2007-10-09
Crime Statistics
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
As you know, the crime statistics were released last week and they clearly reveal that you are failing to tackle a range of law and order problems across the Northern Territory. There are a number of damning figures, which are included in a graph. Most alarming of all was in relation to assaults. Using your preferred comparison of quarter-on-quarter from the previous year, in Darwin, there was an increase of 88%; in Palmerston, there was an increase of 124%; and in Alice Springs, there was an increase of 60%. Chief Minister, is it any wonder that people are frustrated and frightened? Will you admit that you have failed them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, one thing that we do consistently, which starkly contrasts with what the previous CLP government did, is to actually release figures about crime. We do that. We know that sometimes, some areas of crime will be down and others will be up. If you look at the figures of which the Attorney-General has carriage, in areas like assault, yes, the figures are up; in areas like property crime, the figures are down; motor vehicle theft figures are down as well. What we have across the Territory is some areas where you have a decrease and others where it has increased.
None of us want to see assaults at levels we are seeing now, and there are a number of reasons for that. One of them is a very proactive police force. We could say to the police force: ‘Do target people who are assaulting others, whether it be a domestic violence situation or in some of our CBD areas’. We could say that and the figures would look lower, but we have a police force and a government that are targeting violent crime with a very strong violent crime reduction strategy. What this means is that people are being arrested for assault, and they are contributing to the level of assaults recorded across the Territory.
As Chief Minister and Police minister, I will encourage the police to continue this. We have to tackle the insidiousness of domestic violence. We will continue to target those who breach orders, and those who are assaulting others in areas like Mitchell Street or wherever it is happening, we will continue the focus of the police in stopping that happening. So we will see figures like that. We would like to say that it will not happen, but it will happen because we have a very active police force.
Over 60% of assaults that happen across the Territory are alcohol related. That is why we have a very focused alcohol strategy, whether it be in Alice Springs where we are starting to see significant results, the work that has been done in Katherine by the minister in reducing alcohol supply, right across the Territory, we will continue to do it because we are not going to see a reduction in those assaults until we tackle the damage done by alcohol.
I do not like the figures. I do not think anyone here would like figures where we see an increase in assaults, but you have to understand that there are factors involved. There is a very active police force that is targeting those who assault - not closing their eyes to it, actually targeting it and particularly in relation to protection of women. Everyone in the Chamber would want the police to be encouraged in that respect. We also have to keep our eyes very firmly on the damage done by alcohol and the relationship between alcohol and assaults. Madam Speaker, we will continue that as well.
Madam Speaker, I would like support from the other side of the House in doing that. It is a problem that has been entrenched in the Territory for a long time and we will continue to tackle it.
Land Release - Residential Development
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
In the last two months, the Northern Territory government has announced the opening up of further land for residential development over the next few years. Can the Chief Minister update the House on announcements regarding Berrimah land and the impact this will have on land supply for residential development, both here in Darwin and in Palmerston?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. He was at Berrimah Farm yesterday when we announced the sale of 220 hectares of the old Berrimah Farm. Even though the member for Nelson said it is an industrial site, he should have a look at it ...
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: It is a beautiful piece of land, it looks down towards the port and it has breezes.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: It is a lovely, open piece of land. There are not many blocks like this in the Darwin area; it actually has elevation and that is precious.
We have done an assessment of this land. It is now excess to requirements. It has been many years since it was used for primary industries.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Nelson!
Mrs Braham interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Henderson: The member for Planet Earth.
Mr Wood: Oh, go away!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Nelson! Chief Minister, continue.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the 8 hectares of land that we need for primary industries and the important research that is done will be maintained there, but the other 220 hectares will be released, once the planning has been done, for expressions of interest.
A detailed plan will be coming to Cabinet, but the threshold decision has been made and it is an excellent one despite the rantings from the member for Nelson, an excellent one to sell this land for new homes.
This plan, as we did for Bellamack, will include provision for first homeowners. We will continue to support first homeowners when and where we can. What this means, following the release of 700 blocks of land at Bellamack, plus some more for private development at Berrimah, is two large areas of government land now opening up something like 1400-plus residential opportunities for a growing population in the Territory.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Mills interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Blain!
