2007-02-13
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I thank the Kenbi dancers for their performance before the beginning of Government Business today; particularly Kevin Costello who assisted my office in organising that. I also place on the record our thanks to the Chung Wah Society for, once again, performing the blessing of the Chamber by the Chinese lions.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I understand that there are students from Charles Darwin University, TAFE Certificate III in General Education for Adults, accompanied by Ms Lorraine Sushames. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from His Honour the Administrator Message No 15 notifying assent to bills passed in the December 2006 sittings of the Assembly.
OPPOSITION OFFICE HOLDERS
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I inform the Assembly of changes to opposition portfolio responsibilities.
I advise that the member for Blain, Terry Mills, has relinquished responsibility for Public Employment and Arts and Museums, and that the member for Katherine, Mrs Miller, now back on her feet, has now taken responsibility for those opposition shadow portfolios.
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that responses to Petition Numbers 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 49, 50 and 51 have been received and circulated to honourable members.
Date response received: 30 January 2007
Power for Launceston Road Dundee Beach Residents
Referred to: Minister for Essential Services
Date response due: 2 May 2007
Date response received: 8 February 2007
Response
Petition No 51
Referred to: Minister for Planning and Lands
Date response due: 3 May 2007
Date response received: 25 January 2007
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this morning I inform Territorians about my recent visit to Japan. The main purpose of the delegation was to discuss our plans for the development of the Timor Sea gas reserves, the expansion in LNG production capacity, and the establishment of downstream gas industries.
Japan is facing strong competition in a tight LNG market. Uncertainty surrounds some of their traditional suppliers such as Indonesia and Malaysia who are becoming more concerned with supplying the future need of their markets. In addition, a number of other proposed LNG developments, like Sakhalin 2 in Russia and Gorgon and Pluto on the North-West Shelf, are facing delays. In this environment, Australia’s strong reputation as a stable, reliable supplier of LNG is becoming even more important in the eyes of Japanese LNG importers and the Japanese government.
The Japanese believe there is a global trend of rising energy nationalism, and they are increasingly sensitive to the call of governments for domestic reservations such as we have seen from the Western Australian government. I have assured the companies and the Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry that we do not endorse a policy of reserving a fixed percentage of gas for domestic market. However, I made it clear that we do expect that when gas fields are developed for onshore LNG or other industries, the proponent should seriously consider the potential for upsizing their offshore development to provide incremental gas supply for downstream gas industries.
I conveyed this message to all the parties we met with, and it is a message I will continue to deliver to those with an interest in Timor Sea gas, including the Australian government, with whom we have had some negotiations about their ability to change the way that taxation is applied in gas developments so that it encourages downstream industries.
The reason we continue to promote downstreaming is to secure a greater level of investment, more jobs, and increased local industry capability for the development of the vast energy resources that lie off our shores. LNG is most welcome but a downstream gas industry can deliver greater benefits to our economy in the long term.
Our delegation met with Senior Vice Minister Watanabe and his Director General of Natural Resources and Energy Policy at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The message they gave us was clear: they are keen to secure further LNG from stable suppliers like the Territory. We met with Susumu Sherakawa, Executive Vice President of Tokyo Electric Power Company, and Mr Tsutoma Oya, Senior Executive Officer of Tokyo Gas, two of our existing customers. Both are very pleased with their investment in the Bayu-Undan field and Darwin LNG. They see the Territory as a prime location for future LNG development.
During our discussions with Executive Vice President of Osaka Gas, Seishiro Yoshioka, he made it clear the company was keen to see the development of Sunrise for LNG production, and see its 10% equity in the project material into a working LNG plant.
An important part of the visit was meeting with Inpex, the owner of the Abadi Gas Field 400 km north of Darwin. It is likely that, when Abadi is developed, the gas will be piped to Darwin for LNG production. We are now exploring ways to make this investment a reality by facilitating land access for the onshore plant and helping resolve cross-border issues.
We also met with Jim McIlvenny, the Asia Pacific President of Dow, who undertook to visit Darwin later this year to examine firsthand the opportunity for petrochemical investment in Darwin, a most significant visit from Jim McIlvenny. It was great to catch up with Jim Iijima, President of ConocoPhillips Japan. Jim pulled together the customer base for the Darwin LNG development and is likely to be instrumental in securing a Japanese customer base for future LNG expansion by ConocoPhillips and their joint venture partners.
Madam Speaker, trips of this nature are important to maintain and develop our relationships with key decision-makers, and to keep the Territory on their investment horizon. We will continue to promote development opportunities through similar visits and by encouraging delegations to the Territory to experience first hand the opportunities that are available here. I commend this report to honourable members.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for her statement, and I take this opportunity of wishing all members well for the new year.
Chief Minister, there was a lot, and I am sure you will acknowledge in that statement, of very important issues for the future development of the Territory. We are talking about implications that are more than just economic. Energy issues come into play. The petrochemical industry has great potential. As you said, you are committed, as you should be, to the promotion of development opportunities.
It seems unfortunate that a report of this nature is only confined to five minutes and, as has been the case under the Labor government, the opposition has only two minutes to reply. I am not sure that we are doing the industry and the implications it has for the Territory justice by allocating five minutes from government and two minutes for a reply. It may even be on the table for the next couple of weeks; I do not know, but I would take this opportunity of inviting the Chief Minister to make a statement to the Chamber so that we can all debate the ins and outs, as it were, of your trip and of the future economic developments to the Territory.
I also take this opportunity to alert the government and, in particular, the Leader of Government Business that I will be writing to him in the next couple of days suggesting, and I think this has been a good example of it, a change to ministerial reports so that we can do justice to the debate on behalf all Territorians and so that we can have a debate, the parliament, of course, being a Chamber for debate.
With those comments, Chief Minister, I thank you for your report and hope that you consider bringing on a statement.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, whilst I welcome the chief minister’s report, there are some local concerns about an expansion of gas and gas-related industries. There have been murmurings for some time about the suitability of the Glyde Point Peninsula for heavy industrial development. I have yet to see detailed proposals by the government, except what the planners have given us. There are a number of concerns about the use of that land. I will not comment on them until I see more plans from the government.
If government is looking at gas-related industries in the Darwin area, we need to start putting in the public arena for discussion where those industries will go and what effect they will have on the environment. This is very important. I hope the Chief Minister can make a statement as to what exactly is happening with development at Glyde Point.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, picking up on the member for Nelson’s points, if you look at the current exercise, Creating Darwin’s Future, and the associated community consultation, that raises the future of Wickham Point and development there. I look forward to your contribution to Creating Darwin’s Future on which there will be stakeholder meetings over the next number of months.
In respect of the Leader of the Opposition’s comments, the issue of gas has been debated in here in statements. There was nothing new in what I said on my trip to Japan. My memory is, of the statements that we have made in this House to discuss these issues, which are fundamental to Territorians, the contribution of the opposition has been very poor. My memory is that, on a number of occasions we have had statements, the Opposition Leader contributed about five or seven minutes, criticised government and walked out. It is all very well to say: ‘Let us have substantial debates.’ We have had substantial debates about gas. I have stood here many times, and the contribution from the opposition has been, sadly, very poor.
Ms LAWRIE (Infrastructure and Transport): Madam Speaker, as you know, this is the first sittings of parliament since the government introduced and implemented our new road safety reforms. Road safety changes have sparked much debate, which is good because this is a very serious issue that needs to be discussed.
The government accepts that these are tough new laws and that they are controversial. We accept that new speed limits are controversial. The tough new drink driving laws are controversial. From July, if you get caught drink driving twice, you will lose your licence, even if you are only a little over the limit. While these laws are tough, they are necessary. They are evidence-based and they target the causes of road trauma. Sometimes leadership requires making tough decisions.
The tough new laws received most of the attention while the education and investment strategies in our road safety agenda have not received as much publicity. Our graduated driver licensing system targets young drivers who are over-represented in our road trauma statistics. The system will come into effect in the middle of this year, and is all about educating young drivers and ensuring that they have the skills and experience they require.
The system will be introduced in two phases. Phase one will involve a six-month minimum learner period for all drivers; two-year provisional licence period for drivers under 25, and one year for drivers over 25; and bans on mobile phone use in any form for learner and provisional drivers.
Investment in our roads is a vital aspect of our strategy. Only 23% of our roads make up our vast road network across the Territory are sealed. No other jurisdiction is faced with the immense challenge of improving and maintaining a road network such as ours. However, we are taking on the challenge. Since coming to government we have invested significantly in improving our road network. Our roads budget this year is more than $130m, up from the CLP’s $80m in 2001. Under a Labor government, more than an extra $50m is being spent annually on our roads. We are now spending the highest amount per taxpayer in the country on roads. There is more money to improve the safety of roads across our network: more money for beef roads; urban roads; tourist roads; for sealing roads; and for intersection upgrades. We will continue this investment because it is an important part of our road safety reform agenda.
Disappointingly, despite our increasing commitment, the federal government has reduced their spending on maintenance of roads in the Territory, which is a key federal responsibility. They have cut their maintenance funding to the Territory by 22%. We have also seen the federal government break their promise to fund the important Tiger Brennan extension on a 50-50 basis. I am meeting with the Commonwealth Transport minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mark Vaile, in the week after sittings to discuss these very issues. It is astounding that, at a time when we are making roads safer, the Commonwealth is cutting back on their maintenance budget. We all know that, through the collection of fuel taxes, the Commonwealth government now has an election year war chest of about $12bn. I am hopeful that some of this will be committed to restoring maintenance funding and building the all important Tiger Brennan extension.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I listened at the beginning and I thought that you were introduced as the Minister for Lands and Planning, so you have rambled off a bit on the speed limits, which is a debate in itself. I found the end of the report very interesting, on which, of course, I now have two minutes to respond. I agree with the Leader of the Opposition that these are little PR exercises for government and do not give us much of a chance to respond to them at all.
I just take a comment that the minister made, having a slam at the Commonwealth government about road funding and really taking a swipe at them. It is actually the Northern Territory government which did not meet the 50:50 arrangement with the federal government and, as a result of that, lost over $1.5m. That is really significant. You can sit there and shake your head, minister, and slam the federal government for not meeting that arrangement, but you did not meet it either. Where have the funds gone? The commitment was there by the federal government to meet $1-for-$1, and you did not do it. Where has the funding gone?
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would like to mainly comment on the first part of the minister’s report. I realise government has had to make some hard decisions and there is nothing wrong with that. My gripe about the implementation of the Road Safety Taskforce report was that there was, basically, no community consultation or input except for the Chamber of Commerce, the Police and the Health department. That is what irks me in this whole debate.
Many of the things you are proposing are good things. However, why, after six months, did you put that out to the public for comment? There was no comment time. There was a key findings document that was released, not even with an e-mail site for people to comment. It was just given out and that was it. It disappoints me that a government which says it prides itself on openness and transparency talks about many other things in the community, but when we get to important things like road safety, in which everyone is involved because nearly everyone is a motorist, you do not do it. Why do you think people kick up a stink when you take away the speed limit?
If you look at the report, it is very hard to find evidence that you say there is that changing the speed limit on the Stuart, Barkly, Arnhem and Victoria Highways will make any difference. It does not seem to be a problem. You show that yourselves as a government because if you really believed it was evidence-based that you change the speed limit from open, you would have stuck with 110 km/h, which is the evidence that you were given. However, you did not support the evidence in this case because you went out and did a histogram which said: ‘Oh, people drive faster than that. This would not be very politically wise to keep it at a 110 km/h. We will make it 130 km/h’. So your evidence is gone because you are ignoring it. One has to ask: for the 15% of people who drive faster than 130 km/h, why we are now going to spend $1.5m on a highway patrol? We have to spend some money there. If you really believe in the evidence, you should have put all roads at no more than 110 km/h. You did not do it; I am afraid in this case, the government is hypocritical.
Ms LAWRIE (Infrastructure and Transport): Madam Speaker, I am sure the member for Nelson’s constituents will be interested to hear he is supporting 110 km/h speed limit on the Stuart Highway.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: You must have been hiding in your chicken shed.
Mr Wood: You are the member for tricky words.
Dr Lim: The government does that all the time.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Greatorex!
Ms LAWRIE: You must have been hiding in your chicken shed last year because all of last year was dominated with debate on the road safety reforms. What further consultation can you have than daily debate on road safety reforms? The speed limits were out there, everyone had their view on it; everyone read the report on it.
In respect of the $1-for-$1 funding, I urge the member for Katherine to try to arrange a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and mention to him that it would be really good if the federal government matched the $300m-plus we have spent on roads in the last five years compared with the $180m they have funded. If they want to match us $1-for-$1, I am looking for the other $120m from them straight up tomorrow.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, this government has increased health spending by 64% since 2001. We have increased the number of full-time equivalent doctors by over 100 and full-time equivalent nurses by 270. Today, I am pleased to advise the House on a successful recruitment strategy to further boost the capacity and expertise of health services in the Northern Territory.
This year’s nurse recruitment campaign is now well under way. Launched in October 2006, the Nurses: Bloody Heroes campaign is building on the success of earlier campaigns that attracted almost 1800 inquiries from nurses around Australia and resulted in over 285 nurses being recruited. This year’s campaign involves national newspaper and popular magazine advertising, as well as advertisements in the nursing and trade journals such as the Australian Nursing Journal and the Nursing Review. There is a significant online presence; the nursing recruitment website has been updated, and promotional packs have been printed and circulated around Australia. This year, our senior departmental nurses will continue to visit nursing expos to continue to spread the word.
Already the campaign is proving its worth, with more than 400 inquiries received from nurses wanting to live and work in the Territory. I am pleased to announce that, since 1 January 2007, 61 new nurses have commenced at Royal Darwin Hospital.
We are looking for nurses nationally, but we are also growing our own. The graduate nurse program continues to support newly-qualified nurses. Over 90 new graduates will be provided with orientation, rotations to specialty areas, study days and on-site support from clinical nurse educators. Royal Darwin Hospital commenced with an intake of 15 nurses last November, and it is planned that Alice Springs Hospital will recruit 20 nurses and Katherine Hospital will recruit up to 10 nurses over the course of this year.
Strategies are also in place to recruit doctors and dentists to the Territory. In December 2006, three senior representatives from the Department of Health and Community Services attended the British Medical Journal careers fair in London. This fair is the largest medical recruitment fair in the UK, with in excess of 5000 doctors and specialists in attendance. The department hosted a display booth with General Practice and Primary Health Care NT, designed to attract doctors to the unique challenges of life and work in the Territory.
Other activities undertaken during the trip included an open day for allied health and nursing professionals, and a mail drop at large dental and inner city hospitals. Over 100 doctors registered their interest for employment in the Territory and the department is actively following up on this interest with these practitioners.
We have already had success in recruiting doctors to Royal Darwin Hospital, with over three times the number of applications received for vacant positions. I am pleased to report that 15 interns commenced duties in January 2007. Five of these studied at the Northern Territory Clinical School; two are Northern Territory scholarship holders; and eight were recruited from interstate.
Specialist appointments include two renal specialists who commenced in 2006. This means that we now have 3.5 FTE nephrologists, including the Director of Renal Services at Royal Darwin Hospital. In early February, it was my pleasure to welcome Professor Frank Plani from Johannesburg as Chair of Trauma Medicine. He joins Dr David Cooper, Associate Professor of Disaster Response and Preparedness as Co-chair of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. The appointment of these two leading medical specialists consolidates the leadership of the trauma centre to provide quality training, education and counter-disaster training.
Since the commencement of the trauma centre in 2005-06, an additional 11 doctors have been employed and, this year, 13 additional allied health positions will be recruited, including radiographers, physiotherapists, pharmacists, a dietician, pathology scientists and occupational therapists. Four specialist nursing positions are being recruited and will facilitate skills in managing burns and trauma.
It was my pleasure to attend a media conference with Professors Plani and Cooper, along with David Tollner, who complimented the Northern Territory government for this initiative, funded by the Commonwealth, which I acknowledge. He was very complimentary about the interaction between our government and the federal government on this issue.
Madam Speaker, with these strategies in operation, we are continuing to strengthen the health workforce and to build healthy communities for all Territorians.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Bring on the debate, I say, Madam Speaker; bring on the debate. This government has been on the ropes over the provision of health care. One hundred new doctors, 217 new nurses - I cannot see the bodies. That is why we have so many nurses working double shifts, hours of overtime, taking time off because of stress from overwork and the minister knows it. The ANF, his OCPE, direct ballot amongst private sector nurses has told him without any equivocation that this government is not doing the right thing by our nurses.
The minister started raving on when, in today’s paper, the headline says: ‘Patients forced to wait in ambulances’. That is how this government runs health care. Patients were taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital by St John Ambulance and, unless they required resuscitation, were told to wait out in the loading bay and, when staff were available, they would go out there to assess them. Is that how we run health care? Do you want to do it in your back yard eventually? Health care is falling apart around your ears.
Madam Speaker, when you were Health minister, seriously, you were a lot better than this bumbling minister - ‘bumbling Burns’ as I hear some people calling him.
It is a real problem, minister, that you are not doing the right thing. The mobile bush nurses have been cut back to one visit every two months. You know that, but what have you done about it? Nothing. Fifteen nurses graduated from the Charles Darwin University. You think that is fantastic. How many of them leave the Territory for jobs elsewhere? Tell us about that, but you do not, do you? How many doctors have left? The AMA is complaining, the ANF is complaining and there you are trying to praise yourself. For what? For a disaster that is coming around your ears.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, health is a serious issue in the Territory. It is all very well to talk about how many nurses we are trying to recruit, but we need a cooperative approach. There are many other health agencies. Congress in Alice Springs perhaps does not provide the service it could in cooperation with the Alice Springs Hospital. I am wondering why demands on the Alice Springs Hospital are so great when there are other agencies that could pick up some of the workload.
We have concerns from people in remote communities. We know how difficult it is to retain nurses in remote communities, but we must also question why there are such high demands on health services in the Territory. If we look at that, we will probably go back to the grassroots of lifestyle. Too often, the lifestyle of many people is not conducive to healthy living. It is easy to talk about how many nurses we have but we should be concentrating more on making sure the lifestyle of people, whether they are in towns, town camps, communities or wherever, is conducive to good health. We need to concentrate more on programs to encourage people to think about their health, their future situation, how they handle it financially, their diet, their care, care of the aged and so on.
Minister, keep plugging away. Yes, recruit more nurses; that is an important role. However, you should also start thinking seriously about improving the lifestyle of people at the grassroots so that we do not have such a strong demand on our health service.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I welcome the constructive comments made by the member for Braitling. Certainly, there needs to be greater cooperation. In Tennant Creek, for example, cooperation between agencies and non-government organisations is occurring and we need to foster it elsewhere. So, thank you for that suggestion, member for Braitling.
In relation to basic health issues that are driving up ill health, we know that education is a very important factor. We also know that economic development, particularly in the regions, is important. That is why this government is focusing on that.
In respect of the member for Greatorex, he does not acknowledge that the CLP, over a period of four years up to 2000, cut 200 nursing positions, 200 across the Territory. We are a government that has invested in health. We are investing in health professionals. We are building a health system. There are challenges, and we are rising to them.
In relation to nursing at Royal Darwin Hospital, there are more nurses this year than there were last year, and they are working proportionally less overtime. I am pleased to report that, but there is much more to do and I am focused on doing it.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, in 2004 the Northern Territory government commissioned CSIRO to provide updated climate projections for the Territory. I am sure we are all now broadly familiar with the findings of that report. The best predictions indicate that changes resulting from the greenhouse effect will include: increased temperatures; decreased regional rainfall; coastal inundation from rising sea levels which would see the complete loss of much of our coastal wetlands; and an increase in cyclone intensity.
Although there has been heightened national debate on the response of governments to climate change, there is still an element of climate change scepticism in Australia. The Northern Territory government does not share that scepticism. The evidence of human-induced climate change is overwhelming and the Northern Territory government recognises the serious global and local threat posed by climate change.
The Northern Territory produces only 3.3% of total national emissions. Unlike other states, almost half of our emissions come from bushfires rather than industry or power generation. In the medium term, though, Darwin’s buoyant economy and growth will see a rise in our emissions from future development. Proposed major industrial development, though gas-based and, therefore, more greenhouse friendly than fossil fuel-based industry, could see the Northern Territory’s emissions double.
The Stern report released in the UK last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, CSIRO and other reports have all concluded that there has been substantial human impact on climate, and that the benefits of strong early action will outweigh the economic costs of not acting. While clearly the problem is a global one and best addressed at a national level, there is more that each government can do and, indeed, every individual.
The Northern Territory promotes the use of natural gas as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. We are at a distinct advantage in that we are able to take greenhouse gas emission abatement and anticipated climate change into account at a relatively early stage in our development compared with the rest of Australia. We are also fortunate that all our major power stations are gas-fired, which means our electricity generation produces about 30% fewer emissions than when coal is used as the major fuel source for electricity.
However, we still need to play our part in reducing emissions. The Northern Territory government’s response to climate change is outlined in the Northern Territory Strategy for Greenhouse Action 2006, which I released in February 2006. This strategy incorporates at a local level many of the elements considered essential for an effective global response and sets out practical and achievable greenhouse initiatives, initiatives that encourage behavioural change, support research and build partnerships. It sets tangible targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases, with government leading by example in setting targets in the public sector over the next 10 years.
By 2011, government has undertaken to achieve a 10% reduction in emissions from electricity consumption from its commercial buildings. We have also undertaken to reduce greenhouse emissions from our passenger vehicle fleet by 5% per kilometre travelled by the middle of this year, and to install solar hot water systems in new government-owned houses.
Assessments of developments made under the Environmental Assessment Act must now include information to allow greenhouse impact of a development to be assessed. At a very local level, we have provided funds through Cool Communities to educate people about climate change and encourage individuals and households to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by minimising energy use, using energy efficient appliances and minimising use of cars. Action against climate change can start with something as simple as switching your ceiling fans off when you are not at home.
We are a keen supporter of renewable energy. Solar pumps have been used to supply water in remote communities, and support for more advanced systems continues to date. Power and Water has a number of renewable energy projects such as installing photovoltaics in remote communities to generate electrical power.
The recent steering committee responsible for managing the implementation of the Northern Territory Greenhouse Strategy will be providing a progress report to me later this year. I will update the House on the many initiatives and programs that we, as a government, are taking because we are fully committed to reducing our emissions.
Madam SPEAKER: The time for ministerial reports has expired.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
Continued from 30 November 2006.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, I speak on behalf of the shadow Attorney-General, who has …
Ms Martin: Who is out the front at a demonstration. Is that where she is instead of debating bills in this House?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I will resist responding to such insincere comments and proceed with the matter at hand.
The issue outlined in this bill identifies that there is an anomaly that requires addressing to ensure that there is security for insurance provided to a legal practitioner. As a result, there is no concern from opposition in respect of the bill and, therefore, it receives our support.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his supportive comments, and make my own comment that it is extraordinary that the shadow minister responsible for this legislation has found things more important than dealing with the passage of legislation in this House. We are, first and foremost, legislators in the Legislative Assembly; it is a foremost responsibility for us as members. It is disappointing that the shadow minister is not here to respond.
The amendments themselves arise as a result of a drafting issue identified by users of the primary legislation, the Professional Standards Act. The amendments are based on the model bill that was developed by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General over the past 12 months. Legislation implementing that model has commenced in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.
This bill amends the Professional Standards Act to fix a drafting problem. The act commenced in 2004 as part of the national tort law reforms. It limits the occupational liability of professionals, and members of occupations in certain circumstances. The Northern Territory act is based on uniform legislation.
After introduction of similar acts in Victoria and New South Wales, stakeholders identified an unintended consequence: costs inclusive insurance schemes were not allowed under the act. Most professional indemnity insurance policies are costs inclusive, which means the costs incurred in defending a claim can be included in the limited liability; that is, the capped amount. To not allow costs inclusive schemes would defeat the intended purpose of the act: to limit or cap the liability of professionals. The amendment, therefore, allows insurance policies approved under the act to include the costs incurred in defending a claim to be now covered.
This amending bill clarifies that insurance policies that are costs inclusive are allowable under the act. It implements the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General decision to enable professionals who are members of schemes to hold either costs inclusive or costs exclusive insurance policies.
The definition of ‘damages’ is amended to include costs incurred in defending a claim. The definition of ‘costs’ is added because there is no such reference in the current act.
Consumer protection remains so that a professional’s maximum liability to the consumer remains up to the amount of the cap as determined under the act. This is so irrespective of whether the professional holds a costs inclusive or costs exclusive insurance policy.
It is based on the model bill developed by a SCAG working party over the past 12 months. Similar legislation has been introduced in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, and will be introduced by all Australian governments to maintain uniformity of professional standards legislation. I thank the member for Blain and the opposition for their support.
Motion agreed; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed; bill read a third time.
MOTION
Note Paper - Ombudsman Report 2005-06
Continued from 28 November 2006.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this morning I speak on the Office of the Ombudsman’s 2005-06 Annual Report, which was tabled in the November sittings of this Assembly.
Given the importance of the Office of the Ombudsman, each year when presenting the annual report, I take the opportunity to set out the role of this statutory office holder. The role of the Ombudsman is to receive and investigate complaints from members of the public who feel that they have been treated unfairly or inappropriately by Northern Territory government agencies, statutory authorities or local government councils. In pursuit of these complaints, the Ombudsman can investigate the administrative actions, decisions, practices, and procedures of the entity which is the subject of the complaint.
The Office of the Ombudsman also has powers to receive and investigate complaints about the conduct of members of the Northern Territory Police Service. The Ombudsman is essential in providing an independent, just and accessible mechanism that everyone can use. As the Ombudsman is an officer of this Assembly, I am sure I speak for all honourable members in reiterating our support for the office and the values that the Ombudsman embodies.
While many complaints are resolved quickly, others take time to investigate. Regardless of the time frame to completion, the outcome can, and often does, result in improvements to the administrative practices in the Northern Territory and local governments.
While responsible ministers will speak on specific issues raised by the Ombudsman about matters within their portfolio, I will comment on the office’s budget and the overall statistics in the report. I will also draw to the attention of honourable members the proactive work of our Ombudsman.
In a jurisdiction the size of the Northern Territory, the workload of a small but efficient office such as the Ombudsman’s can fluctuate from year to year. The previous year saw an increase in complaints received by the Office of the Ombudsman, whereas 2005-06 has seen a reduced number of complaints. As with any budget, there are always competing demands, and the Office of the Ombudsman has faced that situation during the reporting period.
The Ombudsman has advised that a particular emphasis has been given to resolving the backlog of investigations into complaints about the conduct of members of the police force. In the Ombudsman’s previous annual report, she noted that the time taken to complete investigations into police conduct was unacceptable. Since that time, through the Ombudsman’s prioritisation, the temporary transfer of a senior executive from the Department of the Chief Minister, additional one-off funding of $94 000 combined with a concerted effort by the staff of the Ombudsman and the NT Police, that backlog has been completely cleared. The Ombudsman’s staff together with the police officers involved in the investigations are to be commended for their efforts in achieving this goal.
I do note, however, that the Ombudsman has some cautionary words about not allowing the backlog to increase again. The Ombudsman has briefed me on her office’s budget situation, and I have approved the preparation of a funding submission. I understand Treasury officers have been assisting the Office of the Ombudsman with the presentation of the submission, which will be considered as part of the normal budgetary process.
I turn now to the statistical presentation in the Ombudsman’s annual report. I am pleased to note that the statistics in the 2005-06 annual report are clearer and easier to understand. Notwithstanding this clarity, I will define some terms before presenting the statistical information.
Nett approaches are made up of both the number of inquiries and complaints received by the Office of the Ombudsman in person, by telephone, by e-mail, via the Internet, or in writing, whether related to the general area comprised of NT agencies and local government or the NT Police. Nett inquiries are the total of all inquiries that were not formed into cases by the Ombudsman.
During the reporting period, there was an overall decrease in the number of approaches, inquiries and complaints compared with 2004-05. In particular, nett approaches were down 15% to 2000. While the statistics are not exactly comparable with previous years, there are significant fluctuations in workloads from year to year. It is for this reason that we need to consider the Office of the Ombudsman’s resources on a regular basis. Fifty-nine percent of nett inquiries received were outside the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman. When the inquiry is outside jurisdiction, the case is referred elsewhere, such as to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, the Information Commissioner, the Consumer Affairs Commissioner or the inquiry is closed.
Notably, 94% or 230 of the 244 recommendations made by the Ombudsman to agencies were agreed to. In 2004-05, 108 recommendations were made and 102 were adopted. There were more complaints finalised than received during the year which, together with the outstanding efforts which I have already spoken of to finalise police complaints, resulted in a 60% reduction in the number of complaints remaining open at the end of the year. The overall time taken to finalise complaints other than complaints against the police improved marginally. The time taken to finalise complaints against police was reduced by 20%.
The areas of government which tend to receive the highest number of complaints are some of the largest service delivery agencies. However, the agency with the greatest number of complaints in 2005-06 was the police force with 313. Second was Correctional Services with 89 complaints. The largest issue in Correctional Services’ complaints was prisoner rights. However, complaints in this area have decreased from 45 in 2004-05 to 31 in 2005-06.
I draw the attention of honourable members to one particular aspect of the proactive work being undertaken by the Ombudsman and her staff. Academic literature on the subject of complaints generally agrees that a complaint is best and most expeditiously resolved as close as possible to its source. The Ombudsman’s legislation provides that the Ombudsman may decline to investigate a complaint if a person has not first raised the issue with the relevant agency. The Ombudsman is working with agencies to ensure that they have a best practice system to deal with complaints, and review, modify or improve their services in response to a complaint. This should contribute to an overall increase in the quality of public administration in the Territory. An important longer term result of better complaint management at the coalface is the Ombudsman being able to concentrate on the more serious issues which come to her attention.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I reiterate the high value my government places on the work of the Ombudsman and her staff. I thank the office for their hard work and dedication over the last year.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, as we know, the Ombudsman is an extremely important part of our system of government. It gives people a means of putting their complaints to someone. It is a key plank in any democracy because it allows the common folk to put to a neutral arbiter complaints they may have about decisions that have been imposed on those people. It is a very important part of our governmental structure and it is one that the Chief Minister needs to support with good financial backing.
I notice in the annual report the Ombudsman said at page 7:
What that highlights is that the Ombudsman is saying: ‘We are more than likely not going to get that $94 000 we received as a one-off payment and, if we do not, we will certainly have to cut back on the office’s public education and awareness activities’. If things are back to their level of last year, there will still be problems trying to deal with all the cases that the Ombudsman has had to deal with.
Anyone who was at the Estimates Committee hearings last year will remember the conversation between the committee, the Ombudsman and the Chief Minister. It was obvious from that discussion that the Ombudsman was not happy with the amount of funding she was receiving. Perhaps that is where the $94 000 came from but, as it says in the report, it was a one-off and was only sufficient for six weeks.
Government needs to make sure that this important part of our governmental system is well funded. If it is not, people will presume that the government does not support it. I suppose you could go from there and say: ‘They do not really support it because they do not want too much bad publicity about themselves through an Ombudsman’s Office’. I am not saying that is necessarily the case, but it could be a perception. We need to ensure that the Ombudsman is adequately funded to do her job because she has to operate without fear or favour.
One of the other highlights it is important to mention is that the Ombudsman is working with all agencies to set up, as she says:
That is a very good initiative. If some of these complaints are sorted out at the departmental level, that will take some of the load off the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will not normally take up a complaint from a member of the public unless that person had gone back to the original department or local government with their complaint first. Then, if they do not receive a satisfactory response, they can go to the Ombudsman. If those things can be sorted out at the departmental level, perhaps that would reduce the number of complaints to the Ombudsman. Maybe then we would not need the extra money for the Ombudsman to carry out her job.
The Ombudsman’s report always makes great reading and the newspapers must love it. There was the case of the dog shot through the neck. It was taken to the vet and recovered, and the owners lived happily ever after. The way in which it was handled by the police, however, was embarrassing. It does show that the Ombudsman deals with a huge range of complaints, from police to local government and prison. That, in itself, highlights how important it is for this authority to be well-funded so it can carry out its job freely and without financial restraint.
I thank the Ombudsman, Carolyn Richards, for her report. I hope the government will support such an important part of our democratic process by making sure in the coming budget that the office is adequately funded to continue its programs.
Ms LAWRIE (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, the Ombudsman looked at several issues within my agencies, and I can outline the responses from my departments to these issues.
First, I will deal with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. The Ombudsman investigated a complaint against the Building Advisory Committee and Building Advisory Services of the department. The Building Advisory Committee has power to accredit building products, construction methods, designs, components or systems. Following legal advice, it was agreed that the legislation was complex in relation to the powers of the BAC.
To make the process clear, the functions currently performed by the BAC in assessing and approving applications should be covered by express statutory powers in legislation. It was also agreed that there be some form of review or appeal from a decision of the BAC, and it is likely that the appeal process to the Building Appeals Board will be utilised.
The Ombudsman was advised that an amendment would be made to the Building Act, but this is unlikely to occur until the current reform agenda is bedded down. The Building Advisory Services Branch has developed and implemented an information guide for applicants and procedures for processing Deemed to Comply applications. A complete review of the Deemed to Comply requires considerable resources, and is to be factored into future work plans and priorities in the next financial year.
The Australian Government Solicitor held an Administrative Law, Advanced Module entitled Decision-making in the Public Sector. Sixteen staff attended, including members of the BAC. The Ombudsman has formed the view that no further action is required and the file is now closed.
There was also an investigation into a complaint in relation to over-height residences. The investigation commenced in 1999, when Fred Finch was Chairman of the Development Consent Authority, and the report was concluded in 2003 when John Pinney was Chairman. The DCA accepted all but one of the nine recommendations by the Ombudsman.
Recommendation 5 stated that there was a clear need for the DCA to develop and adopt a written policy that ensures that waiver applications are not granted indiscriminately without any thought being given to the individual circumstances of each application.
Each development application is assessed on its individual merits under the requirements of the Planning Act. The department has received advice from the Department of Justice that decisions by the DCA should not be based on policies adopted by the DCA. The new Chairman of the DCA will be apprised of this matter and, in consultation with the Department of Justice, will make a decision as to the desirability of addressing Recommendation 5, which is the only outstanding recommendation.
Further, the Ombudsman advised that the department responded positively to all recommendations in respect of a complaint entitled Direct Sale of Crown Land. The application from the complainant was reactivated and the title was issued in July 2006. No costs were incurred by the applicant other than the purchase price of the land. My predecessor received a copy of the Ombudsman’s report and was fully briefed on this matter.
File management and record processes have been changed, and staff educated in the use of the new processes. Business processes are being updated with a view to the introduction of an automated project management system. In the interim, staff will keep applicants updated on the progress of their applications.
I now respond to the Ombudsman’s report which identified two studies in relation to my agency of Family and Community Services. The first case study, entitled Home Sweet Home, highlights the difficulties in finding appropriate accommodation options for young people in care. The complaint highlights community concern when my department places young people in supported community settings in local neighbourhoods. The Ombudsman acknowledged that the department had taken thorough action to inform neighbours of the placement, which included departmental contacts where they could raise any concerns. The Ombudsman discontinued her inquiries in this matter, noting the positive actions taken by the department.
The other case study relates to delays in investigating a child concern report. A child concern report is a report to the department that is assessed as representing a low level of danger to the child. Current guidelines require a response to these cases within five days. In this case, sadly, no action was taken for two months and an investigation was finalised after nine months. The investigation did not substantiate any maltreatment. Clearly, this delay in the investigation is unacceptable. The public and the Territory’s children deserve a timely response. The department’s initial assessment identified a low level of risk for this child, and that assessment proved accurate; no maltreatment occurred to the child. Nevertheless, I have given clear direction to my department that the standards set for investigation must be upheld; every report is to be investigated in a timely manner. The department has responded by putting in place an auditing system that works to ensure that cases receive appropriate responses.
Where the safety of children is concerned, the highest accountability must apply. In the Northern Territory, we have had a significant increase in reporting in the last five years. That is because we have been absolutely clear that we will not tolerate child abuse, and we have urged community members, and especially anyone working with children, to report any concerns of abuse. We have significantly upgraded our first point of contact intake teams so that people who call to report are speaking to our skilled and experienced child protection workers. We now work jointly with the police on the Child Abuse Taskforce to assess all reports so that we can quickly respond to children in danger. We have increased the child protection workforce by 51 positions, and the budget has quadrupled.
We know that there is still more work to do and we are getting on with the job of building up our child protection workforce. I thank the Ombudsman for her annual report.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I join with members to thank the Ombudsman, Carolyn Richards, for her report. It seems to me that the job of an Ombudsman, apart from being interesting, would be very challenging. It is clear from her report that she has faced challenges that probably have not been faced by Ombudsmen in the past. They primarily relate to funding or, more specifically, the relative lack of funding. I note the member for Nelson touched on that and I propose to revisit it.
Having considered the Ombudsman’s report, there is a sober reminder for government. We all know, perhaps more than many other Territorians, how vitally important the role of the Ombudsman is; that an Ombudsman acts, as is stated in Appendix D of the report:
It is evident from the Ombudsman’s report that what she said at the Estimates Committee hearing cannot be considered in isolation. It was not the fact that the more we dug, the more it emerged that her office needed more money. It is clear from this report that financial difficulties impede the work of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman said on page 5 of her report:
The reference to satisfying the expectations of those approaching it is very revealing. Take the politics out of the equation, and we know that the Ombudsman’s Office is independent, as it should be, all of us, as elected members of this Assembly, would know that the people who come into our electorate offices have certain understandable expectations of the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has said that difficult decisions had to be made in order to satisfy those expectations. That is a very revealing and damning indictment of the government’s funding of the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman also said on page 5:
It is not just what happened in the Estimates Committee hearing, or just in the year to which this relates, it goes back another year. This independent and vitally important officer is saying that the time investigations took was unacceptable. She detailed, as she has elsewhere, some of the difficulties about investigating matters and the fact that so many of those difficulties are budget related.
She clearly has a high level of admiration for her staff. On page 6 she said:
She went on, at the same page, to remark that it was a splendid achievement and she commended those who worked towards it. She made the observation that her staff:
Her words, not mine: bore the pressure put upon them. In every job, no doubt, there are various pressures, but what speaks to me from the Ombudsman’s comments is that her staff not only went over and above the call of duty but were committed, desperately it seems, to addressing the backlog. If that level of staff commitment was in any way mirrored by the Chief Minister and this government, we would all see significantly better outcomes.
I ask that in this year’s budget, a further allocation and ongoing allocation, not a one-off $94 000 but additional recurrent funding, be allocated. I am assuming that, about this time of year, budget deliberations and discussions are occurring. I urge those in the relevant positions of making the decisions to provide additional funding.
The Ombudsman said on page 7 of her report and in relation to the one-off funding of $94 000:
She also comments on the same page about the decline of complaints, and proffers the view that that may have occurred because of:
which are reported elsewhere in the report. A cut back of education awareness activities is, again, in the opposition’s view, a damning indictment of this government because they are the only ones who can provide sufficient funding. One wonders how seriously this government regards the Office of the Ombudsman and its guiding principles.
The Ombudsman said in relation to access and awareness on page 55:
Then she provided the accompanying table.
I would have thought, if you can believe the rhetoric of this government, that they would be committed to the point of putting their money where their mouth is, as it were, to ensure that access and awareness activities continue.
There are references in the report to a range of examples where Territorians go to the Ombudsman for help. Significant complaints are made in relation to the police. Historically, those complaints are often made by prisoners. I believe the last time I looked, the rate of indigenous incarceration in the Northern Territory was around the 80% mark. It therefore follows, does it not, that for indigenous Territorians, access and awareness campaigns should be something of a priority for this government which, it seems to me, tends to back itself in relation to what it considers to be better outcomes for indigenous Territorians? This is but one of many examples where the reality is fundamentally different from the rhetoric. Why is it that this government does not want to provide funding for access and awareness visits, and campaigns for all Territorians but, in particular, for indigenous Territorians? I ask members of the government, particularly those on the back bench, to if not reflect on that observation, raise it with their ministerial colleagues.
The Ombudsman said on page 7 of her report:
I regard that statement as quite powerful. It eloquently expresses the role of the Ombudsman in any civilised society. Surely, they are values to which all 25 of us subscribed when we put our names forward for election. I commend the Ombudsman for expressing the role of her office in those terms, very powerful terms in my view, and I urge government members privately or publicly, it does not really matter how they do it, to look through this report. I have quoted and highlighted some parts of the report, but there is more.
At the beginning of a parliamentary year, presumably all of us have reflected on the preceding year over the Christmas break, and all of us can agree on the importance of the role of the Ombudsman’s office, and the importance it has for our fellow Territorians. Surely, then, it follows that this government will fund it appropriately so that in about February next year, when I am on my feet addressing this report, I do not have to talk about the lack of funding and, therefore, the inability of the Ombudsman to perform some of her key functions in the way we all expect - in the way that any civilised, democratic society expects and deserves from its Ombudsman.
Madam Speaker, given that this is the first report to which I have replied at this, the beginning of the new parliamentary year, I sincerely wish government members the very best when it comes to discussing the Office of the Ombudsman in their budgetary deliberations because without an Ombudsman, all of us are damned and we are not responding to the needs and aspirations of our fellow Territorians.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I also have a great deal of respect for the role of the Ombudsman, Carolyn Richards, and her staff. It is an important role of ensuring accountability and transparency in democratic governance. The office provides an opportunity for citizens to turn the spotlight on government. That said, this government is committed to good governance, improving its services and processes and meeting the needs of the Northern Territory community.
The Ombudsman’s Annual Report 2005-06 includes two case studies that concern my portfolios: a housing matter and a procurement matter. I highlight that the Ombudsman closed both matters, having been satisfied with the way the Department of Corporate and Information Services and Territory Housing responded to the respective investigations and recommendations of her office.
With respect to the housing matter, the case study on page 29 of the report concerned the treatment of a public housing tenant in what Territory Housing, in their statement, identified as an abandoned home. In line with the recommendations of the Ombudsman, Territory Housing has apologised to the tenant, reimbursed her for the costs she incurred, and implemented changes to the operational policy manual. The matter is resolved and it is inappropriate to make any further comment about the tenant’s personal circumstances.
The DCIS matter arose from difficulties that a tenderer experienced when lodging a formal tender to the department, and the Procurement Review Board’s subsequent decision not to accept the tender. To summarise the case study that appears on pages 26 and 27 of the report, the tenderer faxed their submission to DCIS, though it arrived after the deadline due to problems with the fax transmission, and the Review Board did not accept the late submission in line with due processes. DCIS acknowledged the difficulty that the tenderer experienced in lodging their tender, and the matter has been resolved fairly and equitably. Again, I am satisfied that DCIS and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure have responded well to the complaint.
I add that DCIS has, since this unfortunate incident, assessed its fax facilities and reinforced the importance of deadlines for advertising in tender documents. I am pleased to report that there has not been a repeat of this type of incident.
I am pleased that my departments maintained their track records during 2005-06 of being cooperative and responsive to their clients and the Ombudsman’s Office. I wish the Ombudsman’s Office and her staff all the very best for 2007.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I certainly take the Office of the Ombudsman’s report very seriously. It is important for the Ombudsman to raise issues relating to the operations of government agencies, including police. It is an important part of the openness of this government that the Ombudsman is required to report to parliament each year.
As the Ombudsman notes in her foreword, priority is given to complaints against the conduct of police. All complaints are investigated by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command of the Northern Territory Police. Complaints involving serious misconduct are not only investigated by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command, but are monitored and sometimes directed by the Ombudsman’s Office.
Of the 548 complaints actioned by the Ombudsman, complaints against police accounted for 57%. Of the 398 finalised complaints against police, 59% were referred to police to investigate and respond to the complainant directly. It is worth noting that by far, the most frequent outcome of complaints was that an adequate explanation was provided to the complainant. This accounted for no less than 59% of finalised complaints.
The second most frequent outcome was that members of the Northern Territory police were counselled, accounting for 8% of complaints. I have noted the individual cases in the Ombudsman’s report. Police have confirmed to me that, in all cases where the Joint Review Committee or JRC recommended disciplinary action, there was, in fact, disciplinary action taken.
Broadly speaking, complaints against the police may be categorised in the following terms:
I will now talk in relation to some specific cases raised by the Ombudsman in her report.
Juvenile out of control: this related to a young female who became violent at a Darwin shelter. There were injuries that were self-inflicted as a result of punching a door. The JRC was concerned that given the behaviour of the juvenile, she should have been arrested and, in this particular case, she was not.
Doggone it: the case of a dog shot by police. This was a complaint and an issue that received quite a lot of media scrutiny and was spoken about in the parliament. Incidentally, I have received a number of written complaints about it. It caused quite a lot of concern within the community. This matter was dealt with by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command under the supervision of the Joint Review Committee. The Joint Review Committee recommended disciplinary action against the officers for misleading statements and the manner in which they attempted to destroy the dog. Police were served with a Notice of Intent to Summons the officers under the Animal Welfare Act. I am informed police did take disciplinary action against the officers involved.
In relation to the alleged unlawful detention of a juvenile, this was the case of a young man riding home late at night on a bicycle without lights and helmet. He claimed he was assaulted by police. The Joint Review Committee recommended that police reinforce that detaining a person for a traffic infringement is a breach of legislation. An apology was sent to the complainant in this case.
Then there was a complaint in relation to police who were allegedly intoxicated whilst they were off duty. A detailed investigation of this complaint was undertaken by the Ethical and Professional Standards Committee under the supervision of the Joint Review Committee. Witnesses were spoken to and the officers who were involved were interviewed. The Joint Review Committee recommended disciplinary action. Those officers were charged with assault. I am told that all three members face disciplinary charges stemming from the original incident. I am also told that all three members in this case were charged with criminal assault. In the case of one of the officers, there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial. In the other two cases, the members were committed to stand trial. The DPP did not proceed in the Supreme Court because it was considered there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.
I commend the Ombudsman’s report. As I have outlined in some detail in relation to those complaints against police, action was taken by police and there was sufficient investigation. The public can have every confidence in the processes through the Ombudsman. The standard of police behaviour is an issue about which I have spoken with the commissioner, and I can assure this House and the public generally that the Commissioner of Police, who has responsibility for disciplinary matters, has set a very high standard for police behaviour within our force. I have every confidence in our Police Commissioner and the standards that he is applying, and the disciplinary procedures that are going hand-in-hand with his view of ethical standards of behaviour within our police force.
I believe we have a top line police force and one that draws many members to the Territory. Police officers do a very hard job under trying circumstances. Sometimes, there are allegations of misbehaviour and, when those allegations are proven, action is taken.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Ombudsman’s report to the House.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank all those who contributed. This House looking at the Ombudsman’s report is a very important component of how we govern. The Ombudsman has a responsibility to report fully to this House each year, and that she has done.
It is interesting to note some of the interpretations of the facts and figures of the Ombudsman’s report. We saw a drop in the number of complaints over 2005-06. This can be interpreted in a number of ways and it has been in this House. You can either say there is some fault in that we are not telling Territorians they can come to the Ombudsman sufficiently or, alternately, you can look at the fact that the mechanisms that have been put in place, and I congratulate our Ombudsman on this, for her to work with agencies to follow the legislation and make sure that those Territorians who have a complaint against an agency are going to agencies, and that agencies have better mechanisms to deal with those complaints.
That is as the legislation stipulates and, if we are doing that more successfully and, therefore, the burden to the Ombudsman has dropped, I would have said this is a good thing. I am certain that every member here, if there are genuine complaints that come to their electorate office - I am sure you do, Madam Speaker – would use the mechanism of going to the Ombudsman as often as is appropriate. It is interesting to say that, necessarily, if there has been a drop in the number of complaints to the Ombudsman this is a bad thing, as we heard from the Opposition Leader. However, it could also be a result of proactive work coming from this government and the Ombudsman to deal with complaints more effectively.
I congratulate all those involved in working with agencies like Housing, for example, where there are a lot of complaints. Appeals mechanisms within Housing are now dealing better and more effectively, and finally, with the complaints that used to go to the Ombudsman. For example, in Correctional Services, the number of calls coming to the Ombudsman from the prison is down. The telephone service is still there, a direct line to the Ombudsman, so nothing has changed in that. Do you then construe that we are not giving information to prisoners to be able to ring the Ombudsman if appropriate? Or do we say that in Correctional Services, there are fewer complaints that need to go to the Ombudsman?
Looking at the Ombudsman’s report, you can interpret it in different ways. If you want to take a negative slant, you can take it, but if you want to see it as government operating more effectively, you can also interpret it like that. I hope everyone in this House would say: ‘Let us hope that it is about government acting more effectively’.
The issue of Ombudsman’s budget again was raised. I am sure that every agency could come into this House and say: ‘I do not have enough money’. Madam Speaker, maybe even the Legislative Assembly would say: ‘I do not have enough money’. It is always a matter of balance and priority. Treasury is working with the Ombudsman now to look at what the additional needs of the office are and what the Ombudsman is saying is needed to done. We have met some of the issues with additional funds to clear the backlog. The Ombudsman said in the report that the backlog that was there for some time has been cleared. That is terrific. We will look at what the needs are at the Ombudsman’s Office, and they are not the same from year to year, and we will be responding to them appropriately. Work with Treasury is being done. Of course, for any bids coming from any agency, and I am sure there will be significant bids as we go into our budget rounds, government finds a balance.
Thank you, everyone, for your contribution to this annual report from our Ombudsman I again thank the Ombudsman and her staff for the important work they do each year for the Territory.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Territory has the best lifestyle in the country. The main priority of the government in 2007 is to continue to deliver our great way of life. To achieve this, we will continue our focus on providing a strong and growing economy, better education and training opportunities, and a healthier and safer Territory. That focus will encompass the ongoing development of our regions, creating more jobs and opportunities for Territorians, as well as the continued development of Darwin and Alice Springs.
Before the 2005 election, we made a commitment to Territorians to deliver a strong and growing economy, and create more jobs and opportunities in the future. We are delivering on that promise. Last week, the Northern Territory recorded an unemployment level of 2%, the lowest on record. We recognise that nothing promotes your lifestyle like having a job, and Territorians today have the opportunity to gain greater skills, create the career of their choice, and move up the ladder within their profession or trade.
Our onshore economy continued to strengthen in 2005-06, with GSP growing by 7.5%. Investment was the main driver, expanding by 11.9%, while consumption grew by 4.3%. This growth is predicted to continue this financial year with GSP forecast to increase by 6.2%, with output growth in the mining and energy sector the major driver.
More Territorians are in work than ever before. In 2005-06 employment grew by 4%, second to Western Australia and well above the national average of 2.2%. This financial year, we are expected to do even better, with growth forecast to strengthen to 5% in 2006-07. That is great news for Territorians, and a further indication that our economic strategies are creating an environment that is attractive to business and investors, and one that is creating more jobs for Territorians.
The major developments expected to boost jobs growth in 2007 include: Darwin’s waterfront development; Classified Goods precinct; the commissioning of Alcan Gove; BOC helium plant; the Blacktip gas pipeline; Compass Resources’ Browns oxide mine; and GBS Gold International’s Fountain Head mine.
The growth of our economy extends well beyond the construction and mining industries. There has been significant employment growth in tourism-related industries, property and business services, finance and insurance, transport and storage, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade. The Territory economy is buoyant and a direct result of prudent fiscal management and our ongoing strategic investment in key capital works and infrastructure such as our modern bulk handling facilities at East Arm, which have helped make the Territory an attractive option for investors. This kind of investment is creating opportunity and is helping establish the Australasia trade route as a viable alternative for traders to our north and south. Examples of the opportunities being created are the new manganese export contracts to China from Bootu Creek which began last year, and the new iron ore contracts from Frances Creek that start this year.
Darwin is rapidly establishing itself as both Australia’s gateway to Asia and Asia’s gateway to Australia’s southern states.
Let me assure all Territorians that we will continue to maintain strong financial discipline and ensure that our economy continues to grow in the years ahead. Our aim is to create more jobs and opportunities for Territorians, and we will achieve this by continuing to invest in vital capital works and infrastructure, as well as by supporting key areas of our economy like our growing tourism industry. We will also continue to work closely with the business community to create an environment that encourages investment and innovation.
As our economy continues to grow into the future, it is vital that all Territorians have the opportunity to participate and benefit. A significant challenge for the Territory is growing the size of our workforce, and addressing the nationwide problem of skills shortage. Our growing economy has put the labour market under pressure and substantially increased competition for labour. An NT industry survey, commissioned by the Department of Employment, Education and Training in 2005, showed that 60% of the businesses that responded said they had experienced recruitment difficulties in the previous 12 months. If we are going to sustain strong economic growth, we must increase the number of work-ready Territorians and build on the skills of existing workers.
I am pleased to inform the House that we are meeting this challenge head on and, in fact, now have more Territorians registered in training than ever before. We have set an ambitious target of 10 000 apprentices and trainees over the four-year period to 2008, and we are well ahead of schedule. Over 5200 training contracts have been registered for apprentices and trainees in 2005-06 alone.
A big challenge for government and industry is ensuring the skills profile of our workforce match the needs in the workplace. A national study commissioned by training ministers revealed Australia faces a substantial structural mismatch between the skills of its current workforce and the future needs of the economy. As our economic base in the Territory evolves, we will need to adjust the skills profile of our labour force to meet the needs of an expanding manufacturing sector and the diversity of our oil and gas, and Defence industries.
We will work closely with registered training organisations, particularly Charles Darwin University, to ensure public funding for training meets future industry needs. This means we must develop stronger links between government, registered training providers, and key industry sectors. A good example of this is our 500 000 Build Skills program, introduced under Jobs Plan 2. The program involves a partnership arrangement between DEET, industry organisations, and preferred training providers. The aim is to upgrade competency levels through gap training, and this means that participants can obtain a nationally recognised qualification.
Some of the outcomes from Build Skills so far include: 90 workers in the civil construction industry gaining a national qualification; the first ever non-destructive testing course in the NT for welders; and an upskilling program for electricians to meet high level licensing requirements.
This is not a challenge for government alone; both industry and individual employees have a responsibility to upskill and re-skill in our modern workforce. I encourage all Territorians to find out more about the opportunities our education and training system can offer them.
A top quality education is vital for the future prosperity of the Territory and the wellbeing of Territorians, which is why we have embarked on the most significant reform of education in the history of the Northern Territory. Territorians can feel confident that we are building an education system that is first rate and competitive with the best in Australia. Structural changes around middle years will see Year 10 students take their place as senior year students, and set them on a three-year journey to employment or further study. These changes will allow us to focus on a quality education for students during those often difficult adolescent years.
For students living in remote parts of the Territory, we have started the process of creating a leading edge distance education service. The service will see staff located in the regions, and state-of-the-art interactive distance learning technology used. A major priority for us continues to be the improved outcomes for Aboriginal students in bush communities. It is no easy task, but the success we have had with students in remote communities completing their Year 12 certificate since 2003 proves that it can be done. Last year saw a record number of Year 12 graduates, with 30 students from seven bush communities completing their studies. These young people, like their predecessors, are role models in their communities and we are enormously proud of their achievements.
We are now working on establishing remote learning partnerships, with focus on attendance, literacy and numeracy, and pathways to employment or further studies. We will be working with 15 large remote communities, making it the most comprehensive community engagement process ever undertaken in the Northern Territory. We are confident that the partnerships will be the catalyst for vastly improved school attendance and learning outcomes.
The health of all Territorians will continue to be a major priority. We are proud to have increased spending on health by 64% since 2001. In that time, we have employed more than 100 extra doctors and 270 extra nurses. We were highly successful in recruiting nurses to the Territory last year, and this year’s campaign will build on that success. We know we must adopt a smart marketing strategy, because the worldwide nursing market is fiercely competitive. We are advertising online, and in both regional and national media, including some of Australia’s highest circulating publications like Woman’s Day, New Weekly and Take 5, as well as a range of nursing publications.
I should point out that our success in recruitment is in stark contrast to the record of previous CLP governments, which slashed nursing numbers by 200 between 1996 and 1999.
Our substantial investment in health is paying dividends to Territorians. It is pleasing to see that life expectancy of Northern Territory Aboriginal women has increased by three years since 2001, while Aboriginal infant mortality has fallen by 36%. These are encouraging signs, but we recognise there is still much more to do in the years ahead.
We also recognised that, while we have increased health spending significantly - we have invested more than $788m to health last year - our system is facing ever-increasing demands. For example, Territory Emergency Department attendances grew 6.5% in the last year. We recognise the pressure being exerted on our hospitals, and have increased bed numbers by 10% since 2001. We have also promised an extra 24 beds in both Darwin and Alice Springs hospitals, and we will meet this commitment.
Another priority in the coming year will be the expansion of the highly successful Rapid Admissions Unit at Royal Darwin Hospital from nine to 24 stations. Since its establishment last year, the Rapid Admissions Unit has cut waiting times in the Emergency Department at Royal Darwin from 18 hours to less than seven for people awaiting admission. That is significant, and we are hopeful the increase in the size of the unit this year will result in further reductions.
One of the great challenges facing us is access to GPs across the Territory. Given the Territory has the second lowest bulkbilling rate in Australia, it is critical we work to improve access to GP services. This is a Commonwealth responsibility, and we will continue to work with the Australian government this year to make gains in this priority area.
Another priority is delivering on our promise to build a high-quality, safe and sustainable radiation oncology unit in Darwin. I am pleased to report the Department of Health and Community Services and the Commonwealth are currently finalising an MOU and request for tender, and we will be in a position to bring more news on the radiation oncology unit soon.
Another key focus for government in 2007, and one closely tied up with the health of Territorians, is housing. Home Territory 2010, which was released in 2004, aims to provide Territorians with safe, secure and affordable housing. 2007 marks the beginning of the second of a three-year phase of this strategy. There will be a strong focus on two particular areas: affordable housing and housing for people in the bush. The affordability of housing in the Territory and, indeed across Australia, has received significant attention in recent months. This year, we will work across all portfolio areas on a range of initiatives that will address affordability issues for social and private housing tenures. I am pleased to report that our HomeNorth scheme, which is designed to help Territorians buy their own homes, will this year fund their 1000th home loan.
Housing in the bush is critical to the health and wellbeing of many in our remote communities. We are committed to meeting the housing shortfall in these communities. Late last year, I announced an extra $100m investment over five years for new housing in regional and remote areas. This funding is over and above existing programs and will be a key component of our 20-year generational plan. It is the biggest ever commitment to Aboriginal housing by any Territory government, and will do much to reduce the pressure associated with overcrowding in these communities. As part of this $100m initiative, we will review housing designs to ensure they are appropriate, look at new construction technique to support local employment and address costs, investigate the establishment of factories to fabricate prefabricated houses in regional centres, and deliver this program to a small number of long-term contracts to get the best value and ensure local training and employment outcomes.
The package will also create significant employment, training and economical opportunities in the bush, and work has already begun in a number of areas. The Minister for Housing will update this House on progress so far.
The misuse and abuse of alcohol is an issue we will continue to tackle in 2007. Excessive alcohol consumption not only has severe health implications, but also has a big impact on communities, families and friends. We spend millions of dollars dealing with alcohol-related harm, and the consequences are far-reaching. For example, last year there were just under 25 000 incidences of people being placed in protective custody due to alcohol-related matters, and more than 6800 hospital admissions in the Territory for alcohol-related conditions over the same period. This is clearly unacceptable. The problems are complex and, unfortunately, there is no one simple solution.
We will continue to work with communities across the Territory to develop and implement alcohol management plans; plans that are tailored to the specific needs of particular communities. The main priorities of the alcohol plans are to reduce supply, demand and harm.
The Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan was launched late last year. While we are only four months into the 12-month trial period, we have already seen some encouraging improvements. There has been a 50% decrease in the number of people in protective custody, and total sales of pure alcohol have decreased by 11% since the trial began. I will keep members updated on progress as we receive data.
