2009-02-19
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 12 pm.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business)(by leave): Madam Speaker, at the request of the opposition and on behalf of the Chief Minister, I nominate the 29 April 2009 as the next day on which precedence will be given to General Business, pursuant to Standing Order 93.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Youth Action Plan – Alice Springs
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I report on the most comprehensive youth action plan developed for Alice Springs - a raft of initiatives to deal with youth antisocial behaviour in our town. The community of Alice Springs has become increasingly concerned about some young people roaming the streets at all hours, often engaging in antisocial and criminal behaviour - it is not on.
The previous Minister for Central Australia, the member for Macdonnell, commenced a process to tackle these issues. This process has sought to achieve a bipartisan approach which also involves the major youth service providers in Alice Springs. On 9 December last year, the member for Macdonnell organised a high level forum of officials and non-government organisations to identify solutions. That forum was independently facilitated by Ms Raelene Beale. On 4 February, the member for Macdonnell chaired a bipartisan meeting, which I attended, of Alice Springs-based MLAs, including the Minister for Young Territorians, and the Mayor of Alice Springs to examine the Beale Report and seek agreement on actions.
I report that the meeting was conducted in a refreshing atmosphere of bipartisanship and many good ideas were contributed from all participants. The member for Macdonnell gave an undertaking to develop a package of actions on the basis of the Beale Report, the bipartisan consultations and consideration by Cabinet colleagues. I am pleased to announce that as a result of this process, the government will take the following action:
a staffed Police Beat will be established in the Todd Mall. Police advise that this can be achieved by July this year.
We will continue to fund the CBD patrols in the Todd Mall until the Police Beat is established. We are on track to
deliver an additional 10 constables to Alice Springs in 2009-10 through the Safer Streets Initiative;
non-government services are effectively coordinated;
we will provide additional funding of $75 000 a year for youth recreation services at the Gap Youth Centre;
campuses. One school with two campuses will allow targeted and specialist education services to be provided
to the young people of Alice Springs;
an additional safe house and emergency beds will be made available; and
transport services to ensure kids are off the street and in a safe place late at night.
Further initiatives raised at the bipartisan meeting on 4 February have in-principle support and will be further developed over the coming weeks. These include CCTV monitoring and security and community patrols. A meeting between the five Central Australian MLAs and senior police will also be held to discuss establishment numbers, effectiveness of juvenile diversionary programs, and the effectiveness of the existing police powers to detain young people.
I inform the House that the contents of this report were discussed with members opposite earlier today and, while we may not agree on everything, I believe there is collective support for the measures I have outlined.
Madam Speaker, I believe this announcement marks a significant move forward, not only for the young people of Alice Springs, but for the whole community. I look forward to driving the implementation of these measures in the coming days, weeks, and months, for the long-term benefit of our wonderful town.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I speak on behalf of my two colleagues, the members for Greatorex and Braitling, in particular, as well as the opposition. We welcome the announcements today, on the basis that it is a good first step on the way to delivering better outcomes for Alice Springs. It has been a long time coming.
I thank the member for Macdonnell, and the member for Stuart, in particular, for their enthusiasm and support. In relation to the announcements, we have some concerns including the following.
In relation to the shopfront, we can expect, obviously, good results because it will start in winter. We are keen to ensure, however, that it is adequately staffed. We want it to be staffed 24 hours a day. That will ensure security during the day, as well as the night, which sends an important message to tourists and locals alike, as well as protecting them. It must, at a bare a minimum, be adequately staffed from 9 pm to 6 am, and it will require extra resources. We want it adequately staffed so there is someone at the shopfront in addition to other police officers undertaking patrols. We are pleased that the government will fund security patrols, an initiative of the town council, until the shopfront opens.
CCTV monitoring should be 24 hours, 7 days a week, and monitored by the police. We note the government says that it is on track to deliver an existing commitment of 10 additional constables. We say that more police officers are required and, in any event, those 10 should be delivered immediately.
In terms of the no school/no service code of conduct, we believe government should ensure there is sufficient funding for an education campaign and promotional activity.
In relation to the youth hub to be established at ANZAC Hill, we believe it should be in place by September this year; as we lead into summer.
We would like more details on the proposal for the boarding school facility, including what types of young people will be there and who will determine that.
What type of support and resources has been allocated town council ranger service?
Nevertheless, we welcome the announcement and thank members for their support.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I congratulate all the members of Central Australia for getting together to put something like this together. It is a refreshing change. It may not be perfect from either points of view, but it is a great start. Perhaps some of this could be spread out to other parts of the Territory as well.
I was in Alice Springs the day before the local members had their meeting, and I was talking to a business owner, a business owner in Darwin who has a shop in Alice Springs, and the Mayor of Alice Springs about the range of problems they had. Alice Springs people were finding the whole issue insurmountable.
When you look at some of these options that have been put forward, it is a great move. I am especially interested in the Police and Citizens Youth Club. I raised this in a debate last year, and the Chief Minister said he thought the Police and Citizens Youth Club should be around again. We could do with those in Darwin. The police actually run them; that relationship between youth and the police is important. I have no problem with having a little boxing in one of these places; I think we have to get that too. As long as it is well managed, and you get people like Boyd Scully, who know how to do it, I say it is great for kids - it takes a bit of the sting out of them. Instead of them taking it out on shopfronts, they can take it out on themselves or a punching bag. It is good that we are looking at these programs.
It worried me at the time that there could be some criticism about taking kids off the street. People might be told that we are starting up a new stolen generation. I believe we have an abandoned generation now, which is far worse. The idea of having a boarding school is terrific. If kids cannot be looked after at home, let us try to help them as well. It was not mentioned, but I did visit the Hamilton Downs Youth Camp. That is an important part of this package. I congratulate all members of Central Australia for a job well done. Let us see if we can get some results.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen, and the members for Greatorex and Braitling for their bipartisanship. It has been a spirit of cooperation. I also thank the member for Nelson for his words.
I pay particular acknowledgement to the member for Macdonnell. In her time as the Minister for Central Australia, she has been a strong advocate for these issues and I will continue to follow in those footsteps.
In relation to the other issues of members opposite, I am sure that we will talk again about the detail. I encourage you to keep the spirit going and let us talk further.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, earlier today, Darwin welcomed some 150 veterans and survivors of the events we have commemorated in Darwin, the 67th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin. This has included survivors and families of serving Defence personnel who have come to Darwin specifically for this commemoration. Over 1000 Territorians also attended this event. Amongst others this year, we welcomed the family of the late Dallas Widick, the last survivor of the USS Peary. His wife Lorna, son Dallas Widick Junior, daughter Suzanne, and son-in-law, Donald Wakeman are here on a very special journey to spread the ashes of Dallas Widick at 2 pm this afternoon in the waters that claimed the USS Peary and 91 of his comrades.
We also welcomed members of 13 Squadron. Whilst their Hudsons were based in Darwin, much of their work was over the skies of the then Dutch East Indies. These included Arthur Brown, Bob Jones, Rex Austin, John Dorsett, Roger Kuring, Mervyn Mayne, and Tom Hughes. Finally, we welcomed a group of brave women who were also here during that time: Valma Veivers, Letty Cuddihy, Norma Burns and Pat Jones.
Madam Speaker, this parliament is unique in that we represent the only jurisdiction in the nation that commemorates the defence of Australia every year. The reason for this is well known to us in this place. On that fateful day, 67 years ago, nearly 300 people, civilian and Defence Force members alike, lost their lives in the two calamitous raids. It was the first of 63 raids over the following 21 months. Whilst the initial target was Darwin, it affected the whole of the Northern Territory. The small town of Alice Springs received evacuees from Darwin and became a staging post for the war effort in the North. Places such as Katherine, Pine Creek, and Milingimbi were bombed. Airstrips and military camps were strung along the Stuart Highway. However, it is an event and a period still virtually unknown by the rest of the nation.
As Peter Grose has pointed out in his recently launched book, An Awkward Truth - I urge all members to get a copy of this book - the seven volume Official Histories: Second World War numbers many thousands of pages, yet there are only two pages devoted to the Bombing of Darwin and its aftermath.
As I noted earlier today, that is not history. It is a deliberate forgetting of a vital part of our national story. It is a national forgetting that began with wartime censorship, which has never recovered from that time of secrecy. I believe we have all noted in recent years an increasing number of younger Territorians participating in the commemorative services and events surrounding the Bombing of Darwin, so it was today at the Cenotaph.
It has been noted throughout the nation that younger Australians attend Anzac Day in greater numbers and travel to foreign theatres of war in Turkey, France, Belgium, PNG, Singapore, and Thailand.
Uniquely, in the Territory younger people commemorate a theatre of war on home soil, Australian soil, Darwin soil. They remember the first time the war visited our shores with such terrible results. It is why we have committed funds towards the East Point Military Museum and the Aviation Museum.
I am on the record stating that the events of this time should be an integral part of the teaching of history in our schools throughout Australia. To that end, I announced this morning the establishment of an annual history scholarship award for Territory high school students researching the history of the war time in the Northern Territory. It will not be limited to the bombing or indeed Darwin itself. I have already noted that the war’s impact on the Territory reached far and wide. Nor would the research necessarily look at a military account of the period, but might also investigate social, economic and political affairs.
The research projects might look at the material heritage of the period, oral history, literary or visual histories. In short, it would provide a focus for Territory secondary history students to apply any or all of the historical tools that form the discipline of history.
We can best honour those who served here in World War II, whether as civilians or military personnel, through keeping their history alive in the minds of younger Australians throughout the nation and of generations to follow. This scholarship award will go an important way to achieving this purpose through the talents and skills of our younger Australians.
Madam Speaker, outside in the Great Hall, it was magnificent, and I know many members talked to some of those amazing old Diggers who survived the bombing. Many of them were smiling and were really pleased to be here, but one – what was the gentleman’s name?
Ms Lawrie: Hutch.
Mr HENDERSON: A fellow called Hutch, who is 99 years old and he is sprightly, he has a spring in his step and a smile in his eye. He did not tell me but he told Delia that he started learning to fly a helicopter at the age of 97, and he is now 99 and he is going to get his licence. However, they assured us they would not let him fly by himself!
There are some wonderful people outside. On behalf of everyone in this House, I thank all of those wonderful old soldiers who went through such a horrific time for their place in our history in the Territory.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I support the initiative the Chief Minister has just announced and described, of promoting scholarship and the study of past events. How important it is and how important the role we have as Australians to make sure that the rest of our nation understands what happened to this nation.
When we recognise that the strike force that hit Darwin, hit harder than at Pearl Harbour, and when we see that the commemoration of that event at Pearl Harbour is very significant, and draws people from all around the world, I believe there is a great opportunity to bring people together in a much stronger way. We have already laid good foundations, but I believe we have a great opportunity, when we regard this as the Pearl Harbour of the region.
It is interesting, when we are talking about INPEX - we welcome that engagement - that nearly 70 years ago, the whole world was a different and uncertain place. When we reflect on the times that we are facing, the uncertainty of the global financial crisis, it helps to look back at times like that and relive it through the stories, it enables us to get some dimension on the challenges we face today, and we can put it into some perspective and then move forward.
I believe it is important to backup the investment in scholarship, with the investment in some of the artefacts that are left around the place, particularly from Z-Force operations. Growing up in Western Australia we heard about Z-Force and I was very interested to see the remains of the Krait launching facilities in Berrimah, which need to be preserved because that is such important history. It is not just the bombing, it is how we stood our ground and reached back into the region, and particularly the prisoners of war that came back through Darwin. There is much that we can add to this, so that we can stand proudly to support this story into the future.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I support the report by the Chief Minister and the comments of the Leader of the Opposition. I believe it is very important to keep that history alive. Not only can we do that through scholarships, which I believe is a good concept from the Chief Minister, but also through maintaining our heritage.
I have spoken many times about preserving our war time airstrips, but there are more than the airstrips, for instance, there is a searchlight area at Wickham Point on the Peron Islands, where my father-in-law worked during the war, and also a radar station and radio station. There are so many parts of the Top End of the Territory especially, and other areas in the rest of the Territory, where we need to do much more work to preserve and tell people where they are.
Heritage parks are a good way to go because not only is it preserving our history, it is helping our economy through the tourism industry, and it is also keeping our history alive. Many people do not know about these places. How many people go past some of these airstrips and never go in? There is much the Territory can do, and I believe the federal government has a role to play as well.
I looked out across the harbour this morning and I thought of Captain Strauss; some people know I went to Ohio to see his family, and his family have been here. He was shot down over Squires Bluff; most people would not know where that is, until you get a map of the harbour, it is just up harbour from Talc Head. It brings back to me how much we owe to other countries. People might not always like the Americans. They might say they are bunch of this and that. When you consider the number of Americans who died fighting for Australia from places like Strauss Airstrip, Long Airfield, and Fenton, we should not forget their great sacrifice. That is not diminishing our soldiers or our forces, but we should always remind ourselves of the great sacrifices they made an awfully long way from home, a little like our soldiers fighting in Gallipoli.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms ANDERSON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage: Madam Speaker, I inform the House of important work being done to preserve our World War II history and to honour the contribution of the many men and women who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today.
The Bombing of Darwin, on this day in 1942, took at least 243 lives and remains the single biggest loss of life on our shores in Australian military history. We must never forget this black day in our past. We must take action to ensure that the monuments which mark this devastating event are preserved forever. This government is committed to putting in the funds and resources to protect our historical assets.
The East Point Military Museum is a fantastic resource and a fitting tribute to the heroes who served Australia, but we must make sure it remains appealing to visitors and Territorians. We want to educate about our wartime past; we cannot let it fall into disrepair. This government has committed $10m to expand the current building and enhance its displays. An advisory group was formed last year to look at the best options to make this great tribute more attractive to visit.
The Australian Aviation Heritage Centre in Winnellie will also receive a makeover as part of this government’s pledge to protect and promote World War II heritage. Among the excellent displays at this museum is the wreckage of a Japanese Zero fighter plane from the attack on this day in 1942. The draft concept design has been developed and an indicative order of cost has been requested through the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. I am expecting that planning for both the East Point Museum and the Aviation Heritage Centre upgrades will be well advanced by the end of the financial year.
This government has taken the necessary steps to safeguard the physical reminders of this very significant period in the Territory’s history. We are moving through the processes under the Heritage Conservation Act to protect six wrecks of World War II Catalinas found in Darwin Harbour. My department has known about five of these wrecks for some time, and another was discovered by INPEX while they were doing marine survey work last year. These wrecks have been nominated for heritage listing, the process is now being followed through and the Heritage Advisory Council is doing great work investigating the options for protection. This government will make sure the proper course of action under heritage legislation is followed to preserve these relics. We will not lose our important physical reminders of our wartime history.
This government is also maintaining our historical assets. The ammunition bunkers from World War II at Francis Bay were recently allocated funds for repairs to roofs, windows and vents. Since the last anniversary of the bombing, this government has added two significant World War II heritage sites to the register - the K5 Anti-Aircraft gun site at Coomalie, and the Air Force medical receiving station site on Stuart Highway near the Batchelor turn-off - now have heritage protection and will be safeguarded for posterity.
This government is committed to ensuring that the Territory’s key role as a World War II battleground remains imprinted in Territorians minds forever.
Madam Speaker, during the last report I gave on heritage issues, the member for Nelson raised the idea of establishing heritage parks, and bringing a number of related heritage sites like the World War II heritage areas around the Top End under single management. This idea has merit and I look forward to working with the member for Nelson on this idea.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, the museums and historical areas of the Northern Territory are of paramount importance. They are a strong link to our history and the people who serve in and around them. They are a strong link to the Territory people who suffered under the times that we remember today. It is important to ensure that we supply the facilities that we can, so that they can impart our history for a very long time. They are also a part of our tourism resource. There is the strong ability to deliver great resources for our tourists, so that they can come and remember these sites where amazing feats of bravery occurred.
The Leader of the Opposition mentioned the Z Force Base. I viewed that only recently. The remains of those facilities are pronounced; they exist and they need to be preserved. People who operated covertly out of these locations were extremely brave. Their stories may never fully be told because of some of the secrecy allotted to them. It is very important for the Territory to remember these great days. It is very important for the Territory to share that with the rest of Australia so that they can be educated to the importance of the Northern Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s statement about the possibility of heritage parks. I will be very happy to work with her in trying to achieve that goal.
It is great that this money has been put into the museum at East Point and the government is also helping with the Aviation Museum, which is a great facility. We sometimes forget it is there because we drive past. It is worth going into. The trouble is you go in there and you realise you could spend a couple of days if you really wanted to look at everything. It is one of those features that sometimes locals forget to enjoy. I must remind myself to go in there again one day.
I am interested to know, with the development of the East Arm boat ramp, whether the Catalina landing site has been protected. I am not sure what was happening there. I know that some people had concerns.
The other issue I raise is that, and I believe it is the department of Transport, someone had the idea of changing the signs for all the World War II airstrips. The previous signs, although they needed upgrading and a clean up, told you who Strauss, Sattler, Livingstone, and Hughes were, and gave you an idea why the airstrip was named after them.
Those signs have now been removed. All it says is ‘Strauss World War II Airstrip’. There is nothing to tell tourists who Strauss was. Strauss is the exception because you do have another little place for people to park off the road and find out a bit more. However, the other airstrips, Sattler, Hughes, Livingstone, and I believe there are a few others down the track, all have the new sign up but the information has now been removed.
I ask the government whether it could look at that, because it is not much good having just the name; you need more than a name. You need the history and that is important for tourism, as part of the living history, and it is part of our heritage.
Ms ANDERSON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I thank members opposite for their concerns. I reiterate to the House the commitment by this government of $10m to preserve the history of what we celebrated today, and the fact that we live in peaceful Darwin. We should be so grateful and honoured and thankful to those people who lost their lives to make this part of the country safe and better for us. The commitment by this government of $10m indicates to Territorians that we are about preserving the heritage and culture of what has happened to our beautiful Darwin. We also want to make sure that the future generation of people who enjoy this place are also educated in what happened in the past.
I take this opportunity to thank the Chief Minister for his commitment and for the $10m to ensure that our past is recognised so that our children are better educated to live in the future.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The main purpose of this bill is the establishment of a new scheme for the issue multi-unit titles. Multi-unit titles are those where there is a sharing between the owners of various parts of common property and assets, and of rights and responsibilities regarding the property as a whole. Currently, these titles are dealt with under the Unit Titles Act and related legislation, such as the Real Property (Unit Titles) Act. This bill follows on from the Land Title and Related Legislation Amendment Act 2008 passed in February 2008. That act made substantive policy reforms concerning the planning processes that apply to unit title developments, and also to the management of bodies corporate that result from such developments. It has not yet commenced operation.
The Unit Titles Act was originally designed for single stage, single use developments, like the construction of a block of flats. Its one size fits all approach has struggled to cope with more complex developments and, as a result, over the years it has been amended numerous times. The first major amendment in 1986 allowed developments to be completed in stages, provided that the developer set out in a disclosure statement exactly when and how the future stages would be completed.
These amendments proved inadequate for large scale developments. Thus, Cullen Bay, in late 1992, had to be developed under its own special legislation that created a body corporate structure for the management of communal assets, such as the marina and lock, in what was otherwise a broadacre unit development for vacant lots.
The next major amendment in 1993 to the Unit Titles Act provided for generic estate developments of the kind that had occurred in Cullen Bay. This meant that, in future, any development like Cullen Bay would not require its own special legislation. Parts of Bayview have been developed in accordance with these provisions.
The most recent significant amendment in 2002 saw the creation of the concept of a building lot. This concept allows further subdivisions within buildings. Building lot titles can be issued for different parts of a building or different buildings on a single parcel of land, and those titles can then be further subdivided into unit titles. An example of a building lot development is Old Admiralty Towers on the Esplanade. For that development, one of the building lots has been subdivided into residential units, whilst another has been subdivided into office units. The estate development and building lot developments allow for different layers of management corporations within a single development. However, each has its own rigid, somewhat idiosyncratic requirements that have limited its application.
The view was reached that there is no need for substantial variations in land development processes or in land title arrangements between the various types of multi-unit developments. The current variations add considerable complexity to these matters. Additionally, there are gaps in the legislation that adversely affect both developers and owners. There is room for reducing the complexity, improving consumer protection, and reducing regulatory burden.
For multi-unit developments commenced after the start of this proposed legislation, the new scheme created under this bill will replace the four different types of schemes contained in the Unit Titles Act. It will allow for subdivisions within subdivisions in an unlimited number of layers. The result may be a series of subsidiary bodies corporate in a layered structure. This will be broadly analogous to a group of companies, with a body corporate at the top of the pyramid and various subsidiaries and subsidiaries of subsidiaries beneath it.
However, the significance difference is that the corporate body in the bottom layer is a member of the higher layer and thus, is one of the owners of the common property of the higher layer.
Under this legislation, there could potentially be a suburb that starts off as a single unit title scheme. This will be the top layer, with individual units for parcels of land suited to residential, business, sporting or industrial uses. It would also include ‘common property’ such as a park or a golf course. The individual parcels could be split into units. For example, a building could be constructed on a parcel of land and then be divided into apartments, with a separate unit title for each of the levels of the building. The ground floor could be further divided into shops, or the basement level of that building could potentially be further subdivided into individual unit titles for the car parks. Sporting areas, such as marinas, may be further subdivided so there are titles for individual marina berths.
The extent to which these further divisions and land uses may occur will be governed by the scheme statement. That is, the scheme statement will provide for any limitations on future development. The legislation will also permit the amalgamation of schemes. The Unit Titles Act will remain in operation to permit titles to be issued in accordance with its provisions if the land concerned has already been developed or partly developed in accordance with its provisions. It will also remain in place to govern the ongoing management of existing unit developments and corporations.
These management provisions were substantially reformed by the Land Title and Related Legislation Amendment Act 2008. Those amendments are to commence at the same time as the commencement of this proposed new legislation.
Transitional provisions will give the developers of projects already under way at the time of the commencement of the new legislation the option, subject to compliance with the transitional provisions, of having titles issued under the new legislation. Alternatively, they may proceed under the Unit Titles Act. Additionally, bodies corporate established under the Unit Titles Act will have the option of converting to a unit title scheme under the new legislation.
The new legislation will provide greater flexibility concerning changes in proposals part way through a development. Where land is currently being developed in stages under the Unit Titles Act, developers are required to enter into disclosure statements that are very difficult to change. For this reason there have been very few staged developments. Developers prefer instead to subdivide land under the Planning Act and then complete each stage as and when there is suitable demand for units created. This means that each stage has its own independent body corporate rather than a single body corporate. This can lead to long-term management problems about assets that look as if they should be or can be shared, but where this may not legally be the case.
Disclosure requirements for building lot developments have also not worked in a satisfactory manner. This arises from the fact that the disclosure statement is only required to be lodged for registration when the developer is seeking the issue of titles. Fairly naturally, this leads developers, instead of seeking building lot titles at the outset of a project, to wait until the physical development has been completed. This allows them to lodge a disclosure statement setting out what has been done rather than what will be done. It avoids the risk of disgruntled purchasers seeking redress under the legislation for changes made to the building during the course of construction.
Effectively, for any such cases, there has been no effective disclosure other than that which may be set out in a contract. This has resulted in some purchasers of expensive units being somewhat surprised with what they have ended up purchasing. The legislation provides that a seller of a proposed unit must provide a disclosure statement at the time when the contract is made. A copy of the disclosure statement must be registered against the title for the land. This reforms current practices relating to disclosure statements. The content of disclosure statements is set out in clause 45(2).
They must deal with matters such as estimated annual contributions, any proposed authorisations for letting agents, details of scheme statements, details of management modules, and methods for adjudicating any disputes that may arise from matters dealt with in the disclosure statement.
I will now deal in more detail with the processes that will take place in accordance with the proposals contained in the legislation.
A developer seeking to obtain a unit title under the new legislation will make an appropriate subdivision application under the Planning Act. The Planning Act will be amended by this bill so a developer will be required, as part of the application, to provide to the consent authority a plan in a form approved by the minister under the Planning Act. This plan will show buildings that will be suited for occupation.
The Planning Act will also be amended so that it is clear under regulations that the consent authority, in making its decision, must decide whether any building or part of a proposed building will be suitable for separate occupancy of the kind suited for the subdivision of land. In considering the application the consent authority will be required to assess whether any buildings in the proposed development are suitable to comprise separate land title lots.
Thus, the consent authority will do more than simply check that there is an occupancy permit under the Building Act or under any transitional operation of the various acts repealed by the Building Act. Instead, it will look to see if the building is such that the Australian building code would operate to permit the building to be occupied for the purpose for which it is being subdivided.
The consent authority will also have the power to give subdivision approval for units even if the unit has only reached, in effect, the stage of a shell of a building requiring further work before it might be suited to use as a residence, a shop or a home. Thus, in considering occupancy, the consent authority is not required to decide that the building is suitable for occupancy for a residential or business purpose. Rather it could, for example, grant a subdivision application which provides for the initial subdivision of a building into shells which may have basic facilities such as walls, roof, and utility services.
A second developer, or an owner, could then further subdivide the land or obtain a land use approval for changing the shell into a residential unit. The subdivision plan will also show details of changes that might be permitted by regulation for the purposes of the progressive development of the land. Regulations will also be made that will set out the information that the consent authority may require to consider the application.
The subdivision application will then be handled in much the same way as a subdivision of broadacre land. That is, there will be a survey plan that will be signed off by the Surveyor-General under section 49 of the Licensed Surveyors Act. The developer will be required to provide various additional documents for endorsement by the consent authority. These documents will form part of the scheme statement that is lodged with the Registrar-General for the purpose of issuing titles. The documents will include prescribed information about progressive developments, information about layered schemes, and information about exclusive use by-laws.
On the signing of the survey plan by the Surveyor-General and endorsement by the consent authority of the key subdivision documents, the developer will then be in a position to seek titles by lodging with the Registrar-General those documents together with other documents relating to the long-term management of the land. These other documents include those relating to by-laws and the management module. The by-laws are rules that proscribe behaviour on the land that is the subject of the scheme statement. This land includes the common property as well as land that will comprise privately owned units.
The by-laws deal with issues such as noise, animals, the appearance of buildings, and the like. Contravention of a by-law leaves the offender liable to a maximum fine of 20 penalty units, which is $2100. The by-laws will be either the standard by-laws as contained in Schedule 2 to the bill or as specified in the scheme statement.
The management module is the document that sets out how the body corporate makes its decisions and operates. It will cover matters such as the budget, annual contributions, borrowings, keeping of accounts, auditing, funds, powers concerning recovery actions, and voting.
Various management modules will be set out in regulations to be made under the act. Facts such as the size and nature of the unit title scheme will, as a rule, determine what management module will apply to any particular scheme. However, the developer may, in accordance with an approval given by the scheme supervisor, create a management module where the contents are designed specifically for the scheme.
The bill also proposes to regulate sales of the plan. These are generally sales of units in proposed buildings but can also include lots in broadacre developments under the proposed act. Firm contracts for the presale of such units are often critical in a developer obtaining finance for the project as a whole. Thus, it is of great importance to ensure that the systems for such presales have a significant level of integrity.
There will only be long-term integrity if buyers end up with units that meet their expectations. The current legislation has a number of provisions that seek to provide the buyer of a future unit with firm details about the land development.
These provisions do not work well for a variety of reasons. For estate and condominium development, this is because they are too prescriptive and tie down the developer. For building lots they are created after the time a presale is made and thus they are of limited use to the buyers. For presales, this bill focuses on ensuring that the buyer is provided with key information before entering into a contract, and that this information is formally recorded.
The bill provides that a developer must lodge with the Registrar-General for registration a disclosure document that contains an estimate of any contributions that are likely to be imposed by the body corporate after the body corporate comes into existence. In providing this information it is not expected that the developer will provide an estimate that turns out to be a precise figure. It is acknowledged that factors may change to affect outcomes. However, it is expected that a developer could show that the estimates had some logical basis when they were made.
The developer will also be required to disclose details of any facts relating to letting agents, body corporate managers, and service contractors. For example, if a developer has entered into a long-term contract for servicing, letting, or body corporate management, this will need to be disclosed ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I will acknowledge these students. Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 7 Palmerston High School students, accompanied by Miss Pat Munn. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, if there is no firm arrangement but a mere intention; it is the intention that must be disclosed. The developer will also be required to disclose information concerning scheme statements, planning applications, management modules, by-laws, and dispute resolution. This capacity to make changes during the course of a development will be linked with appropriate mechanisms to protect the interests of persons who have purchased property off the plan.
The bill also contains novel provisions dealing with the termination of schemes. Under current legislation in place in the Northern Territory and elsewhere in Australia, there are very limited options regarding the termination of schemes. In essence the options are, first, that all owners agree or, second, that a court approve the termination. These options are not suited for those cases where a unit development has become old, and for which it may be clear to some owners of the units that there are significant corporate advantages in redeveloping the land for a higher and better use.
Governments also have a strong interest in urban renewal and in better use of land. The current provisions do not provide any meaningful solution for situations where a small percentage of owners refuse to agree to the termination. Such persons may make these decisions for perfectly valid reasons that apply to all owners of property, such as, ‘We like our home’ or ‘we do not want to take the risk of redevelopment’, or ‘we are holding out for a top price that we will obtain in a few years time’. Operating on the basis that each landowner is entitled to his or her own castle, there are clear policy concerns in permitting a majority of other owners to, in effect, boot a person out of property ownership. It is also considered that courts are very reluctant to intervene to promote the interest of the majority over those of a minority.
Nonetheless, the Property Council of Australia has been urging Australian governments to take action to permit terminations on 75% majority votes rather than 100%. Its representative’s point out that similar laws exist in places such as Singapore and the American Mid-west. So far, no Australian government has made any moves in the direction sought by the Property Council. The Northern Territory government is also not prepared to go this far. Despite the government’s self-interest in promoting urban renewal, it is our current view that the primacy of individual land ownership ought to prevail over the collective interest of co-owners.
The main exception to this principle is that of compulsory acquisition by governments, which can only occur having regard to principles derived from the Australian Constitution. In taking this policy position, we take account of the fact that all of the unit owners bought their units knowing that certainty of title was guaranteed by the need for 100% agreement or court orders. However, the government is agreeable to commencing a reform process for the future.
The bill, in clause 15(b), provides that a unit titles scheme under the new legislation may resolve to terminate itself if persons holding 90% of the interest entitlements vote in support of the termination. Such a vote and termination can only occur if the scheme statement establishing the scheme provides for a management module that deals with such a termination. Thus, anyone buying a unit will be aware of the possibility of such a termination. Additionally, such a termination can only occur for a scheme that has existed for at least 20 years after the commencement of section 15 of the new legislation.
This means that there will be a period of 20 years for schemes under the current legislation that convert to be schemes under the new legislation. Any such clause 15(b) termination will also need to comply with provisions in the relevant management module for the scheme. These provisions will seek to protect interests of owners that object to the termination and also of others, such as tenants, who may be adversely affected. The inclusion of such provisions in a scheme will be optional and thus will depend on a developer making an appropriate decision.
The Department of Justice will develop model provisions that can be adopted into a scheme’s management module on a tick box basis. Proposed 15(b) terminations that vary from the model will be subject to approval of the scheme supervisor, who will make a decision based on principles to be contained in the regulations.
The bill also provides for exclusive use by-laws. These are a new feature of Northern Territory law, but they exist elsewhere. In effect, they permit rules to be made that provide for a unit owner or a group of unit owners to have exclusive use of a particular part of the body corporate’s common property. For the Northern Territory, the immediate likely use is for the allocation and use of car parks, but the principle can extend to the use of lifts in buildings or for differential use of facilities, such as swimming pools, tennis courts or marina births.
Other features of the bill include:
Exclusion of the Commonwealth’s Corporations Act 2001.
Reform and amendment of the voting requirements for both this act and the Unit Titles Act.
The enactment of key principles that underpin any arrangements a developer may enter into on behalf of a body corporate
regarding letting agents, body corporate managers, and service contractors.
These arrangements can be extremely valuable. In Queensland they have become valuable assets. Under current Northern Territory law, the legal position concerning such rights is extremely vague. This bill clarifies the law, for the future, from the perspective of owners of units, developers, and the various types of agents.
In essence, the bill will make it clear that such agreements can be binding and long term. Any agreement entered into in the period whilst the original owner has control over the development will be subject to the principles that the terms of the arrangement are suitable for the scheme, and that the terms are fair and reasonable for the agent and for the body corporate as it will exist at the end of the owner control period. If an arrangement breaches these principles the body corporate or individual owners may recover losses from the original owner.
The body corporate of a scheme is also prohibited from seeking any benefit from any arrangement for a body corporate manager or a service contractor. The same principle also applies to the appointment of letting agents subject to the exception that the arrangement can be made if there is no other arrangement made during the original owner control period and if the benefit was a fair market value for the arrangement.
The legislation also provides for codes of conduct to apply to body corporate managers, caretakers, and letting agents.
The requirements of the Agents Licensing Act will also continue to apply so that body corporate managers and property agents will need to continue to have a licence unless they come within an exemption under the Agents Licensing Act.
The legislation, for new schemes, retains the same dispute resolution process as provided for in the Unit Titles Act. Disputes will continue to be dealt with by the Local Court. At this time, the government does not see the need to establish specialist tribunals and adjudicators along the lines of those that exist in Queensland and New South Wales.
The legislation will provide that the Supreme Court, rather than the Local Court, will have jurisdiction to deal with the termination and amalgamation of schemes. The Unit Titles Act will also be amended so that the Supreme Court has this jurisdiction.
These amendments have been made following views expressed by the Master of the Supreme Court and the Chief Magistrate. Whilst the legislation sets out various roles and functions for the courts, it is not intended that the legislation affect the inherent jurisdiction of the Supreme Court concerning due compliance with procedural issues, such as those that may lead to a termination in accordance with clause 15(b) of the bill.
The legislation provides for the appointment of a scheme supervisor. This position is expected to be filled by a senior officer within the Department of Justice as part of an officer’s wider range of duties. This position will be the central point of contact concerning issues with the operation of the legislation. The scheme supervisor will also have specific duties concerning the providing of advice when schemes are being terminated, when security deposits are being considered or when a developer or body corporate is seeking that a non-standard management module apply to the body corporate’s decision-making and management roles.
The legislation also changes the nature of the rules governing behaviour on the unit titles land. Under the current law, for most unit titles, the behavioural rules operate in a contractual way. It is only estate corporations and building lot corporations that can make by-laws that can be enforced by imposing fines through the court system. Under the new legislation all new body corporates will have this power. The maximum penalty for a continuing breach of a by-law will be 20 penalty units or $2100. The body corporate rather than the police or government will be responsible for taking the prosecution action.
In respect of the other offences in the act, the common maximum penalty is 100 penalty units or $11 000. The offences are classified as strict liability offences for the purposes of the application of Part IIAA of the Criminal Code.
The bill also provides for consequential amendments to 19 other acts and regulations. Most of the amendments are of a technical or statute law review nature, that is, by inserting cross-references into all the various laws that mention unit titles. Significant amendments are made to the Land Title Act and the Planning Act.
The Land Title Act is to be amended so that it sets out all of the duties concerning the registration of scheme statements. The Planning Act is to be amended so that the consent authority considers unit titles proposals under the same provisions that apply to subdivisions of land.
The bill also makes amendments to the transitional provisions contained in the Land Title and Related Legislation Amendment Act 2008. These amendments ensure that the changes made by that act do not adversely affect subdivisions in the course of completion at the time of the commencement of that act.
This bill has been the subject of considerable consultation over the past two months. The core proposals were made in late 2005 by the Property and Commercial Law Taskforce as established by the former Attorney-General, the Hon Peter Toyne.
My colleague, the Hon Chris Burns, as Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, released a draft of the bill on the 29 November 2008 for consultation. For the purposes of the consultation, the Department of Justice has:
placed on its web page copies of the bill along with various ancillary documents;
conveyancing agents, real estate agents, body corporate managers, surveyors, and the
Department of Planning and Infrastructure; and
engaged in further face-to-face and e-mail discussions for the purpose of working through the issues.
The consultation has resulted in considerable fine-tuning of the bill. I thank all the people who have participated and I note, in particular, the contributions of the Commercial Law Committee of the Law Society NT, the Property Council of Australia, and the Real Estate Institute of Northern Territory.
I look forward to any further contributions, especially concerning the various legislations and other documents that will be developed between now and May 2009.
In broad terms, the development of the legislation has been based around the concepts contained in Queensland’s Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997. However, it has a significantly different structure and many differences in detail that reflect Northern Territory drafting practices as well as the way some things are currently done in the Territory.
This is a complex area of the law. It is also law that is fundamental to land development and protecting the property and living arrangements of many Territorians. I am committed to ensuring that the law is both comprehensive and appropriate. Any comments made about the proposed law, especially the transitional provisions, will be fully considered by the government and any necessary changes will be made to the bill prior to its enactment.
Accordingly, I urge members and their constituents to carefully consider this draft legislation and to pass on to the Department of Justice any problems that may exist. This is legislation that concerns a large number of people. I commend the bill to honourable members and I table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 11 February 2009
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, the opposition supports this bill which we note is unusual in two respects. First, it was introduced on urgency, which means that unlike other legislation where we consider it between sittings, we consider it during the sittings. We have no difficulty with that on the basis of the reason for the introduction of the bill. It is also unusual because it is retrospective.
These two things - the urgency and retrospectivity - tend to make politicians on both sides of the Chamber prickly. We should proceed with such legislation prudently and cautiously. Having considered the matter, I can confirm we have done so - cautiously and prudently - and that we are prepared to support the bill.
There are good reasons for our support; it is imminently sensible. I do not propose to read or quote all of the Attorney-General’s second reading speech but for the record and, in the unlikely event that anyone will be reading our reply in the future, I refer them to the second reading speech, this part in particular and I quote:
The aim of a reform some years ago was to reduce the trauma experienced by children and other vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings for sexual offences. There were some difficulties as a result of further reforms in 2007. Those difficulties pertained to the definition of ‘authorised person’. When considering legislation that deals with, or is designed to assist, victims of crime - any victim of crime - it requires the parliament to be as sympathetic and as helpful as necessary. In that context, we support the bill. Although it would have been ideal for it not to have reached this point - it has - and what a government does is try to fix the problem.
I thank the minister’s staff for their assistance. We dealt pragmatically with a couple of the issues. I had some difficulties with what I regarded as a fairly curious structure of clause 4. I received what I believe is a rational explanation as to why it is structured like that. I received confirmation that legal practitioners, who are the subject, essentially, of the bill or a part of it, have not taken statements before from vulnerable witnesses, and there are no difficulties arising there from. I thank the staff for that confirmation.
However, I do remain perplexed as to why it is that, in a small bill like this, we have both the American version of the word ‘authorized’ - that is one with a ‘z’ - and in a subsection immediately underneath it, we have the English version of the word ‘authorised’ with an ‘s’. The reason I was given, I do not doubt - although as a human being I question it - but I accept the advice. Perhaps for the record, the minister can respond to this. The advice I was given was that the section that has ‘authorized’ with a ‘z’ is not a typo and that, because it refers to a section of the now repealed Community Welfare Act which spelt ‘authorized’ with a ‘z’, then the ‘z’ in the word ‘authorized’ was adopted as a matter of caution. I believe it looks dumb. I know this is not going to take the world by storm and no one is going to rush off to the High Court but, surely as politicians and lawmakers, we can get the spelling of words right. We often wax lyrical about the great Westminster system and, yet, in legislation we have the American spelling of a word – I do not think so.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for the assistance with the bill. I would be very grateful if the minister would respond to the ‘z’ and ‘s’ argument.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the department for its briefing, and their early contact with me advising that this bill would be coming up at these sittings. I am also a little fearful of bills being rushed under urgency but when you have been briefed on the reasons why, there is certainly a good reason for this bill being put through quickly.
Madam Speaker, I am happy with what is in the bill; we have had a good explanation of it. Whether it should be an ‘s’ or a ‘z’ is interesting ...
Ms Carney: It is a point of principle, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: It is, yes. I come from a family where Scrabble is widely played and things such as whether you are using American or English spellings often come into dispute. I thought it was typed by two people on different computers – one had left theirs on the American spell check and the other on the Australian spell check. However, having heard the possible explanation that it has a ‘z’ because it must match the clause within another act, then there should be some way of highlighting that with an emphasis on either side of the word - if that is the real issue - to show people that the reason it is written that way is because the ‘authorized’ person spelt in that manner is purely referring to that same authorised person spelt in that manner in another act. I am not sure if it is possible to change the other act, but that is the only explanation I can see. I am sure that for the average person reading it they will just think the person is authorised. The Independent supports the bill.
Ms McCARTHY (Children and Families): Madam Speaker, I support the bill for victims of crime and witnesses to a crime. Reporting the crime to the police and giving evidence in a court can be traumatic and intimidating. Often, just taking the step of talking about what has happened is difficult and upsetting for a victim or a witness, and this is particularly the case where a person is a vulnerable witness. A vulnerable witness includes a witness who is a child, a witness who suffers from an intellectual disability, and a witness who is the alleged victim of a sexual offence.
For a vulnerable witness, having to repeat their story over and over may be too much. The prospect of having to stand up in court and tell their story is likely to be overwhelming. It could put them off making a formal complaint or report to the police altogether. It may even impact on their mental health or wellbeing.
For vulnerable people, we need to try to make the process of reporting a crime or giving evidence in court as non-threatening as possible. The Evidence Legislation (Authorised Persons) Amendment Bill 2009 makes changes to the Evidence Act and Regulations to protect witnesses and victims of crime in the community who are particularly vulnerable. Our government is committed to ensuring that our communities are safe and supportive places for all, and particularly for those who are vulnerable in our community.
Safety is one of the focuses of the government’s Closing the Gap plan of action. When we talk about safety, we are talking about police, justice, and family violence, and also child protection. Only yesterday, we spoke at length about the need for societal and attitudinal change in regard to domestic violence. The protections for vulnerable witnesses which are provided in the Evidence Act are just another way that this government demonstrates its commitment to safe communities.
Why is this bill important? Under the part of the Evidence Act which deals with vulnerable witnesses, a witness who is a child, intellectually disabled, or who has been the victim of a sexual offence, can tell their story to an authorised person, and a recording of that story can be provided to a court as evidence. This means that the vulnerable witness does not have to repeat their story in court. It also ensures that they do not have to stand up in court in front of the alleged offender and tell their story. This is particularly important for victims of sexual offences. It avoids the risk of those victims feeling intimidated or harassed in the presence of the alleged offender.
A particular concern of mine has been the support available for victims of sexual assault. In 2008, under Closing the Gap, this government established the Sexual Assault Referral Centre within the Department of Health and Families, which provides victims with 24 hour access to counselling, referrals to medical and legal services, and a range of other information for victims of sexual assault and their families. There has been a great deal of interest in this as I have travelled across the area. If we look at the area of sexual assault services, a medical coordinator has been appointed to the Darwin Sexual Assault Referral Centre and there are additional Aboriginal sexual assault workers. Sexual assault counsellors have also been employed and a new mobile outreach service is operating across the Northern Territory.
The vulnerable witnesses part of the Evidence Act gives further strength to the systems that are already in place to protect victims of sexual assault. The vulnerable witness’s part of the Evidence Act is also very important for witnesses of crime who are children or who have an intellectual disability. As the minister responsible for children, families, and young Territorians, I am committed to making sure that children in our communities are safe and have the supports and facilities that they need. We know that within three years of coming into power, the Labor government tripled funding into child protection, from $7.8m to $20m. Each budget since this time has been increased approximately 26% each year, and the budget now sits at $83m. We have even established a Children’s Commissioner.
I am acutely aware of the need to provide support and protection to people with an intellectual disability, particularly when they come into contact with the Justice system, either as a victim or an alleged offender.
This bill is important because it clarifies the people who are authorised persons under the Evidence Act and who are able to take a recording from a vulnerable witness. The bill clarifies that members of the Australian Federal Police are authorised to take that evidence and that members of the police force, from another state or territory, are authorised to take that evidence.
In conclusion, this bill helps to ensure that when children, people with an intellectual disability or victims of sexual assault provide information to the police there are protections and supports in place to assist them if the matter goes to court. By strengthening the protections that are in place for vulnerable witnesses in our community, the bill will contribute to improving safety in our communities, something which the Henderson government is committed to.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for its support for the legislation which, as you have heard, seeks to clarify the taking of evidence for vulnerable witnesses. I also thank the Independent member, the member for Nelson. I thank the members for understanding that, whilst we do our best to avoid urgency in terms of the carriage of legislation, there was a real need for this legislation to proceed on urgency and I thank the members for their support of that urgency.
This legislation comes before us as part of a broader package of reforms government introduced in 2004, which were procedural law reforms for the prosecution of sexual offences. The purpose of the reforms was to reduce the trauma experienced by children and other vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings for sexual offences and to improve the quality of that evidence from those witnesses. In 2007, additional reforms were introduced to remove a number of technical issues. It was these reforms that enabled recorded vulnerable witness statements to be relied upon as the whole or part of the evidence-in-chief of vulnerable witnesses.
First, the bill amends the Evidence Act by clarifying who are authorised witnesses to take recorded statements from such vulnerable witnesses and, second, the bill expands the classes of persons who are authorised to take recorded statements.
Territory police advise that over 500 recorded statements have been taken from vulnerable witnesses since October 2007. Many of these statements have been taken as part of Taskforce Themis and the Commonwealth’s Northern Territory Emergency Response, either at Themis bush stations or as part of the Child Abuse Task Force. The statements, without the amendments contained in this bill, would be inadmissible if taken by an AFP officer or interstate officers sworn in as a special constable in the Northern Territory. If the statements are inadmissible then the children, who have provided the statements, would need to give their evidence-in-chief again during the trial.
The clarification of the categories of authorised persons has retrospective effect from the 16 October 2007. I thank the opposition for understanding the reason for this retrospectivity. This will ensure the admissibility of the statements taken to date and gives the effect of the intention of the legislation to reduce the trauma of the witness in having to provide the evidence again. Presently, if a vulnerable witness attends an interstate police station to make a complaint about a sexual or serious violent offence which occurred in the Territory, an NT police officer must travel interstate to take the statement.
If the statement is taken by an interstate police officer, it is not admissible as a vulnerable witness statement in NT courts, no matter how experienced the officer is in his or her own jurisdiction, as they are not an authorised person. The expansion of the categories of authorised persons will ensure that recorded statements taken by police officers in other Australian jurisdictions will be admissible in NT courts. This aspect of the amendment will commence on assent.
Requiring vulnerable witnesses to recount their statements again would have been contrary to the legislative intent of the 2004 and 2007 reforms and the amendments in this bill are the only practical solutions to ensure that intent is met.
In relation to why the word ‘authorised’ is spelt with a ‘z’ in clause 4(1)(d), this is not a typo; it is spelt with a ‘z’ on the advice from Parliamentary Counsel. Section 4(1) of the now repealed Community Welfare Act refers to persons being ‘authorized’ and as clause 4(1)(d) will have retrospective effect, thus covering persons who are authorized under the Community Welfare Act. Parliamentary Counsel advised it is matter of caution the word ‘authorized’ should adopt the spelling in the Community Welfare Act.
Like the shadow Attorney-General, I question the need for this. However, erring on the side of caution and Parliamentary Counsel erring on the side of caution, we have the American spelling of ‘authorized’, picked up from the now repealed Community Welfare Act, sitting within this amendment. That is the explanation. I have learnt to question Parliamentary Counsel but ultimately, in the face of caution, take on board their advice. They do a good job in drafting legislation for this government.
I thank the officers from the Department of Justice for their effort. The police were also involved in consultations. I thank everyone who has recognised the need to clarify the authorised persons in the taking of statements. I thank the members of the parliament for their support of this amendment; its urgency and retrospectivity.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Mr HENDERSON (Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I make a statement relating to the government’s framework for training and skilling our workforce and how we are responding to the impacts of the global financial crisis, to ensure that every Territorian, regardless of race, gender, or disability, is able to access meaningful training and employment opportunities.
In the 2008 election campaign, my government introduced initiatives to increase the training opportunities for Territorians and to better develop, attract, and retain workers in the Territory.
There is no better time to take stock of what has been happening under our jobs plan and outline our future skilling and workforce development agenda.
Naturally, at such a volatile time, it is imperative that the Territory keeps a wary eye on international and national economic and financial market activity. The extent and timing of potential impacts on the Territory workforce, in individual industry sectors and regionally, are yet to fully emerge. We have our eye on the ball and are monitoring the marketplace to get our mix of training and employment incentives right.
Five years ago, this government launched Jobs Plan NT – Building the Northern Territory Workforce, the first comprehensive policy framework for training and employment in the Northern Territory. Importantly, this framework took into account the diverse range of people and families in the Territory and their individual circumstances. The Jobs Plan took everyone of working age or at school preparing to enter the workplace into account. Since then, we have built on that framework in response to a growing economy and increased demand for labour and skilled workers, with the primary objective of maximising employment and training opportunities for every Territorian.
Jobs Plan 3 maintained the momentum of earlier strategies and focused on the following four themes: Strengthening Partnerships - by continuing to build our links with industry; Jobs in the Bush - focusing on regional and Indigenous economic development; Better Pathways - options for school leavers ensuring they are equipped to take up those options beyond school; and Staying Informed - accurate, relevant labour market research and analysis to provide a sound basis for decision-making by government, training providers, and employers.
What has been achieved to date? During the life of this government’s Jobs Plans, the Northern Territory has experienced the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded and economic growth rates that outstripped most other jurisdictions in Australia.
In 2005, we set a four year target of 10 000 apprenticeship and traineeship commencements. It was an ambitious goal. I am pleased to advise that we did reach it. Late last year, we announced an election commitment to reach another 10 000 new apprentices and trainees over the next four years. I am confident we will reach this bold target.
In 2001, there were just over 2000 commencements in training. In 2008, we saw a marked increase of 35%, with almost 2700 new apprentices and trainees starting in their career of choice. We currently have 3354 apprentices and trainees in training. This is 66% higher than the number in training in 2001. I am pleased to note that almost one-quarter, approximately 23% of our apprentices and trainees in training, are Indigenous. It is easy to just talk about Indigenous employment issues. We have taken real action to address any disadvantage in this area through our training and employment initiatives. We are also doing well in the area of equality of gender access, with a 30% increase in the number of women starting new apprenticeships or traineeships in 2008, compared with 2001. It is the same story in traditional trade apprenticeships, with the number of annual new apprentices more than doubling since 2001. This is one of the highest rates in Australia.
This area of growth is closely guided and informed by the Employment Division within the Department of Business and Employment. As a matter of process, the division reviews the NT occupational shortage list on an annual basis, with a final NT focus list made available each March. In addition to this work, their annual labour market analysis informs the Department of Education and Training in the purchasing of qualifications that support the area of traditional trade training. In turn, the increased availability of training in areas such as carpentry, hairdressing, mechanical, and electrical trades has given more Territorians access to a sustainable trade for life. Of course, this important information is also used to target sought after occupations through the skilled worker campaigns, as well as providing supply and demand analysis for major projects.
I am proud to say we have the highest VET participation rate in Australia. In 2007, 22 000 Territorians undertook Vocational Education and Training. I look forward to receiving the 2008 VET participation figures in April this year.
Looking at other areas of training support put into place by this government, since April 2005 almost 6000 Northern Territory apprentices and trainees have received the Workwear/Workgear Bonus to assist them with the purchase of necessary tools and equipment associated with the commencement of their training. Territory employers have also benefited directly, with close to 1690 incentives allocated to businesses and organisations that employ additional apprentices and trainees in skill shortage areas, the small business sector, or for disadvantaged groups.
The Work Ready program, which links schools with industry and prepares young Territorians for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, is going from strength to strength. The program has grown from a client base of 40 school students in 2005 to an estimated 300 in 2008. This increase is a real sign of the times, with more students seriously thinking about and wanting to prepare for their future employment pathway well in advance of leaving school.
I will relate to members the story of two young people who have benefited from the Work Ready program. Two students who started in the program at two different schools have now progressed into school-based apprenticeships that involve a mixture of work, training, and academic studies at school. In 2008, both of these students won a number of training awards within the Territory, and one went on to win a national training award. Both these young people are also Indigenous. These are great success stories of young Territorians, role models for other students who may be inspired by their example, and a testimony to the value of the Work Ready program.
Our Build Skills program is also a great example of partnership between government, industry, and employers, aimed at upskilling and reskilling the Territory’s workforce. This is a very important program which gives anyone the opportunity to advance their skills and employment prospects. Since 2006 nearly 630 Territorians have enhanced their skills under 39 Build Skills programs. Government has invested almost $1.5m to conduct targeted training for people who already work in a range of industries, including construction, electrical, manufacturing, tourism, plumbing, trucking, primary industries, racing, hospitality, and community services.
I will speak briefly on training specifically for Indigenous Territorians. The focus for funding is to provide training to enable Indigenous Territorians to gain the skills required to get jobs. A good example is a pre-employment program that Charles Darwin University conducted for young Indigenous students to access employment in the pastoral industry. It was a partnership between the NT and Australian government agencies, industry, and Indigenous organisations, that has seen 90% of students trained in 2008 gain employment on cattle stations. This program will continue in 2009, with 40 new enrolments, and it is expected that the completion and employment outcomes will be similar to the 2008 program.
Charles Darwin University has also conducted a training course, on and offsite, for 31 Indigenous tour guides, including business owners. Sixteen of the participants qualified for a Certificate III in Tourism, and 11 people achieved a Certificate I in Tour Guiding. The program was organised by the CHARTTES Training Advisory Council and funded by the Department of Education and Training. Congratulations to the dedicated team at the Training Advisory Council for pulling this together.
Training linked to employment is not restricted to regional and remote areas. In 2008, two pre-employment programs for Indigenous Territorians were run to open up employment opportunities on Darwin’s Waterfront project. The program provided basic skills related to carpentry and blocklaying, and I am advised it was highly successful in terms of leading to job opportunities. Of the 51 people who completed the training, 46 have gone on to work in a range of roles like trade assistants, labourers, and apprentices.
What does the future hold? This government remains committed to the ongoing development of skills for our workforce and the employment of Territorians, particularly Indigenous Territorians. We recognise that projects of the scale of INPEX will require workers to be imported from across Australia, and possibly from overseas, but there has never been a better time for every Territory jobseeker to take advantage of our dynamic labour market. This government will continue to align its efforts, as well as our spending, to the key industry sectors where we expect to experience ongoing growth. I am talking about sectors such as civil and general construction, including housing, mining, tourism and hospitality, oil, gas and flow-on sectors, and retail.
A great example of this was the inaugural oil and gas industry pre-employment program. The graduation of participants from the program was held in Darwin in October last year. Sixteen Indigenous Territorians completed their training as part of this program, with the majority, close to 70%, already in jobs or earmarked for employment. The program was organised and jointly funded by the Department of Education and Training and its Australian government counterpart, in conjunction with the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association.
On another positive note, in Central Australia a group of 15 Indigenous men undertook training in civil construction thanks to a collaborative effort by my Department of Education and Training, the Australian government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Central Land Council, and Jobfind. The training involved a number of practical work projects for the Alice Springs Road Transport Hall of Fame. I am told that the 14 participants successfully completed the training program, with seven gaining full-time employment with various local employers.
