2005-08-18
Senator Nigel Scullion – Motion re Nuclear Waste Facility
Ms CARNEY to ACTING CHIEF MINISTER
You know that Senator Trish Crossin today put a motion in the Senate calling on the federal government to keep its promise not to put a nuclear waste facility in the Northern Territory. You will also be aware that the motion was passed with the support of Country Liberal Party Senator Nigel Scullion. You have undertaken outrageous, despicable and thuggish attacks on Senator Scullion, who we have said …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition well knows that she cannot use unparliamentary language in this parliament, and I request that she withdraws the word ‘thuggish’.
Madam SPEAKER: I believe that, in fact, you were referring to the attacks as opposed to the Acting Chief Minister, so I will allow it. However, remember, Leader of the Opposition, that I do not allow it if you are referring to the Acting Chief Minister.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Acting Chief Minister, you have undertaken outrageous, despicable and thuggish attacks on Senator Scullion who, as we have said repeatedly this week, has been working continuously in the best interests of Territorians. Despite what you and others have had to say about him, Senator Scullion did stand up for the Northern Territory. Will you now apologise to this House, and to Senator Scullion, for your political grandstanding?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I commend Senator Crossin for bringing this matter to the attention of the Senate, because she is clearly acting in the best interests of Territorians and the Northern Territory. She understands and acknowledges that she is in that position on the vote, on the back of support of Territorians, and it is her responsibility, her paid duty, to represent the interests of Territorians. Clearly, she has done so. I also welcome the support from Senator Nigel Scullion. I resent the allegation by the Leader of the Opposition that I have employed any thuggish tactics in this regard at all.
I have simply pointed out at every given opportunity that Senator Scullion has the same responsibility, as does Senator Crossin - as, indeed, does every Senator sitting in that place - to represent the interests of the electors who put them there. It is a pity that all Senators did not recognise that from the moment that they were elected.
I do not resile at all from that. In fact, they were not thuggish tactics. I was simply pointing out the responsibility that Senator Scullion had; as I similarly pointed out to the Leader of the Opposition that she had an opportunity to have some influence in this equation by using her position as leader of the CLP in the Northern Territory and, indeed, using the auspices of the Country Liberal Party organisation, to call on Senator Scullion, discuss it with him, and request that he stand by and represent the interests of Territorians.
He could have done this at any point in this debate. This is the question: why did he wait until today until it was a question in the Senate that he supported? I commend him for his support, but he could have stood right at the outset of this, as he did last year when he said, ‘Not on my watch, mate’. I applauded him for that. I said that was good, he was representing the interests of Territorians.
However, once a decision was made and handed down by the federal government, it all became a matter of: ‘Oh, it is only medium and low-level waste, nobody has a problem with that’. Well, in fact, Territorians do resent the fact that they were lied to. Electors in the Northern Territory, CLP and Labor alike, can say: thank you, Senators. Thank you, Senator Crossin; thank you, Senator Scullion. You have both recognised your duty to the people of the Northern Territory and voted accordingly. I put on the record of this parliament, this parliament’s appreciation of the actions of both Senators.
Telecommunications Services
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for COMMUNICATIONS
Residents across the Northern Territory, from the bush to the cities and towns, are struggling with substandard telecommunications services. In bush communities, there is often no mobile coverage and, even in the towns, for example, at the RAAF Base, Darwin, in my electorate, Broadband access is a huge problem. What does the minister make of recent announcements from Canberra in relation to this matter?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. There is no doubt that the sale of Telstra is a very controversial issue. It sparked a lot of debate in the Australian community, particularly around the issue of telecommunications infrastructure in the bush. Heaven knows, the Northern Territory does have a lot of bush. We are a very dispersed population, and there are quite a number of remote communities who depend on telecommunications.
This government will fight for better telecommunications infrastructure in the bush. However, I would like to make it plain from the outset that, on a personal and government level, we work very well with Telstra Country Wide’s General Manager, Danny Honan. It is not for the want of trying by Telstra Country Wide and the local people. However, there is a wider issue here.
Over the past couple of decades, since I have lived in the Territory, anyway - and I started life here in a remote area - telecommunications infrastructure has been built on. However, there is a lot more to do. What is concerning this government is that we commissioned a report by respected consultants ACIL Tasman to look at what would be required to build up telecommunications in the bush in the Northern Territory. The figure that came out of that consultancy was that $100m is required to bring services up to scratch for those remote communities throughout the Northern Territory.
Even closer to Darwin, on ABC television last night, Mr Ray McCasker from the Virginia General Store commented on how difficult it was for him to receive his mobile phone coverage in that area. The RAAF Base is very close to Darwin. The member for Millner has been lobbying Telstra very strongly to have access to Broadband there. Similarly, at the Darwin Business Park, they do not have Broadband either. Even within Darwin, there are problems with some of the telecommunications, but especially so in the bush.