In 2007, comprehensive alcohol management plans will be developed in more than a dozen communities across the Territory, including Borroloola, Palmerston, Timber Creek, Jabiru and Tennant Creek. The minister for Licensing will elaborate on the progress being made with the alcohol plans tomorrow. I take this opportunity to congratulate all those communities involved in tackling this insidious problem. I congratulate Nhulunbuy - their alcohol management plan will come into effect in either March or April.
Every child is entitled to the best possible start in life. A recent report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in January showed that there were over 265 000 reports of concerns about children to authorities in Australia during 2005-06. This is a national issue of tragic proportions. In the Territory, we have faced up to this challenge after more than a generation of neglect of services for families and children. We are committed to making the Territory a safe place for all Territorians, especially children. That is why we have substantially increased the child protection budgets since 2001. That money means more workers on the ground, better support to foster carers, and more funding to our non-government sector to help families in crisis.
It has also meant that we have entered a new era of confidence; confidence that if you contact the authorities because you are concerned about a child, something will be done. We made it clear that we would respond to community concerns and that we would intervene, if necessary, in families to keep children safe. The message has certainly been heard. The number of reports has increased significantly, resulting in a doubling of Aboriginal children in care. The Child Abuse Taskforce, with police and child protection workers operating jointly from a shared office, is having a positive impact. Their joint investigations are stopping abuse and bringing offenders to account.
Child abuse is not just an issue for FACS, though. Our health clinics and the hospitals, Territory Housing, our schools and the police all have a role to play, and our investment in the system means these services have the capacity to work together to identify children at risk and take measure to keep them safe. Later this year, minister Lawrie will introduce to the parliament a Care and Protection bill - contemporary legislation to replace the old Community Welfare Act. The bill has been developed through extensive consultation, and will set the scene for a new approach to children’s services in the Territory.
Finally, I want to flag the Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse, which I believe will be a landmark report for the Territory. The co-chairs, Rex Wild and Pat Anderson, have held over 160 stakeholder meetings to identify the steps we need to take to make our communities safer. I certainly look forward to seeing their report.
Law and order will continue to be a key priority for us. We are serious about dealing with crime and we know that safer communities are an essential part of our great Territory lifestyle. Like many Territorians, I also know that our police are the best in Australia. When we came to office in 2001, the police force was both under-resourced and under-funded. There is no escaping the fact that the previous CLP government had mismanaged our police, with the three-year recruitment freeze in the 1990s the most obvious blunder. Since then, we have increased spending on police by 55%. The recently released review of government services showed the Territory to be the highest spending jurisdiction on police in Australia. We spent 2.5 times the national average on police.
In 2003, we initiated the $75m Building our Police Force plan which committed us to recruiting an extra 200 officers to the force. Last Thursday, we reached that target when 22 members of Recruit Squad 87 graduated. Our increased spending has also meant initiatives such as the recently launched Traffic Branch, which was scrapped by the CLP, the expansion of our coastal vessel fleet, new mobile police posts, and more drug detector dogs have been put in place.
The stations in our major centres now have personnel for specialised units like property crime reduction, crime scene investigation and criminal investigation. Police have also created dedicated domestic violence protection units. Importantly, we have also backed our police with tough new legislation like our anti-gang laws. With the additional numbers, improved resources, and tougher laws, our police are better placed to tackle crime than ever before. The 50% reduction in property crime since 2001 is testament to that.
We have now effectively rebuilt our police force, but there is still more to do. There are another two more recruitment squads due to graduate before the end of the financial year, and another 20 experienced interstate officers will also join the force in the next few months through our transitional entry program. We are preparing to launch a new mobile police post in Katherine in the coming months, and our new remote area traffic and highway patrols will begin operating mid-year. Planning is under way for a new police station at Casuarina. We remain committed to funding our police and giving them support they need to ensure all Territorians live in a safe and secure environment.
As I mentioned earlier, the development of our regions is a key priority for the government. It is imperative that people in our regions and remote communities have the opportunity to receive an education, learn a trade, get a job and build businesses in their local community. While DBERD is the leading agency for regional economic development, each department across government is responsible for service delivery. Our activities are focused on the delivery of services and programs at the local level, building and coordinating projects that provide economic growth and development, engaging with communities through our economic development committees and regional offices, and influencing across government - essentially keeping government informed about key issues.
This year, we will continue to roll out our program of our new economic development committees. Already, eight have been established in the Tiwi Islands, Katherine, Victoria River, East Arnhem, Gulf, Tennant Creek, Anmatjere and Alice Springs, with one under way in the West MacDonnell region. These committees are a key way government engages with communities to address key challenges and opportunities in each of their regions.
Of course, for our regions to develop and flourish now and into the future, there needs to be good governance in the communities. That is why the most exciting and wide-ranging challenge we face in the next 16 months, and one that is essential to the long-term development of our regions, is the comprehensive reform of local government in the Territory and the formation of nine new shires to complement our four municipal councils. Many members of this House have spoken of the need for this reform over the past 20 years, and we simply cannot maintain the status quo any longer.
The reasons for change are many, but the lack of strong governance structures, the overwhelming administrative burden placed on these fragile organisations, the lack of access to expertise and skilled staff required to manage in adversity, are the greatest drivers of change. In a risk assessment carried out in the past year, 50% of our existing councils have been classified as high risk or dysfunctional. In the last year, we have had major interventions in 17 councils, and CEO positions in over 20 councils have been advertised with eight readvertised within 12 months. This is a stark reminder of the serious structural problems experienced by local government in our rural and remote areas.
It is clear that the Australian government is also changing its approach to funding bush communities, and we need a new system to take advantage of these changes and direction.
Recently, minister McAdam announced an advisory board under the chairmanship of Pat Dodson. The board will guide the process and highlight issues requiring expert advice during the community negotiation phase. We have also announced indicative boundaries based on consideration of geographical location, cultural connections, administrative and financial viability factors, population and demographic indicators, and historical arrangements such as exist in Katherine East with Nyirranggulung or in the Tiwi Islands. The advisory board includes representatives of all the major stakeholder groups: the Local Government Association of the NT; the land councils; the Chamber of Commerce; the Cattlemen’s Association; the federal and NT governments; and the communities themselves through northern and southern representative groups.
We expect the transitional arrangements for each new shire to be in place by late 2007, well in advance of the 1 July 2008 implementation date. The Local Government Act will also be reviewed to reflect these new arrangements, including the regulation of minimum service standards.
A major focus of the reform will be the creation of jobs for local people. Our aim is to double Aboriginal employment to 1200 positions in the first four years. This reform has strong support from the Australian government, which views stable and reliable local government as a prerequisite for expanded investment in our regions. This new structure will have a strong focus on delivering core local government services like roads and infrastructure, waste management, a clean environment and community facilities. The challenge will be to provide a long-term certainty about the future of rural and remote communities, and the type and level of service their members can expect as citizens of the Northern Territory.
While regional development is a key priority for us, we also have a long-term plan for the development of Darwin and Alice Springs. Last October, I launched Creating Darwin’s Future – a Tropical Harbour City. Creating Darwin’s Future sets out 93 broad initiatives and proposals for enhancing our city. The list is by no means definitive; more a collection of ideas and initiatives that I see as a starting point for discussion. The aim is to preserve our heritage and relaxed tropical lifestyle, while balancing our economic, social and environmental priorities. It is about ensuring Darwin grows into the place we would like it to be. We want to build on work already under way and create an even better tropical harbour city - a city where people will want to live and one that Territorians can be proud of. We also want to be a destination that will attract visitors from around the world, and an attractive place for investors.
The three key themes are:
If we get it right, we will become an even more attractive option for investors, with major building and public infrastructure projects, including streetscaping, seaside promenades, residential developments, and new tourist attractions. The investment opportunities will see more jobs for Territorians in expanding industries such as retail, hospitality, Defence support, gas-based manufacturing, transport and shipping.
Some initiatives, such as the Darwin waterfront and tourist accommodation, are already under way, with funds allocated by government, council or the private sector. Others, such as the World War II Defence of Darwin Museum, the Indigenous Cultural Centre and the State Square redevelopment, require further discussions between key stakeholders, including Darwin City Council, businesses, investors and property owners.
Creating Darwin’s Future has provided the impetus for these discussions to take place. Consultations began late last year, and are continuing this year. Feedback so far via our dedicated Future Darwin website and public displays has been very positive. I have also briefed a number of key organisations and their members, including the Chamber of Commerce, NT Property Council and the Capital Cities Charter.
It is fair to say that the overwhelming majority of people want to see some of the proposals progressed sooner rather than later. Some of the issues raised during our consultations include: the need for better building designs that fit our part of the world; more family-friendly facilities at places like the Esplanade; cleaning up our city streets and improving streetscapes and shopfronts; continuous walking trails and bike paths from one end of the city to the other; and the World War II museum and Aboriginal cultural centre have also received a lot of support.
On 18 February, Creating Darwin’s Future will be featured in the Sunday Territorian as a means of encouraging further feedback from the community. Consultations will continue until late March, following a series of six targeted forums for key industry sectors and interest groups, such as the tourism sector, the arts sector, professional groups, World War II groups, and community and greening groups.
Madam Speaker, let me now turn to Moving Alice Ahead. We are committed to moving Alice Springs forward and dealing with some of the difficult issues that impact on its unique lifestyle. We have progressed work on the Alice in 10 vision, and are committed to developing Alice Springs as a vibrant and modern desert town. A range of priority projects are in train as part of this vision. The Red Centre Way is progressing well. Sealing of the road from Kings Canyon to the border at Watarrka National Park, and 27 km of sealed widening of Larapinta Drive has been completed, and a $13.3m contract to seal almost 50 km of Namatjira Drive from Glen Helen through to the boundary of the West MacDonnell National Park began last week.
We acknowledge that there have been ongoing issues with the Central Land Council regarding sacred site clearances. We will continue to work through these issues with the CLC and, I am confident, find solutions.
The sealing of the Red Centre Way, our commitment to pursue the declaration of the West MacDonnell Ranges as a world heritage area, and the planned tourism infrastructure work along the Red Centre Way, formed the basis of securing commitment from the Australian government to declare the spectacular scenery of the Red Centre between Uluru and Alice Springs as Australia’s first national landscape.
The work conducted by the Town Camp Task Force to standardise services to town camps and improve accommodation options for town camp residents and visitors to Alice Springs is another key plank of our commitment to Moving Alice Ahead. Work is well under way to improve basic housing, power and water infrastructure. The redevelopment of Stuart Lodge as a short-term accommodation option is now complete, and will be handed over to Territory Housing this week. Tenants have begun moving into the Keith Lawrie flats, and the planning for the expansion to the Ayipirinya Hostel has started.
Alice Springs lifestyle is magnificent and we are committed to protecting and developing it. Our $8.1m grant to the Alice Springs Town Council to construct a first-class aquatic centre builds on our $5m promise to upgrade the sporting facilities at Traeger Park. I am sure that the people of Alice Springs are looking forward to council getting on with the job of delivering the indoor heated swimming pool complex.
An exciting prospect for Alice Springs is the focus on its built environment. We have maintained our commitment to enhancing the Todd River along Leichhardt Terrace, and we are currently working with the Alice Springs Town Council and other stakeholders to plan further mall and central business district developments that will improve the CBD for both locals and visitors alike.
We are continuing to make good progress with the Desert Knowledge Precinct; the $2.1m Business Innovation Centre is near completion, and the tender for Stage 1 of the Desert Peoples Centre closed last week. In November last year, we announced a further commitment of $2.5m to build a solar demonstration facility at the precinct. Desert Knowledge Australia continues to work on the cross-border networking initiatives including Linked Business Networks and the Outback Tourism Network projects. The Desert Knowledge CRC is driving a four-wheel drive tourism project, as well as research into bush products, pastoralism and desert businesses. All these Desert Knowledge initiatives are aimed at capitalising on the expertise that exists within Australia’s remote and desert regions, and developing economic opportunity for Central Australia and the Territory.
The Youth Employment Framework aims to develop strategies that will see more local young people employed in the private and public sectors throughout Central Australia. The framework will be strongly linked to our education system, and aims to meet employer skills needs. Initiatives such as the Clontarf Football Academy and the Polly Farmer Foundation Centrecorp project will be integral to its success. With a nationwide skills shortage impacting profoundly on regional areas, the Youth Employment Frameworks is critical for the future of Alice Springs. These economic and social projects are just some of the initiatives we are undertaking to keep Alice moving ahead.
While we are immensely proud of our way of life in the Territory, there is still a great deal of work to do right across the Territory. We need to ensure our economy continues to grow, and that there are jobs and business opportunities for Territorians no matter where they live. We need to ensure that young Territorians receive a quality education, and have the opportunity to learn a trade and acquire the knowledge and skills they need to build a career. We need to ensure that all Territorians can see a doctor if they need one, and have access to top quality health care. It is our aim that all Territorians throughout the Territory can feel safe and secure in the places that they live.
I started off this statement by saying we have the greatest lifestyle in Australia, and we do. It is my commitment, this government’s commitment, to keep it that way.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Debate suspended.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Parliament House Public Tour program visitors. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also draw your attention to the Department of the Chief Minister apprentices for 2007 who are in the public gallery. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you also a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Continued from earlier this day.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, whilst I welcome the Chief Minister’s first ministerial statement for the year, and there are some, and I stress some, positive aspects to it, the opposition cannot help but notice the extraordinary levels of cynicism in it. The Chief Minister and her colleagues would have Territorians believe that all is well.
This government did not have a good year last year. Often, we rely on our friends in the media, who provide excellent commentary on most matters - not all, but most - and I need only point to some of the articles that were contained in The Australian newspaper last year. I note some particularly interesting references by Nicholas Rothwell in an article earlier this month in relation to the Chief Minister’s poor performance. I raise those matters because I understand, in a political sense, why the Chief Minister and her spin doctors would make this statement today. It is understood; we get it.
It is our job, of course, to draw to Territorians’ attention those matters on which this government is silent. I will come to police numbers a little later. As a responsible opposition, for instance, in relation to the Road Safety Taskforce report where there were a number of recommendations we publicly highlighted the areas with which we agreed and those with which we did not. I believe my colleague the member for Katherine wrote to the member for Karama in her ministerial capacity about it. We were keen to let government and Territorians know that there were, in fact, some areas on which we agreed.
However, an equally responsible opposition does need to take government to task on some of the issues that it wants to spin to Territorians. As I said on radio this morning, there is no shortage to choose from; the list is endless. Whilst we understand the political realities of making a statement of this type, no doubt the Chief Minister is attempting to square up her leadership of this government. Of course, we all remember the leadership speculation and media tip-offs towards the end of the year. Whilst we appreciate why she is doing this, it is, as I say, incumbent upon us to scratch below the surface.
I note in the second paragraph on page one of the Chief Minister’s statement, she said that she will continue the government’s focus on providing a strong and growing economy, better education and training opportunities and a healthier and safer Territory. She also referred to the fact that her government will, in the first paragraph, ‘continue to deliver our great way of life’, a unique Territory lifestyle which is being pulled apart by this Territory Labor government. People, at the last election at least, wanted to see the return of the Territory Labor government. This government did not, however, have a mandate to destroy our unique Territory lifestyle. They have done so with speed limits. They did not have a mandate to introduce speed limits; they did not go to the Territory election with that. I, along with so many other Territorians, remain very concerned about what the government has done.
I take this opportunity of acknowledging the people in the gallery from Keep NT Limits Free, who are well attired and have been working very hard to put pressure on government, as have we. Welcome.
Returning to the statement, I do not have a formal prepared speech. Unlike the Chief Minister, we do not have 100 staff to write things for us. I could have written it myself, but I thought the best way was to go through parts of this statement, having read it last night. I am aiming to illustrate the point that if one scratches below the surface of the spin of this government, one will see the deceit of this government, the obsession with maintaining government, and the government’s determination to win, and win at all costs and, if that means deceiving Territorians or misleading them, so be it.
There is, as I said, no shortage of issues. I will go through some of them. Some, of course, will be regarded by some people as more important than others. I refer on page four to the Chief Minister’s comment about ‘Darwin is rapidly establishing itself as both Australia’s gateway to Asia and Asia’s gateway to Australia’s southern states’. Spin if I have ever seen it. It was always the gateway to Asia. It does not matter whether you blokes were in power for 30 years or whether the CLP was; it was always the gateway to Asia. Certainly, the CLP advanced that notion and worked hard towards it, as they should have. So should you. However, to suggest that it is rapidly establishing itself as the gateway to Asia, implicitly because of the existence of the Labor government, is arrant nonsense.
In the next paragraph, there is a reference to ‘the strong financial discipline shown by this government’. I do not have all those figures in front of me, but one need only revisit, albeit briefly, some of the issues that we talked about in the Estimates Committee hearing last year, and some of the known blowouts in government departments. For instance, the Department of Employment, Education and Training’s budget blowout is something in the vicinity of $24m. Police has blown out and Health has blown out. Health is completely blown out and, by blowout, we mean exceed the budget allocations. I could spend much more time on that, but I will not. The government and the Chief Minister, who used to be the Treasurer, claims they have shown strong financial discipline. The case is amply made that, in fact, it is not the case if one looks at the blowouts in departmental expenditure.
I note on page 5 that these are references to ‘the nationwide problem of skills shortages’. Correct me if I am wrong, members on the other side, but I understand federal Labor opposes, and therefore you are part of it, bringing in skilled labour from overseas. On the one hand, we have the acknowledgement of the nationwide problem of skill shortages but, driven by ideologies as Labor Party members often are, they are not going to look to address the problem. That said, I acknowledge the work and effort of agency staff, particularly in the Department of Employment, Education and Training, in working with business to improve the situation.
I note that on page 8 of the Chief Minister’s statement, she referred to education. Education was an issue that created a great deal of angst for both students and parents last year. I was at some of the meetings. I did not see the Australian Labor Party Legislative Assembly representatives there - only after, when it became a bit of an issue. In other words, when it found its way into some media outlet, and I cannot remember which one, did we see them starting to attend. I recall that the minister for Education, the member for Nhulunbuy, said last year that he had no intention, or words to this effect, of fronting an angry crowd. Well, if you are a government which is making tough decisions, you should at least face those who want to talk to you. I note with interest that the Chief Minister was called upon to meet with representatives at this morning’s rally. Again, she was nowhere to be seen.
There are several pages of information in relation to education, but we know that the introduction of middle schooling has been poorly handled by the Labor government. ‘With greater priority given to public relations and bricks and mortar than curriculum development and teacher training’, said my wonderful colleague, the member for Blain and shadow eduction minister. I will leave it to my educator friend on my left to deal with education.
For those members of government who would prefer to just leave next year, put it in the history books and hope like hell that the disasters of last year do not happen again, I wish you well. Territorians will not forget the trouble to which you put them and their families with your botch-up of middle schooling. I understand this year, happily, there have been some improvements but, equally, there are still a great deal of issues yet to be resolved. That is education but, as I have said, I will leave it to my friend and colleague, the member for Blain.
Then the Chief Minister in her sprinkling of all issues that she perceives topical to Territorians, and the ones to date are, referred on page 10 of her statement to the health of Territorians. The Chief Minister said that ‘the health of all Territorians will continue to be a major priority’. My view is that some people in the health and allied health professions, as well as patients presenting to our hospitals, may take the view that the Australian Labor Party does not have the right to say they will continue to make health a major priority. Some of those people may say that it is hard to tell whether health is a priority. I remember looking at a budget paper - probably the one before last; I cannot specifically remember whether it was the case in last year’s budget – where the indications on the health of Territorians from what I think is called WEIS indicators, were that Territorians are getting sicker. That is dreadful. In this day and age, our fellow Territorians are getting sicker.
I stress that I look forward to this year’s relevant information. I hope that there is a further inclusion of the WEIS indicator in the budget papers. If there is not, I am sure we can chase it up. However, the fact that we know that the health of so many Territorians is not improving given the amounts of money that have been spent, I would have thought would be a cause of some reflection and regret on the part of the government.
The Chief Minister talked about how successful she has been in, well, pretty much everything, apparently. I remind the Chief Minister that there are some ongoing problems in health, and just one of them is the bullying of health professionals by hospital bureaucrats. We know it does. The nurses will agree and some of you bureaucrats are on to this because we all know they met recently. We know that bullying of health professionals by hospital bureaucrats occurs. We also know, as do the nurses, that it has a role to play in the difficulties associated with recruitment and retention. This government is full of bullies and the opposition knows that well. The Chief Minister, by saying all is well in health, is being incredibly selective to the point of putting the spin machine in overdrive.
Is it not also a cause for concern that in the Chief Minister’s statement, she made no reference to what has occurred this month at Royal Darwin Hospital? That is, that the roster at Royal Darwin Hospital will be short 1100 nursing shifts for the month of February. I am not aware of an attempt by the Chief Minister to deal with that. I recall hearing the Minister for Health on radio a week or so ago who did not deny that there were 1100 nursing shifts that were not filled at Royal Darwin Hospital just for the month of February. I am glad to see a rare demonstration of honesty on his part. However, I wonder whether the minister, rather than practising his thespian pastimes, might spend more time in his office properly addressing the issues that are of so much concern to his fellow Territorians.
The Chief Minister said on page 11: ‘Our substantial investment in health is paying dividends for Territorians’. Even the member for Blain is coughing, Madam Speaker. One wonders what the people who are forced to lie around on trolleys in our hospitals, particularly at RDH, have to say about that. There are so many issues. I know that my friend and colleague, the member for Greatorex, will address those, too. I am very fortunate in this position. I have an educator as the shadow minister for Education and I have a doctor as shadow minister for Health …
Mr Mills: And a lawyer.
Ms CARNEY: And a lawyer as the shadow Attorney-General. I have a pretty good trifecta. Thank you, member for Blain.
I note on page 13 of the Chief Minister’s statement, there is a reference to the radiation oncology unit. If memory serves me correctly, this was promised prior to 2001. This government and the former Minister for Health, Peter Toyne, weaselled, as they did, not unlike what we are seeing now with the police numbers. They used the old weasel words and eventually relied on the old chestnut that it was all the Commonwealth’s fault. I am pleased, and we are keeping our fingers crossed, that we will see the delivery of this promise. I suppose if it happens, we will say: ‘Better late than never’. I know that this has been an issue of great, sincere, deep concern to many patients and their families.
Elsewhere on page 13, the Chief Minister, as she scanned the topical issues of the Northern Territory, referred to Housing. I think there was a report a week or so ago that showed that Darwin housing was becoming unaffordable, the most expensive around or thereabouts if it was not top of the list. It was way up there. When we look at our fellow Territorians and young home buyers in particular, one wonders whether the Chief Minister is at all concerned about Darwin developing the reputation of having almost unreachable levels of housing, particularly for young people.
Of course, this affects areas about which we have spoken: health, education and so on. We are not going to get those people here, even if the government does try hard enough, and I do not think they are, if houses are seen as unaffordable.
Equally, it is difficult for the Territory given that Darwin has the highest inflation rate of any capital city in the country. It is 5%, which is the highest inflation rate of any capital city. I note again with interest and a level of scepticism that there is no reference to that in the Chief Minister’s statement.
Turning to page 16 and a different issue all together, the Chief Minister said:
To her credit, the Chief Minister has outlined some plans. Of course, the CLP is on the record as being supportive of dry towns. Not that it is a competition, but I think we were even talking about it before government. Certainly, in Alice Springs that was the case and there was a groundswell of community support. I wish everyone associated with the dry town concept every success.
How is it that we see, if we were to graph it, a pretty significant increase of people being placed into protective custody? That leads neatly for me to refer again to a CLP policy published probably in the middle of last year, commonly called Three Strikes and You’re In. In other words, if you are picked up three times in six months, you are taken before the court, the court has various dispositions available to it, the ultimate sanction being gaol. I stress that it is the ultimate sanction. It is a nice balance, noting the health difficulties associated with alcoholism as well as a tough law and order position.
I wonder why the government is not looking to introduce something like that. It does not have to completely adopt our policies, although the government is well known for so doing. However, I wonder whether the government might be as concerned as so many other people about the 25 000 and increasing instances of people being placed in protective custody.
The next issue is child welfare, child protection, on page 17. The Chief Minister referred to the report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in January. Unlike the Chief Minister, and given my interest in the area, I have the report and I have actually read it. Similarly, there are other reports, no doubt, of which the Chief Minister has no knowledge.
Before I get to another report, for some pages, the Chief Minister is at pains to forget about all the mess she had last year. However, I believe it is important for us to perhaps revisit it. We had a situation, an interview on Lateline with Dr Nanette Rogers who talked about various cases of child abuse. As a result, the Chief Minister, who stuffed it up for several days after that, was having difficulties. Not long after, there was a further Lateline interview ...
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: I know members on the other side do not want to revisit this. I suppose they might have had nightmares about it over the Christmas period. However, the long and short of it is that the Chief Minister did embarrass herself, her party and the Northern Territory with her atrocious handling of this issue. We saw the now famous leaked memo by the member for Millner, who will be carrying the can for that for some time and, of course, towards the end of last year, we saw intensive speculation about the Chief Minister’s leadership.
I understand. I get why it is that she would spend several pages of the first statement for 2007 to attempt to forget about what was, no doubt for her, an awful series of memories and, to a large extent, even rewrite some of the history , I suppose it could be said, and to set the scene for the way forward.
She made many references to child protection. The National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse published a report in September last year. It was published in September last year but, as even members on the other side know, it was not sent out to politicians until about late December, a fact which was checked with Monash University. The report was published under the auspices of Monash University. Let me tell you what it says at Chapter 7 of the report regarding the Northern Territory. It is in stark contrast to the Chief Minister’s assessment of what has happened under her government. I will quote a couple of sections of it:
They are significant words ‘… as a reason for concern about the NT’s …’, read Chief Minister, ‘… commitment to development and reform when it comes to child protection’. This is why the Chief Minister had a shocker of a year last year and, no doubt, she will be under the pump before too long. If I may digress, Nicholas Rothwell, in his article on 7 February in The Australian, said of the Chief Minister:
That was an article, obviously, in relation to Darwin planning.
It is difficult for the Chief Minister to argue, as she has apparently done in this ministerial statement, about the wonderful work in the area of child protection. It is not me saying this; it is the National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Nicholas Rothwell. Of course, who can remember the article he wrote, I think in late 2001, about the Chief Minister sitting there, feet up on the desk – boy, that was a really interesting article. It was glowing of the Chief Minister. How times have changed.
Getting back to something else the Chief Minister said in relation to child protection, here we go on page 19:
Madam Speaker, you, of course, would be aware of this having once been a Health Minister. If one looks back at the Parliamentary Record, I know there are other references to it, when the member for Stuart was the relevant minister in 2004. He said in this place:
That was on 17 February 2004.
The next minister to have a bit of a shot at this, the member for Karama, said on 15 June 2006:
Moving on, in relation to police, we heard today in Question Time the weasel words used by the government. We were onto it, of course, last year. Everyone was: the Police Association; journalists; you name it. It was a long line. You see, it all changed in about November last year when, in a media release issued by the new Police minister. We matched it up with one of many media releases issued by the former Police Minister. Remember the guy who was demoted on account of the leadership business? Anyway, he used the words, and, indeed, other members used the words, that there would be 200 extra police on the beat. In about November, the new bloke said there would be 200 personnel in the force. Give us a break! What do you think? We are just going to sit back and say: ‘Oh well, nothing swings on it’? Well, it does. You are the people who represented to Territorians that you would provide 200 extra police on the beat. You have been beaten all right. You have been beaten on it because you know you cannot do it. It is very sad that no members opposite can actually come to terms with that.
We saw it even today when the minister for Police was saying: ‘Oh no, the memo says …’ We know what the memo says. Everyone knows what the memo says. The memo is fundamentally different from the Labor mantra that was put about by you guys on the other side for a very long time. That is now well established.
In the short time I have left, I will move to some other areas. On page 22 of the Chief Minister’s statement there is a reference to anti-gang laws. I wonder whether the people of Karama have noticed any difference in things out there. I wonder whether the people coming out of Casuarina Shopping Centre reckon that there has been great improvement. Again, this is an attempt for our Chief Minister to put her best foot forward.
As for the police presence, and we all agree that visibility and police presence is really important, there is the mobile police van. We have a competition running in Alice Springs: spot the police van. I have a mate who works at the court house, and you will probably know this, he overlooks the police compound car park. I know exactly where the police van is on a very regular basis. I saw it in the mall. I went up and knocked on the door because I saw it in the mall in Alice Springs and I thought …
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time for the Leader of the Opposition pursuant to Standing Order 77 so that she can complete her remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Ms CARNEY: Thanks, Madam Speaker. There I was, with a mate, walking up Todd Mall and I had to shake my head. I saw the mobile police van. Thinking I was dreaming, I ran up to the mobile police van. I wanted to feel it to make sure I was not dreaming. I felt it and it was there. Then, I knocked on the door because I wanted to see what would happen, and whether there anyone in there. I knocked and I knocked. No one was in it! No one was in the mobile police van …
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: All I wanted to hear was who was there. For the people of Alice Springs walking through the streets, having heard the Labor mantra about all the police presence, the increase, 200 extra police on the beat, and they did not buy that one, and then the police van that was promised. Well, it is rarely seen and it is now something of a joke and a bit of a competition to see not only where it is but knock, knock - is anyone there?
Possibly, if I may be so bold as to speculate, the reason there is not a police officer in there is because there are not 200 extra police on the beat. I do not know; maybe someone can answer in reply. I reckon there is something in that. There may well be occasions when the mobile police van is just parked. However, if that is the case, you did not tell the punters that; you did not tell Territorians. You represented to them that there would not only be 200 extra police on the beat, but they have a reasonable expectation that if they are being assaulted or something like that, there is going to be a reply when they knock on the door. If the Chief Minister is determined to achieve something this year, maybe she can make sure that the police officers at least are close to the mobile police van.
Moving to other matters, Madam Speaker, the reference on page 28 to Creating Darwin’s Future: A Tropical Harbour City is, of course, based on the Darwin City Council’s plan. We have spoken about this before, how representatives of the Darwin council met with government and one thing led to another. Government nicked it, and that is okay, and they put their own policy forward. We know that because it is well known that bureaucrats are working around the clock to get something out; in other words, to come up with something that the Chief Minister can pitch.
It was interesting to hear the Chief Minister say that she wanted Darwin to look like Singapore. In both sides of politics, that has caused a lot of debate and head scratching. Some people would say, although I could not possibly say it, that if the Chief Minister wants Darwin to look like Singapore, perhaps she should live there. Alternatively, if she wants it to look like Singapore, we hope that there is, as is suggested in the statement, a very comprehensive period of consultation. We all know that there is a great deal at stake and we all want to see good outcomes for Darwin and the Territory. Maybe that was a factor in why there was a bit of pressure on late in the year. I am not sure how well some of her colleagues would have appreciated the comment about wanting Darwin to look like Singapore. Some of them were born in Darwin.
There are a couple more things. There is a reference to Alice Springs, thank you. There are, however, difficulties in Alice Springs - so many, yet so little time. I hope the Chief Minister, Police minister and Minister for Central Australia will be aware of the nasty incidents of Saturday week ago. Some young people were out having a good time and there were a series of pretty nasty assaults. I do not think it is fair to say that we have had what could now be described as gangs, certainly not gangs in a big way in Alice Springs, that tends to be a more of a Darwin problem, but for those of us who live in Alice Springs, we are deeply concerned about this. The Minister for Central Australia may even hear from a couple of the parents of kids who were assaulted.
It is about having police on the beat, 200 extra police on the beat, some of whom must obviously go to Alice Springs. One wonders whether the mobile police van should be strategically parked at what are becoming known trouble spots in town near Maccas and BP. I am sure the member for Stuart would understand the issues as well. Perhaps, member for Stuart, you could encourage your colleagues to look at it. I say that very genuinely. No one likes to see anyone else bashed up. They were, as I understand it, unprovoked attacks. There are lots of assaults in Alice Springs. I know it has its problems and its challenges but it is a magnificent place to live and work, nevertheless.
I can say with some degree of confidence that all the people of Central Australia, and Alice Springs in particular, want from this government is a fair deal. They feel, and I agree with them, that they are just not getting it at the moment.
CCTV cameras and the youth curfew – even though the Alice Springs Town Council do not call it that, it is commonly know as such - are things that came from the grassroots in the community. The CLP at the last election talked about a curfew and I made representations several years ago to the Alice Springs Town Council urging them to look at CCTV cameras.
Putting all that to one side, it is the case that members of the community have been lobbying council to look at these issues. It is tremendously disappointing when government, I think it was the member for Karama, dismissed the suggestion of a thorough plan for youth on our streets commonly known as a curfew. In respect of CCTV cameras, I think the council is putting its hand in its collective pockets for them. I believe there was even a reference to going to the federal government. I am not sure how that has gone. I hope that people would come to the NT government. We consume a lot of paper in this place and a lot is written about the government’s determination to make our streets safer. I urge government to be receptive to representations for CCTV cameras and, if no representation has been made, I ask you to get on the front foot and see what you can do.
Finally, this is interesting and bizarre. The Chief Minister, on page 34 of her statement, referred to the $8.1m grant to the Alice Springs Town Council ‘to construct a first-class aquatic centre’. This was promised prior to the last election, and there were pictures and lots of media opportunities: snap, snap, everyone smiling. It must have been known at the time, and certainly people involved in the relevant stakeholder groups told me, that the $8.1m was never going to be enough; it was always short. I do not know whether that is true; that is what the right people tell me. I suspect it is true because all of a sudden, there is public recognition that $8.1m is not enough. It is so public that one of the government ministers, minister Vatskalis, and I only say that because I cannot remember his electorate …
Mr Henderson: Casuarina. Big shopping centre there. Northern suburbs.
Ms CARNEY: Casuarina, thank you.
He was quoted in the local paper saying that council needed $3m extra in order to meet the NT government’s commitment of, as the Chief Minister has eloquently said, ‘a first-class aquatic centre’. The member for Casuarina also said that the federal government should be the ones touched up for the money. That is absurd. I do not know how the people of Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and elsewhere would feel about a Territory government minister saying: ‘For the people in Alice Springs, we will get federal money to deliver our own promise of a first-class aquatic centre’. This is not a federal government responsibility. I know it is an election year, but make your pitch reasonable and someone will understand it. To suggest that the feds should provide $3m to deliver your election promise, which is a partnership between a state or a territory government and a town council, you have to be kidding!
That gets to the end of all of the matters I wanted to raise. I thank members for granting me an extension of time. I stress that I appreciate why the Chief Minister has made this statement. Yes, there are some positive things but, as she has said before, ‘there is much more to do’.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I support the ministerial statement by the Chief Minister outlining the government’s plans for 2007. However, it would be negligent of me to move to my notes without picking up on some of the glib responses by the Leader of the Opposition. She rattled across innumerable areas of great importance to Territorians, put a glib response to it and moved on to the next one.
If I go, first of all, to this question of housing affordability with a 5% inflation rate. She said it is impossible to buy a house in the Northern Territory. Let us have a look at this so-called 5% inflation rate. It was 5% measured in the December quarter 2006, the year December to December. A true inflation figure for the year 2006 is, in fact, 4.4%. That spike is a one-off spike in the December quarter for 5%. Over 2.1% of that alone, which brings it back to 3.9%, is, in fact, in those housing costs. When we look at the REINT publication for the December quarter, they are already suggesting a 3.9% drop off in the median housing price in Darwin. That will take something less than six months to flow through to the headline CPI. I would have thought that by mid-year, we will have CPI down around 3%, at 2.8% or 3%, traditionally the lowest in Australia, which it was for five years. Of course, the Leader of the Opposition does not want to tell us about that.
She touched on the question of housing affordability. Over five years, we were the most affordable in the whole of Australia to buy a house, and we are second on the list for home affordability to the ACT. I would have thought that would be a temporary thing and we will soon be back in the most affordable bracket. She made the comment that we are the most impossible place to buy a house in Australia. In fact, just by a narrow margin, we are the second best place in Australia for home affordability.
She just raced over all of these areas. I thought it was very bold for the Leader of the Opposition to raise concern about child protection. In around 2002-03, we were made alarmingly aware of enormous deficiencies across the whole area of child protection, an area of enormous neglect - absolute and criminal neglect - by the CLP in their time. When it came to the attention of the Cabinet of the day in 2003, nothing was spared in order to get a proper and appropriate response to these enormous deficiencies. Despite the toughness of the fiscal times, $1m was immediately - absolutely immediately from that Cabinet meeting in 2003 - injected into Family and Children’s Services in order to address some of the deficiencies around child protection, and an ongoing extra $2m per year flowing through 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and, I think, it runs as well to 2008-09. If you add all that up, that is an enormous build-up of resourcing going into child protection, which was on its knees, run down, unable to meet its statutory requirements in 2003. It is an area that will require continued monitoring and vigilance because children are our greatest resource and deserve whatever protection we can give them in these areas. To suggest that it is not happening against their own record is rich, indeed.
I pick up a couple of other points. In relation to the pool, you could say $20m and it would not be enough because it depends on the final outcome and what you want to do. The amount of $8.1m is a generous grant from this government to the people of Alice Springs for a pool. If it is not enough, cut your garment to meet your cloth. That is what everyone else has to do in this day and age. If it is not enough, find the money or reduce the size of the requirement or the amenity of the pool. If it is not enough and the rest cannot be found, give it back. It is as simple as that: if they do not want the money, simply give it back. Treasury will certainly take it back and will find a far more worthwhile venture in the next budgetary round.
I want to see that money spent. I want to see that amenity built in Alice Springs. However, to say it is not enough and want another $3m, then another $4m, then another $5m – get real! If $8.1m was granted against that project, $8.1m of taxpayers’ money ought be spent on it. If it is not enough, either recut the fabric and bring it back down or find the extra money yourself from town council. They pay rates in Alice Springs and council is not without a dollar.
Of the issues raised, police resources are always a bone of contention for the Leader of the Opposition. Two weeks ago, I left parliament, and it would have been at 5.50 pm, and was driving down the Esplanade. There were two police officers in the middle of the road and I was signalled to stop. I pulled over to the side of the road. There was a troop carrier, I think, in the middle of the road. There was a police vehicle parked in front of that troop carrier; there was a police vehicle parked behind. They were in the process of arresting the driver from that troop carrier. In the couple of minutes that I was held up on the side of that road, three additional police vehicles came from up and down the Esplanade and from the side streets. That is five police vehicles on the spot within a matter of minutes. Do not tell me that all these resources are simply locked up in Darwin. It is not true.
The extra 215 police officers who have come into the force have been distributed around the Territory, and Alice Springs would have had its fair share because it is a large area to police. The Leader of the Opposition would have us believe that you do not see police around the streets. I can tell you the visibility of police is far greater over the last couple of years, and certainly far greater than I recall during the 1990s when they were going out the door so quickly. They were not allowed to take leave because there were not enough police in the service for police officers to take leave. They then said: ‘No, you cannot have leave at all. We will buy it back from you’. That would have broken Treasury so they went back to a situation of trying to squeeze officers out on leave as best they could and, of course, there was no replacement and no relief.
As the Chief Minister said, in 2007 we will focus on securing, supporting and strengthening what is a terrific lifestyle here in the Territory by continuing the effective management of the Territory economy. Territorians would be aware that we are currently experiencing a high level of sustained economic growth. Many members of the business community I speak to tell me they have not seen anything like this before, the current bullish atmosphere around the Territory in every sense of the word. Of course, this government plays a central role in the economy. It is much more central than elsewhere because this government is a large part of the jobs market. The government has very significant purchasing influence and is amongst the foremost builders and developers. That is the nature of a smaller economy and a developing community such that the Territory is.
Managing that role and the economic outcomes of the community does require constant vigilance, constant work and an awareness of all the business sectors and how they interact with each other. In 2007 in my role as Treasurer, I will be focused on that continued strong management.
Despite having made significant and successful policy decisions during its time in office, for the last 10 years at least of its administration, the Country Liberal Party had just worn down. It was a moribund government and it really was waiting for the public to put it out of its misery, which it finally did in 2001. Their most critical mistake at the end of that pretty ordinary last 10 years in office was to take their eye off the ball of economic management. As a result, by 2001 the economy was in an absolute tailspin; construction had ground to a halt. Those who were left were sitting drinking coffee. Many had left for greener fields interstate. There were high levels of debt, with annual deficits weighing in well over $100m, adding further, of course, to that background level of debt.
The Leader of the Opposition had the temerity to mention debt levels. That is really going were angels fear to tread because we well know where that mountain of debt that was around the neck and shoulders of every Territorian came from, and it ain’t this government. We have been doing our darnedest to bring that debt down and I have figures that will show how we are doing that. Their failure, at that time, to maintain their eye on the ball meant that when we did win government in 2001, we inherited an absolute economic basket case. At the end of the 1990s, the Territory economy was in a major recession, Territorians were leaving in droves taking with them their skills and their capacity to contribute to our community’s future. We had members opposite in latter 2001-02 saying: ‘The greatest growth industry here is the removal industry. I was talking to a bloke last week, he said I have done three trips to Adelaide in the past couple of weeks and he has another two loads to go. People are just bailing out of the Territory’. Well, thank you, CLP, because it was the aftermath of the absolute mess that you left us in that continued that drain through a part of 2002. It was not until 2003 that we started to see things pick up.
That is what we were confronted with and it was a pretty daunting task for a new government; new ministers confronted with those economic conditions and having to turn them around. We had to drag the Territory economy out of those doldrums. We adopted policies which, to this day, form the basis of our economic strategy. The four principles behind those policy and actions are: providing a high level of cash for capital works and infrastructure; we focused funds on economic drivers to produce future growth; we made sensible and strategic reductions to taxation on business in the community; and, most of all, we maintained a strong fiscal discipline. Over the last five budgets, that strategy has formed the core of our decision-making and our economic action and, in 2007, it will again be the core strategy.
Since 2001, we have spent in excess of $2.7bn in cash on infrastructure. That high level of expenditure will continue into 2007. We will continue the focus of infrastructure spending on strategic investment likely to lever either further private sector investment, or bring a downstream longer term economic return. That is why we fund the Red Centre Way. That is why we fund the waterfront.
Let me deal with the criticisms of the waterfront by the CLP. Just last week, I heard again the inane comments from the member for Greatorex about the waterfront. He might think that taking such a line plays well in Alice Springs, which is really the only focus the CLP has, but the Leader of the Opposition should know that every time the member gets on radio, we get calls. We get calls from the business community expressing absolute outrage. You have to remember that if you are going to be in politics in the Northern Territory or, indeed, any state in Australia, you have to govern for everyone. You cannot just keep your eye on your back yard in Alice Springs, like the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Greatorex do.
The waterfront, overall, is a very small proportion of that total annual construction budget. No projects have been deferred, displaced or pushed out because of it. No recurrent funding is impacted by it. The infrastructure program is deliberately spread across a wide range of products. It ranges widely in size from major to minor new works, repairs and maintenance and not only across the size of the projects, but also geographical distribution so that we try to ensure that the regions have plenty of work as well. That means it provides work for the broadest possible range of Territory industries.
In addition, the infrastructure dollar, as I said, will be spread from remote communities through to our regions and to Darwin and Palmerston. We will continue our focus on supporting economic drivers. For example, tourism will continue to be the beneficiary of significant government investment.
We will continue the program of significant taxation reform. We are the most tax reforming government in the Territory’s history. We have delivered the lowest tax in Australia on businesses with up to 100 staff. We have provided $74m in tax reductions. There is $74m less paid in tax today than would have been paid had taxation rates stayed the same as they were when we took office. There will be a further $134m reduction in taxation payments by the end of 2009. This year, we remove the stamp duty on hiring arrangements at a saving to business of $7m.
We will maintain our disciplined approach to spending and to the fiscal position of the budget. Part of the economic strategy of the government has been to achieve as close as possible to cash balance every year, and to reduce the level of nett debt and employee liabilities as a ratio to the revenue we receive. This is where we have made real gains, in the debt-to-revenue ratio. Nett debt and employee liabilities to revenue were 142% in 1998-99. We have them down around 115% today and, throughout 2007-08, we will work to reduce that further to 113% and down to 111% by 2009-10. If you do not understand the economic science behind that, small is good in this area. Under the CLP, it was 142%; today it is 115% and on track to 111%.
The management of deficit and debt is a day-to-day job. It requires absolute vigilance at every Cabinet meeting where a minister makes a compelling call on the budget. You have to balance what that means to the bottom line at the end of the year. They are sometimes very tough decisions to make to protect the bottom line. It is a day-to-day job, and it is not always possible to say no.
What surprises me are the inane comments from the opposition about public service wages. The CLP has managed to comment on probably every EBA negotiation over the last few years. They have always urged industrial action. We have seen the member for Greatorex participate in these campaigns to the extent of copying reams of material, inaccurate though it was, and having other people distribute it around the electorate for him. He not only commented but actively participated in urging industrial action and pushing for high and unsustainable wage claims. That is a most irresponsible way in which to act, but it is an apt demonstration to Territorians of what sort of economic managers the CLP might be. They sent the Territory almost broke on one occasion, and behaviour like that suggests that they will do so again.
Treasury forecasts economic growth for 2007 at around 6.2%, employment growth around 5%, and population growth around 1.7%. They are strong figures, and the vast majority of my time as Treasurer will be taken up ensuring that they go from being forecasts to reality.
To Justice and Corrections, the major role in 2007 will continue to be attacking crime, the causes of crime, and providing appropriate punishment for those who commit crime. I am currently focused on ensuring the government’s policies to address crime are effectively coordinated and our determination to prevent crime is translated to effective on-the-ground actions. Members may not be aware that over the last few months, the government has consolidated some of its crime prevention arms into the Department of Justice. The Community Harmony Program, the Office of Crime Prevention, and my colleague the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s Alcohol Policy Group are now working closely together to deliver a coordinated policy approach to communities across the Territory.
Combined with funding by government of more than 200 additional police since 2003, and the terrific work of Commissioner Paul White and his police officers, crime is being tackled head on. To date, significant success has been achieved. House break-ins are down over 50% over the last six years.
These are the sorts of figures the Leader of the Opposition does not like to dwell on. Prior to 2001, my colleague the member for Wanguri well recalls the front page headlines. There were a couple of headlines the Northern Territory News used to run on a regular basis; one was break-ins and crime and burglary, and the other one was the state of RDH. Both were pretty miserable headlines to read every other week. We have not seen shock-horror headlines of that order since the very early days of this government. The only time we had them then was the aftermath of the dreadful mess the CLP left us in.
Break-ins to commercial and other premises are down 31% over the last six years. Motor vehicle related offences decreased 51% in the last six years. Other theft is down 25% in the last six years. Property damage is down 29% over the last six years. Of course, that was all going to disappear with mandatory sentencing for property offences. We knocked off mandatory sentencing for property offences and we have seen property damage come down by 29% over six years.
In total, there were 2272 fewer property offences than six years ago, sexual assaults decreased 21% over the last six years, homicide-related offences have remained stable with three more offences over the last six years. That is a record to be pretty proud of. In 2007 …
Mr HENDERSON: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move an extension of time to allow the Treasurer to conclude his remarks pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STIRLING: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank members of the House; I will be quick. We do have a clear record of legislative reform to meet emerging issues in crime. We have effective drug laws now, after years of neglect by the CLP in this critical area. Another area that the Northern Territory News used to comment on, ‘Foils at Moil’ I believe was one of the headlines, was any taxi driver in Darwin could direct you straight to the place to buy drugs, there was so much. Of course, it was the basis of a lot of the property crime and burglary through the 1990s.
We have responded to antisocial behaviour; we have addressed real issues with legislation such as the anti-gang laws. Throughout 2007, my agency’s anti-crime focus will certainly be on violence and the causes of it. I expect to make further announcements on these matters at the appropriate time. While the Territory remains still a safer, less violent place to live than in any other part of Australia, the proportion of people affected by violence is absolutely unacceptable, as is any violence at all.
Headway is being made with our push on alcohol policy. Alcohol, of course, is the root cause of much of the disruption to our communities. The significant gains which have been made where alcohol restrictions have come into force demonstrates to me just how debilitating the abuse of alcohol is to our community. As our Chief Minister said, we are not about trying to stop people from having a good night out; that is an important part of our lifestyle. What we are trying to stop is the chronic abuse we have experienced over the years. The significant gains that we have seen have come about because we have had the support, commitment and understanding of the community about what needs to be done, and the support of this government through Racing, Gaming and Licensing and the Licensing Commission to bring to fruition alcohol management plans that the communities themselves have worked on and sorted out. That is what has happened in Groote, and that is why Groote Eylandt has a significant outcome. That is what has happened in the Tiwi Islands as well because the outcomes of moving from heavy to mid-strength beer means police and social services are having a fairly much-needed respite. The anecdotal results of the Alice Springs trials already show much is being achieved. That focus will continue in 2007.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I intend to talk on the issues of statehood in a short ministerial statement later during the course of these sittings, in conjunction with my colleague, the member for Blain, as the shadow minister for Statehood. Clearly, the government’s agenda in 2007 is a continuing strong focus on securing and developing the Territory’s lifestyle. In contrast to the CLP, we will tackle this task with positive and innovative policies. I commend the statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, when reading the Chief Minister’s statement on delivering the key priorities of government for 2007 last night, the first page hit a bit of a raw nerve for me. That is the part where the Chief Minister said that the government’s focus:
Of course, that sounds really good. It sounded very nice and warm and fuzzy, but I live in a region where I do not actually get that same warm, fuzzy feeling. For Darwin and Alice Springs maybe things are developing quite well, but it certainly does not appear to be happening in the regions of the Northern Territory. That is why I believe that the government needs to spend more time attending to regions; for instance, Tennant Creek and Katherine especially.
I have received many complaints from small businesses, and especially contractors over the last two years, which were previously running very successfully. The concerns that they bring to me are that there are too few tenders put out into regional areas, and that there had been significant funding cuts making work in regional areas unviable. If you do not think this is happening, you need to talk to the operators who talk to me. These are straight-talking people who have invested a lot of money into equipment to carry out their contract work. They have employed local people and they contribute a lot to the local economy. They are doing it tough, and some of them have either left Katherine, in this instance that I can speak about, are considering leaving, have downsized their business which means putting workers off, or have to go further into debt in the hope that things will improve in the near future.
This is not fairy tale stuff that I am talking about; it is real. I have said in this Assembly before: until you are counting on the person coming through the door of your business, your bread and butter and, in this instance, the person tendering for contract work to keep his business going, you do not realise the pressure that people are under. There are a lot of people suffering in small business in regional areas, and this statement certainly does not cover that. As a matter of fact, when I first read it, it sounded like a speech delivered at the beginning of an election year, but I do not believe that we have one this year.
Thank goodness we have the mining industry in regional areas. It is our fantastic mineral resources in the Northern Territory that many of our regional areas are reliant on for their survival. You could safely say Pine Creek is a great example of that. Before GBS Gold committed to the Fountain Head mine, Pine Creek was almost a ghost town. With the mine now operating and using Pine Creek as its base, this great little town has had a wonderful renewal of life, and good on it. It is a good feeling when driving along the highway and seeing the sign for the Pine Creek Hotel with a ‘No accommodation available; booked out indefinitely’ sign across it. I bet that gives the tourists quite a surprise, and it certainly puts a smile on local people’s faces.
In Katherine, GBS Gold has already shown its commitment to employment and training with the joint initiative between themselves and the Katherine Youth Development Association. This initiative will result in a $5000 scholarship awarded to two students to help fund their studies in Environmental Science at Charles Darwin University. Scholarship recipients will also have the opportunity of taking part in holiday work at GBS Gold’s Northern Territory operations. GBS, which will contribute 80% of the scholarship, and the Katherine Youth Development Association the remaining 20% scholarship funding, intend this scheme to run for years to come, which is a good outlook for the region. This program is about providing long-term benefits for Northern Territorians through education and training. The students selected for this scholarship will be chosen from Katherine, Pine Creek and Adelaide River. Congratulations to GBS Gold for initiating such a scheme with the Katherine Youth Group development scheme. In some small way it is the beginning of some changes for regional Northern Territory.
Tennant Creek is certainly much better off economically with the mining industry supporting it and, hopefully, Katherine will be the same in the future with the commencement of Maud Creek in the not-too-distant feature. Regional towns certainly need the mining industry happening to help locals with employment and the flow-on effects to other businesses.
The Chief Minister talked of many areas of priorities for 2007. Some of those she talked about are very significant for regional areas: health, education, abuse of alcohol, police numbers, affordable housing, and the list goes on.
We hear in this Assembly a lot about the Darwin and Alice Springs hospitals and the shortage of nurses, double shifts, etcetera. The same situation occurs in Katherine Hospital so there is obviously a general shortage of nurses across the Territory. I have talked with nurses who have come to the Northern Territory from agencies based interstate and who are making good money. I wonder what would happen if we offered incentives to the dedicated nursing staff who live here and who are committed to the Territory, but are disadvantaged financially compared to these agency nurses that come here. It does not seem fair to me that we do not reward our long-term dedicated nurses who are the backbone of our health system. In doing that, one of the instances that I will highlight is that agency nurses have a subsidy for their power and the local nurses do not receive that. An agency nurse was receiving that. As local people have said to me: ‘Why can’t we be encouraged with some sort of incentive when we and our family have committed in stay in our regional towns?’ They have a good point.
Also mentioned in the Chief Minister’s statement was that general practitioners are low in numbers throughout the Territory. We are all aware of this fact, so it is pleasing that the Northern Territory Rural Clinical School, which started in Darwin in 1996, started as a rural component in Katherine in 2006. It will be starting in Alice Springs mid-this year and then into Gove in 2008. This partnership between Flinders University in South Australia and the Charles Darwin University, which will bring medical students to the Northern Territory, is designed to give students a comprehensive experience in regional and remote health services. The students are also encouraged to interact across the community and, hopefully, from this experience, both clinically and socially, a good percentage of these medical students will be encouraged to return to regional NT.
These clinical schools have been running in South Australia and being trialled for some 13 years and have proved pretty successful. Here is hoping that there will be a successful outcome for regional and remote Northern Territory. It is programs like the clinical school that governments, both Territory and federal, need to support and encourage.
A significant impact to communities across the Territory is the misuse and abuse of alcohol. We have talked many times in this Assembly about it. I look back over the time that I have lived in the Territory, and especially in Katherine, arriving in late 1989. You know what? Nothing has changed. Sure, there has been a lot of talk, there has been a lot of hand wringing, a lot of teeth gnashing, ad hoc implementation of dry areas, ad hoc implementation of a variety of prohibition orders, not to mention the endless hours spent by so many disgruntled people attending numerous community meetings throughout the Territory whenever someone has had enough and makes a stand in their community.
Hard-working community citizens and business people are called racist if they speak about the problems in their community. You have to be realistic: the majority of the alcohol problems are associated with Aboriginal people in our regional towns.
Where does that leave us today? Quite frankly, in about the same situation we were in when I first arrived in the Territory. The Community Harmony programs were to address alcohol abuse amongst other things, and I know that the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan was launched late last year. Katherine’s draft Alcohol Plan of Management was released around September last year and still has not been implemented. I read the draft and have to say that there is absolutely nothing new in it; it is saying the same thing. Nowhere did I read anything being recommended that will make a significant difference to where we are now.
The Chief Minister said in her statement that there has been a 50% decrease in the number of people in protective custody since the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan was implemented. That is good. Total sales are said to have decreased by 11% since the trial began. If that is the case, why is the Mayor of Alice Springs calling for additional funding to clean up the significant increase in broken glass that is lying around Alice Springs? The reason is that consumption has moved from the casks that are now unavailable to the higher alcoholic content drinks, which come in glass bottles; one problem addressed to only develop another.
According to the news reports on the ABC that I listen to in the very early hours of Saturday mornings, it is disgusting the number of people who have been taken into protective custody in the regional areas and, I have to say, sadly, in Katherine on Friday nights. Two weeks in a row the sobering-up shelter was full, and that is 30 clients, as they are diplomatically called, with more than that number taken into protective custody by the police who, in my opinion, have far more important duties to do in the community than consistently deal with large numbers of drunks in the lock up.
Ever since the Mayor of Port Augusta, Joy Baluch, and the Port Augusta Council implemented dry town legislation in November 2005, I have been interested to see what outcomes they have had. I visited the Mayor and council members in September last year and was very pleased to hear that they were more than happy with the result to date. I have to say that it was an absolute delight to do an early morning walk around Port Augusta and see the difference to that city. It has never been a city that has had a very good reputation or been an encouraging place for tourists to stay. I congratulate the council for having the courage to be brave enough to take the steps to make Port Augusta a dry city. It has made a huge difference to Port Augusta and it is a very attractive city. I contacted the council again several weeks ago, and they have applied to the licensing commission for another 12 months trial, and will have a comprehensive assessment of the trial available by the end of March. I look forward to reading that report and hope that we can all learn something from it.
I have said publicly that I am very supportive of Katherine becoming a dry town. My views are certainly not met with acceptance by a lot of members of the community, of course. Some of those people have vested interests in the sale of alcohol. Then, I have had the lack of police resources as the reason that declaring Katherine a dry town would not work. Quite frankly, I do not accept those excuses either. More than ever, we need more police on the beat to help overcome the problems on our streets. The presence of police has been proven to be very effective. Alcohol abuse is so serious that tough decisions have to be taken to make the slightest dent in the problem.
I have talked before in this Assembly, when we have been talking about drugs and alcohol, about what I believe needs to happen in the communities and regional areas to address the problem. If we are serious about having a war on alcohol abuse, what is happening at the moment is, of course, not working. Drunks are picked up and taken to a sobering-up shelter and, as most people who live near one of these know, it is commonly called ‘the spin dryer’. For the habitual drunk without a detox centre followed by rehabilitation treatment, there is a no win situation for anyone. They picked them up, sober them up overnight, give them a meal, send them on their way and wait for their return. Hence, the term ‘spin dryer’.
I have spent a fair bit of this reply to this glowing report on delivering for the Territory on alcohol abuse. However, I feel very strongly about the effects on all of our communities, and it does play a significant part for me when the Chief Minister’s statement’s heading is Delivering for the Territory, Key Priorities for 2007. Chief Minister, Territorians need your government’s total support in dealing with what you yourself called in your statement this ‘insidious problem’. This insidious problem is also a huge detractor for our tourism industry and, I suggest, if you do not believe me, take an unexpected drive to Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs and watch the tourists’ reactions to the appalling behaviour of our drunks. There are so many wonderful indigenous artists and others involved in the tourism industry and they are a credit to their heritage. Unfortunately, the numbers of drunken itinerants that we still allow to sway around our streets do absolutely nothing for the tourism industry and are a major impediment to it.
Among the comments I receive from tourists are: what is the government doing about it? Apart from the tourism industry, what about the hard-working people who have invested money into business, houses, and are committed community members? Whether you will admit it or not, they are sick of it and are moving interstate where they do not have to put up with it any more. I can hardly blame them.
I am going to finish my response to this statement with a comment about reforms to local government that are being introduced. It is very disappointing that there was not more consultation with Territorians before this announcement was made. Those Territorians who are going to be the most affected financially are the pastoralists, who have had no consultation before this was announced. The pastoralists contribute significantly to the Territory economy and deserve the courtesy of consultation, I would have thought. It is fine to say now that you are going to consult with them; you have already made the announcement. It would have been diplomatic and democratic to have consulted with them prior to the announcement.
I am sure there are many more things, Mr Deputy Speaker, on which I could elaborate, and they do cover a wide area. However, for this statement I am concluding with the three key themes that the Chief Minister said she wanted for Darwin. I want them for the whole of the Territory, below the Berrimah Line, as do my colleagues. They are lifestyle and recreation, tourism and heritage and development.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement Delivering for the Territory, Key Priorities for 2007 in my capacity as Minister for Employment, Education and Training. I advise the House I will addressing significant issues in regard to education through a ministerial statement later in these sittings.