At Ti Tree, 23 participants undertook a training program to enable them to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to gain employment in the horticulture industry. Eighteen participants completed the 20-week course and gained a Certificate II in Rural Operations qualification. Fifteen are currently employed in the industry. The training was conducted by Alice Springs-based registered training organisation, Central Desert Training.
The Territory government is currently funding a pilot program with the Australian government under the national Productivity Places initiative. The Productivity Places program was developed under the COAG National Reform Agenda, which has an overarching theme of enhancing workforce productivity and participation. The national initiative aims to increase the skills of our local and Australian workforce. Under the pilot program, about 223 Territorians, who already work in the health, education, and tourism sectors, will access training at a Certificate III or higher level in identified skill shortage areas. The program will be expanded to include a broader range of qualifications in skills shortage areas and occupations of economic importance in 2009 and beyond.
I am pleased to announce moves to formalise a partnership between the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training, the Northern Territory Department of Business and Employment, and the Australian government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. In addition to maximising benefits for Territorians, this will strengthen the collaborative effort across governments to achieve priorities and outcomes for a skilled labour market and sustained economic growth and prosperity. The primary objectives of the partnership are to: better target our efforts and funding to the areas of greatest need and return; streamline the implementation and delivery of training and employment initiatives; remove duplication; and, strengthen partnerships with other stakeholders, particularly the business community.
The Northern Territory government’s initiatives under Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage, the Australian government’s Northern Territory Emergency Response, and the joint Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure program initiatives, open a plethora of skilling and employment opportunities for Territorians.
Already, with funding from the Australian government, we have seen 128 Indigenous Territorians move from CDEP to employment with school councils in their communities. Work is under way to see a further 56 move from CDEP to sustainable employment. Funding from the Territory government, under Closing the Gap, has opened up employment in the public sector for 26 part-time and full-time Indigenous Territorians in 23 of our remote schools.
SIHIP is set to deliver almost $700m worth of new and upgraded housing and infrastructure in remote communities, along with initial and ongoing training, employment, and maintenance opportunities. An employment and workforce development subcommittee is in place to advise on strategies to maximise Indigenous uptake of training and employment under SIHIP.
A key priority for government is ensuring our students successfully make the transition from school to work, further training or education. That is why, in 2006, we put in place a School to Work Transition Strategic Plan. A total of 2217 government and non-government school students accessed vocational education and training in 2007 and the number of school-based apprentices in skill shortage occupations increased. This trend is expected to continue in the future.
In 2008, the Department of Education and Training provided $480 000 to fund a pilot program through Taminmin High School, as a registered training organisation, to expand and improve VET in schools in the following places: Gunbalanya, Borroloola, Angurugu and Alyangula, Minyerri and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku. I am pleased to advise that more than 80 students in these remote areas have received training in Certificates I and II in Hospitality and Certificate I in Engineering. Many students gained a full qualification or Statement of Attainment.
The response from schools and their students, and the successes that have been achieved auger well for the success of the program next year. Following the success of the pilot program, the Department of Education and Training will continue to fund Taminmin High School in 2009 to deliver VET in remote schools including: Borroloola Community Education Centre, Milingimbi CEC, Xavier CEC at Nguiu, and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku.
I am going to depart briefly, with the indulgence of members, from the statement to pay my thanks and acknowledgement to the Principal at Taminmin High School, Tony Considine. He has done an amazing job in having Taminmin registered as a RTO. The success of not only education and student outcomes at Taminmin, but also the work that Taminmin is delivering in these remote communities is astounding and it goes down to the vision, passion, and commitment of Tony Considine; it really does show the power of one. If you get one person who is absolutely focused on quality, on driving systemic change through an organisation, we can achieve great things. To Tony Considine and everyone at Taminmin, thank you and good luck for the coming year.
The Department of Education and Training will continue to provide VET in schools funding to expand the range and spread of programs and facilities available across the Territory as well as to improve opportunities for remote and Indigenous students. 51 schools, including 30 remote schools, will have access to VET in schools funding and programs in 2009. A number of schools and group schools such as Ntaria School, the Lasseter Group Schools, Sandover Group School, and Tiwi College will be accessing VET in schools programs for the first time this year.
A key initiative being rolled out by the Department of Business and Employment is the establishment of regional job hubs, initially in Nhulunbuy, to be followed by Tennant Creek. The Department of Education and Training will work closely with the Department of Business and Employment to ensure that training for individuals matches business needs and available jobs. The Workforce NT Report 2008, soon to be released by the Department of Business and Employment, will also prove to be of great value by strengthening the links between training investment and effort to employment.
I have already touched on the success of our Build Skills and Work Ready programs. The government, through its election commitments, has reaffirmed its determination to support Territorians leaving school or seeking to upgrade their skills. From 2009 we will double the government’s investment in the Build Skills Program to $1m a year and we will more than double the Work Ready Program to $900 000 a year. In response to record numbers of apprentices and trainees, the government will also inject an additional $1m into training and supporting future tradespeople and skilled workers. This additional funding comes on top of a record investment by this government in training, skilling, and workforce development.
This government is responding to the needs of business by training more Territorians for available jobs. Internally, with the NTPS as one of our larger employers, we continue to progress commitments to achieve Indigenous employment targets established under the Closing the Gap policy. This includes up-skilling jobseekers to the level necessary for base grade entry so they can assess permanent NTPS jobs. The first of 20 Indigenous jobseekers will commence training in March this year as a pilot and I look forward to meeting them during their training. We are aligning training effort more effectively to employment opportunities and we are partnering with industry and providing access to the labour market for Indigenous Territorians in regional and remote communities.
In 2009, our new jobs strategy will provide an over arching policy framework for training, workforce development, and employment. We will also have in place a new national agreement for skills and workforce development with the Australian government, as well as targeted training initiatives in a COAG skilling reform agenda captured in national partnership arrangements.
I believe the Northern Territory’s vocational education and training system is well placed to respond to the needs of individuals and business for deeper and broader skill sets. This will be increasingly important with projects like INPEX. At the same time we must meet the needs of every Territorian and others who require basic skills to gain first time access to sustainable jobs.
In closing, the challenge will be to accommodate the skill needs of every Territorian looking for training opportunities and work, as well as responding to workforce development demands driven by major projects. This is the skilling workforce development and employment agenda set by this government. We will work with all our stakeholders to deliver on it.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for his statement. There is no time like the present and we have to ensure the workforce we have not only stays skilled but improves its skills and we attract an additional workforce because we are going to need it when we have major projects like INPEX come on stream. Even building the construction camp is going to take a substantial workforce.
The Chief Minister talked about the impacts the Territory workforce will receive from the international and national economic situation. We are not waiting for this impact to emerge, it is already upon us and we need to react accordingly. We have already seen job losses in the mining industry and the contractor industry associated with that. I have anecdotal evidence of suppliers and other contractors starting to seriously look at putting off some of their staff. Not only do we have to keep ‘our eye on ball’ but we need to be doing something about it; and to get a good understanding of where the job losses are and to keep those people in the Territory.
The Chief Minister states that they are actively monitoring the marketplace so that they can get the mix of training and employment incentives right. My question is: how does the government propose to do that? Where and who will be capturing it? How will they be capturing this information and what will they be doing with it?
The government is big on saying how many apprenticeships - they set a four year target of 10 000 apprenticeships and training commencements. What the government does not tell us and does not tell the community is the completion rate for these 10 000? My information from industry is the completion rate is around 40%, there is a 60% drop off of those 10 000 apprenticeships. It sounds good in theory but in reality not as many people are going through the full apprenticeship as what the government leads us to believe.
I am also concerned because in that 10 000, there are possibly students at school who are doing Certificate II, and they may not have a future after school because they are not linked to any employment situation. The target of 10 000 is fine but, in reality, not that many people are coming out fully qualified and into jobs.
The same in regards to last year’s commitment. They said they would get another 10 000 new apprentices. I wish we could have another 10 000. I hope that we can hang on to them but the reality is that we do not. People should realize that. We do not have that many. We have probably four thousand come out.
He also talks about the equality of gender, with a 30% increase in the number of women starting new apprenticeships or traineeships. How many are still in the traineeships and apprenticeships, and what is the completion rate? It sounds good, but I would like to know the statistics of how many complete their training.
The government talked about 22 000 Territorians who undertook Vocational Education and Training. How many of those Territorians finished their training and what were the employment outcomes? It is all very well to talk about participation, but we should be outcome-focused, results-focused, and not just about the processes. There is no point having activity for activity sake, we have to have real outcomes.
The Work Ready program is a good program and it is well accepted and well embraced by schools and industry people. Of those 300 students mentioned, about one-third of those are involved with the Australian Technical College, which I note has not been referenced in this statement at all. The Australian Technical College is one of the network of Australian Technical Colleges established around the country to train young people in areas where there are skill shortages, high youth population - which is what we have - and some strong industry support from leadership.
The college in Darwin caters for Year 11 and 12 students who wish to study for their Northern Territory Certificate of Education and start an apprenticeship while still at school. It is called the Australian School-Based Apprenticeship at Certificate III level. To assist in the challenge of getting these young people trained and workplace ready, they have partners: the Chamber of Commerce, the Territory Construction Association, the Australian Hotels Association, the Motor Trades Association, and Group Training. They also have their working partner schools: Casuarina Senior College, Palmerston High School, Taminmin High School, Kormilda College, and St John’s College, which joined them in 2008. The technical colleges are here to support students through both academic and trade training with mentoring, career advice, and business and employability skills. The courses are developed in association with industry to ensure that the training offered and undertaken is relevant to employment needs.
I put on the record that the Australian Technical College, not just in Darwin but elsewhere, is under a bit of cloud because federal Labor has taken a position of not supporting the technical colleges. I am not really sure why, because I know from the results in Darwin that they have had remarkable success with their students in Year 11 and 12, getting them to the situation where they are almost job ready. So, when they leave school, they have an equivalent of apprenticeship Year 1, so they can go into employment.
One of the biggest challenges confronting the Northern Territory at the moment is that employers are starting to not want to take on apprentices because of the financial issues. In tough times that is the first person they put off, which is not really what we want to happen because when times are better there will be a shortage of skilled workers. I urge the government to look at some initiatives to help employers, particularly the smaller employers in (1) keeping on their apprentices, and (2) perhaps taking on some new apprentices, so that when the tide does change, the economy starts to churn, and the global situation has quietened down, we will have a skilled workforce. We will not be competing with the other states around the country to try to get our skills shortages down.
I agree with the Chief Minister regarding the pilot program the Department of Education and Training provided with Taminmin High School. Taminmin High School is in my electorate and I have been to visit them quite a few times. I participated in all of their end-of-year ceremonies. I know Tony Considine, and I agree with the Chief Minister’s comments that he has done an excellent job. He has really turned the school around, in association with all the teachers, the council and, of course, the students. They do an excellent job, particularly in the VET area, but across the range in regard to their school activities. However, they do need more support because the school is at bursting point. They have about 1300 students. They are in desperate need of a new library - not an expansion of the existing library, but a new library - because it is not only a school library it is also a community library. When the library was first set up, the school only had 500 students. Now it has 1300 plus it services the community as well.
Just as an aside, there are challenges with Taminmin High School with regards to their VET training. Some members will be aware, particularly my colleague, the member for Nelson, that they do have a good agricultural component to that school. They have a breeding program for bore goats and recently lost some of their prize goats from wild dog and dingo attacks, I give my sympathy to them. Perhaps I will ask the minister for Environment if she can ship some 1080 to the school so they can get rid of the troublesome dogs. It is a shame, because they do have an excellent breeding program and they do take out many prizes at the various shows they attend. My commendations go to Greg Owens, who has been involved with that program but is leaving the school to go elsewhere.
In regard to the investment in the Build Skills program, the Chief Minister stated that there was to be $1m a year, and it would more than double the Work Ready program to $90 000 a year. Well, that is good, but I question, what is it going to be put to and where is it going? It states:
I question the Chief Minister again, what is this going to do, where is it going to go, how is the money going to be spent? I would like to see a little more detail and I will be writing to the Chief Minister in that regard. Is it money that is going to go to Charles Darwin University or to registered training providers? It is a little unclear.
It is a reasonable statement. There is some good information in it and some positive moves, but I think there are some challenges facing us this year and into the next couple of years in retaining our skilled workforce and improving our skilled workforce position. When the tide changes and the industry picks up across the country, particularly in the resources industry, it is going to be incredibly competitive to get a skilled workforce and to keep it. I believe we need to have not only partnerships between government agencies, but there also needs to be stronger partnerships with industry, and I do not see that in this statement.
I support the Australian Technical College and I hope that this government can work something out with that college, so that it stays past the end of its funding, which finishes at the end of this year.
Dr BURNS (Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, training in business, particularly small business, is an important priority of this government, which really adds to our economy and adds to business within the Northern Territory sector.
To help Northern Territory businesses, the ongoing suite of business programs is being developed to enhance baseline business management skills, and thereby the viability of those businesses. These programs are being expanded to address the issues that are now confronting Territory businesses.
The free Territory Business Upskills program focuses on the basics of business, with a strong focus on financial management, business management, marketing and human resources – all the basics businesses need to get it right to survive. This program also offers individual businesses coaching by selected consultants to address specific issues faced by these businesses. This facility has seen an increased uptake in recent times, which shows that businesses are realising that it is no good seeking help when all is lost, the time to seek help is when the signs of difficulty start to appear and there is an opportunity to address them.
Another program is the Territory Business Growth, a program that subsidises formal business planning for NT businesses. The old saying, ‘those who fail to plan, plan to fail’, is very true in this current economic client. The uptake of the Business Growth program increased by 56% in the 2008 calendar year and has increased across all regions of the Territory. In Alice Springs, the increase in business participation was 71%, from seven to 12 businesses; in Tennant Creek the increase was 500%, from one to five businesses; Nhulunbuy, 300%, from one to three businesses; and Katherine 400%, from one to four businesses. The numbers are small but I believe the help offered to those businesses is substantial.
In addition to the formal business planning under Business Growth, the program has been expanded to offer an expedient and flexible response to address the needs of local small to medium-sized businesses. Under these changes, immediate business solutions to issues such as negative cash flow, profit leaks, occupational health and safety, recruitment, and retention of staff that are identified can be addressed by business improvement specialists.
Additional workshops are also being delivered to help businesses in the Northern Territory. An Australian leader in business development strategic planning has been engaged to deliver workshops titled, Understanding the Current Economic Climate and your Business on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 March. This workshop, by a nationally recognised leader in the field, is an example of how government is delivering the information that business people need to manage their business in the current economic climate.
I mentioned earlier about how this government is helping, listening to and making business life easier for Territory businesses. You have just heard of some of the programs and the aims of those programs, which are basically to help business, including workshops which are organised in response to business intelligence and latest trends. This business intelligence is gathered in many ways including through our client managers in the business liaison unit, who also manage the business growth program.
Client managers are available to businesses in all regions, and their assistance is free and confidential. Additionally, client managers actively engage business for the purpose of gathering and acting as a conduit for the information flow into the government. This information has led to identifying upskilling needs of businesses, to which we are responding. Client managers have initiated and coordinated surveys throughout the regions in the specific industry sectors including retail, real estate, and the mining support industry. These surveys will be ongoing and will assist in ensuring that the department support packages address current business needs. Surveys into the construction and tourism industry are planned in the next two months.
In reference to making business life easier through the Territory business centres, we commenced the roll-out of a more efficient and effective way of dealing with government. The introduction of web-based smart forms to streamline and provide greater flexibility in applying for licenses has commenced and is set to expand to reduce red-tape associated with running a business. In addition to smart forms, there is a program under way that asks business how they want to work with government in this electronic age. The program will target maximising the use of the Internet to minimise the time needed to fulfil legal obligations. This program will also look at using the same logic to service the wider community.
In helping Northern Territory businesses, we are not just looking at the short term or what is directly in front of us, the Department of Business and Employment is currently preparing to introduce a new business program called ecoBiz NT. ecoBiz NT will provide Northern Territory businesses with the necessary skills to introduce resource efficient practices that are good for the financial bottom line as well as the environment. Eco-efficiency means providing improved goods and services, whilst using less resources and reducing waste and pollution.
This is a government response to business to assist with the challenges of sustainable development and reducing our carbon footprint. The program will help businesses achieve resource and cost savings through more efficient use of energy, materials and water, reduce solid and liquid waste disposal, better productivity, improved staff morale, and risk minimisation. It will also help businesses gain a competitive advantage by meeting community expectations for better environmental performance, growing demand for environmentally friendly goods and services, supply chain expectations based on international standards, and the challenge of positioning ahead of competitors.
The Building Northern Territory Industry Participation policy was launched in May 2003. The Industry Participation Plans or IPPs are intended to assist project proponents and developers to maximise opportunities, to utilise local supplies, services and labour, and to improve the capacity of businesses to compete locally, which often includes reskilling and upskilling sections of the workforce.
The Chief Minister alluded to training initiatives that are occurring within the tourism sector and now that it is part of my portfolio area, I will to turn to that. Between March and May 2008, tour guide training was facilitated with 14 Indigenous participants in Alice Springs. This project was a cooperative effort with Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation and the Alice Springs Desert Park. The training resulted in four guides being placed in employment in the Central Australian Region, which I think is a fabulous result. As I understand, some of these participants had previously been outside the workforce for some time.
A second phase of this training is currently being developed and is planned for mid-2009, subject to funding being approved by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
For many years, Tourism NT has supported tourism operators including Indigenous operators to attend a variety of conferences and trade shows. In November 2006, six Indigenous tour guides attended the Savannah Guides School with our support. These schools allow guides to gather with like-minded contributors from government, the academic sector, conservation groups, and tourism. The groups focus on increasing knowledge and professionalism through shared experiences and formal learning.
Two Indigenous tour operators, Robert Mills from Batji Tours and Jenny Hunter and Andy Ralph from Kakadu Culture Camp were supported by Tourism NT to represent the Northern Territory at the G’day USA: Australia Week and Toronto Roadshow in January this year. I reported this trip to the House yesterday.
The annual Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference provides training on key issues that impact on Indigenous tourism in Australia. It highlights opportunities that exist for culturally authentic Indigenous tourism products, especially in the development, employment, and training of Indigenous people. This year Tourism NT will support Indigenous tourism operators to attend the Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference to be held in March in Townsville.
A key strategy within the five year tourism strategic plan is to identify new ways to establish authentic and sustainable Indigenous tourism enterprises and encourage increased employment of Indigenous Territorians in the mainstream tourism industry. In support of this strategy, Tourism NT has secured funding from Indigenous Business Australia, otherwise known as IBA, to provide mentoring support to Indigenous tourism enterprises across the Northern Territory. This assists them to achieve nationally recognised tourism accreditation.
The project will take a holistic approach and will support Indigenous entrepreneurs to meet accreditation standards across 12 business areas including: product delivery, OHS, recruitment; training, financial management, marketing, environmental management, and licensing, amongst others. The project will commence in the next few months.
In February 2008, three Indigenous tour operators were selected to participate in a pilot of the accreditation mentoring program which was funded by Tourism NT. In November 2008, Bob Taylor of RT Tours in Alice Springs was the first Indigenous operator to successfully complete the online accreditation - ACAP as it is called - through this pilot. The other two businesses are expected to finalise their accreditation in early 2009.
Tourism NT has also initiated a step on guide training project, which will provide tour guide training to eight Indigenous trainees, with the outcome of employment by mainstream operators in the Darwin area. This training is scheduled for early 2009, subject to funding by DEWR.
In addition to our Indigenous initiatives and as part of our ongoing commitment to providing tools and knowledge in a constantly changing marketplace, Tourism NT has held a series of workshops for all tourism operators which are relevant to today’s business environment. More are scheduled over the coming months.
Last week, the Beyond 2009 - Doing Business Online forums and workshops were held in Alice Springs and Darwin to ensure that businesses had the knowledge and tools to keep them up to date with the changing travel market distribution trends. Key note speaker Bernard Salt from KPMG is one of Australia’s leading social forecasters and demographers and chair of the Tourism Forecasting Committee. Bernard is a very interesting speaker, unfortunately, because parliament was on, I had to leave during his talk but what I did hear was most interesting, particularly about the demography of visitors and the markets we are targeting, and also the demography that exists within Australia with the generation Xs, Ys and the baby boomers, such as myself. It was very interesting and he is a very forward looking person.
Ms Purick: A stretch.
Dr BURNS: What was that?
Mr Bohlin: Bit of a stretch you being a baby boomer.
Dr BURNS: You would not have expected it?
Mr Bohlin: A bit of a stretch. All good, keep going.
Dr BURNS: Okay. I am pretty happy being a baby boomer, but there you go. I have had a good life. Innovative online marketing advisor, Fabienne Rabiossi, helped businesses to understand the tools consumers are using on the Internet to research and book their holidays. She demonstrated how businesses can use these tools to effectively market themselves in the online environment.
In early March, the Understanding the Current Economic Climate and Your Business workshop, will be presented by a leading business consultant, Alan Green. This will cover business development strategic planning advice to help tourism businesses to survive any downturn. We know that we are facing a downturn within the tourism industry.
Tourism NT continues to support and promote the Kakadu Knowledge for Tour Guides, the training program which became a compulsory requirement for all tour guides working in Kakadu from April last year. Later this month, Tourism NT is hosting workshops for Ecotourism Australia to provide the industry with information about the range of eco-certification accreditation programs, and the benefits of these programs for industry.
Tourism NT is working with a number of businesses, individuals, and communities to develop strong, sustainable business enterprise through training so we can ensure that we are well placed for the future. To ensure our industry has the best chance of riding out any downturn in visitation, Tourism NT will continue to provide industry training in a wide range of areas, and will also work hard to identify opportunities and support from other Territory and Commonwealth agencies, and coordinate these activities to ensure the best outcomes possible.
In closing, I believe everyone in this House is aware that training is a top priority for Territory businesses. The Sensis data reveals that, whilst there are a myriad of concerns elsewhere in Australia, one of the major concerns for Territory businesses is training; producing our own, filling those gaps in our labour force that we all know exist. I know with the stimulus package that is coming our way through the foresight of the Rudd government, there is going to be even more pressure on capacity within our construction industry and a whole range of areas.
As a government, we are acutely aware of that. It is an issue that was raised within the forum that was held last Sunday. This statement that has been delivered by the Chief Minister is demonstrating that we are a government which is acutely aware of the training needs of the Northern Territory, and we are rising to meet those needs. We are working through a whole range of avenues and portfolio areas to meet those training needs. We realise how vital they are for the Northern Territory economy. We realise how vital they are for the employment of our young people across the Territory – Darwin, Palmerston, the regional centres, and the bush.
Madam Deputy Speaker, the Territory stands on the threshold of opportunity. There are tough times ahead but, as a jurisdiction, there is incredible opportunity for us, as a community. We need to work together, encourage our young people, and put the programs in place to ensure we move forward. I believe we are. That is why I welcome this statement by the Chief Minister.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, the Northern Territory has seen significant employment as a consequence of investment in major projects like the Alcan Gove expansion, ConocoPhillips gas plant, Frances Creek, Compass, Browns and Bootu Creek Mines, and elevated levels of construction activity, both commercial and residential, in the past few years.
This has seen a high level of demand for trade qualified and skilled employees, demand that had to be met from interstate labour pools. This demand for skilled workers may be under pressure due to the continuing extremely high costs of living, particularly in rent - and I know what that is like, particularly in Palmerston, for workers just entering employment such as apprentices and trainees - a general slowdown in economic activity, mine closures, the weakening of construction demand, and an expectation that consumer spending will contract due to uncertainty.
I did a little research and got some of this information from the ABC website yesterday. It is to paint a picture about what we will go through. The federal government has warned Australian exporters will be hit by the severe economic slump in Japan. Japan has recorded its worst economic figures in 35 years, showing its gross domestic product shrank more than 12% last year. That has sparked concerns the government stimulus package will not be enough to stop Australia from sinking into recession.
AMP Capital’s Chief Economist, Shane Oliver, says:
He went on to say that it:
The annual Davos Political and Business Summit started with new warnings over the gravity of the global recession and the impact of the damage already done.
South Africa’s Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, said:
News Corporation media tycoon Rupert Murdoch said:
But as everyone knows, in every crisis there is an opportunity. The economic slowdown is being addressed by government through stimulus packages. If the packages are not evenly spread through the economy, we may see a drain on certain skill sets. For example, a bias to construction-related skills at the expense of technically minded skills and more pressure on that system.
Our tourism industry is under pressure from slowing international and domestic visitors. This may create both an oversupply of trained employees in that sector, and a demand for cross training to new and growing sectors. I can recall leaving school and going to Tech College, where I undertook a pre-apprenticeship course in carpentry and joinery. It was a major step for a young person going from school to that environment, but the lessons and the learning of a pre-apprenticeship course full-time for 12 months was invaluable into the future.
In the statement, the Chief Minister talks about strengthening partnerships, jobs in the bush and better pathways, and perhaps no better way to do that may be through tourism. There is no doubt that we are in for a rough ride, along with the rest of the country and, indeed, the world. In respect to tourism, that industry contributes over $900m to our Gross State Product, and employs close to 10 000 people in the Territory. The significance to the Territory is patently obvious. With visitation numbers to the NT on the decrease over the past year, we must ensure we are well prepared to offer the best possible value for money to potential visitors. We must encourage people to shop around and research our product, and we must show that the Territory is the most natural and culturally diverse place in Australia to visit. To interstate people planning their holidays, we must continue to push our barrow and let them know that so much is sitting on their doorstep.
The NT Tourism Forecast Panel has indicated that it expects a slight increase in international visitation this year. With the global crisis worsening since these forecasts were released in September 2008, we can only hope that the effect is not too severe. Perhaps the current value of the Australian dollar will be some help to our international visitors. It is also expected that this factor will make domestic travel more attractive. At present, we have a large number of our international visitors coming from European countries, and hopefully that will continue. However, with the Japanese economy suffering so much at present, you would expect these and related markets to suffer.
We must continue, in every possible forum, to espouse the attractions of the Territory and make sure this government adequately resources our parks, not only maintaining what we already have, but actively pursuing ways to enhance and improve our natural and cultural assets. I welcome the governments $7.5m over four years to help our parks, but my understanding is, much of that money is spent on maintenance, and while that is a great thing, I believe it is time to start looking at major infrastructure. At present, I believe we have 87 parks managed by Parks and Wildlife, with 32 of these being in partnership with Aboriginal traditional owners.
I refer to the statement - strengthening partnerships, jobs in the bush, better pathways. The oldest of these parks, I believe, is Gurig, the national park on Cobourg Peninsula, which was established over 25 years ago, and also the iconic Nitmiluk, Katherine Gorge. These are just two examples of the government and traditional owners working together to present the Territory to the world and preserve for the enjoyment of all, both now and into the future.
Litchfield National Park is on the doorstep of Darwin, with many day trippers and commercial day tours taking advantage of its close proximity. We look forward to the completion of native title issues which will hopefully allow the expansion of this fantastic natural asset which sits so close to our capital city. Once the issue is resolved and the park expanded, it will be a major enhancement to what is already on offer. We encourage the government to pursue resolution on this issue.
Another area of particular interest is the completion of the Mereenie Loop Road. This will enable a unique experience in another spectacular part of the Northern Territory, which could be put on offer to both interstate and international visitors; again enhancing the Territory’s experience.
Most of us would have seen the movie Australia and it will be very interesting to see if this helps with visitor numbers over the next couple of years, as pundits have predicted. It has given the Top End exposure, not only to a worldwide audience but also to the rest of Australia, so hopefully we will see a spin-off, as it looks like we are going to need it.
It was interesting to see, in letters to the editor in yesterday’s NT News, a letter from a regular interstate visitor mentioning our rich World War II heritage. It is a fact that we do have a very rich heritage in this area and even though I believed we presented this history well to visitors, perhaps we should look further. We are not covering relevant areas adequately. We need to look at, and develop, the rich heritage that we have and provide a better experience for our visitors.
Not too many people are aware that Darwin was bombed so many times in World War II; today being the 67th Commemoration of the first Bombing of Darwin. Interestingly, this attack was carried out by the same Japanese commander and carrier fleet that attacked Pearl Harbour, only a few months before. When you recount that story to your friends and family interstate, most people are very surprised. Hearing that the Chief Minister is going to encourage more of our history being put into the national curriculum, I commend him on that.
Even though this information is out there, we should be making it better known - it is very significant in historical terms. There are many stories of events that occurred during these harsh times that should be told and recorded for posterity. You only need to look at the annual migration to the Anzac Cove to know people are extremely interested in and recognise the events of the past that helped forge this nation. In regard to Anzac Cove, that annual pilgrimage is becoming larger each year. When I first went to the bombing of Darwin celebrations, they too have dramatically increased over the years and it is welcoming to see so many people and, as the Chief Minister said, young people attending this rather significant event.
The historical features that abound in the Territory should be better promoted and presented to encourage visitors. The advantage of promoting this very important part of our history will assist in these significant areas; the educational and preservation aspects and the spin-off to our tourism industry in these tough times.
I hope that, as said by Mick Dodson at the ABC Press Club, we have more than a symbolic recognition of some of the issues we face today. Jobs for the Future is an important document, but I hope it will provide practical and meaningful steps. Let us hope it is not symbolic, like many of the issues the government present today. Let us hope – and as Mick Dodson says ‘symbolic recognition is near enough to useless’ – that this is not more poison or political spin that this government is known for.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. It is an interesting statement because it covers a large range of subjects. Instead of concentrating entirely on what the minister has put in the statement, I will start from a different angle.
I took the Northern Territory occupations shortage list 2008 off the webpage. It is a very interesting list. It says that it is for ‘skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled occupations’. This has about 100 occupations for which there is a shortage in the Northern Territory. There is everything from the professional and related occupations through to the trade occupations. There are positions like geologists, architects, quantity surveyors, dentists, registered nurses, registered midwives, speech pathologists, veterinarians, audiologists, child protection workers, skippers for the fishing industry, marine engine drivers, building certifiers, and dental therapists.
That is just a sample. In the trades there are shortages for metal fitters, aircraft maintenance engineers, welders, sheet metal workers, panel beaters, electronic instrument trades, fibrous plasterers, pastry cooks, bakers, cabinet makers, hairdressers, childcare workers, steel fitters, and concreters. That leads me to ask the question: why? When the government talks about having created 10 000 apprentices, why do we have a shortage?
Like the member for Goyder, I believe the terminology is designed to be a little tricky so that people think we have created 10 000 apprentices, when really we have 10 000 people starting an apprenticeship. That is all it means. When you read the document, it says:
That is fair; I can live with that, but straight over the page it says:
If I saw 10 000 new apprentices, I would believe they were people who had finished their training. That is not what is happening. The member for Goyder quoted about 40% of people finish. I thought it might have been a little higher but not much higher. That does not come out in this statement. When I read the Northern Territory occupation shortage list and I see this vast range, about 50 different trades that have shortages, I ask, are we targeting those? Do we have courses in these areas? If people are being trained in this area, are they completing their courses? If they are completing their courses, are they staying in the industry?
It is no good talking about what we are doing at one end, if we do not know what is coming out at the other. I look at this list and I say we are not succeeding, otherwise why do we have shortages of bakers? I know we have a shortage of bakers, our local baker, thankfully, has just recruited a baker from England, because they could not get a baker to work.
Another question is: do have we enough young people who want to do some of these jobs? This is an issue in itself. Bakers start work at 11.30 pm and finish at about 6.30 am. That is not the type of lifestyle some people want. It mucks up the partying. It is not a job young people are attracted to. We have a shortage. Jobs like hairdressers, welders, and sheet metal workers, we should not be short of people like that. They are the sort of normal things you would expect a good apprenticeship scheme to be pushing out in large numbers. The minister might be able to give me another look at this, but this is the government’s own figures from the Department of Business and Employment.
The other thing I question is professional shortages. We all know there is difficulty in getting midwives and nurses, geologists, architects, building certifiers, dental therapists, and dentists. Probably dentists, I bet there would be trouble getting a dentist. The point is that we do not have the facilities to train these people, being a small part of the world in population. What is the government doing to help young people become a dentist, a midwife or a building certifier?
If those jobs cannot be taught in the Territory, are we giving them the means to go interstate to study and become qualified in these professional areas? There is an opportunity for us to work the system that is being mooted around the place. Perhaps the government pays for someone’s education, with a little line on the bottom saying, yes, but you will come back to work in the Northern Territory for five years if we pay your way. I believe we need a carrot-and-stick approach. We need more dentists, mining engineers, pharmacists, and physiotherapists. Most of those people will not be able to be trained in the Northern Territory so, where are we going in relation to those skills?
This ministerial statement is, generally, honing in on apprenticeships and VET courses and those sorts of things - which are very important - but we also need plenty of people in the professional occupations. I am interested to see what programs the Northern Territory government has in attracting more people into these professional occupations, especially the ones which are required to go interstate. If they do go interstate, what sort of programs do we have to ensure they come back and use those skills in the Northern Territory? That is the first part of my response to the statement.
Second - and the Chief Minister has commented on this and so has the member for Goyder - there is quite a lot about Taminmin High School. I also believe that Taminmin has gone from being an average school to one of the top schools, or the top school, in the Northern Territory. It might not hit all the headlines in the student awards - the ones I did not get an invitation to …
Ms Purick: Um aah!
Mr WOOD: Probably the member for Goyder did not, even …
Ms Purick: No, I was there.
Mr WOOD: Did you get an invitation?
Ms Purick: I got an invitation.
Mr WOOD: What happened to all the invitations?
Mr Henderson: Gerry, you must have slipped off – old news.
Mr WOOD: I should not criticise the government too much; I knew it was bad for my invitation lists. I digress - a term used often in this parliament.
Taminmin is a fantastic school. I heard today from Tony Considine, who received great praise from the Chief Minister, that Taminmin is now the first school in the Territory to have a full-time Certificate III course in Agriculture. I believe it is the first full-time Certificate III course, and it is in Agriculture. That is a fantastic achievement. Kids can go and do a full-time agriculture course at Taminmin High. At the moment they do agriculture as part of their courses. If people want to know a little more, they should get on to the website. You will see when you read what is on its website, what a great school it is. For instance, it is a registered training organisation.
The Chief Minister referred to the delivery of VET in schools in remote areas, such as Borroloola, Milingimbi, Xavier College at Nguiu, and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku. It is also looking at a couple of other schools – if I can find them - that were interested. When I was down at Daly River, they certainly were interested in joining into this expanded VET from Taminmin High School. It also works at Gunbalanya, Borroloola, Angurugu, and Alyangula, Minyerri, and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku. That shows that Taminmin is not just sitting around dealing with its own rural area, it is providing education in a wider region, and that is fantastic.
To give you some idea about the courses it is providing under VET; there are a range of certificate courses. It has Certificate II in the music industry and, if anyone has been to Taminmin over the last couple of years, it has put on two musicals, which were fantastic. The last one Kakadora would have knocked your socks off - packed houses. The kids just loved it. I am a great fan of theatre, it is fantastic for kids; it brings kids out that are sometimes shy and reserved.
Regardless of whether you can make an occupation out of music in the Northern Territory, perhaps if you are a regular pub band, you probably can. There are limited areas in music in such a small place as the Territory, but it is good for the person as well; you take music through the rest of your life. Some people make small amounts of money out of winning Karaoke nights, like the member for Brennan. If anyone ever pops down to the Howard Springs Tavern on Tuesday night, they have a Karaoke night, you might find the member for Brennan there; he is obviously a great fan of the music industry.
In technology, there is Certificate I in Automotive, General Construction, Engineering, and Health and Personal Development. It has a Certificate II in Hospitality and a Certificate III in Outdoor Recreation. There is a Certificate I in Conservation and Land; this is part of their studies of society and environment. There is Certificate II in Business, Certificate I and II in Racing - a stable hand. This recognises that the racing industry in the Northern Territory said that it needs skilled people in the racing industry. If you go to Taminmin you will see the horses, along with many other animals like the Brahmans, buffaloes, goats, and chickens. The chickens are actually the most important part of the farm, I hesitate to say. It also has Certificate I and II in Rural Operations and Certificate I in Manufacturing.
It has the Australian Technical College as well, which is terrific. It has school-based apprenticeships. I have been to the awards presentation night, and that is fantastic as well. There is this great school developing in the rural area. Most of that improvement must go back to the Principal, Tony Considine, not forgetting Kim Rowe, the previous Principal. He certainly moved that school to where it was ready for someone like Tony Considine to come in, grab hold of it and change it. It is a fantastic school. It is full; that is the problem, and we should really be building another school. We seem to be …
Ms Purick: Bursting at the seams.
Mr WOOD: Yes, perhaps people did not realise how quickly this school has become so popular. Kids from Palmerston go to Taminmin. It is great that they do. I do not believe you should be limiting an agricultural school - as I nearly call it now; it is not entirely an agricultural school - to one group of people living nearby; it should also give kids an opportunity from the city. I came from the city and did horticulture studies in Melbourne. I ended up in the bush in Daly River and Bathurst Island. I had a chance to go places that maybe I would not have had the opportunity otherwise, so it is good to see kids coming from the city life and doing some agricultural courses.
We should not forget the Charles Darwin University Campus at Katherine - which I reckon is not the proper name - it should be called Katherine Rural College, because that is what it is. This idea of having campuses and calling them universities gets away from what they are. In theory, it is called the School of Science and Primary Industry - again, Katherine Rural College.
My daughter went there. She went to Mataranka Station where they train jackaroos and jillaroos. She did the course and became quite proficient in horse riding, having never been on a horse in her life. She can slaughter cattle, cut it up and get all the right portions, when many other people her age would not do it. I was surprised too, because she had never been on a horse before. The only animals we had were 2500 chickens. That was vastly different. She ended up working on stations. She was probably the first Aboriginal jillaroo on Wave Hill Station. She went to Cattle Creek, to Overing Station out near Mount Isa, eventually had work at Kidman Springs, and then came back to Batchelor. She has moved on from there. She has a different job now, but that has all come from working at the Katherine Rural College. It certainly has great opportunities for young people.
I know the Chief Minister mentioned Indigenous employment. I do not believe you need to split it up for jobs like a ringer. Kids want to be, not just Indigenous or non-Indigenous; it is a great course for anybody. It is a great course for kids who are running off the track. Take kids out in the bush, wake them up at 4.30 am, get them making breakfast, get the horses ready, and head out for the day rounding up cattle. Much of the time you are sitting on a saddle; you get a sore bum, but you have time to think about life as well. You are going around with other people - which is good - other kids, and you are learning a little about life. I am all for encouraging people to get into the rural industry in the Territory.
One area we are probably missing is that we have very little in the way of broad scale agricultural studies; that is growing crops. I am not talking about horticulture; we have that at Charles Darwin University in Darwin. The Territory used to be a leader in some of the broad scale cropping and we do not have those skills much. If people want to gain those skills they have to go south and study how to grow sorghum, peanuts, etcetera.
Taminmin High School is doing marvellous things. It gives kids an opportunity to not only go down the academic path, they can go down the VET path and be regarded as equal; that is important. Kids that go this way are equal to kids that go down the academic path. We must remember that. If one kid gets Year 12 and the other kid gets a certificate in panel beating, we must say, ‘Good on you both. You are both equal’. One is not better the other - which was what happened in my day.
If you went to be an apprentice, they said: ‘You are pretty dumb, you cannot handle the Latin, Physics, and Chemistry, but you can bang a few panels together, so that is your life’. And guess who makes the most money today? It is the people who have done their apprenticeships and have their own businesses.
The other area that the minister could expand on is the INPEX invasion - if I can call it that. We had ConocoPhillips some years ago and there were a range of issues, like skilled workers being removed from other jobs in Darwin. I remember there was much debate about that. What benefits would ConocoPhillips have for skilling people, using local people where possible? We now have basically the same thing.
As people know, there is a program for over 2000 workers in the Howard Springs area, where they hope to set up a village and they will be fly in/fly out. I presume there will also be pressure on INPEX to employ locals. If INPEX is anything like ConocoPhillips, the price per hour is higher than the locals pay, which can create the problem of drawing skilled staff away from businesses in Darwin, attracted by the better prices that INPEX may pay, resulting in a possible shortage of workers.
According to this list it seems that we do have a shortage of skilled workers. What is the government doing in relation to the impact of INPEX on workers, especially in the Top End? How many can we employ that have lost their jobs because of McArthur River? We are not getting into debate on McArthur River. But we know that they put off a number of workers before the issue of whether the right certificate had been signed under the federal government’s approvals. Those people should be looked at as a priority in gaining work with INPEX.
Should INPEX also have a role to play in hiring apprentices? I believe that they should and I hope that is another area that the minister can talk about. What programs have we got for making sure, if this company is going to be building for eight years, surely there are opportunities for young people and Indigenous people to gain skills.
This is basically what I wanted to talk about today – skill shortages overall, what is being done to encourage people into professional industries, the great things Taminmin is doing and what effect will INPEX have on workers and skills in the Top End over the next eight years. Thank you.
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome the statement from the Chief Minister and the minister for Education, Employment and Training on this very important subject.
Investing in training and skilling our local workforce is an important part of the Northern Territory’s future and for businesses, particularly at this time of a global financial downturn. The initiative by this government of putting on 10 000 new apprentices and trainees during the last term was fantastic; the single-minded focus on encouraging businesses, making places available, making training providers available for these apprentices and trainees to come on board. We have a very young population in the Territory and we want to keep those young people. Assisting them to gain qualifications and trades is the future of the Northern Territory.
We are a young jurisdiction and we have a lot of growth and infrastructure development to come. We need those people, those locals here to do that work. We do not want to have to import a large scale skilled workforce. We have to grow Territorians. The untapped workforce in the bush is an area that we should and will be focusing on. It is about providing the role models and the leadership. That is why another 10 000 apprentices is a huge challenge, but is a challenge we are able to take up. I look forward to the milestone of achieving those 10 000 new trainees.
When we talk about the bush and closing the gap it comes down to more money going into the pockets of individuals and families. That means having jobs, which is a focus of mine and the Chief Minister’s. As he indicated, 23% of our current trainees and apprentices are Indigenous. That is a healthy number, given the relative demographic breakdown of the Territory. Indigenous people make up 30% of the population of the Territory at the moment, so that is encouraging. There is more to that figure than you might see. It is not just a number; there is a human face to it. For those people, having stable employment, fully funded, gives them good conditions and stability. It also offers them a career path where they can move onto greater jobs in the future to support themselves and their families and, ultimately, succeed in life.
The Department of Local Government and Housing, the Office of Public Employment, and Power and Water Corporation are all doing their bit. I would like to describe exactly what they are doing. The NTPS is the largest employer in the Northern Territory, with 16 500 full-time equivalent staff. This is a huge number and they are spread the length and breadth of the Northern Territory, doing a wide range of jobs. The Northern Territory Public Service recognises the need for innovative workforce planning to ensure it has the capability and capacity to deliver the appropriate level and quality of service now and into the future. The OCPE NTPS New Apprenticeship program is one of the workforce planning programs developed to ensure that the NTPS meets current needs and future challenges.
There are a variety of recruitment initiative programs in place including the entry level program, graduate program and annual intakes of apprentices and trainees. That is a great effort. Many people got their start in the Territory by coming through the public service.
That is also positive for the private sector. Over the last decade or so in Australia the private sector has steered away from apprentices. They have left it up to private training companies or the public sector to do much of the upskilling of tradespeople and then they move on. It is encouraging. It is a vital part of the fabric of the workforce in the Northern Territory to have the public service training, encouraging and providing positions for young people and also for adult apprentices. It is certainly an area we are putting our mind to.
We have a workforce which is working longer. If you start work when you are 16, 18 or 20, you might not like to do that particular career for 40 or 50 years. People, perhaps in their middle age, might like to change careers and are interested in moving into a different area. They bring stability and some maturity to a particular trade, and make very good apprentices. However, there are personal, financial, and family obligations that we have to cater for, more so than we would with someone who is 16 or 18. It is certainly an area where there is a great deal of scope available to us.
Territory Housing has a major housing program ahead. I have mentioned before the $672m SIHIP program, which is a joint initiative of the Northern Territory and the Australian governments. It is about improving the quantity and quality of housing and also infrastructure in some of our most remote communities throughout the Northern Territory. This housing is not only about reducing overcrowding in these communities it is also about creating jobs. The program will not just leave those communities with houses; it will leave a skilled workforce. I give assurance to this House that the focus on jobs is slightly more intense than the actual houses.
In some ways, the greater investment is in people. The construction of these houses, the R&M programs, and the infrastructure upgrades, allow us to skill up a workforce which is ready and able in the bush, and allows us to tap in to a workforce which is currently underutilised. This will be a great initiative, and I look forward to coming back to this House in the future to talk more about the SIHIP program and its achievements.
It uses a different style of contracting, which is a bit unusual for the Northern Territory - the alliance methodology of contracting. It is about shared pain and gain. It is about each partner within that alliance, including governments - both Territory and Australian - breaking down the barriers, clearing away the obstacles to get these houses built, and also getting people jobs, training, and skills. Within those alliance partners, we are all in there together, and we are solving problems and getting results. Ultimately, all the alliance partners, including the Australian and Northern Territory governments, will benefit from the outcomes of that methodology.
There are some solid benchmarks for employment and training outcomes. They are not negotiable; they have to deliver. Houses will not be built until we get those outcomes; the jobs, training, and the plan to continue that employment - that commitment - for those people to move on to further careers and projects within the construction industry - or other careers, which the initial construction upskilling provides to them. It is very positive.
The flow-on effect of those people gaining those jobs cannot be underestimated. They will have money in their pocket and it will flow through their families.
One of the early examples of how that SIHIP program is starting to work is in Tennant Creek. Sixteen indigenous trainees have started work in civil construction, taking on modules of Certificate III. In the coming months, there will be another 30 indigenous trainees on board, and that is just the start, I hope, of hundreds of trainees coming on board in some of the remotest areas of the Northern Territory over the coming months and years.
As housing leases are signed and alliances prepare to deliver the works packages, we will be working very closely with individuals and communities and consulting with them to identify the scope of work that is needed to be undertaken and what skills they have in those communities. We have adopted the policy of employ first and then train. We have to get people on board and then start to train them up and progressively develop their skills. As an example of the proactive nature of these alliance partners, we are targeting schools in remote communities as the potential workforce of the future, giving those school leavers who may be a year out, or in their last year of school, a reason to attain a higher education outcome so that we can get them into employment. It is a very exciting time and I believe it is going to bring great results.
The Local Government Reform has been a major watershed in the Territory with respect to the bush, and also with the municipal urban councils regarding the modernisation of the legislation. But it was a watershed regarding governance and service delivery in the bush. Those shires have taken on a huge task.
It was something previous governments had shied away from. It is a very difficult thing to do, whether in the Northern Territory or in any other state or territory in Australia, nobody is very keen to get into local government reform. It is something that, from time to time, does need rejigging, but it does bring pain and anxiety. I am seeing that things are still being fixed and worked on, but they are being worked on together, and they will continue to improve and when people start to engage they will see the true benefits. What I have seen, over my years in the Territory, has been a rollercoaster ride for many councils. They can streak ahead when they get great management and great councillors on board, but they can crash in a very short period of time. They can become insolvent, lose assets, and lose faith in their leadership and in their community. I am very conscious about ensuring that those councils actually work.
Part of the initiative was the job matching exercise, to which the Australian government provided $25m - to be matched dollar for dollar. Many positions had been allocated to CDEP, when those positions should have legitimately been coming out of a budget line item for the Australian, Territory, or even the local government. With these reforms 408 full-time positions have been created and there are more on the way. $10m is available in this financial year, and when you match it up with the dollar for dollar, these councils will be sharing $20m to provide more positions and obviously more valuable, much needed services to the people of their communities.
As the shires develop over the next two years, there will be more opportunities to employ Indigenous Territorians to deliver local government services. I will be watching those shires gain strength and I am sure they will be expanding into a whole range of areas as their councillors grow stronger and more confident and the service delivery model becomes stronger.
The Power and Water Corporation has had an evolution in its being and now it is a government owned corporation, which provides a critical service to the Northern Territory. It is the only power, water, and sewerage utility in the Northern Territory. If you think about it not being there, the Territory’s lifestyle and economy would basically break down. It does a very difficult job and delivers those services over a vast landscape. When you think about essential service officers in remote communities and the linesmen in storms on the ends of ladders; it is a very dangerous and precarious occupation but they know that there are people without power and they are trying to restore it.
Power and Water is also a nursery for tradespeople coming into the private sector. It currently has over 50 apprentices and it is committed to growing and investing in that area. These apprentices do a wide variety of trades including mine work, electrical, plumbing, and administration. Power and Water is focused on building its capacity and capabilities. It knows that the people it has, have a great deal of knowledge, and it is about building that knowledge and maintaining those people in the Territory. It also offers graduate opportunities, graduate programs and development opportunities for the corporation in a range of fields. This enables young Territorians to enter the workforce and further their skills.
The corporation even offers vacation employment to university students looking to develop their skills and make contact with future employment. We have seen a lot of that with Power and Water, where university graduates come here to do some work and then fall in love with the place - which many of us have done over the years. Power and Water is looking at the people it has at the moment. It has a lot of growth and demand in the coming years with respect to power, water, and sewerage demands, which will require a larger workforce. It also acknowledges that there is a need for cross-fertilisation of skills and knowledge in the Territory with other utilities down south, so it is playing its part in employing young people and training them up.
I will pick up on a few comments from the member for Nelson regarding Taminmin High School. I acknowledge the great work that it has done and Tony Considine is doing a marvellous job, along with his staff - he is the catalyst …
Dr BURNS: Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the member be granted an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr KNIGHT: I thank the member for Johnston for the extension.
Tony Considine is doing a great job, and the kids are doing a great job. I have spoken to many of them and I agree, the area of VET is now recognised as a legitimate alternative to academic study. I also recognise the great need to link up with industry. It seems a ludicrous situation to not recognise the industry and the skill sets that are required; engaging with the industry to find out what they need from high school or university graduates, to move into employment and to have the skills they want. That has happened at Taminmin; it is engaging legitimately with industry about those traineeship positions.
I agree that INPEX will bring some challenges. It will bring challenges to the existing workforce and the attraction of existing trainees and tradespeople in the workforce that we have in the Territory. The alternative though would be not to have INPEX and that would be a situation where you would be probably laying off workers. That is not a good result. With what is happening globally and nationally, there will be many tradespeople and young people coming to the Territory and looking for work. It is about us being able to cater for that. Everyone in the business community will benefit from having INPEX here. It is very conscious about using local businesses. It has been in town for over one year, talking to businesses about their capabilities and the government is focused on it.
I believe you will get that trickle down. We have learned a lot from ConocoPhillips. I do not believe there will be the social issues that have been highlighted in the rural area; everyone is conscious about it. I agree that apprenticeships are a legitimate way to go. When I was a young fellow, apprenticeships were like gold. You would fight your best mate to the ground in trying to get an apprenticeship because they were so hard to get. Nowadays, however, they are around and there are many businesses wanting to take on apprentices. It is a sensible business move to take on apprentices and trainees. This government is extremely focused on it.
I commend the Chief Minister for bringing in this statement and for his personal commitment to developing training and employment for young people in the Territory.
Mr McCARTHY (Transport): Madam Speaker, I also support the Chief Minister’s statement on skilling the Territory’s workforce. I was very pleased to hear the Chief Minister comment on the government’s commitment to establish regional job hubs. I will take a moment to reflect on what these hubs might look like and what they will offer regional job seekers.
The hubs had their genesis from some work undertaken with employment and training stakeholders in Nhulunbuy. Nhulunbuy has a major employer, Nabalco, which is extremely advantageous when looking for solutions to local unemployment issues. Stakeholders identified there is currently a lack of coordinated training delivery and information collected in the regions. The same can be said for the Barkly.
Bringing together stakeholders in one place and sharing of information on job seekers is a sensible solution, and the regional job hubs will do this. Then taking the next step they will connect the training with the jobs. It makes sense to me that the best place to get local information is from the locals themselves. The job hubs will therefore be an important source of intelligence on local labour market profiles, employment opportunities, and barriers, emerging job prospects, and skills local workers and job seekers already have. Accurate and timely local information will enable government to better direct investment by matching the training to individuals, to business needs, and available current and future jobs.
The department is progressing this project with the target of the operations commencement in Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek by the 2009-10 financial year. The hubs will facilitate access to and coordinate information about employment and training activities of the Northern Territory and federal government agencies, local businesses, and training providers, so that employees and training can be matched to real job opportunities in the region. However, I anticipate the hubs will also play a role in ensuring people in a region are aware of, and matched to, the services that are available to assist them with training and employment.
We are seeking to achieve improved employment outcomes for local people in the regions through a coordinated service. The hubs will provide a one-stop shop for information on training and employment to Territorians living in Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek. Work is well advanced in the development of business and implementation plans for the Nhulunbuy hub.
Consultation with many of the key players in Australian and NT government agencies are complete, and the second round of community consultation has been completed. The model developed is being tailored to the needs of the region. I anticipate a similar approach will be adopted for the development of a model to suit the needs of Tennant Creek employers and training providers. I understand work is under way to develop a localised implementation plan for the Tennant Creek region.
The regional centre of the Barkly is surrounded by some of the best cattle producing areas in the world, a major manganese mine, a world-class silver, lead, and zinc mine, a horticultural project in the southern Barkly and, sitting on a highly mineralised area under exploration that will represent the next major mineral boom in the Northern Territory. The concept of the job hub, with all the stakeholders working together to identify the potential employees, the education and training necessary, and linking with the contractors already operating in the area and the major projects planned for that part of the Territory, is an innovative, proactive and sensible way that the government is moving.
I will now discuss the government’s Training for Remote Youth program, aimed at bringing youth disengaged from school, registered training organisations, and local communities and schools together to provide structured training and learning experiences that prepare youth for employment in the community or re-engages them in further learning. This is an example of the government being creative to engage young people in remote areas, and engage them early so that they can become aware of the choices for employment and training in their region and beyond.
I will also talk about some regional training initiatives. The Indigenous response program specifically targets Indigenous training needs in regional and remote communities, with a total program budget of $2.2m. The department of Employment and Training has regional training coordinators based in each region who consult with Indigenous communities and organisations in their region to identify employment and training needs. The Indigenous response program supports skill sets and short training programs that communities and organisations need, but for which they are unable to access funding from other sources. Regional training coordinators assist communities to tailor a training program that suits their specific needs and funds the community’s preferred training organisation to deliver on-site in the community.
In 2008, the Indigenous response program committed $2.265m to training programs in regional and remote communities across the Territory. Some of the training programs in 2008 supported by the Indigenous response program were in areas such as mechanical skills, art and craft skills, tourism, driver licensing, first aid, traffic management, pre-employment programs in construction and the mining industry, Work Ready programs, business and marketing, retail, computers, hospitality, plant operation, welding, music production and recording, and horticulture.
The funding committed in each region in 2008 was: East Arnhem, $295 000; Katherine, $207 000; West Arnhem, $252 000; Darwin, $403 000; Barkly, $585 000; and Alice Springs, $523 000. It is good to see Central Australia and the Barkly receiving such a good share of these financial resources, with over half the funding.
I will address the member for Nelson’s comments and its connection with my new portfolio of Corrections. I have worked at the Katherine Rural College, I have taken students to Mataranka Station, and I have also visited Taminmin High School. Over the last five years that has shown me many opportunities, particularly working with the juvenile diversion program and dislocated youth from Tennant Creek and the Barkly. These opportunities and training programs represent real change.