Senator Nigel Scullion was mentioned in the earlier question. He made some comments on radio today. In relation to what the Territory’s share of the sale of Telstra might be - and I will reiterate this government’s opposition to the sale of Telstra – Senator Scullion said that if Telstra is sold: ‘Well, $14m was the amount that I worked out’. Basically, Senator Scullion believes that $14m will do the trick. ACIL Tasman is a very respected consulting firm. They have come up with the figure of $100m.
Like the Acting Chief Minister, I applaud Senator Scullion for standing up over the nuclear waste dump. I am calling on Senator Scullion to also stand up for what is required to get the right telecommunications infrastructure within the Northern Territory. There must be a CLP meeting on this weekend. He also said:
- Look, I will be speaking to my party and talking about the package with the CLP on Saturday and, no doubt, we will be making some announcements after that.
I would also like to say to members of the CLP and Senator Scullion that $14m is not going to do it. We need $100m at least to fix the problems; to bring that telecommunications infrastructure up to scratch. We will keep on fighting, as a government, for a good deal for telecommunications for Territorians, particularly those in remote areas.
Darwin City Waterfront – Brokering of Finance
Ms CARNEY to TREASURER
As you are aware, the Capital Finance Division of ABN AMRO Morgan has been acquired by the company Babcock & Brown. The Capital Finance Division, as you know, is the group that was responsible for organising the money to allow the waterfront development to proceed. This raises a number of questions surrounding the project, including the probability of substantial delays to the project. Can you explain to the House and, in turn all Territorians, what will happen to the waterfront project as a result of this shake-up?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I find it extraordinarily disappointing that the Country Liberal Party still cannot bring themselves to accept what a great project this is. They would tear it down …
Dr Lim: We are asking you to explain.
Mrs Miller: Just explain!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: They would tear it down at the first opportunity. I guess the position …
Mr Mills: Not true!
Dr Lim: We are asking for assurance.
Mr STIRLING: I guess the position the CLP have adopted in relation to this very major project for the Northern Territory - a project that will dramatically transform the face of Darwin, not just provide employment incomes for the people working on it for the next 10 years, but provide a wonderful convention centre for upwards of 1500 delegates. We well know the squeeze we have in the Northern Territory in trying to accommodate that many delegates. Make no mistake, they want it scrapped, and they will seize on anything to …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Acting Chief Minister and Treasurer knows full well that the CLP’s position is not to scrap the waterfront proposal. He has an obligation to this parliament to be honest. We ask that he is honest when he is representing my party’s position.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr STIRLING: It is a funny way of showing support …
Ms Carney: It is a question. Is it going to happen?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition!
Mr STIRLING: … that they seize on any opportunity …
Ms Carney: Answer it!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr STIRLING: … try to pull the rug out from under this great project. As I said, it stands in absolute stark contrast to the lack of information that this side of parliament got during the years of getting the railway there, and the continued and consistent support that this side, when we were in opposition, gave to that project, notwithstanding the difficulties that project had along the way.
Babcock & Brown are joint venturers with ABN AMRO on this project, and staffing arrangements between these companies are internal matters for those particular companies; they are nothing to do with this government. I can give this assurance: they will have absolutely no impact at all on the waterfront project; it is on track and on time, and ABN AMRO have said so publicly today. They also say it will have no effect on cost or time, and they remain absolutely 100% committed to the project - which is a bit more than I can say about the opposition.
Cane Toad Muster
Mr KNIGHT to MINISTER for PARKS and WILDLIFE
Can you tell us about tonight’s cane toad muster and what you hope to achieve for cane toad control in the Top End?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question, because we are all worried about cane toads. Today, 70 years to the day, cane toads were released into Australia. The Territory is facing one of the most serious environmental threats to our ecosystems and wildlife. The Northern Territory government is determined to protect our unique and precious environment from the spread of this toxic pest. We have moved the whole nation ahead on this very serious threat to our unique environment. So far, we have spent $1.2m to battle the toads, including $420 000 to FrogWatch to run a unique community-based campaign, the toad muster, which I will touch on shortly.
The federal government has listed cane toads as a key threatening species. Along with us, the governments of Queensland, Western Australia, the Commonwealth are working together in a coordinated way through the National Cane Toad Task Force; the Western Australia government taking unprecedented action by investing cane toad control in the Northern Territory, which is outside its formal jurisdiction.
None of this happened by accident; it happened because of the hard work of government. I give credit to the previous Minister for Parks and Wildlife, the member for Johnston, who did a lot of work in getting this issue on to the national agenda, and also for the hard work that our Parks and Wildlife staff have done. Much of our intergovernmental work is directed towards long-term solutions such as the biological control, and rightly so. From the outset, government has been very keen to harness the groundswell of community sentiment that says: ‘We do not want cane toads and we want to do something about it’. That is why we have backed FrogWatch, which are doing some fantastic work. We also ran the trap competition, which is why we are now introducing a subsidy for traps to make them more affordable.
