Mr GUNNER - 2009-11-24
This is the fourth time sittings have been held by the Territory parliament in Alice Springs. Can you please detail to the House some of what our government is doing for the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. Bringing parliament to Alice Springs was an initiative of the Labor government. It had never been done during 27 years of the CLP government. They were quite happy to sit up there in Darwin and never bring parliament to Alice Springs. This is the fourth time this government has brought parliament to Alice Springs. It is great to see the gallery is full, because in Darwin we do not get to see too many people come to parliament. It is great to see everyone here today.
It is my belief that the infrastructure and service needs of Central Australia had been neglected for decades under previous CLP governments. Look at the billions of dollars in infrastructure and services which have been placed in Central Australia to improve standards.
We are talking about police; there are more police in Alice Springs than ever before, including ACPOs and police auxiliaries – 175 – more than in any other comparable town in Australia. We have a Police Beat …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: ... in the mall which, from all the feedback I have had, has been very well supported by residents and retailers. The opposition’s policy is to close the Police Beats; that is its policy …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, Chief Minister. If you wish to make a point of order, please come to the Dispatch Box.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, my point of order relates to honesty. What the Chief Minister just said was a lie.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I ask you to withdraw that comment. It is not a point of order, so withdraw.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw that it was a lie, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. There is no point of order. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: I am prepared to produce the newspaper article where the Leader of the Opposition clearly said he would close the Police Beats. It quotes him. It says he would close the Police Beats and he does not support them.
We are working with the federal government, with a $136m plan, to transform and fix the town camps, and establish extensive family support and rehabilitation services in the town. We are a government, together with the Australian government, that has moved on compulsory acquisition of the town camps to improve conditions.
We are spending 71% more on Alice Springs Hospital than the previous government, and we have had a 50% increase in the number of nursing staff. That is significant - a 50% increase in nursing staff in Alice Springs, and a 47% increase in the number of doctors - a massive increase in the number of doctors and nursing staff since we came to government. We have also put in place extensive renal dialysis services in Central Australia reversing an absolutely abhorrent CLP policy of only having renal dialysis services in Darwin and Alice Springs. We now have regionally-based renal dialysis services.
We are working with the Australian government: $22m to upgrade and provide a new emergency department at the hospital. We have introduced, and I pay tribute to my colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, a $15.6m Alice Springs Youth Action Plan, which is under way under the carriage of the minister. We all know the tragedy of alcohol, but we have a plan which has reduced alcohol consumption and its impact on the hospital.
We also have a plan to improve education in Alice Springs. A new middle school will be birthed out of the old Alice Springs and ANZAC Hill High Schools for the beginning of the school year in 2010 - nearly $6m to be spent across both campuses. With the Minister for Central Australia, I was at the Gillen campus for the new middle school; just over $3m has been committed and work is under way to provide new vocational training areas, new laboratory areas, and a new canteen. These are great new facilities for the school.
In regard to sporting facilities, Traeger Park looks an absolute beauty. I do not know what was on there last night, but I was walking along with one of my colleagues - it was the cricket - and we thought it looked like the MCG. It was fantastically lit up. We have top class sport in town, including AFL and cricket.
I am proud of our government’s commitment to Alice Springs, and we will keep delivering for Alice Springs and the Central Australian region.
Mr Elferink: Not the same standard, I hope.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. Bringing parliament to Alice Springs was an initiative of the Labor government. It had never been done during 27 years of the CLP government. They were quite happy to sit up there in Darwin and never bring parliament to Alice Springs. This is the fourth time this government has brought parliament to Alice Springs. It is great to see the gallery is full, because in Darwin we do not get to see too many people come to parliament. It is great to see everyone here today.
It is my belief that the infrastructure and service needs of Central Australia had been neglected for decades under previous CLP governments. Look at the billions of dollars in infrastructure and services which have been placed in Central Australia to improve standards.
We are talking about police; there are more police in Alice Springs than ever before, including ACPOs and police auxiliaries – 175 – more than in any other comparable town in Australia. We have a Police Beat …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: ... in the mall which, from all the feedback I have had, has been very well supported by residents and retailers. The opposition’s policy is to close the Police Beats; that is its policy …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, Chief Minister. If you wish to make a point of order, please come to the Dispatch Box.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, my point of order relates to honesty. What the Chief Minister just said was a lie.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I ask you to withdraw that comment. It is not a point of order, so withdraw.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw that it was a lie, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. There is no point of order. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: I am prepared to produce the newspaper article where the Leader of the Opposition clearly said he would close the Police Beats. It quotes him. It says he would close the Police Beats and he does not support them.
We are working with the federal government, with a $136m plan, to transform and fix the town camps, and establish extensive family support and rehabilitation services in the town. We are a government, together with the Australian government, that has moved on compulsory acquisition of the town camps to improve conditions.
We are spending 71% more on Alice Springs Hospital than the previous government, and we have had a 50% increase in the number of nursing staff. That is significant - a 50% increase in nursing staff in Alice Springs, and a 47% increase in the number of doctors - a massive increase in the number of doctors and nursing staff since we came to government. We have also put in place extensive renal dialysis services in Central Australia reversing an absolutely abhorrent CLP policy of only having renal dialysis services in Darwin and Alice Springs. We now have regionally-based renal dialysis services.
We are working with the Australian government: $22m to upgrade and provide a new emergency department at the hospital. We have introduced, and I pay tribute to my colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, a $15.6m Alice Springs Youth Action Plan, which is under way under the carriage of the minister. We all know the tragedy of alcohol, but we have a plan which has reduced alcohol consumption and its impact on the hospital.
We also have a plan to improve education in Alice Springs. A new middle school will be birthed out of the old Alice Springs and ANZAC Hill High Schools for the beginning of the school year in 2010 - nearly $6m to be spent across both campuses. With the Minister for Central Australia, I was at the Gillen campus for the new middle school; just over $3m has been committed and work is under way to provide new vocational training areas, new laboratory areas, and a new canteen. These are great new facilities for the school.
In regard to sporting facilities, Traeger Park looks an absolute beauty. I do not know what was on there last night, but I was walking along with one of my colleagues - it was the cricket - and we thought it looked like the MCG. It was fantastically lit up. We have top class sport in town, including AFL and cricket.
I am proud of our government’s commitment to Alice Springs, and we will keep delivering for Alice Springs and the Central Australian region.
Mr Elferink: Not the same standard, I hope.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016