A wonderful connection I discovered was that in taking youth from Tennant Creek and the Barkly to Katherine, after the preparation courses in the Barkly, these youths discovered that the Katherine Rural College - the Charles Darwin University Campus - was taking the same training programs to the Berrimah correctional facility.
My link with the member for Nelson, as we discussed very briefly his experiences in Ohio, is the opportunities I saw and valued, where youth, dislocated and disengaged from school and often dislocated and disengaged within their community, who had great difficulty and high behaviour support needs, suddenly found a whole new realm of operation when put in a yard with a 400 kg animal that looked down upon them and decided whether they were going to cooperate. I took this message back to many teachers and trainers, and I promoted this opportunity. It is wonderful that the government is moving that way, and the basis of our support came from the programs that I have just outlined.
A great news story from my electorate in Barkly is the qualified civil construction team from Canteen Creek. After nearly 18 months of community-based training, seven men from Canteen Creek were rewarded for their commitment and dedication at a graduation ceremony in the community in October last year. Six of those men were awarded the Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations, while the seventh participant only has a few units to complete. The men worked consistently as a team with a trainer, Mr Ian Chamberlain, and have already undertaken a number of road maintenance contracts. Both the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Industry Services Training assisted in facilitating the training, with invaluable support from the Canteen Creek, or Owairtilla Association. The team consists of Ray Kelly, Andrew Bob, Chris Philomac, Jeremiah Corbett, Harold Butcher, Chris Butcher, and Tony Duggie. They deserve the congratulations of everyone in the House.
Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of the Chief Minister’s statement. The government is determined to ensure that all Territorians have access to meaningful training and employment opportunities. This is an immense challenge, especially given the geographical nature of the Northern Territory.
We live in a land larger than South Africa, but with a population size equivalent to Vanuatu. The Territory is one sixth of Australia’s land mass but it has only 1% of the population. The challenges posed by such a small and scattered population are confronted on a daily basis by the Regional Development section within the Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources. Members of this House are fully aware that regional development is one of the Territory’s most enduring challenges and one that must be tackled through collaboration and partnerships.
I have spoken before about the Indigenous Pastoral Program - a Territory success story - which includes the Northern and Central Land Councils, the Indigenous Land Corporation, and the Cattlemen’s Association. They are working in partnership with the Territory government to bring Aboriginal land back into production, and to provide jobs and training for young indigenous Territorians.
Today, I will showcase another partnership, one that is dear to my heart in so many ways. This is a partnership between the Northern Territory government, the Commonwealth government, the Central Land Council and Newmont Mining.
As members would be aware, Newmont is one of the world’s largest gold miners and operates the Granites Gold Mine in the Tanami Desert. Since 2001, Newmont has been conducting pre-vocational training in mining operations for Indigenous people. Last year, the Territory and Commonwealth governments invested in the program to further enhance the delivery of training and improve the employment outcomes for students. A group of 15 Indigenous people began last year’s course, with all of them coming from Yuendumu and the surrounding area. The group included three women, two from Yuendumu and one who lives at Amoonguna, close to Alice Springs.
The training sees the participants undertake a number of training units designed to teach them skills, used both in the mining industry as well as in more generic roles. Participants undertake training in many aspects of the roles that are available as work options for the company. The students, live, train, and work at the Granites Gold Mine site and are fully integrated in to the routine of working for a multinational company. While a couple of participants did not complete most of the training recently, this was not because of issues of aptitude, but it was a result of medical issues which excluded them from working on a mine site.
Graduating participants look forward to increased opportunities for employment and all those who graduated expressed their satisfaction with the course, the training provided, and the skills they had developed. The students are currently on the final leg of work experience rotation at the mine site. At the completion of work experience, many of the participants will be offered roles within the company. The success of this project builds on the collaboration that has been established between funding bodies, the community, training providers, and employers in Central Australia. The Australian government funded pre-training support, mentoring, transport, and employment assistance, while the Northern Territory government, through its Flexible Response funding, funded the delivery of the training.
I will quote part of a speech that Newmont’s Managing Director, Paul Dowd, delivered to a conference in Alice Springs a few years ago:
This is a partnership that deserves to be showcased, but there are also many others.
One of the best examples of our work in regional development is the Indigenous Business Development Program. It began in 2005 and was expanded under the government’s Closing the Gap initiatives. It provides grants to open or expand Indigenous businesses anywhere in the Territory. The program was independently reviewed just over a year ago and it was strongly supported both for its success and the way in which it is run. I quote from the review report:
There is a remarkable variety in the types of businesses that are supported by the program, including market gardening and florists, cafes and hairdressing, tour operators and accommodation, construction and - as I am sure the member for Nelson will be pleased to hear - egg production.
The Indigenous Business Development Program provides clear evidence that opportunities abound in the Territory, along with entrepreneurial spirit. The program has supported 67 businesses in its first three years, leading to the creation of more than 130 jobs. Last year it supported 36 Indigenous businesses. I will mention a few in Central Australia to give members a flavour of what is being achieved.
Jungala Enterprises has received $14 000 to purchase a camp trailer and equipment. The company was established in 2007 and conducts tours along the Larapinta Trail. Rainbow Valley Cultural Tours received just over $4000 to purchase office furniture and equipment. This business is owned by Ricky Orr, a traditional owner and custodian of the land at Rainbow Valley, 75 km south of Alice Springs, who I have known for many years. Visitors can go on a guided tour of the Arrernte cultural sites and explore rock art sites that have not previously been open to the public.
Two-ilpa received nearly $4000 to purchase office equipment. The company offers translation and cultural awareness services, providing cross-cultural training for government, non-government, and private sector organisations. It is owned and operated by Kenny Lechleitner, who is a fluent Arrernte, Anmatjere, Warlpiri, and English speaker. Kenny is someone I know personally, as we both went to school together in Adelaide for five years at Emmanuel College and he is a very good friend of mine. Kenny is a great role model for those kids in the bush. Two-ilpa means ‘to listen with both ears’, which is the core idea behind the business.
Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal Corporation received $4000 for a feasibility study into commercial market gardens in Ulpanyali and Arkanta. Ngurratjuta is the representative organisation for a composite group of communities and outstations located in the McDonnell shire. Ngurratjuta, on behalf of a number of Aboriginal communities and outstations, is undertaking a number of commercial market garden projects for financial and community benefit. I had the pleasure earlier this year of doing a trip through the Mereenie loop, including visiting some of these fantastic initiatives. In the current financial year the Indigenous business development program has a budget of $800 000. I am pleased to add that last month Ngurratjuta received a further grant for irrigation and garden equipment for commercial market gardens to be established at Wanmarra, Arkanta, Boomerang Bore, and Lilla.
The global economy is facing challenging times ahead as it wrestles with the banking crisis, a credit crunch, and an economic downturn. The Territory will not be immune to the effects of the international economic crisis but that is not saying it is all doom and gloom. As well as the challenging times ahead, there are also exciting times ahead. Opportunities abound in our regions and the government will continue to focus on its primary objective. When it comes to regional development it will continue to focus on our primary objective of regional development and jobs, jobs, jobs.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the Chief Minister’s statement.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I also support this statement. I thank the Chief Minister for his statement on the state of training in the Northern Territory, especially in light of the current economic downturn.
We recognise that training must go hand-in-hand with delivering real employment outcomes for the benefit of individuals, businesses, employers, and organisations. In regards to Indigenous training and employment it must meet the needs of the people and their remote communities.
The member for Nelson was talking about the INPEX project and the way that Darwin is looking ahead at the $12bn INPEX project and the need to have a skilled workforce for the multitude of jobs that will be created, both directly and indirectly. Nhulunbuy has been through a similar experience. Even though the $2.5bn Gove expansion project has all but ended, after it started in September 2004 - and that was a very exciting time for the community and the company when that came about - the town and the region continues to grow. There still continues to be a need for training.
Whilst we see the boom in the mining industry subsiding, I am pleased to say that in the Nhulunbuy region at Rio Tinto Alcan there are still works to be completed. While some of the larger, well-known contractor numbers may have reduced, it has presented an excellent opportunity for some of our smaller locally based contract companies to pick up some of that work. That is good for our own local economy and for people who live and work there. There are distinct advantages to being able to employ locally.
The Chief Minister’s reference to the government’s initiative to establish regional job hubs - the member for Barkly has also talked about this, because his electorate also stands to gain - is excellent news. It is fantastic news for Territorians, and especially for those of us in the Nhulunbuy and Barkly regions; certainly in Nhulunbuy where we will see the first job hub established. This affirms the government’s commitment to providing strong support for regional economic development. As I understand it, the hubs will provide an analysis of the job market in the East Arnhem region and a better understanding of what jobs are available, and facilitate the matching of training requirements and skills of job seekers to those available jobs.
Not long after the election, when I came into this job, one of the first meetings I had in the first week after parliament was a training review forum. I was quite disheartened to hear, at that meeting, that in the East Arnhem region we had some of the most highly-trained unemployed people in the Territory. That is a terrible situation. It is a waste of time and money. If that is where we are at, it is extremely disheartening and discouraging for those people who are trying to enter the job market. We need to focus on matching skills with jobs and real outcomes.
In regard to the development of the job training hub at Nhulunbuy, I have been involved in the process. I was part of the fairly extensive consultation period with stakeholders which was held to investigate options for the Nhulunbuy regional job hub. Meetings were held in Darwin and Nhulunbuy with officers from the Employment Division within the Department of Business and Employment meeting with key groups.
In Nhulunbuy, that included consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including those who employ Indigenous people such as Laynhapuy Homelands Association, YBE, a little company called Delta Reef, Rio Tinto Alcan, which has its Alert program - and I will talk about that further on - and also fairly extensive consultation with other service providers such as Darwin Skills Development, Charles Darwin University, Batchelor Institute and all those that have a vested interest in the job market and training. I understand that a proposal with options will be presented to the Chief Minister shortly, for the implementation of the plan for the Nhulunbuy hub, which has been developed carefully in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders. All being well, the next step in the process is that we will see the hub operational by July this year.
As the Chief Minister said, job hubs will have a very strong local focus and be an important source of information on a range of matters associated with the local job market. Accurate local information will enable the government to better direct our investment, matching training to individuals and to business needs and available jobs, so that we do not have the situation where we have the most highly-trained unemployed people, which is a ridiculous situation.
In the Nhulunbuy region, there are a number of organisations and businesses that are working hard to contribute to training and employment, and each of them have much to offer the proposed hubs. This is what is at the core of the whole concept of hubs; strengthening partnerships between all these stakeholders. What is more, each of them and the people they represent - and that is mainly Yolngu or Indigenous people - stand to gain enormously from the hub concept. I will talk about a few of those stakeholders.
Laynhapuy Homelands Association is one of the single largest employers of Indigenous people in the Territory. It is based at Yirrkala and is, essentially, a resource centre servicing some 800 Yolngu people who live on 16 homeland communities across the region. One of the core activities that they undertake is the delivery of local government municipal services.
However, Laynhapuy also seeks out economic opportunities for Yolngu people. For Yolngu people, the aspiration for employment is, by and large, based in their homeland infrastructure, to develop business enterprises which are based in their homelands. They are so closely connected to country, they are safe places, it is where their ancestors are, and they are most comfortable when they are on their homeland communities.
During my visits to various communities in the East Arnhem region, Yolngu people have told me that training for them is most successful when it is on their country; on the land which supports and sustains them. Travelling away from country often brings with it problems, humbug, and not to mention the high cost of travel and accommodation. With this knowledge, I was very interested to learn, soon after I came into this role as the local member, about the work that Charles Darwin University’s portable learning classrooms are doing and their very unique style delivering training to Laynhapuy Homelands and, no doubt, other parts in the Territory.
Through its Remote Projects Unit at CDU, these portable learning classrooms and the partnership that they have with Laynhapuy to deliver training programs is contingent on the Mobile Adult Learning Unit, or MALU - and it really is a mobile classroom. It is fully airconditioned. It also contains lecturer accommodation, complete with cooking and ablution facilities. I believe the MALU is currently located at the community of Garrthalala, and that follows a stint at Gan Gan community. When I was at Gan Gan, at a sports day towards the end of last year, I saw it there. Prior to that it had been transported 250 km from Ramingining, which is in the electorate of the member for Arnhem. It had been transported with CDUs prime mover.
The courses that they offer range from numeracy and literacy, to introductory courses in Vocational Education; Community Services; Automotive; Engineering and Welding; Rural Operations; Essential Services Operations; Business; and Construction. Obviously, those particular training courses have been identified as the courses which best suit the needs of that community.
In the last couple of years, Laynhapuy Homelands have also made considerable investment in its Yirralka Ranger Program, which currently employs between 40 and 50 people and includes a number of women. These rangers are looking after the Indigenous Protected Area, which covers an area of more than 600 000 hectares and 640 km of coastline. I have spoken about Yirralka Rangers in regard to the Arafura to Alice Eco-Links, and how an increase in employment opportunities has arisen as a result of the federal government intervention.
A member: It must be a good thing, then.
Ms WALKER: If we are looking for the good things that come out of the intervention that is one of them. At least half of the rangers are on salary which, for many, is a more attractive option then CDEP. That is not to say that CDEP is an unattractive option. I know my colleague, the member for Arafura, spoke strongly and passionately in defence of CDEP, and I am behind her, as is the member for Stuart. CDEP provides people with employment, meaningful work, and a bridge to full-time employment. We have seen, not only with Yirralka Rangers, but with Dhimurru as well, a number of people who have progressed from CDEP to full-time jobs, and that those CDEP positions are then taken up by others in the community.
Part of the Yirralka Rangers program is caring for land and sea country. I know that one of the options that Yirralka would like to explore is developing tourism potential, and with that there would be a demand for training. So I was quite pleased to hear the Minister for Tourism, and I welcome the contribution that he made to the debate around the initiatives that are coming with more training to support specific jobs within the tourism industry.
In Nhulunbuy, our local tourism hub is attached to the East Arnhem Shire office, and is currently headed up by Adrienne Willing, who is doing some fantastic work supporting local communities and homeland communities that want to develop tourism, eco-tourism, and cultural ventures.
I know that a number of members have visited the community of Bawaka, which is Timmy Burarrwanga’s community, and I hope to visit there for the first time as a visitor in March. Yinyikay, which is on the coast to the north of Nhulunbuy, is doing some fantastic cultural tours and I am booked to go there in March for an overnight trip, meet members of the community, hopefully learn a few basket-making skills, and not only develop a better understanding of those people and how they live, but also to see firsthand how their little tourism business is operating.
Another successful business, operating and supported by the tourism hub, is master Yidaki classes. It is no longer at East Woody, but at Wallaby Beach, as the community at East Woody has moved to Wallaby Beach thanks to Rio Tinto donating that section and the houses on it to the Rirratjingu clan. Djalu Gurruwiwi is a Yidaki master in making, playing, and teaching. His is a niche business that attracts people from all over the world. It is fantastic to see that we have already recognised that there is much scope for training within the tourism area.
Dhimurru Land Management is also very actively involved in training programs for their 16 employees, of whom 12 or so are Yolngu people. Literacy, numeracy, and natural resources management underpin their training requirements through Batchelor College, but at the heart of everything they do is two-way learning and that is the theme that goes to the heart of Dhimurru’s origins. I would like to acknowledge Dhimurru’s permits officer, Mawuka Marika, who last year graduated with her Certificate II in Business Management. At the time of her graduation, Mawuka was interviewed in our local newspaper and I would like to quote what she said on completion of her course and graduation:
I highlight Mawuka’s comments about the benefits of studying and showing children how important that is, because that is what is at the heart of all of this; the foundation stone is education. The government has recognised that and is working hard with its Closing the Gap policy to reduce the gap on Indigenous disadvantage, recognising that the foundation is education. We need to get children to school and we need to have them literate and numerate when they leave school and thus better prepared to move into jobs and training.
I will speak briefly about Rio Tinto Alcan, which was Nabalco originally. The largest employer in the region and I suspect one of the, if not the, largest employers in the Territory, and the fairly significant contribution that they make to Indigenous training and employment through their ALERT programme. That is a program that has grown and evolved from its predecessor, which was called YNOTS which was started up in 2001.
I know that the Chief Minister is familiar with the ALERTs program, because we both visited their facility last year, had a good look through, chatted with the trainers, chatted with the trainees and were greatly impressed with the work they were doing. They have invested heavily in creating a dedicated training facility and devising a program which aims to provide trainees with real employment outcomes. This all occurs in a culturally sensitive environment, with training delivered in distinct phases which allows trainees to progress at a pace that is not overwhelming.
I know that Rio Tinto Alcan has been in discussions with officers from the Departments of Business and Employment and Education and Training at Territory and federal government level to look at an Indigenous employment and training model. Rio Tinto Alcan brings to the Nhulunbuy region some of the very successful strategies that they have implemented at their Weipa and Argyle sites. In talking about the job hubs earlier, they are about finding what is best for the local people at local level. I have no doubt that a partnership with Rio Tinto Alcan, with its learning in other remote Indigenous communities, will have the potential to bolster the prospects and opportunities for Yolngu people.
Rio Tinto Alcan also employs its own apprentices and trainees. More than 40 apprentices are currently engaged in a range of trades, from first year through to final year, and it includes women in non-traditional roles and mature aged trainees as well.
Local people and particularly school leavers are extremely fortunate that the company’s policy has always been to recruit locally. This serves two purposes. It means the younger ones are invariably housed with their parents who can provide support to their offspring as they make the transition from school to work. It also means that issues of accommodation are dealt with. While this works for Rio Tinto trainees, the issue of the availability of affordable accommodation remains an impediment to the business community and, indeed, to those employers who wish to attract trainees and apprentices. An individual on trainee and apprentice wages being able to find their own accommodation is simply out of the question.
Group Training Northern Territory has a large presence in the East Arnhem region and I was very pleased recently to attend and speak at their annual awards night. They have responsibility for recruiting and managing around 75 apprentices and trainees in the region. Employers such as Rio Tinto are a host employer for these people. Its former Training Manager – it is currently recruiting for a new one - told me that training demands in the region are definitely on the increase, substantiated by the number of employers who contacted him for recruiting or advice on employing apprentices, as well as the number of trainees and apprentices who are currently in training.
On a positive note, the increases are reflected in businesses and organisations seeking to undertake the training and development of Indigenous trainees throughout the region. There are some major employers in the region that have designed Indigenous engagement programs with targets of 30% Indigenous employment which are quite common. This will have several positive outcomes within the region. It will allow employers to employ local people without the added relocation or fly in/fly out costs; address the projected short fall in skilled labour; provide Indigenous people with a pathway off social security and boost the local economy.
Combine this with the roll-out of the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program, or SIHIP, which our Minister for Local Government talked about and can I say …
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Madam Speaker, I was thrilled to see last week that Galiwinku, which is a sizeable community of about 2000 people on Elcho Island, has signed a lease which means that the SIHIP Program can now proceed. It is a considerable program at Galiwinku, to the tune of $33m. With the SIHIP Program, the prospects are promising for Yolngu people. There are nine East Arnhem communities receiving 23% of the total SIHIP capital budget. I had a briefing recently from the Department of Local Government and Housing, which explained that with the alliance partnerships, a team of training and employment specialists will be embedded within each of the alliances, to ensure local outcomes for Indigenous people. This will include a skills assessment of local unemployed Indigenous people, the opportunity for pre-vocational training, employment of local Indigenous people, and developing career pathways for Indigenous people.
With SIHIP occurring over a five year period, the opportunity is there for people to have skills that will take them well into the future. Any training partnerships must be developed and delivered with recognition and acceptance of culture and language backgrounds of Indigenous trainees. I spoke with Bryan Hughes, the Principal at Galiwinku School on Elcho and who said – it is really encouraging ‘touch wood’ - the attendance figures at the school are fantastic at the moment. They are achieving that through some really hard work and innovative programs to get kids to school.
During the discussion around the economic stimulus package and the extra dollars that would bring to schools infrastructure, I asked him what plans he had earmarked. He had a few but he said one he was keen to get started was an upgrade to their manual arts area to equip students with technical and trade skills. That would marry well with the SIHIP Program and give those kids a really good pathway from school into the workforce.
I need to acknowledge Group Training Northern Territory’s retention rates in East Arnhem Land, which exceed 70% and completion rates exceed 90%, which is around twice the national average. They offer a diverse range of services and also have a very strong alliance with schools and RTOs.
Nhulunbuy High School is an RTO that provides an excellent VET program for students in Nhulunbuy, which includes some students who come in from Yirrkala. At the 2008 NT Training Awards, held in Darwin in September last year, the school took out the VET in Schools Excellence Award. That is a fantastic result and due, in no small part, to Marlene Organ. Marlene is the school’s VET coordinator and trainer, and she was recognised for her work being named as Trainer of the Year. Marlene is a dedicated and driven professional who has delivered Certificate I and II in Business, Retail, IT, and Hospitality to students with high rates of success, evidenced by students who find themselves in jobs at the end of it. Late last year, there were 33 engineering students registered with the RTO. Under Marlene’s stewardship - and with good support from Nhulunbuy High School Principal, Kate Middleton - the capability of the RTO has grown remarkably.
Nhulunbuy High Schools VET program is currently working in partnership with Group Training to provide an avenue to deliver some of the business administration units to trainees. They are being delivered through Nhulunbuy High School as the RTO. The reason that this has come about is due to the difficulty in attracting and, no doubt, accommodating lecturers and trainees. That is another dilemma which needs to be addressed.
I am very excited, as I know my colleague, the member for Barkly is, at the prospect of the job hub. I am proud that Nhulunbuy will be the first hub. There is quite a high level of training activity in the region, with much work to be done in readiness for the roll-out of the hub plan by 1 July this year.
Madam Speaker, I feel quite confident that, with this government’s support, we will have, for the first time, an opportunity to harness the learnings, to forge partnerships, and to find local solutions for a local labour market, for local people. I commend the Chief Minister on his statement.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I have always had an interest in politics, and people would know here that I have run for federal politics. Not many people would know that I have worked in the federal employment field, both in Canberra and in Alice Springs, working for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, in Indigenous and non-Indigenous areas, managing a number of programs – CDEP, Work for the Dole, and a vast array of things - and have an intimate understanding of the job network process. When this came up I thought it was very interesting. It is very important that we support people to develop their skills, and that we have a strong focus on jobs - despite the fact that the government has lost its focus on the McArthur River Mine and the 300 jobs there. I throw that in for you, Chief Minister.
The thing that I found working with the Northern Territory government was that there were great staff working for the Northern Territory government, they were always willing to help. I remember some people I used to work with in Alice, who I still see now. They were always keen to help, but were always restrained by the lack of financial ability they had to support projects - always happy to sign on to an agreement, but could never put anything to it.
A case in point is what the member for Stuart mentioned regarding the Tanami regional partnership agreement. That is an agreement that I put forward when I was in Canberra many years ago, to work in partnership with Newmont Mines to try to employ Aboriginal people. We tried to do the same thing at Nhulunbuy with the Alcan mine - not Nabalco that was a while ago – but we could not get it working. There was a problem and it is still the same problem; whether the YNOTS program has progressed – and I understand all that.
However, there were a number of non-Indigenous people working there - like the member for Nhulunbuy - who used to work there - that restrained the ability for people to get into work. I take the philosophy now that getting Aboriginal people into work is the first thing - not training. I know that training can assist, but the process of getting people into work first and then providing on-the-job skills training is the way to go.
I always found it hard working with the Northern Territory government. I remember negotiating the Tanami regional partnership agreement as a lead for the Australian government. I sat down with a fellow from the Northern Territory government, from DBERD at the time. He said: ‘Adam, how much money are you going to put in?’ My cheque book was pretty big; I could put in whatever I wanted, but it comes with principles like, who is going to contribute?
The Central Land Council, there is a great bloke who works there - I will not mention his name. He works in the Economic Development Section of CLC. He does a great job in trying to train people, and encourage them to turn up and provide mentoring and support. I was going to put in - I cannot remember the exact number now - but it was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We were going to try to support employment of a mentor, because DBERD could not do that. We were going to support the training wages, and link that to the job network so that they could get their work clothes, and they could get wages subsidised, and they could even put in the transport to and from the mine. Who would throw all of that in? It came up to be the big issue. This is one of the problems in negotiating these things all the time, is that everyone always needs a car, and that is the problem. When you put them in, everyone needs a car for some reason. That always becomes a sticking point.
I could not find a car from the Australian government, which is understandable, because the Australian government should not be providing the car. We said to the Northern Territory government: can you find a car? You want to sign up this partnership and you want to stand up in parliament and talk about how good you are: can you find a car? He could not find a car. What can you do? Why should I? I was a bureaucrat representing the Australian government - whoever was in power - but I was trying to have a partnership agreement. I asked: what can you do? ‘Oh, we have a few …’ - this is no word of a lie - … ‘spare desks and chairs that you might be able to use for the mentor’. I thought the Northern Territory government is on the ball. We are employing someone and probably paying about $180 000 for their salary and super, on-costs, a car, and it could provide a chair and a table for a mentor who is going to get up to 30 people into a job. I thought: this is the Northern Territory government.
But I kept keep going and going, and I think it took about seven years for this agreement to be negotiated. It is up and running now and the Northern Territory government took the credit for it. I do not need credit for it myself. I could go through this ministerial statement and talk about every single thing that I came up with in my job with the Australian government, both public and then private, to get things working in the Territory, because you guys have no ideas. You do not resource DBERD to get people into work, or whatever the department is called now. You never resourced them to get people into work. You had staff there and were saying, we are doing a great job, and the staff were great, but they had no tools - there were no tools in the shed. There were no ideas at all, and you were not willing to work in partnership.
Let me tell you this story. This is about how I got to be in this parliament now. It relates to this ministerial statement, Madam Speaker. It involves the SIHIP project. You will hear me interject from time to time to the nodding dog about the SIHIP program. This is a big picture thing. The intervention came down, and we had all its detractors, like the member for Nhulunbuy and the member for Arafura, jumping up and down in Sydney saying this is the ‘black Tampa’. It was not the ‘black Tampa’, it was trying to make a difference. The intervention was the first of the stimulus packages to come to the Northern Territory. That is what that was.
The second stimulus that came to the Northern Territory was the SIHIP program. We have this government and the Chief Minister and every other character from the thirteen dwarves on the other side telling us about how important the stimulus package was. Well, Mal Brough offered you $700m - that is a lot more than the stimulus package. How many jobs could that get for the Territory? Can someone tell me now why the houses are not being built? In 2007, you took $567m, you put in $100m of your own - which is very good and I support that - but you cannot get the houses on the ground. That is because you do not have the ideas.
When I was working in the private sector - before I came to this job - I was doing a number of different partnerships and deals and trying to help people get into work. I had a staff of 65, 58 out of those were Indigenous. I knew how to employ people, and I knew how to be supportive, and I still do. I am not bragging, it is not important, but the point is things can be done.
I was involved with the project manager for Parsons Brinckerhoff for part of a tender, with the company I was working for, as part of a tender to provide employment and training advice to the Northern Territory government, or for Parsons Brinckerhoff on behalf of the Northern Territory government - and that was good. We were providing them great advice. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder, the person who is second in charge, not the fellow from America. The Minister for Housing will know exactly who I am talking about. He said: ‘Adam, I have a bit of a problem’. I said: ‘What?’ I had developed the employment and training plan for SIHIP. I was involved with CDU in Batchelor and I was putting everything into place. I was working out all the funding cycles on how the Northern Territory government could extract tens of millions out of the Australian government to help SIHIP work. Where you could get your employees, how you could do the research, how you could map point-in-time data - from where it is now to where it will be at the end of SIHIP - how you can put the protracted image at the end of the scale so that when the houses are built you still have the jobs.
I was working all that out for the Northern Territory government but I got tapped on the shoulder and was told that the Northern Territory government cannot work with you because you ran for federal parliament in 2007. I said: ‘What? I am the person who is getting people jobs in the Northern Territory’. I was the Northern Territory manager for an employment company. I was the ex-Central Australian manager for the Australian government managing all the employment programs. I used to be the head of Indigenous economic development in the Australian government. I know what I am talking about - I will piss in my pocket but I know what I am talking about.
Madam SPEAKER: Excuse me, please withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mr GILES: I am sorry, Madam Speaker. I withdraw that comment.
Mr Elferink: Inflating your own position.
Mr GILES: Yes, I am not blowing my trumpet, but I know what I am talking about. I was prepared to put all the political stuff aside and I made a decision to try to make a difference, to help roll-out SIHIP. Before working in the employment area, I was one of the program managers for the ATSIC national housing infrastructure program. I have built houses around Australia. I was the chief manager of the ATSIC Army Aboriginal Community Assistance program, where I would put the army into communities and help to build the houses. This was my job. The two things I can do are build houses and employ Aboriginal people - both together. But SIHIP said: ‘Adam, despite all your experience and your ability to be able to do this, we are not going to work with your company’. I said: ‘What?’
This is the time that pre-selection for Braitling came up and I went through all those things of whether I should I run for parliament. And I said no, I am going to help people into jobs and help build these houses. That was my decision; I was not running for parliament, despite the polling that said I would romp it in. I had a great job, on a huge wicket, with business investments everywhere, making a killing and getting people into work. With a plan to get hundreds and hundreds or thousands people into work. Not some of this fluff in here about thousands of apprenticeship commencements. That is what it is called, commencements. It is not a job. We can all go down to Batchelor and sign up to do something. That is not a job.
I had to make that decision. A personal decision based on principles. Should I continue and bat my head against this stupid wall, where I can help people and they do not want me to help them - this is exactly what happened, this is no word of a lie - or should I come up here; come with my friends. The real people who want to help Aboriginal people in the Territory. These are the people who want to make a difference.
In 2007 there was $700 000m on the table and this government cannot build the houses. You cannot even get past the bureaucratic red tape to build a house out of your own pocket. And the rumours I am hearing about the multimillions of dollars that it is syphoning out of SIHIP, to help run the Northern Territory government because of its $200 000m black hole.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, I think you may need to withdraw those comments. You need to make those on substantive motion.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, in defence of the member for Braitling’s position, he can make such allegations as he pleases in this House and it is up to him to substantiate them should he be …
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, but he needs to do so on substantive motion.
Mr ELFERINK: No, Madam Speaker, he is not making a direct allegation against any member of this House. I understood his reference to mean nothing more than a generalisation about the conduct of government. Those are the sorts of comments that one naturally expects in this House and I submit to you, Madam Speaker, that it is …
Madam SPEAKER: It is generally considered, member for Port Darwin, that if you are referring to a member or the government in a general way like that, that it is not parliamentary.
Mr ELFERINK: No, Madam Speaker, with all due respect, whilst I appreciate what you are trying to do, it is not the position of the Chair of this House to determine whether a comment by a member like that is inappropriate. He shall live and die as a politician by the quality of the comments he makes and it is not for the Chair to edit him. I heard no point of order called in relation to the matter, nor did I sense the Chief Minister, at any time, feel he was being directly accused of anything - I am sure he would have been on his feet in two seconds flat - other than to mutter the word ‘rubbish’. I urge you reconsider that decision and allow the member the freedom of speech in this House.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I am happy to withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: I take the point of what the member for Port Darwin said, and he is absolutely right, but I will withdraw that comment. But I will say this. If the rumours that I am hearing are true, if the extent of administrative charges coming out of the SIHIP Program are true, the Northern Territory government should hang its head in shame. When so much money is being spent on administering a program that is not building houses is an absolute disgrace. This is about jobs.
The opportunity that the Northern Territory government had to use my ability and experience, like the member for Nhulunbuy said, to help people get off CDEP and into a longer-term job, was there. I offered the whole thing up to the government. It was not politics. It was about trying to help people. For them to have me tapped on the shoulder to say: ‘You cannot work implementing this project’. is a disgrace. That is why this statement is a disgrace. You do not care about jobs. You do not care about people. You sit here and talk for hours about more fluff. I did more than half the stuff in this thing on my own. You are an absolute joke.
Madam SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Port Darwin, I have received a document relating to pairs. From 6 pm this evening, which is now, until the end of the evening, there is pair between the member for Fannie Bay, Mr Gunner and the member for Fong Lim, Mr Tollner. It is signed by the Government Whip and the Opposition Whip.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I have listened carefully to some of the comments by the speakers tonight and I am often struck by our very genuine attempts and, I believe, even the government’s very genuine attempts to deal with Aboriginal employment and employment issues as a whole; but Aboriginal employment. That is where I would like to go for a moment because I believe that governments, both Country Liberal governments in the past and the present Labor government, would genuinely like to make a profound impact in the area of Aboriginal employment.
I sometimes wonder if all the efforts poured into Aboriginal employment are misplaced in their philosophy. We continually try to construct job programs around Aboriginal people, the capacity to do this or that or we have to get a little more education in there - we have to do those sorts of things. Yet there is very little that focuses on the thinking, the philosophy, or the methodology that exists underneath the surface of Aboriginal people.
I am interested to know what would happen if an Aboriginal person suddenly, by their own motion one day, with no education, no training or upskilling or program to support them, pulled on a pair of boots that he bought from an op shop, a nice pair of steel capped boots, pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, had a bath or washed himself under a tap in a public place somewhere and then walked around the industrial area of Alice Springs, for argument’s sake, and knocked on the doors and said: ‘I cannot read or write but I can push a broom and pick up a shovel’.
I wonder how long that person would remain unemployed. I suspect that they would be unemployed for a very short time indeed. That person would be used very quickly to clean up yards and those sorts of things. Once you display a work ethic - whether you are black, white, brown, brindle or pink with green polka dots - people will pick up on that.
I listened with great interest to what the minister for Corrections had to say about how your perspectives are changed when you are confronted with 400 kg of angry meat, because all of a sudden you are challenged. The challenge in that environment is very direct - a big angry bull - I am in trouble because I am sitting in the same corral as a big, angry bull. All of a sudden, I have a motivator. Something is going to make me move and, if it is not me, it is probably going to be 400 kg of angry meat.
I listened to the member for Macdonnell on this issue - God bless her cotton socks - when she said: ‘It is not a black issue, it is not a white issue, it is a right issue. It is a human issue’. Perhaps it is an oversimplification, but what astonishes me about all that we do is that somehow, with all of our efforts to develop programs - training programs, this program and that program, and all sorts of programs - we have forgotten to say to Aboriginal people: ‘You can do this’.
Prior to the arrival of nationalised guilt in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Aboriginal people were valued, particularly in Central Australia – and I understand it to be true of the Top End - for their enormous capacity to work, particularly in the cattle industry. Whilst I appreciate that they were not properly remunerated for their efforts they, nevertheless, took pride in what they did. How do I know that? If I go to Alice Springs now and I see an old tjilpi walking, and he has the big brass buckle in the front of his belt, a 10-gallon hat, and his leather boots on, he is wearing those items of clothing with pride. Whilst we considered it a matter of oppression that they were not properly paid and, possibly, not even properly looked after as employees, it is clear that in the minds of those Aboriginal people who still choose to wear the garments with such pride, that they did not see those symbols of oppression but, rather, recognised that they were symbols of pride.
If they were symbols of oppression, they would not wear them. No more than a Jew would wear a striped pyjama today, because you would not wear the symbols of oppression. However, you wear the symbols of pride with dignity and with your head held high. Nowadays, if you go out to Hermannsburg or Papunya on any of the sports days, there is always a group of people getting around with that clobber on, because they sought a source of pride. They worked and looked after their families. They provided for their families in ways that their forefathers did not because they provided meat and running water on tap.
It was a vastly improved standard of living than their forefathers, because their forefathers also worked like absolute Trojans for a few thousand calories a day. Before the arrival of Europeans, Aboriginal people worked all day, every day, for what is, essentially, a ham and salad roll and a couple of cokes worth of income. What you and I would earn in the space of two minutes, they had to work all day for, just to survive.
As the cattle industries and, in the case of Hermannsburg, the missions moved into the areas, the quality of living went up and all of a sudden, we made them wealthy, but we did not couple effort to wealth. I am not going to go into that whole argument. However, I sometimes think what we are trying to achieve fails to engage Aboriginal people on one level; to tell them that they are capable of doing this stuff by themselves, absent of education. Okay, education can be good; it is much better if you can read and write. However, if you cannot, absent of education, by your own motion, you can do much. Even an illiterate person can do much if they put their mind to it.
Implicit in a housing program, a work program, health service delivery, and education delivery - in the way that we do it - is an undercurrent. It is the same undercurrent which is implicit in sit-down money: ‘Do not worry about it; we can do it for you’. The implication attached to that is: ‘You are useless’. We have said to Aboriginal people for 35 years now, that they are useless, by all the best intentions in the world. However, we have not challenged them and they have not challenged themselves, since we started providing sit-down money, the free ride, the gravy train, the cargo culture.
Sadly, the cargo culture has done more, in my opinion, to create an environment of cultural genocide - if I can use that expression, I think it gets used to death - than any other action or activity at the hands of European administrations since the settlement of white Australia. The learned uselessness that underpins this is what continues to underpin what happens in remote Aboriginal communities, in particular.
Can we imagine a program, let us put all of these programs aside, can we imagine a vehicle or some mechanism, by which we can say, or get Aboriginal people to actually change the way they perceive themselves. I know how they perceive themselves, because I have spoken to many people, and they are individuals. There are Aboriginal people in this room who perceive themselves in a very positive and decent light; in fact, every Aboriginal person in this room.
We heard the challenges yesterday and I read about the challenges today that the member for Arnhem has faced in her life, the member for Macdonnell, who has faced massive challenges in her life. The non-Aboriginal people in this room have faced massive challenges in their life. But somewhere, in each of those people’s decision-making processes - I include myself in this list – there has been a decision to say, ‘Enough is enough. I am going to change. If I wait for the world to come along and touch me on the head and say: “Do not worry about it, John, we will fix it for you” nothing will happen’.
Each individual who stands and rises to the challenges that they are presented with in life can overcome those challenges. And they can be paraplegics, they can be alcoholics, or they could be HIV positive, but those people who say, ‘I am responsible’, will go on to achieve, because what follows from, ‘I am responsible’, is ‘then it is up to me to move’.
What I do not see, in these sorts of statements and the current provision of policy to Aboriginal people and other people, is the expectation that we should have as a community, that you carry as a person in a society - I say our society, I mean in our jurisdiction, in our country - that there is a moral burden upon you to lift yourself up. That is something you learn, and some people will always fall through the cracks, no matter how much you try to impress this upon them. I genuinely believe that the vast majority of people, when they are faced with those sort of challenges, actually rise to the occasion. To do that, you cannot continue to provide the programs with the implication that weaves its way through all of these programs, ‘We will do it for you’ - implication: ‘You are useless’.
Whilst I appreciate the genuine things that the government is trying to do, I hope that there is a revisiting of the philosophy of how we do these things, so that people can raise themselves up by their own motion. I genuinely believe that if an Aboriginal person, or any other person, illiterate or otherwise, walks around the industrial area of any of our communities, and knocks on the door saying, ‘for 20 bucks an hour I will clean up your yard’, that person would not only have a job for the day, but probably a job for the rest of their life if they wanted it. I genuinely believe that. But we have to get people to the point where they believe it themselves. I would really like to see what roles can be conducted by the government, and any other provider, that could actually achieve those outcomes.
To a degree, it used to happen in places like Hermannsburg with the missions. When Pastor Albrecht was in the area and the mission was established in the early days, there was a requirement for employment. There was a real ongoing, caring contact for the 30 years Albrecht was there. There was a continuity of delivery of expectations, which you must have, but the expectation was, that if you want to eat, you grow it. Once upon a time, Hermannsburg sold about 60 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to Alice Springs. It had a carpentry shop and an abattoir. It had, believe it or not, full employment, not in the sense that everybody was on an award wage, but everybody had a function that was vital to the ongoing success in Hermannsburg as a community.
There were no government departments. There were no ranks of public servants with good intentions. There was just an expectation that if you wanted to get along in this community, you had to meet certain benchmarks. If you look at the photographs of the people of Hermannsburg from those periods, there was no infection, there was no obesity and they were walking around with their heads much higher than they tend to nowadays. Perhaps it is time we revisited those philosophies again and see how we could introduce those philosophies into our employment programs and see what the result would be.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their contributions. We are all passionate about jobs and employment and the training system that prepares people for employment. The importance of training and employment initiatives is probably one of the few things that both sides of the House can agree on. I am proud of the government’s efforts in supporting school-based apprentices and trainees, job seekers, and employees who are looking for opportunities to upskill themselves. We are moving into changing times that will test our ability to forecast and provide appropriate training which not only meets the short-term needs of immediate job seekers but also provides the right skills mix when the economy stabilises.
I was pleased to hear the regional and remote stories presented by my colleagues, the member for Barkly and the member for Stuart. I was also pleased to hear the member for Fannie Bay talk about how training for school students is providing them with greater job prospects when they leave. I have no doubt that the introduction of VET programs has successfully kept many young Territorians at school for longer, bringing them greater educational advantage when they eventually leave.
I pick up on a couple of the comments made by the member for Goyder. First, I agree that the Territory is starting to feel the impacts of the global financial crisis. We know that. As I outlined, there are already in place, programs and incentives for employers and employees to assist businesses and individuals to keep Territorians working or adapting for new work challenges. As the member pointed out, we have significantly increased our investment in these areas and I will happily respond to her questions when she writes to me.
Regarding the Australian Technical College, I put on the record that the ongoing funding issue is one for them to work through with the federal government. The ATC model in Darwin, whilst part of the national number of ATCs, is a unique training organisation. There is no doubt that its intensive work with students is reaping good results. I know the member for Solomon, Mr Damien Hale, is strongly advocating, on behalf of the ATC, for the continuation of funding, to his colleagues in Canberra. Whilst this is primarily a federal government funding issue, my government continues to talk with the ATC and supports them. Late last year I met with board members of the ATC and heard firsthand about the work they are doing with Territory students.
Picking up on the point raised about Taminmin High School, it really is wonderful the work that Tony Considine has done. The work he has done with its library - it is on the government’s radar for long-term planning. But I point out that they have just taken delivery of two new classrooms, to make sure the needs of their growing number of students are being met.
I could not agree more that training needs to have an outcome focus and of course, it is desirable that apprentices and trainees finish their training. However, that is not the real world we live in and it would be ridiculous to state that a trainee or apprentice, who might have completed two years of training and has been offered a position too good to refuse, is a bad result. Outcomes can be measured in many ways. Indeed, any training that leads to a positive outcome has to be seen as a success.
We have had the debate about completion rates previously, but the latest advice I have is that our apprenticeship completion rates are around 58%. I believe the national average is 53-54%. There are two ways that you can look at that figure. You can look at it as 50% wasted effort if apprentices do not complete their trade, however, if those apprentices do move in to full-time employment in other areas - and most of them do - it is not necessarily wasted effort.
Very few of those apprentices drop out and find they are unemployed. There are any number of reasons why an apprentice does not conclude their apprenticeship, whether it is six months, 12 months, two years, or three years into a trade. But if they are fully employed, that is a good outcome. Our numbers and statistics are equal to outcomes that are being achieved elsewhere in Australia. Tracking Territorians in training, to determine results and employability and the success of pathways, is therefore an important aspect of the work undertaken by the Training Division of the Department of Education and Training.
The Department of Business and Employment compiles the Northern Territory occupation shortage list – a valuable labour market tool. As the member for Nelson pointed out, it provides information on occupations in shortage or those where Territory employers are experiencing recruitment difficulties. The list is reviewed annually and reports on emerging shortages. A recent survey of employers highlighted an additional 60 occupations for inclusion, indicating that even in these uncertain economic times, Territory industry is still experiencing skill shortages. It is this information that informs government training priorities, employer incentives, and our skilled migration campaigns. It is also used by industry to assist with workforce planning.
Regarding the occupations that cannot be studied in the Territory, the Department of Education and Training has a range of student assistance schemes which Territory students can apply for when they are close to finalising their Year 12 studies. This assistance includes travel assistance for interstate higher education students, with a number of priority fields of study listed to encourage students to undertake these areas of study. The member for Nelson will be happy to note that the medical and dental studies are both listed as priority areas for assistance.
Reflecting on the member for Nelson’s INPEX questions, I agree that there are great opportunities for young and old jobseekers. We recognise that a project of the scale of INPEX will require some workers to be imported from around Australia and, possibly, from overseas, but there has never been a better time for Territorians to take advantage of a dynamic labour market.
Senior staff from the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Business and Employment have met with representatives from INPEX to discuss their employment needs and possible training requirements. The departments have offered to assist INPEX in profiling the Territory’s labour market to identify the possible availability of workers and to put training programs in place to skill new employees and increase the skills of existing workers. INPEX and the departments have agreed to share information and work together to ensure Territorians can access new opportunities and INPEX can employ skilled workers.
When Darwin LNG was being built, ConocoPhillips and Bechtel thought they would be lucky if they got 20% of the labour pool required for construction from the Northern Territory. In the end they achieved nearly 50%, which was a great result. I acknowledge that it caused much concern and stretch for Territory-based businesses, particularly those out in Winnellie and Berrimah, that lost tradespeople to the plant. But they survived and came through this. Those workers have gone back into those businesses, upskilled, and the high wages they earned went around the Territory economy. There are plusses and minuses but, overall, these projects are to the benefit of the Territory. The INPEX project is an exciting project on the horizon.
I will speak on some of the comments the member for Nhulunbuy made. I look forward to catching up with you and having a chat to see how Bryan Hughes is going at Galiwinku. I first came across Bryan when he was the principal at Clyde Fenton School in Katherine and he did an incredible job there. I spoke about Tony Considine and the work he is doing at Taminmin and the power of one. Bryan has done a magnificent job. If he is at Galiwinku, I know he will make a difference. Our commitment to job hubs mean it is going to be very exciting to watch those roll out. I look forward to working with you to roll out the first job hub in Nhulunbuy to commence on 1 July.
I will pick up on some of the comments by the member for Braitling. I do not doubt the member for Braitling’s commitment to Indigenous education, training, and employment and Indigenous issues, generally. I do not doubt that prior to entering parliament, he made a real contribution and has a good knowledge and understanding of all of those issues.
In a spirit of bipartisanship, I look forward to having a conversation about some of the things that he said in regard to working with Territory government departments and agencies, and some of the issues. If we can do better, we will do better. I look forward to having a conversation with you, genuinely, member for Braitling, about your observations at a government-to-government official level, in terms of doing much better than we are.
However, I do have to pick up on the issues about SIHIP and that we have not rolled out any houses yet. You would know, member for Braitling, that there were two key issues that needed to be resolved and put into place before construction on housing could start. We have all felt frustration regarding the length of time it has taken to kick this project off. The first issue was the negotiation of the leasing for houses. We all know how protracted, complicated, and difficult that has been. Now that we have the template in place and communities are signing up - four more communities were ready to go just before Christmas in the Top End - we are ready to go.
The second issue was around the alliance contracting model that the Commonwealth government insisted the Territory government sign up to for the allocation of Commonwealth government funding. That was initiated under the previous government and was carried forward by the current government.
The alliance contracting model has not been used in the Northern Territory before. Territory businesses had no experience of the alliance contracting model, Northern Territory government agencies had no experience of it, and Treasury was very wary of some of the risks to be assumed in moving down this path. However, we worked through those issues and tenders have been awarded. The fact that it was not a traditional design and procurement contracting arrangement, has led to some complexities which have not been dealt with before.
I can honestly say it is not due to - it may be due in part - incompetence is not the right word, because Territory businesses and the Territory government had no experience with this alliance contracting model before. Because we are dealing with hundreds of million of dollars worth of taxpayers’ money, we have to get it right. With all the work up-front in putting this together, I am very hopeful that once these projects start there will be a seamless roll-out. We are ready to go on the Tiwi Islands and Tennant Creek. Groote Eylandt will be next cab off the rank and then Maningrida and other Top End communities will be ready. However, it is not incompetence or inattention to detail. It is because the Commonwealth government imposed on the Territory an arrangement and a way of rolling this housing out that the Territory had no experience with, and only previously in Queensland to a fairly small degree.
I rebut the allegation that the Territory government is syphoning money off SIHIP to fund the emerging budget deficit. I stand here and refute that, absolutely, totally, and entirely ...
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! Those comments were withdrawn, and I changed what I said.
Mr HENDERSON: Okay. I acknowledge that they were withdrawn, but I stand by my comments. We have had concerns with the administrative oversighting arrangement that we have been required to put in place to manage the alliance delivery method. The government have questioned, in Cabinet, the requirements for the administrative arrangements that oversight this project.
This structure has been imposed on the Territory by the Australian government. I am not going to say whether it is an appropriate arrangement or whether it will be successful. We will wait and see how the project concludes. However, we did question it. This was a condition imposed on the Territory by the Australian government.
I will have a conversation with you about some of your experiences, member for Braitling.
In closing, I draw the House’s attention to the following advertisement from the Northern Territory News by a local company, Action Sheetmetal. Everyone knows Harry Maschke. He is a real legend around the Northern Territory and he has been involved with every political party over time, and who knows where Harry sits these days. He is a real gentleman, an absolute legend, and he is a friend to many of us in this parliament. I am sure people have seen the advertisements that he has been taking out in the paper about his apprentices, congratulating them, talking about their attributes, and talking these young people up. I believe it is magnificent that Harry is doing this.
I will read a couple of them. There seems to be a series of them: Bianco Bober: ‘Bianco is very keen to be an apprentice in the Action Team. We are very proud to have Bianco as a Trainee. He accepted our standard of discipline, standard of work and he looks after us, and we will look after Bianco’; and another, Lee Simes. ‘What would Lee do without the Action Team and what would the Action Team do without Lee? He is a great contributor. He was training in the plumbing industry and now he has taken on a further skill in the sheetmetal industry. He will be a multiskilled tradesperson. The Action Team is happy to have Lee’.
There has been a series of these, and they are expensive ads to run. It is fantastic of Harry to actively promote the benefits and the contribution that these young people make to his business, rather than talking about the burdens on business in hiring an employee. Congratulations Harry, you are a legend and I know that you have a genuine commitment, through good times and bad times, to training the next generation and my congratulations to you.
In conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their genuinely positive tone in this debate. I commend the statement to the House and I look forward to giving further updates.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Provision of Modern, Reliable Health Services for all Territorians
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, Madam Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Greatorex:
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I am very pleased first of all to see that we may have two hours tonight to debate this, as opposed to yesterday’s farce in the House where the debate was cut short – gagged - so the member for Johnston could get up and have his little fun. Nevertheless, we will have the full time tonight, which is good.
This is a definite Matter of Public Importance; there is no doubt about it. The failure of the Territory government to provide resources and leadership that is necessary for the delivery of modern reliable health services to all Territorians now, and plan for the effects that an ageing population will have on the ability to deliver these services in the future.
The new Health Minister, the member for Casuarina, in the opinion of the opposition, is on notice. He has taken over a new portfolio, a large portfolio. He said that he wants to make a difference. I read one of his press releases about focussing on regional health and other aspects of health across the Northern Territory but, unfortunately, his first couple of weeks have not really been outstanding.
Under the new Health Minister, the Territory has a chance to put the problems within the public health system behind him and get on with the job. Can the new Health Minister break away from the incompetence of the previous Health Minister and really make a change? He has been left a legacy of failure by the member for Johnston. There is no doubt about that whatsoever.
Will the Health Minister shoulder the responsibilities that come with this portfolio, rather than looking backwards and blaming the past for today’s and tomorrow’s problems?
Unfortunately, he has resorted to the blame game already. He has not risen above politics. We constantly hear about this government suggesting the opposition are playing politics all the time. The Health Minister unfortunately has not got out of the blocks cleanly. He is playing the blame game …
Ms Carney: Incessantly.
Mr CONLAN: Incessantly. Thank you, member for Araluen. To set the scene, it is worth having a look at the last few years. In 2000-01 the Territory had the highest recurrent expenditure per person, at more than double the national average, and the most beds per 1000 weighted population. This is similar to what is boasted by this government today. We had more admissions per 1000 population than any other jurisdiction, and this remains much the same. In 1998-99, the Northern Territory was ranked second for getting people into elective surgery in the clinically appropriate time - 92% of patients - that is a remarkable figure and an outstanding achievement. By 2002-03, Labor’s second full year in power, we had dropped to sixth place to 82% and unfortunately, for Territorians and those seeking health care, we have never recovered from that slump.
As reported in the 2008 state of our hospitals, we are still ranked at the bottom of the pack, with only 68.6% of elective surgery patients seen in the recommended times. We have gone from 92% in 1998-99 to 68.6% in 2008, and that is according to the 2008 state of our hospitals report. Despite the media releases put out by the government about its large spending blitz and the amount that it puts into health - there is no doubt about it, $915m is an enormous amount of money, no one questions that it is a record health spend - but it is about outcomes, not just inputs.
Despite all that, in October 2008 there were a total of 2278 patients on the elective surgery waiting list and nearly half of them were overdue for their category waiting time. That means 55% of patients in October had not received surgery in the recommended time for their category.
The question has to be asked, where is the money? $915m – is an enormous amount going into Territory Health. Where is it going or is it a question of poor policy and lack of direction from the top? We suggest it probably is.
Emergency surgery times have also been getting worse since Labor was elected in 2001. 60% of ED admissions were seen within the recommended time in 1998-99 compared to 58% in 2002-03. Again a drop, 60% down to 58%, not a large drop, but nevertheless a drop all the same, and after eight years in government we see further drops to 55% as reported in the 2008 State of our Public Hospitals report. We have gone from 60% to 55%.
The Australian Medical Association considers hospital bed occupancy is a critically important performance indicator and the recommended rate is 85% for hospital bed occupancy. The Australian College of Emergency Medicine define access block – that is where a patient is kept in the ED for more than eight hours – as an absence of flow throughout the system, not just in the emergency department. It has nothing to do with the ability or dedication of our extremely hard-working health professionals. Everyone accepts that the staff – nurses, doctors, allied health, and everyone involved in the health system across the Northern Territory – do an extraordinary job under enormous pressure.
But it is due to the lack of available beds provided by the government that are in a suitable location and sufficiently staffed. It is this lack of leadership and the lack of responsibility, at the highest level of the Health department and the ministry, which results in Territorians being treated in the back of ambulances and in corridors.
Occupancy rates allow a hospital to cope with the surges in the number of presentations to an ED and manage to keep people out of the corridors. It is a very important part of tracking the health system. It was noted in the 2008 AMA Hospital Report Card that there is no data provided for the occupancy rate at Royal Darwin Hospital. The report also stated that by not providing this data, it illustrated the urgent need for consistent and honest reporting. These figures are not available. Why were occupancy rates not made available for the 2008 Hospital Report Card?
Data for access block in Territory hospitals is conspicuously absent in the 2004-07 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine snapshot of Australian emergency departments, Access Block and Overcrowding: A Literature Review. Minister, does the hospital collect the data? If it does, where is it? Or is it the case that this data is too embarrassing and damning to be released to the public?
It is time to call an end to this blame game. The minister must stop blaming the public servants - as was the mantra of the previous Health Minister - and stop blaming the Country Liberals; the Country Liberal government of eight years ago. It has been eight long years since the Labor government was elected and yet all we hear, unfortunately, from the new minister, is the blame game. I believe the Territory and the opposition had high hopes that we might have a new Health Minister, that we would see a broom swept through the health department, and we might be able to look to the future with high hopes. But no, we are seeing more excuses for poor performance; a practice that was dominated by the member for Johnston. It is time that you stepped up to the plate, minister.
