2011-10-25
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Palmerston Senior College Special Education Centre students accompanied Ms Eleonore Simpson. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have before me three documents relating to pairs. The first is for the member for Karama with the member for Port Darwin from 10.30 am today until the suspension for lunch. It is signed by both Whips.
The second is for the period 5 pm to 7.30 pm for the member for Wanguri with the member for Sanderson. It is also signed.
The third one is from 6 pm until the end of the sittings for the member for Daly with the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Blain.
I table those documents.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
Occasionally, amendments are necessary to Northern Territory legislation which do not justify the preparation of individual amendment bills but which are more substantial than amendments suitable for inclusion in a statute law revision bill. In other jurisdictions, these types of amendments are combined into a single bill known as the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to allow for expedient parliamentary consideration of a number of minor legislative amendments.
A bill of this nature has been prepared in order to make minor amendments to various pieces of Territory legislation including the Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act, the Interpretation Act, and the Food Act. None of the amendments contained in the bill constitute changes to government policy; however, for completeness, I will draw your attention to a number of key amendments.
Part 1 of the bill deals with preliminary matters and contains a commencement provision. It is intended this act commence on a day fixed by the Administrator.
Part 2 of the bill amends legislation administered by my department, specifically the Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act. The bill makes two amendments to the AMSORE Act.
The first amendment relates to classification determinations for statutory bodies. Currently, the AMSORE Act provides that a minister responsible for a statutory body must, in accordance with the Administrator’s determination, decide the class of statutory bodies to which the body belongs, and the amount of entitlement, where appropriate. The result is ministers must remake previous classification decisions on each occasion the Administrator makes a new classification determination, even if there is no change to the classification structure itself.
It is anticipated that for most new determinations, only the remuneration rates will vary; however, the current arrangements create a significant and unintended administrative workload for ministers and agencies. The proposed amendment to the AMSORE Act is intended to reduce the administrative workload for ministers and agencies by allowing an existing ministerial classification decision to continue to apply to a statutory body even though a new classification determination is made, until the responsible minister makes a further decision that is relevant to the statutory body.
The second amendment relates to delegation of the Remuneration Tribunal’s power to determine entitlements. Currently, the Remuneration Tribunal determines entitlements and sometimes leaves certain matters to be decided, endorsed, or approved by another person; for instance, an office holder such as the Speaker. The amendment expressly provides for certain detailed matters to be determined by an office holder rather than the tribunal to ensure sufficiently flexible arrangements. For instance, the Speaker may give approval for a member to hire a car rather than travel by air for the purposes of utilising their interstate travel entitlement. This amendment formalises the ability of the Speaker to make day-to-day decisions as delegated by the tribunal.
Part 3 of the bill amends legislation administered by the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General and amends the Interpretation Act. A provision which guides the interpretation of defined words in acts and references in other legislation is being made to allow subordinate legislation to be made with spelling in accordance with current legislative drafting style without affecting the meaning of the word or term. For example, spelling a word such as ‘recognize’ with an ‘s’ rather than a ‘z’.
Part 3 also contains a number of minor and consequential amendments of a statute law revision nature to normalise the wording of the Absconding Debtors Act and Summary Offences Act, and to update terminology in the Associations Act.
Part 4 of the bill amends legislation administered by the Minister for Health and amends the Food Act. Currently, all registrations of food businesses expire at the same time on 1 July. The Food Act is amended to allow registration to expire on a date specified in a notice which will reduce the heavy workload on the Department of Health around 1 July each year. The change will enhance flexibility and effectiveness by allowing different dates for the end of registration of different types of food businesses. Part 4 also contains a number of minor and consequential amendments of a statute law revision nature to normalise the wording of the Food Act and update terminology in the Poisons and Dangerous Drugs Act.
Part 5 of the bill amends legislation administered by the minister for NRETAS and amends the Environment Protection (Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags) Act. Part 5 contains a number of minor and consequential amendments of a statute law revision nature to improve readability and normalise the wording of the Environment Protection (Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags) Act.
Part 6 of the bill deals with miscellaneous matters, including other laws amended and expiry of the act.
The schedule to the bill amends various acts and regulations in minor ways, including consequential amendments to correct legislative references. The amendments contained in the schedule are in the nature of statute law revision amendments in that they are minor and not intended to alter the meaning of that particular act. It should be noted that, as some legislation amended in the schedule will commence at different times, including the Darwin Port Corporation Act, the Marine Act, and the Mineral Titles Act, the different commencement times will be accommodated by provisions of the Interpretation Act which allows for different parts of the act to commence at different times.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 10 August 2011.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Speaker, the Heritage Bill (Serial 138) was introduced into the Legislative Assembly on 10 August 2011 by the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage. The purpose of this bill was to repeal the current Heritage Conservation Act and replace it with a new act. The new act is to provide for the conservation of the Territory’s cultural and natural heritage by allowing places and objects of significance to be declared to ensure their ongoing protection and conservation for future generations. The new act will not apply to Aboriginal sacred sites or objects to which the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act applies.
Revision of the Heritage Conservation Act was a promise made by the ALP as part of its 2001 election campaign. The then minister, Dr Burns, announced commencement of a review on 16 October 2003, with a public consultation period on the legislation spanning 2003-04. The Heritage Advisory Council received 44 written submissions, 20 verbal contributions, and attracted over 300 people to public meetings. That can be referenced in the Heritage Advisory Council Annual Report 2003, page 26. The Heritage Advisory Council finalised its recommendations in May 2004 and they were endorsed by Cabinet in April 2005 - from the annual report 2004-05, page 1 - with a draft bill being released in early 2010, some five years from the original time it was endorsed by Cabinet.
In essence, if bills are to be measured in the time it takes to bring them to the House - 10 years - this legislation should be near on perfect. Time will tell.
I want to walk through the bill itself. The Heritage Advisory Council was established to consist of nine members, one to be nominated by each of the following organisations - this research is from the original bill, I want to compare it to the new bill - the Museum and Art Galleries Board of the Northern Territory, the National Trust of Australia, and the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority. A place is to be taken up by the CEO of the administrating agency, currently NRETAS, and five persons with suitable backgrounds and experience nominated by the minister. The minister must ensure that no fewer than five board members are appointed from outside the public sector. The minister also nominates one of the nine members to be chairperson.
The board’s functions include: prepare the criteria to assess the heritage value of places and objects; research and evaluate the heritage value of places and objects; advise the minister on the inclusion and removal of places and objects on the register on heritage agreements and the imposition of interim conservation orders; and prepare conservation management plans for heritage places.
The Heritage Advisory Council must hold a minimum of four meetings in a 12 month period with a quorum of five members. A member must disclose any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any matter under consideration by the council. That member is not to take any further action or be part of the deliberation on the decision of that matter and is to be disregarded in the formation of the quorum on that matter.
An annual report is to be submitted to the minister as soon as practicable after 30 June each year and the minister is to table that report within six sitting days of receipt. The annual report is to identify and comment on every direction given to the council by the minister during that reporting year.
In the amendment, the composition of the Heritage Advisory Council remains predominantly unchanged but has been increased to 10, plus the CEO of the administrating agency. So, we have a wider bureaucracy. Other significant changes are that a minimum of two appointees are to be of Aboriginal descent. There is no concern having Aboriginal people on a board; however, the best way to ensure the best people are on boards is they are chosen on merit. The minister may appoint six members but invite nominations either by public advertisement or in any other way the minister considers suitable. The minister no longer has to ensure at least five of the appointments are from outside the public sector.
Many of the existing functions have been retained. The Heritage Advisory Council will now also be responsible for the facilitation of public education and programs about culture and heritage, and advising the minister about work to be carried out on a declared place or object. The minimum number of meetings remains at four, with a quorum of six members. Provisions relating to disclosure of interest remain the same. The provisions for the annual report have been reworded with no change except for the removal of the requirement to report on all directions given by the minister in the reporting year.
Minister, is it worth considering the Heritage Advisory Council is better served with the majority of members being appointed from outside the public sector? I wonder if it is worth removing the need to report ministerial directions from the annual report. There should be nothing to hide and no reason to do that.
In regard to heritage officers, in the current legislation the chief executive officer of the administrating agency may appoint employees of that agency as a heritage officer, or a person from another agency, statutory corporation, or local government council which has made an agreement with a minister to perform functions or exercise powers under the HCA. The Administrator may form an agreement with other jurisdictions for employees or their authorities to have powers and functions under this act.
Police are automatically considered heritage officers. Heritage officers are to assist with the protection and conservation of declared places and objects and, to do so, have the power to enter and search premises, other than residential premises, without a warrant if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that a contravention of the act is, has been, or will, take place on these premises. The director may limit the powers of an individual officer.
Each heritage officer is to be issued an identity card which must be shown to the person in charge prior to entering or searching a premises or stopping a vehicle. Failure to stop when directed by a heritage officer may result in a maximum penalty of $500 or three months imprisonment. When a person ceases to be a heritage officer, they must return their identity card. Failing to do so may result in a minimum penalty. That was from the original act. The amendment now says persons eligible to be appointed as a heritage officer remain the same. However, it is the chief executive officer, rather than the minister or Administrator, who appoints persons from outside the administrating agency.
A heritage officer may enter a place for the administration or enforcement of the act. They may enter a place, other than residential premises, without a warrant at any reasonable time, or any place at any time with the consent of the owner/occupier, or under a search warrant. When seeking consent, the owner/occupier must be given the reason why entry is sought, and the heritage officer - other than a police officer - must not remain on the premises if they cannot produce an identity card. A heritage officer may apply to a magistrate for a warrant to enter a place and, once a heritage officer has gained access to a place, they may search for or seize anything that may be connected to an offence, where seizure is necessary to prevent it being lost, concealed, damaged, or used to commit an offence. It is an offence for a person to interfere with a seized thing. This offence attracts a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units, which is currently $13 600.
If the place is a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft, the heritage officer may order the owner/occupier to stop or move it, and give the officer reasonable help. Failure to comply with the direction may result in a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units. Again, that is $13 600.
Failure to return an identity card on termination of an appointment may result in a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units, which is $2720.
A heritage officer may request the name and address of a person they reasonably believe has, or is about to, commit an offence against the act. Contravention of that request may result in a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units. A heritage officer may also request a person to provide information related to a suspected breach of the act. Failure to do so may result in a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units.
It is worth considering that the provisions relating to the powers of heritage officers are consistent with recently introduced legislation such as the Rail Safety Act and the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (National Uniform Legislation) Act. The penalty of 100 penalty units for not complying with the direction of an authorised officer is consistent with those in the Rail Safety Act. However, the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (National Uniform Legislation) Act has set penalties for a similar offence at only 60 penalty units. Therefore, when we are looking at the penalty units from act to act, it would show more consistency if we keep those penalty units for similar offences at the same level. It would appear to undermine the very reason for making a penalty a tough penalty if we have other acts for the same offence which do not apply that same rule.
In regard to assessment and declaration under the current act, the Heritage Advisory Council prepares and revises draft heritage assessment criteria on its own initiative, or as directed by the minister. The draft criteria is then published in a newspaper circulated in the Territory for public comment and, after considering all public comments or recommendations, forwards the assessment criteria to the minister who can accept, reject, or make recommendations for modifications.
A member of the public may apply to have a place or object assessed for declaration for heritage status under the act, and the Heritage Advisory Council, either on its own initiative or as directed by the minister, may also assess or reassess the place or object. Once the Heritage Advisory Council has made a decision to include the place or object on the NT Heritage Register, it must notify the owner or occupier of the place, or owner of the object, in writing and notify any other person likely to be directly affected by the declaration by publication in a suitable newspaper. Any affected person may make a submission about the proposed declaration to the Heritage Advisory Council within 28 days of notification. The council is to consider all received comments regarding a proposed declaration and include those comments with its recommendations to the minister.
Within 90 days, the minister may accept, reject, or refer the matter to the council for further information or variation. If the minister accepts the recommendation, he must place a notice of the decision in the Gazette and newspapers circulated in the Territory, and each owner/occupier or other interested person is to be notified in writing.
In the amendment, as with the current act, anyone may apply to the Heritage Advisory Council to nominate a place or object to be assessed.
The council may also initiate an assessment and is to accept or refuse the nomination as soon as practicable. A nomination may only be refused if it is frivolous or vexatious, or if it is within five years of the minister permanently declaring it not to be a place or object of significance. That is an important part of the act.
Once a nomination is accepted, the Heritage Advisory Council has six months to assess the heritage significance of the place or object. The assessment period may be extended if the place or object is particularly remote, or other factors would delay completion of the assessment, or the Heritage Advisory Council and the owner/occupier come to an agreement.
A place or object is to be assessed for heritage significance against the heritage assessment criteria and, if the Heritage Advisory Council decides the place or object is not of heritage significance, it must notify the person who made the nomination. If it decides the place or object is of heritage significance, it must prepare a statement of heritage value, a copy of which must be given to the minister, and give written notice to each owner/occupier or other interested parties and publish a notice in a newspaper circulated in the Territory. A 28-day public consultation period where members of the public may make a written submission regarding a place or object is to follow notification with a statement of heritage value made available publicly during that time.
Within 60 days of the end of the consultation period, and after considering any submissions received, the Heritage Advisory Council must decide whether or not to recommend that the minister declare the place or object as a heritage place or object. If the decision is not to recommend the place or object to the minister, the Heritage Advisory Council must notify each interested person of the decision, as well as each person who made a submission to the person who made the nomination. If the Heritage Advisory Council recommends the place or object to the minister, it must ensure the recommendation is accompanied by the statement of heritage value, all submissions made during the public consultation period, and/or any other relevant information.
The minister has 30 days, once the recommendation has been made, to consider all relevant documentation to make a decision on the place or object. The minister may, permanently or provisionally, declare a place or object, request further information regarding the recommendation, request the recommendation be varied, or refuse the recommendation. If the decision is to permanently declare the place or object as a heritage place or object, the minister must publish the decision by gazette notice. The declaration may include work that can be done to the place or object that does not need to be approved, and the removal of part of the place or object.
The minister may provisionally declare the place or object as a heritage place or object by gazette notice in order to preserve the place or object while the assessment process takes place. A provisional declaration is enforced until the declaration is upgraded to a permanent declaration or is revoked. Within seven days of making a permanent or provisional declaration, the minister must give written notice to each interested party and, for a permanent declaration, the Registrar-General. The Registrar-General must then enter details of the declaration on the places record of interest. If the minister decides that the place or object is not a heritage place or object, written notice of the decision must be given to each interested party or persons who made a submission, and the person who nominated the place or object. If the place or object was provisionally declared, that declaration must be revoked by Gazette notice. Once the minister makes a decision to not declare a place or object, no further assessment can be made on that place or object unless nominated, and consented to, by the owner.
Certain classes of places or objects may be declared as protected places or objects whether they have been individually identified or are as yet undiscovered. Such classes would include World War II aircraft wrecks or fortifications, shipwrecks, and places or objects associated with the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. New classes of places and objects may be assessed and added to the list in a similar matter to individual places or objects.
It is worth considering that the amendments provide clear time frames for decision-making which provides clarity for developers, owners of property, and people making submissions.
The decision is still in the hands of the minister. The ability for a provisional declaration to provide protection to a nominated place or object appears to be a positive move, however, as this can only be made by the minister, it may not be sufficient to protect a site from certain things happening during an assessment period or public consultation. There could be an issue having all shipwrecks and other items associated – but not necessarily attached - to a ship included as a protected class, or place or object, and you should consider how this extremely broad class would impact on legitimate rescue salvage operations of ships wrecked in Territory waters in the future. If we go back 50 years from 2011, we can be assured everything that has sunk out there is likely to have happened during war times and, more recently, in times of other tragedies, including Cyclone Tracy. However, as we go into the future, other things may happen where automatic protection may prevent normal salvage works being carried out.
In the current act, the owner of a heritage place or object can apply to the Heritage Advisory Council to have the minister revoke the declaration. Alternatively, the minister may direct the advisory council to make an assessment, or the advisory council can initiate its own assessment, on whether the declaration should be revoked.
The Heritage Advisory Council must, within seven days, give written notice of any request or application to the owner or occupier of a place, or owner of an object, and all persons likely to be affected by any decision by publishing a notice in a suitable newspaper in the Territory. All parties are invited to make submissions to the proposed decision within 28 days of the notice being given.
The Heritage Advisory Council must assess whether the minister should revoke all or part of the declaration and forward that recommendation to the minister with any submissions regarding the proposed revocation. The minister may then accept, reject, or request further information about a recommendation and publish the decision to revoke the declaration. The owner or occupier of a declared place or object may apply directly to the minister to have all or part of that declaration revoked in an emergency, or to protect the health and safety of a person.
It is well-known the ALP used this act as a key plank in its 2001 election campaign to prevent certain actions from occurring again. Has it succeeded? Time will tell. If work could be measured on the time taken to bring this act into this House, this legislation should be near on perfect. However, with a history of failure, I will not hold my breath. In fact, I will go so far as to say the original intent has been wound right back to the point of a reality check where the balance needs to look carefully at development, protecting people’s assets and, at the same time, ensuring our heritage is protected. I cannot help but remind people this journey has taken more than 10 years, so it also provides a clear picture of what this government really feels about our heritage.
There are some positives within the act. Time lines are built to provide a strong guideline for stakeholders, including 90 days for the minister to make a decision, although this can be extended. The interim protection only occurs after the council has reviewed the application, not on nomination like some lobby groups had hoped for, and certain works to be exempt make absolute sense. The categories now provide for exempt work where no approval is required, such as general maintenance etcetera. Minor works now only require consent with the council; however, major works still require approval from the minister.
The act provides the capacity to list classes such as a plane, ship, and wrecks. I have been told it can sometimes be a complicated process to discover who the owner of particular vessels may be. The minister can decide to provide automatic protection to any ship or plane wreck deemed to be over 50 years of age, which could have ramifications going into the future.
The new act provides an expanded right of review; however, when it comes to the council, my advice from at least one key stakeholder suggests that is a missed opportunity.
Some other points from stakeholders include the normal situation where a particular lobby group may suggest this type of legislation does not invoke any community concern at this stage but, like all legislation, it could be 12 months, two, three, or four years down the track when it is first tested. That is usually when things come out and questions are asked about why legislation like that was passed in the first place. Like all legislation, it can be improved on in the future and, if amendments are required to fix any anomalies, I am sure the government of the day would do that.
Other lobby groups, including the Property Council of Australia, should be listed as a representative on the board as it has an interest in heritage. The initial listing of a heritage building downgrades the value of the property in the marketplace, particularly in certain zoning. The property listing is for the benefit of the community and we consider the community should compensate the property owner for his or her loss of value. It is generally accepted the government will not provide monetary compensation but should compensate by way of providing credits to the builder or owner. Such credits could be in the form of transferable rights such as height restrictions, set backs, or volumetric controls which could be traded in the marketplace. Similar schemes are operational in other capital cities and, of course, internationally.
I have spoken to many key stakeholders, including the National Trust of Australia, business entities, the Chamber of Commerce, the Property Council of Australia, and the Minerals Council of Australia. Some of these groups have concerns about particular tracts of land being heritage listed for doing nothing more than making it look like something is being done. There are occasions where land is heritage listed, then nothing happens to it. There are no resources provided to either protect it or do anything else with that land and the question may be: what is the real intent behind that if it is not to improve the value?
We have all talked about value; what makes something valuable in the Northern Territory, and how we can make things valuable, like our national parks. The more people who see our national parks and the more people we encourage to visit adds to their value. It is not just the money that goes into the tills of hotels, tour guides, and the lives of Aboriginal people; it also adds value around the world so the global economy is attracted to national parks. The same here, we should be doing all we can to protect our heritage and, at the same time, ensure we do not lock up certain areas for no other reason than to appease a certain lobby group.
Other issues raised include the fact one particular group I spoke to said it understands the philosophical view and intent of this legislation, but is concerned this legislation, along with other legislation, can often be influenced at the political level by ideological agendas of certain groups. Governments will face that fight from different lobby groups with legislation on many different issues.
Madam Speaker, they are some of the concerns we have and I will finish with some questions. I would like the minister to explain to the House why it has taken 10 years to get legislation through the House ..
Mr Elferink: To the House?
Mr CHANDLER: Yes, to the House. Can you undo heritage listing once a property has been heritage listed? Can you detail how we might heritage list the 260 RAAF Base houses to protect them from being bulldozed and make them available to the general public?
Overall, I have had mixed reviews. Some people are very encouraged by this legislation, and there are others who, with any legislation that comes to the House, are concerned on a number of levels as to how it may be tested. I was speaking to the minister in the House this morning and he rightly pointed out any legislation could be, or will be, tested into the future and this will be no different. What might not appear to be a problem today may be in three months, six months, or 10 years from now, based on the decisions made in the House today. I hope the government has this one right; there is no excuse not to, it has taken 10 years.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I have informed the minister I would like to go to committee on this bill - nothing overly controversial, but I would like to ask a number of questions. Although we did have many questions answered during the briefing, I would like another opportunity to put some of those questions on record.
I thank the member for Brennan for his comprehensive response to the bill. No matter what you do with this type of bill, there will always be people who are not quite happy with the outcomes.
Heritage protection in the Northern Territory has had a fairly colourful history and the Hotel Darwin would probably be the pinnacle of that controversy. However, without picking out some of those controversial areas, the Northern Territory still has a long way to go to protect some of its heritage. In this bill, nearly all Aboriginal and Macassan sites are automatically given heritage listing. That is what the bill is about. What other sites, places, and objects are going to require heritage? Generally speaking, it will be in the area of non-Aboriginal sites such as mining sites, infrastructure sites, and World War II sites.
That is the area where we need to make more effort, not simply to label something as heritage, but because it is also important for our economy. It is important for our history and our knowledge of the way the Northern Territory has developed. Also, you can use this heritage as part of our economy. We cannot keep relying on the Commonwealth government to fund the Northern Territory. We get a huge majority of our funds from the Commonwealth and, while we do - people have heard my views on statehood - we need to show we are capable of developing an economy that is not reliant on federal government funding. One way is to develop our heritage because through that heritage we can develop tourism and, in the Northern Territory, we can develop tourism which is different to the rest of Australia. The classic example is the World War II heritage sites.
You will not find anywhere else in Australia - you may find little bits in Queensland and Western Australia - you will not find substantial sites that have stayed the same as they were when World War II ended. Except for people taking some of the artefacts away, except for the weeds growing, we have one of the greatest opportunities to develop tourism based on heritage, based on World War II sites, and it is something unique.
When I had the pleasure of hosting Captain Strauss’ family when they came to Australia, they said in America they did not have the same belief in retaining their World War II heritage. Many of their World War II airstrips were bulldozed and used for other purposes. In the Northern Territory, we have a unique opportunity to maintain them and tell the rest of Australia we have something unique. If they come to visit, they will learn something about the history of the Northern Territory and Australia.
You can have an act to say we will protect these areas, but if you do not have the resources, as the member for Brennan said, it is merely a list under a heading called ‘World War II heritage sites’. If we are to go down the path of developing this part of our economy, using heritage as part of the attraction for people down south, we have to be willing to put money into maintaining those areas. The classic example is the government has put money into Strauss; it has put aeroplanes there that look three-dimensional but are really two-dimensional. The member for Arafura and I remember that day well, not only because they went missing one time, but also the member for Arafura forgot to recognise who helped promote the retention of the airstrip from being bulldozed by the Department of Transport and Works at that time, but I digress.
It is worth pointing out it was a big battle to retain that airstrip and, thankfully, the federal government stepped in. I applaud Nigel Scullion because that day he rang the federal minister for the Environment and Heritage who said he would give us some money to ensure the highway was redirected around the airstrip.
There are three other airstrips in that area which are all important. Unfortunately, someone in the department back in the 1980s, or when Darwin River Dam was being built, decided the pipeline should go through the middle of Sattler and wrecked a perfectly good airstrip that for many years was the emergency airstrip for Darwin airport. When I first arrived the signs were up: ‘Beware of planes landing’ and it was marked out as a fully-functional airstrip. It is the same with Livingstone, which was an important airstrip. Thankfully, we asked the railway people to reduce the corridor as it went past Livingstone so they did not take a section of the airstrip out, which they did. The corridor for the railway line is narrower there. We also have Hughes airstrip.
You also have infrastructure in that area. We even have a cricket pitch. I thank the minister for the cricket pitch being heritage listed. It is important to have a strong act which can protect these areas. I confirm what the member for Brennan said: it is no good having heritage listing if you cannot afford to maintain them. The government should spend more money in this area and put it in the context of developing an industry; it is part of growing a tourist economy to the Northern Territory where the heritage can be very much at the forefront of attracting people.
Also, the railway line - how could I forget the railway line? The entire north Australian railway line, except for places where it is impossible, should have been heritage listed. It then could not be subject to somebody purchasing the land from the government or taking part of the railway bridge down near Manton Dam. There is a span across Darwin River Road someone purchased from the government. Instead of being able to have that full corridor maintained, it is still at risk of being developed. Again, that is an important part of our history.
If anyone went to the ceremony held at Wishart Siding during the Bombing of Darwin anniversary, a plaque has been erected mentioning all the people who worked on the railway during the war. You have a double aspect; the aspect of having the railway built in the 1880s up to about the 1920s where it was used for the provision of supplies to many communities in the Top End. The history is important in the sense this railway line would eventually reach Adelaide - Alice Springs - it never quite got there. Then you have the period of World War II, where Americans were based at Birdum, the Australians were based at Larrimah and there were sites all along the railway line which were used during the war. Much of the ammunition and bombs were brought to Darwin via rail. Supplies were brought by rail.
That railway line was a really important part of our history, not only in the earlier development of the Northern Territory, but during World War II. Then, after World War II, it was used, once again, up to Cyclone Tracy. When I arrived in the Northern Territory, the section from Frances Creek to the Port of Darwin had been relaid to take iron ore from Frances Creek to the port. This is a very important part of our history; the history of the people who worked on the railway line, the Chinese and Thursday Islanders. I can remember Thursday Islanders working on that railway line. They must have liked the work - they were built for it - because there was a Thursday Island community in Darwin which worked on the railway line.
There is that history and we have not protected it. I am hoping, with the advent of this new bill, we can make an effort to ensure some of those areas are not left as ‘too hard’ and we see the importance of those sites.
I congratulate the government. Even though it has taken a long time, the bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs has done that in a clever way. By using it for another purpose, you have protected the north Australian railway line, hopefully, forever. The bridges, the embankments, the cut-ins are protected, and it goes all the way to Darwin. It gets a little difficult once you get into town; however, it follows the old Darwin railway line nearly all the way into town. That is great; we have preserved it. We do not always advertise enough. I ask people if they know when they are riding past Winnellie they are riding on the old railway line? Sometimes we do not promote it enough.
I raise those issues because the Heritage Bill, which has taken a long time - I would be interested to know why it has taken such a long time; however, if it has come to this parliament in the best possible framework for the protection into the future of our heritage, it is well worth waiting for.
We have other sites in Darwin Harbour. Again, I mention Captain Strauss, who was shot down over Swires Bluff, which is near Talc Head in the harbour. I understand his P-40 aeroplane is still buried there.
I do not know if all of the aeroplanes shot down over the harbour are regarded as heritage; however, it would be interesting to know whether that is an intention of the government.
The difficulty with sunken heritage sites is planes in those days were made of aluminium. What is the future of a plane lying in saltwater forever and a day? Ships might be different; they are made of steel and will generally remain for a long time. I raise that point because when INPEX was looking for a channel to dredge it was required to go round a number of sites where planes had been shot down – Catalinas - and INPEX was told there was no way could it move them.
The point is: where is heritage? Is heritage buried at the bottom of the sea where no one can see it except a few divers, or can it be moved to a site where it is visible? Is the site important, is the plane important? What is the definition of heritage from that point of view? It is probably difficult to move some of those aeroplanes because they have been under water for a long period of time. Sometimes you run into practicalities and we have to give a little when it comes to heritage sites. A classic example would be the old Commercial Bank on the corner of Bennett and Smith streets.
Mr Elferink: The Commonwealth Bank?
Mr WOOD: No, the one where Paspaley is. That is probably the worst form of protection because all that is left is a wall. I was speaking to the manager of Westpac at Dancing with the Stars recently. Westpac occasionally think about moving somewhere else and the staff say: ‘No, this is a site people know, this site reflects the heritage of the Northern Territory and the bank’. It was previously the Bank of New South Wales and Westpac moved in. Again, it is an important part of our heritage.
I would love something to happen with the Commonwealth Bank. It is looking worse for wear and is not a heritage attraction. A question for the minister: if you have something like the privately-owned Commonwealth Bank - which is falling apart and becoming an eyesore but has some heritage declaration over it - does the government help the owner of the land maintain that building to a reasonable standard? Can the government provide funds for a private building to enable the heritage to be kept in good nick?
This has taken a long time to put together. Until this bill comes into play and we go through some of the issues, it is hard to say whether there are any serious faults with it. Certainly, there will be issues, as there always have been with privately-owned property where land is heritage listed and cannot be used for anything else. The Chin Building in Cavenagh Street is a classic example. I would hate to see that building disappear; however, someone owns it and has rights to it but cannot develop it in the way surrounding blocks are developed because it is a heritage site.
We are always going to have this difficulty. It is about how well that can be handled and what contributions the government can give to assist the landowner maintain the land. Are there other ways the government can assist a landowner who may have other land in the CBD with compensation. I do not know. That area has always caused some difficulty with private landowners when it comes to a place being declared a heritage site.
Madam Speaker, I have some questions for the committee stage, and I will continue my remarks at that stage.
Ms McCARTHY (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I support the Heritage Bill 2011. I pick up on the comments by the member for Nelson regarding the many historical places across the Northern Territory. In my role as Minister for Statehood, I have worked with the agencies, particularly the secretariat of Statehood, to look at 100 years of the Northern Territory and what that means. In an important debate like the Heritage Bill, that is what we are talking about. What are the things that identify and give us, as a people of the Northern Territory, our history, our heritage, and what are the things we need to ensure we preserve and protect. It is important to have this bill before the House, and I congratulate the minister for bringing it on.
The existing act, the Heritage Conservation Act, commenced approximately 20 years ago. In that time, the Territory has changed dramatically. With strong economic growth, significant new investment, and world-class resource development projects, the future economic prosperity for the Northern Territory is definitely high on this list. However, it is also important in this period of growth and prosperity that we maintain effective mining management, sacred sites, and heritage legislation to support the conservation and protection of the Northern Territory’s unique and diverse heritage and environment. This is so important to our tourism industry.
Tourism has continued to grow as a key industry and major employer. The Territory has a rich history in heritage that complements our primary tourism strengths. Without doubt, those tourists who come, especially for our world-class nature parks at Uluru and Kakadu, also definitely want to experience the rich heritage of Indigenous culture across the Northern Territory. It is a culture that, wherever I travel across Australia and, indeed, overseas, is one of great interest to people who wish to travel to the Northern Territory.
However, this interest has to be balanced. In the economic prosperity and the cultural heritage of the Northern Territory, there has to be a deliberate balance otherwise the imbalance will be of concern. In particular, as we look at the heritage sites and Indigenous rock art across the Northern Territory, we have many tourism guides who talk about the importance of these sites to visitors who come to the Northern Territory. At the same time, we are trying to find a balance to ensure we are creating an economic base in these regions. I was pleased to hear the comments from the member for Nelson in regard to the importance tourism can play. I agree, and this is an area not only the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority is looking at with the important sacred sites across the Northern Territory, but also Tourism NT is constantly looking at. How do we attract tourists in a way that is unique to the rest of the country? Why not focus on heritage sites like the Northern Territory World War II or Indigenous sites?
The Northern Territory offers opportunities for visitors to discover and learn about the living Indigenous history and culture which is enriched in traditions of over 50 000 years. We talk of the Northern Territory being 100 years old, of being surrended to the Commonwealth, but we also say that it is over 50 000 years of stories. That is our centenary event or slogan for the year and, every time we talk about the centenary, we are constantly reminded of the rich heritage of the Northern Territory.
Indigenous culture and heritage are major drawcards for a large proportion of our international visitors, as well as a significant number of domestic visitors. These visitors want to observe Indigenous heritage, including art and painting, plus learn about Indigenous history, belief systems, and relationship to the land. This was clearly evident when we had the 12 to 13 guests of Oprah’s 300 visit a very remote location in Arnhem Land to look at rock art. This art has been completely hidden from the world and only really revealed, as far as we know, to around 25 non-Indigenous people according to the Jawoyn of that area who have been looking after that protected site for so long.
It is of critical importance, historically, regarding heritage, but also of significance economically. In fact, Tourism NT’s In Focus report on Indigenous cultural tourism for the 2008-09 to 2009-10 period reported that, on average, 126 000 domestic cultural visitors and 233 000 international cultural visitors came to the Northern Territory over the three-year period.
A cultural visitor is a domestic or international visitor who participated in experiencing Indigenous art and cultural displays or visited an Indigenous community. Cultural visitors represent a significant proportion of the Northern Territory’s domestic visitor market with more than one in every 10 - so 12% of domestic visitors to the Northern Territory are qualifying as a cultural visitor. These visitors stayed 769 000 nights in the Northern Territory averaging out to a length of stay of six nights roughly per visitor. With international visitors in a three-year period, the Northern Territory received 35% of all international cultural visitors to Australia, equating to approximately 233 000 visitors. International visitors to the Northern Territory were most likely to be cultural visitors, around 71%. Clearly, this is a very important indicator to the tourism market and an important indicator to the economic market for the Northern Territory. International cultural visitors stayed 2.1 nights in the Northern Territory, averaging out a length of stay of nine nights per visitor, so that was 2.1 million nights. These statistics are quite extraordinary when you think we have 365 days in the year - the way tourism looks at the statistics nationally. We are talking about nine nights per visitor in the Northern Territory.
The community has also become more interested in heritage conservation. In addition, developers are more interested in including the historic fabric of the Territory into plans for the future. This bill responds to these changes in valuing our unique and diverse heritage and history.
As Minister for Indigenous Development, I am pleased the bill recognises Indigenous heritage and history is a living and continuing story. It also recognises the landscape, which supports an ancient living culture, has to be at the forefront of all of these things. It recognises the inseparability of place and people and the manner in which culture and the natural environment have shaped, and continue to shape, each other.
The minister described in his second reading speech how the existing act has provided automatic protection to Aboriginal places including rock art sites, artefact scatters, stone carvings, and middens and has said these are tangible reminders of the occupation of the Territory by Aboriginal people for well over 50 000 years. We can talk about thousands of years, but we certainly know it is 50 000 years. These archaeological sites are given automatic protection and, in many cases, are discovered when there are surveys. When they are discovered, they already have protection under the existing act. This blanket protection of Aboriginal archaeological sites is an effective mechanism in the existing legislation and will continue under the new bill.
The bill will also ensure at least two of the appointed members of the Heritage Advisory Council are Indigenous. We know Indigenous heritage is a vital part of the Territory’s history and culture, and it is appropriate to acknowledge this through representation on the council. I am also pleased the bill provides for representatives from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority to be members of the Heritage Advisory Council. The importance of sacred sites and knowledge being passed on is consistently discussed when I speak to board members of AAPA. It is an area very close to the hearts of most Aboriginal people but, particularly, those who are on the AAPA board discuss how this knowledge gets passed on to ensure younger Aboriginal men and women are aware of their own heritage and the strength of culture. It is also for the broader community to appreciate the depth of such knowledge out there and for all people to feel proud about the history of the Northern Territory as a whole. AAPA plays a vital role in the protection and preservation of sacred sites and objects in the Northern Territory and it is good to see representatives will be involved, not only on the Heritage Council, but also in the administration of this bill.
As Minister for Local Government, I am pleased the expanded Heritage Advisory Council introduces, for the first time, representation from local government. This is particularly pleasing because we have made enormous steps in reform of local government across the Northern Territory. We need to respect the work of all those in local government in the Northern Territory and their input into history and heritage from respective places, whoever they may be. For local government to be involved in this is recognition of the carefully-balanced broader consideration around economic planning and community values I spoke of earlier. There has to be a deliberate planning process of finding the balance between tourism needs around heritage, the economic benefits that can bring to the Northern Territory, and preserving the site itself.
This bill supports the conservation and protection of the Northern Territory’s unique and diverse heritage, ensuring this heritage is recognised as having value and is incorporated, in an appropriate way, in the development of the Territory for visitors and locals alike.
Since 2001, the Labor government has declared over 100 heritage sites in the Northern Territory. This bill provides for open and transparent processes, and maximises opportunities for community involvement and consultation. It also provides for improved time lines for decision-making and better appeal provisions.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the minister on this bill, and I commend the bill to honourable members of the House.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I shall not be on my feet for long. I reiterate and support comments by the Minister for Local Government, who has come into this House and made a few comments, particularly in relation to the balance between the needs of the current community and the need to preserve history. Neither of those positions can be considered, in regard to heritage arrangements, as absolutes.
The member for Nelson made certain observations about various airstrips and other institutions around the Northern Territory he personally considered worth preserving. Without entering into a debate on any of those issues, I cannot but make a few observations in relation to what is proposed, or heritage listings which have occurred in the recent past.
My attention specifically is drawn to two particular listings. One of those listings is the saltpan come mudflat near Spot On Marine. I do not remember why it was listed, but I have visited that heritage site. It is a saltpan come mudflat with almost no physical material there to suggest it has any form of history whatsoever. Upon closer inspection, you realise the saltpan come mudflat has a primary function today of being a skid pan for young hoons to take their vehicles and thrash the guts out of them whilst they drive all over this heritage site …
Dr Burns: Why do they not go to the rural area?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: I note the levity from the retiring member for Johnston, who obviously ...
Dr Burns: I brought in the legislation, remember?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: ... no longer cares what people think of him. It is one of the liberties, I suppose, of being a retiring member. There is no signage at this saltpan come mudflat ...
Dr Burns: Can you tell us who listed the saltpan?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, Alison Anderson, the member for Macdonnell. It does not mean I have to approve of it. It was a government decision which went through Cabinet.
Let us pause for a second and I will pick up on the interjection. The question I have for government is: why was it listed? It falls into the area of the proposed Arafura Harbour development. If that is the case, surely government would not have been intending to abuse the Heritage Conservation Act for a nefarious purpose to suit its own political agenda at the time. If that is the case ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member should be aware Cabinet did not approve this listing; it was the minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, that is not a point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: I image they are twitchy about this, Madam Speaker.
Dr Burns: I am not twitchy about it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The member for Port Darwin has the call, Leader of Government Business. Thank you.
Mr ELFERINK: The member is twitchy about this. In fact, the government is twitchy about this issue and so it should be. The Heritage Conservation Act needs a level of integrity about it which, when used in such a fashion, diminishes the integrity of the Heritage Conservation Act. I am deeply disappointed the government would go down that path.
The saltpan itself is just that. It is mud, dried out with encrusted salt over it. Not so much as a sign has been erected to suggest its history and, quite frankly, if the heritage listing of that area was done for heritage purposes it was an unnecessary listing because we are not preserving any physical object. Not far from there are heritage sites which preserve physical objects and are worthwhile. There are old bunkers and gun emplacements.
In more recent times, we saw a project in the CBD delayed - the McMinn Street project - by the Northern Territory government because of the discovery of a bomb crater on the site which suddenly had heritage listing. The question I have for government is: why? A bomb crater is only a hole in the ground. I understand the Japanese dropped many bombs on the Northern Territory and most of those bomb craters have gone. If it is a bomb crater and you run a metal detector over it, you find bits of shrapnel from the bomb. It will have small hunks of rusted, pock-marked metal because steel which was not particularly well refined was used in those bombs. If you want to see something like that, walk across the Great Hall to the Library entrance and you will see shards of bomb mounted on the wall.
To hold up a project like the McMinn Street project for the sake of heritage listing a hole in the ground strikes me as an unnecessary waste of time and resources. This will be controversial in some quarters, but the truth is a bomb crater is a hole in the ground. If you want to look at a fresh bomb crater from that period, look at the photographs. If you want to find out where bombs fell, there is a map somewhere describing the location of every bomb crater in the Darwin CBD, or what was, at that time, Darwin.
We should not allow heritage, as a word, to be supplemented by a concept which is nostalgia. I have no problem with preserving those things necessary to preserve; however, a mudflat encrusted with salt, or a bomb crater long since forgotten in the Darwin CBD, do not have heritage value; they have a nostalgia value. For that reason, we have to be cautious how these things are used.
I also heard the lamentations by the member for Nelson about the old Commercial Bank building being used as a fascia for what was happening behind it. We live in an environment where there are also commercial realities. The old Commonwealth Bank is, unfortunately, unused at the moment, and is a reasonable example of post-Art Deco architecture, particularly around the front entrance with the sweeping stairs and some of the portico works over the top. However, at the end of the day, it is a site which, ultimately, should be developed. I understand the government was promoting a development on the site a couple of years ago; a nice, tall 14-odd storey building with a bar downstairs. I saw the artist’s impression work. It looked really good. It has not gone anywhere because often preserving these sites imposes an expense.
I suggest to honourable members we have to continue finding that balance. If the future of the Commonwealth Bank site is protecting the fascia and those elements of the architecture that made it unique, whilst allowing a developer to develop the site in accordance with the commercial reality of the day, that compromise should be embraced.
If I go to other places around Australia, this is not an uncommon thing. In fact, it is done all around the world. There are buildings constructed over, around, and about old heritage sites. If you go to the Rocks in Sydney, where I was last week - at a secret meeting according to the Treasurer, secretly reported on the front page of The Australian with secret TV cameras at the meeting and journalists taking notes secretly - I digress. I was at a secret meeting - I am announcing a secret meeting for Hansard - and I had an opportunity to walk through The Rocks where there is a building elevated over the remnants of the original buildings - the original habitations.
There are two ways you can approach that: you can either change the architecture to accommodate the heritage and the commercial realities of the site, or you preserve the site in toto. The effect is the site then loses its commercial reality.
The only way a government could achieve that and be fair to the owner of the property concerned, particularly when heritage is discovered during the construction of the building, is to acquire the property which would then have to be settled on just terms. No government has that sort of money at its fingertips, so the compromise is struck. In the example of The Rocks, the original buildings are preserved as much as they were - they were discovered in an almost archaeological state - and you can still view the remnants of those buildings underneath a modern building.
In the United States, there are several examples of heritage sites located inside buildings. If you walk into one of the glass towers in the United States, original buildings are a centrepiece in the foyer of the later building constructed on the site. That is part of the compromise between commercial reality and protection of heritage.
Forcing private developers to maintain buildings in toto is challenging to the concept of finding that balance. Therefore, in places like Sydney, Melbourne, and other states and jurisdictions, the fascias are often kept as examples of the architecture.
I acknowledge the Minister for Local Government said getting that balance correct was an issue for government to consider. However, I believe businesses should have the right to expand and continue developing in our community and we create a heritage that can be passed on to future generations.
Madam Speaker, heritage is not nostalgia. It should not be, and should not be seen in that fashion. We, on the opposition side of the House, will not be opposing this bill.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contributions - the members for Brennan, Nelson, Arnhem, and Port Darwin.
Today is an historic day for the Northern Territory. We have long-awaited legislation before the House which has been debated. I have taken on board the comments from all members, and I thank them again for their contribution.
I will begin my closing remarks with a reference to the International Journal of Heritage Studies. There is a really good definition of what heritage is which I will place on the Parliamentary Record. It says:
For me, it defines what the new Heritage Bill is trying to do, particularly in the Northern Territory.
Listening to the contributions of members on both sides of the Chamber, the Northern Territory is a unique place with a unique history. The member for Nelson touched on World War II. The Minister for Tourism, Local Government, and the Aboriginal Area Protection Authority spoke about her portfolios and the importance of heritage, particularly tourism, with the cultural tourism experiences international and national visitors come to experience. We are a unique place and have to preserve those parts of our history for our children and our grandchildren. So, this is an historic day for the Northern Territory.
The minister also touched on her Statehood portfolio and 100 years of being a Territory. I cannot think of a more important piece of legislation to pass in the House than the Heritage Conservation Act when, this year, we are celebrating 100 years of being a Territory. This is a significant day for the Northern Territory.
I also acknowledge past ministers and my colleagues. Minister Burns, the member for Johnston, and minister Scrymgour did much work and consultation with the community, the Heritage Advisory Council, and many stakeholders over many years to reach the point we are at today, passing this historic legislation. To both my colleagues, I thank you for your tireless work and today is a day for you, as well as government and all Territorians.
Many concerns were raised during debate and I will attempt to answer those concerns in my closing remarks. However, I would like to put on the public record - I said this in my second reading speech - why is this bill better than the legislation we already have? We had a history lesson for all members, but why did the government see fit to bring in new legislation? We can play politics about various heritage-listed places that are no longer with us; however, the important thing is we need to move ahead with modern legislation to reflect a mature and modern Northern Territory. This bill is better than the legislation we have in providing interim protection of sites once a site is nominated and the Heritage Advisory Council considers the site significant and seeks public comment.
This bill is better than the legislation we already have with improved time lines for decision-making, improved notification of decision-making, and better clarification of major and minor works on heritage places. It also has new capacity to declare classes of heritage sites, which was discussed during debate, increased penalties, better appeal provisions, and the Heritage Advisory Council has expanded representations.
They are the key planks of this new legislation and how it improves how we preserve and protect our heritage in the Northern Territory. Why has it taken so long? That is a good question. It has taken longer than anyone would have liked; however, we are here today and, with the improvements I outlined, we have a good end result to preserve our heritage.
In my second reading speech, I went through the processes. I will again go through why it has taken so long and the path we have gone down to reach where we are today.
My colleague, the member for Johnston, spoke about this in the Assembly in October 2003 when he announced the commencement of a review of the act. Extensive public consultation took place in 2003 and 2004, which found there was strong support for addressing these issues, protecting of a wide range of places, and increased penalties. In May 2004, the Heritage Advisory Council finalised a recommendations paper which it provided to government. A key recommendation was the establishment of a heritage council with statutory decision-making powers; that is, a heritage council that would make most or all of the decisions currently made by the minister. Government gave careful consideration to the recommendation paper. Resulting from that, there were continued discussions with various stakeholders and a draft bill was released for public comment in February 2010. Thirteen written submissions were received from individuals and organisations. The Heritage Advisory Council also provided an extensive response.
Heritage and conservation has a decorated and long history in the Territory. This bill has a history of its own, but I am looking forward to it passing today. We need to focus on the future. It is modern legislation that will serve the Territory for the better, protect our heritage-listed places, and better serve the Heritage Advisory Council.
How does this bill protect heritage places? There is an automatic interim protection of sites once nominated and the Heritage Advisory Council has considered the site significant and seeks public comment. This is a significant improvement on current arrangements. As per the current legislation, the minister will retain the capacity to step in and provide interim protection for potential heritage sites if they are under threat.
The member for Brennan, and others, expressed concerns about the interests of property owners. This government has done much work with property owners. I met with the Property Council of Australia recently and listened to their concerns.
One thing this government has done is provide Territory heritage grants. This has been a very popular grant program and many of the stakeholder groups have taken advantage of it. It provides an opportunity for many of those places to receive much-needed work and assistance for private properties - looking at the Heritage Advisory Council’s annual report - and they also identify the government incentives package; that is for owners of declared heritage places. The government incentive package provides rates relief, free technical advice, and eligibility for funding under the NT Heritage Grants Program. Owners of declared heritage places used for residential purposes are reimbursed 75% of their rates, whilst owners of commercial places are reimbursed 25% of their rates.
Under the government incentive package, there is free expert advice available to the owners of declared heritage places in relation to proposed works. Heritage conservation architects have been retained in Darwin and Alice Springs in order to provide Territory-wide coverage. Applications for the NT Heritage Grants Program are received and assessed by the Heritage Advisory Council, which then forwards a recommended program to the minister for consideration. Successful projects for the 2009-10 round are listed in the annual report. A total of 16 projects were funded to the value of $250 000 under this program. The NT Heritage Grants Program addresses some of the concerns of members regarding what is available for private owners of declared heritage places.
In relation to how this bill better protects the interests of property owners, there are specified time lines for assessing nominations and works approvals, appeal rights are clarified, and the property owner now has a guaranteed seat at the table via membership on the new Heritage Advisory Council.
There were concerns about there being no guarantee that building owners would be notified when a property is nominated. This would be a very rare occasion. The owner is guaranteed to be advised if the Heritage Advisory Council considers the nomination significant. An owner can be assured their views on whether the place ought to be heritage listed or not will be taken into account - that is required by the act. Also, time limits apply to this part of the process so the owner can be assured a decision about heritage listing, one way or the other, will be made in a reasonable time frame. It is important to provide that to building owners in a reasonable time frame. This bill also strengthens provisions around time lines and appeal mechanisms, which is a real benefit to building owners.
The member for Nelson had some comments on protecting classes of places and objects of heritage significance. Part 2.3 of the bill provides for the conservation of places and objects by establishing a process for declaring protected classes of places and objects of heritage significance. The member for Nelson touched on the remains of World War II aircraft wrecks. World War II coastal fortifications site are another example of possible protected classes or places of heritage significance. Shipwrecks is another, and places and objects associated with the Australian Overland Telegraph Line and the North Australian Railway.
In relation to that part of the act, council may initiate assessments of heritage significance. That comes to me for a decision on recommendation for declaration. The declaration of protected class of places or objects is something the minister can declare.
Part 2.3 is an important part of the bill. It is a real strength Territorians, and descendents of people who were part of that time in the Territory’s history, would really appreciate. In my own family, member for Nelson, my grandparents ran a produce farm at Hatches Creek during World War II and provided fresh fruit and vegetables for the Army. Hatches Creek has much World War II history to it. There are many sites as you drive up and down the Stuart Highway marking ammunition depots and sites where depots were set up during World War II with troops going up and down the Stuart Highway. In my own family history, I understand the importance Hatches Creek played during that time. From a personal level, that is a fantastic addition to the bill.
In other parts of the bill there is an expanded Heritage Advisory Council, which includes representation from local government and property owners and requires the minister, as far as practical, to ensure Aboriginal representation. My colleague, the Minister for Local Government and Minister for Indigenous Development, touched on that. Again, it is a very important part of the bill.
In relation to the Indigenous representation, an important issue came up during the consultation process. It is a reasonable thing to do, particularly looking at the Northern Territory and the way it is going with population. There is a 30% Indigenous population and Indigenous heritage is a big part of the Northern Territory. It is more appropriate to acknowledge that through representation on the council.
The bill also acknowledges other interests, such as property owners and local government, having a seat at the table on the new council.
The member for Port Darwin raised the issue of specific sites. I acknowledge those issues and am happy to get back to the member for Port Darwin on that. Regarding the Ludmilla saltpan, I am advised it was nominated by the Haritos family. It is important to acknowledge it is an independent process, so families such as the Haritos family can nominate a site; Territorians can nominate a site which goes to the Heritage Advisory Council. To suggest this process and this government lacks integrity is a real shame. We have a decorated and, sometimes, not-so-good history of heritage sites. For this banter to continue from the member for Port Darwin is a sad thing. We have very important legislation before the House. To wind the clock back to the 1980s is a real shame, because the Ludmilla saltpan was nominated by a Territory family, the Haritos family. They are very proud of the association they have with the saltpan. A sign is being installed shortly, member for Port Darwin, with an official unveiling in coming weeks.
In relation to the allegation made by the member for Port Darwin, the heritage listing process was well under way prior to any information being available about the Arafura Harbour development. Again, to play politics with this important legislation is a real shame.
Regarding the member for Brennan’s comments about the Heritage Advisory Council - bigger bureaucracy and not on merit - the Heritage Advisory Council has some fantastic people on it. To say it is a bigger bureaucracy and people are not there based on merit, I find disappointing. The member for Brennan has done much work on this. We should steer away from having a slap at people who are dedicated to heritage conservation in the Northern Territory.
At this point, I acknowledge the current Heritage Advisory Council. There are some great representatives on it who have a done a fantastic job in recent times, particularly the Chairman, Dr Brian Reid and Ms Elizabeth Close, the Deputy Chair and Nominee and Director of the National Trust. Anna Malgorzewicz from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory has been on the advisory council; Mr Andrew Allan, a nominee from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority; Mr Greg Coleman is a former Director of the Northern Territory Archive Service; Mr David Curtis - would be well-known to people around the Tennant Creek and Barkly area - is a former ATSIC chairman; Dr Mickey Dewar is a freelance consultant with more than 30 years experience working on Northern Territory history and a very important member of the advisory council; Ms Sue Dugdale is a practising architect based in Alice Springs; and Mr Allan Garraway is the President of the Northern Territory Division of the Property Council of Australia.
Member for Brennan, I reject your comments regarding the Heritage Advisory Council becoming a bigger bureaucracy and not based on merit. Those Territorians I named are well-respected people in their chosen fields and careers.
Following concerns raised through consultations with Territorians, penalties have been substantially increased. I agree with the member for Brennan: penalties based on penalty units are important because they will be continually updated.
Under the existing act, a maximum of $10 000 or one year’s imprisonment applies for an individual who damages a heritage site; however, under the bill before us those penalties are increased to $53 200, or two years imprisonment. Again, increasing penalties and improving provision for on the ground enforcement is an important part of the bill.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I thank all members and I thank the Heritage Advisory Council for its work over many years. I commend the bill to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Mr CHANDLER: Madam Chair, I would like to know why it takes 10 years to get legislation to the House?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said in my closing remarks, member for Brennan, it has taken a long time. I acknowledge that, and believe it is time to move on. We now have before us a modern piece of legislation which will continue to preserve for the future our heritage and cultural values.
In my second reading speech, I outlined why it has taken a long time: consultations with the community; with stakeholder groups such as the Heritage Advisory Council; with the recommendations paper that came to government in 2004; with government making decisions around that recommendations paper; going through the process within Cabinet and government; and the draft bill being released for public comment in February 2010.
To be honest, enough has been said about why it has taken so long to get where we are. We should now focus on parts of the bill members have questions on.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. However, in 2005, a Cabinet submission was accepted; I am interested in the process. You have said quite a bit about the process. You are in government, not me. Can you please explain why it takes five years to get a recommendation? I suggest the recommendation was made after exhaustive research had already been undertaken, consultation, the whole thing. We are five years from Cabinet agreeing we should introduce this legislation. Why does it take five years?
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Chair, I believe I have answered that. I outlined in my second reading speech and my closing remarks the process, the journey we took, and I believe I have answered that question.
Mr CHANDLER: I do not believe you have; however, we could be here another five years if we continue with this line of questioning. Perhaps that will give me an understanding of why it has taken so long.
There is mention in the legislation a heritage-listed building can be changed. Could you describe the process where the minister can delist a heritage-listed building or property?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, are you relating that to Part 2.4 - Revocation of declaration of heritage places and objects?
Mr CHANDLER: Yes.
Mr HAMPTON: That part of the bill applies to a heritage place or object that is permanently declared under Part 2.2, or is a protected class of heritage place or object. It goes through the definition - I am sure you have the bill in front of you. Division 2, Assessment for revocation of declaration of heritage places and objects says the minister may ask the council to assess whether the declaration of a heritage place or object should be revoked. In addition, the owner of a particular heritage place or object may ask the council to assess whether the declaration for the heritage place or object should be revoked. However, the owner of the heritage place or object may make a revocation request only if a revocation request for the place or object has not been made during the preceding 12 months and any of the following applies: a place or object no longer exists or is no longer of heritage significance; information is available about the heritage value of the place or object that has not previously been considered by the council; other relevant information is available that does not appear to have been taken into account by the minister when deciding previously whether or not to make or revoke the declaration.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, I understand what the bill says; however, I am more interested in the process that may make you want to look into revoking. For instance, we have what has been heritage listed as a crater. If you decided at some stage it was just a hole in the ground and does not have any value - the RAAF spent many years around the Lee Point area filling in crater holes to stop mosquitoes spreading at the old bomb dump. They are all craters with a link to Defence - perhaps not World War II - but craters from earlier days, no doubt.
If you felt that hole in the ground did not stack up, what is the process to delist that hole?
Mr HAMPTON: I am not going to get into hypotheticals. The process is clearly outlined in the bill. In regard to the Heritage Advisory Council, I would take strong advice from them as is required under the bill. I am not going to get caught up in hypotheticals. The process is clearly outlined in the bill.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. The reason I raised a hypothetical was to get a clearer understanding of the process. This is another hypothetical, but I am seriously interested in the process. You, as minister, may have some information, or may decide you want to delist a particular property. What is the process you go through?
Mr HAMPTON: The process is in the bill, and is the process I will follow with particular advice coming from different stakeholders - the property owner, the community, and the Heritage Advisory Council. That process is fairly well spelt out and the process I would follow.
Mr CHANDLER: Yes, minister, but it does not say how you make that determination. It says if you make a determination, if the Heritage Advisory Council makes application, or a property owner makes application, but as minister, what is the process for you to delist something?
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Chair, I believe I have answered that question. It is becoming quite repetitive.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister; no longer than this bill took to get to the House. Minister, could you please advise the House if there is a loss of precedence of the bill?
Mr HAMPTON: The advice from Parliamentary Counsel is that the existing act overrides other acts - the Planning Act and the Building Act, but the bill before us does not.
Mr CHANDLER: That answers that question, thank you. Minister, can you advise what, if any, protection does an average homeowner - we are talking hypotheticals but it is helpful to be clear on process. Someone is driving past a home and thinks: ‘That is a lovely example of a 1970s home. I am going to make application to have that heritage listed’. What protection does the average homeowner have from this occurring?
Mr HAMPTON: In relation to my concluding remarks and my second reading speech, the bill before us protects property owners’ interests in specified time lines for assessing nominations and works approvals, appeal rights, and now guarantees the Property Council of Australia a seat at the table. That homeowner, member for Brennan, can be guaranteed if the Heritage Advisory Council considers the nomination significant, they would be contacted about the possible nomination. An owner can be assured their view about whether the place ought to be heritage listed or not will be taken into account. That part of the bill requires it. Tight time limits apply to this part of the process so owners can be assured a decision about heritage listing, one way or the other, will be made in a reasonable time frame.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you minister. You mentioned in your closing debate there would be assistance provided to homeowners in particular. What is that assistance? Does that assistance include, for instance, if they want to appeal a decision? I understand there is a review process to go through where there should be no cost to a property owner; however, in a case we are dealing with at law, someone may require legal assistance. I am talking about an everyday person minding their own business where someone wants to use their property as an example. If you are honestly going to offer assistance, what kind of assistance will you provide for any review to the decision?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, there is some detail in Part 4.1 regarding tribunal reviews; however, I assume the review you are talking about would go before the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal?
Mr CHANDLER: So, no help with any legal advice or assistance in that way?
Mr HAMPTON: As I stated in my second reading speech, the draft bill also allows for review of decisions by the Heritage Advisory Council and decisions in relation to proposed work on declared heritage places. Whether that decision was taken by the Heritage Advisory Council or the minister, those reviews are merit based and are made to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal with the intention of allowing the matter to be heard in a forum less intimidating and less costly than going to court.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. We have often heard buildings with heritage listing have the potential to undervalue a property. If heritage listing diminishes the value of a property, have you considered a mechanism that would either protect the value or, even better, increase the value of a property once it has been heritage listed?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, in my closing remarks I talked about what assistance government provides private owners of heritage-listed places. Through the NT Heritage Grants Program and the government assistance program I outlined in my closing remarks, property owners are assisted in, hopefully, their property not devaluing and keeping their heritage-listed places up to scratch. We have also put in place $1m in repairs and maintenance programs for government-owned heritage listed places. Regarding the $280 000 in heritage grants, there is $120 000 to support operations of the National Trust of Australia. The $1m repairs and maintenance program for government-owned heritage places - more than any other government - we are putting resources and funding in to protect and maintain those heritage listed places, whether they are owned privately or by government.
Mr CHANDLER: You said there is a process to delist a property. There could be a situation where a property has a particular value and is heritage listed. The price is then significantly reduced and the owner of the property on-sells that property and has lost money, to the gain of the Territory, as a result of the heritage listing. If the heritage listing is removed and the new owner puts that block on the market and it goes through the roof, the new property owner has made money. What protections are in place to ensure that kind of process does not happen?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, I am not going to get caught up into hypotheticals. I am unsure where you are going with this, but protection provisions are in the bill. This is a modern bill. The strength of it, in offering greater protection to owners through our grants programs and keeping those places up to scratch, is my answer to that. I am not getting into hypotheticals. There is an appeal process in the bill. That is what people would have to go through if they have those issues you are talking about.
Madam CHAIR: Member for Brennan, given that it is now midday, we will suspend for lunch. The Committee of the Whole will resume following Question Time at 2 pm.
Debate suspended.
Continued from earlier this day.
In committee:
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, Madam Chair. Minister, the bill contains a requirement for notifications to appear in the Gazette and local newspapers. Would you consider widening that to include a website?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, while it does not appear in the bill, it is normal practice for that to appear on websites. Yes, it happens at the moment.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. In regard to the requirement for two Indigenous people on the board, while I can appreciate the intent behind that, would it not be fairer to design a position statement that provided for very specific needs, whether it is on cultural grounds, on attachment to the land, for reasons that would suit the best people out there. If an Indigenous person fits the bill, they could be given the position, rather than have positions specifically for Indigenous people?
I understand you could design a position description for those seats, but it does not rule out someone who is non-Indigenous with the capabilities and knowledge expected of that position description applying for the position. I am unsure why it is not on merit. We should be putting people in the right position based on the merit principle.
In this case, you could write a description with a heavy weight on Indigenous people, but why should it be specific to Indigenous people?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, in acknowledging the importance of all heritage and conservation issues in the Territory, a significant part of that is the archaeological sites and Macassan sites, also the Indigenous. We are in a unique situation in the Territory, particularly with our Indigenous population, the country, and some of the beautiful sites we have. We have the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority on the council; however, regarding that acknowledgement, that is why we have gone down the path of encouraging more Indigenous participation.
The council is based on merit. It is in Part 6.1, member for Brennan, as you may be aware. In relation to the Heritage Advisory Council, you are looking at the functions, the establishment, the provisions about membership, so you are right. The appointed members are representing different stakeholder groups from the National Trust of Australia, Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, local government, as well as an organisation representing the interests of landowners, and six persons with expertise or experience relevant to the administration of this bill.
Division 2, clause 128(4) of the bill says:
It is important to get Indigenous people on the board. The provisions within the bill relating to membership, duration of appointment, and nominations are sufficient. This will best serve the bill and heritage issues going forward.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. Do you feel the Property Council of Australia deserves a seat on the Heritage Advisory Council?
Mr Tollner: The department has to tell him the answer.
Ms Scrymgour: You want to have the Property Council of Australia and not an Aboriginal mob. That is what you are saying.
Mr Tollner: He asked him what he thought about it. He cannot say what he thinks.
Madam CHAIR: Order!
Ms Scrymgour: That is what you are saying. That is CLP policy. You are going to have the Property Council of Australia and whitefellas, not blackfellas.
Mr Tollner: You make those differentiations, Marion.
Madam CHAIR: Order! Order! Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, I have met with the Property Council of Australia and acknowledge one of its members is currently an active member of the Heritage Advisory Council. It was an instruction from Parliamentary Counsel to structure the membership of the council in the way it has. Part 6.1 of the bill lists membership of the council, and there is a seat at the table for someone representing the interests of landowners. A representative of an entity must be nominated by the entity. This is another area where a person could be represented at the table. What Parliamentary Counsel has instructed in relation to the bill is the most workable way to do it.
Mr CHANDLER: That does not quite answer the question, minister. Would you consider using one of the seats to appoint someone from the Property Council of Australia?
Mr HAMPTON: That would be based on the nomination, and the qualifications and experience of that person.
Mr CHANDLER: You would not consider nominating someone from the Property Council of Australia?
Mr HAMPTON: That is not what I am saying, member for Brennan. I would take each nomination on merit. You are getting into those hypotheticals again; however, I would take it on merit and consider the nominations as they come across my table.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, you are missing the point. This is not about someone from the Property Council of Australia being nominated. Would you nominate someone for a position? Would you use your right, as minister, to appoint someone from the Property Council of Australia?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said, provisions about membership are in the bill. I would look at nominations as they come across my desk. I have answered the question.
Mr CHANDLER: I will not keep going. Minister, you have not answered my question. You keep talking about nominations referred to you; I am talking about you making a decision because ministers are allowed to make decisions.
Madam Chair, is there flexibility within the bill you put forward where property owners could be notified of a heritage nomination at the time of nomination?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, it is not a requirement of the bill; however, I stated in my closing remarks and throughout debate, the owner is guaranteed to be advised if the Heritage Advisory Council considers the nomination significant. This bill strengthens provisions around time lines and appeal mechanisms which are to the benefit of building owners.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, whilst I listened in depth to your response, again, that was not the question. Will the owners of property be notified as soon as there is a nomination against their property?
Mr HAMPTON: Again, the bill does not require that, but it would be very rare for that to occur.
Mr CHANDLER: That was an answer, okay. Minister, can the Development Consent Authority give notice to the Heritage Advisory Council when an application has been received on a property that is heritage listed?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, that would happen as a matter of course.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you minister. I understand this bill binds the Crown. Could you please advise whether this bill can be used to list the houses currently on the RAAF Base, or would that have to be done through the federal government, given it is Commonwealth land?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, again, getting into hypotheticals. What we are dealing with today is the bill not particular incidents or issues you have identified today. There is a process to follow. The bill clearly outlines that through the legislation, and that is the process people need to follow. I am not going to get into hypotheticals about this one or that one.
Mr CHANDLER: The question then is: can I use this new bill to propose the houses on the RAAF Base be heritage listed?
Mr HAMPTON: I have answered that. A process would need to be followed in nomination, which would have to be adhered to no matter what you are proposing to nominate for heritage listing.
Mr CHANDLER: Could I use this bill to propose a nomination?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said, I am not getting into hypotheticals. Once the bill passes, there is a process you would need to follow for whatever you wish to nominate.
Mr CHANDLER: I appreciate that, minister. I do not want to harp on this; I simply need to know if I, a member of the public in the Northern Territory, can use this legislation and follow the process to nominate the houses on the RAAF Base for heritage listing within the NT?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said, there is a process in place once this legislation goes through. You need to follow that process in nomination.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, I am trying hard here. I do not want to harp on this; I just want to know if it is possible for someone in the Northern Territory to use this legislation about to be passed today to nominate the houses on the RAAF Base for heritage listing?
Mr HAMPTON: Again, I am happy to get back to you with advice on that, member for Brennan. However, regarding those houses and the land they are on, other issues need to be considered. Once this act passes, there is a process in place for nomination. I am happy to get back to you with more advice on your question.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you. That is all I have at the moment.
Mr WOOD: Madam Chair, the simple question is: does this act apply to Commonwealth land? Is it applicable to Commonwealth land – the Sidney Williams hut at the 11 Mile?
Mr HAMPTON: The short answer - and there are many legal complexities around that, is yes, we could apply it. Obviously, we would need to talk closely with the Commonwealth and the relevant departments in getting the best legal advice on that. It has happened previously.
Mr WOOD: That is all we needed to know. It can apply but, if it is Commonwealth land, it will have some input. I will try not to repeat any questions the member for Brennan has asked; however, I have a few clarifications. I have only used the new bill so some of my questions might relate to the old bill. From a legal point of view, what is the difference between an archaeological site and a heritage site? You classify sites as archaeological, but that is like ‘so what’?