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Nelson! Order! Chief Minister, please continue.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, it is not just two areas of land, though. We still have land available at Farrar in Palmerston, Lyons is being developed and, next door to Lyons, there are about 1000 blocks in Muirhead to be developed after that. I encourage Defence Housing, who will undertaking that development, to having a focus on first homeowners. We have contacted the relevant federal minister to say this should be part of any release of land in Muirhead.
If you combine those blocks in the Top End with the work we are doing at Mt John Valley and Sterling Heights in Alice Springs, it shows we are very serious about land release. Talking about the federal government, we have written to them to say that the old aerial farm, which is adjacent to Berrimah Farm, with something like 600 blocks potentially available, is no longer in use and that land should also be available for residential release.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, it is interesting. Half the time we have this mob asking: ‘Where is your plan for land release?’ You spell out the plan for land release and they start carping.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: Get some integrity about this, some consistency would be good. We have a plan …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Blain!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, land release is critical. In the Territory, where we have such a strong economy and a growing population, land release is critical. We have identified the land that over time will be released, that will provide the residential blocks that we need, and I am proud of what we are doing. I say: come on, grow the Territory.
Crime Statistics
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
In the June quarter 2004, there were 845 assaults across the Northern Territory. Yet in the June quarter this year, the figure is up to 1450, a rise of 600. It is trending upwards and has been trending upwards for some time.
With a budget of over $1.1bn more than what there was in 2001, will you explain to Territorians why it is that over the last three years, the figures for Territory-wide assaults are trending upwards, and why there are 600 more assaults in the June quarter than there were three years ago?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Opposition Leader for her question. It goes over much of the ground that I answered in the previous question.
Why do we have more assaults recorded? We have more police. We have significantly more police than when we came to office. We had a police force that was squeezed of resources. We have increased resources right across the Territory with more to come. We have significantly more police coming across to the Territory in the next couple of years and …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, more police tackling some of the problems that we face in the Territory, whether they are domestic violence issues that we face now, we have a much tougher approach coming from police, and the link I mentioned before between alcohol and assault is one that we are tackling.
These figures will continue to be at a high level while we have a police force that is tackling them, and is going to use a very well developed, violent crime reduction strategy to start seeing some of those recidivist offenders out of the loop and back non-assaulting.
There is a lot of work to do, but the additional resources are there in our police force, there is more to come. We will continue the focus on personal crime. We will also continue to focus on property crime.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: And it does not matter if the Opposition Leader keeps on bleating. There are logical reasons why we are seeing the figures that we do. We will continue targeting the causes of that crime.
Home Affordability
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for PLANNING and LANDS
Can the minister update the House on recent initiatives by this government to assist in improving home affordability in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. In the last few years, we have seen nine interest rate rises in a row under the Howard government.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The CLP laughs but, in reality, that translates to …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: That translates to an average of an extra $60 000 in mortgage payments for a family in Darwin, for example. That is $60 000 in costs on the battler in Darwin thanks to John Howard’s interest rate rises.
The Martin government, in stark contrast, has slashed stamp duty and we have expanded our HomeNorth scheme, which has seen more than 1000 Territorians enter the home ownership market. We have also had a land release strategy that we have consulted with industry about. We have listened to industry. They want surety about industrial land release as well as residential land release.
The land release announcement at Bellamack was a very good example of just how we are addressing housing affordability. We have identified a percentage of housing within the Bellamack subdivision specifically for affordable housing as well as social public housing.
The announcement yesterday of the Berrimah land release is another indication to both the community and industry of the strategic, staged land release program that this government has to ensure that we are responding to the very healthy economic growth we are seeing in the Territory.
In terms of Alice Springs, we are going to auction for the Larapinta land release in November. I am expecting that the market has strengthened in Alice Springs, and we have identified seniors public housing as a component of the Larapinta land release, so I am expecting there to be a competitive auction in Alice Springs.
Mt John Valley, in terms of catering to the range of marketplaces for new housing in Alice Springs, is also attracting a lot of interest among developers and potential purchasers. We have struck an in-principle agreement with the traditional owners of Mt John Valley and that is proceeding very positively.
We have construction under way at Lyons, and I join the Chief Minister in calling on the Commonwealth government to look at ensuring there is a component of affordable housing in the Lyons subdivision.
Muirhead, right next to Lyons, really does open up opportunities for Territorians. There is some beautiful residential land earmarked in the northern suburbs. Muirhead will realise about 1000 blocks, and half of that will be out to the public.