If the minister will not commit to holding an inquiry into the state of the Territory Health service, at least hold an audit to see exactly what the status is now, ask every conceivable question publicly, publish the results and review them every two years. That will measure the result of every policy initiative to promote transparency, accountability, and correct the culture of cover-up, which was the cause of the member for Johnston’s downfall as the Minister for Health.
Your government has announced strategy after strategy to recruit new health professionals, but they are leaving as fast, if not faster, than you can replace them. It is a big issue recruiting people - not just health professionals, but people right across every professional spectrum. Nevertheless, our health professionals are leaving almost as quickly as we can recruit them.
Tennant Creek Hospital has recorded an astounding turnover rate of 75%. Alice Springs has a turnover rate of 52%. I ask the minister what he is planning to do to stem the flood of these nurses leaving our health system. The report A Study of Mobility among Nurses and Midwives in the Northern Territory of Australia - I hope the minister has read this - has some very practical, plain language and commonsense recommendations, such as:
1. Recruitment campaigns should emphasise the features of the NT that make it a pleasant place to live and raise a family;
2. Target potential employees who already have family living here. If return airfares are provided to employees from outside
the NT, ensure those living in the NT are provided with benefits of equivalent value;
4. Recruitment to remote areas should be honest about both the high demands and the need for resilience. Working as a nurse
in a remote area has many advantages but it is not a tourist experience and if sold as such, will attract mostly short-term employees,
who are likely to leave disappointed and dispirited; and
5. Put in place protocols that will ease difficulties in finding accommodation upon arrival in housing-limited locations.
These are some of the recommendations for recruitment.
There are also some very good points about retention. I am going to run out of time so I will not go through all of those, but I hope that the minister has seen these and had a look at the top 10 reasons why nurses and midwives left the Northern Territory. Obviously, some of these things are out of the control of government; if people want to retire or move somewhere else, you cannot stop them. Some of the reasons for leaving were: (1) family and/or social networks; (2), stressful work environment; (4), lack of support from management; (6), unreasonable workload; (8) cost of living in the NT; and (10) slow rate of innovation in work practices.
The report also said:
It was also mentioned that ‘limited opportunities for career progression’ were a factor. I recommend this report to the minister, if he has not already read it.
The Territory jobs campaign promised to recruit 160 nurses to the Territory during the 2008-09 financial year. What was not widely promoted was that the government was only creating 40 extra nursing positions through that campaign. For the year ending March 2008, the total number of nursing full-time equivalent positions was 1664. The turnover rate was 34%. This means that around 565 left the workforce, yet the government campaign only aimed to attract 160 nurses, 40 of which were new positions. The recruitment of 120 replacement nurses is not enough to fill the gap of 550 nurses leaving the system each year. The government is dragging the chain on that, and clearly needs to address it.
The department’s target to fill 1731 full-time equivalent positions across the Territory fell way short, and they were only able to manage the average of 1636 FTE positions, 95 short, which was not made up by agency staff. There are some facts and figures that speak for themselves. The shortage was most apparent in the two busiest hospitals, Alice Springs and Darwin.
The report shows that there are 5.75 nurses employed per 1000 people, compared to five nationally, so we are doing better than the national average. However, the government is missing its target of 95 FTE nurses. It is a clear sign that it is not achieving its goals. We are yet to hear clear and commonsense reasons why the government has recruiting difficulties, or how to go forward with recruitment.
It is another example of the blame game that has seen the astounding volume of critical reports come through the Northern Territory Health system. The Coronial inquest into Mrs Winter’s death was one tragic example. Others were the review into maternity services, which the government sat on for over five months, and the Health and Community Services Complaints Commission report into security arrangements in Ward 5B of Royal Darwin Hospital. I hope that the new minister is making sure that security arrangements are in place at all our hospitals, not just Royal Darwin Hospital, so that we do not see another appalling situation that took place and resulted in that Coronial inquest. There was the attempt by the Health department to suppress the Ombudsman’s report into acute care. There were Coronial inquests into the death of Mrs McRae and the death of baby Tilmouth.
There is also the situation with the annual reports that have been tabled for the Alice Springs and Royal Darwin Hospitals. There are still no reports for the Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Gove Hospitals. We discussed this at Question Time. The minister was concerned that I only tabled two reports. He said that:
I was trying to save the Parliamentary Library a little time.
As the minister said:
He also said:
I went back to the Parliamentary Library and it did not take them long to find Hospital Management Board Reports for 1982, 1983 - a full functioning board for the Gove District Hospital. It says:
It is a similar situation for Katherine Hospital, with reports from 1982, 1983, and also for the Tennant Creek Hospital Management Board, its annual report from 1982. The reports are there if the minister would like to have a look.
He has said something that we believe is stretching the truth. He said that there were never functioning boards at the Tennant Creek, Katherine, and Gove Hospitals, even during the days of the CLP. There they are, minister, and I suggest that you have a look at those, if you do not believe it. You took a bit of convincing today, I am not even sure if you are convinced.
As for the situation with the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board reports, there are some inconsistencies. I ask the minister to have a look at this and see if he can explain the situation, on the back page of the 2007-08 Royal Darwin Hospital Board Report. The minister said that he has read these reports however, if he has read the reports, I am curious why he did not pick up on these. If we look at category three, category four, and category five for 2006-07, it shows that 41%, 29% and 50% of patients were not seen on time.
Then in the 2006-07 annual report it says that those figures are 61%, 48% and 80%. There is clearly a discrepancy and anomaly in those two figures, minister. One says 41%, the other says 61%, one says 29%, the other says 48%, and one says 50%, the other says 80%. There is some explaining to do there, I believe, minister. If we are to move forward and deliver the best health outcomes for Territorians, we need to have some accuracy when it comes to the available data.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this is a Matter of Public Importance. Time is against me, but with a $200m black hole and nett debt plus employee liabilities of $4.52bn we cannot afford to be complacent.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for his comments. I will be the first one to say that every health system in Australia is facing increasing demand. Every health service in Australia and internationally is under enormous pressure. Ours is under even more pressure because of the significant percentage of our population being Indigenous who, for many years have suffered and have continued to suffer under different governments. The reality is, it does not matter what you try to do, when things are not fixed out in the bush, we will continue to have an increasing number of people coming to the hospital, get well, and sent back to the communities where things are not better and they get sick again.
Many times I have my differences with the member for Greatorex, but tonight, I have to admit, was one of the most logical sequences of speech that he gave us. Yes, I still have some differences and I can point them out, but as I said before, and I will say it again, I know the role of your position and I am open to constructive criticism and suggestions. If you have a suggestion, come and talk to me. If it is good enough, I am prepared to consider it. What I do not like is playing politics with the health of Territorians.
Let me start with the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board. Yesterday you alleged that I was misleading parliament by providing some wrong information, because you had in front of you a review of the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board which said that 49 000 people were seen in the Emergency Department, while I was saying 56 000.
I also notice that the Alice Springs report had two items. One item was that 39 900 people attended the Emergency Department, and 31 100 people were seen by a doctor in the Emergency Department. There was a difference of 2800 people. The reason for the difference is that when you present yourself in the Emergency Department, you are registered, you go in, you are triaged, people say: ‘You have to see the doctor immediately, or you have to wait because you are not urgent or we have to direct you to another department’.
Unfortunately, the reporting in the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board was not like that. I have demanded that all reports are now standardised and have the same information like at Alice Springs, because that one gives a more accurate picture.
A Royal Darwin Hospital monthly report, drafted according to the Alice Springs standards and signed by Colin McDonald QC, was presented to me today. I table this report which gives a clear picture to all members what really happens at Royal Darwin Hospital. The report shows report that 56 338 people presented to the Emergency Department and 49 400 people were seen by a doctor.
Mr Elferink: Sorry, are you about to table it?
Mr VATSKALIS: Yes. I said I was tabling it.
Mr Elferink: That is fine I did not hear you. I am sorry, Kon, I apologise.
Mr VATSKALIS: Thank you. There is a way of presenting the report. The way it was presented previously was not right. I thought the way that the Alice Springs department presented their report was the best way to do it, so we can compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges.
This government has increased resources to health since 2001 by 89%. The current Health budget is $915m, nearly one third of the Territory’s budget. The government has increased revenue over the 2008-09 and the total budget is $1.015m.
The funding for Royal Darwin Hospital has increased 101% since 2001 to $225m. The Alice Springs Hospital budget has increased by 109% since 2001 to $113m. The same applies to Katherine Hospital, Tennant Creek Hospital, and Gove Hospital.
When we are talking about boards, there were no functioning boards, I insist on that - functioning boards that actually work. At the Gove District Hospital, in 1996-97 there were only three meetings held the others were cancelled; in 1997-98 all meetings were cancelled; in 1999-2000 three were cancelled; in 2000-01, nine meetings were scheduled but without a quorum, and in 2001-02 there were seven that were cancelled. I do not consider a board that does not meet regularly to be a functioning board. The reports were compiled by CEOs or their assistants, or whoever was there. A board is there for the community and public service. These reports were not tabled by a functioning board. For me, a functioning board is one that meets regularly. We can go back and say, there is a report tabled, but is this a report tabled by a board that was fully functional? No. I explained that on many occasions we asked too much of small communities and that is the reason why we will now amend the legislation, in order to make sure that communities participate openly and actively in the hospital boards.
The member said that the government blames public servants, the CLP, and the previous ministers. I have no intention of blaming the public servants or the CLP. Unfortunately, the CLP has left a legacy that remains today. For example, in 2001-02, the budget was $484m; it is now $1bn - a significant increase. This money is not spent on whatever; it is spent on the people, on the ground.
The other thing that affected the Territory negatively was the change of funding between the Territory and the Commonwealth government. Before it was 50 – 50, 50% the Commonwealth, 50% the Territory government. Then over time it changed. The Territory now contributes 70% of the budget for Health, and the federal government contributes only 30%. That is what drove the Rudd government to ask the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission to have a look at what is happening today, and how we are going to correct this discrepancy, in order to avoid the blame. Every time there is a problem, the Health ministers of the states and territories blame the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth blames the states’ and territories’ Health ministers.
There are 162 extra doctors and 1433 extra nurses. There is turnover and people come and go. You cannot stop them coming and going, for various reasons. Some of them come here because they want to gain experience with diseases they have not seen in their lives – and then they will leave.
In the Northern Territory, we employ 1.6 full-time equivalent doctors per 1000 people, where the Australian average is 1.2 full-time equivalent per 1000 people. The Territory has 5.7 nurses per 1000 people compared with a national average of five nurses per 1000 people. We have increased allied health staff and service support staff such as ward clerks, Aboriginal liaison officers, and community workers.
Under the CLP, during 1996 to 1999, nursing positions fell by over 200 across the Northern Territory. That Cresap Review decimated the public service in the Northern Territory. I and the member for Macdonnell opposite - the member for Port Darwin - remember it well because we were employed at the time as public servants.
We have tried to train people and we continue to train people in leadership, in essential management training programs, in work partnership programs, stepping up for Indigenous employees; a number of courses that people can attend in order to improve their opportunities, skills, and experience.
Like any other health system in Australia, we are under enormous pressure. There are several different factors, such as, the significant Indigenous population, increasing population, the young population and an increasing ageing population. When I first came to Darwin, there were not many people retiring in Darwin. People were retiring somewhere else, south of Queensland. I remember there were very few old people in Darwin.
When we went to Victoria with my young kids, they made the comment that in the shopping centre there were too many old people. Absolutely aghast, they pointed to me and said: ‘Dad, there is something strange here’. I said: ‘What is strange?’ ‘There are too many old people’. Darwin did not have old people. In Darwin when you retired, you caught a plane, train or the car and go somewhere else. Today we have a significant number of people who stay here, as well as a significant number of people who come here because their young family lives in the Territory.
If you do not believe me, have a look at the Tiwi Gardens Seniors Village to see how many people here have returned to the Territory from other places - Queensland, South Australia, Victoria - because their family is here. We have a number of factors that contribute to the pressure on our system.
Another factor is the emergency presentations. There are 750 emergency presentations per 1000 weighted population - double the average in any other state. One person every ten minutes turns up at the Emergency Department at Royal Darwin Hospital. Why? There are many reasons. The young population, Indigenous population, itinerants, people who come from the communities, people who fall in the trap and keep going back and violence, domestic violence - you name it. We have a significant problem. I agree with the member for Greatorex, people in the department do an admirable job; the nurses and the doctors are doing a very good job. I am proud to be associated with them. I am proud because many are my ex-colleagues and I have great friendships with them which I maintain today.
The hospital is one of the best hospitals in the world. It has been recognised nationally. If it was not a good hospital, if it was not well equipped, or lacked the appropriate leadership, the Howard government would not have picked it out as the largest trauma hospital in Australia and award it $60m. The Bali bombing, Jose Ramos-Horta’s shooting - people recognise that our hospital is one of the best hospitals in Australia.
The government has implemented a strong program of growth in our hospitals. There are 127 extra hospital beds including the 24 bed Rapid Admission Unit at Royal Darwin Hospital. The new Emergency Department and Critical Care Wing at RDH opened in 2003. The new Emergency Department is under development in Alice Springs Hospital. We have an award winning 12 bed hospice, a state-of-the-art birthing centre, and a new Ward 3B, with close to 24 extra beds. This was another CLP legacy, which was closed 15 years ago and was converted to administrative offices. We brought it back to the hospital and put in 24 extra beds.
Many people demand elective surgery and many people in the Territory do not have private insurance and rely upon the public system to have surgery. We will continue to have increased numbers on our waiting lists if people do not get private insurance. However, in 2007 the Northern Territory government reduced the total waiting list by 16% and the overdue list by 31%. The Australian government provided the funds for another blitz in 2008, with a target of 500 procedures. We exceeded the commitment, with 638 additional procedures achieved above the usual number of annual procedures. In 2008, the total elective surgery waiting list was further reduced by 17% and the overdue waiting list by 18%. The combined effect of the Northern Territory and Australian government blitzes resulted in a reduction of 31% in the total waiting list.
The waiting list for people who were overdue in Category 3 - recommended for surgery within 12 months - had a massive 58% reduction. We know we have a problem with the waiting list. We are working hard to reduce it, and we have achieved a significant reduction.
In your paper you said we do not have the leadership, the necessary modern, reliable health system. Of course we have. We are building it, all the time. The after-hours clinic in Palmerston is being financed by the federal government and does a tremendous job. 1500 people were seen up to the 5 February 2009, and only 8% of these people were sent to the Emergency Department. If that clinic was not there, all of these people would turn up at the Emergency Department.
There was a big dispute between the federal government and the Northern Territory government regarding the oncology unit. Tony Abbott was determined he would provide only $30m and that our government had to cover the rest, as well as the recurrent. I recall the dispute we had. The member for Fong Lim was putting his political career on the line that this was going to happen. Well, it did not. It went to tender twice, and it failed. The last time we did not say it failed because the election was about a month away. I remember the member for Fong Lim was saying: ‘We will build it; we will put it in an existing building’.
The problem is that we are building a bunker for nuclear equipment. The bunker wall is 2.4 m thick concrete. You could not put it in an existing building; you had to have a purpose-built building to house the oncology unit. The slab is poured, the walls are going up, and we are negotiating a 10-year agreement with Royal Adelaide Hospital to provide the service and procure the specialised equipment. It is going to be completed by late 2009, providing a fantastic service for people in northern Australia.
One of the problems we have is the tyranny of distance. The GPs all want to be in the cities, for obvious reasons, close to the family and a better capture area. We have very few GPs in the Territory. There are 52 GPs per 100 000 people in the Territory, while down south there are 87 GPs per 100 000 people - nearly one-and-a-half times more. We have tried to attract them. I have friends who are GPs, and they are offered a lot of money, cars, incentives, houses - and they still do not come. The same thing happens with dentists. I have friends who are dentists. They are offered $150 000 a year to come here. They even pay the rent on their house - and they cannot get them here.
This is the problem we face if you live anywhere north of Karratha or Geraldton. People just do not want to move up north. It is too difficult, too hot, too inconvenient, too far away from mum and dad, too far away from friends, and too far away from what they consider to be civilisation. This is what we are facing and are going to face in the future.
The problem is not just a shortage of GPs. It also means we are losing our fair share of primary health care resources through Medicare. We receive $148 per person, while down south people get $264 per person. We are also missing out on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme.
You talked about outcomes. If you look at what we have achieved in the past few years, it is incredible. The incidence of chronic diseases is now going down, the birth weight of Aboriginal children is increasing, stillbirth of Aboriginal babies is going down, and anaemia in Aboriginal children was 50% and it has now dropped below 30%.
Mr Conlan: The ageing population is going up.
Mr VATSKALIS: The Aboriginal percentage goes up as the population goes up. We are talking about the outcomes we have achieved in Aboriginal communities. The lifespan of Aboriginal women has gone up by three years, from 65 to 68.2. That is an outcome and an achievement. This is where we have to aim. If we start improving the health condition of Aboriginal people in the communities, and we provide primary health care services in the communities, the bush, and sometimes, in the fringes of our own towns, we will have achieved much. I used to work with Danila Dilba. I used to go out with a patrol to see people in the camps living around Darwin. This is what primary health care services is about - go where the sick people are and not only treat them, teach them how to live, about hygiene, and other basic essentials, as Europe did after the World War II, and you will see the lifestyle and the lifespan of these people increasing continuously.
There is now an additional ambulance for Palmerston, which was brought forward to 1 January 2009 as part of our election commitment.
The government is actively planning for a rural Palmerston hospital. With the announcement of Weddell, there will be 40 000 people living a 45-minute drive to Royal Darwin Hospital. We cannot expect these people to drive nearly an hour in an emergency to the closest emergency department.
The government has a five-year plan of action to reduce levels of social and economic disadvantage in the Aboriginal population. We have a strong partnership with the Australian government for enhanced primary health care for remote areas; $100m over three years, and we will work together with the Aboriginal community controlled health sector.
Stage 2 of the Palmerston Super Clinic is well under way to deliver the full super clinic model, with the construction of new building facilities to commence in the second half of 2009 and a range of specialist outreach outpatient services.
As well as the Palmerston rural hospital planning, there is the Heart Health plan, which is $45m towards a 10-year plan to expand early intervention and rehabilitation services and to develop specialist cardiac surgery services.
The Preventable Chronic Disease strategy is a good example how the Northern Territory approaches the integration in planning and delivery of care between hospitals, primary health care, and public health.
We have been achieving positive outcomes. Antenatal and maternal care has been further enhanced under Closing the Gap. We started work with child health initiatives in 2004. As I mentioned before with children, we have kicked some goals. It is difficult out there, I am the first one to admit it, but we try something. For example, birth weights for live born Aboriginal infants are improving. The proportion of low birth weight infants from 1986 to 1990 was reported at 14% compared with the most recent rate of 13.5% for 2001 to 2005. We have a 38% decline in stillbirths for Aboriginal mothers over the same period.
It is important that we look after the Indigenous communities. It is important that we do something to improve the life of all Territorians. My aspiration is to provide the same service to Territorians that is provided down south. My aspiration is to see that Territorians are confident in our system. I see our system improving.
Yesterday, we tabled the Health complaints commission report. It was very good to see that 35% of the complaints were for the public sector, and 65% of the complaints were for the private sector. This is the first time that the private sector complaints exceeded the number of complaints for the public sector.
There were 28 hospital complaints in 2005-06, and they have gone down to 16 in 2007-08. At Royal Darwin hospital, there was a 37% reduction in the number of complaints. That is one complaint every 23 000 people. One complaint is one too many but, it is something to aspire to eliminate completely.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I listened very carefully to the Minister for Health on this particular issue, and I confess to a certain element of mild confusion brought about by his effort today. My confusion arises from the void between what this MPI is about and the things that he said. While I do not seek to diminish the importance of the issues that he raised and the matters he discussed, what he has failed to achieve or address is the actual issues on foot in relation to this MPI.
I will address those issues, because they are a matter of concern. It arises out of my reading of several years of annual reports compiled by the department of Health in its various constructs. Whilst the department of Health speaks at some length in its annual reports about the service delivery that it provides, and it has benchmarks and measures - disputed, interestingly, by their own hospital boards - what does not appear to be at the top of the mind, or even on the radar of the Health department, is how they are going to deal with the ageing population we have. Whether the ageing population is an issue for the people of the Northern Territory and what plans they will put in place to deal with the ageing population in the future, because, to flog an old clich to death: to fail to plan is to actually plan to fail.
The Health department has lurched from one crisis to the next in recent times, as Health ministers come and go, and the casualties of former Health ministers lie around the feet of the Chief Minister, or possibly even hang around his neck as an albatross, leading up to the next Territory election some years away.
I suspect that the problem with an organisation which is perpetually in damage control mode is that it cannot plan. I will use an analogy. Two soldiers in a foxhole having hand grenades lobbed at them left, right and centre, who are being shot at and are trying to fight for their existence, are not really going to be preoccupied with what is for breakfast next week, simply because they are dealing with the more urgent issues of the here and now and it is not certain they will reach breakfast next week. What that means, from my world view as a future Treasurer of the Northern Territory, is that breakfast next week is going to be all my problem, should there be a change of government. For that reason I am turning my mind to the issues leading into the future. How ready are we for them?
As community leaders, and for the senior staff in the department of Health, the first step in preparing for an ageing population is preparing our minds, taking off the helmets, shedding the weapons, climbing out of the foxhole, and looking into the future and thinking about breakfast next week. The more immediate problem is that they have to deal with all the challenges that face them in the immediate future, not least of which is the quality of leadership they receive from the Cabinet of the Northern Territory.
Having made those observations, I place the future leaders of Health on notice that should we take government at the next Territory election I will have them turn their minds particularly to the issues I am about to raise and those being raised by the shadow minister for Health. The shadow minister for Health and I have discussed these issues because we are concerned. We are concerned for the capacity of our Health system, which creaks and groans under the stresses of its own size and bulk, to cope with an increasing population. Whilst the minister points at things like oncology units and gives us the ministerial equivalent of: see, look there we got one, that one is fixed, it does not really address the essence of what is being raised here today, which is, how we are going to pay for the ongoing costs?
The government is painfully aware of those issues. Why? Because they have nearly doubled the Health budget since they came to power in 2001. And what have they achieved as a result of that? Better outcomes, not if you believe the hospital board reports. Has the quality of attendance been better at the emergency section? Not if you believe the hospital board reports. Has the oncology unit, with all the extra money, been accelerated? Apparently not. How are we going to deal with an ageing population when it comes to dealing with all of those things? I am curious, because there are various things that you can visit which do not immediately satisfy the presumption that I have always had.
I believe it was a 1999 report titled Ageing and the Cost of Health Services, by Jeff Richardson and Iain Robertson, who investigated this matter and came to make some very interesting observations. On page 342 of that document, they say, and I quote:
It goes on to say:
We are also in a peculiar environment. We do not have the standard ageing model which operates in other jurisdictions for several reasons. One, we have many Indigenous people who, albeit sadly, do not live as long as non-Indigenous people as a general rule. Also, the non-Indigenous people have a high transience through Darwin and it is not unusual for older people to retire and move down to the cooler climes where the weather suits their countenance and disposition than the hot tropics, where only mad dogs and Englishmen may stay.
There are those issues to be considered in our planning process. It might be that the demands of an ageing population will not be inflicted with any great level on our health system in the future. The problem is, from my world view, that it is idle speculation supported by nothing and no evidence. Why is that speculation idle and not supported by evidence? Because the evidence is not available. And I suspect that is the thrust of the MPI that the member has brought before us today.
I took time to find a quote that deals with planning. It is from one of the greatest departmental CEOs who have ever lived, Sir Humphrey Appleby, who once made the observation:
I suspect there is an element of truth in Sir Humphrey’s experienced words. I sometimes sense, as I watch the budget process unfold in this place and in other places, that the departments engage in exactly that sort of conduct. That is reflected in an annual report which proudly boasts the expenditure of huge amounts of money, but with an indeterminate amount of value achieved.
One of my greatest worries is that the planning processes which exist in the department are incapable of achieving the results they set for themselves now. Their predisposition for future planning, in the way that we are currently describing it, is not healthy and needs to be re-examined.
Thank you, Sir Humphrey - he also made that observation - and it should not be like that. Yet, through the budgeting processes that we currently apply, it seems to be exactly that way. Budget Cabinet meets, with all the pitches from the various departments under each minister’s arm, as they go into Budget Cabinet, they tick and flick particular projects, which sets departments against each other. This siloing of world view means that the department’s planning processes is also truncated to an annual cycle, rather than a world view looking into the future. It would be interesting to see, if we were to ask the Education department how it is going to assist with health outcomes - or for that matter the Motor Vehicle Registry - because in each of those cases, it would require those departments to think outside of the little siloed boxes.
There are options available to government. I note that these options have been explained in a paper by Gary Banks, who is the Chairman of the Productivity Commission - I presume a man who is no slouch - in a paper called Health Costs and Policy in an Ageing Australia. In his paper he offers three broad options for governments. The first model he describes is a reactive role, which is the business of, and I quote:
Sound familiar? Yes. You can take a reactive role, cutting services by lower-quality staff, older technologies, longer waiting periods, and greater rationing of treatments. That is one option and one model. If you read a little further on, Gary Banks does not warm to that model. However, it is a reactive environment and, as I described the Health department earlier, it is a reactive department by virtue of the fact that it is lumbering under the criticism fired at it.
Gary Banks continues:
This is a process by which, through proper research, and I quote:
How can you tailor the health system to your demographic, rather than simply responding to what is happening?
Finally, Madam Speaker, I also point out that he comes up with another approach of pricing-based policies and demand-style medicine. That may well turn out to be the reality in the future as ageing people put greater demands - if they do - onto the health system. I could speak at great length on this issue, but I feel like I am speaking in a vacuum because I am starved of effective information. I urge the minister to do what the shadow minister suggests - have a look.
Ms McCARTHY (Children and Families): Madam Speaker, I believe that this is an important MPI, because it demonstrates the planning and resource allocations that have been made to the Northern Territory Health services, both contemporary and responsive to the needs of our population. It also shows that the Aged and Disability program is an active and progressive part of the wider Department of Health and Families. As minister responsible for Senior Territorians, I am aware of the issues facing our older community members. I have been across the Northern Territory talking to seniors and asking them what they want and need.
The Northern Territory government is also committed to Building the Territory for all Generations - A Framework for Active Ageing in the Northern Territory, building the Territory for all generations. This framework aims to encourage people to stay healthy and active, as well as having the financial and social resources to remain connected to family, friends and the community.
When we talk about the issue of health, we have to realise that health takes in so much. It is a case of wellbeing, of feeling largely in control of your life, and being able to make certain decisions about the directions that you wish to go. I am aware, with my constituents of Arnhem, of the absolute necessity that begins firstly with knowing that you have a house to live in. We know about, and have heard many times in this parliament, the overcrowding in houses. But you have to take into consideration that the government is dealing with the need to build more houses in communities, knowing that people need to have a home where they can grow, have a sense of space, and where they can lead healthy lives.
When you go to the hospitals, look at the reports, talk to the GPs and the doctors, who are based at Territory Health clinics or with Congress, Katherine West, or Sunrise, we know that overcrowding causes all kinds of infections and diseases that are preventable. This side of the House recognises that and when it looks at health, it has to be dealt with it in a holistic way. We cannot just focus on a hospital, or three hospitals. We have to focus on the whole being of a person and the whole of the community. That is what this government is completely focused on, and recognising that it is in the regions that it has to put that energy.
Let us have a look at our budget. We have heard the Health Minister say that since coming to government, the Health budget has increased by 89%, providing $915m in the budget. That is in health alone. That does not include the housing money that is going to 16 communities across the Northern Territory. We have to balance that. We have to know that if we can get these other areas, in conjunction with the hospitals and the clinics, that we are going to have a tremendous impact. It is not going to happen today or tomorrow, we are talking long-term, because this government is about the long-term. This government is committed to seeing that a child born today, has a future, a home, a school; a school with classrooms, chairs and desks, teachers and that leads on to high school, further training, and communities that have jobs.
This is what the government is committed to. It knows it has to look at the holistic approach to health – the physical, spiritual, and mental health of our people. This government is very aware of the increase in the population. It knows that the increase in population is happening at a rapid rate in the regions. In my role as Minister for Senior Territorians, I have gone around and talked about the framework for active ageing in the Northern Territory, building the Territory for all generations.
This framework aims to encourage people to stay healthy and active, as well as having financial and social resources to remain connected to family, friends and community. Connected means, when we look at the number of people who have to leave their communities to come into hospitals, we have to work out a way for them to remain connected.
First, we are dealing with many languages across the Northern Territory. We know that in the Northern Territory there are over 100 Aboriginal languages. That does not take into consideration the many multicultural groups that have moved to the Northern Territory and have maintained their own cultural differences, whether it is Italians, Greeks, or Chinese, we know we have to contain and remain focused on the fact that the health system in the Northern Territory is for all people. I support what the Health Minister was saying previously regarding that.
The provision of aged care services is a responsibility of the Australian government. However, I am pleased to say that I am working closely with my Commonwealth counterparts to ensure that quality aged care services are provided in the Northern Territory. I advise the House that I have invited the federal Minister for Ageing, the Honourable Justine Elliot MP, to visit the Territory to see firsthand the services provided, and hear about our future additional needs. The minister has agreed and we are awaiting a mutually convenient date. I am looking forward to hosting that visit and taking her to the regions.
I attended a Ministerial Council on Ageing. It was an important election commitment by the Rudd government to establish this meeting. The National Seniors’ Association of Central Australia conveyed to me the importance of this ministerial council and they are keen to be kept updated on its progress. I am happy to share that information with members opposite.
I have agreed to the request from the members in Central Australia on the National Senior’s Association. The ministerial council was extremely useful as we discussed a number of important matters that would bring about greater outcomes in the provision of aged care services. I have focused on aged care because I have heard in the MPI the concerns about our growing ageing population, and I am committed to see how we are going in that direction.
At the ministerial council we discussed the provision of residential care, the aged care assessment programs, social inclusion for older people, the future of community aged care, including the provision of home and community care services, and reviewing planning ratios and allocation processes. I know that is a particular interest. They were the items that were discussed but in particular the review of planning ratios and allocation processes.
Importantly, the ministers from all the jurisdictions agreed that a greater interface between aged care, disability services, and the health system is required to ensure that we give the best possible care. I look forward to working with my federal, state, and territory colleagues in that area.
One of the things that I have been impressed with, in my time as the member for Arnhem, is the government’s commitment to supporting individuals across the Northern Territory in the area of renal dialysis.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms McCARTHY: That is a sickness we need to make sure does not exist as our children grow older. In the meantime, we know it exists and we know that there are many young people who have renal problems – that is not to deny the older group of Territorians who have it – but people as young as 19 are having issues with renal dialysis. The government, in Budget 2007-08, announced a major new investment in renal services with $24.4m over the next four years to provide improved services. This builds on the previous $12.25m investment in renal services in 2003-04, which provided additional satellite dialysis centres throughout the Northern Territory.
I am aware, as are many members on this side, of the difficulties for people when they are brought into town for renal dialysis. We know they are going to need accommodation, the support from carers of their own family, the language differences, and the barriers of being outside their community. We are not afraid to tackle that; we talk about that and we deal with it. The relationships we have with the services across the Northern Territory are more important.
I have met with Congress on a number of different occasions, as the member for Arnhem and now as the minister. Congress is one organisation that is impressive in the work that it is doing. It is also the same for Sunrise, in my electorate of Arnhem. I know that in collaboration with the Aboriginal medical services, we are making a difference.
There are still many sick people out there, and we know that we have to keep going with the work we are doing. The government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Territorians can feel confident in knowing that they can get the help they need and recognise that when they do not, we will act.
We are not just planning for the future growth of the Northern Territory; we are also working with our federal counterparts in every area. Health is not specifically just about a person’s own health and wellbeing, it is about everything that surrounds them, the housing situation and the job situation.
One of the things that I have been very proud of is the governments’ insistence on tackling substance abuse. We have to tackle the scourge of substance abuse. I refer to Groote Eylandt and its alcohol management plan. It is that consistency that the government has, in wanting to look at other areas that surround the whole person and the community.
In Ngukurr there was a real issue with petrol sniffing when I first came into the parliament. Over progressive years there was dedication to wanting to see that remedied. Not only in removing the source but also in assisting the young people to recognise there are other ways and opportunities for them if they keep going to school and hang in there. Get the education they need, that we know every child needs, to be able to progress in life with the choices they want to make.
The roll-out of Opal across the Northern Territory has been supported 100% by the government. Through the Minister for Indigenous Policy, in her role as the chair on the substance abuse committee and when the member for Arafura was the chair for that, the government has consistently worked on the health issues of all Territorians, especially those most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our regions. We will continue to be focused on that.
The government is taking a strong interest in the expansion or establishment of new aged care services to meet a growing aged population. Members may be interested to know that the Masonic Homes expanded its Tiwi Gardens Lodge by 85 residential aged care places. I am advised that 50 residents moved in last weekend. The remaining 35 places will be available for filling over the next few months. Masonic Homes also has under construction 12 affordable independent living units and 34 retirement village units. I advise the House that I went to Tiwi Gardens recently and was impressed by the quality and standard of facilities and services provided.
Another important development by Southern Cross is a 65-bed residential aged care facility, independent living units, and a retirement village at the old Waratahs oval. I look forward to the opening of this facility. By having a strong aged care sector and service delivery system we relieve pressure on health services. I have yet to see the facilities in Alice Springs but I look forward to doing that in the coming months.
I will mention the issue of research in the Northern Territory. The research conducted with the Menzies School of Health and Research and within the communicable diseases area, is quite impressive. That research…
Madam SPEAKER: Minister your time has expired.
Discussion concluded.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I will talk about the Territory Alliance which is one of the companies that will provide housing in remote Aboriginal communities.
Territory Alliance is one of the three groups selected by the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure program, SIHIP, to provide new houses and refurbishments in remote Territory communities. Territory Alliance is a group of mainly Territory companies, with long histories of working in remote communities including: Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty Ltd, previously Barclay Mowlem; Sitzler Pty Ltd; McMahon Services Australia Pty Ltd; NBC Consultants; PM+D Architects; Geoff Parker; Michels Warren Munday; ENSR Australia AECOM; and Compass Group (Australia) Pty Ltd. Many of these companies are known to the Northern Territory. I have had contact with this company in my position of shadow minister for housing.
Territory Alliance has a motto of building together. It will be building new houses and working on refurbishments on the Tiwi Islands packages. This is expected to include new houses in Nguiu and work on refurbishments in Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti. The details of what it will be doing still need to be worked out during consultations with the communities, the traditional owners, and the council.
In December 2008, a small group of Territory Alliance people visited the islands to gather information and talk to the people before submitting their final strategies and costs to the government. It did this in partnership with the strategic housing team, and it is working closely with the Northern Territory government and the people on the islands. Work will start by putting together a document that says what will be built, including the refurbishments and the designs of the new houses. Construction is expected to start in the middle of 2009, which will be the Dry Season. Some refurbishments might start earlier, that is improving some of the houses that need minor works.
Madam Speaker, I visited the Tiwi Islands recently and met with the Territory Alliance people. I also had discussions with some of the traditional owners and the Aboriginal people, particularly the women. They are being consulted fairly extensively and cooperatively with regard to appropriate designs and what they may like. I commend the work of this particular group of companies; they are committed to the Northern Territory. I congratulate them and I wish them well in their work of improving the housing and accommodation arrangements in remote and Aboriginal communities.
Appropriate and good housing is a fundamental right of people, and we should all have appropriate housing so that we feel safe and secure in our homes.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I will raise, very briefly, three matters. First, by way of a correction - I do not think anything swings on it in the context of the domestic violence debate - but I thought that it was appropriate, having read Hansard. When I read a figure in the domestic violence debate yesterday, it did not sound right. I checked it and, I do not know why, but I had a figure that was incorrect.
I was referring to a report undertaken by Dale Wakefield that revealed 666 Indigenous women presented to the hospital with assault-related injuries. I said that it showed, on average, Indigenous women presented 11 times in a six-year period with assault-related injuries. The figure was, in fact, 36 times. My apologies for that. I do not know why I typed 11; my notes revealed very clearly that it was 36. In any event, I thought I better put that on the record.
Second, I am concerned, and will remain concerned, about the time allocated for adjournment debates. Last night, I tried to go through some of the report titled Enough is Enough That is What the People Think from the Responsible Drinkers Lobby in Alice Springs. I was unable to complete my remarks because of a five-minute deadline imposed by the government this year. I deeply resent being given five minutes to talk about my constituents. I find it simply offensive. I deeply resent the fact that I need to submit a speech to you, Madam Speaker, the day before, if I have comments of longer than five minutes. I deeply resent that. This is a concern, the likes of which, in so many ways, I have never had before.
I have spoken, as other members have, about constituency matters. That is the purpose of the adjournment debate. I am appalled that we only have five minutes to do so. I thought that it was appropriate - notwithstanding the collective view of the opposition which was expressed late last year when changes to the standing orders were being proposed - and important for the sake of my constituents, and in their name, to record my seething resentment that they, through their local member, only have five minutes.
Third, I inform the House that I have received telephone calls from my constituents today, some of whom are tourism operators, about the shenanigans that went on last night by the government. The government members did not agree to an extension of time for a matter of public importance relating to the tourism industry, and then the member for Johnston, the Leader of Government Business, rose to his feet and waxed lyrical about what people were wearing.
I make the point clearly, Madam Speaker, that, from the phone calls I received today from my constituents, they do not care about what people are wearing. They were pretty cranky that the government of the Northern Territory, only six months after it was re-elected, has the audacity to come into the parliament and wax lyrical about what people are wearing.
One of my constituents said to me, and I will spare you the unparliamentary language: ‘Who cares? Why doesn’t government get on with the job?’ Hear, hear to that. They do not care and, quite frankly, I do not care what people look like in this Chamber as long as they are presentable, and with one obvious exception from the government, that is almost always the case.
We have important matters to debate and discuss in this place, and we are all paid handsomely for it.
Madam Speaker, on behalf of those people who contacted me today, they are unappreciative and underwhelmed with the appalling efforts from the government last night and I share their concerns.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Speaker, apparently, in all the speeches that I have given in parliament, including my maiden speech, adjournment debates, I have never mentioned my electorate officer, Amy Sternberg. She is quite disappointed that I have not mentioned her; this young lady who holds the fort, like everyone’s electorate officers, whilst we are here or away on business.
Amy and I first met many years ago when I worked at the Darwin City Council. Amy was the administrative officer there. She is one of those young ladies who is like a busy bee, never sits down, never stops, and always has something to say. Amy left Palmerston Council and went to Brisbane for a year, working with Defence. When her husband was posted back to Darwin, she came back to Darwin and worked for the Palmerston City Council as a Regulatory Officer. Amy is invaluable as an electorate officer, because of her regulatory background, her administrative background and her very good, what I call, common sense.
Amy is one of those people who, rather than try to deflect an issue, tries to find a solution to that issue, and if she cannot find a solution, she will find the person that will be able to help out. With her knowledge of by-laws, local government and, the community, that the regulatory officer, much like a police officer, deals with in the community, she has the knowledge, the know how and the nous to handle most situations, even some of the more aggressive things that we have had at the Palmerston Shopping Centre in the last few weeks. It is hard to say that we can function without our electorate officers, and this applies to all electorate officers.
They do a fantastic job, Madam Speaker, and we can rest assured the fort is being well guarded while we are away. We all know what it is like to go back to the office the day after parliament. We were talking earlier about the wall of things we face when we go back, but it is comforting to know that it has been managed well. I mention tonight that Amy does a fabulous job and I hope that she is my electorate officer for many years to come.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will complete the adjournment speech I started last night on Father John Leary, I was up to 1958.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, there are a few important dates in Palmerston that I will mention.
The first is the 1 March, which is Clean Up Australia Day. My office will be running a Clean Up Australia Day point at the Palmerston Skate Park. People wishing to come and sign in at my office for the Drysdale Electorate are most welcome - the more the merrier. I believe Clean Up Australia Day has been a growing phenomenon and it is a fantastic opportunity for you to do your bit for the Territory and for Australia to make it a more beautiful place.
The Palmerston Cricket Club, on 21 March, will be having their junior’s sign-on day. Those with young kids who wish to play a bit of cricket, please take the time to drop down there, sign up and enjoy what is definitely a wonderful sport, like many sports are. Further information can be obtained from my office and we will put you in contact with the right people. There are some beautiful people there and they really understand the importance of teaching kids the appropriate behaviour of sports people. I reckon, get your kid down there, have a look, and see whether they like that type of sport. If they do not, try a different one. Keeping kids involved in sport, through all ages, is vitally important for their growth and development as young adults of Australia.
I also make note of the consistent flow of Palmerston High School students this week viewing the Chamber. It is great to see so many of those young children come. Today’s students had the added bonus of viewing the Bombing of Darwin ceremony and some of the children said to me that they quite enjoyed it. It was quite an amazing thing for them; they understood the importance of it. I hope they will be a part of a generation that progressively knows more about the importance of the role that Darwin played in the war. Unfortunately, we have not yet attained that. We need more than a couple of lines of information. We need books. We need information to be written and delivered. I hope that develops because unfortunately, some of the people involved, the people with the real knowledge, are progressively passing as time does.
Last, I dwell on the disgusting, unbelievably childish behaviour last night of the member for Johnston. This House had the opportunity to stand as grown adults, respectable adults, and to extend parliamentary services so that an MPI could be completed. The way the House behaved was disgusting and despicable. I do not care what words you really choose but that was very childish.
This Chamber is about talking; about debating. This is about being the most apparently mature and responsible people of the Northern Territory. Then the member who sits over there, gets up and goes on as if he is the front man for a comedy club. That was absolutely disgusting. Members should look in the mirror and if they see a reflection of that behaviour they should question themselves whether they should even turn up to work.
This is a place for the people; for the people to be heard and not mimicked, laughed at or embarrassed by that type of behaviour. It was truly disgusting. I have seen a few examples of that since my time in this Chamber and it was disgusting. We are the people who represent the Northern Territory public. Act like it.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the Speaker for her eulogy on Father Leary. As I said last night, I was close to Father Leary, not because I knew him for a long period of time, but because he had a lot to do with my being here, as he brought me to the Daly River, and also because of the person he was.
There are some people you meet in life who, you know once they say something, you should listen to because they are wise. He was one of those people. He was a man of God but he was a man of the people, as well. I have heard him speak many times in church and you would sit up and listen because every word he said was something you should listen to. He did not give a great long two hour sermon, either. He would give a five minute one, right to the point. He had a deep understanding of Aboriginal culture. He worked with Aboriginal people and he tried to bring the Christian culture and the Aboriginal culture together. He saw many similarities between the two. That is one of his greatest legacies.
I will mention a couple of stories. When I was in the Daly, he liked to get away from the noise because the Daly did have its problems with the pub down the road and people harassing you at night. He used to sleep in a little boat down in the middle of the Daly River. The trouble was he would take the keys for the fridge with him. I would come home in the truck with supplies from Darwin at about 10 pm and there would be no keys to open the fridge. I had to go down to the riverbank, throw stones, wake him up and ask him to bring the key back. He was a bit forgetful at times but that was one of his eccentricities.
I used to live in a Sydney Williams hut. I looked after the boys who came in from the cattle stations; there was a dormitory. I lived in one end; there was no fly wire and ventilation holes in the bottom. I was a fresh young lad out of Melbourne living on an old hospital bed with a mosquito net over the top. One morning I woke up and I could hear this noise. I looked up and there was a snake coming down the side wall. That got me out of bed in a hurry because I was a new bloke not long up from Melbourne. That night I told Father Leary there was a snake around and that night I had to show the movies. I used to do the movies twice a week at Daly River. As the movies were playing, I heard ‘Bang!’. Anyway, I came around and there was a hole in the side of the wall. Father Leary had been going around that night looking for the snake, and he got rid of it. I slept peacefully that night, so I was eternally grateful. That was the sort of man he was; he was not just a man who preached, he was a practical man.
He started off the Daly River Mission, and we owe him a great debt in our society and in the Territory for all the work he has done. May he rest in peace.
On a completely different issue, I happened to come across a pamphlet that is being given out in the rural area. It is a spitting image of the Weddell pamphlet, except it has ‘INPEX’ over it. It was written by the Save the Darwin Harbour group - no name on it except that. I am the first person to say I do not particularly like industry in the middle of the harbour, and people have heard me say that many times. I am not a fan of INPEX putting their gas plant in the harbour. I do not mind people disagreeing with me or agreeing with me. However, when I read this pamphlet, it has things in it that really put me off groups like that. They were manipulating the truth for their own reasons.
One of the things it said was that there will be a uranium processing plant in the middle of the harbour. They are referring to Arafura Resources. Arafura Resources is looking at rare earth metals. In the development of those metals, a by-product is uranium. It is not a uranium processing plant. The object of this pamphlet is to try to scare people by saying: ‘We are going to have a radioactive industry stuck in the middle of the harbour’. I might have my concerns about industry, but I hope I do not tell porkies to achieve what I would like.
Mr Elferink: You can say lies.
Mr WOOD: Okay, lies. These people might really want to save the Darwin Harbour. However, if they can do it that way, they will certainly lose my support and I will tell people that these people are not telling the truth. By all means, love your harbour, fight for it, but do it honestly. This way does not do anyone any favours.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, yesterday in this House, the Minister for Public Employment painted a road map to give us a vision of the future on how the relationship between government and public servants can be vastly improved.
Today, I asked the last three questions during Question Time about a particular issue which will cut asunder the work that the Minster for Public Employment claims he is trying to do. It pertains particularly to the deliberate interference of a matter before the courts by a minister of the Crown and, now it appears, as further information comes to hand, with the acquiescence of the Chief Minister, because of the information on the news tonight.
For any minister of the Crown to interfere with a matter which is on foot and before the courts, particularly a criminal matter - and what makes a matter criminal is that a legislative instrument is being prosecuted, nothing else - is way out of bounds. The minister has told this House that there was no correspondence to table. From the ABC report tonight, there is correspondence to table. The minister has said: ‘There is no big paper trail between me and anyone’. I beg to differ. I believe that there is a paper trail in existence. Anyone who watched the ABC tonight will realise that there is a paper trail to be followed.
The minister has tried to weave a story that she did not direct her CEO. The CEO, as evidence has come to light, is of another opinion. The tentacles of this government should never, ever reach into a courtroom and, on this occasion, it has. No matter how unjust people might think a prosecution is, it is not up to the minister to make a determination as to a person’s innocence or guilt. That is a matter for the courts. For the minister, and possibly the government, to establish themselves as a star chamber and to determine innocence or guilt independently of any evidence, demonstrates the level of contempt that not only this government has introduced into this House, but now extends that contempt into the court system itself.
Whilst half this House, or nearly half this House, remains powerless in the face of this government’s numbers, I suspect that the courts may take a grimmer view, should they believe that the minister or this government as a whole has now spread its tentacles of contempt into the courtrooms.
I put some questions to the minister now. Minister, it is my understanding that a letter was prepared for you by your CEO after he was given the instruction. The thrust of that letter, as I understand it, was that the instruction was to be put in writing. Why then did the minister, if she was acting in all innocence, refuse to sign that letter? If the minister thought she had merely spoken to the CEO, surely she would have been alarmed when the CEO sent such a letter. Was she alarmed? No, there was no evidence of her being alarmed. She refused to sign the letter, stayed putting the instruction into writing. Why would she do that? She was nervous about the consequences of doing just that. For her now to throw her hands up and say, innocent, nothing to do with me, does not concord with the facts, and the facts speak for themselves.
I am gravely concerned about what this government is doing in terms of protecting those precious doctrines that keep our social system together, and I refer particularly to the doctrine of separation of powers. The courts have been separated in the self-government act, particularly by the enacting parliament, the Commonwealth parliament, so that they can avoid deliberate interference by the government. These principles date back to much earlier than the 1700s, when Montesquieu described them, and they are as true today as they were then.
It is at the peril of our system of government that ministers and Cabinets act with such cavalier indifference to the rights of the people they represent.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the people in Alice Springs who have been doing such a tremendous job in raising money for the Victorian bushfires appeal. There have been a number of functions over the last two weeks while I have been in parliament I have not been able to attend, unfortunately, but I know that the people in Alice Springs have been doing a very good job.
I know that Sammy’s Pizza, last Sunday afternoon played host to a number of different organisations. They did a tremendous job last Sunday afternoon, raising thousands of dollars to donate to the Victorian bushfires appeal. On Saturday night, the Alice Springs Turf Club have a variety of donations that will be auctioned off to raise a tremendous amount of money for the appeal. I will be there to donate a stack of things to raise money for the appeal.
I also refer to the dorothy dixer answered by minister Anderson, the member for Macdonnell, yesterday afternoon, where she spoke about a new way forward for Indigenous affairs. I welcome the announcement that she wants a new way forward on Indigenous affairs. That is very positive. We have been looking for that in the Northern Territory for quite a long time. We need to make it clear that we do not have everything right in Indigenous affairs in the Northern Territory, by all forms of governments, over many decades. I note the reference made to Mick Dodson’s speech yesterday that for about 30 years there has been continual failure, and the need to balance between symbolism and practical reconciliation.
I am sure that the new Minister for Indigenous Policy would recognise that since the Labor government has come into power things have become worse in the Northern Territory. For the new minister to stand up and say that it is a new way forward, she must declare that, in education, they do not have it right. It is easy to look at the results in the NAPLAN survey. It is easy to see they have Indigenous housing wrong. If you look at the performance by the Housing minister in rolling out SIHIP, $700m dollars was what it received and it still cannot get the houses on the ground.
A member: You wait, you wait.
Mr GILES: If you look at transport, and the stimulus package just announced, not one dollar for Aboriginal communities. It is a disgrace. In the Justice system, there is a continually increasing population in gaols in the Northern Territory, and an 83% Indigenous incarceration rate. I am now led to believe it is moving up towards 90% - that is a disgrace. That is how Indigenous people are being housed in the Northern Territory - in gaols. It is the only place they can get a bed at night and three meals - in a gaol, for many people. That is a disgrace. There are chronic alcohol problems in the Northern Territory. The new Indigenous Affairs minister must say she has got it wrong: the alcohol policy, housing, education, employment, health, justice, transport, and land tenure are all flawed.
A new dawn must happen; must begin. I believe that the new dawn is possible with the new Indigenous Affairs Minister. It was not possible with the previous one and it was not possible with the previous Chief Minister Martin. I believe there is an opportunity now. I offer an olive branch to the new minister, to take politics out of the debate for the new way forward and work together for the greater good, like we have done with advancing Alice Springs this week and I thank the government for that.
I heard yesterday the new Indigenous Affairs minister and the Chief Minister talking about turning off the welfare tap. Finally they have been listening. I have been saying this for quite some time. If you are willing sit down and talk with me and listen, I believe we can move together as one. If you are willing to tell your colleagues of their failures and come up with new ideas, we can work together shoulder to shoulder. If you are willing to say that the policies of this government have not worked before, and that a new approach is needed, I will work together.
If you are willing to show that your approach to bilingual education in the Northern Territory is a disgrace, well I am willing to stand with you side by side, shoulder to shoulder. If you are willing to listen and help us establish a joint office of Indigenous Affairs between the Territory and the federal government and establish a proper traditional owners cooperation board and work to review the intervention, review the failed government policies by the Northern Territory government and come together, I am willing to work with you in a bipartisan approach. If you are not prepared to acknowledge your government’s failures and if you are not prepared to listen and work together, then I will do it on my own.
Motion agreed to.
The Assembly adjourned until Tuesday, 28 April 2009, at 10 am.
MOTION
General Business Day - Nomination
General Business Day - Nomination
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business)(by leave): Madam Speaker, at the request of the opposition and on behalf of the Chief Minister, I nominate the 29 April 2009 as the next day on which precedence will be given to General Business, pursuant to Standing Order 93.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Youth Action Plan – Alice Springs
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I report on the most comprehensive youth action plan developed for Alice Springs - a raft of initiatives to deal with youth antisocial behaviour in our town. The community of Alice Springs has become increasingly concerned about some young people roaming the streets at all hours, often engaging in antisocial and criminal behaviour - it is not on.
The previous Minister for Central Australia, the member for Macdonnell, commenced a process to tackle these issues. This process has sought to achieve a bipartisan approach which also involves the major youth service providers in Alice Springs. On 9 December last year, the member for Macdonnell organised a high level forum of officials and non-government organisations to identify solutions. That forum was independently facilitated by Ms Raelene Beale. On 4 February, the member for Macdonnell chaired a bipartisan meeting, which I attended, of Alice Springs-based MLAs, including the Minister for Young Territorians, and the Mayor of Alice Springs to examine the Beale Report and seek agreement on actions.
I report that the meeting was conducted in a refreshing atmosphere of bipartisanship and many good ideas were contributed from all participants. The member for Macdonnell gave an undertaking to develop a package of actions on the basis of the Beale Report, the bipartisan consultations and consideration by Cabinet colleagues. I am pleased to announce that as a result of this process, the government will take the following action:
a staffed Police Beat will be established in the Todd Mall. Police advise that this can be achieved by July this year.
We will continue to fund the CBD patrols in the Todd Mall until the Police Beat is established. We are on track to
deliver an additional 10 constables to Alice Springs in 2009-10 through the Safer Streets Initiative;
non-government services are effectively coordinated;
we will provide additional funding of $75 000 a year for youth recreation services at the Gap Youth Centre;
campuses. One school with two campuses will allow targeted and specialist education services to be provided
to the young people of Alice Springs;
an additional safe house and emergency beds will be made available; and
transport services to ensure kids are off the street and in a safe place late at night.
Further initiatives raised at the bipartisan meeting on 4 February have in-principle support and will be further developed over the coming weeks. These include CCTV monitoring and security and community patrols. A meeting between the five Central Australian MLAs and senior police will also be held to discuss establishment numbers, effectiveness of juvenile diversionary programs, and the effectiveness of the existing police powers to detain young people.
I inform the House that the contents of this report were discussed with members opposite earlier today and, while we may not agree on everything, I believe there is collective support for the measures I have outlined.
Madam Speaker, I believe this announcement marks a significant move forward, not only for the young people of Alice Springs, but for the whole community. I look forward to driving the implementation of these measures in the coming days, weeks, and months, for the long-term benefit of our wonderful town.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I speak on behalf of my two colleagues, the members for Greatorex and Braitling, in particular, as well as the opposition. We welcome the announcements today, on the basis that it is a good first step on the way to delivering better outcomes for Alice Springs. It has been a long time coming.
I thank the member for Macdonnell, and the member for Stuart, in particular, for their enthusiasm and support. In relation to the announcements, we have some concerns including the following.
In relation to the shopfront, we can expect, obviously, good results because it will start in winter. We are keen to ensure, however, that it is adequately staffed. We want it to be staffed 24 hours a day. That will ensure security during the day, as well as the night, which sends an important message to tourists and locals alike, as well as protecting them. It must, at a bare a minimum, be adequately staffed from 9 pm to 6 am, and it will require extra resources. We want it adequately staffed so there is someone at the shopfront in addition to other police officers undertaking patrols. We are pleased that the government will fund security patrols, an initiative of the town council, until the shopfront opens.
CCTV monitoring should be 24 hours, 7 days a week, and monitored by the police. We note the government says that it is on track to deliver an existing commitment of 10 additional constables. We say that more police officers are required and, in any event, those 10 should be delivered immediately.