Tonight’s cane toad muster is a major community project which encourages Top End residents to check their yards and nearby parks for cane toads at the same time. The information should be called through or e-mailed to FrogWatch. If everyone can get out with their torches and have a look - it is quite fun I am sure. It is something families can do, and kids can get their torches out and have a look. FrogWatch are promoting where this information can be sent through to them, because that will provide valuable input and help FrogWatch organise future toad musters in the Dry. I urge all Territorians to get out their torches and to spend the time mustering these horrible little cane toads.
Deportation of Refugee Convicted of Sexual Offence
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
A refugee on a temporary protection visa sexually molested an eight-year-old girl in Darwin and was gaoled as a result. The mother of the girl who was molested has today called for the refugee concerned to be deported as soon as he is released from prison. Will you be seeking legal advice from your department to see whether there is anything you can do to ensure that this man is deported or, alternatively, will you be making the appropriate representation to the federal Immigration minister?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes, on both counts.
NT HealthDirect Service - Progress
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for HEALTH
The government made a commitment to establish a HealthDirect 24-hour 1800 free call health advice service. Can you please update the House on the progress of the service?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for the question. It gives me a chance to talk about one of the great success stories from our first term of government, fulfilling one of our important election promises. Budget 2005 allocated $0.5m for the NT HealthDirect service to ensure that we could offer to Territorians 24 hours a day, seven days a week instant advice on medical matters by phone.
On 22 March 2005, we commenced the operation of NT HealthDirect, initially with calls being diverted from the five public hospital switchboards. The public launch and extensive community advertising campaign followed on 19 April 2005.
In the period 22 March to 10 April 2005, NT HealthDirect took a total of 676 calls, all of which would previously have gone directly to the Emergency Departments in our hospitals. The call volume since then has exceeded initial projections, with a total of 4766 calls taken during the first three months. This is an indication of the rapid uptake by the public of this service.
Of the total number of answered calls, 2344 were diverted from hospital Emergency Departments, primarily from Royal Darwin Hospital. This has allowed the Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department to decommission the medical line that operated over the previous three years, freeing up resources to enable staff to concentrate on the patients actually in front of them in the Emergency Department.
In order to ensure that NT HealthDirect continues to provide a high quality service, an NT Medical Director has been appointed to ensure the appropriateness of the clinical guidelines, review issues that arise within the service, to audit the Northern Territory records, and to have ongoing clinical input into the guideline review and development process.
The service has received a number of compliments, such as: ‘This is a wonderful service for the NT’; ‘Please pass on to whoever organised all this that you are a wonderful service’; and ‘You are the greatest, you give the best advice’.
I pay tribute to both my CEO, Robert Griew and to the departmental people who came up with such a good solution to an election promise we made. As you probably know, Madam Speaker, I have been crook for the last 24 hours, so let us review the number now. It is NT HealthDirect, 1800 186 026. All Territorians, use this number; it is a great way to get some instant medical advice.
Radio 8CCC Premises, Alice Springs
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
8CCC has operated as a community radio station from the CDU campus, formerly Centralian College, since June 1986, almost 20 years ago. In applying for renewal of their licence, 8CCC was given categorical support for their application from CDU, and I quote: ‘The university has no intention of changing the arrangements’. Since then, unfortunately, they have discovered that CDU intends to reclaim the premises, forcing 8CCC broadcasting to cease. As a matter of urgency, can you intervene on behalf of this community radio station and ensure CDU honours their original commitment to support 8CCC?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I am not sure if it is a simple matter of me as the Minister for Employment, Education and Training intervening in what is, essentially, a relationship between 8CCC and the university. It is a radio station that I have visited in the past on visits to the campus. However, it would seem to me, first and foremost, to be a matter to be resolved between the 8CCC board of management on the one hand, and Charles Darwin University management on the other.
That is not to say we are not without interest in this question, because the Northern Territory government does, in fact, financially support 8CCC to the tune of an allocation of $104 500 currently provided to Charles Darwin University for the community radio station, 8CCC FM, through a direct appropriation from Treasury. Up until 2003, that payment was made to Centralian College. Special payments made to Centralian College have continued to be made to Charles Darwin University.
I am prepared to see where this is up to with Charles Darwin University. I do not know that I have an intervention role as minister. I believe it is a matter to be sorted out between the two parties. Licensing matters, again, being a third party, rest with the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Dr Lim: You need to be involved.
Mr STIRLING: The member for Greatorex says I need to be involved. Well, it is hard to see quite how the Minister for Employment, Education and Training ought be involved in questions about a licence for a community radio station in a Northern Territory town.
Dr Lim: Your are the minister for education; you have responsibility for those institutions. You had it with Centralian College …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr STIRLING: I have said that we will raise the matter with Charles Darwin University. However, I am not giving any undertaking that I am going in to bat one way or the other. I do not see that as a role for myself or, indeed, for this government.