There is a real opportunity for the Commonwealth government in Canberra to put its money where its mouth is and open up affordable housing in the Territory. The Commonwealth government likes to hit up on the state and territory jurisdictions in terms of land release, but the reality in Darwin is that a lot of the available land is Commonwealth land. It is Defence land. The aerial farm is an example of that. As you heard the Chief Minister say, that would realise about 600 lots for housing if the Commonwealth turned that over to land release.
There is an opportunity for the Commonwealth to enter into the supply market in terms of land availability in the Territory and we have called on them to do that. They are silent on the subject. We will continue to listen to the community. We will continue to have a strategic land release program. We are informing the community and, member for Nelson, of course we will be consulting with the community. You continue to say in the rural area there is no land release, but I am signing off on subdivisions in the rural area on almost a weekly basis.
Crime and Antisocial Behaviour
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Last night, on the Channel 9 news, a resident of Wanguri said that the youths who terrorised residents on the weekend did ‘the same thing over and over again’. She also said that the area in which she lives used to be a peaceful community and a peaceful suburb. Now, she said houses are being sold. Chief Minister, you are the boss, you are also minister for Police. Every time we ask you about rising crime figures, you say, in essence, that you are working on it. Will you concede that your attempts so far have failed and do you acknowledge that the people particularly affected by what happened on the weekend do not feel safe? What are you going to do about it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the disturbances, the threats, the yelling, the breaking of car windows that happened in the member for Wanguri’s electorate on Friday and Saturday nights is totally unacceptable. It has to stop. My heart goes out to those residents who had to put up with a group of about 20 young people who rampaged through their streets and suburb. We are not going to put up with it.
Over 50% of crimes committed by youth are committed by about 16% of the whole group, so you have a small group of young people who are disproportionately represented in the crime figures.
What we have to do is target those young people. Police are putting an operation together, starting immediately, to lift their effort in targeting those young people to ensure that we can stop their behaviour, stop what was obviously the terrorising, I think terrorising is not too strong a word, of the residents of Wanguri. We are very sorry that that happened, but we are going to get police with a renewed focus on targeting those young people who are disproportionately causing that kind of disturbance in our community. That operation starts immediately. As Acting Police Commissioner Bruce Wernham said this morning to the media, that strong focus will continue until the problem goes away.
There are some things that we as government have to do in conjunction with that. We have to look at the problem of repeat offenders. There has been some significant work done by the Attorney-General and his department looking at how we can strengthen the hand of the courts in dealing with repeat offenders. A lot of that work has been done and we will be talking about it publicly within the next few weeks. We have to ensure the police have the resources. They have anti-gang legislation, which is a real strength. They can use that, but we also have to ensure that those repeat offenders do not come back on to the streets, that we do have appropriate intervention.
There is no doubt that work needs to be done. We need to have police focused on this problem. It is not acceptable that young people can cause such a disturbance as they did on Friday and Saturday nights. I also appeal to our community that if there are small disturbances, report them. Police need to have this information. They need to be able to see where young people, if that is the problem, are causing problems on the street so that they can react as soon as possible. So we need a community effort on this. We need the police to be doing their important part. We need legislation, if we have to amend that to support them, but we also need the community to identify where these problems might be emerging so there can be a level of police monitoring and intervention.
A final point, an important part of this, is parents. When you are dealing with juveniles, parents must be taking more responsibility for what their children are doing overnight, so I appeal to parents in Darwin to take responsibility for your kids; do not let them out on the streets. We have to stop this problem from recurring and we will use all the resources we have to ensure that we can.
Berrimah Research Farm – Land Release
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
I am sure we would all like to know whether the proposal to release land for housing at Berrimah Research Farm will have any implications on the research effort and capacity of your department.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder for his question. The Berrimah Research Farm has been occupied by the Australian and Northern Territory governments for well over 50 years now. Activities on that farm have changed considerably over time in response to the changing face of industry and directions industry has taken. The government has had to adapt with industry and cater for its own needs in that time.
The farm has evolved from a dedicated research farm in the past to the current headquarters for the administration and laboratory facilities for DPIFM. DPIFM will continue to run those two areas, research and administration, at the farm. They will be located at Berrimah within that eight hectare area that has been allocated as part of the plan. Programs that are currently run by DPIFM in crops, forestry and horticultural research will remain and continue in the interim. I understand the last program, which is a forestry program, will be finalised in 2010 so the programs will continue until that time.
