springs. Do you have a problem with that? You were not at the meeting. This bloke was, and he was attacked on his way home. Have you seen that? You did not have the guts to go. He turned up and look what happened to him.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, enough!
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, they are getting excited.
Cabinet meets on Tuesdays. We had a very heavy agenda and I was not able to catch a plane and be there for the meeting. However, I had officers there, and they reported to me the next morning what the meeting was like. There are concerns there. I raised that in a ministerial report the other morning. We have an MPI that has been brought on by your colleague, the member for Macdonnell, in regards to housing in Central Australia. I am prepared to address that in detail. It would be great to see the input from your side about the issues that you raise. I have always said that I will listen, I will act. The new security service was introduced on Monday evening …
Mr Elferink: Why would they need security patrols, above police protection?
Mr AH KIT: It is a matter before the House in regards to the MPI, and we will deal with that in detail when that MPI is brought on.
Maternal Health Services
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for HEALTH
Could you please inform the House what the government is doing to deliver its commitment to improved maternal health services throughout the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, if I was asked at this stage of my time as Minister for Health what would be the most critical issue that I have in front of me to deal with, I would immediately answer chronic disease. Chronic disease is accounting for some nearly 25% of deaths within our health system. We are finding that the costs within the hospital system attributable with chronic disease are fast approaching 50% ...
Members interjecting.
Dr TOYNE: Having said that, it is rather interesting that there has not been one question from either the previous shadow health minister or the current one regarding this very important issue.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order Madam Speaker! The minister well knows that there are 21 questions outstanding from a briefing and a number on the Notice Paper. It is too cute by half, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order! You are not the previous shadow.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, just answer the question. You are being provocative.
Dr TOYNE: The other key aspect of chronic disease is to understand its origins …
Ms CARTER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: You cannot both stand up there!
Ms CARTER: The question was about maternity services, but he is talking about chronic disease.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order! If you would allow the minister to answer the question.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! We are going to get to the answer, minister?
Dr TOYNE: Madam Speaker, this is a three-step argument. I know it is very difficult for the opposition to follow three steps in an argument, but let us do the second one now.
The second step is that, in order to understand the origins of chronic disease in our system and the increasing incidence of it, you have to understand what is going on in both the remote and urban communities. The remote communities provide particular conditions which are the genesis of much of the chronic disease that we are now seeing in the health system. Again, I would urge the shadow to get out bush and have a look at what is going on there because you will not understand this aspect of the health system …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The comments of the minister assume that I do not have an understanding. I can assure him that I do.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, you are jumping very quickly on points of order that are not points of order. If you keep on making frivolous points of order, I shall warn you.
Ms Carney: I do not need a lecture from him, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: You are on a warning! You do not back-answer when I am speaking, thank you.
Mr Dunham: Talking about maternal.
Dr TOYNE: Madam Speaker …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale! Order, thank you!
Mr Dunham: I am trying to help him out, getting to the point.
Dr TOYNE: The third step in the argument is that, if you want to look at the contributing factors to chronic disease, many of them are laid down in the first five years of a child’s life. In fact, even before birth and right through from the moment of birth, that is where you have to go if you want to make some impact on chronic disease. Which brings me to maternal and child health.
We are giving this a major focus within the development of priorities under the five-year framework for Building Healthier Communities. We believe that nothing less than a generational change in the health profiles of our children will turn aside the current trends in chronic disease, which are totally unsustainable within the size and resources of our health system. We have already made a good start with the Child Health Initiative, which was $2.2m, creating additional health staff for rural and remote communities to focus on the health of children in their first few years. This is the biggest single boost to child health services in remote Territory communities.
We are now adding to that earlier initiative with a maternal health package, which I announced some week or so ago, an investment of nearly $350 000 recurrent, towards ensuring that the health of mothers and infants is at the heart of our health care system. That not only dealt with the issue of birthing choices for mothers, it also provided an additional two midwives to supervise and set up the ante-natal and post-natal care in clinics where we do not currently have a midwife trained nurse. We are also supporting the work force with advanced obstetric skills, and supporting women in remote communities through those additional skills in the health system.
We need to do a lot in this area if we are going to make an impact on the current ill-health of children. The moment children are born, if they contract early childhood infectious diseases, the research is overwhelmingly saying that it will lead to chronic disease in their adult life. We are fully committed to this as a key priority within the development of the five-year framework, Building Healthier Communities.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016