In terms of the no school/no service code of conduct, we believe government should ensure there is sufficient funding for an education campaign and promotional activity.
In relation to the youth hub to be established at ANZAC Hill, we believe it should be in place by September this year; as we lead into summer.
We would like more details on the proposal for the boarding school facility, including what types of young people will be there and who will determine that.
What type of support and resources has been allocated town council ranger service?
Nevertheless, we welcome the announcement and thank members for their support.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I congratulate all the members of Central Australia for getting together to put something like this together. It is a refreshing change. It may not be perfect from either points of view, but it is a great start. Perhaps some of this could be spread out to other parts of the Territory as well.
I was in Alice Springs the day before the local members had their meeting, and I was talking to a business owner, a business owner in Darwin who has a shop in Alice Springs, and the Mayor of Alice Springs about the range of problems they had. Alice Springs people were finding the whole issue insurmountable.
When you look at some of these options that have been put forward, it is a great move. I am especially interested in the Police and Citizens Youth Club. I raised this in a debate last year, and the Chief Minister said he thought the Police and Citizens Youth Club should be around again. We could do with those in Darwin. The police actually run them; that relationship between youth and the police is important. I have no problem with having a little boxing in one of these places; I think we have to get that too. As long as it is well managed, and you get people like Boyd Scully, who know how to do it, I say it is great for kids - it takes a bit of the sting out of them. Instead of them taking it out on shopfronts, they can take it out on themselves or a punching bag. It is good that we are looking at these programs.
It worried me at the time that there could be some criticism about taking kids off the street. People might be told that we are starting up a new stolen generation. I believe we have an abandoned generation now, which is far worse. The idea of having a boarding school is terrific. If kids cannot be looked after at home, let us try to help them as well. It was not mentioned, but I did visit the Hamilton Downs Youth Camp. That is an important part of this package. I congratulate all members of Central Australia for a job well done. Let us see if we can get some results.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen, and the members for Greatorex and Braitling for their bipartisanship. It has been a spirit of cooperation. I also thank the member for Nelson for his words.
I pay particular acknowledgement to the member for Macdonnell. In her time as the Minister for Central Australia, she has been a strong advocate for these issues and I will continue to follow in those footsteps.
In relation to the other issues of members opposite, I am sure that we will talk again about the detail. I encourage you to keep the spirit going and let us talk further.
Bombing of Darwin – 67th Anniversary
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, earlier today, Darwin welcomed some 150 veterans and survivors of the events we have commemorated in Darwin, the 67th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin. This has included survivors and families of serving Defence personnel who have come to Darwin specifically for this commemoration. Over 1000 Territorians also attended this event. Amongst others this year, we welcomed the family of the late Dallas Widick, the last survivor of the USS Peary. His wife Lorna, son Dallas Widick Junior, daughter Suzanne, and son-in-law, Donald Wakeman are here on a very special journey to spread the ashes of Dallas Widick at 2 pm this afternoon in the waters that claimed the USS Peary and 91 of his comrades.
We also welcomed members of 13 Squadron. Whilst their Hudsons were based in Darwin, much of their work was over the skies of the then Dutch East Indies. These included Arthur Brown, Bob Jones, Rex Austin, John Dorsett, Roger Kuring, Mervyn Mayne, and Tom Hughes. Finally, we welcomed a group of brave women who were also here during that time: Valma Veivers, Letty Cuddihy, Norma Burns and Pat Jones.
Madam Speaker, this parliament is unique in that we represent the only jurisdiction in the nation that commemorates the defence of Australia every year. The reason for this is well known to us in this place. On that fateful day, 67 years ago, nearly 300 people, civilian and Defence Force members alike, lost their lives in the two calamitous raids. It was the first of 63 raids over the following 21 months. Whilst the initial target was Darwin, it affected the whole of the Northern Territory. The small town of Alice Springs received evacuees from Darwin and became a staging post for the war effort in the North. Places such as Katherine, Pine Creek, and Milingimbi were bombed. Airstrips and military camps were strung along the Stuart Highway. However, it is an event and a period still virtually unknown by the rest of the nation.
As Peter Grose has pointed out in his recently launched book, An Awkward Truth - I urge all members to get a copy of this book - the seven volume Official Histories: Second World War numbers many thousands of pages, yet there are only two pages devoted to the Bombing of Darwin and its aftermath.
As I noted earlier today, that is not history. It is a deliberate forgetting of a vital part of our national story. It is a national forgetting that began with wartime censorship, which has never recovered from that time of secrecy. I believe we have all noted in recent years an increasing number of younger Territorians participating in the commemorative services and events surrounding the Bombing of Darwin, so it was today at the Cenotaph.
It has been noted throughout the nation that younger Australians attend Anzac Day in greater numbers and travel to foreign theatres of war in Turkey, France, Belgium, PNG, Singapore, and Thailand.
Uniquely, in the Territory younger people commemorate a theatre of war on home soil, Australian soil, Darwin soil. They remember the first time the war visited our shores with such terrible results. It is why we have committed funds towards the East Point Military Museum and the Aviation Museum.
I am on the record stating that the events of this time should be an integral part of the teaching of history in our schools throughout Australia. To that end, I announced this morning the establishment of an annual history scholarship award for Territory high school students researching the history of the war time in the Northern Territory. It will not be limited to the bombing or indeed Darwin itself. I have already noted that the war’s impact on the Territory reached far and wide. Nor would the research necessarily look at a military account of the period, but might also investigate social, economic and political affairs.
The research projects might look at the material heritage of the period, oral history, literary or visual histories. In short, it would provide a focus for Territory secondary history students to apply any or all of the historical tools that form the discipline of history.
We can best honour those who served here in World War II, whether as civilians or military personnel, through keeping their history alive in the minds of younger Australians throughout the nation and of generations to follow. This scholarship award will go an important way to achieving this purpose through the talents and skills of our younger Australians.
Madam Speaker, outside in the Great Hall, it was magnificent, and I know many members talked to some of those amazing old Diggers who survived the bombing. Many of them were smiling and were really pleased to be here, but one – what was the gentleman’s name?
Ms Lawrie: Hutch.
Mr HENDERSON: A fellow called Hutch, who is 99 years old and he is sprightly, he has a spring in his step and a smile in his eye. He did not tell me but he told Delia that he started learning to fly a helicopter at the age of 97, and he is now 99 and he is going to get his licence. However, they assured us they would not let him fly by himself!
There are some wonderful people outside. On behalf of everyone in this House, I thank all of those wonderful old soldiers who went through such a horrific time for their place in our history in the Territory.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I support the initiative the Chief Minister has just announced and described, of promoting scholarship and the study of past events. How important it is and how important the role we have as Australians to make sure that the rest of our nation understands what happened to this nation.
When we recognise that the strike force that hit Darwin, hit harder than at Pearl Harbour, and when we see that the commemoration of that event at Pearl Harbour is very significant, and draws people from all around the world, I believe there is a great opportunity to bring people together in a much stronger way. We have already laid good foundations, but I believe we have a great opportunity, when we regard this as the Pearl Harbour of the region.
It is interesting, when we are talking about INPEX - we welcome that engagement - that nearly 70 years ago, the whole world was a different and uncertain place. When we reflect on the times that we are facing, the uncertainty of the global financial crisis, it helps to look back at times like that and relive it through the stories, it enables us to get some dimension on the challenges we face today, and we can put it into some perspective and then move forward.
I believe it is important to backup the investment in scholarship, with the investment in some of the artefacts that are left around the place, particularly from Z-Force operations. Growing up in Western Australia we heard about Z-Force and I was very interested to see the remains of the Krait launching facilities in Berrimah, which need to be preserved because that is such important history. It is not just the bombing, it is how we stood our ground and reached back into the region, and particularly the prisoners of war that came back through Darwin. There is much that we can add to this, so that we can stand proudly to support this story into the future.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I support the report by the Chief Minister and the comments of the Leader of the Opposition. I believe it is very important to keep that history alive. Not only can we do that through scholarships, which I believe is a good concept from the Chief Minister, but also through maintaining our heritage.
I have spoken many times about preserving our war time airstrips, but there are more than the airstrips, for instance, there is a searchlight area at Wickham Point on the Peron Islands, where my father-in-law worked during the war, and also a radar station and radio station. There are so many parts of the Top End of the Territory especially, and other areas in the rest of the Territory, where we need to do much more work to preserve and tell people where they are.
Heritage parks are a good way to go because not only is it preserving our history, it is helping our economy through the tourism industry, and it is also keeping our history alive. Many people do not know about these places. How many people go past some of these airstrips and never go in? There is much the Territory can do, and I believe the federal government has a role to play as well.
I looked out across the harbour this morning and I thought of Captain Strauss; some people know I went to Ohio to see his family, and his family have been here. He was shot down over Squires Bluff; most people would not know where that is, until you get a map of the harbour, it is just up harbour from Talc Head. It brings back to me how much we owe to other countries. People might not always like the Americans. They might say they are bunch of this and that. When you consider the number of Americans who died fighting for Australia from places like Strauss Airstrip, Long Airfield, and Fenton, we should not forget their great sacrifice. That is not diminishing our soldiers or our forces, but we should always remind ourselves of the great sacrifices they made an awfully long way from home, a little like our soldiers fighting in Gallipoli.
Members: Hear, hear!
World War II History - Preservation
Ms ANDERSON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage: Madam Speaker, I inform the House of important work being done to preserve our World War II history and to honour the contribution of the many men and women who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today.
The Bombing of Darwin, on this day in 1942, took at least 243 lives and remains the single biggest loss of life on our shores in Australian military history. We must never forget this black day in our past. We must take action to ensure that the monuments which mark this devastating event are preserved forever. This government is committed to putting in the funds and resources to protect our historical assets.
The East Point Military Museum is a fantastic resource and a fitting tribute to the heroes who served Australia, but we must make sure it remains appealing to visitors and Territorians. We want to educate about our wartime past; we cannot let it fall into disrepair. This government has committed $10m to expand the current building and enhance its displays. An advisory group was formed last year to look at the best options to make this great tribute more attractive to visit.
The Australian Aviation Heritage Centre in Winnellie will also receive a makeover as part of this government’s pledge to protect and promote World War II heritage. Among the excellent displays at this museum is the wreckage of a Japanese Zero fighter plane from the attack on this day in 1942. The draft concept design has been developed and an indicative order of cost has been requested through the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. I am expecting that planning for both the East Point Museum and the Aviation Heritage Centre upgrades will be well advanced by the end of the financial year.
This government has taken the necessary steps to safeguard the physical reminders of this very significant period in the Territory’s history. We are moving through the processes under the Heritage Conservation Act to protect six wrecks of World War II Catalinas found in Darwin Harbour. My department has known about five of these wrecks for some time, and another was discovered by INPEX while they were doing marine survey work last year. These wrecks have been nominated for heritage listing, the process is now being followed through and the Heritage Advisory Council is doing great work investigating the options for protection. This government will make sure the proper course of action under heritage legislation is followed to preserve these relics. We will not lose our important physical reminders of our wartime history.
This government is also maintaining our historical assets. The ammunition bunkers from World War II at Francis Bay were recently allocated funds for repairs to roofs, windows and vents. Since the last anniversary of the bombing, this government has added two significant World War II heritage sites to the register - the K5 Anti-Aircraft gun site at Coomalie, and the Air Force medical receiving station site on Stuart Highway near the Batchelor turn-off - now have heritage protection and will be safeguarded for posterity.
This government is committed to ensuring that the Territory’s key role as a World War II battleground remains imprinted in Territorians minds forever.
Madam Speaker, during the last report I gave on heritage issues, the member for Nelson raised the idea of establishing heritage parks, and bringing a number of related heritage sites like the World War II heritage areas around the Top End under single management. This idea has merit and I look forward to working with the member for Nelson on this idea.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, the museums and historical areas of the Northern Territory are of paramount importance. They are a strong link to our history and the people who serve in and around them. They are a strong link to the Territory people who suffered under the times that we remember today. It is important to ensure that we supply the facilities that we can, so that they can impart our history for a very long time. They are also a part of our tourism resource. There is the strong ability to deliver great resources for our tourists, so that they can come and remember these sites where amazing feats of bravery occurred.
The Leader of the Opposition mentioned the Z Force Base. I viewed that only recently. The remains of those facilities are pronounced; they exist and they need to be preserved. People who operated covertly out of these locations were extremely brave. Their stories may never fully be told because of some of the secrecy allotted to them. It is very important for the Territory to remember these great days. It is very important for the Territory to share that with the rest of Australia so that they can be educated to the importance of the Northern Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s statement about the possibility of heritage parks. I will be very happy to work with her in trying to achieve that goal.
It is great that this money has been put into the museum at East Point and the government is also helping with the Aviation Museum, which is a great facility. We sometimes forget it is there because we drive past. It is worth going into. The trouble is you go in there and you realise you could spend a couple of days if you really wanted to look at everything. It is one of those features that sometimes locals forget to enjoy. I must remind myself to go in there again one day.
I am interested to know, with the development of the East Arm boat ramp, whether the Catalina landing site has been protected. I am not sure what was happening there. I know that some people had concerns.
The other issue I raise is that, and I believe it is the department of Transport, someone had the idea of changing the signs for all the World War II airstrips. The previous signs, although they needed upgrading and a clean up, told you who Strauss, Sattler, Livingstone, and Hughes were, and gave you an idea why the airstrip was named after them.
Those signs have now been removed. All it says is ‘Strauss World War II Airstrip’. There is nothing to tell tourists who Strauss was. Strauss is the exception because you do have another little place for people to park off the road and find out a bit more. However, the other airstrips, Sattler, Hughes, Livingstone, and I believe there are a few others down the track, all have the new sign up but the information has now been removed.
I ask the government whether it could look at that, because it is not much good having just the name; you need more than a name. You need the history and that is important for tourism, as part of the living history, and it is part of our heritage.
Ms ANDERSON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I thank members opposite for their concerns. I reiterate to the House the commitment by this government of $10m to preserve the history of what we celebrated today, and the fact that we live in peaceful Darwin. We should be so grateful and honoured and thankful to those people who lost their lives to make this part of the country safe and better for us. The commitment by this government of $10m indicates to Territorians that we are about preserving the heritage and culture of what has happened to our beautiful Darwin. We also want to make sure that the future generation of people who enjoy this place are also educated in what happened in the past.
I take this opportunity to thank the Chief Minister for his commitment and for the $10m to ensure that our past is recognised so that our children are better educated to live in the future.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
UNIT TITLE SCHEMES BILL
(Serial 35)
(Serial 35)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The main purpose of this bill is the establishment of a new scheme for the issue multi-unit titles. Multi-unit titles are those where there is a sharing between the owners of various parts of common property and assets, and of rights and responsibilities regarding the property as a whole. Currently, these titles are dealt with under the Unit Titles Act and related legislation, such as the Real Property (Unit Titles) Act. This bill follows on from the Land Title and Related Legislation Amendment Act 2008 passed in February 2008. That act made substantive policy reforms concerning the planning processes that apply to unit title developments, and also to the management of bodies corporate that result from such developments. It has not yet commenced operation.
The Unit Titles Act was originally designed for single stage, single use developments, like the construction of a block of flats. Its one size fits all approach has struggled to cope with more complex developments and, as a result, over the years it has been amended numerous times. The first major amendment in 1986 allowed developments to be completed in stages, provided that the developer set out in a disclosure statement exactly when and how the future stages would be completed.
These amendments proved inadequate for large scale developments. Thus, Cullen Bay, in late 1992, had to be developed under its own special legislation that created a body corporate structure for the management of communal assets, such as the marina and lock, in what was otherwise a broadacre unit development for vacant lots.
The next major amendment in 1993 to the Unit Titles Act provided for generic estate developments of the kind that had occurred in Cullen Bay. This meant that, in future, any development like Cullen Bay would not require its own special legislation. Parts of Bayview have been developed in accordance with these provisions.
The most recent significant amendment in 2002 saw the creation of the concept of a building lot. This concept allows further subdivisions within buildings. Building lot titles can be issued for different parts of a building or different buildings on a single parcel of land, and those titles can then be further subdivided into unit titles. An example of a building lot development is Old Admiralty Towers on the Esplanade. For that development, one of the building lots has been subdivided into residential units, whilst another has been subdivided into office units. The estate development and building lot developments allow for different layers of management corporations within a single development. However, each has its own rigid, somewhat idiosyncratic requirements that have limited its application.
The view was reached that there is no need for substantial variations in land development processes or in land title arrangements between the various types of multi-unit developments. The current variations add considerable complexity to these matters. Additionally, there are gaps in the legislation that adversely affect both developers and owners. There is room for reducing the complexity, improving consumer protection, and reducing regulatory burden.
For multi-unit developments commenced after the start of this proposed legislation, the new scheme created under this bill will replace the four different types of schemes contained in the Unit Titles Act. It will allow for subdivisions within subdivisions in an unlimited number of layers. The result may be a series of subsidiary bodies corporate in a layered structure. This will be broadly analogous to a group of companies, with a body corporate at the top of the pyramid and various subsidiaries and subsidiaries of subsidiaries beneath it.
However, the significance difference is that the corporate body in the bottom layer is a member of the higher layer and thus, is one of the owners of the common property of the higher layer.
Under this legislation, there could potentially be a suburb that starts off as a single unit title scheme. This will be the top layer, with individual units for parcels of land suited to residential, business, sporting or industrial uses. It would also include ‘common property’ such as a park or a golf course. The individual parcels could be split into units. For example, a building could be constructed on a parcel of land and then be divided into apartments, with a separate unit title for each of the levels of the building. The ground floor could be further divided into shops, or the basement level of that building could potentially be further subdivided into individual unit titles for the car parks. Sporting areas, such as marinas, may be further subdivided so there are titles for individual marina berths.
The extent to which these further divisions and land uses may occur will be governed by the scheme statement. That is, the scheme statement will provide for any limitations on future development. The legislation will also permit the amalgamation of schemes. The Unit Titles Act will remain in operation to permit titles to be issued in accordance with its provisions if the land concerned has already been developed or partly developed in accordance with its provisions. It will also remain in place to govern the ongoing management of existing unit developments and corporations.
These management provisions were substantially reformed by the Land Title and Related Legislation Amendment Act 2008. Those amendments are to commence at the same time as the commencement of this proposed new legislation.
Transitional provisions will give the developers of projects already under way at the time of the commencement of the new legislation the option, subject to compliance with the transitional provisions, of having titles issued under the new legislation. Alternatively, they may proceed under the Unit Titles Act. Additionally, bodies corporate established under the Unit Titles Act will have the option of converting to a unit title scheme under the new legislation.
The new legislation will provide greater flexibility concerning changes in proposals part way through a development. Where land is currently being developed in stages under the Unit Titles Act, developers are required to enter into disclosure statements that are very difficult to change. For this reason there have been very few staged developments. Developers prefer instead to subdivide land under the Planning Act and then complete each stage as and when there is suitable demand for units created. This means that each stage has its own independent body corporate rather than a single body corporate. This can lead to long-term management problems about assets that look as if they should be or can be shared, but where this may not legally be the case.
Disclosure requirements for building lot developments have also not worked in a satisfactory manner. This arises from the fact that the disclosure statement is only required to be lodged for registration when the developer is seeking the issue of titles. Fairly naturally, this leads developers, instead of seeking building lot titles at the outset of a project, to wait until the physical development has been completed. This allows them to lodge a disclosure statement setting out what has been done rather than what will be done. It avoids the risk of disgruntled purchasers seeking redress under the legislation for changes made to the building during the course of construction.
Effectively, for any such cases, there has been no effective disclosure other than that which may be set out in a contract. This has resulted in some purchasers of expensive units being somewhat surprised with what they have ended up purchasing. The legislation provides that a seller of a proposed unit must provide a disclosure statement at the time when the contract is made. A copy of the disclosure statement must be registered against the title for the land. This reforms current practices relating to disclosure statements. The content of disclosure statements is set out in clause 45(2).
They must deal with matters such as estimated annual contributions, any proposed authorisations for letting agents, details of scheme statements, details of management modules, and methods for adjudicating any disputes that may arise from matters dealt with in the disclosure statement.
I will now deal in more detail with the processes that will take place in accordance with the proposals contained in the legislation.
A developer seeking to obtain a unit title under the new legislation will make an appropriate subdivision application under the Planning Act. The Planning Act will be amended by this bill so a developer will be required, as part of the application, to provide to the consent authority a plan in a form approved by the minister under the Planning Act. This plan will show buildings that will be suited for occupation.
The Planning Act will also be amended so that it is clear under regulations that the consent authority, in making its decision, must decide whether any building or part of a proposed building will be suitable for separate occupancy of the kind suited for the subdivision of land. In considering the application the consent authority will be required to assess whether any buildings in the proposed development are suitable to comprise separate land title lots.
Thus, the consent authority will do more than simply check that there is an occupancy permit under the Building Act or under any transitional operation of the various acts repealed by the Building Act. Instead, it will look to see if the building is such that the Australian building code would operate to permit the building to be occupied for the purpose for which it is being subdivided.
The consent authority will also have the power to give subdivision approval for units even if the unit has only reached, in effect, the stage of a shell of a building requiring further work before it might be suited to use as a residence, a shop or a home. Thus, in considering occupancy, the consent authority is not required to decide that the building is suitable for occupancy for a residential or business purpose. Rather it could, for example, grant a subdivision application which provides for the initial subdivision of a building into shells which may have basic facilities such as walls, roof, and utility services.
A second developer, or an owner, could then further subdivide the land or obtain a land use approval for changing the shell into a residential unit. The subdivision plan will also show details of changes that might be permitted by regulation for the purposes of the progressive development of the land. Regulations will also be made that will set out the information that the consent authority may require to consider the application.
The subdivision application will then be handled in much the same way as a subdivision of broadacre land. That is, there will be a survey plan that will be signed off by the Surveyor-General under section 49 of the Licensed Surveyors Act. The developer will be required to provide various additional documents for endorsement by the consent authority. These documents will form part of the scheme statement that is lodged with the Registrar-General for the purpose of issuing titles. The documents will include prescribed information about progressive developments, information about layered schemes, and information about exclusive use by-laws.
On the signing of the survey plan by the Surveyor-General and endorsement by the consent authority of the key subdivision documents, the developer will then be in a position to seek titles by lodging with the Registrar-General those documents together with other documents relating to the long-term management of the land. These other documents include those relating to by-laws and the management module. The by-laws are rules that proscribe behaviour on the land that is the subject of the scheme statement. This land includes the common property as well as land that will comprise privately owned units.
The by-laws deal with issues such as noise, animals, the appearance of buildings, and the like. Contravention of a by-law leaves the offender liable to a maximum fine of 20 penalty units, which is $2100. The by-laws will be either the standard by-laws as contained in Schedule 2 to the bill or as specified in the scheme statement.
The management module is the document that sets out how the body corporate makes its decisions and operates. It will cover matters such as the budget, annual contributions, borrowings, keeping of accounts, auditing, funds, powers concerning recovery actions, and voting.
Various management modules will be set out in regulations to be made under the act. Facts such as the size and nature of the unit title scheme will, as a rule, determine what management module will apply to any particular scheme. However, the developer may, in accordance with an approval given by the scheme supervisor, create a management module where the contents are designed specifically for the scheme.
The bill also proposes to regulate sales of the plan. These are generally sales of units in proposed buildings but can also include lots in broadacre developments under the proposed act. Firm contracts for the presale of such units are often critical in a developer obtaining finance for the project as a whole. Thus, it is of great importance to ensure that the systems for such presales have a significant level of integrity.
There will only be long-term integrity if buyers end up with units that meet their expectations. The current legislation has a number of provisions that seek to provide the buyer of a future unit with firm details about the land development.
These provisions do not work well for a variety of reasons. For estate and condominium development, this is because they are too prescriptive and tie down the developer. For building lots they are created after the time a presale is made and thus they are of limited use to the buyers. For presales, this bill focuses on ensuring that the buyer is provided with key information before entering into a contract, and that this information is formally recorded.
The bill provides that a developer must lodge with the Registrar-General for registration a disclosure document that contains an estimate of any contributions that are likely to be imposed by the body corporate after the body corporate comes into existence. In providing this information it is not expected that the developer will provide an estimate that turns out to be a precise figure. It is acknowledged that factors may change to affect outcomes. However, it is expected that a developer could show that the estimates had some logical basis when they were made.
The developer will also be required to disclose details of any facts relating to letting agents, body corporate managers, and service contractors. For example, if a developer has entered into a long-term contract for servicing, letting, or body corporate management, this will need to be disclosed ...
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I will acknowledge these students. Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 7 Palmerston High School students, accompanied by Miss Pat Munn. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, if there is no firm arrangement but a mere intention; it is the intention that must be disclosed. The developer will also be required to disclose information concerning scheme statements, planning applications, management modules, by-laws, and dispute resolution. This capacity to make changes during the course of a development will be linked with appropriate mechanisms to protect the interests of persons who have purchased property off the plan.
The bill also contains novel provisions dealing with the termination of schemes. Under current legislation in place in the Northern Territory and elsewhere in Australia, there are very limited options regarding the termination of schemes. In essence the options are, first, that all owners agree or, second, that a court approve the termination. These options are not suited for those cases where a unit development has become old, and for which it may be clear to some owners of the units that there are significant corporate advantages in redeveloping the land for a higher and better use.
Governments also have a strong interest in urban renewal and in better use of land. The current provisions do not provide any meaningful solution for situations where a small percentage of owners refuse to agree to the termination. Such persons may make these decisions for perfectly valid reasons that apply to all owners of property, such as, ‘We like our home’ or ‘we do not want to take the risk of redevelopment’, or ‘we are holding out for a top price that we will obtain in a few years time’. Operating on the basis that each landowner is entitled to his or her own castle, there are clear policy concerns in permitting a majority of other owners to, in effect, boot a person out of property ownership. It is also considered that courts are very reluctant to intervene to promote the interest of the majority over those of a minority.
Nonetheless, the Property Council of Australia has been urging Australian governments to take action to permit terminations on 75% majority votes rather than 100%. Its representative’s point out that similar laws exist in places such as Singapore and the American Mid-west. So far, no Australian government has made any moves in the direction sought by the Property Council. The Northern Territory government is also not prepared to go this far. Despite the government’s self-interest in promoting urban renewal, it is our current view that the primacy of individual land ownership ought to prevail over the collective interest of co-owners.
The main exception to this principle is that of compulsory acquisition by governments, which can only occur having regard to principles derived from the Australian Constitution. In taking this policy position, we take account of the fact that all of the unit owners bought their units knowing that certainty of title was guaranteed by the need for 100% agreement or court orders. However, the government is agreeable to commencing a reform process for the future.
The bill, in clause 15(b), provides that a unit titles scheme under the new legislation may resolve to terminate itself if persons holding 90% of the interest entitlements vote in support of the termination. Such a vote and termination can only occur if the scheme statement establishing the scheme provides for a management module that deals with such a termination. Thus, anyone buying a unit will be aware of the possibility of such a termination. Additionally, such a termination can only occur for a scheme that has existed for at least 20 years after the commencement of section 15 of the new legislation.
This means that there will be a period of 20 years for schemes under the current legislation that convert to be schemes under the new legislation. Any such clause 15(b) termination will also need to comply with provisions in the relevant management module for the scheme. These provisions will seek to protect interests of owners that object to the termination and also of others, such as tenants, who may be adversely affected. The inclusion of such provisions in a scheme will be optional and thus will depend on a developer making an appropriate decision.
The Department of Justice will develop model provisions that can be adopted into a scheme’s management module on a tick box basis. Proposed 15(b) terminations that vary from the model will be subject to approval of the scheme supervisor, who will make a decision based on principles to be contained in the regulations.
The bill also provides for exclusive use by-laws. These are a new feature of Northern Territory law, but they exist elsewhere. In effect, they permit rules to be made that provide for a unit owner or a group of unit owners to have exclusive use of a particular part of the body corporate’s common property. For the Northern Territory, the immediate likely use is for the allocation and use of car parks, but the principle can extend to the use of lifts in buildings or for differential use of facilities, such as swimming pools, tennis courts or marina births.
Other features of the bill include:
Exclusion of the Commonwealth’s Corporations Act 2001.
- As with the current Northern Territory legislation and all state and territory laws dealing with these kinds of corporations, it is proposed that they be excluded, in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement on corporations law and section 5F of the Corporations Act.
Reform and amendment of the voting requirements for both this act and the Unit Titles Act.
- The provisions have been made uniform with various anomalies and uncertainties with the current provisions being removed.
The enactment of key principles that underpin any arrangements a developer may enter into on behalf of a body corporate
regarding letting agents, body corporate managers, and service contractors.
- For the time when the original owner has 100% or some dominant control of a body corporate it is open to that owner to make decisions concerning letting agents, serving contracts or body corporate management that, over the short or long term, may not be in the best interests of the future owners of the units in the scheme.
These arrangements can be extremely valuable. In Queensland they have become valuable assets. Under current Northern Territory law, the legal position concerning such rights is extremely vague. This bill clarifies the law, for the future, from the perspective of owners of units, developers, and the various types of agents.
In essence, the bill will make it clear that such agreements can be binding and long term. Any agreement entered into in the period whilst the original owner has control over the development will be subject to the principles that the terms of the arrangement are suitable for the scheme, and that the terms are fair and reasonable for the agent and for the body corporate as it will exist at the end of the owner control period. If an arrangement breaches these principles the body corporate or individual owners may recover losses from the original owner.
The body corporate of a scheme is also prohibited from seeking any benefit from any arrangement for a body corporate manager or a service contractor. The same principle also applies to the appointment of letting agents subject to the exception that the arrangement can be made if there is no other arrangement made during the original owner control period and if the benefit was a fair market value for the arrangement.
The legislation also provides for codes of conduct to apply to body corporate managers, caretakers, and letting agents.
The requirements of the Agents Licensing Act will also continue to apply so that body corporate managers and property agents will need to continue to have a licence unless they come within an exemption under the Agents Licensing Act.
The legislation, for new schemes, retains the same dispute resolution process as provided for in the Unit Titles Act. Disputes will continue to be dealt with by the Local Court. At this time, the government does not see the need to establish specialist tribunals and adjudicators along the lines of those that exist in Queensland and New South Wales.
The legislation will provide that the Supreme Court, rather than the Local Court, will have jurisdiction to deal with the termination and amalgamation of schemes. The Unit Titles Act will also be amended so that the Supreme Court has this jurisdiction.
These amendments have been made following views expressed by the Master of the Supreme Court and the Chief Magistrate. Whilst the legislation sets out various roles and functions for the courts, it is not intended that the legislation affect the inherent jurisdiction of the Supreme Court concerning due compliance with procedural issues, such as those that may lead to a termination in accordance with clause 15(b) of the bill.
The legislation provides for the appointment of a scheme supervisor. This position is expected to be filled by a senior officer within the Department of Justice as part of an officer’s wider range of duties. This position will be the central point of contact concerning issues with the operation of the legislation. The scheme supervisor will also have specific duties concerning the providing of advice when schemes are being terminated, when security deposits are being considered or when a developer or body corporate is seeking that a non-standard management module apply to the body corporate’s decision-making and management roles.
The legislation also changes the nature of the rules governing behaviour on the unit titles land. Under the current law, for most unit titles, the behavioural rules operate in a contractual way. It is only estate corporations and building lot corporations that can make by-laws that can be enforced by imposing fines through the court system. Under the new legislation all new body corporates will have this power. The maximum penalty for a continuing breach of a by-law will be 20 penalty units or $2100. The body corporate rather than the police or government will be responsible for taking the prosecution action.
In respect of the other offences in the act, the common maximum penalty is 100 penalty units or $11 000. The offences are classified as strict liability offences for the purposes of the application of Part IIAA of the Criminal Code.
The bill also provides for consequential amendments to 19 other acts and regulations. Most of the amendments are of a technical or statute law review nature, that is, by inserting cross-references into all the various laws that mention unit titles. Significant amendments are made to the Land Title Act and the Planning Act.
The Land Title Act is to be amended so that it sets out all of the duties concerning the registration of scheme statements. The Planning Act is to be amended so that the consent authority considers unit titles proposals under the same provisions that apply to subdivisions of land.
The bill also makes amendments to the transitional provisions contained in the Land Title and Related Legislation Amendment Act 2008. These amendments ensure that the changes made by that act do not adversely affect subdivisions in the course of completion at the time of the commencement of that act.
This bill has been the subject of considerable consultation over the past two months. The core proposals were made in late 2005 by the Property and Commercial Law Taskforce as established by the former Attorney-General, the Hon Peter Toyne.
My colleague, the Hon Chris Burns, as Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, released a draft of the bill on the 29 November 2008 for consultation. For the purposes of the consultation, the Department of Justice has:
placed on its web page copies of the bill along with various ancillary documents;
conveyancing agents, real estate agents, body corporate managers, surveyors, and the
Department of Planning and Infrastructure; and
engaged in further face-to-face and e-mail discussions for the purpose of working through the issues.
The consultation has resulted in considerable fine-tuning of the bill. I thank all the people who have participated and I note, in particular, the contributions of the Commercial Law Committee of the Law Society NT, the Property Council of Australia, and the Real Estate Institute of Northern Territory.
I look forward to any further contributions, especially concerning the various legislations and other documents that will be developed between now and May 2009.
In broad terms, the development of the legislation has been based around the concepts contained in Queensland’s Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997. However, it has a significantly different structure and many differences in detail that reflect Northern Territory drafting practices as well as the way some things are currently done in the Territory.
This is a complex area of the law. It is also law that is fundamental to land development and protecting the property and living arrangements of many Territorians. I am committed to ensuring that the law is both comprehensive and appropriate. Any comments made about the proposed law, especially the transitional provisions, will be fully considered by the government and any necessary changes will be made to the bill prior to its enactment.
Accordingly, I urge members and their constituents to carefully consider this draft legislation and to pass on to the Department of Justice any problems that may exist. This is legislation that concerns a large number of people. I commend the bill to honourable members and I table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
EVIDENCE LEGISLATION (AUTHORISED PERSONS) AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 27)
(Serial 27)
Continued from 11 February 2009
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, the opposition supports this bill which we note is unusual in two respects. First, it was introduced on urgency, which means that unlike other legislation where we consider it between sittings, we consider it during the sittings. We have no difficulty with that on the basis of the reason for the introduction of the bill. It is also unusual because it is retrospective.
These two things - the urgency and retrospectivity - tend to make politicians on both sides of the Chamber prickly. We should proceed with such legislation prudently and cautiously. Having considered the matter, I can confirm we have done so - cautiously and prudently - and that we are prepared to support the bill.
There are good reasons for our support; it is imminently sensible. I do not propose to read or quote all of the Attorney-General’s second reading speech but for the record and, in the unlikely event that anyone will be reading our reply in the future, I refer them to the second reading speech, this part in particular and I quote:
- The purpose of this bill is to clarify and expand the classes of person authorised to take recorded statements from vulnerable witnesses.
These statements are admissible in court as the evidence-in-chief of those witnesses.
The aim of a reform some years ago was to reduce the trauma experienced by children and other vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings for sexual offences. There were some difficulties as a result of further reforms in 2007. Those difficulties pertained to the definition of ‘authorised person’. When considering legislation that deals with, or is designed to assist, victims of crime - any victim of crime - it requires the parliament to be as sympathetic and as helpful as necessary. In that context, we support the bill. Although it would have been ideal for it not to have reached this point - it has - and what a government does is try to fix the problem.
I thank the minister’s staff for their assistance. We dealt pragmatically with a couple of the issues. I had some difficulties with what I regarded as a fairly curious structure of clause 4. I received what I believe is a rational explanation as to why it is structured like that. I received confirmation that legal practitioners, who are the subject, essentially, of the bill or a part of it, have not taken statements before from vulnerable witnesses, and there are no difficulties arising there from. I thank the staff for that confirmation.
However, I do remain perplexed as to why it is that, in a small bill like this, we have both the American version of the word ‘authorized’ - that is one with a ‘z’ - and in a subsection immediately underneath it, we have the English version of the word ‘authorised’ with an ‘s’. The reason I was given, I do not doubt - although as a human being I question it - but I accept the advice. Perhaps for the record, the minister can respond to this. The advice I was given was that the section that has ‘authorized’ with a ‘z’ is not a typo and that, because it refers to a section of the now repealed Community Welfare Act which spelt ‘authorized’ with a ‘z’, then the ‘z’ in the word ‘authorized’ was adopted as a matter of caution. I believe it looks dumb. I know this is not going to take the world by storm and no one is going to rush off to the High Court but, surely as politicians and lawmakers, we can get the spelling of words right. We often wax lyrical about the great Westminster system and, yet, in legislation we have the American spelling of a word – I do not think so.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for the assistance with the bill. I would be very grateful if the minister would respond to the ‘z’ and ‘s’ argument.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the department for its briefing, and their early contact with me advising that this bill would be coming up at these sittings. I am also a little fearful of bills being rushed under urgency but when you have been briefed on the reasons why, there is certainly a good reason for this bill being put through quickly.
Madam Speaker, I am happy with what is in the bill; we have had a good explanation of it. Whether it should be an ‘s’ or a ‘z’ is interesting ...
Ms Carney: It is a point of principle, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: It is, yes. I come from a family where Scrabble is widely played and things such as whether you are using American or English spellings often come into dispute. I thought it was typed by two people on different computers – one had left theirs on the American spell check and the other on the Australian spell check. However, having heard the possible explanation that it has a ‘z’ because it must match the clause within another act, then there should be some way of highlighting that with an emphasis on either side of the word - if that is the real issue - to show people that the reason it is written that way is because the ‘authorized’ person spelt in that manner is purely referring to that same authorised person spelt in that manner in another act. I am not sure if it is possible to change the other act, but that is the only explanation I can see. I am sure that for the average person reading it they will just think the person is authorised. The Independent supports the bill.
Ms McCARTHY (Children and Families): Madam Speaker, I support the bill for victims of crime and witnesses to a crime. Reporting the crime to the police and giving evidence in a court can be traumatic and intimidating. Often, just taking the step of talking about what has happened is difficult and upsetting for a victim or a witness, and this is particularly the case where a person is a vulnerable witness. A vulnerable witness includes a witness who is a child, a witness who suffers from an intellectual disability, and a witness who is the alleged victim of a sexual offence.
For a vulnerable witness, having to repeat their story over and over may be too much. The prospect of having to stand up in court and tell their story is likely to be overwhelming. It could put them off making a formal complaint or report to the police altogether. It may even impact on their mental health or wellbeing.
For vulnerable people, we need to try to make the process of reporting a crime or giving evidence in court as non-threatening as possible. The Evidence Legislation (Authorised Persons) Amendment Bill 2009 makes changes to the Evidence Act and Regulations to protect witnesses and victims of crime in the community who are particularly vulnerable. Our government is committed to ensuring that our communities are safe and supportive places for all, and particularly for those who are vulnerable in our community.
Safety is one of the focuses of the government’s Closing the Gap plan of action. When we talk about safety, we are talking about police, justice, and family violence, and also child protection. Only yesterday, we spoke at length about the need for societal and attitudinal change in regard to domestic violence. The protections for vulnerable witnesses which are provided in the Evidence Act are just another way that this government demonstrates its commitment to safe communities.
Why is this bill important? Under the part of the Evidence Act which deals with vulnerable witnesses, a witness who is a child, intellectually disabled, or who has been the victim of a sexual offence, can tell their story to an authorised person, and a recording of that story can be provided to a court as evidence. This means that the vulnerable witness does not have to repeat their story in court. It also ensures that they do not have to stand up in court in front of the alleged offender and tell their story. This is particularly important for victims of sexual offences. It avoids the risk of those victims feeling intimidated or harassed in the presence of the alleged offender.
A particular concern of mine has been the support available for victims of sexual assault. In 2008, under Closing the Gap, this government established the Sexual Assault Referral Centre within the Department of Health and Families, which provides victims with 24 hour access to counselling, referrals to medical and legal services, and a range of other information for victims of sexual assault and their families. There has been a great deal of interest in this as I have travelled across the area. If we look at the area of sexual assault services, a medical coordinator has been appointed to the Darwin Sexual Assault Referral Centre and there are additional Aboriginal sexual assault workers. Sexual assault counsellors have also been employed and a new mobile outreach service is operating across the Northern Territory.
The vulnerable witnesses part of the Evidence Act gives further strength to the systems that are already in place to protect victims of sexual assault. The vulnerable witness’s part of the Evidence Act is also very important for witnesses of crime who are children or who have an intellectual disability. As the minister responsible for children, families, and young Territorians, I am committed to making sure that children in our communities are safe and have the supports and facilities that they need. We know that within three years of coming into power, the Labor government tripled funding into child protection, from $7.8m to $20m. Each budget since this time has been increased approximately 26% each year, and the budget now sits at $83m. We have even established a Children’s Commissioner.
I am acutely aware of the need to provide support and protection to people with an intellectual disability, particularly when they come into contact with the Justice system, either as a victim or an alleged offender.
This bill is important because it clarifies the people who are authorised persons under the Evidence Act and who are able to take a recording from a vulnerable witness. The bill clarifies that members of the Australian Federal Police are authorised to take that evidence and that members of the police force, from another state or territory, are authorised to take that evidence.
In conclusion, this bill helps to ensure that when children, people with an intellectual disability or victims of sexual assault provide information to the police there are protections and supports in place to assist them if the matter goes to court. By strengthening the protections that are in place for vulnerable witnesses in our community, the bill will contribute to improving safety in our communities, something which the Henderson government is committed to.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for its support for the legislation which, as you have heard, seeks to clarify the taking of evidence for vulnerable witnesses. I also thank the Independent member, the member for Nelson. I thank the members for understanding that, whilst we do our best to avoid urgency in terms of the carriage of legislation, there was a real need for this legislation to proceed on urgency and I thank the members for their support of that urgency.
This legislation comes before us as part of a broader package of reforms government introduced in 2004, which were procedural law reforms for the prosecution of sexual offences. The purpose of the reforms was to reduce the trauma experienced by children and other vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings for sexual offences and to improve the quality of that evidence from those witnesses. In 2007, additional reforms were introduced to remove a number of technical issues. It was these reforms that enabled recorded vulnerable witness statements to be relied upon as the whole or part of the evidence-in-chief of vulnerable witnesses.
First, the bill amends the Evidence Act by clarifying who are authorised witnesses to take recorded statements from such vulnerable witnesses and, second, the bill expands the classes of persons who are authorised to take recorded statements.
Territory police advise that over 500 recorded statements have been taken from vulnerable witnesses since October 2007. Many of these statements have been taken as part of Taskforce Themis and the Commonwealth’s Northern Territory Emergency Response, either at Themis bush stations or as part of the Child Abuse Task Force. The statements, without the amendments contained in this bill, would be inadmissible if taken by an AFP officer or interstate officers sworn in as a special constable in the Northern Territory. If the statements are inadmissible then the children, who have provided the statements, would need to give their evidence-in-chief again during the trial.
The clarification of the categories of authorised persons has retrospective effect from the 16 October 2007. I thank the opposition for understanding the reason for this retrospectivity. This will ensure the admissibility of the statements taken to date and gives the effect of the intention of the legislation to reduce the trauma of the witness in having to provide the evidence again. Presently, if a vulnerable witness attends an interstate police station to make a complaint about a sexual or serious violent offence which occurred in the Territory, an NT police officer must travel interstate to take the statement.
If the statement is taken by an interstate police officer, it is not admissible as a vulnerable witness statement in NT courts, no matter how experienced the officer is in his or her own jurisdiction, as they are not an authorised person. The expansion of the categories of authorised persons will ensure that recorded statements taken by police officers in other Australian jurisdictions will be admissible in NT courts. This aspect of the amendment will commence on assent.
Requiring vulnerable witnesses to recount their statements again would have been contrary to the legislative intent of the 2004 and 2007 reforms and the amendments in this bill are the only practical solutions to ensure that intent is met.
In relation to why the word ‘authorised’ is spelt with a ‘z’ in clause 4(1)(d), this is not a typo; it is spelt with a ‘z’ on the advice from Parliamentary Counsel. Section 4(1) of the now repealed Community Welfare Act refers to persons being ‘authorized’ and as clause 4(1)(d) will have retrospective effect, thus covering persons who are authorized under the Community Welfare Act. Parliamentary Counsel advised it is matter of caution the word ‘authorized’ should adopt the spelling in the Community Welfare Act.
Like the shadow Attorney-General, I question the need for this. However, erring on the side of caution and Parliamentary Counsel erring on the side of caution, we have the American spelling of ‘authorized’, picked up from the now repealed Community Welfare Act, sitting within this amendment. That is the explanation. I have learnt to question Parliamentary Counsel but ultimately, in the face of caution, take on board their advice. They do a good job in drafting legislation for this government.
I thank the officers from the Department of Justice for their effort. The police were also involved in consultations. I thank everyone who has recognised the need to clarify the authorised persons in the taking of statements. I thank the members of the parliament for their support of this amendment; its urgency and retrospectivity.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Framework for Training Workforce
Framework for Training Workforce
Mr HENDERSON (Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I make a statement relating to the government’s framework for training and skilling our workforce and how we are responding to the impacts of the global financial crisis, to ensure that every Territorian, regardless of race, gender, or disability, is able to access meaningful training and employment opportunities.
In the 2008 election campaign, my government introduced initiatives to increase the training opportunities for Territorians and to better develop, attract, and retain workers in the Territory.
There is no better time to take stock of what has been happening under our jobs plan and outline our future skilling and workforce development agenda.
Naturally, at such a volatile time, it is imperative that the Territory keeps a wary eye on international and national economic and financial market activity. The extent and timing of potential impacts on the Territory workforce, in individual industry sectors and regionally, are yet to fully emerge. We have our eye on the ball and are monitoring the marketplace to get our mix of training and employment incentives right.
Five years ago, this government launched Jobs Plan NT – Building the Northern Territory Workforce, the first comprehensive policy framework for training and employment in the Northern Territory. Importantly, this framework took into account the diverse range of people and families in the Territory and their individual circumstances. The Jobs Plan took everyone of working age or at school preparing to enter the workplace into account. Since then, we have built on that framework in response to a growing economy and increased demand for labour and skilled workers, with the primary objective of maximising employment and training opportunities for every Territorian.
Jobs Plan 3 maintained the momentum of earlier strategies and focused on the following four themes: Strengthening Partnerships - by continuing to build our links with industry; Jobs in the Bush - focusing on regional and Indigenous economic development; Better Pathways - options for school leavers ensuring they are equipped to take up those options beyond school; and Staying Informed - accurate, relevant labour market research and analysis to provide a sound basis for decision-making by government, training providers, and employers.
What has been achieved to date? During the life of this government’s Jobs Plans, the Northern Territory has experienced the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded and economic growth rates that outstripped most other jurisdictions in Australia.
In 2005, we set a four year target of 10 000 apprenticeship and traineeship commencements. It was an ambitious goal. I am pleased to advise that we did reach it. Late last year, we announced an election commitment to reach another 10 000 new apprentices and trainees over the next four years. I am confident we will reach this bold target.
In 2001, there were just over 2000 commencements in training. In 2008, we saw a marked increase of 35%, with almost 2700 new apprentices and trainees starting in their career of choice. We currently have 3354 apprentices and trainees in training. This is 66% higher than the number in training in 2001. I am pleased to note that almost one-quarter, approximately 23% of our apprentices and trainees in training, are Indigenous. It is easy to just talk about Indigenous employment issues. We have taken real action to address any disadvantage in this area through our training and employment initiatives. We are also doing well in the area of equality of gender access, with a 30% increase in the number of women starting new apprenticeships or traineeships in 2008, compared with 2001. It is the same story in traditional trade apprenticeships, with the number of annual new apprentices more than doubling since 2001. This is one of the highest rates in Australia.
This area of growth is closely guided and informed by the Employment Division within the Department of Business and Employment. As a matter of process, the division reviews the NT occupational shortage list on an annual basis, with a final NT focus list made available each March. In addition to this work, their annual labour market analysis informs the Department of Education and Training in the purchasing of qualifications that support the area of traditional trade training. In turn, the increased availability of training in areas such as carpentry, hairdressing, mechanical, and electrical trades has given more Territorians access to a sustainable trade for life. Of course, this important information is also used to target sought after occupations through the skilled worker campaigns, as well as providing supply and demand analysis for major projects.
I am proud to say we have the highest VET participation rate in Australia. In 2007, 22 000 Territorians undertook Vocational Education and Training. I look forward to receiving the 2008 VET participation figures in April this year.
Looking at other areas of training support put into place by this government, since April 2005 almost 6000 Northern Territory apprentices and trainees have received the Workwear/Workgear Bonus to assist them with the purchase of necessary tools and equipment associated with the commencement of their training. Territory employers have also benefited directly, with close to 1690 incentives allocated to businesses and organisations that employ additional apprentices and trainees in skill shortage areas, the small business sector, or for disadvantaged groups.
The Work Ready program, which links schools with industry and prepares young Territorians for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, is going from strength to strength. The program has grown from a client base of 40 school students in 2005 to an estimated 300 in 2008. This increase is a real sign of the times, with more students seriously thinking about and wanting to prepare for their future employment pathway well in advance of leaving school.
I will relate to members the story of two young people who have benefited from the Work Ready program. Two students who started in the program at two different schools have now progressed into school-based apprenticeships that involve a mixture of work, training, and academic studies at school. In 2008, both of these students won a number of training awards within the Territory, and one went on to win a national training award. Both these young people are also Indigenous. These are great success stories of young Territorians, role models for other students who may be inspired by their example, and a testimony to the value of the Work Ready program.
Our Build Skills program is also a great example of partnership between government, industry, and employers, aimed at upskilling and reskilling the Territory’s workforce. This is a very important program which gives anyone the opportunity to advance their skills and employment prospects. Since 2006 nearly 630 Territorians have enhanced their skills under 39 Build Skills programs. Government has invested almost $1.5m to conduct targeted training for people who already work in a range of industries, including construction, electrical, manufacturing, tourism, plumbing, trucking, primary industries, racing, hospitality, and community services.
I will speak briefly on training specifically for Indigenous Territorians. The focus for funding is to provide training to enable Indigenous Territorians to gain the skills required to get jobs. A good example is a pre-employment program that Charles Darwin University conducted for young Indigenous students to access employment in the pastoral industry. It was a partnership between the NT and Australian government agencies, industry, and Indigenous organisations, that has seen 90% of students trained in 2008 gain employment on cattle stations. This program will continue in 2009, with 40 new enrolments, and it is expected that the completion and employment outcomes will be similar to the 2008 program.
Charles Darwin University has also conducted a training course, on and offsite, for 31 Indigenous tour guides, including business owners. Sixteen of the participants qualified for a Certificate III in Tourism, and 11 people achieved a Certificate I in Tour Guiding. The program was organised by the CHARTTES Training Advisory Council and funded by the Department of Education and Training. Congratulations to the dedicated team at the Training Advisory Council for pulling this together.
Training linked to employment is not restricted to regional and remote areas. In 2008, two pre-employment programs for Indigenous Territorians were run to open up employment opportunities on Darwin’s Waterfront project. The program provided basic skills related to carpentry and blocklaying, and I am advised it was highly successful in terms of leading to job opportunities. Of the 51 people who completed the training, 46 have gone on to work in a range of roles like trade assistants, labourers, and apprentices.
What does the future hold? This government remains committed to the ongoing development of skills for our workforce and the employment of Territorians, particularly Indigenous Territorians. We recognise that projects of the scale of INPEX will require workers to be imported from across Australia, and possibly from overseas, but there has never been a better time for every Territory jobseeker to take advantage of our dynamic labour market. This government will continue to align its efforts, as well as our spending, to the key industry sectors where we expect to experience ongoing growth. I am talking about sectors such as civil and general construction, including housing, mining, tourism and hospitality, oil, gas and flow-on sectors, and retail.
A great example of this was the inaugural oil and gas industry pre-employment program. The graduation of participants from the program was held in Darwin in October last year. Sixteen Indigenous Territorians completed their training as part of this program, with the majority, close to 70%, already in jobs or earmarked for employment. The program was organised and jointly funded by the Department of Education and Training and its Australian government counterpart, in conjunction with the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association.
On another positive note, in Central Australia a group of 15 Indigenous men undertook training in civil construction thanks to a collaborative effort by my Department of Education and Training, the Australian government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Central Land Council, and Jobfind. The training involved a number of practical work projects for the Alice Springs Road Transport Hall of Fame. I am told that the 14 participants successfully completed the training program, with seven gaining full-time employment with various local employers.
At Ti Tree, 23 participants undertook a training program to enable them to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to gain employment in the horticulture industry. Eighteen participants completed the 20-week course and gained a Certificate II in Rural Operations qualification. Fifteen are currently employed in the industry. The training was conducted by Alice Springs-based registered training organisation, Central Desert Training.
The Territory government is currently funding a pilot program with the Australian government under the national Productivity Places initiative. The Productivity Places program was developed under the COAG National Reform Agenda, which has an overarching theme of enhancing workforce productivity and participation. The national initiative aims to increase the skills of our local and Australian workforce. Under the pilot program, about 223 Territorians, who already work in the health, education, and tourism sectors, will access training at a Certificate III or higher level in identified skill shortage areas. The program will be expanded to include a broader range of qualifications in skills shortage areas and occupations of economic importance in 2009 and beyond.
I am pleased to announce moves to formalise a partnership between the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training, the Northern Territory Department of Business and Employment, and the Australian government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. In addition to maximising benefits for Territorians, this will strengthen the collaborative effort across governments to achieve priorities and outcomes for a skilled labour market and sustained economic growth and prosperity. The primary objectives of the partnership are to: better target our efforts and funding to the areas of greatest need and return; streamline the implementation and delivery of training and employment initiatives; remove duplication; and, strengthen partnerships with other stakeholders, particularly the business community.
The Northern Territory government’s initiatives under Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage, the Australian government’s Northern Territory Emergency Response, and the joint Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure program initiatives, open a plethora of skilling and employment opportunities for Territorians.
Already, with funding from the Australian government, we have seen 128 Indigenous Territorians move from CDEP to employment with school councils in their communities. Work is under way to see a further 56 move from CDEP to sustainable employment. Funding from the Territory government, under Closing the Gap, has opened up employment in the public sector for 26 part-time and full-time Indigenous Territorians in 23 of our remote schools.
SIHIP is set to deliver almost $700m worth of new and upgraded housing and infrastructure in remote communities, along with initial and ongoing training, employment, and maintenance opportunities. An employment and workforce development subcommittee is in place to advise on strategies to maximise Indigenous uptake of training and employment under SIHIP.
A key priority for government is ensuring our students successfully make the transition from school to work, further training or education. That is why, in 2006, we put in place a School to Work Transition Strategic Plan. A total of 2217 government and non-government school students accessed vocational education and training in 2007 and the number of school-based apprentices in skill shortage occupations increased. This trend is expected to continue in the future.
In 2008, the Department of Education and Training provided $480 000 to fund a pilot program through Taminmin High School, as a registered training organisation, to expand and improve VET in schools in the following places: Gunbalanya, Borroloola, Angurugu and Alyangula, Minyerri and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku. I am pleased to advise that more than 80 students in these remote areas have received training in Certificates I and II in Hospitality and Certificate I in Engineering. Many students gained a full qualification or Statement of Attainment.
The response from schools and their students, and the successes that have been achieved auger well for the success of the program next year. Following the success of the pilot program, the Department of Education and Training will continue to fund Taminmin High School in 2009 to deliver VET in remote schools including: Borroloola Community Education Centre, Milingimbi CEC, Xavier CEC at Nguiu, and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku.