Violent Crime Statistics
Ms McCARTHY to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
The rates of domestic, physical and sexual violence in the Northern Territory have been too high for too long. Would you please update the House on just where the Northern Territory Police is at in dealing with this issue?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question, because she is right: this is a very serious and important issue. The rates of domestic and sexual assaults in the Northern Territory have been too high for too long.
These offences are difficult offences for the police to target and, certainly, in the not-too-distant past, it was made even harder by having an under-resourced and under-funded police force which really only had the capacity to be a reactive police force, as opposed to a police force that is now acting more and more proactively in targeting crime across all of its forms in the Northern Territory.
This government is injecting $75m additional into our police force to see 200 more officers out on the beat by the end of 2006. We have 120 additional in our police force since we came to government four years ago today than we inherited from the previous government. We will certainly start to see police making a difference in what was a key commitment from this government in building a safer Territory.
Ms Carney: I thought sexual assaults were up. They are, they have been going up.
Mr HENDERSON: I acknowledge the Leader of the Opposition has had an interest in this area. If she is quiet and listens to the answer, she will see the success that the police are having with some figures that I am about to release.
The police have been able to target crime using an approach that our Commissioner of Police, Mr Paul White, who is doing a fantastic job, brought to the police force involving intelligence-led policing. The first area that was targeted with intelligence-led policing was property crime. As a result of targeting repeat offenders, we have seen property crime rates across the Northern Territory reduce by 50% in four years - a great result. All of us, as local members, receive feedback from our constituents that they see police out on the beat now, that police are responsive, and people are noticing a reduction in property crime.
The next target the commissioner launched over the last six to eight months with the additional resources at his disposal, has been a Violent Crime Reduction Strategy last November. A project team was established to set up initiatives across the Northern Territory. The police now have Domestic and Personal Violence Units in Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. There are 24 officers working in these units across the Northern Territory, dedicated to targeting repeat, serial offenders who perpetrate crimes of domestic violence and sexual assaults, using intelligence-led policing principles to target those offenders. These officers work in a very difficult area. There is a lot of trauma and personal tragedy in those areas. These officers, I am sure, have this parliament’s highest esteem; they are getting results.
Territory-wide crime statistics released in July showed a 10% decrease in offences against the person, or 439 less offences over the 12-month period. That is 439 fewer people who were the victims of domestic violence over the last 12 months. Broken down further, there were 333 fewer assaults, representing a 9% decrease and, most significantly, a 25% decrease in sexual assaults with 99 fewer offences. When you read fewer offences, read victims - 99 fewer victims across the Northern Territory. One assault is too many; we all acknowledge that.
Madam Speaker, I put on the record today this House’s appreciation of the work the police are doing in a very difficult area. They are getting results. People should be warned: if you are a repeat perpetrator of these types of crimes, the police will be on to you.
Wickham Point LNG Plant Completion – Effects on Local Economy
Mr MILLS to TREASURER
As you are aware, the work on the gas plant at Wickham Point is nearing completion. The first notices of cessation of employment have already been received by some of the workers there. Soon, there will be 1700 fewer jobs in Darwin than there are now. What do you predict the impacts will be on the local economy when this occurs? What programs do you have in place to soften the obvious effects of this situation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question; it is a topical one. I was there some weeks ago when the construction was right at peak and there were 2400 workers - of which 47% have been sourced locally from within the Northern Territory. That is a remarkable result if you consider the first estimates from ConocoPhillips and Bechtel were that we might get 25%, at best 30%, local content in that project. That 47% of 2400 at the peak stands testament to the skills present in the Northern Territory that they were able to source that many locally.
Interestingly, within a day or two of that being on the airwaves, the Territory Construction Association was roundly sounding off, saying: ‘Yes, they have stolen all our workers!’. Well, it seemed to me it was a bit hard to win either way because, when we came to government in 2001, there simply were not jobs at all for the construction industry. Of course, that was a much greater concern to this government than not having enough. It is a problem not having enough and having a skills shortage. However, in an economic sense, it is a much healthier position to be in than not having the jobs and having highly-skilled workers sitting around with nothing to do, which was the situation throughout 2001.
What will happen? We recognised the problem as far back as November 2001 with the mini-budget, when we then set work on a record capital works infrastructure program. We have exceeded that record set in November 2001 at subsequent budget dates 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05 and, again, in 2005-06. However, more telling than simply putting out record infrastructure budgets to keep the place buzzing is the amount of cash that this government puts up against its program. This financial year it stands at 65%, in stark contrast, of course, to our predecessors, who could not cash the revote of the work not started the year before, and did not have enough cash to catch up with that work, let alone the new program that they stood and proudly delivered at each subsequent budget announcement.
