Mr MILLS - 2007-08-30
In 2004 as part of Stage 1 of the waterfront development, you promised that there would be an amphitheatre with a sound shell, water gardens, beach volleyball courts and a raft of other things like a cultural and heritage centre. Are those items still going to be a part of the project?
Mr Stirling: They hate the waterfront.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as the Deputy Chief Minister said, they hate the waterfront. Half the time …
Mrs Miller: No, that is your interpretation.
Ms MARTIN: Can I just say this very sensibly? Half the time with the waterfront we are being criticised. The member for Greatorex knows the campaign that was run in Alice Springs condemning the Territory government for spending serious amounts of dollars …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: They get the figure wrong, Madam Speaker, saying that all of these Territory taxpayers’ dollars are being spent on the waterfront, criticising the whole nature of the waterfront, not recognising the reality of what the spend is – 14% of the entire waterfront project is taxpayers’ dollars, and the nett expenditure is $149m, and that is over a long period of time.
We saw distortion - and I would say, direct lies – in the campaign run by the CLP in Alice Springs. It is very sad, because there is very strong government taxpayer investment, along with very strong private investment into Alice Springs at the moment. Business in Alice Springs is going well. You would not have heard that from the member for Greatorex or from the opposition. They never tell the truth on this or any of these issues, if they can run a distorted line about the Territory.
As a project, the waterfront has been carefully put together. There were proposals for some aspects in the early stages. They have been further developed. Stage one …
Mr Mills: What does that mean?
Ms MARTIN: … forty percent, Madam Speaker. It is extraordinarily hypocritical of the member for Blain to criticise what we are seeing developed at the waterfront, and they do not support any of it. Some of the initial proposals included an amphitheatre which has been looked at. What we have is 40% of that Stage 1 is open public space. There will be great opportunities for entertainment and for families to use the waterfront area, to eat at the restaurants, to buy ice creams, to have entertainment. It will be a dynamic and exciting new addition to Darwin as we create Darwin’s future.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Stirling: They hate the waterfront.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as the Deputy Chief Minister said, they hate the waterfront. Half the time …
Mrs Miller: No, that is your interpretation.
Ms MARTIN: Can I just say this very sensibly? Half the time with the waterfront we are being criticised. The member for Greatorex knows the campaign that was run in Alice Springs condemning the Territory government for spending serious amounts of dollars …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: They get the figure wrong, Madam Speaker, saying that all of these Territory taxpayers’ dollars are being spent on the waterfront, criticising the whole nature of the waterfront, not recognising the reality of what the spend is – 14% of the entire waterfront project is taxpayers’ dollars, and the nett expenditure is $149m, and that is over a long period of time.
We saw distortion - and I would say, direct lies – in the campaign run by the CLP in Alice Springs. It is very sad, because there is very strong government taxpayer investment, along with very strong private investment into Alice Springs at the moment. Business in Alice Springs is going well. You would not have heard that from the member for Greatorex or from the opposition. They never tell the truth on this or any of these issues, if they can run a distorted line about the Territory.
As a project, the waterfront has been carefully put together. There were proposals for some aspects in the early stages. They have been further developed. Stage one …
Mr Mills: What does that mean?
Ms MARTIN: … forty percent, Madam Speaker. It is extraordinarily hypocritical of the member for Blain to criticise what we are seeing developed at the waterfront, and they do not support any of it. Some of the initial proposals included an amphitheatre which has been looked at. What we have is 40% of that Stage 1 is open public space. There will be great opportunities for entertainment and for families to use the waterfront area, to eat at the restaurants, to buy ice creams, to have entertainment. It will be a dynamic and exciting new addition to Darwin as we create Darwin’s future.
Members: Hear, hear!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016