Mr CONLAN - 2011-10-27
A report on the ABC yesterday told about the devastating effects of a breakdown in law and order in Alice Springs. Kay Eade from the Chamber of Commerce had this to say:
Why do people in Alice Springs feel that you have stopped listening to them?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, that is actually asking for an opinion.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I ask the member for Greatorex why he revels and relishes any bad news that might come from Alice Springs. He is never happier than when he is wallowing in some bad story or another from Alice Springs. I have never heard him come into this parliament with a vision, optimistic about the future of Alice Springs and speak positively about Alice Springs.
There were law and order issues last year in Alice Springs. They have been canvassed up hill and down dale. The police have admitted publicly at many forums that I attended that they took their eye off the ball. They apologised to the Alice Springs community about taking their eye off the ball. They have significant operations in play in Alice Springs now to deal with those issues. We have canvassed all those issues.
For the good folk of Alice Springs, I can say this is a government that works very hard to continue to see the economy grow, to see improvements in services, to work with the Australian government; $80m to transform those town camps in Alice Springs. Do you ever hear anything positive from members opposite about that? Transforming the lives of people on the town camps, turning them into suburbs, all the money that is going into social programs in Alice Springs …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would just like to congratulate the Chief Minister for putting power poles in the middle of the roads in the town camps. Well done.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, resume your seat. That is not a point of order, member for Braitling. You are on a warning!
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. … investments that have been unprecedented in the history of Alice Springs to try to turn around some of the social issues that affect the people of Alice Springs.
The members opposite can get on board and put forward some positive solutions, or they can wallow in, and celebrate, the problems of the town. That is all the member for Greatorex does.
I will point out some good news concerning confidence in Alice Springs, and it would be great if the member for Greatorex put out a media release celebrating this, but Bunnings have announced it is going to invest in Alice Springs. Bunnings has said the new warehouse, if approved, will create more than 110 jobs for local residents, investing more than $23m in the town for a 12 000 m site consisting of a warehouse, kids playground, nursery, caf, and parking for over 200 cars. David Forrest said the sale shows the confidence that major companies such as Bunnings have in Alice Springs, and in the wider region, and it should be a lift for local industry.
So, you can wallow in the doom and gloom, you can come in here and slag Alice Springs at every opportunity that you do, or you can work to address the problems, and we accept there are significant problems. We are working with the Australian government and the Alice Springs Town Council. I pay tribute to the Mayor, Damien Ryan. The member for Greatorex does himself no service by never having anything positive to say about Alice Springs …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
- Retail is down, morale is down, tourism is down, but I think everyone has got in a bit of a slump … People in town just have the feeling that we are not listened to, anyway.
Why do people in Alice Springs feel that you have stopped listening to them?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, that is actually asking for an opinion.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I ask the member for Greatorex why he revels and relishes any bad news that might come from Alice Springs. He is never happier than when he is wallowing in some bad story or another from Alice Springs. I have never heard him come into this parliament with a vision, optimistic about the future of Alice Springs and speak positively about Alice Springs.
There were law and order issues last year in Alice Springs. They have been canvassed up hill and down dale. The police have admitted publicly at many forums that I attended that they took their eye off the ball. They apologised to the Alice Springs community about taking their eye off the ball. They have significant operations in play in Alice Springs now to deal with those issues. We have canvassed all those issues.
For the good folk of Alice Springs, I can say this is a government that works very hard to continue to see the economy grow, to see improvements in services, to work with the Australian government; $80m to transform those town camps in Alice Springs. Do you ever hear anything positive from members opposite about that? Transforming the lives of people on the town camps, turning them into suburbs, all the money that is going into social programs in Alice Springs …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would just like to congratulate the Chief Minister for putting power poles in the middle of the roads in the town camps. Well done.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, resume your seat. That is not a point of order, member for Braitling. You are on a warning!
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. … investments that have been unprecedented in the history of Alice Springs to try to turn around some of the social issues that affect the people of Alice Springs.
The members opposite can get on board and put forward some positive solutions, or they can wallow in, and celebrate, the problems of the town. That is all the member for Greatorex does.
I will point out some good news concerning confidence in Alice Springs, and it would be great if the member for Greatorex put out a media release celebrating this, but Bunnings have announced it is going to invest in Alice Springs. Bunnings has said the new warehouse, if approved, will create more than 110 jobs for local residents, investing more than $23m in the town for a 12 000 m site consisting of a warehouse, kids playground, nursery, caf, and parking for over 200 cars. David Forrest said the sale shows the confidence that major companies such as Bunnings have in Alice Springs, and in the wider region, and it should be a lift for local industry.
So, you can wallow in the doom and gloom, you can come in here and slag Alice Springs at every opportunity that you do, or you can work to address the problems, and we accept there are significant problems. We are working with the Australian government and the Alice Springs Town Council. I pay tribute to the Mayor, Damien Ryan. The member for Greatorex does himself no service by never having anything positive to say about Alice Springs …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016