Mr BONSON - 2004-12-01
Can the Chief Minister please inform the House how the waterfront development will move the Territory ahead and add to our great Territory lifestyle?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, what an important question. After Question Time yesterday, when every single question from the opposition was knocking what is a great project for the Territory - one that goes to the heart of what the waterfront redevelopment is all about, and is about a great project for the Territory. What did we hear yesterday, Madam Speaker? Knocking! Knocking of a team that has a vision and the ability to make it happen - starkly contrasting with a previous team that talked about it and had glossy brochures, and nothing happened.
What do we have in this great project? We have jobs for Territorians and great business opportunities for a decade - in fact, 11 years of its construction. What else? A major stimulus to our economy. What did we hear yesterday in question after question from the opposition - knock, knock, knock.
What kind of benefits were the opposition knocking yesterday? They were knocking a $1bn investment in the Territory, in our future and our lifestyle. What else were they knocking? They were knocking a convention and exhibition centre which they, when in government, looked at, kind of promised, and nothing ever came of it. We just lost the Hotel Darwin; we never got the convention centre. What else are they knocking? They are knocking the transformation of a key part of our city - currently an old bedraggled industrial site - into something which will support lifestyle and development in the future. Knock, knock, knock!
I would like to look at some of the elements of that $1bn investment – and I make the point that it is still a proposal, we have a preferred tenderer. Think of a Darwin family. When they think about the waterfront and what the opportunities will be, in the future when all this comes about - and I am confident it will - they will be able to have an easy walk down an Avenue of Honour from the mall to the waterfront - very easy and very comfortable. They will go there, and what will they look at? Here is a picture of part of Stage 1, the $250m …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It goes to say - knock, knock, knock! Not supporting development, not supporting what is a great vision for the Territory.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, cease for a moment. Members of the opposition, we should allow the Chief Minister to answer the question in silence.
Mr Baldwin: She is being provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly! I believe I know where the provocation is coming also.
Ms MARTIN: Our Darwin families, perhaps young singles, coming down to the waterfront, for the first time, will have a permanent water body with a sea wall. Also, for the first time, we have a stinger-free swimming area, in here. Back here, we have two toddler pools. Great for a family, great for recreation. Also - and I know the member for Drysdale does not like this - a wave pool. He does not like the wave pool. The family can also take a walk around the more than 2 km of waterfront walkway, much of it under cover, and then go across the sea wall - great walking, great promenading. We have a beach and a marina, there is sailing, fishing and canoeing. When the family needs to eat, there are cafes and restaurants. There is a public amphitheatre for public recreation and a heritage trail. This is what the opposition is knocking. This is what families in Darwin can do: go to the waterfront, enjoy new recreation, new opportunities, new amenities, supporting our great lifestyle. However, the CLP, our opposition, all they can do is knock. Knock, knock, knock - in stark contrast to the editorial in the NT News on 25 November:
I will leave out the next piece and go to the last couple of paragraphs:
A ringing endorsement of the waterfront, but not shared by the knockers on the other side of this House. You are not even supporting your own on this. Peter Murphy, in last weekend’s Sunday Territorian said:
Mr Dunham: We consulted for 18 months.
Mr Maley: A fantastic picture, a fantastic vision.
Mr Dunham: Lots of open space, owned by the people.
Ms MARTIN: Lots of retail, lots of car parking – vast areas of car parking. He does not want …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, just cease. This answer is going on and on. It is being provocative and we are getting too many interruptions from the opposition. Let us have shorter answers today.
Ms MARTIN: I will be quick, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Good.
Ms MARTIN: The member for Drysdale does not like the waterfront; he said it very clearly to Daryl Manzie last week. He does not want any residential development. He does not like the convention centre, the lock that creates the marina, or the open space. There were a number of questions from Daryl Manzie to the member for Drysdale saying things like:
The member for Drysdale:
And these were the ...
Mr Dunham: Go on, keep going. Read it out.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: He said the development is incongruous, it is not in keeping with the wishes of the people and the CLP does not want to see it go ahead. Spell out your point of view on this: you do not want to see it happen; you are knocking it and, in the words of the member for Drysdale, you want to scrap it.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, what an important question. After Question Time yesterday, when every single question from the opposition was knocking what is a great project for the Territory - one that goes to the heart of what the waterfront redevelopment is all about, and is about a great project for the Territory. What did we hear yesterday, Madam Speaker? Knocking! Knocking of a team that has a vision and the ability to make it happen - starkly contrasting with a previous team that talked about it and had glossy brochures, and nothing happened.
