Ms ANDERSON - 2008-05-06
Can you please inform the House how today’s budget invests in the future and delivers for families in Central Australia.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. The Henderson government’s investment in Central Australia in Budget 2008-09 will deliver more services and facilities. We are delivering for Territory families with a budget that outlines record spending for health, education, infrastructure and police. That means better services and facilities today and into the future.
Owning your own home is a dream for many. Under our changes to HomeNorth and cuts to stamp duty, more Centralians can now purchase their own home. They will also have more homes to choose from. In Alice Springs now, under HomeNorth, people will be able to buy a new home for $265 000, up from $240 000. Just having a chat with Doyley from Frampton’s on the weekend, he is very busy at the moment, and he is going to be even busier.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, if the member was to concentrate on his real estate skills rather than his horse racing skills. Anyway, that is another story.
Community safety is an issue for people living in Central Australia. Central Australia will receive $40.72m in Budget 2008-09 for community safety. A $9.3m two-year Safer Streets plan for the Territory will deliver more patrols and resources for Alice Springs.
We are also investing in critical infrastructure. Alice Springs power generation will receive $26m, and the Alice Springs Desert Peoples Centre will receive $10.7m in this budget.
Under this budget, there will be better roads, more buildings and facilities for people living in Central Australia. $4m will be spent on access roads to the horticulture district at Pine Hill. This is critical infrastructure supporting the development of jobs for local people in the Centre. In addition, over $25m will be spent on improving regional roads across Central Australia this financial year. This includes Santa Teresa Road, Maryvale Road, the highways of Tanami, Plenty, Sandover, Stuart and Lasseter, and also the Docker River Road and Finke Road. This is great news for people living in remote parts of the Centre and great news for regional development.
The future prosperity of the Centre relies on the Henderson government’s commitment to a strong education framework. Over $100m will be invested across the Centre this financial year in early childhood, primary, middle school and secondary education. Some highlights include: $2.25m allocated to Ross Park Primary to continue the upgrading work; $300 000 allocated to upgrading the airconditioning at Acacia Hill; $2m committed to establish a middle school at Alparra in the Utopia region; and $670 000 allocated to establish new mobile preschools in remote communities.
The Alice Springs Hospital received an additional $14.6m to continue the upgrading work, including $6m this financial year for a new Accident and Emergency Department. I must compliment all the nurses and staff within that hospital which I visited only a few weeks ago. They do a great job and this upgrade of Accident and Emergency will complete the works there. Almost $3m will be provided for additional bed capacity at the hospital.
Alice Springs’ new status as a solar city will be reinforced with $6m for renewable energy projects and rebates, demonstrating that Alice Springs really is the solar heart of Australia.
Businesses in Central Australia will benefit from tax cuts and reducing red tape. The Northern Territory remains the lowest-taxing jurisdiction for small and medium businesses in Australia. Businesses with up to 100 staff pay the lowest recurrent taxes in Australia. This is a great budget for Central Australian families and businesses.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. The Henderson government’s investment in Central Australia in Budget 2008-09 will deliver more services and facilities. We are delivering for Territory families with a budget that outlines record spending for health, education, infrastructure and police. That means better services and facilities today and into the future.
Owning your own home is a dream for many. Under our changes to HomeNorth and cuts to stamp duty, more Centralians can now purchase their own home. They will also have more homes to choose from. In Alice Springs now, under HomeNorth, people will be able to buy a new home for $265 000, up from $240 000. Just having a chat with Doyley from Frampton’s on the weekend, he is very busy at the moment, and he is going to be even busier.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, if the member was to concentrate on his real estate skills rather than his horse racing skills. Anyway, that is another story.
Community safety is an issue for people living in Central Australia. Central Australia will receive $40.72m in Budget 2008-09 for community safety. A $9.3m two-year Safer Streets plan for the Territory will deliver more patrols and resources for Alice Springs.
We are also investing in critical infrastructure. Alice Springs power generation will receive $26m, and the Alice Springs Desert Peoples Centre will receive $10.7m in this budget.
Under this budget, there will be better roads, more buildings and facilities for people living in Central Australia. $4m will be spent on access roads to the horticulture district at Pine Hill. This is critical infrastructure supporting the development of jobs for local people in the Centre. In addition, over $25m will be spent on improving regional roads across Central Australia this financial year. This includes Santa Teresa Road, Maryvale Road, the highways of Tanami, Plenty, Sandover, Stuart and Lasseter, and also the Docker River Road and Finke Road. This is great news for people living in remote parts of the Centre and great news for regional development.
The future prosperity of the Centre relies on the Henderson government’s commitment to a strong education framework. Over $100m will be invested across the Centre this financial year in early childhood, primary, middle school and secondary education. Some highlights include: $2.25m allocated to Ross Park Primary to continue the upgrading work; $300 000 allocated to upgrading the airconditioning at Acacia Hill; $2m committed to establish a middle school at Alparra in the Utopia region; and $670 000 allocated to establish new mobile preschools in remote communities.
The Alice Springs Hospital received an additional $14.6m to continue the upgrading work, including $6m this financial year for a new Accident and Emergency Department. I must compliment all the nurses and staff within that hospital which I visited only a few weeks ago. They do a great job and this upgrade of Accident and Emergency will complete the works there. Almost $3m will be provided for additional bed capacity at the hospital.
Alice Springs’ new status as a solar city will be reinforced with $6m for renewable energy projects and rebates, demonstrating that Alice Springs really is the solar heart of Australia.
Businesses in Central Australia will benefit from tax cuts and reducing red tape. The Northern Territory remains the lowest-taxing jurisdiction for small and medium businesses in Australia. Businesses with up to 100 staff pay the lowest recurrent taxes in Australia. This is a great budget for Central Australian families and businesses.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016