Mr BURKE - 2005-03-22
On 29 April 2002, you told the people of Alice Springs that your government was vitally involved in the Desert Knowledge precinct, an initiative of the CLP government which was in our last election policy. Since that time, you have built the Avenue of Knowledge, which is a cul-de-sac that leads nowhere. In fact, the signs for the Avenue of Knowledge were removed after it became a local joke. You have been long on promises and short on outcomes in Alice Springs. The Mereenie Loop is another example. How can anyone trust anything you say when you promise avenues and deliver cul-de-sacs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, today’s major statement before this House is about Central Australia and the initiatives that this Labor government has brought to the people of Central Australia over the last three-and-a-half years. I apologise to the House; it was quite a long statement. There were a lot of things to talk about: additional police resources, additional nursing and hospital resources, additional teaching resources. We are very proud of this.
I also made very clear that, in that time, we had actually spent $100m cash on infrastructure projects in Central Australia. We are very proud of that. The Opposition Leader bagged it all. He said: ‘You just come in here and talk about what you have spent on Alice Springs, the resources you have put in’, and was very critical. He was critical of us saying: ‘These are the initiatives we have spent in Alice Springs, this is how we have responded to the needs of Central Australia’, and he bagged the lot. He has no plans for the future of Alice Springs and the Centre. Not a plan! We waited for half-an-hour. There is a plan spelt out in a lot of detail by government, and he does not have a response in a strategy for the future of Alice Springs and Central Australia.
In my statement, I spelt out the components of Desert Knowledge, its importance and some of the aspects of that which meant it had taken a little longer than we thought to start seeing those tenders let. I indicated that there would be a tender let shortly for the next stage of headworks and then we would be seeing, over a period of about three years, consecutive tenders let for different parts of that project. It is a very exciting project, and I make no apologies that it has taken a little time because, when you are talking about merging two institutions like the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Batchelor Institute, both key providers of indigenous tertiary education, it does take a little time. We are committed to the project, and the cynicism of the opposition is unbecoming to this parliament.
In the last budget, we proudly announced the sealing of the Mereenie Loop Road. CATIA is delighted that we are doing this. Again, I spell out that there is a lot of detail to go through when you are sealing a road that goes for 260 km. We had to look at the design, access to gravel pits and protection of sacred sites. We have done a lot of the work, and we are starting to let the tenders, consecutively, now. It is an exciting project, and all you hear from the opposition is bagging it - bagging a fundamental project for Central Australia.
I remind everyone of the final phrase from the Opposition Leader in his response earlier. He said, about our proud and wonderful Territory: ‘The Territory is, frankly, mediocre’. You are a disgrace!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, today’s major statement before this House is about Central Australia and the initiatives that this Labor government has brought to the people of Central Australia over the last three-and-a-half years. I apologise to the House; it was quite a long statement. There were a lot of things to talk about: additional police resources, additional nursing and hospital resources, additional teaching resources. We are very proud of this.
I also made very clear that, in that time, we had actually spent $100m cash on infrastructure projects in Central Australia. We are very proud of that. The Opposition Leader bagged it all. He said: ‘You just come in here and talk about what you have spent on Alice Springs, the resources you have put in’, and was very critical. He was critical of us saying: ‘These are the initiatives we have spent in Alice Springs, this is how we have responded to the needs of Central Australia’, and he bagged the lot. He has no plans for the future of Alice Springs and the Centre. Not a plan! We waited for half-an-hour. There is a plan spelt out in a lot of detail by government, and he does not have a response in a strategy for the future of Alice Springs and Central Australia.
In my statement, I spelt out the components of Desert Knowledge, its importance and some of the aspects of that which meant it had taken a little longer than we thought to start seeing those tenders let. I indicated that there would be a tender let shortly for the next stage of headworks and then we would be seeing, over a period of about three years, consecutive tenders let for different parts of that project. It is a very exciting project, and I make no apologies that it has taken a little time because, when you are talking about merging two institutions like the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Batchelor Institute, both key providers of indigenous tertiary education, it does take a little time. We are committed to the project, and the cynicism of the opposition is unbecoming to this parliament.
In the last budget, we proudly announced the sealing of the Mereenie Loop Road. CATIA is delighted that we are doing this. Again, I spell out that there is a lot of detail to go through when you are sealing a road that goes for 260 km. We had to look at the design, access to gravel pits and protection of sacred sites. We have done a lot of the work, and we are starting to let the tenders, consecutively, now. It is an exciting project, and all you hear from the opposition is bagging it - bagging a fundamental project for Central Australia.
I remind everyone of the final phrase from the Opposition Leader in his response earlier. He said, about our proud and wonderful Territory: ‘The Territory is, frankly, mediocre’. You are a disgrace!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016