Mrs FINOCCHIARO - 2015-04-28
Can you please outline for the Assembly the highlights of today’s budget and the many long-term benefits it delivers to Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. In my answer I will outline a couple of things for my portfolios, then on the broad-brush blueprint.
The budget has delivered reversal of a $5.5bn debt legacy left by Labor to $2.6bn. We have more than halved Labor’s debt legacy and we are now $253 in operational surplus a full three years ahead of budget. We have scheduled a full surplus in the 2017-18 budget of $9m.
We have bigger budgets this year for health and education, with $150m for new schools, classrooms, preschools and childcare centres. Henbury School is an example, and Bellamack, Larapinta childcare and the open education system.
The health system has a bigger and better budget, including $40m for Royal Darwin Hospital and our $150m commitment to Palmerston hospital. Millions of dollars are going to remote clinics and the Top End and Central Australian health services.
Coming back to education, let me talk about the boarding facility for Nhulunbuy to assist the local economy and community, and to assist remote residents to get a better education in the East Arnhem region.
This budget also sets up a new offfice of Aboriginal Affairs to be based in Alice Springs to improve the delivery of services to Aboriginal Territorians, particularly around economic infrastructure. We have allocated communities and regions to 13 chief executive officers in the Northern Territory who will be seeking to drive economic reform in the bush.
We have put $4.75m towards tourism infrastructure to assist people develop businesses. We have a Business in the Bush program through the Department of Business which is seeing officers appointed in regional areas to assist remote communities to develop businesses, get jobs and get off welfare, which is what we want. These are important initiatives.
Connecting people is really important. Previously we had a partnership with Telstra to put telecommunications, mobile phones and data download services in remote parts of the Territory. In this budget we are setting aside $9m to increase the roll-out of telecommunication services across the bush, in addition to our WiFi roll-out. We are looking to partner with Telstra and the federal government to get that to $30m. A lot of work has been done with Telstra to date, more work has to be done with the federal government, but $9m is coming from us.
Opening the Territory for economic diversity and connecting Territorians, both regional and remote, is important. An amount of $0.5bn is going towards roadworks in the Northern Territory. Every major arterial route in the Northern Territory will have millions of dollars invested in it to connect Territorians, to connect business and grow our economy.
This is a budget for the future. I congratulate the Treasurer and the whole team on pulling together to advance the interests and needs of Territorians now, tomorrow and the next day, particularly our children.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. In my answer I will outline a couple of things for my portfolios, then on the broad-brush blueprint.
The budget has delivered reversal of a $5.5bn debt legacy left by Labor to $2.6bn. We have more than halved Labor’s debt legacy and we are now $253 in operational surplus a full three years ahead of budget. We have scheduled a full surplus in the 2017-18 budget of $9m.
We have bigger budgets this year for health and education, with $150m for new schools, classrooms, preschools and childcare centres. Henbury School is an example, and Bellamack, Larapinta childcare and the open education system.
The health system has a bigger and better budget, including $40m for Royal Darwin Hospital and our $150m commitment to Palmerston hospital. Millions of dollars are going to remote clinics and the Top End and Central Australian health services.
Coming back to education, let me talk about the boarding facility for Nhulunbuy to assist the local economy and community, and to assist remote residents to get a better education in the East Arnhem region.
This budget also sets up a new offfice of Aboriginal Affairs to be based in Alice Springs to improve the delivery of services to Aboriginal Territorians, particularly around economic infrastructure. We have allocated communities and regions to 13 chief executive officers in the Northern Territory who will be seeking to drive economic reform in the bush.
We have put $4.75m towards tourism infrastructure to assist people develop businesses. We have a Business in the Bush program through the Department of Business which is seeing officers appointed in regional areas to assist remote communities to develop businesses, get jobs and get off welfare, which is what we want. These are important initiatives.
Connecting people is really important. Previously we had a partnership with Telstra to put telecommunications, mobile phones and data download services in remote parts of the Territory. In this budget we are setting aside $9m to increase the roll-out of telecommunication services across the bush, in addition to our WiFi roll-out. We are looking to partner with Telstra and the federal government to get that to $30m. A lot of work has been done with Telstra to date, more work has to be done with the federal government, but $9m is coming from us.
Opening the Territory for economic diversity and connecting Territorians, both regional and remote, is important. An amount of $0.5bn is going towards roadworks in the Northern Territory. Every major arterial route in the Northern Territory will have millions of dollars invested in it to connect Territorians, to connect business and grow our economy.
This is a budget for the future. I congratulate the Treasurer and the whole team on pulling together to advance the interests and needs of Territorians now, tomorrow and the next day, particularly our children.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016