Mr HAMPTON: My advice is they are all treated the same. The archaeological sites are a form of site and are treated the same as Macassan or Aboriginal sites and heritage-listed sites.
Mr WOOD: Thanks, minister. What is the point in having an archaeological site? Why are they not called Aboriginal and Macassan heritage sites? There is a section in the bill and I am wondering about the benefit of it? Does it have any legal ramifications? What difference would it make if it was called an Aboriginal or Macassan heritage place? It is in the bill, but I have not seen any other reference to it except in Chapter 2 Part 2.1. What is the point of that being in the bill?
Mr HAMPTON: This arrangement, member for Nelson, was negotiated when the current heritage legislation was first developed regarding Aboriginal and Macassan sites over a decade ago. These sites are of significance to a large proportion of the Territory population and meet the general criteria for protection as a class of heritage place. For example, there is a high degree of consensus about their value and the type of site is readily identifiable. In other words, most people would know this type of site when they see it. Protection of individual sites is not practical; in some cases, the existence of the site may not be known. I do not know if that answers …
Mr WOOD: Thank you, I do not disagree at all. However, my question was: why do you not call them heritage places. What makes an archaeological site? How old does a site have to be to have an archaeological classification?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, we are looking through the definitions within the draft bill which say an archaeological place is a place that relates to (a) the past human occupation of the Territory and (b) has been modified by the activity of the occupiers.
Mr WOOD: That is where my question came from. How long ago did it have to be modified by the activity of the occupier? Further down the definitions say an archaeological object is a relic which relates to past human occupation. If someone made an artefact six months ago, is that classified as an archaeological object, a heritage object, or not classified as anything because it is too young. I am looking at how we get to these definitions.
How do you define an archaeological object or an archaeological place in the time period? I was looking to get an understanding of that. Someone made these definitions; I am trying to work out how they did that.
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, there is no absolute criteria on the nomination of sites. It goes back to what has been picked up in the discussion paper over many years of consultation with the community. These are sites people have identified as worthy of being categorised. It has come from the Territory community through discussions around Aboriginal and Macassan sites, as well as archaeological sites; however, there is no set criterion in determining which ones are and which ones are not.
Mr WOOD: Do we have archaeological sites on some of the early mines in the Daly River area where the Chinese might have been working? If you dug there and found bits of old beds or old shovels, does that become an archaeological site or a heritage site? I am trying to understand why those definitions exist. Can you have a non-Aboriginal archaeological site? It could be the British at Fort Dundas on Melville Island; it could be the Chinese who used to fish at the mouth of the Daly River. Are those sites archaeological or heritage?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, they could possibly be archaeological sites, but the only ones given blanket protection are the Aboriginal and Macassan sites.
Mr WOOD: I will not dwell on this too much more, but who would decide what is what?
Mr HAMPTON: If there is a site worthy of nomination, it would go through that process; however, it would have to be the person wanting to nominate it.
Mr WOOD: It gets back to what I said in the first place. I cannot see any difference between an archaeological site and a heritage site, but I will leave that for another day. It was something that appeared when I was reading it and I cannot see a reason for it being there.
This was raised in regard to a private place being declared a heritage place; is there any assistance from government to maintain that place? You quoted a figure before - I did some quick maths and it worked out at about $14 000 per site. I believe you had 13 or 16 grants for a couple of hundred thousand dollars. I will use the Chin Building. Obviously, $14 000 would not go far to maintain a building like that. Does the government have larger grants for a building that might have a higher cost to maintain? I understand where those smaller grants come from; however, the Wesleyan Church, which was on Knuckey Street, was declared a heritage place - it probably was declared a heritage object in the end because it was moved. If the owners of that building wanted it maintained, or the government said they have to maintain it, are there opportunities for owners to get more than $14 000 a year to upgrade a building if the government wants it to be called a heritage place or heritage object? Are there other avenues, because otherwise it becomes a burden on the owner?
Mr HAMPTON: There is no fixed figure on that. It could be up to a maximum of $30 000 and could be staged over a period of time. There would be a number of programs across other government agencies and the Commonwealth government. Namatjira’s house has national heritage listing; however, there are programs and grants available through other government agencies, at Commonwealth level, and philanthropic or private organisations that might have an interest in that building.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. Move to where a place or object is nominated by a person, goes through the processes, and is rejected. Can the nominee appeal to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal or is that regarded as a third party appeal? Is that appeal only for the person whose place or residence is being nominated?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, if it is a decision by the minister, as I believe your question was, those appeals would only be on legal grounds.
Mr WOOD: Now you have confused me. I thought you had room for an appeal through the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal.
In Chapter 4, you have reviewable decisions. Is that only under Schedule 1? You can only appeal through Schedule 1, which says a reviewable decision is a council or minister’s decision on application for work approval, or council decision that a place or object is not a heritage nomination.
Only certain cases can go to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal?
Mr HAMPTON: That is right. It depends on who is appealing and who is making that decision. If it is a decision of the Heritage Advisory Council, it goes through to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal. If it is made by the minister, it is a matter of law.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. How do places like the Old Telegraph Station in Alice Springs fit within the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act and the Heritage Conservation Act? Is one superior to the other?
I presume the Old Telegraph Station is there because, from a conservation point of view, it is declared a Park’s site ...
A member: And Tennant Creek.
Mr WOOD: Tennant Creek, the same thing. Do the acts overlap or is one superior to the other when it comes to maintaining that place?
Mr HAMPTON: The advice, and it is pretty straightforward, is they operate together where you have a place like the Old Telegraph Station being managed through Parks and Wildlife, and you have sites within that boundary heritage listed. They work side by side.
Mr WOOD: I understand that. However, who makes the decision when it comes to painting the front door? If there are changes to the building Parks might want to make, who makes the decision - Parks or Heritage?
Mr HAMPTON: It depends on the scale of the works - minor new works or major capital works. Within the bill that would trigger – the answer to who is responsible is the minister who signs off on the capital works to the particular heritage-listed parts of that park?
Mr WOOD: You are the minister for both. Would you sign off because Parks wanted to do some work on the building or because the heritage side wanted to do the building? Which act applies to doing work on a particular building on a site within a park?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, it would be as minister for Heritage.
Mr WOOD: I wanted to have that clarified. What happens if the sacred site is also a heritage site? According to Part 1.3, Part 3.1 does not apply to a sacred site or sacred object. They are not at odds with one another - apply to a sacred site? Does it have something to do with the other act? What is the reason for that?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, the advice is Part 1.3 of the Heritage Bill we are talking about is in relation to heritage agreements. Regarding your question, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority and the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act will take precedence over heritage if it is a sacred site. We do not have heritage agreements over sacred sites.
Mr WOOD: Yes, I thought one protected the other. I did not know why one was exclusive of the other. Clause 39 deals with provisional declaration. I hope I have not misunderstood this, but you can have a provisional declaration. Clause 39 says:
(a) the permanent declaration of the place or object to be a heritage place or object;
Does anything require you to have a time limit on how long you can hold something with a provisional declaration? Otherwise, the person whose property or object has a provisional declaration over it, according to this, could wait forever?
Madam CHAIR: Minister, you have the call. Members of the public, you are asked to be silent in the gallery, please.
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, regarding the question of duration of provisional declaration, it could be up to the maximum of 10 months to allow the provisional declaration. The maximum time is 10 months; however, whatever time it might take before that.
Mr WOOD: Could you advise where 10 months appears in the bill, minister?
Mr HAMPTON: The time lines, member for Nelson, are clauses 21 to 35 of the bill. In a nutshell, the Heritage Advisory Council must accept, or refuse to accept, a nomination as soon as practicable after receiving it. As soon as practicable would normally mean at the next scheduled meeting of the Heritage Advisory Council. The Heritage Advisory Council must complete the assessment of a place or object within six months; however, there are circumstances in which the assessment period may be extended. If the Heritage Advisory Council decides a place or object is of heritage significance it must seek comment. Submissions must be made to the Heritage Advisory Council within 28 days. The Heritage Advisory Council must decide whether or not to recommend to the minister the place or object in question be declared a heritage place or object within 60 days after the end of the public consultation period. The Heritage Advisory Council must then provide recommendation to the minister to this effect as soon as practicable. The minister must make a decision on the Heritage Advisory Council’s recommendation within 30 days of having received it. So, there are staged parts to that process.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. I will blame the parliamentary draftsman. Sometimes you go a few pages ahead and there is nothing to give you a suggestion that, if you want to look for times, you have to go back to clause 21. Perhaps a few notes we sometimes had in these bills would help.
This is a new area, so I would not mind a lesson on the difference between protected classes of places and objects. I was trying to work out how this operates in real life. The bill talks about the remains of World War II aircraft wrecks or World War II coastal fortification sites. Does that mean this section puts a broad-brush approach over all World War II aircraft wrecks? What kind of protection does that give, as distinct from picking out an individual plane and giving it heritage protection? How does it work in practice? There are many World War II aircraft still in the bush somewhere, so is it meant to give the same protection as if an individual plane was regarded as a heritage object?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, the advice I have received is it is the same level of protection. If it is within the World War II category, individual sites would have the same level of protection.
Mr WOOD: I am trying to look at the practical application. The Heritage Advisory Council may initiate assessment of heritage significance and there will be public consultation. At the end of that, could they say all World War II ack-ack sites - and there are plenty of them - are now protected classes of places and therefore every site is protected. In a practical way, is that what it means?
Mr HAMPTON: The answer would be yes, in theory, but there has been no decision made in classifications.
Mr WOOD: I understand that. If I said I would like to nominate ack-ack sites in the Top End as protected sites, the process would be to put a nomination forward and the Heritage Advisory Council would assess it. How would people who could be affected by that know? Some of these sites are on private land, some on the Stuart Highway road reserve, so what is the process to eventually declare these protected classes of places?
Mr HAMPTON: In regard to the bill, Part 2.3 clause 45 relates to public consultation on heritage significance of places or objects, which outlines the process. The Heritage Advisory Council may initiate assessment of heritage significance. It goes through that process then, in preparing a statement of heritage value for places or objects of the class, gives written notice to the municipal or shire council in the area the place or objects are known to be situated. It invites submissions on the heritage significance of places or objects of the class by publishing notices in a newspaper circulating generally throughout the Northern Territory.
The notice must state the following: where copies of the statement of heritage value can be obtained, submissions are to be made to the council in writing within 28 days after the public notice is given, which is the public consultation period. The council must make available, without fee, copies of the statement of heritage value and the council’s decision within 60 days after the end of the public consultation period. The council must decide whether or not to recommend that the minister declare the class of places or objects to be a protected class of places or objects. That outlines the process within the bill.
Mr WOOD: You raised a question I was going to ask later regarding the discovery of archaeological places and objects. Imagine you declared all the ack-ack sites and, after all the work had been done, someone knew they had a few on their property but did not want the government knowing otherwise it might stop them putting in a few more mango trees. Does clause 114 apply to someone not notifying the government of - in this case, it calls it an archaeological place? That gets back to what is an archaeological place versus a heritage place, or a protected class of places, because ack-ack sites are 60-plus years old. Does clause 114 apply if people are not told they have protected classes of places or objects on their land?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, if new sites are discovered, as you are alluding to, and are part of the protected classification, they are protected by the legislation. Yes, it would apply.
Mr WOOD: Should the definition under clause 114 - the heading ‘Discovery of archaeological places and objects’ - also cover these sites?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, clause 114 is related to the obligation to report.
Mr WOOD: Is that only Aboriginal or Macassan sites?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, that is right, an obligation to report …
Mr WOOD: So it would apply …
Mr HAMPTON: … the discovery.
Mr WOOD: It would not apply to ack-ack sites at all? If someone had …
Mr HAMPTON: If they are part of that classification, they are protected anyway.
Mr WOOD: They are protected, but if you had a World War II plane on your property, do you have to declare it?
Mr HAMPTON: You do not have to report it.
Mr WOOD: I will get back to clause 114 later. Exempt work under Part 3.3 - I asked this at the briefing; however, I wanted to get it on record. Years ago, I read in National Geographic how they took 10 or 15 layers of paint off the White House in Washington to find the original building material - the architraves etcetera. So much paint had been put on the building you could not see some of the fine work that had been done.
Is the paint put on a building over the years - say the Old Telegraph Station painted over the last 100 years with layers and layers of paint - would you require approval to remove the paint to get back to the basic material the Old Telegraph Station was made of, or would you regard that as exempt work? I give you that example - when they took the paint off they found what the building looked like. It might be a case of buildings in town being painted so often for so long, part of the heritage you are trying to preserve has disappeared.
Would removal of that paint require permission? Would it be regarded as exempt work, or is the paint itself heritage, especially if it has been there for a long time?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, often it is a case of judgment for the builder, the owner, or the person doing the painting to make that call. I always say to people: ‘If in doubt, call the Heritage division’. However, Part 3.3, clause 78: Regulation may exempt work of the bill gives examples of repair or maintenance work. The declaration may be made for repair or maintenance work and it gives examples of painting a place in a colour that conforms to the existing colour scheme, and repairs to a place using the same types of materials and construction methods as originally used.
Again, it is a matter of judgment and I always encourage, if in doubt, contact my department.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. My house is not up to the stage where I have to worry about the layers of paint; it just needs paint!
The general powers of entry to a place under Part 5.2, clause 101, were raised by the member for Brennan. He said a person has power to enter a place; however, I cannot see, in an emergency, how you have the power to enter a property if you cannot get a warrant - maybe it is physically impossible to obtain a warrant - you do not have consent from the owner, and you are not entering at a reasonable time. A classic example would be the Hotel Darwin, which was at night.
Where does the bill give the power, in an emergency, for a heritage officer to enter a place to stop work before something is destroyed?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, Part 5.2 of the bill is: Powers of heritage officers to enter places. This has been on the advice of the Department of Justice, and is for the administrative enforcement of the bill. A heritage officer may enter a place at any reasonable time, or any place at any time, with the consent of the occupier of the place, or under a search warrant issued for the place. That is there on the advice of the Department of Justice. However, what you are saying would require further legal advice.
Mr WOOD: Using the Hotel Darwin example of being knocked down at 11 pm, which means it is not at a reasonable time and does not have the consent of the occupier of the place - I cannot get a search warrant because the magistrate is out of town and the bulldozer or big shovel is about to smash in through the Green Room. Are you saying this bill would not allow a heritage officer to put a stop work on that in the case of an emergency?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, had we had this with the Hotel Darwin, one of the provisions would have prevented what happened - interim protection. That is a strength of the bill. There would have been interim protection as it was nominated and awaiting declaration. However, Part 5.2, clause 101, of the bill, Powers of heritage officers to enter places, says:
(1) For the administration or enforcement of this Act, a heritage officer may enter:
That would give the heritage officer the power to enter.
Mr WOOD: Yes, that is correct, but not at 11 pm at night or 1 am in the morning, which is usually when people knock down buildings when they know they are not going to be popular. It appears there is not the grunt in this needed in cases of emergency. I ask the minister to look at that because the Hotel Darwin has been mentioned many times in this debate. That is a classic example of a beautiful building being destroyed.
Say it had not been nominated, but people loved that building and, if someone saw a big bulldozer or a front end loader turning up there at midnight, you would hope a heritage officer would have the power to say: ‘You cannot do that. There is a 24-hour hold on that work because there is a belief this site could be of heritage value’. I understand what you are saying - it could be an interim order - and under the interim order you have those powers; however, those powers should remain, in case something could be done. I presume, as I read it, the place could be a heritage place.
For instance, a classic example is the railway line. Some of the bridges have been declared heritage – that is probably not the right example; it is better on private land. Say the Wesleyan Church was declared a heritage object and someone went to smash it up. Other than the police officer, is it possible the heritage officer would not have the power to enter because it was done at midnight; he did not have the consent of the occupier to go in there, and he could not get a search warrant? He would have to allow someone to damage that building; is that correct?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, I am happy to look further into that; however, it also raises questions about criminal activity and, if people are undertaking that type of activity, it becomes something that would be picked up by the police, a security person, or witnesses would be called for a court action. I take on board what you say about that part of the act.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. I used the wrong example there. It would have been better to say the owner of the building was knocking it down, which would make it less criminal, but went against the whole idea of the Heritage Bill.
Minister, I thank you for checking to see if that part of the bill needs more teeth. Obviously, the member for Brennan can ring a magistrate, but if there is a bulldozer sitting there about to go, you might not have time. You might have to say: ‘I am the heritage officer, here is my power; please stop’. Some of these buildings, as we know in Queensland from time to time, have fallen down in the middle of the night.
The other question is on clause 110. I raise this because we are looking at some OH&S harmonising laws coming to the Territory. Clause 110 relates to the power to require information from certain persons. Clause 110 says:
(2) The heritage officer may require the person to give information about the suspected offence.
In other words, the person does not have the right to remain silent. Under this bill, there is no carrot approach. The new OH&S laws say we are asking you to give us information and, if you do, you cannot be charged with any offence relating to that information. In other words: ‘You do not have the right to remain silent, but if you speak up on this issue, if you know something about it, it will not be held against you in a court of law’. Therefore, you are encouraging the person to not remain silent and there is no penalty. However, this suggests if you remain silent, you are in trouble.
I would be interested to know if - I know what is coming in the OH&S harmonising laws - that type of approach would give a better chance of getting information from people in the case where there could be something that contravenes this bill. Minister, do you think the government could look at that?
Mr HAMPTON: Many of the legal parts of the bill have been taken on the advice of the Department of Justice. We are trying not to have a culture of cover-up. If there are things happening with heritage places and people have relevant information, we want them to come out with it. That is the answer to your question. It is about the culture and getting people to come out if they are aware of contravention of the requirements. That has been taken on the advice of the Department of Justice.
Mr WOOD: I understand that minister. The suggestion was around a better chance to gain information if you applied the other process.
Clause 114 again: Discovery of archaeological places and objects. A penalty of 20 penalty units exists if you do not tell the department about a site you have found. If you do not tell the department about a site will you end up in gaol or will you be fined? What is the long-term process of someone not following clause 114? Someone might want to keep it for themself in the sense they might not want anyone else to go there. In reality, are you saying if a person hid an archaeological place or object and did not tell anyone about it, they could theoretically go to gaol?
Mr HAMPTON: We are proposing that the penalty is 20 penalty units, not gaol.
Mr WOOD: I understand that, minister. I am wondering if a person continued to not report the site. People might say they found something but refuse to give a description of the place, the object or its location, or refuse to give their name and address. What happens if they refuse? Do they get a fine and that is it, or is there another way of compelling the person to say where that object or place is? It Is only the fine? All right.
Clause 115 talks about alternative verdicts. I had a bit of trouble working out the alternative verdicts. What does it mean? Why is it in this bill? Is this something new that only applies to this bill? Could you give me a better understanding of what this clause means. It talks about the trier of fact - an unusual term - and a prosecuted offence and an alternative offence. Could you give me a quick summary of why that is in the bill? Is it different to other acts?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, in relation to alternative verdicts, the alternative offence is not unique to this bill. Again, this has been put in on the advice of the Department of Justice. As clause 115 says it:
(a) is not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt the person committed the prosecuted offence; but
Mr WOOD: We will leave it for another day because that is a little complicated. I would not mind revisiting that to see what it all means. When you say mentioned in the table opposite, there is not a table opposite. There is a table titled ‘alternative verdicts’; perhaps that is what they are referring to. I will move on from that; we could be here for a while looking at that.
Some final questions, minister. This relates to discussions I have had elsewhere; do police know they are heritage officers? I hope I am not speaking out of turn, but when we had our public meeting at Mataranka on animal welfare, one of the people said they had gone to the police station and asked: ‘Can you come down and look at these animals?’ because, under the Animal Welfare Act, police have those powers and the police officers did not realise that. When this bill was being put together, was there any discussion with police to advise them they are also heritage officers?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, that is a very good point. The advice I have received is water police know they are heritage officers; however, once the bill is enacted, we have some work to do with the general police to let them know what powers they will have.
Mr WOOD: Thanks, minister. I presume, in the case of a front end loader knocking down a building, a police officer might have more power than the heritage officer; would that be true? They could go on site without a warrant in the case of an emergency?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes.
Mr WOOD: Will heritage officers get some investigative skills? Will they know what they have to do if they are to prosecute someone?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, we have about three or four heritage officers and the work of the Heritage division now is to build its capacity - we acknowledge that. Once the bill is passed, we will commence building that capacity and knowledge of the new act and their powers.
Mr WOOD: Will they be doing a Certificate I, II, and III in investigative skills? That area is missing in some of our departments?
Mr HAMPTON: They will be doing a Certificate IV in Compliance Training.
Mr WOOD: At the moment do any of them have those skills?
Mr HAMPTON: They have not completed that training. They do not have the skills at the moment.
Mr WOOD: It would be good if they pick up those skills. Apart from the alternative verdict section - I will catch up with the department on that - thank you for those answers. The important question is the power of the heritage officer in cases of emergency. If that is not there, you have a weakness. It may only happen once in a blue moon, but the blue moon could be another Hotel Darwin. We need to ensure that, in times of emergency, there should be a section which allows for that. Thank you, Madam Chair, I have no more questions.
Mr HAMPTON: A point of clarification, Madam Chair. I want to clarify a statement I made in my closing remarks about the saltpan heritage site. The process was kick-started by the Country Liberal Party when in government. I am advised the CLP minister was Tim Baldwin. Minister Baldwin requested his department take some action in respect of the conservation of the saltpans. The Heritage Advisory Council then nominated the site of its own accord at its meeting on 15 June 2001. The process then, unfortunately, took some time to progress. It was then that a member of the Haritos family made contact and the process towards listing was reactivated.
Madam Chair, the nomination came from the Heritage Advisory Council and was kick-started by the then CLP minister, Tim Baldwin. As I said in my original statement, the Haritos family is very supportive of the listing.
Bill, as a whole, agreed to.
Bill to be reported without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Speaker, today I speak on the progress we have been making in the most important area of health - to build a strong, skilled, and stable workforce through our Grow Our Own strategy. There is no doubt our health workforce is our greatest asset. Anyone who has had contact with our health system through your own care, or the treatment of family members, has witnessed the dedication and commitment of our health workers. We value the efforts of all staff within the health system, and the real change they are making every day in the lives of Territory families.
This government realises that without a skilled and stable workforce, the effectiveness of our health services is limited. We have employed a number of strategies to increase the skill and quality of the workforce from growing our own health professionals to attracting specialist staff to train and mentor local health staff.
We reached a milestone in the history of health and education services in the Territory this year with the commencement of the first full Northern Territory medical school program. Based at Charles Darwin University, the highly-respected Flinders University medical program is now offered to Territorians on their home ground. Now, for the first time, Territory kids can enter preschool and continue their education right through primary, middle, and senior school to university and become a doctor without having to leave the Territory.
Our first homegrown doctors will graduate at the end of 2014. That will be a very proud day for the Labor government in the Territory and the federal government which have brought this vision to reality; a partnership with Flinders and Charles Darwin universities. We are fortunate to have a number of remarkable educators leading the Northern Territory medical program; educators who share our vision for Territorians and Indigenous people to become medical practitioners, and who understand, appreciate, and are committed to addressing the health, cultural, and wellbeing needs of Territorians.
Vice-Chancellor, Barney Glover from CDU, Vice-Chancellor Michael Barber from Flinders; Professor Michael Kidd, Executive Dean; Professor Paul Worley, Dean, School of Medicine, Flinders University; and Professor Michael Lowe have guided the development of this initiative from its early days. Professor Sarah Strasser, Associate Dean of Flinders University NT, provides the day-to-day leadership of the school. We thank them all for their patience and leadership in steering this program on its path to provide our workforce of the future.
In February this year, 24 Territory students, 10 of them Indigenous, commenced a four-year postgraduate program. It was my pleasure, with the Chief Minister and federal minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, to meet the students at the launch of semester one. These students have come to their studies with diverse qualifications and experience such as nursing, Aboriginal health work, law, veterinary science, and health policy.
In June this year, the new medical school facility at CDU was officially opened by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister. The building provides state-of-the-art facilities for learning with advanced technology capabilities and clinical laboratory areas. Planning for a second facility on the Royal Darwin Hospital campus is currently under way, which provides a total of $27m commitment to train Territory doctors. These facilities are amongst the best in Australia.
Students are also placed with GP supervisors at the Palmerston GP Super Clinic as another real life learning experience. Additional facilities are under development at Royal Darwin Hospital campus for Year 3 and 4 students, when the learning curriculum is more directed to clinical experience with acute patients.
The postgraduate program offers Northern Territory students a sponsored tertiary education, basically equivalent to their HECS fees and, in return, students are bonded to work for the Department of Health for two years upon completion of their medical training. The course curriculum provides opportunity for all students to learn about Indigenous health and how to deliver a culturally safe and appropriate service. They use a problem-based learning approach and have developed a standard patient program where community members act as volunteer patients with simulated conditions for the students to work within their training. These are wonderful opportunities for students to enhance their skills and for the community to be involved in the development of our future doctors.
Not only is the medical school a huge bonus for our children, but it also provides another attraction for recruitment of quality practitioners to the Territory. The medical school has been actively recruiting lecturers and tutors to their teaching staff. This provides an incentive for many medical practitioners to add teaching to their professional career skills and is an attraction for them to come, live, work, and stay in the Territory.
Equally important in the growing our own workforce development strategy has been the establishment of the school leavers’ pathway for entry into medicine. The undergraduate degree commenced this year at Charles Darwin University with a Bachelor of Clinical Science course. This is traditionally a three-year course; however, upon satisfactory performance in Year 1 and 2, 12 positions are dedicated to be fast-tracked into the Northern Territory postgraduate medical program. This means successful and suitable students will enter the Flinders Northern Territory medical program in their third year and, at the same time, complete their three-year CDU health science degree. These students will graduate with a double degree in science from Flinders CDU and medicine from Flinders on completion.
Applications for the 2012 undergraduate program are assessed based on a student’s Year 12 results and performance in the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Science Admission Test or UMAT. UMAT was conducted on 27 July and we wish all Territory students the best with these results.
The positive relationship between the Northern Territory government, Charles Darwin University, Flinders University, and the Australian government has delivered this outstanding opportunity for our children and provides a strong future for our health workforce with up to 40 new doctors graduating every year from 2014.
Not only do we need to train new doctors, we have to train qualified doctors in the particular skills we need for sustainable services across the Territory. There is an increasing demand for general practitioners with procedural skills such as obstetrics and anaesthetics to address workforce issues in regional hospitals and remote centres. We have developed a Northern Territory plan to train and introduce a rural generalist workforce. The training pathways will provide mechanisms to ensure these doctors achieve advanced skills and vocational training as a general practitioner. There will be adequate and competitive remuneration for these recognised skills. This will help us create a collaborative rural medical workforce serving doctors in procedural skill sets and services that will form the foundation of providing Territorians better access to rural health services.
The Northern Territory’s inaugural Rural Generalist Trainee Workshop was held in late August at the medical school in collaboration with Queensland’s Rural Generalist program. The workshop was a great success and forged relationships between Queensland and the Northern Territory to collaboratively develop a rural medical workshop. This initiative is another plan in our Grow our Own strategy that will address workforce shortages and improve access to services for Territorians in rural hospitals across the Northern Territory.
A strong and stable nursing workforce is equally critical to our health system. We have been consistently strengthening a range of initiatives to support nurses to enter, remain, and re-enter the workforce with the specialist skills we require. A graduate nurse program is offered for beginning practitioner, registered, and enrolled nurses. In 2011, 96 graduate nurses were employed across our public hospitals after they completed their nursing qualification at Charles Darwin University. A specialised remote health graduate nurse program called Ochre to Aqua is offered to support young nurses in adapting to that unique workplace.
This year, we introduced a graduate midwifery program to assist graduate midwives consolidate their skills and knowledge as a transition from a student role into a beginning practitioner role. It is anticipated Alice Springs, Katherine, and Royal Darwin Hospitals will employ graduates.
Throughout the health system, we require nurses with specialist skills to provide high-quality care for Territorians. This government financially supports nurses and midwives to gain postgraduate qualifications where there are areas of need. Twelve to 14 registered nurses are supported to undertake their Graduate Diploma in Midwifery while employed in maternity services in Alice Springs, Darwin, and Katherine, with a minimum of 12 weeks of clinical time built into the program.
Ten nurses from the renal units in Alice Springs and Darwin are supported to undertake their Graduate Diploma in Nursing with a focus on renal nursing. Four nurses are supported to undertake their Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health. Acute care nurses are supported to undertake two-year programs for the Graduate Diploma in Emergency, Intensive Care, Paediatrics, and Oncology Nursing.
In remote health, all nursing staff without formal remote qualifications are enrolled and funded for two units of the Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Practice as part of the orientation process.
Quality and sustainable maternity services are vital in the Territory. We have introduced a number of initiatives to support and develop our midwives, and to keep them in the Northern Territory. The midwifery exchange program with the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne supports the professional development of Territory midwives who have not had recent experience in large metropolitan hospitals down south, and for experienced interstate midwives to get the Territory experience, caring for women and their families in urban and remote settings. This initiative facilitates quality practice standards and safety initiatives for the benefit of Territory women. For midwives, it will provide them with an opportunity to enhance their midwifery skills and knowledge. The first midwife from the Royal Women’s Hospital arrived in April 2011 for a three-month rotation.
We continue to strengthen the nursing workforce through the introduction of nurse practitioners and expanding the scope of practice for nurses. Ten remote area nurses now have permits to perform limited radiographic procedures. This is great news for patients in remote areas who do not have to face a trip into town for a simple X-ray. It has reduced the demand on patient travel and the busy emergency radiology departments.
Training in providing antenatal ultrasounds is being progressed for remote doctors, midwives, and Aboriginal Health Workers. It is great news for remote women, who can have confirmation and early dating ultrasound scans within the community instead of having to leave to undergo simple diagnostic procedures.
Charles Darwin University has also established a range of allied health courses in pharmacy, medical laboratory science, and social work. Charles Darwin University will also be offering a Master of Clinical Psychology commencing in 2013, and has developed pathways to a post graduate degree, in partnership with Flinders University, in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Nutrition and Dietetics. This will allow students to undertake a Bachelor of Health Sciences or Clinical Sciences, and undertake units that provide a pathway into the masters program offered by Flinders University. The outcome will be the opportunity to undertake the majority of their study in the Northern Territory with an option for their final year of workplace clinical placements within Northern Territory health services.
Not only are we developing future doctors and nurses; I turn now to the vocational pathways in place for assisting high school students into a health and community service career. Since 2006, school-based apprenticeships have been offered to increase the numbers of students in health and community services by promoting and creating clear educational pathways in skill capped areas. School-based apprenticeships give students the ability to undertake real tasks which contribute to them completing their qualification and incrementally develop their employment skills.
In 2010-11, the department has supported a total of 18 school-based apprentices studying certificates in Community Services, Business, Dental Assisting, and Health Service Assistance in Pharmacy. Nine of the 18 school-based apprentices are Indigenous. Since 2010, the department has been developing a Certificate III Dental Assisting school-based training program specifically to target Northern Territory school students.
We also participate in Indigenous cadetship programs providing Aboriginal people studying a degree, diploma, or advanced diploma with financial assistance to complete their studies and paid work experience during semester breaks. The cadetship program is open for studies in medicine, medical science, nursing, pharmacy, dental therapy, radiography, speech pathology, physiotherapy, environmental health, social work, psychology, and occupational therapy.
We have worked hard to address the important workforce needs for the health system. We have set the right direction to build a sustainable workforce into the future. We have introduced pathways for Territorians to enter the health workforce, gaining unique experience and making a real contribution to improve the life of the community and family. Growing our own workforce provides a brighter future for Territorians. With the booming exploration and mining industry, we are investing in growing our own through offering a scholarship for a young Territorian to undertake university studies in the area of minerals and energy. The scholarship offers: financial assistance of $12 000 per year for three years; assistance with gaining local employment during university vacations; and opportunities to develop skills and knowledge in the mining and petroleum industries for a student studying or proposing to start towards attaining an appropriate qualification. The key is to encourage locals to provide local experience as they are more likely to stay in the Territory where the community can benefit from their acquired skills.
Fisheries research and aquatic resource management has also provided a place for numerous work experience students who are interested in a career in fisheries, in raising the awareness of opportunities on offer, and in growing our own. Departmental staff participate in a range of forums to present aspects of fisheries science and the opportunities on offer to school groups. Marine ranger training, in conjunction with Charles Darwin University, water police, and the nationally accredited Certificate II in Seafood Industry (Fisheries Compliance Support) has been very successful. The course was run in 2009 and 2010 for 44 Indigenous male rangers. In 2011, the course has been run for 12 Indigenous female rangers. The course delivered seafood industry units, including being linked to coxswain certificate training and providing practical training in the skills required to undertake these roles. The Fisheries Indigenous program has also delivered school talks to primary school classes about the roles of fisheries and marine rangers.
The Department of Resources pastoral production team also engages young Territorians to promote opportunities in our diverse primary industry sector. In particular, we have had an ongoing association with Girraween Primary School over the past two to four years, and the department has provided support for the Sustainable School in Action field day where departmental officers assist, through participating in the field day, the farm activities, and the school farm, with cows from the Department of Resources for the event.
Beatrice Hill farm staff have provided technical assistance to the Girraween school farm since its commencement. I must recognise the hard work of the dedicated team of parents and school staff who contribute to the running of the school farm.
Since the establishment of Taminmin College, advice and assistance has been offered in the area of primary production, animal production, weed control, and pastures. As members would be aware, students undertake work experience at Douglas Daly Research Farm and with our extension officers. The Douglas Daly Research Farm also hosts day tours of students from Taminmin College to raise awareness of the opportunities on offer. Beatrice Hill farm has also provided many work venues for VET classes from Taminmin College.
The department provided technical input and equipment to the Alawa Primary School Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association project in 2009. Department of Resources officers also assist work experience students from interstate universities by undertaking the practical component of their studies. My department also supports Indigenous employment through action under its Indigenous employment strategy. Entry level employment programs, cross-cultural awareness training, and mentoring are key elements of this strategy.
My department also hosts an Indigenous cadetship support program, an apprentice program, and an Indigenous employment program. These are all entry level activities which the department actively uses and promotes. For example, in 2011, the department is supporting two Indigenous cadets with their degree level studies; one is studying at Charles Darwin University and one is undertaking studies at James Cook University. Both cadets receive aid and support, including the reinvestment of HECS fees upon successful completion, mentoring, and paid work placements.
To promote awareness of our entry level Indigenous program, we have commenced a school liaison program. The Department of Resources has engaged Kormilda College and Darwin High School and also had discussions with Charles Darwin University. Further schools are to be included in this scheme. The department’s Indigenous mentoring training program was conducted in August 2011 to support a diverse workplace which mirrors our community. Twelve staff members from across the agency attended the course. Increasing Indigenous employment, particularly in the technical and professional streams, remains a key employment priority for this government.
Turning to Children and Families: as a government we have invested considerable funding and resources to strengthen the Territory’s child protection staff, and staff who look after the wellbeing of Territory Children and Families’ staff.
As part of the progress of the learning and development framework for the Department of Children and Families, a pathways program is planned to support those administrative staff to move into the professional stream through a number of supported study options. Staff involved in learning and development are undergoing preliminary consultation with CDU and other stakeholders, including forming a working party to progress the qualification framework. The department will be recruiting to a position which would be dedicated to developing and implementing this program. It is anticipated over the next 12 months, the program will be developed and implemented.
The Department of Children and Families also recently signed an in-principle agreement with Charles Darwin University to make available a number of permanent employment opportunities for graduates from the course. This also provides membership to the Australian Association of Social Workers. The agreement aims to offer guaranteed employment over a five-year period to a maximum of 25 students per annum as a Professional 1 frontline child protection practitioner with the department once they graduate. CDU’s eligible courses are the Bachelor of Social Work and the Bachelor of Humanitarian and Community Studies. Additional qualifications at CDU which allow graduates of those courses to become P1 frontline child protection practitioners are also being considered by a steering committee. There will be a twice-yearly intake into DCF to coincide with graduations. Graduates will be employed according to standard conditions of employment for Professional 1 frontline child protection practitioners in any location in the Territory as determined by DCF.
To enhance the work readiness of CDU graduates and other suitably-recognised and qualified graduates for employment with the department, where possible, we will provide work placement for four-year students enrolled in an eligible qualification. All placements with DCF will be undertaken according to workplace supervision requirements outlined by the Australian Association of Social Workers and Australian Community Workers Association, which includes a recognised qualification and two years post-qualification work experience.
CDU has invited the Department of Children and Families to input into course content on developing student work readiness. Accordingly, the department intends to discuss the possibility of developing specific child protection subjects. Work readiness is aimed to ensure graduates are adequately prepared for employment with the department. Additionally, upon commencing employment with DCF, graduates will have access to work readiness and support provisions comparable with other employees. DCF is currently developing work readiness programs targeted at graduates and those with limited child protection experience and/or experienced work in the Northern Territory which is scheduled for implementation in July 2012.
Graduates commencing in January and July will attend orientation and have core training prior to entering the workplace. The orientation and core training will be open to other new starters not employed under the CDU memorandum of understanding. Graduates will have access to existing and planned professional development and work readiness support provisions in the department, including professional supervision and E-learning opportunities.
Experienced child protection practitioners employed as part of the remote area rotation initiative will undergo orientation and core training prior to entering the workplace. DCF and CDU have agreed to continue working together and to trial innovative solutions, including developing scholarship programs that encourage school-aged students to consider a future role within the Department of Children and Families. In this regard, starting in 2012, five scholarships will be offered each year to eligible social worker undergraduates, three of which will be available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Territorians. The Department of Children and Families is committed to growing our own to encourage staff to stay within the department over the long term.
We are all aware of the difficulty recruiting professionals in Australia; we resort to recruiting professionals from overseas. The best solution we have to this problem is to grow our own workforce and we have done it very successfully, not only with pharmacists, midwives, or nurses, but with engineers, and we have done very well with geologists. We have a very good example of three Territorians who were sponsored by the government, started down south, and are now employed either with the department or in mining companies in the Territory.
Growing our own Territory workforce guarantees we are going to have professionals grown in the Territory, knowing the Territory, knowing the conditions of the Territory, rather than having to train and retrain people in the realities of the Territory. In the past, we have said people who come from another state to the Territory do not come to another state; in some cases they come to another planet. You can imagine what happens to people who come from overseas. The best way to address these issues is to grow our own Territory workforce, which is what this government has been doing in the past 10 years.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I guess it is over to me. I am unsure if this is growing the health workforce because then we move on to primary industries, mining, and the whole bit. I am guessing it is not public employment; however, I will speak as the shadow for Health on this.
Interestingly, it only reached 10 pages and ran out of things to say on the health workforce. We then moved to minerals, then fisheries. The Northern Territory medical program is pretty good. We have the rural generalist program; that is pretty good. The nursing workforce could be better. We had a damning Ombudsman’s report under the watch of the member for Johnston which will be his lasting legacy. Your failed health minister - a damning Ombudsman’s report into the nursing staff crisis, so there is work to do there I expect, minister. The allied health workforce does a pretty good job, and apprenticeships are pretty good.
Minerals and energy - we moved from health to page 12 of the statement and minerals and energy. We have run out of what to say about health and the workforce. Those poor 5000 employees are only worthy of 10 pages of a ministerial puff piece. Shame on you, minister!
We moved to fisheries all of a sudden, then to primary industries, and then to the big one. This is an absolute corker - children and families. How enormous is the failure of the government when it comes to children and families, yet we have it wheeled in as some type of propaganda puff piece. We had report after report after report, plus a federal intervention. You are not doing too well with children and families.
We on this side of the House represent half the Northern Territory. They have switched off; they have stopped listening and are sick and tired of you wasting taxpayers’ money on political propaganda puff pieces time and time again. We are on the first day of the second week of parliament at 4.30 pm and you bring in this nonsense.
I have no idea what this is about or what you are trying to prove. Alcohol - at least we could engage in a debate but no, we had to blow that off. This has been brought on; I do not even know what to call it. Again and again we see it happening. There is no humility on that side of the House; you just blow your own trumpet time and time again.
Arrogance and hubris has consumed the government. The CLP had problems towards the end of its run in 2001. However, it took 27 years; it has taken you 10 to get there. It really is quite staggering. The hubris, the arrogance, and how empty you are of policy or ideas. On the first day of the second week of the October sittings we are on to - goodness knows what this is. I have seen political puff pieces in this House in my time but, like Juan Antonio Samaranch, this is the greatest political puff piece thus far.
Without further ado, without wasting more time, I move, in accordance with Standing Order 78, that the question now be put.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 12 Noes 13
Ms Anderson Mrs Aagaard
Mr Bohlin Dr Burns
Mr Chandler Mr Gunner
Mr Conlan Mr Hampton
Mr Elferink Mr Henderson
Mr Giles Mr Knight
Mrs Lambley Ms Lawrie
Mr Mills Mr McCarthy
Ms Purick Ms McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms Scrymgour
Mr Tollner Mr Vatskalis
Mr Westra van Holthe Ms Walker
Mr Wood
Motion negatived.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from moving on to item No 3 on the General Business Notice Paper. Some people in this House, and across the Territory, are interested in issues facing them, not propaganda puff pieces …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: … and that motion, Madam Speaker, is …
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, we will not be accepting this motion. We will be opposing it.
I move that the motion be put.
Madam SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, could you clarify which motion you are moving?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, the suspension of standing orders.
Mr CONLAN: To move on to item No 3 of the General Business Notice Paper.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I am sorry, there is much disorder here. It is very hard to hear what is happening. We are moving that the motion regarding the suspension of standing orders …
Mr CONLAN: The suspension of standing orders as would prevent me from moving to item No 3 on the General Business Notice Paper.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the question be put.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 12 Noes 13
Ms Anderson Mrs Aagaard
Mr Bohlin Dr Burns
Mr Chandler Mr Gunner
Mr Conlan Mr Hampton
Mr Elferink Mr Henderson
Mr Giles Mr Knight
Mrs Lambley Ms Lawrie
Mr Mills Mr McCarthy
Ms Purick Ms McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms Scrymgour
Mr Tollner Mr Vatskalis
Mr Westra van Holthe Ms Walker
Mr Wood
Motion negatived.
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I understand through convention, by moving such a motion, the member has forfeited his right to speak on this motion.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, will you remove yourself, please.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Greatorex has withdrawn for an hour.
Dr BURNS (Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I support the minister for Health in efforts across the Territory government to grow our local workforce. This is not important enough for the member for Greatorex; I thought he was shadow for public employment. We know the opposition policy for our public service.
In the 2008 election, the member for Blain, as leader, went to the polls with a policy to axe between 700 and 800 public servants within the Northern Territory. My office will be bringing down the policy. I have it here if you want me to flash it around again, member for Brennan. It is definitely a CLP policy and, I believe, remains the policy.
Moreover, one only has to look in the federal sphere, and New South Wales, to see the undertakings by Joe Hockey to axe thousands upon thousands of public servants within the Commonwealth public service, and Mr O’Farrell, Premier of New South Wales, to axe thousands upon thousands of public servants. Public servants listening to this broadcast should be very concerned about the CLP because it will follow the policies of its federal masters. It will certainly follow in the mould of the coalition in New South Wales in sacking public servants. They do not value their public servants.
The member for Port Darwin talked about fat cats and public servants; there has been a range of derogatory statements by the opposition about our public servants.
In contrast, this is a government that values the work of our public servants. We certainly support them. Through our programs, we are supporting them to grow and, also, we foster development in our public servants and encourage younger people within the Northern Territory to embark upon a career within the public service.
I have the media clippings here: The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 2011, ‘O’Farrell sticks to the target of culling 5000’. There you have it. I will be tabling that when I have finished with it. Basically, it says:
So, it is set in stone by Mr O’Farrell, the Liberal Premier of New South Wales. Also, we have The Australian National Affairs, 28 June 2011:
That is why they do not have anything to say about this. They have plans to slash and burn our public service in the Northern Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: They might deny it, but here it is. It has your logo on the front, ‘Country Liberals’, and it says ‘Country Liberals key points’ and is dated 7 August 2008:
Well, we have heard about that today. The Leader of the Opposition has promised eight ministers, yet, when you look on the other side there are 12 shadows. There are more shadows than light on the other side that is for sure. More shadows than the valley of death; that is what we have on that side of the Chamber. There is a man who wants to give a Christmas present to everyone: ‘Oh, here you go, have this for Christmas’. He has no discipline, he has no strength. They are out of the box and they are running all over him.
The member for Macdonnell is out of the box. She has already started back-dooring the member for Braitling. They had their trip to the Tiwi Islands last week, and she went over as the shadow parliamentary secretary for Indigenous Affairs. The Leader of the Opposition could not even be bothered to take the member for Braitling; he was more focused on finding an airfare through the Speaker’s Office. That is what we heard today; the member for Macdonnell has already started working her magic on members opposite.
The shadow for Arts and Museums needs to be careful. Not only the shadow for Indigenous Territorians, but also the shadow for Parks and Wildlife, be very careful, particularly when your arm is grabbed and the word ‘brother’ comes out. Be very afraid when you hear: ‘Yes, brother, no, brother’. Be very afraid when the hand goes on the heart, the fingers are curled, and she says: ‘True God. True God, brother, true God’. Be very concerned.
I digress, Madam Deputy Speaker. Here it is in the Country Liberals’ program. It says their policy which was released at the last election:
There it is in black and white. If members opposite want to show me this is no longer their policy I will stand corrected; however, you need to show me where you have withdrawn this policy and have a new policy in relation to the public service.
If the member for Greatorex says ‘puff piece’ one more time, I will have to phone Puff Daddy in the United States for plagiarism. All he says is ‘puff piece’. He is the member for Lessorex, as I have said before. He keeps on getting less and less the longer he is in this parliament. Given the fact he was one of four under the former member for Araluen, and then the others came in - and he comes from Alice Springs - and given his seniority, he should be the Deputy Opposition Leader, but he is not. He is passed over all the time and why is that? Because he will not work hard, he needs to have that low-hanging fruit. He does well when things land in his lap but he is not proactive. He is not getting out and about like the member for Braitling. I will give the member for Braitling credit for that; he is out and about in communities, meeting with groups, and working hard in his shadow portfolio. I do not see the same from the member for Greatorex.
The rumour is the member for Greatorex might take off back to Perth and forget about politics in Alice Springs; we do not know. I have formalised my announcement over the last day or so. We will see what comes from opposition side as they go into the pre-selection process over the next couple of months.
There is a great deal going on, as the Health minister said, particularly with the health workforce. We have a pharmacy school at Charles Darwin University which is now a medical school. People can go right through their education in the Northern Territory and embark on a career in health, medicine, pharmacy, and nursing. These are all fantastic opportunities for young people and mature-age students within the Northern Territory. I commend Charles Darwin University for all its efforts, particularly Barney Glover who has really galvanised Charles Darwin University. He has a great deal of support from the staff and the student body and is working hard in different ways to attract international students into the Northern Territory. The developments in accommodation and some of the NRAS places they have successfully applied for are positive developments for the Northern Territory and for Charles Darwin University. I commend Professor Barney Glover for the great work he is doing and the partnerships he is making with Chinese universities, and universities of our near neighbours.
I have already talked about what the opposition has planned and what it is not really talking about in regard to the public service. I commend Graham Symons on his recent appointment and the strategic way in which the government has announced that the Commissioner for Public Employment, as well as the head of the Chief Minister’s department, and Charles Darwin University, through Barney Glover, are working together to provide training opportunities and pathways for our public servants in the Northern Territory. That is a very important partnership. While CEOs, in the statutory sense, have responsibilities for their agencies, the employees in those agencies, and the training of those employees, it is quite appropriate that, even at a higher level, this work goes on between the Commissioner, the head of the Chief Minister’s department, and Charles Darwin University.
As Minister for Public Employment, I want to see much more work done to simplify processes, particularly around job evaluation - streamlining those processes and making it easier for public servants to know exactly where they stand with their job. It is timely to look at those processes. We are looking at a range of things in the public service, particularly the gender balance and equality for the many women who work in our public service. That is very important.
Over a number of years, we have commenced programs for Indigenous employees, and we want our public service to better reflect the makeup of our society and our community. Our leadership programs for Indigenous men and women are incredibly important and popular. It has been my privilege to attend quite a number of graduation functions for people who have been through those programs.
There is also a very important apprenticeship program within our public service. Since 2007, there have been hundreds of young people - 500 apprentices have been through this program. All of us know someone who has been through that program, who works in the public service, who has benefitted greatly and who has gained employment. Not everyone goes into the public service. There are some who benefit from that experience as an apprentice and go into private industry, but they all benefit from it. It is a fantastic program we have undertaken.
The Executive Leaders Program and Future Leaders Program introduced in 2011 have both been heavily subscribed; 40 participants in total completed the Future Leaders and Executive Leadership program in 2010-11. A further 44 commenced in 2011. I have noticed through these programs people make connections with those in other agencies, very important connections through agencies across the Territory and gain experience, make friendships, and mentoring arrangements and relationships build up which all adds to the quality and strength of our public service. As minister, I also gave a tick off to our evaluation process in getting feedback, department by department, from our public servants. It was a bit of a fearless course in that we know we will receive some negative feedback, but we welcome that, as long as it is constructive in people feeding back to us positive ways we can build our public service and do things better.
One of the biggest issues that arose was the selection process for promotion. That is always a hot topic within the public service, but we need to be focused on that and ensure people believe it is fair; they know it is fair, and there is an open and transparent process. There are always steps we can take to improve that type of communication.
The Northern Territory Public Service, in partnership with Charles Darwin University, are members of the prestigious Australia and New Zealand School of Government, or ANZSOG, which offers accredited and non-accredited executive training. ANZSOG is a very important forum in striking new balances and building policy capacity for government. It had 127 participants with Professor Evert Lindquist, Economics for Public Sector Managers; 40 participants with Professor Ross Guest; and Strategy and Organisational Transitions in the Public Sector with Professor Michael Barzelay. Further ANZSOG forums are planned for 2012.
We are engaged in the process with our public servants. We want them to get the best professional development they can and we want them to enjoy stimulating and uplifting programs for their benefit.
On Friday night, I had the privilege to attend the Hawkes Oration and dinner named after David Hawkes, a Northern Territory Commissioner for Public Employment for many years. Interestingly, Professor Ian Chubb was the guest speaker. Professor Ian Chubb was Vice-Chancellor at the Australian National University and is now the Chief Scientist for the federal government. It was very interesting to hear him speak. There were many people from the public sector, a number from the private sector, and Professor Chubb was particularly outspoken on the issue of climate change. He was critical of the naysayers and shock-jocks. He did not mention Mr Alan Jones in Sydney, but he was front and centre. He did not mention any politicians, whether federal or local, but was particularly scathing of the assertions made about the science around climate change being false; that people are taking kickbacks in science to publish on climate change.
He went through, for the audience, the whole peer review process. He went through, for the audience, how academies of science work and he rebutted, very powerfully, this Internet science notion that the science around climate change is not solid science. He said in science, no matter what the theory, by its very nature nothing is ever 100%; however, if something is 99.9% I would be putting my money on that if it was running in the Melbourne Cup in the next week or so. If you had a 99% certainty something was correct you would be backing it in the Melbourne Cup.
He also said sometimes science is a little too self-effacing in that scientists always like to say: ‘This is what I have found. Nonetheless, this is what we need to do further to prove the theories’. That is science. I have been part of science myself. That is what you do. You point to what you know, what you do not know, and how you are going to find out more about the topic. It was a very interesting talk by Professor Ian Chubb. I might try to obtain a copy of the speech he delivered and distribute it to honourable members so we can all have a read of what this very prominent scientist had to say on the issue that has been captivating us in this House over the last week or so.
I move to education and training. We know education is the key. I spoke earlier today about the centres of excellence, a fantastic step forward for the Territory giving young people the opportunity to study in areas such as science and maths, fitting them out for engineering or, in the case of Casuarina Senior College, health sciences, and not forgetting the arts at Palmerston Senior College - much enthusiasm there …
Mr KNIGHT: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member to complete his remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Dr BURNS: I thank members for the extension. Law and business at Taminmin - they are keen on that.
In Alice Springs, we have sustainable futures, which is something very near to the heart of the people of Alice Springs. As I said earlier today, much interest from students, much competition to get those places and that is good to see.
We have the Teacher Education Scholarship Program. Nothing is more important than being able to grow teachers, turn out teachers who are local, are Territorians, who we know are more likely than not to stay in the Northern Territory. The member for Greatorex can have his stunts today but, as a government, we are about the nuts and bolts of training our own professionals across a whole range of professions and teaching, of course, is no exception. Northern Territory residents studying or intending to study a teacher education program at a Northern Territory higher education institution, and residing in the Territory, are eligible to receive a scholarship. Scholarships are valued at between $10 000 and $15 000 a year for a maximum of four years. In 2011, 24 teacher education scholarships were awarded and a total of 46 recipients are currently supported by the program. As I have moved around the Territory, I have met recipients of this scholarship in our remote communities and our more urban areas keen to be teachers and to further their profession as teachers within the Northern Territory.
In relation to Indigenous and remote workforce development, the Education department’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy will, and does, focus the action to further build the Indigenous workforce within the education field. Through formal partnership arrangements with Charles Darwin University and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, a number of productive and collaborative arrangements exist to foster greater local participation in the economic and social development of the Northern Territory. Through the More Indigenous Teachers Program as a complement to the Teacher Education Scholarship Program, we are assisting Indigenous Territorians to become teachers.
Three specific financial study support programs are established targeting different cohorts of students. Cadetships are offered to Indigenous young people and school leavers. Scholarships are available for Northern Territory Indigenous residents who show a strong commitment to teach in Northern Territory schools. Fellowships are also available for existing DET staff to complete study. While the three programs have different conditions, each has a strong element of wraparound support, including dedicated staff, a mentor, and work placements. Approximately 10 Indigenous teachers graduate each year. We would like to increase that. We would like to double that. We would like to see many more Indigenous teachers within our education system.
Remote Indigenous Teacher Education, or RITE, is a pilot program which operates in two sites in the Top End - Maningrida and Elcho Island. Nine students in these two locations work at the school as assistant teachers and are enrolled in a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning through Charles Darwin University. The delivery methodology is mostly on-site, with the support of a DET-employed CDU lecturer who is located at the school. Students are given the opportunity to participate in lectures at CDU campus, part of a week’s urban experience which occurs each semester. During this week, students are also required to undertake a practical placement at a Darwin school. Six students are on track to complete their studies in 2012. I commend those students.
In early childhood, approximately 1000 staff are employed in childcare settings across the Northern Territory, and significant effort is going towards developing a highly-skilled and professional cohort of education and care workforce.
The Families as First Teachers - Indigenous Parenting Support Services Program, a strategy I have talked about in this House before, engages parents. Fifteen Indigenous family liaison officers and playgroup leaders have completed their Certificate III in Community Services through a local registered training organisation and will graduate in November 2011.
The Early Childhood Scholarship Teachers Program commences next year and the department will be offering scholarships to help build our qualified early childhood workforce. The scholarship program offers 200 scholarships over the next four years at the Centre for School Leadership, Learning and Development at Charles Darwin University. This is all part of the move to a national quality framework - which we will be debating in future sittings - and building the expertise of staff with children in the early years as it is a critical point in the education development of our young Territorians.
We have a whole-of-government workforce development program. I have mentioned the public sector apprenticeship program. We have a graduate development program which is crucially important. Many graduates, many senior members of the public service, or people who are becoming more and more senior, have gone through this program. I have mentioned the Public Sector Management Program previously. I have mentioned both the Indigenous programs as well. These are very important aspects.
I do not want to leave housing out of it. We want to develop more of our tenancy management positions in remote communities staffed by local people. We want to develop our workforce in our local communities and our remote communities and are striving to do that.
In essence, I welcome the minister’s statement. I thank him for bringing it into this House. I question the stunts engaged by the opposition previously, particularly the member for Greatorex. He obviously had nothing to say, which is disappointing given he is the shadow minister for Public Employment. He should have a little more to say about all this but he did not, unfortunately.
I have already outlined the intention of the members opposite, should they get into government, is to cut our public service by at least 700. They would be looking to take a leaf out of Joe Hockey’s book: 12 000 public sector jobs to be axed - the article in The Australian. That is what Joe Hockey said and, in the few days, the Premier of New South Wales, Mr O’Farrell, said he is sticking to a target of 5000. It will be interesting to see the opposition’s intention for the public service; growing our own, fostering the development of our public service, encouraging young people to enter the public service, and have a wonderful career in the public service.
To be honest, I believe they do not care about our public service. I want to see some affirmation from members of the opposition, other than the member for Greatorex, about how they value our public service, what they are going to do to support our public service should they come into government, and exactly what their policy position is about public service numbers. I commend the statement to the House.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the minister for bringing his statement today because growing our own health workforce is one of the keys to being able to provide effective and stable health services across our Territory.
For years, the Territory has been highly sought after as a posting for medical students on placements from all over Australia. Known for its unique challenges in tropical, remote, and generalist medicine training, in the Territory we have opportunities for young doctors to get a head start in their careers.
In the past, Territorians wanting to become doctors have had to leave home for years at a time with many, ultimately, returning to the Northern Territory for practical placements and employment. It is fantastic these young Territorians will now be able to continue their education at home and attend university and become a doctor. The first class of 24 students started the four-year postgraduate program at the new medical school facility at Charles Darwin University this year. This facility is state-of-the-art and among the best in our nation. Throughout their training, these students will take placements at Territory hospitals and medical clinics. With this learning, on top of the knowledge of Northern Territory issues they have as locals, they will graduate with the specific skills and knowledge to make a difference in our health system, to make a difference to Territorians.
The Flinders-Charles Darwin University program offers Northern Territory students a sponsorship for the period of their education in return for which they will agree to work for the Department of Health for two years upon completion of their training. The course curriculum will provide the opportunity for all students to learn about Indigenous health and how to deliver a culturally safe and appropriate service. This will greatly enhance the service they are able to provide over their careers in the Northern Territory.
Medical school also provides another attraction for recruitment of quality practitioners to the Northern Territory. The medical school has been actively recruiting lecturers and tutors onto their teaching staff. This provides an incentive for many medical practitioners to add teaching to their professional career skills and is an attraction for them to come, live, work, and stay in the Northern Territory.
Our nursing workforce is equally important to our health system. We have a range of initiatives to support nurses to enter, remain, and re-enter the workforce with the specialist skills we require. A graduate nurse program is offered for beginning practitioner, registered, and enrolled nurses. In 2011, 96 graduate nurses were employed across our public hospitals after they completed their nursing qualification at Charles Darwin University.
Training is also available for nurses to train in specialist skills including midwifery, renal nursing, child and family health, emergency, intensive care, paediatrics, oncology, and remote health practice. Through these programs, our nurses can gain the specialist knowledge they need to work in the Territory.
In addition to training, employment numbers in health have increased over the last decade, with an additional 677 nurses and 208 doctors employed since 2002.
In the allied health workforce, Charles Darwin University has also established a range of allied health courses in pharmacy, medical laboratory science, and social work. There are also vocational pathways into careers in the health and community service sector. In 2010 and 2011, 18 school based apprentices are studying certificates in community services, business, dental assisting and health service assistance, and pharmacy.
In order to grow our own health workforce and, indeed, our workforce across all sectors, a good start with a good education is fundamental. We want the best people working in our schools to support the education of our young Territorians. Our government is investing in our future education and training workforce. Around 20 teacher education scholarships per year assist and attract residents within the Territory into our teaching profession. We will also deliver the Teacher Education Scholarship Program to create a pathway that attracts high-achieving students and graduates to commit to teaching within the Territory. Improving school education and training outcomes for Indigenous Territorians is a key element to address long-term disadvantage. The government’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy will help build the Indigenous workforce within that all-important education field.
In addition to the Teacher Education Scholarship Program, we are also assisting Indigenous Territorians to become teachers. Cadetships are offered to young Indigenous people and school leavers. Scholarships are available for NT Indigenous residents who show a strong commitment to teach in our schools. Fellowships are also available for existing DET staff to complete their studies. While the three programs have different conditions, each has a strong element of support, including dedicated staff, a mentor, and work placements. About 10 Indigenous Territorians graduate as teachers each year.
With apprentices, we believe it is a key priority to grow the number of apprentices and trainees, including our school based apprenticeships and traineeships, to provide our Territory with the larger skilled workforce we need. The Workready Program and the revamped VET in Schools programs can provide pathways to apprenticeships, traineeships, and employment. In 2011 to date, 2109 apprenticeship and traineeship commencements have occurred. We currently have a record number of apprentices and trainees in training - more than 4923. We are on track to meet that all-important four-year target of 10 000 commencements.
They said we could not do it, and we did, and we are on track to do it again. More than $21.8m per annum is committed to fund this training and support for apprentices and trainees. Since 2008, we have seen more than 4000 complete apprenticeships and traineeships, with 1555 being in those all-important occupations on the Northern Territory occupation shortage list. As a growing economy, it is important the Territory grows our own workforce across the sectors, ensuring young people who are productive and in jobs underpin our economic growth and create an enhanced social outcome. Job creation has been one of our government’s greatest achievements. We created the Territory’s first ever job plan and have been updating it ever since.
In 2001, the unemployment rate was in the high sevens. We now have it down to the lowest in history, and it is the lowest in our nation for 24 consecutive months at 3.9%. We have created 22 000 jobs since 2001, through a combination of skills attraction, skills retention, skilling of our own, and with significant investment in education and training. Everyone knows that if you want a job, come to the Territory. The job numbers are all the more remarkable given we have been able to create additional jobs post the global financial crisis and the aftereffects we were all feeling. The impact of this crisis was moving through the private sector and government had to respond decisively, deliberately, and swiftly.
We took the initiative, in Budget 2009-10, to deliver a record infrastructure spend, designed not only to protect jobs in that all-important sector, but continue to grow the number of jobs so our construction sector was as best placed as it could be ahead of major projects on the horizon such as INPEX.
More than 15 500 jobs have been created in the Territory since the beginning of the global financial crisis in 2008. The CLP has clearly stated it would not have invested in this infrastructure stimulus. In fact, it voted against the federal stimulus. It would have kept a lid on spending, created savings and, as a result, stayed in surplus which would have seen massive job losses. Even the International Monetary Fund has suggested to governments post the global financial crisis: spend swiftly and stimulate your sectors.
Recently, the International Monetary Fund reiterated this, warning European governments against pursuing deficit reduction at the expense of growth. I quote from the October 2011 IMF Regional Economic Outlook – Europe:
The CLP position is clear: slash capital spends to get back into surplus costing Territorians their jobs. It would rather see people on unemployment queues, on the dole, than in productive jobs in the Territory.
It is disappointing to see the opposition vacate debate in the Chamber in a critical area of workforce growth. It is a policy-devoid zone. Statements such as this give parliamentarians the opportunity to debate policy. The CLP has vacated the policy space; it is shallow, it is interested in rhetoric, and personal and grubby attacks, and has voided the space of policy generation. It keeps saying it has policies, but when you dig into what that policy is, there is nothing to be found. To avoid a policy debate on workforce development belies belief. Talk to any of the business sectors in the Territory today, whether it is the community services and health sectors or the business and industry sectors; they are engaged in that critical workforce and workforce development.
Madam Speaker, I commend our minister for bringing this statement to the Chamber today to give us an opportunity to debate policy around workforce development. It is a critical statement and I am deeply disappointed the CLP has vacated the policy space.
Mr KNIGHT (Business and Employment): Madam Speaker, I support the very important statement. As the Deputy Chief Minister highlighted, it is critical to the future of the Territory that young people have work here and do not have to move interstate as has been the case previously. I remember in 2001 there was a great line of utes leaving town because there was no work. If you look at the construction figures and the unemployment rate for those times, it really was in the doldrums. Nothing was coming up. There was no forward thinking about developing projects in the Northern Territory and the CLP dropped the ball on business growth and development which resulted in jobs leaving the Territory and there being no job growth in the Territory.
Since then, that has returned and we have seen, in the last few years, some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. It has been quite staggering. Members of the opposition probably came to some of those jobs in the Northern Territory, and their children and grandchildren will benefit from this if they stay in the Northern Territory. It is a critical subject to talk about and has ramifications throughout our whole community and economy.
That is why we have invested heavily into jobs and Jobs Plan over the years. The first Jobs Plan came out in 2003, and has had some quite remarkable results over time. We are currently up to the Jobs NT strategy, which covers 2010-12. Jobs plans are fantastic. Until 2010, the Jobs Plans had involved more than 2000 employers receiving incentives to take on apprentices and trainees. We know if we can keep our trainees in trades and occupations they will stay. Over 7500 apprentices and trainees received the Workwear/Workgear Bonus. That is a little help for them, and the employer, to reduce the costs of taking on an apprentice. There were also 10 000 apprentice and traineeship commencements over the four years of the Jobs Plan.
Our job numbers grew from 96 700 in 2003 to nearly 121 000 in 2009. You saw the fruit of the investment that was put in, both in the Jobs Plan and economic development. Being a pro-business, pro-development government, those jobs were created for all our young people and new Territorians coming here. Jobs plans are about collaborating with the Commonwealth. It has access to many training dollars and we work closely with the government and MOUs to ensure it is spent in the right areas, so we get the most bang for bucks.
The Jobs NT strategy was previously targeted around the employee. With the new strategy, we want to work with businesses on workforce development. In the next few years, that is going to be critical for the success of business and our economy. It is about business looking at retaining and attracting a workforce for the hundreds and millions of dollars worth of contracts which will flow into the Northern Territory economy over the next decade.
It is a little grey outside the next five or 10 years; however, as we move through that period more projects will lock in and we will reach a tipping point. We have just about reached that tipping point in our economy with respect to locating offices and establishing supply chains in and out of the Northern Territory because development is occurring in the north.
Resources onshore with the mining industry are starting to pick up and are being exploited. With the oil and gas industry offshore, Darwin is the logical place to come with a very good port, a Marine Supply Base, a rail head, international airport, and a national highway. It is a vibrant, attractive city where you have good education and health services to base offices and work into the Timor Sea, the Banda Sea and, in the future, into the Arafura Sea for the oil and gas industry. We are strategically located and those sectors will grow over time, working with current businesses on planning for their workforce. Often very little planning occurs. Skilled, hard-working employees are a valuable commodity and you want to develop your own and look at retaining those people as your business grows. We have had good success stories. It is a real win for the health system in the Northern Territory having the medical school commence. Having the oil and gas institute starting up is a great credit to the university for being so forward thinking to establish those facilities. The investment will pay us back into the future.
Those valuable people in our economy, our apprentices and trainees, are our future. These people will develop our industries, will be the leaders of tomorrow, and will expand the economy into the future. As at October 2011, the Northern Territory government has 102 full-time and eight school-based apprentices and trainees. The government is investing in its own. Of that 110, 45% are Indigenous. We set a target of having 10% of the public service being Indigenous, then moving to the ratios within our population further down the track. We are on track to meet those targets and look forward to further expansion of the workforce into the growth towns as well.
We want to see services come further into the regions - not coming off anywhere else - so it is closer to outstations, a closer community for people to access those services. Traineeships and apprenticeships in government centres in the bush will be a high priority.
Almost 30% of the Northern Territory government’s apprentices and trainees are placed in the regional centres of Borroloola, Tennant Creek, and Ramingining. The government’s jobs guarantee offers an employment pathway for students from the growth towns who are interested in a public sector career. The program offers students completing their Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training, a pathway to public sector employment in their community through an apprenticeship, traineeship, or similarly structured program. The jobs guarantee is a great opportunity for our young people in remote communities.