I have to comment on a couple of issues that were raised by the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Katherine. We hear a lot about lifestyle in current debate about the Northern Territory, and there is no doubt that we do have the best lifestyle in Australia. Lifestyle means different things to different people. There is no consistent definition. Depending on what your personal hobbies and activities are, personal circumstances or age, lifestyle means different things to different people. The Leader of the Opposition made a comment, and I made notes, that the Territory government is ‘tearing apart our lifestyle’.
A very glib statement with no articulation of what that means, apart from what the Leader of the Opposition would reinforce is a right for people to drive at whatever speed they wish and fail to consider the impact on other people in the event that they have an accident. If that is her definition of lifestyle, and the defining definition is to be able to drive as fast as you like irrespective of the potential devastating impact that that could have on not only yourself but other people, it is not an issue that many people would say is a defining issue of lifestyle in the Northern Territory. That was empty rhetoric from the Leader of the Opposition.
She said this government had not maintained strong financial discipline. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that this is a government that has delivered three budget surpluses in a row by a clear focus and commitment for individual departmental agencies to live within their budgets. Again, it is a lack of understanding that decisions are made in between budget allocations that affect the final outcome of agencies after the budget has been allocated.
I will talk about my department, the Department of Employment, Education and Training. She talked about a budget blowout of $24m in the 2005-06 financial year, and a government that just could not control spending. I refer the Leader of the Opposition to budget and other papers that are produced by Treasury. In the Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report for 2005-06, there is a very clear explanation of the variation between the initial allocation and the final figure. Without going through all of those, the significant variances include the largest of them, the enterprise bargaining agreement that was struck for teachers in 2005. When the budget is allocated, we have no idea what that final outcome is going to be. That variation was $9m of the $24m, then there are others that are identified in the budget papers. So there was no blowout; it is all accounted for in the budget papers. The variation is in relation to a number of government initiatives during the financial year that were not budgeted for at the beginning of the financial year: a significant EBA outcome for our teachers and some carryover money which was predominantly Commonwealth funding that came in very late.
Trying to wriggle out, as the Deputy Chief Minister said, of the appalling fiscal record of the CLP is just not going to cut it when the facts speak so clearly for themselves.
She talked about middle schooling being poorly implemented. I congratulate all of our teachers who have been impacted by the changes to middle schools. This year has probably seen the largest significant movement of teachers from one school to another that has ever been seen in the Northern Territory between one term ending and another term beginning. I express my personal thanks, and I am sure the thanks of every member of this parliament apart from the Leader of the Opposition, to those teachers who have gone about their task professionally and have taken up their positions in their new schools. I have met a large number of them as I have gone around the schools in the Northern Territory in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, and back here in Darwin. By a very large majority, people have been happy with their move. They have been welcomed to their new school and they are settling in to the school year.
With the professionalism of the teachers and the organisational ability of the department to manage that transition, I can say to the Leader of the Opposition that I, as minister for Education, have not had one single complaint from a parent, a student or an official complaint that has come to me from the union as opposed to individual members, particularly at Casuarina Senior College who have a view; but that is not the official union view, or principals across the Northern Territory or a single complaint from any of my colleagues.
The Leader of the Opposition said it has been poorly implemented, I would like her to justify that statement. If she cannot justify it with specific examples, then she is insulting all the teachers who have participated in the moves, the department that has organised the moves and, certainly, the intelligence of the people in this Chamber when she makes statements that are not backed up in fact. All of us in this House should thank those teachers in the department. Regardless of your position on whether middle school are a good or a bad thing, the fact is that government has made a decision, the changes have occurred, and the professionalism of the teachers and the department in implementing that decision have been second to none. As I said, there has been not one single complaint to my office. Leader of the Opposition, put up and, if you cannot, you know the other part of the statement.
The Deputy Chief Minister spoke really well about policing issues. I have to comment on the mobile police unit in Alice Springs and the knock- knock joke. The Leader of the Opposition should know that people on this side of the House send parts of debates to constituents and stakeholders to demonstrate the disparaging attitude of members opposite to public servants who, predominantly, are the ones who get it in the neck from the Leader of the Opposition and, this time, totally fatuous remarks about the police who operate that vehicle in Alice Springs. They could have been out pursuing an offender. There could be any number of reasons why they did not answer the door. You would not believe very much of what the Leader of the Opposition says here, given her track record. She basically said that the police are not doing their jobs in Alice Springs, they are not doing what they are paid to do, they are being negligent in their duties and are never there when you need them. That is an insult to officers in Alice Springs.
The Leader of the Opposition does talk a lot about Alice Springs, her primary focus. I am thankful she spends a lot of time in Alice Springs. She said that this is a government that has not given a fair deal to Alice Springs. All of us as ministers spend a lot of time in Alice Springs. Currently, the economy is going very well there. The construction industry is seeing its biggest period for many years. I was in Alice Springs just recently and again before Christmas. I saw cranes on the skyline in Alice Springs with some of the construction activity that is happening, and I have never seen that before. The capital spend is there.
On the matter of the alcohol restrictions, we are having a go down there. As the Chief Minister said, the decrease in pure alcohol being consumed has led to collateral issues around the place but, fundamentally, pure alcohol consumption is declining. Health professionals in Central Australia are noting that it is a significant move. We do not pretend that we have all of the answers, but to say that we are neglecting Alice and not giving Alice Springs a fair deal is just not right. This is a government that does pay a significant amount of attention to and wants to work for the good residents of Alice Springs.
The member for Katherine talked about the regions and specifically Katherine, as she would as the local member. She said contractors are not getting a fair go there. I am sure my colleague the minister for DCIS and procurement will take those issues on board. There has been no decision to pull back from contracting to the region. As a government, we are very keen to see the regions developing the capacity to win more and more of the work and have that work done locally.
If you look at the economic indicators for Katherine, we can see employment growth; there are more jobs in Katherine. House prices are increasing so the economy must be going pretty well in Katherine. People are paying more for property. They want to live there.
When I was last in Katherine, which was just before Christmas at a tourism industry function, which the member for Katherine attended, people I spoke with were pretty happy about what was happening and pleased that Katherine was back on its feet after the disastrous 1998 flood and the floods of last year. I accept the member for Katherine was talking about people in the construction industry, but certainly the economic statistics show that Katherine is recovering.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I will now comment on my portfolio of Employment, Education and Training, which is really one of the biggest challenges for the Northern Territory: meeting the employment demand for an economy that is amongst the leading economies in Australia. As the Chief Minister said, we face a significant challenge in growing the size of our workforce and in adopting strategies to address skills shortages.
The Territory is experiencing a high demand for both skilled and unskilled labour, record unemployment and a very tight labour market. If we are going to sustain strong economic growth, we must increase the number of work-ready Territorians and build on the skills of existing workers. Challenges from a training and education perspective include: encouraging the uptake and completion of apprenticeships and traineeships; increasing the skills of Territorians to meet industry needs and labour demand; assisting employment-disadvantaged groups to access the labour market; and matching training to employment opportunities and current and future skills.
Under Jobs Plans 1 and 2, we injected additional funding and introduced new initiatives to generate growth in the apprenticeship and traineeship market including:
This government is focused on improving access to, and outcomes from, education and training for indigenous people. There are jobs in the bush and a theme of Jobs Plan 3 will be the development of partnerships between government training providers, major employers and regional and remote communities. These partnerships will see government funding being directed to training providers who deliver training specified by major employers and provide a pathway to real jobs. Government will commit to work with CDU, Batchelor and other registered training organisations to fund, develop, and deliver training that meets the need of the public and private sector employers operating in or alongside regional and remote communities.
We are certainly going to be doing everything we can to move away from training for training’s sake. We will be asking large employers to work with training providers and to provide Territorians who complete their training with a job. We will be asking indigenous communities to support community members as they train for real jobs. Indigenous training and employment has been a priority under Jobs Plans 1 and 2 and certainly will be under Jobs Plan 3, with a real focus on jobs at the end of the training.
The key theme of Jobs Plan 3 will be an improved matching of government funding for training to real employment opportunities. To better achieve this, we must gain a greater insight into the dynamics of the NT labour market. Under Jobs Plans 1 and 2, the government introduced Workforce NT reports in 2004 and 2005. This was the first comprehensive analysis of our labour market, with the primary objective of being more strategic targeting of employment and training outcomes.
The 2006 Workforce NT report will focus on the impact on employment of macro-economic conditions, NT labour market and business profiles, and employment and labour demand forecasts. The 2006 report will be a valuable tool for use under Jobs Plan 3 that will assist government to better align training efforts to employment opportunities in urban, regional and remote parts of the Territory.
Jobs Plan 3 will play a pivotal role in establishing a strategic framework to meet the challenges of a growing economy, a dynamic labour market, and the demographics of the Territory that impose further demands on our trading system. Some of the themes underpinning Jobs Plan 3 are: an analysis of the NT labour market; partnerships between government industry training providers and communities; access to training and employment for indigenous Territorians in regional and remote centres; and pathways from school to work.
Jobs Plan 3 will be the government’s key plank in addressing skill shortages, growing our schools profile, and increasing the number of Territorians in the Northern Territory workforce. This government is making sure that we use the strong economic performance to create opportunities for all Territorians; we are investing in our future economic prosperity by building a skilled workforce.
In politics, the opposition has a very real and important job to do under the Westminster system of holding the government to account. There is no doubt under every indicator you would care to consider that the fiscal situation of the Territory is enormously healthier than it was when we came to government in 2001. The economy is in a much different, more sustained and prosperous phase than it was in 2001. There are more police in the Northern Territory than when we came to government in 2001. Property crime has decreased by 50% since we came to government in 2001. In the area of education, we have more teachers in our system than we did in 2001. In health, we have more doctors and nurses in our system. That is not to say everything is perfect by a long way. This is a government that is focused on building the Territory its economy and its social capital.
I look forward to a very hard-working and fulfilling year in the oversight of the Department of Employment, Education and Training, Tourism NT and the Office of Commissioner of Public Employment, as all members on this side of the House pull their weight to continue to work for the Northern Territory. I certainly respect opposition members and Independents in the work that they do, but I urge the Leader of the Opposition when she makes statements that imply that our public servants, regardless of which agency they are in, are not doing their job, to back them up with examples. Otherwise she is just attacking hard-working people who are doing a great job for the Northern Territory.
Dr BURNS (Health): Mr Deputy Speaker, as the Chief Minister said, this government takes law and order seriously. That is why we continue to ensure our police are adequately resourced to deal with the unique law and order challenges of the Northern Territory. Unlike the CLP, we recognise the Northern Territory police are the best in Australia and we have put our money where our mouth is on policing. We have increased spending by 55% to the Police, Fire and Emergency Services budget since 2001. Our police were badly underfunded and under-resourced by previous CLP governments.
We engaged former police commissioner, Jim O’Sullivan, to review the service and recommend the best way forward. He found the Northern Territory Police to be in need of a drastic overhaul that could only be achieved with a major funding boost. We responded accordingly.
The recent report on government services is proof of our commitment to funding our police properly. The report on government services shows we spend vastly more per capita on police than any other state or territory in Australia. The Martin government is proud to be spending two-and-a-half times the national average on our police. The Territory spends $743 per person on police, compared with the national average of $291 per person.
The $75m Building our Police Force plan shows we are serious about building the best possible police force for the Northern Territory. In 2003, we set ourselves the target of adding an extra 200 police to the force by the end of this financial year. Last week, we achieved that goal with the graduation of Recruit Squad 87. In fact, I tabled a memo today from Police Commissioner, Paul White, confirming the additional number of officers in the force now stands at approximately 215. We still have 70 recruits in training, along with 20 members of the transitional entry program which consists of experienced interstate officers wanting to join the Northern Territory police force.
Contrast our approach with that of the CLP when they were in government. Their mismanagement and underfunding of our police included a three-year recruitment freeze in the 1990s. That recruitment freeze seriously affected numbers and the ability of police to do the job properly. Not only have we boosted police numbers by 200, but we have given police new equipment like mobile police posts, a $1m boost for our coastal vessel fleet, and new traffic patrol vehicles. I should add that the CLP scrapped the Traffic Branch in 1991.
The additional officers have allowed our police to more effectively tackle crime. We are getting real results. Property crime has been slashed by 50% since 2001. However, we do realise we have to maintain vigilance in this area. We do not want Territorians putting up with the levels of property crime they suffered under the CLP. The additional officers mean our major urban centres now have the officers needed to allow the establishment of specialist units like the property crime reduction, crime scene investigation and criminal investigation. This, in turn, frees us general duties officers to do their job properly. We have substantially more patrol units on the road than there were under the CLP. Today, we have a well-resourced police force that is backed by effective new laws like our tough anti-gang laws.
I digress at this point to let the House know that I was fortunate enough to meet with Jim O’Sullivan, I think it was late last year, and find out more about his work and the O’Sullivan Report. Jim O’Sullivan told me that part of what he found here that really alarmed him was that the police force just did not have the resources to do follow-up investigations. In fact, quite a lot of reports of crime languished, for the want of a better word, because there were not the police resources to follow up on the investigations. This is a direct result, and he linked this directly, to the freeze on police recruitment that occurred in the 1990s.
Opposition members should hang their heads in shame for the way that they froze police resources. They have this propensity to talk up law and order, to be big and tough about it but, in real terms, they did not resource the police force adequately to do the job. They were speaking with forked tongues. They should hang their heads in shame. It is a disgrace for the Opposition Leader to come in here and point the finger at this side of the House when they, the CLP, were the architects of this degraded system, which was under-resourced and unable to carry out the job that the public expected it to. It was not the fault of police; it was the fault of the CLP and the fact that they did not resource police to do the job.
Today, we have a well-resourced police force that is backed by effective new laws such as our tough new anti-gangs law. I also point out that when the Leader of the Opposition said we are not getting value for money, as she has done in the article in the NT News on 31 January, she was demeaning not only the men and women of the Northern Territory Police, but also questioning the ability of Commissioner Paul White, because it is the commissioner who is ultimately responsible for the operations of the Northern Territory Police Force.
While we are proud of what we achieved so far to improve policing in the Territory, we realise there is still more to be done. We must continue to build on the work we have already done. I am proud to say that before the end of this financial year, we will welcome the members of two further recruit squads as members of the Northern Territory Police. We will see 20 experienced interstate officers become members of the Northern Territory Police as part of our transitional entry program.
In addition, plans are also being developed for the new police station at Casuarina. We recognise that there is still more work to be done in better resourcing our police force and providing them with the infrastructure that they require. This government is committed to addressing policing needs for a strong police force and innovative approaches. We will continue to boost police numbers while ensuring officers have the resources to do their jobs better.
I now turn to my Health portfolio which, as everyone realises, is a significant portfolio for the welfare of Territorians. All Australian jurisdictions are facing similar challenges in health. For example, increasing demand on our hospitals, elective surgery waiting lists, recruitment and retention of health professionals in the public system, and a shortage of private GPs. However, there are some unique factors in the Northern Territory: one, our small population; two, our huge area; and three, the high proportion of Aboriginal people with significant ill health.
The record of the Territory Labor government with regard to health stands out on the national scene. We have increased spending on health by 64% since 2001. We have certainly employed more key health professionals. Counting actual full-time equivalent employees, we have employed more than 100 extra doctors and 270 extra nurses. This means an increase of our nursing workforce of 21%, and a massive 38% increase in the number of doctors in the public system. This contrasts with the CLP record. They cut 200 nursing positions across the Territory when they were in power. So, we have the double whammy now; they not only cut police and recruitment on police, they actually cut nurses who are at the heart of our system. I say shame on the opposition.
The increased resources that we have provided across the health system are beginning to show some positive results, particularly in the area of Aboriginal health with increases in life expectancy of Aboriginal women, and the decrease in infant mortality rates. These have been published in peer review journals like the Medical Journal of Australia. Despite these early signs of improvements, there is much more to do.
We have one particular area of concern and that is increasing levels of renal disease. We have invested heavily in prevention through the preventable chronic disease strategy and in dialysis: the renal dialysis unit in Tennant Creek, expanded capacity in Alice Springs, and remote renal dialysis. It was pleasing to hear the member for Greatorex, I think it was the last sittings of parliament, acknowledge that he was actually incorrect when he argued some time ago against the expansion of this dialysis service. I recognise that the member for Greatorex has acknowledged that.
The number of people on dialysis continues to rise by 25 to 35 patients per year. I had a briefing with Dr Paul Lawton yesterday, who pointed to some of these difficulties and challenges in relation to renal disease and renal patients in the Northern Territory. A lot of the extra demand we are facing is due to the fact that we are doing better. Kidney disease is being picked up earlier by primary health care services, and patients are surviving much longer on dialysis. That was the message that Dr Lawton gave me yesterday.
As well, there is increasing demand on our hospitals and this means that sometimes our hospitals are operating at peak capacity. That is why we are delivering extra beds at Darwin and Alice Springs. Six extra beds have already been established at RDH, and the physical preparation for 15 beds completed at Alice Springs, awaiting the completion of the remediation works when they will be fully operational. There is also the nine-station Rapid Admission Unit at Royal Darwin Hospital which will expand to a full 24-station unit over the next year. This has had significant effect on waiting times. Already, the average waiting time for patients needing to be admitted from the Emergency Department has fallen from around 18 hours to less than seven. This is a very positive development, which has the full cooperation and support of clinicians at RDH. We should be looking at a similar set-up that fits Alice Springs.
Part of the answer to addressing demand at Royal Darwin Hospital is ensuring privately insured patients who wish to go to Darwin Private Hospital, and can be safely cared for there, are transferred across or at least given the choice of being transferred across. If someone has private health insurance and it fits in clinically, they should be at least given the choice if they want to go to Darwin Private Hospital. There may be a lot of reasons why people do not want to be transferred, or medical reasons why they should not be transferred, but they should be given the choice.
Another significant project for the coming year is the radiation oncology unit. I have exchanged letters with Tony Abbott about meeting the costs of the service. The Department of Health and Community Services and Commonwealth Health are now finalising an MOU and a request for tender. The Commonwealth tender process is expected to be completed by June 2007, and construction of the radiation oncology unit to begin shortly afterwards, and is expected to be completed in 2008.
I did take the opportunity whilst in Brisbane late in 2006 to visit the radiation oncology unit at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital at Herston. I was informed there that building a radiation oncology unit is the easy part. The hard part is fitting out the building with the equipment, which needs a lot of calibration and expert installation. It is very time-consuming and consumes a lot of resources to set up. A lot of people ask why it will take so long to get this thing operational, and the reason is just as I have outlined; it does take a lot to set the equipment up.
A further focus over the next year will be working with the Commonwealth on increasing the supply of general practice doctors within the Northern Territory, and this includes bulkbilling practices. It is pleasing that, already, federal Labor has given a promise that they will fund an after-hours bulkbilling service in Palmerston. I note that the opposition and the federal government caved into the pressure of this government in giving some funding for an after-hours GP service at Palmerston, but it is still not a bulkbilling service. Once again, I call on the federal government to fund an after-hours bulkbilling service, because federal Labor has given the assurance that if they are successful at the next election, they will be funding it.
We want improved specialist outreach arrangements across the Territory, and the Health department will be pursing a number of important system-wide reforms in doing that. First, with Healthy, Safe Kids in Strong Families, we want to:
In relation to my Racing, Gaming and Licensing portfolio, highlighted by a report released in the last day or so, the misuse and abuse of alcohol is one of the greatest challenges facing the Territory. I will be addressing this in more detail in my ministerial statement tomorrow. I know many members will participate in that debate because it is a very important issue.
Most Territorians are responsible drinkers, enjoying a drink with family and friends; it is part of our great Territory lifestyle. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of Territorians engage in excessive and harmful drinking. As I said, I will be talking about that tomorrow in my ministerial statement. I believe we need to really put this issue front and centre; it is a very serious issue. There is no simple or magic solution to what has to be done. We need to look at ways in which we can reduce harmful alcohol consumption levels within the Territory. I will be discussing that in more detail tomorrow.
I have covered my major portfolio areas in foreshadowing what the government plans to do over the next year or so in delivering better services to Territorians and ensuring that our great Territory lifestyle continues.
Finally, the Leader of the Opposition avoided, really, addressing the major issues in this statement. She preferred instead to try to politicise what she had to say, attacking the Chief Minister, raking over all the business regarding leadership challenges, and all those sorts of silly assertions that she made last year. Well, the Chief Minister is still here, and she will be here. She is a great leader and she has the support of everyone on this side.
I suggest to the Leader of the Opposition that she needs to look at her back. The article by Peter Murphy in the Sunday Territorian is a clear warning shot over the bows of the Leader of the Opposition to get down to real business, the issues that affect Territorians instead of waltzing around peripheral issues. I have heard it said from reliable sources that the higher-ups in the CLP are looking at parachuting someone in to one of the existing seats; someone who can take leadership of the parliamentary party of the CLP. That is the clear message from Peter Murphy to the Leader of the Opposition. We know that, previously when Peter Murphy has written an article, within a very short time those people were no longer leaders of the CLP. Same story for the member for Araluen: stop trying to throw and deflect it all on this side. Worry about the problems on your own side. Worry about the lack of policy. Start to be effective for Territorians as an opposition and then you might gain some respect.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the statement to the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I have also heard from reliable sources that there is definitely not going to be a leadership challenge in this position, for the member for Nelson.
Members interjecting.
Mr WOOD: For myself, yes. I had a meeting in the local phone box and we decided on that.
Be that as it may, I would like to comment on the Chief Minister’s statement about Territory lifestyle. There is no doubt that the Territory is doing pretty well overall. Of course, doing well overall does not mean that there are not some major issues affecting our lifestyle. We have to be careful that we do not stand up and give a ministerial statement which, I must admit, sounds a little like a manifesto, getting like a speech that will be delivered at the next election because it is one of those grandiose statements and it sounds good and it has lots of good things in it.
I would be the last to deny that the Territory is booming along at the moment. You can see how much housing is being built in Darwin. We certainly have some mining activity but, generally speaking, at least in the Top End of the Territory, we are doing fairly well. However, as I said, doing fairly well does not mean you just gloss over some of the issues that do affect our lifestyle.
The Chief Minister has said, and the Treasurer has also stated, that, in the Northern Territory last week, we recorded an unemployment level of 2%, the lowest on record. We have over 7500 on CDEP in Aboriginal communities. That does not count for that. Whilst we might have low unemployment in our urban areas, such as Darwin, why is there not a statement to say what we are doing about unemployment in Aboriginal communities? Surely, that is something we should not gloss over. I have said time and time again that we should have 100% employment in Aboriginal communities, and doing a deal with the Commonwealth to provide funds to make sure we do have that.
I am concerned that in this whole employment issue, unfortunately, the role of councils has been moved to one side, and maybe that will change in the future, and we set up bureaucracies to run CDEP. Whether that would work with the new proposals the government is putting forward, I do not know, but our councils should be the main centre for employment in communities. I have said many times that the Commonwealth should provide enough funding for anyone who wants to work on those Aboriginal communities, as well as putting in the capital infrastructure and the management skills that are required to make sure that that system works.
Whilst it is great to see unemployment levels at 2%, when you talk to contractors and builders, they are having trouble finding labour. We certainly have low unemployment levels, but we should not gloss over the fact that in many of our remote communities, especially Aboriginal communities, unemployment is still unacceptably high. We need to recognise that.
Another issue concerns me. As I said, the economy is growing but, in an earlier statement today, the Treasurer alluded to the fact that it is not likely to keep going at this rate. If the gross is around 5% to 6% and we are such a small industry or economy, there is a fair chance that this bubble will burst at some time. I would like to know what the government has in mind to make sure that when the bubble bursts the fall is not too great. The Treasurer said the economy is robust. That is a nice word, but I would like to hear what, in actual fact, would happen if the economy starts to slow down. What does the government have in its economic plans to make sure that when the bubble bursts a lot of people are not hurt? I recall when the government first came into power and introduced the cuts, many skilled people left Darwin. You had trouble finding plumbers and electricians; they packed up and went because there was no work. We have to ensure that that does not happen again. I am interested in hearing what the government has to say on that area.
I will move to some different points within the statement. One is about nurses. The Minister for Health was just discussing that. I get a little confused sometimes. The government has been putting out some good news stories lately about the number of nurses it has employed. It said since 2001 it has employed 100 extra doctors and 270 extra nurses. There are questions I would like to ask. How many of these doctors and nurses are still with us today? How many have we lost over that time? The minister does not say what the actual numbers are to date. I find this strange, as one of the continual complaints I have heard from the hospitals - and when I have been in hospital too - is that nurses have to do double shifts, and many of them are becoming burnt out. If the minister is inferring there are plenty of nurses, then we should not have nurses doing double shifts. You can only have it one way. When I was in hospital last year they were saying: ‘I have to do another shift because there are not enough nurses’. Either there are not enough nurses and that is why double shifts are occurring, or there are plenty of nurses and what I am hearing from the nurses is wrong. We need to have an answer on that issue from the minister.
Also, nothing much has been said about the pay dispute with our doctors at Royal Darwin Hospital. I am interested to know how many doctors have left because of better pay and conditions down south. It would be good to see a comparison between what doctors are paid down south and here. I have heard, for instance, anaesthetists get more pay than doctors. You would have thought our surgeons would get more pay than an anaesthetist because, generally, they are on call pretty well all the time. They do not quite the rigid hours of some of the other practitioners at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
I am not sure that all is still well with our nurses and doctors. We need to attract them here; therefore, we need to give them the best pay and conditions. That is how the Territory was years ago; we gave good pay and conditions. We used to throw in a two-year return trip holiday. We scrapped all that with all the new enterprise bargaining. Why did people come up here? Because they knew they could get a trip back to see family. People did come to the Territory because our conditions were attractive. Now, we just tend to be one of the other states, and that is why …
Mr Stirling: The CLP got rid of that.
Mr WOOD: I am not going to get into that argument. I am saying the facts are that we used to have conditions that attracted people. Now you have a choice where you go to Queensland or Western Australia. The Territory does not stand out as a place you necessarily want to go.
The other area the minister talked about was affordable housing. I heard the Treasurer talk about that this afternoon, and he mentioned it this morning. Every time I hear someone in the government talk about affordable housing, they just talk about HomeNorth. In the statement, there is a very brief mention about affordable housing and then goes on about housing in the bush. Affordable housing is something I have been raising year in and year out, and all I get from the government is we have the HomeNorth scheme. The reality is that, with all this great economic news, the government, except with some tinkering with HomeNorth, have done bugger all to help young first home owners get a piece of the Australian dream. Young people have just about been driven out of the housing market. If they can afford a house, they are up to their knees in debt.
This is last Saturday’s paper. HomeNorth gives $260 000 maximum loan. I just look up this here: Darwin city off Wood Street, $351 000; Helvetius Court, Durack, $537 000; Moil, $485 000; Moulden, $378 000; Durack, $428 000; Wanguri, $419 000; and Fannie Bay, $745 000. I will try to find a suburb like Rapid Creek, $785 000.
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: They might have been, but the reality is young people cannot afford to buy a house, not on $260 000 maximum loan from HomeNorth. You go the rural area and you will find a five acre block in my area is pushing to be sold for under $200 000. Have a look at the new one hectare blocks that we turned off from Girraween. I bet they are around the $250 000 mark. That is totally unaffordable for young people, and the government is not doing anything about it. It can do something about it. What it can do it is release more of its own land. Do not release to people who just buy great mobs of it and hold it up for investment. Release it to those people who want to build a house straightaway, and especially for young people who will be first home owners. Surely, this government cannot just sit back and say that the economy is going bananas and cheer while young people cannot buy a house.
A number of people have come to me and asked what we are doing about affordable housing for young people. Why do I have my family back in my house, and quite a few other people have their families back in their houses? It was mentioned on the radio the other day that they have a grandparents association which is asking the government for help because grandparents are now caring for children. Why? Because it is becoming less affordable for young families to build or buy their own house. They are relying on their parents or they both have jobs and working day in and day out to pay that mortgage. Why was it the Macquarie Bank survey mentioned yesterday? The number of people who cannot pay their mortgages is going to increase by 9%. Why? Because housing is becoming unaffordable.
Governments are really the only people that should do something about it, especially in the Territory where you own so much land and more so in the Territory. It is more difficult down south where most of the land is private. The government owns this land. It can open it up and make sure that young people have a chance. That it is your responsibility! It is your responsibility not to just stand here and watch young people struggle to buy their own piece of Australia. I find it really difficult to believe that the Territory lifestyle, which you talked about, is not going to be for many young people. It will be a one- or two-bedroom unit which they might be able to rent – and rents are right through roof. That will be their lifestyle; not the one hectare block or the two hectare block or the 800 m2 block where they can at least keep a couple of chooks on. They will be stuck in a little squashed-in piece of country which is all they can afford.
People who own blocks of land might say: ‘Terrific. Look at the money that I get back on my return of the block I bought’. That is great. I am not worried too much about the people who want to sell their house and buy another one. I am worried about people who have never had a house who want to buy house, want to raise a family. To me, that is the Territory lifestyle that needs protecting. All the other stuff is great, but that is the Territory lifestyle that needs protecting. If we think families are important as part of a Territory lifestyle, we should not drive parents into having to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to pay a mortgage to keep that lifestyle going. There is a responsibility on this government, especially a Labor government which it says it sticks up for the workers and the families, to do something about it. It can be done; it just needs someone in government to show some leadership. Minister, this is an area the government needs to think hard about, and quickly.
There is a section on the local government changes. I do not want to look at local government changes too much because the minister is going to make a statement about them next week. I will hold most of my comments until then. I put on record that, whilst I agree with the philosophy of amalgamations of some councils and it is time for some rationalisation, the one area that the government must not forget is the practicalities of the boundaries. Whilst you might look at cultural and other differences etcetera, councils have to be able to physically administer the areas that they are going to have. If you have from the Queensland border to the Western Australia border, somewhere of the other side of the Queensland border, a little township is going to need its roads graded. Someone has to get a grader over there somehow. They might be too small to have their own grader. Make it big, but how does it work in practice? The real nitty gritty issues are just as important as the broad issues you are talking about. However, they are the issues we have to work through.
I will give you some idea of the issues that concern me. One is what it would cost ratepayers in the existing Litchfield Shire to run this super council? Most of the ratepayers are going to be in the Litchfield Shire. There are other ratepayers around. Will they get an increase in their rates to cover the cost of actually maintaining this larger community? When Litchfield Shire first started, there was an establishment package. The government said: ‘Yes, we are willing to start up a Litchfield Shire. We will put $13m in to the establishment package to bring things up to a certain level, to provide services’. There are a lot of areas now in this super council, the Top End Litchfield Shire, that have never had services. Dundee would be a classic one. It was poorly developed in the first place. Someone is going to have to pick up the tab to bring the services up to a reasonable standard.
Minister, I think you are wrong in your statement in today, and I was quite surprised when you said it. I know Litchfield Shire Council is not the most popular council in the world, and some of that is brought on by itself, but you said Litchfield Shire Council is probably not viable into the future. Regardless of some of the political issues about dogs and so on - forget that for a moment - from an economic point of view, Litchfield is one of the soundest, economically run councils in the Territory because it stuck with its basics. It stuck with roads, reserves and rubbish. It stuck with low or no regulation. You have to go back to the history of why Litchfield started.
The paper said recently in an editorial that the issue of dogs had been around for two decades. The council has only existed for two decades. One of the reasons it developed was because the people who started it when it was an advisory committee did not want any regulations so dogs were not an issue at the beginning. I am not saying they are not an issue now, because the population grows and things change.
You have to have an understanding of the basis of which Litchfield started. It worked out a unique scheme for sealing roads. The person who lives on the road pays the local rate. Nearly all the roads in Litchfield Shire have been sealed, this is outside of the government roads, with user-pays contribution from the owners. That is unique in the Territory, yet it has worked. There is huge amount of bitumen being put on roads in the Litchfield Shire.
The problem with Litchfield Shire is it does not tell people that. It is extremely poor in communicating what it does, and that is part of the problem it has today. Whether it is bus shelters, dogs or whatever, it does not tell people what it is doing. People say to me in Howard Springs: ‘What do I get from the rates?’. I ask if they have ever driven down Leonino Road, because that road has been developed. The people are paying for something because a lot of the ratepayers’ money is going into that road as well. People do not understand. I do not accept that Litchfield Shire is a non-viable council even in the future. It is viable because it has kept control of its funding and it has kept to the simple core requirements that the council said it would look after.
Mr Warren: They are suspending it; that is why it is viable.
Mr WOOD: Member for Goyder, do not get me started. You are not a Litchfield ratepayer and you do not understand. I spent 13 years on the council and, regardless of the problems the council has today, when John Maley started as President, he started in a way that did not copy other councils. That is what he was trying to do; he did not want to have a big bureaucracy. Darwin has a big bureaucracy for a council. Look at its funding; look at what it gets. Palmerston is heading that way. Litchfield has 10 staff. It has 16 000 to 17 000 people and is 3900 m2. It has maintained that, maybe not perfectly, but it has and it is still a viable council.
It was a bit harsh to make that statement. You also said in your statement that you are looking at 5000 people per shire …
Mr WARREN: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! The member for Nelson is referring to an issue which was raised in Question Time today. The member for Barkly has not even spoken to this point and he is debating issue on it.
Members interjecting.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, there is no point of order. Please continue, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: I am confused. I am just quoting from today’s Hansard and was going to ask the minister. The minister said that councils would, basically, have 5000 people. The issue I have is that the Top End Litchfield Council, which is probably the council which is going to be agreed to, would probably have 20 000 people. That does not fit in with what you said about the 5000 people, so I am interested to hear why that particular council was bigger in population than the rest. There are a lot of other issues which need looking at, and I will be looking forward to your statement later.
The other area which concerns me with lifestyle is really about planning. It seems, reading the Chief Minister’s statement, that we are going over old ground. The government has been in power for six years and is only now trying to do something. How many times have I spoken about architectural merit, tropical design? Now, look at all the new boxes going up again, with no thought about architectural merit.
I remember the Chief Minister saying what a wonderful development we have seen on the old Darwin Hotel site. Do you really think those little tourist dongas over there are what Darwin is about? I would have thought we would get a high-class development on that corner. The Chief Minister said it was wonderful. She also gave her blessing for one of the 33-storey buildings which is going up. I have no problem with 33-storey buildings; I have problems with five-storey car parks taking up the entire block. Both those blocks there are car parks from the ground up. You tell me that has architectural merit, and I will go he.
I believe we have missed the boat in a lot of these areas. The government has had its chance, but it has been too worried to upset the developer. That is what Nicholas Rothwell was talking about in The Australian. It has been worried about its political future, and we are worried about getting close to the developers. Who watched as Admiralty House was ruined? If you can tell me that Admiralty House is a wonderful place now compared to what it was, I will go he. The beautiful garden is gone; it is just a steak house.
Who allowed balconies on high rise buildings to be regarded as open space? What a joke! Who spoke about the destruction of Mitchell Creek? Where was the Labor Party? It took the community and an Independent and one local member to get the government out of its lethargy.
The minister talked about streetscapes. Why have we allowed 300 m2 blocks? Why have we allowed roads where you can only put two cars on the road? We are not developing places in a tropical environment. If you go around the northern suburbs of Darwin and compare those with the newer suburbs of Palmerston, you would say the planners, at least in the northern suburbs – may I ask for an extension please?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mrs MILLER: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move an extension for the member for Nelson to complete his response, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: One of the problems the government has is that the planners control planning, and it is hard even for the minister to get over his or her ideas sometimes, because the planners have set it out in concrete. That is their little pet and they do not like those plans being changed too much. The middle of the harbour is a classic. Middle Arm is now being used as just a total gravel scrape. The minister is saying we want a tropical harbour, we will scrape the guts out of the middle harbour for cheap gravel for development of the waterfront and other developments. That is sad. We could have done that elsewhere. Why we did it in the middle of the harbour beats me. We have spoilt the centre of our harbour.
Sometimes, we have ministers whose vision has not been driven by the government. We have had more of the planners saying this will be the vision, and that is why we do not have architectural merit, and why we have had the Development Consent Authority saying that is the law and, therefore, we have to allow that building to be approved. There should have been some other mechanism to say: ‘Hang on, that is a 33-storey building, this is going to be there forever, this is going to be how Darwin will look’. I must admit, if you drive down Dick Ward Drive now in the morning and have a look at the skyline, those two 33-storey buildings are big. They look big already and they are going to change the skyline forever.
As I said, I do not think the government has any vision, really. I heard the minister for Planning the other day talking to Leon Compton on the Drive program. Leon Compton said to the minister, when referring to guidelines:
The minister said:
and there was a long pause - and if you can follow this you are doing well:
That waffle, I must admit, reflects lack of vision because not only is it not understandable, it clearly shows that we do not have control of the future of our city. This city might not be the city I live in, but it is the city of the Northern Territory. It is my capital city; I would love it to be a city that shows how a good tropical city can be developed. Tall buildings I do not have a problem with. I have a problem if they are squashed in and use up every bit of land. As I said before, I went to Perth and had a look at the 33-storey buildings in Perth. The tall buildings are between about 33 and 35 storeys. Some of those buildings are terrific; great architectural design. You go down to the bottom, they have sculptures, gardens, coffee shops, and room and they are not squashed in. What do we have? We have these blocks and the two buildings down there take them up entirely. There is no ‘Please set this back a bit’ or ‘If you do not have enough room, just do not build it’. We just said: ‘Build it’. Unfortunately, we are destroying our city.
You might not agree with everything Nicholas Rothwell said, but I believe he hit the nail right on the head. You are talking about lifestyle; Darwin is part of my lifestyle. I lived out bush. I came in here and enjoyed the city when I came, and I went back. Nowadays, I am coming into a city that feels foreign, with lots of these units. You have places like Synergy; I call it mini-Hong Kong. It does not appeal to me at all. We have lost our character and it is very sad.
Not only are we losing our character in the city, the way we are developing our suburbs needs to have a lot more care. As I said before, with Palmerston, here is a chance to keep places like Mitchell Creek more or less in their natural state. What is it now? Many parts of it is lawn with a piece of concrete which acts as a drain - unfortunate. We have lost the chance for a wildlife reserve, a place that people can enjoy. We have turned it into a glossy brochure piece of the environment, and that is very sad. We still deal with drains that go straight into Mitchell Creek. When I went to America, I saw they are making drains that mimic the creek. Why? Because you can get rid of the nutrients that way, you can allow a lot of the little macro vertebrates and fish to live there, and you slow the water down - which is a mistake we are making. Here in the rural area, every road you put in removes water faster. Every block we clear allows less water to absorb into the ground. We have to rethink the way we do our development and be a lot cleverer.
Even things such as in Palmerston where, I complained bitterly and inquired, who made the rule that in a normal suburb you can only park two cars on the road? Why not three? I go home to see my place in Camberwell - in fact, at my old place, you could park four cars and you had a nature trip with big trees on it. It is a beautiful street. However, today, developers want every square inch possible, so the bit of public land they have to leave is absolute minimal. Governments need to lead and say: ‘No, we will have a road the kids can play on. We will have roads that you can park your car on. We will have roads where you can plant some trees and make some shade, especially in a tropical outlook’. We have seemed to have lost that. Someone has made some rules that say it is okay. That is very sad.
I thank the Chief Minister for her statement. The statement is good, but you have had the opportunity for six years. I worked with the Chief Minister when I was president of the council looking at some of these major issues of planning in my shire and in other places. I hoped that that drive for a better and practical plan for our city would continue but, unfortunately, I do not think it has.
One of the classic areas we have lost out is on the waterfront. I am not saying the waterfront is a bad thing; do not get me wrong on that. The waterfront would have been developed no matter which party was in power. The convention centre, to be honest with you, to me looks like either a big shed with a curved roof or a cockroach. It does not lead me to say: ‘That is Darwin, that convention centre’. We missed an opportunity to build a convention centre that said Darwin, like the Opera House of Sydney, or that big spire down near the art centre in Melbourne. We had a chance to do something really great with that convention centre, and have something that is supposed to be an oyster shell. Well, you are going to have to get someone to explain it is an oyster shell, and this is a pity. The Opera House is the Opera House, the spire in Melbourne is the spire but, when it comes to us, we lost a real opportunity to do something special.
I have said before that if we are to develop a new city like Weddell, do not go down the path you did with Palmerston, which seems to be a hotchpotch way of building things. Why don’t we have a competition? We need people like Burley-Griffin who designed Canberra; those kind of people. We definitely need to say we want someone with vision. Show us what your city will look like, not in two dimensions but in three dimensions. We want a tropical city; a beautiful city and something to be remembered by.
Unfortunately, poor old Palmerston has been built higgledy piggledy, with a Bunnings here and a KFC there and a something else there. It just seems to have lost rhyme and reason, which is unfortunate. However, I believe we can do better and with a new city. Yes, we need to protect our lifestyle but, unfortunately, I do not know whether we are dying under weights of new regulations and new laws. We are forgetting that there are a lot of times we do not need all these rules and regulations. John Maley used to say to me when he first started Litchfield: ‘Do not introduce any laws unless you really have to’. What he said at the beginning - and it may not apply as much today - was that our motto was Community Effort is Essential. He was, basically, saying instead of relying on someone else always to fix your problem, try to fix it yourself. Go and talk to your neighbour. That is what his philosophy was and it was a good philosophy. It cannot always work and we have to have regulations as population increases. He was trying to protect that rural lifestyle which is part of our Territory lifestyle. I just fear that we have to be careful we do not overregulate everything.
Regarding the issue of the open speed limit, I understand where the government is coming from. Do not get me wrong; I understand your arguments. I just think it was not a real problem. However, you have it tossed in with all the other issues, and now we have it. I just do not think it was a problem. It has been around the Territory for 50 years. I have always known it was an open speed limit; even if my car could not go that fast. I do not think it was real problem and the government has to be careful it just does not regulate for regulation sake because, in the end, if you keep doing that our lifestyle will be no different than any state than the Northern Territory.
Mr VATSKALIS (Business and Economic Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am always fascinated by the member for Nelson. Since he has been in parliament he has been on the road to Damascus. He has been reformed. I am sitting here listening to him talking about the environment, about planning and everything else.
I recall when he was the President of Litchfield Shire Council and I was the manager of Environmental Health in Casuarina. I had to issue a direct health act order to his council for failing to comply with the Health Act in regards to the Berry Springs rubbish tip and the Howard Springs rubbish tip. The Berry Springs rubbish tip was always on fire, and I received numerous complaints and I visited it numerous times. I was sick and tired of driving to Berry Springs every second day and I threatened his council with the Health Act or that I would take them to court if they could not fix it. To their credit, they did.
The one they did not ever fix was the Howard Springs tip. Howard Springs was always uncovered, on fire, and most of the rubbish was going down to the creek at the back of the tip. So much for the council that was developed without rules and regulations, and fix it yourself if you have a problem. Well, your shire council did not, and I had to step in as a health official and fix it - and not only there, but in other places as well. That is the problem with the Territory; it is a small place where we know each other and probably worked together in the past. Sometimes, with what you say, there might be other people on the other side of this House who know the history as well, but they know a different history from what you are recalling now.
Let us not talk about the Litchfield Shire Council. The Litchfield Shire Council has a lot to do to become a modern shire council. I worked in local government in urban and remote environments in rural Western Australia. I can tell you that if the Litchfield Shire Council was in Western Australia, the council would have been dissolved by the minister and an administrator would have been appointed to rectify the problems. However, we will not go there; we will stop here.
On some of the issues you raised about planning, probably you are right. However, you have to remember about all these buildings you call ‘cages’ in Darwin, is that people like to live in them because they want a change of lifestyle; they do not like the big blocks but something more compact. There are people who buy these cages. Obviously, if there is a market and demand, there is always going to be supply.
I support the Chief Minister’s statement. Under the Labor government, the Territory has an economy and lifestyle that is the best in Australia. As Business and Sports minister of the Martin Labor government, my priorities are clear: work with business, especially small business, to create more jobs for Territorians; and work with the sports community across the Territory to increase participation and deliver major sports events.
Economy and lifestyle go hand-in-hand. I recall over the past few days the Leader of the Opposition abusing this government over inflation in Darwin. Let me remind you it was the Reserve Bank that increased interest rates because there was pressure from the accelerating labour market, as there were a lot of jobs around because the economy was overheated. Inflation, of course, reflects all these factors. Inflation in Darwin is not a direct consequence of the actions of this government. There are too many factors that continue to increase or decrease of inflation.
I recall in 2001 that we did not have inflation, but we did not have jobs. People were leaving. We lost thousands of people down south. The member for Nelson was here. He remembers when we came to government what was happening out there. Everything was flat. Yes, inflation was low, but there were no jobs. The inflation is now high, but guess what? There are jobs and, to his credit, he admitted that. There are many jobs. If you work at Casuarina and you do not arrive by 8:30 am, you cannot find a parking space on week days or weekends.
In January, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported sales of recreational goods in the Territory had increased by 32.7%. That happened because of money, disposable income, because people had jobs and money to spend. They spend it on real estate, new cars, the little gadgets that people like to have at home like the DVD, the plasma TV, clothing, and holidays because there are jobs.
The Martin government’s sound economic management is delivering a strong economy. Of course, there has been strong contribution by the mineral boom, with China and other countries demanding our resources and they are prepared to pay for it. We have developed this market; we have developed this strong economy and the foreign countries and investors have faith in our economy and our government and invest in the Territory.
Our strong economy is not an accident; it is the result of engaging with the business community, a lot of hard work and sensible decisions. One of the most important steps in managing the economy soundly is having a constructive and productive partnership with business. The Martin government has actively engaged with Business Round Tables, Community Cabinets, public meetings, summits and, perhaps most importantly, having an open door and an open mind. The result of working with business has been a series of sound and sensible initiatives: tax cuts, building critical infrastructure, and training new workers. We had 6000 jobs created last year, more than 2000 of which are new apprenticeships or trainees. Engaging with business, and small business in particular, remains a priority this year. This year, for me, is the year of the small business.
The 2001 Census found that small business accounted for 95% of all private sector business in the Northern Territory. Small businesses were also a significant employer, accounting for 54% of total private sector employment in the Northern Territory. Our government’s sound financial management and low taxes have delivered a strong economy that is bucking national trends. We are the lowest taxing government in Australia for small businesses.
The Northern Territory’s history is built on entrepreneurial Territorians who have seen an opportunity, and have invested their time, money and future into building their businesses and providing valuable services to the community. This entrepreneurial mindset is still alive and well in today’s economy and is supported by a wide and varied industry sector with a broad cross-section of skills, services and products.
Our mining and cattle industries have a strong and historical relationship with the growth of the Northern Territory. There are many companies servicing these industries, but we are now seeing new and emerging industries catching the imagination of our business operators.
I am continually impressed by the versatility, courage, strength and ingenuity shown by Territory business people. Many of them started from home-based businesses, developing into employing one or two people, and then growing into large organisations. Across the Territory, I have met many small business operators who have a passion for their communities and who work hard to establish, develop and grow their businesses. We will not take our good relationship with business for granted. We will keep talking with businesses; listening to their ideas and issues.
I am putting together for this year a calendar of public business meetings geared towards small businesses; a program of site and office visits with local business, and one-on-one meetings with local business people. Most importantly, my door will always remain open for business people who want to meet with me.
We are now seeing businesses investing in high technologies servicing the Defence sector, the oil and gas sector, communications industry, energy generation, as well as the personal services sector.
Our vision is to have a strong, vibrant and sustainable Northern Territory economy and, to achieve this, we will work with our partners to secure substantial and lasting economic benefits for businesses and the broader community. Our economy needs competitive businesses across a broad economic base, and government will assist with tailored government investment.
The government offers many opportunities for the home-based and small business operators to grow their own knowledge and attend courses on financial, marketing and business planning, as well as meet other operators and exchange views.
We will continue to provide this service in the coming year and, of course, present the successful October Business Month program. This year, will also see a focus on encouraging private sector investment in the growing Defence sector for the development of the Defence Support Hub. New opportunities for our Defence industry sector are coming to the Territory, with Defence introducing the new Tiger helicopters and the Abrams tanks. Our businesses are working hard to be part of this initiative. This will see more jobs with new technologies and skills introduced to the Northern Territory.
Defence personnel and their families also play a large part in our community. To ensure their needs and requirements are met, my department has employed a Defence Community Liaison Officer to work with the Commonwealth support agencies for Defence and bring any issue to the government’s attention.
We will continue to support business in accessing skilled migrants in areas of skill shortages, and promote the Northern Territory as a place to live and work at international skills expos.
We will grow jobs, business capability and capacity by leveraging off major projects through implementing and managing the Local Industry Participation Plans. This will ensure our small to medium enterprises have the opportunity to participate in the economic growth the major projects bring, and diversify their skills and technology.
As the Chief Minister mentioned earlier, the development of our regions is a key priority for government. People in our regional and remote communities play an important role in the prosperity of the Territory. It is essential for our future generation to receive an education, learn a trade, get a job and build businesses in their local communities. This government takes a realistic position; that is, to sustain and create local businesses which, in turn, create local jobs. Since coming into government, we have done a lot in the bush but we all know there is more to do. Due to the neglect of the CLP governments of the past, the Martin Labor government is very much focused on practical programs that deliver real outcomes to all Territorians.
As the Minister for Business, Economic and Regional Development, my department is the lead agency and is working across all relevant government departments. We know that what is before us requires generational change in the regions, but we are not doing it alone. We are working with the Australian government, land councils, traditional pastoral and the emerging industry sectors, and our very own local economic development committees, just to name a few. One of the most encouraging events happening across the Territory is locals are getting involved.
In her statement, the Chief Minister discussed our Economic Development Committees. These committees will be required to identify economic development priorities, and develop and monitor the implementation of local economic development plans. In doing this, they will be able to achieve sustainable job creation and business growth opportunities for their communities and regions.
An excellent example is the Gulf Economic Development Committee. They held their first meeting in December. This committee will play an important role in the delivery of the $32m McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Package, providing advice, along with other representative groups in the region, on investing the $32m package. The $32m package will deliver better community infrastructure, more training and employment opportunities for locals, and more locally-owned and operated businesses. A formal agreement is almost negotiated. There is still some careful work to be done, but we are putting together a package that will leave a lasting legacy for the region.
The Territory has a great lifestyle and, as I discussed earlier, more Territorians than ever before are taking the time to enjoy it by playing sport, fishing, camping, running. It is great to see so many Territorians getting out there. The Martin government actively supports sport and recreation in the Northern Territory, from building the grassroots and working with peak bodies to improve participation to giving elite athletes the support they need to compete and bringing elite level sports to town. This is all underpinned by investment in sporting infrastructure that can host elite level games and support local sporting competitions, and an evolving policy framework.
Territory-based sports are made up of many hard-working grassroots sporting organisations. These organisations provide competition opportunities and ongoing access to development programs for Territory athletes and officials of all ages. Sport and Recreation supports these organisations by providing annual grants, assistance with good governance and planning to ensure their long-term viability. In turn, they provide good services to their members.
One of the critical developments in sport has been the establishment of the new motor sports body, MotorSport NT. I publicly thank the former Motor Sports Council, ably led by Mr Grant Hamond, for their willingness to work with us for the good of all motor sport. I am pleased to say that they are well on track and will be fully established by 1 July.
I am also pleased that a former administrator for the Motor Sports Board, Mr Geoff Roberts, has taken up the role of interim administrator for the new peak body to help them through emerging issues associated with their establishment. I am very hopeful that this group will take a leading role in ensuring the upgraded facilities at Hidden Valley are made the most of by the motor sport community.
Sporting enthusiasts across the Territory would be well aware of the government’s policies of bringing elite sporting groups to their doorstep. 2007 will not disappoint them in this regard. Territorians have already begun to enjoy a very busy sporting schedule of events including Rugby Union’s 2007 World Hottest Sevens in January. The success of this event is attributed to the hard work of Tim Heath and Northern Territory Rugby Union, and a great indication of what local sporting bodies are capable of. Regarding the recent Wildcats basketball event, once again we have a well-organised local body, Basketball Northern Territory, supporting the event and doing it well.
The Indigenous All Stars versus Essendon game was, without doubt, a great success, with more than 13 000 Territorians enjoying every thrilling moment of this highly skilled match. This match is the first of four elite AFL games for the Territory this year.
May 2007 will be a particularly exciting month with the advent of the 9th Arafura Games. I have just returned from Singapore, where I attended an Arafura Games Heads of Delegation meeting at which final team preparations were discussed, and several changes were made to the Arafura Games charter. I was particularly delighted to meet with the Sports minister from Singapore, who will be sending a large contingent to this year’s games. I intend to invite the minister to visit Darwin during the Arafura Games.
Australia Rugby League will return to Richardson Park later this month for the first time in 10 years, with the Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights playing for pre-season glory. The 2006 game in Alice Springs was a great success, and I understand that both the Knights and Panthers put up their hands to return to the Territory this year. And why not? The Territory has great sporting facilities, great people and a great climate in which to showcase their abilities before the seasons gets under way.
These events are just a taste of what is to come. Cricket fans will not miss out this year, with Australia versus New Zealand International Women’s Cricket, and the International Cricket Commission’s emerging nation’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Pearls and Stingers also have a hectic home-and-away schedule, with the Stingers meeting 2006 National League champions, the Queensland Blades, in Darwin during March.
Infrastructure development not only attracts elite national and international sports, but underpins the development of our athletes locally. Residents of Palmerston will finally have access to a high-quality indoor sports facility, and football participants will enjoy a new home ground at Marrara. With the number of women playing sport on the increase, it will be with great satisfaction that work will commence on a new netball facility, also at the Marrara complex. 2007 will be a busy year for us and the sporting community, as we work together to ensure Territory sports people have access to the best facilities possible.
We are working on updating our comprehensive sports policy. This will draw together the initiatives that I have just outlined, and provide a strong vision for the future. Under the Martin Labor government, the Territory has an economy and lifestyle that is the best in Australia. I love living here, I love working here, and I am looking forward to another great year in the Territory.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement, and will talk about the considerable challenges facing the Northern Territory in the areas of natural resource management, many of which are challenges shared by our whole nation.
The issue of climate change has national prominence at the moment. It is true that the Northern Territory is a very minor player in its contribution to Australian greenhouse emissions. Only about 1% comes from the Northern Territory. However, that is no reason to be complacent because our solid growth and long-term development prospects, indeed, our increasing prosperity, means that our emission creating activities will increase as will our proportion of the national figure. We need, therefore, to get a better handle on our environment conditions and trends. We need to develop a Territory-wide assessment which will inform our future management of the issue. Community concerns and questions about climate change will need a redirection of some of our effort to better understand and model the predicted climate change trends and the consequent impact on our reserves system and biodiversity.
Promoting understanding of the impact of climate change on the Northern Territory community is an important part of this process. This will be one of the first challenges facing a new permanent Environment Protection Agency, the form of which I will shortly be in a position to announce. In the coming year, the EPA and its enabling legislation will be developed based on advice from the interim EPA Board in consultation with industry and the wider Territory community.
There is not one member here who is not aware that water is a huge issue for the whole of Australia and is one which is challenging scientists, governments and citizens. As the Northern Territory continues to develop, we need to ensure that the inevitable environmental changes are sustainable and are not detrimental over the longer term. Making the best informed decisions will require an improved understanding of our surface and groundwater, in particular the capacity of water-dependant ecosystems to cope with change.
My department will complete a number of predicted models for the Katherine, Daly, Darwin rural and Roper River areas so that we can begin to define rules, probabilities and limits for restrictions on pumping to protect regional, environmental and public benefit outcomes. The Daly River Management Advisory Committee will continue to develop an adaptive management framework for the region which will allow us to make proper and informed decisions about the appropriate levels of development. The committee has done a sterling job so far, and I commend all members for their commitment and enthusiasm.
Of course, management of our water resources also involves promoting the efficient and sustainable use of the resource in as many ways as possible. To this end, the waste water reuse initiative in Alice Springs, which has shown very promising results, will be used as a pilot project for extension to other parts of the Territory in coming years.
An immediate water management issue is the absolute imperative of protecting Darwin’s water supply at Darwin River Dam. We all know that the cabomba weed poses a serious threat and my department this year holds continued containment and eradication of the cabomba infestation as a priority.
Another big challenge for us is managing waste across the Territory from our urban centres to our remotest communities each with its different issues. I know the member for Nelson is interested in the issues of waste and litter, and I know he will continue to criticise the lack of container deposit legislation. However, I will restate my position that I will not support a container deposit scheme unless it is done nationally. This does not mean the issue of waste and litter is being ignored. In fact, my department is actively working on a rethinking way strategy; we are working with the packaging stewardship forum to enhance industry, community and household efforts for recycling and waste reduction.
I previously reported to this House on the groundbreaking work being undertaken by the West Arnhem Fire Management Agreement between traditional owners and ConocoPhillips. This fabulous initial abates greenhouse gas emissions from savannah burning in western Arnhem Land, which is the major contributor to the Territory’s greenhouse emissions. My department will continue to work with traditional owners in western Arnhem Land to ensure the success of this world-first greenhouse gas offset fire management project. With the establishment of this market-based approach towards better land management and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, the challenge for the department is to now expand the program with new partners in other areas of the Territory.
In 2007, the Northern Territory is likely to have an intense fire season, including Central Australia, following widespread heavy rains. A detailed fire forecast will be developed in April. Consequently, delivering fire management services to the growing rural and remote communities will continue to pose challenges. Being a land of extremes, flood poses as much threat to Territorians and their environment as does fire. My department has developed some excellent flood forecasting techniques and processes, and improving the forecasting capacity in high risk areas across the Territory will continue to be a priority.
Another threat to our precious environment and natural resources is feral animals. In the coming year, we need to develop and implement management programs for the major vertebrate pests of the Northern Territory so the threat to biodiversity and natural resources is minimised. Current priorities across the Territory are donkeys, horses, foxes in Alice Springs, camels and cane toads. Problem activities in native animals such as flying foxes and dingoes also need to be addressed, as they can impact on pastoral activities and tourism ventures.
I am sure everyone here appreciates our parks and reserves, and their enormous value in protecting our environment and providing us with wonderful experiences. Despite the negativity and persistent scaremongering from the opposition, I remain committed to the joint management of our parks. Parks and Wildlife staff will continue to build effective working relationships with traditional owners and land council staff to facilitate joint management arrangements of parks. They work well and meet the challenges of providing greater employment of traditional owners and integration of traditional land management with modern techniques.
We will continue the process of seeking World Heritage listing for the Western MacDonnell Ranges National Park. A number of options for a nomination for both natural and cultural values are being explored. Biological data to support World Heritage nomination has been collated, and work is currently under way to identify existing information about cultural values.
There are a number of challenges and opportunities across a range of resource management issues and we need to meet them in order to protect our unique and invaluable environments and lifestyle. The cost of that level of attention to our natural resources is high, and we are currently negotiating with the Commonwealth government for the third stage of the Natural Heritage Trust Bilateral Agreement, which will bring funding of around $7m into the Territory dedicated to natural resource management projects and activities. We will be turning our attention to our marine environments in 2007 and establishing priorities for their protection with community and industry involvement.
We will develop legislative amendments to improve heritage protection in the Northern Territory, as well as to upgrade the systems underpinning the Northern Territory Heritage Register.
In the cultural areas, we need to continue work already being done by the Strehlow Research Centre and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory to address repatriation issues relating to the identification and storage of Central Australian artefacts.
My department has a number of institutions in Central Australia that I feel would benefit from closer relationships with each other. By closer integration of the Cultural Precinct, the Desert Park, and the Olive Pink Reserve brought together under one department in 2005, I believe we can offer residents and visitors alike a more enjoyable and meaningful experience of the natural and cultural values of the Central Australian environment.
