Mr GUNNER - 2009-05-06
Can you inform the House of the strong ongoing commitments to the Territory environment in Budget 2009-10?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. Despite the Treasurer saying yesterday that this has been the toughest budget to frame in the Territory’s political history, I am proud to say that there is still good news for the environment. I put on public record that the environment is not a loser in this budget. The environment is a winner inside this budget.
Most of all, I am pleased to inform the House of an $8m boost to infrastructure in Territory parks over the next four years. This money will be used for practical things such as repairing boardwalks; building toilets; establishing fences to protect parks from feral animals; improving car parks; sealing access roads; and installing solar lighting. This is practical infrastructure to keep Territorians in jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs - that is what we want to see in the Northern Territory ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I appreciate the minister’s answer in relation to jobs, jobs, jobs. I was just wondering if she could expand her answer to explain why $3m is coming out of the wages budget from that department?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, there is no point of order. I remind you that you are on a warning.
Ms ANDERSON: Madam Speaker, not only will it improve our parks which, in turn, will help our tourism industry in the tough times ahead, it will also immediately protect the jobs of tradespeople and labourers working in remote and regional areas.
I am also very pleased to inform the House of a big increase in our spending on weeds. Budget 2009-10 provides $640 000 to develop and implement the Strategic Weed Management program to manage high risk weeds, especially on our own Crown land.
After six budgets surpluses, the government has made a deliberate decision to go into temporary deficit to protect jobs. As a result, despite the tough times created by the global economic crisis and the fall in GST revenue, the Territory’s environment has still received a major boost in Budget 2009-10.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. Despite the Treasurer saying yesterday that this has been the toughest budget to frame in the Territory’s political history, I am proud to say that there is still good news for the environment. I put on public record that the environment is not a loser in this budget. The environment is a winner inside this budget.
Most of all, I am pleased to inform the House of an $8m boost to infrastructure in Territory parks over the next four years. This money will be used for practical things such as repairing boardwalks; building toilets; establishing fences to protect parks from feral animals; improving car parks; sealing access roads; and installing solar lighting. This is practical infrastructure to keep Territorians in jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs - that is what we want to see in the Northern Territory ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I appreciate the minister’s answer in relation to jobs, jobs, jobs. I was just wondering if she could expand her answer to explain why $3m is coming out of the wages budget from that department?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, there is no point of order. I remind you that you are on a warning.
Ms ANDERSON: Madam Speaker, not only will it improve our parks which, in turn, will help our tourism industry in the tough times ahead, it will also immediately protect the jobs of tradespeople and labourers working in remote and regional areas.
I am also very pleased to inform the House of a big increase in our spending on weeds. Budget 2009-10 provides $640 000 to develop and implement the Strategic Weed Management program to manage high risk weeds, especially on our own Crown land.
After six budgets surpluses, the government has made a deliberate decision to go into temporary deficit to protect jobs. As a result, despite the tough times created by the global economic crisis and the fall in GST revenue, the Territory’s environment has still received a major boost in Budget 2009-10.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016