DPIFM has developed eight other research and development farms and demonstration farms across the Territory over time. They have been established according to the varying climatic conditions of the Northern Territory over the vast expanse of our land, the land capabilities of the various regions, industry needs of all sectors and, of course, the industry regional development area.
To ensure there is going to be a smooth transition for the DPIFM area, a full-time staff member has been seconded to work with the various government departments who will be involved in all of the work to be undertaken, and work closely with the stakeholders to ensure that the needs of DPIFM and those stakeholders are identified and met.
The proposal to release the land will not reduce the research effort and capacity to provide strong service delivery for the people out there. I just want to reassure everyone of that: research will continue on the eight research farms and demonstration facilities dotted around the Territory. A lot of people will be worried about the cattle in the paddocks there. I can assure you that there is no research being undertaken on those cattle. The cattle are there purely to keep the grass down, so the land will be available for housing in the not too distant future.
The major Primary Industry laboratories and administration building will be in the eight hectare footprint, and there will be ample room to cater for all the needs of the research and administration facilities. The Northern Territory government is committed to the Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines area, especially in research and development. They will still play an integral role in the development of the Northern Territory to ensure that we do move ahead.
Local Government Reform –
Interstate Recruiting Companies
Interstate Recruiting Companies
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
Your government has long told Territorians how you support local businesses and Territory Proud. Why is it that your government has decided to use a South Australian company called Locher instead of a Northern Territory company to advertise for CEOs, directors of corporate services, and other local government jobs as part of the so-called local government reform process? You have employed another South Australian company, Collins Anderson, to write up your business plans for our local government. Could you say how long the South Australian company has had an office in Darwin, how many Territorians they employ and how much are we paying them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the question from the member for Nelson asked a lot of detail. I do not have carriage of the area, but I can say in a broad sense that expressions of interest were sought for tenders. That is a transparent and well-monitored process carried out by the Procurement Review Board. On that side of what we are doing, there is a good process, it has been worked through with local business, and has pretty strong support from local business. Further detail …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Member for Nelson, you asked the question. I do not know whether the Minister for Local Government has further detail about that. Yes, he wishes to answer it. I will refer it to him.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. In respect of Locher, due process was followed in the procurement process. As I understand it, there were approximately four expressions of interest. In fact, expressions of interest were sent to seven companies in the Northern Territory and across Australia. There where four submitted: two from the Northern Territory; and two from interstate. Due process has occurred, value for dollar has applied. Locher, the company in question, won the tender.
Locher has a very strong exposure to local government issues right across Australia, more so in South Australia. We believe that they have the capacity to carry out the task as required. I now understand why you are President of a Flat Earth Society. It is very important to understand that there has to be a competitive nature here. We have to get best value in the context of …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr McADAM: … the taxpayer dollar. I can assure you that the 20% weighting that applied to the two companies in question were taken into consideration. The facts are that a decision was made in respect to value for money and the experience and expertise to carry out the task.
In respect of Collins Anderson, yes, they have the tender for business management plans. Again, it was a tender process and all the principles applied that I have just indicated in respect of Locher. As for the number of people that they have based in the Northern Territory, I do not know. As I understand it, that they are using consultants in the Northern Territory. In terms of the number of people employed in the Northern Territory, I am very happy to get you those figures.
Anti-Gang Legislation
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
In your previous answers, you suggested that police need the right tools to tackle crime and that there is more work to do. By media release dated 17 October 2006, your Attorney-General said in relation to the much lauded anti-gang laws passed:
- The provisions in the bill are aimed at giving police the tools they need to prevent and deal with gang activity.
The media release also said that the bill would be an effective tool to break up gangs and dramatically reduce their impact on the community. Elsewhere in the release, your Attorney-General said:
- The Martin government is committed to reducing gang activity across the Territory, and that is exactly what this legislation is designed to achieve.
That was your position a year ago. Today, you are saying there are more tools needed. Why should people believe you now when you were confident a year ago that you gave the police the right tools? Do you accept that your own legislation has failed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the anti-gang legislation is an important element in how the police can deal with the disruption caused by gangs, and we saw it incredibly effectively applied at a community that was beset by gangs, which was Wadeye.