We have also had the department’s successful Indigenous Training for Employment Program which aims to facilitate the employment of up to 340 Indigenous people over a five-year period. This also demonstrates the Northern Territory government’s commitment to providing increased employment opportunities for Indigenous people in the public sector. Thirty-five Indigenous Territorians graduated from the program in September 2011, which includes a mother and son who completed the program simultaneously. That is a great result.
This government is focused on the future. It is focused on developing our own and growing our own in a range of sectors. We want to see, not only the kids in the major regional towns going to work, we want to get out into the bush and offer opportunities to our young people to win those high paying jobs so they can be financially independent and put back into the families they have started.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend the minister for his statement and urge members of the opposition to speak up. This is an extremely important subject for the Northern Territory. It is our future. It is about our young people, our economy, our health system, and our education system. It is about everything all Territorians regard as important. You would think opposition members would speak on this very important subject.
Ms McCARTHY (Indigenous Development): Madam Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of the sentiments in the member for Casuarina’s statement on growing our own Northern Territory workforce. It is crucial to the ongoing success, prosperity, and wellbeing of the people of the Northern Territory. Through our headline policy of A Working Future, we have a range of strategies in place to boost the homegrown workforce, particularly in our regional and remote areas of the Northern Territory.
Our public sector managers understand better than anyone the value of a homegrown workforce in commitment to the Territory and understanding of our local environment. We have some great achievements to report. The Power and Water Corporation has achieved 40% Indigenous employment outcomes in remote contracts. One-hundred-and-thirty-seven Indigenous essential services workers on homelands have transitioned from CDEP to regular employment. We have guaranteed an employment pathway to every student from a Territory growth town who graduates with their Year 12 Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training. The number of people working as Indigenous rangers, either in Northern Territory government Parks and Wildlife or Indigenous land management organisations has increased to more than 600 people. We have continued to work with the mining, pastoral, tourism, and agricultural sectors on Indigenous employment programs with an emphasis on remote populations. The Indigenous Training for Employment Program, ITEP, has funded 49 projects across regional and remote areas of the Territory, with 1232 separate opportunities for Indigenous Territorians to develop new skills and enjoy the benefits of work.
One of the most important things we are doing as part of A Working Future, for the first time ever, is to map our service gaps and needs, including education and training needs, in our growth towns. We are also completing an annual survey of job opportunities in our towns and working to match local people with those job opportunities, including access to school, post-school education, and training opportunities on the pathway to employment in both those jobs and new jobs emerging as part of our economic development strategies. We also recognise that building these opportunities hinges on a supportive family situation and, in turn, the development of strong families and an environment of learning and work as a pathway to long-term individual and family wellbeing.
Our work in these growth towns is all about these essential building blocks that will help develop opportunities for every Territorian, no matter where they live. Here are just a few examples: the Building the Remote Early Childhood Development Workforce pilot project; working to provide children’s services training for childcare staff; VET in Schools and school-based apprenticeships for secondary students; local people being provided training and employment to deliver parenting programs for young mothers and fathers; and workforce development of locally employed staff to work in and run our new children and family centres. All our local implementation plans for the growth towns include the Families as First Teachers program as a priority; in particular, to deliver the Certificate III in Community Services to the local Indigenous Families as First Teachers family liaison officers in the workplace.
We are also growing our own teachers through the Remote Indigenous Teacher Education Program. At Galiwinku alone, your electorate, we have five Indigenous teachers in training. Through the local implementation plans at Galiwinku, Gunbalanya, Hermannsburg, Ngukurr, Wadeye, Wurrumiyanga, and Yuendumu, we are partnering with the community to deploy Aboriginal family care workers who are working to improve the lives of vulnerable children. All of these are practical examples of how we are growing our own as part of A Working Future.
I also have carriage, on behalf of the government, of our Indigenous Economic Development Strategy for 2009 to 2012 which has three key targets. Three thousand more Indigenous Territorians will commence employment across the private and public sectors. I am pleased to report that, during 2009-10, a total of 3082 Indigenous Territorians commenced employment, an apprenticeship, or traineeship across the private and public sectors. The second aspiration of the strategy is 10% Indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public service. We have more work to do in this area, but currently 8.2% of employees of the NT public service identify as Indigenous. The third key goal for the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy is 200 new Indigenous businesses. Since 2009, 57 new businesses have been established and we will continue our efforts to support new Indigenous businesses.
Most recently, we held our fourth Indigenous Economic Development Forum at the waterfront in Darwin and some great networking opportunities and ideas were discussed which will help progress these targets. We still have a way to go; however, we are all about establishing ambitious targets for obvious reasons. We want to turn around the decades of neglect across our regions, which includes under-employment. We want to build employment; we want to build a firm foundation for decades of prosperity. We have established a solid start and progress is being made on all three targets.
Growing our own workforce is especially important to support strong local government across the Territory. Attracting and retaining skilled and capable staff is always a challenge and growing our own offers a solution. For example, the shire’s Indigenous workforce package provides funding to employ an additional 530 positions per annum in core local government service delivery and provides funding certainty so these jobs are long-term opportunities. The program is currently supporting approximately 460 full- and part-time positions, and not just recruiting staff; retaining them and providing ongoing development opportunities is an important part of any ambitious goal. It is all very well to say this is how many people are starting off and employed, but the real challenge is the retention of workers. This is a very strong goal of our government.
A key feature of the new local government jobs package is providing one-on-one mentoring and support to ensure we are matching employees to the right employment and development opportunities. The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory is also being funded by the Northern Territory and Australian governments to work with councils to develop workforce development plans - something that did not exist prior to these reforms.
These plans will assist councils to develop strategies to recruit and retain staff in very difficult-to-fill positions. The work has also included extensive consultation with Indigenous staff that will lead to the development of practice notes for recruitment and retention of Indigenous staff. It is important to note the statistics of Indigenous employment in the shires across the Northern Territory where we have an average employment rate of around 71%, well above any average employment rate of any local government shire across Australia. It is reflective of our policies as a government to ensure we provide opportunities for all people, wherever they live, and we know the large proportion of Indigenous people live in our regions. It is heartening to see the focused effort by our government, all agencies, local government and shires, to ensure they are not only recruiting Indigenous staff, but retaining them.
This program also builds on other initiatives, including 300 jobs in remote housing management and tenancy services, as well as the continuing employment of local people in the critical role of providing essential services to our remote communities. We are also working with our shire councils to build our own in the context of our grassroots democracy - building the capacity of our elected members, in leading the development of our new shires. You have heard me say in this House on a number of occasions the importance of an effective democracy. What we are about with these historic reforms across the Northern Territory is clearly that - providing the opportunity and the skills training in capacity development for local members in their own regions to be able to adequately pursue and determine the way they wish their regions to grow. This can be helped by a strong local government, resourced at the local level, and also the many meetings they have to achieve the outcomes they wish to see. We recognise, as a government, that we need to strengthen the capacity of local boards and that is what we are focused on and will be doing as we progress forward to ensure local government services across the Northern Territory, wherever you live, are services that meet the requirements of every person in the Territory.
As an example, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services has provided assistance to council staff and elected members to undertake the Graduate Certificate in Local Government Leadership provided by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government. As mentioned earlier, we have a hard-working public sector supporting the government with our innovative work, and a key focus of our public sector managers is growing our own within our own agencies.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services has a range of programs aimed at growing the skills and abilities of the Territory workforce. For example, last year the Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services employed five graduates through the Graduate Development Program, six Indigenous cadets, and six apprentices.
The Indigenous Cadetship Support program is part of the Australian government’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy aimed at increasing opportunities for Indigenous people to gain professional qualifications, combined with work experience. The apprenticeship program offers Territorians an opportunity to gain a qualification through structured employment and training over a 12-month period.
Over the last five years, we have seen steady increases in Indigenous employment proportions across the NT public service. For example, 71 Indigenous people have successfully completed the Indigenous Employment Program since its inception in 2009, run through the Department of Business and Employment, and gained employment across the Northern Territory public service. The Indigenous Employment Program is a pre-employment program specifically designed to attract Indigenous job seekers.
I turn to tourism, a very exciting part of my ministerial work in reflecting the identity of the Northern Territory and the creative ways forward. It is, obviously, a crucial part of our economy, being up there with mining and other sectors. A vibrant and developing tourism sector is, of course, crucial to the future of the Northern Territory. Tourism not only offers wonderful business development and employment opportunities for Territorians, it is also important to ensure the large number of domestic and international visitors we warmly welcome to the Territory each year leave with pretty good memories of their visit.
Tourism is one of the few industries in the Northern Territory that can provide sustainable economic and social independence for Indigenous people through jobs, education, training, and business ownership. It is also an industry that has the potential to provide real economic opportunities in our regional areas and the more remote parts of the Territory. We know through research that cultural visitors - being those generally seeking an Indigenous experience - represent a significant proportion - about 12% - of the NT’s domestic visitor market. Further to that, of all visitors to Australia who are seeking an Indigenous experience, the NT receives around 35%. In the past three years or so, the Territory has welcomed more than 350 000 domestic and international visitors looking to visit an Aboriginal site or community, or experience arts, crafts, and cultural displays.
It is clear that Indigenous culture is a major drawcard for a large proportion of our international and domestic visitors. These visitors are looking for opportunities to observe Indigenous art and painting, plus learn about Indigenous belief systems, and their relationship to the land. They are certainly looking for easily accessible, affordable, and engaging experiences.
Tourism NT currently is currently working with 112 Indigenous tourism businesses, including sole traders, companies, joint ventures, and associations. These businesses offer some 184 Indigenous tourism products and range from emerging to well-established tour companies, accommodation houses, attractions, events, and art centres.
Through two of my agencies, Tourism NT and Regional Development, we are working very hard to assist with the continued growth of these opportunities in regional areas. The Indigenous Economic Development Taskforce also has tourism-related business clearly on its radar, and will, on a regular basis, provide the department with relevant information and advice where necessary.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend this statement to the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, with a busy day I have not had quite as much time preparing for this statement; however, I read it last night. Some comments have been made about it, but this was one of the better statements; it is better than the Greening the Territory statement because it is not political. It is giving facts about a really important part of the development of the Northern Territory, trying to develop a workforce which we can say is our own. Most of us know there is an influx of people from south, and there is nothing wrong with that; however, with that comes the cost of moving people, finding accommodation, people trying to become used to a new lifestyle and climate, and it is not always easy living out bush, unsure of where you are. Sometimes people have stayed for a few weeks and decided to pack up and go home because they did not feel they fitted in.
The minister has brought out a statement which covers his portfolio. I do not know whether there was a mix up, but I read this as growing our own Territory workforce and it is divided into medical, fishing and primary industries, children and families and there has been a little work on general comments. This is about the Hon Kon Vatskalis and the portfolios he is dealing with.
In relation to medical, it is great we are training locals. I sometimes wonder why we divide ourselves into Territorians and Indigenous. Why do we not call ourselves Territorians? We are all the same and it is not good when we have the statement: ‘We are very fortunate to have a number of remarkable educators leading the Northern Territory medical program, educators who share our vision for Territorians and Indigenous people’. Just say Territorians. I understand there are circumstances when you may have to give special mention, but when it comes to being doctors, you are Territory doctors, black or white. Only split the difference where it is essential. Assistance to people in the Territory should be based on need, rather than colour. That is how we should assist people when trying to encourage people to enter the medical profession, or any of the other professions.
On page 3, the minister mentions the second facility at Royal Darwin Hospital campus. It is great to see we will have a state-of-the-art facility for learning with advanced technology capabilities and clinical laboratory areas. If we have to be up with the rest of the world, or at least the rest of Australia, we have to have those facilities. It says $27m will be committed to training Territory doctors. That is great, but how much is the Northern Territory government putting into that? Is that all Commonwealth funds or are we contributing? We should contribute to highlight the fact it is ours and not just a shift of Commonwealth government funds.
I have not been to the super clinic, but I have a note saying it is hard to find. I asked the minister: ‘Have you been to the clinic? Can you find the super clinic at Palmerston?’ He said: ‘Yes, the footpaths are marked and there is a sign’. It is worth having someone who does not know how to get there try at night to check if the signage leads them to the super clinic. There is no big sign on the super clinic. There is nothing to highlight it. BP service stations, Coles, and KFC put big signs up. Why do you not put up ‘super clinic?’ Perhaps have an open and closed sign so we know when it is closed - something for rural people who may not have been there before. That area needs looking at. I believe the minister did not mention it because he did not want to talk about whether it could be seen; he wanted to talk about it as a learning facility. That was raised recently in the super clinic debate and is one of the reasons the AMA supports the super clinic at Palmerston - it is also a teaching facility and there is a need for it.
A postgraduate program offering Northern Territory students a sponsored tertiary education equivalent to their HECS fees and, in return, students are bonded to the Department of Health for two years upon completion of their medical training is great. Should be doing that with others? What about the Department of Construction and Infrastructure? Why are we not putting people through engineering courses and ensuring they stay in the Northern Territory for a number of years? It could be the same with teachers, getting them through, and saying they have to stay here for a number of years. It is a good idea.
By setting up training facilities in the Northern Territory, we are going to attract young people from down south to use our medical facilities and be trained in this area. There is nothing wrong with that. If we can attract people to the north who want to complete studies, especially in tropical medicine, then having our own learning facility in Darwin is going to attract people.
One of the big problems we still have is accommodation. Why do we not have accommodation specifically for teachers, nurses, and other skilled people? We have some accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital, but one of the big problems is keeping people here because of high rents. I have known teachers to come for a few months and go home.
It is cheaper for them to go back to Melbourne or Sydney. If we want to retain people from south or encourage young people to study medicine in the north, we have to have accommodation; whether it is flats or units where people can, at a moderate rent, continue their studies without the worry of having to work to pay the rent. That area needs looking at and I have said it before.
The government, and perhaps some unions and superannuation funds, could pool some of their funds and get their return in rent. That would be a bonus to people who wanted to stay here and avoid some of the high rents they have to put up with at the moment.
It is good news to have 40 doctors graduating in 2014. There were concerns about this statement; however, if I was from Central Australia I would be asking how many of those 40 doctors will go to Central Australia? That is a question for the minister: where are those doctors to be placed in the Northern Territory? Are they based only in Darwin, or will they be required to work in the rural area, the remote areas, or in townships like Alice Springs. That question needs to be asked.
On page 7, there is a section about nurses. In 2011, 96 graduate nurses were employed across our public hospitals after completing their nursing qualification at Charles Darwin University. A specialised remote health graduate nurse program called Ochre to Aqua is offered to support young nurses adapt to their unique place. That is really important, because nurses are at the forefront, especially in remote communities. Since I have been in this Assembly, how many times have we had reports of nurses leaving communities because of violence or threats? It is really important that we have programs that not only attract people to work out bush, but ensure there is adequate security for nurses to stay there and not feel threatened. Nursing is really - not knocking doctors - the hard work of the medical profession. They are the people at the coalface all the time. Having been in hospital when I was younger, I left with very fond memories of nurses and how they looked after me.
Page 9 of the document mentions midwifery and the midwifery exchange program with the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne supporting the professional development of Territory midwives who have not had recent experience in large metropolitan hospitals down south, and for experienced interstate midwives to gain the Territory experience, caring for women and their families in urban and remote settings. I ask the minister: how far have we gone to ensure there are midwifery facilities in all towns? It was raised by somebody from the opposition recently asking about facilities in Tennant Creek. We have them in Gove, but do we have the same facilities in Tennant Creek, or any other major centre where it would be easier for mothers to give birth closer to where they live.
Page 11 of the statement mentions dental assistants. This has always been an issue in the Northern Territory. Like doctors, can we lock in local dentists, pay for their training, and require them to work in the Northern Territory for the next couple of years? That is what we have to do. There has been a shortage of dentists in the Northern Territory for many years and you would think we could encourage people to come to the north. I am unsure, at this stage, if you can be a fully-qualified dentist in the Northern Territory; however, since 2010, a Certificate III in Dental Assisting has been developed, which will help when it comes to dental assistants in the Northern Territory being homegrown. Regarding dentists themselves, much more has to be done and we need to make it more attractive.
The minister moved away from health to look at mines and energy. It is good to see some people recently, through the Minerals Council, were shown to be future leaders in the minerals industry sector. That is important as well. Considering many of our mines are out bush; the more local people we can train in those mines, the more the economy in that area grows, and the less the money goes out of the area. That is one of the criticisms of the fly-in fly-out system, so the more locals trained in mining and production the better those communities will be.
The minister talks about Indigenous rangers. When I was at Borroloola and King Ash Bay, there was talk of a certain sized fish being caught which perhaps should not have been caught, and fishing issues were being discussed. Is that an area we could train Indigenous marine rangers in, so they could have a police qualification to do more work? I was told 50 000 people have been through King Ash Bay so far this year. Most of those people would have been in boats. You would hope some of the benefits of that large influx of mainly interstate tourists, some from the Territory and Queensland but, being from down south, they do not always understand the conditions of the Northern Territory. There are opportunities for Indigenous rangers to expand the areas they manage, especially their own part of the world.
The minister mentions Taminmin College VET Program. Without doubt, that is a classic example of local people being trained to work in anything from being at Fannie Bay to working on cattle stations, growing vegetables, and looking after chooks. It is a great program and, without doubt, needs more funding because one of the great things about the VET program is you do not have to have the highest academic qualifications. Many kids do not want to go down the academic path; they like to be hands on. It also offers opportunities for kids who would drop out of school. If you can pick those kids and turn them into mechanics or stockmen, or to do stable work at Fannie Bay or where people keep horses, that is a good thing. Taminmin is a classic example of growing your own and it needs to be encouraged. The school needs to be applauded for the hard work it does.
What more important work can be done than training local people in Children and Families? This is the real area we have to work on. We have to have more local people work in this field. I recently met one of the people from overseas working in this field. As much as that person was knowledgeable, to me they did not quite fit. After three weeks, they seemed to be an expert and I thought: ‘You have a long way to go’. The danger with bringing people out - whether it is from Ireland or England - is not that they are bad people, but you are going to another world. If you come from Dublin and are going to Yuendumu, it is a bit of a rude shock, especially if you are given a job at a high level. I was lucky enough to start at the bottom level. That way, at least you could work through your mistakes without too many people worrying. They would laugh at you, but that was part of the growing up and understanding the local conditions.
The more people we can produce locally who will work in child protection the better. It is such an important area, and local recruitment is really important. Again, the idea of offering support in return for guaranteed employment in the department - five years for 25 students I have here - is good. This is the way the Territory has to go. The minister was not particularly happy with me when I said: ‘Use the $5m for the super clinic to attract doctors’. As was said to me: ‘You can have the beehive but, if you do not have the bees, you have a problem’. No one is saying the super clinic is off the planet but, at the moment, there are enough facilities in the northern suburbs for more doctors. If you have to attract doctors, use the $5m.
Again, the minister is talking about guaranteed employment in the department. That is great. All members, whether they are from Alice Springs, Darwin, or in between, should be ensuring some of these homegrown people will be in their areas. If they come from Alice Springs, we hope they will work in Alice Springs, or if they come from Borroloola, they will go back there; they will not go somewhere else. If we can attract people - that is, paying for their training and qualifications - then we can say: ‘We want you to work here’. That is really important.
Mentoring is important in training young people. We need more mentors to show young people why they need to be trained and the benefits of having a good education. We also need to support Indigenous trainees but, at the same time, we have to ensure we support the non-Indigenous trainees. That is why I say the assistance to people should not be based on their colour; it should be based on their needs. You can have a rich black person and a poor white person. What we need is a system where, if students need assistance, it is based on their needs - the requirements for them to succeed and the assistance they need to get through their training.
Madam Speaker, there has been a little - huffing and puffing are probably not the right words to use …
Dr Burns: Argy bargy.
Mr WOOD: Yes. I thought this was a good statement because it was shorter. Some statements waffle on for too long. This is an important issue for the future of the Territory. One of the reasons I do not get excited over statehood - but when we get more people working, when we start to become more independent, when we start to make more money out of our own industries, to me we are getting ready to be a state. This is a step forward in that process. The more people we can employ locally is a saving to our economy ...
Mr HAMPTON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time to allow the member for Nelson to complete his statement, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. Finally, for the good growth of the Northern Territory, to keep our population growing, to give kids more opportunities for jobs, is the way to go. I also hope with the increase in industrial development in the north, especially INPEX, there is emphasis from companies like INPEX to train local engineers, scientists, and chemists. I imagine a facility as big as the one INPEX is building will require some very skilled people. We do not want them all coming from south. It may not be possible at the moment, but we want to give our own people the opportunity to work in industries which are right on our doorstep. We do not want to bring people in from miles away to run industries in our back yard.
I support the statement. However, we have to ensure we have facilities for people if they are coming from south to study and ensure we have affordable accommodation so they do not shy away because of the cost. That way we will also take the pressure off people who want to come here for training.
Madam Speaker, with the university expanding, the Northern Territory will be a great place. It will be known for dealing with tropical medicine and research, and that will be a valuable part of the Northern Territory’s economy. I welcome the statement from the minister.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I also support the minister’s statement on growing our own; not only as a member of the Legislative Assembly but, importantly, as a local member. I have heard from several of my colleagues in the bush, and understand how important it is to provide opportunities for young people living in remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory.
The beginning of the statement focused on the health workforce, which is very important. We know the challenges in closing the gap in health issues which our Indigenous population faces - it is vitally important. Closing the gap on education achievements, particularly for Indigenous Territorians, is very important. At the end of the day, we need to ensure part of what we are looking at is how we grow those Territorians once they are educated, have a job, and can read and write - we provide them with the opportunities to become part of the workforce, the economy of the Northern Territory, and feel they are part of the community.
As Minister for Central Australia, I have met with Dr John Wakeman from the Centre for Remote Health. We had a good chat about the Northern Territory medical program, particularly it coming into Central Australia. The minister spoke about it in his statement and the opportunities, particularly through partnerships with Charles Darwin University. Dr John Wakeman advised there is a proposal from the Centre for Remote Health to see an extension of the current Darwin-based program to include eight industry-supported places in Alice Springs, which would bring it to a total of 32 students over the full four years of the course. As well as the graduate entry pathway, there are opportunities to develop an undergraduate pathway through a double degree program similar to Darwin with a first degree, a Bachelor of Clinical Science, as a joint Charles Darwin University–Flinders award.
Regarding the spirit of Central Australia, there are some great people and advocates for remote health. Central Australia has a really good opportunity to grow our own, and to specialise in remote health issues and Indigenous issues, particularly with chronic disease. We know the significant issues and challenges we have with renal disease through, not only Central Australia, but remote parts of Western Australia and South Australia and, of course, the great work many of those specialists do in Central Australia in dealing with renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Central Australia can really benefit from such an extension of the NT medical program, particularly specialising in Indigenous health. There are discussions under way and people are very keen to see that happen.
I acknowledge several people. It is always hard when you mention some; you always forget or leave out others. Dr Alex Brown is one person who is doing some fantastic stuff, particularly through the Baker IDI research facility in Alice Springs. It was a real privilege to be at the opening of the research facility in March 2010. The research facility was given the honour of being named after two of our most respected elders, W and E Rubuntja.
Dr Alex Brown is a fantastic person. He is working with Baker IDI Central Australia. The significant work he has done in identifying ways in which government, through partnerships with Flinders University, Baker IDI, and other non-government organisations can really make a difference. His tireless efforts sometimes go unrewarded and unheralded, but Dr Alex Brown and Professor Simon Stewart are just a couple of people in Central Australia who really are the quiet achievers. Part of their program of research is identifying some of the solutions and issues around the very difficult and challenging chronic health issues for Indigenous people particularly, but also for those people living in remote and regional areas.
Another gentleman is a local man, Ricky Mentha. He is an Indigenous Research Fellow with an Aboriginal Health Worker background. I have known Ricky for many years. It was great to see the confidence and development Ricky has gained. He worked at the Alice Springs Renal Unit in 1997 delivering clinical care and outreach education, including medication management, to renal patients living with end stage renal failure. The research fellowship has really developed him. Ricky is involved in the Hearts and Minds program and Heart of the Heart studies, and it opens your eyes to the opportunities out there. Ricky is a really good example, particularly for Aboriginal men, of the areas Aboriginal people can get into when they put their mind to it and get the support of great people like Dr Alex Brown.
The member for Nelson talked about the challenges of staff accommodation, and I acknowledge that. One of the challenges for the programs run through the Baker IDI research facility in Alice Springs and the Charles Darwin University with its NT medical program is getting the right information and communication technology infrastructure in place to deal with the requirements of high bandwidth broadband connection for these institutions. That is one of the attractive things of the National Broadband Network and one of my portfolios, ICT Policy. We have had quite a few debates in the House. We have different points of opinion when it comes to the National Broadband Network or its alternative.
Through my discussions with Dr John Wakeman and Professor Barney Glover from CDU, the issue of ICT and having the right infrastructure in place to support and underpin some of the great work we are seeing done, particularly in research and medical programs, is critical. The importance of ICT infrastructure is so critical for these institutions to gain access to the higher bandwidth broadband, and be able to further develop their programs. That is why I am a strong believer in the National Broadband Network. I can see the real advantages in providing high-capacity, leading-edge Internet services for tertiary education and research, as minister Vatskalis has pointed out - a very important part. If we are going to support those cadetships, trainee doctors, or research fellows in some of the more remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory, we need the ICT infrastructure in place to support those programs.
I would also like to acknowledge the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association. People like Dr Alex Brown and members of the association - their vision and values are really providing some opportunities for us to grow our own health professionals in the Northern Territory. I am sure, in mentoring, in underpinning the work we are trying to do, these types of associations are very important.
In his statement, the minister touched on other parts of his portfolio which I would like to quickly address in regard to my experiences as a local member and a member of the government. The minister talked about the minerals and energy area. Before coming into parliament, I had much experience in this area. I worked for Normandy Mining at the Granites and, through the Central Land Council, we looked at ways to increase Indigenous participation in the mining industry - there is much opportunity. As the minister said, it is a booming exploration and mining industry. It is important we invest in and grow our own and, during my time in the mining industry, companies like Normandy really led the way in the mid- to late 1990s.
I also acknowledge the great work organisations such as the Central Land Council have played. In my time at the CLC in Alice Springs, it had its own cadetship program and it was through partnerships with the various universities that cadetships were offered to local Indigenous people in specialised areas we do not often see Indigenous people getting into. In my time at the CLC, there were cadets in legal studies, geology, anthropology, and sometimes in uncommon fields of expertise Aboriginal people often do not feel confident getting into. I take my hat off to the Central Land Council for that initiative; for the cadetships. Quite a few local people have come through and obtained qualifications as anthropologists. For them to work in the organisation, or work outside the organisation with their professional qualifications, is invaluable to the Northern Territory.
In the minerals and energy sector, training is vitally important. We need to ensure we have pre-vocational training; people being aware of what it is like to work on a mining campsite, the rosters - two weeks on one week off - in this type of environment. In my time at the CLC and with Normandy, much of our time was spent working with traditional owners, particularly, many young blokes from some of the remote communities. Getting them onto a mine site, undertaking a pre-vocational course, having to do pre-employment medical tests, and the police tests are a challenge for many of our young men, but it is not stopping them getting that experience and understanding of what it is like to work in a mining camp environment. My time with Normandy at The Granites, and with the Central Land Council, was spent putting together the pre-vocational course, along with industry partners and training providers, to give those young men that experience.
There are still many opportunities and many challenges with the mining sector. We have a really big fly-in fly-out culture in our mining industry, and much work is still needs to be done in accessing the potential labour force from some of the remote communities where many of the traditional owners live. There are also opportunities in the supply and service contracts that come out of big mining operations. Sometimes, we need to look at the capacity and opportunities within some of those growth towns located close to the mining operations, and how they might be able to take advantage of those supply and service contracts often awarded to companies interstate. There is still much untapped potential in the mining industry, particularly in supporting local labour forces through our growth towns and remote communities and getting traditional owners employed. It does not have to be direct employment; it could be indirect employment back on their communities undertaking some type of work to provide or support different services mining operations require.
In my portfolios, I welcome the statement. In my agency of Natural Resources, Environment, Sport and Recreation, there are enormous opportunities. Only today I spoke briefly during Question Time about the potential and the outcomes we are achieving through the Indigenous ranger program. I cannot think of a better program to engage Indigenous people working on country, protecting sacred sites, protecting the biodiversity of their country, and providing sustainable employment in some of the remotest parts of this country. We know many of our places do not have labour markets. They are not like down south where there are different industries right at their doorstep. However, the ranger programs are such a great opportunity and we are, as a Territory government, putting much more effort into it.
As I said today during Question Time, we have committed an additional $100 000 per annum in 2007-08 and that increased last financial year to $400 000 per year to support the Indigenous ranger groups. In the budget, I announced extra funding to provide opportunities for Indigenous employment and also provide contract opportunities for the Indigenous ranger groups through Parks and Wildlife. I acknowledge many of the great Indigenous ranger groups out there. However, it is so important we get more Aboriginal Territorians completing school and gaining jobs like those Indigenous ranger jobs.
It is a real advantage and a positive thing for joint management of our parks. There are points of difference between the government and the opposition regarding joint management. In the last month or so, I have undertaken some trips to talk to Indigenous ranger groups and the communities generally about the opportunities and challenges out there, and to ensure I do my best, as Minister for Parks and Wildlife, to resource them to do their job, and the best I can to support Indigenous ranger jobs and groups. There is no better way to grow our own than grow the opportunities on country.
Another important Territory government initiative - and my colleague, the member for Arnhem, talked about it during her contribution – is A Working Future. It is this government’s policy to really drive jobs in remote areas, particularly our growth towns. It is about government and local people working together to make towns and communities better places to live. One of those fundamental things is being able to grow our own workforce to tap into the labour market which is available on our doorstep. A Working Future is the Territory government’s plan for improving the lives of remote Territorians. It is part of our Territory 2030 vision and will bring all Territorians together to create a dynamic, growing future for our community.
My Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport released its four-year priorities to guide the future direction of the agency and to provide direct support to the government’s Territory 2030 strategic plan. Territory 2030 specifies targets across six key priority areas which include halving the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and increasing Indigenous labour force participation rates. Through its four-year priorities, the agency has committed to growing its Indigenous employment to 14% by the end of 2012, as well as expanding the Indigenous ranger program and growing Indigenous businesses related to our natural and cultural assets. The agency’s Indigenous employment and career development strategy is a significant step forward in achieving these targets.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move an extension of time for the minister.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Speaker, I thank members for their support. The agency’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy is a significant step forward in achieving these targets. NRETAS is an incredibly diverse agency with divisions including Parks and Wildlife, Arts and Culture, Environment and Heritage, Natural Resources; Biodiversity, Conservation, Sports Venues and Indigenous Development. It has a presence in all regions of the Northern Territory and provides employment opportunities in a wide range of classifications in these regions. The Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy increases the agency’s potential to further diversify and be a key contributor to the Northern Territory’s A Working Future target to halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade. The Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy is established to meet targets of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2010-12.
It also takes into account the uniqueness, diversity, and individuality of the Indigenous employment and economic development activities occurring currently in the agency. NRETAS is committed to the task of increasing Indigenous employment levels and this commitment is reflected in the strength of our Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. We want greater achievements and opportunities for all Indigenous employees, as well as meaningful career paths in our department.
NRETAS commits to further developing our internal capacity to support and increase employment of Indigenous employees, as well as our external capacity to support enterprise development on country. NRETAS has the capacity to drive social and economic change for Indigenous Territorians through its strategy. The NRETAS strategy not only provides an outline of priority actions, but also aligns it to the four key focus areas of the Northern Territory Public Sector strategy, including workplace environment, attracting staff, retaining staff, and communicating the importance of the strategy. For example, to enhance the department’s status as an attractive employer, NRETAS will develop a culturally inclusive workplace which recognises and respects Indigenous people, actively promote the importance of cultural identity, and improve cross cultural understanding and engender two-way mutual respect. NRETAS is committed to increasing the percentage of Indigenous people employed in the department and aims to have 12% Indigenous employees by the end of 2011, and 14% Indigenous employees by the end of 2012.
This would be achieved through ensuring opportunities are provided and promoted to current and potential Indigenous employers to boost employment and career development, increase recruitment rates of Indigenous people into the department, and the provision of career support mechanisms for Indigenous people. NRETAS will ensure policies and processes support increased retention rates of Indigenous employees across all divisions through: Indigenous input into policy and decision-making impacting on Indigenous employment and career development at all levels; development and implementation of policies that increase retention rates of Indigenous people in the department; and working in partnership with Indigenous employees and the wider community.
To recognise achievements and acknowledge success, efforts against the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy need to be recorded and reported. NRETAS divisions will develop action plans that provide reportable key performance indicators, share stories of success, and utilise a range of communication strategies to engage with and promote the department and its unique opportunities to current and potential Indigenous employees.
In relation to growing our own, as Minister for Central Australia I am happy to talk about the Alice Springs Transformation Plan. This plan is about giving people living in town camps good housing and a safe place to bring up their kids. One of the real successes of the Alice Springs Transformation Plan has been employment opportunities for local Indigenous people. There have been some great achievements in local Indigenous employment opportunities - up to 30% have been Indigenous people. I had the opportunity to see the pouring of the first house at Larapinta Valley some time ago.
Through Tangentyere Job Shop, great work has been done supporting and mentoring those Indigenous apprentices. The great opportunity now is for those young fellows who have started apprenticeships to continue those apprenticeships with other contractors and builders in Alice Springs once the Alice Springs Transformation Plan, particularly the capital works element, comes to an end. Again, it has been a great success story for Indigenous employment and growing our own in Alice Springs.
In relation to climate change, I see real opportunities in being able to grow our own, particularly the offsets. Someone spoke about the opportunities that come with INPEX and, of course, they have announced their offsets package, particularly focusing on the rangers through the Daly. Also, ConocoPhillips are currently reviewing their offsets agreement with traditional owners.
I have been to the homeland, Kabulwarnamyo, and met some of the rangers. In regard to the offsets, it has been fantastic. It was one of the first projects of its kind where you had ConocoPhillips working with traditional owners to see how they can reduce the offsets or the emissions from savannah burning using traditional knowledge along with contemporary scientific knowledge. I see great opportunities in the offsets industry coming on board.
With the carbon economy, there is much toing and froing on both sides about the politics; however, I see enormous opportunities for carbon farming initiatives and opportunities for us to be able to grow our own workforce, and it is one we have to take with both hands.
I spoke about ICT and the NBN, particularly infrastructure supporting educational institutions like Charles Darwin University with the roll-out of the medical programs. As a former minister for Regional Development, I keep a close eye on how the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy is going. I look forward to some of those outcomes around what the current minister, the member for Arnhem, is doing.
Madam Speaker, this is a very important statement. I thank my colleague, the member for Casuarina, for bringing this statement to the House and I am happy to support it.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I join with my colleagues in thanking the minister for bringing this statement before the House. Growing our own in the Northern Territory is very important and something this government has been very committed to. I would have listened with interest to members opposite in this debate but, curiously, they have chosen so far not to participate, which is very disappointing. They represent a mix of electorates like we do and they have shadow responsibilities. I find it curious they have chosen not to participate. I am not sure what the ploy is on that side, but it is, nevertheless, very disappointing. I will base my contribution, not surprisingly, on my experiences and observations in my electorate of Nhulunbuy in northeast Arnhem Land to a point, as well on some of the responsibilities I have and the things I have seen in the time I have been parliamentary secretary for Education and Training. This is an area I am very passionate about, as a former teacher and parent of school-aged children in the Northern Territory.
I will start with education, recognising how important it is. It has been highlighted in the Territory 2030 strategy that education is the cornerstone to what we need to do and where we need to be in years to come, as you would expect in any jurisdiction. It is what gives people a choice, a pathway to a future and, in the Northern Territory, we have heard much talk about a cycle of welfare dependency. Most definitely, that cycle of welfare dependency can only be broken when we have people in the education system, children at school every day, and completing their schooling with core skills in literacy and numeracy. These form the foundation for the rest of the study students undertake in their curriculum and how critically important it is.
If I look at schools in my own electorate, and I visit my schools regularly - I will be visiting all the Nhulunbuy schools on Friday because it is World Teachers Day. I will be calling into each of the local schools in Nhulunbuy and also Yirrkala.
I would love to visit Shepherdson College on Friday as well; however, it is a little hard given it is a 45 minute charter flight there and back. I acknowledge the fantastic work they do. The Minister for Local Government mentioned there are five teachers in training currently at Shepherdson College, a fantastic achievement. We want to see more, and I wish them every success with their training because we need to have our Indigenous staff in schools taking the next step and qualifying to become teachers. A number have already done it, but we need to see more.
In June, I attended the graduation at Batchelor College. I was determined to get there as there were three teachers from Yirrkala, in my electorate, graduating. Banbapuy Ganambarr Whitehead from Yirrkala school runs the preschool program in a beautiful new preschool building funded through the BER program. Dhalalu Ganambarr Stubbs also graduated on that day. She has been teaching for 20 years, and a third teacher I saw graduate on that day was Multhara Mununggurr. Multhara is the teacher at the homeland of Garthalala, one of the Laynha homelands under the Yirrkala Homelands School Program and has been a teacher there for years.
What each of these three women has done is meet the requirements of the Teacher Registration Board. They had to upgrade their qualifications from a three-year qualification to a four-year bachelor qualification. So, whilst undertaking full-time work, study, and family and cultural responsibilities, these three women very successfully completed their bachelor degree. There was a huge sense of pride at that ceremony. There were many family members from Yirrkala who had travelled to participate in that ceremony. There was Yidaki, there were ceremonial objects and family members, as they do, escorted their loved one up to where the degrees were being awarded. It was a special occasion to be part of. I congratulate those teachers and hope to see more of them stepping up to the plate and taking the opportunities. They are invaluable in our schools. For our non-Indigenous, or Balanda, or Ngapaki, teachers, their job would be so much harder if they did not have their Indigenous colleagues working with them.
A few weeks ago, I travelled to Alice Springs to represent our Education minister at a very important conference. It was the inaugural conferences of NARIS, which stands for the National Alliance of Remote Indigenous Schools. This has been an initiative of the Northern Territory, and I congratulate the CE of the Department of Education and Training, Mr Gary Barnes, for his initiative, with the support of our minister, to get this organisation off the ground. It takes our remote Indigenous schools best practice professional development across jurisdictions such that we have member states from around Australia where those jurisdictions have remote Indigenous schools.
I arrived in Alice Springs on the Sunday afternoon, attended the opening reception on the Sunday evening, with the official opening being held the following day. There were at least 120 delegates from around Australia at this conference, around 50 of which were from the Northern Territory. There was a real buzz amongst delegates about the fact they had been given their own special forum to talk about the issues important to them in and around delivering education to students in our remote Indigenous schools. I would like to have stayed on. I managed to stay until morning tea before I had other appointments and had to return to Darwin and Nhulunbuy that evening.
We can expect to see that conference grow year on year. That is a good thing not only for the teachers attending to boost their opportunities for networking, professional development opportunities, and sharing experiences but, at the end of the day, it has to be a good thing for students at the coalface benefiting from the best teachers we can find to put in these schools. I believe the NARIS initiative is terrific.
We talk about education and training in the same breath but there are clearly subtle differences. With training, we recognise the critical importance of pathways once we have our students into schools. We recognise some of the challenges we have in getting students to school and keeping them at school every day. This is why this government introduced legislation earlier this year around the Every Child, Every Day initiative to give some teeth to a policy of putting the onus back on parents, working with the community, schools, and other service providers, to ensure children go to school.
Pathways is all about recognising, once we have children in school, and secondary school and senior school, we have to give them a real sense of where it is they are going beyond school and into further training, and a job at the end of it. That can be challenging in remote areas where the job market can be limited. We have heard from some of the contributions how important that is and, in many communities, it is feasible. I listened to the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage, the member for Stuart, speak about the importance and success of ranger programs.
In my electorate, ranger programs and Indigenous people caring for land and country is an obvious one. Not only do I have the Dhimurru Rangers based in Nhulunbuy - and I talked about their successes in a debate last week - but also the Yirralka Rangers look after the Laynhapuy Homelands IPA, which is a huge area. I cannot remember exactly how many square kilometres, but I know it includes a coastline of some 640 km. I look to the north on Elcho Island with the Marthakal Homelands and the great success the Marthakal Rangers have in the work they do. Over to the west, into the member for Arafura’s electorate, we see good work with the Bawinanga Rangers. This is legitimate work and important work. It is about caring for country and is also an important source for passing on knowledge critical for that understanding within the scientific sector in the non-Indigenous element, and also important passing on that knowledge from one generation to the next.
Within that, it is important to mention the role of CDEP. The Minister for Local Government spoke about CDEP and how important it is as a stepping stone into a real job. I heard the Minister for Business and Employment during Question Time today talk about a function he attended last night to do with the Minerals Council of Australia. Some young Indigenous people were graduating with certificates and one spoke at the function last night about having been on CDEP for a number of years and had great pride at finding his way into real, full-time work in the mining and resources sector.
Today, a media release was issued by the member for Lingiari, who is also Minister for Indigenous Health. It is titled Strengthening Employment Opportunities for Aboriginal People in the Northern Territory and is about the $47m boost to community development projects across the country. There is one line I have highlighted which says:
That is the difference between a real job and welfare. Welfare gives people a pay packet of sorts but it gives people no meaning and no impetus to find work. CDEP, as a stepping stone and pathway to real jobs, is critical.
The member for Stuart spoke about training opportunities within the mining sector and about his time with Normandy. As members know, in the years I have been in Nhulunbuy, I have worked in the mining sector with Nabalco, the original owners of the Gove Joint Venture, followed by Alcan and then Rio Tinto. I have worked for all those owners and witnessed the growth in employing and training Indigenous people. There is a very successful program called the ALERT program. Interestingly, the ALERT program, which is supported by Rio Tinto Alcan, the Northern Territory government, and the Commonwealth government, provides pathways, not only directly into the mining sector, but also into some of the employment opportunities that exist within the mining sector. For instance, there are traineeship opportunities with Sodexo, the contractor for provision of accommodation and catering to Rio Tinto Alcan.
I have been to a couple of their graduation ceremonies and there is a real sense of pride when you hear the stories of each of the graduates. They each have an opportunity to tell their story, which can be a challenge in overcoming shyness. I have heard people talk about how they had not been employed previously, had been on welfare and, with the support of programs like ALERT to gain some basic skills in literacy, numeracy, and workplace readiness, they find themselves in a workplace doing valuable work and making money so they can look after themselves and their families, and it has changed their life.. That is another pathway which is so important.
The Minister for Business and Employment is travelling to Nhulunbuy on Saturday to join me at a very special event at Nhulunbuy Town Hall. It is the close of October Business Month and the local Chamber of Commerce is staging a gala dinner. This gala dinner is an opportunity to showcase local businesses and what they do, and link in with training. I applaud the Chamber of Commerce for pulling this event together because it is that connection between the education and training providers and the all-important employers and businesses we need to strengthen for those connections and pathways. It will be a fundraising event and any monies raised beyond covering their costs will be donated to Nhulunbuy High School’s VET in Schools program to assist with the purchase of items needed for the programs they run. One of them doing extremely well is the hospitality course, Certificate I and Certificate II. Potentially, they could be using those funds to purchase equipment that will complement the training going on there.
I applaud the Chamber of Commerce for that. I also acknowledge the efforts of Nhulunbuy High School in training and VET in Schools. It is an RTO that performs extremely well and was up for a number of awards at the Northern Territory Training Awards in September. I highlight Mrs Marlene Organ, who has been nominated once again as VET Trainer Teacher of the Year. She won for the Northern Territory and will now go to the finals in Brisbane, in November.
I turn to the important sector of health. Growing our own is incredibly important in this area of service delivery. We have heard a number of people talk about and give accolades to Charles Darwin University, with the support of Flinders University, commencing the medical school this year. It was so important the Prime Minister was here to officially open it. It is critically important to grow our own across all sectors, but none more so than health.
The Charles Darwin University medical school will link in with the Northern Territory Rural Clinical School. The Northern Territory Rural Clinical School has been in existence for a number of years in the Territory. It has quite a strong base in Nhulunbuy and Katherine and possibly other parts of the Territory, but I am familiar with those two. The Northern Territory Rural Clinical School is an arm of Flinders University. It aims to bring medical students in from Flinders University. It has an arrangement with other universities. I have met medical students from James Cook University at Townsville, where there is also a medical school.
They bring students in at each year level, so from first year, second year, third year, right through to their final year for placement for varying periods of time. It is about immersing students into, not only the clinical experience, but also the community experience, and they have a great opportunity when they come out to Nhulunbuy to spend some time at Gove District Hospital, with Miwatj Health operating the clinic in Nhulunbuy; the Ngalkanbuy clinic at Galiwinku, Elcho Island; and also our clinical opportunities with Laynhapuy Homelands. They have those clinical experiences, but they also get the opportunity to spend time in the community. There are all types of induction activities and community activities …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member to continue her remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you, member for Port Darwin. The Northern Territory Rural Clinical School is so important in growing our own doctors and also moving into growing allied health professionals. There was an announcement last year about a commitment of $4m from the Australian government for a purpose-built training centre in Nhulunbuy which will act as a GP clinic and also a training facility, not only for GPs, but for allied health professionals. I have seen the plans for it. Land has been identified opposite Gove Hospital, and once we have worked through some of the leasing issues, we will start to see that building go up, which will be fantastic. Nhulunbuy and the East Arnhem region is becoming something of a magnet for allied health professionals wanting to come in and learn and practice there, and that can only be good for the region and the Northern Territory.
I want to say a quick word about Aboriginal Health Workers and the important role they play, not just in a clinical sense, but in a culturally-appropriate sense dealing with sensitive medical subjects, dealing with men, and dealing with women. I take my hat off to the Aboriginal Health Workers we have in the Northern Territory. I acknowledge Mr Terrence Guyula, one of the Aboriginal Health Workers at the Yirrkala primary health care clinic. Two years ago, Terrence won an award. The minister has these awards every year, recognising and celebrating the efforts of our Aboriginal Health Workers, and Terrence took out the award for Aboriginal Health Worker of the Year from a remote area. That was something he was hugely proud of, and I am pleased to say Terrence is still working, and in strong demand, at Yirrkala clinic.
I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Miwatj and, in particular, the Ngalkanbuy clinic at Galiwinku. They also train and employ a number of Aboriginal Health Workers. On my visits to Elcho Island, I invariably have a bed at the visiting officers’ quarters, always an interesting place to stay because you get to meet other people who are passing through like me for a night or two. It is where I discover much about what is going on. On one occasion several months ago, I shared the VOQ with several nurses from Batchelor who travel to the regions as tutors and assessors of the Aboriginal Health Workers. Those two women with me in the VOQ that night had nothing but praise for the work Aboriginal Health Workers do, often in challenging circumstances, often living in overcrowded conditions, with all types of pressures on them, but recognising they make a fantastic contribution and, no doubt, will continue to do so. I acknowledge those nurses from Batchelor who travel out as tutors and supporters because they work really hard as well and have a critically important role.
When we look to the other important area of government service delivery, safety, since Labor came to government in 2001 the number of police we have around the Territory, especially in our remote communities, has risen dramatically. This includes ACPOs, and I acknowledge the fantastic work our Aboriginal Community Police Officers do. I want to make special note and acknowledgement of a fantastic woman by the name of Trish Groth. Trish has been an ACPO in Nhulunbuy for about 23 years. There was a small farewell for her on Saturday evening at the Surf Club. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, but Trish is moving on from Nhulunbuy. I hope she is moving to somewhere else in the Territory so her skills and knowledge can be snapped up elsewhere.
Community safety: night patrol has a very important role there. I acknowledge the East Arnhem Shire, and other shires, in the role they have in delivering night patrol services. It is probably about two years ago that I attended a graduation in Nhulunbuy which saw some 20 shire employees graduating with their Certificate in Community Safety. This is important work they do and, in an ideal world, we would not have to have community night patrols; however, the reality is we do. These people take on a tough role. The hours are not that fantastic. I would not want to be working every night away from my family until midnight or 1 am, depending on which night of the week it is. Our night patrol people do incredible and important work in ensuring people are safe and out of harm’s way.
I want to speak quickly about care and protection of children and acknowledge the incredible work Yolngu people do in northeast Arnhem Land in supporting the work of the Department of Children and Families, especially since the Growing them stronger, together report, and the additional resources the government has put into this.
As members of the CTC, we have had public hearings with the CE, Ms Clare Gardiner-Barnes, Professor Graham Vimpani from the Child Protection External Monitoring and Reporting Committee, as well as the Children’s Commissioner. The value our Indigenous employees have in this sector is irreplaceable.
Madam Speaker, I will wind it up there. I support the statement the minister has brought before the House. I can only reiterate it is a great shame the opposition appears to have chosen not to participate in this debate. Worse than not participating, they have actively sought, through the member for Greatorex, to close the debate down. This to me, undermines what this parliament and this House is all about: to come here and talk about the things that are important to the people we represent. The fact they choose not to talk about this important subject leaves me puzzled to say the least. I commend the statement to the House.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Speaker, I express my disappointment at the behaviour of the member for Greatorex, who tried to close the debate. That is a slap in the face of our health professionals and the people who train the future health professionals in the Northern Territory. Am I surprised? No, I am not surprised at all. We have never heard anything positive from the member for Greatorex. We have never had any positive contribution.
Even when he acknowledged there were problems with the health system, he did not offer a solution because he has no solution. The CLP has no policy regarding the state of the health system in the Northern Territory and did not have one previously. The only policy it had in 1998-99 was to get rid of 200 nurses. God help the health profession in the Northern Territory if they ever come to government. I do not know how many people they would dismiss just to cut costs. My fear is more they will cut all the services, especially in remote areas, to cut costs.
The member for Greatorex refused to visit the oncology centre, despite the fact he was invited three times. He refused to visit because he did not believe it; he did not want to see it. The member for Greatorex will be the first one to jump up and down and make noise, and sometimes makes noise for non-existent events in the health system. He often talks down the health system in the Northern Territory, the same health system other states - not only Labor states, but even Liberal states - have faith in and contribute to by buying six beds, like the Western Australian government, by signing an agreement about renal dialysis treatment like the Western Australian government, and by talking about treating cancer patients from Western Australia in the Northern Territory.
It is not only the CLP but their natural allies in Canberra, the Liberal Party. When the Howard government was in power, it put a cap on the training of doctors, which is why we face such an enormous problem in the Northern Territory - not only the Northern Territory, but also north Western Australia and north Queensland. It is no secret that Tony Abbott pulled $1bn out of the health budget. There were 600 GP training places in 2008. The government in Canberra is talking about 1200 being in place by 2014. There were 51 special training places in 2007 under the Health minister, Mr Abbott, the current Leader of the Opposition. The federal government in Canberra has supported 518 medical specialist trainees this year across the country. The Commonwealth announced $609m in 2010 to deliver an extra 5500 training GPs, 680 specialists, and 5400 junior doctor training places in general practice by 2020.
There is an enormous travesty in the health profession and is what we are trying to address. The member for Greatorex said I did not have much to say about health. I had a 12-page story about health, and then talked about primary industries and fisheries, mines, and child protection. The title of my statement was ‘Growing Our Own Northern Territory Workforce’ and, of course, my portfolio incorporates health, child protection and families, resources, fisheries, primary industries, and mining. In all these cases, we are building our workforce in the Northern Territory.
We have the first medical school in the Northern Territory. We produce our own pharmacists, our own nurses, our own midwives, and we train graduate doctors and specialists who can address issues in remote communities.
With the mining boom currently under way, you cannot get a geologist for love or money. We have tried to support the new graduates in geology and mining engineering by providing scholarships. It has worked. Every single issue we have touched has worked. We now have people graduating from the school in CDU as nurses, midwives, engineers, and pharmacists and, in a few years, we will see the first doctors coming out of the Territory medical school. It has worked with the geologists and mining engineers and has worked with the Indigenous marine rangers.
We hear the old mantra from the opposition about how government is failing the child protection system. We did not find a broken-down system; we found a non-existent system. There was a $7m budget, which was in the budget books, and about 100 people. Currently, we have $145m per year plus another $133m over the next five years and the workforce in child protection and families exceeds 500 people. The only policy the CLP came up with was the $9m whistleblower legislation and, of course, copying our idea of splitting the department away from the Department of Health.
The Territory Labor government has made a huge investment in growing our workforce in the Territory from the day we were elected. We find most of the people working in the Territory will be graduates from Territory institutions, from CDU, which has received big support from our government and hence was recognised as the 306th university out of a significant number of universities around the world. We are very proud of it. A big thank you to Vice-Chancellor Barney Glover, and all the people who worked very hard to ensure the medical school became a reality.
Of course, CDU has supported us in other areas; for example, mining. The previous Vice-Chancellor was very perceptive about the scholarships we created and was willing to work with us, and we have done so. Today we have seen doctors in remote areas, doctors in our hospitals, training in our hospitals, doctors working in the Territory - not first graduates yet, but they will come. Out of these 24 graduates, there will be 10 Indigenous Territorians. As the Chief Minister has repeatedly said, you can be born in the Territory, go to childcare centres in the Territory, preschool in the Territory, primary middle and senior secondary school in the Territory and then go to university and become a medical doctor without leaving the Territory.
I am extremely disappointed with the member for Greatorex. He said nothing about health - and I suspect he had nothing to say about health because he had not prepared anything - but he also tried to gag the debate. He did not like what we had to say. It is a good story and he does not like it. He called it an offensive term - a puff piece. That is a slap in the face to the people who work very hard in the Territory. That is a slap in the face for our hard-working health professionals and health staff in urban centres and remote communities.
I am disappointed. I find that attitude extremely upsetting. He only ever says something negative; he never has anything positive to contribute to the debate. I am happy to acknowledge they were his ideas. I have done it before. I am happy not to reinvent the wheel if someone has already done it. I am happy to learn from others, but since he has been in parliament I have not heard him say anything positive about the health system. The only thing we hear is poison and criticism, and unjustified criticism, most of the time.
Our health professionals are hard-working professionals. I had the pleasure and privilege to work with many of them in my days as an environmental health officer and manager of environmental health at the Department of Health. I pay tribute to them because they sometimes work under very difficult conditions, in very difficult circumstances, and very difficult surroundings. We have tried our best to support them and we will continue to support our health professionals.
My predecessors, Dr Chris Burns, and you, Madam Speaker, when you were Health minister, acknowledged what the Department of Health and the health system needed; we ensured money was allocated. They had our full support and were provided the necessary training to address the deficiencies left in the system by the previous CLP government.
Madam Speaker, I pay tribute to the health professionals and look forward to the day the first doctors graduate from Charles Darwin University.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the member for Port Darwin.
It is signed by the member for Port Darwin.
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, it now 7.25 pm and I note the Treasurer walked into the Chamber but moments after …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr ELFERINK: Oh, for goodness sake, I am not even attacking you, mate.
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Member for Port Darwin, continue.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I note the Treasurer - I was about to refer to my own presence in the Chamber, because I just watched the news and I know the Treasurer did as well. The story on the ABC news, particularly about Alice Springs, is concerning to say the least and it bothers me deeply that the Leader of Government Business is more concerned about winning tawdry points of order in this House than what was reported on the news.
What was reported on the news, particularly in Alice Springs, was 10 businesses have shut their doors and there are ‘for lease’ and ‘for sale’ signs on those business doors and all we hear from the minister for Business is: ‘No, it is not that bad’. Well, it is that bad, and what do they sheet it home to? They sheet it home directly to this government’s incapacity to deal with the security issues in Alice Springs, and all this minister wants to do is score political points in this House. This is about businesses; people’s lives, putting food on the table for the kids at the end of the day after trying to maintain a job, but are too scared to open the doors because it is just getting too hard under the management of this government. All they want is point scoring. Well, good luck to you.
It was interesting to hear Tim Jennings talk about having to contract his business. It was interesting to hear Kay Eade talk about the problems businesses have in Alice Springs, and it is not just Alice Springs. It is galling in the extreme to see the Treasurer walk into this House and, even during Question Time, reiterate on several occasions how strong the Territory economy is. She is living, and this government is living, in a state of fantasy if they think everything is sweetness and light.
Take a walk up the mall in Darwin, in Tennant Creek, and in Katherine, and look for the ‘for lease’ signs. Each ‘for lease’ sign used to have a business in it. We are not talking about new building because construction in the Northern Territory is grinding to a shuddering halt - a contraction in the last financial year of 8.9% compared year on year. If you wanted to compare the June quarter to the June quarter in that same period, construction in the Northern Territory has declined in the order of 30% or 40%, depending on whether you are talking about units, dwellings, or commercial properties.
These are not good figures and it is incumbent on the Treasurer to acknowledge there is a problem out there. The Treasurer will speak long and hard about all the money the government is spending and putting into the economy. I have never criticised this government for borrowing in difficult times to deal with difficult issues. I have criticised this government for failure to prepare for the difficult times. That failure to prepare resonates since this Labor Party came to government in the Northern Territory. It was given a huge amount of money, both through the GST, as well as other sources of revenue, which would have enabled it to reduce the debt of the Northern Territory to zero if they had shown a modicum of restraint.
However, unlike the professed countercyclical spending the Treasurer says she is engaged in, in truth, during the good times the government directly competed with the private sector to get certain projects up and running. When the private sector was doing well and investing in things the Mantra Pandanus or Evolution, both 30-plus storey buildings, the government was competing directly for the same workers to build the waterfront. That is hardly countercyclical spending. Now, rather than pay off the bank card when it had the opportunity - and income went up enormously in the last 10 years, bearing in mind the last CLP budget had a revenue base of about $2.2bn, it is currently tracking at an income of about $4.5bn. A large slice of this was extra GST which the government did not expect, which was the GST windfall. Surely, it could have found in all that income some money to pay off the credit card bill.
Ms Lawrie: We did.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on the interjection: ‘We did’. You did not pay it off. The government contracted it slightly when it should have paid it off. This has been done; it was done by the Howard government federally, which had a substantial increase ...
Ms Lawrie: At the expense of the states.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: … substantial increase in its income …
Ms Lawrie: They ripped out health funding.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: … and paid off the debt. I pick up on the interjection that they ripped it off the states. How did the Gallop government in Western Australia pay off its debt I ask the Treasurer? It is a state; it was busy being ripped off, according to the Treasurer, but it managed to pay off its debt as well. This is an incompetent Treasurer and a typical Labor-orientated government. It likes to spend and has not a care as to who is going to pay the bill.
If you want to see an example of this form of irresponsibility, the answer to the prison question today was an absolute classic. ‘No, no’, she says, ‘It is a triple P arrangement. We are not buying the thing up front. No, we are paying it off over time’. Well, bully for you. So, you are buying it on a hire purchase agreement and where is that money coming from? It is coming from the credit card and future income growth. In other words, the government is still racking up the debt and waiting for future generations of Territorians to pay off the debt.
This is important because the Northern Territory government is a substantial contributor to the overall economy of the Northern Territory. It spends, and the marketplace responds; however, this government will switch its responsibility for the Northern Territory economy on and off whenever the argument suits. It will claim it has created 20 000 jobs since coming into government; however, if 3500 jobs in the last three months go walking, the response is: ‘It is the global economic crisis; nothing to do with us’.
You are either in charge of the economy or you are not. Unfortunately, this government will switch its responsibility on and off when it suits. Its fiscal opportunity has trickled through its fingers over the last eight years and the only answer to respond to situations now is to rack it up on the credit card. The economy in the Territory is hurting.
The most recent CommSec report outlined a three-speed economy where we are in the back pack. We are amongst the other states that are running last. Western Australia is way out front and the difference between the Northern Territory and Western Australia is not a great deal. Resource rich, exporting many primary products from the resources sector; Western Australia is making a killing and we are lagging behind. All this government can say is: ‘Oh, we will wait for the gaol to be built’, which is on tick, and ‘wait for INPEX’.
INPEX is something this side of the House has supported. The point is, INPEX is not here yet and, even when it announces - and I believe it is case of when - business will be going broke between now and December, early January - it makes the final announcement. Even then there will be a lag time whilst INPEX ramps up.
Yes, they are putting out tenders for contracts at the moment; I look forward to it. All this government has left is INPEX - the last shot in the locker. I have referred, much to the derision of the Treasurer, that INPEX, which was supposed to be the icing on the cake, has now become the cake. There is nothing else under it. The government talks about the marine supply base, but that is not helping people right now. This government has positioned itself very poorly indeed.
The construction sector I referred to earlier is but one example of the poor outcomes and the news is getting grimmer. I draw honourable members’ attention to three Deloitte Access Economics reports - the March quarter from 2011, the June quarter from 2011, and the September quarter from 2011. The expected growth rate in March by Deloitte Access Economics was 3.2% for the 2010-11 year. By the time they reached June, the projected growth rate for the 2010-11 year had fallen to 1.1%. The September quarter - the quarter reported on recently – said the growth rate for the Territory has fallen to 0.4%. If this was a barometer, there would be a grim and nasty storm heading in our direction.
I draw honourable members’ attention to the projected growth rate for the current financial year - 2011-12. In March, Deloitte Access Economics predicted a growth rate of 5%, revised down to 4% by June, revised down to 2.7% by September. The only thing the Treasurer can offer is: ‘We have a low unemployment rate’. We always had a low unemployment rate. Our unemployment rate remains low because of one thing: people pack up and leave. When people leave, businesses go broke because they are not being supported by people, and those people who remain have to suffer under a cost of living which is breaking them. People leave this town because it is too expensive to live here. Some people cannot even afford to sell and leave, particularly those people who are carrying a very large debt for houses that are no longer worth - because the price is contracting slightly - what they paid for them. They are caught in a trap. They have to keep paying off the debt because, if they sell the house, there will be a residual debt. That is not a happy or good contraction.
‘It is a buyer’s market’, says the Treasurer, ‘Now is the time to buy a house’. Well, that is really good. One small factor is the vast majority of Territorians cannot scrape together the deposit, and those houses are going on the market are because vendors, by and large, have to sell their houses. If you look at the turnover of house prices that has crashed through the floor in the last 12 months or so, it has hurt people in the real estate industry. Real estate agents are getting second jobs packing shelves at Woolworths and Coles because their real estate job ain’t paying the bills. If you want an example of this, look at last year’s projection for stamp duty revenue which fell from $112m to about $92m because there were less transfers of title of property. The reason is people are bunkering down for the storm.
The Treasurer of the Northern Territory keeps saying: ‘The economy is going really well. It is going great guns, we are having a wonderful time in the Northern Territory and everything is sweetness and light’ ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, can you take that outside, please?
Mr ELFERINK: … it is not, and this government has poorly positioned the Northern Territory for the circumstances we find ourselves in. How much better would it have been if this government had paid off the debt the Northern Territory carries? It would have been able to respond much more effectively to the circumstances it finds itself in. However, it cannot, because it has reached the very fringes, the very brink of its debt threshold.
This government has used the benchmark of the former CLP government’s debt to income ratio as the benchmark for how debt works. Yet, that is the direction it is taking us when it says ‘unsustainable’. It made many allegations about the debt to income ratio under the CLP; however, that is where this Treasurer is taking us because she has not prepared the ground well. This government has launched into all manner of expenditure and expanded where expansion was not necessary. It loves to spend and has spent up big time. It now finds itself in a period of contraction in the Territory economy and all it can produce is report after report from Treasury, which has the Northern Territory lines going south, south, south.
Another concerning component to population growth is, whilst it is still slightly in the positive, our birth rate is particularly pronounced in remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory. From a service demand point of view, that growth rate in remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory will, from a historical perspective, not produce large amounts of income for the Northern Territory but will have a substantial drawdown on the services the Northern Territory government provides. The government remains silent on that issue. You barely find a reference to it in the budget books of the Northern Territory and the Treasurer remains completely silent about the matter.
The settings are grim, all but for one project. Those settings need to be attended to by government and it has to start making the appropriate decisions to deal with these issues. I hope to hear from the Treasurer tonight regarding what she is going to do and what settings she will put in place to deal with the ongoing debt problem in the Northern Territory and the poor economic situation in which the Northern Territory finds itself. The government has promised to bring the budget back into surplus, but I have yet to see a budget book which tells me on what date that will occur.
If you look at the Uniform Presentation Framework as it appears in Budget Paper No.2, it is minus from now until the time Treasury is prepared to predict. All we have is a hollow promise from a Treasurer saying the government will return the budget to surplus. Meanwhile, businesses in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek continue to contract and shut down.
I started by talking about Alice Springs and will read a story from the ABC website of a radio bulletin which ran last night or this morning:
The government crows about what it is doing to combat social order issues yet, from the last set of reliable statistics, we can still see violent crime has increased by 80% since this government came to power. That has an economic impact. This government talks about having crime under control with its new grog laws. The jury is still out on that; however, what I witnessed in Alice Springs recently gives me no comfort the government knows what it is doing across the rest of the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, this government has lost its way and, unfortunately, the cancer cells of this government’s poor judgments are now metastasising in different parts of the Northern Territory’s body politic, as well as its body economic. People are suffering, and to hear this government continually banging on about the problems being essentially in people’s imagination, because the Treasurer says the economy is strong, is simply not supportable.
This government needs to stand up, be honest with Territorians, and outline what it is going to do, rather than saying INPEX, INPEX, INPEX. How is INPEX going to help Alice Springs? How is INPEX going to be good for Tennant Creek and Katherine? It will be good for Darwin, but the Territory will have its own two-speed economy and Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Katherine will become welfare towns. Grow up, Treasurer, and deliver services Territorians can trust.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I listened to the normal doom and gloom of the member for Port Darwin. When we consider the discussions of the Territory economy under a Labor government, look at everything I have described, the description of the past where we were at 0.0% economic growth in 2001, how we have grown that economic growth to the highs on the verge of the global financial crisis with economic growth, jobs, the opportunities right across the Territory, how we broadened out - retail was strong, hospitality was strong, tourism was strong, mining was in growth, construction was buoyant - industry was affected dramatically by the global financial crisis. However, if you look at describing the past, then the present, and how our government is managing in the strong and deliberate way, managing and shouldering our economy through the effects of the global financial crisis, and you look at the future in the Deloitte Access Economics reports around the bright future of the Territory, there is a common thread. An irrefutable distinction stands like a glass wall between the two sides of this House - credibility. Credibility is not something someone earns overnight; it is not something that materialises with one good economic report card, nor does it suddenly dissolve after a few nasty press releases from the member for Port Darwin. Credibility is something earned over many years by hard work, consistency, and results.
When one looks at the form of the other side of the House, when you prop your eyelids open with toothpicks and listen to the sermons of the member for Blain, or the doomsday predictions of the member for Port Darwin, or whatever the advisor has written for the member for Katherine, it is obvious there is no common thread, no consistency, no hard work, no underlying policy framework, and there sure is no credibility.
This is a party, supposedly from the tradition of conservative economic managers, who chose as its Treasury spokesperson a man caught deceiving the Territory out of stamp duty. It put up as its alternative Treasurer in charge of the Territory’s finances, a man willing to defraud the Territory. Rewarding his faith in the CLP’s judgment our shonky …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, I would like you to withdraw that and reword please, thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw. Rewarding his faith in the CLP …
Mr Tollner: This is a written speech. You have written that bile.
Ms LAWRIE: I have worked on this; I am looking forward to it.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, order!