Madam Speaker, I could go on, but I have given members a sense of the challenges ahead regarding management of our natural resources. Our environment is not just a static thing with unchanging values responding to steady demands in a predictable way. We have extremes of climate and weather events; development pressures, traditional knowledge and modern science; and a growing Territory community and a changing demographic. Looking after our natural resources is a complex task, and it is a constant challenge to get the balance right and allow sustainable development. This year again sees us tackling these challenges head on, and our Territory lifestyle will be the better for it.
Debate adjourned.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Australia Day has evolved into one of the most important and exciting days of the year, and it is one that Territorians celebrate with gusto. Australia Day is about celebrating Australia and being Australian, and it is a time that most of us like to catch up with families and friends, around the barbie or in front of the cricket, or a range of other things you can do, such as community events like the Ute Run, our sports carnival or the flag raising and citizenship ceremony at Mindil.
There is no better way to kick off our Australia Day celebrations than at the Australia Day Gala Ball the evening before the big day. It is always a memorable night and this year was no exception. The theme of the night centred around horse racing, in honour of the Australia Post Living Legends who all came from the horse racing industry. The ball is a great opportunity to catch up with friends and meet and get to know people from our business and community sectors. At my table this year, I was joined by Australia Post Commercial Manager for South Australia and the Northern Territory, Bevan Adams and his wife, Alison. Australia Post is a major sponsor of the gala night, and their NT Manager, John Marsh and his wife, Raelene, were also there, as was outgoing Commander Northern Command, Commodore Cam Darby and his wife, Shani. Cam, by the way, so loves the Territory that he is choosing to retire from the Navy here in Darwin.
The highlight of the evening, as always, was the announcement of the NT Achiever for 2007. The winner was Margie McLean, who is currently the Manager of the Elliott Health Centre. Margie spent more than 35 years of her life caring for the people of the Northern Territory, and it really is hard to imagine a more worthy winner.
I also had the pleasure of announcing that Heather Sjoberg has been reappointed Chairman of the Australia Day Council for another three years. Heather and her team at the council have done a great job in promoting Australia Day and making it a special time for all Territorians, and I am very pleased that she will be able to continue her work.
The other event I was able to attend was the Australia Day Fun Run/Walk, which kicked off very early the next morning - just the tonic after a gala ball. It was a typical Wet Season morning, the weather was cloudy, the humidity high but, thankfully, the rain held off. A steady stream of people started registering around 6 am and, by the time I waved the flag to start the run an hour later, more than 3200 people were there. That is a great turnout, and it was not just serious runners who participated, although they were certainly there. There were families and people who just wanted to be out having fun. Some ran, some jogged and some just took in the atmosphere and walked the course. I pay tribute to the Deputy Chief Minister; he almost got up Darwin hill. He was running and he almost made it to the top, which shows that his level of fitness is not too bad. The morning ended with the Darwin Parachute Club members dropping in on Mindil Beach, and a surf boat race organised by Mindil Beach Surf Life Savers celebrating 100 years of surf lifesaving in Australia.
There are a number of organisations I would like to thank for making this event such a spectacular success. First, congratulations to the Australia Day Council, event partners NT Athletics, and Darwin runners and walkers, as well as NT Emergency Services, Rotary Nightcliff and Guides NT Darwin and District Division. There were also many individuals who ensured the event ran smoothly and without incident, and my thanks go to all of them. We also had terrific sponsors and a range of businesses who donated their services. Many thanks to Tattersall’s, Creative Jewellers, Ace Traffic Control, Rocktown Music and Shadeworks Hire.
I conclude by congratulating our newest Territorians who became Australian citizens at the flag raising and citizenship ceremony later that morning. Deputy Chief Minister, then Acting Chief Minister Syd Stirling was there and told me how much he enjoyed the event. On behalf of all Territorians, welcome to the best place in Australia and the best of luck for the future.
This year is the 90th anniversary of the Northern Territory Football League and its three foundation clubs, Waratahs, Wanderers and Darwin. I attended the anniversary celebrations for Waratahs late last month, where AFL legend, Gary Buckenara, was the special guest speaker. It was a good night. The longevity of these three clubs is amazing, and can be put down to the passion and commitment of generations of club administrators, volunteers, players and supporters - footy lovers, all of them. It is those people who have ensured that these three clubs, as well as our football league, have grown stronger and more successful as the years roll by.
Let me put into perspective just how long these clubs have been around. In 1917, when the League was formed, the Great War was still raging and Darwin’s population was only around 6000. Cape Don Lighthouse was built in that year and one of our great Territorians, Lily Ah Toy, was born. In 1917, it took three days to get from Adelaide to Alice on the old Ghan. As far as Darwin institutions go, these three football clubs are close to the oldest entities in town. They have won 48 premierships between them and provided us with top class footy and a keen contest for 90 years.
These clubs have traditionally appealed to different segments of Darwin’s community. While their supporter bases have widened in recent years they, nevertheless, provide an interesting snapshot of Darwin society. The mighty Waratahs have always welcomed new arrivals to Darwin, and there have been many over the years from bank clerks to thousands of Commonwealth public servants. I was one of those new arrivals back in the early 1980s, and I am very proud to now be the club’s patron.
Wanderers and Buffs have all together different followings. The Wanderers were our first premiers, and the backbone of the club has been Aboriginal people, particularly those with connections to Arnhem Land and the Daly River and Katherine regions, while the Darwin Football Club has always prided itself on a long and close association with its local Aboriginal community, as well as strong ties with Darwin’s Greek and Chinese communities. These clubs were integral to the formation and development of football in the Territory. Their efforts over many years have seen the League grow and continue to produce some of the nation’s best footballing talent.
Nightcliff and St Mary’s joined the competition in the 1950s; Palmerston, then known as North Darwin, in the 1970s; and, of course, present ladder leader, Southern Districts, in the 1980s. Like many people, I hope to see the Tiwi Islands become the permanent eighth team in the League. On behalf of all Territorians, happy 90th to all three clubs, and the best of luck to each in the future although I have to let my bias show and, for this year - go the Tahs!
A top quality education is vital to the future prosperity of the Territory and wellbeing of all Territorians. If that is the case, the future of Alice Springs is looking bright because two Alice Springs students have placed in the Territory’s top 20 NTEC students. Matthew Higgins graduated from OLSH College and ranked 17th in the Territory. Matthew plans to study engineering, either in mechatronics or aerospace, after taking a year’s break from study. Jordan Beverley graduated from Centralian Senior Secondary College ranked 18th. Jordan, who has a three-year-old son, stretched her study out over two years to help her cope with the stress of being a student and a mum. Her aim is to become an English teacher, and she will study at Charles Darwin University. I take this opportunity to congratulate both Matthew and Jordan on their tremendous results, and I wish them all the best in their future studies.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, tonight I would like to pay tribute to a lady who passed away tragically recently in Alice Springs. Her name is Helen Baldwin. I would like to read into the record an obituary that was written about her in the Centralian Advocate of 5 February. Then, I would like to follow that with some personal words spoken by her father-in-law and a close work associate. The Centralian Advocate article, with the title ‘Helen had a passion for caring reads’:
During the church ceremony, Tony Foster, Helen’s father-in-law, was asked to speak. I thought it was a very moving speech straight from the heart. I will attempt to read it into the Parliamentary Record:
That was a speech from the heart, from a father-in-law who has known that young woman for many years. Spoken in his English accent, it was quite a eulogy.
Another eulogy at the service was by David Forest, who was one of the principals of the real estate agency for which Helen worked. He complimented Helen for her passion and skill as a midwife and medical educator, but he said:
David introduced Andrew and Helen to many of us in the Country Liberal Party. They were very strong supporters and very motivated workers with us and for us. I wish to convey my condolences to Andrew. I know it is hard during this time, when you have suffered a great loss, and no amount of words that we can say will soothe the hurt and pain that Andrew will be going through. I hope he knows that there are many people in Alice Springs who will also miss Helen, and I hope that he does find support from the community of Alice Springs for his great loss.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I advise the House of Australia Day celebrations held in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, and also to recognise and congratulate those people from Central Australia and the Barkly who won Australia Day awards.
On Australia Day, I had the pleasure of attending the Australia Day breakfast in Tennant Creek. The breakfast was a huge success, with nearly 200 people attending. During the function, the Tennant Creek and Barkly winners of the Australia Day Awards were announced. I had the honour of presenting the 2007 Citizen of the Year award to Mr Justin Hankinson, a dedicated volunteer from Tennant Creek. Justin has been a volunteer with Bushfires NT for 12 years. He has assisted with hazard reduction burns and fire suppression works as Captain of the Tennant Creek Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. Justin was also awarded the NT Volunteer of the Year by St John Ambulance. It would be very fair to say that it would be very difficult for small places like Tennant Creek to survive without people like Justin who provide so much of their time in the interest of the community.
The Community Event of the Year was awarded to a drag racing meet which was organised by Mr George Konidaris and his committee. It is an event which is held in conjunction with the Central Australian drag racing people. Of course, it is attended by many non-profit organisations, community committees and local businesses. It is a real community effort. I sincerely trust that it will have an immense future. It is a tribute to people like George Konidaris and his committee that they were able to get this event organised.
Awards were also awarded for high achievement and citizenship amongst school children. The Tennant Creek High School 2007 Australia Day Award was presented to Christopher Parker. Jemma Paterson was awarded the 2007 Australia Day Award for Tennant Creek Primary School. She was a joint winner with Katelyn Price who is also from a small community south of Tennant Creek, from the Mungkata School. I congratulate both Jemma and Katelyn for their outstanding work through the course of the year. They are a credit to their respective communities and also to their schools and their parents.
I also want to make a special tribute to Mr David Halford, who was presented the Australia Day Army Cadet Corps Australia Day medallion. This award acknowledges David’s service to the recruitment and training of Army cadets in Tennant Creek, being involved with its inception some 12 years ago. David is one of those local people who puts in so much hard work and effort and is a great mentor to many of our young people in Tennant Creek. I know David played an important role in getting some of the cadets, particularly young Harvey Ladd, a young indigenous lad from Epenarra, into a school-to-work program. That is indicative of David’s contribution to his community.
The following day, I went to Alice Springs and attended the Australia Day hosted by Telstra. I want to pay tribute to Telstra and thank them for their ongoing sponsorship and contribution, and indeed, to all those businesses and organisations in Alice Springs which were sponsors. It was a great event attended by about 350 people, with many of the people from Alice Springs and the surrounds. During the course of the evening, the people who won the Centralian of the Year Awards were recognised for their contributions to the Centralian community. They joined a very distinguished group of people over the years who have been winners of awards. From the past, I would like to acknowledge people like Paul Herrick who was a firefighter for over 27 years, Janet Beven, foster parent to over 100 indigenous children with severe disabilities, and Mary Meldrum, a pillar of the Alice Springs community.
This year, the choice was tough for the selection committee. The Central Australian Committee awarded the Centralians of the Year to two people. One was Pippa Tessmann and other lady was Mildred Inkamala.
Pippa Tessmann was awarded her Centralian of the Year award because of her commitment to sport, in particular, sports medicine. Pippa is the president of the Southern Region of Sports Medicine Australia and owns her own physiotherapy practice. She carried the Commonwealth Games baton when it came through Alice Springs in 2006 and formed a critical part of the Masters Games as medical contingent. Pippa can be seen on the sideline of almost any Alice Springs sporting event, volunteering her time and effort to make sure that the athletes are looked after. I congratulate Pippa for an outstanding contribution to the community of Alice Springs.
Equally, Mildred Inkamala received her award for long-standing commitment to the health and wellbeing of indigenous communities in Central Australia. Particularly, Mildred played a major role in helping the community and the police at Hermannsburg deal with crime, violence and other issues which have impacted upon that community. As a health worker she has also supported many children and families in a time of need while raising her own children. Mildred is also a very gifted artist, with some of her art work being housed in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. I congratulate Mildred as well. She is truly an inspiration to a lot of people around Alice Springs and is very much respected by the indigenous community one and all.
The Young Centralian of the Year 2007 went to 20-year-old Kelvin Caspani. Kelvin is a future Rugby League star and was named Junior World Champion during his touch football career. He will be shortly leaving Alice Springs for James Cook University at Townsville to start what, I am sure, will be a stellar Rugby League career. In 2006, Kelvin was awarded the Keegan Medal, the best and fairest award for Rugby League in Alice Spring. Kelvin is an outstanding young man who will go a long way. His dedication and commitment is admired by all.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate Mr John Baskerville who was awarded the Public Service Medal for his outstanding public service to the Central Australian community as Director of the Southern Region, in the Department of the Chief Minister. John oversees a number of important projects that happen in and around Central Australia. His commitment to, and his vision for, Alice Springs is much admired and respected. I thank John for his outstanding contribution. It is fair to say that John would consider his greatest achievement thus far to be the creation of the Desert Knowledge project. That, in itself, will stand as a testament to John’s outstanding contribution.
I also acknowledge Dr Charles Butcher who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to rural and remote medicine in the Northern Territory and to the community. Dr Butcher is a retired surgeon who has spent 25 years of his career at the Alice Springs Hospital. In 2005, Dr Butcher won the Provincial Surgeons Award from the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. This award acknowledges significant contributions to medicine. Dr Butcher was also a member of the Northern Territory Oncology Research Group. He has made a great contribution to Alice Springs and the Centralian communities. I congratulate him on his outstanding career over time.
Virginia Mitchell was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service the community as a remote area health nurse. With a pilot’s licence to her name, the department often chartered planes for her to fly out to communities like Alpurrurulam, which is Lake Nash, to run her clinics and help train and assist indigenous health workers. She has also served as flight nurse in the Aerial Medical Service. Following a few years away from the Territory in Queensland, she returned to Alice Springs and worked at the community health centre on Flynn Drive as a nurse audiometrist. Virginia is now retired and still occasionally does casual work as a flight nurse with the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Virginia, thank you very much for your outstanding contribution.
Sergeant Gert Johnsson received the Australian Police Medal for his distinguished service as a member of the Territory Police force. Sergeant Johnsson joined the Police in 1975 after serving in the Australian Army in Vietnam. He retired in 2002 after a period in the police of 27 years, and rejoined the police in 2004. Sergeant Johnsson has been based at Hermannsburg over the last year and continues to work with the people of Hermannsburg to assist them. I know the Police minister will join me today in congratulating Sergeant Johnsson.
The award recipients are just a sample of the great work and commitment seen every day in Central Australia. Of course, for every award handed out, there are hundreds of other tireless workers dedicating their time to making the Territory a better place. I invite people out there to nominate people next year who they believe provide an outstanding contribution to the Northern Territory, particularly their communities.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate Marg McLean who won the NT Achievers Award. Marg is from Elliott and I am very proud of her contribution as well. It is important to appreciate that Marg and people like Amy Lauder of the indigenous community, were first in the Northern Territory to have a look at grog control-type issues. It is a credit to Marg and that community.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I thank all those people who served on the Australia Day committee, both in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. I thank them for their hard work. Both events were well organised, well run, and I look forward to catching up with them over the next year or so.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Mr Speaker, I am very lucky to be the member for Drysdale because it continues to be a dynamic electorate and many good things are happening. Given that we have just kicked off the new school year, I will provide the House with an overview of some of the changes within staff and student groups. I am very fortunate to have five fantastic schools within my electorate and I am proud to share the Palmerston High School with my neighbouring colleague, the member for Brennan.
The Good Shepherd Lutheran School is an excellent example of a school that has progressed dramatically in the last few years. Last year, the college made its exciting transition from primary school to a college format. It includes primary and middle schools, and now has approval to continue through to Year 12, which I will highlight on another occasion.
The 2007 school year has had a terrific start, commencing with 255 students. Compared with 2006 numbers, it represents a 35% growth in enrolment. The college has appointed 10 new staff, comprising two teachers to replace the two that left, while another eight have joined. There is an additional member to the office staff and a youth intern to provide additional support to the students. I welcome: Kimberly Barker in Transition; Kate Riley who is teaching Transition and Year 1; Cara Hentschke, Year 1; Tracey Hughes, Year 3; Maria Denholm, Year 4; Fiona Lockwood, Year 5; and Kirsten Klein, Year 8. Eleonore Simpson is the support worker and the youth worker is Deanna Jaeschke, and Suzanne Otto is the new admin person. These people are joining a great team and the Good Shepherd.
This massive growth does nothing to dampen the energy and enthusiasm of Principal, Julian Denholm, the college council and its staff who, as you can see, are doing tremendous work. The college has constructed some temporary facilities on its Palmerston campus to house the middle school students for 2007, and this includes a science laboratory and a fabrics room. The middle school has had a very successful start with students in Years 6, 7 and 8 working with a broad integrated curriculum. The strong pastoral care program has been a wonderful success with students and it has enhanced their enthusiasm and motivated them to bigger and better things for this year. I again congratulate Julian Denholm, his dedicated staff and the school board on the groundwork undertaken to secure the future of the college and its students. I wish them well in 2007, and I look forward to becoming involved with them this year.
From Kormilda College, I am happy to report on the fantastic success of their Year 12 graduates last year, and welcome new staff. There have been some really outstanding successes and stories of excellence, and I would like to share some of those with you.
Kormilda College offers students the opportunity to undertake the IB Diploma. The IB is an internationally recognised equivalent to the NT Certificate of Education. It is a rigorous two-year, pre-university course of study for Years 11 and 12 that caters for highly motivated secondary students, whose graduates are sought after by universities throughout Australia and the world. Last year, Ruby Jones, Kormilda’s Dux of 2006, achieved a tertiary entrance ranking, or TER, of 95.3. This placed Ruby among the top 5% of IB students in the world. Danielle Moller also performed extremely well with two perfect scores in Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. Danielle’s TER was 94.95. Of a cohort of 18 IB students at the college, almost half achieved TERs over 80, and 22% over 90. Clearly, these are outstanding achievements and one deserving of our congratulations.
Kormilda’s top NTCE student in 2006 was Jessica Edwards, who delivered a TER of 87.7, and the top indigenous student was Rekeesha Fry, with a TER of 69.15. Half of Kormilda’s 44 NTCE candidates last year were indigenous and, of those, 86% were successful, which is a fantastic success rate. Of the 22 indigenous candidates, four were urban and 18 were remote area borders. Of the remote area indigenous candidates, 89% were awarded their NTCE. Another success for Kormilda worth our recognition is the retention of indigenous students in Year 12, which continues to be on the increase.
Kormilda’s top 20 students for IB and NTCE were: Ruby Jones; Danielle Moller; Alexis Postans; Chloe Lauverjon; Brooke Prince; Jessica Edwards; Gregory Atkinson; Emily Lim; Brooke Cawood; Michael Molina; Sally-Anne Orchard; Christopher Gaulke; Todd Shepherd; Daniel Boor; Megan Vegera; Miranda Kew; Serina Annis-Brown; Francis De Luca; Rekeesha Fry and Lachlan Cameron.
This year, there are 1050 students enrolled and, before the year progresses too far, I extend a warm welcome to the staff who have joined the school in 2007, and these include Peter Richter, the Chaplain; Karen Shum, who is teaching English and Humanities; Martha Newley, who is teaching English and SOSE; Leah Clarke, SOCE; Toni Melese, Performing Arts; Keith Macleay, Art Design and Technology; Monica Bowland, Art Design and Technology; Jessica Robertson, who is teaching Maths, Science, Middle School Team Leader; Kate Williams, Mathematics; Gregory St Vincent, French and Indonesian; Matthew Ross, Head of PE and Health; Mark O’Callaghan, Performing Arts; Maryanne Cameron, Intensive English; Don Iles, Outdoor Education Camp Coordinator; and Soon Kim, Performing Arts. A warm welcome and my best wishes are extended to them and I am sure they will make their own significant contribution to the outstanding work the college undertakes.
Quite simply, Kormilda College is a fantastic school, producing outstanding results. My congratulations are extended to each and every student, the entire staffing contingent, and to Malcolm Pritchard, Kormilda’s Principal and, of course, the innovative school board. I sincerely hope they continue the great work and record a record breaking 2007.
The Gray Primary School in my electorate does a fantastic job in looking after the needs of the young families of Drysdale. It has experienced a very successful and smooth commencement to the 2007 school year. Perhaps a rarity amongst the Top End schools is that there are no staff changes from last year, and student enrolments are as expected as per the planned staffing allocations. So, everything is even keel at the Gray Primary School in the way of teachers and students. I share with the House the depth of the school’s programming and priorities for 2007 to demonstrate its broad program base and reflect its commitment to delivering a comprehensive, high-quality education experience for the young learners.
Gray Primary School has, perhaps, had a stigma over a number of years; however, I can assure you their principal, Cindy McGarry, is doing wonderful things within the school and introducing programs which are showing what the kids’ capabilities are if they are put into the right environment, and it takes them to another level. Priority issues include the consolidation of current programs such as accelerated literacy and Count Me In Too maths; consolidation of middle schooling principles into the teaching and learning programs; implementation of the Kids Matter national mental health initiative; continuation of the Wellbeing Project with the facilitation of the wellbeing officer; introduction of the Success for Boys teachers professional development program and associated action learning projects including boys mentoring.
I was involved in the mentoring program early last year and it is a great program. The kids look forward to the mentors visiting the school each week to develop the kids with extracurricular activities which they really enjoy. There is also the reintroduction of the Indigenous Language and Culture program; further expansion of the use of interaction whiteboards and the continued participation in the national research program; and the re-establishment of the Gray Community Consultative Committee. I congratulate Cindy McGarry, the principal of the school, and wish her staff and the board the very best and, of course, the students as well.
At Durack school, they sport the motto ‘Dignity and Determination’ and, from my association with the school, I can inform the House that this ethos carries through to the outstanding work which is done in the school. Last year, I reported some innovative activities the school was undertaking, development of a kitchen garden being just one example of the many activities the school undertakes involving the students, parents, staff, businesses and others. Their success is indicative of the school’s full engagement with the community.
School numbers for 2007 are 495 students, including preschoolers, and made up from 313 families, many of which are from our Defence Force community. The school was joined by a few new staff in 2007 and, with the indulgence of the House, I welcome Kathy Kerr as Registrar; Sally Strange, Transition; Heidy Rubin for Year 1 and 2; Natasha Jones for Years 6 and 7; and George Malpartida, who attends to the school’s IT needs. I welcome all the Durack people back for another fantastic year, and I continue to look forward to the many exciting things they will surprise me with in 2007.
I attended the Durack school last Friday morning to pay a visit to the new Defence Force mother’s group who have moved into my electorate over the Christmas break. This group meets over a cup of coffee every Friday morning prior to school assembly to discuss any matters they may have. The coordinator of this group is Corrine Hunt. She is wonderful conduit between the mothers and the school, government departments, the Defence Force and, of course, me, and I thank her for her continued efforts. I welcome these new mothers and their families to my electorate and the school, and wish them a very happy stay in the area.
The principal of the school, Ms Jo Wynn, and her staff are looking forward to a great year, and I wish her and her staff, the council, and the students a wonderful 2007. I look forward to attending the assemblies, meetings and functions throughout the year.
The last two schools in my electorate are Driver and Palmerston High School. However, I will attend to those in another adjournment.
To change tack, I draw to the House’s attention another milestone in outstanding achievement very worthy of acknowledgement. Shortly before Christmas, Jerry Frank played his 200th game for the Palmerston Football Club. Jerry has played in two premiership flags at Palmerston and has won the club’s Best and Fairest in the years 1998-99 and 2002-03. He has represented the NTFL with distinction against Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, and Norwood. Jerry has made a significant contribution to Northern Territory football over the years, and I congratulate him on his fantastic career and this milestone. Obviously, I also thank his family for the support they have given him throughout his football career, as I am sure he would recognise them. The family backing when you are playing continued sport over such a long period as that is essential.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, recently on Australia Day, a number of people in my electorate participated in the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony. These included Ms Jung Gu Hwang, Ms Sun Hee Kim, Mr Nigel Keats and Mr Stuart Logue who accepted Australian citizenship. I congratulate them on the celebration of their Australian citizenship. I sincerely hope that they enjoy their life in our wonderful country, this wonderful dynamic city of Darwin and, of course, in my electorate of Drysdale.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it is the third week of this school year and I am delighted to inform the House of the increased number of senior students at Ramingining School under the guidance of Principal, Coraline Armstrong, and the excitement of students returning for the school year at Milingimbi under Acting Principal, Glen Aitchison. Thank you, Glen, for seeing the students of Millingimbi through the changes last year and for welcoming them all back this year. Thank you Corrie and Louise for the energy and encouragement you put into the early childhood program at Ramingining. The example set by last year’s four graduates - two from Ramingining and, in an historic first for Milingimbi, two Year 12 graduates - has encouraged other students to continue on to Year 12. Some have even returned to school even though they had left in Year 9 or 10 some years ago, such has been the pride in both communities at the success of the recent high school graduates. Some may say it is small in numbers, but I would say it is a very strong beginning.
The success of the Milingimbi School Band at the indigenous music awards last year has seen a strong collaboration between students and Charles Darwin University’s music program. Well done to Jason Lanydjana who is preparing to study at CDU this year. I know your parents, Elizabeth and Jimmy, are very proud of you, as is the community.
I look forward to working with the senior students from Ramingining and Milingimbi in their media studies and in the Aboriginal History subjects in the Dry Season. It was something that I was able to do with the Year 11 and 12 students last year, and was quite thrilled to be with them as they went through their graduation process.
I was fortunate to get to Milingimbi last month just as the tropical low that began on the Tiwi Islands passed north of Milingimbi, fortunate because the heavy rains had just beaten me to the island and they were certainly on their way round Groote Eylandt, another one of my communities in Arnhem. I was met by the new Chief Executive Officer at Milingimbi Council, Richard Stewart, who I am pleased to say knows the Territory quite well from his previous days as a teacher/principal in Darwin. A very big welcome to you, Richard. The challenges are, indeed, ahead of you and the Milingimbi Council but I am confident the people of Milingimbi will guide you well.
To the staff at Milingimbi Health Clinic, our government hears your concerns about the need for a new building, but keep up the good work because all eyes are on you, especially now that you have the Health Worker of the Year coming from Milingimbi. Well done, Barbara Dharmany.
The demise of Aboriginal Air is having an impact on services for Milingimbi and, in particular, to Nhulunbuy. The Milingimbi to Nhulunbuy leg is now non-existent. Thankfully though, AirNorth continues its regular service from Darwin to Maningrida to Milingimbi so the community does not feel so isolated, unlike their nearby neighbours at Ramingining. Ramingining is suffering without a regular passenger transport service. A year ago, the community celebrated the opening of a new sealed airstrip. However, the constant question I receive from residents in Ramingining now is: ‘Barb, thanks for the new airstrip but what happened to the planes?’ A simple statement, I know. Yes, I can say to the residents of Ramingining, our government is working on options for the communities who need assistance. However, the frustration is clearly evident.
Let me give the House just one example, and there are plenty of similar stories, of one person who needed to get to Royal Darwin Hospital in a hurry to see a sick family member. The prognosis was not good for the patient and this family member was in great distress trying to get to RDH the quickest way possible. Unable to meet the AirNorth flight, which meant driving the hour-long or more drive from Ramingining to Maningrida, and unable to get to Milingimbi to meet the flight, the person had no choice but to drive to Darwin. For those of you who do not know, the drive from Ramingining to Darwin is around seven to eight hours on a good day, when the rivers are easy to cross. However, remember it is the Wet Season and all the rivers are up on the road that passes Gunbalanya and comes out at the Cahill Crossing to the Arnhem Highway.
The only other road option is what Ramingining residents call the ‘goat track’; a two-hour drive south of the community onto the Central Arnhem Road that passes Bulman and takes you past Wugularr and Barunga to the Stuart Highway. Then it is another four hours drive north through Katherine, passing Pine Creek and Adelaide River and, finally, to Darwin. I have travelled this road in the Dry and, on a good day, the trip takes around 10 hours straight through. Remember, this is the Wet, and there are creeks and crossings to get across. It is here I would like to say, thankfully, the new Wilton River Bridge at Bulman is assisting and improving the road access at this time of year.
Getting back to this person who had to make the drive, the person eventually got to Royal Darwin Hospital, but the emotional and physical distress endured as a result of no RPT was enormous. For businesses in Ramingining, like nationally and internationally renowned Bula-bula Arts, the economical strain is equally as high. If an RPT service is still not up and running by April, it is estimated the arts centre will have lost around $70 000 in business. Perhaps that is a more conservative figure, but the message is clear: they do need help.
I say this to the people of Milingimbi and Ramingining: take heart because our government is acutely aware of your concerns and the consequences that the absence of an RPT is having, especially on Ramingining. Next month, Cabinet will visit East Arnhem to see the situation for themselves.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I dedicate my first adjournment of the year to the young people of Alice Springs. I know it is a fairly well used line, but our young people are our future and that is why I always take an interest in their achievements. I always enjoy attending the end of year concerts and presentation nights because this provides the community with the opportunity to celebrate our youths’ achievements, and genuinely take an interest in what they have done throughout the school year.
I am very confident in saying that some of the names I will be mentioning tonight in this adjournment are names to look out for in the future. Alice Springs can look forward to a very prosperous future as these young people will no doubt play greater roles in the various areas of community life in the years to come. It is important for this parliament to acknowledge young Territorians. That is why I would like to place on the public record the names of many outstanding young achievers from Alice Springs who have recently been recognised at the many school presentation and award nights I attended during December and January.
It is also important to thank the many people who put a lot of work into organising these events, including the sponsors, staff members, teachers, students, school council members and parents. It is due to the great work undertaken by all of these people that we guests who attended were able to enjoy fantastic presentations, dances, band performances and video footage reflecting on the school year. It was truly a pleasure to be able to meet so many parents and to present many awards to not only the high achievers, but to students who received the Chief Minister’s numeracy and literacy awards for the first time.
The Alice Springs High School presentation night was held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre, and what a great venue this place is. Alice Springs High School held its formal and award night together and it was impressive to witness the older students’ dress codes on this occasion. Many of them were unrecognisable because of the clothes they were wearing. They were all very impressive.
It was my pleasure to present the Sportsman and Sportswoman Awards on behalf of my colleague, the member for Macdonnell, to Mitch Murray and Simone Baker. Both recipients have truly excelled in the sporting area. I would like to say a few words about Mitch Murray. It was great to present this award to him because I have known Mitch and his family for quite some time. I have had the pleasure of watching Mitch and his twin brother, Craig, develop their Aussie Rules skills through the AFL Auskick program in Alice Springs over the past 10 years or so. Mitch’s parents, Denise and Trevor Murray, are both very dedicated to their children’s sporting activities. I might add that they also enjoy getting stuck into the organisation and volunteer aspects of these sports as well. No doubt, Denise and Trevor are very proud of Mitch achieving All Australian selection at the Under 15 National AFL Carnival, as well as winning this award.
The ANZAC Hill High School awards were held at the Araluen Arts Centre, and it was very well attended by parents and families. It was a special awards night for me, as my two older boys attend ANZAC and received awards on the night. I presented the Chief Minister’s Numeracy and Literacy Awards to Debbie Abbott, Tasma Palmer, Megan Bathern, Justin Paech, Sophie Gilbey, David Payne-Hampton, Joshua Appo and Zach Peckham-McKenzie.
I also acknowledge ANZAC’s efforts in winning the Territory’s only award during the National Literacy Week last year. I look forward to hearing more success from this school this year, particularly with the addition of the Clontarf Football Academy at ANZAC, ASHS and Yirara College.
It was an honour to attend both the ACE Awards and the Year 6 graduation awards at the Sadadeen Primary School last December. ACE represents the Academic, Citizenship and Endeavour achievements by students throughout the year. At the ACE Awards, I presented the Chief Minister’s Numeracy and Literacy Awards to Livita Davis; Thorin Archibald; Niam Young; Andy Ngo; Kelsey Strawbridge; Rohan Ackerman; John Hanak and Justin Halls. At the Sadadeen Primary School Year 6 graduation ceremony, it was my pleasure to present the Australia Day Council Citizenship Award to Brennan Prior. Sadadeen Primary School holds a special place within my family as all three of my sons have attended there over the past 10 years. I thank the principal, Mrs Heather Tubberhauer, and staff for their kind invitations last year, and particularly their efforts in working with the children and families from the Hidden Valley, Ilpeye Ilpeye and White Gate town camps in my electorate. I look forward to visiting them again this year and watching with interest how they progress their relationships with the town camp students and families.
At the Ross Park Primary School, I presented awards to many students in recognition of their attendances through the year, and the Chief Minister’s Numeracy and Literacy Awards. Those students who received awards were: Mikeyli Hendry; Moby Edwards; Jasmine Krollig; Jospehone Foster; Sophie Komandina; Brylei Phillips; Alistair Robinson; Leticia Keane; Zoe Johnston; Ryan Forrester; Sarah Sanderson; Chloe Southham and Lucy Cooper.
I attended the Australia Day flag raising and citizenship ceremony in Alice Springs on Friday, 26 January 2007, presented by the Alice Springs Town Council. The setting was the new Civic Centre at the Alice Springs Town Council, and I must say, the venue was just superb. Although it was an early start to the Australia Day public holiday, 8 am to be exact, it was a perfect day with clear blue skies and even with the water flowing down the Todd River after a couple of weeks of rain. I understand it was a change of venue this year away from the traditional venue of the Telegraph Station and, judging by the big turnout by the community of Alice Springs, it was a successful move.
Our Mayor, Ms Fran Kilgariff, was the presiding officer of the event, and the citizenship MC was Mr Rex Mooney, both of whom, I might add, did a very good job. I also acknowledge the attendance of Dr Richard Lim MLA, member for Greatorex, at the awards.
The highlight of the morning for me was the short but inspiring speech by Mr John Pyper, the 2005 Centralian of the Year. John’s achievements are many and, behind all of these achievements, is a young man who has kept his feet firmly planted on the ground. John has continued working as a fire officer, and his contribution to the sport of cycling has extended outside Alice Springs. I believe John has also recently been appointed as the head coach of Cycling NT.
This year, we welcomed some 15 oath recipients and five affirmation recipients to the Alice Springs community. Our Citizens of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and the Event of the Year were all truly well deserved. This year, as the member for Barkly and the Minister for Central Australia has acknowledged tonight, there were joint winners of the Citizen of the Year award. Pippa Tessmann and Mildred Inkamala are both deserving winners and, despite coming from very different backgrounds, are both proud Central Australians.
Pippa Tessmann is a well-known and respected physiotherapist, and is also well known for her work throughout the Masters Games and in promoting Alice Springs throughout her extensive sports medical networks. Mildred Inkamala is one of those quiet achievers who has worked tirelessly with the Ntaria community, both as a health worker and within the substance abuse programs. Mildred and her husband, Karl, are fantastic role models and leaders in their community. Once again, I offer both Pippa and Mildred my sincere congratulations.
The Young Citizen of the Year was Kelvin Caspani, a very talented young athlete who, in 2006, won the Keegan Medal for the Best and Fairest player in the Central Australian Rugby League competition. Kelvin has particularly excelled in the sport of touch football and has been selected in the 2007 National Touch League Barbarians team.
The event of the year was the YHA National Trust 50th Anniversary ‘A Town like Alice’ event.
On the 2 February 2007, I attended the Northern Territory Board of Studies Student Awards at the Voyages Hotel in Alice Springs. I acknowledge the attendance of the Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Mrs Pat Miller AO, the member for Braitling, Mrs Loraine Braham MLA, and our Mayor, Ms Fran Kilgariff. The awards were hosted by Professor Carole Kayrooz, the Chair of the Northern Territory Board of Studies. There were quite a few awards presented, including a Certificate of Merit, of which the recipients were Kirstin Wilkinson, Jordan Beverley, Bobby Knispel, Ronja Moss, Matthew Higgins, Bradley Connor and Miro Laffan.
The winners of the Administrators Medal for the Territory Junior Scholars were Brennan Prior from the Sadadeen Primary School and Mardi Schulz from the Braitling Primary School.
The Northern Territory Music School Award winner was May Loke from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College.
It was my great pleasure to present, on behalf of the minister for Education, the top 20 2006 Final Year Student Awards to Jordan Beverley of Centralian Senior Secondary College and Matthew Higgins from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College. The top 20 award recognises students who have achieved a perfect score of 20 out of 20 in the Northern Territory Certificate of Education.
In conclusion, I am looking forward to a prosperous year for Central Australia and my electorate of Stuart. As the Chief Minister said in her statement today on delivering for the Territory key challenges in 2007, Central Australia, like all regions of the Northern Territory, has its fair share of challenges ahead in 2007. This government, as the statement has demonstrated, is doing a lot of good things in Central Australia. This government is delivering top sporting infrastructure and events into Alice Springs, and has demonstrated a genuine concern and effort in addressing the problems of short-term accommodation needs.
The Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan that was launched late last year is already beginning to see improvements, as the Chief Minister stated today. To support this, as I visit town scamps in my electorate, people are saying to me things are a lot quieter. Sure, there are still some hot spots and this government is committed to addressing these with the rest of the community.
This government has made significant inroads into indigenous health and education, and we have secondary education being rolled out into the regions and the bush. The Minister for Local Government is next week presenting a statement on local government reforms and the continuing roll-out and work of economic development committees into the regions. I have great confidence in saying that service delivery and employment opportunities in the bush will prosper in 2007.
Listening to the opposition’s response to the Chief Ministers statement today, I was very disappointed. The CLP’s response was full of negative comments and empty of ideas and policy. Maybe the CLP think of it as their job to be so negative but, let me tell you, the people of Alice Springs are becoming very tired of this. As I drive around Alice Springs, I see lots of building and construction projects under way. I do not know; but maybe I live in a different town to those CLP members there, but there is certainly a lot of activity happening.
In conclusion, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I look forward to working with the Minister for Central Australia and my colleague, the member for Macdonnell, in providing all Central Australians strong representation in government in 2007.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Australia Day 2007 was celebrated in Katherine with the ceremony at the Civic Centre which began at 9 am with the raising of the flag by Boy Scout, Callan Horton, and Girl Guides, Katie Jay, Leonie and Ebany McCombes. During the flag raising the Cantarbillay Choir, under the direction of Jan Murphy, sang the National Anthem. Everyone then proceeded out of the hot, warm, humid morning air into the Civic Centre to airconditioned comfort for the rest of the ceremony. Mayor Anne Shepherd, as the host, welcomed everyone present and gave a short presentation. Mayor Shepherd then conducted the citizenship ceremony, and is was a pleasure to welcome Ma Elena Johnson and David and Vicky Travers as Katherine’s newest Australian citizens.
Aldermen Jodie Locke and Henry Higgins then presented the Students Citizens Awards to Thynne MacFarlane of St Joseph’s College Junior Campus; Tara Downes of St Joseph’s College Senior Campus; Meagan Ranford of Casuarina Street Primary School; and Meaghan Pike of Katherine South Primary School. Students who received their awards at the end of last year were Shauna Downman from MacFarlane Primary School; Madeline Ingrames from Katherine High School; and Tess Upstill from Clyde Fenton Primary School. Well done to all the students for their achievements.
The Community Event of the Year was awarded to the Katherine Game Fishing Club’s Big Horse Barra Classic, and I was honoured to present the award to Ash Ranford who represented the club. Greg Wright is the current President of the Katherine Game Fishing Club which has been operating for some 20 years. The Big Horse Barra Classic is a huge attraction for all keen anglers, and those who are still becoming keen, and draws around 2000 participants each year. It is a much anticipated event which is held over the May Day long weekend, which is 4, 5 and 6 May this year.
The Katherine Senior Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Robina Plume-Fowler-Dreon who is a long-term resident of Katherine. Robina is Secretary and Treasurer of the Katherine Western and Appaloosa Pony Club which holds many of its events at Robina’s rural block, in addition to the block which Laurie and Tanya Brown own. Robina had wonderful success at the Alice Springs Masters Game in 2006, where she won six gold and six silver medals on her loved horse, Pippa. Robina had the most intricately carved saddle I have ever seen made for her competition work. It is a beautiful display of leather craftsmanship. Robina thoroughly enjoys the mental and physical fitness horse riding brings, and is always encouraging to other riders, especially young and new riders. It is always a pleasure watching Robina enjoy what she does so well. Congratulations, Robina, on the well-deserved award of Katherine Senior Sportsperson of the year.
The Junior Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Rhys Booth who was unable to be present. However, his nanna, Chrissy Booth, was absolutely delighted to receive the award on his behalf. Rhys is a young rugby player who played in the Katherine West Tiger team which was runner-up in the Darwin Rugby League Under 18 competition last year, and he was selected in the Australian Under 15 side. Well done, Rhys. He is also a keen Rugby Union and football player. Unfortunately for Katherine, Rhys is heading to Queensland this year to further his league career. I wish him all the best for his future. He has had a great start in Katherine, as have two other young Rugby League players: Todd Hair who won the Junior Sportsperson of the Year in 2004, and Stevie Kelly in 2005.
The Young Citizen of the Year was Eleanor Hayes, and I was privileged to present her with her award. Eleanor impressed me greatly when I first listened to her publicly speak when she was elected to be Clyde Fenton Primary School Captain 2006, and she is a worthy winner of the Young Citizen award. I am going to read into the Parliamentary Record Eleanor’s letter to the Australian Day Selection Panel, as it clearly shows her leadership qualities and what a great future she has ahead of her:
It is not hard to see that Eleanor is a very deserving winner and the Katherine community is very proud of her, as, of course, are her parents Nigel and Lynda Hayes.
Katherine Citizen of the Year was awarded to long-term resident, Sonya Arnold, affectionately known as Wranger, whose parents Pam and Geoff, sister Debbie and brother-in-law Ian Young were at the ceremony and very proudly watched Sonya receive her award. At the age of seven, Sonya was evacuated from Darwin to Katherine with her family in 1974 following Cyclone Tracy. She completed her schooling in Katherine before travelling throughout Europe, England, USA and South Africa. When she arrived home in Katherine, Sonya committed herself to all aspects of the community, giving many hours of voluntary work over the years. Sonya began volunteer work with Katherine St John Ambulance as a cadet in 1982 and became a member of the adult division in 1985. She was the St John Ambulance Venue Commander at the Sydney International Three-Day Event in 1999, St John Ambulance Commander for the Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and Paralympics, awarded the Order of St John Priory Vote of Thanks in 2002 for services rendered to the order, awarded 17 Years Service Bar in 2004, became a qualified paramedic in 2005, and admitted to the Order of St John as a serving sister in 2006.
Sonya is a very familiar face around Katherine at community events where St John presence is required and, being a former St John Ambulance member in South Australia myself, I fully appreciate the voluntary hours that she gives to our community. In addition to Sonya’s commitment to St John, she is also a very active member of the Pony Club Association in Katherine.
This is certainly a challenging pastime because, believe it or not, Sonya is allergic to horse hair and some chaff and hay, but that has not stopped her one bit. She became a member of the Katherine Horse and Pony Club in 1975 and has held various positions on the committees over the years, including vice president, secretary and publicity officer.
Among Sonya’s other achievements in the equestrian community, she was awarded Honorary Life Member Katherine Horse and Pony Club in 1998, awarded Australia’s Sports Medal for services to pony club in 2000, Vice President of the NT Pony Club Association for three terms, coordinator of NT Pony Club Association Examiners Panel and a Senior Examiner, Katherine Horse and Pony Club coach, and team manager for various teams competing at Territory Pony Club Championships, including mounted games, dressage and show jumping, and chief instructor for 12 years. Sonya also gained her British Horse Society Instructor accreditation whilst working in England in 1989-90, and worked in a summer camp in California, USA teaching horse riding in 1997.
Sonya has been a member of the Katherine and District Show Society since 1975 when she started as a junior member. She was a junior steward in the cooking section before becoming involved in the horse ring. She was the Katherine District Show Society Councillor from 1989 to 2004, including Assistant Ring Master for eight shows. She was awarded honorary life member in 2000, and is Councillor and Ring Master for this year’s Katherine Show. Sonya has judged at Royal Darwin Show and Freds Pass Show on many occasions, is a nationally accredited Pony Club and Equestrian Federation of Australia Coach, and has trained and successfully competed on many horses over the years in various horse events.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I am sure you will agree how remarkable both the commitment and achievements of Sonya are when you take into consideration her horse allergies. Without question, she is a very dedicated and determined supporter of the Pony Club Association and is very much appreciated for all the voluntary work she does.
In addition to the above achievements, Sonya has also attained a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bronze level and works full-time at Department of Defence as a business manager, 322 Combat Support Squadron, RAAF Base Tindal. Congratulations, Sonya, you are truly a well-deserved recipient of the Katherine Citizen of the Year Award.
Following the award ceremony, the Australia Day speech was given by Wes Miller of the Jawoyn Association. I am not going to have enough time to read into the Parliamentary Record tonight Wes’ speech, so I will do that tomorrow night out of respect for Wes. I will also have to make a correction to Wes calling the mayor ‘Your Excellency’. Anne Shepherd, the Mayor of Katherine, was bestowed royal status for this speech. It would be very advantageous for Katherine if it were true. Anyway, I will read Wes’ speech into Hansard tomorrow night.
However, following his speech, the Australia Day Council cake, which was decorated by Leisha of Leisha’s Creative Cakes of Katherine, was cut by Mayor, Anne Shepherd, and Katherine Citizen of the Year, Sonya Arnold. A light luncheon was served before everyone made their way home to rest and prepare for the Australia Day sports celebrations, which began mid-afternoon at the Katherine Works and Social Club. It was a great Australia Day 2007 that was well supported by the people of Katherine.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Blessing of Chamber
Blessing of Chamber
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I thank the Kenbi dancers for their performance before the beginning of Government Business today; particularly Kevin Costello who assisted my office in organising that. I also place on the record our thanks to the Chung Wah Society for, once again, performing the blessing of the Chamber by the Chinese lions.
Members: Hear, hear!
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I understand that there are students from Charles Darwin University, TAFE Certificate III in General Education for Adults, accompanied by Ms Lorraine Sushames. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATOR
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from His Honour the Administrator Message No 15 notifying assent to bills passed in the December 2006 sittings of the Assembly.
OPPOSITION OFFICE HOLDERS
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I inform the Assembly of changes to opposition portfolio responsibilities.
I advise that the member for Blain, Terry Mills, has relinquished responsibility for Public Employment and Arts and Museums, and that the member for Katherine, Mrs Miller, now back on her feet, has now taken responsibility for those opposition shadow portfolios.
RESPONSES TO PETITIONS
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that responses to Petition Numbers 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 49, 50 and 51 have been received and circulated to honourable members.
- Petition No 39
- better child and maternal health services; 
- better support for discharge hospital patients;
- a new breast screening service;
- better chronic disease management; and
- better community services.
Sale and use of fireworks - Ban
Date Presented: 11 October 2006
Presented by: Ms Carney
Referred to: Minister for Employment, Education and Training
Date response due: 21 February 2007
Date response received: 8 January 2007
Date response presented: 13 February 2007
Response
Fireworks have become an integral part of the Territory Day celebrations and the Northern Territory government is mindful of the safety, animal welfare and disturbance issues associated with the general public having access to fireworks at this time.
For that reason, the number of days that fireworks can be purchased prior to Territory Day has been reduced from three to two. This reform has reduced the misuse of fireworks outside this annual celebration. Educational campaigns have also been invigorated to strengthen the safety message.
Dangerous handling of fireworks at any time, and any use outside the Territory Day period, can constitute an offence. Any instances of this occurring should be reported to police.
The government believes the current arrangements strike the right balance between those who use family firework celebrations as a unique cultural event in the Territory and those who find them a disturbance.
Petition No 40
Police Presence at Karama Plaza
Date Presented: 17 October 2006
Presented by: Ms Lawrie
Referred to: Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
Date response due: 17 April 2007
Date response received: 13 December 2006
Date response presented: 13 February 2007
Response
It is acknowledged that a number of policing issues have arisen in the suburb of Karama, and in and around the shopping centre. The residents of Karama are clearly entitled to an appropriate level of policing service that is responsive to community needs.
The establishment of a ‘substation’ or Police Office at the Karama Shopping Centre is not considered a viable option. Such an initiative requires considerable resources both in terms of people and infrastructure and, additionally, may not represent a best value policing service for Karama residents. Most other jurisdictions in Australia have moved away from this type of policing service in favour of Mobile Police Stations.
The Northern Territory Police recently received two Mobile Police Station vehicles. One is currently in use in Alice Springs and another is in service in Darwin. A further Mobile Police Station is currently being fitted out for service in Katherine and is due to be delivered in December 2006. A fourth Mobile Police Station is on order for service in Darwin, and it is anticipated this vehicle will be ready for operation in February 2007.
The existing vehicle in Darwin is already being used to address policing issues and community concerns at a number of locations including Karama, Nightcliff, Coconut Grove, Palmerston and the Casuarina Bus Interchange. Northern Territory Police have received favourable comments from people throughout the northern suburbs, and the addition of a second vehicle will enable the NT Police to offer a greater level of mobile policing services throughout the greater Darwin area.
Police officers target hot spots based on a variety of factors, including information provided from members of the community. Ideally, police will identify an emerging hot spot and address the issues before they become a significant problem. This type of policing recognises the fluid and mobile nature of opportunistic crime patterns contributing to public disorder and fear of crime.
Although there is no demonstrated need to establish a police ‘shopfront’ at Karama, the Mobile Police Station will continue to be used, particularly at times identified as being of high activity. I can assure the residents of Karama that the NT Police are responsive to community concerns and actively monitor reports of crime and antisocial behaviour in the neighbourhood.
Petition No 41
Closure of Farrar Medical Centre
Date Presented: 11 October 2006
Presented by: Mr Wood
Referred to: Minister for Health
Date response due: 21 February 2007
Date response received: 30 January 2007
Date response presented: 13 February 2007
Response
Ensuring an adequate supply of private general practice services – including after hours and bulkbilling services – is a federal government responsibility primarily under the Medicare program.
The federal government has a national program called Round the Clock Medicare, which funds GP services to provide after-hours access. This program funds over sixty after-hours services around Australia. Late last year I wrote to the federal government urging them to act to ensure a proper supply of after-hours general practice services in the Palmerston region. I am pleased to see that it appears that the federal government has now agreed to fund a Palmerston GP service to provide after-hours services from the Round the Clock Medicare program.
However, I remain concerned that the Northern Territory has the second lowest bulkbilling rate of any jurisdiction in Australia. This is a matter which I will continue to pursue with the federal government.
In the meantime, the Northern Territory government is increasing resources for those health and community services in the Palmerston region that fall under our responsibility. Over the next year, we will roll out:
I am pleased to report that the roll-out of the extra NT government services has already started with a new maternal and child health nurse commencing at the Palmerston Community Care Centre on 5 October 2006.
The provision of medical services is important to this government, and the Department of Health and Community Services is continually exploring ways to ensure the provision of the most cost-effective and equitable health services possible.
Petition No 42
After-Hours Bulkbilling Medical Services in Palmerston
Date Presented: 11 October 2006
Presented by: Mr Mills
Referred to: Minister for Health
Date response due: 21 February 2007
Date response received: 30 January 2007
Date response presented: 13 February 2007
- Response
- better child and maternal health services;
- better support for discharge hospital patients;
- a new breast screening service;
- better chronic disease management; and
- better community services.
Ensuring an adequate supply of private general practice services – including after hours and bulkbilling services – is a federal government responsibility primarily under the Medicare program.
The federal government has a national program called Round the Clock Medicare, which funds GP services to provide after-hours access. This program funds over sixty after-hours services around Australia. Late last year, I wrote to the federal government urging them to act to ensure a proper supply of after-hours general practice services in the Palmerston region. I am pleased to see that it appears that the federal government has now agreed to fund a Palmerston GP service to provide after-hours services from the Round the Clock Medicare program.
However, I remain concerned that the Northern Territory has the second lowest bulkbilling rate of any jurisdiction in Australia. This is a matter which I will continue to pursue with the federal government.
In the meantime, the Northern Territory government is increasing resources for those health and community services in the Palmerston region that fall under our responsibility. Over the next year, we will roll out:
The provision of medical services is important to this government, and the Department of Health and Community Services is continually exploring ways to ensure the provision of the most cost-effective and equitable health services possible.
- Petition No 44
Rezoning of Little Mindil
Date Presented: 12 October 2006
Presented by: Mr Mills
Referred to: Minister for Planning and Lands
Date response due: 22 February 2007
Date response received: 9 January 2007
Date response presented: 13 February 2007
- Response
- The government offered Lot 5994, an area of vacant Crown land, zoned B5 – Tourist Commercial - to facilitate the development of a low-rise tropical resort in the Mindil Beach/gardens locality. The SKYCITY Entertainment Group has been selected as the preferred proponent, which will develop Lot 5994 as an ‘Outdoor Function and Activity’ area, in conjunction with the resort to be built on its own property.
This development is about improving our great Territory lifestyle. A new public entertainment area at Little Mindil will showcase our tropical city and walkways will link the site to the Mindil Beach markets, Myilly Point escarpment and beyond.
Under this development, the Little Mindil site will be protected and improved. The tidal creek and escarpment will be rehabilitated. With access to the beach and foreshore guaranteed, locals and visitors alike will continue to enjoy our famous sunsets.
The government will continue to work with the preferred proponent to create a new resort and outdoor recreation venue for both locals and visitors to enjoy.
Petition No 49
Closed Circuit TV monitoring in Todd Mall precinct
Date Presented: 29 November 2006
- Referred to: Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
Date response received: 30 January 2007
- Date response presented: 13 February 2007
Response
The petition read to the Legislative Assembly bore 543 signatures and called for CCTV monitoring to assist in deterring crime and antisocial behaviour in the vicinity of the Todd Mall. Such incidents occur in the Todd Mall area from time to time. They are spasmodic in nature, and occur over a large geographical area.
The installation of CCTV needs to be properly researched and considered. Contemporary research indicates that, in order to be effective, proper consideration needs to be given to precisely what the system will consist of, its exact capabilities, and who will monitor and maintain it.
The Alice Springs Town Council has previously scoped the idea and rejected it after a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. More recently, at its meeting of 27 November 2006, the Alice Springs Town Council was asked to reconsider the initiative and consequently made an application for Australian government funding via the National Community Crime Prevention Program. This application is currently pending a decision.
Police officers target hot spots based on intelligence. Ordinarily, police will identify an emerging hot spot and address the relevant issues before they become a significant problem. In the Alice Springs CBD, this includes foot patrols, bicycle patrols, motorcycle patrols and utilisation of the Mobile Police Station. This type of policing recognises the fluid and mobile nature of opportunistic crime patterns which contribute to public disorder and fear of crime.
Although there is currently no demonstrated need to implement CCTV cameras in the Todd Mall from a crime perspective, the NT Police are responsive to community concerns. Should such an initiative prove to be viable at some point in the future they would willingly consider how it might be used to identify offenders and reduce crime.
Power for Launceston Road Dundee Beach Residents
- Date Presented: 29 November 2006
Referred to: Minister for Essential Services
Date response due: 2 May 2007
Date response received: 8 February 2007
- Date response presented: 13 February 2007
Response
- Provision was made in Labor’s 2001 Financial Statement to extend power supply to Dundee Beach. It is now pleasing to advise that the NT government has made significant inroads into this project and the backbone infrastructure is now in place with many customers able to now take supply.
While it is expected that approximately 200 customers will be able to take up supply initially, funding does not allow for Dundee Downs to be serviced as part of the current project.
For the customers not having a power line running along their property boundary, supply can be connected utilising Power and Water’s Distribution System Extension Policy, which provides some subsidies. Under this policy, customers in Dundee Downs and other areas will need to make sufficient joint contributions to finance further extensions. It is expected that average contributions for residential customers would be about $15 000 of which the first $10 000 is available as a interest-free loan over three years.
I understand that Power and Water approached the residents in these areas to fill in an expression of interest (EOI) regarding connection to power through DSEP. The poll went for several months and closed in February 2004. About 50% of Dundee Downs’ residents completed an EOI, although there were less than 40% between Fog Bay Road and Barramundi Drive, about 30% of Bynoe Haven and an average of less than 25% in other areas. Overall, the average interest from residents in these areas for connection using DSEP is about 30%. Unless there is 100% interest, connection cannot proceed as the total amount is divided between all residents.
Whilst not all residents can be supplied with electricity within the limits of existing resources, substantial progress has been made in delivering power to the Dundee region.
Petition No 51
- Proposed development of Lot 7717, Dalgety Road, Alice Springs
Date Presented: 30 November 2006
Referred to: Minister for Planning and Lands
Date response due: 3 May 2007
Date response received: 25 January 2007
- Date response presented: 13 February 2007
- Two development applications, including the application for Lot 7717 Dalgety Road, have been lodged with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure proposing similar temporary accommodation facilities in Alice Springs.
Both applications were placed on public exhibition from 17 November 2006 to 15 December 2006 and have attracted significant public and media attention.
The Development Consent Authority will conduct a public hearing on my behalf on 1 February 2007. The public will be invited to attend the hearing through advertisements in the Centralian Advocate and people who made submission will receive formal invitations to the hearing. This will give the public a further opportunity to raise any concerns or elaborate on issues raised in formal submissions.
Following the hearing, the Development Consent Authority and the department will provide me with reports on the two proposals. Once I have considered the proposals and reports provided to me, I will decide on whether or not the developments proceed.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Visit to Japan – Development of Timor Sea Gas Reserves
Visit to Japan – Development of Timor Sea Gas Reserves
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this morning I inform Territorians about my recent visit to Japan. The main purpose of the delegation was to discuss our plans for the development of the Timor Sea gas reserves, the expansion in LNG production capacity, and the establishment of downstream gas industries.
Japan is facing strong competition in a tight LNG market. Uncertainty surrounds some of their traditional suppliers such as Indonesia and Malaysia who are becoming more concerned with supplying the future need of their markets. In addition, a number of other proposed LNG developments, like Sakhalin 2 in Russia and Gorgon and Pluto on the North-West Shelf, are facing delays. In this environment, Australia’s strong reputation as a stable, reliable supplier of LNG is becoming even more important in the eyes of Japanese LNG importers and the Japanese government.
The Japanese believe there is a global trend of rising energy nationalism, and they are increasingly sensitive to the call of governments for domestic reservations such as we have seen from the Western Australian government. I have assured the companies and the Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry that we do not endorse a policy of reserving a fixed percentage of gas for domestic market. However, I made it clear that we do expect that when gas fields are developed for onshore LNG or other industries, the proponent should seriously consider the potential for upsizing their offshore development to provide incremental gas supply for downstream gas industries.
I conveyed this message to all the parties we met with, and it is a message I will continue to deliver to those with an interest in Timor Sea gas, including the Australian government, with whom we have had some negotiations about their ability to change the way that taxation is applied in gas developments so that it encourages downstream industries.
The reason we continue to promote downstreaming is to secure a greater level of investment, more jobs, and increased local industry capability for the development of the vast energy resources that lie off our shores. LNG is most welcome but a downstream gas industry can deliver greater benefits to our economy in the long term.
Our delegation met with Senior Vice Minister Watanabe and his Director General of Natural Resources and Energy Policy at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The message they gave us was clear: they are keen to secure further LNG from stable suppliers like the Territory. We met with Susumu Sherakawa, Executive Vice President of Tokyo Electric Power Company, and Mr Tsutoma Oya, Senior Executive Officer of Tokyo Gas, two of our existing customers. Both are very pleased with their investment in the Bayu-Undan field and Darwin LNG. They see the Territory as a prime location for future LNG development.
During our discussions with Executive Vice President of Osaka Gas, Seishiro Yoshioka, he made it clear the company was keen to see the development of Sunrise for LNG production, and see its 10% equity in the project material into a working LNG plant.
An important part of the visit was meeting with Inpex, the owner of the Abadi Gas Field 400 km north of Darwin. It is likely that, when Abadi is developed, the gas will be piped to Darwin for LNG production. We are now exploring ways to make this investment a reality by facilitating land access for the onshore plant and helping resolve cross-border issues.