The anti-gang legislation is an important tool for the police, but from talking to police, particularly the discussions that are happening between police and Justice, there is an issue about what happens with repeat offenders. As I said in my previous answer, considerable work has been done by the Attorney-General in identifying how that can be tackled. We are not saying that every item of legislation will be most effective in dealing with this issue. We have to keep amending ...
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, one component of the police dealing with destruction caused by gangs is the anti-gang legislation. The special operation that will come into force to tackle the sort of disruption we saw over the weekend will certainly focus police resources on what is a very troubling issue. However, we are also looking at how we can strengthen the police’s ability to tackle this through other legislation. That work is being done.
So rather than criticise and saying the anti-gang legislation is not doing enough, we should be applauded by the opposition for looking at other aspects of how the police can deal with this problem and being prepared to amend legislation. We will continue to do that. We have amended much legislation to make policing more effective in the Territory. Think of things like the drug legislation. Now, if it proves in time that the drug house legislation needs amendment, we will amend it. We will also amend other legislation that has come into place to enable our police force to do its important job. Whether it is bail reforms, alcohol restrictions or domestic violence reforms, we will keep monitoring, we will keep talking to police and we will look at how they apply in terms of police operations.
We will do the work with repeat offenders. We will also look at parental responsibility, but part of the armoury of police, importantly, is the anti-gang legislation.
Home Affordability
Ms SACILOTTO to TREASURER
Can you inform the House of recent economic data that is good news for both homebuyers and the wider Territory community?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. She is a member of this House who retains a strong interest in housing and the property market generally in the Northern Territory.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: We are committed – I am not sure what the member for Nelson had for lunch today, but I hope he does not go back there in a hurry, because …
Mr Mills interjects.
Mr STIRLING: Him and the member for Blain. We have heard nothing but an interminable grumble from over there such as I cannot hear the answers from my colleagues. As ministers are answering questions, I can barely hear myself think.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It gets a bit much, member for Nelson. It gets a bit much.
Madam Speaker, this government is committed to providing affordable housing in the Northern Territory, and the answers earlier today from this side of the House have made very clear that we are doing our bit to help first homebuyers and those on lower incomes to buy their house. If you look at the national comparison, that commitment is reflected in the fact that we remain today the second most affordable jurisdiction in the whole of Australia for housing.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: The member for Nelson needs to understand this. It might take a bit of time to get through this answer and hopefully get through his thick head over there, Madam Speaker.
If you take the figure of the highest as being the best for home affordability in the country, it is the ACT with 52 points, the most affordable jurisdiction in Australia.
The Northern Territory is 51.7 points. That is 0.3 of a point difference for the member for Nelson who would not work that out. South Australia is the next best at 33.3 points. So we are 0.3 of a point off being the most affordable jurisdiction in Australia, and 19, nearly 20 points ahead of the very next best jurisdiction in Australia.
That housing affordability, of course, as the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure pointed out, is not helped by the Howard government’s nine consecutive interest rate rises, possibly to be 10 before this cowardly Prime Minister gets around to calling the next election.
People want to move here. They want to come here because we have jobs, a booming economy and a great lifestyle. That is great news for the Territory and Territorians however, like other jurisdictions in Australia which are doing well, that puts pressure on housing supply, which is why the release of the building approval figures makes such interesting reading in the context of what we are dealing with. The total number of residential building approvals increased in the year to August 2007 by 7% to 1420. That is noteworthy in itself, but it is coming off a strong base the year before and an equally stronger base the year before that. We are continuing to set a very high benchmark if you look at the base that has been established over the past few years.
Look, in contrast, to the national picture. National residential approvals decreased by 0.3%. The value of residential building approvals for the year to August 2007 was up 37.6% to $477m. People do want to invest in the Northern Territory; they do want to build in the Territory; they do want to live and work here. Houses and units are being built to meet that demand. That is terrific news for the construction industry, which is going from strength to strength, and it is good news for those home and unit purchasers who want to settle here and raise a family.
When I was at Berrimah recently, I had a quick look around the land that the Chief Minister and Minister for Planning and Infrastructure announced yesterday, and I was very impressed by the location and the aspect of the newest land release. It is a terrific part of the world. What other city in Australia has land of that quality minutes from its CBD? It does not exist anywhere else in Australia.