Ms LAWRIE: … rewarding his faith in the CLP’s judgment, our shonky shadow used his first estimates to announce the global financial crisis was over. I will not dwell on that because he got the chop soon after. It is a great introduction to the comedy that is the CLP’s economic credentials. This is the party that, in the face of the greatest economic downturn in 100 years, opposed the Territory going into deficit to support jobs. No credibility. It is the party that opposed this bold move, despite the support of industry, the Chamber of Commerce, top economists in the country, and the International Monetary Fund’s advice - no credibility.
When you, like the Territory Labor government, have presided over 10 years of strong economic growth, the largest sustained period of interstate migration in our history, the lowest unemployment in our history, record private investment, and eight consecutive surplus budgets, then you can lay claim to some credibility. When you have an economy tipped to be one of the best performing in our nation through the next five years by Deloitte Access Economics without factoring in a $26bn project, well, yes, you will possibly look for some credibility. However, sitting in your office trawling for bad economic data, salivating over your keyboard when you see an economic report that you can spin into another doomsday story does not build credibility; it exposes you as the no idea, reactionary rabble you are.
Rather than his van, I suggest the member for Port Darwin would be more suited to a big sandwich board that says ‘the end is nigh’. He cannot tell you why the end is nigh, because his arguments shift, mutate, and backflip depending on the day - he just knows it is going to happen. Today, in Question Time, the shadow completely betrayed all that is lacking in his party when he accused me, when referring to expert data, of giving financial advice. It seemed much like his colleague, the member for Brennan’s, epiphany on the environment. The member for Port Darwin is so enamoured of his own opinions he thinks he is the expert and Deloitte Access Economics is wrong, the Chamber of Commerce is wrong, the Master Builders Association is wrong, the head economist at one of Australia’s top banks is wrong, former CLP minister, Daryl Manzie, is wrong, and the International Monetary Fund is wrong. According to the member for Port Darwin, they are all wrong and what he says is right.
As Treasurer, I am immensely proud that I do not have to suspend belief when I speak for the Territory economy. I do not pretend to be an economist; I defer to things, my government’s record, and the opinion of experts. In the opinion of experts, the Territory economy is heading in the right direction. We are heading into another strong growth period.
We acknowledge we are also, like the rest of the nation, still in recovery; still feeling the impacts of the global financial crisis. We have achieved strong economic growth through the last decade which places us well to deal with the effects of the global financial crisis. We do not have the record unemployment you see around parts of the youth sector in our nation, nor do we have the joblessness you see as a result of the global financial crisis. We were well positioned, thanks to the Labor government, to ride it out. We always knew we would feel the effects, and we are across sectors of the economy, without a doubt.
Last week, Deloitte Access Economics Business Outlook, the September quarter 2011, was released. That report forecast over the next five years that the Territory will have the lowest unemployment in the nation and grow at the third-highest rate of all jurisdictions behind the other resource powerhouses of Western Australia and Queensland. Deloitte Access Economics forecast economic growth to strengthen to 2.7% in 2011-12. That was the grim and nasty picture in the version of the member for Port Darwin when he compared the 2010-11 data to 2011-12. Grim and nasty? It is a strengthening in economic growth from 0.4 to 2.7%. It is not grim and nasty. That is strengthening; that is recovery. It is predicted to grow, on average, by 3.4% per annum over the next five years. As I said, we are third to WA and Queensland.
I will pick up on this flight of fantasy that we have all our eggs in one basket. He likes his baking scenario so INPEX, rather than the icing, has become the cake. You are completely ignoring investment which is occurring across the resources sector in the Territory. We have grown investment in mining by $150m in the last 12 months alone. You are sticking your head in the sand and pretending the appetite for opportunities in the Territory occurring out of China and Japan do not exist; it is all about INPEX. You are kidding yourself. You are making yourself a laughing stock across the resources sector. Unbelievable!
The main drivers of the economic growth, if you look at the Deloitte Access Economics report through to 2015-16, are expected to be the return of significant private construction investment. Yes, we are coming off highs in the major projects: G3 expansion, GEMCO expansion, Blacktip, and the pipeline. All major construction projects came to completion just prior to, or just after, the GFC, and what happened in GFC, which these clowns still ignore, is financial markets froze. Credit, as it started to free up and become available, was very expensive. Ask a business person what it is costing them in mezzanine loans levels. Ask them about that. You completely ignore the reality of what is occurring across the financial marketplace that impacts private investment.
That is why our government shouldered the load; a $4.6bn construction spend across the three budget cycles following the global financial crisis impact and we created 15 500 jobs. Yet, if we had listened to ‘the end of the world is nigh’, the doom and gloom of the member for Port Darwin, we simply would not have done it. We would not have had record construction spends, we would have kept it around normal levels to keep things ticking over. We would not have taken it from $840m per annum to a record spend of $1.8bn, doubling our infrastructure budget. We would not have done any of that if we had listened to the member for Port Darwin. The record stands. Follow the debate year on year on year and the nonsense that has come out of the mouth of the member for Port Darwin. He has it consistently wrong. There is a reason, when you say something, member for Port Darwin, my side says: ‘Oops’ or ‘Oh, oh’. You are consistently wrong and you defy data of the independent economists.
I will consistently rely on the experts. I consistently said, coming through that period, announcing record infrastructure spends, announcing it was a bold move to shoulder the burden, to keep the economy in growth - which we have done - to keep people in jobs and create jobs, and make that deliberate decision to go from eight surplus budgets to the ninth budget being a deficit to shoulder the burden. That was what all the experts said governments should be doing and time has proven it was the right decision to make.
Look at our unemployment rate, look at how many Territorians today - the 15 500 - in a job that the member for Port Darwin would have rather seen unemployed. Ask a family if they want the government to stay in surplus because it suits them, or do they want the government to spend and support jobs so they can have a job? It does not take you long to come to a conclusion about their answer.
All the data coming from Deloitte Access Economics - again, independent, not he who thinks he has an expert view of the world, the member for Port Darwin - is saying the main drivers of economic growth through to 2015-16 are expected be private construction investment, private housing investment, and international exports. Not all, just the cake, as in your own personal world view, member for Port Darwin.
The marine supply base is not factored into this data. That will be built at East Arm and will inject millions of dollars into the local economy. It will create 125 jobs in the construction period alone, but it is not factored into this data. We know we are in preferred tender negotiations. The reality is coming, but it is not factored into the data. So, factor that one into the data, member for Port Darwin, and try to understand that picture.
The 1000-job new prison, which has been announced and is being constructed, is not factored into that data. Work that one out regarding investment. The Montara oil field expansion, the Kitan oil field development, and multiple Defence redevelopments, including the $200m 900-unit announcement made by Stephen Smith, the Defence minister, last week, have not been factored into this latest data. Work that one out, member for Port Darwin. It is starting to dawn on you; I can see you blinking across the Chamber. This is good news for the Territory in very tough economic times.
Retail and hospitality have been affected by the global financial crisis. The dollar is strong, coming at that double whammy. Consumer confidence is at an all time low around our nation. We are not just talking about the Territory. Consumers have become conservative. Why? They are waking up in the morning to the doom and gloom of the economic picture of instability which still exists across Europe and the concerns about the US.
Consumers in Australia are bucking trends. They are saving, not spending. I have consistently said we acknowledge retail, hospitality, and tourism are doing it tough. When you talk about the small businesses closing in Alice Springs, I acknowledge how tough it is in that all-important retail environment. That is why we have investment and business programs to support those small businesses in understanding their cash flow requirements.
That is why our minister for Business has been running all those workshops through October Business Month. That is why I talk to the banks about how the economic scenario in the Territory is different to the economic scenario elsewhere in Australia; so they understand to give businesses the breathing space they need when retail, hospitality, and tourism are doing it tough in Alice Springs and in the Top End.
I have to pick up on the nonsense of the member for Port Darwin because he genuinely makes some of this up as he goes along. He said business in Tennant Creek was contracting. Mate, I will give you the tip. Tennant Creek is booming. In all the data sets you want to look at, the place is booming. You kid yourself if you think you can say something in here and I will not pull you up for making it up. Look at Tennant. Look at what is happening in the housing market in Tennant. When everyone else is being a conservative consumer and not going into the marketplace, Tennant is booming - bucking all the trends. It is on fire. Why? It is not INPEX; it is the resources boom. However, no, hang on a second, in the world the member for Port Darwin exists in, The World According to Garp I describe it as sometimes, that is not happening. It is a figment of our imagination. Well, it is not; it is real, it is happening, and Tennant is booming. It is not contracting. Do not lump, through laziness, Tennant Creek into your genuine concerns about Alice Springs. Do not be lazy in this Chamber; you will be pulled up on it.
I recognise business in Alice is doing it tough, particularly in retail tourism and hospitality. We recognise they are doing it tough in Darwin and the impact of the doom and gloom of the members opposite is playing out for them to the detriment of the business people in Alice. We called it early this year. We recognise the social unrest and the crime in Alice Springs over the Christmas period was unacceptable. We responded with a plan of action to improve resources and the operations of police and to work with businesses to deal with those issues. We also came through with our significant grog reforms which, although the member for Port Darwin does not believe it, the data shows are having an effect. Alice Springs has seen a reduction in assault of about 19%.
It is early days yet, but we have responded with swift action. We warned you at the time, members opposite, when you were trashing Alice Springs, not to do it. The last thing those businesses need is to be trashed or talked about. We let you know at the time and hello, some of those chickens came home to hatch, sadly, for the people who wear the folly of your stupidity because you would rather play politics than support businesses when times are tough. We have never seen an economic global shock like we saw in 100 years, and we knew we would have to shoulder it. What did you do at the time? You went in there and gave everyone an extra kick.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I point out to the Treasurer, within that 100-year period, the Great Depression. Did she not notice that one?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. Resume your seat!
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I noticed the Great Depression. People have moved on from that. Their analysis is this is the worst in 100 years. The early analysis was it has been the worst since World War II and the Great Depression. The latest analysis is it is the worst in 100 years because of the duration of the impact of the GFC; however, keep up with it if you can!
We acknowledge that despite these tough times the Territory is in a good economic position. The industry sectors are doing it tough nationally - we are not alone in the Territory - retail, hospitality, and tourism. However, we are punching above our weight with where our economic data is, in having the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. The government made a bold decision to step up spending to ensure our economic growth remained positive. This did not happen by accident. Where were we positioned pre-GFC to withstand the global economic shocks and where are we now? It did not happen by accident. We have actively cut taxes to support jobs and growth. We are the lowest-taxing jurisdiction for small- and medium-sized businesses in the nation. Consecutive tax cuts have saved Territory businesses a cumulative $365m. We have delivered a jobs plan to get apprentices and trainees into jobs to grow our local workforce. Since 2001, we have supported the creation of 28 000 jobs. We have provided tax cuts, incentives, and stimulus to promote people into housing construction.
We are driving the major projects. The marine supply base is an example. You ignore the national economic picture, you think the global financial crisis is over, and are fixated on talking the Territory down. CLP, I say shame on you.
Yes, our national economy is a multi-speed economy. The resource-based sectors are performing well. Most of the other sectors are struggling. All sectors are potentially exposed to international conditions, particularly those in Europe. The effects of the global financial crisis are being felt around the country; consumers are holding onto their money and are more conservative with their savings, and it is having an impact on those industries. The high exchange rate for the Australian dollar is having a critical impact on tourism and manufacturing industries elsewhere.
Inflation is within the Reserve Bank band. Official interest rates remain stable, but some economic commentators are forecasting a cut on Tuesday off the back of continued international economic uncertainty.
I have much more to add in relation to housing and where we are going; however, on the crazy debt argument …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Ms LAWRIE: … we reduced debt by $585m before the global financial crisis hit and we lost revenue by $200m per annum.
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, minister.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, thank God that crazy rant is over. That screech from the left was becoming unbearable. It is difficult to sit through and listen to a speech from the member for Karama. The way she can mangle the facts and twist a story is an assault to the ears. I feel sorry for those people who may well have been tuned in listening to this on the radio or the Internet, because it is a disgusting abuse of parliament as far as I am concerned.
I am thankful the member for Port Darwin introduced this matter of public importance. It needs discussing, and good on the member for Port Darwin for talking about the economy. If you listen to the member for Karama, everything is rosy, the government is on top of things in the Northern Territory and had a jot of an idea about what is going on, but alas, nothing could be further from the truth. This is a do nothing government with no plans and more interested in twisting the facts, concocting stories, making nonsense up about the opposition than doing the right thing by Territorians and running the Territory in a responsible manner.
You do not have to do much to expose this government for being a pathetic, moronic, moribund pack of useless fools. That is the best way to describe them. You do not have to do much at all to expose them. In fact, just last week the government was exposed over some of its mistruths about the carbon tax.
You hear the Treasurer say: ‘Oh, we are running a strong economy; we have our finger on the pulse’. Well, the Treasurer could not explain how much a litre of milk would increase by, under Labor’s new carbon tax, and the government has signed up to it. Not only has it signed up, it is championing it. Despite the fact parliament unanimously voted against the carbon tax - this parliament called for a 50-year exemption - we have a government so out of touch it thinks it is its God-given right to sell a lousy tax Territorians do not want.
When you scratch the surface and ask the most basic questions, such as how much will a litre of milk increase by under Labor’s carbon tax, you get nothing. That question was put to the member for Barkly, who featured quite heavily in newspaper and media with his response; not because it was such a detailed response, but because he could not find his tongue and was struggling for answers. He deferred to the member for Karama, who happens to be the Treasurer of the Northern Territory. What a sad state of affairs we are in when the member for Karama is the Treasurer for the Northern Territory, because the member for Karama cannot say how much a litre of milk will increase by with Labor’s carbon tax. Quite frankly, the government does not know. The Chief Minister says he will not implement anything, will not support anything, will not do anything, to increase costs in any way at all or hurt Territory families, but he cannot answer the most basic question on how much a litre of milk will increase by.
The government says it is pro-development, building the Territory, but has no idea how much a tonne of structural steel is going to increase by. We have the Whyalla Steelworks just down the road. OneSteel in Adelaide is not a long way to go; 3000 km or so. You would think you could call and ask: ‘Guys, you are in the steel production game. How much will steel rise by in the Northern Territory because we are pro-development and we have building plans. We would also like to know how much a cubic metre of cement will rise by because we are big on building things in the Northern Territory - we are a pro-development government?’ You have to ask questions when the government has no idea how much those commodities will rise.
Rather appalling, but it stands to reason because these guys are not pro-development. Let us look at the biggest capital development in this term of government - and it has not been completed yet – the biggest earmarked project. It is a sad indictment on the government that the biggest thing we are building is a gaol. Goodness me, what does that say about the Northern Territory when your biggest item of capital expenditure is the most expensive gaol in Australia. A simple question was asked today in Question Time to the Treasurer: ‘Treasurer, is this the most expensive gaol in Australia?’ The Treasurer ranted on for three minutes, screeching at the opposition, but did not answer the question. Why? Because we are building the most expensive gaol in Australia.
When you look around the Northern Territory you see things that need attention: roads, bridges, housing in remote communities, a whole range of different things; however, the government will spend more than $0.5bn on a gaol. Most people would say: ‘Well, they are prisoners. Why can’t they stay in tents; why can’t we give them swags?’ Sheriff Joe in Texas does, but not in the Northern Territory. We house prisoners better then we house some of our upstanding members of the community.
I was fortunate to be on Q&A recently with Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. She comes from a lovely place called Utopia. Get out there and check the standard of living in Utopia! My colleague, the member for Braitling, tells me this is one of the hardest places in the world to live. He said conditions are appalling. Would the government spend $500m in Utopia looking after decent citizens of the Northern Territory? No, but we will spend $500m on a gaol. That is the biggest capital expense this government has in this term. What an indictment on this government, and they say they are running the Territory well.
I do not know how much money a gaol puts into the economy. Perhaps there are a few jobs in its construction, maybe a few jobs in its running; however, it is all taxpayers’ money. It does not make much money; it does not do much at all. Meanwhile, we have a perfectly good gaol at Berrimah which is only 30 years old. I am living in a house older than that. I am sure some people in this Chamber live in houses older than the Berrimah prison; however, for some reason we have to bulldoze Berrimah gaol and spend $500m on a brand-spanking new gaol while thousands of people across the Territory live in poverty. This government thinks what it is doing is a wonderful thing.
Ask the Tourism minister a question about airfares and Labor’s new carbon tax. You think: ‘Oh well, Tourism Minister, the Northern Territory relies on airlines. The Transport minister ought to know a little about airlines and air travel and general aviation in the Northern Territory’. In fact, you would think there would be a few members in this House who would know a little about general aviation, given the vastness of the Northern Territory. However, it is a fact of life for many people in the Northern Territory that, for six months of the year, there is no other transport available. It is no luxury. However, ask a simple question: ‘How much do you expect an airfare to rise from one place in the Northern Territory to another’, and you cannot get an answer - no idea. The government says: ‘That is nothing to do with us’. Nothing to do with the government? It is supporting a carbon tax! How can you possibly support a carbon tax when you have no idea of the impact on the economy? You have the audacity to call yourself a Treasurer! I call it a total joke! The Treasurer cannot answer the basic questions.
Today in Question Time, we had several questions on Cash for Containers. Lion Nathan has said it will put the price of a carton of beer up because it has to cover costs. Whoopee! I thought that would have been basic common sense for anyone understanding the faintest thing. You put a tax on something; of course it will increase the price. They have to recoup their costs somehow. This government said: ‘Oh no, no, no. There is no reason for that. No, no, nothing is going to rise’.
Ms Lawrie: Are you against it?
Mr TOLLNER: No price rises! Am I against it? This is the bizarre logic of the member for Karama. If you put in place a tax or a charge to do something, it does not necessarily mean you are against it, but you should be across the issue. You should be decent enough to say to people: ‘Yes, there will be some pain, but the pain will be worth it’. But no, no, not this mob. You have to twist the truth, you have to talk absolute nonsense, and rant and rave, and carry on about how you are so responsible. You do not care if the Northern Territory goes to hell in a hand basket. You do not care! You do not care about what impact your actions will have in the community.
That is the disgrace, Madam Speaker. How can you advocate something and think there will be no ramifications? How can you think a carbon tax will not affect anything? How do you think you can have a Cash for Containers scheme which will not affect prices? This is bizarre thinking, and these people call themselves good economic managers. What a joke! All these things come at a price but that is not acknowledged by this government. If they had the character, the intestinal fortitude, to stand up and say: ‘We believe in this. We think it is going to make a difference. It is going to come with some pain, but it will all be better in the end’, you would take them on their word and say: ‘All right. Well, at least they are standing up for something’.
However, not this mob; they want their cake and eat it too. They say: ‘Oh, no, we are going to introduce new taxes but it is not going to impact on anyone. No one is going to feel it. We are going to have a Cash for Containers scheme. We are going to get all the containers off the roads, out of our parks and out of the community. They are all going to go into green projects, recycling, but there will be a cost’. You would say: ‘Fair enough’. Not this mob! They think it all happens for free; that companies do not do this. They say: ‘Hang on. We do not run companies. That is not our job; we are the government. We do not set prices’.
What do you think makes up prices? You are supposed to be the Treasurer, for goodness sake ...
Ms Lawrie: You are embarrassing yourself. Quit while you are ahead.
Mr TOLLNER: The member for Karama does not seem to grip the fact that prices are determined by the cost of inputs. The cost of inputs and profit is what determines the price – it is as simple as that. You work out the cost of production - what it costs to get it into the marketplace - make a few cents on top of that, and that is the price. The member for Karama thinks you can whack on taxes and charges and it will not have an impact on the price. Well, she is living in gaga land.
Dr Burns: Lady Gaga land?
Mr TOLLNER: I was about to say Lady Gaga land, but that would be a slur on Lady Gaga. No, she is in gaga land. She is completely off with the fairies. She believes in the magic pudding that keeps giving you more slices of cake. You keep dipping into it and that, of course, is the big problem with Labor administrations everywhere. They are debt ridden; they run up bills and create new taxes and everything turns to custard in the end. That is exactly what is happening here.
It would be good to know the state of the books. I feel horrified at the prospect we might win government because at some stage we have to open the books and see the degradation the Treasurer has left for the Northern Territory.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I commend the member for Port Darwin for bringing on this matter of public importance. It was interesting listening to the member for Fong Lim on several important issues, one being the Cash for Containers scheme. One thing he failed to mention when talking about this new tax was the cost of the government subsidy to operate in remote locations because we know there will be a cost impact there.
Channel 9 has done a fantastic job in exposing the trickiness of the Northern Territory government in hiding behind some of its comments about no additional cost. Channel 9 has increased a block of beer by about $5.40. We do not know the extra cost for some of the other recyclable products, but we know the government does not know how much a litre of milk will cost under the carbon tax. It will be interesting to find out what the further tax will be on the recyclable component for a litre of milk.
The member for Fong Lim also spoke about the gaol and its economic impact, which is going to be its biggest legacy - a legacy for the next 30 years as we repay the debt. It is also interesting to look at the misery and failures of SIHIP and the blighted expenditure on building houses. All the Northern Territory knows about the failures of SIHIP, estimated to be $450 000 per house, although we know it is much more than that; however, for a three-bedroom house which you might be able to get for about $550 000 or a little more – they will not give us the figures - under this government it is cheaper to build a SIHIP house than to build a prison bed. That is the failure. That is the surprising thing. SIHIP, for all its failures, is cheaper than the Northern Territory gaol - the corrections system where the Northern Territory government is locking up black Territorians more than they did during the apartheid era in South Africa.
I have diverted from what I wanted to speak about. I wanted to talk about Alice Springs and its economy. I do not want to talk down the economy of Alice Springs. I heard the Treasurer make reference to what happened over the summer last year in Alice Springs and what continues to happen in such a crime spree. What we saw last year, as we see every summer, is an outbreak in crime which gets worse every year. Last year businesses said they have had enough, actively campaigned against this government, and called on it to do something - more policing and a stronger access through the courts. That has not occurred. Police are still doing a fine job but the results have not been on the ground. We are seeing more and more people close their business and more and more people leaving town because they are fed up. It has had a detrimental effect on our tourism industry, albeit in conjunction with such external factors as the global financial crisis and the high Australian dollar, but the economy of Alice Springs is suffering.
Law and order has spread through Alice Springs like a disease. It is an epidemic that has had severe connotations eroding our cultural integrity and destroying our local economy. You do not have to be Einstein to correlate the increase in bashings, sexual assaults, house break-ins, and property crime with the downtown in our economy. Property crime has increased by 307% on six-monthly figures against March 2005 six-monthly figures. A 307% increase, or more than four times as much, is devastating to a small community such as Alice Springs. This is not about talking the town down; it is about getting adequate response by government. Economic solutions are the way forward in many of our social negatives which occur in the Northern Territory and different locations around the world. When you have a strong and vibrant economy, the social and cultural factors mend themselves, everything grows, and the system seems to be humming along.
The fact remains: tourists have stopped visiting and locals are leaving in droves. Labor’s mishandling of law and order leaves those remaining in Alice Springs closing their businesses and putting staff off. We heard on the ABC news tonight, Tim Jennings, owner of Mbantua Gallery, has laid off 10 people in the last six months. I can tell you a number of construction firms who have been laying off staff. Gilbert Earthmoving is moving out of Alice Springs; Asbuild has had to lay people off; Probuild; Sitzler’s is in a bad position, albeit it does have some projects. I talk to these building companies and they tell me how they used to run 10 to 15 jobs simultaneously and are now sitting on one job, maybe two if they are lucky. The situation is bleak.
Those people who are remaining in Alice Springs, at 4.30 pm find themselves more and more retiring to the confines of a home environment protected by six-foot fences and razor wire. The cost of house prices, grocery prices, and petrol prices are all having that additional impact of a negative effect on people in our urban remote location of Alice Springs.
Housing construction is at a standstill. The Kilgariff subdivision is miles away, and the Labor government is in such debt that government infrastructure projects are at a standstill. There is simply nothing happening to spur our economy on. There is no stimulation to make things happen.
Ms Lawrie: What about the hospital? Larapinta Seniors Village?
Mr GILES: Nothing is happening. The Larapinta seniors complex - I hear the interjection mumbled by the Treasurer - is nearly finished. The hospital has been undertaken by a contractor. What is next? What else is on the horizon? There is no private sector stimulation happening. If you want to get things moving, you would have moved on land release; you would have looked at South Sadadeen, at Larapinta next stage, and Kilgariff would have happened. Instead, your plan for Kilgariff is to price gouge the Alice Springs community, milk as much money out of our town as you can through high land release prices so people will not be able to afford it and there will be no housing affordability for low- and middle-income earners. That is the failure of the government.
Releasing land and housing construction would be the way forward. Any community that is vibrant and successful - look at Werribee in Victoria, or Townsville in Queensland, two places that have the best opportunities for housing and growth, and the reason they have that opportunity is because of availability of cheaper land. Providing cheaper land stimulates the economy through the residential construction sector, and that is what this government should be doing, but is not.
The member for Fong Lim also spoke about airfares and the carbon tax. The price of airfares will increase as a result of the carbon tax, and we are already paying very high prices for airfares in and out of Alice Springs. Another tax on top of those tickets will have further detrimental effects. We are not seeing competition in that sector because of this government’s failure to introduce competition; all we are seeing is new taxes.
Alice Springs is in a recession in social and cultural terms driven by the failures of the economy and the inept approach of the Labor government to address law and order. We need economic stimulus through government projects and speeding up of the approval processes for private sector developments. The private sector developments will drive us forward; however, we have to remove the bureaucratic red tape of the Labor government to ensure these projects advance.
The Alice Springs Town Council should be redeveloping the CBD. That is an opportunity to stimulate our local economy and get things happening in our town. We have to get the town humming again, and that happens when we control the streets, not the criminals controlling the streets, and we have business activity that not only keeps people in town, but attracts others to our town. When we remove the taxation burdens Labor is putting on residents of Alice Springs, when we remove the regulatory burden that is stopping business and stifling development, we will get things moving forward, but we see nothing on the horizon, politically, by this Labor government.
We have heard about the gaol. Darwin is getting a new $0.5bn gaol that will take 30 years to pay off, once again putting our children and grandchildren in debt forever more, but we are not seeing anything in Central Australia.
A simple thing is to look at the price of petrol in Central Australia in relation to the cost of living and the negative effects on our economy. The government does not even talk about petrol prices. I have looked at the Australian Institute of Petroleum petrol prices in all Australian capitals and regional areas. A quick comparison shows prices in all capital cities and the weekly averages in all regional areas on Tuesday, 25 October 2011. For Darwin, the weekly average was $1.53.9 a litre for unleaded petrol as at Sunday, 23 October. That correlates against a terminal gate price of unleaded petrol of $1.40.2, which is a 13.7 increase on the retail price, at the average weekly price, against the terminal gate price, far exceeding a 6.8 increase between terminal gate price and retail price in Sydney; a 6.8 increase for Melbourne; a 7.9 increase for Adelaide; and a 10 increase for Hobart.
When looking at the regional figures, the Alice Springs weekly average is $1.69.14 a litre of unleaded petrol. That is more than Katherine, at $1.47.9, and Tennant Creek, at $1.64. If you look at other regional locations around the country compared to Alice Springs at $1.69.1, Broome is paying $1.67.9; Kalgoorlie, which you would not call an urban centre, is paying $1.55 for petrol, 14 a litre cheaper than we are paying in Alice Springs. Port Hedland is $1.60, 9 a litre cheaper. Cooper Pedy is $1.67.9, 2 a litre cheaper for petrol. Cooper Pedy is not the most urban location.
If we go to Tasmania, it is $1.50 a litre in Launceston. In Mildura, Victoria, not the most urban location, it is $1.48. That works out 21 a litre cheaper than Alice Springs. Warrnambool, again not an urban location, is $1.43.9. So petrol is 26 a litre cheaper in Warrnambool than Alice Springs.
I tried to find somewhere comparable to Alice Springs. Broken Hill is not urban, it is in the Australian Outback but, where Alice Springs is paying $1.69 a litre, Broken Hill is paying $1.50. Petrol is 19 a litre cheaper at Broken Hill than Alice Springs. There needs to be a government investigation as to why we are paying such high prices in Central Australia. Is it the taxation regime or is it a failure of competition? What is the situation and why are you not doing anything to look at it?
Dubbo, $1.44; Coonabarabran, $1.45.9; Hay, in outback New South Wales, $1.47.9; the list continues. I have looked all over. Mount Isa is $1.56.5 and $1.69 in Alice Springs. You have to ask where that extra 13 a litre is going. There are some serious concerns around the state of the Northern Territory economy overall; in particular, in Alice Springs, as I speak tonight representing the constituents of Braitling. We need action, we need economic stimulus, and we need the government to turn its attention to some of the detrimental effects in Central Australia whether they be grocery prices, petrol prices, housing prices and, most importantly, the lack of economic stimulus to get things moving.
We need land released as the prime inspiration to get our economy moving. The release of cheaper land will stimulate the residential construction industry, which will buy us some time to start on broader business and economic growth through industrial development.
That is the most important thing we can do right now: stimulate the residential construction section and, as the town starts to develop economically and rebound, we move towards industrial and economic growth. At the moment, things are in retreat. The word ‘recession’, in relation to our cultural and social landscape, is the correct word; it is close to the correct word for our economy; it is definitely going backwards. We need economic stimulation to rebalance ourselves in Central Australia and move forward. Whether it is mining or other industries, we need to move forward on that. Construction for residential development is the way to go.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend the member for Port Darwin for bringing on this matter of public importance.
Discussion concluded.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, this evening I would like to talk briefly on two matters. First, I comment on the recently released government sponsored report review of the Northern Territory Youth Justice System undertaken by Jodeen Carney, the former member for Araluen.
Jodeen’s appointment to undertake this review and deliver the report on time, and presumably on budget, could not have been given to a better person, given her legal knowledge and networks, her drive and commitment, and desire to make improvements in this complex area of youth delinquency. I have read the report, and I am sure all members are very interested in this issue because youth crime is a serious issue in the community, as any politician knows. I have taken an interest, as I am of the view that young people are slipping through the cracks of society, and I have spoken about these issues in regard to young people in the debate on setting up the Select Committee on Youth Suicide.
I put in a brief submission in regard to the youth diversion programs at Wongabilla and, naturally, would be interested in the final report and outcomes. The way I read the report, it is not political in nature and there are no explosive issues; it is fairly bureaucratic in nature, which makes sense given the terms of reference. The government did cop a few criticisms in the report. It was not a Mr Bath child protection-type of report. It is not about catching anyone out - the government or any government officials.
The recommendations, I believe, can and should be implemented by any government. Many of the recommendations are similar to ones my party has either talked about or committed to in the past. I did not any find surprises in the report; the report is solution-based and focused on providing a way forward. It is completely evidence-based; there are no untested ideas, no loopy concepts, and I found there was a great deal of academic material in it. No doubt, this will be used by government officials and those in the system of youth justice.
Whether people like it or not, young people come out of detention centres and, unless the cycle of their offending is broken, the evidence is they are likely to continue to offend. That is not in anyone’s interest, let alone the young people. I noted the point in the report that young people should be put into detention when their crimes require it, when the community needs to be protected from them, and for punishment.
The Youth Justice Unit is a good idea, although I do not know much about it at this stage. It will have representatives from other key departments and, with input from the non-government sector, it will coordinate all aspects of the youth justice system.
Apart from the report which I have read, I read the government’s media release and an attachment which I found interesting; that is, the government has stated that Jodeen will be part of the monitoring committee. The good part about this is it will ensure the recommendations are implemented. We on this side of the Chamber, as well as those in the government, know exactly how determined Jodeen has been over the years to pursue this government and hold it accountable. In fact, her determination is well-respected on both sides, and that is why we are very happy that she will be part of the implementation process.
Unlike other reports commissioned by this government, I have some confidence about the recommendations in this report being implemented, in contrast to those under the Bath child protection reports. I await with interest the future work of that report as it applies to areas in my constituency.
The second point I will talk about briefly, is I want to acknowledge the hard work, commitment, and social conscience of the Elizabeth Valley Volunteer Brigade and its members. The brigade is located on Elizabeth Valley Road in Noonamah, and the members are a dedicated lot who put in huge numbers of hours to help landowners protect their properties from the ravages of bushfires. We have seen only too clearly what bushfires have done in Central Australia recently, and it is only through the work, commitment, and vigilance of volunteer firefighters, such as those who belong to Elizabeth Valley, that we have not seen similar fires in the rural area this season.
Recently, I attended the brigade for a social function to commemorate the life of a member who passed away a short while ago. Gary Finlayson was a member of the brigade and a dedicated volunteer who was only too happy to give his time freely and frequently. Gary supported the work of the brigade and gave many hours of his time to make the home ground of the brigade a good place to work, and to sit and have a quiet ale at the end of a long shift of firefighting. The premises are also very safe and secure for children with heaps of room to run and play.
Gary was instrumental in the building of the barbecue at the premises and, although it was not quite finished due to his untimely demise and tragic passing, the brigade and families under the guidance of its captain, Di Tynan, have finished the barbecue and it is now complete with a commemorative plaque honouring Gary’s work and life.
I was privileged to unveil the plaque with his partner, Carol McAllan, and talk a little about Gary’s life - a special man to Carol and to the Elizabeth Valley Volunteer Brigade. A special thanks to all who attended the function and especially to the brigade’s management team, including Captain Di Tynan, Deputy Captain Steve Baluch, Secretary James Weir, Treasurer Jeanette Weir, First LC Paul Pokormy, and the families and friends who made the evening such a lovely event.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the Department of Construction and Infrastructure, DCI, and the individual project supervisors who were recently acknowledged at the Australian Project Management Awards. DCI received four out of five of the annual Northern Territory Division awards the institute had on offer.
The $63m Rosebery School project was a stand out with multiple wins across different categories. Territory business, Halikos Pty Ltd, delivered the Rosebery schools project, and what a great education asset it is. The design and construct project included a new preschool, middle school, and primary school. This project was jointly funded by the federal and Northern Territory governments. The facility was designed to incorporate energy-smart principles while also incorporating the latest technology teaching. The end result is an innovative education facility catering for more than 1350 students.
Ray Carter and Bill Marsh accepted the award for the Project of the Year on behalf of the team. Bill Marsh also received individual accolades with a high commendation for his work as the Construction Site Project Manager on the Rosebery schools project. Their project management skills saw this project delivered on time, ready for the new school year.
In the Regional Development category, DCI also accepted an award for the Apartment Style Teacher Housing Project. This project involved the construction and delivery of 47 new houses for our remote teachers across the Territory, including Ntaria, Ngukurr, Maningrida, and Gunbalanya. This innovative project was jointly-funded by the Commonwealth government, which contributed $10.7m; and the Northern Territory government, which contributed $7.5m - a total of $18.2m.
These awards are a fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication that has been committed to delivering the Northern Territory government’s Capital Works program. I especially pay tribute to the project teams and contractors involved in delivering these projects.
It is not just locally that DCI is being noticed. Earlier this month, DCI’s Chief Executive, Al Wagner, attended the 2011 International Project Management Association World Congress and Australian Institute of Project Management Awards Conference. The ceremony was held at the Brisbane Convention Centre with more than 900 international and national project managers in attendance. The Rosebery schools project was nominated in two categories - Project of the Year and Construction/Engineering Project Less Than $100 000.
For the Regional Development category, the Apartment Style Teacher Housing Project was nominated. With only 16 weeks to build, deliver, and install, it was imperative the focus was on quality. Each dwelling needed to be cyclone-coded, have a verandah, carport, fencing, air-conditioning and a shed.
During the evening, nominations for each category were presented on a large media screen to the audience as a slide show, giving the Northern Territory projects international exposure.
DCI does a magnificent job as a lead agency in delivering the government’s infrastructure program. They are a hard-working team, and it is great to see them being acknowledged both locally and nationally for their outstanding skills and achievements.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the Northern Territory’s long-term public servants.
In August 2011, Mr Lodewyk Hoeben retired from the Northern Territory Public Service after more than 41 years, having commenced with the Northern Territory government on 16 February 1970. Lodi was employed with the Department of Construction and Infrastructure as a Manager Project Engineer, Mechanical, with the Design Branch in Darwin. Lodi’s personal efforts with DCI have been greatly appreciated and he is particularly recognised for his provision of technical, professional, and mechanical expertise to the supervision and construction of many government buildings in the Northern Territory, and his ongoing support and commitment to develop the quality of public infrastructure.
Work colleagues have spoken highly of the dedication and support Lodi has provided them to meet project standards and time frames. Lodi is to be applauded for his commitment and dedication to his profession and the organisation.
He is now enjoying his retirement spending well-deserved quality time with his family. I wish Lodi all the very best for the future and thank him for his support and commitment to the Northern Territory over the past 40 years.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak tonight about essential services works along Roystonea Avenue, Gunn, specifically recent shared pedestrian and bike path works, and more recently, works carried out to install water pipes to connect the new suburb of Johnston.
For many years, the easement area running along Roystonea Avenue adjacent to homes in the area included a marvellous assortment of bushland, including trees, shrubs, pandanus, and grasses teeming with bird life and other wild animals, and while everyone living in the area appreciated they backed on to an essential services easement, what has followed with recent developments has been an atrocious example of complete disregard for local residents.
During the construction of the shared bicycle and pedestrian pathway, I received a number of complaints from residents about the wanton destruction of scrubland to construct the path. Everyone expected a certain level of destruction to enable the path to be constructed; however, there was evidence that far more destruction of trees and shrubs was occurring than was deemed necessary. At the time, I raised the issue with the minister and, to my understanding, more care was taken after that original contact.
This destruction of the general area caused some major erosion to the extent the original drain put in by the original developers that had worked well to date, allowing storm water to successfully drain away from people’s yards, was filled with subsoil and undermined fencing, pavers, and pools in the area; and blocked drains, causing major flooding and subsoils over Terry Drive.
I wrote to the minister again and, to his credit, works were taken to clean up the area and fix the fencing. To the minister, I say thank you. It should never have happened in the first place had decent management controls been initiated.
More recently, we have had new pipe works put in the ground in the same easement for the new suburb of Johnston, conducted in such a manner that led to more complaints than any issue my office has received to date. Complaints have included dust; no suppression whatsoever. I have photographs of words written on people’s outdoor furniture, barbecues, and fridges that they come home to every single day with the amount of dust that was in the area due to the works, and no dust suppression was used.
There was also further destruction of trees and shrubs in the area, leading to complaints for the first time in regard to traffic noise on Roystonea Avenue. I found this quite interesting. It should be noted the section I am referring to is the old Stuart Highway section, which still has large aggregate and not the type of asphalt usually found in an urban area, but the difference here is, there has never been a complaint until the overzealous clearing occurred. Now, to rectify this, either hot mix asphalt will need to be used on Roystonea Avenue, or new trees and shrubs are replaced now the works have been completed.
Terry Drive remained in a state of disrepair for seemingly a very long time. Again, I wrote to the minister, and again, to his credit, within days the works were completed.
Poor drainage during last Wet Season led to soil from the easement coming into people’s back yards, into their pools, and preventing any water from getting away. To fix this, a new drain needs to be constructed along the fenceline. The original drain was filled by earthworks. More recently, earthworks pushed soil up against the fence lines, effectively creating a wall. While this may prevent water coming into properties, how does water get away from properties? One property I looked at where soil has been pushed up will deposit at least one foot of water, ensuring the entire back yard will be flooded which, of course, will go into the home.
I have written to the minister, again, about drainage, re-establishing the area, and one other issue, and at least I can see where the developer has now constructed reinforced weed mat and bales of hay which, to me, demonstrates an acknowledgment that drainage and stormwater flow will be a major issue in the area this coming Wet Season.
The last issue I wanted to raise, and perhaps the most serious, is during recent works it would appear a vibrating heavy roller was used to compress the soil next to fence lines. The problem was houses are very close to the fence line and immediately my office was receiving complaints about the vibrations causing cracks in their walls and ceilings. I visited the area that evening and spoke with residents and was able to see firsthand the cracks that occurred in ceilings and walls due to the major vibrations.
I immediately thought of others who may not have been home at the time and may not have noticed, or will not notice, having not even considered looking at their walls and ceilings when they come home and, if they did, would they understand what has happened? I drafted a letter to all people living along the fence lines. Before I had the chance to deliver the letters, other residents were visiting my office to report the damage.
I have knocked on the doors of each of the affected homes and spoken to a number of residents who also reported damage. A number were at home at the time and reported how violent the vibrating was. I have now received a number of complaints about damage to walls and ceilings; and further complaints about noise and drainage. Of course, the question is: what can be done?
I even have complaints about ticks coming from the area, and I have no understanding whether the works have created this, but all of a sudden we have a number of complaints at the same time in regard to ticks.
I wrote to minister Knight to advise him, thinking it was Power and Water contractors. I have since had a call from Mr Macrides who pointed out it is not Power and Water contractors undertaking the work; it was contractors responsible for the Johnston development. I will ensure each person I speak to about this issue understands it is not Power and Water undertaking this work. It is my understanding that my letter has been forwarded to the correct minister, the minister for Planning and Infrastructure.
Therefore my question tonight is: will these residents be compensated, and what process has to occur to ensure everyone is effectively helped?
I will wait to hear, but people are angry and will not stay quiet for long.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak tonight about some great community achievements, both in Alice Springs and the Barkly region, starting in the Barkly. Two Tennant Creek local footballers, Nicholas Corbett and Con Power, participated in recent schoolboy national championships held in Canberra. Star, Nicholas Corbett, caught the eye of AFL talent spotters and has now secured a place in the All Australian squad comprising Australia’s top 25 under-15 footballers. This squad will soon travel to South Africa for a series of matches and training camps, and will be confronted by the experiences and challenges it takes to make it as an elite-level athlete. Well done, Nicholas.
Tennant Creek nurse, Mica Alcedo, won the Fair Go category in the Pride of Australia Awards and is thus officially one of the nation’s unsung heroes. She travels the Barkly region, including the communities of Ti Tree, Stirling, Tara, Utopia, Willowra, and Wilora. Congratulations, Mica.
Tennant Creek Primary School teacher, Ros Burrows, retired recently after 14 years of service in the Barkly region. Thank you for your dedicated service, Ros, and enjoy the next phase of your life.
The Tennant Creek Girl Guides is the town’s longest-running organisation, having been established in 1953. In September this year, two local girl guides received peak achievement awards at the special ceremony on Wednesday. Hannah Baldock earned her Baden Powell Award, whilst Kathleen Court picked up her Junior Baden Powell Award; the culmination of three years hard work. Congratulations, Hannah and Kathleen. I would also like to acknowledge the work of your district leader, Shelagh Walsh.
In Alice Springs, the League of Champions Sports Honour Roll this year saw the addition of 10 local sporting identities. They were: John Bell for athletics; Geoff Curtis for the Finke Desert Race and speedway; Matt Gadsby for track and field; Lillian Hill for darts; Max Norton for tennis; Lyel Kempster for baseball; Hamish McDonald, shot put as a Paralympian; Reg Preece for basketball; Christine Trefry, Commonwealth and Olympic Games pistol shooter; and David Yeaman, various sports and sports administration. Congratulations to these athletes. I am pleased to see the recognition these stars are now receiving.
Alice Springs has recently had a high profile on the national sports scene: there have been teams involved in soccer, the School Sport Australia Under 19 Championships in Adelaide represented by Jesse Brooks, Mathew Lelliott, Soroya Brown, Alexia Thomson and Anna Noble; swimming at the Australian Schools Sports Championships in Melbourne with Ben Fuller, Ben Cooper and Sam Cooper performing brilliantly.
The Alice Springs Hockey Club hosted the National Under 13 Girls Championships in Alice Springs this year. Participating teams from Queensland, New South Wales, and the Territory enjoyed the hospitality of the mighty Centralians.
Ten pin bowling local bowler and national star, Andrew McArthur, was awarded the Northern Territory Ten Pin Bowling Athlete of the Year. Athletic stars Emma Kraft and Peter Eason both performed well in the Perth City to Surf. And junior athletes Amelia Mills, Courtney Geraghty, Matthew Bielefeld and Scott Bielefeld performed well at the Northern Territory school championships in Darwin recently.
National championship winner of Drag Racing Alice Springs identity, Matt Watts, ably defended his title in the Northern Territory Desert titles this year. Well done, Matt.
National Interschool Equestrian Championships were held in Werribee, Victoria, in early October in which two young Alice Springs equestrian riders, Sasha Allen and Lucy Doyle, competed. Members of the Alice Springs Pony Club, both girls have been riding since they were four, and both performed admirably at the championships. Well done to Sasha and Lucy.
Jujitsu star, Jake Scobie, has again triumphed nationally. His second gold medal at a national event was awarded after he defeated his Adelaide-based opponents in the 15-year-old over-70 kg event. The Gracie Barra Brazilian Jujitsu School in Alice Springs is rightly proud of his ongoing achievements. Well done, Jake.
Marathon runner, Reggie Smith, has been selected in the Indigenous Marathon Project squad to run the New York Marathon next month. Under the guidance of Robert de Castella, Reggie will become part of a team of 11 national elite, long distance, Indigenous runners. Good luck to you all; and especially good luck to Reggie.
In basketball, the Under 14 Girls National Championships where held in Darwin recently, and the Alice Springs Suns were victorious, with youngsters, Felisha Swan and Ella-Mae Hampton, being two stars of the team. Well done to all the players.
In cricket, the Under 17 National Championships will be held in Hobart in December, and two Central Australians have been named in the Territory squad. Congratulations to Ben Ellis and Akash Patel.
With the return of Matt Roberts, the Tennis Association is expecting a good season.
In Alice Springs, even their animals are national champions. A dog rescued from the RSPCA shelter has stunned the nation with her performance at Australia’s highest level of dog obedience trails. Jedda, formally known as Outback Jewel, is a 10-year-old Kelpie-cross trained by Margaret Wallace, and is simply famous. Well done, Jedda.
How could I complete a sports acknowledgement section without singing the praises of the mighty Territory Thunder? The inaugural North Eastern Australian Football League (NEAFL) premiers defeated the Canberra-based Ainslie team by 22 points at Traeger Park in Alice Springs in September this year, with local Alice Thunder stars such as Charlie Maher, Louis Egger, and Matthew Rosier. Along with their northern teammates, they have done us proud. Further, Centralian star, Charlie Maher, was judged the Northern Territory government’s most professional player for Thunder in the 2011 season. Well done, Charlie. Well done, Territory Thunder.
In business news, congratulations to Travel World Alice Springs; this year it won two prestigious awards: State Office of the Year SA/NT, and also the Outstanding Achievement SA/NT. Well done to local identity, Simon Jenkins, and all the team at Travel World Alice Springs.
Congratulations to Caela Zeneth from Professionals Alice Springs Real Estate for taking out the award of Top Individual Person from about 350 others in the WA/NT Division.
I take a moment to acknowledge Jennifer Howard, outgoing CEO of CAAMA, who has given 19 years of service to this organisation. Jennifer commenced as a trainee in 1992 and rose through the ranks to become CEO in 2007. That is an amazing achievement. At that time, CAAMA was a seed in the Indigenous media sector, and today it has grown into a number of media organisations nationwide, all with strong Indigenous employment strategies. Congratulations, Jennifer, and enjoy your well-deserved break.
In science, the big Australian award winner for the annual Northern Territory Research and Innovation Award was Gary Bastin, who was awarded the Desert Knowledge Research Award.
Other significant Central Australian finalists and winners included Dr Kylie Dingwall for her research into Indigenous health, Irene Nangala from Kintore for her work in the Indigenous Innovation category, and Lee Morgan for the Santa Teresa water monitoring trial. Well done to these top-thinking Territorians.
In health, Imanpa resident, Tanya Luckey, accepted the National Award for a campaign educating young mothers about the dangers of drinking alcohol whilst pregnant. The NPY Women’s Council won the Outstanding Achievement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Award at the Deadly Awards for their DVD, No Safe Amount: The Effects of Alcohol in Pregnancy. The DVD contains short health messages in English and Pitjantjatjara. Well done to Tanya; well done NPY.
In education, Charles Darwin University Campus Administrator, David Reilly, received the inaugural award from AUSTAFE for his outstanding contribution to Vocational Education and Training in Central Australia. David has extensive and valuable experience in working in Indigenous communities. Well done to Dave.
The first PhD graduate from Charles Darwin University will be local Alice Springs woman, Jane Walker, for her study in land management of the Northern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area. Congratulations, Jane.
Bradshaw Primary School was awarded $20 000 from the Northern Territory Smart Schools Award. Principal, Jill Tudor, said the success of the school was the result of having a strong staff team. We achieved in the category of Excellence in Student Inclusion and Wellbeing. Congratulations to Jill, her staff, students, and the council.
Also, Bradshaw Primary School is rightly proud to be the home school of Australia’s best primary school teacher, Jo Sherrin. Teacher/librarian Jo is the coordinator of the highly regarded Children’s Literature in the Centre Festival and is an active leader in the Australian School Library Association. Congratulations to Jo.
Ross Park Primary School celebrated its 50th birthday this year and put on an evening of historical stories and songs attended by more than a thousand people. I acknowledge Principal Karen Blanchfield who was the Northern Territory Primary Principal finalist in the National Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Madam Speaker, I will continue my adjournment tomorrow night.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I want to raise a couple of issues tonight. The first is an e-mail I received on 29 August, and this has afforded me the first opportunity to raise the issue in the House and I hasten to do so because it is an e-mail from a normal, everyday Territorian, a Territorian who is one of those people the Treasurer so carefully, or carelessly, I should say, disregards when it comes to her announcements that everything is sweetness and light in the community.
I want to read the text of the e-mail; however, because of this government I will not identify the author of the e-mail, necessarily, but I want to read the text of the e-mail so this government can hear from the average punter trying to get on out there. It says:
It is signed ‘from this Territorian’.
I receive regular e-mails and contacts from people, especially when I am speaking on road sides and those sorts of things, and it is becoming increasingly frustrating to see a government which has, by some bizarre mechanism of failing to release land in an effective way, rendered owning a home beyond the reach of the average punter, and yet still managing to lose 3500 jobs in the Northern Territory in the last 18 months.
This government has stopped listening to Territorians. I urge and plead with this government to start listening to Territorians again or, if they do not, the consequence will ultimately be the ultimate consequence for any government. This is not the first time I have pled with the government to respond to these types of calls but, unfortunately, the calls made by people like the constituent who contacted me simply fall on deaf and arrogant ears.
The Treasurer of the Northern Territory also made reference to the secret meeting I was at in Sydney last week. Indeed, I used my travel entitlement to go to the secret meeting for the furtive purposes of listening to the very secret Tony Abbott MHR address the Menzies Research Centre on matters tax. This was a tax conference which was discreetly hidden away in the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, where secret speakers and dark villains like the Honourable Mike Baird MP and the Honourable Christian Porter MLA answered questions secretly in front of the secret Australian journalists from The Australian newspaper, and the secret information that was shared by the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, in the federal parliament, was furtively and secretly hidden on the front page of The Weekend Australian last weekend.
This was a particularly important conference because Treasurers such as Mike Baird and Christian Porter bring substantial intellectual grunt to their portfolios. It was a pleasure to be able to listen to Treasurers talk and be critical about their political opponents without having to respond to a tirade of abuse. Their comments were constructive, well-thought out and well considered. These were not the only people who spoke at this secret meeting. There were other people known for their secrecy, such as Robert Carling, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies; and it was an enlightening trip to that location.
I was proud to be associated with these people, so proud that I have decided to cover the matter up by placing a message on my Facebook pasting standing next to Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott, so no one would notice I was secretly at this secret meeting and hiding what I was doing from the general public.
Madam Speaker, in all seriousness, the Australian taxation system is something that needs to be looked at; it does have an effect on the future of the Northern Territory. Should Mr Abbott become the Prime Minister of Australia, and should I be successful at the next Territory election and we, as a party, be successful in obtaining government at the next Territory election and form a government, then it is important to establish relationships with people like Mr Hockey and Mr Abbott; and I am proud to be associated with both of those gentlemen. It is good to make the contacts that are necessary for the future welfare of the people of the Northern Territory. That is what that meeting was about.
It also talked about some of the issues facing our country and our federation, and they are issues that need to be addressed. There are stresses in the federation at the moment which farsighted people can see, and I urge all members of all political persuasions, both here and in other jurisdictions, to start turning their attention to those stresses in the federation and, hopefully, we can find solutions by tax modification to deal with some of those stresses, particularly in some of the areas of the CGC formulations, and how the relativities are calculated between the jurisdictions.
So, Madam Speaker, I report to the House what I did with my airfare. It was a very informative and enlightening trip, and I encourage members of both sides of the House that, if they can get to a Menzies Research Centre discussion, it is well worthwhile.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Madam Deputy Speaker, I was fortunate to travel to Katherine in September 2011 to congratulate dedicated staff from the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families who have provided continued service to the Katherine community.
I hosted a morning tea for Children and Families staff to acknowledge their ongoing hard work, and it was great to see so many staff in the office. In all, over 100 staff were acknowledged at the Staff Service Recognition Awards, with years of service ranging from six to 39 years.
Of notable mention are Fran Angus from the laundry, and Alan McCormack from maintenance, who have both provided 39 years of service to the department. I extend my congratulations to all the recipients, and thank them for their continued service with the Department of Health.
I take the opportunity to extend my thanks to four staff members who have retired from the Department of Health.
Ms Carmen Thomas retired on 1 July 2011 after 41 years of dedicated service across the health sector in the Northern Territory. Carmen, in senior community health, first registered with the Nursing Board of the Northern Territory in September 1969 and commenced with the department in February 1974. Carmen has worked with the Community Health Branch in various roles, including community health nurse and manager of Palmerston Community Care Centre, and had a passion for Community Health Branch initiatives such as the Falls Prevention program. Carmen’s dedication to the profession and the department was celebrated in 2010 when she was awarded the Legend of the Year at the Nursing and Midwifery Excellency Awards.
Mr Kevin O’Keefe retired on 18 October 2011 after more than 41 years of service. Mr O’Keefe had worked at the East Arm Leprosy facility, commencing in 1970, and was present for Cyclone Tracy. Kevin was one of our dedicated staff who continued to work in Darwin during the reconstruction of the city. In 1992, Kevin moved to the Pathology department in an administrative position, where he continued to work until his retirement.
Ms Colleen Cox, senior nurse at Royal Darwin Hospital, will retire from the department on 9 November 2011 following 24 years of service. Ms Cox is a highly-respected and admired senior nurse who held various senior positions including Nursing Resource Coordinator, the most senior nursing position at Royal Darwin Hospital after hours. More recently, Colleen has undertaken the role of Nursing Program Consultant for the Division of Medicine, successfully initiating and leading the hospital response to national best practice in the falls management program. Colleen will be remembered by staff as a calm, kind, trusted and professional senior nurse.
I also congratulate Ms Virginia Doolan who retired in August 2011 after more than 26 years of service in the Royal Darwin Hospital laundry. Virginia’s dedication to her duties in the laundry is commendable.
Madam Deputy Speaker, it is vital that all staff within our department are acknowledged for their service. I thank Carmen, Kevin, Colleen, and Virginia for their significant contribution to the department, and I wish them well in their retirement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been a long and interesting day.
I would like to talk about two happy things. One is Girraween Primary School recently celebrated its 10th birthday. It was opened in 2001 by the then minister for Education, Mr Syd Stirling. It was one of the first openings I had been to when I was a new member of parliament, so it was great to attend the various functions that occurred to celebrate that day. They had a huge dance night; each year they have a dance celebration and every class in the school puts on a performance, and there was a massive crowd there - one of the biggest crowds I have seen - to celebrate the 10th anniversary. I can fully attest that everyone had a wonderful time; it was a great evening and, with the large basketball court covered, it was a wonderful setting for the evening’s entertainment.
They also had a 10th anniversary assembly and, again, there was more dancing and speeches. Three of the school principals were there, Daniel Zebo, Maree Bredhauer, and Helen Chatto, who is the present school principal, were in attendance, so it was a wonderful occasion. The time capsule was taken down from the ceiling at the school; they did not bury this one, which made it easier to find and they emptied out all the paraphernalia from 10 years ago. There were all sorts of things for people to see. They had a photographic display which showed what staff looked like 10 years ago and what they look like now, and everyone appreciated that and had a bit of a laugh at how 10 years had added to people’s looks, especially if you had hair once and you do not have hair now.
To finish off, the school had a 10th birthday dinner at Crocosaurus Cove. Unfortunately, I was not able to get there because of prior commitments but, again, that was another evening to celebrate a really wonderful school. This school is growing; I am not sure, but the figure is around 350. It has one of the best community gardens with cattle, chooks, and a butterfly area. It has been involved in the ABC gardens, and it is a really wonderful place to go. You always feel most welcome when you go to Girraween Primary School.
I congratulate the school for the big effort everyone put in to making the 10th anniversary celebrations such a wonderful occasion. I cannot name all the people because there were really so many people who participated and did such a wonderful job.
The other great occasion was the public display at Robertson Barracks on 30 September. The good brigadier of the Army, Brigadier Gus McLachlan, welcomed members of the public to Robertson Barracks to look at a fantastic display of armoured vehicles, Army artillery guns, infantry weapons, and combat engineer bomb detectors. They had a special event with a couple of tanks running over a few crummy old Datsun cars - they did not look like Datsuns by the time they had finished. Perhaps they could use those if we ever introduce crushing cars for hooning offences; they certainly made mincemeat of these cars.
They had two Tiger ARH helicopters fly over, and people were really impressed; they are a very manoeuvrable piece of equipment the Army has these days. They also had an artillery race where two regiments, I believe, had to push the guns over some logs and round some witches hats, and then down the hill and fire the gun. They take that pretty seriously because one side does not like to beat the other. They also had the rapid construction of a combat engineer bridge.
There was also 5RAR that did the Beating the Retreat parade. The brigadier, in his summing up of the evening, said how great it was to see how professional the soldiers were in their Beating the Retreat, considering many of them had just arrived back from Afghanistan and, of course, had not got back into the more formal side of barracks life. However, they put on a tremendous display and everyone there thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
The good thing is it was a great day for families; there were soft drinks and barbecues going, and you could buy paraphernalia from the various battalions in the area that operate out of Robertson Barracks. I believe everyone had a wonderful time. It is also great for the Army to open the barracks occasionally so the public can see what goes on at Robertson Barracks and, at the same time, give the public a chance to appreciate what our soldiers do and to remember many of the soldiers they saw at this public display had just come back from the dangerous operations in Afghanistan. I believe people were appreciative of the opportunity to say thank you for the hard work they do in maintaining peace in our region. So, that was also a fantastic occasion in my electorate.
The other thing, and it has been a bit quiet in relation to this issue, there was some discussion about the houses at Eaton. I was one of those who went to public meetings at Ludmilla Primary School, and I have not seen all the details of what is going to happen to those houses, except I know the Commonwealth has announced they will build some new houses there. I want to know: what is happening to the old houses? Surely, they will not be bulldozed.
We had this debate last time in relation to the Larrakeyah Naval houses, and we were able to get those houses removed. Unfortunately, the price of those houses has meant the people you hope would get houses at a cheaper rate simply cannot afford them. Many of those houses are still sitting out at the 11 Mile; some have been sold, but I just wonder whether the price put on by the person who purchased those houses is simply too much for the average person to afford.
I have heard from people involved with Somerville and the Salvation Army that there are quite a few people - and maybe the member for Port Darwin was referring to one person there - who simply cannot afford to buy a house.
This is a great opportunity for the government to talk to the Commonwealth and say: ‘We will take those houses. We are not going to let those houses go to some private developer who wants to then sell them at a price that is out of the reach for some people’. Why could we not remove these houses and put them in some parts of Bellamack, mix them up; they are good houses, they are not scrappy looking houses, once you have a few plants and trees around them you would hardly notice them from anywhere else.
However, we do have people who like covenants these days, and I believe they should be removed, because it does not give people the opportunity of a little freedom in what type of house they build. These covenants mean you have to have the house a certain colour, a certain roof, a certain direction for your solar hot water system, etcetera. There might be an opportunity for some of those houses from Eaton to be put in areas like Palmerston, mixed up with the others; maybe in the rural area, maybe even that land set aside at Berrimah Farm. Perhaps we could put these houses together into a small suburb which may be run by the Salvation Army, or by Somerville homes, so people may have an opportunity to purchase those houses and we can relieve some of the stress which we do not hear enough about.
Many people simply cannot afford to buy a house. It would be a crime if these houses were bulldozed; it would be crime if they were sold to someone who wanted to sell them at a price far out of reach of the people we are trying to reach. The government is looking at ways to make houses affordable; well, if we can buy some houses at a very cheap price, or if we can do a deal with the Commonwealth government - and I see no reason why this government cannot talk to the Commonwealth government through people like Mr Snowdon, who works in Defence - to ask them to allow the Northern Territory government to take possession of those houses.
Madam Deputy Speaker, here is a crying need to find ways around the problems people have in being able to afford a home. This is one possible solution; the government should seriously look at it and make the effort to see if it will work. I will be putting this matter up further when I can find out some more details about what is going to happen to those houses in Eaton; if they are not allowed to be left there, let us find a home for them so they can be a home for people who need one.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Madam Deputy Speaker, in my capacity as shadow minister for Multicultural Affairs I had the absolute pleasure of attending the first of a number of Indian Deepavali celebrations. Diwali is a shortened word for Deepavali, which is more commonly known as the Festival of Lights. It is an Indian cultural celebration, and the word Deepavali loosely translates to a row of lamps.
At this time of the year, Indian people gather in their homes to celebrate what is known as the celebration of good over evil. I will refer to the document which was provided to everyone this evening by the Indian Cultural Society which basically outlines what occurred tonight, who was responsible, and a little of history.
The celebration tonight was the Festival of Lights and the Kathak dance performance. I have been to a number of Deepavali celebrations over the years. I have been in Singapore when Deepavali is launched and celebrated and I have seen dancing here from the Indian cultural community over the years. I have to say I was extremely impressed with the standard and professionalism of the dance group from northern India which is currently touring Australia and came to Darwin to perform for interested people and the Indian community tonight at the Darwin Entertainment Centre. It was spectacular.
There are only 10 dancers and, interestingly enough, they travel with about 280kg of costumes and jewellery. With all that on display, and their talent, it was an excellent performance and something the crowd really enjoyed. I hope we see many more performances like that in Darwin. It is good to see them here and we are very grateful to the Indian High Commission in Canberra which helped to sponsor them to come on their tour around Australia and, in particular, to Darwin.
Madam Deputy Speaker, just a little history on Kathak dance. It is said to be derived from the word Katha, meaning the art of storytelling and the dance form originated in north India. In ancient times, Kathaks, or bards, used to recite religious and mythological tales to the accompaniment of music, mime, and dance. Under the influence of Persian and Muslim traditions, Kathak dance assumed the form of courtly entertainment. Under the patronage of medieval rulers and Nawabs, a class of dancing girls and courtesans emerged to entertain the palaces and courts; and medieval traditions imparted Kathak a distinct Hindi Muslim texture. Thus, with the passage of time, Kathak went on changing its form and characters, and this change was also reflected in the dress of the Kathak dancers.
During the 19th century, Kathak enjoyed a revival and gained prominence amongst the kings and zamindars, the feudal lords, as a form of entertainment, but also as a classical art form. In Kathak, the emphasis is skillfully controlled footwork and ankle bells. I cannot express how impressed the crowd was, and those of us who were invited and got front row seats - it was just spectacular.
Celebrating at the same function tonight is the commemoration of the 150th year of the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, who was born in 1861 and passed away in 1941, and is a great living institution for India. He had his initial education in Bengal, and at 17 was sent to England for formal schooling, and is well-known for starting an experimental school at Santiniketan. He participated in the Indian nationalist movement and was a friend of Mahatma Gandhi. Tagore was knighted by the ruling British government in 1915; however, a few years later, as a protest against British politics and policies in India, he resigned the honour.
Tagore’s early success as a writer began in Bengal, and later he became known overseas through translations of some of his poems. He was famous for his lecture tours and was a strong voice on India’s spiritual heritage. Rabindranath is remembered with great pride and love for his poetry. He wrote many plays, short stories, essays, travel diaries, novels, musical dramas, dance dramas, and two autobiographies. He was also a music composer and a well-known artist.
The Indian community is very proud of this particular man. He was the first non-European Nobel Laureate, something they celebrated this evening with the reading of some of his poems. The one in particular, which is world-renowned, I would like to quote so those who listen to this adjournment debate can relive those words which were said tonight with a great deal of passion.
It is titled Where the Mind is Without Fear:
Madam Deputy Speaker, we could probably all take some understanding and words from that poem and apply it to our own situation. Truly, this man was someone who inspired his people to make the world a better place. Anyone who does that in any country, in any community, deserves recognition, and he was given that recognition in the form of a Nobel Prize.
I acknowledge and thank the people who put the show together tonight.
The President of the Indian Cultural Society of the Northern Territory, Ms Jyoti Vemuri, and her volunteers who worked tirelessly to put together this celebration tonight. It is the first of a number of celebrations for Diwali. I wish them well and hope I will be able to get to the remaining celebrations that will go on for a number of days.
If anyone gets an opportunity to see these dancers, it is truly spectacular. When people ask why I choose to live in the Northern Territory, why I choose to stay here, this is one of the numerous reasons I give people for staying in Darwin: it is due to such richness in the life that I, and other Territorians, are able to witness, be part of, and enjoy and, hopefully, that will be passed on to the future generations. I hope the Northern Territory, in particular Darwin, and Australia, does not lose the valuable contribution these people from all walks of life in all different groups in our community, from all different ethnic backgrounds - the contribution they make to our community is enormous and we should celebrate not only Diwali, but the fantastic life we all have in Darwin.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Palmerston Senior College Special Education Centre students accompanied Ms Eleonore Simpson. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
TABLED PAPERS
Pairing Arrangements - Members for Karama and Port Darwin;
Members for Wanguri and Sanderson; and
Members for Daly and Blain
Pairing Arrangements - Members for Karama and Port Darwin;
Members for Wanguri and Sanderson; and
Members for Daly and Blain
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have before me three documents relating to pairs. The first is for the member for Karama with the member for Port Darwin from 10.30 am today until the suspension for lunch. It is signed by both Whips.
The second is for the period 5 pm to 7.30 pm for the member for Wanguri with the member for Sanderson. It is also signed.
The third one is from 6 pm until the end of the sittings for the member for Daly with the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Blain.
I table those documents.
STATUTE LAW (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) BILL
(Serial 183)
(Serial 183)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
Occasionally, amendments are necessary to Northern Territory legislation which do not justify the preparation of individual amendment bills but which are more substantial than amendments suitable for inclusion in a statute law revision bill. In other jurisdictions, these types of amendments are combined into a single bill known as the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to allow for expedient parliamentary consideration of a number of minor legislative amendments.
A bill of this nature has been prepared in order to make minor amendments to various pieces of Territory legislation including the Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act, the Interpretation Act, and the Food Act. None of the amendments contained in the bill constitute changes to government policy; however, for completeness, I will draw your attention to a number of key amendments.
Part 1 of the bill deals with preliminary matters and contains a commencement provision. It is intended this act commence on a day fixed by the Administrator.
Part 2 of the bill amends legislation administered by my department, specifically the Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act. The bill makes two amendments to the AMSORE Act.
The first amendment relates to classification determinations for statutory bodies. Currently, the AMSORE Act provides that a minister responsible for a statutory body must, in accordance with the Administrator’s determination, decide the class of statutory bodies to which the body belongs, and the amount of entitlement, where appropriate. The result is ministers must remake previous classification decisions on each occasion the Administrator makes a new classification determination, even if there is no change to the classification structure itself.