We also met with Jim McIlvenny, the Asia Pacific President of Dow, who undertook to visit Darwin later this year to examine firsthand the opportunity for petrochemical investment in Darwin, a most significant visit from Jim McIlvenny. It was great to catch up with Jim Iijima, President of ConocoPhillips Japan. Jim pulled together the customer base for the Darwin LNG development and is likely to be instrumental in securing a Japanese customer base for future LNG expansion by ConocoPhillips and their joint venture partners.
Madam Speaker, trips of this nature are important to maintain and develop our relationships with key decision-makers, and to keep the Territory on their investment horizon. We will continue to promote development opportunities through similar visits and by encouraging delegations to the Territory to experience first hand the opportunities that are available here. I commend this report to honourable members.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for her statement, and I take this opportunity of wishing all members well for the new year.
Chief Minister, there was a lot, and I am sure you will acknowledge in that statement, of very important issues for the future development of the Territory. We are talking about implications that are more than just economic. Energy issues come into play. The petrochemical industry has great potential. As you said, you are committed, as you should be, to the promotion of development opportunities.
It seems unfortunate that a report of this nature is only confined to five minutes and, as has been the case under the Labor government, the opposition has only two minutes to reply. I am not sure that we are doing the industry and the implications it has for the Territory justice by allocating five minutes from government and two minutes for a reply. It may even be on the table for the next couple of weeks; I do not know, but I would take this opportunity of inviting the Chief Minister to make a statement to the Chamber so that we can all debate the ins and outs, as it were, of your trip and of the future economic developments to the Territory.
I also take this opportunity to alert the government and, in particular, the Leader of Government Business that I will be writing to him in the next couple of days suggesting, and I think this has been a good example of it, a change to ministerial reports so that we can do justice to the debate on behalf all Territorians and so that we can have a debate, the parliament, of course, being a Chamber for debate.
With those comments, Chief Minister, I thank you for your report and hope that you consider bringing on a statement.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, whilst I welcome the chief minister’s report, there are some local concerns about an expansion of gas and gas-related industries. There have been murmurings for some time about the suitability of the Glyde Point Peninsula for heavy industrial development. I have yet to see detailed proposals by the government, except what the planners have given us. There are a number of concerns about the use of that land. I will not comment on them until I see more plans from the government.
If government is looking at gas-related industries in the Darwin area, we need to start putting in the public arena for discussion where those industries will go and what effect they will have on the environment. This is very important. I hope the Chief Minister can make a statement as to what exactly is happening with development at Glyde Point.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, picking up on the member for Nelson’s points, if you look at the current exercise, Creating Darwin’s Future, and the associated community consultation, that raises the future of Wickham Point and development there. I look forward to your contribution to Creating Darwin’s Future on which there will be stakeholder meetings over the next number of months.
In respect of the Leader of the Opposition’s comments, the issue of gas has been debated in here in statements. There was nothing new in what I said on my trip to Japan. My memory is, of the statements that we have made in this House to discuss these issues, which are fundamental to Territorians, the contribution of the opposition has been very poor. My memory is that, on a number of occasions we have had statements, the Opposition Leader contributed about five or seven minutes, criticised government and walked out. It is all very well to say: ‘Let us have substantial debates.’ We have had substantial debates about gas. I have stood here many times, and the contribution from the opposition has been, sadly, very poor.
Road Safety Reforms
Ms LAWRIE (Infrastructure and Transport): Madam Speaker, as you know, this is the first sittings of parliament since the government introduced and implemented our new road safety reforms. Road safety changes have sparked much debate, which is good because this is a very serious issue that needs to be discussed.
The government accepts that these are tough new laws and that they are controversial. We accept that new speed limits are controversial. The tough new drink driving laws are controversial. From July, if you get caught drink driving twice, you will lose your licence, even if you are only a little over the limit. While these laws are tough, they are necessary. They are evidence-based and they target the causes of road trauma. Sometimes leadership requires making tough decisions.
The tough new laws received most of the attention while the education and investment strategies in our road safety agenda have not received as much publicity. Our graduated driver licensing system targets young drivers who are over-represented in our road trauma statistics. The system will come into effect in the middle of this year, and is all about educating young drivers and ensuring that they have the skills and experience they require.
The system will be introduced in two phases. Phase one will involve a six-month minimum learner period for all drivers; two-year provisional licence period for drivers under 25, and one year for drivers over 25; and bans on mobile phone use in any form for learner and provisional drivers.
Investment in our roads is a vital aspect of our strategy. Only 23% of our roads make up our vast road network across the Territory are sealed. No other jurisdiction is faced with the immense challenge of improving and maintaining a road network such as ours. However, we are taking on the challenge. Since coming to government we have invested significantly in improving our road network. Our roads budget this year is more than $130m, up from the CLP’s $80m in 2001. Under a Labor government, more than an extra $50m is being spent annually on our roads. We are now spending the highest amount per taxpayer in the country on roads. There is more money to improve the safety of roads across our network: more money for beef roads; urban roads; tourist roads; for sealing roads; and for intersection upgrades. We will continue this investment because it is an important part of our road safety reform agenda.
Disappointingly, despite our increasing commitment, the federal government has reduced their spending on maintenance of roads in the Territory, which is a key federal responsibility. They have cut their maintenance funding to the Territory by 22%. We have also seen the federal government break their promise to fund the important Tiger Brennan extension on a 50-50 basis. I am meeting with the Commonwealth Transport minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mark Vaile, in the week after sittings to discuss these very issues. It is astounding that, at a time when we are making roads safer, the Commonwealth is cutting back on their maintenance budget. We all know that, through the collection of fuel taxes, the Commonwealth government now has an election year war chest of about $12bn. I am hopeful that some of this will be committed to restoring maintenance funding and building the all important Tiger Brennan extension.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I listened at the beginning and I thought that you were introduced as the Minister for Lands and Planning, so you have rambled off a bit on the speed limits, which is a debate in itself. I found the end of the report very interesting, on which, of course, I now have two minutes to respond. I agree with the Leader of the Opposition that these are little PR exercises for government and do not give us much of a chance to respond to them at all.
I just take a comment that the minister made, having a slam at the Commonwealth government about road funding and really taking a swipe at them. It is actually the Northern Territory government which did not meet the 50:50 arrangement with the federal government and, as a result of that, lost over $1.5m. That is really significant. You can sit there and shake your head, minister, and slam the federal government for not meeting that arrangement, but you did not meet it either. Where have the funds gone? The commitment was there by the federal government to meet $1-for-$1, and you did not do it. Where has the funding gone?
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would like to mainly comment on the first part of the minister’s report. I realise government has had to make some hard decisions and there is nothing wrong with that. My gripe about the implementation of the Road Safety Taskforce report was that there was, basically, no community consultation or input except for the Chamber of Commerce, the Police and the Health department. That is what irks me in this whole debate.
Many of the things you are proposing are good things. However, why, after six months, did you put that out to the public for comment? There was no comment time. There was a key findings document that was released, not even with an e-mail site for people to comment. It was just given out and that was it. It disappoints me that a government which says it prides itself on openness and transparency talks about many other things in the community, but when we get to important things like road safety, in which everyone is involved because nearly everyone is a motorist, you do not do it. Why do you think people kick up a stink when you take away the speed limit?
If you look at the report, it is very hard to find evidence that you say there is that changing the speed limit on the Stuart, Barkly, Arnhem and Victoria Highways will make any difference. It does not seem to be a problem. You show that yourselves as a government because if you really believed it was evidence-based that you change the speed limit from open, you would have stuck with 110 km/h, which is the evidence that you were given. However, you did not support the evidence in this case because you went out and did a histogram which said: ‘Oh, people drive faster than that. This would not be very politically wise to keep it at a 110 km/h. We will make it 130 km/h’. So your evidence is gone because you are ignoring it. One has to ask: for the 15% of people who drive faster than 130 km/h, why we are now going to spend $1.5m on a highway patrol? We have to spend some money there. If you really believe in the evidence, you should have put all roads at no more than 110 km/h. You did not do it; I am afraid in this case, the government is hypocritical.
Ms LAWRIE (Infrastructure and Transport): Madam Speaker, I am sure the member for Nelson’s constituents will be interested to hear he is supporting 110 km/h speed limit on the Stuart Highway.
Members interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: You must have been hiding in your chicken shed.
Mr Wood: You are the member for tricky words.
Dr Lim: The government does that all the time.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Member for Greatorex!
Ms LAWRIE: You must have been hiding in your chicken shed last year because all of last year was dominated with debate on the road safety reforms. What further consultation can you have than daily debate on road safety reforms? The speed limits were out there, everyone had their view on it; everyone read the report on it.
In respect of the $1-for-$1 funding, I urge the member for Katherine to try to arrange a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and mention to him that it would be really good if the federal government matched the $300m-plus we have spent on roads in the last five years compared with the $180m they have funded. If they want to match us $1-for-$1, I am looking for the other $120m from them straight up tomorrow.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Health Services Recruitment
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, this government has increased health spending by 64% since 2001. We have increased the number of full-time equivalent doctors by over 100 and full-time equivalent nurses by 270. Today, I am pleased to advise the House on a successful recruitment strategy to further boost the capacity and expertise of health services in the Northern Territory.
This year’s nurse recruitment campaign is now well under way. Launched in October 2006, the Nurses: Bloody Heroes campaign is building on the success of earlier campaigns that attracted almost 1800 inquiries from nurses around Australia and resulted in over 285 nurses being recruited. This year’s campaign involves national newspaper and popular magazine advertising, as well as advertisements in the nursing and trade journals such as the Australian Nursing Journal and the Nursing Review. There is a significant online presence; the nursing recruitment website has been updated, and promotional packs have been printed and circulated around Australia. This year, our senior departmental nurses will continue to visit nursing expos to continue to spread the word.
Already the campaign is proving its worth, with more than 400 inquiries received from nurses wanting to live and work in the Territory. I am pleased to announce that, since 1 January 2007, 61 new nurses have commenced at Royal Darwin Hospital.
We are looking for nurses nationally, but we are also growing our own. The graduate nurse program continues to support newly-qualified nurses. Over 90 new graduates will be provided with orientation, rotations to specialty areas, study days and on-site support from clinical nurse educators. Royal Darwin Hospital commenced with an intake of 15 nurses last November, and it is planned that Alice Springs Hospital will recruit 20 nurses and Katherine Hospital will recruit up to 10 nurses over the course of this year.
Strategies are also in place to recruit doctors and dentists to the Territory. In December 2006, three senior representatives from the Department of Health and Community Services attended the British Medical Journal careers fair in London. This fair is the largest medical recruitment fair in the UK, with in excess of 5000 doctors and specialists in attendance. The department hosted a display booth with General Practice and Primary Health Care NT, designed to attract doctors to the unique challenges of life and work in the Territory.
Other activities undertaken during the trip included an open day for allied health and nursing professionals, and a mail drop at large dental and inner city hospitals. Over 100 doctors registered their interest for employment in the Territory and the department is actively following up on this interest with these practitioners.
We have already had success in recruiting doctors to Royal Darwin Hospital, with over three times the number of applications received for vacant positions. I am pleased to report that 15 interns commenced duties in January 2007. Five of these studied at the Northern Territory Clinical School; two are Northern Territory scholarship holders; and eight were recruited from interstate.
Specialist appointments include two renal specialists who commenced in 2006. This means that we now have 3.5 FTE nephrologists, including the Director of Renal Services at Royal Darwin Hospital. In early February, it was my pleasure to welcome Professor Frank Plani from Johannesburg as Chair of Trauma Medicine. He joins Dr David Cooper, Associate Professor of Disaster Response and Preparedness as Co-chair of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. The appointment of these two leading medical specialists consolidates the leadership of the trauma centre to provide quality training, education and counter-disaster training.
Since the commencement of the trauma centre in 2005-06, an additional 11 doctors have been employed and, this year, 13 additional allied health positions will be recruited, including radiographers, physiotherapists, pharmacists, a dietician, pathology scientists and occupational therapists. Four specialist nursing positions are being recruited and will facilitate skills in managing burns and trauma.
It was my pleasure to attend a media conference with Professors Plani and Cooper, along with David Tollner, who complimented the Northern Territory government for this initiative, funded by the Commonwealth, which I acknowledge. He was very complimentary about the interaction between our government and the federal government on this issue.
Madam Speaker, with these strategies in operation, we are continuing to strengthen the health workforce and to build healthy communities for all Territorians.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Bring on the debate, I say, Madam Speaker; bring on the debate. This government has been on the ropes over the provision of health care. One hundred new doctors, 217 new nurses - I cannot see the bodies. That is why we have so many nurses working double shifts, hours of overtime, taking time off because of stress from overwork and the minister knows it. The ANF, his OCPE, direct ballot amongst private sector nurses has told him without any equivocation that this government is not doing the right thing by our nurses.
The minister started raving on when, in today’s paper, the headline says: ‘Patients forced to wait in ambulances’. That is how this government runs health care. Patients were taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital by St John Ambulance and, unless they required resuscitation, were told to wait out in the loading bay and, when staff were available, they would go out there to assess them. Is that how we run health care? Do you want to do it in your back yard eventually? Health care is falling apart around your ears.
Madam Speaker, when you were Health minister, seriously, you were a lot better than this bumbling minister - ‘bumbling Burns’ as I hear some people calling him.
It is a real problem, minister, that you are not doing the right thing. The mobile bush nurses have been cut back to one visit every two months. You know that, but what have you done about it? Nothing. Fifteen nurses graduated from the Charles Darwin University. You think that is fantastic. How many of them leave the Territory for jobs elsewhere? Tell us about that, but you do not, do you? How many doctors have left? The AMA is complaining, the ANF is complaining and there you are trying to praise yourself. For what? For a disaster that is coming around your ears.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, health is a serious issue in the Territory. It is all very well to talk about how many nurses we are trying to recruit, but we need a cooperative approach. There are many other health agencies. Congress in Alice Springs perhaps does not provide the service it could in cooperation with the Alice Springs Hospital. I am wondering why demands on the Alice Springs Hospital are so great when there are other agencies that could pick up some of the workload.
We have concerns from people in remote communities. We know how difficult it is to retain nurses in remote communities, but we must also question why there are such high demands on health services in the Territory. If we look at that, we will probably go back to the grassroots of lifestyle. Too often, the lifestyle of many people is not conducive to healthy living. It is easy to talk about how many nurses we have but we should be concentrating more on making sure the lifestyle of people, whether they are in towns, town camps, communities or wherever, is conducive to good health. We need to concentrate more on programs to encourage people to think about their health, their future situation, how they handle it financially, their diet, their care, care of the aged and so on.
Minister, keep plugging away. Yes, recruit more nurses; that is an important role. However, you should also start thinking seriously about improving the lifestyle of people at the grassroots so that we do not have such a strong demand on our health service.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I welcome the constructive comments made by the member for Braitling. Certainly, there needs to be greater cooperation. In Tennant Creek, for example, cooperation between agencies and non-government organisations is occurring and we need to foster it elsewhere. So, thank you for that suggestion, member for Braitling.
In relation to basic health issues that are driving up ill health, we know that education is a very important factor. We also know that economic development, particularly in the regions, is important. That is why this government is focusing on that.
In respect of the member for Greatorex, he does not acknowledge that the CLP, over a period of four years up to 2000, cut 200 nursing positions, 200 across the Territory. We are a government that has invested in health. We are investing in health professionals. We are building a health system. There are challenges, and we are rising to them.
In relation to nursing at Royal Darwin Hospital, there are more nurses this year than there were last year, and they are working proportionally less overtime. I am pleased to report that, but there is much more to do and I am focused on doing it.
Climate Change – Government Response
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, in 2004 the Northern Territory government commissioned CSIRO to provide updated climate projections for the Territory. I am sure we are all now broadly familiar with the findings of that report. The best predictions indicate that changes resulting from the greenhouse effect will include: increased temperatures; decreased regional rainfall; coastal inundation from rising sea levels which would see the complete loss of much of our coastal wetlands; and an increase in cyclone intensity.
Although there has been heightened national debate on the response of governments to climate change, there is still an element of climate change scepticism in Australia. The Northern Territory government does not share that scepticism. The evidence of human-induced climate change is overwhelming and the Northern Territory government recognises the serious global and local threat posed by climate change.
The Northern Territory produces only 3.3% of total national emissions. Unlike other states, almost half of our emissions come from bushfires rather than industry or power generation. In the medium term, though, Darwin’s buoyant economy and growth will see a rise in our emissions from future development. Proposed major industrial development, though gas-based and, therefore, more greenhouse friendly than fossil fuel-based industry, could see the Northern Territory’s emissions double.
The Stern report released in the UK last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, CSIRO and other reports have all concluded that there has been substantial human impact on climate, and that the benefits of strong early action will outweigh the economic costs of not acting. While clearly the problem is a global one and best addressed at a national level, there is more that each government can do and, indeed, every individual.
The Northern Territory promotes the use of natural gas as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. We are at a distinct advantage in that we are able to take greenhouse gas emission abatement and anticipated climate change into account at a relatively early stage in our development compared with the rest of Australia. We are also fortunate that all our major power stations are gas-fired, which means our electricity generation produces about 30% fewer emissions than when coal is used as the major fuel source for electricity.
However, we still need to play our part in reducing emissions. The Northern Territory government’s response to climate change is outlined in the Northern Territory Strategy for Greenhouse Action 2006, which I released in February 2006. This strategy incorporates at a local level many of the elements considered essential for an effective global response and sets out practical and achievable greenhouse initiatives, initiatives that encourage behavioural change, support research and build partnerships. It sets tangible targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases, with government leading by example in setting targets in the public sector over the next 10 years.
By 2011, government has undertaken to achieve a 10% reduction in emissions from electricity consumption from its commercial buildings. We have also undertaken to reduce greenhouse emissions from our passenger vehicle fleet by 5% per kilometre travelled by the middle of this year, and to install solar hot water systems in new government-owned houses.
Assessments of developments made under the Environmental Assessment Act must now include information to allow greenhouse impact of a development to be assessed. At a very local level, we have provided funds through Cool Communities to educate people about climate change and encourage individuals and households to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by minimising energy use, using energy efficient appliances and minimising use of cars. Action against climate change can start with something as simple as switching your ceiling fans off when you are not at home.
We are a keen supporter of renewable energy. Solar pumps have been used to supply water in remote communities, and support for more advanced systems continues to date. Power and Water has a number of renewable energy projects such as installing photovoltaics in remote communities to generate electrical power.
The recent steering committee responsible for managing the implementation of the Northern Territory Greenhouse Strategy will be providing a progress report to me later this year. I will update the House on the many initiatives and programs that we, as a government, are taking because we are fully committed to reducing our emissions.
Madam SPEAKER: The time for ministerial reports has expired.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 83)
(Serial 83)
Continued from 30 November 2006.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, I speak on behalf of the shadow Attorney-General, who has …
Ms Martin: Who is out the front at a demonstration. Is that where she is instead of debating bills in this House?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I will resist responding to such insincere comments and proceed with the matter at hand.
The issue outlined in this bill identifies that there is an anomaly that requires addressing to ensure that there is security for insurance provided to a legal practitioner. As a result, there is no concern from opposition in respect of the bill and, therefore, it receives our support.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his supportive comments, and make my own comment that it is extraordinary that the shadow minister responsible for this legislation has found things more important than dealing with the passage of legislation in this House. We are, first and foremost, legislators in the Legislative Assembly; it is a foremost responsibility for us as members. It is disappointing that the shadow minister is not here to respond.
The amendments themselves arise as a result of a drafting issue identified by users of the primary legislation, the Professional Standards Act. The amendments are based on the model bill that was developed by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General over the past 12 months. Legislation implementing that model has commenced in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.
This bill amends the Professional Standards Act to fix a drafting problem. The act commenced in 2004 as part of the national tort law reforms. It limits the occupational liability of professionals, and members of occupations in certain circumstances. The Northern Territory act is based on uniform legislation.
After introduction of similar acts in Victoria and New South Wales, stakeholders identified an unintended consequence: costs inclusive insurance schemes were not allowed under the act. Most professional indemnity insurance policies are costs inclusive, which means the costs incurred in defending a claim can be included in the limited liability; that is, the capped amount. To not allow costs inclusive schemes would defeat the intended purpose of the act: to limit or cap the liability of professionals. The amendment, therefore, allows insurance policies approved under the act to include the costs incurred in defending a claim to be now covered.
This amending bill clarifies that insurance policies that are costs inclusive are allowable under the act. It implements the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General decision to enable professionals who are members of schemes to hold either costs inclusive or costs exclusive insurance policies.
The definition of ‘damages’ is amended to include costs incurred in defending a claim. The definition of ‘costs’ is added because there is no such reference in the current act.
Consumer protection remains so that a professional’s maximum liability to the consumer remains up to the amount of the cap as determined under the act. This is so irrespective of whether the professional holds a costs inclusive or costs exclusive insurance policy.
It is based on the model bill developed by a SCAG working party over the past 12 months. Similar legislation has been introduced in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, and will be introduced by all Australian governments to maintain uniformity of professional standards legislation. I thank the member for Blain and the opposition for their support.
Motion agreed; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Justice and Attorney-General)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed; bill read a third time.
MOTION
Note Paper - Ombudsman Report 2005-06
Continued from 28 November 2006.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this morning I speak on the Office of the Ombudsman’s 2005-06 Annual Report, which was tabled in the November sittings of this Assembly.
Given the importance of the Office of the Ombudsman, each year when presenting the annual report, I take the opportunity to set out the role of this statutory office holder. The role of the Ombudsman is to receive and investigate complaints from members of the public who feel that they have been treated unfairly or inappropriately by Northern Territory government agencies, statutory authorities or local government councils. In pursuit of these complaints, the Ombudsman can investigate the administrative actions, decisions, practices, and procedures of the entity which is the subject of the complaint.
The Office of the Ombudsman also has powers to receive and investigate complaints about the conduct of members of the Northern Territory Police Service. The Ombudsman is essential in providing an independent, just and accessible mechanism that everyone can use. As the Ombudsman is an officer of this Assembly, I am sure I speak for all honourable members in reiterating our support for the office and the values that the Ombudsman embodies.
While many complaints are resolved quickly, others take time to investigate. Regardless of the time frame to completion, the outcome can, and often does, result in improvements to the administrative practices in the Northern Territory and local governments.
While responsible ministers will speak on specific issues raised by the Ombudsman about matters within their portfolio, I will comment on the office’s budget and the overall statistics in the report. I will also draw to the attention of honourable members the proactive work of our Ombudsman.
In a jurisdiction the size of the Northern Territory, the workload of a small but efficient office such as the Ombudsman’s can fluctuate from year to year. The previous year saw an increase in complaints received by the Office of the Ombudsman, whereas 2005-06 has seen a reduced number of complaints. As with any budget, there are always competing demands, and the Office of the Ombudsman has faced that situation during the reporting period.
The Ombudsman has advised that a particular emphasis has been given to resolving the backlog of investigations into complaints about the conduct of members of the police force. In the Ombudsman’s previous annual report, she noted that the time taken to complete investigations into police conduct was unacceptable. Since that time, through the Ombudsman’s prioritisation, the temporary transfer of a senior executive from the Department of the Chief Minister, additional one-off funding of $94 000 combined with a concerted effort by the staff of the Ombudsman and the NT Police, that backlog has been completely cleared. The Ombudsman’s staff together with the police officers involved in the investigations are to be commended for their efforts in achieving this goal.
I do note, however, that the Ombudsman has some cautionary words about not allowing the backlog to increase again. The Ombudsman has briefed me on her office’s budget situation, and I have approved the preparation of a funding submission. I understand Treasury officers have been assisting the Office of the Ombudsman with the presentation of the submission, which will be considered as part of the normal budgetary process.
I turn now to the statistical presentation in the Ombudsman’s annual report. I am pleased to note that the statistics in the 2005-06 annual report are clearer and easier to understand. Notwithstanding this clarity, I will define some terms before presenting the statistical information.
Nett approaches are made up of both the number of inquiries and complaints received by the Office of the Ombudsman in person, by telephone, by e-mail, via the Internet, or in writing, whether related to the general area comprised of NT agencies and local government or the NT Police. Nett inquiries are the total of all inquiries that were not formed into cases by the Ombudsman.
During the reporting period, there was an overall decrease in the number of approaches, inquiries and complaints compared with 2004-05. In particular, nett approaches were down 15% to 2000. While the statistics are not exactly comparable with previous years, there are significant fluctuations in workloads from year to year. It is for this reason that we need to consider the Office of the Ombudsman’s resources on a regular basis. Fifty-nine percent of nett inquiries received were outside the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman. When the inquiry is outside jurisdiction, the case is referred elsewhere, such as to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, the Information Commissioner, the Consumer Affairs Commissioner or the inquiry is closed.
Notably, 94% or 230 of the 244 recommendations made by the Ombudsman to agencies were agreed to. In 2004-05, 108 recommendations were made and 102 were adopted. There were more complaints finalised than received during the year which, together with the outstanding efforts which I have already spoken of to finalise police complaints, resulted in a 60% reduction in the number of complaints remaining open at the end of the year. The overall time taken to finalise complaints other than complaints against the police improved marginally. The time taken to finalise complaints against police was reduced by 20%.
The areas of government which tend to receive the highest number of complaints are some of the largest service delivery agencies. However, the agency with the greatest number of complaints in 2005-06 was the police force with 313. Second was Correctional Services with 89 complaints. The largest issue in Correctional Services’ complaints was prisoner rights. However, complaints in this area have decreased from 45 in 2004-05 to 31 in 2005-06.
I draw the attention of honourable members to one particular aspect of the proactive work being undertaken by the Ombudsman and her staff. Academic literature on the subject of complaints generally agrees that a complaint is best and most expeditiously resolved as close as possible to its source. The Ombudsman’s legislation provides that the Ombudsman may decline to investigate a complaint if a person has not first raised the issue with the relevant agency. The Ombudsman is working with agencies to ensure that they have a best practice system to deal with complaints, and review, modify or improve their services in response to a complaint. This should contribute to an overall increase in the quality of public administration in the Territory. An important longer term result of better complaint management at the coalface is the Ombudsman being able to concentrate on the more serious issues which come to her attention.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I reiterate the high value my government places on the work of the Ombudsman and her staff. I thank the office for their hard work and dedication over the last year.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, as we know, the Ombudsman is an extremely important part of our system of government. It gives people a means of putting their complaints to someone. It is a key plank in any democracy because it allows the common folk to put to a neutral arbiter complaints they may have about decisions that have been imposed on those people. It is a very important part of our governmental structure and it is one that the Chief Minister needs to support with good financial backing.
I notice in the annual report the Ombudsman said at page 7:
- The government supported the efforts of the office during the year by approving additional once only funding of $94 000 and assigning a senior executive to work in the Ombudsman’s Office for 6 weeks. Without ongoing funding of at least that amount the chances are that timeframes may again become unacceptable. The situation is manageable now mainly because of a decline of the number of complaints being made to the office and because of the cut back to the office’s public education and awareness activities …
What that highlights is that the Ombudsman is saying: ‘We are more than likely not going to get that $94 000 we received as a one-off payment and, if we do not, we will certainly have to cut back on the office’s public education and awareness activities’. If things are back to their level of last year, there will still be problems trying to deal with all the cases that the Ombudsman has had to deal with.
Anyone who was at the Estimates Committee hearings last year will remember the conversation between the committee, the Ombudsman and the Chief Minister. It was obvious from that discussion that the Ombudsman was not happy with the amount of funding she was receiving. Perhaps that is where the $94 000 came from but, as it says in the report, it was a one-off and was only sufficient for six weeks.
Government needs to make sure that this important part of our governmental system is well funded. If it is not, people will presume that the government does not support it. I suppose you could go from there and say: ‘They do not really support it because they do not want too much bad publicity about themselves through an Ombudsman’s Office’. I am not saying that is necessarily the case, but it could be a perception. We need to ensure that the Ombudsman is adequately funded to do her job because she has to operate without fear or favour.
One of the other highlights it is important to mention is that the Ombudsman is working with all agencies to set up, as she says:
- … an adequate, responsive, and accessible complaint resolution process. A survey conducted in late 2005 disclosed that some agencies did not, and of those which do have systems, some do not comply with the Australian and (recently promulgated) International Standards on Complaint Management Processes. With assistance from the Queensland Ombudsman and the New South Wales Ombudsman a project is being undertaken to assist all agencies to either establish or improve an accessible, user friendly, responsive complaint process.
That is a very good initiative. If some of these complaints are sorted out at the departmental level, that will take some of the load off the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will not normally take up a complaint from a member of the public unless that person had gone back to the original department or local government with their complaint first. Then, if they do not receive a satisfactory response, they can go to the Ombudsman. If those things can be sorted out at the departmental level, perhaps that would reduce the number of complaints to the Ombudsman. Maybe then we would not need the extra money for the Ombudsman to carry out her job.
The Ombudsman’s report always makes great reading and the newspapers must love it. There was the case of the dog shot through the neck. It was taken to the vet and recovered, and the owners lived happily ever after. The way in which it was handled by the police, however, was embarrassing. It does show that the Ombudsman deals with a huge range of complaints, from police to local government and prison. That, in itself, highlights how important it is for this authority to be well-funded so it can carry out its job freely and without financial restraint.
I thank the Ombudsman, Carolyn Richards, for her report. I hope the government will support such an important part of our democratic process by making sure in the coming budget that the office is adequately funded to continue its programs.
Ms LAWRIE (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, the Ombudsman looked at several issues within my agencies, and I can outline the responses from my departments to these issues.
First, I will deal with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. The Ombudsman investigated a complaint against the Building Advisory Committee and Building Advisory Services of the department. The Building Advisory Committee has power to accredit building products, construction methods, designs, components or systems. Following legal advice, it was agreed that the legislation was complex in relation to the powers of the BAC.
To make the process clear, the functions currently performed by the BAC in assessing and approving applications should be covered by express statutory powers in legislation. It was also agreed that there be some form of review or appeal from a decision of the BAC, and it is likely that the appeal process to the Building Appeals Board will be utilised.
The Ombudsman was advised that an amendment would be made to the Building Act, but this is unlikely to occur until the current reform agenda is bedded down. The Building Advisory Services Branch has developed and implemented an information guide for applicants and procedures for processing Deemed to Comply applications. A complete review of the Deemed to Comply requires considerable resources, and is to be factored into future work plans and priorities in the next financial year.
The Australian Government Solicitor held an Administrative Law, Advanced Module entitled Decision-making in the Public Sector. Sixteen staff attended, including members of the BAC. The Ombudsman has formed the view that no further action is required and the file is now closed.
There was also an investigation into a complaint in relation to over-height residences. The investigation commenced in 1999, when Fred Finch was Chairman of the Development Consent Authority, and the report was concluded in 2003 when John Pinney was Chairman. The DCA accepted all but one of the nine recommendations by the Ombudsman.
Recommendation 5 stated that there was a clear need for the DCA to develop and adopt a written policy that ensures that waiver applications are not granted indiscriminately without any thought being given to the individual circumstances of each application.
Each development application is assessed on its individual merits under the requirements of the Planning Act. The department has received advice from the Department of Justice that decisions by the DCA should not be based on policies adopted by the DCA. The new Chairman of the DCA will be apprised of this matter and, in consultation with the Department of Justice, will make a decision as to the desirability of addressing Recommendation 5, which is the only outstanding recommendation.
Further, the Ombudsman advised that the department responded positively to all recommendations in respect of a complaint entitled Direct Sale of Crown Land. The application from the complainant was reactivated and the title was issued in July 2006. No costs were incurred by the applicant other than the purchase price of the land. My predecessor received a copy of the Ombudsman’s report and was fully briefed on this matter.
File management and record processes have been changed, and staff educated in the use of the new processes. Business processes are being updated with a view to the introduction of an automated project management system. In the interim, staff will keep applicants updated on the progress of their applications.
I now respond to the Ombudsman’s report which identified two studies in relation to my agency of Family and Community Services. The first case study, entitled Home Sweet Home, highlights the difficulties in finding appropriate accommodation options for young people in care. The complaint highlights community concern when my department places young people in supported community settings in local neighbourhoods. The Ombudsman acknowledged that the department had taken thorough action to inform neighbours of the placement, which included departmental contacts where they could raise any concerns. The Ombudsman discontinued her inquiries in this matter, noting the positive actions taken by the department.
The other case study relates to delays in investigating a child concern report. A child concern report is a report to the department that is assessed as representing a low level of danger to the child. Current guidelines require a response to these cases within five days. In this case, sadly, no action was taken for two months and an investigation was finalised after nine months. The investigation did not substantiate any maltreatment. Clearly, this delay in the investigation is unacceptable. The public and the Territory’s children deserve a timely response. The department’s initial assessment identified a low level of risk for this child, and that assessment proved accurate; no maltreatment occurred to the child. Nevertheless, I have given clear direction to my department that the standards set for investigation must be upheld; every report is to be investigated in a timely manner. The department has responded by putting in place an auditing system that works to ensure that cases receive appropriate responses.
Where the safety of children is concerned, the highest accountability must apply. In the Northern Territory, we have had a significant increase in reporting in the last five years. That is because we have been absolutely clear that we will not tolerate child abuse, and we have urged community members, and especially anyone working with children, to report any concerns of abuse. We have significantly upgraded our first point of contact intake teams so that people who call to report are speaking to our skilled and experienced child protection workers. We now work jointly with the police on the Child Abuse Taskforce to assess all reports so that we can quickly respond to children in danger. We have increased the child protection workforce by 51 positions, and the budget has quadrupled.
We know that there is still more work to do and we are getting on with the job of building up our child protection workforce. I thank the Ombudsman for her annual report.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I join with members to thank the Ombudsman, Carolyn Richards, for her report. It seems to me that the job of an Ombudsman, apart from being interesting, would be very challenging. It is clear from her report that she has faced challenges that probably have not been faced by Ombudsmen in the past. They primarily relate to funding or, more specifically, the relative lack of funding. I note the member for Nelson touched on that and I propose to revisit it.
Having considered the Ombudsman’s report, there is a sober reminder for government. We all know, perhaps more than many other Territorians, how vitally important the role of the Ombudsman is; that an Ombudsman acts, as is stated in Appendix D of the report:
- The Ombudsman and staff are committed to the following core values:
- Fairness
- Independence
- Professionalism
- Accountability
- Accessibility
- Timeliness
- Courtesy and Sensitivity
It is evident from the Ombudsman’s report that what she said at the Estimates Committee hearing cannot be considered in isolation. It was not the fact that the more we dug, the more it emerged that her office needed more money. It is clear from this report that financial difficulties impede the work of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman said on page 5 of her report:
- Over the last 12 months difficult decisions had to be made about the extent to which the office could satisfy the expectations of those approaching it in the face of a static budget allocation and a backlog of investigations.
The reference to satisfying the expectations of those approaching it is very revealing. Take the politics out of the equation, and we know that the Ombudsman’s Office is independent, as it should be, all of us, as elected members of this Assembly, would know that the people who come into our electorate offices have certain understandable expectations of the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has said that difficult decisions had to be made in order to satisfy those expectations. That is a very revealing and damning indictment of the government’s funding of the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman also said on page 5:
- At the end of June 2005, the time that investigations were taking to complete was, as I reported in last year’s annual report, unacceptable.
It is not just what happened in the Estimates Committee hearing, or just in the year to which this relates, it goes back another year. This independent and vitally important officer is saying that the time investigations took was unacceptable. She detailed, as she has elsewhere, some of the difficulties about investigating matters and the fact that so many of those difficulties are budget related.
She clearly has a high level of admiration for her staff. On page 6 she said:
- Due to the concerted and extraordinary efforts of my staff and the investigating officers in the NT Police, particularly EPSC, by the end of June 2006 the backlog of reports was completely cleared ...
She went on, at the same page, to remark that it was a splendid achievement and she commended those who worked towards it. She made the observation that her staff:
- … bore the pressure that was put on them.
Her words, not mine: bore the pressure put upon them. In every job, no doubt, there are various pressures, but what speaks to me from the Ombudsman’s comments is that her staff not only went over and above the call of duty but were committed, desperately it seems, to addressing the backlog. If that level of staff commitment was in any way mirrored by the Chief Minister and this government, we would all see significantly better outcomes.
I ask that in this year’s budget, a further allocation and ongoing allocation, not a one-off $94 000 but additional recurrent funding, be allocated. I am assuming that, about this time of year, budget deliberations and discussions are occurring. I urge those in the relevant positions of making the decisions to provide additional funding.
The Ombudsman said on page 7 of her report and in relation to the one-off funding of $94 000:
- Without ongoing funding of at least that amount the chances are that timeframes may again become unacceptable.
She also comments on the same page about the decline of complaints, and proffers the view that that may have occurred because of:
- … a decline in the number of complaints being made to the office and because of the cut back to the office’s public education and awareness activities …
which are reported elsewhere in the report. A cut back of education awareness activities is, again, in the opposition’s view, a damning indictment of this government because they are the only ones who can provide sufficient funding. One wonders how seriously this government regards the Office of the Ombudsman and its guiding principles.
The Ombudsman said in relation to access and awareness on page 55:
- I am disappointed to report that over the past three financial years activities associated with access and awareness have had to gradually be reduced because ‘efficiency dividends’ continue to impact on the funds available for discretionary activities. Access and awareness visits have reduced by 33% over the past three years ...
Then she provided the accompanying table.
I would have thought, if you can believe the rhetoric of this government, that they would be committed to the point of putting their money where their mouth is, as it were, to ensure that access and awareness activities continue.
There are references in the report to a range of examples where Territorians go to the Ombudsman for help. Significant complaints are made in relation to the police. Historically, those complaints are often made by prisoners. I believe the last time I looked, the rate of indigenous incarceration in the Northern Territory was around the 80% mark. It therefore follows, does it not, that for indigenous Territorians, access and awareness campaigns should be something of a priority for this government which, it seems to me, tends to back itself in relation to what it considers to be better outcomes for indigenous Territorians? This is but one of many examples where the reality is fundamentally different from the rhetoric. Why is it that this government does not want to provide funding for access and awareness visits, and campaigns for all Territorians but, in particular, for indigenous Territorians? I ask members of the government, particularly those on the back bench, to if not reflect on that observation, raise it with their ministerial colleagues.
The Ombudsman said on page 7 of her report:
- The Office of the Ombudsman in any society is the embodiment of a continuing commitment to administrative fairness. The extent to which the office is valued and supported is a measure of the maturity of a society and of government which has created an organisation to monitor fair treatment of its citizens by its own agencies.
I regard that statement as quite powerful. It eloquently expresses the role of the Ombudsman in any civilised society. Surely, they are values to which all 25 of us subscribed when we put our names forward for election. I commend the Ombudsman for expressing the role of her office in those terms, very powerful terms in my view, and I urge government members privately or publicly, it does not really matter how they do it, to look through this report. I have quoted and highlighted some parts of the report, but there is more.
At the beginning of a parliamentary year, presumably all of us have reflected on the preceding year over the Christmas break, and all of us can agree on the importance of the role of the Ombudsman’s office, and the importance it has for our fellow Territorians. Surely, then, it follows that this government will fund it appropriately so that in about February next year, when I am on my feet addressing this report, I do not have to talk about the lack of funding and, therefore, the inability of the Ombudsman to perform some of her key functions in the way we all expect - in the way that any civilised, democratic society expects and deserves from its Ombudsman.
Madam Speaker, given that this is the first report to which I have replied at this, the beginning of the new parliamentary year, I sincerely wish government members the very best when it comes to discussing the Office of the Ombudsman in their budgetary deliberations because without an Ombudsman, all of us are damned and we are not responding to the needs and aspirations of our fellow Territorians.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I also have a great deal of respect for the role of the Ombudsman, Carolyn Richards, and her staff. It is an important role of ensuring accountability and transparency in democratic governance. The office provides an opportunity for citizens to turn the spotlight on government. That said, this government is committed to good governance, improving its services and processes and meeting the needs of the Northern Territory community.
The Ombudsman’s Annual Report 2005-06 includes two case studies that concern my portfolios: a housing matter and a procurement matter. I highlight that the Ombudsman closed both matters, having been satisfied with the way the Department of Corporate and Information Services and Territory Housing responded to the respective investigations and recommendations of her office.
With respect to the housing matter, the case study on page 29 of the report concerned the treatment of a public housing tenant in what Territory Housing, in their statement, identified as an abandoned home. In line with the recommendations of the Ombudsman, Territory Housing has apologised to the tenant, reimbursed her for the costs she incurred, and implemented changes to the operational policy manual. The matter is resolved and it is inappropriate to make any further comment about the tenant’s personal circumstances.
The DCIS matter arose from difficulties that a tenderer experienced when lodging a formal tender to the department, and the Procurement Review Board’s subsequent decision not to accept the tender. To summarise the case study that appears on pages 26 and 27 of the report, the tenderer faxed their submission to DCIS, though it arrived after the deadline due to problems with the fax transmission, and the Review Board did not accept the late submission in line with due processes. DCIS acknowledged the difficulty that the tenderer experienced in lodging their tender, and the matter has been resolved fairly and equitably. Again, I am satisfied that DCIS and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure have responded well to the complaint.
I add that DCIS has, since this unfortunate incident, assessed its fax facilities and reinforced the importance of deadlines for advertising in tender documents. I am pleased to report that there has not been a repeat of this type of incident.
I am pleased that my departments maintained their track records during 2005-06 of being cooperative and responsive to their clients and the Ombudsman’s Office. I wish the Ombudsman’s Office and her staff all the very best for 2007.
Dr BURNS (Health): Madam Speaker, I certainly take the Office of the Ombudsman’s report very seriously. It is important for the Ombudsman to raise issues relating to the operations of government agencies, including police. It is an important part of the openness of this government that the Ombudsman is required to report to parliament each year.
As the Ombudsman notes in her foreword, priority is given to complaints against the conduct of police. All complaints are investigated by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command of the Northern Territory Police. Complaints involving serious misconduct are not only investigated by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command, but are monitored and sometimes directed by the Ombudsman’s Office.
Of the 548 complaints actioned by the Ombudsman, complaints against police accounted for 57%. Of the 398 finalised complaints against police, 59% were referred to police to investigate and respond to the complainant directly. It is worth noting that by far, the most frequent outcome of complaints was that an adequate explanation was provided to the complainant. This accounted for no less than 59% of finalised complaints.
The second most frequent outcome was that members of the Northern Territory police were counselled, accounting for 8% of complaints. I have noted the individual cases in the Ombudsman’s report. Police have confirmed to me that, in all cases where the Joint Review Committee or JRC recommended disciplinary action, there was, in fact, disciplinary action taken.
Broadly speaking, complaints against the police may be categorised in the following terms:
- preliminary inquiries – those matters initiated through the Ombudsman’s Office for assessment or determination as to whether or not a formal police investigation is required;
- minor complaints – those that appear suitable for resolution by conciliation; that is, the minor complaints resolution process, or MCRP, which included rudeness or lack of action;
- the non-Joint Review Committee or non-JRC complaints - those complaints unsuitable for conciliation and generally investigated by staff in the operational commands. The professional responsibility command will respond by letter to complainants with a copy of the letter forwarded to the Ombudsman; and
- the Joint Review Committee complaints or JRC complaints - those investigations that warrant oversight by the Joint Review Committee. The Ombudsman’s Office is furnished with all relevant material during the course of such investigations, and the Ombudsman prepares a final response to the complainant. These matters are almost exclusively investigated by the PRC and the complaint will have some element of criminality or systematic failure within policing systems and processes.
I will now talk in relation to some specific cases raised by the Ombudsman in her report.
Juvenile out of control: this related to a young female who became violent at a Darwin shelter. There were injuries that were self-inflicted as a result of punching a door. The JRC was concerned that given the behaviour of the juvenile, she should have been arrested and, in this particular case, she was not.
Doggone it: the case of a dog shot by police. This was a complaint and an issue that received quite a lot of media scrutiny and was spoken about in the parliament. Incidentally, I have received a number of written complaints about it. It caused quite a lot of concern within the community. This matter was dealt with by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command under the supervision of the Joint Review Committee. The Joint Review Committee recommended disciplinary action against the officers for misleading statements and the manner in which they attempted to destroy the dog. Police were served with a Notice of Intent to Summons the officers under the Animal Welfare Act. I am informed police did take disciplinary action against the officers involved.
In relation to the alleged unlawful detention of a juvenile, this was the case of a young man riding home late at night on a bicycle without lights and helmet. He claimed he was assaulted by police. The Joint Review Committee recommended that police reinforce that detaining a person for a traffic infringement is a breach of legislation. An apology was sent to the complainant in this case.
Then there was a complaint in relation to police who were allegedly intoxicated whilst they were off duty. A detailed investigation of this complaint was undertaken by the Ethical and Professional Standards Committee under the supervision of the Joint Review Committee. Witnesses were spoken to and the officers who were involved were interviewed. The Joint Review Committee recommended disciplinary action. Those officers were charged with assault. I am told that all three members face disciplinary charges stemming from the original incident. I am also told that all three members in this case were charged with criminal assault. In the case of one of the officers, there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial. In the other two cases, the members were committed to stand trial. The DPP did not proceed in the Supreme Court because it was considered there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.
I commend the Ombudsman’s report. As I have outlined in some detail in relation to those complaints against police, action was taken by police and there was sufficient investigation. The public can have every confidence in the processes through the Ombudsman. The standard of police behaviour is an issue about which I have spoken with the commissioner, and I can assure this House and the public generally that the Commissioner of Police, who has responsibility for disciplinary matters, has set a very high standard for police behaviour within our force. I have every confidence in our Police Commissioner and the standards that he is applying, and the disciplinary procedures that are going hand-in-hand with his view of ethical standards of behaviour within our police force.
I believe we have a top line police force and one that draws many members to the Territory. Police officers do a very hard job under trying circumstances. Sometimes, there are allegations of misbehaviour and, when those allegations are proven, action is taken.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Ombudsman’s report to the House.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank all those who contributed. This House looking at the Ombudsman’s report is a very important component of how we govern. The Ombudsman has a responsibility to report fully to this House each year, and that she has done.
It is interesting to note some of the interpretations of the facts and figures of the Ombudsman’s report. We saw a drop in the number of complaints over 2005-06. This can be interpreted in a number of ways and it has been in this House. You can either say there is some fault in that we are not telling Territorians they can come to the Ombudsman sufficiently or, alternately, you can look at the fact that the mechanisms that have been put in place, and I congratulate our Ombudsman on this, for her to work with agencies to follow the legislation and make sure that those Territorians who have a complaint against an agency are going to agencies, and that agencies have better mechanisms to deal with those complaints.
That is as the legislation stipulates and, if we are doing that more successfully and, therefore, the burden to the Ombudsman has dropped, I would have said this is a good thing. I am certain that every member here, if there are genuine complaints that come to their electorate office - I am sure you do, Madam Speaker – would use the mechanism of going to the Ombudsman as often as is appropriate. It is interesting to say that, necessarily, if there has been a drop in the number of complaints to the Ombudsman this is a bad thing, as we heard from the Opposition Leader. However, it could also be a result of proactive work coming from this government and the Ombudsman to deal with complaints more effectively.
I congratulate all those involved in working with agencies like Housing, for example, where there are a lot of complaints. Appeals mechanisms within Housing are now dealing better and more effectively, and finally, with the complaints that used to go to the Ombudsman. For example, in Correctional Services, the number of calls coming to the Ombudsman from the prison is down. The telephone service is still there, a direct line to the Ombudsman, so nothing has changed in that. Do you then construe that we are not giving information to prisoners to be able to ring the Ombudsman if appropriate? Or do we say that in Correctional Services, there are fewer complaints that need to go to the Ombudsman?
Looking at the Ombudsman’s report, you can interpret it in different ways. If you want to take a negative slant, you can take it, but if you want to see it as government operating more effectively, you can also interpret it like that. I hope everyone in this House would say: ‘Let us hope that it is about government acting more effectively’.
The issue of Ombudsman’s budget again was raised. I am sure that every agency could come into this House and say: ‘I do not have enough money’. Madam Speaker, maybe even the Legislative Assembly would say: ‘I do not have enough money’. It is always a matter of balance and priority. Treasury is working with the Ombudsman now to look at what the additional needs of the office are and what the Ombudsman is saying is needed to done. We have met some of the issues with additional funds to clear the backlog. The Ombudsman said in the report that the backlog that was there for some time has been cleared. That is terrific. We will look at what the needs are at the Ombudsman’s Office, and they are not the same from year to year, and we will be responding to them appropriately. Work with Treasury is being done. Of course, for any bids coming from any agency, and I am sure there will be significant bids as we go into our budget rounds, government finds a balance.
Thank you, everyone, for your contribution to this annual report from our Ombudsman I again thank the Ombudsman and her staff for the important work they do each year for the Territory.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Territory has the best lifestyle in the country. The main priority of the government in 2007 is to continue to deliver our great way of life. To achieve this, we will continue our focus on providing a strong and growing economy, better education and training opportunities, and a healthier and safer Territory. That focus will encompass the ongoing development of our regions, creating more jobs and opportunities for Territorians, as well as the continued development of Darwin and Alice Springs.
Before the 2005 election, we made a commitment to Territorians to deliver a strong and growing economy, and create more jobs and opportunities in the future. We are delivering on that promise. Last week, the Northern Territory recorded an unemployment level of 2%, the lowest on record. We recognise that nothing promotes your lifestyle like having a job, and Territorians today have the opportunity to gain greater skills, create the career of their choice, and move up the ladder within their profession or trade.
Our onshore economy continued to strengthen in 2005-06, with GSP growing by 7.5%. Investment was the main driver, expanding by 11.9%, while consumption grew by 4.3%. This growth is predicted to continue this financial year with GSP forecast to increase by 6.2%, with output growth in the mining and energy sector the major driver.
More Territorians are in work than ever before. In 2005-06 employment grew by 4%, second to Western Australia and well above the national average of 2.2%. This financial year, we are expected to do even better, with growth forecast to strengthen to 5% in 2006-07. That is great news for Territorians, and a further indication that our economic strategies are creating an environment that is attractive to business and investors, and one that is creating more jobs for Territorians.
The major developments expected to boost jobs growth in 2007 include: Darwin’s waterfront development; Classified Goods precinct; the commissioning of Alcan Gove; BOC helium plant; the Blacktip gas pipeline; Compass Resources’ Browns oxide mine; and GBS Gold International’s Fountain Head mine.
The growth of our economy extends well beyond the construction and mining industries. There has been significant employment growth in tourism-related industries, property and business services, finance and insurance, transport and storage, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade. The Territory economy is buoyant and a direct result of prudent fiscal management and our ongoing strategic investment in key capital works and infrastructure such as our modern bulk handling facilities at East Arm, which have helped make the Territory an attractive option for investors. This kind of investment is creating opportunity and is helping establish the Australasia trade route as a viable alternative for traders to our north and south. Examples of the opportunities being created are the new manganese export contracts to China from Bootu Creek which began last year, and the new iron ore contracts from Frances Creek that start this year.
Darwin is rapidly establishing itself as both Australia’s gateway to Asia and Asia’s gateway to Australia’s southern states.
Let me assure all Territorians that we will continue to maintain strong financial discipline and ensure that our economy continues to grow in the years ahead. Our aim is to create more jobs and opportunities for Territorians, and we will achieve this by continuing to invest in vital capital works and infrastructure, as well as by supporting key areas of our economy like our growing tourism industry. We will also continue to work closely with the business community to create an environment that encourages investment and innovation.
As our economy continues to grow into the future, it is vital that all Territorians have the opportunity to participate and benefit. A significant challenge for the Territory is growing the size of our workforce, and addressing the nationwide problem of skills shortage. Our growing economy has put the labour market under pressure and substantially increased competition for labour. An NT industry survey, commissioned by the Department of Employment, Education and Training in 2005, showed that 60% of the businesses that responded said they had experienced recruitment difficulties in the previous 12 months. If we are going to sustain strong economic growth, we must increase the number of work-ready Territorians and build on the skills of existing workers.
I am pleased to inform the House that we are meeting this challenge head on and, in fact, now have more Territorians registered in training than ever before. We have set an ambitious target of 10 000 apprentices and trainees over the four-year period to 2008, and we are well ahead of schedule. Over 5200 training contracts have been registered for apprentices and trainees in 2005-06 alone.
A big challenge for government and industry is ensuring the skills profile of our workforce match the needs in the workplace. A national study commissioned by training ministers revealed Australia faces a substantial structural mismatch between the skills of its current workforce and the future needs of the economy. As our economic base in the Territory evolves, we will need to adjust the skills profile of our labour force to meet the needs of an expanding manufacturing sector and the diversity of our oil and gas, and Defence industries.
We will work closely with registered training organisations, particularly Charles Darwin University, to ensure public funding for training meets future industry needs. This means we must develop stronger links between government, registered training providers, and key industry sectors. A good example of this is our 500 000 Build Skills program, introduced under Jobs Plan 2. The program involves a partnership arrangement between DEET, industry organisations, and preferred training providers. The aim is to upgrade competency levels through gap training, and this means that participants can obtain a nationally recognised qualification.
Some of the outcomes from Build Skills so far include: 90 workers in the civil construction industry gaining a national qualification; the first ever non-destructive testing course in the NT for welders; and an upskilling program for electricians to meet high level licensing requirements.
This is not a challenge for government alone; both industry and individual employees have a responsibility to upskill and re-skill in our modern workforce. I encourage all Territorians to find out more about the opportunities our education and training system can offer them.
A top quality education is vital for the future prosperity of the Territory and the wellbeing of Territorians, which is why we have embarked on the most significant reform of education in the history of the Northern Territory. Territorians can feel confident that we are building an education system that is first rate and competitive with the best in Australia. Structural changes around middle years will see Year 10 students take their place as senior year students, and set them on a three-year journey to employment or further study. These changes will allow us to focus on a quality education for students during those often difficult adolescent years.
For students living in remote parts of the Territory, we have started the process of creating a leading edge distance education service. The service will see staff located in the regions, and state-of-the-art interactive distance learning technology used. A major priority for us continues to be the improved outcomes for Aboriginal students in bush communities. It is no easy task, but the success we have had with students in remote communities completing their Year 12 certificate since 2003 proves that it can be done. Last year saw a record number of Year 12 graduates, with 30 students from seven bush communities completing their studies. These young people, like their predecessors, are role models in their communities and we are enormously proud of their achievements.
We are now working on establishing remote learning partnerships, with focus on attendance, literacy and numeracy, and pathways to employment or further studies. We will be working with 15 large remote communities, making it the most comprehensive community engagement process ever undertaken in the Northern Territory. We are confident that the partnerships will be the catalyst for vastly improved school attendance and learning outcomes.
The health of all Territorians will continue to be a major priority. We are proud to have increased spending on health by 64% since 2001. In that time, we have employed more than 100 extra doctors and 270 extra nurses. We were highly successful in recruiting nurses to the Territory last year, and this year’s campaign will build on that success. We know we must adopt a smart marketing strategy, because the worldwide nursing market is fiercely competitive. We are advertising online, and in both regional and national media, including some of Australia’s highest circulating publications like Woman’s Day, New Weekly and Take 5, as well as a range of nursing publications.
I should point out that our success in recruitment is in stark contrast to the record of previous CLP governments, which slashed nursing numbers by 200 between 1996 and 1999.
Our substantial investment in health is paying dividends to Territorians. It is pleasing to see that life expectancy of Northern Territory Aboriginal women has increased by three years since 2001, while Aboriginal infant mortality has fallen by 36%. These are encouraging signs, but we recognise there is still much more to do in the years ahead.
We also recognised that, while we have increased health spending significantly - we have invested more than $788m to health last year - our system is facing ever-increasing demands. For example, Territory Emergency Department attendances grew 6.5% in the last year. We recognise the pressure being exerted on our hospitals, and have increased bed numbers by 10% since 2001. We have also promised an extra 24 beds in both Darwin and Alice Springs hospitals, and we will meet this commitment.
Another priority in the coming year will be the expansion of the highly successful Rapid Admissions Unit at Royal Darwin Hospital from nine to 24 stations. Since its establishment last year, the Rapid Admissions Unit has cut waiting times in the Emergency Department at Royal Darwin from 18 hours to less than seven for people awaiting admission. That is significant, and we are hopeful the increase in the size of the unit this year will result in further reductions.
One of the great challenges facing us is access to GPs across the Territory. Given the Territory has the second lowest bulkbilling rate in Australia, it is critical we work to improve access to GP services. This is a Commonwealth responsibility, and we will continue to work with the Australian government this year to make gains in this priority area.
Another priority is delivering on our promise to build a high-quality, safe and sustainable radiation oncology unit in Darwin. I am pleased to report the Department of Health and Community Services and the Commonwealth are currently finalising an MOU and request for tender, and we will be in a position to bring more news on the radiation oncology unit soon.
Another key focus for government in 2007, and one closely tied up with the health of Territorians, is housing. Home Territory 2010, which was released in 2004, aims to provide Territorians with safe, secure and affordable housing. 2007 marks the beginning of the second of a three-year phase of this strategy. There will be a strong focus on two particular areas: affordable housing and housing for people in the bush. The affordability of housing in the Territory and, indeed across Australia, has received significant attention in recent months. This year, we will work across all portfolio areas on a range of initiatives that will address affordability issues for social and private housing tenures. I am pleased to report that our HomeNorth scheme, which is designed to help Territorians buy their own homes, will this year fund their 1000th home loan.
Housing in the bush is critical to the health and wellbeing of many in our remote communities. We are committed to meeting the housing shortfall in these communities. Late last year, I announced an extra $100m investment over five years for new housing in regional and remote areas. This funding is over and above existing programs and will be a key component of our 20-year generational plan. It is the biggest ever commitment to Aboriginal housing by any Territory government, and will do much to reduce the pressure associated with overcrowding in these communities. As part of this $100m initiative, we will review housing designs to ensure they are appropriate, look at new construction technique to support local employment and address costs, investigate the establishment of factories to fabricate prefabricated houses in regional centres, and deliver this program to a small number of long-term contracts to get the best value and ensure local training and employment outcomes.
The package will also create significant employment, training and economical opportunities in the bush, and work has already begun in a number of areas. The Minister for Housing will update this House on progress so far.
The misuse and abuse of alcohol is an issue we will continue to tackle in 2007. Excessive alcohol consumption not only has severe health implications, but also has a big impact on communities, families and friends. We spend millions of dollars dealing with alcohol-related harm, and the consequences are far-reaching. For example, last year there were just under 25 000 incidences of people being placed in protective custody due to alcohol-related matters, and more than 6800 hospital admissions in the Territory for alcohol-related conditions over the same period. This is clearly unacceptable. The problems are complex and, unfortunately, there is no one simple solution.
We will continue to work with communities across the Territory to develop and implement alcohol management plans; plans that are tailored to the specific needs of particular communities. The main priorities of the alcohol plans are to reduce supply, demand and harm.
The Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan was launched late last year. While we are only four months into the 12-month trial period, we have already seen some encouraging improvements. There has been a 50% decrease in the number of people in protective custody, and total sales of pure alcohol have decreased by 11% since the trial began. I will keep members updated on progress as we receive data.
In 2007, comprehensive alcohol management plans will be developed in more than a dozen communities across the Territory, including Borroloola, Palmerston, Timber Creek, Jabiru and Tennant Creek. The minister for Licensing will elaborate on the progress being made with the alcohol plans tomorrow. I take this opportunity to congratulate all those communities involved in tackling this insidious problem. I congratulate Nhulunbuy - their alcohol management plan will come into effect in either March or April.