There will be a transfer of some of those employees to the G3 project at Alcan. There is no doubt that there are similar skill sets in the engineering and construction work required on both plants. Watching the early stages of the ConocoPhillips plant, it struck me that it was very similar along the lines of the bauxite refinery at Alcan in its early days of construction, albeit very different plants. To the untrained eye of the mug observer such as myself, they are highly complex, sophisticated plants coming off a set of plans into reality. It is a wonderful thing to see. There will be a transfer across to G3. There already has been and there will continue to be. Of course, the waterfront development will take and keep elements of the construction and engineering industry busy in their own right for the next decade.
As I said, the record capital works spend will keep a good proportion of the construction work force we have built up in the Northern Territory here. That is not to say we will not lose some interstate to the projects in Queensland and north-west Western Australia. That is the way of Australia; these people follow the latest projects. If it is in an area they have not been to, it is offering better wages, the conditions are better, they want to go and see that place, or they want to work for that particular company - there are any number of reasons why workers may seek those opportunities.
In terms of the immediate impact, yes, it will wind down. They expect construction to be complete by end of year, comprehensive testing of the plant over the first quarter next year, and they are still on track for the first shipment around April/May 2006. It has been a tremendous project, well delivered by the construction force they have. We recognise we will lose some of them. Hopefully, many will stay. They will have grown to live in and love the Territory lifestyle as we do …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is an incredibly long answer, and I ask that the Treasurer to contain his answer to the question, briefly.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has finished his answer.
Indigenous Students – Enrolment Numbers
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Can the minister update the House on enrolment numbers of indigenous students to date for school year 2005, and how this compares with previous years?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because it is, indeed, another good news story. The most recent collection of data in June, shows the enrolment numbers of indigenous students was 16 343. That is an increase of 4.15% from that same collection period in 2004. Since 2001, we have had a steady increase in indigenous numbers. In 2001, there were 14 866 indigenous students enrolled, so we are looking at an increase of some 1477 in numbers. It is an increase that simply cannot be explained by population increase alone, and suggests that some of the government strategies, at least, to get indigenous children into school are working. It is around a 10% increase in numbers over the last four years – in 2002, 14 866; 2003, 15 541; 2004, 15 692; and 2005, 16 343.
In global terms, indigenous students currently account for 39.1% of total enrolments. The issue of getting these kids into school is absolutely to improve the opportunity for those young indigenous students to achieve their own goals in life, and to be part of an exciting, growing, economic and social development of the Northern Territory.
Sewage Discharge into Darwin Harbour
Dr LIM to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Sewage continues to pour into our beautiful Darwin Harbour as we speak. What is the volume of sewage currently discharged into the harbour each week? What strategic program is in place to upgrade the sewerage system to obviate the need for sewage outpours into the Darwin Harbour at Doctors Gully? What is the program schedule for 2005-06?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his important question. I do not have the numbers of the total volume of effluent that is being discharged into the harbour. Power and Water does have a Darwin Sewerage Strategy to work towards reducing and, ultimately, eliminating the discharge into Darwin Harbour.
All sewerage network upgrades from Dinah Beach to allow closure of the Larrakeyah outfall have been completed: a new rising main from the Frances Bay pump station was completed in 2003 at a total cost of approximately $2.6m which has already been invested; a final diversion tunnel or pump station from Larrakeyah to Dinah Beach; an upgrade of the Ludmilla Waste Water Treatment Plant is required; and engineering works are going on towards identifying and putting together a comprehensive proposal to government.
Power and Water are working on improving the current situation. There has been a significant amount of money spent to date. Engineering works are going on to upgrade the Ludmilla Waste Water Treatment Plant and other works are going ahead. Further upgrades are occurring in 2005-06, including new lime dosing facilities, inlet screens and effluent pumps, at a of a cost of approximately $0.75m this year.
My advice is that, in the natural capacity of the harbour with the high tidal ranges, there are no adverse health impacts to the residents of Darwin with the current situation. We have inherited ageing infrastructure, but there is a strategy in place. Works are happening in the capital works program each financial year for a significant upgrade of the Ludmilla Waste Water Sewerage Treatment Plant. The engineering and design work is in process and, as each budget works out, further capital works will be put into this particular area.
Community Justice Centre
Mr NATT to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The Community Justice Centre recently celebrated its second birthday. Could you please advise members of the valuable work performed by the Community Justice Centre?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. Again, it is a topic I very much welcome the chance to talk about. The Community Justice Centre was opened on 30 May 2003, just over two years ago. Since that time, the Community Justice Centre has conducted 100 mediations. Output from the Community Justice Centre is such that we have now taken it into core funding within the Justice agency. That is the value we place on it.
The service is free, timely and confidential. It is quicker than a court action and a lot less costly. It can deal with matters such as neighbourhood disputes, small claims, tenancy disputes, civil claims, planning disputes and, sometimes, family arguments. Some 85% of the 100 matters that they have dealt with have been settled to the satisfaction of the participants, which has saved a lot of court time in our lower courts for low end matters which would otherwise have taken up a lot of our magistrates’ time.