It is anticipated that for most new determinations, only the remuneration rates will vary; however, the current arrangements create a significant and unintended administrative workload for ministers and agencies. The proposed amendment to the AMSORE Act is intended to reduce the administrative workload for ministers and agencies by allowing an existing ministerial classification decision to continue to apply to a statutory body even though a new classification determination is made, until the responsible minister makes a further decision that is relevant to the statutory body.
The second amendment relates to delegation of the Remuneration Tribunal’s power to determine entitlements. Currently, the Remuneration Tribunal determines entitlements and sometimes leaves certain matters to be decided, endorsed, or approved by another person; for instance, an office holder such as the Speaker. The amendment expressly provides for certain detailed matters to be determined by an office holder rather than the tribunal to ensure sufficiently flexible arrangements. For instance, the Speaker may give approval for a member to hire a car rather than travel by air for the purposes of utilising their interstate travel entitlement. This amendment formalises the ability of the Speaker to make day-to-day decisions as delegated by the tribunal.
Part 3 of the bill amends legislation administered by the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General and amends the Interpretation Act. A provision which guides the interpretation of defined words in acts and references in other legislation is being made to allow subordinate legislation to be made with spelling in accordance with current legislative drafting style without affecting the meaning of the word or term. For example, spelling a word such as ‘recognize’ with an ‘s’ rather than a ‘z’.
Part 3 also contains a number of minor and consequential amendments of a statute law revision nature to normalise the wording of the Absconding Debtors Act and Summary Offences Act, and to update terminology in the Associations Act.
Part 4 of the bill amends legislation administered by the Minister for Health and amends the Food Act. Currently, all registrations of food businesses expire at the same time on 1 July. The Food Act is amended to allow registration to expire on a date specified in a notice which will reduce the heavy workload on the Department of Health around 1 July each year. The change will enhance flexibility and effectiveness by allowing different dates for the end of registration of different types of food businesses. Part 4 also contains a number of minor and consequential amendments of a statute law revision nature to normalise the wording of the Food Act and update terminology in the Poisons and Dangerous Drugs Act.
Part 5 of the bill amends legislation administered by the minister for NRETAS and amends the Environment Protection (Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags) Act. Part 5 contains a number of minor and consequential amendments of a statute law revision nature to improve readability and normalise the wording of the Environment Protection (Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags) Act.
Part 6 of the bill deals with miscellaneous matters, including other laws amended and expiry of the act.
The schedule to the bill amends various acts and regulations in minor ways, including consequential amendments to correct legislative references. The amendments contained in the schedule are in the nature of statute law revision amendments in that they are minor and not intended to alter the meaning of that particular act. It should be noted that, as some legislation amended in the schedule will commence at different times, including the Darwin Port Corporation Act, the Marine Act, and the Mineral Titles Act, the different commencement times will be accommodated by provisions of the Interpretation Act which allows for different parts of the act to commence at different times.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
HERITAGE BILL
(Serial 169)
(Serial 169)
Continued from 10 August 2011.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Speaker, the Heritage Bill (Serial 138) was introduced into the Legislative Assembly on 10 August 2011 by the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage. The purpose of this bill was to repeal the current Heritage Conservation Act and replace it with a new act. The new act is to provide for the conservation of the Territory’s cultural and natural heritage by allowing places and objects of significance to be declared to ensure their ongoing protection and conservation for future generations. The new act will not apply to Aboriginal sacred sites or objects to which the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act applies.
Revision of the Heritage Conservation Act was a promise made by the ALP as part of its 2001 election campaign. The then minister, Dr Burns, announced commencement of a review on 16 October 2003, with a public consultation period on the legislation spanning 2003-04. The Heritage Advisory Council received 44 written submissions, 20 verbal contributions, and attracted over 300 people to public meetings. That can be referenced in the Heritage Advisory Council Annual Report 2003, page 26. The Heritage Advisory Council finalised its recommendations in May 2004 and they were endorsed by Cabinet in April 2005 - from the annual report 2004-05, page 1 - with a draft bill being released in early 2010, some five years from the original time it was endorsed by Cabinet.
In essence, if bills are to be measured in the time it takes to bring them to the House - 10 years - this legislation should be near on perfect. Time will tell.
I want to walk through the bill itself. The Heritage Advisory Council was established to consist of nine members, one to be nominated by each of the following organisations - this research is from the original bill, I want to compare it to the new bill - the Museum and Art Galleries Board of the Northern Territory, the National Trust of Australia, and the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority. A place is to be taken up by the CEO of the administrating agency, currently NRETAS, and five persons with suitable backgrounds and experience nominated by the minister. The minister must ensure that no fewer than five board members are appointed from outside the public sector. The minister also nominates one of the nine members to be chairperson.
The board’s functions include: prepare the criteria to assess the heritage value of places and objects; research and evaluate the heritage value of places and objects; advise the minister on the inclusion and removal of places and objects on the register on heritage agreements and the imposition of interim conservation orders; and prepare conservation management plans for heritage places.
The Heritage Advisory Council must hold a minimum of four meetings in a 12 month period with a quorum of five members. A member must disclose any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any matter under consideration by the council. That member is not to take any further action or be part of the deliberation on the decision of that matter and is to be disregarded in the formation of the quorum on that matter.
An annual report is to be submitted to the minister as soon as practicable after 30 June each year and the minister is to table that report within six sitting days of receipt. The annual report is to identify and comment on every direction given to the council by the minister during that reporting year.
In the amendment, the composition of the Heritage Advisory Council remains predominantly unchanged but has been increased to 10, plus the CEO of the administrating agency. So, we have a wider bureaucracy. Other significant changes are that a minimum of two appointees are to be of Aboriginal descent. There is no concern having Aboriginal people on a board; however, the best way to ensure the best people are on boards is they are chosen on merit. The minister may appoint six members but invite nominations either by public advertisement or in any other way the minister considers suitable. The minister no longer has to ensure at least five of the appointments are from outside the public sector.
Many of the existing functions have been retained. The Heritage Advisory Council will now also be responsible for the facilitation of public education and programs about culture and heritage, and advising the minister about work to be carried out on a declared place or object. The minimum number of meetings remains at four, with a quorum of six members. Provisions relating to disclosure of interest remain the same. The provisions for the annual report have been reworded with no change except for the removal of the requirement to report on all directions given by the minister in the reporting year.
Minister, is it worth considering the Heritage Advisory Council is better served with the majority of members being appointed from outside the public sector? I wonder if it is worth removing the need to report ministerial directions from the annual report. There should be nothing to hide and no reason to do that.
In regard to heritage officers, in the current legislation the chief executive officer of the administrating agency may appoint employees of that agency as a heritage officer, or a person from another agency, statutory corporation, or local government council which has made an agreement with a minister to perform functions or exercise powers under the HCA. The Administrator may form an agreement with other jurisdictions for employees or their authorities to have powers and functions under this act.
Police are automatically considered heritage officers. Heritage officers are to assist with the protection and conservation of declared places and objects and, to do so, have the power to enter and search premises, other than residential premises, without a warrant if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that a contravention of the act is, has been, or will, take place on these premises. The director may limit the powers of an individual officer.
Each heritage officer is to be issued an identity card which must be shown to the person in charge prior to entering or searching a premises or stopping a vehicle. Failure to stop when directed by a heritage officer may result in a maximum penalty of $500 or three months imprisonment. When a person ceases to be a heritage officer, they must return their identity card. Failing to do so may result in a minimum penalty. That was from the original act. The amendment now says persons eligible to be appointed as a heritage officer remain the same. However, it is the chief executive officer, rather than the minister or Administrator, who appoints persons from outside the administrating agency.
A heritage officer may enter a place for the administration or enforcement of the act. They may enter a place, other than residential premises, without a warrant at any reasonable time, or any place at any time with the consent of the owner/occupier, or under a search warrant. When seeking consent, the owner/occupier must be given the reason why entry is sought, and the heritage officer - other than a police officer - must not remain on the premises if they cannot produce an identity card. A heritage officer may apply to a magistrate for a warrant to enter a place and, once a heritage officer has gained access to a place, they may search for or seize anything that may be connected to an offence, where seizure is necessary to prevent it being lost, concealed, damaged, or used to commit an offence. It is an offence for a person to interfere with a seized thing. This offence attracts a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units, which is currently $13 600.
If the place is a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft, the heritage officer may order the owner/occupier to stop or move it, and give the officer reasonable help. Failure to comply with the direction may result in a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units. Again, that is $13 600.
Failure to return an identity card on termination of an appointment may result in a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units, which is $2720.
A heritage officer may request the name and address of a person they reasonably believe has, or is about to, commit an offence against the act. Contravention of that request may result in a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units. A heritage officer may also request a person to provide information related to a suspected breach of the act. Failure to do so may result in a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units.
It is worth considering that the provisions relating to the powers of heritage officers are consistent with recently introduced legislation such as the Rail Safety Act and the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (National Uniform Legislation) Act. The penalty of 100 penalty units for not complying with the direction of an authorised officer is consistent with those in the Rail Safety Act. However, the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (National Uniform Legislation) Act has set penalties for a similar offence at only 60 penalty units. Therefore, when we are looking at the penalty units from act to act, it would show more consistency if we keep those penalty units for similar offences at the same level. It would appear to undermine the very reason for making a penalty a tough penalty if we have other acts for the same offence which do not apply that same rule.
In regard to assessment and declaration under the current act, the Heritage Advisory Council prepares and revises draft heritage assessment criteria on its own initiative, or as directed by the minister. The draft criteria is then published in a newspaper circulated in the Territory for public comment and, after considering all public comments or recommendations, forwards the assessment criteria to the minister who can accept, reject, or make recommendations for modifications.
A member of the public may apply to have a place or object assessed for declaration for heritage status under the act, and the Heritage Advisory Council, either on its own initiative or as directed by the minister, may also assess or reassess the place or object. Once the Heritage Advisory Council has made a decision to include the place or object on the NT Heritage Register, it must notify the owner or occupier of the place, or owner of the object, in writing and notify any other person likely to be directly affected by the declaration by publication in a suitable newspaper. Any affected person may make a submission about the proposed declaration to the Heritage Advisory Council within 28 days of notification. The council is to consider all received comments regarding a proposed declaration and include those comments with its recommendations to the minister.
Within 90 days, the minister may accept, reject, or refer the matter to the council for further information or variation. If the minister accepts the recommendation, he must place a notice of the decision in the Gazette and newspapers circulated in the Territory, and each owner/occupier or other interested person is to be notified in writing.
In the amendment, as with the current act, anyone may apply to the Heritage Advisory Council to nominate a place or object to be assessed.
The council may also initiate an assessment and is to accept or refuse the nomination as soon as practicable. A nomination may only be refused if it is frivolous or vexatious, or if it is within five years of the minister permanently declaring it not to be a place or object of significance. That is an important part of the act.
Once a nomination is accepted, the Heritage Advisory Council has six months to assess the heritage significance of the place or object. The assessment period may be extended if the place or object is particularly remote, or other factors would delay completion of the assessment, or the Heritage Advisory Council and the owner/occupier come to an agreement.
A place or object is to be assessed for heritage significance against the heritage assessment criteria and, if the Heritage Advisory Council decides the place or object is not of heritage significance, it must notify the person who made the nomination. If it decides the place or object is of heritage significance, it must prepare a statement of heritage value, a copy of which must be given to the minister, and give written notice to each owner/occupier or other interested parties and publish a notice in a newspaper circulated in the Territory. A 28-day public consultation period where members of the public may make a written submission regarding a place or object is to follow notification with a statement of heritage value made available publicly during that time.
Within 60 days of the end of the consultation period, and after considering any submissions received, the Heritage Advisory Council must decide whether or not to recommend that the minister declare the place or object as a heritage place or object. If the decision is not to recommend the place or object to the minister, the Heritage Advisory Council must notify each interested person of the decision, as well as each person who made a submission to the person who made the nomination. If the Heritage Advisory Council recommends the place or object to the minister, it must ensure the recommendation is accompanied by the statement of heritage value, all submissions made during the public consultation period, and/or any other relevant information.
The minister has 30 days, once the recommendation has been made, to consider all relevant documentation to make a decision on the place or object. The minister may, permanently or provisionally, declare a place or object, request further information regarding the recommendation, request the recommendation be varied, or refuse the recommendation. If the decision is to permanently declare the place or object as a heritage place or object, the minister must publish the decision by gazette notice. The declaration may include work that can be done to the place or object that does not need to be approved, and the removal of part of the place or object.
The minister may provisionally declare the place or object as a heritage place or object by gazette notice in order to preserve the place or object while the assessment process takes place. A provisional declaration is enforced until the declaration is upgraded to a permanent declaration or is revoked. Within seven days of making a permanent or provisional declaration, the minister must give written notice to each interested party and, for a permanent declaration, the Registrar-General. The Registrar-General must then enter details of the declaration on the places record of interest. If the minister decides that the place or object is not a heritage place or object, written notice of the decision must be given to each interested party or persons who made a submission, and the person who nominated the place or object. If the place or object was provisionally declared, that declaration must be revoked by Gazette notice. Once the minister makes a decision to not declare a place or object, no further assessment can be made on that place or object unless nominated, and consented to, by the owner.
Certain classes of places or objects may be declared as protected places or objects whether they have been individually identified or are as yet undiscovered. Such classes would include World War II aircraft wrecks or fortifications, shipwrecks, and places or objects associated with the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. New classes of places and objects may be assessed and added to the list in a similar matter to individual places or objects.
It is worth considering that the amendments provide clear time frames for decision-making which provides clarity for developers, owners of property, and people making submissions.
The decision is still in the hands of the minister. The ability for a provisional declaration to provide protection to a nominated place or object appears to be a positive move, however, as this can only be made by the minister, it may not be sufficient to protect a site from certain things happening during an assessment period or public consultation. There could be an issue having all shipwrecks and other items associated – but not necessarily attached - to a ship included as a protected class, or place or object, and you should consider how this extremely broad class would impact on legitimate rescue salvage operations of ships wrecked in Territory waters in the future. If we go back 50 years from 2011, we can be assured everything that has sunk out there is likely to have happened during war times and, more recently, in times of other tragedies, including Cyclone Tracy. However, as we go into the future, other things may happen where automatic protection may prevent normal salvage works being carried out.
In the current act, the owner of a heritage place or object can apply to the Heritage Advisory Council to have the minister revoke the declaration. Alternatively, the minister may direct the advisory council to make an assessment, or the advisory council can initiate its own assessment, on whether the declaration should be revoked.
The Heritage Advisory Council must, within seven days, give written notice of any request or application to the owner or occupier of a place, or owner of an object, and all persons likely to be affected by any decision by publishing a notice in a suitable newspaper in the Territory. All parties are invited to make submissions to the proposed decision within 28 days of the notice being given.
The Heritage Advisory Council must assess whether the minister should revoke all or part of the declaration and forward that recommendation to the minister with any submissions regarding the proposed revocation. The minister may then accept, reject, or request further information about a recommendation and publish the decision to revoke the declaration. The owner or occupier of a declared place or object may apply directly to the minister to have all or part of that declaration revoked in an emergency, or to protect the health and safety of a person.
It is well-known the ALP used this act as a key plank in its 2001 election campaign to prevent certain actions from occurring again. Has it succeeded? Time will tell. If work could be measured on the time taken to bring this act into this House, this legislation should be near on perfect. However, with a history of failure, I will not hold my breath. In fact, I will go so far as to say the original intent has been wound right back to the point of a reality check where the balance needs to look carefully at development, protecting people’s assets and, at the same time, ensuring our heritage is protected. I cannot help but remind people this journey has taken more than 10 years, so it also provides a clear picture of what this government really feels about our heritage.
There are some positives within the act. Time lines are built to provide a strong guideline for stakeholders, including 90 days for the minister to make a decision, although this can be extended. The interim protection only occurs after the council has reviewed the application, not on nomination like some lobby groups had hoped for, and certain works to be exempt make absolute sense. The categories now provide for exempt work where no approval is required, such as general maintenance etcetera. Minor works now only require consent with the council; however, major works still require approval from the minister.
The act provides the capacity to list classes such as a plane, ship, and wrecks. I have been told it can sometimes be a complicated process to discover who the owner of particular vessels may be. The minister can decide to provide automatic protection to any ship or plane wreck deemed to be over 50 years of age, which could have ramifications going into the future.
The new act provides an expanded right of review; however, when it comes to the council, my advice from at least one key stakeholder suggests that is a missed opportunity.
Some other points from stakeholders include the normal situation where a particular lobby group may suggest this type of legislation does not invoke any community concern at this stage but, like all legislation, it could be 12 months, two, three, or four years down the track when it is first tested. That is usually when things come out and questions are asked about why legislation like that was passed in the first place. Like all legislation, it can be improved on in the future and, if amendments are required to fix any anomalies, I am sure the government of the day would do that.
Other lobby groups, including the Property Council of Australia, should be listed as a representative on the board as it has an interest in heritage. The initial listing of a heritage building downgrades the value of the property in the marketplace, particularly in certain zoning. The property listing is for the benefit of the community and we consider the community should compensate the property owner for his or her loss of value. It is generally accepted the government will not provide monetary compensation but should compensate by way of providing credits to the builder or owner. Such credits could be in the form of transferable rights such as height restrictions, set backs, or volumetric controls which could be traded in the marketplace. Similar schemes are operational in other capital cities and, of course, internationally.
I have spoken to many key stakeholders, including the National Trust of Australia, business entities, the Chamber of Commerce, the Property Council of Australia, and the Minerals Council of Australia. Some of these groups have concerns about particular tracts of land being heritage listed for doing nothing more than making it look like something is being done. There are occasions where land is heritage listed, then nothing happens to it. There are no resources provided to either protect it or do anything else with that land and the question may be: what is the real intent behind that if it is not to improve the value?
We have all talked about value; what makes something valuable in the Northern Territory, and how we can make things valuable, like our national parks. The more people who see our national parks and the more people we encourage to visit adds to their value. It is not just the money that goes into the tills of hotels, tour guides, and the lives of Aboriginal people; it also adds value around the world so the global economy is attracted to national parks. The same here, we should be doing all we can to protect our heritage and, at the same time, ensure we do not lock up certain areas for no other reason than to appease a certain lobby group.
Other issues raised include the fact one particular group I spoke to said it understands the philosophical view and intent of this legislation, but is concerned this legislation, along with other legislation, can often be influenced at the political level by ideological agendas of certain groups. Governments will face that fight from different lobby groups with legislation on many different issues.
Madam Speaker, they are some of the concerns we have and I will finish with some questions. I would like the minister to explain to the House why it has taken 10 years to get legislation through the House ..
Mr Elferink: To the House?
Mr CHANDLER: Yes, to the House. Can you undo heritage listing once a property has been heritage listed? Can you detail how we might heritage list the 260 RAAF Base houses to protect them from being bulldozed and make them available to the general public?
Overall, I have had mixed reviews. Some people are very encouraged by this legislation, and there are others who, with any legislation that comes to the House, are concerned on a number of levels as to how it may be tested. I was speaking to the minister in the House this morning and he rightly pointed out any legislation could be, or will be, tested into the future and this will be no different. What might not appear to be a problem today may be in three months, six months, or 10 years from now, based on the decisions made in the House today. I hope the government has this one right; there is no excuse not to, it has taken 10 years.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I have informed the minister I would like to go to committee on this bill - nothing overly controversial, but I would like to ask a number of questions. Although we did have many questions answered during the briefing, I would like another opportunity to put some of those questions on record.
I thank the member for Brennan for his comprehensive response to the bill. No matter what you do with this type of bill, there will always be people who are not quite happy with the outcomes.
Heritage protection in the Northern Territory has had a fairly colourful history and the Hotel Darwin would probably be the pinnacle of that controversy. However, without picking out some of those controversial areas, the Northern Territory still has a long way to go to protect some of its heritage. In this bill, nearly all Aboriginal and Macassan sites are automatically given heritage listing. That is what the bill is about. What other sites, places, and objects are going to require heritage? Generally speaking, it will be in the area of non-Aboriginal sites such as mining sites, infrastructure sites, and World War II sites.
That is the area where we need to make more effort, not simply to label something as heritage, but because it is also important for our economy. It is important for our history and our knowledge of the way the Northern Territory has developed. Also, you can use this heritage as part of our economy. We cannot keep relying on the Commonwealth government to fund the Northern Territory. We get a huge majority of our funds from the Commonwealth and, while we do - people have heard my views on statehood - we need to show we are capable of developing an economy that is not reliant on federal government funding. One way is to develop our heritage because through that heritage we can develop tourism and, in the Northern Territory, we can develop tourism which is different to the rest of Australia. The classic example is the World War II heritage sites.
You will not find anywhere else in Australia - you may find little bits in Queensland and Western Australia - you will not find substantial sites that have stayed the same as they were when World War II ended. Except for people taking some of the artefacts away, except for the weeds growing, we have one of the greatest opportunities to develop tourism based on heritage, based on World War II sites, and it is something unique.
When I had the pleasure of hosting Captain Strauss’ family when they came to Australia, they said in America they did not have the same belief in retaining their World War II heritage. Many of their World War II airstrips were bulldozed and used for other purposes. In the Northern Territory, we have a unique opportunity to maintain them and tell the rest of Australia we have something unique. If they come to visit, they will learn something about the history of the Northern Territory and Australia.
You can have an act to say we will protect these areas, but if you do not have the resources, as the member for Brennan said, it is merely a list under a heading called ‘World War II heritage sites’. If we are to go down the path of developing this part of our economy, using heritage as part of the attraction for people down south, we have to be willing to put money into maintaining those areas. The classic example is the government has put money into Strauss; it has put aeroplanes there that look three-dimensional but are really two-dimensional. The member for Arafura and I remember that day well, not only because they went missing one time, but also the member for Arafura forgot to recognise who helped promote the retention of the airstrip from being bulldozed by the Department of Transport and Works at that time, but I digress.
It is worth pointing out it was a big battle to retain that airstrip and, thankfully, the federal government stepped in. I applaud Nigel Scullion because that day he rang the federal minister for the Environment and Heritage who said he would give us some money to ensure the highway was redirected around the airstrip.
There are three other airstrips in that area which are all important. Unfortunately, someone in the department back in the 1980s, or when Darwin River Dam was being built, decided the pipeline should go through the middle of Sattler and wrecked a perfectly good airstrip that for many years was the emergency airstrip for Darwin airport. When I first arrived the signs were up: ‘Beware of planes landing’ and it was marked out as a fully-functional airstrip. It is the same with Livingstone, which was an important airstrip. Thankfully, we asked the railway people to reduce the corridor as it went past Livingstone so they did not take a section of the airstrip out, which they did. The corridor for the railway line is narrower there. We also have Hughes airstrip.
You also have infrastructure in that area. We even have a cricket pitch. I thank the minister for the cricket pitch being heritage listed. It is important to have a strong act which can protect these areas. I confirm what the member for Brennan said: it is no good having heritage listing if you cannot afford to maintain them. The government should spend more money in this area and put it in the context of developing an industry; it is part of growing a tourist economy to the Northern Territory where the heritage can be very much at the forefront of attracting people.
Also, the railway line - how could I forget the railway line? The entire north Australian railway line, except for places where it is impossible, should have been heritage listed. It then could not be subject to somebody purchasing the land from the government or taking part of the railway bridge down near Manton Dam. There is a span across Darwin River Road someone purchased from the government. Instead of being able to have that full corridor maintained, it is still at risk of being developed. Again, that is an important part of our history.
If anyone went to the ceremony held at Wishart Siding during the Bombing of Darwin anniversary, a plaque has been erected mentioning all the people who worked on the railway during the war. You have a double aspect; the aspect of having the railway built in the 1880s up to about the 1920s where it was used for the provision of supplies to many communities in the Top End. The history is important in the sense this railway line would eventually reach Adelaide - Alice Springs - it never quite got there. Then you have the period of World War II, where Americans were based at Birdum, the Australians were based at Larrimah and there were sites all along the railway line which were used during the war. Much of the ammunition and bombs were brought to Darwin via rail. Supplies were brought by rail.
That railway line was a really important part of our history, not only in the earlier development of the Northern Territory, but during World War II. Then, after World War II, it was used, once again, up to Cyclone Tracy. When I arrived in the Northern Territory, the section from Frances Creek to the Port of Darwin had been relaid to take iron ore from Frances Creek to the port. This is a very important part of our history; the history of the people who worked on the railway line, the Chinese and Thursday Islanders. I can remember Thursday Islanders working on that railway line. They must have liked the work - they were built for it - because there was a Thursday Island community in Darwin which worked on the railway line.
There is that history and we have not protected it. I am hoping, with the advent of this new bill, we can make an effort to ensure some of those areas are not left as ‘too hard’ and we see the importance of those sites.
I congratulate the government. Even though it has taken a long time, the bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs has done that in a clever way. By using it for another purpose, you have protected the north Australian railway line, hopefully, forever. The bridges, the embankments, the cut-ins are protected, and it goes all the way to Darwin. It gets a little difficult once you get into town; however, it follows the old Darwin railway line nearly all the way into town. That is great; we have preserved it. We do not always advertise enough. I ask people if they know when they are riding past Winnellie they are riding on the old railway line? Sometimes we do not promote it enough.
I raise those issues because the Heritage Bill, which has taken a long time - I would be interested to know why it has taken such a long time; however, if it has come to this parliament in the best possible framework for the protection into the future of our heritage, it is well worth waiting for.
We have other sites in Darwin Harbour. Again, I mention Captain Strauss, who was shot down over Swires Bluff, which is near Talc Head in the harbour. I understand his P-40 aeroplane is still buried there.
I do not know if all of the aeroplanes shot down over the harbour are regarded as heritage; however, it would be interesting to know whether that is an intention of the government.
The difficulty with sunken heritage sites is planes in those days were made of aluminium. What is the future of a plane lying in saltwater forever and a day? Ships might be different; they are made of steel and will generally remain for a long time. I raise that point because when INPEX was looking for a channel to dredge it was required to go round a number of sites where planes had been shot down – Catalinas - and INPEX was told there was no way could it move them.
The point is: where is heritage? Is heritage buried at the bottom of the sea where no one can see it except a few divers, or can it be moved to a site where it is visible? Is the site important, is the plane important? What is the definition of heritage from that point of view? It is probably difficult to move some of those aeroplanes because they have been under water for a long period of time. Sometimes you run into practicalities and we have to give a little when it comes to heritage sites. A classic example would be the old Commercial Bank on the corner of Bennett and Smith streets.
Mr Elferink: The Commonwealth Bank?
Mr WOOD: No, the one where Paspaley is. That is probably the worst form of protection because all that is left is a wall. I was speaking to the manager of Westpac at Dancing with the Stars recently. Westpac occasionally think about moving somewhere else and the staff say: ‘No, this is a site people know, this site reflects the heritage of the Northern Territory and the bank’. It was previously the Bank of New South Wales and Westpac moved in. Again, it is an important part of our heritage.
I would love something to happen with the Commonwealth Bank. It is looking worse for wear and is not a heritage attraction. A question for the minister: if you have something like the privately-owned Commonwealth Bank - which is falling apart and becoming an eyesore but has some heritage declaration over it - does the government help the owner of the land maintain that building to a reasonable standard? Can the government provide funds for a private building to enable the heritage to be kept in good nick?
This has taken a long time to put together. Until this bill comes into play and we go through some of the issues, it is hard to say whether there are any serious faults with it. Certainly, there will be issues, as there always have been with privately-owned property where land is heritage listed and cannot be used for anything else. The Chin Building in Cavenagh Street is a classic example. I would hate to see that building disappear; however, someone owns it and has rights to it but cannot develop it in the way surrounding blocks are developed because it is a heritage site.
We are always going to have this difficulty. It is about how well that can be handled and what contributions the government can give to assist the landowner maintain the land. Are there other ways the government can assist a landowner who may have other land in the CBD with compensation. I do not know. That area has always caused some difficulty with private landowners when it comes to a place being declared a heritage site.
Madam Speaker, I have some questions for the committee stage, and I will continue my remarks at that stage.
Ms McCARTHY (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I support the Heritage Bill 2011. I pick up on the comments by the member for Nelson regarding the many historical places across the Northern Territory. In my role as Minister for Statehood, I have worked with the agencies, particularly the secretariat of Statehood, to look at 100 years of the Northern Territory and what that means. In an important debate like the Heritage Bill, that is what we are talking about. What are the things that identify and give us, as a people of the Northern Territory, our history, our heritage, and what are the things we need to ensure we preserve and protect. It is important to have this bill before the House, and I congratulate the minister for bringing it on.
The existing act, the Heritage Conservation Act, commenced approximately 20 years ago. In that time, the Territory has changed dramatically. With strong economic growth, significant new investment, and world-class resource development projects, the future economic prosperity for the Northern Territory is definitely high on this list. However, it is also important in this period of growth and prosperity that we maintain effective mining management, sacred sites, and heritage legislation to support the conservation and protection of the Northern Territory’s unique and diverse heritage and environment. This is so important to our tourism industry.
Tourism has continued to grow as a key industry and major employer. The Territory has a rich history in heritage that complements our primary tourism strengths. Without doubt, those tourists who come, especially for our world-class nature parks at Uluru and Kakadu, also definitely want to experience the rich heritage of Indigenous culture across the Northern Territory. It is a culture that, wherever I travel across Australia and, indeed, overseas, is one of great interest to people who wish to travel to the Northern Territory.
However, this interest has to be balanced. In the economic prosperity and the cultural heritage of the Northern Territory, there has to be a deliberate balance otherwise the imbalance will be of concern. In particular, as we look at the heritage sites and Indigenous rock art across the Northern Territory, we have many tourism guides who talk about the importance of these sites to visitors who come to the Northern Territory. At the same time, we are trying to find a balance to ensure we are creating an economic base in these regions. I was pleased to hear the comments from the member for Nelson in regard to the importance tourism can play. I agree, and this is an area not only the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority is looking at with the important sacred sites across the Northern Territory, but also Tourism NT is constantly looking at. How do we attract tourists in a way that is unique to the rest of the country? Why not focus on heritage sites like the Northern Territory World War II or Indigenous sites?
The Northern Territory offers opportunities for visitors to discover and learn about the living Indigenous history and culture which is enriched in traditions of over 50 000 years. We talk of the Northern Territory being 100 years old, of being surrended to the Commonwealth, but we also say that it is over 50 000 years of stories. That is our centenary event or slogan for the year and, every time we talk about the centenary, we are constantly reminded of the rich heritage of the Northern Territory.
Indigenous culture and heritage are major drawcards for a large proportion of our international visitors, as well as a significant number of domestic visitors. These visitors want to observe Indigenous heritage, including art and painting, plus learn about Indigenous history, belief systems, and relationship to the land. This was clearly evident when we had the 12 to 13 guests of Oprah’s 300 visit a very remote location in Arnhem Land to look at rock art. This art has been completely hidden from the world and only really revealed, as far as we know, to around 25 non-Indigenous people according to the Jawoyn of that area who have been looking after that protected site for so long.
It is of critical importance, historically, regarding heritage, but also of significance economically. In fact, Tourism NT’s In Focus report on Indigenous cultural tourism for the 2008-09 to 2009-10 period reported that, on average, 126 000 domestic cultural visitors and 233 000 international cultural visitors came to the Northern Territory over the three-year period.
A cultural visitor is a domestic or international visitor who participated in experiencing Indigenous art and cultural displays or visited an Indigenous community. Cultural visitors represent a significant proportion of the Northern Territory’s domestic visitor market with more than one in every 10 - so 12% of domestic visitors to the Northern Territory are qualifying as a cultural visitor. These visitors stayed 769 000 nights in the Northern Territory averaging out to a length of stay of six nights roughly per visitor. With international visitors in a three-year period, the Northern Territory received 35% of all international cultural visitors to Australia, equating to approximately 233 000 visitors. International visitors to the Northern Territory were most likely to be cultural visitors, around 71%. Clearly, this is a very important indicator to the tourism market and an important indicator to the economic market for the Northern Territory. International cultural visitors stayed 2.1 nights in the Northern Territory, averaging out a length of stay of nine nights per visitor, so that was 2.1 million nights. These statistics are quite extraordinary when you think we have 365 days in the year - the way tourism looks at the statistics nationally. We are talking about nine nights per visitor in the Northern Territory.
The community has also become more interested in heritage conservation. In addition, developers are more interested in including the historic fabric of the Territory into plans for the future. This bill responds to these changes in valuing our unique and diverse heritage and history.
As Minister for Indigenous Development, I am pleased the bill recognises Indigenous heritage and history is a living and continuing story. It also recognises the landscape, which supports an ancient living culture, has to be at the forefront of all of these things. It recognises the inseparability of place and people and the manner in which culture and the natural environment have shaped, and continue to shape, each other.
The minister described in his second reading speech how the existing act has provided automatic protection to Aboriginal places including rock art sites, artefact scatters, stone carvings, and middens and has said these are tangible reminders of the occupation of the Territory by Aboriginal people for well over 50 000 years. We can talk about thousands of years, but we certainly know it is 50 000 years. These archaeological sites are given automatic protection and, in many cases, are discovered when there are surveys. When they are discovered, they already have protection under the existing act. This blanket protection of Aboriginal archaeological sites is an effective mechanism in the existing legislation and will continue under the new bill.
The bill will also ensure at least two of the appointed members of the Heritage Advisory Council are Indigenous. We know Indigenous heritage is a vital part of the Territory’s history and culture, and it is appropriate to acknowledge this through representation on the council. I am also pleased the bill provides for representatives from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority to be members of the Heritage Advisory Council. The importance of sacred sites and knowledge being passed on is consistently discussed when I speak to board members of AAPA. It is an area very close to the hearts of most Aboriginal people but, particularly, those who are on the AAPA board discuss how this knowledge gets passed on to ensure younger Aboriginal men and women are aware of their own heritage and the strength of culture. It is also for the broader community to appreciate the depth of such knowledge out there and for all people to feel proud about the history of the Northern Territory as a whole. AAPA plays a vital role in the protection and preservation of sacred sites and objects in the Northern Territory and it is good to see representatives will be involved, not only on the Heritage Council, but also in the administration of this bill.
As Minister for Local Government, I am pleased the expanded Heritage Advisory Council introduces, for the first time, representation from local government. This is particularly pleasing because we have made enormous steps in reform of local government across the Northern Territory. We need to respect the work of all those in local government in the Northern Territory and their input into history and heritage from respective places, whoever they may be. For local government to be involved in this is recognition of the carefully-balanced broader consideration around economic planning and community values I spoke of earlier. There has to be a deliberate planning process of finding the balance between tourism needs around heritage, the economic benefits that can bring to the Northern Territory, and preserving the site itself.
This bill supports the conservation and protection of the Northern Territory’s unique and diverse heritage, ensuring this heritage is recognised as having value and is incorporated, in an appropriate way, in the development of the Territory for visitors and locals alike.
Since 2001, the Labor government has declared over 100 heritage sites in the Northern Territory. This bill provides for open and transparent processes, and maximises opportunities for community involvement and consultation. It also provides for improved time lines for decision-making and better appeal provisions.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the minister on this bill, and I commend the bill to honourable members of the House.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I shall not be on my feet for long. I reiterate and support comments by the Minister for Local Government, who has come into this House and made a few comments, particularly in relation to the balance between the needs of the current community and the need to preserve history. Neither of those positions can be considered, in regard to heritage arrangements, as absolutes.
The member for Nelson made certain observations about various airstrips and other institutions around the Northern Territory he personally considered worth preserving. Without entering into a debate on any of those issues, I cannot but make a few observations in relation to what is proposed, or heritage listings which have occurred in the recent past.
My attention specifically is drawn to two particular listings. One of those listings is the saltpan come mudflat near Spot On Marine. I do not remember why it was listed, but I have visited that heritage site. It is a saltpan come mudflat with almost no physical material there to suggest it has any form of history whatsoever. Upon closer inspection, you realise the saltpan come mudflat has a primary function today of being a skid pan for young hoons to take their vehicles and thrash the guts out of them whilst they drive all over this heritage site …
Dr Burns: Why do they not go to the rural area?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: I note the levity from the retiring member for Johnston, who obviously ...
Dr Burns: I brought in the legislation, remember?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: ... no longer cares what people think of him. It is one of the liberties, I suppose, of being a retiring member. There is no signage at this saltpan come mudflat ...
Dr Burns: Can you tell us who listed the saltpan?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, Alison Anderson, the member for Macdonnell. It does not mean I have to approve of it. It was a government decision which went through Cabinet.
Let us pause for a second and I will pick up on the interjection. The question I have for government is: why was it listed? It falls into the area of the proposed Arafura Harbour development. If that is the case, surely government would not have been intending to abuse the Heritage Conservation Act for a nefarious purpose to suit its own political agenda at the time. If that is the case ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member should be aware Cabinet did not approve this listing; it was the minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, that is not a point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: I image they are twitchy about this, Madam Speaker.
Dr Burns: I am not twitchy about it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The member for Port Darwin has the call, Leader of Government Business. Thank you.
Mr ELFERINK: The member is twitchy about this. In fact, the government is twitchy about this issue and so it should be. The Heritage Conservation Act needs a level of integrity about it which, when used in such a fashion, diminishes the integrity of the Heritage Conservation Act. I am deeply disappointed the government would go down that path.
The saltpan itself is just that. It is mud, dried out with encrusted salt over it. Not so much as a sign has been erected to suggest its history and, quite frankly, if the heritage listing of that area was done for heritage purposes it was an unnecessary listing because we are not preserving any physical object. Not far from there are heritage sites which preserve physical objects and are worthwhile. There are old bunkers and gun emplacements.
In more recent times, we saw a project in the CBD delayed - the McMinn Street project - by the Northern Territory government because of the discovery of a bomb crater on the site which suddenly had heritage listing. The question I have for government is: why? A bomb crater is only a hole in the ground. I understand the Japanese dropped many bombs on the Northern Territory and most of those bomb craters have gone. If it is a bomb crater and you run a metal detector over it, you find bits of shrapnel from the bomb. It will have small hunks of rusted, pock-marked metal because steel which was not particularly well refined was used in those bombs. If you want to see something like that, walk across the Great Hall to the Library entrance and you will see shards of bomb mounted on the wall.
To hold up a project like the McMinn Street project for the sake of heritage listing a hole in the ground strikes me as an unnecessary waste of time and resources. This will be controversial in some quarters, but the truth is a bomb crater is a hole in the ground. If you want to look at a fresh bomb crater from that period, look at the photographs. If you want to find out where bombs fell, there is a map somewhere describing the location of every bomb crater in the Darwin CBD, or what was, at that time, Darwin.
We should not allow heritage, as a word, to be supplemented by a concept which is nostalgia. I have no problem with preserving those things necessary to preserve; however, a mudflat encrusted with salt, or a bomb crater long since forgotten in the Darwin CBD, do not have heritage value; they have a nostalgia value. For that reason, we have to be cautious how these things are used.
I also heard the lamentations by the member for Nelson about the old Commercial Bank building being used as a fascia for what was happening behind it. We live in an environment where there are also commercial realities. The old Commonwealth Bank is, unfortunately, unused at the moment, and is a reasonable example of post-Art Deco architecture, particularly around the front entrance with the sweeping stairs and some of the portico works over the top. However, at the end of the day, it is a site which, ultimately, should be developed. I understand the government was promoting a development on the site a couple of years ago; a nice, tall 14-odd storey building with a bar downstairs. I saw the artist’s impression work. It looked really good. It has not gone anywhere because often preserving these sites imposes an expense.
I suggest to honourable members we have to continue finding that balance. If the future of the Commonwealth Bank site is protecting the fascia and those elements of the architecture that made it unique, whilst allowing a developer to develop the site in accordance with the commercial reality of the day, that compromise should be embraced.
If I go to other places around Australia, this is not an uncommon thing. In fact, it is done all around the world. There are buildings constructed over, around, and about old heritage sites. If you go to the Rocks in Sydney, where I was last week - at a secret meeting according to the Treasurer, secretly reported on the front page of The Australian with secret TV cameras at the meeting and journalists taking notes secretly - I digress. I was at a secret meeting - I am announcing a secret meeting for Hansard - and I had an opportunity to walk through The Rocks where there is a building elevated over the remnants of the original buildings - the original habitations.
There are two ways you can approach that: you can either change the architecture to accommodate the heritage and the commercial realities of the site, or you preserve the site in toto. The effect is the site then loses its commercial reality.
The only way a government could achieve that and be fair to the owner of the property concerned, particularly when heritage is discovered during the construction of the building, is to acquire the property which would then have to be settled on just terms. No government has that sort of money at its fingertips, so the compromise is struck. In the example of The Rocks, the original buildings are preserved as much as they were - they were discovered in an almost archaeological state - and you can still view the remnants of those buildings underneath a modern building.
In the United States, there are several examples of heritage sites located inside buildings. If you walk into one of the glass towers in the United States, original buildings are a centrepiece in the foyer of the later building constructed on the site. That is part of the compromise between commercial reality and protection of heritage.
Forcing private developers to maintain buildings in toto is challenging to the concept of finding that balance. Therefore, in places like Sydney, Melbourne, and other states and jurisdictions, the fascias are often kept as examples of the architecture.
I acknowledge the Minister for Local Government said getting that balance correct was an issue for government to consider. However, I believe businesses should have the right to expand and continue developing in our community and we create a heritage that can be passed on to future generations.
Madam Speaker, heritage is not nostalgia. It should not be, and should not be seen in that fashion. We, on the opposition side of the House, will not be opposing this bill.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contributions - the members for Brennan, Nelson, Arnhem, and Port Darwin.
Today is an historic day for the Northern Territory. We have long-awaited legislation before the House which has been debated. I have taken on board the comments from all members, and I thank them again for their contribution.
I will begin my closing remarks with a reference to the International Journal of Heritage Studies. There is a really good definition of what heritage is which I will place on the Parliamentary Record. It says:
- Heritage refers to those surviving aspects of the past that people want to preserve for the future. It can be natural or cultural but the two are often intertwined especially for Indigenous people where, spirituality, customs and the environment are intimately connected.
For me, it defines what the new Heritage Bill is trying to do, particularly in the Northern Territory.
Listening to the contributions of members on both sides of the Chamber, the Northern Territory is a unique place with a unique history. The member for Nelson touched on World War II. The Minister for Tourism, Local Government, and the Aboriginal Area Protection Authority spoke about her portfolios and the importance of heritage, particularly tourism, with the cultural tourism experiences international and national visitors come to experience. We are a unique place and have to preserve those parts of our history for our children and our grandchildren. So, this is an historic day for the Northern Territory.
The minister also touched on her Statehood portfolio and 100 years of being a Territory. I cannot think of a more important piece of legislation to pass in the House than the Heritage Conservation Act when, this year, we are celebrating 100 years of being a Territory. This is a significant day for the Northern Territory.
I also acknowledge past ministers and my colleagues. Minister Burns, the member for Johnston, and minister Scrymgour did much work and consultation with the community, the Heritage Advisory Council, and many stakeholders over many years to reach the point we are at today, passing this historic legislation. To both my colleagues, I thank you for your tireless work and today is a day for you, as well as government and all Territorians.
Many concerns were raised during debate and I will attempt to answer those concerns in my closing remarks. However, I would like to put on the public record - I said this in my second reading speech - why is this bill better than the legislation we already have? We had a history lesson for all members, but why did the government see fit to bring in new legislation? We can play politics about various heritage-listed places that are no longer with us; however, the important thing is we need to move ahead with modern legislation to reflect a mature and modern Northern Territory. This bill is better than the legislation we have in providing interim protection of sites once a site is nominated and the Heritage Advisory Council considers the site significant and seeks public comment.
This bill is better than the legislation we already have with improved time lines for decision-making, improved notification of decision-making, and better clarification of major and minor works on heritage places. It also has new capacity to declare classes of heritage sites, which was discussed during debate, increased penalties, better appeal provisions, and the Heritage Advisory Council has expanded representations.
They are the key planks of this new legislation and how it improves how we preserve and protect our heritage in the Northern Territory. Why has it taken so long? That is a good question. It has taken longer than anyone would have liked; however, we are here today and, with the improvements I outlined, we have a good end result to preserve our heritage.
In my second reading speech, I went through the processes. I will again go through why it has taken so long and the path we have gone down to reach where we are today.
My colleague, the member for Johnston, spoke about this in the Assembly in October 2003 when he announced the commencement of a review of the act. Extensive public consultation took place in 2003 and 2004, which found there was strong support for addressing these issues, protecting of a wide range of places, and increased penalties. In May 2004, the Heritage Advisory Council finalised a recommendations paper which it provided to government. A key recommendation was the establishment of a heritage council with statutory decision-making powers; that is, a heritage council that would make most or all of the decisions currently made by the minister. Government gave careful consideration to the recommendation paper. Resulting from that, there were continued discussions with various stakeholders and a draft bill was released for public comment in February 2010. Thirteen written submissions were received from individuals and organisations. The Heritage Advisory Council also provided an extensive response.
Heritage and conservation has a decorated and long history in the Territory. This bill has a history of its own, but I am looking forward to it passing today. We need to focus on the future. It is modern legislation that will serve the Territory for the better, protect our heritage-listed places, and better serve the Heritage Advisory Council.
How does this bill protect heritage places? There is an automatic interim protection of sites once nominated and the Heritage Advisory Council has considered the site significant and seeks public comment. This is a significant improvement on current arrangements. As per the current legislation, the minister will retain the capacity to step in and provide interim protection for potential heritage sites if they are under threat.
The member for Brennan, and others, expressed concerns about the interests of property owners. This government has done much work with property owners. I met with the Property Council of Australia recently and listened to their concerns.
One thing this government has done is provide Territory heritage grants. This has been a very popular grant program and many of the stakeholder groups have taken advantage of it. It provides an opportunity for many of those places to receive much-needed work and assistance for private properties - looking at the Heritage Advisory Council’s annual report - and they also identify the government incentives package; that is for owners of declared heritage places. The government incentive package provides rates relief, free technical advice, and eligibility for funding under the NT Heritage Grants Program. Owners of declared heritage places used for residential purposes are reimbursed 75% of their rates, whilst owners of commercial places are reimbursed 25% of their rates.
Under the government incentive package, there is free expert advice available to the owners of declared heritage places in relation to proposed works. Heritage conservation architects have been retained in Darwin and Alice Springs in order to provide Territory-wide coverage. Applications for the NT Heritage Grants Program are received and assessed by the Heritage Advisory Council, which then forwards a recommended program to the minister for consideration. Successful projects for the 2009-10 round are listed in the annual report. A total of 16 projects were funded to the value of $250 000 under this program. The NT Heritage Grants Program addresses some of the concerns of members regarding what is available for private owners of declared heritage places.
In relation to how this bill better protects the interests of property owners, there are specified time lines for assessing nominations and works approvals, appeal rights are clarified, and the property owner now has a guaranteed seat at the table via membership on the new Heritage Advisory Council.
There were concerns about there being no guarantee that building owners would be notified when a property is nominated. This would be a very rare occasion. The owner is guaranteed to be advised if the Heritage Advisory Council considers the nomination significant. An owner can be assured their views on whether the place ought to be heritage listed or not will be taken into account - that is required by the act. Also, time limits apply to this part of the process so the owner can be assured a decision about heritage listing, one way or the other, will be made in a reasonable time frame. It is important to provide that to building owners in a reasonable time frame. This bill also strengthens provisions around time lines and appeal mechanisms, which is a real benefit to building owners.
The member for Nelson had some comments on protecting classes of places and objects of heritage significance. Part 2.3 of the bill provides for the conservation of places and objects by establishing a process for declaring protected classes of places and objects of heritage significance. The member for Nelson touched on the remains of World War II aircraft wrecks. World War II coastal fortifications site are another example of possible protected classes or places of heritage significance. Shipwrecks is another, and places and objects associated with the Australian Overland Telegraph Line and the North Australian Railway.
In relation to that part of the act, council may initiate assessments of heritage significance. That comes to me for a decision on recommendation for declaration. The declaration of protected class of places or objects is something the minister can declare.
Part 2.3 is an important part of the bill. It is a real strength Territorians, and descendents of people who were part of that time in the Territory’s history, would really appreciate. In my own family, member for Nelson, my grandparents ran a produce farm at Hatches Creek during World War II and provided fresh fruit and vegetables for the Army. Hatches Creek has much World War II history to it. There are many sites as you drive up and down the Stuart Highway marking ammunition depots and sites where depots were set up during World War II with troops going up and down the Stuart Highway. In my own family history, I understand the importance Hatches Creek played during that time. From a personal level, that is a fantastic addition to the bill.
In other parts of the bill there is an expanded Heritage Advisory Council, which includes representation from local government and property owners and requires the minister, as far as practical, to ensure Aboriginal representation. My colleague, the Minister for Local Government and Minister for Indigenous Development, touched on that. Again, it is a very important part of the bill.
In relation to the Indigenous representation, an important issue came up during the consultation process. It is a reasonable thing to do, particularly looking at the Northern Territory and the way it is going with population. There is a 30% Indigenous population and Indigenous heritage is a big part of the Northern Territory. It is more appropriate to acknowledge that through representation on the council.
The bill also acknowledges other interests, such as property owners and local government, having a seat at the table on the new council.
The member for Port Darwin raised the issue of specific sites. I acknowledge those issues and am happy to get back to the member for Port Darwin on that. Regarding the Ludmilla saltpan, I am advised it was nominated by the Haritos family. It is important to acknowledge it is an independent process, so families such as the Haritos family can nominate a site; Territorians can nominate a site which goes to the Heritage Advisory Council. To suggest this process and this government lacks integrity is a real shame. We have a decorated and, sometimes, not-so-good history of heritage sites. For this banter to continue from the member for Port Darwin is a sad thing. We have very important legislation before the House. To wind the clock back to the 1980s is a real shame, because the Ludmilla saltpan was nominated by a Territory family, the Haritos family. They are very proud of the association they have with the saltpan. A sign is being installed shortly, member for Port Darwin, with an official unveiling in coming weeks.
In relation to the allegation made by the member for Port Darwin, the heritage listing process was well under way prior to any information being available about the Arafura Harbour development. Again, to play politics with this important legislation is a real shame.
Regarding the member for Brennan’s comments about the Heritage Advisory Council - bigger bureaucracy and not on merit - the Heritage Advisory Council has some fantastic people on it. To say it is a bigger bureaucracy and people are not there based on merit, I find disappointing. The member for Brennan has done much work on this. We should steer away from having a slap at people who are dedicated to heritage conservation in the Northern Territory.
At this point, I acknowledge the current Heritage Advisory Council. There are some great representatives on it who have a done a fantastic job in recent times, particularly the Chairman, Dr Brian Reid and Ms Elizabeth Close, the Deputy Chair and Nominee and Director of the National Trust. Anna Malgorzewicz from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory has been on the advisory council; Mr Andrew Allan, a nominee from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority; Mr Greg Coleman is a former Director of the Northern Territory Archive Service; Mr David Curtis - would be well-known to people around the Tennant Creek and Barkly area - is a former ATSIC chairman; Dr Mickey Dewar is a freelance consultant with more than 30 years experience working on Northern Territory history and a very important member of the advisory council; Ms Sue Dugdale is a practising architect based in Alice Springs; and Mr Allan Garraway is the President of the Northern Territory Division of the Property Council of Australia.
Member for Brennan, I reject your comments regarding the Heritage Advisory Council becoming a bigger bureaucracy and not based on merit. Those Territorians I named are well-respected people in their chosen fields and careers.
Following concerns raised through consultations with Territorians, penalties have been substantially increased. I agree with the member for Brennan: penalties based on penalty units are important because they will be continually updated.
Under the existing act, a maximum of $10 000 or one year’s imprisonment applies for an individual who damages a heritage site; however, under the bill before us those penalties are increased to $53 200, or two years imprisonment. Again, increasing penalties and improving provision for on the ground enforcement is an important part of the bill.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I thank all members and I thank the Heritage Advisory Council for its work over many years. I commend the bill to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Mr CHANDLER: Madam Chair, I would like to know why it takes 10 years to get legislation to the House?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said in my closing remarks, member for Brennan, it has taken a long time. I acknowledge that, and believe it is time to move on. We now have before us a modern piece of legislation which will continue to preserve for the future our heritage and cultural values.
In my second reading speech, I outlined why it has taken a long time: consultations with the community; with stakeholder groups such as the Heritage Advisory Council; with the recommendations paper that came to government in 2004; with government making decisions around that recommendations paper; going through the process within Cabinet and government; and the draft bill being released for public comment in February 2010.
To be honest, enough has been said about why it has taken so long to get where we are. We should now focus on parts of the bill members have questions on.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. However, in 2005, a Cabinet submission was accepted; I am interested in the process. You have said quite a bit about the process. You are in government, not me. Can you please explain why it takes five years to get a recommendation? I suggest the recommendation was made after exhaustive research had already been undertaken, consultation, the whole thing. We are five years from Cabinet agreeing we should introduce this legislation. Why does it take five years?
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Chair, I believe I have answered that. I outlined in my second reading speech and my closing remarks the process, the journey we took, and I believe I have answered that question.
Mr CHANDLER: I do not believe you have; however, we could be here another five years if we continue with this line of questioning. Perhaps that will give me an understanding of why it has taken so long.
There is mention in the legislation a heritage-listed building can be changed. Could you describe the process where the minister can delist a heritage-listed building or property?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, are you relating that to Part 2.4 - Revocation of declaration of heritage places and objects?
Mr CHANDLER: Yes.
Mr HAMPTON: That part of the bill applies to a heritage place or object that is permanently declared under Part 2.2, or is a protected class of heritage place or object. It goes through the definition - I am sure you have the bill in front of you. Division 2, Assessment for revocation of declaration of heritage places and objects says the minister may ask the council to assess whether the declaration of a heritage place or object should be revoked. In addition, the owner of a particular heritage place or object may ask the council to assess whether the declaration for the heritage place or object should be revoked. However, the owner of the heritage place or object may make a revocation request only if a revocation request for the place or object has not been made during the preceding 12 months and any of the following applies: a place or object no longer exists or is no longer of heritage significance; information is available about the heritage value of the place or object that has not previously been considered by the council; other relevant information is available that does not appear to have been taken into account by the minister when deciding previously whether or not to make or revoke the declaration.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, I understand what the bill says; however, I am more interested in the process that may make you want to look into revoking. For instance, we have what has been heritage listed as a crater. If you decided at some stage it was just a hole in the ground and does not have any value - the RAAF spent many years around the Lee Point area filling in crater holes to stop mosquitoes spreading at the old bomb dump. They are all craters with a link to Defence - perhaps not World War II - but craters from earlier days, no doubt.
If you felt that hole in the ground did not stack up, what is the process to delist that hole?
Mr HAMPTON: I am not going to get into hypotheticals. The process is clearly outlined in the bill. In regard to the Heritage Advisory Council, I would take strong advice from them as is required under the bill. I am not going to get caught up in hypotheticals. The process is clearly outlined in the bill.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. The reason I raised a hypothetical was to get a clearer understanding of the process. This is another hypothetical, but I am seriously interested in the process. You, as minister, may have some information, or may decide you want to delist a particular property. What is the process you go through?
Mr HAMPTON: The process is in the bill, and is the process I will follow with particular advice coming from different stakeholders - the property owner, the community, and the Heritage Advisory Council. That process is fairly well spelt out and the process I would follow.
Mr CHANDLER: Yes, minister, but it does not say how you make that determination. It says if you make a determination, if the Heritage Advisory Council makes application, or a property owner makes application, but as minister, what is the process for you to delist something?
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Chair, I believe I have answered that question. It is becoming quite repetitive.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister; no longer than this bill took to get to the House. Minister, could you please advise the House if there is a loss of precedence of the bill?
Mr HAMPTON: The advice from Parliamentary Counsel is that the existing act overrides other acts - the Planning Act and the Building Act, but the bill before us does not.
Mr CHANDLER: That answers that question, thank you. Minister, can you advise what, if any, protection does an average homeowner - we are talking hypotheticals but it is helpful to be clear on process. Someone is driving past a home and thinks: ‘That is a lovely example of a 1970s home. I am going to make application to have that heritage listed’. What protection does the average homeowner have from this occurring?
Mr HAMPTON: In relation to my concluding remarks and my second reading speech, the bill before us protects property owners’ interests in specified time lines for assessing nominations and works approvals, appeal rights, and now guarantees the Property Council of Australia a seat at the table. That homeowner, member for Brennan, can be guaranteed if the Heritage Advisory Council considers the nomination significant, they would be contacted about the possible nomination. An owner can be assured their view about whether the place ought to be heritage listed or not will be taken into account. That part of the bill requires it. Tight time limits apply to this part of the process so owners can be assured a decision about heritage listing, one way or the other, will be made in a reasonable time frame.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you minister. You mentioned in your closing debate there would be assistance provided to homeowners in particular. What is that assistance? Does that assistance include, for instance, if they want to appeal a decision? I understand there is a review process to go through where there should be no cost to a property owner; however, in a case we are dealing with at law, someone may require legal assistance. I am talking about an everyday person minding their own business where someone wants to use their property as an example. If you are honestly going to offer assistance, what kind of assistance will you provide for any review to the decision?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, there is some detail in Part 4.1 regarding tribunal reviews; however, I assume the review you are talking about would go before the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal?
Mr CHANDLER: So, no help with any legal advice or assistance in that way?
Mr HAMPTON: As I stated in my second reading speech, the draft bill also allows for review of decisions by the Heritage Advisory Council and decisions in relation to proposed work on declared heritage places. Whether that decision was taken by the Heritage Advisory Council or the minister, those reviews are merit based and are made to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal with the intention of allowing the matter to be heard in a forum less intimidating and less costly than going to court.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. We have often heard buildings with heritage listing have the potential to undervalue a property. If heritage listing diminishes the value of a property, have you considered a mechanism that would either protect the value or, even better, increase the value of a property once it has been heritage listed?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, in my closing remarks I talked about what assistance government provides private owners of heritage-listed places. Through the NT Heritage Grants Program and the government assistance program I outlined in my closing remarks, property owners are assisted in, hopefully, their property not devaluing and keeping their heritage-listed places up to scratch. We have also put in place $1m in repairs and maintenance programs for government-owned heritage listed places. Regarding the $280 000 in heritage grants, there is $120 000 to support operations of the National Trust of Australia. The $1m repairs and maintenance program for government-owned heritage places - more than any other government - we are putting resources and funding in to protect and maintain those heritage listed places, whether they are owned privately or by government.
Mr CHANDLER: You said there is a process to delist a property. There could be a situation where a property has a particular value and is heritage listed. The price is then significantly reduced and the owner of the property on-sells that property and has lost money, to the gain of the Territory, as a result of the heritage listing. If the heritage listing is removed and the new owner puts that block on the market and it goes through the roof, the new property owner has made money. What protections are in place to ensure that kind of process does not happen?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, I am not going to get caught up into hypotheticals. I am unsure where you are going with this, but protection provisions are in the bill. This is a modern bill. The strength of it, in offering greater protection to owners through our grants programs and keeping those places up to scratch, is my answer to that. I am not getting into hypotheticals. There is an appeal process in the bill. That is what people would have to go through if they have those issues you are talking about.
Madam CHAIR: Member for Brennan, given that it is now midday, we will suspend for lunch. The Committee of the Whole will resume following Question Time at 2 pm.
Debate suspended.
HERITAGE BILL
(Serial 169)
(Serial 169)
Continued from earlier this day.
In committee:
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, Madam Chair. Minister, the bill contains a requirement for notifications to appear in the Gazette and local newspapers. Would you consider widening that to include a website?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, while it does not appear in the bill, it is normal practice for that to appear on websites. Yes, it happens at the moment.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. In regard to the requirement for two Indigenous people on the board, while I can appreciate the intent behind that, would it not be fairer to design a position statement that provided for very specific needs, whether it is on cultural grounds, on attachment to the land, for reasons that would suit the best people out there. If an Indigenous person fits the bill, they could be given the position, rather than have positions specifically for Indigenous people?
I understand you could design a position description for those seats, but it does not rule out someone who is non-Indigenous with the capabilities and knowledge expected of that position description applying for the position. I am unsure why it is not on merit. We should be putting people in the right position based on the merit principle.
In this case, you could write a description with a heavy weight on Indigenous people, but why should it be specific to Indigenous people?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, in acknowledging the importance of all heritage and conservation issues in the Territory, a significant part of that is the archaeological sites and Macassan sites, also the Indigenous. We are in a unique situation in the Territory, particularly with our Indigenous population, the country, and some of the beautiful sites we have. We have the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority on the council; however, regarding that acknowledgement, that is why we have gone down the path of encouraging more Indigenous participation.
The council is based on merit. It is in Part 6.1, member for Brennan, as you may be aware. In relation to the Heritage Advisory Council, you are looking at the functions, the establishment, the provisions about membership, so you are right. The appointed members are representing different stakeholder groups from the National Trust of Australia, Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, local government, as well as an organisation representing the interests of landowners, and six persons with expertise or experience relevant to the administration of this bill.
Division 2, clause 128(4) of the bill says:
- In appointing members, the minister must, as far as practicable, ensure at least two of the appointed members are of Aboriginal descent.
It is important to get Indigenous people on the board. The provisions within the bill relating to membership, duration of appointment, and nominations are sufficient. This will best serve the bill and heritage issues going forward.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, minister. Do you feel the Property Council of Australia deserves a seat on the Heritage Advisory Council?
Mr Tollner: The department has to tell him the answer.
Ms Scrymgour: You want to have the Property Council of Australia and not an Aboriginal mob. That is what you are saying.
Mr Tollner: He asked him what he thought about it. He cannot say what he thinks.
Madam CHAIR: Order!
Ms Scrymgour: That is what you are saying. That is CLP policy. You are going to have the Property Council of Australia and whitefellas, not blackfellas.
Mr Tollner: You make those differentiations, Marion.
Madam CHAIR: Order! Order! Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, I have met with the Property Council of Australia and acknowledge one of its members is currently an active member of the Heritage Advisory Council. It was an instruction from Parliamentary Counsel to structure the membership of the council in the way it has. Part 6.1 of the bill lists membership of the council, and there is a seat at the table for someone representing the interests of landowners. A representative of an entity must be nominated by the entity. This is another area where a person could be represented at the table. What Parliamentary Counsel has instructed in relation to the bill is the most workable way to do it.
Mr CHANDLER: That does not quite answer the question, minister. Would you consider using one of the seats to appoint someone from the Property Council of Australia?
Mr HAMPTON: That would be based on the nomination, and the qualifications and experience of that person.
Mr CHANDLER: You would not consider nominating someone from the Property Council of Australia?
Mr HAMPTON: That is not what I am saying, member for Brennan. I would take each nomination on merit. You are getting into those hypotheticals again; however, I would take it on merit and consider the nominations as they come across my table.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, you are missing the point. This is not about someone from the Property Council of Australia being nominated. Would you nominate someone for a position? Would you use your right, as minister, to appoint someone from the Property Council of Australia?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said, provisions about membership are in the bill. I would look at nominations as they come across my desk. I have answered the question.
Mr CHANDLER: I will not keep going. Minister, you have not answered my question. You keep talking about nominations referred to you; I am talking about you making a decision because ministers are allowed to make decisions.
Madam Chair, is there flexibility within the bill you put forward where property owners could be notified of a heritage nomination at the time of nomination?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, it is not a requirement of the bill; however, I stated in my closing remarks and throughout debate, the owner is guaranteed to be advised if the Heritage Advisory Council considers the nomination significant. This bill strengthens provisions around time lines and appeal mechanisms which are to the benefit of building owners.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, whilst I listened in depth to your response, again, that was not the question. Will the owners of property be notified as soon as there is a nomination against their property?
Mr HAMPTON: Again, the bill does not require that, but it would be very rare for that to occur.
Mr CHANDLER: That was an answer, okay. Minister, can the Development Consent Authority give notice to the Heritage Advisory Council when an application has been received on a property that is heritage listed?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, that would happen as a matter of course.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you minister. I understand this bill binds the Crown. Could you please advise whether this bill can be used to list the houses currently on the RAAF Base, or would that have to be done through the federal government, given it is Commonwealth land?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Brennan, again, getting into hypotheticals. What we are dealing with today is the bill not particular incidents or issues you have identified today. There is a process to follow. The bill clearly outlines that through the legislation, and that is the process people need to follow. I am not going to get into hypotheticals about this one or that one.
Mr CHANDLER: The question then is: can I use this new bill to propose the houses on the RAAF Base be heritage listed?
Mr HAMPTON: I have answered that. A process would need to be followed in nomination, which would have to be adhered to no matter what you are proposing to nominate for heritage listing.
Mr CHANDLER: Could I use this bill to propose a nomination?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said, I am not getting into hypotheticals. Once the bill passes, there is a process you would need to follow for whatever you wish to nominate.
Mr CHANDLER: I appreciate that, minister. I do not want to harp on this; I simply need to know if I, a member of the public in the Northern Territory, can use this legislation and follow the process to nominate the houses on the RAAF Base for heritage listing within the NT?
Mr HAMPTON: As I said, there is a process in place once this legislation goes through. You need to follow that process in nomination.
Mr CHANDLER: Minister, I am trying hard here. I do not want to harp on this; I just want to know if it is possible for someone in the Northern Territory to use this legislation about to be passed today to nominate the houses on the RAAF Base for heritage listing?
Mr HAMPTON: Again, I am happy to get back to you with advice on that, member for Brennan. However, regarding those houses and the land they are on, other issues need to be considered. Once this act passes, there is a process in place for nomination. I am happy to get back to you with more advice on your question.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you. That is all I have at the moment.
Mr WOOD: Madam Chair, the simple question is: does this act apply to Commonwealth land? Is it applicable to Commonwealth land – the Sidney Williams hut at the 11 Mile?
Mr HAMPTON: The short answer - and there are many legal complexities around that, is yes, we could apply it. Obviously, we would need to talk closely with the Commonwealth and the relevant departments in getting the best legal advice on that. It has happened previously.
Mr WOOD: That is all we needed to know. It can apply but, if it is Commonwealth land, it will have some input. I will try not to repeat any questions the member for Brennan has asked; however, I have a few clarifications. I have only used the new bill so some of my questions might relate to the old bill. From a legal point of view, what is the difference between an archaeological site and a heritage site? You classify sites as archaeological, but that is like ‘so what’?
Mr HAMPTON: My advice is they are all treated the same. The archaeological sites are a form of site and are treated the same as Macassan or Aboriginal sites and heritage-listed sites.
Mr WOOD: Thanks, minister. What is the point in having an archaeological site? Why are they not called Aboriginal and Macassan heritage sites? There is a section in the bill and I am wondering about the benefit of it? Does it have any legal ramifications? What difference would it make if it was called an Aboriginal or Macassan heritage place? It is in the bill, but I have not seen any other reference to it except in Chapter 2 Part 2.1. What is the point of that being in the bill?
Mr HAMPTON: This arrangement, member for Nelson, was negotiated when the current heritage legislation was first developed regarding Aboriginal and Macassan sites over a decade ago. These sites are of significance to a large proportion of the Territory population and meet the general criteria for protection as a class of heritage place. For example, there is a high degree of consensus about their value and the type of site is readily identifiable. In other words, most people would know this type of site when they see it. Protection of individual sites is not practical; in some cases, the existence of the site may not be known. I do not know if that answers …
Mr WOOD: Thank you, I do not disagree at all. However, my question was: why do you not call them heritage places. What makes an archaeological site? How old does a site have to be to have an archaeological classification?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, we are looking through the definitions within the draft bill which say an archaeological place is a place that relates to (a) the past human occupation of the Territory and (b) has been modified by the activity of the occupiers.
