Mr McADAM - 2004-05-18
Can the minister please outline the benefits for Central Australians from Budget 2004.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a good question, and I cannot wait to get back to Central Australia and share the good news with people there as to what they are going to get out of this budget. I am pretty one-eyed about the place, and the budget is going to really fuel up a fantastic year in Central Australia of infrastructure development, creation of jobs, and the expansion of activities that are available to Central Australians, particularly in Alice Springs.
The top priority for people in Alice Springs is to get land out on to the market and be able to build private sector housing. We are putting $1m now into Mount John Valley as the second stage of the land release program in Alice Springs. We are not stopping with the Larapinta release. We are going straight into the negotiations, the engineering, and the headworks that are going to be needed to get more housing started in Mount John Valley. We would expect to see both of those housing developments well under way within 12 months. I believe we will be finding it hard to get enough subbies and skilled people in Alice Springs to keep up with the program.
It is great news for the construction industry generally. As well as the private sector developments, there is $25.6m for the Desert Knowledge Precinct, which is going to be a fantastic project; $2.4m for upgrades to the Alice Springs Hospital; $750 000 for Tennant Creek Hospital fire safety upgrades; a new $1.5m health centre for Kalkarindji; $1m for the development of a small seniors village in Kenna Court, Alice Springs; $250 000 to complete an airconditioning upgrade at Gillen Primary School; and a whole range of essential services out bush at places like Docker River, Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Hermannsburg and Imanpa. We are going to have a great year.
For tourism, as the Chief Minister said, $38m is going into the Mereenie loop development, and that is going to open up enormous amount of new activity into the future for Central Australia. For our general road network, counting the Barkly, $4.8m is to be spent on improving access to Borroloola; $1m for the Tanami Highway, my favourite road. I can remember Brian Ede coming here about 20 years ago asking for this to happen, and we have finally seen the black top going on the Tanami, which is fantastic to see. There is $0.5m for the Barkly Highway, and $2m on strengthening bridges and road widening on the Stuart Highway.
What about our sporting facilities? $1.7m is going into Traeger Park for a new grandstand and a whole heap of new facilities.
Mr Stirling: That is the end of it, Toynie. You are finished.
Dr TOYNE: No, I am after some more, Madam Speaker. We have not finished yet. We will be going in for another dip at this. There is $100 000 for the Desert Song; $500 000 for the Masters Games, and I hope every one is in training, because I will be there and I will take on all comers.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a good question, and I cannot wait to get back to Central Australia and share the good news with people there as to what they are going to get out of this budget. I am pretty one-eyed about the place, and the budget is going to really fuel up a fantastic year in Central Australia of infrastructure development, creation of jobs, and the expansion of activities that are available to Central Australians, particularly in Alice Springs.
The top priority for people in Alice Springs is to get land out on to the market and be able to build private sector housing. We are putting $1m now into Mount John Valley as the second stage of the land release program in Alice Springs. We are not stopping with the Larapinta release. We are going straight into the negotiations, the engineering, and the headworks that are going to be needed to get more housing started in Mount John Valley. We would expect to see both of those housing developments well under way within 12 months. I believe we will be finding it hard to get enough subbies and skilled people in Alice Springs to keep up with the program.
It is great news for the construction industry generally. As well as the private sector developments, there is $25.6m for the Desert Knowledge Precinct, which is going to be a fantastic project; $2.4m for upgrades to the Alice Springs Hospital; $750 000 for Tennant Creek Hospital fire safety upgrades; a new $1.5m health centre for Kalkarindji; $1m for the development of a small seniors village in Kenna Court, Alice Springs; $250 000 to complete an airconditioning upgrade at Gillen Primary School; and a whole range of essential services out bush at places like Docker River, Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Hermannsburg and Imanpa. We are going to have a great year.
For tourism, as the Chief Minister said, $38m is going into the Mereenie loop development, and that is going to open up enormous amount of new activity into the future for Central Australia. For our general road network, counting the Barkly, $4.8m is to be spent on improving access to Borroloola; $1m for the Tanami Highway, my favourite road. I can remember Brian Ede coming here about 20 years ago asking for this to happen, and we have finally seen the black top going on the Tanami, which is fantastic to see. There is $0.5m for the Barkly Highway, and $2m on strengthening bridges and road widening on the Stuart Highway.
What about our sporting facilities? $1.7m is going into Traeger Park for a new grandstand and a whole heap of new facilities.
Mr Stirling: That is the end of it, Toynie. You are finished.
Dr TOYNE: No, I am after some more, Madam Speaker. We have not finished yet. We will be going in for another dip at this. There is $100 000 for the Desert Song; $500 000 for the Masters Games, and I hope every one is in training, because I will be there and I will take on all comers.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016