Mr WOOD - 2014-05-13
You recently told parliament there has been a number of tenders for the Darwin Bus Service. Can you say whether it is true NT Fleet has been told to vacate its home in Stuart Park within 18 months, which is also the home of the Darwin Bus Service and valuable land? Can you also say if that same land at Stuart Park was part of tender documents included with the sale of the Darwin Bus Service?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I assume the member is talking about the Armidale Street section.
The government is asking for expressions of interest in the Darwin Bus Service. Those expressions of interest have closed and are now being assessed.
As part of putting that out to tender, the Armidale Street premises will probably be incorporated into any deal done between the government and the service provider.
Mr Vatskalis: You can get a cheap bus service and the land.
Mr STYLES: I pick up on the interjection - it is not. You have a piece of land with some facilities on it. If a private operator comes along and is awarded a contract, it will negotiate with the government in relation to the use of those premises, the facilities and the land.
At some stage in the future, if a service provider, for efficiency and effectiveness, decides it wants to go somewhere else and run the maintenance and services for bus fleets, it will negotiate with the government to possibly terminate a lease on those premises. At that stage I imagine the government would look at what it can do with any premises not being utilised by the Darwin Bus Service, Buslink or any other provider of services to the Northern Territory.
Mr Wood: Will NT Fleet have to move?
Mr STYLES: For the member for Nelson, my understanding is it will not be necessary for NT Fleet to move out of Armidale Street. The government will assess what assets are not being utilised.
If someone comes along and says, ‘There is a better, more efficient and effective way to do business’, we will listen. Our job is to spend taxpayers’ dollars wisely and ensure we get value for money.
I know the other side did not necessarily do that. That is why we have a $5.5bn debt, but on this side we will be assessing the tenders and what people need to facilitate services to the Northern Territory taxpayer.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I assume the member is talking about the Armidale Street section.
The government is asking for expressions of interest in the Darwin Bus Service. Those expressions of interest have closed and are now being assessed.
As part of putting that out to tender, the Armidale Street premises will probably be incorporated into any deal done between the government and the service provider.
Mr Vatskalis: You can get a cheap bus service and the land.
Mr STYLES: I pick up on the interjection - it is not. You have a piece of land with some facilities on it. If a private operator comes along and is awarded a contract, it will negotiate with the government in relation to the use of those premises, the facilities and the land.
At some stage in the future, if a service provider, for efficiency and effectiveness, decides it wants to go somewhere else and run the maintenance and services for bus fleets, it will negotiate with the government to possibly terminate a lease on those premises. At that stage I imagine the government would look at what it can do with any premises not being utilised by the Darwin Bus Service, Buslink or any other provider of services to the Northern Territory.
Mr Wood: Will NT Fleet have to move?
Mr STYLES: For the member for Nelson, my understanding is it will not be necessary for NT Fleet to move out of Armidale Street. The government will assess what assets are not being utilised.
If someone comes along and says, ‘There is a better, more efficient and effective way to do business’, we will listen. Our job is to spend taxpayers’ dollars wisely and ensure we get value for money.
I know the other side did not necessarily do that. That is why we have a $5.5bn debt, but on this side we will be assessing the tenders and what people need to facilitate services to the Northern Territory taxpayer.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016