Every child is entitled to the best possible start in life. A recent report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in January showed that there were over 265 000 reports of concerns about children to authorities in Australia during 2005-06. This is a national issue of tragic proportions. In the Territory, we have faced up to this challenge after more than a generation of neglect of services for families and children. We are committed to making the Territory a safe place for all Territorians, especially children. That is why we have substantially increased the child protection budgets since 2001. That money means more workers on the ground, better support to foster carers, and more funding to our non-government sector to help families in crisis.
It has also meant that we have entered a new era of confidence; confidence that if you contact the authorities because you are concerned about a child, something will be done. We made it clear that we would respond to community concerns and that we would intervene, if necessary, in families to keep children safe. The message has certainly been heard. The number of reports has increased significantly, resulting in a doubling of Aboriginal children in care. The Child Abuse Taskforce, with police and child protection workers operating jointly from a shared office, is having a positive impact. Their joint investigations are stopping abuse and bringing offenders to account.
Child abuse is not just an issue for FACS, though. Our health clinics and the hospitals, Territory Housing, our schools and the police all have a role to play, and our investment in the system means these services have the capacity to work together to identify children at risk and take measure to keep them safe. Later this year, minister Lawrie will introduce to the parliament a Care and Protection bill - contemporary legislation to replace the old Community Welfare Act. The bill has been developed through extensive consultation, and will set the scene for a new approach to children’s services in the Territory.
Finally, I want to flag the Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse, which I believe will be a landmark report for the Territory. The co-chairs, Rex Wild and Pat Anderson, have held over 160 stakeholder meetings to identify the steps we need to take to make our communities safer. I certainly look forward to seeing their report.
Law and order will continue to be a key priority for us. We are serious about dealing with crime and we know that safer communities are an essential part of our great Territory lifestyle. Like many Territorians, I also know that our police are the best in Australia. When we came to office in 2001, the police force was both under-resourced and under-funded. There is no escaping the fact that the previous CLP government had mismanaged our police, with the three-year recruitment freeze in the 1990s the most obvious blunder. Since then, we have increased spending on police by 55%. The recently released review of government services showed the Territory to be the highest spending jurisdiction on police in Australia. We spent 2.5 times the national average on police.
In 2003, we initiated the $75m Building our Police Force plan which committed us to recruiting an extra 200 officers to the force. Last Thursday, we reached that target when 22 members of Recruit Squad 87 graduated. Our increased spending has also meant initiatives such as the recently launched Traffic Branch, which was scrapped by the CLP, the expansion of our coastal vessel fleet, new mobile police posts, and more drug detector dogs have been put in place.
The stations in our major centres now have personnel for specialised units like property crime reduction, crime scene investigation and criminal investigation. Police have also created dedicated domestic violence protection units. Importantly, we have also backed our police with tough new legislation like our anti-gang laws. With the additional numbers, improved resources, and tougher laws, our police are better placed to tackle crime than ever before. The 50% reduction in property crime since 2001 is testament to that.
We have now effectively rebuilt our police force, but there is still more to do. There are another two more recruitment squads due to graduate before the end of the financial year, and another 20 experienced interstate officers will also join the force in the next few months through our transitional entry program. We are preparing to launch a new mobile police post in Katherine in the coming months, and our new remote area traffic and highway patrols will begin operating mid-year. Planning is under way for a new police station at Casuarina. We remain committed to funding our police and giving them support they need to ensure all Territorians live in a safe and secure environment.
As I mentioned earlier, the development of our regions is a key priority for the government. It is imperative that people in our regions and remote communities have the opportunity to receive an education, learn a trade, get a job and build businesses in their local community. While DBERD is the leading agency for regional economic development, each department across government is responsible for service delivery. Our activities are focused on the delivery of services and programs at the local level, building and coordinating projects that provide economic growth and development, engaging with communities through our economic development committees and regional offices, and influencing across government - essentially keeping government informed about key issues.
This year, we will continue to roll out our program of our new economic development committees. Already, eight have been established in the Tiwi Islands, Katherine, Victoria River, East Arnhem, Gulf, Tennant Creek, Anmatjere and Alice Springs, with one under way in the West MacDonnell region. These committees are a key way government engages with communities to address key challenges and opportunities in each of their regions.
Of course, for our regions to develop and flourish now and into the future, there needs to be good governance in the communities. That is why the most exciting and wide-ranging challenge we face in the next 16 months, and one that is essential to the long-term development of our regions, is the comprehensive reform of local government in the Territory and the formation of nine new shires to complement our four municipal councils. Many members of this House have spoken of the need for this reform over the past 20 years, and we simply cannot maintain the status quo any longer.
The reasons for change are many, but the lack of strong governance structures, the overwhelming administrative burden placed on these fragile organisations, the lack of access to expertise and skilled staff required to manage in adversity, are the greatest drivers of change. In a risk assessment carried out in the past year, 50% of our existing councils have been classified as high risk or dysfunctional. In the last year, we have had major interventions in 17 councils, and CEO positions in over 20 councils have been advertised with eight readvertised within 12 months. This is a stark reminder of the serious structural problems experienced by local government in our rural and remote areas.
It is clear that the Australian government is also changing its approach to funding bush communities, and we need a new system to take advantage of these changes and direction.
Recently, minister McAdam announced an advisory board under the chairmanship of Pat Dodson. The board will guide the process and highlight issues requiring expert advice during the community negotiation phase. We have also announced indicative boundaries based on consideration of geographical location, cultural connections, administrative and financial viability factors, population and demographic indicators, and historical arrangements such as exist in Katherine East with Nyirranggulung or in the Tiwi Islands. The advisory board includes representatives of all the major stakeholder groups: the Local Government Association of the NT; the land councils; the Chamber of Commerce; the Cattlemen’s Association; the federal and NT governments; and the communities themselves through northern and southern representative groups.
We expect the transitional arrangements for each new shire to be in place by late 2007, well in advance of the 1 July 2008 implementation date. The Local Government Act will also be reviewed to reflect these new arrangements, including the regulation of minimum service standards.
A major focus of the reform will be the creation of jobs for local people. Our aim is to double Aboriginal employment to 1200 positions in the first four years. This reform has strong support from the Australian government, which views stable and reliable local government as a prerequisite for expanded investment in our regions. This new structure will have a strong focus on delivering core local government services like roads and infrastructure, waste management, a clean environment and community facilities. The challenge will be to provide a long-term certainty about the future of rural and remote communities, and the type and level of service their members can expect as citizens of the Northern Territory.
While regional development is a key priority for us, we also have a long-term plan for the development of Darwin and Alice Springs. Last October, I launched Creating Darwin’s Future – a Tropical Harbour City. Creating Darwin’s Future sets out 93 broad initiatives and proposals for enhancing our city. The list is by no means definitive; more a collection of ideas and initiatives that I see as a starting point for discussion. The aim is to preserve our heritage and relaxed tropical lifestyle, while balancing our economic, social and environmental priorities. It is about ensuring Darwin grows into the place we would like it to be. We want to build on work already under way and create an even better tropical harbour city - a city where people will want to live and one that Territorians can be proud of. We also want to be a destination that will attract visitors from around the world, and an attractive place for investors.
The three key themes are:
- lifestyle and recreation, which includes making better use of our foreshores, which is now happening at the waterfront, establishing a green belt around the city, and ensuring built spaces complement the tropical environment;
- tourism and heritage – we want to showcase our heritage and encourage new tourist attractions and accommodation to build on the growing number of tourists coming here; and
- development, where we plan for new residential and industrial development, and strike the right balance of our industry, business sector and population grow.
If we get it right, we will become an even more attractive option for investors, with major building and public infrastructure projects, including streetscaping, seaside promenades, residential developments, and new tourist attractions. The investment opportunities will see more jobs for Territorians in expanding industries such as retail, hospitality, Defence support, gas-based manufacturing, transport and shipping.
Some initiatives, such as the Darwin waterfront and tourist accommodation, are already under way, with funds allocated by government, council or the private sector. Others, such as the World War II Defence of Darwin Museum, the Indigenous Cultural Centre and the State Square redevelopment, require further discussions between key stakeholders, including Darwin City Council, businesses, investors and property owners.
Creating Darwin’s Future has provided the impetus for these discussions to take place. Consultations began late last year, and are continuing this year. Feedback so far via our dedicated Future Darwin website and public displays has been very positive. I have also briefed a number of key organisations and their members, including the Chamber of Commerce, NT Property Council and the Capital Cities Charter.
It is fair to say that the overwhelming majority of people want to see some of the proposals progressed sooner rather than later. Some of the issues raised during our consultations include: the need for better building designs that fit our part of the world; more family-friendly facilities at places like the Esplanade; cleaning up our city streets and improving streetscapes and shopfronts; continuous walking trails and bike paths from one end of the city to the other; and the World War II museum and Aboriginal cultural centre have also received a lot of support.
On 18 February, Creating Darwin’s Future will be featured in the Sunday Territorian as a means of encouraging further feedback from the community. Consultations will continue until late March, following a series of six targeted forums for key industry sectors and interest groups, such as the tourism sector, the arts sector, professional groups, World War II groups, and community and greening groups.
Madam Speaker, let me now turn to Moving Alice Ahead. We are committed to moving Alice Springs forward and dealing with some of the difficult issues that impact on its unique lifestyle. We have progressed work on the Alice in 10 vision, and are committed to developing Alice Springs as a vibrant and modern desert town. A range of priority projects are in train as part of this vision. The Red Centre Way is progressing well. Sealing of the road from Kings Canyon to the border at Watarrka National Park, and 27 km of sealed widening of Larapinta Drive has been completed, and a $13.3m contract to seal almost 50 km of Namatjira Drive from Glen Helen through to the boundary of the West MacDonnell National Park began last week.
We acknowledge that there have been ongoing issues with the Central Land Council regarding sacred site clearances. We will continue to work through these issues with the CLC and, I am confident, find solutions.
The sealing of the Red Centre Way, our commitment to pursue the declaration of the West MacDonnell Ranges as a world heritage area, and the planned tourism infrastructure work along the Red Centre Way, formed the basis of securing commitment from the Australian government to declare the spectacular scenery of the Red Centre between Uluru and Alice Springs as Australia’s first national landscape.
The work conducted by the Town Camp Task Force to standardise services to town camps and improve accommodation options for town camp residents and visitors to Alice Springs is another key plank of our commitment to Moving Alice Ahead. Work is well under way to improve basic housing, power and water infrastructure. The redevelopment of Stuart Lodge as a short-term accommodation option is now complete, and will be handed over to Territory Housing this week. Tenants have begun moving into the Keith Lawrie flats, and the planning for the expansion to the Ayipirinya Hostel has started.
Alice Springs lifestyle is magnificent and we are committed to protecting and developing it. Our $8.1m grant to the Alice Springs Town Council to construct a first-class aquatic centre builds on our $5m promise to upgrade the sporting facilities at Traeger Park. I am sure that the people of Alice Springs are looking forward to council getting on with the job of delivering the indoor heated swimming pool complex.
An exciting prospect for Alice Springs is the focus on its built environment. We have maintained our commitment to enhancing the Todd River along Leichhardt Terrace, and we are currently working with the Alice Springs Town Council and other stakeholders to plan further mall and central business district developments that will improve the CBD for both locals and visitors alike.
We are continuing to make good progress with the Desert Knowledge Precinct; the $2.1m Business Innovation Centre is near completion, and the tender for Stage 1 of the Desert Peoples Centre closed last week. In November last year, we announced a further commitment of $2.5m to build a solar demonstration facility at the precinct. Desert Knowledge Australia continues to work on the cross-border networking initiatives including Linked Business Networks and the Outback Tourism Network projects. The Desert Knowledge CRC is driving a four-wheel drive tourism project, as well as research into bush products, pastoralism and desert businesses. All these Desert Knowledge initiatives are aimed at capitalising on the expertise that exists within Australia’s remote and desert regions, and developing economic opportunity for Central Australia and the Territory.
The Youth Employment Framework aims to develop strategies that will see more local young people employed in the private and public sectors throughout Central Australia. The framework will be strongly linked to our education system, and aims to meet employer skills needs. Initiatives such as the Clontarf Football Academy and the Polly Farmer Foundation Centrecorp project will be integral to its success. With a nationwide skills shortage impacting profoundly on regional areas, the Youth Employment Frameworks is critical for the future of Alice Springs. These economic and social projects are just some of the initiatives we are undertaking to keep Alice moving ahead.
While we are immensely proud of our way of life in the Territory, there is still a great deal of work to do right across the Territory. We need to ensure our economy continues to grow, and that there are jobs and business opportunities for Territorians no matter where they live. We need to ensure that young Territorians receive a quality education, and have the opportunity to learn a trade and acquire the knowledge and skills they need to build a career. We need to ensure that all Territorians can see a doctor if they need one, and have access to top quality health care. It is our aim that all Territorians throughout the Territory can feel safe and secure in the places that they live.
I started off this statement by saying we have the greatest lifestyle in Australia, and we do. It is my commitment, this government’s commitment, to keep it that way.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Debate suspended.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Parliament House Public Tour program visitors. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also draw your attention to the Department of the Chief Minister apprentices for 2007 who are in the public gallery. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you also a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
MOTION
Note Statement – Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Note Statement – Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Continued from earlier this day.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, whilst I welcome the Chief Minister’s first ministerial statement for the year, and there are some, and I stress some, positive aspects to it, the opposition cannot help but notice the extraordinary levels of cynicism in it. The Chief Minister and her colleagues would have Territorians believe that all is well.
This government did not have a good year last year. Often, we rely on our friends in the media, who provide excellent commentary on most matters - not all, but most - and I need only point to some of the articles that were contained in The Australian newspaper last year. I note some particularly interesting references by Nicholas Rothwell in an article earlier this month in relation to the Chief Minister’s poor performance. I raise those matters because I understand, in a political sense, why the Chief Minister and her spin doctors would make this statement today. It is understood; we get it.
It is our job, of course, to draw to Territorians’ attention those matters on which this government is silent. I will come to police numbers a little later. As a responsible opposition, for instance, in relation to the Road Safety Taskforce report where there were a number of recommendations we publicly highlighted the areas with which we agreed and those with which we did not. I believe my colleague the member for Katherine wrote to the member for Karama in her ministerial capacity about it. We were keen to let government and Territorians know that there were, in fact, some areas on which we agreed.
However, an equally responsible opposition does need to take government to task on some of the issues that it wants to spin to Territorians. As I said on radio this morning, there is no shortage to choose from; the list is endless. Whilst we understand the political realities of making a statement of this type, no doubt the Chief Minister is attempting to square up her leadership of this government. Of course, we all remember the leadership speculation and media tip-offs towards the end of the year. Whilst we appreciate why she is doing this, it is, as I say, incumbent upon us to scratch below the surface.
I note in the second paragraph on page one of the Chief Minister’s statement, she said that she will continue the government’s focus on providing a strong and growing economy, better education and training opportunities and a healthier and safer Territory. She also referred to the fact that her government will, in the first paragraph, ‘continue to deliver our great way of life’, a unique Territory lifestyle which is being pulled apart by this Territory Labor government. People, at the last election at least, wanted to see the return of the Territory Labor government. This government did not, however, have a mandate to destroy our unique Territory lifestyle. They have done so with speed limits. They did not have a mandate to introduce speed limits; they did not go to the Territory election with that. I, along with so many other Territorians, remain very concerned about what the government has done.
I take this opportunity of acknowledging the people in the gallery from Keep NT Limits Free, who are well attired and have been working very hard to put pressure on government, as have we. Welcome.
Returning to the statement, I do not have a formal prepared speech. Unlike the Chief Minister, we do not have 100 staff to write things for us. I could have written it myself, but I thought the best way was to go through parts of this statement, having read it last night. I am aiming to illustrate the point that if one scratches below the surface of the spin of this government, one will see the deceit of this government, the obsession with maintaining government, and the government’s determination to win, and win at all costs and, if that means deceiving Territorians or misleading them, so be it.
There is, as I said, no shortage of issues. I will go through some of them. Some, of course, will be regarded by some people as more important than others. I refer on page four to the Chief Minister’s comment about ‘Darwin is rapidly establishing itself as both Australia’s gateway to Asia and Asia’s gateway to Australia’s southern states’. Spin if I have ever seen it. It was always the gateway to Asia. It does not matter whether you blokes were in power for 30 years or whether the CLP was; it was always the gateway to Asia. Certainly, the CLP advanced that notion and worked hard towards it, as they should have. So should you. However, to suggest that it is rapidly establishing itself as the gateway to Asia, implicitly because of the existence of the Labor government, is arrant nonsense.
In the next paragraph, there is a reference to ‘the strong financial discipline shown by this government’. I do not have all those figures in front of me, but one need only revisit, albeit briefly, some of the issues that we talked about in the Estimates Committee hearing last year, and some of the known blowouts in government departments. For instance, the Department of Employment, Education and Training’s budget blowout is something in the vicinity of $24m. Police has blown out and Health has blown out. Health is completely blown out and, by blowout, we mean exceed the budget allocations. I could spend much more time on that, but I will not. The government and the Chief Minister, who used to be the Treasurer, claims they have shown strong financial discipline. The case is amply made that, in fact, it is not the case if one looks at the blowouts in departmental expenditure.
I note on page 5 that these are references to ‘the nationwide problem of skills shortages’. Correct me if I am wrong, members on the other side, but I understand federal Labor opposes, and therefore you are part of it, bringing in skilled labour from overseas. On the one hand, we have the acknowledgement of the nationwide problem of skill shortages but, driven by ideologies as Labor Party members often are, they are not going to look to address the problem. That said, I acknowledge the work and effort of agency staff, particularly in the Department of Employment, Education and Training, in working with business to improve the situation.
I note that on page 8 of the Chief Minister’s statement, she referred to education. Education was an issue that created a great deal of angst for both students and parents last year. I was at some of the meetings. I did not see the Australian Labor Party Legislative Assembly representatives there - only after, when it became a bit of an issue. In other words, when it found its way into some media outlet, and I cannot remember which one, did we see them starting to attend. I recall that the minister for Education, the member for Nhulunbuy, said last year that he had no intention, or words to this effect, of fronting an angry crowd. Well, if you are a government which is making tough decisions, you should at least face those who want to talk to you. I note with interest that the Chief Minister was called upon to meet with representatives at this morning’s rally. Again, she was nowhere to be seen.
There are several pages of information in relation to education, but we know that the introduction of middle schooling has been poorly handled by the Labor government. ‘With greater priority given to public relations and bricks and mortar than curriculum development and teacher training’, said my wonderful colleague, the member for Blain and shadow eduction minister. I will leave it to my educator friend on my left to deal with education.
For those members of government who would prefer to just leave next year, put it in the history books and hope like hell that the disasters of last year do not happen again, I wish you well. Territorians will not forget the trouble to which you put them and their families with your botch-up of middle schooling. I understand this year, happily, there have been some improvements but, equally, there are still a great deal of issues yet to be resolved. That is education but, as I have said, I will leave it to my friend and colleague, the member for Blain.
Then the Chief Minister in her sprinkling of all issues that she perceives topical to Territorians, and the ones to date are, referred on page 10 of her statement to the health of Territorians. The Chief Minister said that ‘the health of all Territorians will continue to be a major priority’. My view is that some people in the health and allied health professions, as well as patients presenting to our hospitals, may take the view that the Australian Labor Party does not have the right to say they will continue to make health a major priority. Some of those people may say that it is hard to tell whether health is a priority. I remember looking at a budget paper - probably the one before last; I cannot specifically remember whether it was the case in last year’s budget – where the indications on the health of Territorians from what I think is called WEIS indicators, were that Territorians are getting sicker. That is dreadful. In this day and age, our fellow Territorians are getting sicker.
I stress that I look forward to this year’s relevant information. I hope that there is a further inclusion of the WEIS indicator in the budget papers. If there is not, I am sure we can chase it up. However, the fact that we know that the health of so many Territorians is not improving given the amounts of money that have been spent, I would have thought would be a cause of some reflection and regret on the part of the government.
The Chief Minister talked about how successful she has been in, well, pretty much everything, apparently. I remind the Chief Minister that there are some ongoing problems in health, and just one of them is the bullying of health professionals by hospital bureaucrats. We know it does. The nurses will agree and some of you bureaucrats are on to this because we all know they met recently. We know that bullying of health professionals by hospital bureaucrats occurs. We also know, as do the nurses, that it has a role to play in the difficulties associated with recruitment and retention. This government is full of bullies and the opposition knows that well. The Chief Minister, by saying all is well in health, is being incredibly selective to the point of putting the spin machine in overdrive.
Is it not also a cause for concern that in the Chief Minister’s statement, she made no reference to what has occurred this month at Royal Darwin Hospital? That is, that the roster at Royal Darwin Hospital will be short 1100 nursing shifts for the month of February. I am not aware of an attempt by the Chief Minister to deal with that. I recall hearing the Minister for Health on radio a week or so ago who did not deny that there were 1100 nursing shifts that were not filled at Royal Darwin Hospital just for the month of February. I am glad to see a rare demonstration of honesty on his part. However, I wonder whether the minister, rather than practising his thespian pastimes, might spend more time in his office properly addressing the issues that are of so much concern to his fellow Territorians.
The Chief Minister said on page 11: ‘Our substantial investment in health is paying dividends for Territorians’. Even the member for Blain is coughing, Madam Speaker. One wonders what the people who are forced to lie around on trolleys in our hospitals, particularly at RDH, have to say about that. There are so many issues. I know that my friend and colleague, the member for Greatorex, will address those, too. I am very fortunate in this position. I have an educator as the shadow minister for Education and I have a doctor as shadow minister for Health …
Mr Mills: And a lawyer.
Ms CARNEY: And a lawyer as the shadow Attorney-General. I have a pretty good trifecta. Thank you, member for Blain.
I note on page 13 of the Chief Minister’s statement, there is a reference to the radiation oncology unit. If memory serves me correctly, this was promised prior to 2001. This government and the former Minister for Health, Peter Toyne, weaselled, as they did, not unlike what we are seeing now with the police numbers. They used the old weasel words and eventually relied on the old chestnut that it was all the Commonwealth’s fault. I am pleased, and we are keeping our fingers crossed, that we will see the delivery of this promise. I suppose if it happens, we will say: ‘Better late than never’. I know that this has been an issue of great, sincere, deep concern to many patients and their families.
Elsewhere on page 13, the Chief Minister, as she scanned the topical issues of the Northern Territory, referred to Housing. I think there was a report a week or so ago that showed that Darwin housing was becoming unaffordable, the most expensive around or thereabouts if it was not top of the list. It was way up there. When we look at our fellow Territorians and young home buyers in particular, one wonders whether the Chief Minister is at all concerned about Darwin developing the reputation of having almost unreachable levels of housing, particularly for young people.
Of course, this affects areas about which we have spoken: health, education and so on. We are not going to get those people here, even if the government does try hard enough, and I do not think they are, if houses are seen as unaffordable.
Equally, it is difficult for the Territory given that Darwin has the highest inflation rate of any capital city in the country. It is 5%, which is the highest inflation rate of any capital city. I note again with interest and a level of scepticism that there is no reference to that in the Chief Minister’s statement.
Turning to page 16 and a different issue all together, the Chief Minister said:
- For example, last year there were just under 25 000 instances of people being placed in protective custody due to alcohol-related matters …
To her credit, the Chief Minister has outlined some plans. Of course, the CLP is on the record as being supportive of dry towns. Not that it is a competition, but I think we were even talking about it before government. Certainly, in Alice Springs that was the case and there was a groundswell of community support. I wish everyone associated with the dry town concept every success.
How is it that we see, if we were to graph it, a pretty significant increase of people being placed into protective custody? That leads neatly for me to refer again to a CLP policy published probably in the middle of last year, commonly called Three Strikes and You’re In. In other words, if you are picked up three times in six months, you are taken before the court, the court has various dispositions available to it, the ultimate sanction being gaol. I stress that it is the ultimate sanction. It is a nice balance, noting the health difficulties associated with alcoholism as well as a tough law and order position.
I wonder why the government is not looking to introduce something like that. It does not have to completely adopt our policies, although the government is well known for so doing. However, I wonder whether the government might be as concerned as so many other people about the 25 000 and increasing instances of people being placed in protective custody.
The next issue is child welfare, child protection, on page 17. The Chief Minister referred to the report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in January. Unlike the Chief Minister, and given my interest in the area, I have the report and I have actually read it. Similarly, there are other reports, no doubt, of which the Chief Minister has no knowledge.
Before I get to another report, for some pages, the Chief Minister is at pains to forget about all the mess she had last year. However, I believe it is important for us to perhaps revisit it. We had a situation, an interview on Lateline with Dr Nanette Rogers who talked about various cases of child abuse. As a result, the Chief Minister, who stuffed it up for several days after that, was having difficulties. Not long after, there was a further Lateline interview ...
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: I know members on the other side do not want to revisit this. I suppose they might have had nightmares about it over the Christmas period. However, the long and short of it is that the Chief Minister did embarrass herself, her party and the Northern Territory with her atrocious handling of this issue. We saw the now famous leaked memo by the member for Millner, who will be carrying the can for that for some time and, of course, towards the end of last year, we saw intensive speculation about the Chief Minister’s leadership.
I understand. I get why it is that she would spend several pages of the first statement for 2007 to attempt to forget about what was, no doubt for her, an awful series of memories and, to a large extent, even rewrite some of the history , I suppose it could be said, and to set the scene for the way forward.
She made many references to child protection. The National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse published a report in September last year. It was published in September last year but, as even members on the other side know, it was not sent out to politicians until about late December, a fact which was checked with Monash University. The report was published under the auspices of Monash University. Let me tell you what it says at Chapter 7 of the report regarding the Northern Territory. It is in stark contrast to the Chief Minister’s assessment of what has happened under her government. I will quote a couple of sections of it:
- Like some other jurisdictions, the NT has been involved in a rather leisurely review of its child protection legislation for around three years.
- However, we do not feel comfortable with the priority given to child welfare and protection in recent years in the NT, or to family support, and we cite the known problems in indigenous communities, (and the NT has the highest proportion of indigenous people in its population of all states and territories) as a reason for concern about the NT’s commitment to development and reform.
They are significant words ‘… as a reason for concern about the NT’s …’, read Chief Minister, ‘… commitment to development and reform when it comes to child protection’. This is why the Chief Minister had a shocker of a year last year and, no doubt, she will be under the pump before too long. If I may digress, Nicholas Rothwell, in his article on 7 February in The Australian, said of the Chief Minister:
- … her last year in office has been so disastrous it seems clear to all reasonable observers that she was abducted by aliens just after winning a landslide election in 2005 and that a substitute Chief Minister has been going through the motions, turning up in hard hats at every construction site in town, showing no memory of her past as a postgraduate heritage studies researcher or her much-professed love of the city’s environment.
That was an article, obviously, in relation to Darwin planning.
It is difficult for the Chief Minister to argue, as she has apparently done in this ministerial statement, about the wonderful work in the area of child protection. It is not me saying this; it is the National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Nicholas Rothwell. Of course, who can remember the article he wrote, I think in late 2001, about the Chief Minister sitting there, feet up on the desk – boy, that was a really interesting article. It was glowing of the Chief Minister. How times have changed.
Getting back to something else the Chief Minister said in relation to child protection, here we go on page 19:
- Later this year, minister Lawrie will introduce to the parliament a Care and Protection Bill - contemporary legislation to replace the old Community Welfare Act.
Madam Speaker, you, of course, would be aware of this having once been a Health Minister. If one looks back at the Parliamentary Record, I know there are other references to it, when the member for Stuart was the relevant minister in 2004. He said in this place:
- Before the end of the life of this parliament, I will be introducing a bill for a new Community Welfare Act.
That was on 17 February 2004.
The next minister to have a bit of a shot at this, the member for Karama, said on 15 June 2006:
- Once it is finally drafted, I will be taking that legislation to Cabinet for consideration. I am aiming to have that legislation in the parliament in the latter part of this year. I have been pushing towards August. However, realistically it is not going to be an August introduction. Therefore, I am hoping for the sittings after that, depending on its process through Cabinet.
Moving on, in relation to police, we heard today in Question Time the weasel words used by the government. We were onto it, of course, last year. Everyone was: the Police Association; journalists; you name it. It was a long line. You see, it all changed in about November last year when, in a media release issued by the new Police minister. We matched it up with one of many media releases issued by the former Police Minister. Remember the guy who was demoted on account of the leadership business? Anyway, he used the words, and, indeed, other members used the words, that there would be 200 extra police on the beat. In about November, the new bloke said there would be 200 personnel in the force. Give us a break! What do you think? We are just going to sit back and say: ‘Oh well, nothing swings on it’? Well, it does. You are the people who represented to Territorians that you would provide 200 extra police on the beat. You have been beaten all right. You have been beaten on it because you know you cannot do it. It is very sad that no members opposite can actually come to terms with that.
We saw it even today when the minister for Police was saying: ‘Oh no, the memo says …’ We know what the memo says. Everyone knows what the memo says. The memo is fundamentally different from the Labor mantra that was put about by you guys on the other side for a very long time. That is now well established.
In the short time I have left, I will move to some other areas. On page 22 of the Chief Minister’s statement there is a reference to anti-gang laws. I wonder whether the people of Karama have noticed any difference in things out there. I wonder whether the people coming out of Casuarina Shopping Centre reckon that there has been great improvement. Again, this is an attempt for our Chief Minister to put her best foot forward.
As for the police presence, and we all agree that visibility and police presence is really important, there is the mobile police van. We have a competition running in Alice Springs: spot the police van. I have a mate who works at the court house, and you will probably know this, he overlooks the police compound car park. I know exactly where the police van is on a very regular basis. I saw it in the mall. I went up and knocked on the door because I saw it in the mall in Alice Springs and I thought …
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time for the Leader of the Opposition pursuant to Standing Order 77 so that she can complete her remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Ms CARNEY: Thanks, Madam Speaker. There I was, with a mate, walking up Todd Mall and I had to shake my head. I saw the mobile police van. Thinking I was dreaming, I ran up to the mobile police van. I wanted to feel it to make sure I was not dreaming. I felt it and it was there. Then, I knocked on the door because I wanted to see what would happen, and whether there anyone in there. I knocked and I knocked. No one was in it! No one was in the mobile police van …
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: All I wanted to hear was who was there. For the people of Alice Springs walking through the streets, having heard the Labor mantra about all the police presence, the increase, 200 extra police on the beat, and they did not buy that one, and then the police van that was promised. Well, it is rarely seen and it is now something of a joke and a bit of a competition to see not only where it is but knock, knock - is anyone there?
Possibly, if I may be so bold as to speculate, the reason there is not a police officer in there is because there are not 200 extra police on the beat. I do not know; maybe someone can answer in reply. I reckon there is something in that. There may well be occasions when the mobile police van is just parked. However, if that is the case, you did not tell the punters that; you did not tell Territorians. You represented to them that there would not only be 200 extra police on the beat, but they have a reasonable expectation that if they are being assaulted or something like that, there is going to be a reply when they knock on the door. If the Chief Minister is determined to achieve something this year, maybe she can make sure that the police officers at least are close to the mobile police van.
Moving to other matters, Madam Speaker, the reference on page 28 to Creating Darwin’s Future: A Tropical Harbour City is, of course, based on the Darwin City Council’s plan. We have spoken about this before, how representatives of the Darwin council met with government and one thing led to another. Government nicked it, and that is okay, and they put their own policy forward. We know that because it is well known that bureaucrats are working around the clock to get something out; in other words, to come up with something that the Chief Minister can pitch.
It was interesting to hear the Chief Minister say that she wanted Darwin to look like Singapore. In both sides of politics, that has caused a lot of debate and head scratching. Some people would say, although I could not possibly say it, that if the Chief Minister wants Darwin to look like Singapore, perhaps she should live there. Alternatively, if she wants it to look like Singapore, we hope that there is, as is suggested in the statement, a very comprehensive period of consultation. We all know that there is a great deal at stake and we all want to see good outcomes for Darwin and the Territory. Maybe that was a factor in why there was a bit of pressure on late in the year. I am not sure how well some of her colleagues would have appreciated the comment about wanting Darwin to look like Singapore. Some of them were born in Darwin.
There are a couple more things. There is a reference to Alice Springs, thank you. There are, however, difficulties in Alice Springs - so many, yet so little time. I hope the Chief Minister, Police minister and Minister for Central Australia will be aware of the nasty incidents of Saturday week ago. Some young people were out having a good time and there were a series of pretty nasty assaults. I do not think it is fair to say that we have had what could now be described as gangs, certainly not gangs in a big way in Alice Springs, that tends to be a more of a Darwin problem, but for those of us who live in Alice Springs, we are deeply concerned about this. The Minister for Central Australia may even hear from a couple of the parents of kids who were assaulted.
It is about having police on the beat, 200 extra police on the beat, some of whom must obviously go to Alice Springs. One wonders whether the mobile police van should be strategically parked at what are becoming known trouble spots in town near Maccas and BP. I am sure the member for Stuart would understand the issues as well. Perhaps, member for Stuart, you could encourage your colleagues to look at it. I say that very genuinely. No one likes to see anyone else bashed up. They were, as I understand it, unprovoked attacks. There are lots of assaults in Alice Springs. I know it has its problems and its challenges but it is a magnificent place to live and work, nevertheless.
I can say with some degree of confidence that all the people of Central Australia, and Alice Springs in particular, want from this government is a fair deal. They feel, and I agree with them, that they are just not getting it at the moment.
CCTV cameras and the youth curfew – even though the Alice Springs Town Council do not call it that, it is commonly know as such - are things that came from the grassroots in the community. The CLP at the last election talked about a curfew and I made representations several years ago to the Alice Springs Town Council urging them to look at CCTV cameras.
Putting all that to one side, it is the case that members of the community have been lobbying council to look at these issues. It is tremendously disappointing when government, I think it was the member for Karama, dismissed the suggestion of a thorough plan for youth on our streets commonly known as a curfew. In respect of CCTV cameras, I think the council is putting its hand in its collective pockets for them. I believe there was even a reference to going to the federal government. I am not sure how that has gone. I hope that people would come to the NT government. We consume a lot of paper in this place and a lot is written about the government’s determination to make our streets safer. I urge government to be receptive to representations for CCTV cameras and, if no representation has been made, I ask you to get on the front foot and see what you can do.
Finally, this is interesting and bizarre. The Chief Minister, on page 34 of her statement, referred to the $8.1m grant to the Alice Springs Town Council ‘to construct a first-class aquatic centre’. This was promised prior to the last election, and there were pictures and lots of media opportunities: snap, snap, everyone smiling. It must have been known at the time, and certainly people involved in the relevant stakeholder groups told me, that the $8.1m was never going to be enough; it was always short. I do not know whether that is true; that is what the right people tell me. I suspect it is true because all of a sudden, there is public recognition that $8.1m is not enough. It is so public that one of the government ministers, minister Vatskalis, and I only say that because I cannot remember his electorate …
Mr Henderson: Casuarina. Big shopping centre there. Northern suburbs.
Ms CARNEY: Casuarina, thank you.
He was quoted in the local paper saying that council needed $3m extra in order to meet the NT government’s commitment of, as the Chief Minister has eloquently said, ‘a first-class aquatic centre’. The member for Casuarina also said that the federal government should be the ones touched up for the money. That is absurd. I do not know how the people of Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and elsewhere would feel about a Territory government minister saying: ‘For the people in Alice Springs, we will get federal money to deliver our own promise of a first-class aquatic centre’. This is not a federal government responsibility. I know it is an election year, but make your pitch reasonable and someone will understand it. To suggest that the feds should provide $3m to deliver your election promise, which is a partnership between a state or a territory government and a town council, you have to be kidding!
That gets to the end of all of the matters I wanted to raise. I thank members for granting me an extension of time. I stress that I appreciate why the Chief Minister has made this statement. Yes, there are some positive things but, as she has said before, ‘there is much more to do’.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I support the ministerial statement by the Chief Minister outlining the government’s plans for 2007. However, it would be negligent of me to move to my notes without picking up on some of the glib responses by the Leader of the Opposition. She rattled across innumerable areas of great importance to Territorians, put a glib response to it and moved on to the next one.
If I go, first of all, to this question of housing affordability with a 5% inflation rate. She said it is impossible to buy a house in the Northern Territory. Let us have a look at this so-called 5% inflation rate. It was 5% measured in the December quarter 2006, the year December to December. A true inflation figure for the year 2006 is, in fact, 4.4%. That spike is a one-off spike in the December quarter for 5%. Over 2.1% of that alone, which brings it back to 3.9%, is, in fact, in those housing costs. When we look at the REINT publication for the December quarter, they are already suggesting a 3.9% drop off in the median housing price in Darwin. That will take something less than six months to flow through to the headline CPI. I would have thought that by mid-year, we will have CPI down around 3%, at 2.8% or 3%, traditionally the lowest in Australia, which it was for five years. Of course, the Leader of the Opposition does not want to tell us about that.
She touched on the question of housing affordability. Over five years, we were the most affordable in the whole of Australia to buy a house, and we are second on the list for home affordability to the ACT. I would have thought that would be a temporary thing and we will soon be back in the most affordable bracket. She made the comment that we are the most impossible place to buy a house in Australia. In fact, just by a narrow margin, we are the second best place in Australia for home affordability.
She just raced over all of these areas. I thought it was very bold for the Leader of the Opposition to raise concern about child protection. In around 2002-03, we were made alarmingly aware of enormous deficiencies across the whole area of child protection, an area of enormous neglect - absolute and criminal neglect - by the CLP in their time. When it came to the attention of the Cabinet of the day in 2003, nothing was spared in order to get a proper and appropriate response to these enormous deficiencies. Despite the toughness of the fiscal times, $1m was immediately - absolutely immediately from that Cabinet meeting in 2003 - injected into Family and Children’s Services in order to address some of the deficiencies around child protection, and an ongoing extra $2m per year flowing through 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and, I think, it runs as well to 2008-09. If you add all that up, that is an enormous build-up of resourcing going into child protection, which was on its knees, run down, unable to meet its statutory requirements in 2003. It is an area that will require continued monitoring and vigilance because children are our greatest resource and deserve whatever protection we can give them in these areas. To suggest that it is not happening against their own record is rich, indeed.
I pick up a couple of other points. In relation to the pool, you could say $20m and it would not be enough because it depends on the final outcome and what you want to do. The amount of $8.1m is a generous grant from this government to the people of Alice Springs for a pool. If it is not enough, cut your garment to meet your cloth. That is what everyone else has to do in this day and age. If it is not enough, find the money or reduce the size of the requirement or the amenity of the pool. If it is not enough and the rest cannot be found, give it back. It is as simple as that: if they do not want the money, simply give it back. Treasury will certainly take it back and will find a far more worthwhile venture in the next budgetary round.
I want to see that money spent. I want to see that amenity built in Alice Springs. However, to say it is not enough and want another $3m, then another $4m, then another $5m – get real! If $8.1m was granted against that project, $8.1m of taxpayers’ money ought be spent on it. If it is not enough, either recut the fabric and bring it back down or find the extra money yourself from town council. They pay rates in Alice Springs and council is not without a dollar.
Of the issues raised, police resources are always a bone of contention for the Leader of the Opposition. Two weeks ago, I left parliament, and it would have been at 5.50 pm, and was driving down the Esplanade. There were two police officers in the middle of the road and I was signalled to stop. I pulled over to the side of the road. There was a troop carrier, I think, in the middle of the road. There was a police vehicle parked in front of that troop carrier; there was a police vehicle parked behind. They were in the process of arresting the driver from that troop carrier. In the couple of minutes that I was held up on the side of that road, three additional police vehicles came from up and down the Esplanade and from the side streets. That is five police vehicles on the spot within a matter of minutes. Do not tell me that all these resources are simply locked up in Darwin. It is not true.
The extra 215 police officers who have come into the force have been distributed around the Territory, and Alice Springs would have had its fair share because it is a large area to police. The Leader of the Opposition would have us believe that you do not see police around the streets. I can tell you the visibility of police is far greater over the last couple of years, and certainly far greater than I recall during the 1990s when they were going out the door so quickly. They were not allowed to take leave because there were not enough police in the service for police officers to take leave. They then said: ‘No, you cannot have leave at all. We will buy it back from you’. That would have broken Treasury so they went back to a situation of trying to squeeze officers out on leave as best they could and, of course, there was no replacement and no relief.
As the Chief Minister said, in 2007 we will focus on securing, supporting and strengthening what is a terrific lifestyle here in the Territory by continuing the effective management of the Territory economy. Territorians would be aware that we are currently experiencing a high level of sustained economic growth. Many members of the business community I speak to tell me they have not seen anything like this before, the current bullish atmosphere around the Territory in every sense of the word. Of course, this government plays a central role in the economy. It is much more central than elsewhere because this government is a large part of the jobs market. The government has very significant purchasing influence and is amongst the foremost builders and developers. That is the nature of a smaller economy and a developing community such that the Territory is.
Managing that role and the economic outcomes of the community does require constant vigilance, constant work and an awareness of all the business sectors and how they interact with each other. In 2007 in my role as Treasurer, I will be focused on that continued strong management.
Despite having made significant and successful policy decisions during its time in office, for the last 10 years at least of its administration, the Country Liberal Party had just worn down. It was a moribund government and it really was waiting for the public to put it out of its misery, which it finally did in 2001. Their most critical mistake at the end of that pretty ordinary last 10 years in office was to take their eye off the ball of economic management. As a result, by 2001 the economy was in an absolute tailspin; construction had ground to a halt. Those who were left were sitting drinking coffee. Many had left for greener fields interstate. There were high levels of debt, with annual deficits weighing in well over $100m, adding further, of course, to that background level of debt.
The Leader of the Opposition had the temerity to mention debt levels. That is really going were angels fear to tread because we well know where that mountain of debt that was around the neck and shoulders of every Territorian came from, and it ain’t this government. We have been doing our darnedest to bring that debt down and I have figures that will show how we are doing that. Their failure, at that time, to maintain their eye on the ball meant that when we did win government in 2001, we inherited an absolute economic basket case. At the end of the 1990s, the Territory economy was in a major recession, Territorians were leaving in droves taking with them their skills and their capacity to contribute to our community’s future. We had members opposite in latter 2001-02 saying: ‘The greatest growth industry here is the removal industry. I was talking to a bloke last week, he said I have done three trips to Adelaide in the past couple of weeks and he has another two loads to go. People are just bailing out of the Territory’. Well, thank you, CLP, because it was the aftermath of the absolute mess that you left us in that continued that drain through a part of 2002. It was not until 2003 that we started to see things pick up.
That is what we were confronted with and it was a pretty daunting task for a new government; new ministers confronted with those economic conditions and having to turn them around. We had to drag the Territory economy out of those doldrums. We adopted policies which, to this day, form the basis of our economic strategy. The four principles behind those policy and actions are: providing a high level of cash for capital works and infrastructure; we focused funds on economic drivers to produce future growth; we made sensible and strategic reductions to taxation on business in the community; and, most of all, we maintained a strong fiscal discipline. Over the last five budgets, that strategy has formed the core of our decision-making and our economic action and, in 2007, it will again be the core strategy.
Since 2001, we have spent in excess of $2.7bn in cash on infrastructure. That high level of expenditure will continue into 2007. We will continue the focus of infrastructure spending on strategic investment likely to lever either further private sector investment, or bring a downstream longer term economic return. That is why we fund the Red Centre Way. That is why we fund the waterfront.
Let me deal with the criticisms of the waterfront by the CLP. Just last week, I heard again the inane comments from the member for Greatorex about the waterfront. He might think that taking such a line plays well in Alice Springs, which is really the only focus the CLP has, but the Leader of the Opposition should know that every time the member gets on radio, we get calls. We get calls from the business community expressing absolute outrage. You have to remember that if you are going to be in politics in the Northern Territory or, indeed, any state in Australia, you have to govern for everyone. You cannot just keep your eye on your back yard in Alice Springs, like the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Greatorex do.
The waterfront, overall, is a very small proportion of that total annual construction budget. No projects have been deferred, displaced or pushed out because of it. No recurrent funding is impacted by it. The infrastructure program is deliberately spread across a wide range of products. It ranges widely in size from major to minor new works, repairs and maintenance and not only across the size of the projects, but also geographical distribution so that we try to ensure that the regions have plenty of work as well. That means it provides work for the broadest possible range of Territory industries.
In addition, the infrastructure dollar, as I said, will be spread from remote communities through to our regions and to Darwin and Palmerston. We will continue our focus on supporting economic drivers. For example, tourism will continue to be the beneficiary of significant government investment.
We will continue the program of significant taxation reform. We are the most tax reforming government in the Territory’s history. We have delivered the lowest tax in Australia on businesses with up to 100 staff. We have provided $74m in tax reductions. There is $74m less paid in tax today than would have been paid had taxation rates stayed the same as they were when we took office. There will be a further $134m reduction in taxation payments by the end of 2009. This year, we remove the stamp duty on hiring arrangements at a saving to business of $7m.
We will maintain our disciplined approach to spending and to the fiscal position of the budget. Part of the economic strategy of the government has been to achieve as close as possible to cash balance every year, and to reduce the level of nett debt and employee liabilities as a ratio to the revenue we receive. This is where we have made real gains, in the debt-to-revenue ratio. Nett debt and employee liabilities to revenue were 142% in 1998-99. We have them down around 115% today and, throughout 2007-08, we will work to reduce that further to 113% and down to 111% by 2009-10. If you do not understand the economic science behind that, small is good in this area. Under the CLP, it was 142%; today it is 115% and on track to 111%.
The management of deficit and debt is a day-to-day job. It requires absolute vigilance at every Cabinet meeting where a minister makes a compelling call on the budget. You have to balance what that means to the bottom line at the end of the year. They are sometimes very tough decisions to make to protect the bottom line. It is a day-to-day job, and it is not always possible to say no.
What surprises me are the inane comments from the opposition about public service wages. The CLP has managed to comment on probably every EBA negotiation over the last few years. They have always urged industrial action. We have seen the member for Greatorex participate in these campaigns to the extent of copying reams of material, inaccurate though it was, and having other people distribute it around the electorate for him. He not only commented but actively participated in urging industrial action and pushing for high and unsustainable wage claims. That is a most irresponsible way in which to act, but it is an apt demonstration to Territorians of what sort of economic managers the CLP might be. They sent the Territory almost broke on one occasion, and behaviour like that suggests that they will do so again.
Treasury forecasts economic growth for 2007 at around 6.2%, employment growth around 5%, and population growth around 1.7%. They are strong figures, and the vast majority of my time as Treasurer will be taken up ensuring that they go from being forecasts to reality.
To Justice and Corrections, the major role in 2007 will continue to be attacking crime, the causes of crime, and providing appropriate punishment for those who commit crime. I am currently focused on ensuring the government’s policies to address crime are effectively coordinated and our determination to prevent crime is translated to effective on-the-ground actions. Members may not be aware that over the last few months, the government has consolidated some of its crime prevention arms into the Department of Justice. The Community Harmony Program, the Office of Crime Prevention, and my colleague the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s Alcohol Policy Group are now working closely together to deliver a coordinated policy approach to communities across the Territory.
Combined with funding by government of more than 200 additional police since 2003, and the terrific work of Commissioner Paul White and his police officers, crime is being tackled head on. To date, significant success has been achieved. House break-ins are down over 50% over the last six years.
These are the sorts of figures the Leader of the Opposition does not like to dwell on. Prior to 2001, my colleague the member for Wanguri well recalls the front page headlines. There were a couple of headlines the Northern Territory News used to run on a regular basis; one was break-ins and crime and burglary, and the other one was the state of RDH. Both were pretty miserable headlines to read every other week. We have not seen shock-horror headlines of that order since the very early days of this government. The only time we had them then was the aftermath of the dreadful mess the CLP left us in.
Break-ins to commercial and other premises are down 31% over the last six years. Motor vehicle related offences decreased 51% in the last six years. Other theft is down 25% in the last six years. Property damage is down 29% over the last six years. Of course, that was all going to disappear with mandatory sentencing for property offences. We knocked off mandatory sentencing for property offences and we have seen property damage come down by 29% over six years.
In total, there were 2272 fewer property offences than six years ago, sexual assaults decreased 21% over the last six years, homicide-related offences have remained stable with three more offences over the last six years. That is a record to be pretty proud of. In 2007 …
Mr HENDERSON: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move an extension of time to allow the Treasurer to conclude his remarks pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STIRLING: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank members of the House; I will be quick. We do have a clear record of legislative reform to meet emerging issues in crime. We have effective drug laws now, after years of neglect by the CLP in this critical area. Another area that the Northern Territory News used to comment on, ‘Foils at Moil’ I believe was one of the headlines, was any taxi driver in Darwin could direct you straight to the place to buy drugs, there was so much. Of course, it was the basis of a lot of the property crime and burglary through the 1990s.
We have responded to antisocial behaviour; we have addressed real issues with legislation such as the anti-gang laws. Throughout 2007, my agency’s anti-crime focus will certainly be on violence and the causes of it. I expect to make further announcements on these matters at the appropriate time. While the Territory remains still a safer, less violent place to live than in any other part of Australia, the proportion of people affected by violence is absolutely unacceptable, as is any violence at all.
Headway is being made with our push on alcohol policy. Alcohol, of course, is the root cause of much of the disruption to our communities. The significant gains which have been made where alcohol restrictions have come into force demonstrates to me just how debilitating the abuse of alcohol is to our community. As our Chief Minister said, we are not about trying to stop people from having a good night out; that is an important part of our lifestyle. What we are trying to stop is the chronic abuse we have experienced over the years. The significant gains that we have seen have come about because we have had the support, commitment and understanding of the community about what needs to be done, and the support of this government through Racing, Gaming and Licensing and the Licensing Commission to bring to fruition alcohol management plans that the communities themselves have worked on and sorted out. That is what has happened in Groote, and that is why Groote Eylandt has a significant outcome. That is what has happened in the Tiwi Islands as well because the outcomes of moving from heavy to mid-strength beer means police and social services are having a fairly much-needed respite. The anecdotal results of the Alice Springs trials already show much is being achieved. That focus will continue in 2007.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I intend to talk on the issues of statehood in a short ministerial statement later during the course of these sittings, in conjunction with my colleague, the member for Blain, as the shadow minister for Statehood. Clearly, the government’s agenda in 2007 is a continuing strong focus on securing and developing the Territory’s lifestyle. In contrast to the CLP, we will tackle this task with positive and innovative policies. I commend the statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, when reading the Chief Minister’s statement on delivering the key priorities of government for 2007 last night, the first page hit a bit of a raw nerve for me. That is the part where the Chief Minister said that the government’s focus:
- … will encompass the ongoing development of our regions, creating more jobs and opportunities for Territorians, as well as the continued development of Darwin and Alice Springs.
Of course, that sounds really good. It sounded very nice and warm and fuzzy, but I live in a region where I do not actually get that same warm, fuzzy feeling. For Darwin and Alice Springs maybe things are developing quite well, but it certainly does not appear to be happening in the regions of the Northern Territory. That is why I believe that the government needs to spend more time attending to regions; for instance, Tennant Creek and Katherine especially.
I have received many complaints from small businesses, and especially contractors over the last two years, which were previously running very successfully. The concerns that they bring to me are that there are too few tenders put out into regional areas, and that there had been significant funding cuts making work in regional areas unviable. If you do not think this is happening, you need to talk to the operators who talk to me. These are straight-talking people who have invested a lot of money into equipment to carry out their contract work. They have employed local people and they contribute a lot to the local economy. They are doing it tough, and some of them have either left Katherine, in this instance that I can speak about, are considering leaving, have downsized their business which means putting workers off, or have to go further into debt in the hope that things will improve in the near future.
This is not fairy tale stuff that I am talking about; it is real. I have said in this Assembly before: until you are counting on the person coming through the door of your business, your bread and butter and, in this instance, the person tendering for contract work to keep his business going, you do not realise the pressure that people are under. There are a lot of people suffering in small business in regional areas, and this statement certainly does not cover that. As a matter of fact, when I first read it, it sounded like a speech delivered at the beginning of an election year, but I do not believe that we have one this year.
Thank goodness we have the mining industry in regional areas. It is our fantastic mineral resources in the Northern Territory that many of our regional areas are reliant on for their survival. You could safely say Pine Creek is a great example of that. Before GBS Gold committed to the Fountain Head mine, Pine Creek was almost a ghost town. With the mine now operating and using Pine Creek as its base, this great little town has had a wonderful renewal of life, and good on it. It is a good feeling when driving along the highway and seeing the sign for the Pine Creek Hotel with a ‘No accommodation available; booked out indefinitely’ sign across it. I bet that gives the tourists quite a surprise, and it certainly puts a smile on local people’s faces.
In Katherine, GBS Gold has already shown its commitment to employment and training with the joint initiative between themselves and the Katherine Youth Development Association. This initiative will result in a $5000 scholarship awarded to two students to help fund their studies in Environmental Science at Charles Darwin University. Scholarship recipients will also have the opportunity of taking part in holiday work at GBS Gold’s Northern Territory operations. GBS, which will contribute 80% of the scholarship, and the Katherine Youth Development Association the remaining 20% scholarship funding, intend this scheme to run for years to come, which is a good outlook for the region. This program is about providing long-term benefits for Northern Territorians through education and training. The students selected for this scholarship will be chosen from Katherine, Pine Creek and Adelaide River. Congratulations to GBS Gold for initiating such a scheme with the Katherine Youth Group development scheme. In some small way it is the beginning of some changes for regional Northern Territory.
Tennant Creek is certainly much better off economically with the mining industry supporting it and, hopefully, Katherine will be the same in the future with the commencement of Maud Creek in the not-too-distant feature. Regional towns certainly need the mining industry happening to help locals with employment and the flow-on effects to other businesses.
The Chief Minister talked of many areas of priorities for 2007. Some of those she talked about are very significant for regional areas: health, education, abuse of alcohol, police numbers, affordable housing, and the list goes on.
We hear in this Assembly a lot about the Darwin and Alice Springs hospitals and the shortage of nurses, double shifts, etcetera. The same situation occurs in Katherine Hospital so there is obviously a general shortage of nurses across the Territory. I have talked with nurses who have come to the Northern Territory from agencies based interstate and who are making good money. I wonder what would happen if we offered incentives to the dedicated nursing staff who live here and who are committed to the Territory, but are disadvantaged financially compared to these agency nurses that come here. It does not seem fair to me that we do not reward our long-term dedicated nurses who are the backbone of our health system. In doing that, one of the instances that I will highlight is that agency nurses have a subsidy for their power and the local nurses do not receive that. An agency nurse was receiving that. As local people have said to me: ‘Why can’t we be encouraged with some sort of incentive when we and our family have committed in stay in our regional towns?’ They have a good point.
Also mentioned in the Chief Minister’s statement was that general practitioners are low in numbers throughout the Territory. We are all aware of this fact, so it is pleasing that the Northern Territory Rural Clinical School, which started in Darwin in 1996, started as a rural component in Katherine in 2006. It will be starting in Alice Springs mid-this year and then into Gove in 2008. This partnership between Flinders University in South Australia and the Charles Darwin University, which will bring medical students to the Northern Territory, is designed to give students a comprehensive experience in regional and remote health services. The students are also encouraged to interact across the community and, hopefully, from this experience, both clinically and socially, a good percentage of these medical students will be encouraged to return to regional NT.
These clinical schools have been running in South Australia and being trialled for some 13 years and have proved pretty successful. Here is hoping that there will be a successful outcome for regional and remote Northern Territory. It is programs like the clinical school that governments, both Territory and federal, need to support and encourage.
A significant impact to communities across the Territory is the misuse and abuse of alcohol. We have talked many times in this Assembly about it. I look back over the time that I have lived in the Territory, and especially in Katherine, arriving in late 1989. You know what? Nothing has changed. Sure, there has been a lot of talk, there has been a lot of hand wringing, a lot of teeth gnashing, ad hoc implementation of dry areas, ad hoc implementation of a variety of prohibition orders, not to mention the endless hours spent by so many disgruntled people attending numerous community meetings throughout the Territory whenever someone has had enough and makes a stand in their community.
Hard-working community citizens and business people are called racist if they speak about the problems in their community. You have to be realistic: the majority of the alcohol problems are associated with Aboriginal people in our regional towns.
Where does that leave us today? Quite frankly, in about the same situation we were in when I first arrived in the Territory. The Community Harmony programs were to address alcohol abuse amongst other things, and I know that the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan was launched late last year. Katherine’s draft Alcohol Plan of Management was released around September last year and still has not been implemented. I read the draft and have to say that there is absolutely nothing new in it; it is saying the same thing. Nowhere did I read anything being recommended that will make a significant difference to where we are now.
The Chief Minister said in her statement that there has been a 50% decrease in the number of people in protective custody since the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan was implemented. That is good. Total sales are said to have decreased by 11% since the trial began. If that is the case, why is the Mayor of Alice Springs calling for additional funding to clean up the significant increase in broken glass that is lying around Alice Springs? The reason is that consumption has moved from the casks that are now unavailable to the higher alcoholic content drinks, which come in glass bottles; one problem addressed to only develop another.
According to the news reports on the ABC that I listen to in the very early hours of Saturday mornings, it is disgusting the number of people who have been taken into protective custody in the regional areas and, I have to say, sadly, in Katherine on Friday nights. Two weeks in a row the sobering-up shelter was full, and that is 30 clients, as they are diplomatically called, with more than that number taken into protective custody by the police who, in my opinion, have far more important duties to do in the community than consistently deal with large numbers of drunks in the lock up.
Ever since the Mayor of Port Augusta, Joy Baluch, and the Port Augusta Council implemented dry town legislation in November 2005, I have been interested to see what outcomes they have had. I visited the Mayor and council members in September last year and was very pleased to hear that they were more than happy with the result to date. I have to say that it was an absolute delight to do an early morning walk around Port Augusta and see the difference to that city. It has never been a city that has had a very good reputation or been an encouraging place for tourists to stay. I congratulate the council for having the courage to be brave enough to take the steps to make Port Augusta a dry city. It has made a huge difference to Port Augusta and it is a very attractive city. I contacted the council again several weeks ago, and they have applied to the licensing commission for another 12 months trial, and will have a comprehensive assessment of the trial available by the end of March. I look forward to reading that report and hope that we can all learn something from it.
I have said publicly that I am very supportive of Katherine becoming a dry town. My views are certainly not met with acceptance by a lot of members of the community, of course. Some of those people have vested interests in the sale of alcohol. Then, I have had the lack of police resources as the reason that declaring Katherine a dry town would not work. Quite frankly, I do not accept those excuses either. More than ever, we need more police on the beat to help overcome the problems on our streets. The presence of police has been proven to be very effective. Alcohol abuse is so serious that tough decisions have to be taken to make the slightest dent in the problem.
I have talked before in this Assembly, when we have been talking about drugs and alcohol, about what I believe needs to happen in the communities and regional areas to address the problem. If we are serious about having a war on alcohol abuse, what is happening at the moment is, of course, not working. Drunks are picked up and taken to a sobering-up shelter and, as most people who live near one of these know, it is commonly called ‘the spin dryer’. For the habitual drunk without a detox centre followed by rehabilitation treatment, there is a no win situation for anyone. They picked them up, sober them up overnight, give them a meal, send them on their way and wait for their return. Hence, the term ‘spin dryer’.
I have spent a fair bit of this reply to this glowing report on delivering for the Territory on alcohol abuse. However, I feel very strongly about the effects on all of our communities, and it does play a significant part for me when the Chief Minister’s statement’s heading is Delivering for the Territory, Key Priorities for 2007. Chief Minister, Territorians need your government’s total support in dealing with what you yourself called in your statement this ‘insidious problem’. This insidious problem is also a huge detractor for our tourism industry and, I suggest, if you do not believe me, take an unexpected drive to Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs and watch the tourists’ reactions to the appalling behaviour of our drunks. There are so many wonderful indigenous artists and others involved in the tourism industry and they are a credit to their heritage. Unfortunately, the numbers of drunken itinerants that we still allow to sway around our streets do absolutely nothing for the tourism industry and are a major impediment to it.
