Mr TOYNE - 2000-05-16
The community of Yulara is in urgent need of an appropriate facility for the delivering of secondary schooling for their children. They recommended to the government that funds from the dissolved Yulara Town Council should be used to build a facility to replace the old dongas inherited from the Northern Territory Open College.
Transport and Works has now overruled this with plans for a resort training centre to be built at a cost of $1m, taken from public money. The latest plans have no facility for secondary education. Doesn’t this mean that $1m of public money is being used for a private corporate training facility while the school students stay in the donga?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this really does not come under the auspices of local government at all. I refer the matter to the Treasurer.
Mr REED: It is nothing to do with the Minister for Local Government. The administration of the funds left over from the dissolving of the Yulara Town Council were overseen by me as Treasurer on behalf of the people of Alice Springs, and you will recall that at the ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, the member for Macdonnell will recall it because he was part of it and he was a bit more interested in it than you.
A commitment was given - and I think it was in excess of $2m, the total amount of money - to have that money held in trust for expenditure in Yulara, for the benefit of the residents of Yulara on programs so determined by the people of Yulara. Nothing has changed in that regard and the priorities so determined by the people of Yulara will be met. Now, in assessing ...
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! You have asked a question, wait for the answer.
Mr REED: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition asked a question earlier about cyclones. I think the greatest threat to wind damage in the Northern Territory is from the mouths of the members opposite. But I do digress.
From the point of view of the need of the people of Yulara, obviously if Transport and Works have undertaken an assessment of the demountable buildings and they find them unsuitable, they would quite logically, as they are professional public servants, recommend that the buildings had a short life – I am not sure if this is the outcome, and I do not trust you because you always get it wrong - and there may need to be other alternatives look at.
In closing, can I say that the owners of the Yulara Resort, the Ayers Rock Resort, are being very cooperative in terms of helping the community to both spend the money and to have the infrastructure put in place …
Mr Stirling:On their behalf.
Mr REED: ... on behalf of the community, for the community. Simply - and the member would not understand it because of his laughter - the resort happens to be part of the community. They are committed to the community and of course most of the residents of Yulara work for the resort, so it is in the resort’s interest to assist them. The member for Macdonnell has been assisting them and keeping me informed as to what the issues are.
Let’s get the facts in relation to this, rather than believing some distorted view that might have been put forward by the good member for Stuart. The truth will come to the fore and I am sure that in the end the people of Yulara will get the facility that they want, rather than that perceived to be wanted by the member for Stuart.
Transport and Works has now overruled this with plans for a resort training centre to be built at a cost of $1m, taken from public money. The latest plans have no facility for secondary education. Doesn’t this mean that $1m of public money is being used for a private corporate training facility while the school students stay in the donga?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this really does not come under the auspices of local government at all. I refer the matter to the Treasurer.
Mr REED: It is nothing to do with the Minister for Local Government. The administration of the funds left over from the dissolving of the Yulara Town Council were overseen by me as Treasurer on behalf of the people of Alice Springs, and you will recall that at the ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: Well, the member for Macdonnell will recall it because he was part of it and he was a bit more interested in it than you.
A commitment was given - and I think it was in excess of $2m, the total amount of money - to have that money held in trust for expenditure in Yulara, for the benefit of the residents of Yulara on programs so determined by the people of Yulara. Nothing has changed in that regard and the priorities so determined by the people of Yulara will be met. Now, in assessing ...
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! You have asked a question, wait for the answer.
Mr REED: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition asked a question earlier about cyclones. I think the greatest threat to wind damage in the Northern Territory is from the mouths of the members opposite. But I do digress.
From the point of view of the need of the people of Yulara, obviously if Transport and Works have undertaken an assessment of the demountable buildings and they find them unsuitable, they would quite logically, as they are professional public servants, recommend that the buildings had a short life – I am not sure if this is the outcome, and I do not trust you because you always get it wrong - and there may need to be other alternatives look at.
In closing, can I say that the owners of the Yulara Resort, the Ayers Rock Resort, are being very cooperative in terms of helping the community to both spend the money and to have the infrastructure put in place …
Mr Stirling:On their behalf.
Mr REED: ... on behalf of the community, for the community. Simply - and the member would not understand it because of his laughter - the resort happens to be part of the community. They are committed to the community and of course most of the residents of Yulara work for the resort, so it is in the resort’s interest to assist them. The member for Macdonnell has been assisting them and keeping me informed as to what the issues are.
Let’s get the facts in relation to this, rather than believing some distorted view that might have been put forward by the good member for Stuart. The truth will come to the fore and I am sure that in the end the people of Yulara will get the facility that they want, rather than that perceived to be wanted by the member for Stuart.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016