Ms PURICK - 2008-09-18
You have not mentioned that, before it became Berrimah Research Farm in the mid-1950s, the site was a military installation. I am aware that the site was used as a rubbish dumping ground by the Army, and there is a strong possibility that military ordnances, that is, bombs, were buried at the site. Before you made the announcement, what contact was made with the Department of Defence? What risk assessment methodology was employed, and by whom, to assess the suitability of the site for housing families in a residential development?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, you have asked a question of the minister. We need to have a little quiet so that she can answer the question. Minister.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I sincerely welcome the question from the member for Goyder. Within the scope of the works occurring now regarding the site history and the assessment processes that are occurring for Berrimah Research Farm includes the issue of World War II ordnance. Very clearly, we know that Darwin was the site of horrendous bombing in World War II. Just as we dealt with the contamination issues and the World War II ordnance issues at the waterfront site, we are following those processes. We have very strict protocols in the Top End, quite appropriately, because of the bombing raids that occurred. We are following those processes to the letter and we are certainly within the scope …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, we are not getting an answer to the question. The question was: did she speak to the Department of Defence before making these announcements?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, please resume your seat. The minister has the call. There is no point of order.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Cease interjecting, member for Port Darwin.
Ms LAWRIE: Within the brief that EcOz has now, quite appropriately, is the potential for discovery of World War II ordnance. We are following that process at Berrimah Research Farm as we did with the decontamination and assessments at the waterfront site for both contaminations and ordnance. We will not cut any corners. We will do what is required to thoroughly assess the Berrimah Research Farm site.
We will follow all the processes as required, because the government has determined, just as we did with the old industrial site full of potential World War II ordnance at the waterfront - and I know the opposition did not want to see the waterfront proceed - I know they did not want the waterfront to proceed …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … and it is a bit of an echo here: it is too contaminated, you are going to find bombs and it is going to explode, and it is going to be scary. Well, you know the sky is falling down, opposition.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, you are on a warning.
Ms LAWRIE: The sky is falling down, doom and gloom opposition. We have been there before with them, and it was the waterfront project, which is a magnificent project. We are here again with the Berrimah Research Farm project. I know, having been born and raised in the Territory, I have seen areas of Darwin developed that have met development opposition in the past and people say it is going to be terrible. Berrimah Research Farm …
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This minister has said this site was suitable. The question is: did she speak to the Department of Defence before declaring it suitable to the Territory community? That issue has not been addressed, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you would be well aware that the Speaker has no capacity to direct a minister to answer a question in a particular way. The minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: There is nothing at all unusual in identifying land that is suitable and appropriately located for residential and light industrial, as Berrimah Research Farm is, and then following a very clear process in its assessment. If any remediation is required and, as members heard in my answer to previous questions, that is a process independently audited and signed off by an independent auditor ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The Leader of the Opposition is completely wrong. I do not declare it suitable. The independent auditor …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please resume your seat, minister. Standing Order 51:
There are a number of members on warnings. There will be more going on to warnings shortly. Minister, you have the call. I hope the answer is nearly finished.
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, indeed, I will speed up my answer, but they have been shouting interruptions.
Very clearly, the government has said we will develop Berrimah Research Farm as residential and light industrial. It is ideally located and we will follow all the appropriate site history and assessment …
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you are on a warning.
Ms LAWRIE: We will follow all the appropriate site history and assessment processes and, if required, all the appropriate remediation processes, so that people can enjoy the beautiful residential opportunity of Berrimah Research Farm.
Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I seek clarification on Standing Order 67, which says:
Your explanation was that you cannot direct the minister to answer a question, but Standing Order 67 clearly says that no member shall digress from the subject matter of any question under discussion …
Madam SPEAKER: I have an answer for this; I will ask the Clerk for some advice.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! That standing order relates to debates. This is Question Time, which is not a debate, so it is not relevant.
I should say also that that has been the case in this parliament for a very long time, certainly well before I was the Speaker, and during the time of Speakers from the first parliaments. It is also the case in the House of Representatives and the House of Commons.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, you have asked a question of the minister. We need to have a little quiet so that she can answer the question. Minister.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I sincerely welcome the question from the member for Goyder. Within the scope of the works occurring now regarding the site history and the assessment processes that are occurring for Berrimah Research Farm includes the issue of World War II ordnance. Very clearly, we know that Darwin was the site of horrendous bombing in World War II. Just as we dealt with the contamination issues and the World War II ordnance issues at the waterfront site, we are following those processes. We have very strict protocols in the Top End, quite appropriately, because of the bombing raids that occurred. We are following those processes to the letter and we are certainly within the scope …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, we are not getting an answer to the question. The question was: did she speak to the Department of Defence before making these announcements?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, please resume your seat. The minister has the call. There is no point of order.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Cease interjecting, member for Port Darwin.
Ms LAWRIE: Within the brief that EcOz has now, quite appropriately, is the potential for discovery of World War II ordnance. We are following that process at Berrimah Research Farm as we did with the decontamination and assessments at the waterfront site for both contaminations and ordnance. We will not cut any corners. We will do what is required to thoroughly assess the Berrimah Research Farm site.
We will follow all the processes as required, because the government has determined, just as we did with the old industrial site full of potential World War II ordnance at the waterfront - and I know the opposition did not want to see the waterfront proceed - I know they did not want the waterfront to proceed …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … and it is a bit of an echo here: it is too contaminated, you are going to find bombs and it is going to explode, and it is going to be scary. Well, you know the sky is falling down, opposition.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, you are on a warning.
Ms LAWRIE: The sky is falling down, doom and gloom opposition. We have been there before with them, and it was the waterfront project, which is a magnificent project. We are here again with the Berrimah Research Farm project. I know, having been born and raised in the Territory, I have seen areas of Darwin developed that have met development opposition in the past and people say it is going to be terrible. Berrimah Research Farm …
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This minister has said this site was suitable. The question is: did she speak to the Department of Defence before declaring it suitable to the Territory community? That issue has not been addressed, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you would be well aware that the Speaker has no capacity to direct a minister to answer a question in a particular way. The minister has the call.
Ms LAWRIE: There is nothing at all unusual in identifying land that is suitable and appropriately located for residential and light industrial, as Berrimah Research Farm is, and then following a very clear process in its assessment. If any remediation is required and, as members heard in my answer to previous questions, that is a process independently audited and signed off by an independent auditor ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The Leader of the Opposition is completely wrong. I do not declare it suitable. The independent auditor …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please resume your seat, minister. Standing Order 51:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
There are a number of members on warnings. There will be more going on to warnings shortly. Minister, you have the call. I hope the answer is nearly finished.
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, indeed, I will speed up my answer, but they have been shouting interruptions.
Very clearly, the government has said we will develop Berrimah Research Farm as residential and light industrial. It is ideally located and we will follow all the appropriate site history and assessment …
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you are on a warning.
Ms LAWRIE: We will follow all the appropriate site history and assessment processes and, if required, all the appropriate remediation processes, so that people can enjoy the beautiful residential opportunity of Berrimah Research Farm.
Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I seek clarification on Standing Order 67, which says:
- No Member shall digress from the subject matter of any question under discussion …
Your explanation was that you cannot direct the minister to answer a question, but Standing Order 67 clearly says that no member shall digress from the subject matter of any question under discussion …
Madam SPEAKER: I have an answer for this; I will ask the Clerk for some advice.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! That standing order relates to debates. This is Question Time, which is not a debate, so it is not relevant.
I should say also that that has been the case in this parliament for a very long time, certainly well before I was the Speaker, and during the time of Speakers from the first parliaments. It is also the case in the House of Representatives and the House of Commons.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016