This was a first term election commitment, and we are very happy to have not only delivered on this but to see it performing so well. I commend all the people involved in our Community Justice Centre; they are doing a fantastic job. When you look at it, this is removing all those little bits of angst in our community that can blight a neighbourhood and give our communities greater strength and greater safety.
Senior Citizens – Residential Rental Capping
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for SENIOR TERRITORIANS
You may be aware that aged pensioners receive a CPI increase on a quarterly basis. Unfortunately though, with each increase in income, a review of their rent is undertaken and they often receive very little of that adjustment to cater for the increase in living expenses. Will you introduce a fixed rent so that pensioners can enjoy the benefit of their small CPI increase and know where they stand financially?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there are a number of elements to that question. I will have to take your question on notice and have a look at it. As I said yesterday, there are some areas which I handle under the Office of Senior Territorians, a lot of which is policy. Administration, CPI and other issues fall under the Minister for Family and Community Services. However, I will take that question on notice and follow up for you.
Undergrounding of Power – Darwin
Dr LIM to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
The contract work on the Labor government’s much-promised undergrounding of power project was described was described as having slipped during estimates a month ago, and now has come to a dead stop and will not start again until next year. Costs have blown out by almost 30%. Contractors’ equipment lies idle. Were you advised before the election that this project would not be able to be delivered this year?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. I know that you, Madam Speaker, have a very direct interest in this particular issue - and so do I. I am very pleased to see this government making a commitment to underground powerlines across Darwin over a 20-year period, starting in Nightcliff. As a candidate in the 1994 election, it was something I ran very hard on. I am very pleased to see those powerlines going underground in Nightcliff, not only to the benefit of the residents but, in living in an area that is prone to cyclones, it is certainly going to be a big improvement in safety issues in the event that we do have another cyclone.
Yes, costs have gone up. We are working across government - I am working with the Treasurer - to re-assuage government’s position on this. We have committed $3m a year in the budget to see this underground program completed over 20 years. However, costs have gone up and it is an issue that we are re-assessing. However, the issue for the residents of Nightcliff is, the work is being done and powerlines have gone underground.
We know the CLP refused to do that. In 1987, in the lead-up to the election, they promised to underground one street in Darwin - Bougainvillea Street, I believe it was. One street was all that they would do. Prior to the last election, we know the then Leader of the Opposition, and the then member for Drysdale, who was the shadow spokesperson for this particular project, said that they would scrap the project; that it was not worth doing and it was too costly.
The costs were estimated at approximately $8900 per lot. At present, the cost is averaging around double that. Therefore, there is a reassessment, with an absolute commitment to the residents of Darwin that this project will continue. It will continue, because we have made a commitment, unlike the CLP, who undergrounded one street and, once they were re-elected, they dropped the project like a hot potato. T, hey opposed the project in the lead-up to the last election.
Senator Nigel Scullion – Motion re Nuclear Waste Facility
Mr BONSON to ACTING CHIEF MINISTER
Earlier in Question Time, the Leader of the Opposition told the parliament that Senator Nigel Scullion attended the Senate earlier today and voted in favour of the motion moved by Senator Crossin relating to the Commonwealth’s plan to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory ...
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Millner is incorrect. I did not say that Senator Scullion attended the Senate. I will read the question back to him if he likes. Madam Speaker, I will object again if the member for Millner ascribes to me words that I did not utter.
Madam SPEAKER: At this stage, there is no point of order. However, Leader of the Opposition …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! There is no point of order. However if, in fact, you feel that you have been misquoted, after the question and the answer has been given, then you are able to come and talk to me about making a personal explanation. Member for Millner, please start the question again.
Mr BONSON: Earlier in Question Time, the Leader of the Opposition told the parliament that Senator Nigel Scullion attended the Senate earlier today and voted in favour of a motion …
Ms Carney: Wrong! Liar!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BONSON: … moved by Senator Crossin relating to the Commonwealth’s plan to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory. Can the minister advise what he knows about these assertions made by the Leader of the Opposition?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for raising this question, because it gives me an opportunity to put on the record my understanding of this from information that I have just received. The question, as I understood it and heard it from the Leader of the Opposition, was that Senator Scullion did support the position in the Senate. Why else would I have stood here and commended the actions of one Senator Scullion if not for the fact that I said this Assembly should be proud of both Senator Crossin and Senator Scullion for their support of Northern Territorians who put them there?
The Leader of the Opposition also asked me to withdraw comments I had made about Senator Scullion’s position in relation to this matter. It may be that we have to up the ante a bit more, rather than withdraw anything, and I am glad I did not. I have just received advice that the Leader of the Opposition said that Senator Scullion was in the Chamber. The fact is, he was not.
Ms Carney: It could not have passed without his support; you know that.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: The Leader of the Opposition indicated that Senator Scullion voted in favour. If he voted in favour, clearly, he had to be in the Senate Chamber to take part in the vote on the motion.
Ms Carney: Passed with his support.
Mr Henderson: No, you said ‘voted’.