I am going to depart briefly, with the indulgence of members, from the statement to pay my thanks and acknowledgement to the Principal at Taminmin High School, Tony Considine. He has done an amazing job in having Taminmin registered as a RTO. The success of not only education and student outcomes at Taminmin, but also the work that Taminmin is delivering in these remote communities is astounding and it goes down to the vision, passion, and commitment of Tony Considine; it really does show the power of one. If you get one person who is absolutely focused on quality, on driving systemic change through an organisation, we can achieve great things. To Tony Considine and everyone at Taminmin, thank you and good luck for the coming year.
The Department of Education and Training will continue to provide VET in schools funding to expand the range and spread of programs and facilities available across the Territory as well as to improve opportunities for remote and Indigenous students. 51 schools, including 30 remote schools, will have access to VET in schools funding and programs in 2009. A number of schools and group schools such as Ntaria School, the Lasseter Group Schools, Sandover Group School, and Tiwi College will be accessing VET in schools programs for the first time this year.
A key initiative being rolled out by the Department of Business and Employment is the establishment of regional job hubs, initially in Nhulunbuy, to be followed by Tennant Creek. The Department of Education and Training will work closely with the Department of Business and Employment to ensure that training for individuals matches business needs and available jobs. The Workforce NT Report 2008, soon to be released by the Department of Business and Employment, will also prove to be of great value by strengthening the links between training investment and effort to employment.
I have already touched on the success of our Build Skills and Work Ready programs. The government, through its election commitments, has reaffirmed its determination to support Territorians leaving school or seeking to upgrade their skills. From 2009 we will double the government’s investment in the Build Skills Program to $1m a year and we will more than double the Work Ready Program to $900 000 a year. In response to record numbers of apprentices and trainees, the government will also inject an additional $1m into training and supporting future tradespeople and skilled workers. This additional funding comes on top of a record investment by this government in training, skilling, and workforce development.
This government is responding to the needs of business by training more Territorians for available jobs. Internally, with the NTPS as one of our larger employers, we continue to progress commitments to achieve Indigenous employment targets established under the Closing the Gap policy. This includes up-skilling jobseekers to the level necessary for base grade entry so they can assess permanent NTPS jobs. The first of 20 Indigenous jobseekers will commence training in March this year as a pilot and I look forward to meeting them during their training. We are aligning training effort more effectively to employment opportunities and we are partnering with industry and providing access to the labour market for Indigenous Territorians in regional and remote communities.
In 2009, our new jobs strategy will provide an over arching policy framework for training, workforce development, and employment. We will also have in place a new national agreement for skills and workforce development with the Australian government, as well as targeted training initiatives in a COAG skilling reform agenda captured in national partnership arrangements.
I believe the Northern Territory’s vocational education and training system is well placed to respond to the needs of individuals and business for deeper and broader skill sets. This will be increasingly important with projects like INPEX. At the same time we must meet the needs of every Territorian and others who require basic skills to gain first time access to sustainable jobs.
In closing, the challenge will be to accommodate the skill needs of every Territorian looking for training opportunities and work, as well as responding to workforce development demands driven by major projects. This is the skilling workforce development and employment agenda set by this government. We will work with all our stakeholders to deliver on it.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for his statement. There is no time like the present and we have to ensure the workforce we have not only stays skilled but improves its skills and we attract an additional workforce because we are going to need it when we have major projects like INPEX come on stream. Even building the construction camp is going to take a substantial workforce.
The Chief Minister talked about the impacts the Territory workforce will receive from the international and national economic situation. We are not waiting for this impact to emerge, it is already upon us and we need to react accordingly. We have already seen job losses in the mining industry and the contractor industry associated with that. I have anecdotal evidence of suppliers and other contractors starting to seriously look at putting off some of their staff. Not only do we have to keep ‘our eye on ball’ but we need to be doing something about it; and to get a good understanding of where the job losses are and to keep those people in the Territory.
The Chief Minister states that they are actively monitoring the marketplace so that they can get the mix of training and employment incentives right. My question is: how does the government propose to do that? Where and who will be capturing it? How will they be capturing this information and what will they be doing with it?
The government is big on saying how many apprenticeships - they set a four year target of 10 000 apprenticeships and training commencements. What the government does not tell us and does not tell the community is the completion rate for these 10 000? My information from industry is the completion rate is around 40%, there is a 60% drop off of those 10 000 apprenticeships. It sounds good in theory but in reality not as many people are going through the full apprenticeship as what the government leads us to believe.
I am also concerned because in that 10 000, there are possibly students at school who are doing Certificate II, and they may not have a future after school because they are not linked to any employment situation. The target of 10 000 is fine but, in reality, not that many people are coming out fully qualified and into jobs.
The same in regards to last year’s commitment. They said they would get another 10 000 new apprentices. I wish we could have another 10 000. I hope that we can hang on to them but the reality is that we do not. People should realize that. We do not have that many. We have probably four thousand come out.
He also talks about the equality of gender, with a 30% increase in the number of women starting new apprenticeships or traineeships. How many are still in the traineeships and apprenticeships, and what is the completion rate? It sounds good, but I would like to know the statistics of how many complete their training.
The government talked about 22 000 Territorians who undertook Vocational Education and Training. How many of those Territorians finished their training and what were the employment outcomes? It is all very well to talk about participation, but we should be outcome-focused, results-focused, and not just about the processes. There is no point having activity for activity sake, we have to have real outcomes.
The Work Ready program is a good program and it is well accepted and well embraced by schools and industry people. Of those 300 students mentioned, about one-third of those are involved with the Australian Technical College, which I note has not been referenced in this statement at all. The Australian Technical College is one of the network of Australian Technical Colleges established around the country to train young people in areas where there are skill shortages, high youth population - which is what we have - and some strong industry support from leadership.
The college in Darwin caters for Year 11 and 12 students who wish to study for their Northern Territory Certificate of Education and start an apprenticeship while still at school. It is called the Australian School-Based Apprenticeship at Certificate III level. To assist in the challenge of getting these young people trained and workplace ready, they have partners: the Chamber of Commerce, the Territory Construction Association, the Australian Hotels Association, the Motor Trades Association, and Group Training. They also have their working partner schools: Casuarina Senior College, Palmerston High School, Taminmin High School, Kormilda College, and St John’s College, which joined them in 2008. The technical colleges are here to support students through both academic and trade training with mentoring, career advice, and business and employability skills. The courses are developed in association with industry to ensure that the training offered and undertaken is relevant to employment needs.
I put on the record that the Australian Technical College, not just in Darwin but elsewhere, is under a bit of cloud because federal Labor has taken a position of not supporting the technical colleges. I am not really sure why, because I know from the results in Darwin that they have had remarkable success with their students in Year 11 and 12, getting them to the situation where they are almost job ready. So, when they leave school, they have an equivalent of apprenticeship Year 1, so they can go into employment.
One of the biggest challenges confronting the Northern Territory at the moment is that employers are starting to not want to take on apprentices because of the financial issues. In tough times that is the first person they put off, which is not really what we want to happen because when times are better there will be a shortage of skilled workers. I urge the government to look at some initiatives to help employers, particularly the smaller employers in (1) keeping on their apprentices, and (2) perhaps taking on some new apprentices, so that when the tide does change, the economy starts to churn, and the global situation has quietened down, we will have a skilled workforce. We will not be competing with the other states around the country to try to get our skills shortages down.
I agree with the Chief Minister regarding the pilot program the Department of Education and Training provided with Taminmin High School. Taminmin High School is in my electorate and I have been to visit them quite a few times. I participated in all of their end-of-year ceremonies. I know Tony Considine, and I agree with the Chief Minister’s comments that he has done an excellent job. He has really turned the school around, in association with all the teachers, the council and, of course, the students. They do an excellent job, particularly in the VET area, but across the range in regard to their school activities. However, they do need more support because the school is at bursting point. They have about 1300 students. They are in desperate need of a new library - not an expansion of the existing library, but a new library - because it is not only a school library it is also a community library. When the library was first set up, the school only had 500 students. Now it has 1300 plus it services the community as well.
Just as an aside, there are challenges with Taminmin High School with regards to their VET training. Some members will be aware, particularly my colleague, the member for Nelson, that they do have a good agricultural component to that school. They have a breeding program for bore goats and recently lost some of their prize goats from wild dog and dingo attacks, I give my sympathy to them. Perhaps I will ask the minister for Environment if she can ship some 1080 to the school so they can get rid of the troublesome dogs. It is a shame, because they do have an excellent breeding program and they do take out many prizes at the various shows they attend. My commendations go to Greg Owens, who has been involved with that program but is leaving the school to go elsewhere.
In regard to the investment in the Build Skills program, the Chief Minister stated that there was to be $1m a year, and it would more than double the Work Ready program to $90 000 a year. Well, that is good, but I question, what is it going to be put to and where is it going? It states:
- In response to record numbers of apprentices and trainees, the government will also inject an additional $1m into training
and supporting future tradespeople and skilled workers.
I question the Chief Minister again, what is this going to do, where is it going to go, how is the money going to be spent? I would like to see a little more detail and I will be writing to the Chief Minister in that regard. Is it money that is going to go to Charles Darwin University or to registered training providers? It is a little unclear.
It is a reasonable statement. There is some good information in it and some positive moves, but I think there are some challenges facing us this year and into the next couple of years in retaining our skilled workforce and improving our skilled workforce position. When the tide changes and the industry picks up across the country, particularly in the resources industry, it is going to be incredibly competitive to get a skilled workforce and to keep it. I believe we need to have not only partnerships between government agencies, but there also needs to be stronger partnerships with industry, and I do not see that in this statement.
I support the Australian Technical College and I hope that this government can work something out with that college, so that it stays past the end of its funding, which finishes at the end of this year.
Dr BURNS (Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, training in business, particularly small business, is an important priority of this government, which really adds to our economy and adds to business within the Northern Territory sector.
To help Northern Territory businesses, the ongoing suite of business programs is being developed to enhance baseline business management skills, and thereby the viability of those businesses. These programs are being expanded to address the issues that are now confronting Territory businesses.
The free Territory Business Upskills program focuses on the basics of business, with a strong focus on financial management, business management, marketing and human resources – all the basics businesses need to get it right to survive. This program also offers individual businesses coaching by selected consultants to address specific issues faced by these businesses. This facility has seen an increased uptake in recent times, which shows that businesses are realising that it is no good seeking help when all is lost, the time to seek help is when the signs of difficulty start to appear and there is an opportunity to address them.
Another program is the Territory Business Growth, a program that subsidises formal business planning for NT businesses. The old saying, ‘those who fail to plan, plan to fail’, is very true in this current economic client. The uptake of the Business Growth program increased by 56% in the 2008 calendar year and has increased across all regions of the Territory. In Alice Springs, the increase in business participation was 71%, from seven to 12 businesses; in Tennant Creek the increase was 500%, from one to five businesses; Nhulunbuy, 300%, from one to three businesses; and Katherine 400%, from one to four businesses. The numbers are small but I believe the help offered to those businesses is substantial.
In addition to the formal business planning under Business Growth, the program has been expanded to offer an expedient and flexible response to address the needs of local small to medium-sized businesses. Under these changes, immediate business solutions to issues such as negative cash flow, profit leaks, occupational health and safety, recruitment, and retention of staff that are identified can be addressed by business improvement specialists.
Additional workshops are also being delivered to help businesses in the Northern Territory. An Australian leader in business development strategic planning has been engaged to deliver workshops titled, Understanding the Current Economic Climate and your Business on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 March. This workshop, by a nationally recognised leader in the field, is an example of how government is delivering the information that business people need to manage their business in the current economic climate.
I mentioned earlier about how this government is helping, listening to and making business life easier for Territory businesses. You have just heard of some of the programs and the aims of those programs, which are basically to help business, including workshops which are organised in response to business intelligence and latest trends. This business intelligence is gathered in many ways including through our client managers in the business liaison unit, who also manage the business growth program.
Client managers are available to businesses in all regions, and their assistance is free and confidential. Additionally, client managers actively engage business for the purpose of gathering and acting as a conduit for the information flow into the government. This information has led to identifying upskilling needs of businesses, to which we are responding. Client managers have initiated and coordinated surveys throughout the regions in the specific industry sectors including retail, real estate, and the mining support industry. These surveys will be ongoing and will assist in ensuring that the department support packages address current business needs. Surveys into the construction and tourism industry are planned in the next two months.
In reference to making business life easier through the Territory business centres, we commenced the roll-out of a more efficient and effective way of dealing with government. The introduction of web-based smart forms to streamline and provide greater flexibility in applying for licenses has commenced and is set to expand to reduce red-tape associated with running a business. In addition to smart forms, there is a program under way that asks business how they want to work with government in this electronic age. The program will target maximising the use of the Internet to minimise the time needed to fulfil legal obligations. This program will also look at using the same logic to service the wider community.
In helping Northern Territory businesses, we are not just looking at the short term or what is directly in front of us, the Department of Business and Employment is currently preparing to introduce a new business program called ecoBiz NT. ecoBiz NT will provide Northern Territory businesses with the necessary skills to introduce resource efficient practices that are good for the financial bottom line as well as the environment. Eco-efficiency means providing improved goods and services, whilst using less resources and reducing waste and pollution.
This is a government response to business to assist with the challenges of sustainable development and reducing our carbon footprint. The program will help businesses achieve resource and cost savings through more efficient use of energy, materials and water, reduce solid and liquid waste disposal, better productivity, improved staff morale, and risk minimisation. It will also help businesses gain a competitive advantage by meeting community expectations for better environmental performance, growing demand for environmentally friendly goods and services, supply chain expectations based on international standards, and the challenge of positioning ahead of competitors.
The Building Northern Territory Industry Participation policy was launched in May 2003. The Industry Participation Plans or IPPs are intended to assist project proponents and developers to maximise opportunities, to utilise local supplies, services and labour, and to improve the capacity of businesses to compete locally, which often includes reskilling and upskilling sections of the workforce.
The Chief Minister alluded to training initiatives that are occurring within the tourism sector and now that it is part of my portfolio area, I will to turn to that. Between March and May 2008, tour guide training was facilitated with 14 Indigenous participants in Alice Springs. This project was a cooperative effort with Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation and the Alice Springs Desert Park. The training resulted in four guides being placed in employment in the Central Australian Region, which I think is a fabulous result. As I understand, some of these participants had previously been outside the workforce for some time.
A second phase of this training is currently being developed and is planned for mid-2009, subject to funding being approved by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
For many years, Tourism NT has supported tourism operators including Indigenous operators to attend a variety of conferences and trade shows. In November 2006, six Indigenous tour guides attended the Savannah Guides School with our support. These schools allow guides to gather with like-minded contributors from government, the academic sector, conservation groups, and tourism. The groups focus on increasing knowledge and professionalism through shared experiences and formal learning.
Two Indigenous tour operators, Robert Mills from Batji Tours and Jenny Hunter and Andy Ralph from Kakadu Culture Camp were supported by Tourism NT to represent the Northern Territory at the G’day USA: Australia Week and Toronto Roadshow in January this year. I reported this trip to the House yesterday.
The annual Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference provides training on key issues that impact on Indigenous tourism in Australia. It highlights opportunities that exist for culturally authentic Indigenous tourism products, especially in the development, employment, and training of Indigenous people. This year Tourism NT will support Indigenous tourism operators to attend the Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference to be held in March in Townsville.
A key strategy within the five year tourism strategic plan is to identify new ways to establish authentic and sustainable Indigenous tourism enterprises and encourage increased employment of Indigenous Territorians in the mainstream tourism industry. In support of this strategy, Tourism NT has secured funding from Indigenous Business Australia, otherwise known as IBA, to provide mentoring support to Indigenous tourism enterprises across the Northern Territory. This assists them to achieve nationally recognised tourism accreditation.
The project will take a holistic approach and will support Indigenous entrepreneurs to meet accreditation standards across 12 business areas including: product delivery, OHS, recruitment; training, financial management, marketing, environmental management, and licensing, amongst others. The project will commence in the next few months.
In February 2008, three Indigenous tour operators were selected to participate in a pilot of the accreditation mentoring program which was funded by Tourism NT. In November 2008, Bob Taylor of RT Tours in Alice Springs was the first Indigenous operator to successfully complete the online accreditation - ACAP as it is called - through this pilot. The other two businesses are expected to finalise their accreditation in early 2009.
Tourism NT has also initiated a step on guide training project, which will provide tour guide training to eight Indigenous trainees, with the outcome of employment by mainstream operators in the Darwin area. This training is scheduled for early 2009, subject to funding by DEWR.
In addition to our Indigenous initiatives and as part of our ongoing commitment to providing tools and knowledge in a constantly changing marketplace, Tourism NT has held a series of workshops for all tourism operators which are relevant to today’s business environment. More are scheduled over the coming months.
Last week, the Beyond 2009 - Doing Business Online forums and workshops were held in Alice Springs and Darwin to ensure that businesses had the knowledge and tools to keep them up to date with the changing travel market distribution trends. Key note speaker Bernard Salt from KPMG is one of Australia’s leading social forecasters and demographers and chair of the Tourism Forecasting Committee. Bernard is a very interesting speaker, unfortunately, because parliament was on, I had to leave during his talk but what I did hear was most interesting, particularly about the demography of visitors and the markets we are targeting, and also the demography that exists within Australia with the generation Xs, Ys and the baby boomers, such as myself. It was very interesting and he is a very forward looking person.
Ms Purick: A stretch.
Dr BURNS: What was that?
Mr Bohlin: Bit of a stretch you being a baby boomer.
Dr BURNS: You would not have expected it?
Mr Bohlin: A bit of a stretch. All good, keep going.
Dr BURNS: Okay. I am pretty happy being a baby boomer, but there you go. I have had a good life. Innovative online marketing advisor, Fabienne Rabiossi, helped businesses to understand the tools consumers are using on the Internet to research and book their holidays. She demonstrated how businesses can use these tools to effectively market themselves in the online environment.
In early March, the Understanding the Current Economic Climate and Your Business workshop, will be presented by a leading business consultant, Alan Green. This will cover business development strategic planning advice to help tourism businesses to survive any downturn. We know that we are facing a downturn within the tourism industry.
Tourism NT continues to support and promote the Kakadu Knowledge for Tour Guides, the training program which became a compulsory requirement for all tour guides working in Kakadu from April last year. Later this month, Tourism NT is hosting workshops for Ecotourism Australia to provide the industry with information about the range of eco-certification accreditation programs, and the benefits of these programs for industry.
Tourism NT is working with a number of businesses, individuals, and communities to develop strong, sustainable business enterprise through training so we can ensure that we are well placed for the future. To ensure our industry has the best chance of riding out any downturn in visitation, Tourism NT will continue to provide industry training in a wide range of areas, and will also work hard to identify opportunities and support from other Territory and Commonwealth agencies, and coordinate these activities to ensure the best outcomes possible.
In closing, I believe everyone in this House is aware that training is a top priority for Territory businesses. The Sensis data reveals that, whilst there are a myriad of concerns elsewhere in Australia, one of the major concerns for Territory businesses is training; producing our own, filling those gaps in our labour force that we all know exist. I know with the stimulus package that is coming our way through the foresight of the Rudd government, there is going to be even more pressure on capacity within our construction industry and a whole range of areas.
As a government, we are acutely aware of that. It is an issue that was raised within the forum that was held last Sunday. This statement that has been delivered by the Chief Minister is demonstrating that we are a government which is acutely aware of the training needs of the Northern Territory, and we are rising to meet those needs. We are working through a whole range of avenues and portfolio areas to meet those training needs. We realise how vital they are for the Northern Territory economy. We realise how vital they are for the employment of our young people across the Territory – Darwin, Palmerston, the regional centres, and the bush.
Madam Deputy Speaker, the Territory stands on the threshold of opportunity. There are tough times ahead but, as a jurisdiction, there is incredible opportunity for us, as a community. We need to work together, encourage our young people, and put the programs in place to ensure we move forward. I believe we are. That is why I welcome this statement by the Chief Minister.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, the Northern Territory has seen significant employment as a consequence of investment in major projects like the Alcan Gove expansion, ConocoPhillips gas plant, Frances Creek, Compass, Browns and Bootu Creek Mines, and elevated levels of construction activity, both commercial and residential, in the past few years.
This has seen a high level of demand for trade qualified and skilled employees, demand that had to be met from interstate labour pools. This demand for skilled workers may be under pressure due to the continuing extremely high costs of living, particularly in rent - and I know what that is like, particularly in Palmerston, for workers just entering employment such as apprentices and trainees - a general slowdown in economic activity, mine closures, the weakening of construction demand, and an expectation that consumer spending will contract due to uncertainty.
I did a little research and got some of this information from the ABC website yesterday. It is to paint a picture about what we will go through. The federal government has warned Australian exporters will be hit by the severe economic slump in Japan. Japan has recorded its worst economic figures in 35 years, showing its gross domestic product shrank more than 12% last year. That has sparked concerns the government stimulus package will not be enough to stop Australia from sinking into recession.
AMP Capital’s Chief Economist, Shane Oliver, says:
- Japan is Australia’s largest export market so it will be a terrible six months for the resources sector and local agricultural producers.
He went on to say that it:
- … will make it very difficult for Australia to avoid a recession. My view is that we will have a recession … the stimulus package will help
mute that recession, but I do not think it will be enough to stop a recession, given the slump in exports that we are likely to see down the track.
He continues:
While Australia largely avoided the Asian financial crisis, it is unlikely to be spared from the worst of the current global downturn.
The annual Davos Political and Business Summit started with new warnings over the gravity of the global recession and the impact of the damage already done.
South Africa’s Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, said:
- Wealthy nations appear to be adopting a lemming-like approach trying to get the precipice without knowing what their money will buy.
There was a real risk developed countries would come out of the crisis with massive debts.
News Corporation media tycoon Rupert Murdoch said:
- The crisis is getting worse. It’s going to take drastic action to turn it around, if it can be turned around quickly. Personally, I believe
it will take some time.
But as everyone knows, in every crisis there is an opportunity. The economic slowdown is being addressed by government through stimulus packages. If the packages are not evenly spread through the economy, we may see a drain on certain skill sets. For example, a bias to construction-related skills at the expense of technically minded skills and more pressure on that system.
Our tourism industry is under pressure from slowing international and domestic visitors. This may create both an oversupply of trained employees in that sector, and a demand for cross training to new and growing sectors. I can recall leaving school and going to Tech College, where I undertook a pre-apprenticeship course in carpentry and joinery. It was a major step for a young person going from school to that environment, but the lessons and the learning of a pre-apprenticeship course full-time for 12 months was invaluable into the future.
In the statement, the Chief Minister talks about strengthening partnerships, jobs in the bush and better pathways, and perhaps no better way to do that may be through tourism. There is no doubt that we are in for a rough ride, along with the rest of the country and, indeed, the world. In respect to tourism, that industry contributes over $900m to our Gross State Product, and employs close to 10 000 people in the Territory. The significance to the Territory is patently obvious. With visitation numbers to the NT on the decrease over the past year, we must ensure we are well prepared to offer the best possible value for money to potential visitors. We must encourage people to shop around and research our product, and we must show that the Territory is the most natural and culturally diverse place in Australia to visit. To interstate people planning their holidays, we must continue to push our barrow and let them know that so much is sitting on their doorstep.
The NT Tourism Forecast Panel has indicated that it expects a slight increase in international visitation this year. With the global crisis worsening since these forecasts were released in September 2008, we can only hope that the effect is not too severe. Perhaps the current value of the Australian dollar will be some help to our international visitors. It is also expected that this factor will make domestic travel more attractive. At present, we have a large number of our international visitors coming from European countries, and hopefully that will continue. However, with the Japanese economy suffering so much at present, you would expect these and related markets to suffer.
We must continue, in every possible forum, to espouse the attractions of the Territory and make sure this government adequately resources our parks, not only maintaining what we already have, but actively pursuing ways to enhance and improve our natural and cultural assets. I welcome the governments $7.5m over four years to help our parks, but my understanding is, much of that money is spent on maintenance, and while that is a great thing, I believe it is time to start looking at major infrastructure. At present, I believe we have 87 parks managed by Parks and Wildlife, with 32 of these being in partnership with Aboriginal traditional owners.
I refer to the statement - strengthening partnerships, jobs in the bush, better pathways. The oldest of these parks, I believe, is Gurig, the national park on Cobourg Peninsula, which was established over 25 years ago, and also the iconic Nitmiluk, Katherine Gorge. These are just two examples of the government and traditional owners working together to present the Territory to the world and preserve for the enjoyment of all, both now and into the future.
Litchfield National Park is on the doorstep of Darwin, with many day trippers and commercial day tours taking advantage of its close proximity. We look forward to the completion of native title issues which will hopefully allow the expansion of this fantastic natural asset which sits so close to our capital city. Once the issue is resolved and the park expanded, it will be a major enhancement to what is already on offer. We encourage the government to pursue resolution on this issue.
Another area of particular interest is the completion of the Mereenie Loop Road. This will enable a unique experience in another spectacular part of the Northern Territory, which could be put on offer to both interstate and international visitors; again enhancing the Territory’s experience.
Most of us would have seen the movie Australia and it will be very interesting to see if this helps with visitor numbers over the next couple of years, as pundits have predicted. It has given the Top End exposure, not only to a worldwide audience but also to the rest of Australia, so hopefully we will see a spin-off, as it looks like we are going to need it.
It was interesting to see, in letters to the editor in yesterday’s NT News, a letter from a regular interstate visitor mentioning our rich World War II heritage. It is a fact that we do have a very rich heritage in this area and even though I believed we presented this history well to visitors, perhaps we should look further. We are not covering relevant areas adequately. We need to look at, and develop, the rich heritage that we have and provide a better experience for our visitors.
Not too many people are aware that Darwin was bombed so many times in World War II; today being the 67th Commemoration of the first Bombing of Darwin. Interestingly, this attack was carried out by the same Japanese commander and carrier fleet that attacked Pearl Harbour, only a few months before. When you recount that story to your friends and family interstate, most people are very surprised. Hearing that the Chief Minister is going to encourage more of our history being put into the national curriculum, I commend him on that.
Even though this information is out there, we should be making it better known - it is very significant in historical terms. There are many stories of events that occurred during these harsh times that should be told and recorded for posterity. You only need to look at the annual migration to the Anzac Cove to know people are extremely interested in and recognise the events of the past that helped forge this nation. In regard to Anzac Cove, that annual pilgrimage is becoming larger each year. When I first went to the bombing of Darwin celebrations, they too have dramatically increased over the years and it is welcoming to see so many people and, as the Chief Minister said, young people attending this rather significant event.
The historical features that abound in the Territory should be better promoted and presented to encourage visitors. The advantage of promoting this very important part of our history will assist in these significant areas; the educational and preservation aspects and the spin-off to our tourism industry in these tough times.
I hope that, as said by Mick Dodson at the ABC Press Club, we have more than a symbolic recognition of some of the issues we face today. Jobs for the Future is an important document, but I hope it will provide practical and meaningful steps. Let us hope it is not symbolic, like many of the issues the government present today. Let us hope – and as Mick Dodson says ‘symbolic recognition is near enough to useless’ – that this is not more poison or political spin that this government is known for.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. It is an interesting statement because it covers a large range of subjects. Instead of concentrating entirely on what the minister has put in the statement, I will start from a different angle.
I took the Northern Territory occupations shortage list 2008 off the webpage. It is a very interesting list. It says that it is for ‘skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled occupations’. This has about 100 occupations for which there is a shortage in the Northern Territory. There is everything from the professional and related occupations through to the trade occupations. There are positions like geologists, architects, quantity surveyors, dentists, registered nurses, registered midwives, speech pathologists, veterinarians, audiologists, child protection workers, skippers for the fishing industry, marine engine drivers, building certifiers, and dental therapists.
That is just a sample. In the trades there are shortages for metal fitters, aircraft maintenance engineers, welders, sheet metal workers, panel beaters, electronic instrument trades, fibrous plasterers, pastry cooks, bakers, cabinet makers, hairdressers, childcare workers, steel fitters, and concreters. That leads me to ask the question: why? When the government talks about having created 10 000 apprentices, why do we have a shortage?
Like the member for Goyder, I believe the terminology is designed to be a little tricky so that people think we have created 10 000 apprentices, when really we have 10 000 people starting an apprenticeship. That is all it means. When you read the document, it says:
- In 2005 we set a 4 year target of 10 000 apprenticeship and traineeship commencement.
That is fair; I can live with that, but straight over the page it says:
- … we announced an election commitment to reach another 10 000 new apprentices and trainees …
If I saw 10 000 new apprentices, I would believe they were people who had finished their training. That is not what is happening. The member for Goyder quoted about 40% of people finish. I thought it might have been a little higher but not much higher. That does not come out in this statement. When I read the Northern Territory occupation shortage list and I see this vast range, about 50 different trades that have shortages, I ask, are we targeting those? Do we have courses in these areas? If people are being trained in this area, are they completing their courses? If they are completing their courses, are they staying in the industry?
It is no good talking about what we are doing at one end, if we do not know what is coming out at the other. I look at this list and I say we are not succeeding, otherwise why do we have shortages of bakers? I know we have a shortage of bakers, our local baker, thankfully, has just recruited a baker from England, because they could not get a baker to work.
Another question is: do have we enough young people who want to do some of these jobs? This is an issue in itself. Bakers start work at 11.30 pm and finish at about 6.30 am. That is not the type of lifestyle some people want. It mucks up the partying. It is not a job young people are attracted to. We have a shortage. Jobs like hairdressers, welders, and sheet metal workers, we should not be short of people like that. They are the sort of normal things you would expect a good apprenticeship scheme to be pushing out in large numbers. The minister might be able to give me another look at this, but this is the government’s own figures from the Department of Business and Employment.
The other thing I question is professional shortages. We all know there is difficulty in getting midwives and nurses, geologists, architects, building certifiers, dental therapists, and dentists. Probably dentists, I bet there would be trouble getting a dentist. The point is that we do not have the facilities to train these people, being a small part of the world in population. What is the government doing to help young people become a dentist, a midwife or a building certifier?
If those jobs cannot be taught in the Territory, are we giving them the means to go interstate to study and become qualified in these professional areas? There is an opportunity for us to work the system that is being mooted around the place. Perhaps the government pays for someone’s education, with a little line on the bottom saying, yes, but you will come back to work in the Northern Territory for five years if we pay your way. I believe we need a carrot-and-stick approach. We need more dentists, mining engineers, pharmacists, and physiotherapists. Most of those people will not be able to be trained in the Northern Territory so, where are we going in relation to those skills?
This ministerial statement is, generally, honing in on apprenticeships and VET courses and those sorts of things - which are very important - but we also need plenty of people in the professional occupations. I am interested to see what programs the Northern Territory government has in attracting more people into these professional occupations, especially the ones which are required to go interstate. If they do go interstate, what sort of programs do we have to ensure they come back and use those skills in the Northern Territory? That is the first part of my response to the statement.
Second - and the Chief Minister has commented on this and so has the member for Goyder - there is quite a lot about Taminmin High School. I also believe that Taminmin has gone from being an average school to one of the top schools, or the top school, in the Northern Territory. It might not hit all the headlines in the student awards - the ones I did not get an invitation to …
Ms Purick: Um aah!
Mr WOOD: Probably the member for Goyder did not, even …
Ms Purick: No, I was there.
Mr WOOD: Did you get an invitation?
Ms Purick: I got an invitation.
Mr WOOD: What happened to all the invitations?
Mr Henderson: Gerry, you must have slipped off – old news.
Mr WOOD: I should not criticise the government too much; I knew it was bad for my invitation lists. I digress - a term used often in this parliament.
Taminmin is a fantastic school. I heard today from Tony Considine, who received great praise from the Chief Minister, that Taminmin is now the first school in the Territory to have a full-time Certificate III course in Agriculture. I believe it is the first full-time Certificate III course, and it is in Agriculture. That is a fantastic achievement. Kids can go and do a full-time agriculture course at Taminmin High. At the moment they do agriculture as part of their courses. If people want to know a little more, they should get on to the website. You will see when you read what is on its website, what a great school it is. For instance, it is a registered training organisation.
The Chief Minister referred to the delivery of VET in schools in remote areas, such as Borroloola, Milingimbi, Xavier College at Nguiu, and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku. It is also looking at a couple of other schools – if I can find them - that were interested. When I was down at Daly River, they certainly were interested in joining into this expanded VET from Taminmin High School. It also works at Gunbalanya, Borroloola, Angurugu, and Alyangula, Minyerri, and Shepherdson College at Galiwinku. That shows that Taminmin is not just sitting around dealing with its own rural area, it is providing education in a wider region, and that is fantastic.
To give you some idea about the courses it is providing under VET; there are a range of certificate courses. It has Certificate II in the music industry and, if anyone has been to Taminmin over the last couple of years, it has put on two musicals, which were fantastic. The last one Kakadora would have knocked your socks off - packed houses. The kids just loved it. I am a great fan of theatre, it is fantastic for kids; it brings kids out that are sometimes shy and reserved.
Regardless of whether you can make an occupation out of music in the Northern Territory, perhaps if you are a regular pub band, you probably can. There are limited areas in music in such a small place as the Territory, but it is good for the person as well; you take music through the rest of your life. Some people make small amounts of money out of winning Karaoke nights, like the member for Brennan. If anyone ever pops down to the Howard Springs Tavern on Tuesday night, they have a Karaoke night, you might find the member for Brennan there; he is obviously a great fan of the music industry.
In technology, there is Certificate I in Automotive, General Construction, Engineering, and Health and Personal Development. It has a Certificate II in Hospitality and a Certificate III in Outdoor Recreation. There is a Certificate I in Conservation and Land; this is part of their studies of society and environment. There is Certificate II in Business, Certificate I and II in Racing - a stable hand. This recognises that the racing industry in the Northern Territory said that it needs skilled people in the racing industry. If you go to Taminmin you will see the horses, along with many other animals like the Brahmans, buffaloes, goats, and chickens. The chickens are actually the most important part of the farm, I hesitate to say. It also has Certificate I and II in Rural Operations and Certificate I in Manufacturing.
It has the Australian Technical College as well, which is terrific. It has school-based apprenticeships. I have been to the awards presentation night, and that is fantastic as well. There is this great school developing in the rural area. Most of that improvement must go back to the Principal, Tony Considine, not forgetting Kim Rowe, the previous Principal. He certainly moved that school to where it was ready for someone like Tony Considine to come in, grab hold of it and change it. It is a fantastic school. It is full; that is the problem, and we should really be building another school. We seem to be …
Ms Purick: Bursting at the seams.
Mr WOOD: Yes, perhaps people did not realise how quickly this school has become so popular. Kids from Palmerston go to Taminmin. It is great that they do. I do not believe you should be limiting an agricultural school - as I nearly call it now; it is not entirely an agricultural school - to one group of people living nearby; it should also give kids an opportunity from the city. I came from the city and did horticulture studies in Melbourne. I ended up in the bush in Daly River and Bathurst Island. I had a chance to go places that maybe I would not have had the opportunity otherwise, so it is good to see kids coming from the city life and doing some agricultural courses.
We should not forget the Charles Darwin University Campus at Katherine - which I reckon is not the proper name - it should be called Katherine Rural College, because that is what it is. This idea of having campuses and calling them universities gets away from what they are. In theory, it is called the School of Science and Primary Industry - again, Katherine Rural College.
My daughter went there. She went to Mataranka Station where they train jackaroos and jillaroos. She did the course and became quite proficient in horse riding, having never been on a horse in her life. She can slaughter cattle, cut it up and get all the right portions, when many other people her age would not do it. I was surprised too, because she had never been on a horse before. The only animals we had were 2500 chickens. That was vastly different. She ended up working on stations. She was probably the first Aboriginal jillaroo on Wave Hill Station. She went to Cattle Creek, to Overing Station out near Mount Isa, eventually had work at Kidman Springs, and then came back to Batchelor. She has moved on from there. She has a different job now, but that has all come from working at the Katherine Rural College. It certainly has great opportunities for young people.
I know the Chief Minister mentioned Indigenous employment. I do not believe you need to split it up for jobs like a ringer. Kids want to be, not just Indigenous or non-Indigenous; it is a great course for anybody. It is a great course for kids who are running off the track. Take kids out in the bush, wake them up at 4.30 am, get them making breakfast, get the horses ready, and head out for the day rounding up cattle. Much of the time you are sitting on a saddle; you get a sore bum, but you have time to think about life as well. You are going around with other people - which is good - other kids, and you are learning a little about life. I am all for encouraging people to get into the rural industry in the Territory.
One area we are probably missing is that we have very little in the way of broad scale agricultural studies; that is growing crops. I am not talking about horticulture; we have that at Charles Darwin University in Darwin. The Territory used to be a leader in some of the broad scale cropping and we do not have those skills much. If people want to gain those skills they have to go south and study how to grow sorghum, peanuts, etcetera.
Taminmin High School is doing marvellous things. It gives kids an opportunity to not only go down the academic path, they can go down the VET path and be regarded as equal; that is important. Kids that go this way are equal to kids that go down the academic path. We must remember that. If one kid gets Year 12 and the other kid gets a certificate in panel beating, we must say, ‘Good on you both. You are both equal’. One is not better the other - which was what happened in my day.
If you went to be an apprentice, they said: ‘You are pretty dumb, you cannot handle the Latin, Physics, and Chemistry, but you can bang a few panels together, so that is your life’. And guess who makes the most money today? It is the people who have done their apprenticeships and have their own businesses.
The other area that the minister could expand on is the INPEX invasion - if I can call it that. We had ConocoPhillips some years ago and there were a range of issues, like skilled workers being removed from other jobs in Darwin. I remember there was much debate about that. What benefits would ConocoPhillips have for skilling people, using local people where possible? We now have basically the same thing.
As people know, there is a program for over 2000 workers in the Howard Springs area, where they hope to set up a village and they will be fly in/fly out. I presume there will also be pressure on INPEX to employ locals. If INPEX is anything like ConocoPhillips, the price per hour is higher than the locals pay, which can create the problem of drawing skilled staff away from businesses in Darwin, attracted by the better prices that INPEX may pay, resulting in a possible shortage of workers.
According to this list it seems that we do have a shortage of skilled workers. What is the government doing in relation to the impact of INPEX on workers, especially in the Top End? How many can we employ that have lost their jobs because of McArthur River? We are not getting into debate on McArthur River. But we know that they put off a number of workers before the issue of whether the right certificate had been signed under the federal government’s approvals. Those people should be looked at as a priority in gaining work with INPEX.
Should INPEX also have a role to play in hiring apprentices? I believe that they should and I hope that is another area that the minister can talk about. What programs have we got for making sure, if this company is going to be building for eight years, surely there are opportunities for young people and Indigenous people to gain skills.
This is basically what I wanted to talk about today – skill shortages overall, what is being done to encourage people into professional industries, the great things Taminmin is doing and what effect will INPEX have on workers and skills in the Top End over the next eight years. Thank you.
Mr KNIGHT (Local Government): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome the statement from the Chief Minister and the minister for Education, Employment and Training on this very important subject.
Investing in training and skilling our local workforce is an important part of the Northern Territory’s future and for businesses, particularly at this time of a global financial downturn. The initiative by this government of putting on 10 000 new apprentices and trainees during the last term was fantastic; the single-minded focus on encouraging businesses, making places available, making training providers available for these apprentices and trainees to come on board. We have a very young population in the Territory and we want to keep those young people. Assisting them to gain qualifications and trades is the future of the Northern Territory.
We are a young jurisdiction and we have a lot of growth and infrastructure development to come. We need those people, those locals here to do that work. We do not want to have to import a large scale skilled workforce. We have to grow Territorians. The untapped workforce in the bush is an area that we should and will be focusing on. It is about providing the role models and the leadership. That is why another 10 000 apprentices is a huge challenge, but is a challenge we are able to take up. I look forward to the milestone of achieving those 10 000 new trainees.
When we talk about the bush and closing the gap it comes down to more money going into the pockets of individuals and families. That means having jobs, which is a focus of mine and the Chief Minister’s. As he indicated, 23% of our current trainees and apprentices are Indigenous. That is a healthy number, given the relative demographic breakdown of the Territory. Indigenous people make up 30% of the population of the Territory at the moment, so that is encouraging. There is more to that figure than you might see. It is not just a number; there is a human face to it. For those people, having stable employment, fully funded, gives them good conditions and stability. It also offers them a career path where they can move onto greater jobs in the future to support themselves and their families and, ultimately, succeed in life.
The Department of Local Government and Housing, the Office of Public Employment, and Power and Water Corporation are all doing their bit. I would like to describe exactly what they are doing. The NTPS is the largest employer in the Northern Territory, with 16 500 full-time equivalent staff. This is a huge number and they are spread the length and breadth of the Northern Territory, doing a wide range of jobs. The Northern Territory Public Service recognises the need for innovative workforce planning to ensure it has the capability and capacity to deliver the appropriate level and quality of service now and into the future. The OCPE NTPS New Apprenticeship program is one of the workforce planning programs developed to ensure that the NTPS meets current needs and future challenges.
There are a variety of recruitment initiative programs in place including the entry level program, graduate program and annual intakes of apprentices and trainees. That is a great effort. Many people got their start in the Territory by coming through the public service.
That is also positive for the private sector. Over the last decade or so in Australia the private sector has steered away from apprentices. They have left it up to private training companies or the public sector to do much of the upskilling of tradespeople and then they move on. It is encouraging. It is a vital part of the fabric of the workforce in the Northern Territory to have the public service training, encouraging and providing positions for young people and also for adult apprentices. It is certainly an area we are putting our mind to.
We have a workforce which is working longer. If you start work when you are 16, 18 or 20, you might not like to do that particular career for 40 or 50 years. People, perhaps in their middle age, might like to change careers and are interested in moving into a different area. They bring stability and some maturity to a particular trade, and make very good apprentices. However, there are personal, financial, and family obligations that we have to cater for, more so than we would with someone who is 16 or 18. It is certainly an area where there is a great deal of scope available to us.
Territory Housing has a major housing program ahead. I have mentioned before the $672m SIHIP program, which is a joint initiative of the Northern Territory and the Australian governments. It is about improving the quantity and quality of housing and also infrastructure in some of our most remote communities throughout the Northern Territory. This housing is not only about reducing overcrowding in these communities it is also about creating jobs. The program will not just leave those communities with houses; it will leave a skilled workforce. I give assurance to this House that the focus on jobs is slightly more intense than the actual houses.
In some ways, the greater investment is in people. The construction of these houses, the R&M programs, and the infrastructure upgrades, allow us to skill up a workforce which is ready and able in the bush, and allows us to tap in to a workforce which is currently underutilised. This will be a great initiative, and I look forward to coming back to this House in the future to talk more about the SIHIP program and its achievements.
It uses a different style of contracting, which is a bit unusual for the Northern Territory - the alliance methodology of contracting. It is about shared pain and gain. It is about each partner within that alliance, including governments - both Territory and Australian - breaking down the barriers, clearing away the obstacles to get these houses built, and also getting people jobs, training, and skills. Within those alliance partners, we are all in there together, and we are solving problems and getting results. Ultimately, all the alliance partners, including the Australian and Northern Territory governments, will benefit from the outcomes of that methodology.
There are some solid benchmarks for employment and training outcomes. They are not negotiable; they have to deliver. Houses will not be built until we get those outcomes; the jobs, training, and the plan to continue that employment - that commitment - for those people to move on to further careers and projects within the construction industry - or other careers, which the initial construction upskilling provides to them. It is very positive.
The flow-on effect of those people gaining those jobs cannot be underestimated. They will have money in their pocket and it will flow through their families.
One of the early examples of how that SIHIP program is starting to work is in Tennant Creek. Sixteen indigenous trainees have started work in civil construction, taking on modules of Certificate III. In the coming months, there will be another 30 indigenous trainees on board, and that is just the start, I hope, of hundreds of trainees coming on board in some of the remotest areas of the Northern Territory over the coming months and years.
As housing leases are signed and alliances prepare to deliver the works packages, we will be working very closely with individuals and communities and consulting with them to identify the scope of work that is needed to be undertaken and what skills they have in those communities. We have adopted the policy of employ first and then train. We have to get people on board and then start to train them up and progressively develop their skills. As an example of the proactive nature of these alliance partners, we are targeting schools in remote communities as the potential workforce of the future, giving those school leavers who may be a year out, or in their last year of school, a reason to attain a higher education outcome so that we can get them into employment. It is a very exciting time and I believe it is going to bring great results.
The Local Government Reform has been a major watershed in the Territory with respect to the bush, and also with the municipal urban councils regarding the modernisation of the legislation. But it was a watershed regarding governance and service delivery in the bush. Those shires have taken on a huge task.
It was something previous governments had shied away from. It is a very difficult thing to do, whether in the Northern Territory or in any other state or territory in Australia, nobody is very keen to get into local government reform. It is something that, from time to time, does need rejigging, but it does bring pain and anxiety. I am seeing that things are still being fixed and worked on, but they are being worked on together, and they will continue to improve and when people start to engage they will see the true benefits. What I have seen, over my years in the Territory, has been a rollercoaster ride for many councils. They can streak ahead when they get great management and great councillors on board, but they can crash in a very short period of time. They can become insolvent, lose assets, and lose faith in their leadership and in their community. I am very conscious about ensuring that those councils actually work.
Part of the initiative was the job matching exercise, to which the Australian government provided $25m - to be matched dollar for dollar. Many positions had been allocated to CDEP, when those positions should have legitimately been coming out of a budget line item for the Australian, Territory, or even the local government. With these reforms 408 full-time positions have been created and there are more on the way. $10m is available in this financial year, and when you match it up with the dollar for dollar, these councils will be sharing $20m to provide more positions and obviously more valuable, much needed services to the people of their communities.
As the shires develop over the next two years, there will be more opportunities to employ Indigenous Territorians to deliver local government services. I will be watching those shires gain strength and I am sure they will be expanding into a whole range of areas as their councillors grow stronger and more confident and the service delivery model becomes stronger.
The Power and Water Corporation has had an evolution in its being and now it is a government owned corporation, which provides a critical service to the Northern Territory. It is the only power, water, and sewerage utility in the Northern Territory. If you think about it not being there, the Territory’s lifestyle and economy would basically break down. It does a very difficult job and delivers those services over a vast landscape. When you think about essential service officers in remote communities and the linesmen in storms on the ends of ladders; it is a very dangerous and precarious occupation but they know that there are people without power and they are trying to restore it.
Power and Water is also a nursery for tradespeople coming into the private sector. It currently has over 50 apprentices and it is committed to growing and investing in that area. These apprentices do a wide variety of trades including mine work, electrical, plumbing, and administration. Power and Water is focused on building its capacity and capabilities. It knows that the people it has, have a great deal of knowledge, and it is about building that knowledge and maintaining those people in the Territory. It also offers graduate opportunities, graduate programs and development opportunities for the corporation in a range of fields. This enables young Territorians to enter the workforce and further their skills.
The corporation even offers vacation employment to university students looking to develop their skills and make contact with future employment. We have seen a lot of that with Power and Water, where university graduates come here to do some work and then fall in love with the place - which many of us have done over the years. Power and Water is looking at the people it has at the moment. It has a lot of growth and demand in the coming years with respect to power, water, and sewerage demands, which will require a larger workforce. It also acknowledges that there is a need for cross-fertilisation of skills and knowledge in the Territory with other utilities down south, so it is playing its part in employing young people and training them up.
I will pick up on a few comments from the member for Nelson regarding Taminmin High School. I acknowledge the great work that it has done and Tony Considine is doing a marvellous job, along with his staff - he is the catalyst …
Dr BURNS: Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the member be granted an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr KNIGHT: I thank the member for Johnston for the extension.
Tony Considine is doing a great job, and the kids are doing a great job. I have spoken to many of them and I agree, the area of VET is now recognised as a legitimate alternative to academic study. I also recognise the great need to link up with industry. It seems a ludicrous situation to not recognise the industry and the skill sets that are required; engaging with the industry to find out what they need from high school or university graduates, to move into employment and to have the skills they want. That has happened at Taminmin; it is engaging legitimately with industry about those traineeship positions.
I agree that INPEX will bring some challenges. It will bring challenges to the existing workforce and the attraction of existing trainees and tradespeople in the workforce that we have in the Territory. The alternative though would be not to have INPEX and that would be a situation where you would be probably laying off workers. That is not a good result. With what is happening globally and nationally, there will be many tradespeople and young people coming to the Territory and looking for work. It is about us being able to cater for that. Everyone in the business community will benefit from having INPEX here. It is very conscious about using local businesses. It has been in town for over one year, talking to businesses about their capabilities and the government is focused on it.
I believe you will get that trickle down. We have learned a lot from ConocoPhillips. I do not believe there will be the social issues that have been highlighted in the rural area; everyone is conscious about it. I agree that apprenticeships are a legitimate way to go. When I was a young fellow, apprenticeships were like gold. You would fight your best mate to the ground in trying to get an apprenticeship because they were so hard to get. Nowadays, however, they are around and there are many businesses wanting to take on apprentices. It is a sensible business move to take on apprentices and trainees. This government is extremely focused on it.
I commend the Chief Minister for bringing in this statement and for his personal commitment to developing training and employment for young people in the Territory.
Mr McCARTHY (Transport): Madam Speaker, I also support the Chief Minister’s statement on skilling the Territory’s workforce. I was very pleased to hear the Chief Minister comment on the government’s commitment to establish regional job hubs. I will take a moment to reflect on what these hubs might look like and what they will offer regional job seekers.
The hubs had their genesis from some work undertaken with employment and training stakeholders in Nhulunbuy. Nhulunbuy has a major employer, Nabalco, which is extremely advantageous when looking for solutions to local unemployment issues. Stakeholders identified there is currently a lack of coordinated training delivery and information collected in the regions. The same can be said for the Barkly.
Bringing together stakeholders in one place and sharing of information on job seekers is a sensible solution, and the regional job hubs will do this. Then taking the next step they will connect the training with the jobs. It makes sense to me that the best place to get local information is from the locals themselves. The job hubs will therefore be an important source of intelligence on local labour market profiles, employment opportunities, and barriers, emerging job prospects, and skills local workers and job seekers already have. Accurate and timely local information will enable government to better direct investment by matching the training to individuals, to business needs, and available current and future jobs.
The department is progressing this project with the target of the operations commencement in Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek by the 2009-10 financial year. The hubs will facilitate access to and coordinate information about employment and training activities of the Northern Territory and federal government agencies, local businesses, and training providers, so that employees and training can be matched to real job opportunities in the region. However, I anticipate the hubs will also play a role in ensuring people in a region are aware of, and matched to, the services that are available to assist them with training and employment.
We are seeking to achieve improved employment outcomes for local people in the regions through a coordinated service. The hubs will provide a one-stop shop for information on training and employment to Territorians living in Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek. Work is well advanced in the development of business and implementation plans for the Nhulunbuy hub.
Consultation with many of the key players in Australian and NT government agencies are complete, and the second round of community consultation has been completed. The model developed is being tailored to the needs of the region. I anticipate a similar approach will be adopted for the development of a model to suit the needs of Tennant Creek employers and training providers. I understand work is under way to develop a localised implementation plan for the Tennant Creek region.
The regional centre of the Barkly is surrounded by some of the best cattle producing areas in the world, a major manganese mine, a world-class silver, lead, and zinc mine, a horticultural project in the southern Barkly and, sitting on a highly mineralised area under exploration that will represent the next major mineral boom in the Northern Territory. The concept of the job hub, with all the stakeholders working together to identify the potential employees, the education and training necessary, and linking with the contractors already operating in the area and the major projects planned for that part of the Territory, is an innovative, proactive and sensible way that the government is moving.
I will now discuss the government’s Training for Remote Youth program, aimed at bringing youth disengaged from school, registered training organisations, and local communities and schools together to provide structured training and learning experiences that prepare youth for employment in the community or re-engages them in further learning. This is an example of the government being creative to engage young people in remote areas, and engage them early so that they can become aware of the choices for employment and training in their region and beyond.
I will also talk about some regional training initiatives. The Indigenous response program specifically targets Indigenous training needs in regional and remote communities, with a total program budget of $2.2m. The department of Employment and Training has regional training coordinators based in each region who consult with Indigenous communities and organisations in their region to identify employment and training needs. The Indigenous response program supports skill sets and short training programs that communities and organisations need, but for which they are unable to access funding from other sources. Regional training coordinators assist communities to tailor a training program that suits their specific needs and funds the community’s preferred training organisation to deliver on-site in the community.
In 2008, the Indigenous response program committed $2.265m to training programs in regional and remote communities across the Territory. Some of the training programs in 2008 supported by the Indigenous response program were in areas such as mechanical skills, art and craft skills, tourism, driver licensing, first aid, traffic management, pre-employment programs in construction and the mining industry, Work Ready programs, business and marketing, retail, computers, hospitality, plant operation, welding, music production and recording, and horticulture.
The funding committed in each region in 2008 was: East Arnhem, $295 000; Katherine, $207 000; West Arnhem, $252 000; Darwin, $403 000; Barkly, $585 000; and Alice Springs, $523 000. It is good to see Central Australia and the Barkly receiving such a good share of these financial resources, with over half the funding.
I will address the member for Nelson’s comments and its connection with my new portfolio of Corrections. I have worked at the Katherine Rural College, I have taken students to Mataranka Station, and I have also visited Taminmin High School. Over the last five years that has shown me many opportunities, particularly working with the juvenile diversion program and dislocated youth from Tennant Creek and the Barkly. These opportunities and training programs represent real change.
A wonderful connection I discovered was that in taking youth from Tennant Creek and the Barkly to Katherine, after the preparation courses in the Barkly, these youths discovered that the Katherine Rural College - the Charles Darwin University Campus - was taking the same training programs to the Berrimah correctional facility.
My link with the member for Nelson, as we discussed very briefly his experiences in Ohio, is the opportunities I saw and valued, where youth, dislocated and disengaged from school and often dislocated and disengaged within their community, who had great difficulty and high behaviour support needs, suddenly found a whole new realm of operation when put in a yard with a 400 kg animal that looked down upon them and decided whether they were going to cooperate. I took this message back to many teachers and trainers, and I promoted this opportunity. It is wonderful that the government is moving that way, and the basis of our support came from the programs that I have just outlined.
A great news story from my electorate in Barkly is the qualified civil construction team from Canteen Creek. After nearly 18 months of community-based training, seven men from Canteen Creek were rewarded for their commitment and dedication at a graduation ceremony in the community in October last year. Six of those men were awarded the Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations, while the seventh participant only has a few units to complete. The men worked consistently as a team with a trainer, Mr Ian Chamberlain, and have already undertaken a number of road maintenance contracts. Both the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Industry Services Training assisted in facilitating the training, with invaluable support from the Canteen Creek, or Owairtilla Association. The team consists of Ray Kelly, Andrew Bob, Chris Philomac, Jeremiah Corbett, Harold Butcher, Chris Butcher, and Tony Duggie. They deserve the congratulations of everyone in the House.
Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of the Chief Minister’s statement. The government is determined to ensure that all Territorians have access to meaningful training and employment opportunities. This is an immense challenge, especially given the geographical nature of the Northern Territory.