What do we have in this great project? We have jobs for Territorians and great business opportunities for a decade - in fact, 11 years of its construction. What else? A major stimulus to our economy. What did we hear yesterday in question after question from the opposition - knock, knock, knock.
What kind of benefits were the opposition knocking yesterday? They were knocking a $1bn investment in the Territory, in our future and our lifestyle. What else were they knocking? They were knocking a convention and exhibition centre which they, when in government, looked at, kind of promised, and nothing ever came of it. We just lost the Hotel Darwin; we never got the convention centre. What else are they knocking? They are knocking the transformation of a key part of our city - currently an old bedraggled industrial site - into something which will support lifestyle and development in the future. Knock, knock, knock!
I would like to look at some of the elements of that $1bn investment – and I make the point that it is still a proposal, we have a preferred tenderer. Think of a Darwin family. When they think about the waterfront and what the opportunities will be, in the future when all this comes about - and I am confident it will - they will be able to have an easy walk down an Avenue of Honour from the mall to the waterfront - very easy and very comfortable. They will go there, and what will they look at? Here is a picture of part of Stage 1, the $250m …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It goes to say - knock, knock, knock! Not supporting development, not supporting what is a great vision for the Territory.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, cease for a moment. Members of the opposition, we should allow the Chief Minister to answer the question in silence.
Mr Baldwin: She is being provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly! I believe I know where the provocation is coming also.
Ms MARTIN: Our Darwin families, perhaps young singles, coming down to the waterfront, for the first time, will have a permanent water body with a sea wall. Also, for the first time, we have a stinger-free swimming area, in here. Back here, we have two toddler pools. Great for a family, great for recreation. Also - and I know the member for Drysdale does not like this - a wave pool. He does not like the wave pool. The family can also take a walk around the more than 2 km of waterfront walkway, much of it under cover, and then go across the sea wall - great walking, great promenading. We have a beach and a marina, there is sailing, fishing and canoeing. When the family needs to eat, there are cafes and restaurants. There is a public amphitheatre for public recreation and a heritage trail. This is what the opposition is knocking. This is what families in Darwin can do: go to the waterfront, enjoy new recreation, new opportunities, new amenities, supporting our great lifestyle. However, the CLP, our opposition, all they can do is knock. Knock, knock, knock - in stark contrast to the editorial in the NT News on 25 November:
- Darwin is going through one of the most dramatic development periods in its history.
There has not been as much building work under way or on the drawing board since the reconstruction program after Cyclone Tracy 30 years ago.
…
The biggest project is the $1bn Darwin City Waterfront.
I will leave out the next piece and go to the last couple of paragraphs:
- The development should add sophistication, outline and excitement to Darwin’s skyline.
- It is likely that in 10 years’ time the Darwin City Waterfront will be the pride of the north - and everybody will wonder what the fuss was all about.
A ringing endorsement of the waterfront, but not shared by the knockers on the other side of this House. You are not even supporting your own on this. Peter Murphy, in last weekend’s Sunday Territorian said:
- Actually, the concept is brilliant, and the higher buildings to the front of the escarpment appear to be far enough out so as not to cause a problem.
Mr Dunham: We consulted for 18 months.
Mr Maley: A fantastic picture, a fantastic vision.
Mr Dunham: Lots of open space, owned by the people.
Ms MARTIN: Lots of retail, lots of car parking – vast areas of car parking. He does not want …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, just cease. This answer is going on and on. It is being provocative and we are getting too many interruptions from the opposition. Let us have shorter answers today.
Ms MARTIN: I will be quick, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Good.
Ms MARTIN: The member for Drysdale does not like the waterfront; he said it very clearly to Daryl Manzie last week. He does not want any residential development. He does not like the convention centre, the lock that creates the marina, or the open space. There were a number of questions from Daryl Manzie to the member for Drysdale saying things like:
- What would you say if people said what you are doing is trying to prevent the only thing that is probably going to give an economic boost to the city prior to the next election?
The member for Drysdale:
- Look, Daryl, it really comes hard for the CLP to talk down the development on this site.
And these were the ...
Mr Dunham: Go on, keep going. Read it out.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: He said the development is incongruous, it is not in keeping with the wishes of the people and the CLP does not want to see it go ahead. Spell out your point of view on this: you do not want to see it happen; you are knocking it and, in the words of the member for Drysdale, you want to scrap it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016