Mr STIRLING: The fact is, he did not …
Ms Carney: No, I did not, member for Wanguri.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: … he was not even in the Senate! I find it absolutely appalling that the Leader of the Opposition would mislead this House in the fashion that she has …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Acting Chief Minister has made an allegation against me that I have misled the parliament. That is not the case and I ask him to withdraw. It is not the case.
Madam SPEAKER: Acting Chief Minister, resume your seat. This morning we had this very issue raised in the parliament. My position is that if you say that a member has misled - as opposed to deliberately misled, or blatantly misled - then I will allow that in a particular context. Otherwise, I will ask people to withdraw. Acting Chief Minister, I ask you to be a little more careful with the things you are going to say unless you are going to make a substantive motion …
Mr STIRLING: I will be careful, Madam Speaker. In relation to the Leader of the Opposition …
Ms Carney: Be honest. Stop telling fibs, let us say.
Mr STIRLING: In language that the Leader of the Opposition may understand, it would appear to me that, prima facie, there may be a case of the Leader of the Opposition misleading this Chamber. If that is not the case and she is able to defend that prima facie evidence that I put before her …
Ms Carney: It is not the case. Oh, the bush lawyer comes to town!
Mr STIRLING: … she should take the first given opportunity to personally correct the record. She knows, as well as I do, how serious an offence misleading this House is.
Ms Carney: Oh, settle down!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms Carney: Well, he is being pretty provocative, Madam Speaker - very provocative and wrong!
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr STIRLING: I am giving her the opportunity to correct the record and it is an opportunity she ought take.
Undergrounding of Power – East Side, Alice Springs
Dr LIM to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE and TRANSPORT
At the sittings of parliament in Alice Springs in March this year, you told members of the East Side Residents Association that you instructed the CEO of Power and Water Corporation to make money available to underground power for the Old East Side. At a recent briefing provided to me by Power and Water, I was advised that, in fact, there is no money put aside for the undergrounding of power in the Old East Side. Is it not true that your government’s pre-election announcement that it would underground power in Alice Springs is nothing but a lie - an election promise your government had no intention of keeping to people of Alice Springs, and that the Mayor was complicit in that announcement?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I put on the record in sittings in Alice Springs - I have said it before in parliament, and also had discussions with the East Side Residents Group when I was Minister for Essential Services - from memory, approximately $250 000 set aside for repairs and maintenance would be used to gradually underground power in the East Side. That is simply what I said, and that is the understanding that I know the East Side residents have. I respect the East Side residents; I have met with them a number of times on a few issues.
It is unfortunate that the member for Greatorex cannot let go of the election; he has to keep on trying to dig the spurs into the Mayor of Alice Springs. He might have only won by 60 votes, but he should just leave it behind.
Northern Territory History Grants
Ms SACILOTTO to MINISTER for CORPORATE and INFORMATION SERVICES
The Northern Territory History Grants have been awarded since 1980 to commemorate the attainment of self-government on 1 July 1978. Can you advise the House of progress with awarding the History Grants for 2005?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. I know many people in the electorate of Port Darwin are very interested in history. It is timely, with the recent commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific. Again, it highlighted the importance of studying and recording the Northern Territory’s history.
The Northern Territory government encourages the work of researchers through the Northern Territory History Grants, which are administered by the Northern Territory Archives Services. This year, there is a record number of 49 grant applications. They are considered by the History Grants Committee, which comprises Sue Harlow from Museums and Art Galleries, Professor David Carment from Charles Darwin University, and Michael Loos, a retired heritage librarian. This committee recommended a total of 18 grants be awarded, 10 to Territorians and eight to interstate applicants. The total pool was $50 000. Letters to all 49 applicants are being delivered informing them of their success or otherwise.
I am particularly pleased to place on the record the names of the 10 successful Northern Territory applicants. They are: from Darwin, I congratulate Gayle Carroll - who happens to live in the Johnston electorate, but I did not decide the awards - who will research the history of Marrenah House, the government’s women’s hostel in Darwin; Jason Davidson, who will record a Gurindji history of Stolen Generation, family and country; Stephen Gray, who will study the issue of ‘stolen wages’ in the legal context of the Northern Territory’s indigenous history; and, of particular interest to the journalists sitting in the press gallery, Julie Wells will research the ownership, management and government intervention in the Northern Territory media between 1945 and 1960; and Colin De La Rue from Palmerston will research archaeological sites at Fort Dundas.
Successful applicants from Alice Springs are: Gregory Crowe, who will record the recollections of retired Territory school principals about Northern Territory education - so the member for Braitling might get a knock on the door, as might the member for Blain; Mary Flynn, who will record oral histories from the lower Finke River region; James Goulding, who will research a history of tourism in Central Australia; Ushma Scales, who will research the lives of Central Australian ‘doggers’. I had to find out what a dogger is. They are the dingo shooters in Central Australia. The final successful Northern Territory entrant is the NT Breast Cancer Voice. The organisation will research the impact Northern Territory women have had on the national and international breast cancer movement.
