Mr MILLS - 2003-10-16
Violence and abuse at an Alice Springs bus interchange where last term a teacher was assaulted, continues to be unmanageable. Teachers, school-based constables and parents have, since last term, sought a solution from the minister. It is now the final term. Teachers are now refusing to cover for your lack of action. Please advise the House of the solutions you have put in place to deal with this totally unacceptable situation at the interchange.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. It is a genuine issue, and I have acknowledged that in the parliament in the past. We have had the school-based constables on deck there because of the result of the injuries sustained by an Alice Springs teacher. Those teachers are holding the students they are responsible for inside the school fence rather than outside the school at the bus interchange because of this congregation of non-government and government school students and the wide range of ages spread across them.
It is simply too big an interchange; there is no question about that. You asked what is occurring. Urgent meetings are being held between officers from the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and the Environment. I have discussed this a number of times with my colleague, the minister for DIPE.
Mr Mills: This was brought to your attention in August.
Mr STIRLING: This bus interchange has been there since 1990. We did not introduce it.
Mr Mills: The teacher was assaulted in August.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It has been there since 1990 …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: It has been there since 1990 and has obviously grown and it requires …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: If you do not want the answer I will sit down. It obviously requires some close detailed work and consultation …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Allow the minister to finish.
Mr STIRLING: … between DEET, DIPE, the school communities, including the parents and the school councils, as to the re-routing of the buses and what is going to be the most cost effective solution in putting extra buses on and running different routes, so that we disaggregate this too large a group of students that are all at this one bus interchange.
He says: ‘How long is it going to take?’. The process of working this out, through consultation with schools and school communities, is going to take some time. In the meantime, the school-based constables will be there with the teachers who are holding their students inside the school perimeter. I regret the incident, of course, that occurred to the teacher who sustained injuries to their hand. However, we have interim measures in place and we are working urgently toward a more permanent solution.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. It is a genuine issue, and I have acknowledged that in the parliament in the past. We have had the school-based constables on deck there because of the result of the injuries sustained by an Alice Springs teacher. Those teachers are holding the students they are responsible for inside the school fence rather than outside the school at the bus interchange because of this congregation of non-government and government school students and the wide range of ages spread across them.
It is simply too big an interchange; there is no question about that. You asked what is occurring. Urgent meetings are being held between officers from the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and the Environment. I have discussed this a number of times with my colleague, the minister for DIPE.
Mr Mills: This was brought to your attention in August.
Mr STIRLING: This bus interchange has been there since 1990. We did not introduce it.
Mr Mills: The teacher was assaulted in August.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It has been there since 1990 …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: It has been there since 1990 and has obviously grown and it requires …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: If you do not want the answer I will sit down. It obviously requires some close detailed work and consultation …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Allow the minister to finish.
Mr STIRLING: … between DEET, DIPE, the school communities, including the parents and the school councils, as to the re-routing of the buses and what is going to be the most cost effective solution in putting extra buses on and running different routes, so that we disaggregate this too large a group of students that are all at this one bus interchange.
He says: ‘How long is it going to take?’. The process of working this out, through consultation with schools and school communities, is going to take some time. In the meantime, the school-based constables will be there with the teachers who are holding their students inside the school perimeter. I regret the incident, of course, that occurred to the teacher who sustained injuries to their hand. However, we have interim measures in place and we are working urgently toward a more permanent solution.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016