Now it is time for the federal government to put its shoulder to the wheel and do a bit of the work as well. As outlined earlier, I have written to the federal Treasurer, Mr Costello, and called on him to immediately release, in a complementary way, the land at Aerial Farm. Follow our lead, Mr Costello, and allocate a proportion of the release for first homebuyers and those on lower incomes. It is a practical, effective way to make housing even more affordable in the Territory.
Crime and Antisocial Behaviour
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
On 6 June this year, your predecessor, the former minister for Police, when launching another mobile police station, said:
- Gang haunts, crime hot spots and areas where antisocial behaviour occurs in Darwin will continue to be targeted with this second mobile police station.
The residents of the northern suburbs have been plagued by violent and antisocial gangs for some time, at least as long as 18 months, according to one of the residents. It seems that everything you or your ministers announce has failed and is failing based on your own crime statistics and reports of what happened on the weekend. How do you reasonably expect people to believe what you say in relation to your response announced today to tackle these problems?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there is a whole suite of measures that our police force will use in tackling crime across the Territory. The police and the special operation that will target what gangs of young people are doing - and these gangs do change: membership changes, there are people who are associated with gangs who come and go from them - represent a whole suite of measures and part of that is a mobile police station. Other parts, as outlined by Acting Commissioner Wernham today, were police who can be even more mobile than a police station, so you are talking about police with bikes, motor bikes and all the measures that they can use when you are dealing, as the Acting Police Commissioner said, with youths who can disperse very quickly.
There are some measures that those who work with young people will use in tackling this problem. We will continue to tackle the problem. When you have bland statements coming from the Leader of the Opposition claiming it is out of control and nobody should believe the things we are saying, if you look at the crime figures, there are consistent areas that are being reduced.
Madam Speaker, I seem to remember a time when residents in Darwin were despairing of a previous government who could not manage property crime. We knew what they had as a strategy and we knew what legislation they had. It was useless. It was absolutely useless.
We have tackled significant areas of crime and we will continue to do it.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: We will continue to do it. The Opposition Leader can hold up graphs that she has carefully presented, but what is important to the opposition to realise is that the Opposition Leader cannot come in here and say: ‘This government has to tackle domestic violence,’ which she has said many times, and we agree with her absolutely, but when we tackle it and people are arrested for assault, they are arrested for breach of domestic violence restraining orders, and the figures go up, you cannot then say: ‘You are failing’.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: We are not failing because we are tackling a problem that is entrenched in our community.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Chief Minister, resume your seat. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 51, which is headed ‘No Interruption’:
- No member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a member speaking.
Honourable members, I will be putting people on warnings should I be noting this form of interruption in the future. Chief Minister, continue.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, to finally respond to the question, our police have significant resources, more than they ever had before we came to government. We need to keep targeting them on problems that emerge, but we will not back off Territorians who commit crimes on other people, and we will continue to target personal crimes. We will continue to focus on defending women and children in domestic violence situations and we will prosecute those who commit assaults. If that offends the opposition and its leader, I am very sorry about that because we should, as a parliament, be tackling that, should be protecting the vulnerable in our community and these will be reflected in assault figures. I challenge the opposition to compare the level of property crime now with the heyday of the CLP in government when it was significantly higher. Certainly, they had no strategy but a mandatory sentencing policy to deal with it.
Chief Minister – Trade Delegation to Japan
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
In September, the Chief Minister travelled to Japan to speak with senior officials about the Territory’s gas future. Can the Chief Minister update the Assembly on that important trip?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for the question. Yes, I was in Tokyo for important meetings late last month. I had discussions with the Chairman of INPEX, Mr Matsuo, the President of INPEX, Mr Kuroda, and the new Vice-Minister for Energy, Mr Nakano, to whom I put the case for gas from the Ichthys field. The Ichthys field is off Western Australia in the Browse Basin. The majority shareholding is held by INPEX with a lesser holding by the French company, Total. I put the case for that gas to be piped ashore in Darwin rather than the alternative they have, which is the Maret Islands off the coast of the Kimberley.
There is no doubt about it: the case for the Maret Islands has been well developed. A lot of design work has been done on it and it is well under way. However, we believe that an opportunity exists, albeit a bit of a long shot because it is a very long pipeline, for that gas to come to Darwin for LNG and potentially gas manufacturing.