Among the comments I receive from tourists are: what is the government doing about it? Apart from the tourism industry, what about the hard-working people who have invested money into business, houses, and are committed community members? Whether you will admit it or not, they are sick of it and are moving interstate where they do not have to put up with it any more. I can hardly blame them.
I am going to finish my response to this statement with a comment about reforms to local government that are being introduced. It is very disappointing that there was not more consultation with Territorians before this announcement was made. Those Territorians who are going to be the most affected financially are the pastoralists, who have had no consultation before this was announced. The pastoralists contribute significantly to the Territory economy and deserve the courtesy of consultation, I would have thought. It is fine to say now that you are going to consult with them; you have already made the announcement. It would have been diplomatic and democratic to have consulted with them prior to the announcement.
I am sure there are many more things, Mr Deputy Speaker, on which I could elaborate, and they do cover a wide area. However, for this statement I am concluding with the three key themes that the Chief Minister said she wanted for Darwin. I want them for the whole of the Territory, below the Berrimah Line, as do my colleagues. They are lifestyle and recreation, tourism and heritage and development.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement Delivering for the Territory, Key Priorities for 2007 in my capacity as Minister for Employment, Education and Training. I advise the House I will addressing significant issues in regard to education through a ministerial statement later in these sittings.
I have to comment on a couple of issues that were raised by the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Katherine. We hear a lot about lifestyle in current debate about the Northern Territory, and there is no doubt that we do have the best lifestyle in Australia. Lifestyle means different things to different people. There is no consistent definition. Depending on what your personal hobbies and activities are, personal circumstances or age, lifestyle means different things to different people. The Leader of the Opposition made a comment, and I made notes, that the Territory government is ‘tearing apart our lifestyle’.
A very glib statement with no articulation of what that means, apart from what the Leader of the Opposition would reinforce is a right for people to drive at whatever speed they wish and fail to consider the impact on other people in the event that they have an accident. If that is her definition of lifestyle, and the defining definition is to be able to drive as fast as you like irrespective of the potential devastating impact that that could have on not only yourself but other people, it is not an issue that many people would say is a defining issue of lifestyle in the Northern Territory. That was empty rhetoric from the Leader of the Opposition.
She said this government had not maintained strong financial discipline. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that this is a government that has delivered three budget surpluses in a row by a clear focus and commitment for individual departmental agencies to live within their budgets. Again, it is a lack of understanding that decisions are made in between budget allocations that affect the final outcome of agencies after the budget has been allocated.
I will talk about my department, the Department of Employment, Education and Training. She talked about a budget blowout of $24m in the 2005-06 financial year, and a government that just could not control spending. I refer the Leader of the Opposition to budget and other papers that are produced by Treasury. In the Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report for 2005-06, there is a very clear explanation of the variation between the initial allocation and the final figure. Without going through all of those, the significant variances include the largest of them, the enterprise bargaining agreement that was struck for teachers in 2005. When the budget is allocated, we have no idea what that final outcome is going to be. That variation was $9m of the $24m, then there are others that are identified in the budget papers. So there was no blowout; it is all accounted for in the budget papers. The variation is in relation to a number of government initiatives during the financial year that were not budgeted for at the beginning of the financial year: a significant EBA outcome for our teachers and some carryover money which was predominantly Commonwealth funding that came in very late.
Trying to wriggle out, as the Deputy Chief Minister said, of the appalling fiscal record of the CLP is just not going to cut it when the facts speak so clearly for themselves.
She talked about middle schooling being poorly implemented. I congratulate all of our teachers who have been impacted by the changes to middle schools. This year has probably seen the largest significant movement of teachers from one school to another that has ever been seen in the Northern Territory between one term ending and another term beginning. I express my personal thanks, and I am sure the thanks of every member of this parliament apart from the Leader of the Opposition, to those teachers who have gone about their task professionally and have taken up their positions in their new schools. I have met a large number of them as I have gone around the schools in the Northern Territory in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, and back here in Darwin. By a very large majority, people have been happy with their move. They have been welcomed to their new school and they are settling in to the school year.
With the professionalism of the teachers and the organisational ability of the department to manage that transition, I can say to the Leader of the Opposition that I, as minister for Education, have not had one single complaint from a parent, a student or an official complaint that has come to me from the union as opposed to individual members, particularly at Casuarina Senior College who have a view; but that is not the official union view, or principals across the Northern Territory or a single complaint from any of my colleagues.
The Leader of the Opposition said it has been poorly implemented, I would like her to justify that statement. If she cannot justify it with specific examples, then she is insulting all the teachers who have participated in the moves, the department that has organised the moves and, certainly, the intelligence of the people in this Chamber when she makes statements that are not backed up in fact. All of us in this House should thank those teachers in the department. Regardless of your position on whether middle school are a good or a bad thing, the fact is that government has made a decision, the changes have occurred, and the professionalism of the teachers and the department in implementing that decision have been second to none. As I said, there has been not one single complaint to my office. Leader of the Opposition, put up and, if you cannot, you know the other part of the statement.
The Deputy Chief Minister spoke really well about policing issues. I have to comment on the mobile police unit in Alice Springs and the knock- knock joke. The Leader of the Opposition should know that people on this side of the House send parts of debates to constituents and stakeholders to demonstrate the disparaging attitude of members opposite to public servants who, predominantly, are the ones who get it in the neck from the Leader of the Opposition and, this time, totally fatuous remarks about the police who operate that vehicle in Alice Springs. They could have been out pursuing an offender. There could be any number of reasons why they did not answer the door. You would not believe very much of what the Leader of the Opposition says here, given her track record. She basically said that the police are not doing their jobs in Alice Springs, they are not doing what they are paid to do, they are being negligent in their duties and are never there when you need them. That is an insult to officers in Alice Springs.
The Leader of the Opposition does talk a lot about Alice Springs, her primary focus. I am thankful she spends a lot of time in Alice Springs. She said that this is a government that has not given a fair deal to Alice Springs. All of us as ministers spend a lot of time in Alice Springs. Currently, the economy is going very well there. The construction industry is seeing its biggest period for many years. I was in Alice Springs just recently and again before Christmas. I saw cranes on the skyline in Alice Springs with some of the construction activity that is happening, and I have never seen that before. The capital spend is there.
On the matter of the alcohol restrictions, we are having a go down there. As the Chief Minister said, the decrease in pure alcohol being consumed has led to collateral issues around the place but, fundamentally, pure alcohol consumption is declining. Health professionals in Central Australia are noting that it is a significant move. We do not pretend that we have all of the answers, but to say that we are neglecting Alice and not giving Alice Springs a fair deal is just not right. This is a government that does pay a significant amount of attention to and wants to work for the good residents of Alice Springs.
The member for Katherine talked about the regions and specifically Katherine, as she would as the local member. She said contractors are not getting a fair go there. I am sure my colleague the minister for DCIS and procurement will take those issues on board. There has been no decision to pull back from contracting to the region. As a government, we are very keen to see the regions developing the capacity to win more and more of the work and have that work done locally.
If you look at the economic indicators for Katherine, we can see employment growth; there are more jobs in Katherine. House prices are increasing so the economy must be going pretty well in Katherine. People are paying more for property. They want to live there.
When I was last in Katherine, which was just before Christmas at a tourism industry function, which the member for Katherine attended, people I spoke with were pretty happy about what was happening and pleased that Katherine was back on its feet after the disastrous 1998 flood and the floods of last year. I accept the member for Katherine was talking about people in the construction industry, but certainly the economic statistics show that Katherine is recovering.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I will now comment on my portfolio of Employment, Education and Training, which is really one of the biggest challenges for the Northern Territory: meeting the employment demand for an economy that is amongst the leading economies in Australia. As the Chief Minister said, we face a significant challenge in growing the size of our workforce and in adopting strategies to address skills shortages.
The Territory is experiencing a high demand for both skilled and unskilled labour, record unemployment and a very tight labour market. If we are going to sustain strong economic growth, we must increase the number of work-ready Territorians and build on the skills of existing workers. Challenges from a training and education perspective include: encouraging the uptake and completion of apprenticeships and traineeships; increasing the skills of Territorians to meet industry needs and labour demand; assisting employment-disadvantaged groups to access the labour market; and matching training to employment opportunities and current and future skills.
Under Jobs Plans 1 and 2, we injected additional funding and introduced new initiatives to generate growth in the apprenticeship and traineeship market including:
- employer incentives - $7000 for skills shortage apprentices, $3000 for other apprentices and trainees, and 895 Territory employers have accessed these incentives, which is a significant number;
- the Workwear/Workgear bonus have seen financial assistance provided to 2368 apprentices and trainees with skills shortage trade apprentices picking up a bonus of $1000, and other apprentices receiving $300 each; and
- an award winning marketing campaign to generate interest in training, in particular apprenticeships and traineeships, and an additional $3.5m in funding with a strong focus on skills shortage trade training. With over 5200 training contracts registered for apprentices and trainees in 2005-06, we are ahead of our target of 10 000 new apprentices and trainees over four years.
This government is focused on improving access to, and outcomes from, education and training for indigenous people. There are jobs in the bush and a theme of Jobs Plan 3 will be the development of partnerships between government training providers, major employers and regional and remote communities. These partnerships will see government funding being directed to training providers who deliver training specified by major employers and provide a pathway to real jobs. Government will commit to work with CDU, Batchelor and other registered training organisations to fund, develop, and deliver training that meets the need of the public and private sector employers operating in or alongside regional and remote communities.
We are certainly going to be doing everything we can to move away from training for training’s sake. We will be asking large employers to work with training providers and to provide Territorians who complete their training with a job. We will be asking indigenous communities to support community members as they train for real jobs. Indigenous training and employment has been a priority under Jobs Plans 1 and 2 and certainly will be under Jobs Plan 3, with a real focus on jobs at the end of the training.
The key theme of Jobs Plan 3 will be an improved matching of government funding for training to real employment opportunities. To better achieve this, we must gain a greater insight into the dynamics of the NT labour market. Under Jobs Plans 1 and 2, the government introduced Workforce NT reports in 2004 and 2005. This was the first comprehensive analysis of our labour market, with the primary objective of being more strategic targeting of employment and training outcomes.
The 2006 Workforce NT report will focus on the impact on employment of macro-economic conditions, NT labour market and business profiles, and employment and labour demand forecasts. The 2006 report will be a valuable tool for use under Jobs Plan 3 that will assist government to better align training efforts to employment opportunities in urban, regional and remote parts of the Territory.
Jobs Plan 3 will play a pivotal role in establishing a strategic framework to meet the challenges of a growing economy, a dynamic labour market, and the demographics of the Territory that impose further demands on our trading system. Some of the themes underpinning Jobs Plan 3 are: an analysis of the NT labour market; partnerships between government industry training providers and communities; access to training and employment for indigenous Territorians in regional and remote centres; and pathways from school to work.
Jobs Plan 3 will be the government’s key plank in addressing skill shortages, growing our schools profile, and increasing the number of Territorians in the Northern Territory workforce. This government is making sure that we use the strong economic performance to create opportunities for all Territorians; we are investing in our future economic prosperity by building a skilled workforce.
In politics, the opposition has a very real and important job to do under the Westminster system of holding the government to account. There is no doubt under every indicator you would care to consider that the fiscal situation of the Territory is enormously healthier than it was when we came to government in 2001. The economy is in a much different, more sustained and prosperous phase than it was in 2001. There are more police in the Northern Territory than when we came to government in 2001. Property crime has decreased by 50% since we came to government in 2001. In the area of education, we have more teachers in our system than we did in 2001. In health, we have more doctors and nurses in our system. That is not to say everything is perfect by a long way. This is a government that is focused on building the Territory its economy and its social capital.
I look forward to a very hard-working and fulfilling year in the oversight of the Department of Employment, Education and Training, Tourism NT and the Office of Commissioner of Public Employment, as all members on this side of the House pull their weight to continue to work for the Northern Territory. I certainly respect opposition members and Independents in the work that they do, but I urge the Leader of the Opposition when she makes statements that imply that our public servants, regardless of which agency they are in, are not doing their job, to back them up with examples. Otherwise she is just attacking hard-working people who are doing a great job for the Northern Territory.
Dr BURNS (Health): Mr Deputy Speaker, as the Chief Minister said, this government takes law and order seriously. That is why we continue to ensure our police are adequately resourced to deal with the unique law and order challenges of the Northern Territory. Unlike the CLP, we recognise the Northern Territory police are the best in Australia and we have put our money where our mouth is on policing. We have increased spending by 55% to the Police, Fire and Emergency Services budget since 2001. Our police were badly underfunded and under-resourced by previous CLP governments.
We engaged former police commissioner, Jim O’Sullivan, to review the service and recommend the best way forward. He found the Northern Territory Police to be in need of a drastic overhaul that could only be achieved with a major funding boost. We responded accordingly.
The recent report on government services is proof of our commitment to funding our police properly. The report on government services shows we spend vastly more per capita on police than any other state or territory in Australia. The Martin government is proud to be spending two-and-a-half times the national average on our police. The Territory spends $743 per person on police, compared with the national average of $291 per person.
The $75m Building our Police Force plan shows we are serious about building the best possible police force for the Northern Territory. In 2003, we set ourselves the target of adding an extra 200 police to the force by the end of this financial year. Last week, we achieved that goal with the graduation of Recruit Squad 87. In fact, I tabled a memo today from Police Commissioner, Paul White, confirming the additional number of officers in the force now stands at approximately 215. We still have 70 recruits in training, along with 20 members of the transitional entry program which consists of experienced interstate officers wanting to join the Northern Territory police force.
Contrast our approach with that of the CLP when they were in government. Their mismanagement and underfunding of our police included a three-year recruitment freeze in the 1990s. That recruitment freeze seriously affected numbers and the ability of police to do the job properly. Not only have we boosted police numbers by 200, but we have given police new equipment like mobile police posts, a $1m boost for our coastal vessel fleet, and new traffic patrol vehicles. I should add that the CLP scrapped the Traffic Branch in 1991.
The additional officers have allowed our police to more effectively tackle crime. We are getting real results. Property crime has been slashed by 50% since 2001. However, we do realise we have to maintain vigilance in this area. We do not want Territorians putting up with the levels of property crime they suffered under the CLP. The additional officers mean our major urban centres now have the officers needed to allow the establishment of specialist units like the property crime reduction, crime scene investigation and criminal investigation. This, in turn, frees us general duties officers to do their job properly. We have substantially more patrol units on the road than there were under the CLP. Today, we have a well-resourced police force that is backed by effective new laws like our tough anti-gang laws.
I digress at this point to let the House know that I was fortunate enough to meet with Jim O’Sullivan, I think it was late last year, and find out more about his work and the O’Sullivan Report. Jim O’Sullivan told me that part of what he found here that really alarmed him was that the police force just did not have the resources to do follow-up investigations. In fact, quite a lot of reports of crime languished, for the want of a better word, because there were not the police resources to follow up on the investigations. This is a direct result, and he linked this directly, to the freeze on police recruitment that occurred in the 1990s.
Opposition members should hang their heads in shame for the way that they froze police resources. They have this propensity to talk up law and order, to be big and tough about it but, in real terms, they did not resource the police force adequately to do the job. They were speaking with forked tongues. They should hang their heads in shame. It is a disgrace for the Opposition Leader to come in here and point the finger at this side of the House when they, the CLP, were the architects of this degraded system, which was under-resourced and unable to carry out the job that the public expected it to. It was not the fault of police; it was the fault of the CLP and the fact that they did not resource police to do the job.
Today, we have a well-resourced police force that is backed by effective new laws such as our tough new anti-gangs law. I also point out that when the Leader of the Opposition said we are not getting value for money, as she has done in the article in the NT News on 31 January, she was demeaning not only the men and women of the Northern Territory Police, but also questioning the ability of Commissioner Paul White, because it is the commissioner who is ultimately responsible for the operations of the Northern Territory Police Force.
While we are proud of what we achieved so far to improve policing in the Territory, we realise there is still more to be done. We must continue to build on the work we have already done. I am proud to say that before the end of this financial year, we will welcome the members of two further recruit squads as members of the Northern Territory Police. We will see 20 experienced interstate officers become members of the Northern Territory Police as part of our transitional entry program.
In addition, plans are also being developed for the new police station at Casuarina. We recognise that there is still more work to be done in better resourcing our police force and providing them with the infrastructure that they require. This government is committed to addressing policing needs for a strong police force and innovative approaches. We will continue to boost police numbers while ensuring officers have the resources to do their jobs better.
I now turn to my Health portfolio which, as everyone realises, is a significant portfolio for the welfare of Territorians. All Australian jurisdictions are facing similar challenges in health. For example, increasing demand on our hospitals, elective surgery waiting lists, recruitment and retention of health professionals in the public system, and a shortage of private GPs. However, there are some unique factors in the Northern Territory: one, our small population; two, our huge area; and three, the high proportion of Aboriginal people with significant ill health.
The record of the Territory Labor government with regard to health stands out on the national scene. We have increased spending on health by 64% since 2001. We have certainly employed more key health professionals. Counting actual full-time equivalent employees, we have employed more than 100 extra doctors and 270 extra nurses. This means an increase of our nursing workforce of 21%, and a massive 38% increase in the number of doctors in the public system. This contrasts with the CLP record. They cut 200 nursing positions across the Territory when they were in power. So, we have the double whammy now; they not only cut police and recruitment on police, they actually cut nurses who are at the heart of our system. I say shame on the opposition.
The increased resources that we have provided across the health system are beginning to show some positive results, particularly in the area of Aboriginal health with increases in life expectancy of Aboriginal women, and the decrease in infant mortality rates. These have been published in peer review journals like the Medical Journal of Australia. Despite these early signs of improvements, there is much more to do.
We have one particular area of concern and that is increasing levels of renal disease. We have invested heavily in prevention through the preventable chronic disease strategy and in dialysis: the renal dialysis unit in Tennant Creek, expanded capacity in Alice Springs, and remote renal dialysis. It was pleasing to hear the member for Greatorex, I think it was the last sittings of parliament, acknowledge that he was actually incorrect when he argued some time ago against the expansion of this dialysis service. I recognise that the member for Greatorex has acknowledged that.
The number of people on dialysis continues to rise by 25 to 35 patients per year. I had a briefing with Dr Paul Lawton yesterday, who pointed to some of these difficulties and challenges in relation to renal disease and renal patients in the Northern Territory. A lot of the extra demand we are facing is due to the fact that we are doing better. Kidney disease is being picked up earlier by primary health care services, and patients are surviving much longer on dialysis. That was the message that Dr Lawton gave me yesterday.
As well, there is increasing demand on our hospitals and this means that sometimes our hospitals are operating at peak capacity. That is why we are delivering extra beds at Darwin and Alice Springs. Six extra beds have already been established at RDH, and the physical preparation for 15 beds completed at Alice Springs, awaiting the completion of the remediation works when they will be fully operational. There is also the nine-station Rapid Admission Unit at Royal Darwin Hospital which will expand to a full 24-station unit over the next year. This has had significant effect on waiting times. Already, the average waiting time for patients needing to be admitted from the Emergency Department has fallen from around 18 hours to less than seven. This is a very positive development, which has the full cooperation and support of clinicians at RDH. We should be looking at a similar set-up that fits Alice Springs.
Part of the answer to addressing demand at Royal Darwin Hospital is ensuring privately insured patients who wish to go to Darwin Private Hospital, and can be safely cared for there, are transferred across or at least given the choice of being transferred across. If someone has private health insurance and it fits in clinically, they should be at least given the choice if they want to go to Darwin Private Hospital. There may be a lot of reasons why people do not want to be transferred, or medical reasons why they should not be transferred, but they should be given the choice.
Another significant project for the coming year is the radiation oncology unit. I have exchanged letters with Tony Abbott about meeting the costs of the service. The Department of Health and Community Services and Commonwealth Health are now finalising an MOU and a request for tender. The Commonwealth tender process is expected to be completed by June 2007, and construction of the radiation oncology unit to begin shortly afterwards, and is expected to be completed in 2008.
I did take the opportunity whilst in Brisbane late in 2006 to visit the radiation oncology unit at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital at Herston. I was informed there that building a radiation oncology unit is the easy part. The hard part is fitting out the building with the equipment, which needs a lot of calibration and expert installation. It is very time-consuming and consumes a lot of resources to set up. A lot of people ask why it will take so long to get this thing operational, and the reason is just as I have outlined; it does take a lot to set the equipment up.
A further focus over the next year will be working with the Commonwealth on increasing the supply of general practice doctors within the Northern Territory, and this includes bulkbilling practices. It is pleasing that, already, federal Labor has given a promise that they will fund an after-hours bulkbilling service in Palmerston. I note that the opposition and the federal government caved into the pressure of this government in giving some funding for an after-hours GP service at Palmerston, but it is still not a bulkbilling service. Once again, I call on the federal government to fund an after-hours bulkbilling service, because federal Labor has given the assurance that if they are successful at the next election, they will be funding it.
We want improved specialist outreach arrangements across the Territory, and the Health department will be pursing a number of important system-wide reforms in doing that. First, with Healthy, Safe Kids in Strong Families, we want to:
- strengthen child health and wellbeing through improved service integration that focuses on the family;
- tackle substance abuse and the damage it causes, and ensure that there are pathways to healthy living in the community;
- improve the early identification and prevention of chronic diseases, and provide care closer to the home;
- develop a quality integrated and intelligent service system which will include building strong relationships with all service providers to obtain quality sustainable services, and reduce the blocks that impact on the patient’s transition through the service system;
- reshape and equip our workforce. In that we want to continue to attract and retain a skilled workforce;
- provide workforce training and development; and
- effectively use information and knowledge to support decision-making.
In relation to my Racing, Gaming and Licensing portfolio, highlighted by a report released in the last day or so, the misuse and abuse of alcohol is one of the greatest challenges facing the Territory. I will be addressing this in more detail in my ministerial statement tomorrow. I know many members will participate in that debate because it is a very important issue.
Most Territorians are responsible drinkers, enjoying a drink with family and friends; it is part of our great Territory lifestyle. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of Territorians engage in excessive and harmful drinking. As I said, I will be talking about that tomorrow in my ministerial statement. I believe we need to really put this issue front and centre; it is a very serious issue. There is no simple or magic solution to what has to be done. We need to look at ways in which we can reduce harmful alcohol consumption levels within the Territory. I will be discussing that in more detail tomorrow.
I have covered my major portfolio areas in foreshadowing what the government plans to do over the next year or so in delivering better services to Territorians and ensuring that our great Territory lifestyle continues.
Finally, the Leader of the Opposition avoided, really, addressing the major issues in this statement. She preferred instead to try to politicise what she had to say, attacking the Chief Minister, raking over all the business regarding leadership challenges, and all those sorts of silly assertions that she made last year. Well, the Chief Minister is still here, and she will be here. She is a great leader and she has the support of everyone on this side.
I suggest to the Leader of the Opposition that she needs to look at her back. The article by Peter Murphy in the Sunday Territorian is a clear warning shot over the bows of the Leader of the Opposition to get down to real business, the issues that affect Territorians instead of waltzing around peripheral issues. I have heard it said from reliable sources that the higher-ups in the CLP are looking at parachuting someone in to one of the existing seats; someone who can take leadership of the parliamentary party of the CLP. That is the clear message from Peter Murphy to the Leader of the Opposition. We know that, previously when Peter Murphy has written an article, within a very short time those people were no longer leaders of the CLP. Same story for the member for Araluen: stop trying to throw and deflect it all on this side. Worry about the problems on your own side. Worry about the lack of policy. Start to be effective for Territorians as an opposition and then you might gain some respect.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the statement to the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I have also heard from reliable sources that there is definitely not going to be a leadership challenge in this position, for the member for Nelson.
Members interjecting.
Mr WOOD: For myself, yes. I had a meeting in the local phone box and we decided on that.
Be that as it may, I would like to comment on the Chief Minister’s statement about Territory lifestyle. There is no doubt that the Territory is doing pretty well overall. Of course, doing well overall does not mean that there are not some major issues affecting our lifestyle. We have to be careful that we do not stand up and give a ministerial statement which, I must admit, sounds a little like a manifesto, getting like a speech that will be delivered at the next election because it is one of those grandiose statements and it sounds good and it has lots of good things in it.
I would be the last to deny that the Territory is booming along at the moment. You can see how much housing is being built in Darwin. We certainly have some mining activity but, generally speaking, at least in the Top End of the Territory, we are doing fairly well. However, as I said, doing fairly well does not mean you just gloss over some of the issues that do affect our lifestyle.
The Chief Minister has said, and the Treasurer has also stated, that, in the Northern Territory last week, we recorded an unemployment level of 2%, the lowest on record. We have over 7500 on CDEP in Aboriginal communities. That does not count for that. Whilst we might have low unemployment in our urban areas, such as Darwin, why is there not a statement to say what we are doing about unemployment in Aboriginal communities? Surely, that is something we should not gloss over. I have said time and time again that we should have 100% employment in Aboriginal communities, and doing a deal with the Commonwealth to provide funds to make sure we do have that.
I am concerned that in this whole employment issue, unfortunately, the role of councils has been moved to one side, and maybe that will change in the future, and we set up bureaucracies to run CDEP. Whether that would work with the new proposals the government is putting forward, I do not know, but our councils should be the main centre for employment in communities. I have said many times that the Commonwealth should provide enough funding for anyone who wants to work on those Aboriginal communities, as well as putting in the capital infrastructure and the management skills that are required to make sure that that system works.
Whilst it is great to see unemployment levels at 2%, when you talk to contractors and builders, they are having trouble finding labour. We certainly have low unemployment levels, but we should not gloss over the fact that in many of our remote communities, especially Aboriginal communities, unemployment is still unacceptably high. We need to recognise that.
Another issue concerns me. As I said, the economy is growing but, in an earlier statement today, the Treasurer alluded to the fact that it is not likely to keep going at this rate. If the gross is around 5% to 6% and we are such a small industry or economy, there is a fair chance that this bubble will burst at some time. I would like to know what the government has in mind to make sure that when the bubble bursts the fall is not too great. The Treasurer said the economy is robust. That is a nice word, but I would like to hear what, in actual fact, would happen if the economy starts to slow down. What does the government have in its economic plans to make sure that when the bubble bursts a lot of people are not hurt? I recall when the government first came into power and introduced the cuts, many skilled people left Darwin. You had trouble finding plumbers and electricians; they packed up and went because there was no work. We have to ensure that that does not happen again. I am interested in hearing what the government has to say on that area.
I will move to some different points within the statement. One is about nurses. The Minister for Health was just discussing that. I get a little confused sometimes. The government has been putting out some good news stories lately about the number of nurses it has employed. It said since 2001 it has employed 100 extra doctors and 270 extra nurses. There are questions I would like to ask. How many of these doctors and nurses are still with us today? How many have we lost over that time? The minister does not say what the actual numbers are to date. I find this strange, as one of the continual complaints I have heard from the hospitals - and when I have been in hospital too - is that nurses have to do double shifts, and many of them are becoming burnt out. If the minister is inferring there are plenty of nurses, then we should not have nurses doing double shifts. You can only have it one way. When I was in hospital last year they were saying: ‘I have to do another shift because there are not enough nurses’. Either there are not enough nurses and that is why double shifts are occurring, or there are plenty of nurses and what I am hearing from the nurses is wrong. We need to have an answer on that issue from the minister.
Also, nothing much has been said about the pay dispute with our doctors at Royal Darwin Hospital. I am interested to know how many doctors have left because of better pay and conditions down south. It would be good to see a comparison between what doctors are paid down south and here. I have heard, for instance, anaesthetists get more pay than doctors. You would have thought our surgeons would get more pay than an anaesthetist because, generally, they are on call pretty well all the time. They do not quite the rigid hours of some of the other practitioners at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
I am not sure that all is still well with our nurses and doctors. We need to attract them here; therefore, we need to give them the best pay and conditions. That is how the Territory was years ago; we gave good pay and conditions. We used to throw in a two-year return trip holiday. We scrapped all that with all the new enterprise bargaining. Why did people come up here? Because they knew they could get a trip back to see family. People did come to the Territory because our conditions were attractive. Now, we just tend to be one of the other states, and that is why …
Mr Stirling: The CLP got rid of that.
Mr WOOD: I am not going to get into that argument. I am saying the facts are that we used to have conditions that attracted people. Now you have a choice where you go to Queensland or Western Australia. The Territory does not stand out as a place you necessarily want to go.
The other area the minister talked about was affordable housing. I heard the Treasurer talk about that this afternoon, and he mentioned it this morning. Every time I hear someone in the government talk about affordable housing, they just talk about HomeNorth. In the statement, there is a very brief mention about affordable housing and then goes on about housing in the bush. Affordable housing is something I have been raising year in and year out, and all I get from the government is we have the HomeNorth scheme. The reality is that, with all this great economic news, the government, except with some tinkering with HomeNorth, have done bugger all to help young first home owners get a piece of the Australian dream. Young people have just about been driven out of the housing market. If they can afford a house, they are up to their knees in debt.
This is last Saturday’s paper. HomeNorth gives $260 000 maximum loan. I just look up this here: Darwin city off Wood Street, $351 000; Helvetius Court, Durack, $537 000; Moil, $485 000; Moulden, $378 000; Durack, $428 000; Wanguri, $419 000; and Fannie Bay, $745 000. I will try to find a suburb like Rapid Creek, $785 000.
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: They might have been, but the reality is young people cannot afford to buy a house, not on $260 000 maximum loan from HomeNorth. You go the rural area and you will find a five acre block in my area is pushing to be sold for under $200 000. Have a look at the new one hectare blocks that we turned off from Girraween. I bet they are around the $250 000 mark. That is totally unaffordable for young people, and the government is not doing anything about it. It can do something about it. What it can do it is release more of its own land. Do not release to people who just buy great mobs of it and hold it up for investment. Release it to those people who want to build a house straightaway, and especially for young people who will be first home owners. Surely, this government cannot just sit back and say that the economy is going bananas and cheer while young people cannot buy a house.
A number of people have come to me and asked what we are doing about affordable housing for young people. Why do I have my family back in my house, and quite a few other people have their families back in their houses? It was mentioned on the radio the other day that they have a grandparents association which is asking the government for help because grandparents are now caring for children. Why? Because it is becoming less affordable for young families to build or buy their own house. They are relying on their parents or they both have jobs and working day in and day out to pay that mortgage. Why was it the Macquarie Bank survey mentioned yesterday? The number of people who cannot pay their mortgages is going to increase by 9%. Why? Because housing is becoming unaffordable.
Governments are really the only people that should do something about it, especially in the Territory where you own so much land and more so in the Territory. It is more difficult down south where most of the land is private. The government owns this land. It can open it up and make sure that young people have a chance. That it is your responsibility! It is your responsibility not to just stand here and watch young people struggle to buy their own piece of Australia. I find it really difficult to believe that the Territory lifestyle, which you talked about, is not going to be for many young people. It will be a one- or two-bedroom unit which they might be able to rent – and rents are right through roof. That will be their lifestyle; not the one hectare block or the two hectare block or the 800 m2 block where they can at least keep a couple of chooks on. They will be stuck in a little squashed-in piece of country which is all they can afford.
People who own blocks of land might say: ‘Terrific. Look at the money that I get back on my return of the block I bought’. That is great. I am not worried too much about the people who want to sell their house and buy another one. I am worried about people who have never had a house who want to buy house, want to raise a family. To me, that is the Territory lifestyle that needs protecting. All the other stuff is great, but that is the Territory lifestyle that needs protecting. If we think families are important as part of a Territory lifestyle, we should not drive parents into having to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to pay a mortgage to keep that lifestyle going. There is a responsibility on this government, especially a Labor government which it says it sticks up for the workers and the families, to do something about it. It can be done; it just needs someone in government to show some leadership. Minister, this is an area the government needs to think hard about, and quickly.
There is a section on the local government changes. I do not want to look at local government changes too much because the minister is going to make a statement about them next week. I will hold most of my comments until then. I put on record that, whilst I agree with the philosophy of amalgamations of some councils and it is time for some rationalisation, the one area that the government must not forget is the practicalities of the boundaries. Whilst you might look at cultural and other differences etcetera, councils have to be able to physically administer the areas that they are going to have. If you have from the Queensland border to the Western Australia border, somewhere of the other side of the Queensland border, a little township is going to need its roads graded. Someone has to get a grader over there somehow. They might be too small to have their own grader. Make it big, but how does it work in practice? The real nitty gritty issues are just as important as the broad issues you are talking about. However, they are the issues we have to work through.
I will give you some idea of the issues that concern me. One is what it would cost ratepayers in the existing Litchfield Shire to run this super council? Most of the ratepayers are going to be in the Litchfield Shire. There are other ratepayers around. Will they get an increase in their rates to cover the cost of actually maintaining this larger community? When Litchfield Shire first started, there was an establishment package. The government said: ‘Yes, we are willing to start up a Litchfield Shire. We will put $13m in to the establishment package to bring things up to a certain level, to provide services’. There are a lot of areas now in this super council, the Top End Litchfield Shire, that have never had services. Dundee would be a classic one. It was poorly developed in the first place. Someone is going to have to pick up the tab to bring the services up to a reasonable standard.
Minister, I think you are wrong in your statement in today, and I was quite surprised when you said it. I know Litchfield Shire Council is not the most popular council in the world, and some of that is brought on by itself, but you said Litchfield Shire Council is probably not viable into the future. Regardless of some of the political issues about dogs and so on - forget that for a moment - from an economic point of view, Litchfield is one of the soundest, economically run councils in the Territory because it stuck with its basics. It stuck with roads, reserves and rubbish. It stuck with low or no regulation. You have to go back to the history of why Litchfield started.
The paper said recently in an editorial that the issue of dogs had been around for two decades. The council has only existed for two decades. One of the reasons it developed was because the people who started it when it was an advisory committee did not want any regulations so dogs were not an issue at the beginning. I am not saying they are not an issue now, because the population grows and things change.
You have to have an understanding of the basis of which Litchfield started. It worked out a unique scheme for sealing roads. The person who lives on the road pays the local rate. Nearly all the roads in Litchfield Shire have been sealed, this is outside of the government roads, with user-pays contribution from the owners. That is unique in the Territory, yet it has worked. There is huge amount of bitumen being put on roads in the Litchfield Shire.
The problem with Litchfield Shire is it does not tell people that. It is extremely poor in communicating what it does, and that is part of the problem it has today. Whether it is bus shelters, dogs or whatever, it does not tell people what it is doing. People say to me in Howard Springs: ‘What do I get from the rates?’. I ask if they have ever driven down Leonino Road, because that road has been developed. The people are paying for something because a lot of the ratepayers’ money is going into that road as well. People do not understand. I do not accept that Litchfield Shire is a non-viable council even in the future. It is viable because it has kept control of its funding and it has kept to the simple core requirements that the council said it would look after.
Mr Warren: They are suspending it; that is why it is viable.
Mr WOOD: Member for Goyder, do not get me started. You are not a Litchfield ratepayer and you do not understand. I spent 13 years on the council and, regardless of the problems the council has today, when John Maley started as President, he started in a way that did not copy other councils. That is what he was trying to do; he did not want to have a big bureaucracy. Darwin has a big bureaucracy for a council. Look at its funding; look at what it gets. Palmerston is heading that way. Litchfield has 10 staff. It has 16 000 to 17 000 people and is 3900 m2. It has maintained that, maybe not perfectly, but it has and it is still a viable council.
It was a bit harsh to make that statement. You also said in your statement that you are looking at 5000 people per shire …
Mr WARREN: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! The member for Nelson is referring to an issue which was raised in Question Time today. The member for Barkly has not even spoken to this point and he is debating issue on it.
Members interjecting.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, there is no point of order. Please continue, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: I am confused. I am just quoting from today’s Hansard and was going to ask the minister. The minister said that councils would, basically, have 5000 people. The issue I have is that the Top End Litchfield Council, which is probably the council which is going to be agreed to, would probably have 20 000 people. That does not fit in with what you said about the 5000 people, so I am interested to hear why that particular council was bigger in population than the rest. There are a lot of other issues which need looking at, and I will be looking forward to your statement later.
The other area which concerns me with lifestyle is really about planning. It seems, reading the Chief Minister’s statement, that we are going over old ground. The government has been in power for six years and is only now trying to do something. How many times have I spoken about architectural merit, tropical design? Now, look at all the new boxes going up again, with no thought about architectural merit.
I remember the Chief Minister saying what a wonderful development we have seen on the old Darwin Hotel site. Do you really think those little tourist dongas over there are what Darwin is about? I would have thought we would get a high-class development on that corner. The Chief Minister said it was wonderful. She also gave her blessing for one of the 33-storey buildings which is going up. I have no problem with 33-storey buildings; I have problems with five-storey car parks taking up the entire block. Both those blocks there are car parks from the ground up. You tell me that has architectural merit, and I will go he.
I believe we have missed the boat in a lot of these areas. The government has had its chance, but it has been too worried to upset the developer. That is what Nicholas Rothwell was talking about in The Australian. It has been worried about its political future, and we are worried about getting close to the developers. Who watched as Admiralty House was ruined? If you can tell me that Admiralty House is a wonderful place now compared to what it was, I will go he. The beautiful garden is gone; it is just a steak house.
Who allowed balconies on high rise buildings to be regarded as open space? What a joke! Who spoke about the destruction of Mitchell Creek? Where was the Labor Party? It took the community and an Independent and one local member to get the government out of its lethargy.
The minister talked about streetscapes. Why have we allowed 300 m2 blocks? Why have we allowed roads where you can only put two cars on the road? We are not developing places in a tropical environment. If you go around the northern suburbs of Darwin and compare those with the newer suburbs of Palmerston, you would say the planners, at least in the northern suburbs – may I ask for an extension please?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mrs MILLER: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move an extension for the member for Nelson to complete his response, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: One of the problems the government has is that the planners control planning, and it is hard even for the minister to get over his or her ideas sometimes, because the planners have set it out in concrete. That is their little pet and they do not like those plans being changed too much. The middle of the harbour is a classic. Middle Arm is now being used as just a total gravel scrape. The minister is saying we want a tropical harbour, we will scrape the guts out of the middle harbour for cheap gravel for development of the waterfront and other developments. That is sad. We could have done that elsewhere. Why we did it in the middle of the harbour beats me. We have spoilt the centre of our harbour.
Sometimes, we have ministers whose vision has not been driven by the government. We have had more of the planners saying this will be the vision, and that is why we do not have architectural merit, and why we have had the Development Consent Authority saying that is the law and, therefore, we have to allow that building to be approved. There should have been some other mechanism to say: ‘Hang on, that is a 33-storey building, this is going to be there forever, this is going to be how Darwin will look’. I must admit, if you drive down Dick Ward Drive now in the morning and have a look at the skyline, those two 33-storey buildings are big. They look big already and they are going to change the skyline forever.
As I said, I do not think the government has any vision, really. I heard the minister for Planning the other day talking to Leon Compton on the Drive program. Leon Compton said to the minister, when referring to guidelines:
- You are the Planning minister, why are you not telling the Development Consent Authority that this is not on? We have rules, stick to them.
The minister said:
- Well, because …
and there was a long pause - and if you can follow this you are doing well:
- … Darwin heights have changed. Okay? Change is already there, so do we say: ‘Okay, we will ignore that change and we will pretend we have been, you know, not to drive me out of the place we are developing’, or do we actually say: ‘We know the place that development is looming and understand the growth of the city and understand that people do not want to live residential within the city now; whereas, years ago they did not understand that people want some density around the city rim, if you like, when years ago there were large blocks in Stuart Park’. So do we actually take time to put all that together? The picture that we know we have been evolving and say: ‘Do we want to keep this as it is, or do we want to save these elements – these heights that will allow us to go to this level or we will not?’ Let us have that debate. How do we want the setbacks and streetscape to look? What sort of architectural design which we will allow?
That waffle, I must admit, reflects lack of vision because not only is it not understandable, it clearly shows that we do not have control of the future of our city. This city might not be the city I live in, but it is the city of the Northern Territory. It is my capital city; I would love it to be a city that shows how a good tropical city can be developed. Tall buildings I do not have a problem with. I have a problem if they are squashed in and use up every bit of land. As I said before, I went to Perth and had a look at the 33-storey buildings in Perth. The tall buildings are between about 33 and 35 storeys. Some of those buildings are terrific; great architectural design. You go down to the bottom, they have sculptures, gardens, coffee shops, and room and they are not squashed in. What do we have? We have these blocks and the two buildings down there take them up entirely. There is no ‘Please set this back a bit’ or ‘If you do not have enough room, just do not build it’. We just said: ‘Build it’. Unfortunately, we are destroying our city.
You might not agree with everything Nicholas Rothwell said, but I believe he hit the nail right on the head. You are talking about lifestyle; Darwin is part of my lifestyle. I lived out bush. I came in here and enjoyed the city when I came, and I went back. Nowadays, I am coming into a city that feels foreign, with lots of these units. You have places like Synergy; I call it mini-Hong Kong. It does not appeal to me at all. We have lost our character and it is very sad.
Not only are we losing our character in the city, the way we are developing our suburbs needs to have a lot more care. As I said before, with Palmerston, here is a chance to keep places like Mitchell Creek more or less in their natural state. What is it now? Many parts of it is lawn with a piece of concrete which acts as a drain - unfortunate. We have lost the chance for a wildlife reserve, a place that people can enjoy. We have turned it into a glossy brochure piece of the environment, and that is very sad. We still deal with drains that go straight into Mitchell Creek. When I went to America, I saw they are making drains that mimic the creek. Why? Because you can get rid of the nutrients that way, you can allow a lot of the little macro vertebrates and fish to live there, and you slow the water down - which is a mistake we are making. Here in the rural area, every road you put in removes water faster. Every block we clear allows less water to absorb into the ground. We have to rethink the way we do our development and be a lot cleverer.
Even things such as in Palmerston where, I complained bitterly and inquired, who made the rule that in a normal suburb you can only park two cars on the road? Why not three? I go home to see my place in Camberwell - in fact, at my old place, you could park four cars and you had a nature trip with big trees on it. It is a beautiful street. However, today, developers want every square inch possible, so the bit of public land they have to leave is absolute minimal. Governments need to lead and say: ‘No, we will have a road the kids can play on. We will have roads that you can park your car on. We will have roads where you can plant some trees and make some shade, especially in a tropical outlook’. We have seemed to have lost that. Someone has made some rules that say it is okay. That is very sad.
I thank the Chief Minister for her statement. The statement is good, but you have had the opportunity for six years. I worked with the Chief Minister when I was president of the council looking at some of these major issues of planning in my shire and in other places. I hoped that that drive for a better and practical plan for our city would continue but, unfortunately, I do not think it has.
One of the classic areas we have lost out is on the waterfront. I am not saying the waterfront is a bad thing; do not get me wrong on that. The waterfront would have been developed no matter which party was in power. The convention centre, to be honest with you, to me looks like either a big shed with a curved roof or a cockroach. It does not lead me to say: ‘That is Darwin, that convention centre’. We missed an opportunity to build a convention centre that said Darwin, like the Opera House of Sydney, or that big spire down near the art centre in Melbourne. We had a chance to do something really great with that convention centre, and have something that is supposed to be an oyster shell. Well, you are going to have to get someone to explain it is an oyster shell, and this is a pity. The Opera House is the Opera House, the spire in Melbourne is the spire but, when it comes to us, we lost a real opportunity to do something special.
I have said before that if we are to develop a new city like Weddell, do not go down the path you did with Palmerston, which seems to be a hotchpotch way of building things. Why don’t we have a competition? We need people like Burley-Griffin who designed Canberra; those kind of people. We definitely need to say we want someone with vision. Show us what your city will look like, not in two dimensions but in three dimensions. We want a tropical city; a beautiful city and something to be remembered by.
Unfortunately, poor old Palmerston has been built higgledy piggledy, with a Bunnings here and a KFC there and a something else there. It just seems to have lost rhyme and reason, which is unfortunate. However, I believe we can do better and with a new city. Yes, we need to protect our lifestyle but, unfortunately, I do not know whether we are dying under weights of new regulations and new laws. We are forgetting that there are a lot of times we do not need all these rules and regulations. John Maley used to say to me when he first started Litchfield: ‘Do not introduce any laws unless you really have to’. What he said at the beginning - and it may not apply as much today - was that our motto was Community Effort is Essential. He was, basically, saying instead of relying on someone else always to fix your problem, try to fix it yourself. Go and talk to your neighbour. That is what his philosophy was and it was a good philosophy. It cannot always work and we have to have regulations as population increases. He was trying to protect that rural lifestyle which is part of our Territory lifestyle. I just fear that we have to be careful we do not overregulate everything.
Regarding the issue of the open speed limit, I understand where the government is coming from. Do not get me wrong; I understand your arguments. I just think it was not a real problem. However, you have it tossed in with all the other issues, and now we have it. I just do not think it was a problem. It has been around the Territory for 50 years. I have always known it was an open speed limit; even if my car could not go that fast. I do not think it was real problem and the government has to be careful it just does not regulate for regulation sake because, in the end, if you keep doing that our lifestyle will be no different than any state than the Northern Territory.
Mr VATSKALIS (Business and Economic Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am always fascinated by the member for Nelson. Since he has been in parliament he has been on the road to Damascus. He has been reformed. I am sitting here listening to him talking about the environment, about planning and everything else.
I recall when he was the President of Litchfield Shire Council and I was the manager of Environmental Health in Casuarina. I had to issue a direct health act order to his council for failing to comply with the Health Act in regards to the Berry Springs rubbish tip and the Howard Springs rubbish tip. The Berry Springs rubbish tip was always on fire, and I received numerous complaints and I visited it numerous times. I was sick and tired of driving to Berry Springs every second day and I threatened his council with the Health Act or that I would take them to court if they could not fix it. To their credit, they did.
The one they did not ever fix was the Howard Springs tip. Howard Springs was always uncovered, on fire, and most of the rubbish was going down to the creek at the back of the tip. So much for the council that was developed without rules and regulations, and fix it yourself if you have a problem. Well, your shire council did not, and I had to step in as a health official and fix it - and not only there, but in other places as well. That is the problem with the Territory; it is a small place where we know each other and probably worked together in the past. Sometimes, with what you say, there might be other people on the other side of this House who know the history as well, but they know a different history from what you are recalling now.
Let us not talk about the Litchfield Shire Council. The Litchfield Shire Council has a lot to do to become a modern shire council. I worked in local government in urban and remote environments in rural Western Australia. I can tell you that if the Litchfield Shire Council was in Western Australia, the council would have been dissolved by the minister and an administrator would have been appointed to rectify the problems. However, we will not go there; we will stop here.
On some of the issues you raised about planning, probably you are right. However, you have to remember about all these buildings you call ‘cages’ in Darwin, is that people like to live in them because they want a change of lifestyle; they do not like the big blocks but something more compact. There are people who buy these cages. Obviously, if there is a market and demand, there is always going to be supply.
I support the Chief Minister’s statement. Under the Labor government, the Territory has an economy and lifestyle that is the best in Australia. As Business and Sports minister of the Martin Labor government, my priorities are clear: work with business, especially small business, to create more jobs for Territorians; and work with the sports community across the Territory to increase participation and deliver major sports events.
Economy and lifestyle go hand-in-hand. I recall over the past few days the Leader of the Opposition abusing this government over inflation in Darwin. Let me remind you it was the Reserve Bank that increased interest rates because there was pressure from the accelerating labour market, as there were a lot of jobs around because the economy was overheated. Inflation, of course, reflects all these factors. Inflation in Darwin is not a direct consequence of the actions of this government. There are too many factors that continue to increase or decrease of inflation.
I recall in 2001 that we did not have inflation, but we did not have jobs. People were leaving. We lost thousands of people down south. The member for Nelson was here. He remembers when we came to government what was happening out there. Everything was flat. Yes, inflation was low, but there were no jobs. The inflation is now high, but guess what? There are jobs and, to his credit, he admitted that. There are many jobs. If you work at Casuarina and you do not arrive by 8:30 am, you cannot find a parking space on week days or weekends.
In January, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported sales of recreational goods in the Territory had increased by 32.7%. That happened because of money, disposable income, because people had jobs and money to spend. They spend it on real estate, new cars, the little gadgets that people like to have at home like the DVD, the plasma TV, clothing, and holidays because there are jobs.
The Martin government’s sound economic management is delivering a strong economy. Of course, there has been strong contribution by the mineral boom, with China and other countries demanding our resources and they are prepared to pay for it. We have developed this market; we have developed this strong economy and the foreign countries and investors have faith in our economy and our government and invest in the Territory.
Our strong economy is not an accident; it is the result of engaging with the business community, a lot of hard work and sensible decisions. One of the most important steps in managing the economy soundly is having a constructive and productive partnership with business. The Martin government has actively engaged with Business Round Tables, Community Cabinets, public meetings, summits and, perhaps most importantly, having an open door and an open mind. The result of working with business has been a series of sound and sensible initiatives: tax cuts, building critical infrastructure, and training new workers. We had 6000 jobs created last year, more than 2000 of which are new apprenticeships or trainees. Engaging with business, and small business in particular, remains a priority this year. This year, for me, is the year of the small business.
The 2001 Census found that small business accounted for 95% of all private sector business in the Northern Territory. Small businesses were also a significant employer, accounting for 54% of total private sector employment in the Northern Territory. Our government’s sound financial management and low taxes have delivered a strong economy that is bucking national trends. We are the lowest taxing government in Australia for small businesses.
The Northern Territory’s history is built on entrepreneurial Territorians who have seen an opportunity, and have invested their time, money and future into building their businesses and providing valuable services to the community. This entrepreneurial mindset is still alive and well in today’s economy and is supported by a wide and varied industry sector with a broad cross-section of skills, services and products.
Our mining and cattle industries have a strong and historical relationship with the growth of the Northern Territory. There are many companies servicing these industries, but we are now seeing new and emerging industries catching the imagination of our business operators.
I am continually impressed by the versatility, courage, strength and ingenuity shown by Territory business people. Many of them started from home-based businesses, developing into employing one or two people, and then growing into large organisations. Across the Territory, I have met many small business operators who have a passion for their communities and who work hard to establish, develop and grow their businesses. We will not take our good relationship with business for granted. We will keep talking with businesses; listening to their ideas and issues.
I am putting together for this year a calendar of public business meetings geared towards small businesses; a program of site and office visits with local business, and one-on-one meetings with local business people. Most importantly, my door will always remain open for business people who want to meet with me.
We are now seeing businesses investing in high technologies servicing the Defence sector, the oil and gas sector, communications industry, energy generation, as well as the personal services sector.
Our vision is to have a strong, vibrant and sustainable Northern Territory economy and, to achieve this, we will work with our partners to secure substantial and lasting economic benefits for businesses and the broader community. Our economy needs competitive businesses across a broad economic base, and government will assist with tailored government investment.
The government offers many opportunities for the home-based and small business operators to grow their own knowledge and attend courses on financial, marketing and business planning, as well as meet other operators and exchange views.
We will continue to provide this service in the coming year and, of course, present the successful October Business Month program. This year, will also see a focus on encouraging private sector investment in the growing Defence sector for the development of the Defence Support Hub. New opportunities for our Defence industry sector are coming to the Territory, with Defence introducing the new Tiger helicopters and the Abrams tanks. Our businesses are working hard to be part of this initiative. This will see more jobs with new technologies and skills introduced to the Northern Territory.
Defence personnel and their families also play a large part in our community. To ensure their needs and requirements are met, my department has employed a Defence Community Liaison Officer to work with the Commonwealth support agencies for Defence and bring any issue to the government’s attention.
We will continue to support business in accessing skilled migrants in areas of skill shortages, and promote the Northern Territory as a place to live and work at international skills expos.
We will grow jobs, business capability and capacity by leveraging off major projects through implementing and managing the Local Industry Participation Plans. This will ensure our small to medium enterprises have the opportunity to participate in the economic growth the major projects bring, and diversify their skills and technology.
As the Chief Minister mentioned earlier, the development of our regions is a key priority for government. People in our regional and remote communities play an important role in the prosperity of the Territory. It is essential for our future generation to receive an education, learn a trade, get a job and build businesses in their local communities. This government takes a realistic position; that is, to sustain and create local businesses which, in turn, create local jobs. Since coming into government, we have done a lot in the bush but we all know there is more to do. Due to the neglect of the CLP governments of the past, the Martin Labor government is very much focused on practical programs that deliver real outcomes to all Territorians.
As the Minister for Business, Economic and Regional Development, my department is the lead agency and is working across all relevant government departments. We know that what is before us requires generational change in the regions, but we are not doing it alone. We are working with the Australian government, land councils, traditional pastoral and the emerging industry sectors, and our very own local economic development committees, just to name a few. One of the most encouraging events happening across the Territory is locals are getting involved.
In her statement, the Chief Minister discussed our Economic Development Committees. These committees will be required to identify economic development priorities, and develop and monitor the implementation of local economic development plans. In doing this, they will be able to achieve sustainable job creation and business growth opportunities for their communities and regions.
An excellent example is the Gulf Economic Development Committee. They held their first meeting in December. This committee will play an important role in the delivery of the $32m McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Package, providing advice, along with other representative groups in the region, on investing the $32m package. The $32m package will deliver better community infrastructure, more training and employment opportunities for locals, and more locally-owned and operated businesses. A formal agreement is almost negotiated. There is still some careful work to be done, but we are putting together a package that will leave a lasting legacy for the region.
The Territory has a great lifestyle and, as I discussed earlier, more Territorians than ever before are taking the time to enjoy it by playing sport, fishing, camping, running. It is great to see so many Territorians getting out there. The Martin government actively supports sport and recreation in the Northern Territory, from building the grassroots and working with peak bodies to improve participation to giving elite athletes the support they need to compete and bringing elite level sports to town. This is all underpinned by investment in sporting infrastructure that can host elite level games and support local sporting competitions, and an evolving policy framework.
Territory-based sports are made up of many hard-working grassroots sporting organisations. These organisations provide competition opportunities and ongoing access to development programs for Territory athletes and officials of all ages. Sport and Recreation supports these organisations by providing annual grants, assistance with good governance and planning to ensure their long-term viability. In turn, they provide good services to their members.
One of the critical developments in sport has been the establishment of the new motor sports body, MotorSport NT. I publicly thank the former Motor Sports Council, ably led by Mr Grant Hamond, for their willingness to work with us for the good of all motor sport. I am pleased to say that they are well on track and will be fully established by 1 July.
I am also pleased that a former administrator for the Motor Sports Board, Mr Geoff Roberts, has taken up the role of interim administrator for the new peak body to help them through emerging issues associated with their establishment. I am very hopeful that this group will take a leading role in ensuring the upgraded facilities at Hidden Valley are made the most of by the motor sport community.
Sporting enthusiasts across the Territory would be well aware of the government’s policies of bringing elite sporting groups to their doorstep. 2007 will not disappoint them in this regard. Territorians have already begun to enjoy a very busy sporting schedule of events including Rugby Union’s 2007 World Hottest Sevens in January. The success of this event is attributed to the hard work of Tim Heath and Northern Territory Rugby Union, and a great indication of what local sporting bodies are capable of. Regarding the recent Wildcats basketball event, once again we have a well-organised local body, Basketball Northern Territory, supporting the event and doing it well.
The Indigenous All Stars versus Essendon game was, without doubt, a great success, with more than 13 000 Territorians enjoying every thrilling moment of this highly skilled match. This match is the first of four elite AFL games for the Territory this year.
May 2007 will be a particularly exciting month with the advent of the 9th Arafura Games. I have just returned from Singapore, where I attended an Arafura Games Heads of Delegation meeting at which final team preparations were discussed, and several changes were made to the Arafura Games charter. I was particularly delighted to meet with the Sports minister from Singapore, who will be sending a large contingent to this year’s games. I intend to invite the minister to visit Darwin during the Arafura Games.
Australia Rugby League will return to Richardson Park later this month for the first time in 10 years, with the Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights playing for pre-season glory. The 2006 game in Alice Springs was a great success, and I understand that both the Knights and Panthers put up their hands to return to the Territory this year. And why not? The Territory has great sporting facilities, great people and a great climate in which to showcase their abilities before the seasons gets under way.
These events are just a taste of what is to come. Cricket fans will not miss out this year, with Australia versus New Zealand International Women’s Cricket, and the International Cricket Commission’s emerging nation’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Pearls and Stingers also have a hectic home-and-away schedule, with the Stingers meeting 2006 National League champions, the Queensland Blades, in Darwin during March.
Infrastructure development not only attracts elite national and international sports, but underpins the development of our athletes locally. Residents of Palmerston will finally have access to a high-quality indoor sports facility, and football participants will enjoy a new home ground at Marrara. With the number of women playing sport on the increase, it will be with great satisfaction that work will commence on a new netball facility, also at the Marrara complex. 2007 will be a busy year for us and the sporting community, as we work together to ensure Territory sports people have access to the best facilities possible.
We are working on updating our comprehensive sports policy. This will draw together the initiatives that I have just outlined, and provide a strong vision for the future. Under the Martin Labor government, the Territory has an economy and lifestyle that is the best in Australia. I love living here, I love working here, and I am looking forward to another great year in the Territory.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement, and will talk about the considerable challenges facing the Northern Territory in the areas of natural resource management, many of which are challenges shared by our whole nation.
The issue of climate change has national prominence at the moment. It is true that the Northern Territory is a very minor player in its contribution to Australian greenhouse emissions. Only about 1% comes from the Northern Territory. However, that is no reason to be complacent because our solid growth and long-term development prospects, indeed, our increasing prosperity, means that our emission creating activities will increase as will our proportion of the national figure. We need, therefore, to get a better handle on our environment conditions and trends. We need to develop a Territory-wide assessment which will inform our future management of the issue. Community concerns and questions about climate change will need a redirection of some of our effort to better understand and model the predicted climate change trends and the consequent impact on our reserves system and biodiversity.
Promoting understanding of the impact of climate change on the Northern Territory community is an important part of this process. This will be one of the first challenges facing a new permanent Environment Protection Agency, the form of which I will shortly be in a position to announce. In the coming year, the EPA and its enabling legislation will be developed based on advice from the interim EPA Board in consultation with industry and the wider Territory community.
There is not one member here who is not aware that water is a huge issue for the whole of Australia and is one which is challenging scientists, governments and citizens. As the Northern Territory continues to develop, we need to ensure that the inevitable environmental changes are sustainable and are not detrimental over the longer term. Making the best informed decisions will require an improved understanding of our surface and groundwater, in particular the capacity of water-dependant ecosystems to cope with change.
My department will complete a number of predicted models for the Katherine, Daly, Darwin rural and Roper River areas so that we can begin to define rules, probabilities and limits for restrictions on pumping to protect regional, environmental and public benefit outcomes. The Daly River Management Advisory Committee will continue to develop an adaptive management framework for the region which will allow us to make proper and informed decisions about the appropriate levels of development. The committee has done a sterling job so far, and I commend all members for their commitment and enthusiasm.
Of course, management of our water resources also involves promoting the efficient and sustainable use of the resource in as many ways as possible. To this end, the waste water reuse initiative in Alice Springs, which has shown very promising results, will be used as a pilot project for extension to other parts of the Territory in coming years.
An immediate water management issue is the absolute imperative of protecting Darwin’s water supply at Darwin River Dam. We all know that the cabomba weed poses a serious threat and my department this year holds continued containment and eradication of the cabomba infestation as a priority.
Another big challenge for us is managing waste across the Territory from our urban centres to our remotest communities each with its different issues. I know the member for Nelson is interested in the issues of waste and litter, and I know he will continue to criticise the lack of container deposit legislation. However, I will restate my position that I will not support a container deposit scheme unless it is done nationally. This does not mean the issue of waste and litter is being ignored. In fact, my department is actively working on a rethinking way strategy; we are working with the packaging stewardship forum to enhance industry, community and household efforts for recycling and waste reduction.