Mr WOOD: That is where my question came from. How long ago did it have to be modified by the activity of the occupier? Further down the definitions say an archaeological object is a relic which relates to past human occupation. If someone made an artefact six months ago, is that classified as an archaeological object, a heritage object, or not classified as anything because it is too young. I am looking at how we get to these definitions.
How do you define an archaeological object or an archaeological place in the time period? I was looking to get an understanding of that. Someone made these definitions; I am trying to work out how they did that.
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, there is no absolute criteria on the nomination of sites. It goes back to what has been picked up in the discussion paper over many years of consultation with the community. These are sites people have identified as worthy of being categorised. It has come from the Territory community through discussions around Aboriginal and Macassan sites, as well as archaeological sites; however, there is no set criterion in determining which ones are and which ones are not.
Mr WOOD: Do we have archaeological sites on some of the early mines in the Daly River area where the Chinese might have been working? If you dug there and found bits of old beds or old shovels, does that become an archaeological site or a heritage site? I am trying to understand why those definitions exist. Can you have a non-Aboriginal archaeological site? It could be the British at Fort Dundas on Melville Island; it could be the Chinese who used to fish at the mouth of the Daly River. Are those sites archaeological or heritage?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, they could possibly be archaeological sites, but the only ones given blanket protection are the Aboriginal and Macassan sites.
Mr WOOD: I will not dwell on this too much more, but who would decide what is what?
Mr HAMPTON: If there is a site worthy of nomination, it would go through that process; however, it would have to be the person wanting to nominate it.
Mr WOOD: It gets back to what I said in the first place. I cannot see any difference between an archaeological site and a heritage site, but I will leave that for another day. It was something that appeared when I was reading it and I cannot see a reason for it being there.
This was raised in regard to a private place being declared a heritage place; is there any assistance from government to maintain that place? You quoted a figure before - I did some quick maths and it worked out at about $14 000 per site. I believe you had 13 or 16 grants for a couple of hundred thousand dollars. I will use the Chin Building. Obviously, $14 000 would not go far to maintain a building like that. Does the government have larger grants for a building that might have a higher cost to maintain? I understand where those smaller grants come from; however, the Wesleyan Church, which was on Knuckey Street, was declared a heritage place - it probably was declared a heritage object in the end because it was moved. If the owners of that building wanted it maintained, or the government said they have to maintain it, are there opportunities for owners to get more than $14 000 a year to upgrade a building if the government wants it to be called a heritage place or heritage object? Are there other avenues, because otherwise it becomes a burden on the owner?
Mr HAMPTON: There is no fixed figure on that. It could be up to a maximum of $30 000 and could be staged over a period of time. There would be a number of programs across other government agencies and the Commonwealth government. Namatjira’s house has national heritage listing; however, there are programs and grants available through other government agencies, at Commonwealth level, and philanthropic or private organisations that might have an interest in that building.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. Move to where a place or object is nominated by a person, goes through the processes, and is rejected. Can the nominee appeal to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal or is that regarded as a third party appeal? Is that appeal only for the person whose place or residence is being nominated?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, if it is a decision by the minister, as I believe your question was, those appeals would only be on legal grounds.
Mr WOOD: Now you have confused me. I thought you had room for an appeal through the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal.
In Chapter 4, you have reviewable decisions. Is that only under Schedule 1? You can only appeal through Schedule 1, which says a reviewable decision is a council or minister’s decision on application for work approval, or council decision that a place or object is not a heritage nomination.
Only certain cases can go to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal?
Mr HAMPTON: That is right. It depends on who is appealing and who is making that decision. If it is a decision of the Heritage Advisory Council, it goes through to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal. If it is made by the minister, it is a matter of law.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. How do places like the Old Telegraph Station in Alice Springs fit within the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act and the Heritage Conservation Act? Is one superior to the other?
I presume the Old Telegraph Station is there because, from a conservation point of view, it is declared a Park’s site ...
A member: And Tennant Creek.
Mr WOOD: Tennant Creek, the same thing. Do the acts overlap or is one superior to the other when it comes to maintaining that place?
Mr HAMPTON: The advice, and it is pretty straightforward, is they operate together where you have a place like the Old Telegraph Station being managed through Parks and Wildlife, and you have sites within that boundary heritage listed. They work side by side.
Mr WOOD: I understand that. However, who makes the decision when it comes to painting the front door? If there are changes to the building Parks might want to make, who makes the decision - Parks or Heritage?
Mr HAMPTON: It depends on the scale of the works - minor new works or major capital works. Within the bill that would trigger – the answer to who is responsible is the minister who signs off on the capital works to the particular heritage-listed parts of that park?
Mr WOOD: You are the minister for both. Would you sign off because Parks wanted to do some work on the building or because the heritage side wanted to do the building? Which act applies to doing work on a particular building on a site within a park?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, it would be as minister for Heritage.
Mr WOOD: I wanted to have that clarified. What happens if the sacred site is also a heritage site? According to Part 1.3, Part 3.1 does not apply to a sacred site or sacred object. They are not at odds with one another - apply to a sacred site? Does it have something to do with the other act? What is the reason for that?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, the advice is Part 1.3 of the Heritage Bill we are talking about is in relation to heritage agreements. Regarding your question, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority and the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act will take precedence over heritage if it is a sacred site. We do not have heritage agreements over sacred sites.
Mr WOOD: Yes, I thought one protected the other. I did not know why one was exclusive of the other. Clause 39 deals with provisional declaration. I hope I have not misunderstood this, but you can have a provisional declaration. Clause 39 says:
- The provisional declaration of a place or object to be a heritage place or object has effect until the earlier of the following:
(a) the permanent declaration of the place or object to be a heritage place or object;
Does anything require you to have a time limit on how long you can hold something with a provisional declaration? Otherwise, the person whose property or object has a provisional declaration over it, according to this, could wait forever?
Madam CHAIR: Minister, you have the call. Members of the public, you are asked to be silent in the gallery, please.
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, regarding the question of duration of provisional declaration, it could be up to the maximum of 10 months to allow the provisional declaration. The maximum time is 10 months; however, whatever time it might take before that.
Mr WOOD: Could you advise where 10 months appears in the bill, minister?
Mr HAMPTON: The time lines, member for Nelson, are clauses 21 to 35 of the bill. In a nutshell, the Heritage Advisory Council must accept, or refuse to accept, a nomination as soon as practicable after receiving it. As soon as practicable would normally mean at the next scheduled meeting of the Heritage Advisory Council. The Heritage Advisory Council must complete the assessment of a place or object within six months; however, there are circumstances in which the assessment period may be extended. If the Heritage Advisory Council decides a place or object is of heritage significance it must seek comment. Submissions must be made to the Heritage Advisory Council within 28 days. The Heritage Advisory Council must decide whether or not to recommend to the minister the place or object in question be declared a heritage place or object within 60 days after the end of the public consultation period. The Heritage Advisory Council must then provide recommendation to the minister to this effect as soon as practicable. The minister must make a decision on the Heritage Advisory Council’s recommendation within 30 days of having received it. So, there are staged parts to that process.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. I will blame the parliamentary draftsman. Sometimes you go a few pages ahead and there is nothing to give you a suggestion that, if you want to look for times, you have to go back to clause 21. Perhaps a few notes we sometimes had in these bills would help.
This is a new area, so I would not mind a lesson on the difference between protected classes of places and objects. I was trying to work out how this operates in real life. The bill talks about the remains of World War II aircraft wrecks or World War II coastal fortification sites. Does that mean this section puts a broad-brush approach over all World War II aircraft wrecks? What kind of protection does that give, as distinct from picking out an individual plane and giving it heritage protection? How does it work in practice? There are many World War II aircraft still in the bush somewhere, so is it meant to give the same protection as if an individual plane was regarded as a heritage object?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, the advice I have received is it is the same level of protection. If it is within the World War II category, individual sites would have the same level of protection.
Mr WOOD: I am trying to look at the practical application. The Heritage Advisory Council may initiate assessment of heritage significance and there will be public consultation. At the end of that, could they say all World War II ack-ack sites - and there are plenty of them - are now protected classes of places and therefore every site is protected. In a practical way, is that what it means?
Mr HAMPTON: The answer would be yes, in theory, but there has been no decision made in classifications.
Mr WOOD: I understand that. If I said I would like to nominate ack-ack sites in the Top End as protected sites, the process would be to put a nomination forward and the Heritage Advisory Council would assess it. How would people who could be affected by that know? Some of these sites are on private land, some on the Stuart Highway road reserve, so what is the process to eventually declare these protected classes of places?
Mr HAMPTON: In regard to the bill, Part 2.3 clause 45 relates to public consultation on heritage significance of places or objects, which outlines the process. The Heritage Advisory Council may initiate assessment of heritage significance. It goes through that process then, in preparing a statement of heritage value for places or objects of the class, gives written notice to the municipal or shire council in the area the place or objects are known to be situated. It invites submissions on the heritage significance of places or objects of the class by publishing notices in a newspaper circulating generally throughout the Northern Territory.
The notice must state the following: where copies of the statement of heritage value can be obtained, submissions are to be made to the council in writing within 28 days after the public notice is given, which is the public consultation period. The council must make available, without fee, copies of the statement of heritage value and the council’s decision within 60 days after the end of the public consultation period. The council must decide whether or not to recommend that the minister declare the class of places or objects to be a protected class of places or objects. That outlines the process within the bill.
Mr WOOD: You raised a question I was going to ask later regarding the discovery of archaeological places and objects. Imagine you declared all the ack-ack sites and, after all the work had been done, someone knew they had a few on their property but did not want the government knowing otherwise it might stop them putting in a few more mango trees. Does clause 114 apply to someone not notifying the government of - in this case, it calls it an archaeological place? That gets back to what is an archaeological place versus a heritage place, or a protected class of places, because ack-ack sites are 60-plus years old. Does clause 114 apply if people are not told they have protected classes of places or objects on their land?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, if new sites are discovered, as you are alluding to, and are part of the protected classification, they are protected by the legislation. Yes, it would apply.
Mr WOOD: Should the definition under clause 114 - the heading ‘Discovery of archaeological places and objects’ - also cover these sites?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, clause 114 is related to the obligation to report.
Mr WOOD: Is that only Aboriginal or Macassan sites?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, that is right, an obligation to report …
Mr WOOD: So it would apply …
Mr HAMPTON: … the discovery.
Mr WOOD: It would not apply to ack-ack sites at all? If someone had …
Mr HAMPTON: If they are part of that classification, they are protected anyway.
Mr WOOD: They are protected, but if you had a World War II plane on your property, do you have to declare it?
Mr HAMPTON: You do not have to report it.
Mr WOOD: I will get back to clause 114 later. Exempt work under Part 3.3 - I asked this at the briefing; however, I wanted to get it on record. Years ago, I read in National Geographic how they took 10 or 15 layers of paint off the White House in Washington to find the original building material - the architraves etcetera. So much paint had been put on the building you could not see some of the fine work that had been done.
Is the paint put on a building over the years - say the Old Telegraph Station painted over the last 100 years with layers and layers of paint - would you require approval to remove the paint to get back to the basic material the Old Telegraph Station was made of, or would you regard that as exempt work? I give you that example - when they took the paint off they found what the building looked like. It might be a case of buildings in town being painted so often for so long, part of the heritage you are trying to preserve has disappeared.
Would removal of that paint require permission? Would it be regarded as exempt work, or is the paint itself heritage, especially if it has been there for a long time?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, often it is a case of judgment for the builder, the owner, or the person doing the painting to make that call. I always say to people: ‘If in doubt, call the Heritage division’. However, Part 3.3, clause 78: Regulation may exempt work of the bill gives examples of repair or maintenance work. The declaration may be made for repair or maintenance work and it gives examples of painting a place in a colour that conforms to the existing colour scheme, and repairs to a place using the same types of materials and construction methods as originally used.
Again, it is a matter of judgment and I always encourage, if in doubt, contact my department.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. My house is not up to the stage where I have to worry about the layers of paint; it just needs paint!
The general powers of entry to a place under Part 5.2, clause 101, were raised by the member for Brennan. He said a person has power to enter a place; however, I cannot see, in an emergency, how you have the power to enter a property if you cannot get a warrant - maybe it is physically impossible to obtain a warrant - you do not have consent from the owner, and you are not entering at a reasonable time. A classic example would be the Hotel Darwin, which was at night.
Where does the bill give the power, in an emergency, for a heritage officer to enter a place to stop work before something is destroyed?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, Part 5.2 of the bill is: Powers of heritage officers to enter places. This has been on the advice of the Department of Justice, and is for the administrative enforcement of the bill. A heritage officer may enter a place at any reasonable time, or any place at any time, with the consent of the occupier of the place, or under a search warrant issued for the place. That is there on the advice of the Department of Justice. However, what you are saying would require further legal advice.
Mr WOOD: Using the Hotel Darwin example of being knocked down at 11 pm, which means it is not at a reasonable time and does not have the consent of the occupier of the place - I cannot get a search warrant because the magistrate is out of town and the bulldozer or big shovel is about to smash in through the Green Room. Are you saying this bill would not allow a heritage officer to put a stop work on that in the case of an emergency?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, had we had this with the Hotel Darwin, one of the provisions would have prevented what happened - interim protection. That is a strength of the bill. There would have been interim protection as it was nominated and awaiting declaration. However, Part 5.2, clause 101, of the bill, Powers of heritage officers to enter places, says:
(1) For the administration or enforcement of this Act, a heritage officer may enter:
That would give the heritage officer the power to enter.
Mr WOOD: Yes, that is correct, but not at 11 pm at night or 1 am in the morning, which is usually when people knock down buildings when they know they are not going to be popular. It appears there is not the grunt in this needed in cases of emergency. I ask the minister to look at that because the Hotel Darwin has been mentioned many times in this debate. That is a classic example of a beautiful building being destroyed.
Say it had not been nominated, but people loved that building and, if someone saw a big bulldozer or a front end loader turning up there at midnight, you would hope a heritage officer would have the power to say: ‘You cannot do that. There is a 24-hour hold on that work because there is a belief this site could be of heritage value’. I understand what you are saying - it could be an interim order - and under the interim order you have those powers; however, those powers should remain, in case something could be done. I presume, as I read it, the place could be a heritage place.
For instance, a classic example is the railway line. Some of the bridges have been declared heritage – that is probably not the right example; it is better on private land. Say the Wesleyan Church was declared a heritage object and someone went to smash it up. Other than the police officer, is it possible the heritage officer would not have the power to enter because it was done at midnight; he did not have the consent of the occupier to go in there, and he could not get a search warrant? He would have to allow someone to damage that building; is that correct?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, I am happy to look further into that; however, it also raises questions about criminal activity and, if people are undertaking that type of activity, it becomes something that would be picked up by the police, a security person, or witnesses would be called for a court action. I take on board what you say about that part of the act.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. I used the wrong example there. It would have been better to say the owner of the building was knocking it down, which would make it less criminal, but went against the whole idea of the Heritage Bill.
Minister, I thank you for checking to see if that part of the bill needs more teeth. Obviously, the member for Brennan can ring a magistrate, but if there is a bulldozer sitting there about to go, you might not have time. You might have to say: ‘I am the heritage officer, here is my power; please stop’. Some of these buildings, as we know in Queensland from time to time, have fallen down in the middle of the night.
The other question is on clause 110. I raise this because we are looking at some OH&S harmonising laws coming to the Territory. Clause 110 relates to the power to require information from certain persons. Clause 110 says:
(2) The heritage officer may require the person to give information about the suspected offence.
In other words, the person does not have the right to remain silent. Under this bill, there is no carrot approach. The new OH&S laws say we are asking you to give us information and, if you do, you cannot be charged with any offence relating to that information. In other words: ‘You do not have the right to remain silent, but if you speak up on this issue, if you know something about it, it will not be held against you in a court of law’. Therefore, you are encouraging the person to not remain silent and there is no penalty. However, this suggests if you remain silent, you are in trouble.
I would be interested to know if - I know what is coming in the OH&S harmonising laws - that type of approach would give a better chance of getting information from people in the case where there could be something that contravenes this bill. Minister, do you think the government could look at that?
Mr HAMPTON: Many of the legal parts of the bill have been taken on the advice of the Department of Justice. We are trying not to have a culture of cover-up. If there are things happening with heritage places and people have relevant information, we want them to come out with it. That is the answer to your question. It is about the culture and getting people to come out if they are aware of contravention of the requirements. That has been taken on the advice of the Department of Justice.
Mr WOOD: I understand that minister. The suggestion was around a better chance to gain information if you applied the other process.
Clause 114 again: Discovery of archaeological places and objects. A penalty of 20 penalty units exists if you do not tell the department about a site you have found. If you do not tell the department about a site will you end up in gaol or will you be fined? What is the long-term process of someone not following clause 114? Someone might want to keep it for themself in the sense they might not want anyone else to go there. In reality, are you saying if a person hid an archaeological place or object and did not tell anyone about it, they could theoretically go to gaol?
Mr HAMPTON: We are proposing that the penalty is 20 penalty units, not gaol.
Mr WOOD: I understand that, minister. I am wondering if a person continued to not report the site. People might say they found something but refuse to give a description of the place, the object or its location, or refuse to give their name and address. What happens if they refuse? Do they get a fine and that is it, or is there another way of compelling the person to say where that object or place is? It Is only the fine? All right.
Clause 115 talks about alternative verdicts. I had a bit of trouble working out the alternative verdicts. What does it mean? Why is it in this bill? Is this something new that only applies to this bill? Could you give me a better understanding of what this clause means. It talks about the trier of fact - an unusual term - and a prosecuted offence and an alternative offence. Could you give me a quick summary of why that is in the bill? Is it different to other acts?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, in relation to alternative verdicts, the alternative offence is not unique to this bill. Again, this has been put in on the advice of the Department of Justice. As clause 115 says it:
- … applies if, on the trial of a person charged with an offence against a provision mentioned in the following Table (the prosecuted offence) the trier of fact:
(a) is not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt the person committed the prosecuted offence; but
Mr WOOD: We will leave it for another day because that is a little complicated. I would not mind revisiting that to see what it all means. When you say mentioned in the table opposite, there is not a table opposite. There is a table titled ‘alternative verdicts’; perhaps that is what they are referring to. I will move on from that; we could be here for a while looking at that.
Some final questions, minister. This relates to discussions I have had elsewhere; do police know they are heritage officers? I hope I am not speaking out of turn, but when we had our public meeting at Mataranka on animal welfare, one of the people said they had gone to the police station and asked: ‘Can you come down and look at these animals?’ because, under the Animal Welfare Act, police have those powers and the police officers did not realise that. When this bill was being put together, was there any discussion with police to advise them they are also heritage officers?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, that is a very good point. The advice I have received is water police know they are heritage officers; however, once the bill is enacted, we have some work to do with the general police to let them know what powers they will have.
Mr WOOD: Thanks, minister. I presume, in the case of a front end loader knocking down a building, a police officer might have more power than the heritage officer; would that be true? They could go on site without a warrant in the case of an emergency?
Mr HAMPTON: Yes.
Mr WOOD: Will heritage officers get some investigative skills? Will they know what they have to do if they are to prosecute someone?
Mr HAMPTON: Member for Nelson, we have about three or four heritage officers and the work of the Heritage division now is to build its capacity - we acknowledge that. Once the bill is passed, we will commence building that capacity and knowledge of the new act and their powers.
Mr WOOD: Will they be doing a Certificate I, II, and III in investigative skills? That area is missing in some of our departments?
Mr HAMPTON: They will be doing a Certificate IV in Compliance Training.
Mr WOOD: At the moment do any of them have those skills?
Mr HAMPTON: They have not completed that training. They do not have the skills at the moment.
Mr WOOD: It would be good if they pick up those skills. Apart from the alternative verdict section - I will catch up with the department on that - thank you for those answers. The important question is the power of the heritage officer in cases of emergency. If that is not there, you have a weakness. It may only happen once in a blue moon, but the blue moon could be another Hotel Darwin. We need to ensure that, in times of emergency, there should be a section which allows for that. Thank you, Madam Chair, I have no more questions.
Mr HAMPTON: A point of clarification, Madam Chair. I want to clarify a statement I made in my closing remarks about the saltpan heritage site. The process was kick-started by the Country Liberal Party when in government. I am advised the CLP minister was Tim Baldwin. Minister Baldwin requested his department take some action in respect of the conservation of the saltpans. The Heritage Advisory Council then nominated the site of its own accord at its meeting on 15 June 2001. The process then, unfortunately, took some time to progress. It was then that a member of the Haritos family made contact and the process towards listing was reactivated.
Madam Chair, the nomination came from the Heritage Advisory Council and was kick-started by the then CLP minister, Tim Baldwin. As I said in my original statement, the Haritos family is very supportive of the listing.
Bill, as a whole, agreed to.
Bill to be reported without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Growing Our Own Northern Territory Workforce
Growing Our Own Northern Territory Workforce
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Speaker, today I speak on the progress we have been making in the most important area of health - to build a strong, skilled, and stable workforce through our Grow Our Own strategy. There is no doubt our health workforce is our greatest asset. Anyone who has had contact with our health system through your own care, or the treatment of family members, has witnessed the dedication and commitment of our health workers. We value the efforts of all staff within the health system, and the real change they are making every day in the lives of Territory families.
This government realises that without a skilled and stable workforce, the effectiveness of our health services is limited. We have employed a number of strategies to increase the skill and quality of the workforce from growing our own health professionals to attracting specialist staff to train and mentor local health staff.
We reached a milestone in the history of health and education services in the Territory this year with the commencement of the first full Northern Territory medical school program. Based at Charles Darwin University, the highly-respected Flinders University medical program is now offered to Territorians on their home ground. Now, for the first time, Territory kids can enter preschool and continue their education right through primary, middle, and senior school to university and become a doctor without having to leave the Territory.
Our first homegrown doctors will graduate at the end of 2014. That will be a very proud day for the Labor government in the Territory and the federal government which have brought this vision to reality; a partnership with Flinders and Charles Darwin universities. We are fortunate to have a number of remarkable educators leading the Northern Territory medical program; educators who share our vision for Territorians and Indigenous people to become medical practitioners, and who understand, appreciate, and are committed to addressing the health, cultural, and wellbeing needs of Territorians.
Vice-Chancellor, Barney Glover from CDU, Vice-Chancellor Michael Barber from Flinders; Professor Michael Kidd, Executive Dean; Professor Paul Worley, Dean, School of Medicine, Flinders University; and Professor Michael Lowe have guided the development of this initiative from its early days. Professor Sarah Strasser, Associate Dean of Flinders University NT, provides the day-to-day leadership of the school. We thank them all for their patience and leadership in steering this program on its path to provide our workforce of the future.
In February this year, 24 Territory students, 10 of them Indigenous, commenced a four-year postgraduate program. It was my pleasure, with the Chief Minister and federal minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, to meet the students at the launch of semester one. These students have come to their studies with diverse qualifications and experience such as nursing, Aboriginal health work, law, veterinary science, and health policy.
In June this year, the new medical school facility at CDU was officially opened by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister. The building provides state-of-the-art facilities for learning with advanced technology capabilities and clinical laboratory areas. Planning for a second facility on the Royal Darwin Hospital campus is currently under way, which provides a total of $27m commitment to train Territory doctors. These facilities are amongst the best in Australia.
Students are also placed with GP supervisors at the Palmerston GP Super Clinic as another real life learning experience. Additional facilities are under development at Royal Darwin Hospital campus for Year 3 and 4 students, when the learning curriculum is more directed to clinical experience with acute patients.
The postgraduate program offers Northern Territory students a sponsored tertiary education, basically equivalent to their HECS fees and, in return, students are bonded to work for the Department of Health for two years upon completion of their medical training. The course curriculum provides opportunity for all students to learn about Indigenous health and how to deliver a culturally safe and appropriate service. They use a problem-based learning approach and have developed a standard patient program where community members act as volunteer patients with simulated conditions for the students to work within their training. These are wonderful opportunities for students to enhance their skills and for the community to be involved in the development of our future doctors.
Not only is the medical school a huge bonus for our children, but it also provides another attraction for recruitment of quality practitioners to the Territory. The medical school has been actively recruiting lecturers and tutors to their teaching staff. This provides an incentive for many medical practitioners to add teaching to their professional career skills and is an attraction for them to come, live, work, and stay in the Territory.
Equally important in the growing our own workforce development strategy has been the establishment of the school leavers’ pathway for entry into medicine. The undergraduate degree commenced this year at Charles Darwin University with a Bachelor of Clinical Science course. This is traditionally a three-year course; however, upon satisfactory performance in Year 1 and 2, 12 positions are dedicated to be fast-tracked into the Northern Territory postgraduate medical program. This means successful and suitable students will enter the Flinders Northern Territory medical program in their third year and, at the same time, complete their three-year CDU health science degree. These students will graduate with a double degree in science from Flinders CDU and medicine from Flinders on completion.
Applications for the 2012 undergraduate program are assessed based on a student’s Year 12 results and performance in the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Science Admission Test or UMAT. UMAT was conducted on 27 July and we wish all Territory students the best with these results.
The positive relationship between the Northern Territory government, Charles Darwin University, Flinders University, and the Australian government has delivered this outstanding opportunity for our children and provides a strong future for our health workforce with up to 40 new doctors graduating every year from 2014.
Not only do we need to train new doctors, we have to train qualified doctors in the particular skills we need for sustainable services across the Territory. There is an increasing demand for general practitioners with procedural skills such as obstetrics and anaesthetics to address workforce issues in regional hospitals and remote centres. We have developed a Northern Territory plan to train and introduce a rural generalist workforce. The training pathways will provide mechanisms to ensure these doctors achieve advanced skills and vocational training as a general practitioner. There will be adequate and competitive remuneration for these recognised skills. This will help us create a collaborative rural medical workforce serving doctors in procedural skill sets and services that will form the foundation of providing Territorians better access to rural health services.
The Northern Territory’s inaugural Rural Generalist Trainee Workshop was held in late August at the medical school in collaboration with Queensland’s Rural Generalist program. The workshop was a great success and forged relationships between Queensland and the Northern Territory to collaboratively develop a rural medical workshop. This initiative is another plan in our Grow our Own strategy that will address workforce shortages and improve access to services for Territorians in rural hospitals across the Northern Territory.
A strong and stable nursing workforce is equally critical to our health system. We have been consistently strengthening a range of initiatives to support nurses to enter, remain, and re-enter the workforce with the specialist skills we require. A graduate nurse program is offered for beginning practitioner, registered, and enrolled nurses. In 2011, 96 graduate nurses were employed across our public hospitals after they completed their nursing qualification at Charles Darwin University. A specialised remote health graduate nurse program called Ochre to Aqua is offered to support young nurses in adapting to that unique workplace.
This year, we introduced a graduate midwifery program to assist graduate midwives consolidate their skills and knowledge as a transition from a student role into a beginning practitioner role. It is anticipated Alice Springs, Katherine, and Royal Darwin Hospitals will employ graduates.
Throughout the health system, we require nurses with specialist skills to provide high-quality care for Territorians. This government financially supports nurses and midwives to gain postgraduate qualifications where there are areas of need. Twelve to 14 registered nurses are supported to undertake their Graduate Diploma in Midwifery while employed in maternity services in Alice Springs, Darwin, and Katherine, with a minimum of 12 weeks of clinical time built into the program.
Ten nurses from the renal units in Alice Springs and Darwin are supported to undertake their Graduate Diploma in Nursing with a focus on renal nursing. Four nurses are supported to undertake their Graduate Diploma in Child and Family Health. Acute care nurses are supported to undertake two-year programs for the Graduate Diploma in Emergency, Intensive Care, Paediatrics, and Oncology Nursing.
In remote health, all nursing staff without formal remote qualifications are enrolled and funded for two units of the Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Practice as part of the orientation process.
Quality and sustainable maternity services are vital in the Territory. We have introduced a number of initiatives to support and develop our midwives, and to keep them in the Northern Territory. The midwifery exchange program with the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne supports the professional development of Territory midwives who have not had recent experience in large metropolitan hospitals down south, and for experienced interstate midwives to get the Territory experience, caring for women and their families in urban and remote settings. This initiative facilitates quality practice standards and safety initiatives for the benefit of Territory women. For midwives, it will provide them with an opportunity to enhance their midwifery skills and knowledge. The first midwife from the Royal Women’s Hospital arrived in April 2011 for a three-month rotation.
We continue to strengthen the nursing workforce through the introduction of nurse practitioners and expanding the scope of practice for nurses. Ten remote area nurses now have permits to perform limited radiographic procedures. This is great news for patients in remote areas who do not have to face a trip into town for a simple X-ray. It has reduced the demand on patient travel and the busy emergency radiology departments.
Training in providing antenatal ultrasounds is being progressed for remote doctors, midwives, and Aboriginal Health Workers. It is great news for remote women, who can have confirmation and early dating ultrasound scans within the community instead of having to leave to undergo simple diagnostic procedures.
Charles Darwin University has also established a range of allied health courses in pharmacy, medical laboratory science, and social work. Charles Darwin University will also be offering a Master of Clinical Psychology commencing in 2013, and has developed pathways to a post graduate degree, in partnership with Flinders University, in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Nutrition and Dietetics. This will allow students to undertake a Bachelor of Health Sciences or Clinical Sciences, and undertake units that provide a pathway into the masters program offered by Flinders University. The outcome will be the opportunity to undertake the majority of their study in the Northern Territory with an option for their final year of workplace clinical placements within Northern Territory health services.
Not only are we developing future doctors and nurses; I turn now to the vocational pathways in place for assisting high school students into a health and community service career. Since 2006, school-based apprenticeships have been offered to increase the numbers of students in health and community services by promoting and creating clear educational pathways in skill capped areas. School-based apprenticeships give students the ability to undertake real tasks which contribute to them completing their qualification and incrementally develop their employment skills.
In 2010-11, the department has supported a total of 18 school-based apprentices studying certificates in Community Services, Business, Dental Assisting, and Health Service Assistance in Pharmacy. Nine of the 18 school-based apprentices are Indigenous. Since 2010, the department has been developing a Certificate III Dental Assisting school-based training program specifically to target Northern Territory school students.
We also participate in Indigenous cadetship programs providing Aboriginal people studying a degree, diploma, or advanced diploma with financial assistance to complete their studies and paid work experience during semester breaks. The cadetship program is open for studies in medicine, medical science, nursing, pharmacy, dental therapy, radiography, speech pathology, physiotherapy, environmental health, social work, psychology, and occupational therapy.
We have worked hard to address the important workforce needs for the health system. We have set the right direction to build a sustainable workforce into the future. We have introduced pathways for Territorians to enter the health workforce, gaining unique experience and making a real contribution to improve the life of the community and family. Growing our own workforce provides a brighter future for Territorians. With the booming exploration and mining industry, we are investing in growing our own through offering a scholarship for a young Territorian to undertake university studies in the area of minerals and energy. The scholarship offers: financial assistance of $12 000 per year for three years; assistance with gaining local employment during university vacations; and opportunities to develop skills and knowledge in the mining and petroleum industries for a student studying or proposing to start towards attaining an appropriate qualification. The key is to encourage locals to provide local experience as they are more likely to stay in the Territory where the community can benefit from their acquired skills.
Fisheries research and aquatic resource management has also provided a place for numerous work experience students who are interested in a career in fisheries, in raising the awareness of opportunities on offer, and in growing our own. Departmental staff participate in a range of forums to present aspects of fisheries science and the opportunities on offer to school groups. Marine ranger training, in conjunction with Charles Darwin University, water police, and the nationally accredited Certificate II in Seafood Industry (Fisheries Compliance Support) has been very successful. The course was run in 2009 and 2010 for 44 Indigenous male rangers. In 2011, the course has been run for 12 Indigenous female rangers. The course delivered seafood industry units, including being linked to coxswain certificate training and providing practical training in the skills required to undertake these roles. The Fisheries Indigenous program has also delivered school talks to primary school classes about the roles of fisheries and marine rangers.
The Department of Resources pastoral production team also engages young Territorians to promote opportunities in our diverse primary industry sector. In particular, we have had an ongoing association with Girraween Primary School over the past two to four years, and the department has provided support for the Sustainable School in Action field day where departmental officers assist, through participating in the field day, the farm activities, and the school farm, with cows from the Department of Resources for the event.
Beatrice Hill farm staff have provided technical assistance to the Girraween school farm since its commencement. I must recognise the hard work of the dedicated team of parents and school staff who contribute to the running of the school farm.
Since the establishment of Taminmin College, advice and assistance has been offered in the area of primary production, animal production, weed control, and pastures. As members would be aware, students undertake work experience at Douglas Daly Research Farm and with our extension officers. The Douglas Daly Research Farm also hosts day tours of students from Taminmin College to raise awareness of the opportunities on offer. Beatrice Hill farm has also provided many work venues for VET classes from Taminmin College.
The department provided technical input and equipment to the Alawa Primary School Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association project in 2009. Department of Resources officers also assist work experience students from interstate universities by undertaking the practical component of their studies. My department also supports Indigenous employment through action under its Indigenous employment strategy. Entry level employment programs, cross-cultural awareness training, and mentoring are key elements of this strategy.
My department also hosts an Indigenous cadetship support program, an apprentice program, and an Indigenous employment program. These are all entry level activities which the department actively uses and promotes. For example, in 2011, the department is supporting two Indigenous cadets with their degree level studies; one is studying at Charles Darwin University and one is undertaking studies at James Cook University. Both cadets receive aid and support, including the reinvestment of HECS fees upon successful completion, mentoring, and paid work placements.
To promote awareness of our entry level Indigenous program, we have commenced a school liaison program. The Department of Resources has engaged Kormilda College and Darwin High School and also had discussions with Charles Darwin University. Further schools are to be included in this scheme. The department’s Indigenous mentoring training program was conducted in August 2011 to support a diverse workplace which mirrors our community. Twelve staff members from across the agency attended the course. Increasing Indigenous employment, particularly in the technical and professional streams, remains a key employment priority for this government.
Turning to Children and Families: as a government we have invested considerable funding and resources to strengthen the Territory’s child protection staff, and staff who look after the wellbeing of Territory Children and Families’ staff.
As part of the progress of the learning and development framework for the Department of Children and Families, a pathways program is planned to support those administrative staff to move into the professional stream through a number of supported study options. Staff involved in learning and development are undergoing preliminary consultation with CDU and other stakeholders, including forming a working party to progress the qualification framework. The department will be recruiting to a position which would be dedicated to developing and implementing this program. It is anticipated over the next 12 months, the program will be developed and implemented.
The Department of Children and Families also recently signed an in-principle agreement with Charles Darwin University to make available a number of permanent employment opportunities for graduates from the course. This also provides membership to the Australian Association of Social Workers. The agreement aims to offer guaranteed employment over a five-year period to a maximum of 25 students per annum as a Professional 1 frontline child protection practitioner with the department once they graduate. CDU’s eligible courses are the Bachelor of Social Work and the Bachelor of Humanitarian and Community Studies. Additional qualifications at CDU which allow graduates of those courses to become P1 frontline child protection practitioners are also being considered by a steering committee. There will be a twice-yearly intake into DCF to coincide with graduations. Graduates will be employed according to standard conditions of employment for Professional 1 frontline child protection practitioners in any location in the Territory as determined by DCF.
To enhance the work readiness of CDU graduates and other suitably-recognised and qualified graduates for employment with the department, where possible, we will provide work placement for four-year students enrolled in an eligible qualification. All placements with DCF will be undertaken according to workplace supervision requirements outlined by the Australian Association of Social Workers and Australian Community Workers Association, which includes a recognised qualification and two years post-qualification work experience.
CDU has invited the Department of Children and Families to input into course content on developing student work readiness. Accordingly, the department intends to discuss the possibility of developing specific child protection subjects. Work readiness is aimed to ensure graduates are adequately prepared for employment with the department. Additionally, upon commencing employment with DCF, graduates will have access to work readiness and support provisions comparable with other employees. DCF is currently developing work readiness programs targeted at graduates and those with limited child protection experience and/or experienced work in the Northern Territory which is scheduled for implementation in July 2012.
Graduates commencing in January and July will attend orientation and have core training prior to entering the workplace. The orientation and core training will be open to other new starters not employed under the CDU memorandum of understanding. Graduates will have access to existing and planned professional development and work readiness support provisions in the department, including professional supervision and E-learning opportunities.
Experienced child protection practitioners employed as part of the remote area rotation initiative will undergo orientation and core training prior to entering the workplace. DCF and CDU have agreed to continue working together and to trial innovative solutions, including developing scholarship programs that encourage school-aged students to consider a future role within the Department of Children and Families. In this regard, starting in 2012, five scholarships will be offered each year to eligible social worker undergraduates, three of which will be available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Territorians. The Department of Children and Families is committed to growing our own to encourage staff to stay within the department over the long term.
We are all aware of the difficulty recruiting professionals in Australia; we resort to recruiting professionals from overseas. The best solution we have to this problem is to grow our own workforce and we have done it very successfully, not only with pharmacists, midwives, or nurses, but with engineers, and we have done very well with geologists. We have a very good example of three Territorians who were sponsored by the government, started down south, and are now employed either with the department or in mining companies in the Territory.
Growing our own Territory workforce guarantees we are going to have professionals grown in the Territory, knowing the Territory, knowing the conditions of the Territory, rather than having to train and retrain people in the realities of the Territory. In the past, we have said people who come from another state to the Territory do not come to another state; in some cases they come to another planet. You can imagine what happens to people who come from overseas. The best way to address these issues is to grow our own Territory workforce, which is what this government has been doing in the past 10 years.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I guess it is over to me. I am unsure if this is growing the health workforce because then we move on to primary industries, mining, and the whole bit. I am guessing it is not public employment; however, I will speak as the shadow for Health on this.
Interestingly, it only reached 10 pages and ran out of things to say on the health workforce. We then moved to minerals, then fisheries. The Northern Territory medical program is pretty good. We have the rural generalist program; that is pretty good. The nursing workforce could be better. We had a damning Ombudsman’s report under the watch of the member for Johnston which will be his lasting legacy. Your failed health minister - a damning Ombudsman’s report into the nursing staff crisis, so there is work to do there I expect, minister. The allied health workforce does a pretty good job, and apprenticeships are pretty good.
Minerals and energy - we moved from health to page 12 of the statement and minerals and energy. We have run out of what to say about health and the workforce. Those poor 5000 employees are only worthy of 10 pages of a ministerial puff piece. Shame on you, minister!
We moved to fisheries all of a sudden, then to primary industries, and then to the big one. This is an absolute corker - children and families. How enormous is the failure of the government when it comes to children and families, yet we have it wheeled in as some type of propaganda puff piece. We had report after report after report, plus a federal intervention. You are not doing too well with children and families.
We on this side of the House represent half the Northern Territory. They have switched off; they have stopped listening and are sick and tired of you wasting taxpayers’ money on political propaganda puff pieces time and time again. We are on the first day of the second week of parliament at 4.30 pm and you bring in this nonsense.
I have no idea what this is about or what you are trying to prove. Alcohol - at least we could engage in a debate but no, we had to blow that off. This has been brought on; I do not even know what to call it. Again and again we see it happening. There is no humility on that side of the House; you just blow your own trumpet time and time again.
Arrogance and hubris has consumed the government. The CLP had problems towards the end of its run in 2001. However, it took 27 years; it has taken you 10 to get there. It really is quite staggering. The hubris, the arrogance, and how empty you are of policy or ideas. On the first day of the second week of the October sittings we are on to - goodness knows what this is. I have seen political puff pieces in this House in my time but, like Juan Antonio Samaranch, this is the greatest political puff piece thus far.
Without further ado, without wasting more time, I move, in accordance with Standing Order 78, that the question now be put.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 12 Noes 13
Ms Anderson Mrs Aagaard
Mr Bohlin Dr Burns
Mr Chandler Mr Gunner
Mr Conlan Mr Hampton
Mr Elferink Mr Henderson
Mr Giles Mr Knight
Mrs Lambley Ms Lawrie
Mr Mills Mr McCarthy
Ms Purick Ms McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms Scrymgour
Mr Tollner Mr Vatskalis
Mr Westra van Holthe Ms Walker
Mr Wood
Motion negatived.
__________________
Suspension of Standing Orders
Call on Business
Call on Business
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from moving on to item No 3 on the General Business Notice Paper. Some people in this House, and across the Territory, are interested in issues facing them, not propaganda puff pieces …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: … and that motion, Madam Speaker, is …
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, we will not be accepting this motion. We will be opposing it.
I move that the motion be put.
Madam SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, could you clarify which motion you are moving?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, the suspension of standing orders.
Mr CONLAN: To move on to item No 3 of the General Business Notice Paper.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I am sorry, there is much disorder here. It is very hard to hear what is happening. We are moving that the motion regarding the suspension of standing orders …
Mr CONLAN: The suspension of standing orders as would prevent me from moving to item No 3 on the General Business Notice Paper.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the question be put.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 12 Noes 13
Ms Anderson Mrs Aagaard
Mr Bohlin Dr Burns
Mr Chandler Mr Gunner
Mr Conlan Mr Hampton
Mr Elferink Mr Henderson
Mr Giles Mr Knight
Mrs Lambley Ms Lawrie
Mr Mills Mr McCarthy
Ms Purick Ms McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms Scrymgour
Mr Tollner Mr Vatskalis
Mr Westra van Holthe Ms Walker
Mr Wood
Motion negatived.
__________________
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I understand through convention, by moving such a motion, the member has forfeited his right to speak on this motion.
Members interjecting.
__________________
Withdrawal from Chamber
Member for Greatorex
Member for Greatorex
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, will you remove yourself, please.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Greatorex has withdrawn for an hour.
__________________
Dr BURNS (Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I support the minister for Health in efforts across the Territory government to grow our local workforce. This is not important enough for the member for Greatorex; I thought he was shadow for public employment. We know the opposition policy for our public service.
In the 2008 election, the member for Blain, as leader, went to the polls with a policy to axe between 700 and 800 public servants within the Northern Territory. My office will be bringing down the policy. I have it here if you want me to flash it around again, member for Brennan. It is definitely a CLP policy and, I believe, remains the policy.
Moreover, one only has to look in the federal sphere, and New South Wales, to see the undertakings by Joe Hockey to axe thousands upon thousands of public servants within the Commonwealth public service, and Mr O’Farrell, Premier of New South Wales, to axe thousands upon thousands of public servants. Public servants listening to this broadcast should be very concerned about the CLP because it will follow the policies of its federal masters. It will certainly follow in the mould of the coalition in New South Wales in sacking public servants. They do not value their public servants.
The member for Port Darwin talked about fat cats and public servants; there has been a range of derogatory statements by the opposition about our public servants.
In contrast, this is a government that values the work of our public servants. We certainly support them. Through our programs, we are supporting them to grow and, also, we foster development in our public servants and encourage younger people within the Northern Territory to embark upon a career within the public service.
I have the media clippings here: The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 2011, ‘O’Farrell sticks to the target of culling 5000’. There you have it. I will be tabling that when I have finished with it. Basically, it says:
- Mr O’Farrell, who is expected to announce the first round of the cuts, flagged in September’s budget…we’ve committed ourselves to a target, a target of 5000 remains.
So, it is set in stone by Mr O’Farrell, the Liberal Premier of New South Wales. Also, we have The Australian National Affairs, 28 June 2011:
- Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey has refused to quarantine any federal departments from 12 000 redundancies slated under a Coalition government.
That is why they do not have anything to say about this. They have plans to slash and burn our public service in the Northern Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: They might deny it, but here it is. It has your logo on the front, ‘Country Liberals’, and it says ‘Country Liberals key points’ and is dated 7 August 2008:
- Key points: the Country Liberals in government will deliver a smaller more streamlined ministry.
Well, we have heard about that today. The Leader of the Opposition has promised eight ministers, yet, when you look on the other side there are 12 shadows. There are more shadows than light on the other side that is for sure. More shadows than the valley of death; that is what we have on that side of the Chamber. There is a man who wants to give a Christmas present to everyone: ‘Oh, here you go, have this for Christmas’. He has no discipline, he has no strength. They are out of the box and they are running all over him.
The member for Macdonnell is out of the box. She has already started back-dooring the member for Braitling. They had their trip to the Tiwi Islands last week, and she went over as the shadow parliamentary secretary for Indigenous Affairs. The Leader of the Opposition could not even be bothered to take the member for Braitling; he was more focused on finding an airfare through the Speaker’s Office. That is what we heard today; the member for Macdonnell has already started working her magic on members opposite.
The shadow for Arts and Museums needs to be careful. Not only the shadow for Indigenous Territorians, but also the shadow for Parks and Wildlife, be very careful, particularly when your arm is grabbed and the word ‘brother’ comes out. Be very afraid when you hear: ‘Yes, brother, no, brother’. Be very afraid when the hand goes on the heart, the fingers are curled, and she says: ‘True God. True God, brother, true God’. Be very concerned.
I digress, Madam Deputy Speaker. Here it is in the Country Liberals’ program. It says their policy which was released at the last election:
- The Country Liberals have allowed for a general reduction in the service of 700 positions over three years.
There it is in black and white. If members opposite want to show me this is no longer their policy I will stand corrected; however, you need to show me where you have withdrawn this policy and have a new policy in relation to the public service.
If the member for Greatorex says ‘puff piece’ one more time, I will have to phone Puff Daddy in the United States for plagiarism. All he says is ‘puff piece’. He is the member for Lessorex, as I have said before. He keeps on getting less and less the longer he is in this parliament. Given the fact he was one of four under the former member for Araluen, and then the others came in - and he comes from Alice Springs - and given his seniority, he should be the Deputy Opposition Leader, but he is not. He is passed over all the time and why is that? Because he will not work hard, he needs to have that low-hanging fruit. He does well when things land in his lap but he is not proactive. He is not getting out and about like the member for Braitling. I will give the member for Braitling credit for that; he is out and about in communities, meeting with groups, and working hard in his shadow portfolio. I do not see the same from the member for Greatorex.
The rumour is the member for Greatorex might take off back to Perth and forget about politics in Alice Springs; we do not know. I have formalised my announcement over the last day or so. We will see what comes from opposition side as they go into the pre-selection process over the next couple of months.
There is a great deal going on, as the Health minister said, particularly with the health workforce. We have a pharmacy school at Charles Darwin University which is now a medical school. People can go right through their education in the Northern Territory and embark on a career in health, medicine, pharmacy, and nursing. These are all fantastic opportunities for young people and mature-age students within the Northern Territory. I commend Charles Darwin University for all its efforts, particularly Barney Glover who has really galvanised Charles Darwin University. He has a great deal of support from the staff and the student body and is working hard in different ways to attract international students into the Northern Territory. The developments in accommodation and some of the NRAS places they have successfully applied for are positive developments for the Northern Territory and for Charles Darwin University. I commend Professor Barney Glover for the great work he is doing and the partnerships he is making with Chinese universities, and universities of our near neighbours.
I have already talked about what the opposition has planned and what it is not really talking about in regard to the public service. I commend Graham Symons on his recent appointment and the strategic way in which the government has announced that the Commissioner for Public Employment, as well as the head of the Chief Minister’s department, and Charles Darwin University, through Barney Glover, are working together to provide training opportunities and pathways for our public servants in the Northern Territory. That is a very important partnership. While CEOs, in the statutory sense, have responsibilities for their agencies, the employees in those agencies, and the training of those employees, it is quite appropriate that, even at a higher level, this work goes on between the Commissioner, the head of the Chief Minister’s department, and Charles Darwin University.
As Minister for Public Employment, I want to see much more work done to simplify processes, particularly around job evaluation - streamlining those processes and making it easier for public servants to know exactly where they stand with their job. It is timely to look at those processes. We are looking at a range of things in the public service, particularly the gender balance and equality for the many women who work in our public service. That is very important.
Over a number of years, we have commenced programs for Indigenous employees, and we want our public service to better reflect the makeup of our society and our community. Our leadership programs for Indigenous men and women are incredibly important and popular. It has been my privilege to attend quite a number of graduation functions for people who have been through those programs.
There is also a very important apprenticeship program within our public service. Since 2007, there have been hundreds of young people - 500 apprentices have been through this program. All of us know someone who has been through that program, who works in the public service, who has benefitted greatly and who has gained employment. Not everyone goes into the public service. There are some who benefit from that experience as an apprentice and go into private industry, but they all benefit from it. It is a fantastic program we have undertaken.
The Executive Leaders Program and Future Leaders Program introduced in 2011 have both been heavily subscribed; 40 participants in total completed the Future Leaders and Executive Leadership program in 2010-11. A further 44 commenced in 2011. I have noticed through these programs people make connections with those in other agencies, very important connections through agencies across the Territory and gain experience, make friendships, and mentoring arrangements and relationships build up which all adds to the quality and strength of our public service. As minister, I also gave a tick off to our evaluation process in getting feedback, department by department, from our public servants. It was a bit of a fearless course in that we know we will receive some negative feedback, but we welcome that, as long as it is constructive in people feeding back to us positive ways we can build our public service and do things better.
One of the biggest issues that arose was the selection process for promotion. That is always a hot topic within the public service, but we need to be focused on that and ensure people believe it is fair; they know it is fair, and there is an open and transparent process. There are always steps we can take to improve that type of communication.
The Northern Territory Public Service, in partnership with Charles Darwin University, are members of the prestigious Australia and New Zealand School of Government, or ANZSOG, which offers accredited and non-accredited executive training. ANZSOG is a very important forum in striking new balances and building policy capacity for government. It had 127 participants with Professor Evert Lindquist, Economics for Public Sector Managers; 40 participants with Professor Ross Guest; and Strategy and Organisational Transitions in the Public Sector with Professor Michael Barzelay. Further ANZSOG forums are planned for 2012.
We are engaged in the process with our public servants. We want them to get the best professional development they can and we want them to enjoy stimulating and uplifting programs for their benefit.
On Friday night, I had the privilege to attend the Hawkes Oration and dinner named after David Hawkes, a Northern Territory Commissioner for Public Employment for many years. Interestingly, Professor Ian Chubb was the guest speaker. Professor Ian Chubb was Vice-Chancellor at the Australian National University and is now the Chief Scientist for the federal government. It was very interesting to hear him speak. There were many people from the public sector, a number from the private sector, and Professor Chubb was particularly outspoken on the issue of climate change. He was critical of the naysayers and shock-jocks. He did not mention Mr Alan Jones in Sydney, but he was front and centre. He did not mention any politicians, whether federal or local, but was particularly scathing of the assertions made about the science around climate change being false; that people are taking kickbacks in science to publish on climate change.
He went through, for the audience, the whole peer review process. He went through, for the audience, how academies of science work and he rebutted, very powerfully, this Internet science notion that the science around climate change is not solid science. He said in science, no matter what the theory, by its very nature nothing is ever 100%; however, if something is 99.9% I would be putting my money on that if it was running in the Melbourne Cup in the next week or so. If you had a 99% certainty something was correct you would be backing it in the Melbourne Cup.
He also said sometimes science is a little too self-effacing in that scientists always like to say: ‘This is what I have found. Nonetheless, this is what we need to do further to prove the theories’. That is science. I have been part of science myself. That is what you do. You point to what you know, what you do not know, and how you are going to find out more about the topic. It was a very interesting talk by Professor Ian Chubb. I might try to obtain a copy of the speech he delivered and distribute it to honourable members so we can all have a read of what this very prominent scientist had to say on the issue that has been captivating us in this House over the last week or so.
I move to education and training. We know education is the key. I spoke earlier today about the centres of excellence, a fantastic step forward for the Territory giving young people the opportunity to study in areas such as science and maths, fitting them out for engineering or, in the case of Casuarina Senior College, health sciences, and not forgetting the arts at Palmerston Senior College - much enthusiasm there …
Mr KNIGHT: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member to complete his remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Dr BURNS: I thank members for the extension. Law and business at Taminmin - they are keen on that.
In Alice Springs, we have sustainable futures, which is something very near to the heart of the people of Alice Springs. As I said earlier today, much interest from students, much competition to get those places and that is good to see.
We have the Teacher Education Scholarship Program. Nothing is more important than being able to grow teachers, turn out teachers who are local, are Territorians, who we know are more likely than not to stay in the Northern Territory. The member for Greatorex can have his stunts today but, as a government, we are about the nuts and bolts of training our own professionals across a whole range of professions and teaching, of course, is no exception. Northern Territory residents studying or intending to study a teacher education program at a Northern Territory higher education institution, and residing in the Territory, are eligible to receive a scholarship. Scholarships are valued at between $10 000 and $15 000 a year for a maximum of four years. In 2011, 24 teacher education scholarships were awarded and a total of 46 recipients are currently supported by the program. As I have moved around the Territory, I have met recipients of this scholarship in our remote communities and our more urban areas keen to be teachers and to further their profession as teachers within the Northern Territory.
In relation to Indigenous and remote workforce development, the Education department’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy will, and does, focus the action to further build the Indigenous workforce within the education field. Through formal partnership arrangements with Charles Darwin University and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, a number of productive and collaborative arrangements exist to foster greater local participation in the economic and social development of the Northern Territory. Through the More Indigenous Teachers Program as a complement to the Teacher Education Scholarship Program, we are assisting Indigenous Territorians to become teachers.
Three specific financial study support programs are established targeting different cohorts of students. Cadetships are offered to Indigenous young people and school leavers. Scholarships are available for Northern Territory Indigenous residents who show a strong commitment to teach in Northern Territory schools. Fellowships are also available for existing DET staff to complete study. While the three programs have different conditions, each has a strong element of wraparound support, including dedicated staff, a mentor, and work placements. Approximately 10 Indigenous teachers graduate each year. We would like to increase that. We would like to double that. We would like to see many more Indigenous teachers within our education system.
Remote Indigenous Teacher Education, or RITE, is a pilot program which operates in two sites in the Top End - Maningrida and Elcho Island. Nine students in these two locations work at the school as assistant teachers and are enrolled in a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning through Charles Darwin University. The delivery methodology is mostly on-site, with the support of a DET-employed CDU lecturer who is located at the school. Students are given the opportunity to participate in lectures at CDU campus, part of a week’s urban experience which occurs each semester. During this week, students are also required to undertake a practical placement at a Darwin school. Six students are on track to complete their studies in 2012. I commend those students.
In early childhood, approximately 1000 staff are employed in childcare settings across the Northern Territory, and significant effort is going towards developing a highly-skilled and professional cohort of education and care workforce.
The Families as First Teachers - Indigenous Parenting Support Services Program, a strategy I have talked about in this House before, engages parents. Fifteen Indigenous family liaison officers and playgroup leaders have completed their Certificate III in Community Services through a local registered training organisation and will graduate in November 2011.
The Early Childhood Scholarship Teachers Program commences next year and the department will be offering scholarships to help build our qualified early childhood workforce. The scholarship program offers 200 scholarships over the next four years at the Centre for School Leadership, Learning and Development at Charles Darwin University. This is all part of the move to a national quality framework - which we will be debating in future sittings - and building the expertise of staff with children in the early years as it is a critical point in the education development of our young Territorians.
We have a whole-of-government workforce development program. I have mentioned the public sector apprenticeship program. We have a graduate development program which is crucially important. Many graduates, many senior members of the public service, or people who are becoming more and more senior, have gone through this program. I have mentioned the Public Sector Management Program previously. I have mentioned both the Indigenous programs as well. These are very important aspects.
I do not want to leave housing out of it. We want to develop more of our tenancy management positions in remote communities staffed by local people. We want to develop our workforce in our local communities and our remote communities and are striving to do that.
In essence, I welcome the minister’s statement. I thank him for bringing it into this House. I question the stunts engaged by the opposition previously, particularly the member for Greatorex. He obviously had nothing to say, which is disappointing given he is the shadow minister for Public Employment. He should have a little more to say about all this but he did not, unfortunately.
I have already outlined the intention of the members opposite, should they get into government, is to cut our public service by at least 700. They would be looking to take a leaf out of Joe Hockey’s book: 12 000 public sector jobs to be axed - the article in The Australian. That is what Joe Hockey said and, in the few days, the Premier of New South Wales, Mr O’Farrell, said he is sticking to a target of 5000. It will be interesting to see the opposition’s intention for the public service; growing our own, fostering the development of our public service, encouraging young people to enter the public service, and have a wonderful career in the public service.
To be honest, I believe they do not care about our public service. I want to see some affirmation from members of the opposition, other than the member for Greatorex, about how they value our public service, what they are going to do to support our public service should they come into government, and exactly what their policy position is about public service numbers. I commend the statement to the House.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the minister for bringing his statement today because growing our own health workforce is one of the keys to being able to provide effective and stable health services across our Territory.
For years, the Territory has been highly sought after as a posting for medical students on placements from all over Australia. Known for its unique challenges in tropical, remote, and generalist medicine training, in the Territory we have opportunities for young doctors to get a head start in their careers.
In the past, Territorians wanting to become doctors have had to leave home for years at a time with many, ultimately, returning to the Northern Territory for practical placements and employment. It is fantastic these young Territorians will now be able to continue their education at home and attend university and become a doctor. The first class of 24 students started the four-year postgraduate program at the new medical school facility at Charles Darwin University this year. This facility is state-of-the-art and among the best in our nation. Throughout their training, these students will take placements at Territory hospitals and medical clinics. With this learning, on top of the knowledge of Northern Territory issues they have as locals, they will graduate with the specific skills and knowledge to make a difference in our health system, to make a difference to Territorians.
The Flinders-Charles Darwin University program offers Northern Territory students a sponsorship for the period of their education in return for which they will agree to work for the Department of Health for two years upon completion of their training. The course curriculum will provide the opportunity for all students to learn about Indigenous health and how to deliver a culturally safe and appropriate service. This will greatly enhance the service they are able to provide over their careers in the Northern Territory.
Medical school also provides another attraction for recruitment of quality practitioners to the Northern Territory. The medical school has been actively recruiting lecturers and tutors onto their teaching staff. This provides an incentive for many medical practitioners to add teaching to their professional career skills and is an attraction for them to come, live, work, and stay in the Northern Territory.
Our nursing workforce is equally important to our health system. We have a range of initiatives to support nurses to enter, remain, and re-enter the workforce with the specialist skills we require. A graduate nurse program is offered for beginning practitioner, registered, and enrolled nurses. In 2011, 96 graduate nurses were employed across our public hospitals after they completed their nursing qualification at Charles Darwin University.
Training is also available for nurses to train in specialist skills including midwifery, renal nursing, child and family health, emergency, intensive care, paediatrics, oncology, and remote health practice. Through these programs, our nurses can gain the specialist knowledge they need to work in the Territory.
In addition to training, employment numbers in health have increased over the last decade, with an additional 677 nurses and 208 doctors employed since 2002.
In the allied health workforce, Charles Darwin University has also established a range of allied health courses in pharmacy, medical laboratory science, and social work. There are also vocational pathways into careers in the health and community service sector. In 2010 and 2011, 18 school based apprentices are studying certificates in community services, business, dental assisting and health service assistance, and pharmacy.
In order to grow our own health workforce and, indeed, our workforce across all sectors, a good start with a good education is fundamental. We want the best people working in our schools to support the education of our young Territorians. Our government is investing in our future education and training workforce. Around 20 teacher education scholarships per year assist and attract residents within the Territory into our teaching profession. We will also deliver the Teacher Education Scholarship Program to create a pathway that attracts high-achieving students and graduates to commit to teaching within the Territory. Improving school education and training outcomes for Indigenous Territorians is a key element to address long-term disadvantage. The government’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy will help build the Indigenous workforce within that all-important education field.
In addition to the Teacher Education Scholarship Program, we are also assisting Indigenous Territorians to become teachers. Cadetships are offered to young Indigenous people and school leavers. Scholarships are available for NT Indigenous residents who show a strong commitment to teach in our schools. Fellowships are also available for existing DET staff to complete their studies. While the three programs have different conditions, each has a strong element of support, including dedicated staff, a mentor, and work placements. About 10 Indigenous Territorians graduate as teachers each year.
With apprentices, we believe it is a key priority to grow the number of apprentices and trainees, including our school based apprenticeships and traineeships, to provide our Territory with the larger skilled workforce we need. The Workready Program and the revamped VET in Schools programs can provide pathways to apprenticeships, traineeships, and employment. In 2011 to date, 2109 apprenticeship and traineeship commencements have occurred. We currently have a record number of apprentices and trainees in training - more than 4923. We are on track to meet that all-important four-year target of 10 000 commencements.
They said we could not do it, and we did, and we are on track to do it again. More than $21.8m per annum is committed to fund this training and support for apprentices and trainees. Since 2008, we have seen more than 4000 complete apprenticeships and traineeships, with 1555 being in those all-important occupations on the Northern Territory occupation shortage list. As a growing economy, it is important the Territory grows our own workforce across the sectors, ensuring young people who are productive and in jobs underpin our economic growth and create an enhanced social outcome. Job creation has been one of our government’s greatest achievements. We created the Territory’s first ever job plan and have been updating it ever since.
In 2001, the unemployment rate was in the high sevens. We now have it down to the lowest in history, and it is the lowest in our nation for 24 consecutive months at 3.9%. We have created 22 000 jobs since 2001, through a combination of skills attraction, skills retention, skilling of our own, and with significant investment in education and training. Everyone knows that if you want a job, come to the Territory. The job numbers are all the more remarkable given we have been able to create additional jobs post the global financial crisis and the aftereffects we were all feeling. The impact of this crisis was moving through the private sector and government had to respond decisively, deliberately, and swiftly.
We took the initiative, in Budget 2009-10, to deliver a record infrastructure spend, designed not only to protect jobs in that all-important sector, but continue to grow the number of jobs so our construction sector was as best placed as it could be ahead of major projects on the horizon such as INPEX.
More than 15 500 jobs have been created in the Territory since the beginning of the global financial crisis in 2008. The CLP has clearly stated it would not have invested in this infrastructure stimulus. In fact, it voted against the federal stimulus. It would have kept a lid on spending, created savings and, as a result, stayed in surplus which would have seen massive job losses. Even the International Monetary Fund has suggested to governments post the global financial crisis: spend swiftly and stimulate your sectors.
Recently, the International Monetary Fund reiterated this, warning European governments against pursuing deficit reduction at the expense of growth. I quote from the October 2011 IMF Regional Economic Outlook – Europe:
- … the pursuit of nominal deficit targets should not come at the expense of risking a widespread contraction in economic activity.
The CLP position is clear: slash capital spends to get back into surplus costing Territorians their jobs. It would rather see people on unemployment queues, on the dole, than in productive jobs in the Territory.
It is disappointing to see the opposition vacate debate in the Chamber in a critical area of workforce growth. It is a policy-devoid zone. Statements such as this give parliamentarians the opportunity to debate policy. The CLP has vacated the policy space; it is shallow, it is interested in rhetoric, and personal and grubby attacks, and has voided the space of policy generation. It keeps saying it has policies, but when you dig into what that policy is, there is nothing to be found. To avoid a policy debate on workforce development belies belief. Talk to any of the business sectors in the Territory today, whether it is the community services and health sectors or the business and industry sectors; they are engaged in that critical workforce and workforce development.
Madam Speaker, I commend our minister for bringing this statement to the Chamber today to give us an opportunity to debate policy around workforce development. It is a critical statement and I am deeply disappointed the CLP has vacated the policy space.
Mr KNIGHT (Business and Employment): Madam Speaker, I support the very important statement. As the Deputy Chief Minister highlighted, it is critical to the future of the Territory that young people have work here and do not have to move interstate as has been the case previously. I remember in 2001 there was a great line of utes leaving town because there was no work. If you look at the construction figures and the unemployment rate for those times, it really was in the doldrums. Nothing was coming up. There was no forward thinking about developing projects in the Northern Territory and the CLP dropped the ball on business growth and development which resulted in jobs leaving the Territory and there being no job growth in the Territory.
Since then, that has returned and we have seen, in the last few years, some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. It has been quite staggering. Members of the opposition probably came to some of those jobs in the Northern Territory, and their children and grandchildren will benefit from this if they stay in the Northern Territory. It is a critical subject to talk about and has ramifications throughout our whole community and economy.
That is why we have invested heavily into jobs and Jobs Plan over the years. The first Jobs Plan came out in 2003, and has had some quite remarkable results over time. We are currently up to the Jobs NT strategy, which covers 2010-12. Jobs plans are fantastic. Until 2010, the Jobs Plans had involved more than 2000 employers receiving incentives to take on apprentices and trainees. We know if we can keep our trainees in trades and occupations they will stay. Over 7500 apprentices and trainees received the Workwear/Workgear Bonus. That is a little help for them, and the employer, to reduce the costs of taking on an apprentice. There were also 10 000 apprentice and traineeship commencements over the four years of the Jobs Plan.
Our job numbers grew from 96 700 in 2003 to nearly 121 000 in 2009. You saw the fruit of the investment that was put in, both in the Jobs Plan and economic development. Being a pro-business, pro-development government, those jobs were created for all our young people and new Territorians coming here. Jobs plans are about collaborating with the Commonwealth. It has access to many training dollars and we work closely with the government and MOUs to ensure it is spent in the right areas, so we get the most bang for bucks.
The Jobs NT strategy was previously targeted around the employee. With the new strategy, we want to work with businesses on workforce development. In the next few years, that is going to be critical for the success of business and our economy. It is about business looking at retaining and attracting a workforce for the hundreds and millions of dollars worth of contracts which will flow into the Northern Territory economy over the next decade.
It is a little grey outside the next five or 10 years; however, as we move through that period more projects will lock in and we will reach a tipping point. We have just about reached that tipping point in our economy with respect to locating offices and establishing supply chains in and out of the Northern Territory because development is occurring in the north.
Resources onshore with the mining industry are starting to pick up and are being exploited. With the oil and gas industry offshore, Darwin is the logical place to come with a very good port, a Marine Supply Base, a rail head, international airport, and a national highway. It is a vibrant, attractive city where you have good education and health services to base offices and work into the Timor Sea, the Banda Sea and, in the future, into the Arafura Sea for the oil and gas industry. We are strategically located and those sectors will grow over time, working with current businesses on planning for their workforce. Often very little planning occurs. Skilled, hard-working employees are a valuable commodity and you want to develop your own and look at retaining those people as your business grows. We have had good success stories. It is a real win for the health system in the Northern Territory having the medical school commence. Having the oil and gas institute starting up is a great credit to the university for being so forward thinking to establish those facilities. The investment will pay us back into the future.
Those valuable people in our economy, our apprentices and trainees, are our future. These people will develop our industries, will be the leaders of tomorrow, and will expand the economy into the future. As at October 2011, the Northern Territory government has 102 full-time and eight school-based apprentices and trainees. The government is investing in its own. Of that 110, 45% are Indigenous. We set a target of having 10% of the public service being Indigenous, then moving to the ratios within our population further down the track. We are on track to meet those targets and look forward to further expansion of the workforce into the growth towns as well.
We want to see services come further into the regions - not coming off anywhere else - so it is closer to outstations, a closer community for people to access those services. Traineeships and apprenticeships in government centres in the bush will be a high priority.
Almost 30% of the Northern Territory government’s apprentices and trainees are placed in the regional centres of Borroloola, Tennant Creek, and Ramingining. The government’s jobs guarantee offers an employment pathway for students from the growth towns who are interested in a public sector career. The program offers students completing their Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training, a pathway to public sector employment in their community through an apprenticeship, traineeship, or similarly structured program. The jobs guarantee is a great opportunity for our young people in remote communities.