We live in a land larger than South Africa, but with a population size equivalent to Vanuatu. The Territory is one sixth of Australia’s land mass but it has only 1% of the population. The challenges posed by such a small and scattered population are confronted on a daily basis by the Regional Development section within the Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources. Members of this House are fully aware that regional development is one of the Territory’s most enduring challenges and one that must be tackled through collaboration and partnerships.
I have spoken before about the Indigenous Pastoral Program - a Territory success story - which includes the Northern and Central Land Councils, the Indigenous Land Corporation, and the Cattlemen’s Association. They are working in partnership with the Territory government to bring Aboriginal land back into production, and to provide jobs and training for young indigenous Territorians.
Today, I will showcase another partnership, one that is dear to my heart in so many ways. This is a partnership between the Northern Territory government, the Commonwealth government, the Central Land Council and Newmont Mining.
As members would be aware, Newmont is one of the world’s largest gold miners and operates the Granites Gold Mine in the Tanami Desert. Since 2001, Newmont has been conducting pre-vocational training in mining operations for Indigenous people. Last year, the Territory and Commonwealth governments invested in the program to further enhance the delivery of training and improve the employment outcomes for students. A group of 15 Indigenous people began last year’s course, with all of them coming from Yuendumu and the surrounding area. The group included three women, two from Yuendumu and one who lives at Amoonguna, close to Alice Springs.
The training sees the participants undertake a number of training units designed to teach them skills, used both in the mining industry as well as in more generic roles. Participants undertake training in many aspects of the roles that are available as work options for the company. The students, live, train, and work at the Granites Gold Mine site and are fully integrated in to the routine of working for a multinational company. While a couple of participants did not complete most of the training recently, this was not because of issues of aptitude, but it was a result of medical issues which excluded them from working on a mine site.
Graduating participants look forward to increased opportunities for employment and all those who graduated expressed their satisfaction with the course, the training provided, and the skills they had developed. The students are currently on the final leg of work experience rotation at the mine site. At the completion of work experience, many of the participants will be offered roles within the company. The success of this project builds on the collaboration that has been established between funding bodies, the community, training providers, and employers in Central Australia. The Australian government funded pre-training support, mentoring, transport, and employment assistance, while the Northern Territory government, through its Flexible Response funding, funded the delivery of the training.
I will quote part of a speech that Newmont’s Managing Director, Paul Dowd, delivered to a conference in Alice Springs a few years ago:
- Newmont has a significant presence in the Northern Territory through our exploration activities at the Granites mine in the Tanami Desert.
We operate here due to the goodwill of the traditional owners of the land and one of our highest priorities is our relationship with them.
We recognise that our success is integrally linked to the capacity of these local communities to develop and maintain sustainable livelihoods.
We have committed to supporting and promoting Indigenous economic, social, and cultural rights and working toward the achievement of a
positive social impact for all our operations.
…
We - Newmont and the industry, need to be responsible tenants through providing employment and business development, building community
capacity, governance support and education and health.
As an industry we need to rile against the platitudes of Indigenous opportunities and support real wealth creation options with business plans - true
partnering, with all the commercial realities - and risks, that that brings.
This is a partnership that deserves to be showcased, but there are also many others.
One of the best examples of our work in regional development is the Indigenous Business Development Program. It began in 2005 and was expanded under the government’s Closing the Gap initiatives. It provides grants to open or expand Indigenous businesses anywhere in the Territory. The program was independently reviewed just over a year ago and it was strongly supported both for its success and the way in which it is run. I quote from the review report:
- The success rate and stability of businesses in receipt of this grant is proof that the program is effective and extremely beneficial in
achieving objectives and government outcomes.
There is a remarkable variety in the types of businesses that are supported by the program, including market gardening and florists, cafes and hairdressing, tour operators and accommodation, construction and - as I am sure the member for Nelson will be pleased to hear - egg production.
The Indigenous Business Development Program provides clear evidence that opportunities abound in the Territory, along with entrepreneurial spirit. The program has supported 67 businesses in its first three years, leading to the creation of more than 130 jobs. Last year it supported 36 Indigenous businesses. I will mention a few in Central Australia to give members a flavour of what is being achieved.
Jungala Enterprises has received $14 000 to purchase a camp trailer and equipment. The company was established in 2007 and conducts tours along the Larapinta Trail. Rainbow Valley Cultural Tours received just over $4000 to purchase office furniture and equipment. This business is owned by Ricky Orr, a traditional owner and custodian of the land at Rainbow Valley, 75 km south of Alice Springs, who I have known for many years. Visitors can go on a guided tour of the Arrernte cultural sites and explore rock art sites that have not previously been open to the public.
Two-ilpa received nearly $4000 to purchase office equipment. The company offers translation and cultural awareness services, providing cross-cultural training for government, non-government, and private sector organisations. It is owned and operated by Kenny Lechleitner, who is a fluent Arrernte, Anmatjere, Warlpiri, and English speaker. Kenny is someone I know personally, as we both went to school together in Adelaide for five years at Emmanuel College and he is a very good friend of mine. Kenny is a great role model for those kids in the bush. Two-ilpa means ‘to listen with both ears’, which is the core idea behind the business.
Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal Corporation received $4000 for a feasibility study into commercial market gardens in Ulpanyali and Arkanta. Ngurratjuta is the representative organisation for a composite group of communities and outstations located in the McDonnell shire. Ngurratjuta, on behalf of a number of Aboriginal communities and outstations, is undertaking a number of commercial market garden projects for financial and community benefit. I had the pleasure earlier this year of doing a trip through the Mereenie loop, including visiting some of these fantastic initiatives. In the current financial year the Indigenous business development program has a budget of $800 000. I am pleased to add that last month Ngurratjuta received a further grant for irrigation and garden equipment for commercial market gardens to be established at Wanmarra, Arkanta, Boomerang Bore, and Lilla.
The global economy is facing challenging times ahead as it wrestles with the banking crisis, a credit crunch, and an economic downturn. The Territory will not be immune to the effects of the international economic crisis but that is not saying it is all doom and gloom. As well as the challenging times ahead, there are also exciting times ahead. Opportunities abound in our regions and the government will continue to focus on its primary objective. When it comes to regional development it will continue to focus on our primary objective of regional development and jobs, jobs, jobs.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the Chief Minister’s statement.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I also support this statement. I thank the Chief Minister for his statement on the state of training in the Northern Territory, especially in light of the current economic downturn.
We recognise that training must go hand-in-hand with delivering real employment outcomes for the benefit of individuals, businesses, employers, and organisations. In regards to Indigenous training and employment it must meet the needs of the people and their remote communities.
The member for Nelson was talking about the INPEX project and the way that Darwin is looking ahead at the $12bn INPEX project and the need to have a skilled workforce for the multitude of jobs that will be created, both directly and indirectly. Nhulunbuy has been through a similar experience. Even though the $2.5bn Gove expansion project has all but ended, after it started in September 2004 - and that was a very exciting time for the community and the company when that came about - the town and the region continues to grow. There still continues to be a need for training.
Whilst we see the boom in the mining industry subsiding, I am pleased to say that in the Nhulunbuy region at Rio Tinto Alcan there are still works to be completed. While some of the larger, well-known contractor numbers may have reduced, it has presented an excellent opportunity for some of our smaller locally based contract companies to pick up some of that work. That is good for our own local economy and for people who live and work there. There are distinct advantages to being able to employ locally.
The Chief Minister’s reference to the government’s initiative to establish regional job hubs - the member for Barkly has also talked about this, because his electorate also stands to gain - is excellent news. It is fantastic news for Territorians, and especially for those of us in the Nhulunbuy and Barkly regions; certainly in Nhulunbuy where we will see the first job hub established. This affirms the government’s commitment to providing strong support for regional economic development. As I understand it, the hubs will provide an analysis of the job market in the East Arnhem region and a better understanding of what jobs are available, and facilitate the matching of training requirements and skills of job seekers to those available jobs.
Not long after the election, when I came into this job, one of the first meetings I had in the first week after parliament was a training review forum. I was quite disheartened to hear, at that meeting, that in the East Arnhem region we had some of the most highly-trained unemployed people in the Territory. That is a terrible situation. It is a waste of time and money. If that is where we are at, it is extremely disheartening and discouraging for those people who are trying to enter the job market. We need to focus on matching skills with jobs and real outcomes.
In regard to the development of the job training hub at Nhulunbuy, I have been involved in the process. I was part of the fairly extensive consultation period with stakeholders which was held to investigate options for the Nhulunbuy regional job hub. Meetings were held in Darwin and Nhulunbuy with officers from the Employment Division within the Department of Business and Employment meeting with key groups.
In Nhulunbuy, that included consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including those who employ Indigenous people such as Laynhapuy Homelands Association, YBE, a little company called Delta Reef, Rio Tinto Alcan, which has its Alert program - and I will talk about that further on - and also fairly extensive consultation with other service providers such as Darwin Skills Development, Charles Darwin University, Batchelor Institute and all those that have a vested interest in the job market and training. I understand that a proposal with options will be presented to the Chief Minister shortly, for the implementation of the plan for the Nhulunbuy hub, which has been developed carefully in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders. All being well, the next step in the process is that we will see the hub operational by July this year.
As the Chief Minister said, job hubs will have a very strong local focus and be an important source of information on a range of matters associated with the local job market. Accurate local information will enable the government to better direct our investment, matching training to individuals and to business needs and available jobs, so that we do not have the situation where we have the most highly-trained unemployed people, which is a ridiculous situation.
In the Nhulunbuy region, there are a number of organisations and businesses that are working hard to contribute to training and employment, and each of them have much to offer the proposed hubs. This is what is at the core of the whole concept of hubs; strengthening partnerships between all these stakeholders. What is more, each of them and the people they represent - and that is mainly Yolngu or Indigenous people - stand to gain enormously from the hub concept. I will talk about a few of those stakeholders.
Laynhapuy Homelands Association is one of the single largest employers of Indigenous people in the Territory. It is based at Yirrkala and is, essentially, a resource centre servicing some 800 Yolngu people who live on 16 homeland communities across the region. One of the core activities that they undertake is the delivery of local government municipal services.
However, Laynhapuy also seeks out economic opportunities for Yolngu people. For Yolngu people, the aspiration for employment is, by and large, based in their homeland infrastructure, to develop business enterprises which are based in their homelands. They are so closely connected to country, they are safe places, it is where their ancestors are, and they are most comfortable when they are on their homeland communities.
During my visits to various communities in the East Arnhem region, Yolngu people have told me that training for them is most successful when it is on their country; on the land which supports and sustains them. Travelling away from country often brings with it problems, humbug, and not to mention the high cost of travel and accommodation. With this knowledge, I was very interested to learn, soon after I came into this role as the local member, about the work that Charles Darwin University’s portable learning classrooms are doing and their very unique style delivering training to Laynhapuy Homelands and, no doubt, other parts in the Territory.
Through its Remote Projects Unit at CDU, these portable learning classrooms and the partnership that they have with Laynhapuy to deliver training programs is contingent on the Mobile Adult Learning Unit, or MALU - and it really is a mobile classroom. It is fully airconditioned. It also contains lecturer accommodation, complete with cooking and ablution facilities. I believe the MALU is currently located at the community of Garrthalala, and that follows a stint at Gan Gan community. When I was at Gan Gan, at a sports day towards the end of last year, I saw it there. Prior to that it had been transported 250 km from Ramingining, which is in the electorate of the member for Arnhem. It had been transported with CDUs prime mover.
The courses that they offer range from numeracy and literacy, to introductory courses in Vocational Education; Community Services; Automotive; Engineering and Welding; Rural Operations; Essential Services Operations; Business; and Construction. Obviously, those particular training courses have been identified as the courses which best suit the needs of that community.
In the last couple of years, Laynhapuy Homelands have also made considerable investment in its Yirralka Ranger Program, which currently employs between 40 and 50 people and includes a number of women. These rangers are looking after the Indigenous Protected Area, which covers an area of more than 600 000 hectares and 640 km of coastline. I have spoken about Yirralka Rangers in regard to the Arafura to Alice Eco-Links, and how an increase in employment opportunities has arisen as a result of the federal government intervention.
A member: It must be a good thing, then.
Ms WALKER: If we are looking for the good things that come out of the intervention that is one of them. At least half of the rangers are on salary which, for many, is a more attractive option then CDEP. That is not to say that CDEP is an unattractive option. I know my colleague, the member for Arafura, spoke strongly and passionately in defence of CDEP, and I am behind her, as is the member for Stuart. CDEP provides people with employment, meaningful work, and a bridge to full-time employment. We have seen, not only with Yirralka Rangers, but with Dhimurru as well, a number of people who have progressed from CDEP to full-time jobs, and that those CDEP positions are then taken up by others in the community.
Part of the Yirralka Rangers program is caring for land and sea country. I know that one of the options that Yirralka would like to explore is developing tourism potential, and with that there would be a demand for training. So I was quite pleased to hear the Minister for Tourism, and I welcome the contribution that he made to the debate around the initiatives that are coming with more training to support specific jobs within the tourism industry.
In Nhulunbuy, our local tourism hub is attached to the East Arnhem Shire office, and is currently headed up by Adrienne Willing, who is doing some fantastic work supporting local communities and homeland communities that want to develop tourism, eco-tourism, and cultural ventures.
I know that a number of members have visited the community of Bawaka, which is Timmy Burarrwanga’s community, and I hope to visit there for the first time as a visitor in March. Yinyikay, which is on the coast to the north of Nhulunbuy, is doing some fantastic cultural tours and I am booked to go there in March for an overnight trip, meet members of the community, hopefully learn a few basket-making skills, and not only develop a better understanding of those people and how they live, but also to see firsthand how their little tourism business is operating.
Another successful business, operating and supported by the tourism hub, is master Yidaki classes. It is no longer at East Woody, but at Wallaby Beach, as the community at East Woody has moved to Wallaby Beach thanks to Rio Tinto donating that section and the houses on it to the Rirratjingu clan. Djalu Gurruwiwi is a Yidaki master in making, playing, and teaching. His is a niche business that attracts people from all over the world. It is fantastic to see that we have already recognised that there is much scope for training within the tourism area.
Dhimurru Land Management is also very actively involved in training programs for their 16 employees, of whom 12 or so are Yolngu people. Literacy, numeracy, and natural resources management underpin their training requirements through Batchelor College, but at the heart of everything they do is two-way learning and that is the theme that goes to the heart of Dhimurru’s origins. I would like to acknowledge Dhimurru’s permits officer, Mawuka Marika, who last year graduated with her Certificate II in Business Management. At the time of her graduation, Mawuka was interviewed in our local newspaper and I would like to quote what she said on completion of her course and graduation:
- I am more comfortable now with my speaking. I can talk to people better and I can deal with my clients more effectively.
…
We can show the children the benefits of studying, we can show them what we are doing now and they can follow, so they will have a good future.
I highlight Mawuka’s comments about the benefits of studying and showing children how important that is, because that is what is at the heart of all of this; the foundation stone is education. The government has recognised that and is working hard with its Closing the Gap policy to reduce the gap on Indigenous disadvantage, recognising that the foundation is education. We need to get children to school and we need to have them literate and numerate when they leave school and thus better prepared to move into jobs and training.
I will speak briefly about Rio Tinto Alcan, which was Nabalco originally. The largest employer in the region and I suspect one of the, if not the, largest employers in the Territory, and the fairly significant contribution that they make to Indigenous training and employment through their ALERT programme. That is a program that has grown and evolved from its predecessor, which was called YNOTS which was started up in 2001.
I know that the Chief Minister is familiar with the ALERTs program, because we both visited their facility last year, had a good look through, chatted with the trainers, chatted with the trainees and were greatly impressed with the work they were doing. They have invested heavily in creating a dedicated training facility and devising a program which aims to provide trainees with real employment outcomes. This all occurs in a culturally sensitive environment, with training delivered in distinct phases which allows trainees to progress at a pace that is not overwhelming.
I know that Rio Tinto Alcan has been in discussions with officers from the Departments of Business and Employment and Education and Training at Territory and federal government level to look at an Indigenous employment and training model. Rio Tinto Alcan brings to the Nhulunbuy region some of the very successful strategies that they have implemented at their Weipa and Argyle sites. In talking about the job hubs earlier, they are about finding what is best for the local people at local level. I have no doubt that a partnership with Rio Tinto Alcan, with its learning in other remote Indigenous communities, will have the potential to bolster the prospects and opportunities for Yolngu people.
Rio Tinto Alcan also employs its own apprentices and trainees. More than 40 apprentices are currently engaged in a range of trades, from first year through to final year, and it includes women in non-traditional roles and mature aged trainees as well.
Local people and particularly school leavers are extremely fortunate that the company’s policy has always been to recruit locally. This serves two purposes. It means the younger ones are invariably housed with their parents who can provide support to their offspring as they make the transition from school to work. It also means that issues of accommodation are dealt with. While this works for Rio Tinto trainees, the issue of the availability of affordable accommodation remains an impediment to the business community and, indeed, to those employers who wish to attract trainees and apprentices. An individual on trainee and apprentice wages being able to find their own accommodation is simply out of the question.
Group Training Northern Territory has a large presence in the East Arnhem region and I was very pleased recently to attend and speak at their annual awards night. They have responsibility for recruiting and managing around 75 apprentices and trainees in the region. Employers such as Rio Tinto are a host employer for these people. Its former Training Manager – it is currently recruiting for a new one - told me that training demands in the region are definitely on the increase, substantiated by the number of employers who contacted him for recruiting or advice on employing apprentices, as well as the number of trainees and apprentices who are currently in training.
On a positive note, the increases are reflected in businesses and organisations seeking to undertake the training and development of Indigenous trainees throughout the region. There are some major employers in the region that have designed Indigenous engagement programs with targets of 30% Indigenous employment which are quite common. This will have several positive outcomes within the region. It will allow employers to employ local people without the added relocation or fly in/fly out costs; address the projected short fall in skilled labour; provide Indigenous people with a pathway off social security and boost the local economy.
Combine this with the roll-out of the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program, or SIHIP, which our Minister for Local Government talked about and can I say …
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Madam Speaker, I was thrilled to see last week that Galiwinku, which is a sizeable community of about 2000 people on Elcho Island, has signed a lease which means that the SIHIP Program can now proceed. It is a considerable program at Galiwinku, to the tune of $33m. With the SIHIP Program, the prospects are promising for Yolngu people. There are nine East Arnhem communities receiving 23% of the total SIHIP capital budget. I had a briefing recently from the Department of Local Government and Housing, which explained that with the alliance partnerships, a team of training and employment specialists will be embedded within each of the alliances, to ensure local outcomes for Indigenous people. This will include a skills assessment of local unemployed Indigenous people, the opportunity for pre-vocational training, employment of local Indigenous people, and developing career pathways for Indigenous people.
With SIHIP occurring over a five year period, the opportunity is there for people to have skills that will take them well into the future. Any training partnerships must be developed and delivered with recognition and acceptance of culture and language backgrounds of Indigenous trainees. I spoke with Bryan Hughes, the Principal at Galiwinku School on Elcho and who said – it is really encouraging ‘touch wood’ - the attendance figures at the school are fantastic at the moment. They are achieving that through some really hard work and innovative programs to get kids to school.
During the discussion around the economic stimulus package and the extra dollars that would bring to schools infrastructure, I asked him what plans he had earmarked. He had a few but he said one he was keen to get started was an upgrade to their manual arts area to equip students with technical and trade skills. That would marry well with the SIHIP Program and give those kids a really good pathway from school into the workforce.
I need to acknowledge Group Training Northern Territory’s retention rates in East Arnhem Land, which exceed 70% and completion rates exceed 90%, which is around twice the national average. They offer a diverse range of services and also have a very strong alliance with schools and RTOs.
Nhulunbuy High School is an RTO that provides an excellent VET program for students in Nhulunbuy, which includes some students who come in from Yirrkala. At the 2008 NT Training Awards, held in Darwin in September last year, the school took out the VET in Schools Excellence Award. That is a fantastic result and due, in no small part, to Marlene Organ. Marlene is the school’s VET coordinator and trainer, and she was recognised for her work being named as Trainer of the Year. Marlene is a dedicated and driven professional who has delivered Certificate I and II in Business, Retail, IT, and Hospitality to students with high rates of success, evidenced by students who find themselves in jobs at the end of it. Late last year, there were 33 engineering students registered with the RTO. Under Marlene’s stewardship - and with good support from Nhulunbuy High School Principal, Kate Middleton - the capability of the RTO has grown remarkably.
Nhulunbuy High Schools VET program is currently working in partnership with Group Training to provide an avenue to deliver some of the business administration units to trainees. They are being delivered through Nhulunbuy High School as the RTO. The reason that this has come about is due to the difficulty in attracting and, no doubt, accommodating lecturers and trainees. That is another dilemma which needs to be addressed.
I am very excited, as I know my colleague, the member for Barkly is, at the prospect of the job hub. I am proud that Nhulunbuy will be the first hub. There is quite a high level of training activity in the region, with much work to be done in readiness for the roll-out of the hub plan by 1 July this year.
Madam Speaker, I feel quite confident that, with this government’s support, we will have, for the first time, an opportunity to harness the learnings, to forge partnerships, and to find local solutions for a local labour market, for local people. I commend the Chief Minister on his statement.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I have always had an interest in politics, and people would know here that I have run for federal politics. Not many people would know that I have worked in the federal employment field, both in Canberra and in Alice Springs, working for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, in Indigenous and non-Indigenous areas, managing a number of programs – CDEP, Work for the Dole, and a vast array of things - and have an intimate understanding of the job network process. When this came up I thought it was very interesting. It is very important that we support people to develop their skills, and that we have a strong focus on jobs - despite the fact that the government has lost its focus on the McArthur River Mine and the 300 jobs there. I throw that in for you, Chief Minister.
The thing that I found working with the Northern Territory government was that there were great staff working for the Northern Territory government, they were always willing to help. I remember some people I used to work with in Alice, who I still see now. They were always keen to help, but were always restrained by the lack of financial ability they had to support projects - always happy to sign on to an agreement, but could never put anything to it.
A case in point is what the member for Stuart mentioned regarding the Tanami regional partnership agreement. That is an agreement that I put forward when I was in Canberra many years ago, to work in partnership with Newmont Mines to try to employ Aboriginal people. We tried to do the same thing at Nhulunbuy with the Alcan mine - not Nabalco that was a while ago – but we could not get it working. There was a problem and it is still the same problem; whether the YNOTS program has progressed – and I understand all that.
However, there were a number of non-Indigenous people working there - like the member for Nhulunbuy - who used to work there - that restrained the ability for people to get into work. I take the philosophy now that getting Aboriginal people into work is the first thing - not training. I know that training can assist, but the process of getting people into work first and then providing on-the-job skills training is the way to go.
I always found it hard working with the Northern Territory government. I remember negotiating the Tanami regional partnership agreement as a lead for the Australian government. I sat down with a fellow from the Northern Territory government, from DBERD at the time. He said: ‘Adam, how much money are you going to put in?’ My cheque book was pretty big; I could put in whatever I wanted, but it comes with principles like, who is going to contribute?
The Central Land Council, there is a great bloke who works there - I will not mention his name. He works in the Economic Development Section of CLC. He does a great job in trying to train people, and encourage them to turn up and provide mentoring and support. I was going to put in - I cannot remember the exact number now - but it was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We were going to try to support employment of a mentor, because DBERD could not do that. We were going to support the training wages, and link that to the job network so that they could get their work clothes, and they could get wages subsidised, and they could even put in the transport to and from the mine. Who would throw all of that in? It came up to be the big issue. This is one of the problems in negotiating these things all the time, is that everyone always needs a car, and that is the problem. When you put them in, everyone needs a car for some reason. That always becomes a sticking point.
I could not find a car from the Australian government, which is understandable, because the Australian government should not be providing the car. We said to the Northern Territory government: can you find a car? You want to sign up this partnership and you want to stand up in parliament and talk about how good you are: can you find a car? He could not find a car. What can you do? Why should I? I was a bureaucrat representing the Australian government - whoever was in power - but I was trying to have a partnership agreement. I asked: what can you do? ‘Oh, we have a few …’ - this is no word of a lie - … ‘spare desks and chairs that you might be able to use for the mentor’. I thought the Northern Territory government is on the ball. We are employing someone and probably paying about $180 000 for their salary and super, on-costs, a car, and it could provide a chair and a table for a mentor who is going to get up to 30 people into a job. I thought: this is the Northern Territory government.
But I kept keep going and going, and I think it took about seven years for this agreement to be negotiated. It is up and running now and the Northern Territory government took the credit for it. I do not need credit for it myself. I could go through this ministerial statement and talk about every single thing that I came up with in my job with the Australian government, both public and then private, to get things working in the Territory, because you guys have no ideas. You do not resource DBERD to get people into work, or whatever the department is called now. You never resourced them to get people into work. You had staff there and were saying, we are doing a great job, and the staff were great, but they had no tools - there were no tools in the shed. There were no ideas at all, and you were not willing to work in partnership.
Let me tell you this story. This is about how I got to be in this parliament now. It relates to this ministerial statement, Madam Speaker. It involves the SIHIP project. You will hear me interject from time to time to the nodding dog about the SIHIP program. This is a big picture thing. The intervention came down, and we had all its detractors, like the member for Nhulunbuy and the member for Arafura, jumping up and down in Sydney saying this is the ‘black Tampa’. It was not the ‘black Tampa’, it was trying to make a difference. The intervention was the first of the stimulus packages to come to the Northern Territory. That is what that was.
The second stimulus that came to the Northern Territory was the SIHIP program. We have this government and the Chief Minister and every other character from the thirteen dwarves on the other side telling us about how important the stimulus package was. Well, Mal Brough offered you $700m - that is a lot more than the stimulus package. How many jobs could that get for the Territory? Can someone tell me now why the houses are not being built? In 2007, you took $567m, you put in $100m of your own - which is very good and I support that - but you cannot get the houses on the ground. That is because you do not have the ideas.
When I was working in the private sector - before I came to this job - I was doing a number of different partnerships and deals and trying to help people get into work. I had a staff of 65, 58 out of those were Indigenous. I knew how to employ people, and I knew how to be supportive, and I still do. I am not bragging, it is not important, but the point is things can be done.
I was involved with the project manager for Parsons Brinckerhoff for part of a tender, with the company I was working for, as part of a tender to provide employment and training advice to the Northern Territory government, or for Parsons Brinckerhoff on behalf of the Northern Territory government - and that was good. We were providing them great advice. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder, the person who is second in charge, not the fellow from America. The Minister for Housing will know exactly who I am talking about. He said: ‘Adam, I have a bit of a problem’. I said: ‘What?’ I had developed the employment and training plan for SIHIP. I was involved with CDU in Batchelor and I was putting everything into place. I was working out all the funding cycles on how the Northern Territory government could extract tens of millions out of the Australian government to help SIHIP work. Where you could get your employees, how you could do the research, how you could map point-in-time data - from where it is now to where it will be at the end of SIHIP - how you can put the protracted image at the end of the scale so that when the houses are built you still have the jobs.
I was working all that out for the Northern Territory government but I got tapped on the shoulder and was told that the Northern Territory government cannot work with you because you ran for federal parliament in 2007. I said: ‘What? I am the person who is getting people jobs in the Northern Territory’. I was the Northern Territory manager for an employment company. I was the ex-Central Australian manager for the Australian government managing all the employment programs. I used to be the head of Indigenous economic development in the Australian government. I know what I am talking about - I will piss in my pocket but I know what I am talking about.
Madam SPEAKER: Excuse me, please withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mr GILES: I am sorry, Madam Speaker. I withdraw that comment.
Mr Elferink: Inflating your own position.
Mr GILES: Yes, I am not blowing my trumpet, but I know what I am talking about. I was prepared to put all the political stuff aside and I made a decision to try to make a difference, to help roll-out SIHIP. Before working in the employment area, I was one of the program managers for the ATSIC national housing infrastructure program. I have built houses around Australia. I was the chief manager of the ATSIC Army Aboriginal Community Assistance program, where I would put the army into communities and help to build the houses. This was my job. The two things I can do are build houses and employ Aboriginal people - both together. But SIHIP said: ‘Adam, despite all your experience and your ability to be able to do this, we are not going to work with your company’. I said: ‘What?’
This is the time that pre-selection for Braitling came up and I went through all those things of whether I should I run for parliament. And I said no, I am going to help people into jobs and help build these houses. That was my decision; I was not running for parliament, despite the polling that said I would romp it in. I had a great job, on a huge wicket, with business investments everywhere, making a killing and getting people into work. With a plan to get hundreds and hundreds or thousands people into work. Not some of this fluff in here about thousands of apprenticeship commencements. That is what it is called, commencements. It is not a job. We can all go down to Batchelor and sign up to do something. That is not a job.
I had to make that decision. A personal decision based on principles. Should I continue and bat my head against this stupid wall, where I can help people and they do not want me to help them - this is exactly what happened, this is no word of a lie - or should I come up here; come with my friends. The real people who want to help Aboriginal people in the Territory. These are the people who want to make a difference.
In 2007 there was $700 000m on the table and this government cannot build the houses. You cannot even get past the bureaucratic red tape to build a house out of your own pocket. And the rumours I am hearing about the multimillions of dollars that it is syphoning out of SIHIP, to help run the Northern Territory government because of its $200 000m black hole.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, I think you may need to withdraw those comments. You need to make those on substantive motion.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, in defence of the member for Braitling’s position, he can make such allegations as he pleases in this House and it is up to him to substantiate them should he be …
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, but he needs to do so on substantive motion.
Mr ELFERINK: No, Madam Speaker, he is not making a direct allegation against any member of this House. I understood his reference to mean nothing more than a generalisation about the conduct of government. Those are the sorts of comments that one naturally expects in this House and I submit to you, Madam Speaker, that it is …
Madam SPEAKER: It is generally considered, member for Port Darwin, that if you are referring to a member or the government in a general way like that, that it is not parliamentary.
Mr ELFERINK: No, Madam Speaker, with all due respect, whilst I appreciate what you are trying to do, it is not the position of the Chair of this House to determine whether a comment by a member like that is inappropriate. He shall live and die as a politician by the quality of the comments he makes and it is not for the Chair to edit him. I heard no point of order called in relation to the matter, nor did I sense the Chief Minister, at any time, feel he was being directly accused of anything - I am sure he would have been on his feet in two seconds flat - other than to mutter the word ‘rubbish’. I urge you reconsider that decision and allow the member the freedom of speech in this House.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I am happy to withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: I take the point of what the member for Port Darwin said, and he is absolutely right, but I will withdraw that comment. But I will say this. If the rumours that I am hearing are true, if the extent of administrative charges coming out of the SIHIP Program are true, the Northern Territory government should hang its head in shame. When so much money is being spent on administering a program that is not building houses is an absolute disgrace. This is about jobs.
The opportunity that the Northern Territory government had to use my ability and experience, like the member for Nhulunbuy said, to help people get off CDEP and into a longer-term job, was there. I offered the whole thing up to the government. It was not politics. It was about trying to help people. For them to have me tapped on the shoulder to say: ‘You cannot work implementing this project’. is a disgrace. That is why this statement is a disgrace. You do not care about jobs. You do not care about people. You sit here and talk for hours about more fluff. I did more than half the stuff in this thing on my own. You are an absolute joke.
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Pairing Arrangement – Member for Fannie Bay and Member for Fong LIm
Pairing Arrangement – Member for Fannie Bay and Member for Fong LIm
Madam SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Port Darwin, I have received a document relating to pairs. From 6 pm this evening, which is now, until the end of the evening, there is pair between the member for Fannie Bay, Mr Gunner and the member for Fong Lim, Mr Tollner. It is signed by the Government Whip and the Opposition Whip.
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Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I have listened carefully to some of the comments by the speakers tonight and I am often struck by our very genuine attempts and, I believe, even the government’s very genuine attempts to deal with Aboriginal employment and employment issues as a whole; but Aboriginal employment. That is where I would like to go for a moment because I believe that governments, both Country Liberal governments in the past and the present Labor government, would genuinely like to make a profound impact in the area of Aboriginal employment.
I sometimes wonder if all the efforts poured into Aboriginal employment are misplaced in their philosophy. We continually try to construct job programs around Aboriginal people, the capacity to do this or that or we have to get a little more education in there - we have to do those sorts of things. Yet there is very little that focuses on the thinking, the philosophy, or the methodology that exists underneath the surface of Aboriginal people.
I am interested to know what would happen if an Aboriginal person suddenly, by their own motion one day, with no education, no training or upskilling or program to support them, pulled on a pair of boots that he bought from an op shop, a nice pair of steel capped boots, pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, had a bath or washed himself under a tap in a public place somewhere and then walked around the industrial area of Alice Springs, for argument’s sake, and knocked on the doors and said: ‘I cannot read or write but I can push a broom and pick up a shovel’.
I wonder how long that person would remain unemployed. I suspect that they would be unemployed for a very short time indeed. That person would be used very quickly to clean up yards and those sorts of things. Once you display a work ethic - whether you are black, white, brown, brindle or pink with green polka dots - people will pick up on that.
I listened with great interest to what the minister for Corrections had to say about how your perspectives are changed when you are confronted with 400 kg of angry meat, because all of a sudden you are challenged. The challenge in that environment is very direct - a big angry bull - I am in trouble because I am sitting in the same corral as a big, angry bull. All of a sudden, I have a motivator. Something is going to make me move and, if it is not me, it is probably going to be 400 kg of angry meat.
I listened to the member for Macdonnell on this issue - God bless her cotton socks - when she said: ‘It is not a black issue, it is not a white issue, it is a right issue. It is a human issue’. Perhaps it is an oversimplification, but what astonishes me about all that we do is that somehow, with all of our efforts to develop programs - training programs, this program and that program, and all sorts of programs - we have forgotten to say to Aboriginal people: ‘You can do this’.
Prior to the arrival of nationalised guilt in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Aboriginal people were valued, particularly in Central Australia – and I understand it to be true of the Top End - for their enormous capacity to work, particularly in the cattle industry. Whilst I appreciate that they were not properly remunerated for their efforts they, nevertheless, took pride in what they did. How do I know that? If I go to Alice Springs now and I see an old tjilpi walking, and he has the big brass buckle in the front of his belt, a 10-gallon hat, and his leather boots on, he is wearing those items of clothing with pride. Whilst we considered it a matter of oppression that they were not properly paid and, possibly, not even properly looked after as employees, it is clear that in the minds of those Aboriginal people who still choose to wear the garments with such pride, that they did not see those symbols of oppression but, rather, recognised that they were symbols of pride.
If they were symbols of oppression, they would not wear them. No more than a Jew would wear a striped pyjama today, because you would not wear the symbols of oppression. However, you wear the symbols of pride with dignity and with your head held high. Nowadays, if you go out to Hermannsburg or Papunya on any of the sports days, there is always a group of people getting around with that clobber on, because they sought a source of pride. They worked and looked after their families. They provided for their families in ways that their forefathers did not because they provided meat and running water on tap.
It was a vastly improved standard of living than their forefathers, because their forefathers also worked like absolute Trojans for a few thousand calories a day. Before the arrival of Europeans, Aboriginal people worked all day, every day, for what is, essentially, a ham and salad roll and a couple of cokes worth of income. What you and I would earn in the space of two minutes, they had to work all day for, just to survive.
As the cattle industries and, in the case of Hermannsburg, the missions moved into the areas, the quality of living went up and all of a sudden, we made them wealthy, but we did not couple effort to wealth. I am not going to go into that whole argument. However, I sometimes think what we are trying to achieve fails to engage Aboriginal people on one level; to tell them that they are capable of doing this stuff by themselves, absent of education. Okay, education can be good; it is much better if you can read and write. However, if you cannot, absent of education, by your own motion, you can do much. Even an illiterate person can do much if they put their mind to it.
Implicit in a housing program, a work program, health service delivery, and education delivery - in the way that we do it - is an undercurrent. It is the same undercurrent which is implicit in sit-down money: ‘Do not worry about it; we can do it for you’. The implication attached to that is: ‘You are useless’. We have said to Aboriginal people for 35 years now, that they are useless, by all the best intentions in the world. However, we have not challenged them and they have not challenged themselves, since we started providing sit-down money, the free ride, the gravy train, the cargo culture.
Sadly, the cargo culture has done more, in my opinion, to create an environment of cultural genocide - if I can use that expression, I think it gets used to death - than any other action or activity at the hands of European administrations since the settlement of white Australia. The learned uselessness that underpins this is what continues to underpin what happens in remote Aboriginal communities, in particular.
Can we imagine a program, let us put all of these programs aside, can we imagine a vehicle or some mechanism, by which we can say, or get Aboriginal people to actually change the way they perceive themselves. I know how they perceive themselves, because I have spoken to many people, and they are individuals. There are Aboriginal people in this room who perceive themselves in a very positive and decent light; in fact, every Aboriginal person in this room.
We heard the challenges yesterday and I read about the challenges today that the member for Arnhem has faced in her life, the member for Macdonnell, who has faced massive challenges in her life. The non-Aboriginal people in this room have faced massive challenges in their life. But somewhere, in each of those people’s decision-making processes - I include myself in this list – there has been a decision to say, ‘Enough is enough. I am going to change. If I wait for the world to come along and touch me on the head and say: “Do not worry about it, John, we will fix it for you” nothing will happen’.
Each individual who stands and rises to the challenges that they are presented with in life can overcome those challenges. And they can be paraplegics, they can be alcoholics, or they could be HIV positive, but those people who say, ‘I am responsible’, will go on to achieve, because what follows from, ‘I am responsible’, is ‘then it is up to me to move’.
What I do not see, in these sorts of statements and the current provision of policy to Aboriginal people and other people, is the expectation that we should have as a community, that you carry as a person in a society - I say our society, I mean in our jurisdiction, in our country - that there is a moral burden upon you to lift yourself up. That is something you learn, and some people will always fall through the cracks, no matter how much you try to impress this upon them. I genuinely believe that the vast majority of people, when they are faced with those sort of challenges, actually rise to the occasion. To do that, you cannot continue to provide the programs with the implication that weaves its way through all of these programs, ‘We will do it for you’ - implication: ‘You are useless’.
Whilst I appreciate the genuine things that the government is trying to do, I hope that there is a revisiting of the philosophy of how we do these things, so that people can raise themselves up by their own motion. I genuinely believe that if an Aboriginal person, or any other person, illiterate or otherwise, walks around the industrial area of any of our communities, and knocks on the door saying, ‘for 20 bucks an hour I will clean up your yard’, that person would not only have a job for the day, but probably a job for the rest of their life if they wanted it. I genuinely believe that. But we have to get people to the point where they believe it themselves. I would really like to see what roles can be conducted by the government, and any other provider, that could actually achieve those outcomes.
To a degree, it used to happen in places like Hermannsburg with the missions. When Pastor Albrecht was in the area and the mission was established in the early days, there was a requirement for employment. There was a real ongoing, caring contact for the 30 years Albrecht was there. There was a continuity of delivery of expectations, which you must have, but the expectation was, that if you want to eat, you grow it. Once upon a time, Hermannsburg sold about 60 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to Alice Springs. It had a carpentry shop and an abattoir. It had, believe it or not, full employment, not in the sense that everybody was on an award wage, but everybody had a function that was vital to the ongoing success in Hermannsburg as a community.
There were no government departments. There were no ranks of public servants with good intentions. There was just an expectation that if you wanted to get along in this community, you had to meet certain benchmarks. If you look at the photographs of the people of Hermannsburg from those periods, there was no infection, there was no obesity and they were walking around with their heads much higher than they tend to nowadays. Perhaps it is time we revisited those philosophies again and see how we could introduce those philosophies into our employment programs and see what the result would be.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their contributions. We are all passionate about jobs and employment and the training system that prepares people for employment. The importance of training and employment initiatives is probably one of the few things that both sides of the House can agree on. I am proud of the government’s efforts in supporting school-based apprentices and trainees, job seekers, and employees who are looking for opportunities to upskill themselves. We are moving into changing times that will test our ability to forecast and provide appropriate training which not only meets the short-term needs of immediate job seekers but also provides the right skills mix when the economy stabilises.
I was pleased to hear the regional and remote stories presented by my colleagues, the member for Barkly and the member for Stuart. I was also pleased to hear the member for Fannie Bay talk about how training for school students is providing them with greater job prospects when they leave. I have no doubt that the introduction of VET programs has successfully kept many young Territorians at school for longer, bringing them greater educational advantage when they eventually leave.
I pick up on a couple of the comments made by the member for Goyder. First, I agree that the Territory is starting to feel the impacts of the global financial crisis. We know that. As I outlined, there are already in place, programs and incentives for employers and employees to assist businesses and individuals to keep Territorians working or adapting for new work challenges. As the member pointed out, we have significantly increased our investment in these areas and I will happily respond to her questions when she writes to me.
Regarding the Australian Technical College, I put on the record that the ongoing funding issue is one for them to work through with the federal government. The ATC model in Darwin, whilst part of the national number of ATCs, is a unique training organisation. There is no doubt that its intensive work with students is reaping good results. I know the member for Solomon, Mr Damien Hale, is strongly advocating, on behalf of the ATC, for the continuation of funding, to his colleagues in Canberra. Whilst this is primarily a federal government funding issue, my government continues to talk with the ATC and supports them. Late last year I met with board members of the ATC and heard firsthand about the work they are doing with Territory students.
Picking up on the point raised about Taminmin High School, it really is wonderful the work that Tony Considine has done. The work he has done with its library - it is on the government’s radar for long-term planning. But I point out that they have just taken delivery of two new classrooms, to make sure the needs of their growing number of students are being met.
I could not agree more that training needs to have an outcome focus and of course, it is desirable that apprentices and trainees finish their training. However, that is not the real world we live in and it would be ridiculous to state that a trainee or apprentice, who might have completed two years of training and has been offered a position too good to refuse, is a bad result. Outcomes can be measured in many ways. Indeed, any training that leads to a positive outcome has to be seen as a success.
We have had the debate about completion rates previously, but the latest advice I have is that our apprenticeship completion rates are around 58%. I believe the national average is 53-54%. There are two ways that you can look at that figure. You can look at it as 50% wasted effort if apprentices do not complete their trade, however, if those apprentices do move in to full-time employment in other areas - and most of them do - it is not necessarily wasted effort.
Very few of those apprentices drop out and find they are unemployed. There are any number of reasons why an apprentice does not conclude their apprenticeship, whether it is six months, 12 months, two years, or three years into a trade. But if they are fully employed, that is a good outcome. Our numbers and statistics are equal to outcomes that are being achieved elsewhere in Australia. Tracking Territorians in training, to determine results and employability and the success of pathways, is therefore an important aspect of the work undertaken by the Training Division of the Department of Education and Training.
The Department of Business and Employment compiles the Northern Territory occupation shortage list – a valuable labour market tool. As the member for Nelson pointed out, it provides information on occupations in shortage or those where Territory employers are experiencing recruitment difficulties. The list is reviewed annually and reports on emerging shortages. A recent survey of employers highlighted an additional 60 occupations for inclusion, indicating that even in these uncertain economic times, Territory industry is still experiencing skill shortages. It is this information that informs government training priorities, employer incentives, and our skilled migration campaigns. It is also used by industry to assist with workforce planning.
Regarding the occupations that cannot be studied in the Territory, the Department of Education and Training has a range of student assistance schemes which Territory students can apply for when they are close to finalising their Year 12 studies. This assistance includes travel assistance for interstate higher education students, with a number of priority fields of study listed to encourage students to undertake these areas of study. The member for Nelson will be happy to note that the medical and dental studies are both listed as priority areas for assistance.
Reflecting on the member for Nelson’s INPEX questions, I agree that there are great opportunities for young and old jobseekers. We recognise that a project of the scale of INPEX will require some workers to be imported from around Australia and, possibly, from overseas, but there has never been a better time for Territorians to take advantage of a dynamic labour market.
Senior staff from the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Business and Employment have met with representatives from INPEX to discuss their employment needs and possible training requirements. The departments have offered to assist INPEX in profiling the Territory’s labour market to identify the possible availability of workers and to put training programs in place to skill new employees and increase the skills of existing workers. INPEX and the departments have agreed to share information and work together to ensure Territorians can access new opportunities and INPEX can employ skilled workers.
When Darwin LNG was being built, ConocoPhillips and Bechtel thought they would be lucky if they got 20% of the labour pool required for construction from the Northern Territory. In the end they achieved nearly 50%, which was a great result. I acknowledge that it caused much concern and stretch for Territory-based businesses, particularly those out in Winnellie and Berrimah, that lost tradespeople to the plant. But they survived and came through this. Those workers have gone back into those businesses, upskilled, and the high wages they earned went around the Territory economy. There are plusses and minuses but, overall, these projects are to the benefit of the Territory. The INPEX project is an exciting project on the horizon.
I will speak on some of the comments the member for Nhulunbuy made. I look forward to catching up with you and having a chat to see how Bryan Hughes is going at Galiwinku. I first came across Bryan when he was the principal at Clyde Fenton School in Katherine and he did an incredible job there. I spoke about Tony Considine and the work he is doing at Taminmin and the power of one. Bryan has done a magnificent job. If he is at Galiwinku, I know he will make a difference. Our commitment to job hubs mean it is going to be very exciting to watch those roll out. I look forward to working with you to roll out the first job hub in Nhulunbuy to commence on 1 July.
I will pick up on some of the comments by the member for Braitling. I do not doubt the member for Braitling’s commitment to Indigenous education, training, and employment and Indigenous issues, generally. I do not doubt that prior to entering parliament, he made a real contribution and has a good knowledge and understanding of all of those issues.
In a spirit of bipartisanship, I look forward to having a conversation about some of the things that he said in regard to working with Territory government departments and agencies, and some of the issues. If we can do better, we will do better. I look forward to having a conversation with you, genuinely, member for Braitling, about your observations at a government-to-government official level, in terms of doing much better than we are.
However, I do have to pick up on the issues about SIHIP and that we have not rolled out any houses yet. You would know, member for Braitling, that there were two key issues that needed to be resolved and put into place before construction on housing could start. We have all felt frustration regarding the length of time it has taken to kick this project off. The first issue was the negotiation of the leasing for houses. We all know how protracted, complicated, and difficult that has been. Now that we have the template in place and communities are signing up - four more communities were ready to go just before Christmas in the Top End - we are ready to go.
The second issue was around the alliance contracting model that the Commonwealth government insisted the Territory government sign up to for the allocation of Commonwealth government funding. That was initiated under the previous government and was carried forward by the current government.
The alliance contracting model has not been used in the Northern Territory before. Territory businesses had no experience of the alliance contracting model, Northern Territory government agencies had no experience of it, and Treasury was very wary of some of the risks to be assumed in moving down this path. However, we worked through those issues and tenders have been awarded. The fact that it was not a traditional design and procurement contracting arrangement, has led to some complexities which have not been dealt with before.
I can honestly say it is not due to - it may be due in part - incompetence is not the right word, because Territory businesses and the Territory government had no experience with this alliance contracting model before. Because we are dealing with hundreds of million of dollars worth of taxpayers’ money, we have to get it right. With all the work up-front in putting this together, I am very hopeful that once these projects start there will be a seamless roll-out. We are ready to go on the Tiwi Islands and Tennant Creek. Groote Eylandt will be next cab off the rank and then Maningrida and other Top End communities will be ready. However, it is not incompetence or inattention to detail. It is because the Commonwealth government imposed on the Territory an arrangement and a way of rolling this housing out that the Territory had no experience with, and only previously in Queensland to a fairly small degree.
I rebut the allegation that the Territory government is syphoning money off SIHIP to fund the emerging budget deficit. I stand here and refute that, absolutely, totally, and entirely ...
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! Those comments were withdrawn, and I changed what I said.
Mr HENDERSON: Okay. I acknowledge that they were withdrawn, but I stand by my comments. We have had concerns with the administrative oversighting arrangement that we have been required to put in place to manage the alliance delivery method. The government have questioned, in Cabinet, the requirements for the administrative arrangements that oversight this project.
This structure has been imposed on the Territory by the Australian government. I am not going to say whether it is an appropriate arrangement or whether it will be successful. We will wait and see how the project concludes. However, we did question it. This was a condition imposed on the Territory by the Australian government.
I will have a conversation with you about some of your experiences, member for Braitling.
In closing, I draw the House’s attention to the following advertisement from the Northern Territory News by a local company, Action Sheetmetal. Everyone knows Harry Maschke. He is a real legend around the Northern Territory and he has been involved with every political party over time, and who knows where Harry sits these days. He is a real gentleman, an absolute legend, and he is a friend to many of us in this parliament. I am sure people have seen the advertisements that he has been taking out in the paper about his apprentices, congratulating them, talking about their attributes, and talking these young people up. I believe it is magnificent that Harry is doing this.
I will read a couple of them. There seems to be a series of them: Bianco Bober: ‘Bianco is very keen to be an apprentice in the Action Team. We are very proud to have Bianco as a Trainee. He accepted our standard of discipline, standard of work and he looks after us, and we will look after Bianco’; and another, Lee Simes. ‘What would Lee do without the Action Team and what would the Action Team do without Lee? He is a great contributor. He was training in the plumbing industry and now he has taken on a further skill in the sheetmetal industry. He will be a multiskilled tradesperson. The Action Team is happy to have Lee’.
There has been a series of these, and they are expensive ads to run. It is fantastic of Harry to actively promote the benefits and the contribution that these young people make to his business, rather than talking about the burdens on business in hiring an employee. Congratulations Harry, you are a legend and I know that you have a genuine commitment, through good times and bad times, to training the next generation and my congratulations to you.
In conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their genuinely positive tone in this debate. I commend the statement to the House and I look forward to giving further updates.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Provision of Modern, Reliable Health Services for all Territorians
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, Madam Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Greatorex:
- Madam Speaker
I propose for discussion this day the following Definite Matter of Public Importance:
The failure of the Territory government to provide the resources and leadership that is necessary for the delivery of modern,
reliable health services to all Territorians now and plan for the effects that an ageing population will have on the ability to
deliver these services in the future.
Yours sincerely
Matt Conlan
Member for Greatorex.
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I am very pleased first of all to see that we may have two hours tonight to debate this, as opposed to yesterday’s farce in the House where the debate was cut short – gagged - so the member for Johnston could get up and have his little fun. Nevertheless, we will have the full time tonight, which is good.
This is a definite Matter of Public Importance; there is no doubt about it. The failure of the Territory government to provide resources and leadership that is necessary for the delivery of modern reliable health services to all Territorians now, and plan for the effects that an ageing population will have on the ability to deliver these services in the future.
The new Health Minister, the member for Casuarina, in the opinion of the opposition, is on notice. He has taken over a new portfolio, a large portfolio. He said that he wants to make a difference. I read one of his press releases about focussing on regional health and other aspects of health across the Northern Territory but, unfortunately, his first couple of weeks have not really been outstanding.
Under the new Health Minister, the Territory has a chance to put the problems within the public health system behind him and get on with the job. Can the new Health Minister break away from the incompetence of the previous Health Minister and really make a change? He has been left a legacy of failure by the member for Johnston. There is no doubt about that whatsoever.
Will the Health Minister shoulder the responsibilities that come with this portfolio, rather than looking backwards and blaming the past for today’s and tomorrow’s problems?
Unfortunately, he has resorted to the blame game already. He has not risen above politics. We constantly hear about this government suggesting the opposition are playing politics all the time. The Health Minister unfortunately has not got out of the blocks cleanly. He is playing the blame game …
Ms Carney: Incessantly.
Mr CONLAN: Incessantly. Thank you, member for Araluen. To set the scene, it is worth having a look at the last few years. In 2000-01 the Territory had the highest recurrent expenditure per person, at more than double the national average, and the most beds per 1000 weighted population. This is similar to what is boasted by this government today. We had more admissions per 1000 population than any other jurisdiction, and this remains much the same. In 1998-99, the Northern Territory was ranked second for getting people into elective surgery in the clinically appropriate time - 92% of patients - that is a remarkable figure and an outstanding achievement. By 2002-03, Labor’s second full year in power, we had dropped to sixth place to 82% and unfortunately, for Territorians and those seeking health care, we have never recovered from that slump.
As reported in the 2008 state of our hospitals, we are still ranked at the bottom of the pack, with only 68.6% of elective surgery patients seen in the recommended times. We have gone from 92% in 1998-99 to 68.6% in 2008, and that is according to the 2008 state of our hospitals report. Despite the media releases put out by the government about its large spending blitz and the amount that it puts into health - there is no doubt about it, $915m is an enormous amount of money, no one questions that it is a record health spend - but it is about outcomes, not just inputs.
Despite all that, in October 2008 there were a total of 2278 patients on the elective surgery waiting list and nearly half of them were overdue for their category waiting time. That means 55% of patients in October had not received surgery in the recommended time for their category.
The question has to be asked, where is the money? $915m – is an enormous amount going into Territory Health. Where is it going or is it a question of poor policy and lack of direction from the top? We suggest it probably is.
Emergency surgery times have also been getting worse since Labor was elected in 2001. 60% of ED admissions were seen within the recommended time in 1998-99 compared to 58% in 2002-03. Again a drop, 60% down to 58%, not a large drop, but nevertheless a drop all the same, and after eight years in government we see further drops to 55% as reported in the 2008 State of our Public Hospitals report. We have gone from 60% to 55%.
The Australian Medical Association considers hospital bed occupancy is a critically important performance indicator and the recommended rate is 85% for hospital bed occupancy. The Australian College of Emergency Medicine define access block – that is where a patient is kept in the ED for more than eight hours – as an absence of flow throughout the system, not just in the emergency department. It has nothing to do with the ability or dedication of our extremely hard-working health professionals. Everyone accepts that the staff – nurses, doctors, allied health, and everyone involved in the health system across the Northern Territory – do an extraordinary job under enormous pressure.
But it is due to the lack of available beds provided by the government that are in a suitable location and sufficiently staffed. It is this lack of leadership and the lack of responsibility, at the highest level of the Health department and the ministry, which results in Territorians being treated in the back of ambulances and in corridors.
Occupancy rates allow a hospital to cope with the surges in the number of presentations to an ED and manage to keep people out of the corridors. It is a very important part of tracking the health system. It was noted in the 2008 AMA Hospital Report Card that there is no data provided for the occupancy rate at Royal Darwin Hospital. The report also stated that by not providing this data, it illustrated the urgent need for consistent and honest reporting. These figures are not available. Why were occupancy rates not made available for the 2008 Hospital Report Card?
Data for access block in Territory hospitals is conspicuously absent in the 2004-07 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine snapshot of Australian emergency departments, Access Block and Overcrowding: A Literature Review. Minister, does the hospital collect the data? If it does, where is it? Or is it the case that this data is too embarrassing and damning to be released to the public?
It is time to call an end to this blame game. The minister must stop blaming the public servants - as was the mantra of the previous Health Minister - and stop blaming the Country Liberals; the Country Liberal government of eight years ago. It has been eight long years since the Labor government was elected and yet all we hear, unfortunately, from the new minister, is the blame game. I believe the Territory and the opposition had high hopes that we might have a new Health Minister, that we would see a broom swept through the health department, and we might be able to look to the future with high hopes. But no, we are seeing more excuses for poor performance; a practice that was dominated by the member for Johnston. It is time that you stepped up to the plate, minister.
If the minister will not commit to holding an inquiry into the state of the Territory Health service, at least hold an audit to see exactly what the status is now, ask every conceivable question publicly, publish the results and review them every two years. That will measure the result of every policy initiative to promote transparency, accountability, and correct the culture of cover-up, which was the cause of the member for Johnston’s downfall as the Minister for Health.