While I have said the preferred option for INPEX is the Maret Islands, there are some significant challenges for those islands. They include environmental challenges, logistics, costs of a remote island location and land ownership. All those issues are being worked through, but very strongly presented as an alternative to INPEX. When we are presenting Darwin as a good option for development, we all know the arguments: we are a capital city, we have good infrastructure and there is land available right near the CBD and that is land on Middle Arm.
We have done a lot of talking about the options we have. We have talked to the federal government about this Plan B. We have talked to INPEX in Perth. We have had considerable discussions with Dow Chemicals, which is interested in gas manufacturing in Darwin. Last week, the chief executive of my department went to Paris to talk to the Total Group about Plan B.
We put the case strongly and we believe it is a strong case. Members of my department have been working closely over the last few months with the INPEX Group in Perth as they look further at Darwin and investigate the options as an alternative for this Ichthys gas resource. I am not saying that this is going to work. As I said, INPEX is well down the design and preparation phase for the Maret Islands. However, there are challenges and from the Territory point of view, we are presenting the alternative case. We want to see gas development here. We see the opportunities for the Territory for downstreaming of gas: jobs and business opportunities.
Even though it is only a small chance, it is worth taking and we have put a very strong case to both INPEX and Total about what they might do as a back up plan for Ichthys gas. It is a very big gas resource. It is 10 trillion cubic feet of gas. That is a lot of gas and is a bigger resource than Greater Sunrise.
ANZAC Hill High School
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
The staff and parents of ANZAC Hill High School were stunned and dismayed by the information given to them by a departmental representative that Cabinet was again considering the use of ANZAC Hill High School for a youth intervention facility and that it would close.
The only response you gave, minister, was that you looked forward to ANZAC Hill welcoming students for 2008. Will you give a categorical assurance that you will not close ANZAC Hill and that the youth intervention facility will be placed elsewhere? Can you put on public record your real intention is for the future of ANZAC Hill High School?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for her question. I can certainly say as minister for Education in the Northern Territory, and I am sure I speak for my colleagues on this side of the House, the most important thing that we can do in government is to ensure the best possible educational facilities and programs for our students across the Northern Territory. That means that all of the time, we are looking to provide the best possible facilities and programs.
This is a complex issue. The Chief Minister did announce recently, after the Crime Summit in Alice Springs, that there would be a youth intervention facility or centre in Alice Springs. One of the biggest single issues facing the people of Alice Springs, which the member for Braitling would obviously know as she probably attended the crime forum, is the call from the people in Alice Springs for a more proactive intervention in regards to the numbers of young people …
Mr Wood: What happened to the cattle station?
Mr HENDERSON: Member for Nelson, I would appreciate if you would listen to the answer to what was a very important question and give respect to your colleague, the member for Braitling, who is interested in education facilities in Alice Springs instead of your inane mutterings from your seat.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the call from the people of Alice Springs is for more proactive intervention and a facility, a centre, in Alice Springs to engage youth who are on the street engaging in antisocial behaviour and finding a way to provide interventions for these kids to turn them around and get them back into school and the community.
A lot of work is being undertaken across government looking at what this centre may actually look like, how it would operate and where it would run from. No decisions have been taken yet on any of these things. Government is looking at all of the facilities it owns in Alice Springs. As taxpayers, the people of Alice Springs would expect that we look at the best use of those facilities and a lot of work is being done in that regard. This is a priority issue for the people of Alice Springs. For me, as Education minister, the priority issue is to ensure the best possible education facilities and programs for our students.
I have given the parents, teachers and students of ANZAC Hill High School a total commitment that, in terms of a whole of Northern Territory approach to teaching and learning, the provision of middle schooling will occur in Alice Springs at ANZAC Hill High School as planned in 2008. That is an absolute undertaking as opposed to the rumours, and they were only rumours, being circulated at the time.
In respect of what the youth intervention facility may be, how it will be run and from where it will be run, those decisions are still to be taken by government and will be taken in full consultation with the people of Alice Springs.
Commonwealth Intervention – CDEP
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Is the minister aware of the successful Gunya Titjikala tourism venture that has been closed down in my electorate and the impact of the removal of CDEP on this venture? Can you provide the House further information on alternative approaches as to how we can help Gunya Titjikala?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her very important question. She is a great advocate for tourism in her electorate and, very importantly, a component of this issue is education for indigenous students in her electorate.