We have also had the department’s successful Indigenous Training for Employment Program which aims to facilitate the employment of up to 340 Indigenous people over a five-year period. This also demonstrates the Northern Territory government’s commitment to providing increased employment opportunities for Indigenous people in the public sector. Thirty-five Indigenous Territorians graduated from the program in September 2011, which includes a mother and son who completed the program simultaneously. That is a great result.
This government is focused on the future. It is focused on developing our own and growing our own in a range of sectors. We want to see, not only the kids in the major regional towns going to work, we want to get out into the bush and offer opportunities to our young people to win those high paying jobs so they can be financially independent and put back into the families they have started.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend the minister for his statement and urge members of the opposition to speak up. This is an extremely important subject for the Northern Territory. It is our future. It is about our young people, our economy, our health system, and our education system. It is about everything all Territorians regard as important. You would think opposition members would speak on this very important subject.
Ms McCARTHY (Indigenous Development): Madam Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of the sentiments in the member for Casuarina’s statement on growing our own Northern Territory workforce. It is crucial to the ongoing success, prosperity, and wellbeing of the people of the Northern Territory. Through our headline policy of A Working Future, we have a range of strategies in place to boost the homegrown workforce, particularly in our regional and remote areas of the Northern Territory.
Our public sector managers understand better than anyone the value of a homegrown workforce in commitment to the Territory and understanding of our local environment. We have some great achievements to report. The Power and Water Corporation has achieved 40% Indigenous employment outcomes in remote contracts. One-hundred-and-thirty-seven Indigenous essential services workers on homelands have transitioned from CDEP to regular employment. We have guaranteed an employment pathway to every student from a Territory growth town who graduates with their Year 12 Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training. The number of people working as Indigenous rangers, either in Northern Territory government Parks and Wildlife or Indigenous land management organisations has increased to more than 600 people. We have continued to work with the mining, pastoral, tourism, and agricultural sectors on Indigenous employment programs with an emphasis on remote populations. The Indigenous Training for Employment Program, ITEP, has funded 49 projects across regional and remote areas of the Territory, with 1232 separate opportunities for Indigenous Territorians to develop new skills and enjoy the benefits of work.
One of the most important things we are doing as part of A Working Future, for the first time ever, is to map our service gaps and needs, including education and training needs, in our growth towns. We are also completing an annual survey of job opportunities in our towns and working to match local people with those job opportunities, including access to school, post-school education, and training opportunities on the pathway to employment in both those jobs and new jobs emerging as part of our economic development strategies. We also recognise that building these opportunities hinges on a supportive family situation and, in turn, the development of strong families and an environment of learning and work as a pathway to long-term individual and family wellbeing.
Our work in these growth towns is all about these essential building blocks that will help develop opportunities for every Territorian, no matter where they live. Here are just a few examples: the Building the Remote Early Childhood Development Workforce pilot project; working to provide children’s services training for childcare staff; VET in Schools and school-based apprenticeships for secondary students; local people being provided training and employment to deliver parenting programs for young mothers and fathers; and workforce development of locally employed staff to work in and run our new children and family centres. All our local implementation plans for the growth towns include the Families as First Teachers program as a priority; in particular, to deliver the Certificate III in Community Services to the local Indigenous Families as First Teachers family liaison officers in the workplace.
We are also growing our own teachers through the Remote Indigenous Teacher Education Program. At Galiwinku alone, your electorate, we have five Indigenous teachers in training. Through the local implementation plans at Galiwinku, Gunbalanya, Hermannsburg, Ngukurr, Wadeye, Wurrumiyanga, and Yuendumu, we are partnering with the community to deploy Aboriginal family care workers who are working to improve the lives of vulnerable children. All of these are practical examples of how we are growing our own as part of A Working Future.
I also have carriage, on behalf of the government, of our Indigenous Economic Development Strategy for 2009 to 2012 which has three key targets. Three thousand more Indigenous Territorians will commence employment across the private and public sectors. I am pleased to report that, during 2009-10, a total of 3082 Indigenous Territorians commenced employment, an apprenticeship, or traineeship across the private and public sectors. The second aspiration of the strategy is 10% Indigenous employment in the Northern Territory public service. We have more work to do in this area, but currently 8.2% of employees of the NT public service identify as Indigenous. The third key goal for the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy is 200 new Indigenous businesses. Since 2009, 57 new businesses have been established and we will continue our efforts to support new Indigenous businesses.
Most recently, we held our fourth Indigenous Economic Development Forum at the waterfront in Darwin and some great networking opportunities and ideas were discussed which will help progress these targets. We still have a way to go; however, we are all about establishing ambitious targets for obvious reasons. We want to turn around the decades of neglect across our regions, which includes under-employment. We want to build employment; we want to build a firm foundation for decades of prosperity. We have established a solid start and progress is being made on all three targets.
Growing our own workforce is especially important to support strong local government across the Territory. Attracting and retaining skilled and capable staff is always a challenge and growing our own offers a solution. For example, the shire’s Indigenous workforce package provides funding to employ an additional 530 positions per annum in core local government service delivery and provides funding certainty so these jobs are long-term opportunities. The program is currently supporting approximately 460 full- and part-time positions, and not just recruiting staff; retaining them and providing ongoing development opportunities is an important part of any ambitious goal. It is all very well to say this is how many people are starting off and employed, but the real challenge is the retention of workers. This is a very strong goal of our government.
A key feature of the new local government jobs package is providing one-on-one mentoring and support to ensure we are matching employees to the right employment and development opportunities. The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory is also being funded by the Northern Territory and Australian governments to work with councils to develop workforce development plans - something that did not exist prior to these reforms.
These plans will assist councils to develop strategies to recruit and retain staff in very difficult-to-fill positions. The work has also included extensive consultation with Indigenous staff that will lead to the development of practice notes for recruitment and retention of Indigenous staff. It is important to note the statistics of Indigenous employment in the shires across the Northern Territory where we have an average employment rate of around 71%, well above any average employment rate of any local government shire across Australia. It is reflective of our policies as a government to ensure we provide opportunities for all people, wherever they live, and we know the large proportion of Indigenous people live in our regions. It is heartening to see the focused effort by our government, all agencies, local government and shires, to ensure they are not only recruiting Indigenous staff, but retaining them.
This program also builds on other initiatives, including 300 jobs in remote housing management and tenancy services, as well as the continuing employment of local people in the critical role of providing essential services to our remote communities. We are also working with our shire councils to build our own in the context of our grassroots democracy - building the capacity of our elected members, in leading the development of our new shires. You have heard me say in this House on a number of occasions the importance of an effective democracy. What we are about with these historic reforms across the Northern Territory is clearly that - providing the opportunity and the skills training in capacity development for local members in their own regions to be able to adequately pursue and determine the way they wish their regions to grow. This can be helped by a strong local government, resourced at the local level, and also the many meetings they have to achieve the outcomes they wish to see. We recognise, as a government, that we need to strengthen the capacity of local boards and that is what we are focused on and will be doing as we progress forward to ensure local government services across the Northern Territory, wherever you live, are services that meet the requirements of every person in the Territory.
As an example, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services has provided assistance to council staff and elected members to undertake the Graduate Certificate in Local Government Leadership provided by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government. As mentioned earlier, we have a hard-working public sector supporting the government with our innovative work, and a key focus of our public sector managers is growing our own within our own agencies.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services has a range of programs aimed at growing the skills and abilities of the Territory workforce. For example, last year the Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services employed five graduates through the Graduate Development Program, six Indigenous cadets, and six apprentices.
The Indigenous Cadetship Support program is part of the Australian government’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy aimed at increasing opportunities for Indigenous people to gain professional qualifications, combined with work experience. The apprenticeship program offers Territorians an opportunity to gain a qualification through structured employment and training over a 12-month period.
Over the last five years, we have seen steady increases in Indigenous employment proportions across the NT public service. For example, 71 Indigenous people have successfully completed the Indigenous Employment Program since its inception in 2009, run through the Department of Business and Employment, and gained employment across the Northern Territory public service. The Indigenous Employment Program is a pre-employment program specifically designed to attract Indigenous job seekers.
I turn to tourism, a very exciting part of my ministerial work in reflecting the identity of the Northern Territory and the creative ways forward. It is, obviously, a crucial part of our economy, being up there with mining and other sectors. A vibrant and developing tourism sector is, of course, crucial to the future of the Northern Territory. Tourism not only offers wonderful business development and employment opportunities for Territorians, it is also important to ensure the large number of domestic and international visitors we warmly welcome to the Territory each year leave with pretty good memories of their visit.
Tourism is one of the few industries in the Northern Territory that can provide sustainable economic and social independence for Indigenous people through jobs, education, training, and business ownership. It is also an industry that has the potential to provide real economic opportunities in our regional areas and the more remote parts of the Territory. We know through research that cultural visitors - being those generally seeking an Indigenous experience - represent a significant proportion - about 12% - of the NT’s domestic visitor market. Further to that, of all visitors to Australia who are seeking an Indigenous experience, the NT receives around 35%. In the past three years or so, the Territory has welcomed more than 350 000 domestic and international visitors looking to visit an Aboriginal site or community, or experience arts, crafts, and cultural displays.
It is clear that Indigenous culture is a major drawcard for a large proportion of our international and domestic visitors. These visitors are looking for opportunities to observe Indigenous art and painting, plus learn about Indigenous belief systems, and their relationship to the land. They are certainly looking for easily accessible, affordable, and engaging experiences.
Tourism NT currently is currently working with 112 Indigenous tourism businesses, including sole traders, companies, joint ventures, and associations. These businesses offer some 184 Indigenous tourism products and range from emerging to well-established tour companies, accommodation houses, attractions, events, and art centres.
Through two of my agencies, Tourism NT and Regional Development, we are working very hard to assist with the continued growth of these opportunities in regional areas. The Indigenous Economic Development Taskforce also has tourism-related business clearly on its radar, and will, on a regular basis, provide the department with relevant information and advice where necessary.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend this statement to the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, with a busy day I have not had quite as much time preparing for this statement; however, I read it last night. Some comments have been made about it, but this was one of the better statements; it is better than the Greening the Territory statement because it is not political. It is giving facts about a really important part of the development of the Northern Territory, trying to develop a workforce which we can say is our own. Most of us know there is an influx of people from south, and there is nothing wrong with that; however, with that comes the cost of moving people, finding accommodation, people trying to become used to a new lifestyle and climate, and it is not always easy living out bush, unsure of where you are. Sometimes people have stayed for a few weeks and decided to pack up and go home because they did not feel they fitted in.
The minister has brought out a statement which covers his portfolio. I do not know whether there was a mix up, but I read this as growing our own Territory workforce and it is divided into medical, fishing and primary industries, children and families and there has been a little work on general comments. This is about the Hon Kon Vatskalis and the portfolios he is dealing with.
In relation to medical, it is great we are training locals. I sometimes wonder why we divide ourselves into Territorians and Indigenous. Why do we not call ourselves Territorians? We are all the same and it is not good when we have the statement: ‘We are very fortunate to have a number of remarkable educators leading the Northern Territory medical program, educators who share our vision for Territorians and Indigenous people’. Just say Territorians. I understand there are circumstances when you may have to give special mention, but when it comes to being doctors, you are Territory doctors, black or white. Only split the difference where it is essential. Assistance to people in the Territory should be based on need, rather than colour. That is how we should assist people when trying to encourage people to enter the medical profession, or any of the other professions.
On page 3, the minister mentions the second facility at Royal Darwin Hospital campus. It is great to see we will have a state-of-the-art facility for learning with advanced technology capabilities and clinical laboratory areas. If we have to be up with the rest of the world, or at least the rest of Australia, we have to have those facilities. It says $27m will be committed to training Territory doctors. That is great, but how much is the Northern Territory government putting into that? Is that all Commonwealth funds or are we contributing? We should contribute to highlight the fact it is ours and not just a shift of Commonwealth government funds.
I have not been to the super clinic, but I have a note saying it is hard to find. I asked the minister: ‘Have you been to the clinic? Can you find the super clinic at Palmerston?’ He said: ‘Yes, the footpaths are marked and there is a sign’. It is worth having someone who does not know how to get there try at night to check if the signage leads them to the super clinic. There is no big sign on the super clinic. There is nothing to highlight it. BP service stations, Coles, and KFC put big signs up. Why do you not put up ‘super clinic?’ Perhaps have an open and closed sign so we know when it is closed - something for rural people who may not have been there before. That area needs looking at. I believe the minister did not mention it because he did not want to talk about whether it could be seen; he wanted to talk about it as a learning facility. That was raised recently in the super clinic debate and is one of the reasons the AMA supports the super clinic at Palmerston - it is also a teaching facility and there is a need for it.
A postgraduate program offering Northern Territory students a sponsored tertiary education equivalent to their HECS fees and, in return, students are bonded to the Department of Health for two years upon completion of their medical training is great. Should be doing that with others? What about the Department of Construction and Infrastructure? Why are we not putting people through engineering courses and ensuring they stay in the Northern Territory for a number of years? It could be the same with teachers, getting them through, and saying they have to stay here for a number of years. It is a good idea.
By setting up training facilities in the Northern Territory, we are going to attract young people from down south to use our medical facilities and be trained in this area. There is nothing wrong with that. If we can attract people to the north who want to complete studies, especially in tropical medicine, then having our own learning facility in Darwin is going to attract people.
One of the big problems we still have is accommodation. Why do we not have accommodation specifically for teachers, nurses, and other skilled people? We have some accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital, but one of the big problems is keeping people here because of high rents. I have known teachers to come for a few months and go home.
It is cheaper for them to go back to Melbourne or Sydney. If we want to retain people from south or encourage young people to study medicine in the north, we have to have accommodation; whether it is flats or units where people can, at a moderate rent, continue their studies without the worry of having to work to pay the rent. That area needs looking at and I have said it before.
The government, and perhaps some unions and superannuation funds, could pool some of their funds and get their return in rent. That would be a bonus to people who wanted to stay here and avoid some of the high rents they have to put up with at the moment.
It is good news to have 40 doctors graduating in 2014. There were concerns about this statement; however, if I was from Central Australia I would be asking how many of those 40 doctors will go to Central Australia? That is a question for the minister: where are those doctors to be placed in the Northern Territory? Are they based only in Darwin, or will they be required to work in the rural area, the remote areas, or in townships like Alice Springs. That question needs to be asked.
On page 7, there is a section about nurses. In 2011, 96 graduate nurses were employed across our public hospitals after completing their nursing qualification at Charles Darwin University. A specialised remote health graduate nurse program called Ochre to Aqua is offered to support young nurses adapt to their unique place. That is really important, because nurses are at the forefront, especially in remote communities. Since I have been in this Assembly, how many times have we had reports of nurses leaving communities because of violence or threats? It is really important that we have programs that not only attract people to work out bush, but ensure there is adequate security for nurses to stay there and not feel threatened. Nursing is really - not knocking doctors - the hard work of the medical profession. They are the people at the coalface all the time. Having been in hospital when I was younger, I left with very fond memories of nurses and how they looked after me.
Page 9 of the document mentions midwifery and the midwifery exchange program with the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne supporting the professional development of Territory midwives who have not had recent experience in large metropolitan hospitals down south, and for experienced interstate midwives to gain the Territory experience, caring for women and their families in urban and remote settings. I ask the minister: how far have we gone to ensure there are midwifery facilities in all towns? It was raised by somebody from the opposition recently asking about facilities in Tennant Creek. We have them in Gove, but do we have the same facilities in Tennant Creek, or any other major centre where it would be easier for mothers to give birth closer to where they live.
Page 11 of the statement mentions dental assistants. This has always been an issue in the Northern Territory. Like doctors, can we lock in local dentists, pay for their training, and require them to work in the Northern Territory for the next couple of years? That is what we have to do. There has been a shortage of dentists in the Northern Territory for many years and you would think we could encourage people to come to the north. I am unsure, at this stage, if you can be a fully-qualified dentist in the Northern Territory; however, since 2010, a Certificate III in Dental Assisting has been developed, which will help when it comes to dental assistants in the Northern Territory being homegrown. Regarding dentists themselves, much more has to be done and we need to make it more attractive.
The minister moved away from health to look at mines and energy. It is good to see some people recently, through the Minerals Council, were shown to be future leaders in the minerals industry sector. That is important as well. Considering many of our mines are out bush; the more local people we can train in those mines, the more the economy in that area grows, and the less the money goes out of the area. That is one of the criticisms of the fly-in fly-out system, so the more locals trained in mining and production the better those communities will be.
The minister talks about Indigenous rangers. When I was at Borroloola and King Ash Bay, there was talk of a certain sized fish being caught which perhaps should not have been caught, and fishing issues were being discussed. Is that an area we could train Indigenous marine rangers in, so they could have a police qualification to do more work? I was told 50 000 people have been through King Ash Bay so far this year. Most of those people would have been in boats. You would hope some of the benefits of that large influx of mainly interstate tourists, some from the Territory and Queensland but, being from down south, they do not always understand the conditions of the Northern Territory. There are opportunities for Indigenous rangers to expand the areas they manage, especially their own part of the world.
The minister mentions Taminmin College VET Program. Without doubt, that is a classic example of local people being trained to work in anything from being at Fannie Bay to working on cattle stations, growing vegetables, and looking after chooks. It is a great program and, without doubt, needs more funding because one of the great things about the VET program is you do not have to have the highest academic qualifications. Many kids do not want to go down the academic path; they like to be hands on. It also offers opportunities for kids who would drop out of school. If you can pick those kids and turn them into mechanics or stockmen, or to do stable work at Fannie Bay or where people keep horses, that is a good thing. Taminmin is a classic example of growing your own and it needs to be encouraged. The school needs to be applauded for the hard work it does.
What more important work can be done than training local people in Children and Families? This is the real area we have to work on. We have to have more local people work in this field. I recently met one of the people from overseas working in this field. As much as that person was knowledgeable, to me they did not quite fit. After three weeks, they seemed to be an expert and I thought: ‘You have a long way to go’. The danger with bringing people out - whether it is from Ireland or England - is not that they are bad people, but you are going to another world. If you come from Dublin and are going to Yuendumu, it is a bit of a rude shock, especially if you are given a job at a high level. I was lucky enough to start at the bottom level. That way, at least you could work through your mistakes without too many people worrying. They would laugh at you, but that was part of the growing up and understanding the local conditions.
The more people we can produce locally who will work in child protection the better. It is such an important area, and local recruitment is really important. Again, the idea of offering support in return for guaranteed employment in the department - five years for 25 students I have here - is good. This is the way the Territory has to go. The minister was not particularly happy with me when I said: ‘Use the $5m for the super clinic to attract doctors’. As was said to me: ‘You can have the beehive but, if you do not have the bees, you have a problem’. No one is saying the super clinic is off the planet but, at the moment, there are enough facilities in the northern suburbs for more doctors. If you have to attract doctors, use the $5m.
Again, the minister is talking about guaranteed employment in the department. That is great. All members, whether they are from Alice Springs, Darwin, or in between, should be ensuring some of these homegrown people will be in their areas. If they come from Alice Springs, we hope they will work in Alice Springs, or if they come from Borroloola, they will go back there; they will not go somewhere else. If we can attract people - that is, paying for their training and qualifications - then we can say: ‘We want you to work here’. That is really important.
Mentoring is important in training young people. We need more mentors to show young people why they need to be trained and the benefits of having a good education. We also need to support Indigenous trainees but, at the same time, we have to ensure we support the non-Indigenous trainees. That is why I say the assistance to people should not be based on their colour; it should be based on their needs. You can have a rich black person and a poor white person. What we need is a system where, if students need assistance, it is based on their needs - the requirements for them to succeed and the assistance they need to get through their training.
Madam Speaker, there has been a little - huffing and puffing are probably not the right words to use …
Dr Burns: Argy bargy.
Mr WOOD: Yes. I thought this was a good statement because it was shorter. Some statements waffle on for too long. This is an important issue for the future of the Territory. One of the reasons I do not get excited over statehood - but when we get more people working, when we start to become more independent, when we start to make more money out of our own industries, to me we are getting ready to be a state. This is a step forward in that process. The more people we can employ locally is a saving to our economy ...
Mr HAMPTON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time to allow the member for Nelson to complete his statement, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, minister. Finally, for the good growth of the Northern Territory, to keep our population growing, to give kids more opportunities for jobs, is the way to go. I also hope with the increase in industrial development in the north, especially INPEX, there is emphasis from companies like INPEX to train local engineers, scientists, and chemists. I imagine a facility as big as the one INPEX is building will require some very skilled people. We do not want them all coming from south. It may not be possible at the moment, but we want to give our own people the opportunity to work in industries which are right on our doorstep. We do not want to bring people in from miles away to run industries in our back yard.
I support the statement. However, we have to ensure we have facilities for people if they are coming from south to study and ensure we have affordable accommodation so they do not shy away because of the cost. That way we will also take the pressure off people who want to come here for training.
Madam Speaker, with the university expanding, the Northern Territory will be a great place. It will be known for dealing with tropical medicine and research, and that will be a valuable part of the Northern Territory’s economy. I welcome the statement from the minister.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I also support the minister’s statement on growing our own; not only as a member of the Legislative Assembly but, importantly, as a local member. I have heard from several of my colleagues in the bush, and understand how important it is to provide opportunities for young people living in remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory.
The beginning of the statement focused on the health workforce, which is very important. We know the challenges in closing the gap in health issues which our Indigenous population faces - it is vitally important. Closing the gap on education achievements, particularly for Indigenous Territorians, is very important. At the end of the day, we need to ensure part of what we are looking at is how we grow those Territorians once they are educated, have a job, and can read and write - we provide them with the opportunities to become part of the workforce, the economy of the Northern Territory, and feel they are part of the community.
As Minister for Central Australia, I have met with Dr John Wakeman from the Centre for Remote Health. We had a good chat about the Northern Territory medical program, particularly it coming into Central Australia. The minister spoke about it in his statement and the opportunities, particularly through partnerships with Charles Darwin University. Dr John Wakeman advised there is a proposal from the Centre for Remote Health to see an extension of the current Darwin-based program to include eight industry-supported places in Alice Springs, which would bring it to a total of 32 students over the full four years of the course. As well as the graduate entry pathway, there are opportunities to develop an undergraduate pathway through a double degree program similar to Darwin with a first degree, a Bachelor of Clinical Science, as a joint Charles Darwin University–Flinders award.
Regarding the spirit of Central Australia, there are some great people and advocates for remote health. Central Australia has a really good opportunity to grow our own, and to specialise in remote health issues and Indigenous issues, particularly with chronic disease. We know the significant issues and challenges we have with renal disease through, not only Central Australia, but remote parts of Western Australia and South Australia and, of course, the great work many of those specialists do in Central Australia in dealing with renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Central Australia can really benefit from such an extension of the NT medical program, particularly specialising in Indigenous health. There are discussions under way and people are very keen to see that happen.
I acknowledge several people. It is always hard when you mention some; you always forget or leave out others. Dr Alex Brown is one person who is doing some fantastic stuff, particularly through the Baker IDI research facility in Alice Springs. It was a real privilege to be at the opening of the research facility in March 2010. The research facility was given the honour of being named after two of our most respected elders, W and E Rubuntja.
Dr Alex Brown is a fantastic person. He is working with Baker IDI Central Australia. The significant work he has done in identifying ways in which government, through partnerships with Flinders University, Baker IDI, and other non-government organisations can really make a difference. His tireless efforts sometimes go unrewarded and unheralded, but Dr Alex Brown and Professor Simon Stewart are just a couple of people in Central Australia who really are the quiet achievers. Part of their program of research is identifying some of the solutions and issues around the very difficult and challenging chronic health issues for Indigenous people particularly, but also for those people living in remote and regional areas.
Another gentleman is a local man, Ricky Mentha. He is an Indigenous Research Fellow with an Aboriginal Health Worker background. I have known Ricky for many years. It was great to see the confidence and development Ricky has gained. He worked at the Alice Springs Renal Unit in 1997 delivering clinical care and outreach education, including medication management, to renal patients living with end stage renal failure. The research fellowship has really developed him. Ricky is involved in the Hearts and Minds program and Heart of the Heart studies, and it opens your eyes to the opportunities out there. Ricky is a really good example, particularly for Aboriginal men, of the areas Aboriginal people can get into when they put their mind to it and get the support of great people like Dr Alex Brown.
The member for Nelson talked about the challenges of staff accommodation, and I acknowledge that. One of the challenges for the programs run through the Baker IDI research facility in Alice Springs and the Charles Darwin University with its NT medical program is getting the right information and communication technology infrastructure in place to deal with the requirements of high bandwidth broadband connection for these institutions. That is one of the attractive things of the National Broadband Network and one of my portfolios, ICT Policy. We have had quite a few debates in the House. We have different points of opinion when it comes to the National Broadband Network or its alternative.
Through my discussions with Dr John Wakeman and Professor Barney Glover from CDU, the issue of ICT and having the right infrastructure in place to support and underpin some of the great work we are seeing done, particularly in research and medical programs, is critical. The importance of ICT infrastructure is so critical for these institutions to gain access to the higher bandwidth broadband, and be able to further develop their programs. That is why I am a strong believer in the National Broadband Network. I can see the real advantages in providing high-capacity, leading-edge Internet services for tertiary education and research, as minister Vatskalis has pointed out - a very important part. If we are going to support those cadetships, trainee doctors, or research fellows in some of the more remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory, we need the ICT infrastructure in place to support those programs.
I would also like to acknowledge the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association. People like Dr Alex Brown and members of the association - their vision and values are really providing some opportunities for us to grow our own health professionals in the Northern Territory. I am sure, in mentoring, in underpinning the work we are trying to do, these types of associations are very important.
In his statement, the minister touched on other parts of his portfolio which I would like to quickly address in regard to my experiences as a local member and a member of the government. The minister talked about the minerals and energy area. Before coming into parliament, I had much experience in this area. I worked for Normandy Mining at the Granites and, through the Central Land Council, we looked at ways to increase Indigenous participation in the mining industry - there is much opportunity. As the minister said, it is a booming exploration and mining industry. It is important we invest in and grow our own and, during my time in the mining industry, companies like Normandy really led the way in the mid- to late 1990s.
I also acknowledge the great work organisations such as the Central Land Council have played. In my time at the CLC in Alice Springs, it had its own cadetship program and it was through partnerships with the various universities that cadetships were offered to local Indigenous people in specialised areas we do not often see Indigenous people getting into. In my time at the CLC, there were cadets in legal studies, geology, anthropology, and sometimes in uncommon fields of expertise Aboriginal people often do not feel confident getting into. I take my hat off to the Central Land Council for that initiative; for the cadetships. Quite a few local people have come through and obtained qualifications as anthropologists. For them to work in the organisation, or work outside the organisation with their professional qualifications, is invaluable to the Northern Territory.
In the minerals and energy sector, training is vitally important. We need to ensure we have pre-vocational training; people being aware of what it is like to work on a mining campsite, the rosters - two weeks on one week off - in this type of environment. In my time at the CLC and with Normandy, much of our time was spent working with traditional owners, particularly, many young blokes from some of the remote communities. Getting them onto a mine site, undertaking a pre-vocational course, having to do pre-employment medical tests, and the police tests are a challenge for many of our young men, but it is not stopping them getting that experience and understanding of what it is like to work in a mining camp environment. My time with Normandy at The Granites, and with the Central Land Council, was spent putting together the pre-vocational course, along with industry partners and training providers, to give those young men that experience.
There are still many opportunities and many challenges with the mining sector. We have a really big fly-in fly-out culture in our mining industry, and much work is still needs to be done in accessing the potential labour force from some of the remote communities where many of the traditional owners live. There are also opportunities in the supply and service contracts that come out of big mining operations. Sometimes, we need to look at the capacity and opportunities within some of those growth towns located close to the mining operations, and how they might be able to take advantage of those supply and service contracts often awarded to companies interstate. There is still much untapped potential in the mining industry, particularly in supporting local labour forces through our growth towns and remote communities and getting traditional owners employed. It does not have to be direct employment; it could be indirect employment back on their communities undertaking some type of work to provide or support different services mining operations require.
In my portfolios, I welcome the statement. In my agency of Natural Resources, Environment, Sport and Recreation, there are enormous opportunities. Only today I spoke briefly during Question Time about the potential and the outcomes we are achieving through the Indigenous ranger program. I cannot think of a better program to engage Indigenous people working on country, protecting sacred sites, protecting the biodiversity of their country, and providing sustainable employment in some of the remotest parts of this country. We know many of our places do not have labour markets. They are not like down south where there are different industries right at their doorstep. However, the ranger programs are such a great opportunity and we are, as a Territory government, putting much more effort into it.
As I said today during Question Time, we have committed an additional $100 000 per annum in 2007-08 and that increased last financial year to $400 000 per year to support the Indigenous ranger groups. In the budget, I announced extra funding to provide opportunities for Indigenous employment and also provide contract opportunities for the Indigenous ranger groups through Parks and Wildlife. I acknowledge many of the great Indigenous ranger groups out there. However, it is so important we get more Aboriginal Territorians completing school and gaining jobs like those Indigenous ranger jobs.
It is a real advantage and a positive thing for joint management of our parks. There are points of difference between the government and the opposition regarding joint management. In the last month or so, I have undertaken some trips to talk to Indigenous ranger groups and the communities generally about the opportunities and challenges out there, and to ensure I do my best, as Minister for Parks and Wildlife, to resource them to do their job, and the best I can to support Indigenous ranger jobs and groups. There is no better way to grow our own than grow the opportunities on country.
Another important Territory government initiative - and my colleague, the member for Arnhem, talked about it during her contribution – is A Working Future. It is this government’s policy to really drive jobs in remote areas, particularly our growth towns. It is about government and local people working together to make towns and communities better places to live. One of those fundamental things is being able to grow our own workforce to tap into the labour market which is available on our doorstep. A Working Future is the Territory government’s plan for improving the lives of remote Territorians. It is part of our Territory 2030 vision and will bring all Territorians together to create a dynamic, growing future for our community.
My Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport released its four-year priorities to guide the future direction of the agency and to provide direct support to the government’s Territory 2030 strategic plan. Territory 2030 specifies targets across six key priority areas which include halving the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and increasing Indigenous labour force participation rates. Through its four-year priorities, the agency has committed to growing its Indigenous employment to 14% by the end of 2012, as well as expanding the Indigenous ranger program and growing Indigenous businesses related to our natural and cultural assets. The agency’s Indigenous employment and career development strategy is a significant step forward in achieving these targets.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move an extension of time for the minister.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Speaker, I thank members for their support. The agency’s Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy is a significant step forward in achieving these targets. NRETAS is an incredibly diverse agency with divisions including Parks and Wildlife, Arts and Culture, Environment and Heritage, Natural Resources; Biodiversity, Conservation, Sports Venues and Indigenous Development. It has a presence in all regions of the Northern Territory and provides employment opportunities in a wide range of classifications in these regions. The Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy increases the agency’s potential to further diversify and be a key contributor to the Northern Territory’s A Working Future target to halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade. The Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy is established to meet targets of the Northern Territory Public Sector Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2010-12.
It also takes into account the uniqueness, diversity, and individuality of the Indigenous employment and economic development activities occurring currently in the agency. NRETAS is committed to the task of increasing Indigenous employment levels and this commitment is reflected in the strength of our Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy. We want greater achievements and opportunities for all Indigenous employees, as well as meaningful career paths in our department.
NRETAS commits to further developing our internal capacity to support and increase employment of Indigenous employees, as well as our external capacity to support enterprise development on country. NRETAS has the capacity to drive social and economic change for Indigenous Territorians through its strategy. The NRETAS strategy not only provides an outline of priority actions, but also aligns it to the four key focus areas of the Northern Territory Public Sector strategy, including workplace environment, attracting staff, retaining staff, and communicating the importance of the strategy. For example, to enhance the department’s status as an attractive employer, NRETAS will develop a culturally inclusive workplace which recognises and respects Indigenous people, actively promote the importance of cultural identity, and improve cross cultural understanding and engender two-way mutual respect. NRETAS is committed to increasing the percentage of Indigenous people employed in the department and aims to have 12% Indigenous employees by the end of 2011, and 14% Indigenous employees by the end of 2012.
This would be achieved through ensuring opportunities are provided and promoted to current and potential Indigenous employers to boost employment and career development, increase recruitment rates of Indigenous people into the department, and the provision of career support mechanisms for Indigenous people. NRETAS will ensure policies and processes support increased retention rates of Indigenous employees across all divisions through: Indigenous input into policy and decision-making impacting on Indigenous employment and career development at all levels; development and implementation of policies that increase retention rates of Indigenous people in the department; and working in partnership with Indigenous employees and the wider community.
To recognise achievements and acknowledge success, efforts against the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy need to be recorded and reported. NRETAS divisions will develop action plans that provide reportable key performance indicators, share stories of success, and utilise a range of communication strategies to engage with and promote the department and its unique opportunities to current and potential Indigenous employees.
In relation to growing our own, as Minister for Central Australia I am happy to talk about the Alice Springs Transformation Plan. This plan is about giving people living in town camps good housing and a safe place to bring up their kids. One of the real successes of the Alice Springs Transformation Plan has been employment opportunities for local Indigenous people. There have been some great achievements in local Indigenous employment opportunities - up to 30% have been Indigenous people. I had the opportunity to see the pouring of the first house at Larapinta Valley some time ago.
Through Tangentyere Job Shop, great work has been done supporting and mentoring those Indigenous apprentices. The great opportunity now is for those young fellows who have started apprenticeships to continue those apprenticeships with other contractors and builders in Alice Springs once the Alice Springs Transformation Plan, particularly the capital works element, comes to an end. Again, it has been a great success story for Indigenous employment and growing our own in Alice Springs.
In relation to climate change, I see real opportunities in being able to grow our own, particularly the offsets. Someone spoke about the opportunities that come with INPEX and, of course, they have announced their offsets package, particularly focusing on the rangers through the Daly. Also, ConocoPhillips are currently reviewing their offsets agreement with traditional owners.
I have been to the homeland, Kabulwarnamyo, and met some of the rangers. In regard to the offsets, it has been fantastic. It was one of the first projects of its kind where you had ConocoPhillips working with traditional owners to see how they can reduce the offsets or the emissions from savannah burning using traditional knowledge along with contemporary scientific knowledge. I see great opportunities in the offsets industry coming on board.
With the carbon economy, there is much toing and froing on both sides about the politics; however, I see enormous opportunities for carbon farming initiatives and opportunities for us to be able to grow our own workforce, and it is one we have to take with both hands.
I spoke about ICT and the NBN, particularly infrastructure supporting educational institutions like Charles Darwin University with the roll-out of the medical programs. As a former minister for Regional Development, I keep a close eye on how the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy is going. I look forward to some of those outcomes around what the current minister, the member for Arnhem, is doing.
Madam Speaker, this is a very important statement. I thank my colleague, the member for Casuarina, for bringing this statement to the House and I am happy to support it.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I join with my colleagues in thanking the minister for bringing this statement before the House. Growing our own in the Northern Territory is very important and something this government has been very committed to. I would have listened with interest to members opposite in this debate but, curiously, they have chosen so far not to participate, which is very disappointing. They represent a mix of electorates like we do and they have shadow responsibilities. I find it curious they have chosen not to participate. I am not sure what the ploy is on that side, but it is, nevertheless, very disappointing. I will base my contribution, not surprisingly, on my experiences and observations in my electorate of Nhulunbuy in northeast Arnhem Land to a point, as well on some of the responsibilities I have and the things I have seen in the time I have been parliamentary secretary for Education and Training. This is an area I am very passionate about, as a former teacher and parent of school-aged children in the Northern Territory.
I will start with education, recognising how important it is. It has been highlighted in the Territory 2030 strategy that education is the cornerstone to what we need to do and where we need to be in years to come, as you would expect in any jurisdiction. It is what gives people a choice, a pathway to a future and, in the Northern Territory, we have heard much talk about a cycle of welfare dependency. Most definitely, that cycle of welfare dependency can only be broken when we have people in the education system, children at school every day, and completing their schooling with core skills in literacy and numeracy. These form the foundation for the rest of the study students undertake in their curriculum and how critically important it is.
If I look at schools in my own electorate, and I visit my schools regularly - I will be visiting all the Nhulunbuy schools on Friday because it is World Teachers Day. I will be calling into each of the local schools in Nhulunbuy and also Yirrkala.
I would love to visit Shepherdson College on Friday as well; however, it is a little hard given it is a 45 minute charter flight there and back. I acknowledge the fantastic work they do. The Minister for Local Government mentioned there are five teachers in training currently at Shepherdson College, a fantastic achievement. We want to see more, and I wish them every success with their training because we need to have our Indigenous staff in schools taking the next step and qualifying to become teachers. A number have already done it, but we need to see more.
In June, I attended the graduation at Batchelor College. I was determined to get there as there were three teachers from Yirrkala, in my electorate, graduating. Banbapuy Ganambarr Whitehead from Yirrkala school runs the preschool program in a beautiful new preschool building funded through the BER program. Dhalalu Ganambarr Stubbs also graduated on that day. She has been teaching for 20 years, and a third teacher I saw graduate on that day was Multhara Mununggurr. Multhara is the teacher at the homeland of Garthalala, one of the Laynha homelands under the Yirrkala Homelands School Program and has been a teacher there for years.
What each of these three women has done is meet the requirements of the Teacher Registration Board. They had to upgrade their qualifications from a three-year qualification to a four-year bachelor qualification. So, whilst undertaking full-time work, study, and family and cultural responsibilities, these three women very successfully completed their bachelor degree. There was a huge sense of pride at that ceremony. There were many family members from Yirrkala who had travelled to participate in that ceremony. There was Yidaki, there were ceremonial objects and family members, as they do, escorted their loved one up to where the degrees were being awarded. It was a special occasion to be part of. I congratulate those teachers and hope to see more of them stepping up to the plate and taking the opportunities. They are invaluable in our schools. For our non-Indigenous, or Balanda, or Ngapaki, teachers, their job would be so much harder if they did not have their Indigenous colleagues working with them.
A few weeks ago, I travelled to Alice Springs to represent our Education minister at a very important conference. It was the inaugural conferences of NARIS, which stands for the National Alliance of Remote Indigenous Schools. This has been an initiative of the Northern Territory, and I congratulate the CE of the Department of Education and Training, Mr Gary Barnes, for his initiative, with the support of our minister, to get this organisation off the ground. It takes our remote Indigenous schools best practice professional development across jurisdictions such that we have member states from around Australia where those jurisdictions have remote Indigenous schools.
I arrived in Alice Springs on the Sunday afternoon, attended the opening reception on the Sunday evening, with the official opening being held the following day. There were at least 120 delegates from around Australia at this conference, around 50 of which were from the Northern Territory. There was a real buzz amongst delegates about the fact they had been given their own special forum to talk about the issues important to them in and around delivering education to students in our remote Indigenous schools. I would like to have stayed on. I managed to stay until morning tea before I had other appointments and had to return to Darwin and Nhulunbuy that evening.
We can expect to see that conference grow year on year. That is a good thing not only for the teachers attending to boost their opportunities for networking, professional development opportunities, and sharing experiences but, at the end of the day, it has to be a good thing for students at the coalface benefiting from the best teachers we can find to put in these schools. I believe the NARIS initiative is terrific.
We talk about education and training in the same breath but there are clearly subtle differences. With training, we recognise the critical importance of pathways once we have our students into schools. We recognise some of the challenges we have in getting students to school and keeping them at school every day. This is why this government introduced legislation earlier this year around the Every Child, Every Day initiative to give some teeth to a policy of putting the onus back on parents, working with the community, schools, and other service providers, to ensure children go to school.
Pathways is all about recognising, once we have children in school, and secondary school and senior school, we have to give them a real sense of where it is they are going beyond school and into further training, and a job at the end of it. That can be challenging in remote areas where the job market can be limited. We have heard from some of the contributions how important that is and, in many communities, it is feasible. I listened to the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage, the member for Stuart, speak about the importance and success of ranger programs.
In my electorate, ranger programs and Indigenous people caring for land and country is an obvious one. Not only do I have the Dhimurru Rangers based in Nhulunbuy - and I talked about their successes in a debate last week - but also the Yirralka Rangers look after the Laynhapuy Homelands IPA, which is a huge area. I cannot remember exactly how many square kilometres, but I know it includes a coastline of some 640 km. I look to the north on Elcho Island with the Marthakal Homelands and the great success the Marthakal Rangers have in the work they do. Over to the west, into the member for Arafura’s electorate, we see good work with the Bawinanga Rangers. This is legitimate work and important work. It is about caring for country and is also an important source for passing on knowledge critical for that understanding within the scientific sector in the non-Indigenous element, and also important passing on that knowledge from one generation to the next.
Within that, it is important to mention the role of CDEP. The Minister for Local Government spoke about CDEP and how important it is as a stepping stone into a real job. I heard the Minister for Business and Employment during Question Time today talk about a function he attended last night to do with the Minerals Council of Australia. Some young Indigenous people were graduating with certificates and one spoke at the function last night about having been on CDEP for a number of years and had great pride at finding his way into real, full-time work in the mining and resources sector.
Today, a media release was issued by the member for Lingiari, who is also Minister for Indigenous Health. It is titled Strengthening Employment Opportunities for Aboriginal People in the Northern Territory and is about the $47m boost to community development projects across the country. There is one line I have highlighted which says:
- A job provides more than just a pay packet. It gives people purpose and pride.
That is the difference between a real job and welfare. Welfare gives people a pay packet of sorts but it gives people no meaning and no impetus to find work. CDEP, as a stepping stone and pathway to real jobs, is critical.
The member for Stuart spoke about training opportunities within the mining sector and about his time with Normandy. As members know, in the years I have been in Nhulunbuy, I have worked in the mining sector with Nabalco, the original owners of the Gove Joint Venture, followed by Alcan and then Rio Tinto. I have worked for all those owners and witnessed the growth in employing and training Indigenous people. There is a very successful program called the ALERT program. Interestingly, the ALERT program, which is supported by Rio Tinto Alcan, the Northern Territory government, and the Commonwealth government, provides pathways, not only directly into the mining sector, but also into some of the employment opportunities that exist within the mining sector. For instance, there are traineeship opportunities with Sodexo, the contractor for provision of accommodation and catering to Rio Tinto Alcan.
I have been to a couple of their graduation ceremonies and there is a real sense of pride when you hear the stories of each of the graduates. They each have an opportunity to tell their story, which can be a challenge in overcoming shyness. I have heard people talk about how they had not been employed previously, had been on welfare and, with the support of programs like ALERT to gain some basic skills in literacy, numeracy, and workplace readiness, they find themselves in a workplace doing valuable work and making money so they can look after themselves and their families, and it has changed their life.. That is another pathway which is so important.
The Minister for Business and Employment is travelling to Nhulunbuy on Saturday to join me at a very special event at Nhulunbuy Town Hall. It is the close of October Business Month and the local Chamber of Commerce is staging a gala dinner. This gala dinner is an opportunity to showcase local businesses and what they do, and link in with training. I applaud the Chamber of Commerce for pulling this event together because it is that connection between the education and training providers and the all-important employers and businesses we need to strengthen for those connections and pathways. It will be a fundraising event and any monies raised beyond covering their costs will be donated to Nhulunbuy High School’s VET in Schools program to assist with the purchase of items needed for the programs they run. One of them doing extremely well is the hospitality course, Certificate I and Certificate II. Potentially, they could be using those funds to purchase equipment that will complement the training going on there.
I applaud the Chamber of Commerce for that. I also acknowledge the efforts of Nhulunbuy High School in training and VET in Schools. It is an RTO that performs extremely well and was up for a number of awards at the Northern Territory Training Awards in September. I highlight Mrs Marlene Organ, who has been nominated once again as VET Trainer Teacher of the Year. She won for the Northern Territory and will now go to the finals in Brisbane, in November.
I turn to the important sector of health. Growing our own is incredibly important in this area of service delivery. We have heard a number of people talk about and give accolades to Charles Darwin University, with the support of Flinders University, commencing the medical school this year. It was so important the Prime Minister was here to officially open it. It is critically important to grow our own across all sectors, but none more so than health.
The Charles Darwin University medical school will link in with the Northern Territory Rural Clinical School. The Northern Territory Rural Clinical School has been in existence for a number of years in the Territory. It has quite a strong base in Nhulunbuy and Katherine and possibly other parts of the Territory, but I am familiar with those two. The Northern Territory Rural Clinical School is an arm of Flinders University. It aims to bring medical students in from Flinders University. It has an arrangement with other universities. I have met medical students from James Cook University at Townsville, where there is also a medical school.
They bring students in at each year level, so from first year, second year, third year, right through to their final year for placement for varying periods of time. It is about immersing students into, not only the clinical experience, but also the community experience, and they have a great opportunity when they come out to Nhulunbuy to spend some time at Gove District Hospital, with Miwatj Health operating the clinic in Nhulunbuy; the Ngalkanbuy clinic at Galiwinku, Elcho Island; and also our clinical opportunities with Laynhapuy Homelands. They have those clinical experiences, but they also get the opportunity to spend time in the community. There are all types of induction activities and community activities …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member to continue her remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you, member for Port Darwin. The Northern Territory Rural Clinical School is so important in growing our own doctors and also moving into growing allied health professionals. There was an announcement last year about a commitment of $4m from the Australian government for a purpose-built training centre in Nhulunbuy which will act as a GP clinic and also a training facility, not only for GPs, but for allied health professionals. I have seen the plans for it. Land has been identified opposite Gove Hospital, and once we have worked through some of the leasing issues, we will start to see that building go up, which will be fantastic. Nhulunbuy and the East Arnhem region is becoming something of a magnet for allied health professionals wanting to come in and learn and practice there, and that can only be good for the region and the Northern Territory.
I want to say a quick word about Aboriginal Health Workers and the important role they play, not just in a clinical sense, but in a culturally-appropriate sense dealing with sensitive medical subjects, dealing with men, and dealing with women. I take my hat off to the Aboriginal Health Workers we have in the Northern Territory. I acknowledge Mr Terrence Guyula, one of the Aboriginal Health Workers at the Yirrkala primary health care clinic. Two years ago, Terrence won an award. The minister has these awards every year, recognising and celebrating the efforts of our Aboriginal Health Workers, and Terrence took out the award for Aboriginal Health Worker of the Year from a remote area. That was something he was hugely proud of, and I am pleased to say Terrence is still working, and in strong demand, at Yirrkala clinic.
I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Miwatj and, in particular, the Ngalkanbuy clinic at Galiwinku. They also train and employ a number of Aboriginal Health Workers. On my visits to Elcho Island, I invariably have a bed at the visiting officers’ quarters, always an interesting place to stay because you get to meet other people who are passing through like me for a night or two. It is where I discover much about what is going on. On one occasion several months ago, I shared the VOQ with several nurses from Batchelor who travel to the regions as tutors and assessors of the Aboriginal Health Workers. Those two women with me in the VOQ that night had nothing but praise for the work Aboriginal Health Workers do, often in challenging circumstances, often living in overcrowded conditions, with all types of pressures on them, but recognising they make a fantastic contribution and, no doubt, will continue to do so. I acknowledge those nurses from Batchelor who travel out as tutors and supporters because they work really hard as well and have a critically important role.
When we look to the other important area of government service delivery, safety, since Labor came to government in 2001 the number of police we have around the Territory, especially in our remote communities, has risen dramatically. This includes ACPOs, and I acknowledge the fantastic work our Aboriginal Community Police Officers do. I want to make special note and acknowledgement of a fantastic woman by the name of Trish Groth. Trish has been an ACPO in Nhulunbuy for about 23 years. There was a small farewell for her on Saturday evening at the Surf Club. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, but Trish is moving on from Nhulunbuy. I hope she is moving to somewhere else in the Territory so her skills and knowledge can be snapped up elsewhere.
Community safety: night patrol has a very important role there. I acknowledge the East Arnhem Shire, and other shires, in the role they have in delivering night patrol services. It is probably about two years ago that I attended a graduation in Nhulunbuy which saw some 20 shire employees graduating with their Certificate in Community Safety. This is important work they do and, in an ideal world, we would not have to have community night patrols; however, the reality is we do. These people take on a tough role. The hours are not that fantastic. I would not want to be working every night away from my family until midnight or 1 am, depending on which night of the week it is. Our night patrol people do incredible and important work in ensuring people are safe and out of harm’s way.
I want to speak quickly about care and protection of children and acknowledge the incredible work Yolngu people do in northeast Arnhem Land in supporting the work of the Department of Children and Families, especially since the Growing them stronger, together report, and the additional resources the government has put into this.
As members of the CTC, we have had public hearings with the CE, Ms Clare Gardiner-Barnes, Professor Graham Vimpani from the Child Protection External Monitoring and Reporting Committee, as well as the Children’s Commissioner. The value our Indigenous employees have in this sector is irreplaceable.
Madam Speaker, I will wind it up there. I support the statement the minister has brought before the House. I can only reiterate it is a great shame the opposition appears to have chosen not to participate in this debate. Worse than not participating, they have actively sought, through the member for Greatorex, to close the debate down. This to me, undermines what this parliament and this House is all about: to come here and talk about the things that are important to the people we represent. The fact they choose not to talk about this important subject leaves me puzzled to say the least. I commend the statement to the House.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Speaker, I express my disappointment at the behaviour of the member for Greatorex, who tried to close the debate. That is a slap in the face of our health professionals and the people who train the future health professionals in the Northern Territory. Am I surprised? No, I am not surprised at all. We have never heard anything positive from the member for Greatorex. We have never had any positive contribution.
Even when he acknowledged there were problems with the health system, he did not offer a solution because he has no solution. The CLP has no policy regarding the state of the health system in the Northern Territory and did not have one previously. The only policy it had in 1998-99 was to get rid of 200 nurses. God help the health profession in the Northern Territory if they ever come to government. I do not know how many people they would dismiss just to cut costs. My fear is more they will cut all the services, especially in remote areas, to cut costs.
The member for Greatorex refused to visit the oncology centre, despite the fact he was invited three times. He refused to visit because he did not believe it; he did not want to see it. The member for Greatorex will be the first one to jump up and down and make noise, and sometimes makes noise for non-existent events in the health system. He often talks down the health system in the Northern Territory, the same health system other states - not only Labor states, but even Liberal states - have faith in and contribute to by buying six beds, like the Western Australian government, by signing an agreement about renal dialysis treatment like the Western Australian government, and by talking about treating cancer patients from Western Australia in the Northern Territory.
It is not only the CLP but their natural allies in Canberra, the Liberal Party. When the Howard government was in power, it put a cap on the training of doctors, which is why we face such an enormous problem in the Northern Territory - not only the Northern Territory, but also north Western Australia and north Queensland. It is no secret that Tony Abbott pulled $1bn out of the health budget. There were 600 GP training places in 2008. The government in Canberra is talking about 1200 being in place by 2014. There were 51 special training places in 2007 under the Health minister, Mr Abbott, the current Leader of the Opposition. The federal government in Canberra has supported 518 medical specialist trainees this year across the country. The Commonwealth announced $609m in 2010 to deliver an extra 5500 training GPs, 680 specialists, and 5400 junior doctor training places in general practice by 2020.
There is an enormous travesty in the health profession and is what we are trying to address. The member for Greatorex said I did not have much to say about health. I had a 12-page story about health, and then talked about primary industries and fisheries, mines, and child protection. The title of my statement was ‘Growing Our Own Northern Territory Workforce’ and, of course, my portfolio incorporates health, child protection and families, resources, fisheries, primary industries, and mining. In all these cases, we are building our workforce in the Northern Territory.
We have the first medical school in the Northern Territory. We produce our own pharmacists, our own nurses, our own midwives, and we train graduate doctors and specialists who can address issues in remote communities.
With the mining boom currently under way, you cannot get a geologist for love or money. We have tried to support the new graduates in geology and mining engineering by providing scholarships. It has worked. Every single issue we have touched has worked. We now have people graduating from the school in CDU as nurses, midwives, engineers, and pharmacists and, in a few years, we will see the first doctors coming out of the Territory medical school. It has worked with the geologists and mining engineers and has worked with the Indigenous marine rangers.
We hear the old mantra from the opposition about how government is failing the child protection system. We did not find a broken-down system; we found a non-existent system. There was a $7m budget, which was in the budget books, and about 100 people. Currently, we have $145m per year plus another $133m over the next five years and the workforce in child protection and families exceeds 500 people. The only policy the CLP came up with was the $9m whistleblower legislation and, of course, copying our idea of splitting the department away from the Department of Health.
The Territory Labor government has made a huge investment in growing our workforce in the Territory from the day we were elected. We find most of the people working in the Territory will be graduates from Territory institutions, from CDU, which has received big support from our government and hence was recognised as the 306th university out of a significant number of universities around the world. We are very proud of it. A big thank you to Vice-Chancellor Barney Glover, and all the people who worked very hard to ensure the medical school became a reality.
Of course, CDU has supported us in other areas; for example, mining. The previous Vice-Chancellor was very perceptive about the scholarships we created and was willing to work with us, and we have done so. Today we have seen doctors in remote areas, doctors in our hospitals, training in our hospitals, doctors working in the Territory - not first graduates yet, but they will come. Out of these 24 graduates, there will be 10 Indigenous Territorians. As the Chief Minister has repeatedly said, you can be born in the Territory, go to childcare centres in the Territory, preschool in the Territory, primary middle and senior secondary school in the Territory and then go to university and become a medical doctor without leaving the Territory.
I am extremely disappointed with the member for Greatorex. He said nothing about health - and I suspect he had nothing to say about health because he had not prepared anything - but he also tried to gag the debate. He did not like what we had to say. It is a good story and he does not like it. He called it an offensive term - a puff piece. That is a slap in the face to the people who work very hard in the Territory. That is a slap in the face for our hard-working health professionals and health staff in urban centres and remote communities.
I am disappointed. I find that attitude extremely upsetting. He only ever says something negative; he never has anything positive to contribute to the debate. I am happy to acknowledge they were his ideas. I have done it before. I am happy not to reinvent the wheel if someone has already done it. I am happy to learn from others, but since he has been in parliament I have not heard him say anything positive about the health system. The only thing we hear is poison and criticism, and unjustified criticism, most of the time.
Our health professionals are hard-working professionals. I had the pleasure and privilege to work with many of them in my days as an environmental health officer and manager of environmental health at the Department of Health. I pay tribute to them because they sometimes work under very difficult conditions, in very difficult circumstances, and very difficult surroundings. We have tried our best to support them and we will continue to support our health professionals.
My predecessors, Dr Chris Burns, and you, Madam Speaker, when you were Health minister, acknowledged what the Department of Health and the health system needed; we ensured money was allocated. They had our full support and were provided the necessary training to address the deficiencies left in the system by the previous CLP government.
Madam Speaker, I pay tribute to the health professionals and look forward to the day the first doctors graduate from Charles Darwin University.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
The State of the Northern Territory Economy
The State of the Northern Territory Economy
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the member for Port Darwin.
- Madam Speaker,
I propose for discussion this day the following matter of public importance: the State of the Northern Territory Economy.
It is signed by the member for Port Darwin.
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, it now 7.25 pm and I note the Treasurer walked into the Chamber but moments after …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr ELFERINK: Oh, for goodness sake, I am not even attacking you, mate.
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Member for Port Darwin, continue.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I note the Treasurer - I was about to refer to my own presence in the Chamber, because I just watched the news and I know the Treasurer did as well. The story on the ABC news, particularly about Alice Springs, is concerning to say the least and it bothers me deeply that the Leader of Government Business is more concerned about winning tawdry points of order in this House than what was reported on the news.
What was reported on the news, particularly in Alice Springs, was 10 businesses have shut their doors and there are ‘for lease’ and ‘for sale’ signs on those business doors and all we hear from the minister for Business is: ‘No, it is not that bad’. Well, it is that bad, and what do they sheet it home to? They sheet it home directly to this government’s incapacity to deal with the security issues in Alice Springs, and all this minister wants to do is score political points in this House. This is about businesses; people’s lives, putting food on the table for the kids at the end of the day after trying to maintain a job, but are too scared to open the doors because it is just getting too hard under the management of this government. All they want is point scoring. Well, good luck to you.
It was interesting to hear Tim Jennings talk about having to contract his business. It was interesting to hear Kay Eade talk about the problems businesses have in Alice Springs, and it is not just Alice Springs. It is galling in the extreme to see the Treasurer walk into this House and, even during Question Time, reiterate on several occasions how strong the Territory economy is. She is living, and this government is living, in a state of fantasy if they think everything is sweetness and light.
Take a walk up the mall in Darwin, in Tennant Creek, and in Katherine, and look for the ‘for lease’ signs. Each ‘for lease’ sign used to have a business in it. We are not talking about new building because construction in the Northern Territory is grinding to a shuddering halt - a contraction in the last financial year of 8.9% compared year on year. If you wanted to compare the June quarter to the June quarter in that same period, construction in the Northern Territory has declined in the order of 30% or 40%, depending on whether you are talking about units, dwellings, or commercial properties.
These are not good figures and it is incumbent on the Treasurer to acknowledge there is a problem out there. The Treasurer will speak long and hard about all the money the government is spending and putting into the economy. I have never criticised this government for borrowing in difficult times to deal with difficult issues. I have criticised this government for failure to prepare for the difficult times. That failure to prepare resonates since this Labor Party came to government in the Northern Territory. It was given a huge amount of money, both through the GST, as well as other sources of revenue, which would have enabled it to reduce the debt of the Northern Territory to zero if they had shown a modicum of restraint.
However, unlike the professed countercyclical spending the Treasurer says she is engaged in, in truth, during the good times the government directly competed with the private sector to get certain projects up and running. When the private sector was doing well and investing in things the Mantra Pandanus or Evolution, both 30-plus storey buildings, the government was competing directly for the same workers to build the waterfront. That is hardly countercyclical spending. Now, rather than pay off the bank card when it had the opportunity - and income went up enormously in the last 10 years, bearing in mind the last CLP budget had a revenue base of about $2.2bn, it is currently tracking at an income of about $4.5bn. A large slice of this was extra GST which the government did not expect, which was the GST windfall. Surely, it could have found in all that income some money to pay off the credit card bill.
Ms Lawrie: We did.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on the interjection: ‘We did’. You did not pay it off. The government contracted it slightly when it should have paid it off. This has been done; it was done by the Howard government federally, which had a substantial increase ...
Ms Lawrie: At the expense of the states.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: … substantial increase in its income …
Ms Lawrie: They ripped out health funding.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: … and paid off the debt. I pick up on the interjection that they ripped it off the states. How did the Gallop government in Western Australia pay off its debt I ask the Treasurer? It is a state; it was busy being ripped off, according to the Treasurer, but it managed to pay off its debt as well. This is an incompetent Treasurer and a typical Labor-orientated government. It likes to spend and has not a care as to who is going to pay the bill.
If you want to see an example of this form of irresponsibility, the answer to the prison question today was an absolute classic. ‘No, no’, she says, ‘It is a triple P arrangement. We are not buying the thing up front. No, we are paying it off over time’. Well, bully for you. So, you are buying it on a hire purchase agreement and where is that money coming from? It is coming from the credit card and future income growth. In other words, the government is still racking up the debt and waiting for future generations of Territorians to pay off the debt.
This is important because the Northern Territory government is a substantial contributor to the overall economy of the Northern Territory. It spends, and the marketplace responds; however, this government will switch its responsibility for the Northern Territory economy on and off whenever the argument suits. It will claim it has created 20 000 jobs since coming into government; however, if 3500 jobs in the last three months go walking, the response is: ‘It is the global economic crisis; nothing to do with us’.
You are either in charge of the economy or you are not. Unfortunately, this government will switch its responsibility on and off when it suits. Its fiscal opportunity has trickled through its fingers over the last eight years and the only answer to respond to situations now is to rack it up on the credit card. The economy in the Territory is hurting.
The most recent CommSec report outlined a three-speed economy where we are in the back pack. We are amongst the other states that are running last. Western Australia is way out front and the difference between the Northern Territory and Western Australia is not a great deal. Resource rich, exporting many primary products from the resources sector; Western Australia is making a killing and we are lagging behind. All this government can say is: ‘Oh, we will wait for the gaol to be built’, which is on tick, and ‘wait for INPEX’.
INPEX is something this side of the House has supported. The point is, INPEX is not here yet and, even when it announces - and I believe it is case of when - business will be going broke between now and December, early January - it makes the final announcement. Even then there will be a lag time whilst INPEX ramps up.
Yes, they are putting out tenders for contracts at the moment; I look forward to it. All this government has left is INPEX - the last shot in the locker. I have referred, much to the derision of the Treasurer, that INPEX, which was supposed to be the icing on the cake, has now become the cake. There is nothing else under it. The government talks about the marine supply base, but that is not helping people right now. This government has positioned itself very poorly indeed.
The construction sector I referred to earlier is but one example of the poor outcomes and the news is getting grimmer. I draw honourable members’ attention to three Deloitte Access Economics reports - the March quarter from 2011, the June quarter from 2011, and the September quarter from 2011. The expected growth rate in March by Deloitte Access Economics was 3.2% for the 2010-11 year. By the time they reached June, the projected growth rate for the 2010-11 year had fallen to 1.1%. The September quarter - the quarter reported on recently – said the growth rate for the Territory has fallen to 0.4%. If this was a barometer, there would be a grim and nasty storm heading in our direction.
I draw honourable members’ attention to the projected growth rate for the current financial year - 2011-12. In March, Deloitte Access Economics predicted a growth rate of 5%, revised down to 4% by June, revised down to 2.7% by September. The only thing the Treasurer can offer is: ‘We have a low unemployment rate’. We always had a low unemployment rate. Our unemployment rate remains low because of one thing: people pack up and leave. When people leave, businesses go broke because they are not being supported by people, and those people who remain have to suffer under a cost of living which is breaking them. People leave this town because it is too expensive to live here. Some people cannot even afford to sell and leave, particularly those people who are carrying a very large debt for houses that are no longer worth - because the price is contracting slightly - what they paid for them. They are caught in a trap. They have to keep paying off the debt because, if they sell the house, there will be a residual debt. That is not a happy or good contraction.
‘It is a buyer’s market’, says the Treasurer, ‘Now is the time to buy a house’. Well, that is really good. One small factor is the vast majority of Territorians cannot scrape together the deposit, and those houses are going on the market are because vendors, by and large, have to sell their houses. If you look at the turnover of house prices that has crashed through the floor in the last 12 months or so, it has hurt people in the real estate industry. Real estate agents are getting second jobs packing shelves at Woolworths and Coles because their real estate job ain’t paying the bills. If you want an example of this, look at last year’s projection for stamp duty revenue which fell from $112m to about $92m because there were less transfers of title of property. The reason is people are bunkering down for the storm.
The Treasurer of the Northern Territory keeps saying: ‘The economy is going really well. It is going great guns, we are having a wonderful time in the Northern Territory and everything is sweetness and light’ ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, can you take that outside, please?
Mr ELFERINK: … it is not, and this government has poorly positioned the Northern Territory for the circumstances we find ourselves in. How much better would it have been if this government had paid off the debt the Northern Territory carries? It would have been able to respond much more effectively to the circumstances it finds itself in. However, it cannot, because it has reached the very fringes, the very brink of its debt threshold.
This government has used the benchmark of the former CLP government’s debt to income ratio as the benchmark for how debt works. Yet, that is the direction it is taking us when it says ‘unsustainable’. It made many allegations about the debt to income ratio under the CLP; however, that is where this Treasurer is taking us because she has not prepared the ground well. This government has launched into all manner of expenditure and expanded where expansion was not necessary. It loves to spend and has spent up big time. It now finds itself in a period of contraction in the Territory economy and all it can produce is report after report from Treasury, which has the Northern Territory lines going south, south, south.
Another concerning component to population growth is, whilst it is still slightly in the positive, our birth rate is particularly pronounced in remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory. From a service demand point of view, that growth rate in remote and regional parts of the Northern Territory will, from a historical perspective, not produce large amounts of income for the Northern Territory but will have a substantial drawdown on the services the Northern Territory government provides. The government remains silent on that issue. You barely find a reference to it in the budget books of the Northern Territory and the Treasurer remains completely silent about the matter.
The settings are grim, all but for one project. Those settings need to be attended to by government and it has to start making the appropriate decisions to deal with these issues. I hope to hear from the Treasurer tonight regarding what she is going to do and what settings she will put in place to deal with the ongoing debt problem in the Northern Territory and the poor economic situation in which the Northern Territory finds itself. The government has promised to bring the budget back into surplus, but I have yet to see a budget book which tells me on what date that will occur.
If you look at the Uniform Presentation Framework as it appears in Budget Paper No.2, it is minus from now until the time Treasury is prepared to predict. All we have is a hollow promise from a Treasurer saying the government will return the budget to surplus. Meanwhile, businesses in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek continue to contract and shut down.
I started by talking about Alice Springs and will read a story from the ABC website of a radio bulletin which ran last night or this morning:
- The Alice Springs Chamber of Commerce says business in the Northern Territory town is in dire trouble.
More than five businesses and organisations in Alice Springs have closed their doors in the last month, including Centrebet, the Red Cross, a nursery and a newsagent.
Clothing store Rivers will shut down week.
The government crows about what it is doing to combat social order issues yet, from the last set of reliable statistics, we can still see violent crime has increased by 80% since this government came to power. That has an economic impact. This government talks about having crime under control with its new grog laws. The jury is still out on that; however, what I witnessed in Alice Springs recently gives me no comfort the government knows what it is doing across the rest of the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, this government has lost its way and, unfortunately, the cancer cells of this government’s poor judgments are now metastasising in different parts of the Northern Territory’s body politic, as well as its body economic. People are suffering, and to hear this government continually banging on about the problems being essentially in people’s imagination, because the Treasurer says the economy is strong, is simply not supportable.
This government needs to stand up, be honest with Territorians, and outline what it is going to do, rather than saying INPEX, INPEX, INPEX. How is INPEX going to help Alice Springs? How is INPEX going to be good for Tennant Creek and Katherine? It will be good for Darwin, but the Territory will have its own two-speed economy and Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Katherine will become welfare towns. Grow up, Treasurer, and deliver services Territorians can trust.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I listened to the normal doom and gloom of the member for Port Darwin. When we consider the discussions of the Territory economy under a Labor government, look at everything I have described, the description of the past where we were at 0.0% economic growth in 2001, how we have grown that economic growth to the highs on the verge of the global financial crisis with economic growth, jobs, the opportunities right across the Territory, how we broadened out - retail was strong, hospitality was strong, tourism was strong, mining was in growth, construction was buoyant - industry was affected dramatically by the global financial crisis. However, if you look at describing the past, then the present, and how our government is managing in the strong and deliberate way, managing and shouldering our economy through the effects of the global financial crisis, and you look at the future in the Deloitte Access Economics reports around the bright future of the Territory, there is a common thread. An irrefutable distinction stands like a glass wall between the two sides of this House - credibility. Credibility is not something someone earns overnight; it is not something that materialises with one good economic report card, nor does it suddenly dissolve after a few nasty press releases from the member for Port Darwin. Credibility is something earned over many years by hard work, consistency, and results.
When one looks at the form of the other side of the House, when you prop your eyelids open with toothpicks and listen to the sermons of the member for Blain, or the doomsday predictions of the member for Port Darwin, or whatever the advisor has written for the member for Katherine, it is obvious there is no common thread, no consistency, no hard work, no underlying policy framework, and there sure is no credibility.