Your government has announced strategy after strategy to recruit new health professionals, but they are leaving as fast, if not faster, than you can replace them. It is a big issue recruiting people - not just health professionals, but people right across every professional spectrum. Nevertheless, our health professionals are leaving almost as quickly as we can recruit them.
Tennant Creek Hospital has recorded an astounding turnover rate of 75%. Alice Springs has a turnover rate of 52%. I ask the minister what he is planning to do to stem the flood of these nurses leaving our health system. The report A Study of Mobility among Nurses and Midwives in the Northern Territory of Australia - I hope the minister has read this - has some very practical, plain language and commonsense recommendations, such as:
1. Recruitment campaigns should emphasise the features of the NT that make it a pleasant place to live and raise a family;
2. Target potential employees who already have family living here. If return airfares are provided to employees from outside
the NT, ensure those living in the NT are provided with benefits of equivalent value;
- …
4. Recruitment to remote areas should be honest about both the high demands and the need for resilience. Working as a nurse
in a remote area has many advantages but it is not a tourist experience and if sold as such, will attract mostly short-term employees,
who are likely to leave disappointed and dispirited; and
5. Put in place protocols that will ease difficulties in finding accommodation upon arrival in housing-limited locations.
These are some of the recommendations for recruitment.
There are also some very good points about retention. I am going to run out of time so I will not go through all of those, but I hope that the minister has seen these and had a look at the top 10 reasons why nurses and midwives left the Northern Territory. Obviously, some of these things are out of the control of government; if people want to retire or move somewhere else, you cannot stop them. Some of the reasons for leaving were: (1) family and/or social networks; (2), stressful work environment; (4), lack of support from management; (6), unreasonable workload; (8) cost of living in the NT; and (10) slow rate of innovation in work practices.
The report also said:
- Remote and community nurses tended to stay longer than most, while hospital nurses left sooner.
It was also mentioned that ‘limited opportunities for career progression’ were a factor. I recommend this report to the minister, if he has not already read it.
The Territory jobs campaign promised to recruit 160 nurses to the Territory during the 2008-09 financial year. What was not widely promoted was that the government was only creating 40 extra nursing positions through that campaign. For the year ending March 2008, the total number of nursing full-time equivalent positions was 1664. The turnover rate was 34%. This means that around 565 left the workforce, yet the government campaign only aimed to attract 160 nurses, 40 of which were new positions. The recruitment of 120 replacement nurses is not enough to fill the gap of 550 nurses leaving the system each year. The government is dragging the chain on that, and clearly needs to address it.
The department’s target to fill 1731 full-time equivalent positions across the Territory fell way short, and they were only able to manage the average of 1636 FTE positions, 95 short, which was not made up by agency staff. There are some facts and figures that speak for themselves. The shortage was most apparent in the two busiest hospitals, Alice Springs and Darwin.
The report shows that there are 5.75 nurses employed per 1000 people, compared to five nationally, so we are doing better than the national average. However, the government is missing its target of 95 FTE nurses. It is a clear sign that it is not achieving its goals. We are yet to hear clear and commonsense reasons why the government has recruiting difficulties, or how to go forward with recruitment.
It is another example of the blame game that has seen the astounding volume of critical reports come through the Northern Territory Health system. The Coronial inquest into Mrs Winter’s death was one tragic example. Others were the review into maternity services, which the government sat on for over five months, and the Health and Community Services Complaints Commission report into security arrangements in Ward 5B of Royal Darwin Hospital. I hope that the new minister is making sure that security arrangements are in place at all our hospitals, not just Royal Darwin Hospital, so that we do not see another appalling situation that took place and resulted in that Coronial inquest. There was the attempt by the Health department to suppress the Ombudsman’s report into acute care. There were Coronial inquests into the death of Mrs McRae and the death of baby Tilmouth.
There is also the situation with the annual reports that have been tabled for the Alice Springs and Royal Darwin Hospitals. There are still no reports for the Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Gove Hospitals. We discussed this at Question Time. The minister was concerned that I only tabled two reports. He said that:
- The CLP was in power for 26 years, and he comes here and presents a report for two years of the CLP 1998-99 …
I was trying to save the Parliamentary Library a little time.
As the minister said:
- There was never a functioning hospital board, even in the CLP days.
He also said:
- I challenge the member to go back and find out how many there are, and I bet you he will not find them.
I went back to the Parliamentary Library and it did not take them long to find Hospital Management Board Reports for 1982, 1983 - a full functioning board for the Gove District Hospital. It says:
- Monthly meetings in accordance with section 18 of the act. Twelve meetings of the board were convened during the financial year.
It is a similar situation for Katherine Hospital, with reports from 1982, 1983, and also for the Tennant Creek Hospital Management Board, its annual report from 1982. The reports are there if the minister would like to have a look.
He has said something that we believe is stretching the truth. He said that there were never functioning boards at the Tennant Creek, Katherine, and Gove Hospitals, even during the days of the CLP. There they are, minister, and I suggest that you have a look at those, if you do not believe it. You took a bit of convincing today, I am not even sure if you are convinced.
As for the situation with the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board reports, there are some inconsistencies. I ask the minister to have a look at this and see if he can explain the situation, on the back page of the 2007-08 Royal Darwin Hospital Board Report. The minister said that he has read these reports however, if he has read the reports, I am curious why he did not pick up on these. If we look at category three, category four, and category five for 2006-07, it shows that 41%, 29% and 50% of patients were not seen on time.
Then in the 2006-07 annual report it says that those figures are 61%, 48% and 80%. There is clearly a discrepancy and anomaly in those two figures, minister. One says 41%, the other says 61%, one says 29%, the other says 48%, and one says 50%, the other says 80%. There is some explaining to do there, I believe, minister. If we are to move forward and deliver the best health outcomes for Territorians, we need to have some accuracy when it comes to the available data.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this is a Matter of Public Importance. Time is against me, but with a $200m black hole and nett debt plus employee liabilities of $4.52bn we cannot afford to be complacent.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for his comments. I will be the first one to say that every health system in Australia is facing increasing demand. Every health service in Australia and internationally is under enormous pressure. Ours is under even more pressure because of the significant percentage of our population being Indigenous who, for many years have suffered and have continued to suffer under different governments. The reality is, it does not matter what you try to do, when things are not fixed out in the bush, we will continue to have an increasing number of people coming to the hospital, get well, and sent back to the communities where things are not better and they get sick again.
Many times I have my differences with the member for Greatorex, but tonight, I have to admit, was one of the most logical sequences of speech that he gave us. Yes, I still have some differences and I can point them out, but as I said before, and I will say it again, I know the role of your position and I am open to constructive criticism and suggestions. If you have a suggestion, come and talk to me. If it is good enough, I am prepared to consider it. What I do not like is playing politics with the health of Territorians.
Let me start with the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board. Yesterday you alleged that I was misleading parliament by providing some wrong information, because you had in front of you a review of the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board which said that 49 000 people were seen in the Emergency Department, while I was saying 56 000.
I also notice that the Alice Springs report had two items. One item was that 39 900 people attended the Emergency Department, and 31 100 people were seen by a doctor in the Emergency Department. There was a difference of 2800 people. The reason for the difference is that when you present yourself in the Emergency Department, you are registered, you go in, you are triaged, people say: ‘You have to see the doctor immediately, or you have to wait because you are not urgent or we have to direct you to another department’.
Unfortunately, the reporting in the Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board was not like that. I have demanded that all reports are now standardised and have the same information like at Alice Springs, because that one gives a more accurate picture.
A Royal Darwin Hospital monthly report, drafted according to the Alice Springs standards and signed by Colin McDonald QC, was presented to me today. I table this report which gives a clear picture to all members what really happens at Royal Darwin Hospital. The report shows report that 56 338 people presented to the Emergency Department and 49 400 people were seen by a doctor.
Mr Elferink: Sorry, are you about to table it?
Mr VATSKALIS: Yes. I said I was tabling it.
Mr Elferink: That is fine I did not hear you. I am sorry, Kon, I apologise.
Mr VATSKALIS: Thank you. There is a way of presenting the report. The way it was presented previously was not right. I thought the way that the Alice Springs department presented their report was the best way to do it, so we can compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges.
This government has increased resources to health since 2001 by 89%. The current Health budget is $915m, nearly one third of the Territory’s budget. The government has increased revenue over the 2008-09 and the total budget is $1.015m.
The funding for Royal Darwin Hospital has increased 101% since 2001 to $225m. The Alice Springs Hospital budget has increased by 109% since 2001 to $113m. The same applies to Katherine Hospital, Tennant Creek Hospital, and Gove Hospital.
When we are talking about boards, there were no functioning boards, I insist on that - functioning boards that actually work. At the Gove District Hospital, in 1996-97 there were only three meetings held the others were cancelled; in 1997-98 all meetings were cancelled; in 1999-2000 three were cancelled; in 2000-01, nine meetings were scheduled but without a quorum, and in 2001-02 there were seven that were cancelled. I do not consider a board that does not meet regularly to be a functioning board. The reports were compiled by CEOs or their assistants, or whoever was there. A board is there for the community and public service. These reports were not tabled by a functioning board. For me, a functioning board is one that meets regularly. We can go back and say, there is a report tabled, but is this a report tabled by a board that was fully functional? No. I explained that on many occasions we asked too much of small communities and that is the reason why we will now amend the legislation, in order to make sure that communities participate openly and actively in the hospital boards.
The member said that the government blames public servants, the CLP, and the previous ministers. I have no intention of blaming the public servants or the CLP. Unfortunately, the CLP has left a legacy that remains today. For example, in 2001-02, the budget was $484m; it is now $1bn - a significant increase. This money is not spent on whatever; it is spent on the people, on the ground.
The other thing that affected the Territory negatively was the change of funding between the Territory and the Commonwealth government. Before it was 50 – 50, 50% the Commonwealth, 50% the Territory government. Then over time it changed. The Territory now contributes 70% of the budget for Health, and the federal government contributes only 30%. That is what drove the Rudd government to ask the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission to have a look at what is happening today, and how we are going to correct this discrepancy, in order to avoid the blame. Every time there is a problem, the Health ministers of the states and territories blame the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth blames the states’ and territories’ Health ministers.
There are 162 extra doctors and 1433 extra nurses. There is turnover and people come and go. You cannot stop them coming and going, for various reasons. Some of them come here because they want to gain experience with diseases they have not seen in their lives – and then they will leave.
In the Northern Territory, we employ 1.6 full-time equivalent doctors per 1000 people, where the Australian average is 1.2 full-time equivalent per 1000 people. The Territory has 5.7 nurses per 1000 people compared with a national average of five nurses per 1000 people. We have increased allied health staff and service support staff such as ward clerks, Aboriginal liaison officers, and community workers.
Under the CLP, during 1996 to 1999, nursing positions fell by over 200 across the Northern Territory. That Cresap Review decimated the public service in the Northern Territory. I and the member for Macdonnell opposite - the member for Port Darwin - remember it well because we were employed at the time as public servants.
We have tried to train people and we continue to train people in leadership, in essential management training programs, in work partnership programs, stepping up for Indigenous employees; a number of courses that people can attend in order to improve their opportunities, skills, and experience.
Like any other health system in Australia, we are under enormous pressure. There are several different factors, such as, the significant Indigenous population, increasing population, the young population and an increasing ageing population. When I first came to Darwin, there were not many people retiring in Darwin. People were retiring somewhere else, south of Queensland. I remember there were very few old people in Darwin.
When we went to Victoria with my young kids, they made the comment that in the shopping centre there were too many old people. Absolutely aghast, they pointed to me and said: ‘Dad, there is something strange here’. I said: ‘What is strange?’ ‘There are too many old people’. Darwin did not have old people. In Darwin when you retired, you caught a plane, train or the car and go somewhere else. Today we have a significant number of people who stay here, as well as a significant number of people who come here because their young family lives in the Territory.
If you do not believe me, have a look at the Tiwi Gardens Seniors Village to see how many people here have returned to the Territory from other places - Queensland, South Australia, Victoria - because their family is here. We have a number of factors that contribute to the pressure on our system.
Another factor is the emergency presentations. There are 750 emergency presentations per 1000 weighted population - double the average in any other state. One person every ten minutes turns up at the Emergency Department at Royal Darwin Hospital. Why? There are many reasons. The young population, Indigenous population, itinerants, people who come from the communities, people who fall in the trap and keep going back and violence, domestic violence - you name it. We have a significant problem. I agree with the member for Greatorex, people in the department do an admirable job; the nurses and the doctors are doing a very good job. I am proud to be associated with them. I am proud because many are my ex-colleagues and I have great friendships with them which I maintain today.
The hospital is one of the best hospitals in the world. It has been recognised nationally. If it was not a good hospital, if it was not well equipped, or lacked the appropriate leadership, the Howard government would not have picked it out as the largest trauma hospital in Australia and award it $60m. The Bali bombing, Jose Ramos-Horta’s shooting - people recognise that our hospital is one of the best hospitals in Australia.
The government has implemented a strong program of growth in our hospitals. There are 127 extra hospital beds including the 24 bed Rapid Admission Unit at Royal Darwin Hospital. The new Emergency Department and Critical Care Wing at RDH opened in 2003. The new Emergency Department is under development in Alice Springs Hospital. We have an award winning 12 bed hospice, a state-of-the-art birthing centre, and a new Ward 3B, with close to 24 extra beds. This was another CLP legacy, which was closed 15 years ago and was converted to administrative offices. We brought it back to the hospital and put in 24 extra beds.
Many people demand elective surgery and many people in the Territory do not have private insurance and rely upon the public system to have surgery. We will continue to have increased numbers on our waiting lists if people do not get private insurance. However, in 2007 the Northern Territory government reduced the total waiting list by 16% and the overdue list by 31%. The Australian government provided the funds for another blitz in 2008, with a target of 500 procedures. We exceeded the commitment, with 638 additional procedures achieved above the usual number of annual procedures. In 2008, the total elective surgery waiting list was further reduced by 17% and the overdue waiting list by 18%. The combined effect of the Northern Territory and Australian government blitzes resulted in a reduction of 31% in the total waiting list.
The waiting list for people who were overdue in Category 3 - recommended for surgery within 12 months - had a massive 58% reduction. We know we have a problem with the waiting list. We are working hard to reduce it, and we have achieved a significant reduction.
In your paper you said we do not have the leadership, the necessary modern, reliable health system. Of course we have. We are building it, all the time. The after-hours clinic in Palmerston is being financed by the federal government and does a tremendous job. 1500 people were seen up to the 5 February 2009, and only 8% of these people were sent to the Emergency Department. If that clinic was not there, all of these people would turn up at the Emergency Department.
There was a big dispute between the federal government and the Northern Territory government regarding the oncology unit. Tony Abbott was determined he would provide only $30m and that our government had to cover the rest, as well as the recurrent. I recall the dispute we had. The member for Fong Lim was putting his political career on the line that this was going to happen. Well, it did not. It went to tender twice, and it failed. The last time we did not say it failed because the election was about a month away. I remember the member for Fong Lim was saying: ‘We will build it; we will put it in an existing building’.
The problem is that we are building a bunker for nuclear equipment. The bunker wall is 2.4 m thick concrete. You could not put it in an existing building; you had to have a purpose-built building to house the oncology unit. The slab is poured, the walls are going up, and we are negotiating a 10-year agreement with Royal Adelaide Hospital to provide the service and procure the specialised equipment. It is going to be completed by late 2009, providing a fantastic service for people in northern Australia.
One of the problems we have is the tyranny of distance. The GPs all want to be in the cities, for obvious reasons, close to the family and a better capture area. We have very few GPs in the Territory. There are 52 GPs per 100 000 people in the Territory, while down south there are 87 GPs per 100 000 people - nearly one-and-a-half times more. We have tried to attract them. I have friends who are GPs, and they are offered a lot of money, cars, incentives, houses - and they still do not come. The same thing happens with dentists. I have friends who are dentists. They are offered $150 000 a year to come here. They even pay the rent on their house - and they cannot get them here.
This is the problem we face if you live anywhere north of Karratha or Geraldton. People just do not want to move up north. It is too difficult, too hot, too inconvenient, too far away from mum and dad, too far away from friends, and too far away from what they consider to be civilisation. This is what we are facing and are going to face in the future.
The problem is not just a shortage of GPs. It also means we are losing our fair share of primary health care resources through Medicare. We receive $148 per person, while down south people get $264 per person. We are also missing out on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme.
You talked about outcomes. If you look at what we have achieved in the past few years, it is incredible. The incidence of chronic diseases is now going down, the birth weight of Aboriginal children is increasing, stillbirth of Aboriginal babies is going down, and anaemia in Aboriginal children was 50% and it has now dropped below 30%.
Mr Conlan: The ageing population is going up.
Mr VATSKALIS: The Aboriginal percentage goes up as the population goes up. We are talking about the outcomes we have achieved in Aboriginal communities. The lifespan of Aboriginal women has gone up by three years, from 65 to 68.2. That is an outcome and an achievement. This is where we have to aim. If we start improving the health condition of Aboriginal people in the communities, and we provide primary health care services in the communities, the bush, and sometimes, in the fringes of our own towns, we will have achieved much. I used to work with Danila Dilba. I used to go out with a patrol to see people in the camps living around Darwin. This is what primary health care services is about - go where the sick people are and not only treat them, teach them how to live, about hygiene, and other basic essentials, as Europe did after the World War II, and you will see the lifestyle and the lifespan of these people increasing continuously.
There is now an additional ambulance for Palmerston, which was brought forward to 1 January 2009 as part of our election commitment.
The government is actively planning for a rural Palmerston hospital. With the announcement of Weddell, there will be 40 000 people living a 45-minute drive to Royal Darwin Hospital. We cannot expect these people to drive nearly an hour in an emergency to the closest emergency department.
The government has a five-year plan of action to reduce levels of social and economic disadvantage in the Aboriginal population. We have a strong partnership with the Australian government for enhanced primary health care for remote areas; $100m over three years, and we will work together with the Aboriginal community controlled health sector.
Stage 2 of the Palmerston Super Clinic is well under way to deliver the full super clinic model, with the construction of new building facilities to commence in the second half of 2009 and a range of specialist outreach outpatient services.
As well as the Palmerston rural hospital planning, there is the Heart Health plan, which is $45m towards a 10-year plan to expand early intervention and rehabilitation services and to develop specialist cardiac surgery services.
The Preventable Chronic Disease strategy is a good example how the Northern Territory approaches the integration in planning and delivery of care between hospitals, primary health care, and public health.
We have been achieving positive outcomes. Antenatal and maternal care has been further enhanced under Closing the Gap. We started work with child health initiatives in 2004. As I mentioned before with children, we have kicked some goals. It is difficult out there, I am the first one to admit it, but we try something. For example, birth weights for live born Aboriginal infants are improving. The proportion of low birth weight infants from 1986 to 1990 was reported at 14% compared with the most recent rate of 13.5% for 2001 to 2005. We have a 38% decline in stillbirths for Aboriginal mothers over the same period.
It is important that we look after the Indigenous communities. It is important that we do something to improve the life of all Territorians. My aspiration is to provide the same service to Territorians that is provided down south. My aspiration is to see that Territorians are confident in our system. I see our system improving.
Yesterday, we tabled the Health complaints commission report. It was very good to see that 35% of the complaints were for the public sector, and 65% of the complaints were for the private sector. This is the first time that the private sector complaints exceeded the number of complaints for the public sector.
There were 28 hospital complaints in 2005-06, and they have gone down to 16 in 2007-08. At Royal Darwin hospital, there was a 37% reduction in the number of complaints. That is one complaint every 23 000 people. One complaint is one too many but, it is something to aspire to eliminate completely.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I listened very carefully to the Minister for Health on this particular issue, and I confess to a certain element of mild confusion brought about by his effort today. My confusion arises from the void between what this MPI is about and the things that he said. While I do not seek to diminish the importance of the issues that he raised and the matters he discussed, what he has failed to achieve or address is the actual issues on foot in relation to this MPI.
I will address those issues, because they are a matter of concern. It arises out of my reading of several years of annual reports compiled by the department of Health in its various constructs. Whilst the department of Health speaks at some length in its annual reports about the service delivery that it provides, and it has benchmarks and measures - disputed, interestingly, by their own hospital boards - what does not appear to be at the top of the mind, or even on the radar of the Health department, is how they are going to deal with the ageing population we have. Whether the ageing population is an issue for the people of the Northern Territory and what plans they will put in place to deal with the ageing population in the future, because, to flog an old clich to death: to fail to plan is to actually plan to fail.
The Health department has lurched from one crisis to the next in recent times, as Health ministers come and go, and the casualties of former Health ministers lie around the feet of the Chief Minister, or possibly even hang around his neck as an albatross, leading up to the next Territory election some years away.
I suspect that the problem with an organisation which is perpetually in damage control mode is that it cannot plan. I will use an analogy. Two soldiers in a foxhole having hand grenades lobbed at them left, right and centre, who are being shot at and are trying to fight for their existence, are not really going to be preoccupied with what is for breakfast next week, simply because they are dealing with the more urgent issues of the here and now and it is not certain they will reach breakfast next week. What that means, from my world view as a future Treasurer of the Northern Territory, is that breakfast next week is going to be all my problem, should there be a change of government. For that reason I am turning my mind to the issues leading into the future. How ready are we for them?
As community leaders, and for the senior staff in the department of Health, the first step in preparing for an ageing population is preparing our minds, taking off the helmets, shedding the weapons, climbing out of the foxhole, and looking into the future and thinking about breakfast next week. The more immediate problem is that they have to deal with all the challenges that face them in the immediate future, not least of which is the quality of leadership they receive from the Cabinet of the Northern Territory.
Having made those observations, I place the future leaders of Health on notice that should we take government at the next Territory election I will have them turn their minds particularly to the issues I am about to raise and those being raised by the shadow minister for Health. The shadow minister for Health and I have discussed these issues because we are concerned. We are concerned for the capacity of our Health system, which creaks and groans under the stresses of its own size and bulk, to cope with an increasing population. Whilst the minister points at things like oncology units and gives us the ministerial equivalent of: see, look there we got one, that one is fixed, it does not really address the essence of what is being raised here today, which is, how we are going to pay for the ongoing costs?
The government is painfully aware of those issues. Why? Because they have nearly doubled the Health budget since they came to power in 2001. And what have they achieved as a result of that? Better outcomes, not if you believe the hospital board reports. Has the quality of attendance been better at the emergency section? Not if you believe the hospital board reports. Has the oncology unit, with all the extra money, been accelerated? Apparently not. How are we going to deal with an ageing population when it comes to dealing with all of those things? I am curious, because there are various things that you can visit which do not immediately satisfy the presumption that I have always had.
I believe it was a 1999 report titled Ageing and the Cost of Health Services, by Jeff Richardson and Iain Robertson, who investigated this matter and came to make some very interesting observations. On page 342 of that document, they say, and I quote:
- The conclusion to be drawn from these cross sectional comparisons is that age cannot be regarded as a significant determinant of
national health expenditures. Large differences in demographic structure are consistent with little or no difference in health
expenditures per capita.
- In the absence of reliable needs based projections, policy guidelines with respect to growth of the health sector must be general and qualitative.
In principle, it would be desirable to have a needs based model which could project future requirements.
It goes on to say:
- In the short-run there appears to be little alternative to a continuation of the ad hoc approach to new technologies and to the changes in the health
sector capacities implied by these. Even this task is currently hindered by the lack epidemiological and economic valuation which is a prerequisite
to the sensible decision-making in the health sector.
We are also in a peculiar environment. We do not have the standard ageing model which operates in other jurisdictions for several reasons. One, we have many Indigenous people who, albeit sadly, do not live as long as non-Indigenous people as a general rule. Also, the non-Indigenous people have a high transience through Darwin and it is not unusual for older people to retire and move down to the cooler climes where the weather suits their countenance and disposition than the hot tropics, where only mad dogs and Englishmen may stay.
There are those issues to be considered in our planning process. It might be that the demands of an ageing population will not be inflicted with any great level on our health system in the future. The problem is, from my world view, that it is idle speculation supported by nothing and no evidence. Why is that speculation idle and not supported by evidence? Because the evidence is not available. And I suspect that is the thrust of the MPI that the member has brought before us today.
I took time to find a quote that deals with planning. It is from one of the greatest departmental CEOs who have ever lived, Sir Humphrey Appleby, who once made the observation:
- … Treasury or a department does not work out what they need … and then think how to raise the money.
They pitch for as much as they … can get away with and then think how to spend it.
I suspect there is an element of truth in Sir Humphrey’s experienced words. I sometimes sense, as I watch the budget process unfold in this place and in other places, that the departments engage in exactly that sort of conduct. That is reflected in an annual report which proudly boasts the expenditure of huge amounts of money, but with an indeterminate amount of value achieved.
One of my greatest worries is that the planning processes which exist in the department are incapable of achieving the results they set for themselves now. Their predisposition for future planning, in the way that we are currently describing it, is not healthy and needs to be re-examined.
- When it comes to dishing out money, government is not a team. It is a loose confederation of warring tribes.
Thank you, Sir Humphrey - he also made that observation - and it should not be like that. Yet, through the budgeting processes that we currently apply, it seems to be exactly that way. Budget Cabinet meets, with all the pitches from the various departments under each minister’s arm, as they go into Budget Cabinet, they tick and flick particular projects, which sets departments against each other. This siloing of world view means that the department’s planning processes is also truncated to an annual cycle, rather than a world view looking into the future. It would be interesting to see, if we were to ask the Education department how it is going to assist with health outcomes - or for that matter the Motor Vehicle Registry - because in each of those cases, it would require those departments to think outside of the little siloed boxes.
There are options available to government. I note that these options have been explained in a paper by Gary Banks, who is the Chairman of the Productivity Commission - I presume a man who is no slouch - in a paper called Health Costs and Policy in an Ageing Australia. In his paper he offers three broad options for governments. The first model he describes is a reactive role, which is the business of, and I quote:
- … cutting services or inputs into the health sector (lower quality staff, older technologies, longer waiting periods, greater rationing of treatments) …
Sound familiar? Yes. You can take a reactive role, cutting services by lower-quality staff, older technologies, longer waiting periods, and greater rationing of treatments. That is one option and one model. If you read a little further on, Gary Banks does not warm to that model. However, it is a reactive environment and, as I described the Health department earlier, it is a reactive department by virtue of the fact that it is lumbering under the criticism fired at it.
Gary Banks continues:
- Attaining the ideal: a ‘market’ analogy …
This is a process by which, through proper research, and I quote:
When considering how to give effect to this proactive option it is useful to ask ‘what would an ideal health system look like?’
How can you tailor the health system to your demographic, rather than simply responding to what is happening?
Finally, Madam Speaker, I also point out that he comes up with another approach of pricing-based policies and demand-style medicine. That may well turn out to be the reality in the future as ageing people put greater demands - if they do - onto the health system. I could speak at great length on this issue, but I feel like I am speaking in a vacuum because I am starved of effective information. I urge the minister to do what the shadow minister suggests - have a look.
Ms McCARTHY (Children and Families): Madam Speaker, I believe that this is an important MPI, because it demonstrates the planning and resource allocations that have been made to the Northern Territory Health services, both contemporary and responsive to the needs of our population. It also shows that the Aged and Disability program is an active and progressive part of the wider Department of Health and Families. As minister responsible for Senior Territorians, I am aware of the issues facing our older community members. I have been across the Northern Territory talking to seniors and asking them what they want and need.
The Northern Territory government is also committed to Building the Territory for all Generations - A Framework for Active Ageing in the Northern Territory, building the Territory for all generations. This framework aims to encourage people to stay healthy and active, as well as having the financial and social resources to remain connected to family, friends and the community.
When we talk about the issue of health, we have to realise that health takes in so much. It is a case of wellbeing, of feeling largely in control of your life, and being able to make certain decisions about the directions that you wish to go. I am aware, with my constituents of Arnhem, of the absolute necessity that begins firstly with knowing that you have a house to live in. We know about, and have heard many times in this parliament, the overcrowding in houses. But you have to take into consideration that the government is dealing with the need to build more houses in communities, knowing that people need to have a home where they can grow, have a sense of space, and where they can lead healthy lives.
When you go to the hospitals, look at the reports, talk to the GPs and the doctors, who are based at Territory Health clinics or with Congress, Katherine West, or Sunrise, we know that overcrowding causes all kinds of infections and diseases that are preventable. This side of the House recognises that and when it looks at health, it has to be dealt with it in a holistic way. We cannot just focus on a hospital, or three hospitals. We have to focus on the whole being of a person and the whole of the community. That is what this government is completely focused on, and recognising that it is in the regions that it has to put that energy.
Let us have a look at our budget. We have heard the Health Minister say that since coming to government, the Health budget has increased by 89%, providing $915m in the budget. That is in health alone. That does not include the housing money that is going to 16 communities across the Northern Territory. We have to balance that. We have to know that if we can get these other areas, in conjunction with the hospitals and the clinics, that we are going to have a tremendous impact. It is not going to happen today or tomorrow, we are talking long-term, because this government is about the long-term. This government is committed to seeing that a child born today, has a future, a home, a school; a school with classrooms, chairs and desks, teachers and that leads on to high school, further training, and communities that have jobs.
This is what the government is committed to. It knows it has to look at the holistic approach to health – the physical, spiritual, and mental health of our people. This government is very aware of the increase in the population. It knows that the increase in population is happening at a rapid rate in the regions. In my role as Minister for Senior Territorians, I have gone around and talked about the framework for active ageing in the Northern Territory, building the Territory for all generations.
This framework aims to encourage people to stay healthy and active, as well as having financial and social resources to remain connected to family, friends and community. Connected means, when we look at the number of people who have to leave their communities to come into hospitals, we have to work out a way for them to remain connected.
First, we are dealing with many languages across the Northern Territory. We know that in the Northern Territory there are over 100 Aboriginal languages. That does not take into consideration the many multicultural groups that have moved to the Northern Territory and have maintained their own cultural differences, whether it is Italians, Greeks, or Chinese, we know we have to contain and remain focused on the fact that the health system in the Northern Territory is for all people. I support what the Health Minister was saying previously regarding that.
The provision of aged care services is a responsibility of the Australian government. However, I am pleased to say that I am working closely with my Commonwealth counterparts to ensure that quality aged care services are provided in the Northern Territory. I advise the House that I have invited the federal Minister for Ageing, the Honourable Justine Elliot MP, to visit the Territory to see firsthand the services provided, and hear about our future additional needs. The minister has agreed and we are awaiting a mutually convenient date. I am looking forward to hosting that visit and taking her to the regions.
I attended a Ministerial Council on Ageing. It was an important election commitment by the Rudd government to establish this meeting. The National Seniors’ Association of Central Australia conveyed to me the importance of this ministerial council and they are keen to be kept updated on its progress. I am happy to share that information with members opposite.
I have agreed to the request from the members in Central Australia on the National Senior’s Association. The ministerial council was extremely useful as we discussed a number of important matters that would bring about greater outcomes in the provision of aged care services. I have focused on aged care because I have heard in the MPI the concerns about our growing ageing population, and I am committed to see how we are going in that direction.
At the ministerial council we discussed the provision of residential care, the aged care assessment programs, social inclusion for older people, the future of community aged care, including the provision of home and community care services, and reviewing planning ratios and allocation processes. I know that is a particular interest. They were the items that were discussed but in particular the review of planning ratios and allocation processes.
Importantly, the ministers from all the jurisdictions agreed that a greater interface between aged care, disability services, and the health system is required to ensure that we give the best possible care. I look forward to working with my federal, state, and territory colleagues in that area.
One of the things that I have been impressed with, in my time as the member for Arnhem, is the government’s commitment to supporting individuals across the Northern Territory in the area of renal dialysis.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms McCARTHY: That is a sickness we need to make sure does not exist as our children grow older. In the meantime, we know it exists and we know that there are many young people who have renal problems – that is not to deny the older group of Territorians who have it – but people as young as 19 are having issues with renal dialysis. The government, in Budget 2007-08, announced a major new investment in renal services with $24.4m over the next four years to provide improved services. This builds on the previous $12.25m investment in renal services in 2003-04, which provided additional satellite dialysis centres throughout the Northern Territory.
I am aware, as are many members on this side, of the difficulties for people when they are brought into town for renal dialysis. We know they are going to need accommodation, the support from carers of their own family, the language differences, and the barriers of being outside their community. We are not afraid to tackle that; we talk about that and we deal with it. The relationships we have with the services across the Northern Territory are more important.
I have met with Congress on a number of different occasions, as the member for Arnhem and now as the minister. Congress is one organisation that is impressive in the work that it is doing. It is also the same for Sunrise, in my electorate of Arnhem. I know that in collaboration with the Aboriginal medical services, we are making a difference.
There are still many sick people out there, and we know that we have to keep going with the work we are doing. The government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Territorians can feel confident in knowing that they can get the help they need and recognise that when they do not, we will act.
We are not just planning for the future growth of the Northern Territory; we are also working with our federal counterparts in every area. Health is not specifically just about a person’s own health and wellbeing, it is about everything that surrounds them, the housing situation and the job situation.
One of the things that I have been very proud of is the governments’ insistence on tackling substance abuse. We have to tackle the scourge of substance abuse. I refer to Groote Eylandt and its alcohol management plan. It is that consistency that the government has, in wanting to look at other areas that surround the whole person and the community.
In Ngukurr there was a real issue with petrol sniffing when I first came into the parliament. Over progressive years there was dedication to wanting to see that remedied. Not only in removing the source but also in assisting the young people to recognise there are other ways and opportunities for them if they keep going to school and hang in there. Get the education they need, that we know every child needs, to be able to progress in life with the choices they want to make.
The roll-out of Opal across the Northern Territory has been supported 100% by the government. Through the Minister for Indigenous Policy, in her role as the chair on the substance abuse committee and when the member for Arafura was the chair for that, the government has consistently worked on the health issues of all Territorians, especially those most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our regions. We will continue to be focused on that.
The government is taking a strong interest in the expansion or establishment of new aged care services to meet a growing aged population. Members may be interested to know that the Masonic Homes expanded its Tiwi Gardens Lodge by 85 residential aged care places. I am advised that 50 residents moved in last weekend. The remaining 35 places will be available for filling over the next few months. Masonic Homes also has under construction 12 affordable independent living units and 34 retirement village units. I advise the House that I went to Tiwi Gardens recently and was impressed by the quality and standard of facilities and services provided.
Another important development by Southern Cross is a 65-bed residential aged care facility, independent living units, and a retirement village at the old Waratahs oval. I look forward to the opening of this facility. By having a strong aged care sector and service delivery system we relieve pressure on health services. I have yet to see the facilities in Alice Springs but I look forward to doing that in the coming months.
I will mention the issue of research in the Northern Territory. The research conducted with the Menzies School of Health and Research and within the communicable diseases area, is quite impressive. That research…
Madam SPEAKER: Minister your time has expired.
Discussion concluded.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I will talk about the Territory Alliance which is one of the companies that will provide housing in remote Aboriginal communities.
Territory Alliance is one of the three groups selected by the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure program, SIHIP, to provide new houses and refurbishments in remote Territory communities. Territory Alliance is a group of mainly Territory companies, with long histories of working in remote communities including: Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty Ltd, previously Barclay Mowlem; Sitzler Pty Ltd; McMahon Services Australia Pty Ltd; NBC Consultants; PM+D Architects; Geoff Parker; Michels Warren Munday; ENSR Australia AECOM; and Compass Group (Australia) Pty Ltd. Many of these companies are known to the Northern Territory. I have had contact with this company in my position of shadow minister for housing.
Territory Alliance has a motto of building together. It will be building new houses and working on refurbishments on the Tiwi Islands packages. This is expected to include new houses in Nguiu and work on refurbishments in Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti. The details of what it will be doing still need to be worked out during consultations with the communities, the traditional owners, and the council.
In December 2008, a small group of Territory Alliance people visited the islands to gather information and talk to the people before submitting their final strategies and costs to the government. It did this in partnership with the strategic housing team, and it is working closely with the Northern Territory government and the people on the islands. Work will start by putting together a document that says what will be built, including the refurbishments and the designs of the new houses. Construction is expected to start in the middle of 2009, which will be the Dry Season. Some refurbishments might start earlier, that is improving some of the houses that need minor works.
Madam Speaker, I visited the Tiwi Islands recently and met with the Territory Alliance people. I also had discussions with some of the traditional owners and the Aboriginal people, particularly the women. They are being consulted fairly extensively and cooperatively with regard to appropriate designs and what they may like. I commend the work of this particular group of companies; they are committed to the Northern Territory. I congratulate them and I wish them well in their work of improving the housing and accommodation arrangements in remote and Aboriginal communities.
Appropriate and good housing is a fundamental right of people, and we should all have appropriate housing so that we feel safe and secure in our homes.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I will raise, very briefly, three matters. First, by way of a correction - I do not think anything swings on it in the context of the domestic violence debate - but I thought that it was appropriate, having read Hansard. When I read a figure in the domestic violence debate yesterday, it did not sound right. I checked it and, I do not know why, but I had a figure that was incorrect.
I was referring to a report undertaken by Dale Wakefield that revealed 666 Indigenous women presented to the hospital with assault-related injuries. I said that it showed, on average, Indigenous women presented 11 times in a six-year period with assault-related injuries. The figure was, in fact, 36 times. My apologies for that. I do not know why I typed 11; my notes revealed very clearly that it was 36. In any event, I thought I better put that on the record.
Second, I am concerned, and will remain concerned, about the time allocated for adjournment debates. Last night, I tried to go through some of the report titled Enough is Enough That is What the People Think from the Responsible Drinkers Lobby in Alice Springs. I was unable to complete my remarks because of a five-minute deadline imposed by the government this year. I deeply resent being given five minutes to talk about my constituents. I find it simply offensive. I deeply resent the fact that I need to submit a speech to you, Madam Speaker, the day before, if I have comments of longer than five minutes. I deeply resent that. This is a concern, the likes of which, in so many ways, I have never had before.
I have spoken, as other members have, about constituency matters. That is the purpose of the adjournment debate. I am appalled that we only have five minutes to do so. I thought that it was appropriate - notwithstanding the collective view of the opposition which was expressed late last year when changes to the standing orders were being proposed - and important for the sake of my constituents, and in their name, to record my seething resentment that they, through their local member, only have five minutes.
Third, I inform the House that I have received telephone calls from my constituents today, some of whom are tourism operators, about the shenanigans that went on last night by the government. The government members did not agree to an extension of time for a matter of public importance relating to the tourism industry, and then the member for Johnston, the Leader of Government Business, rose to his feet and waxed lyrical about what people were wearing.
I make the point clearly, Madam Speaker, that, from the phone calls I received today from my constituents, they do not care about what people are wearing. They were pretty cranky that the government of the Northern Territory, only six months after it was re-elected, has the audacity to come into the parliament and wax lyrical about what people are wearing.
One of my constituents said to me, and I will spare you the unparliamentary language: ‘Who cares? Why doesn’t government get on with the job?’ Hear, hear to that. They do not care and, quite frankly, I do not care what people look like in this Chamber as long as they are presentable, and with one obvious exception from the government, that is almost always the case.
We have important matters to debate and discuss in this place, and we are all paid handsomely for it.
Madam Speaker, on behalf of those people who contacted me today, they are unappreciative and underwhelmed with the appalling efforts from the government last night and I share their concerns.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Speaker, apparently, in all the speeches that I have given in parliament, including my maiden speech, adjournment debates, I have never mentioned my electorate officer, Amy Sternberg. She is quite disappointed that I have not mentioned her; this young lady who holds the fort, like everyone’s electorate officers, whilst we are here or away on business.
Amy and I first met many years ago when I worked at the Darwin City Council. Amy was the administrative officer there. She is one of those young ladies who is like a busy bee, never sits down, never stops, and always has something to say. Amy left Palmerston Council and went to Brisbane for a year, working with Defence. When her husband was posted back to Darwin, she came back to Darwin and worked for the Palmerston City Council as a Regulatory Officer. Amy is invaluable as an electorate officer, because of her regulatory background, her administrative background and her very good, what I call, common sense.
Amy is one of those people who, rather than try to deflect an issue, tries to find a solution to that issue, and if she cannot find a solution, she will find the person that will be able to help out. With her knowledge of by-laws, local government and, the community, that the regulatory officer, much like a police officer, deals with in the community, she has the knowledge, the know how and the nous to handle most situations, even some of the more aggressive things that we have had at the Palmerston Shopping Centre in the last few weeks. It is hard to say that we can function without our electorate officers, and this applies to all electorate officers.
They do a fantastic job, Madam Speaker, and we can rest assured the fort is being well guarded while we are away. We all know what it is like to go back to the office the day after parliament. We were talking earlier about the wall of things we face when we go back, but it is comforting to know that it has been managed well. I mention tonight that Amy does a fabulous job and I hope that she is my electorate officer for many years to come.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will complete the adjournment speech I started last night on Father John Leary, I was up to 1958.
- In 1958, he was appointed to Port Keats, Wadeye, again, as a Missionary and Priest in Charge. Father Leary saw his task as getting to know the people,
their country and their customs. To him, this entailed more than merely a superficial knowledge. He wanted to understand the people, improve their
quality of life and develop an expression of Christianity that was in keeping with their culture.
While at Port Keats, Father Leary collaborated with the noted anthropologist, W. E. H. Stanner. The result was a considerable cross–pollination of their
ideas about the people and cultures of the Port Keats-Daly River area. Then, in 1964, he returned to Garden Point Island, before being appointed
Superior of the MSC community in the Northern Territory two years later, in 1966.
Father Leary had the enormous foresight at this time to purchase the property familiarly known as the Ranch in Banksia Street, Nightcliff. It became
the base for Missionaries of the Sacred Heart throughout the Northern Territory, where they could freely come and go, a house of hospitality and a
retirement home for the elderly. The original house was, of course, demolished by the cyclone but the land was there for Bishop Ted Collins to rebuild
on subsequently.
Between 1973 and 1980, Father John’s time was divided between Port Keats and Bathurst Island, before returning to Garden Point in 1981. Meantime,
his experiences as a missionary priest at both Daly River and Port Keats led him to develop the Leadership Training Centre at Daly River in 1977. The
aim of the centre was to encourage the local people to be proud of who they are; ‘to grow in their traditional identity, so as to become confident in the new
world and be able to make their own unique and essential contribution to the world at large’. Ultimately, the aim of the centre was ‘to produce Aboriginal
leaders who would be concerned about the total situation of their people - temporal and spiritual’.
His was a vision not only for this or that mission, but for the betterment of traditional Aborigines in general. In Leary’s terms, betterment meant not necessarily
assimilation or integration into the dominant Australian culture, but rather that the people would be in a position to choose for themselves the life and culture
they wanted, in much the same way as do members of mainstream Australian society. He often said that he came to the Northern Territory thinking ‘he had to
convert the Aborigines but very soon he was converted by them. That he came intending to work for Aborigines but that he quickly ended up working with them’.
Father Leary spent a sabbatical year in Boston, USA, during 1982. He was then appointed to Nguiu on Bathurst Island for the first time and he remained there for
most of the next eight years, apart from a short period again at Daly River.
In 1990 he was appointed Vicar for the Aboriginal Apostolate by Bishop Ted Collins and he continued in this ministry until early 2003, when he came to live at the
MSC Centre, the Ranch, at Nightcliff.
With his passing, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and the Diocese of Darwin have lost an iconic personality, a big hearted and humble minister of God’s word,
a person dedicated to the welfare of Indigenous people, a father figure much loved by many who came to know him during his 55 years in the Top End.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, there are a few important dates in Palmerston that I will mention.
The first is the 1 March, which is Clean Up Australia Day. My office will be running a Clean Up Australia Day point at the Palmerston Skate Park. People wishing to come and sign in at my office for the Drysdale Electorate are most welcome - the more the merrier. I believe Clean Up Australia Day has been a growing phenomenon and it is a fantastic opportunity for you to do your bit for the Territory and for Australia to make it a more beautiful place.
The Palmerston Cricket Club, on 21 March, will be having their junior’s sign-on day. Those with young kids who wish to play a bit of cricket, please take the time to drop down there, sign up and enjoy what is definitely a wonderful sport, like many sports are. Further information can be obtained from my office and we will put you in contact with the right people. There are some beautiful people there and they really understand the importance of teaching kids the appropriate behaviour of sports people. I reckon, get your kid down there, have a look, and see whether they like that type of sport. If they do not, try a different one. Keeping kids involved in sport, through all ages, is vitally important for their growth and development as young adults of Australia.
I also make note of the consistent flow of Palmerston High School students this week viewing the Chamber. It is great to see so many of those young children come. Today’s students had the added bonus of viewing the Bombing of Darwin ceremony and some of the children said to me that they quite enjoyed it. It was quite an amazing thing for them; they understood the importance of it. I hope they will be a part of a generation that progressively knows more about the importance of the role that Darwin played in the war. Unfortunately, we have not yet attained that. We need more than a couple of lines of information. We need books. We need information to be written and delivered. I hope that develops because unfortunately, some of the people involved, the people with the real knowledge, are progressively passing as time does.
Last, I dwell on the disgusting, unbelievably childish behaviour last night of the member for Johnston. This House had the opportunity to stand as grown adults, respectable adults, and to extend parliamentary services so that an MPI could be completed. The way the House behaved was disgusting and despicable. I do not care what words you really choose but that was very childish.
This Chamber is about talking; about debating. This is about being the most apparently mature and responsible people of the Northern Territory. Then the member who sits over there, gets up and goes on as if he is the front man for a comedy club. That was absolutely disgusting. Members should look in the mirror and if they see a reflection of that behaviour they should question themselves whether they should even turn up to work.
This is a place for the people; for the people to be heard and not mimicked, laughed at or embarrassed by that type of behaviour. It was truly disgusting. I have seen a few examples of that since my time in this Chamber and it was disgusting. We are the people who represent the Northern Territory public. Act like it.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the Speaker for her eulogy on Father Leary. As I said last night, I was close to Father Leary, not because I knew him for a long period of time, but because he had a lot to do with my being here, as he brought me to the Daly River, and also because of the person he was.
There are some people you meet in life who, you know once they say something, you should listen to because they are wise. He was one of those people. He was a man of God but he was a man of the people, as well. I have heard him speak many times in church and you would sit up and listen because every word he said was something you should listen to. He did not give a great long two hour sermon, either. He would give a five minute one, right to the point. He had a deep understanding of Aboriginal culture. He worked with Aboriginal people and he tried to bring the Christian culture and the Aboriginal culture together. He saw many similarities between the two. That is one of his greatest legacies.
I will mention a couple of stories. When I was in the Daly, he liked to get away from the noise because the Daly did have its problems with the pub down the road and people harassing you at night. He used to sleep in a little boat down in the middle of the Daly River. The trouble was he would take the keys for the fridge with him. I would come home in the truck with supplies from Darwin at about 10 pm and there would be no keys to open the fridge. I had to go down to the riverbank, throw stones, wake him up and ask him to bring the key back. He was a bit forgetful at times but that was one of his eccentricities.
I used to live in a Sydney Williams hut. I looked after the boys who came in from the cattle stations; there was a dormitory. I lived in one end; there was no fly wire and ventilation holes in the bottom. I was a fresh young lad out of Melbourne living on an old hospital bed with a mosquito net over the top. One morning I woke up and I could hear this noise. I looked up and there was a snake coming down the side wall. That got me out of bed in a hurry because I was a new bloke not long up from Melbourne. That night I told Father Leary there was a snake around and that night I had to show the movies. I used to do the movies twice a week at Daly River. As the movies were playing, I heard ‘Bang!’. Anyway, I came around and there was a hole in the side of the wall. Father Leary had been going around that night looking for the snake, and he got rid of it. I slept peacefully that night, so I was eternally grateful. That was the sort of man he was; he was not just a man who preached, he was a practical man.
He started off the Daly River Mission, and we owe him a great debt in our society and in the Territory for all the work he has done. May he rest in peace.
On a completely different issue, I happened to come across a pamphlet that is being given out in the rural area. It is a spitting image of the Weddell pamphlet, except it has ‘INPEX’ over it. It was written by the Save the Darwin Harbour group - no name on it except that. I am the first person to say I do not particularly like industry in the middle of the harbour, and people have heard me say that many times. I am not a fan of INPEX putting their gas plant in the harbour. I do not mind people disagreeing with me or agreeing with me. However, when I read this pamphlet, it has things in it that really put me off groups like that. They were manipulating the truth for their own reasons.
One of the things it said was that there will be a uranium processing plant in the middle of the harbour. They are referring to Arafura Resources. Arafura Resources is looking at rare earth metals. In the development of those metals, a by-product is uranium. It is not a uranium processing plant. The object of this pamphlet is to try to scare people by saying: ‘We are going to have a radioactive industry stuck in the middle of the harbour’. I might have my concerns about industry, but I hope I do not tell porkies to achieve what I would like.
Mr Elferink: You can say lies.
Mr WOOD: Okay, lies. These people might really want to save the Darwin Harbour. However, if they can do it that way, they will certainly lose my support and I will tell people that these people are not telling the truth. By all means, love your harbour, fight for it, but do it honestly. This way does not do anyone any favours.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, yesterday in this House, the Minister for Public Employment painted a road map to give us a vision of the future on how the relationship between government and public servants can be vastly improved.
Today, I asked the last three questions during Question Time about a particular issue which will cut asunder the work that the Minster for Public Employment claims he is trying to do. It pertains particularly to the deliberate interference of a matter before the courts by a minister of the Crown and, now it appears, as further information comes to hand, with the acquiescence of the Chief Minister, because of the information on the news tonight.
For any minister of the Crown to interfere with a matter which is on foot and before the courts, particularly a criminal matter - and what makes a matter criminal is that a legislative instrument is being prosecuted, nothing else - is way out of bounds. The minister has told this House that there was no correspondence to table. From the ABC report tonight, there is correspondence to table. The minister has said: ‘There is no big paper trail between me and anyone’. I beg to differ. I believe that there is a paper trail in existence. Anyone who watched the ABC tonight will realise that there is a paper trail to be followed.
The minister has tried to weave a story that she did not direct her CEO. The CEO, as evidence has come to light, is of another opinion. The tentacles of this government should never, ever reach into a courtroom and, on this occasion, it has. No matter how unjust people might think a prosecution is, it is not up to the minister to make a determination as to a person’s innocence or guilt. That is a matter for the courts. For the minister, and possibly the government, to establish themselves as a star chamber and to determine innocence or guilt independently of any evidence, demonstrates the level of contempt that not only this government has introduced into this House, but now extends that contempt into the court system itself.
Whilst half this House, or nearly half this House, remains powerless in the face of this government’s numbers, I suspect that the courts may take a grimmer view, should they believe that the minister or this government as a whole has now spread its tentacles of contempt into the courtrooms.
I put some questions to the minister now. Minister, it is my understanding that a letter was prepared for you by your CEO after he was given the instruction. The thrust of that letter, as I understand it, was that the instruction was to be put in writing. Why then did the minister, if she was acting in all innocence, refuse to sign that letter? If the minister thought she had merely spoken to the CEO, surely she would have been alarmed when the CEO sent such a letter. Was she alarmed? No, there was no evidence of her being alarmed. She refused to sign the letter, stayed putting the instruction into writing. Why would she do that? She was nervous about the consequences of doing just that. For her now to throw her hands up and say, innocent, nothing to do with me, does not concord with the facts, and the facts speak for themselves.
I am gravely concerned about what this government is doing in terms of protecting those precious doctrines that keep our social system together, and I refer particularly to the doctrine of separation of powers. The courts have been separated in the self-government act, particularly by the enacting parliament, the Commonwealth parliament, so that they can avoid deliberate interference by the government. These principles date back to much earlier than the 1700s, when Montesquieu described them, and they are as true today as they were then.
It is at the peril of our system of government that ministers and Cabinets act with such cavalier indifference to the rights of the people they represent.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the people in Alice Springs who have been doing such a tremendous job in raising money for the Victorian bushfires appeal. There have been a number of functions over the last two weeks while I have been in parliament I have not been able to attend, unfortunately, but I know that the people in Alice Springs have been doing a very good job.
I know that Sammy’s Pizza, last Sunday afternoon played host to a number of different organisations. They did a tremendous job last Sunday afternoon, raising thousands of dollars to donate to the Victorian bushfires appeal. On Saturday night, the Alice Springs Turf Club have a variety of donations that will be auctioned off to raise a tremendous amount of money for the appeal. I will be there to donate a stack of things to raise money for the appeal.
I also refer to the dorothy dixer answered by minister Anderson, the member for Macdonnell, yesterday afternoon, where she spoke about a new way forward for Indigenous affairs. I welcome the announcement that she wants a new way forward on Indigenous affairs. That is very positive. We have been looking for that in the Northern Territory for quite a long time. We need to make it clear that we do not have everything right in Indigenous affairs in the Northern Territory, by all forms of governments, over many decades. I note the reference made to Mick Dodson’s speech yesterday that for about 30 years there has been continual failure, and the need to balance between symbolism and practical reconciliation.
I am sure that the new Minister for Indigenous Policy would recognise that since the Labor government has come into power things have become worse in the Northern Territory. For the new minister to stand up and say that it is a new way forward, she must declare that, in education, they do not have it right. It is easy to look at the results in the NAPLAN survey. It is easy to see they have Indigenous housing wrong. If you look at the performance by the Housing minister in rolling out SIHIP, $700m dollars was what it received and it still cannot get the houses on the ground.
A member: You wait, you wait.
Mr GILES: If you look at transport, and the stimulus package just announced, not one dollar for Aboriginal communities. It is a disgrace. In the Justice system, there is a continually increasing population in gaols in the Northern Territory, and an 83% Indigenous incarceration rate. I am now led to believe it is moving up towards 90% - that is a disgrace. That is how Indigenous people are being housed in the Northern Territory - in gaols. It is the only place they can get a bed at night and three meals - in a gaol, for many people. That is a disgrace. There are chronic alcohol problems in the Northern Territory. The new Indigenous Affairs minister must say she has got it wrong: the alcohol policy, housing, education, employment, health, justice, transport, and land tenure are all flawed.
A new dawn must happen; must begin. I believe that the new dawn is possible with the new Indigenous Affairs Minister. It was not possible with the previous one and it was not possible with the previous Chief Minister Martin. I believe there is an opportunity now. I offer an olive branch to the new minister, to take politics out of the debate for the new way forward and work together for the greater good, like we have done with advancing Alice Springs this week and I thank the government for that.
I heard yesterday the new Indigenous Affairs minister and the Chief Minister talking about turning off the welfare tap. Finally they have been listening. I have been saying this for quite some time. If you are willing sit down and talk with me and listen, I believe we can move together as one. If you are willing to tell your colleagues of their failures and come up with new ideas, we can work together shoulder to shoulder. If you are willing to say that the policies of this government have not worked before, and that a new approach is needed, I will work together.
If you are willing to show that your approach to bilingual education in the Northern Territory is a disgrace, well I am willing to stand with you side by side, shoulder to shoulder. If you are willing to listen and help us establish a joint office of Indigenous Affairs between the Territory and the federal government and establish a proper traditional owners cooperation board and work to review the intervention, review the failed government policies by the Northern Territory government and come together, I am willing to work with you in a bipartisan approach. If you are not prepared to acknowledge your government’s failures and if you are not prepared to listen and work together, then I will do it on my own.
Motion agreed to.
The Assembly adjourned until Tuesday, 28 April 2009, at 10 am.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016