I congratulate all successful applicants and I look forward to reading the results of their research next year.
Larapinta/Lovegrove Drives Intersection – Traffic Study
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE and TRANSPORT
In April, your department informed me they were doing a traffic delay study at the corner of Larapinta and Lovegrove Drives in Alice Springs, which is a particularly difficult intersection, as you are aware. Could you advise me what the result of that study was? Will you be introducing traffic measures to overcome the difficulties at that corner?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Braitling for her question. The intersection of Lovegrove and Larapinta Drives has been the subject of a number of questions the member for Braitling has asked me. I can advise the member that I have not received the results of that survey. However, I will certainly chase it up and be in contact with the member, because I know it is an important issue.
It is a difficult issue. There was works proposed some 15 years ago looking into whether to have a dual carriageway there, whether money could be invested in a roundabout, or what measures might be taken to reduce the inconvenience of people. In the morning peak hours, having to turn out from Lovegrove onto Larapinta is something we have to look at. I will certainly give it a priority.
Drought Declarations in Central Australia
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
Despite recent rainfalls, Central Australian and Barkly pastoralists are experiencing some of the lowest rainfall on record. Have any pastoral producers applied to have their properties drought declared?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. It is a serious situation in Central Australia. In early May, I was advised that pastoralists in Central Australia and the Barkly were facing some difficult situations because they had not had rain for a long time. I immediately asked the department to inform the Drought Steering Committee and call for applications for drought declaration.
Fifty-two properties applied for drought declaration and the department managed to inspect these properties urgently. It usually takes about eight to 12 weeks; however, they moved quickly and inspected these properties within six weeks. I have to say that the situation was very grim. What is really of concern to me is that most of these properties are family-owned properties, not company-owned properties, and the effect on families in Central Australia and the Barkly will be significant.
The department found that cattle had been removed already, at double the usual turn-off, from 33 properties in Central Australia and early turn-off in 19 properties in the Barkly.
There was some recent rainfall in Central Australia but it is not going to do much. As I was advised by Roy Chisholm, a pastoralist in the Tanami Desert, if it does not rain again by November the situation will return to what it was before. There will be some grass on the land, but they need more rain for the situation to be reversed.
The department is continuing to work with the pastoral industry. There are already programs in place such as the Pastoral Water Enhancement Scheme, FarmBis and Farm Help, and the Farm Management Deposits Scheme that promotes infrastructure development and serves to build capacity in the industry and provide business support.
The department met with federal bureaucrats from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to discuss drought declaration under exceptional circumstances. Twice in the past there have been applications for drought assistance under exceptional circumstances provisions, both of which failed. We are looking to work very closely with the industry and the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on how we can submit an application under the exceptional circumstances provisions and, this time, obtain some assistance.
The problem we have is that the exceptional circumstances assistance is designed mainly for pastoralists, horticulturalists or farmers on the eastern seaboard, and refers to a severe drought that occurs once in 25 years, whilst in Central Australia we have severe drought occurring once every 10 to 15 years.
Inbound Airline Services
Mrs MILLER to ACTING CHIEF MINISTER
The Chief Minister has announced a new $500 000 six-month marketing campaign to be launched next week to boost off-peak travel to the Northern Territory. You are well aware that there are limited airline flights into the Territory. What have you done to ensure there will be airline services to complement this new campaign?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for her question. Aviation capacity has been an ongoing concern for this government since - I can tell you the exact date - 14 September 2001, because I was Minister for Tourism when, three days after 11 September, our own Ansett went under and we had an almighty problem on our hands in just shifting people, freight and business around the Northern Territory.
It continues to remain an issue, more in some parts of the Northern Territory than others. Virgin Blue, of course, came in and have not been, perhaps, as steady and reliable in sustaining the services they initially introduced. Talks between the Tourist Commission, government and airlines occur on an ongoing basis - indeed, airport owners are in those discussions as well.
I do not have in front of me – and perhaps they are areas you do not go to – the areas of just who is putting what on the table at any one time. I understand what the member for Katherine is saying. We are continuing to improve air services and to build the capacity beyond what existed originally when we there were two major airlines. It is the case we now have better capacity across the board in all of our centres, with the possible exception of Alice Springs, which is about the same as it used to be. However, we would like to see that continue to build as well.
The Tourist Commission has benefited from the $27.5m this government put into its budget. It was a dramatic enhancement to the commission’s promotion and publicity budget for selling the Northern Territory than it had to that stage. We have seen the results of that. We have seen buoyant tourism over the past two years, and it continues to travel very well.
This $500 000 strategic spend will, again, increase visitation to the Northern Territory. I say to the member for Katherine: it is one of those areas that is never fixed. You never sit back and say: ‘Beauty! We have all the capacity we need’. It is an ongoing battle to convince airlines to come to the Northern Territory and bring people here.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016