This is a party, supposedly from the tradition of conservative economic managers, who chose as its Treasury spokesperson a man caught deceiving the Territory out of stamp duty. It put up as its alternative Treasurer in charge of the Territory’s finances, a man willing to defraud the Territory. Rewarding his faith in the CLP’s judgment our shonky …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, I would like you to withdraw that and reword please, thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw. Rewarding his faith in the CLP …
Mr Tollner: This is a written speech. You have written that bile.
Ms LAWRIE: I have worked on this; I am looking forward to it.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, order!
Ms LAWRIE: … rewarding his faith in the CLP’s judgment, our shonky shadow used his first estimates to announce the global financial crisis was over. I will not dwell on that because he got the chop soon after. It is a great introduction to the comedy that is the CLP’s economic credentials. This is the party that, in the face of the greatest economic downturn in 100 years, opposed the Territory going into deficit to support jobs. No credibility. It is the party that opposed this bold move, despite the support of industry, the Chamber of Commerce, top economists in the country, and the International Monetary Fund’s advice - no credibility.
When you, like the Territory Labor government, have presided over 10 years of strong economic growth, the largest sustained period of interstate migration in our history, the lowest unemployment in our history, record private investment, and eight consecutive surplus budgets, then you can lay claim to some credibility. When you have an economy tipped to be one of the best performing in our nation through the next five years by Deloitte Access Economics without factoring in a $26bn project, well, yes, you will possibly look for some credibility. However, sitting in your office trawling for bad economic data, salivating over your keyboard when you see an economic report that you can spin into another doomsday story does not build credibility; it exposes you as the no idea, reactionary rabble you are.
Rather than his van, I suggest the member for Port Darwin would be more suited to a big sandwich board that says ‘the end is nigh’. He cannot tell you why the end is nigh, because his arguments shift, mutate, and backflip depending on the day - he just knows it is going to happen. Today, in Question Time, the shadow completely betrayed all that is lacking in his party when he accused me, when referring to expert data, of giving financial advice. It seemed much like his colleague, the member for Brennan’s, epiphany on the environment. The member for Port Darwin is so enamoured of his own opinions he thinks he is the expert and Deloitte Access Economics is wrong, the Chamber of Commerce is wrong, the Master Builders Association is wrong, the head economist at one of Australia’s top banks is wrong, former CLP minister, Daryl Manzie, is wrong, and the International Monetary Fund is wrong. According to the member for Port Darwin, they are all wrong and what he says is right.
As Treasurer, I am immensely proud that I do not have to suspend belief when I speak for the Territory economy. I do not pretend to be an economist; I defer to things, my government’s record, and the opinion of experts. In the opinion of experts, the Territory economy is heading in the right direction. We are heading into another strong growth period.
We acknowledge we are also, like the rest of the nation, still in recovery; still feeling the impacts of the global financial crisis. We have achieved strong economic growth through the last decade which places us well to deal with the effects of the global financial crisis. We do not have the record unemployment you see around parts of the youth sector in our nation, nor do we have the joblessness you see as a result of the global financial crisis. We were well positioned, thanks to the Labor government, to ride it out. We always knew we would feel the effects, and we are across sectors of the economy, without a doubt.
Last week, Deloitte Access Economics Business Outlook, the September quarter 2011, was released. That report forecast over the next five years that the Territory will have the lowest unemployment in the nation and grow at the third-highest rate of all jurisdictions behind the other resource powerhouses of Western Australia and Queensland. Deloitte Access Economics forecast economic growth to strengthen to 2.7% in 2011-12. That was the grim and nasty picture in the version of the member for Port Darwin when he compared the 2010-11 data to 2011-12. Grim and nasty? It is a strengthening in economic growth from 0.4 to 2.7%. It is not grim and nasty. That is strengthening; that is recovery. It is predicted to grow, on average, by 3.4% per annum over the next five years. As I said, we are third to WA and Queensland.
I will pick up on this flight of fantasy that we have all our eggs in one basket. He likes his baking scenario so INPEX, rather than the icing, has become the cake. You are completely ignoring investment which is occurring across the resources sector in the Territory. We have grown investment in mining by $150m in the last 12 months alone. You are sticking your head in the sand and pretending the appetite for opportunities in the Territory occurring out of China and Japan do not exist; it is all about INPEX. You are kidding yourself. You are making yourself a laughing stock across the resources sector. Unbelievable!
The main drivers of the economic growth, if you look at the Deloitte Access Economics report through to 2015-16, are expected to be the return of significant private construction investment. Yes, we are coming off highs in the major projects: G3 expansion, GEMCO expansion, Blacktip, and the pipeline. All major construction projects came to completion just prior to, or just after, the GFC, and what happened in GFC, which these clowns still ignore, is financial markets froze. Credit, as it started to free up and become available, was very expensive. Ask a business person what it is costing them in mezzanine loans levels. Ask them about that. You completely ignore the reality of what is occurring across the financial marketplace that impacts private investment.
That is why our government shouldered the load; a $4.6bn construction spend across the three budget cycles following the global financial crisis impact and we created 15 500 jobs. Yet, if we had listened to ‘the end of the world is nigh’, the doom and gloom of the member for Port Darwin, we simply would not have done it. We would not have had record construction spends, we would have kept it around normal levels to keep things ticking over. We would not have taken it from $840m per annum to a record spend of $1.8bn, doubling our infrastructure budget. We would not have done any of that if we had listened to the member for Port Darwin. The record stands. Follow the debate year on year on year and the nonsense that has come out of the mouth of the member for Port Darwin. He has it consistently wrong. There is a reason, when you say something, member for Port Darwin, my side says: ‘Oops’ or ‘Oh, oh’. You are consistently wrong and you defy data of the independent economists.
I will consistently rely on the experts. I consistently said, coming through that period, announcing record infrastructure spends, announcing it was a bold move to shoulder the burden, to keep the economy in growth - which we have done - to keep people in jobs and create jobs, and make that deliberate decision to go from eight surplus budgets to the ninth budget being a deficit to shoulder the burden. That was what all the experts said governments should be doing and time has proven it was the right decision to make.
Look at our unemployment rate, look at how many Territorians today - the 15 500 - in a job that the member for Port Darwin would have rather seen unemployed. Ask a family if they want the government to stay in surplus because it suits them, or do they want the government to spend and support jobs so they can have a job? It does not take you long to come to a conclusion about their answer.
All the data coming from Deloitte Access Economics - again, independent, not he who thinks he has an expert view of the world, the member for Port Darwin - is saying the main drivers of economic growth through to 2015-16 are expected be private construction investment, private housing investment, and international exports. Not all, just the cake, as in your own personal world view, member for Port Darwin.
The marine supply base is not factored into this data. That will be built at East Arm and will inject millions of dollars into the local economy. It will create 125 jobs in the construction period alone, but it is not factored into this data. We know we are in preferred tender negotiations. The reality is coming, but it is not factored into the data. So, factor that one into the data, member for Port Darwin, and try to understand that picture.
The 1000-job new prison, which has been announced and is being constructed, is not factored into that data. Work that one out regarding investment. The Montara oil field expansion, the Kitan oil field development, and multiple Defence redevelopments, including the $200m 900-unit announcement made by Stephen Smith, the Defence minister, last week, have not been factored into this latest data. Work that one out, member for Port Darwin. It is starting to dawn on you; I can see you blinking across the Chamber. This is good news for the Territory in very tough economic times.
Retail and hospitality have been affected by the global financial crisis. The dollar is strong, coming at that double whammy. Consumer confidence is at an all time low around our nation. We are not just talking about the Territory. Consumers have become conservative. Why? They are waking up in the morning to the doom and gloom of the economic picture of instability which still exists across Europe and the concerns about the US.
Consumers in Australia are bucking trends. They are saving, not spending. I have consistently said we acknowledge retail, hospitality, and tourism are doing it tough. When you talk about the small businesses closing in Alice Springs, I acknowledge how tough it is in that all-important retail environment. That is why we have investment and business programs to support those small businesses in understanding their cash flow requirements.
That is why our minister for Business has been running all those workshops through October Business Month. That is why I talk to the banks about how the economic scenario in the Territory is different to the economic scenario elsewhere in Australia; so they understand to give businesses the breathing space they need when retail, hospitality, and tourism are doing it tough in Alice Springs and in the Top End.
I have to pick up on the nonsense of the member for Port Darwin because he genuinely makes some of this up as he goes along. He said business in Tennant Creek was contracting. Mate, I will give you the tip. Tennant Creek is booming. In all the data sets you want to look at, the place is booming. You kid yourself if you think you can say something in here and I will not pull you up for making it up. Look at Tennant. Look at what is happening in the housing market in Tennant. When everyone else is being a conservative consumer and not going into the marketplace, Tennant is booming - bucking all the trends. It is on fire. Why? It is not INPEX; it is the resources boom. However, no, hang on a second, in the world the member for Port Darwin exists in, The World According to Garp I describe it as sometimes, that is not happening. It is a figment of our imagination. Well, it is not; it is real, it is happening, and Tennant is booming. It is not contracting. Do not lump, through laziness, Tennant Creek into your genuine concerns about Alice Springs. Do not be lazy in this Chamber; you will be pulled up on it.
I recognise business in Alice is doing it tough, particularly in retail tourism and hospitality. We recognise they are doing it tough in Darwin and the impact of the doom and gloom of the members opposite is playing out for them to the detriment of the business people in Alice. We called it early this year. We recognise the social unrest and the crime in Alice Springs over the Christmas period was unacceptable. We responded with a plan of action to improve resources and the operations of police and to work with businesses to deal with those issues. We also came through with our significant grog reforms which, although the member for Port Darwin does not believe it, the data shows are having an effect. Alice Springs has seen a reduction in assault of about 19%.
It is early days yet, but we have responded with swift action. We warned you at the time, members opposite, when you were trashing Alice Springs, not to do it. The last thing those businesses need is to be trashed or talked about. We let you know at the time and hello, some of those chickens came home to hatch, sadly, for the people who wear the folly of your stupidity because you would rather play politics than support businesses when times are tough. We have never seen an economic global shock like we saw in 100 years, and we knew we would have to shoulder it. What did you do at the time? You went in there and gave everyone an extra kick.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I point out to the Treasurer, within that 100-year period, the Great Depression. Did she not notice that one?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. Resume your seat!
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I noticed the Great Depression. People have moved on from that. Their analysis is this is the worst in 100 years. The early analysis was it has been the worst since World War II and the Great Depression. The latest analysis is it is the worst in 100 years because of the duration of the impact of the GFC; however, keep up with it if you can!
We acknowledge that despite these tough times the Territory is in a good economic position. The industry sectors are doing it tough nationally - we are not alone in the Territory - retail, hospitality, and tourism. However, we are punching above our weight with where our economic data is, in having the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. The government made a bold decision to step up spending to ensure our economic growth remained positive. This did not happen by accident. Where were we positioned pre-GFC to withstand the global economic shocks and where are we now? It did not happen by accident. We have actively cut taxes to support jobs and growth. We are the lowest-taxing jurisdiction for small- and medium-sized businesses in the nation. Consecutive tax cuts have saved Territory businesses a cumulative $365m. We have delivered a jobs plan to get apprentices and trainees into jobs to grow our local workforce. Since 2001, we have supported the creation of 28 000 jobs. We have provided tax cuts, incentives, and stimulus to promote people into housing construction.
We are driving the major projects. The marine supply base is an example. You ignore the national economic picture, you think the global financial crisis is over, and are fixated on talking the Territory down. CLP, I say shame on you.
Yes, our national economy is a multi-speed economy. The resource-based sectors are performing well. Most of the other sectors are struggling. All sectors are potentially exposed to international conditions, particularly those in Europe. The effects of the global financial crisis are being felt around the country; consumers are holding onto their money and are more conservative with their savings, and it is having an impact on those industries. The high exchange rate for the Australian dollar is having a critical impact on tourism and manufacturing industries elsewhere.
Inflation is within the Reserve Bank band. Official interest rates remain stable, but some economic commentators are forecasting a cut on Tuesday off the back of continued international economic uncertainty.
I have much more to add in relation to housing and where we are going; however, on the crazy debt argument …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Ms LAWRIE: … we reduced debt by $585m before the global financial crisis hit and we lost revenue by $200m per annum.
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, minister.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, thank God that crazy rant is over. That screech from the left was becoming unbearable. It is difficult to sit through and listen to a speech from the member for Karama. The way she can mangle the facts and twist a story is an assault to the ears. I feel sorry for those people who may well have been tuned in listening to this on the radio or the Internet, because it is a disgusting abuse of parliament as far as I am concerned.
I am thankful the member for Port Darwin introduced this matter of public importance. It needs discussing, and good on the member for Port Darwin for talking about the economy. If you listen to the member for Karama, everything is rosy, the government is on top of things in the Northern Territory and had a jot of an idea about what is going on, but alas, nothing could be further from the truth. This is a do nothing government with no plans and more interested in twisting the facts, concocting stories, making nonsense up about the opposition than doing the right thing by Territorians and running the Territory in a responsible manner.
You do not have to do much to expose this government for being a pathetic, moronic, moribund pack of useless fools. That is the best way to describe them. You do not have to do much at all to expose them. In fact, just last week the government was exposed over some of its mistruths about the carbon tax.
You hear the Treasurer say: ‘Oh, we are running a strong economy; we have our finger on the pulse’. Well, the Treasurer could not explain how much a litre of milk would increase by, under Labor’s new carbon tax, and the government has signed up to it. Not only has it signed up, it is championing it. Despite the fact parliament unanimously voted against the carbon tax - this parliament called for a 50-year exemption - we have a government so out of touch it thinks it is its God-given right to sell a lousy tax Territorians do not want.
When you scratch the surface and ask the most basic questions, such as how much will a litre of milk increase by under Labor’s carbon tax, you get nothing. That question was put to the member for Barkly, who featured quite heavily in newspaper and media with his response; not because it was such a detailed response, but because he could not find his tongue and was struggling for answers. He deferred to the member for Karama, who happens to be the Treasurer of the Northern Territory. What a sad state of affairs we are in when the member for Karama is the Treasurer for the Northern Territory, because the member for Karama cannot say how much a litre of milk will increase by with Labor’s carbon tax. Quite frankly, the government does not know. The Chief Minister says he will not implement anything, will not support anything, will not do anything, to increase costs in any way at all or hurt Territory families, but he cannot answer the most basic question on how much a litre of milk will increase by.
The government says it is pro-development, building the Territory, but has no idea how much a tonne of structural steel is going to increase by. We have the Whyalla Steelworks just down the road. OneSteel in Adelaide is not a long way to go; 3000 km or so. You would think you could call and ask: ‘Guys, you are in the steel production game. How much will steel rise by in the Northern Territory because we are pro-development and we have building plans. We would also like to know how much a cubic metre of cement will rise by because we are big on building things in the Northern Territory - we are a pro-development government?’ You have to ask questions when the government has no idea how much those commodities will rise.
Rather appalling, but it stands to reason because these guys are not pro-development. Let us look at the biggest capital development in this term of government - and it has not been completed yet – the biggest earmarked project. It is a sad indictment on the government that the biggest thing we are building is a gaol. Goodness me, what does that say about the Northern Territory when your biggest item of capital expenditure is the most expensive gaol in Australia. A simple question was asked today in Question Time to the Treasurer: ‘Treasurer, is this the most expensive gaol in Australia?’ The Treasurer ranted on for three minutes, screeching at the opposition, but did not answer the question. Why? Because we are building the most expensive gaol in Australia.
When you look around the Northern Territory you see things that need attention: roads, bridges, housing in remote communities, a whole range of different things; however, the government will spend more than $0.5bn on a gaol. Most people would say: ‘Well, they are prisoners. Why can’t they stay in tents; why can’t we give them swags?’ Sheriff Joe in Texas does, but not in the Northern Territory. We house prisoners better then we house some of our upstanding members of the community.
I was fortunate to be on Q&A recently with Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. She comes from a lovely place called Utopia. Get out there and check the standard of living in Utopia! My colleague, the member for Braitling, tells me this is one of the hardest places in the world to live. He said conditions are appalling. Would the government spend $500m in Utopia looking after decent citizens of the Northern Territory? No, but we will spend $500m on a gaol. That is the biggest capital expense this government has in this term. What an indictment on this government, and they say they are running the Territory well.
I do not know how much money a gaol puts into the economy. Perhaps there are a few jobs in its construction, maybe a few jobs in its running; however, it is all taxpayers’ money. It does not make much money; it does not do much at all. Meanwhile, we have a perfectly good gaol at Berrimah which is only 30 years old. I am living in a house older than that. I am sure some people in this Chamber live in houses older than the Berrimah prison; however, for some reason we have to bulldoze Berrimah gaol and spend $500m on a brand-spanking new gaol while thousands of people across the Territory live in poverty. This government thinks what it is doing is a wonderful thing.
Ask the Tourism minister a question about airfares and Labor’s new carbon tax. You think: ‘Oh well, Tourism Minister, the Northern Territory relies on airlines. The Transport minister ought to know a little about airlines and air travel and general aviation in the Northern Territory’. In fact, you would think there would be a few members in this House who would know a little about general aviation, given the vastness of the Northern Territory. However, it is a fact of life for many people in the Northern Territory that, for six months of the year, there is no other transport available. It is no luxury. However, ask a simple question: ‘How much do you expect an airfare to rise from one place in the Northern Territory to another’, and you cannot get an answer - no idea. The government says: ‘That is nothing to do with us’. Nothing to do with the government? It is supporting a carbon tax! How can you possibly support a carbon tax when you have no idea of the impact on the economy? You have the audacity to call yourself a Treasurer! I call it a total joke! The Treasurer cannot answer the basic questions.
Today in Question Time, we had several questions on Cash for Containers. Lion Nathan has said it will put the price of a carton of beer up because it has to cover costs. Whoopee! I thought that would have been basic common sense for anyone understanding the faintest thing. You put a tax on something; of course it will increase the price. They have to recoup their costs somehow. This government said: ‘Oh no, no, no. There is no reason for that. No, no, nothing is going to rise’.
Ms Lawrie: Are you against it?
Mr TOLLNER: No price rises! Am I against it? This is the bizarre logic of the member for Karama. If you put in place a tax or a charge to do something, it does not necessarily mean you are against it, but you should be across the issue. You should be decent enough to say to people: ‘Yes, there will be some pain, but the pain will be worth it’. But no, no, not this mob. You have to twist the truth, you have to talk absolute nonsense, and rant and rave, and carry on about how you are so responsible. You do not care if the Northern Territory goes to hell in a hand basket. You do not care! You do not care about what impact your actions will have in the community.
That is the disgrace, Madam Speaker. How can you advocate something and think there will be no ramifications? How can you think a carbon tax will not affect anything? How do you think you can have a Cash for Containers scheme which will not affect prices? This is bizarre thinking, and these people call themselves good economic managers. What a joke! All these things come at a price but that is not acknowledged by this government. If they had the character, the intestinal fortitude, to stand up and say: ‘We believe in this. We think it is going to make a difference. It is going to come with some pain, but it will all be better in the end’, you would take them on their word and say: ‘All right. Well, at least they are standing up for something’.
However, not this mob; they want their cake and eat it too. They say: ‘Oh, no, we are going to introduce new taxes but it is not going to impact on anyone. No one is going to feel it. We are going to have a Cash for Containers scheme. We are going to get all the containers off the roads, out of our parks and out of the community. They are all going to go into green projects, recycling, but there will be a cost’. You would say: ‘Fair enough’. Not this mob! They think it all happens for free; that companies do not do this. They say: ‘Hang on. We do not run companies. That is not our job; we are the government. We do not set prices’.
What do you think makes up prices? You are supposed to be the Treasurer, for goodness sake ...
Ms Lawrie: You are embarrassing yourself. Quit while you are ahead.
Mr TOLLNER: The member for Karama does not seem to grip the fact that prices are determined by the cost of inputs. The cost of inputs and profit is what determines the price – it is as simple as that. You work out the cost of production - what it costs to get it into the marketplace - make a few cents on top of that, and that is the price. The member for Karama thinks you can whack on taxes and charges and it will not have an impact on the price. Well, she is living in gaga land.
Dr Burns: Lady Gaga land?
Mr TOLLNER: I was about to say Lady Gaga land, but that would be a slur on Lady Gaga. No, she is in gaga land. She is completely off with the fairies. She believes in the magic pudding that keeps giving you more slices of cake. You keep dipping into it and that, of course, is the big problem with Labor administrations everywhere. They are debt ridden; they run up bills and create new taxes and everything turns to custard in the end. That is exactly what is happening here.
It would be good to know the state of the books. I feel horrified at the prospect we might win government because at some stage we have to open the books and see the degradation the Treasurer has left for the Northern Territory.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I commend the member for Port Darwin for bringing on this matter of public importance. It was interesting listening to the member for Fong Lim on several important issues, one being the Cash for Containers scheme. One thing he failed to mention when talking about this new tax was the cost of the government subsidy to operate in remote locations because we know there will be a cost impact there.
Channel 9 has done a fantastic job in exposing the trickiness of the Northern Territory government in hiding behind some of its comments about no additional cost. Channel 9 has increased a block of beer by about $5.40. We do not know the extra cost for some of the other recyclable products, but we know the government does not know how much a litre of milk will cost under the carbon tax. It will be interesting to find out what the further tax will be on the recyclable component for a litre of milk.
The member for Fong Lim also spoke about the gaol and its economic impact, which is going to be its biggest legacy - a legacy for the next 30 years as we repay the debt. It is also interesting to look at the misery and failures of SIHIP and the blighted expenditure on building houses. All the Northern Territory knows about the failures of SIHIP, estimated to be $450 000 per house, although we know it is much more than that; however, for a three-bedroom house which you might be able to get for about $550 000 or a little more – they will not give us the figures - under this government it is cheaper to build a SIHIP house than to build a prison bed. That is the failure. That is the surprising thing. SIHIP, for all its failures, is cheaper than the Northern Territory gaol - the corrections system where the Northern Territory government is locking up black Territorians more than they did during the apartheid era in South Africa.
I have diverted from what I wanted to speak about. I wanted to talk about Alice Springs and its economy. I do not want to talk down the economy of Alice Springs. I heard the Treasurer make reference to what happened over the summer last year in Alice Springs and what continues to happen in such a crime spree. What we saw last year, as we see every summer, is an outbreak in crime which gets worse every year. Last year businesses said they have had enough, actively campaigned against this government, and called on it to do something - more policing and a stronger access through the courts. That has not occurred. Police are still doing a fine job but the results have not been on the ground. We are seeing more and more people close their business and more and more people leaving town because they are fed up. It has had a detrimental effect on our tourism industry, albeit in conjunction with such external factors as the global financial crisis and the high Australian dollar, but the economy of Alice Springs is suffering.
Law and order has spread through Alice Springs like a disease. It is an epidemic that has had severe connotations eroding our cultural integrity and destroying our local economy. You do not have to be Einstein to correlate the increase in bashings, sexual assaults, house break-ins, and property crime with the downtown in our economy. Property crime has increased by 307% on six-monthly figures against March 2005 six-monthly figures. A 307% increase, or more than four times as much, is devastating to a small community such as Alice Springs. This is not about talking the town down; it is about getting adequate response by government. Economic solutions are the way forward in many of our social negatives which occur in the Northern Territory and different locations around the world. When you have a strong and vibrant economy, the social and cultural factors mend themselves, everything grows, and the system seems to be humming along.
The fact remains: tourists have stopped visiting and locals are leaving in droves. Labor’s mishandling of law and order leaves those remaining in Alice Springs closing their businesses and putting staff off. We heard on the ABC news tonight, Tim Jennings, owner of Mbantua Gallery, has laid off 10 people in the last six months. I can tell you a number of construction firms who have been laying off staff. Gilbert Earthmoving is moving out of Alice Springs; Asbuild has had to lay people off; Probuild; Sitzler’s is in a bad position, albeit it does have some projects. I talk to these building companies and they tell me how they used to run 10 to 15 jobs simultaneously and are now sitting on one job, maybe two if they are lucky. The situation is bleak.
Those people who are remaining in Alice Springs, at 4.30 pm find themselves more and more retiring to the confines of a home environment protected by six-foot fences and razor wire. The cost of house prices, grocery prices, and petrol prices are all having that additional impact of a negative effect on people in our urban remote location of Alice Springs.
Housing construction is at a standstill. The Kilgariff subdivision is miles away, and the Labor government is in such debt that government infrastructure projects are at a standstill. There is simply nothing happening to spur our economy on. There is no stimulation to make things happen.
Ms Lawrie: What about the hospital? Larapinta Seniors Village?
Mr GILES: Nothing is happening. The Larapinta seniors complex - I hear the interjection mumbled by the Treasurer - is nearly finished. The hospital has been undertaken by a contractor. What is next? What else is on the horizon? There is no private sector stimulation happening. If you want to get things moving, you would have moved on land release; you would have looked at South Sadadeen, at Larapinta next stage, and Kilgariff would have happened. Instead, your plan for Kilgariff is to price gouge the Alice Springs community, milk as much money out of our town as you can through high land release prices so people will not be able to afford it and there will be no housing affordability for low- and middle-income earners. That is the failure of the government.
Releasing land and housing construction would be the way forward. Any community that is vibrant and successful - look at Werribee in Victoria, or Townsville in Queensland, two places that have the best opportunities for housing and growth, and the reason they have that opportunity is because of availability of cheaper land. Providing cheaper land stimulates the economy through the residential construction sector, and that is what this government should be doing, but is not.
The member for Fong Lim also spoke about airfares and the carbon tax. The price of airfares will increase as a result of the carbon tax, and we are already paying very high prices for airfares in and out of Alice Springs. Another tax on top of those tickets will have further detrimental effects. We are not seeing competition in that sector because of this government’s failure to introduce competition; all we are seeing is new taxes.
Alice Springs is in a recession in social and cultural terms driven by the failures of the economy and the inept approach of the Labor government to address law and order. We need economic stimulus through government projects and speeding up of the approval processes for private sector developments. The private sector developments will drive us forward; however, we have to remove the bureaucratic red tape of the Labor government to ensure these projects advance.
The Alice Springs Town Council should be redeveloping the CBD. That is an opportunity to stimulate our local economy and get things happening in our town. We have to get the town humming again, and that happens when we control the streets, not the criminals controlling the streets, and we have business activity that not only keeps people in town, but attracts others to our town. When we remove the taxation burdens Labor is putting on residents of Alice Springs, when we remove the regulatory burden that is stopping business and stifling development, we will get things moving forward, but we see nothing on the horizon, politically, by this Labor government.
We have heard about the gaol. Darwin is getting a new $0.5bn gaol that will take 30 years to pay off, once again putting our children and grandchildren in debt forever more, but we are not seeing anything in Central Australia.
A simple thing is to look at the price of petrol in Central Australia in relation to the cost of living and the negative effects on our economy. The government does not even talk about petrol prices. I have looked at the Australian Institute of Petroleum petrol prices in all Australian capitals and regional areas. A quick comparison shows prices in all capital cities and the weekly averages in all regional areas on Tuesday, 25 October 2011. For Darwin, the weekly average was $1.53.9 a litre for unleaded petrol as at Sunday, 23 October. That correlates against a terminal gate price of unleaded petrol of $1.40.2, which is a 13.7 increase on the retail price, at the average weekly price, against the terminal gate price, far exceeding a 6.8 increase between terminal gate price and retail price in Sydney; a 6.8 increase for Melbourne; a 7.9 increase for Adelaide; and a 10 increase for Hobart.
When looking at the regional figures, the Alice Springs weekly average is $1.69.14 a litre of unleaded petrol. That is more than Katherine, at $1.47.9, and Tennant Creek, at $1.64. If you look at other regional locations around the country compared to Alice Springs at $1.69.1, Broome is paying $1.67.9; Kalgoorlie, which you would not call an urban centre, is paying $1.55 for petrol, 14 a litre cheaper than we are paying in Alice Springs. Port Hedland is $1.60, 9 a litre cheaper. Cooper Pedy is $1.67.9, 2 a litre cheaper for petrol. Cooper Pedy is not the most urban location.
If we go to Tasmania, it is $1.50 a litre in Launceston. In Mildura, Victoria, not the most urban location, it is $1.48. That works out 21 a litre cheaper than Alice Springs. Warrnambool, again not an urban location, is $1.43.9. So petrol is 26 a litre cheaper in Warrnambool than Alice Springs.
I tried to find somewhere comparable to Alice Springs. Broken Hill is not urban, it is in the Australian Outback but, where Alice Springs is paying $1.69 a litre, Broken Hill is paying $1.50. Petrol is 19 a litre cheaper at Broken Hill than Alice Springs. There needs to be a government investigation as to why we are paying such high prices in Central Australia. Is it the taxation regime or is it a failure of competition? What is the situation and why are you not doing anything to look at it?
Dubbo, $1.44; Coonabarabran, $1.45.9; Hay, in outback New South Wales, $1.47.9; the list continues. I have looked all over. Mount Isa is $1.56.5 and $1.69 in Alice Springs. You have to ask where that extra 13 a litre is going. There are some serious concerns around the state of the Northern Territory economy overall; in particular, in Alice Springs, as I speak tonight representing the constituents of Braitling. We need action, we need economic stimulus, and we need the government to turn its attention to some of the detrimental effects in Central Australia whether they be grocery prices, petrol prices, housing prices and, most importantly, the lack of economic stimulus to get things moving.
We need land released as the prime inspiration to get our economy moving. The release of cheaper land will stimulate the residential construction industry, which will buy us some time to start on broader business and economic growth through industrial development.
That is the most important thing we can do right now: stimulate the residential construction section and, as the town starts to develop economically and rebound, we move towards industrial and economic growth. At the moment, things are in retreat. The word ‘recession’, in relation to our cultural and social landscape, is the correct word; it is close to the correct word for our economy; it is definitely going backwards. We need economic stimulation to rebalance ourselves in Central Australia and move forward. Whether it is mining or other industries, we need to move forward on that. Construction for residential development is the way to go.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend the member for Port Darwin for bringing on this matter of public importance.
Discussion concluded.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, this evening I would like to talk briefly on two matters. First, I comment on the recently released government sponsored report review of the Northern Territory Youth Justice System undertaken by Jodeen Carney, the former member for Araluen.
Jodeen’s appointment to undertake this review and deliver the report on time, and presumably on budget, could not have been given to a better person, given her legal knowledge and networks, her drive and commitment, and desire to make improvements in this complex area of youth delinquency. I have read the report, and I am sure all members are very interested in this issue because youth crime is a serious issue in the community, as any politician knows. I have taken an interest, as I am of the view that young people are slipping through the cracks of society, and I have spoken about these issues in regard to young people in the debate on setting up the Select Committee on Youth Suicide.
I put in a brief submission in regard to the youth diversion programs at Wongabilla and, naturally, would be interested in the final report and outcomes. The way I read the report, it is not political in nature and there are no explosive issues; it is fairly bureaucratic in nature, which makes sense given the terms of reference. The government did cop a few criticisms in the report. It was not a Mr Bath child protection-type of report. It is not about catching anyone out - the government or any government officials.
The recommendations, I believe, can and should be implemented by any government. Many of the recommendations are similar to ones my party has either talked about or committed to in the past. I did not any find surprises in the report; the report is solution-based and focused on providing a way forward. It is completely evidence-based; there are no untested ideas, no loopy concepts, and I found there was a great deal of academic material in it. No doubt, this will be used by government officials and those in the system of youth justice.
Whether people like it or not, young people come out of detention centres and, unless the cycle of their offending is broken, the evidence is they are likely to continue to offend. That is not in anyone’s interest, let alone the young people. I noted the point in the report that young people should be put into detention when their crimes require it, when the community needs to be protected from them, and for punishment.
The Youth Justice Unit is a good idea, although I do not know much about it at this stage. It will have representatives from other key departments and, with input from the non-government sector, it will coordinate all aspects of the youth justice system.
Apart from the report which I have read, I read the government’s media release and an attachment which I found interesting; that is, the government has stated that Jodeen will be part of the monitoring committee. The good part about this is it will ensure the recommendations are implemented. We on this side of the Chamber, as well as those in the government, know exactly how determined Jodeen has been over the years to pursue this government and hold it accountable. In fact, her determination is well-respected on both sides, and that is why we are very happy that she will be part of the implementation process.
Unlike other reports commissioned by this government, I have some confidence about the recommendations in this report being implemented, in contrast to those under the Bath child protection reports. I await with interest the future work of that report as it applies to areas in my constituency.
The second point I will talk about briefly, is I want to acknowledge the hard work, commitment, and social conscience of the Elizabeth Valley Volunteer Brigade and its members. The brigade is located on Elizabeth Valley Road in Noonamah, and the members are a dedicated lot who put in huge numbers of hours to help landowners protect their properties from the ravages of bushfires. We have seen only too clearly what bushfires have done in Central Australia recently, and it is only through the work, commitment, and vigilance of volunteer firefighters, such as those who belong to Elizabeth Valley, that we have not seen similar fires in the rural area this season.
Recently, I attended the brigade for a social function to commemorate the life of a member who passed away a short while ago. Gary Finlayson was a member of the brigade and a dedicated volunteer who was only too happy to give his time freely and frequently. Gary supported the work of the brigade and gave many hours of his time to make the home ground of the brigade a good place to work, and to sit and have a quiet ale at the end of a long shift of firefighting. The premises are also very safe and secure for children with heaps of room to run and play.
Gary was instrumental in the building of the barbecue at the premises and, although it was not quite finished due to his untimely demise and tragic passing, the brigade and families under the guidance of its captain, Di Tynan, have finished the barbecue and it is now complete with a commemorative plaque honouring Gary’s work and life.
I was privileged to unveil the plaque with his partner, Carol McAllan, and talk a little about Gary’s life - a special man to Carol and to the Elizabeth Valley Volunteer Brigade. A special thanks to all who attended the function and especially to the brigade’s management team, including Captain Di Tynan, Deputy Captain Steve Baluch, Secretary James Weir, Treasurer Jeanette Weir, First LC Paul Pokormy, and the families and friends who made the evening such a lovely event.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the Department of Construction and Infrastructure, DCI, and the individual project supervisors who were recently acknowledged at the Australian Project Management Awards. DCI received four out of five of the annual Northern Territory Division awards the institute had on offer.
The $63m Rosebery School project was a stand out with multiple wins across different categories. Territory business, Halikos Pty Ltd, delivered the Rosebery schools project, and what a great education asset it is. The design and construct project included a new preschool, middle school, and primary school. This project was jointly funded by the federal and Northern Territory governments. The facility was designed to incorporate energy-smart principles while also incorporating the latest technology teaching. The end result is an innovative education facility catering for more than 1350 students.
Ray Carter and Bill Marsh accepted the award for the Project of the Year on behalf of the team. Bill Marsh also received individual accolades with a high commendation for his work as the Construction Site Project Manager on the Rosebery schools project. Their project management skills saw this project delivered on time, ready for the new school year.
In the Regional Development category, DCI also accepted an award for the Apartment Style Teacher Housing Project. This project involved the construction and delivery of 47 new houses for our remote teachers across the Territory, including Ntaria, Ngukurr, Maningrida, and Gunbalanya. This innovative project was jointly-funded by the Commonwealth government, which contributed $10.7m; and the Northern Territory government, which contributed $7.5m - a total of $18.2m.
These awards are a fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication that has been committed to delivering the Northern Territory government’s Capital Works program. I especially pay tribute to the project teams and contractors involved in delivering these projects.
It is not just locally that DCI is being noticed. Earlier this month, DCI’s Chief Executive, Al Wagner, attended the 2011 International Project Management Association World Congress and Australian Institute of Project Management Awards Conference. The ceremony was held at the Brisbane Convention Centre with more than 900 international and national project managers in attendance. The Rosebery schools project was nominated in two categories - Project of the Year and Construction/Engineering Project Less Than $100 000.
For the Regional Development category, the Apartment Style Teacher Housing Project was nominated. With only 16 weeks to build, deliver, and install, it was imperative the focus was on quality. Each dwelling needed to be cyclone-coded, have a verandah, carport, fencing, air-conditioning and a shed.
During the evening, nominations for each category were presented on a large media screen to the audience as a slide show, giving the Northern Territory projects international exposure.
DCI does a magnificent job as a lead agency in delivering the government’s infrastructure program. They are a hard-working team, and it is great to see them being acknowledged both locally and nationally for their outstanding skills and achievements.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the Northern Territory’s long-term public servants.
In August 2011, Mr Lodewyk Hoeben retired from the Northern Territory Public Service after more than 41 years, having commenced with the Northern Territory government on 16 February 1970. Lodi was employed with the Department of Construction and Infrastructure as a Manager Project Engineer, Mechanical, with the Design Branch in Darwin. Lodi’s personal efforts with DCI have been greatly appreciated and he is particularly recognised for his provision of technical, professional, and mechanical expertise to the supervision and construction of many government buildings in the Northern Territory, and his ongoing support and commitment to develop the quality of public infrastructure.
Work colleagues have spoken highly of the dedication and support Lodi has provided them to meet project standards and time frames. Lodi is to be applauded for his commitment and dedication to his profession and the organisation.
He is now enjoying his retirement spending well-deserved quality time with his family. I wish Lodi all the very best for the future and thank him for his support and commitment to the Northern Territory over the past 40 years.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak tonight about essential services works along Roystonea Avenue, Gunn, specifically recent shared pedestrian and bike path works, and more recently, works carried out to install water pipes to connect the new suburb of Johnston.
For many years, the easement area running along Roystonea Avenue adjacent to homes in the area included a marvellous assortment of bushland, including trees, shrubs, pandanus, and grasses teeming with bird life and other wild animals, and while everyone living in the area appreciated they backed on to an essential services easement, what has followed with recent developments has been an atrocious example of complete disregard for local residents.
During the construction of the shared bicycle and pedestrian pathway, I received a number of complaints from residents about the wanton destruction of scrubland to construct the path. Everyone expected a certain level of destruction to enable the path to be constructed; however, there was evidence that far more destruction of trees and shrubs was occurring than was deemed necessary. At the time, I raised the issue with the minister and, to my understanding, more care was taken after that original contact.
This destruction of the general area caused some major erosion to the extent the original drain put in by the original developers that had worked well to date, allowing storm water to successfully drain away from people’s yards, was filled with subsoil and undermined fencing, pavers, and pools in the area; and blocked drains, causing major flooding and subsoils over Terry Drive.
I wrote to the minister again and, to his credit, works were taken to clean up the area and fix the fencing. To the minister, I say thank you. It should never have happened in the first place had decent management controls been initiated.
More recently, we have had new pipe works put in the ground in the same easement for the new suburb of Johnston, conducted in such a manner that led to more complaints than any issue my office has received to date. Complaints have included dust; no suppression whatsoever. I have photographs of words written on people’s outdoor furniture, barbecues, and fridges that they come home to every single day with the amount of dust that was in the area due to the works, and no dust suppression was used.
There was also further destruction of trees and shrubs in the area, leading to complaints for the first time in regard to traffic noise on Roystonea Avenue. I found this quite interesting. It should be noted the section I am referring to is the old Stuart Highway section, which still has large aggregate and not the type of asphalt usually found in an urban area, but the difference here is, there has never been a complaint until the overzealous clearing occurred. Now, to rectify this, either hot mix asphalt will need to be used on Roystonea Avenue, or new trees and shrubs are replaced now the works have been completed.
Terry Drive remained in a state of disrepair for seemingly a very long time. Again, I wrote to the minister, and again, to his credit, within days the works were completed.
Poor drainage during last Wet Season led to soil from the easement coming into people’s back yards, into their pools, and preventing any water from getting away. To fix this, a new drain needs to be constructed along the fenceline. The original drain was filled by earthworks. More recently, earthworks pushed soil up against the fence lines, effectively creating a wall. While this may prevent water coming into properties, how does water get away from properties? One property I looked at where soil has been pushed up will deposit at least one foot of water, ensuring the entire back yard will be flooded which, of course, will go into the home.
I have written to the minister, again, about drainage, re-establishing the area, and one other issue, and at least I can see where the developer has now constructed reinforced weed mat and bales of hay which, to me, demonstrates an acknowledgment that drainage and stormwater flow will be a major issue in the area this coming Wet Season.
The last issue I wanted to raise, and perhaps the most serious, is during recent works it would appear a vibrating heavy roller was used to compress the soil next to fence lines. The problem was houses are very close to the fence line and immediately my office was receiving complaints about the vibrations causing cracks in their walls and ceilings. I visited the area that evening and spoke with residents and was able to see firsthand the cracks that occurred in ceilings and walls due to the major vibrations.
I immediately thought of others who may not have been home at the time and may not have noticed, or will not notice, having not even considered looking at their walls and ceilings when they come home and, if they did, would they understand what has happened? I drafted a letter to all people living along the fence lines. Before I had the chance to deliver the letters, other residents were visiting my office to report the damage.
I have knocked on the doors of each of the affected homes and spoken to a number of residents who also reported damage. A number were at home at the time and reported how violent the vibrating was. I have now received a number of complaints about damage to walls and ceilings; and further complaints about noise and drainage. Of course, the question is: what can be done?
I even have complaints about ticks coming from the area, and I have no understanding whether the works have created this, but all of a sudden we have a number of complaints at the same time in regard to ticks.
I wrote to minister Knight to advise him, thinking it was Power and Water contractors. I have since had a call from Mr Macrides who pointed out it is not Power and Water contractors undertaking the work; it was contractors responsible for the Johnston development. I will ensure each person I speak to about this issue understands it is not Power and Water undertaking this work. It is my understanding that my letter has been forwarded to the correct minister, the minister for Planning and Infrastructure.
Therefore my question tonight is: will these residents be compensated, and what process has to occur to ensure everyone is effectively helped?
I will wait to hear, but people are angry and will not stay quiet for long.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak tonight about some great community achievements, both in Alice Springs and the Barkly region, starting in the Barkly. Two Tennant Creek local footballers, Nicholas Corbett and Con Power, participated in recent schoolboy national championships held in Canberra. Star, Nicholas Corbett, caught the eye of AFL talent spotters and has now secured a place in the All Australian squad comprising Australia’s top 25 under-15 footballers. This squad will soon travel to South Africa for a series of matches and training camps, and will be confronted by the experiences and challenges it takes to make it as an elite-level athlete. Well done, Nicholas.
Tennant Creek nurse, Mica Alcedo, won the Fair Go category in the Pride of Australia Awards and is thus officially one of the nation’s unsung heroes. She travels the Barkly region, including the communities of Ti Tree, Stirling, Tara, Utopia, Willowra, and Wilora. Congratulations, Mica.
Tennant Creek Primary School teacher, Ros Burrows, retired recently after 14 years of service in the Barkly region. Thank you for your dedicated service, Ros, and enjoy the next phase of your life.
The Tennant Creek Girl Guides is the town’s longest-running organisation, having been established in 1953. In September this year, two local girl guides received peak achievement awards at the special ceremony on Wednesday. Hannah Baldock earned her Baden Powell Award, whilst Kathleen Court picked up her Junior Baden Powell Award; the culmination of three years hard work. Congratulations, Hannah and Kathleen. I would also like to acknowledge the work of your district leader, Shelagh Walsh.
In Alice Springs, the League of Champions Sports Honour Roll this year saw the addition of 10 local sporting identities. They were: John Bell for athletics; Geoff Curtis for the Finke Desert Race and speedway; Matt Gadsby for track and field; Lillian Hill for darts; Max Norton for tennis; Lyel Kempster for baseball; Hamish McDonald, shot put as a Paralympian; Reg Preece for basketball; Christine Trefry, Commonwealth and Olympic Games pistol shooter; and David Yeaman, various sports and sports administration. Congratulations to these athletes. I am pleased to see the recognition these stars are now receiving.
Alice Springs has recently had a high profile on the national sports scene: there have been teams involved in soccer, the School Sport Australia Under 19 Championships in Adelaide represented by Jesse Brooks, Mathew Lelliott, Soroya Brown, Alexia Thomson and Anna Noble; swimming at the Australian Schools Sports Championships in Melbourne with Ben Fuller, Ben Cooper and Sam Cooper performing brilliantly.
The Alice Springs Hockey Club hosted the National Under 13 Girls Championships in Alice Springs this year. Participating teams from Queensland, New South Wales, and the Territory enjoyed the hospitality of the mighty Centralians.
Ten pin bowling local bowler and national star, Andrew McArthur, was awarded the Northern Territory Ten Pin Bowling Athlete of the Year. Athletic stars Emma Kraft and Peter Eason both performed well in the Perth City to Surf. And junior athletes Amelia Mills, Courtney Geraghty, Matthew Bielefeld and Scott Bielefeld performed well at the Northern Territory school championships in Darwin recently.
National championship winner of Drag Racing Alice Springs identity, Matt Watts, ably defended his title in the Northern Territory Desert titles this year. Well done, Matt.
National Interschool Equestrian Championships were held in Werribee, Victoria, in early October in which two young Alice Springs equestrian riders, Sasha Allen and Lucy Doyle, competed. Members of the Alice Springs Pony Club, both girls have been riding since they were four, and both performed admirably at the championships. Well done to Sasha and Lucy.
Jujitsu star, Jake Scobie, has again triumphed nationally. His second gold medal at a national event was awarded after he defeated his Adelaide-based opponents in the 15-year-old over-70 kg event. The Gracie Barra Brazilian Jujitsu School in Alice Springs is rightly proud of his ongoing achievements. Well done, Jake.
Marathon runner, Reggie Smith, has been selected in the Indigenous Marathon Project squad to run the New York Marathon next month. Under the guidance of Robert de Castella, Reggie will become part of a team of 11 national elite, long distance, Indigenous runners. Good luck to you all; and especially good luck to Reggie.
In basketball, the Under 14 Girls National Championships where held in Darwin recently, and the Alice Springs Suns were victorious, with youngsters, Felisha Swan and Ella-Mae Hampton, being two stars of the team. Well done to all the players.
In cricket, the Under 17 National Championships will be held in Hobart in December, and two Central Australians have been named in the Territory squad. Congratulations to Ben Ellis and Akash Patel.
With the return of Matt Roberts, the Tennis Association is expecting a good season.
In Alice Springs, even their animals are national champions. A dog rescued from the RSPCA shelter has stunned the nation with her performance at Australia’s highest level of dog obedience trails. Jedda, formally known as Outback Jewel, is a 10-year-old Kelpie-cross trained by Margaret Wallace, and is simply famous. Well done, Jedda.
How could I complete a sports acknowledgement section without singing the praises of the mighty Territory Thunder? The inaugural North Eastern Australian Football League (NEAFL) premiers defeated the Canberra-based Ainslie team by 22 points at Traeger Park in Alice Springs in September this year, with local Alice Thunder stars such as Charlie Maher, Louis Egger, and Matthew Rosier. Along with their northern teammates, they have done us proud. Further, Centralian star, Charlie Maher, was judged the Northern Territory government’s most professional player for Thunder in the 2011 season. Well done, Charlie. Well done, Territory Thunder.
In business news, congratulations to Travel World Alice Springs; this year it won two prestigious awards: State Office of the Year SA/NT, and also the Outstanding Achievement SA/NT. Well done to local identity, Simon Jenkins, and all the team at Travel World Alice Springs.
Congratulations to Caela Zeneth from Professionals Alice Springs Real Estate for taking out the award of Top Individual Person from about 350 others in the WA/NT Division.
I take a moment to acknowledge Jennifer Howard, outgoing CEO of CAAMA, who has given 19 years of service to this organisation. Jennifer commenced as a trainee in 1992 and rose through the ranks to become CEO in 2007. That is an amazing achievement. At that time, CAAMA was a seed in the Indigenous media sector, and today it has grown into a number of media organisations nationwide, all with strong Indigenous employment strategies. Congratulations, Jennifer, and enjoy your well-deserved break.
In science, the big Australian award winner for the annual Northern Territory Research and Innovation Award was Gary Bastin, who was awarded the Desert Knowledge Research Award.
Other significant Central Australian finalists and winners included Dr Kylie Dingwall for her research into Indigenous health, Irene Nangala from Kintore for her work in the Indigenous Innovation category, and Lee Morgan for the Santa Teresa water monitoring trial. Well done to these top-thinking Territorians.
In health, Imanpa resident, Tanya Luckey, accepted the National Award for a campaign educating young mothers about the dangers of drinking alcohol whilst pregnant. The NPY Women’s Council won the Outstanding Achievement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Award at the Deadly Awards for their DVD, No Safe Amount: The Effects of Alcohol in Pregnancy. The DVD contains short health messages in English and Pitjantjatjara. Well done to Tanya; well done NPY.
In education, Charles Darwin University Campus Administrator, David Reilly, received the inaugural award from AUSTAFE for his outstanding contribution to Vocational Education and Training in Central Australia. David has extensive and valuable experience in working in Indigenous communities. Well done to Dave.
The first PhD graduate from Charles Darwin University will be local Alice Springs woman, Jane Walker, for her study in land management of the Northern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area. Congratulations, Jane.
Bradshaw Primary School was awarded $20 000 from the Northern Territory Smart Schools Award. Principal, Jill Tudor, said the success of the school was the result of having a strong staff team. We achieved in the category of Excellence in Student Inclusion and Wellbeing. Congratulations to Jill, her staff, students, and the council.
Also, Bradshaw Primary School is rightly proud to be the home school of Australia’s best primary school teacher, Jo Sherrin. Teacher/librarian Jo is the coordinator of the highly regarded Children’s Literature in the Centre Festival and is an active leader in the Australian School Library Association. Congratulations to Jo.
Ross Park Primary School celebrated its 50th birthday this year and put on an evening of historical stories and songs attended by more than a thousand people. I acknowledge Principal Karen Blanchfield who was the Northern Territory Primary Principal finalist in the National Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Madam Speaker, I will continue my adjournment tomorrow night.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I want to raise a couple of issues tonight. The first is an e-mail I received on 29 August, and this has afforded me the first opportunity to raise the issue in the House and I hasten to do so because it is an e-mail from a normal, everyday Territorian, a Territorian who is one of those people the Treasurer so carefully, or carelessly, I should say, disregards when it comes to her announcements that everything is sweetness and light in the community.
I want to read the text of the e-mail; however, because of this government I will not identify the author of the e-mail, necessarily, but I want to read the text of the e-mail so this government can hear from the average punter trying to get on out there. It says:
- Hi John,
I want to bring to your attention the current state of the government’s affordable housing commitment. We are a young couple with two young kids and we have been looking around for affordable housing now for about four months, and what we have found out is quite disturbing.
The government has committed to 15% of all new housing and has failed very quietly. Bellamack’s homes first program out of the first affordable housing/house blocks and land packages. Nine of the remaining blocks were given back to the developer because, according to the sales agent, they aren’t sold quickly enough. I was not aware there was a time frame on the current housing crisis. Fifteen per cent. There is one affordable block in the 28 available for a lease towards the end of the year. Fifteen per cent? Johnston Stage One affordable ballot, eight blocks available; nine applicants. 2nd stage, nine blocks, 23 applicants. When I explained this to friends and family living interstate, they thought I was joking. A friend commented that it resembled some sort of cruel chook raffle for the lower class.
- When I see the Chief Minister on the weekend ABC News making comment about most people believing that the NT ‘is a better place today than it was 10 years ago’, he must mean the people that are not being extorted for rent.
This is an important issue that needs to be addressed; how some people are being treated is criminal. We have spoken to a lot of frustrated and angry people in the same boat, and we are looking for a lifeline. I hope you can see the injustice.
It is signed ‘from this Territorian’.
I receive regular e-mails and contacts from people, especially when I am speaking on road sides and those sorts of things, and it is becoming increasingly frustrating to see a government which has, by some bizarre mechanism of failing to release land in an effective way, rendered owning a home beyond the reach of the average punter, and yet still managing to lose 3500 jobs in the Northern Territory in the last 18 months.
This government has stopped listening to Territorians. I urge and plead with this government to start listening to Territorians again or, if they do not, the consequence will ultimately be the ultimate consequence for any government. This is not the first time I have pled with the government to respond to these types of calls but, unfortunately, the calls made by people like the constituent who contacted me simply fall on deaf and arrogant ears.
The Treasurer of the Northern Territory also made reference to the secret meeting I was at in Sydney last week. Indeed, I used my travel entitlement to go to the secret meeting for the furtive purposes of listening to the very secret Tony Abbott MHR address the Menzies Research Centre on matters tax. This was a tax conference which was discreetly hidden away in the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, where secret speakers and dark villains like the Honourable Mike Baird MP and the Honourable Christian Porter MLA answered questions secretly in front of the secret Australian journalists from The Australian newspaper, and the secret information that was shared by the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, in the federal parliament, was furtively and secretly hidden on the front page of The Weekend Australian last weekend.
This was a particularly important conference because Treasurers such as Mike Baird and Christian Porter bring substantial intellectual grunt to their portfolios. It was a pleasure to be able to listen to Treasurers talk and be critical about their political opponents without having to respond to a tirade of abuse. Their comments were constructive, well-thought out and well considered. These were not the only people who spoke at this secret meeting. There were other people known for their secrecy, such as Robert Carling, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies; and it was an enlightening trip to that location.
I was proud to be associated with these people, so proud that I have decided to cover the matter up by placing a message on my Facebook pasting standing next to Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott, so no one would notice I was secretly at this secret meeting and hiding what I was doing from the general public.
Madam Speaker, in all seriousness, the Australian taxation system is something that needs to be looked at; it does have an effect on the future of the Northern Territory. Should Mr Abbott become the Prime Minister of Australia, and should I be successful at the next Territory election and we, as a party, be successful in obtaining government at the next Territory election and form a government, then it is important to establish relationships with people like Mr Hockey and Mr Abbott; and I am proud to be associated with both of those gentlemen. It is good to make the contacts that are necessary for the future welfare of the people of the Northern Territory. That is what that meeting was about.
It also talked about some of the issues facing our country and our federation, and they are issues that need to be addressed. There are stresses in the federation at the moment which farsighted people can see, and I urge all members of all political persuasions, both here and in other jurisdictions, to start turning their attention to those stresses in the federation and, hopefully, we can find solutions by tax modification to deal with some of those stresses, particularly in some of the areas of the CGC formulations, and how the relativities are calculated between the jurisdictions.
So, Madam Speaker, I report to the House what I did with my airfare. It was a very informative and enlightening trip, and I encourage members of both sides of the House that, if they can get to a Menzies Research Centre discussion, it is well worthwhile.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Madam Deputy Speaker, I was fortunate to travel to Katherine in September 2011 to congratulate dedicated staff from the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families who have provided continued service to the Katherine community.
I hosted a morning tea for Children and Families staff to acknowledge their ongoing hard work, and it was great to see so many staff in the office. In all, over 100 staff were acknowledged at the Staff Service Recognition Awards, with years of service ranging from six to 39 years.
Of notable mention are Fran Angus from the laundry, and Alan McCormack from maintenance, who have both provided 39 years of service to the department. I extend my congratulations to all the recipients, and thank them for their continued service with the Department of Health.
I take the opportunity to extend my thanks to four staff members who have retired from the Department of Health.
Ms Carmen Thomas retired on 1 July 2011 after 41 years of dedicated service across the health sector in the Northern Territory. Carmen, in senior community health, first registered with the Nursing Board of the Northern Territory in September 1969 and commenced with the department in February 1974. Carmen has worked with the Community Health Branch in various roles, including community health nurse and manager of Palmerston Community Care Centre, and had a passion for Community Health Branch initiatives such as the Falls Prevention program. Carmen’s dedication to the profession and the department was celebrated in 2010 when she was awarded the Legend of the Year at the Nursing and Midwifery Excellency Awards.
Mr Kevin O’Keefe retired on 18 October 2011 after more than 41 years of service. Mr O’Keefe had worked at the East Arm Leprosy facility, commencing in 1970, and was present for Cyclone Tracy. Kevin was one of our dedicated staff who continued to work in Darwin during the reconstruction of the city. In 1992, Kevin moved to the Pathology department in an administrative position, where he continued to work until his retirement.
Ms Colleen Cox, senior nurse at Royal Darwin Hospital, will retire from the department on 9 November 2011 following 24 years of service. Ms Cox is a highly-respected and admired senior nurse who held various senior positions including Nursing Resource Coordinator, the most senior nursing position at Royal Darwin Hospital after hours. More recently, Colleen has undertaken the role of Nursing Program Consultant for the Division of Medicine, successfully initiating and leading the hospital response to national best practice in the falls management program. Colleen will be remembered by staff as a calm, kind, trusted and professional senior nurse.
I also congratulate Ms Virginia Doolan who retired in August 2011 after more than 26 years of service in the Royal Darwin Hospital laundry. Virginia’s dedication to her duties in the laundry is commendable.
Madam Deputy Speaker, it is vital that all staff within our department are acknowledged for their service. I thank Carmen, Kevin, Colleen, and Virginia for their significant contribution to the department, and I wish them well in their retirement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been a long and interesting day.
I would like to talk about two happy things. One is Girraween Primary School recently celebrated its 10th birthday. It was opened in 2001 by the then minister for Education, Mr Syd Stirling. It was one of the first openings I had been to when I was a new member of parliament, so it was great to attend the various functions that occurred to celebrate that day. They had a huge dance night; each year they have a dance celebration and every class in the school puts on a performance, and there was a massive crowd there - one of the biggest crowds I have seen - to celebrate the 10th anniversary. I can fully attest that everyone had a wonderful time; it was a great evening and, with the large basketball court covered, it was a wonderful setting for the evening’s entertainment.
They also had a 10th anniversary assembly and, again, there was more dancing and speeches. Three of the school principals were there, Daniel Zebo, Maree Bredhauer, and Helen Chatto, who is the present school principal, were in attendance, so it was a wonderful occasion. The time capsule was taken down from the ceiling at the school; they did not bury this one, which made it easier to find and they emptied out all the paraphernalia from 10 years ago. There were all sorts of things for people to see. They had a photographic display which showed what staff looked like 10 years ago and what they look like now, and everyone appreciated that and had a bit of a laugh at how 10 years had added to people’s looks, especially if you had hair once and you do not have hair now.
To finish off, the school had a 10th birthday dinner at Crocosaurus Cove. Unfortunately, I was not able to get there because of prior commitments but, again, that was another evening to celebrate a really wonderful school. This school is growing; I am not sure, but the figure is around 350. It has one of the best community gardens with cattle, chooks, and a butterfly area. It has been involved in the ABC gardens, and it is a really wonderful place to go. You always feel most welcome when you go to Girraween Primary School.
I congratulate the school for the big effort everyone put in to making the 10th anniversary celebrations such a wonderful occasion. I cannot name all the people because there were really so many people who participated and did such a wonderful job.
The other great occasion was the public display at Robertson Barracks on 30 September. The good brigadier of the Army, Brigadier Gus McLachlan, welcomed members of the public to Robertson Barracks to look at a fantastic display of armoured vehicles, Army artillery guns, infantry weapons, and combat engineer bomb detectors. They had a special event with a couple of tanks running over a few crummy old Datsun cars - they did not look like Datsuns by the time they had finished. Perhaps they could use those if we ever introduce crushing cars for hooning offences; they certainly made mincemeat of these cars.
They had two Tiger ARH helicopters fly over, and people were really impressed; they are a very manoeuvrable piece of equipment the Army has these days. They also had an artillery race where two regiments, I believe, had to push the guns over some logs and round some witches hats, and then down the hill and fire the gun. They take that pretty seriously because one side does not like to beat the other. They also had the rapid construction of a combat engineer bridge.
There was also 5RAR that did the Beating the Retreat parade. The brigadier, in his summing up of the evening, said how great it was to see how professional the soldiers were in their Beating the Retreat, considering many of them had just arrived back from Afghanistan and, of course, had not got back into the more formal side of barracks life. However, they put on a tremendous display and everyone there thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
The good thing is it was a great day for families; there were soft drinks and barbecues going, and you could buy paraphernalia from the various battalions in the area that operate out of Robertson Barracks. I believe everyone had a wonderful time. It is also great for the Army to open the barracks occasionally so the public can see what goes on at Robertson Barracks and, at the same time, give the public a chance to appreciate what our soldiers do and to remember many of the soldiers they saw at this public display had just come back from the dangerous operations in Afghanistan. I believe people were appreciative of the opportunity to say thank you for the hard work they do in maintaining peace in our region. So, that was also a fantastic occasion in my electorate.
The other thing, and it has been a bit quiet in relation to this issue, there was some discussion about the houses at Eaton. I was one of those who went to public meetings at Ludmilla Primary School, and I have not seen all the details of what is going to happen to those houses, except I know the Commonwealth has announced they will build some new houses there. I want to know: what is happening to the old houses? Surely, they will not be bulldozed.
We had this debate last time in relation to the Larrakeyah Naval houses, and we were able to get those houses removed. Unfortunately, the price of those houses has meant the people you hope would get houses at a cheaper rate simply cannot afford them. Many of those houses are still sitting out at the 11 Mile; some have been sold, but I just wonder whether the price put on by the person who purchased those houses is simply too much for the average person to afford.
I have heard from people involved with Somerville and the Salvation Army that there are quite a few people - and maybe the member for Port Darwin was referring to one person there - who simply cannot afford to buy a house.
This is a great opportunity for the government to talk to the Commonwealth and say: ‘We will take those houses. We are not going to let those houses go to some private developer who wants to then sell them at a price that is out of the reach for some people’. Why could we not remove these houses and put them in some parts of Bellamack, mix them up; they are good houses, they are not scrappy looking houses, once you have a few plants and trees around them you would hardly notice them from anywhere else.
However, we do have people who like covenants these days, and I believe they should be removed, because it does not give people the opportunity of a little freedom in what type of house they build. These covenants mean you have to have the house a certain colour, a certain roof, a certain direction for your solar hot water system, etcetera. There might be an opportunity for some of those houses from Eaton to be put in areas like Palmerston, mixed up with the others; maybe in the rural area, maybe even that land set aside at Berrimah Farm. Perhaps we could put these houses together into a small suburb which may be run by the Salvation Army, or by Somerville homes, so people may have an opportunity to purchase those houses and we can relieve some of the stress which we do not hear enough about.
Many people simply cannot afford to buy a house. It would be a crime if these houses were bulldozed; it would be crime if they were sold to someone who wanted to sell them at a price far out of reach of the people we are trying to reach. The government is looking at ways to make houses affordable; well, if we can buy some houses at a very cheap price, or if we can do a deal with the Commonwealth government - and I see no reason why this government cannot talk to the Commonwealth government through people like Mr Snowdon, who works in Defence - to ask them to allow the Northern Territory government to take possession of those houses.
Madam Deputy Speaker, here is a crying need to find ways around the problems people have in being able to afford a home. This is one possible solution; the government should seriously look at it and make the effort to see if it will work. I will be putting this matter up further when I can find out some more details about what is going to happen to those houses in Eaton; if they are not allowed to be left there, let us find a home for them so they can be a home for people who need one.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Madam Deputy Speaker, in my capacity as shadow minister for Multicultural Affairs I had the absolute pleasure of attending the first of a number of Indian Deepavali celebrations. Diwali is a shortened word for Deepavali, which is more commonly known as the Festival of Lights. It is an Indian cultural celebration, and the word Deepavali loosely translates to a row of lamps.
At this time of the year, Indian people gather in their homes to celebrate what is known as the celebration of good over evil. I will refer to the document which was provided to everyone this evening by the Indian Cultural Society which basically outlines what occurred tonight, who was responsible, and a little of history.
The celebration tonight was the Festival of Lights and the Kathak dance performance. I have been to a number of Deepavali celebrations over the years. I have been in Singapore when Deepavali is launched and celebrated and I have seen dancing here from the Indian cultural community over the years. I have to say I was extremely impressed with the standard and professionalism of the dance group from northern India which is currently touring Australia and came to Darwin to perform for interested people and the Indian community tonight at the Darwin Entertainment Centre. It was spectacular.
There are only 10 dancers and, interestingly enough, they travel with about 280kg of costumes and jewellery. With all that on display, and their talent, it was an excellent performance and something the crowd really enjoyed. I hope we see many more performances like that in Darwin. It is good to see them here and we are very grateful to the Indian High Commission in Canberra which helped to sponsor them to come on their tour around Australia and, in particular, to Darwin.
Madam Deputy Speaker, just a little history on Kathak dance. It is said to be derived from the word Katha, meaning the art of storytelling and the dance form originated in north India. In ancient times, Kathaks, or bards, used to recite religious and mythological tales to the accompaniment of music, mime, and dance. Under the influence of Persian and Muslim traditions, Kathak dance assumed the form of courtly entertainment. Under the patronage of medieval rulers and Nawabs, a class of dancing girls and courtesans emerged to entertain the palaces and courts; and medieval traditions imparted Kathak a distinct Hindi Muslim texture. Thus, with the passage of time, Kathak went on changing its form and characters, and this change was also reflected in the dress of the Kathak dancers.
During the 19th century, Kathak enjoyed a revival and gained prominence amongst the kings and zamindars, the feudal lords, as a form of entertainment, but also as a classical art form. In Kathak, the emphasis is skillfully controlled footwork and ankle bells. I cannot express how impressed the crowd was, and those of us who were invited and got front row seats - it was just spectacular.
Celebrating at the same function tonight is the commemoration of the 150th year of the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, who was born in 1861 and passed away in 1941, and is a great living institution for India. He had his initial education in Bengal, and at 17 was sent to England for formal schooling, and is well-known for starting an experimental school at Santiniketan. He participated in the Indian nationalist movement and was a friend of Mahatma Gandhi. Tagore was knighted by the ruling British government in 1915; however, a few years later, as a protest against British politics and policies in India, he resigned the honour.
Tagore’s early success as a writer began in Bengal, and later he became known overseas through translations of some of his poems. He was famous for his lecture tours and was a strong voice on India’s spiritual heritage. Rabindranath is remembered with great pride and love for his poetry. He wrote many plays, short stories, essays, travel diaries, novels, musical dramas, dance dramas, and two autobiographies. He was also a music composer and a well-known artist.
The Indian community is very proud of this particular man. He was the first non-European Nobel Laureate, something they celebrated this evening with the reading of some of his poems. The one in particular, which is world-renowned, I would like to quote so those who listen to this adjournment debate can relive those words which were said tonight with a great deal of passion.
It is titled Where the Mind is Without Fear:
- Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
- Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
- Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
- Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we could probably all take some understanding and words from that poem and apply it to our own situation. Truly, this man was someone who inspired his people to make the world a better place. Anyone who does that in any country, in any community, deserves recognition, and he was given that recognition in the form of a Nobel Prize.
I acknowledge and thank the people who put the show together tonight.
The President of the Indian Cultural Society of the Northern Territory, Ms Jyoti Vemuri, and her volunteers who worked tirelessly to put together this celebration tonight. It is the first of a number of celebrations for Diwali. I wish them well and hope I will be able to get to the remaining celebrations that will go on for a number of days.
If anyone gets an opportunity to see these dancers, it is truly spectacular. When people ask why I choose to live in the Northern Territory, why I choose to stay here, this is one of the numerous reasons I give people for staying in Darwin: it is due to such richness in the life that I, and other Territorians, are able to witness, be part of, and enjoy and, hopefully, that will be passed on to the future generations. I hope the Northern Territory, in particular Darwin, and Australia, does not lose the valuable contribution these people from all walks of life in all different groups in our community, from all different ethnic backgrounds - the contribution they make to our community is enormous and we should celebrate not only Diwali, but the fantastic life we all have in Darwin.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016