Mr BONSON - 2001-11-28
I understand that earlier today the minister opened the Territory Tidy Towns Forum, which is being held in the Chan Building over the next two days. Can the minister advise on the success of the Tidy Towns program, particularly in remote communities, and how will the proceedings of the forum contribute to further development to Tidy Towns programs? Also, can the minister provide details on how the government intends to support Tidy Towns activities in the future?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. As members of this Chamber are aware, the Territory Tidy Towns program has been in existence in the Territory over the last 30 years. The key aims of the program are to develop community pride, prestige, and a sense of worth in improving the living standards and health of communities, while providing those same communities with empowerment, education and training opportunities. It also recognises and acknowledges the efforts of individuals involved in improving their community health, environment and surroundings.
It has had a tremendous impact, not only on those whose lives are directly affected by better living conditions, but also on public expenditure where significant savings have been made in health care by what can be regarded as effective, preventative measures. For instance, I am aware of a community where the Territory Tidy Towns program is linked to a 70% reduction in Aerial Medical evacuations and this has led to a savings across the community and to government ...
Mr Reed: I hope you never need an evacuation, they’ll need a Hercules.
Mr AH KIT: I beg your pardon?
Mr Reed: It is all right, keep going.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr AH KIT: It is the member for Katherine, obviously, with his doom and gloom. He has been taking a bit of a pelting over the last couple of sittings, so he cannot help himself in continuing to be rude and interjecting whilst I am talking about something that I thought all of this Chamber supported. Obviously, the people over in the B-grade section are opposed to the Territory Tidy Towns and what it is on about.
Madam Speaker, I digress ...
Mr Reed: Are you going to fund them for a container deposit legislation?
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Katherine, order!
Mr AH KIT: If the member for Katherine listens he might learn something.
Mr Reed: Oh, get on with it!
Madam SPEAKER: I am sure the members in the gallery would like to hear the answer to this question. Could we get on with it?
Mr AH KIT: For instance, I repeat, I am aware of a community where the Territory Tidy Towns program is linked to a 70% reduction in Aerial Medical evacuations. This has led to a saving across the community, and to the government, in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We are talking here about a program that makes a significant contribution to the quality of people’s lives and that is going to be a fundamental driving force for my new department and, indeed, the government as a whole. That is what we are about.
It was a great pleasure for me to open the forum this morning. It will provide people with the opportunity to come together and express their ideas, and circulate information on ways in which they can improve their community living. It will also provide participants with a chance to exchange good news stories and ideas with other community members; gain fresh ideas for new and innovative projects; and create networks with other people who share the same aspirations and motivations to achieve cleaner, tidier, healthier communities.
The government is supporting this work through two avenues. Through the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs we provide currently a $160 000 grant for operational expenditure. For the Keep Australia Beautiful Council - and it is this council that conducts the Territory Tidy Towns program - we also provide a one-off grant of $5000 to assist with the holding of the forum, as well as the awards night, which will occur later this week.
Of course, now that we are in government, we will be looking at ways across-the-board to improve the quality of life for all Territorians, particularly those living in remote communities. Sadly, this has never rated with any importance with those opposite. It just was not on their agenda. Politics was their order of the day. We know they do not support, seriously, extra resources going into improving health, education and community development services in the Northern Territory. That is just one area that clearly distinguished us from them.
We will continue to support the activities of the Territory Tidy Towns program and we will focus on getting better outcomes for the health and quality of life for all Territorians. I look forward to joining with the Tidy Towns delegates later this week for the presentation of this year’s awards which I know have been very competitive. It is great that the efforts of individual towns and communities will be recognised in this manner.
In conclusion, the efforts of those associated with this program should also be recognised: The Executive Director, Lorna Woods, and her staff do a wonderful job, and all those people who help to make the program a success, including the judges and sponsors of the awards.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. As members of this Chamber are aware, the Territory Tidy Towns program has been in existence in the Territory over the last 30 years. The key aims of the program are to develop community pride, prestige, and a sense of worth in improving the living standards and health of communities, while providing those same communities with empowerment, education and training opportunities. It also recognises and acknowledges the efforts of individuals involved in improving their community health, environment and surroundings.
It has had a tremendous impact, not only on those whose lives are directly affected by better living conditions, but also on public expenditure where significant savings have been made in health care by what can be regarded as effective, preventative measures. For instance, I am aware of a community where the Territory Tidy Towns program is linked to a 70% reduction in Aerial Medical evacuations and this has led to a savings across the community and to government ...
Mr Reed: I hope you never need an evacuation, they’ll need a Hercules.
Mr AH KIT: I beg your pardon?
Mr Reed: It is all right, keep going.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr AH KIT: It is the member for Katherine, obviously, with his doom and gloom. He has been taking a bit of a pelting over the last couple of sittings, so he cannot help himself in continuing to be rude and interjecting whilst I am talking about something that I thought all of this Chamber supported. Obviously, the people over in the B-grade section are opposed to the Territory Tidy Towns and what it is on about.
Madam Speaker, I digress ...
Mr Reed: Are you going to fund them for a container deposit legislation?
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Katherine, order!
Mr AH KIT: If the member for Katherine listens he might learn something.
Mr Reed: Oh, get on with it!
Madam SPEAKER: I am sure the members in the gallery would like to hear the answer to this question. Could we get on with it?
Mr AH KIT: For instance, I repeat, I am aware of a community where the Territory Tidy Towns program is linked to a 70% reduction in Aerial Medical evacuations. This has led to a saving across the community, and to the government, in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We are talking here about a program that makes a significant contribution to the quality of people’s lives and that is going to be a fundamental driving force for my new department and, indeed, the government as a whole. That is what we are about.
It was a great pleasure for me to open the forum this morning. It will provide people with the opportunity to come together and express their ideas, and circulate information on ways in which they can improve their community living. It will also provide participants with a chance to exchange good news stories and ideas with other community members; gain fresh ideas for new and innovative projects; and create networks with other people who share the same aspirations and motivations to achieve cleaner, tidier, healthier communities.
The government is supporting this work through two avenues. Through the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs we provide currently a $160 000 grant for operational expenditure. For the Keep Australia Beautiful Council - and it is this council that conducts the Territory Tidy Towns program - we also provide a one-off grant of $5000 to assist with the holding of the forum, as well as the awards night, which will occur later this week.
Of course, now that we are in government, we will be looking at ways across-the-board to improve the quality of life for all Territorians, particularly those living in remote communities. Sadly, this has never rated with any importance with those opposite. It just was not on their agenda. Politics was their order of the day. We know they do not support, seriously, extra resources going into improving health, education and community development services in the Northern Territory. That is just one area that clearly distinguished us from them.
We will continue to support the activities of the Territory Tidy Towns program and we will focus on getting better outcomes for the health and quality of life for all Territorians. I look forward to joining with the Tidy Towns delegates later this week for the presentation of this year’s awards which I know have been very competitive. It is great that the efforts of individual towns and communities will be recognised in this manner.
In conclusion, the efforts of those associated with this program should also be recognised: The Executive Director, Lorna Woods, and her staff do a wonderful job, and all those people who help to make the program a success, including the judges and sponsors of the awards.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016