All members of this House and many Territorians would understand that the Gunya Titjikala tourism venture in Central Australia has received accolades from around this country and overseas, and has been a beacon for indigenous cultural tourism in the Northern Territory. It is probably the first uniquely independent indigenous cultural experience with fantastic high end, high quality camping facilities for high yielding, low impact corporate tourists.
It has been embraced, like probably nothing else in Titjikala for many years, as a real source of wellbeing, a source of employment for people at Titjikala, and an inspiration for the students at Titjikala to go on to Yirara High School in Alice Springs to complete their secondary education.
I am very concerned, as Tourism Minister and Education minister, that the federal government’s ideological approach to ripping up CDEP across the Northern Territory will see this venture flounder and potentially fail. This is all because of the federal government intervention under the guise of child abuse, which we all absolutely abhor and want to see stamped out across the Northern Territory. Wrapped up in the intervention response to an appalling tragedy that is taking place across the Northern Territory is the ideological response that we are just going to rip up CDEP right across the Northern Territory. This impacts on tiny little isolated communities, mainstream urban centres, one size fits all, right across the Northern Territory without thinking through the impact of that policy decision.
We need more indigenous tourism product across the Northern Territory, not less. One of the great strengths that we have in our tourism industry, and one that we can build on into the future for the benefit of mainstream tourism and employment and financial independence for indigenous people is to see more indigenous tourism product, not less. We cannot afford to see Titjikala fail.
One of the outcomes is that in 2004, when this project started, there was just one child at Titjikala who was regularly attending high school at Alice Springs, just one. I am advised that very recently, there were 24 students at Yirara College in Alice Springs wanting to complete their secondary education because they want to go back and work in this enterprise and other jobs in Alice Springs.
What we are seeing is very significant financial disincentives being put in place as a result of this program. Winding away CDEP, putting people on Newstart, then if you work for more than 15 hours a week, marginal tax rates kick in, which means that people are worse off. People are worse off working 15 hours a week and more on Newstart than they were on CDEP.
I would like to quote from Paul Conlan, the Managing Director of Gunya Tourism Pty Ltd, who issued a media release earlier this week calling on the federal government to immediately cease the roll-out of abolition of CDEP in remote communities. He said:
- The removal of CDEP is without doubt the worst policy decision in the last 30 years of indigenous affairs.
In this federal election, the issue of industrial relations and AWAs will be a big issue. For the benefit of those opposite, Mr Conlan said:
- If the government’s AWA fairness test was applied to this situation, it would fail miserably.
Clearly, no one is going to be better off as a result of the ideological position that is being put by the federal government and the minister, Dr Sharman Stone.
This is a national issue. The Prime Minister was on television last night saying that he is not in electioneering mode, he is not just throwing money around willy-nilly, he is not in electioneering mood. Prime Minister, if you are not in electioneering mood, I call on the Prime Minister to call his minister Dr Sharman Stone into line, get them to reassess what is happening at Titjikala and other remote communities across the Northern Territory, to step back, move away from an ideological position, look at the impact of this one size fits all approach across the Northern Territory and the damage that it is going to do. In the interests of indigenous people who live in remote communities, step back, reassess and adopt the Kevin Rudd approach in terms of the release that went out to say the issue of transitioning people into full-time jobs we support where there is a market economy. It is appropriate in Darwin, appropriate in Alice Springs, but at Titjikala, Ngukurr, Milingimbi and Maningrida, there needs to be more consultation, commonsense applied, slow down …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, this whole policy response was supposed to, and we all agree with this, improve the situation for indigenous children across the Northern Territory. Reducing the incomes of indigenous families, putting disincentives in place to work, is not going to improve outcomes for indigenous children and not provide incentives for those kids to go on to school at Alice Springs. It will not work; it will fail. The federal government needs to slow down and support ventures like Gunya Titjikala and others that are emerging across the Northern Territory, not destroy them by this ideological approach in terms of ripping out CDEP.
Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER TO QUESTION
Local Government Reform –
Interstate Recruiting Companies
Interstate Recruiting Companies
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I have a response to the question asked by the member for Nelson to the Chief Minister in respect of Collins Anderson. They have had an office in Darwin for one year and they have two staff based – is that what you wanted to know?
Mr Stirling: No, they do not want to know really at all.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr McADAM: Madam Speaker, I repeat: they have had an office based in Darwin for one year. They have two staff, including a director. Payment to Collins Anderson is $88 000.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016