I previously reported to this House on the groundbreaking work being undertaken by the West Arnhem Fire Management Agreement between traditional owners and ConocoPhillips. This fabulous initial abates greenhouse gas emissions from savannah burning in western Arnhem Land, which is the major contributor to the Territory’s greenhouse emissions. My department will continue to work with traditional owners in western Arnhem Land to ensure the success of this world-first greenhouse gas offset fire management project. With the establishment of this market-based approach towards better land management and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, the challenge for the department is to now expand the program with new partners in other areas of the Territory.
In 2007, the Northern Territory is likely to have an intense fire season, including Central Australia, following widespread heavy rains. A detailed fire forecast will be developed in April. Consequently, delivering fire management services to the growing rural and remote communities will continue to pose challenges. Being a land of extremes, flood poses as much threat to Territorians and their environment as does fire. My department has developed some excellent flood forecasting techniques and processes, and improving the forecasting capacity in high risk areas across the Territory will continue to be a priority.
Another threat to our precious environment and natural resources is feral animals. In the coming year, we need to develop and implement management programs for the major vertebrate pests of the Northern Territory so the threat to biodiversity and natural resources is minimised. Current priorities across the Territory are donkeys, horses, foxes in Alice Springs, camels and cane toads. Problem activities in native animals such as flying foxes and dingoes also need to be addressed, as they can impact on pastoral activities and tourism ventures.
I am sure everyone here appreciates our parks and reserves, and their enormous value in protecting our environment and providing us with wonderful experiences. Despite the negativity and persistent scaremongering from the opposition, I remain committed to the joint management of our parks. Parks and Wildlife staff will continue to build effective working relationships with traditional owners and land council staff to facilitate joint management arrangements of parks. They work well and meet the challenges of providing greater employment of traditional owners and integration of traditional land management with modern techniques.
We will continue the process of seeking World Heritage listing for the Western MacDonnell Ranges National Park. A number of options for a nomination for both natural and cultural values are being explored. Biological data to support World Heritage nomination has been collated, and work is currently under way to identify existing information about cultural values.
There are a number of challenges and opportunities across a range of resource management issues and we need to meet them in order to protect our unique and invaluable environments and lifestyle. The cost of that level of attention to our natural resources is high, and we are currently negotiating with the Commonwealth government for the third stage of the Natural Heritage Trust Bilateral Agreement, which will bring funding of around $7m into the Territory dedicated to natural resource management projects and activities. We will be turning our attention to our marine environments in 2007 and establishing priorities for their protection with community and industry involvement.
We will develop legislative amendments to improve heritage protection in the Northern Territory, as well as to upgrade the systems underpinning the Northern Territory Heritage Register.
In the cultural areas, we need to continue work already being done by the Strehlow Research Centre and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory to address repatriation issues relating to the identification and storage of Central Australian artefacts.
My department has a number of institutions in Central Australia that I feel would benefit from closer relationships with each other. By closer integration of the Cultural Precinct, the Desert Park, and the Olive Pink Reserve brought together under one department in 2005, I believe we can offer residents and visitors alike a more enjoyable and meaningful experience of the natural and cultural values of the Central Australian environment.
Madam Speaker, I could go on, but I have given members a sense of the challenges ahead regarding management of our natural resources. Our environment is not just a static thing with unchanging values responding to steady demands in a predictable way. We have extremes of climate and weather events; development pressures, traditional knowledge and modern science; and a growing Territory community and a changing demographic. Looking after our natural resources is a complex task, and it is a constant challenge to get the balance right and allow sustainable development. This year again sees us tackling these challenges head on, and our Territory lifestyle will be the better for it.
Debate adjourned.
ADJOURNMENT
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Australia Day has evolved into one of the most important and exciting days of the year, and it is one that Territorians celebrate with gusto. Australia Day is about celebrating Australia and being Australian, and it is a time that most of us like to catch up with families and friends, around the barbie or in front of the cricket, or a range of other things you can do, such as community events like the Ute Run, our sports carnival or the flag raising and citizenship ceremony at Mindil.
There is no better way to kick off our Australia Day celebrations than at the Australia Day Gala Ball the evening before the big day. It is always a memorable night and this year was no exception. The theme of the night centred around horse racing, in honour of the Australia Post Living Legends who all came from the horse racing industry. The ball is a great opportunity to catch up with friends and meet and get to know people from our business and community sectors. At my table this year, I was joined by Australia Post Commercial Manager for South Australia and the Northern Territory, Bevan Adams and his wife, Alison. Australia Post is a major sponsor of the gala night, and their NT Manager, John Marsh and his wife, Raelene, were also there, as was outgoing Commander Northern Command, Commodore Cam Darby and his wife, Shani. Cam, by the way, so loves the Territory that he is choosing to retire from the Navy here in Darwin.
The highlight of the evening, as always, was the announcement of the NT Achiever for 2007. The winner was Margie McLean, who is currently the Manager of the Elliott Health Centre. Margie spent more than 35 years of her life caring for the people of the Northern Territory, and it really is hard to imagine a more worthy winner.
I also had the pleasure of announcing that Heather Sjoberg has been reappointed Chairman of the Australia Day Council for another three years. Heather and her team at the council have done a great job in promoting Australia Day and making it a special time for all Territorians, and I am very pleased that she will be able to continue her work.
The other event I was able to attend was the Australia Day Fun Run/Walk, which kicked off very early the next morning - just the tonic after a gala ball. It was a typical Wet Season morning, the weather was cloudy, the humidity high but, thankfully, the rain held off. A steady stream of people started registering around 6 am and, by the time I waved the flag to start the run an hour later, more than 3200 people were there. That is a great turnout, and it was not just serious runners who participated, although they were certainly there. There were families and people who just wanted to be out having fun. Some ran, some jogged and some just took in the atmosphere and walked the course. I pay tribute to the Deputy Chief Minister; he almost got up Darwin hill. He was running and he almost made it to the top, which shows that his level of fitness is not too bad. The morning ended with the Darwin Parachute Club members dropping in on Mindil Beach, and a surf boat race organised by Mindil Beach Surf Life Savers celebrating 100 years of surf lifesaving in Australia.
There are a number of organisations I would like to thank for making this event such a spectacular success. First, congratulations to the Australia Day Council, event partners NT Athletics, and Darwin runners and walkers, as well as NT Emergency Services, Rotary Nightcliff and Guides NT Darwin and District Division. There were also many individuals who ensured the event ran smoothly and without incident, and my thanks go to all of them. We also had terrific sponsors and a range of businesses who donated their services. Many thanks to Tattersall’s, Creative Jewellers, Ace Traffic Control, Rocktown Music and Shadeworks Hire.
I conclude by congratulating our newest Territorians who became Australian citizens at the flag raising and citizenship ceremony later that morning. Deputy Chief Minister, then Acting Chief Minister Syd Stirling was there and told me how much he enjoyed the event. On behalf of all Territorians, welcome to the best place in Australia and the best of luck for the future.
This year is the 90th anniversary of the Northern Territory Football League and its three foundation clubs, Waratahs, Wanderers and Darwin. I attended the anniversary celebrations for Waratahs late last month, where AFL legend, Gary Buckenara, was the special guest speaker. It was a good night. The longevity of these three clubs is amazing, and can be put down to the passion and commitment of generations of club administrators, volunteers, players and supporters - footy lovers, all of them. It is those people who have ensured that these three clubs, as well as our football league, have grown stronger and more successful as the years roll by.
Let me put into perspective just how long these clubs have been around. In 1917, when the League was formed, the Great War was still raging and Darwin’s population was only around 6000. Cape Don Lighthouse was built in that year and one of our great Territorians, Lily Ah Toy, was born. In 1917, it took three days to get from Adelaide to Alice on the old Ghan. As far as Darwin institutions go, these three football clubs are close to the oldest entities in town. They have won 48 premierships between them and provided us with top class footy and a keen contest for 90 years.
These clubs have traditionally appealed to different segments of Darwin’s community. While their supporter bases have widened in recent years they, nevertheless, provide an interesting snapshot of Darwin society. The mighty Waratahs have always welcomed new arrivals to Darwin, and there have been many over the years from bank clerks to thousands of Commonwealth public servants. I was one of those new arrivals back in the early 1980s, and I am very proud to now be the club’s patron.
Wanderers and Buffs have all together different followings. The Wanderers were our first premiers, and the backbone of the club has been Aboriginal people, particularly those with connections to Arnhem Land and the Daly River and Katherine regions, while the Darwin Football Club has always prided itself on a long and close association with its local Aboriginal community, as well as strong ties with Darwin’s Greek and Chinese communities. These clubs were integral to the formation and development of football in the Territory. Their efforts over many years have seen the League grow and continue to produce some of the nation’s best footballing talent.
Nightcliff and St Mary’s joined the competition in the 1950s; Palmerston, then known as North Darwin, in the 1970s; and, of course, present ladder leader, Southern Districts, in the 1980s. Like many people, I hope to see the Tiwi Islands become the permanent eighth team in the League. On behalf of all Territorians, happy 90th to all three clubs, and the best of luck to each in the future although I have to let my bias show and, for this year - go the Tahs!
A top quality education is vital to the future prosperity of the Territory and wellbeing of all Territorians. If that is the case, the future of Alice Springs is looking bright because two Alice Springs students have placed in the Territory’s top 20 NTEC students. Matthew Higgins graduated from OLSH College and ranked 17th in the Territory. Matthew plans to study engineering, either in mechatronics or aerospace, after taking a year’s break from study. Jordan Beverley graduated from Centralian Senior Secondary College ranked 18th. Jordan, who has a three-year-old son, stretched her study out over two years to help her cope with the stress of being a student and a mum. Her aim is to become an English teacher, and she will study at Charles Darwin University. I take this opportunity to congratulate both Matthew and Jordan on their tremendous results, and I wish them all the best in their future studies.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, tonight I would like to pay tribute to a lady who passed away tragically recently in Alice Springs. Her name is Helen Baldwin. I would like to read into the record an obituary that was written about her in the Centralian Advocate of 5 February. Then, I would like to follow that with some personal words spoken by her father-in-law and a close work associate. The Centralian Advocate article, with the title ‘Helen had a passion for caring reads’:
- A gifted midwife who was killed in a car crash on New Year's Day has been remembered as a shining star who touched many people's lives. Helen Claire Baldwin, 39, died after the rear tyre on the hire car she was driving blew out 55 km south of Alice Springs.
A smart and bubbly woman, Helen came to Alice Springs with her husband Andrew Foster in September 1999 with the goal of working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
- But after only two flights Helen’s amazing knowledge and skills were quickly snapped up by Alice Springs Hospital. She went on to work as an educator with Northern Territory Health Services, and after that became a lecturer for Flinders Medical University and had adjunct status with Charles Darwin University.
- Bev Turnbull worked with Helen on CDU’s midwifery graduate diploma program. Bev said: ‘To me, Helen was like a bright star in the constellation. She had great clinical skills, was intelligent and loved midwifery and working with students’.
- Helen was a chief executive for the Advance Life Support in Obstetrics Program in the Australia and Pacific Region; chairwoman of the State Nurses Board; and wrote guidelines for the World Health Organisation. Helen was more recently a successful real estate agent.
With a great love for Australia and an even greater love for Alice Springs, Helen became an Australian Citizen in 1999. Her husband, Andrew, said: ‘Helen always said she felt really privileged to live in Alice Springs’. She waved the Australian flag when she took her English father to watch Australia win back the Ashes and it was with great pride she displayed Australian flags on her desk.
At 39, Helen had crammed a lot into her short life, working in the US, UK and Australia. Her passion for caring for others saw her travel to Africa to do voluntary aid work in war-torn Rwanda. She had shrapnel wounds from a bomb blast which claimed the lives of her co-workers. Helen also stayed back in Thailand to help after the 2004 tsunami struck.
- She was an achiever, and not just in the professional field but also in her personal life. Friends say she knew what it was to be a stranger in a strange town, so she made the effort to meet new people to town feel out home. And while she enjoyed helping others, it was her husband, Andrew ‘Foz’, who brought true happiness to Helen’s life. High school sweethearts - they met when they were both 17 years old and they remained devoted to each other. Helen and Andrew were married on Echo Beach at Broome. Last year they celebrated 20 years together. Andrew said: ‘My world, she was my world, she was my everything’.
During the church ceremony, Tony Foster, Helen’s father-in-law, was asked to speak. I thought it was a very moving speech straight from the heart. I will attempt to read it into the Parliamentary Record:
- I would just like to share some memories of Helen with you all, all her friends. When Andrew asked me if I’d come up here and say these words I thought, yes I will write something down, Helen liked having things written down in orders one, two, three, four. She liked to cross the t’s, dot the i’s, but some things in this life aren’t scripted. Some things come to a sudden end; you don’t have time to cross the t’s, dot the i’s. And so I threw the paper away. I will just speak to you from my heart. The memories that I have; so if I ramble on, just drag me off.
The first time I met Helen she would have been 17. Andrew brought her home, this vivacious girl, black hair, frizzed out hair, painted fingers, painted eyes, I think they were blue at that time. The next day, two days later, same girl, same hair, red tips in her hair, different coloured eyes, different coloured nails. Shortly after Andrew went off to Africa, one of his many jaunts around the world.
Helen wanted to be a nurse, she went to Guy’s Hospital. She didn’t want to be an ordinary nurse, she wanted to be the best nurse. Everything Helen did she wanted to be the best at. She wanted to heal the world and make everybody better, but you can’t make everybody better. Nothing is perfect, but she tried. She tried to be perfect. She tried to be a perfect midwife; wanted to deliver the wee babies to perfect mums in this perfect world. This world isn’t perfect but she tried.
I remember when she was the nurse in the nurse’s home. We went down to visit her. There was her, three or four other nurses - tiny room. Boyfriends all of them coming, going. You think: ‘Why is this?’ Knickers and bras everywhere, hanging up, embarrassing sometimes. But then suddenly this vivacious girl took the blue uniform, the little watch – I will always remember that little watch - and off to work she would go.
I remember them coming to Australia. I remember going up to the west coast with them and Helen having this wedding dress. We were camping at the time. Every day, every night, she would get the wedding dress, which was on a hanger, and let all the creases fall out. Next morning, Andrew would roll it up and put it in a bean bag, thrown in the back of the car. Andrew made out: ‘Dad, it’s only a dress. Forget about it, leave it’. This went on for two or three weeks, and then she got her own back.
Me and Andrew had just arrived at Echo Beach. There was a canoe there. Andrew said: ‘Come on, dad. We’ve got to go in this canoe. Okay. Andrew said: ‘You get in the front and I will get in the back’. Okay. It hits the first wave; tips over, soaking wet. Andrew says: ‘Okay dad, we will reverse it around. I will get in first, you get in second’. The waves folded over again, we’re soaked, blood, hit stones. Eventually we got this thing going so we were quite proud of ourselves with all the sailing. There’s Helen on the beach with these other people cheering us. Why, what’s happened?
Okay, so we go away. We are out for an hour, come back, there’s a little caf there. We are feeling quite proud of ourselves. Everybody in the caf looks around and there’s tizzes – what is going on here? So I said to Helen: ‘Why is everybody looking at us? Why?’ She said: ‘You daft buggers, you had the canoe back to front’. I said: Why didn’t you us ?’ She said: ‘No, no, I was having the best laugh of my life’.
I remember the following day. If anything is perfect in this life, it was their wedding, with the sea lapping against the sand. Helen and Andrew were holding hands. You have heard the wedding service before; just these lovely words. They kissed each other, held each other, walked off along the beach, beautiful sunset, just perfect. That’s when she took over Andrew’s life. She mothered him, she loved him, she took care of him. From that time on, they were two peas in a pod; inseparable. At the end of that night, there were the stars; the two of them looking up trying to count shooting stars and making wishes. It was perfect. Their love for each other was perfect.
The only thing she was proud of, more proud than anything else, was becoming an Australian citizen whilst they were living here in Alice Springs, the best place in the world for her. She just loved it; she was proud of it. She was proud of all you people here; all her friends. I don’t know your names or where you live. People come up to us and give their condolences, but I just wanted to let you know this: Helen was proud to live in Alice Springs and on Andrew’s behalf, I would just like to thank you all and thank you for everything that you have done. We will always have these memories of Helen. Some things will spark them off. Sometimes they will be happy memories, sometimes they will be sad, but those memories can’t be taken away from anybody.
That was a speech from the heart, from a father-in-law who has known that young woman for many years. Spoken in his English accent, it was quite a eulogy.
Another eulogy at the service was by David Forest, who was one of the principals of the real estate agency for which Helen worked. He complimented Helen for her passion and skill as a midwife and medical educator, but he said:
- … many would know she did have another passion, and that was a passion for property. It was our great pleasure that a person of her skills and ability decided to enter into the real estate industry not long ago. Not long after that, we had the pleasure of her company in our company. It was here that we got to know Helen a bit and it was not long before we discovered her strong work effort, her enthusiasm, her attention to detail, and it was no wonder that she succeeded in everything she did.
However, it was at this point that we made our first mistake with Helen. We were under the misguided apprehension that Helen wanted us to train her in the profession of real estate and, in fact, it was I and the rest of the Frampton team that were about to be educated. First thing I noticed, and I know that it was to the pleasure of some of our members of staff, that our office started to smell like the Body Shop. She educated us in the finer things, things such as flamboyant handbags, ladies shoes, clothes and perfumes. it was about at this point that I entered into the long-term discussion, argument, whatever you might call it, over the difference between need and want. And I can assure you that on each occasion I lost. All of these items, naturally, had famous fashion labels - many of which we never heard of - and most of them with a price tag that, honestly, we just couldn’t believe.
I can remember, in December I believe it was, heading to Adelaide on our first national conference trip that we used to do, usually with members of the team and the shopping list that we were given. Specifically, we had to go to the end of the mall to one particular shop that sold one particular brand of eyelashes. We had the pleasure of flying to Thailand for holidays, and I can remember visiting every single duty free shop at every airport and every shopping centre to look for some perfume that Helen had recommended, only to be advised on our return, having not found the perfume, but to be advised from Helen that, ‘Oh you silly fools, it is an Australian perfume and exclusively available through Myers’. Labels were important, and I’d have to think that Helen would be proud of us, or certainly one member of our group who recently brought Armani sunglasses. Obviously, we listened.
As a real estate agency, we conducted auctions and that was another thing we found we did wrong. They were ‘awctions’. Helen could never be accused of being a wallflower.
We also discovered that Helen had a passion for cars, mainly British. I can assure you that we all were looking forward to the day that her dream car was arriving, an Aston Martin Vanquish, a car that may have stood out in the real estate industry in outback Australia, but then there was Helen, she stood out.
When Helen joined our company, Helen, as you have heard did not drink coke, she did not drink alcohol, she was a devotee of Tony Robbins, the well-known trainer, motivator and disciplinarian. I don’t know whether it was our influence or whether it was just in typical Helen fashion, she decided that that was the end of her abstinence. She decided that she would drink again. Helen was a founding member of the Friday Drinks on the Deck Club, and proved to all too well that she knew exactly what to do with a gin and tonic.
I was made aware not long after the founding afternoon on the deck that our next social function was to be a polo match. I thought that was rather odd but, no, Helen was insisting that it would be a polo match. I must admit, to this day, we are still trying to find enough polo ponies that are well-trained enough to make a bunch of real estate agents who look like good players.
At this point, we also discovered Helen’s great story telling ability. Helen could make the mundane sound larger than life. In fact, we found Helen larger than life. I know I can say from all at Framptons that we are the better for having known Helen and, to a person, I know we are all going to miss her.
David introduced Andrew and Helen to many of us in the Country Liberal Party. They were very strong supporters and very motivated workers with us and for us. I wish to convey my condolences to Andrew. I know it is hard during this time, when you have suffered a great loss, and no amount of words that we can say will soothe the hurt and pain that Andrew will be going through. I hope he knows that there are many people in Alice Springs who will also miss Helen, and I hope that he does find support from the community of Alice Springs for his great loss.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I advise the House of Australia Day celebrations held in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, and also to recognise and congratulate those people from Central Australia and the Barkly who won Australia Day awards.
On Australia Day, I had the pleasure of attending the Australia Day breakfast in Tennant Creek. The breakfast was a huge success, with nearly 200 people attending. During the function, the Tennant Creek and Barkly winners of the Australia Day Awards were announced. I had the honour of presenting the 2007 Citizen of the Year award to Mr Justin Hankinson, a dedicated volunteer from Tennant Creek. Justin has been a volunteer with Bushfires NT for 12 years. He has assisted with hazard reduction burns and fire suppression works as Captain of the Tennant Creek Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. Justin was also awarded the NT Volunteer of the Year by St John Ambulance. It would be very fair to say that it would be very difficult for small places like Tennant Creek to survive without people like Justin who provide so much of their time in the interest of the community.
The Community Event of the Year was awarded to a drag racing meet which was organised by Mr George Konidaris and his committee. It is an event which is held in conjunction with the Central Australian drag racing people. Of course, it is attended by many non-profit organisations, community committees and local businesses. It is a real community effort. I sincerely trust that it will have an immense future. It is a tribute to people like George Konidaris and his committee that they were able to get this event organised.
Awards were also awarded for high achievement and citizenship amongst school children. The Tennant Creek High School 2007 Australia Day Award was presented to Christopher Parker. Jemma Paterson was awarded the 2007 Australia Day Award for Tennant Creek Primary School. She was a joint winner with Katelyn Price who is also from a small community south of Tennant Creek, from the Mungkata School. I congratulate both Jemma and Katelyn for their outstanding work through the course of the year. They are a credit to their respective communities and also to their schools and their parents.
I also want to make a special tribute to Mr David Halford, who was presented the Australia Day Army Cadet Corps Australia Day medallion. This award acknowledges David’s service to the recruitment and training of Army cadets in Tennant Creek, being involved with its inception some 12 years ago. David is one of those local people who puts in so much hard work and effort and is a great mentor to many of our young people in Tennant Creek. I know David played an important role in getting some of the cadets, particularly young Harvey Ladd, a young indigenous lad from Epenarra, into a school-to-work program. That is indicative of David’s contribution to his community.
The following day, I went to Alice Springs and attended the Australia Day hosted by Telstra. I want to pay tribute to Telstra and thank them for their ongoing sponsorship and contribution, and indeed, to all those businesses and organisations in Alice Springs which were sponsors. It was a great event attended by about 350 people, with many of the people from Alice Springs and the surrounds. During the course of the evening, the people who won the Centralian of the Year Awards were recognised for their contributions to the Centralian community. They joined a very distinguished group of people over the years who have been winners of awards. From the past, I would like to acknowledge people like Paul Herrick who was a firefighter for over 27 years, Janet Beven, foster parent to over 100 indigenous children with severe disabilities, and Mary Meldrum, a pillar of the Alice Springs community.
This year, the choice was tough for the selection committee. The Central Australian Committee awarded the Centralians of the Year to two people. One was Pippa Tessmann and other lady was Mildred Inkamala.
Pippa Tessmann was awarded her Centralian of the Year award because of her commitment to sport, in particular, sports medicine. Pippa is the president of the Southern Region of Sports Medicine Australia and owns her own physiotherapy practice. She carried the Commonwealth Games baton when it came through Alice Springs in 2006 and formed a critical part of the Masters Games as medical contingent. Pippa can be seen on the sideline of almost any Alice Springs sporting event, volunteering her time and effort to make sure that the athletes are looked after. I congratulate Pippa for an outstanding contribution to the community of Alice Springs.
Equally, Mildred Inkamala received her award for long-standing commitment to the health and wellbeing of indigenous communities in Central Australia. Particularly, Mildred played a major role in helping the community and the police at Hermannsburg deal with crime, violence and other issues which have impacted upon that community. As a health worker she has also supported many children and families in a time of need while raising her own children. Mildred is also a very gifted artist, with some of her art work being housed in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. I congratulate Mildred as well. She is truly an inspiration to a lot of people around Alice Springs and is very much respected by the indigenous community one and all.
The Young Centralian of the Year 2007 went to 20-year-old Kelvin Caspani. Kelvin is a future Rugby League star and was named Junior World Champion during his touch football career. He will be shortly leaving Alice Springs for James Cook University at Townsville to start what, I am sure, will be a stellar Rugby League career. In 2006, Kelvin was awarded the Keegan Medal, the best and fairest award for Rugby League in Alice Spring. Kelvin is an outstanding young man who will go a long way. His dedication and commitment is admired by all.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate Mr John Baskerville who was awarded the Public Service Medal for his outstanding public service to the Central Australian community as Director of the Southern Region, in the Department of the Chief Minister. John oversees a number of important projects that happen in and around Central Australia. His commitment to, and his vision for, Alice Springs is much admired and respected. I thank John for his outstanding contribution. It is fair to say that John would consider his greatest achievement thus far to be the creation of the Desert Knowledge project. That, in itself, will stand as a testament to John’s outstanding contribution.
I also acknowledge Dr Charles Butcher who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to rural and remote medicine in the Northern Territory and to the community. Dr Butcher is a retired surgeon who has spent 25 years of his career at the Alice Springs Hospital. In 2005, Dr Butcher won the Provincial Surgeons Award from the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. This award acknowledges significant contributions to medicine. Dr Butcher was also a member of the Northern Territory Oncology Research Group. He has made a great contribution to Alice Springs and the Centralian communities. I congratulate him on his outstanding career over time.
Virginia Mitchell was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service the community as a remote area health nurse. With a pilot’s licence to her name, the department often chartered planes for her to fly out to communities like Alpurrurulam, which is Lake Nash, to run her clinics and help train and assist indigenous health workers. She has also served as flight nurse in the Aerial Medical Service. Following a few years away from the Territory in Queensland, she returned to Alice Springs and worked at the community health centre on Flynn Drive as a nurse audiometrist. Virginia is now retired and still occasionally does casual work as a flight nurse with the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Virginia, thank you very much for your outstanding contribution.
Sergeant Gert Johnsson received the Australian Police Medal for his distinguished service as a member of the Territory Police force. Sergeant Johnsson joined the Police in 1975 after serving in the Australian Army in Vietnam. He retired in 2002 after a period in the police of 27 years, and rejoined the police in 2004. Sergeant Johnsson has been based at Hermannsburg over the last year and continues to work with the people of Hermannsburg to assist them. I know the Police minister will join me today in congratulating Sergeant Johnsson.
The award recipients are just a sample of the great work and commitment seen every day in Central Australia. Of course, for every award handed out, there are hundreds of other tireless workers dedicating their time to making the Territory a better place. I invite people out there to nominate people next year who they believe provide an outstanding contribution to the Northern Territory, particularly their communities.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate Marg McLean who won the NT Achievers Award. Marg is from Elliott and I am very proud of her contribution as well. It is important to appreciate that Marg and people like Amy Lauder of the indigenous community, were first in the Northern Territory to have a look at grog control-type issues. It is a credit to Marg and that community.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I thank all those people who served on the Australia Day committee, both in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. I thank them for their hard work. Both events were well organised, well run, and I look forward to catching up with them over the next year or so.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Mr Speaker, I am very lucky to be the member for Drysdale because it continues to be a dynamic electorate and many good things are happening. Given that we have just kicked off the new school year, I will provide the House with an overview of some of the changes within staff and student groups. I am very fortunate to have five fantastic schools within my electorate and I am proud to share the Palmerston High School with my neighbouring colleague, the member for Brennan.
The Good Shepherd Lutheran School is an excellent example of a school that has progressed dramatically in the last few years. Last year, the college made its exciting transition from primary school to a college format. It includes primary and middle schools, and now has approval to continue through to Year 12, which I will highlight on another occasion.
The 2007 school year has had a terrific start, commencing with 255 students. Compared with 2006 numbers, it represents a 35% growth in enrolment. The college has appointed 10 new staff, comprising two teachers to replace the two that left, while another eight have joined. There is an additional member to the office staff and a youth intern to provide additional support to the students. I welcome: Kimberly Barker in Transition; Kate Riley who is teaching Transition and Year 1; Cara Hentschke, Year 1; Tracey Hughes, Year 3; Maria Denholm, Year 4; Fiona Lockwood, Year 5; and Kirsten Klein, Year 8. Eleonore Simpson is the support worker and the youth worker is Deanna Jaeschke, and Suzanne Otto is the new admin person. These people are joining a great team and the Good Shepherd.
This massive growth does nothing to dampen the energy and enthusiasm of Principal, Julian Denholm, the college council and its staff who, as you can see, are doing tremendous work. The college has constructed some temporary facilities on its Palmerston campus to house the middle school students for 2007, and this includes a science laboratory and a fabrics room. The middle school has had a very successful start with students in Years 6, 7 and 8 working with a broad integrated curriculum. The strong pastoral care program has been a wonderful success with students and it has enhanced their enthusiasm and motivated them to bigger and better things for this year. I again congratulate Julian Denholm, his dedicated staff and the school board on the groundwork undertaken to secure the future of the college and its students. I wish them well in 2007, and I look forward to becoming involved with them this year.
From Kormilda College, I am happy to report on the fantastic success of their Year 12 graduates last year, and welcome new staff. There have been some really outstanding successes and stories of excellence, and I would like to share some of those with you.
Kormilda College offers students the opportunity to undertake the IB Diploma. The IB is an internationally recognised equivalent to the NT Certificate of Education. It is a rigorous two-year, pre-university course of study for Years 11 and 12 that caters for highly motivated secondary students, whose graduates are sought after by universities throughout Australia and the world. Last year, Ruby Jones, Kormilda’s Dux of 2006, achieved a tertiary entrance ranking, or TER, of 95.3. This placed Ruby among the top 5% of IB students in the world. Danielle Moller also performed extremely well with two perfect scores in Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. Danielle’s TER was 94.95. Of a cohort of 18 IB students at the college, almost half achieved TERs over 80, and 22% over 90. Clearly, these are outstanding achievements and one deserving of our congratulations.
Kormilda’s top NTCE student in 2006 was Jessica Edwards, who delivered a TER of 87.7, and the top indigenous student was Rekeesha Fry, with a TER of 69.15. Half of Kormilda’s 44 NTCE candidates last year were indigenous and, of those, 86% were successful, which is a fantastic success rate. Of the 22 indigenous candidates, four were urban and 18 were remote area borders. Of the remote area indigenous candidates, 89% were awarded their NTCE. Another success for Kormilda worth our recognition is the retention of indigenous students in Year 12, which continues to be on the increase.
Kormilda’s top 20 students for IB and NTCE were: Ruby Jones; Danielle Moller; Alexis Postans; Chloe Lauverjon; Brooke Prince; Jessica Edwards; Gregory Atkinson; Emily Lim; Brooke Cawood; Michael Molina; Sally-Anne Orchard; Christopher Gaulke; Todd Shepherd; Daniel Boor; Megan Vegera; Miranda Kew; Serina Annis-Brown; Francis De Luca; Rekeesha Fry and Lachlan Cameron.
This year, there are 1050 students enrolled and, before the year progresses too far, I extend a warm welcome to the staff who have joined the school in 2007, and these include Peter Richter, the Chaplain; Karen Shum, who is teaching English and Humanities; Martha Newley, who is teaching English and SOSE; Leah Clarke, SOCE; Toni Melese, Performing Arts; Keith Macleay, Art Design and Technology; Monica Bowland, Art Design and Technology; Jessica Robertson, who is teaching Maths, Science, Middle School Team Leader; Kate Williams, Mathematics; Gregory St Vincent, French and Indonesian; Matthew Ross, Head of PE and Health; Mark O’Callaghan, Performing Arts; Maryanne Cameron, Intensive English; Don Iles, Outdoor Education Camp Coordinator; and Soon Kim, Performing Arts. A warm welcome and my best wishes are extended to them and I am sure they will make their own significant contribution to the outstanding work the college undertakes.
Quite simply, Kormilda College is a fantastic school, producing outstanding results. My congratulations are extended to each and every student, the entire staffing contingent, and to Malcolm Pritchard, Kormilda’s Principal and, of course, the innovative school board. I sincerely hope they continue the great work and record a record breaking 2007.
The Gray Primary School in my electorate does a fantastic job in looking after the needs of the young families of Drysdale. It has experienced a very successful and smooth commencement to the 2007 school year. Perhaps a rarity amongst the Top End schools is that there are no staff changes from last year, and student enrolments are as expected as per the planned staffing allocations. So, everything is even keel at the Gray Primary School in the way of teachers and students. I share with the House the depth of the school’s programming and priorities for 2007 to demonstrate its broad program base and reflect its commitment to delivering a comprehensive, high-quality education experience for the young learners.
Gray Primary School has, perhaps, had a stigma over a number of years; however, I can assure you their principal, Cindy McGarry, is doing wonderful things within the school and introducing programs which are showing what the kids’ capabilities are if they are put into the right environment, and it takes them to another level. Priority issues include the consolidation of current programs such as accelerated literacy and Count Me In Too maths; consolidation of middle schooling principles into the teaching and learning programs; implementation of the Kids Matter national mental health initiative; continuation of the Wellbeing Project with the facilitation of the wellbeing officer; introduction of the Success for Boys teachers professional development program and associated action learning projects including boys mentoring.
I was involved in the mentoring program early last year and it is a great program. The kids look forward to the mentors visiting the school each week to develop the kids with extracurricular activities which they really enjoy. There is also the reintroduction of the Indigenous Language and Culture program; further expansion of the use of interaction whiteboards and the continued participation in the national research program; and the re-establishment of the Gray Community Consultative Committee. I congratulate Cindy McGarry, the principal of the school, and wish her staff and the board the very best and, of course, the students as well.
At Durack school, they sport the motto ‘Dignity and Determination’ and, from my association with the school, I can inform the House that this ethos carries through to the outstanding work which is done in the school. Last year, I reported some innovative activities the school was undertaking, development of a kitchen garden being just one example of the many activities the school undertakes involving the students, parents, staff, businesses and others. Their success is indicative of the school’s full engagement with the community.
School numbers for 2007 are 495 students, including preschoolers, and made up from 313 families, many of which are from our Defence Force community. The school was joined by a few new staff in 2007 and, with the indulgence of the House, I welcome Kathy Kerr as Registrar; Sally Strange, Transition; Heidy Rubin for Year 1 and 2; Natasha Jones for Years 6 and 7; and George Malpartida, who attends to the school’s IT needs. I welcome all the Durack people back for another fantastic year, and I continue to look forward to the many exciting things they will surprise me with in 2007.
I attended the Durack school last Friday morning to pay a visit to the new Defence Force mother’s group who have moved into my electorate over the Christmas break. This group meets over a cup of coffee every Friday morning prior to school assembly to discuss any matters they may have. The coordinator of this group is Corrine Hunt. She is wonderful conduit between the mothers and the school, government departments, the Defence Force and, of course, me, and I thank her for her continued efforts. I welcome these new mothers and their families to my electorate and the school, and wish them a very happy stay in the area.
The principal of the school, Ms Jo Wynn, and her staff are looking forward to a great year, and I wish her and her staff, the council, and the students a wonderful 2007. I look forward to attending the assemblies, meetings and functions throughout the year.
The last two schools in my electorate are Driver and Palmerston High School. However, I will attend to those in another adjournment.
To change tack, I draw to the House’s attention another milestone in outstanding achievement very worthy of acknowledgement. Shortly before Christmas, Jerry Frank played his 200th game for the Palmerston Football Club. Jerry has played in two premiership flags at Palmerston and has won the club’s Best and Fairest in the years 1998-99 and 2002-03. He has represented the NTFL with distinction against Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, and Norwood. Jerry has made a significant contribution to Northern Territory football over the years, and I congratulate him on his fantastic career and this milestone. Obviously, I also thank his family for the support they have given him throughout his football career, as I am sure he would recognise them. The family backing when you are playing continued sport over such a long period as that is essential.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, recently on Australia Day, a number of people in my electorate participated in the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony. These included Ms Jung Gu Hwang, Ms Sun Hee Kim, Mr Nigel Keats and Mr Stuart Logue who accepted Australian citizenship. I congratulate them on the celebration of their Australian citizenship. I sincerely hope that they enjoy their life in our wonderful country, this wonderful dynamic city of Darwin and, of course, in my electorate of Drysdale.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it is the third week of this school year and I am delighted to inform the House of the increased number of senior students at Ramingining School under the guidance of Principal, Coraline Armstrong, and the excitement of students returning for the school year at Milingimbi under Acting Principal, Glen Aitchison. Thank you, Glen, for seeing the students of Millingimbi through the changes last year and for welcoming them all back this year. Thank you Corrie and Louise for the energy and encouragement you put into the early childhood program at Ramingining. The example set by last year’s four graduates - two from Ramingining and, in an historic first for Milingimbi, two Year 12 graduates - has encouraged other students to continue on to Year 12. Some have even returned to school even though they had left in Year 9 or 10 some years ago, such has been the pride in both communities at the success of the recent high school graduates. Some may say it is small in numbers, but I would say it is a very strong beginning.
The success of the Milingimbi School Band at the indigenous music awards last year has seen a strong collaboration between students and Charles Darwin University’s music program. Well done to Jason Lanydjana who is preparing to study at CDU this year. I know your parents, Elizabeth and Jimmy, are very proud of you, as is the community.
I look forward to working with the senior students from Ramingining and Milingimbi in their media studies and in the Aboriginal History subjects in the Dry Season. It was something that I was able to do with the Year 11 and 12 students last year, and was quite thrilled to be with them as they went through their graduation process.
I was fortunate to get to Milingimbi last month just as the tropical low that began on the Tiwi Islands passed north of Milingimbi, fortunate because the heavy rains had just beaten me to the island and they were certainly on their way round Groote Eylandt, another one of my communities in Arnhem. I was met by the new Chief Executive Officer at Milingimbi Council, Richard Stewart, who I am pleased to say knows the Territory quite well from his previous days as a teacher/principal in Darwin. A very big welcome to you, Richard. The challenges are, indeed, ahead of you and the Milingimbi Council but I am confident the people of Milingimbi will guide you well.
To the staff at Milingimbi Health Clinic, our government hears your concerns about the need for a new building, but keep up the good work because all eyes are on you, especially now that you have the Health Worker of the Year coming from Milingimbi. Well done, Barbara Dharmany.
The demise of Aboriginal Air is having an impact on services for Milingimbi and, in particular, to Nhulunbuy. The Milingimbi to Nhulunbuy leg is now non-existent. Thankfully though, AirNorth continues its regular service from Darwin to Maningrida to Milingimbi so the community does not feel so isolated, unlike their nearby neighbours at Ramingining. Ramingining is suffering without a regular passenger transport service. A year ago, the community celebrated the opening of a new sealed airstrip. However, the constant question I receive from residents in Ramingining now is: ‘Barb, thanks for the new airstrip but what happened to the planes?’ A simple statement, I know. Yes, I can say to the residents of Ramingining, our government is working on options for the communities who need assistance. However, the frustration is clearly evident.
Let me give the House just one example, and there are plenty of similar stories, of one person who needed to get to Royal Darwin Hospital in a hurry to see a sick family member. The prognosis was not good for the patient and this family member was in great distress trying to get to RDH the quickest way possible. Unable to meet the AirNorth flight, which meant driving the hour-long or more drive from Ramingining to Maningrida, and unable to get to Milingimbi to meet the flight, the person had no choice but to drive to Darwin. For those of you who do not know, the drive from Ramingining to Darwin is around seven to eight hours on a good day, when the rivers are easy to cross. However, remember it is the Wet Season and all the rivers are up on the road that passes Gunbalanya and comes out at the Cahill Crossing to the Arnhem Highway.
The only other road option is what Ramingining residents call the ‘goat track’; a two-hour drive south of the community onto the Central Arnhem Road that passes Bulman and takes you past Wugularr and Barunga to the Stuart Highway. Then it is another four hours drive north through Katherine, passing Pine Creek and Adelaide River and, finally, to Darwin. I have travelled this road in the Dry and, on a good day, the trip takes around 10 hours straight through. Remember, this is the Wet, and there are creeks and crossings to get across. It is here I would like to say, thankfully, the new Wilton River Bridge at Bulman is assisting and improving the road access at this time of year.
Getting back to this person who had to make the drive, the person eventually got to Royal Darwin Hospital, but the emotional and physical distress endured as a result of no RPT was enormous. For businesses in Ramingining, like nationally and internationally renowned Bula-bula Arts, the economical strain is equally as high. If an RPT service is still not up and running by April, it is estimated the arts centre will have lost around $70 000 in business. Perhaps that is a more conservative figure, but the message is clear: they do need help.
I say this to the people of Milingimbi and Ramingining: take heart because our government is acutely aware of your concerns and the consequences that the absence of an RPT is having, especially on Ramingining. Next month, Cabinet will visit East Arnhem to see the situation for themselves.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I dedicate my first adjournment of the year to the young people of Alice Springs. I know it is a fairly well used line, but our young people are our future and that is why I always take an interest in their achievements. I always enjoy attending the end of year concerts and presentation nights because this provides the community with the opportunity to celebrate our youths’ achievements, and genuinely take an interest in what they have done throughout the school year.
I am very confident in saying that some of the names I will be mentioning tonight in this adjournment are names to look out for in the future. Alice Springs can look forward to a very prosperous future as these young people will no doubt play greater roles in the various areas of community life in the years to come. It is important for this parliament to acknowledge young Territorians. That is why I would like to place on the public record the names of many outstanding young achievers from Alice Springs who have recently been recognised at the many school presentation and award nights I attended during December and January.
It is also important to thank the many people who put a lot of work into organising these events, including the sponsors, staff members, teachers, students, school council members and parents. It is due to the great work undertaken by all of these people that we guests who attended were able to enjoy fantastic presentations, dances, band performances and video footage reflecting on the school year. It was truly a pleasure to be able to meet so many parents and to present many awards to not only the high achievers, but to students who received the Chief Minister’s numeracy and literacy awards for the first time.
The Alice Springs High School presentation night was held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre, and what a great venue this place is. Alice Springs High School held its formal and award night together and it was impressive to witness the older students’ dress codes on this occasion. Many of them were unrecognisable because of the clothes they were wearing. They were all very impressive.
It was my pleasure to present the Sportsman and Sportswoman Awards on behalf of my colleague, the member for Macdonnell, to Mitch Murray and Simone Baker. Both recipients have truly excelled in the sporting area. I would like to say a few words about Mitch Murray. It was great to present this award to him because I have known Mitch and his family for quite some time. I have had the pleasure of watching Mitch and his twin brother, Craig, develop their Aussie Rules skills through the AFL Auskick program in Alice Springs over the past 10 years or so. Mitch’s parents, Denise and Trevor Murray, are both very dedicated to their children’s sporting activities. I might add that they also enjoy getting stuck into the organisation and volunteer aspects of these sports as well. No doubt, Denise and Trevor are very proud of Mitch achieving All Australian selection at the Under 15 National AFL Carnival, as well as winning this award.
The ANZAC Hill High School awards were held at the Araluen Arts Centre, and it was very well attended by parents and families. It was a special awards night for me, as my two older boys attend ANZAC and received awards on the night. I presented the Chief Minister’s Numeracy and Literacy Awards to Debbie Abbott, Tasma Palmer, Megan Bathern, Justin Paech, Sophie Gilbey, David Payne-Hampton, Joshua Appo and Zach Peckham-McKenzie.
I also acknowledge ANZAC’s efforts in winning the Territory’s only award during the National Literacy Week last year. I look forward to hearing more success from this school this year, particularly with the addition of the Clontarf Football Academy at ANZAC, ASHS and Yirara College.
It was an honour to attend both the ACE Awards and the Year 6 graduation awards at the Sadadeen Primary School last December. ACE represents the Academic, Citizenship and Endeavour achievements by students throughout the year. At the ACE Awards, I presented the Chief Minister’s Numeracy and Literacy Awards to Livita Davis; Thorin Archibald; Niam Young; Andy Ngo; Kelsey Strawbridge; Rohan Ackerman; John Hanak and Justin Halls. At the Sadadeen Primary School Year 6 graduation ceremony, it was my pleasure to present the Australia Day Council Citizenship Award to Brennan Prior. Sadadeen Primary School holds a special place within my family as all three of my sons have attended there over the past 10 years. I thank the principal, Mrs Heather Tubberhauer, and staff for their kind invitations last year, and particularly their efforts in working with the children and families from the Hidden Valley, Ilpeye Ilpeye and White Gate town camps in my electorate. I look forward to visiting them again this year and watching with interest how they progress their relationships with the town camp students and families.
At the Ross Park Primary School, I presented awards to many students in recognition of their attendances through the year, and the Chief Minister’s Numeracy and Literacy Awards. Those students who received awards were: Mikeyli Hendry; Moby Edwards; Jasmine Krollig; Jospehone Foster; Sophie Komandina; Brylei Phillips; Alistair Robinson; Leticia Keane; Zoe Johnston; Ryan Forrester; Sarah Sanderson; Chloe Southham and Lucy Cooper.
I attended the Australia Day flag raising and citizenship ceremony in Alice Springs on Friday, 26 January 2007, presented by the Alice Springs Town Council. The setting was the new Civic Centre at the Alice Springs Town Council, and I must say, the venue was just superb. Although it was an early start to the Australia Day public holiday, 8 am to be exact, it was a perfect day with clear blue skies and even with the water flowing down the Todd River after a couple of weeks of rain. I understand it was a change of venue this year away from the traditional venue of the Telegraph Station and, judging by the big turnout by the community of Alice Springs, it was a successful move.
Our Mayor, Ms Fran Kilgariff, was the presiding officer of the event, and the citizenship MC was Mr Rex Mooney, both of whom, I might add, did a very good job. I also acknowledge the attendance of Dr Richard Lim MLA, member for Greatorex, at the awards.
The highlight of the morning for me was the short but inspiring speech by Mr John Pyper, the 2005 Centralian of the Year. John’s achievements are many and, behind all of these achievements, is a young man who has kept his feet firmly planted on the ground. John has continued working as a fire officer, and his contribution to the sport of cycling has extended outside Alice Springs. I believe John has also recently been appointed as the head coach of Cycling NT.
This year, we welcomed some 15 oath recipients and five affirmation recipients to the Alice Springs community. Our Citizens of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and the Event of the Year were all truly well deserved. This year, as the member for Barkly and the Minister for Central Australia has acknowledged tonight, there were joint winners of the Citizen of the Year award. Pippa Tessmann and Mildred Inkamala are both deserving winners and, despite coming from very different backgrounds, are both proud Central Australians.
Pippa Tessmann is a well-known and respected physiotherapist, and is also well known for her work throughout the Masters Games and in promoting Alice Springs throughout her extensive sports medical networks. Mildred Inkamala is one of those quiet achievers who has worked tirelessly with the Ntaria community, both as a health worker and within the substance abuse programs. Mildred and her husband, Karl, are fantastic role models and leaders in their community. Once again, I offer both Pippa and Mildred my sincere congratulations.
The Young Citizen of the Year was Kelvin Caspani, a very talented young athlete who, in 2006, won the Keegan Medal for the Best and Fairest player in the Central Australian Rugby League competition. Kelvin has particularly excelled in the sport of touch football and has been selected in the 2007 National Touch League Barbarians team.
The event of the year was the YHA National Trust 50th Anniversary ‘A Town like Alice’ event.
On the 2 February 2007, I attended the Northern Territory Board of Studies Student Awards at the Voyages Hotel in Alice Springs. I acknowledge the attendance of the Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Mrs Pat Miller AO, the member for Braitling, Mrs Loraine Braham MLA, and our Mayor, Ms Fran Kilgariff. The awards were hosted by Professor Carole Kayrooz, the Chair of the Northern Territory Board of Studies. There were quite a few awards presented, including a Certificate of Merit, of which the recipients were Kirstin Wilkinson, Jordan Beverley, Bobby Knispel, Ronja Moss, Matthew Higgins, Bradley Connor and Miro Laffan.
The winners of the Administrators Medal for the Territory Junior Scholars were Brennan Prior from the Sadadeen Primary School and Mardi Schulz from the Braitling Primary School.
The Northern Territory Music School Award winner was May Loke from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College.
It was my great pleasure to present, on behalf of the minister for Education, the top 20 2006 Final Year Student Awards to Jordan Beverley of Centralian Senior Secondary College and Matthew Higgins from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College. The top 20 award recognises students who have achieved a perfect score of 20 out of 20 in the Northern Territory Certificate of Education.
In conclusion, I am looking forward to a prosperous year for Central Australia and my electorate of Stuart. As the Chief Minister said in her statement today on delivering for the Territory key challenges in 2007, Central Australia, like all regions of the Northern Territory, has its fair share of challenges ahead in 2007. This government, as the statement has demonstrated, is doing a lot of good things in Central Australia. This government is delivering top sporting infrastructure and events into Alice Springs, and has demonstrated a genuine concern and effort in addressing the problems of short-term accommodation needs.
The Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan that was launched late last year is already beginning to see improvements, as the Chief Minister stated today. To support this, as I visit town scamps in my electorate, people are saying to me things are a lot quieter. Sure, there are still some hot spots and this government is committed to addressing these with the rest of the community.
This government has made significant inroads into indigenous health and education, and we have secondary education being rolled out into the regions and the bush. The Minister for Local Government is next week presenting a statement on local government reforms and the continuing roll-out and work of economic development committees into the regions. I have great confidence in saying that service delivery and employment opportunities in the bush will prosper in 2007.
Listening to the opposition’s response to the Chief Ministers statement today, I was very disappointed. The CLP’s response was full of negative comments and empty of ideas and policy. Maybe the CLP think of it as their job to be so negative but, let me tell you, the people of Alice Springs are becoming very tired of this. As I drive around Alice Springs, I see lots of building and construction projects under way. I do not know; but maybe I live in a different town to those CLP members there, but there is certainly a lot of activity happening.
In conclusion, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I look forward to working with the Minister for Central Australia and my colleague, the member for Macdonnell, in providing all Central Australians strong representation in government in 2007.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Australia Day 2007 was celebrated in Katherine with the ceremony at the Civic Centre which began at 9 am with the raising of the flag by Boy Scout, Callan Horton, and Girl Guides, Katie Jay, Leonie and Ebany McCombes. During the flag raising the Cantarbillay Choir, under the direction of Jan Murphy, sang the National Anthem. Everyone then proceeded out of the hot, warm, humid morning air into the Civic Centre to airconditioned comfort for the rest of the ceremony. Mayor Anne Shepherd, as the host, welcomed everyone present and gave a short presentation. Mayor Shepherd then conducted the citizenship ceremony, and is was a pleasure to welcome Ma Elena Johnson and David and Vicky Travers as Katherine’s newest Australian citizens.
Aldermen Jodie Locke and Henry Higgins then presented the Students Citizens Awards to Thynne MacFarlane of St Joseph’s College Junior Campus; Tara Downes of St Joseph’s College Senior Campus; Meagan Ranford of Casuarina Street Primary School; and Meaghan Pike of Katherine South Primary School. Students who received their awards at the end of last year were Shauna Downman from MacFarlane Primary School; Madeline Ingrames from Katherine High School; and Tess Upstill from Clyde Fenton Primary School. Well done to all the students for their achievements.
The Community Event of the Year was awarded to the Katherine Game Fishing Club’s Big Horse Barra Classic, and I was honoured to present the award to Ash Ranford who represented the club. Greg Wright is the current President of the Katherine Game Fishing Club which has been operating for some 20 years. The Big Horse Barra Classic is a huge attraction for all keen anglers, and those who are still becoming keen, and draws around 2000 participants each year. It is a much anticipated event which is held over the May Day long weekend, which is 4, 5 and 6 May this year.
The Katherine Senior Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Robina Plume-Fowler-Dreon who is a long-term resident of Katherine. Robina is Secretary and Treasurer of the Katherine Western and Appaloosa Pony Club which holds many of its events at Robina’s rural block, in addition to the block which Laurie and Tanya Brown own. Robina had wonderful success at the Alice Springs Masters Game in 2006, where she won six gold and six silver medals on her loved horse, Pippa. Robina had the most intricately carved saddle I have ever seen made for her competition work. It is a beautiful display of leather craftsmanship. Robina thoroughly enjoys the mental and physical fitness horse riding brings, and is always encouraging to other riders, especially young and new riders. It is always a pleasure watching Robina enjoy what she does so well. Congratulations, Robina, on the well-deserved award of Katherine Senior Sportsperson of the year.
The Junior Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Rhys Booth who was unable to be present. However, his nanna, Chrissy Booth, was absolutely delighted to receive the award on his behalf. Rhys is a young rugby player who played in the Katherine West Tiger team which was runner-up in the Darwin Rugby League Under 18 competition last year, and he was selected in the Australian Under 15 side. Well done, Rhys. He is also a keen Rugby Union and football player. Unfortunately for Katherine, Rhys is heading to Queensland this year to further his league career. I wish him all the best for his future. He has had a great start in Katherine, as have two other young Rugby League players: Todd Hair who won the Junior Sportsperson of the Year in 2004, and Stevie Kelly in 2005.
The Young Citizen of the Year was Eleanor Hayes, and I was privileged to present her with her award. Eleanor impressed me greatly when I first listened to her publicly speak when she was elected to be Clyde Fenton Primary School Captain 2006, and she is a worthy winner of the Young Citizen award. I am going to read into the Parliamentary Record Eleanor’s letter to the Australian Day Selection Panel, as it clearly shows her leadership qualities and what a great future she has ahead of her:
I was born in Katherine in 1993 and since then I have participated in, and contributed to, many community and sporting events.
My contributions to the community include volunteering as a junior steward in the cooking section at the Katherine District Show in 2005 and 2006. Throughout my time as a Junior Steward my knowledge of the behind the scenes work carried out by many volunteers has been expanded. Gillian Hagger has volunteered as a steward at the show for many years and when I began she was the person who explained to me how everything works. Penny Wigan has been a judge in the cooking section for a few years, and in my first year she explained to me why she was selecting that bread to win, or how that chutney is a first place. Apart from stewarding, I have submitted multiple entries for the show since 1998, and in 2003 I was award Highest Junior Aggregate.
I am also involved in the Katherine Football Club where I have been an active player at weekly games for six years. In 2005 and 2006 I volunteered as a linesman. I will be eligible to complete my referees course in early 2007 and further my contribution. During 2005 I volunteered for the position as Midgets coach for six months, along with Lisa Alexander and her sons, Jack and Matthew.
During 2006 I began playing the clarinet and I was invited to join the Katherine Combined Schools Concert Band conducted by Ms Louise Doyle. In May 2006 the band travelled to Darwin to compete in the Eisteddfod. The Combined Schools Band has performed at numerous community functions, including the thanksgiving for Emergency Services and at the High School presentation night. The band has also recently completed a series of performances at all the Katherine primary schools.
In both 2005 and 2006, I volunteered to be a model at the St Paul’s Fashion Parade where I modelled clothes from the St Paul’s Op Shop. I have also joined an instrumental group which plays hymns at the St Paul’s Anglican Church 9 am Sunday service.
In 2006, I began competing in the Katherine Athletics Club’s Friday night competition. Throughout the year, I have been involved in numerous athletic competitions such as the Katherine Athletics Championships where I was awarded 1993 girls age championship and broke a number of Katherine records. I also represented the Katherine Athletics Club and Rivers Region at the Northern Territory Track and Field Championships where I won seven gold medals, two silver and a bronze medal being overall NT Champion in triple jump and long jump for my age.
In November I was selected to represent the Northern Territory in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships at Homebush, Sydney.
As Clyde Fenton School Captain in 2006, I represented the school community in numerous events including the Anzac Day Ceremony.
I am a committed and hard-working member of the Katherine Community and express great pride in Katherine wherever I represent the town. I endeavour to be a great ambassador and always declare that Katherine is the best place to live.
It is not hard to see that Eleanor is a very deserving winner and the Katherine community is very proud of her, as, of course, are her parents Nigel and Lynda Hayes.
Katherine Citizen of the Year was awarded to long-term resident, Sonya Arnold, affectionately known as Wranger, whose parents Pam and Geoff, sister Debbie and brother-in-law Ian Young were at the ceremony and very proudly watched Sonya receive her award. At the age of seven, Sonya was evacuated from Darwin to Katherine with her family in 1974 following Cyclone Tracy. She completed her schooling in Katherine before travelling throughout Europe, England, USA and South Africa. When she arrived home in Katherine, Sonya committed herself to all aspects of the community, giving many hours of voluntary work over the years. Sonya began volunteer work with Katherine St John Ambulance as a cadet in 1982 and became a member of the adult division in 1985. She was the St John Ambulance Venue Commander at the Sydney International Three-Day Event in 1999, St John Ambulance Commander for the Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and Paralympics, awarded the Order of St John Priory Vote of Thanks in 2002 for services rendered to the order, awarded 17 Years Service Bar in 2004, became a qualified paramedic in 2005, and admitted to the Order of St John as a serving sister in 2006.
Sonya is a very familiar face around Katherine at community events where St John presence is required and, being a former St John Ambulance member in South Australia myself, I fully appreciate the voluntary hours that she gives to our community. In addition to Sonya’s commitment to St John, she is also a very active member of the Pony Club Association in Katherine.
This is certainly a challenging pastime because, believe it or not, Sonya is allergic to horse hair and some chaff and hay, but that has not stopped her one bit. She became a member of the Katherine Horse and Pony Club in 1975 and has held various positions on the committees over the years, including vice president, secretary and publicity officer.
Among Sonya’s other achievements in the equestrian community, she was awarded Honorary Life Member Katherine Horse and Pony Club in 1998, awarded Australia’s Sports Medal for services to pony club in 2000, Vice President of the NT Pony Club Association for three terms, coordinator of NT Pony Club Association Examiners Panel and a Senior Examiner, Katherine Horse and Pony Club coach, and team manager for various teams competing at Territory Pony Club Championships, including mounted games, dressage and show jumping, and chief instructor for 12 years. Sonya also gained her British Horse Society Instructor accreditation whilst working in England in 1989-90, and worked in a summer camp in California, USA teaching horse riding in 1997.
Sonya has been a member of the Katherine and District Show Society since 1975 when she started as a junior member. She was a junior steward in the cooking section before becoming involved in the horse ring. She was the Katherine District Show Society Councillor from 1989 to 2004, including Assistant Ring Master for eight shows. She was awarded honorary life member in 2000, and is Councillor and Ring Master for this year’s Katherine Show. Sonya has judged at Royal Darwin Show and Freds Pass Show on many occasions, is a nationally accredited Pony Club and Equestrian Federation of Australia Coach, and has trained and successfully competed on many horses over the years in various horse events.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I am sure you will agree how remarkable both the commitment and achievements of Sonya are when you take into consideration her horse allergies. Without question, she is a very dedicated and determined supporter of the Pony Club Association and is very much appreciated for all the voluntary work she does.
In addition to the above achievements, Sonya has also attained a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bronze level and works full-time at Department of Defence as a business manager, 322 Combat Support Squadron, RAAF Base Tindal. Congratulations, Sonya, you are truly a well-deserved recipient of the Katherine Citizen of the Year Award.
Following the award ceremony, the Australia Day speech was given by Wes Miller of the Jawoyn Association. I am not going to have enough time to read into the Parliamentary Record tonight Wes’ speech, so I will do that tomorrow night out of respect for Wes. I will also have to make a correction to Wes calling the mayor ‘Your Excellency’. Anne Shepherd, the Mayor of Katherine, was bestowed royal status for this speech. It would be very advantageous for Katherine if it were true. Anyway, I will read Wes’ speech into Hansard tomorrow night.
However, following his speech, the Australia Day Council cake, which was decorated by Leisha of Leisha’s Creative Cakes of Katherine, was cut by Mayor, Anne Shepherd, and Katherine Citizen of the Year, Sonya Arnold. A light luncheon was served before everyone made their way home to rest and prepare for the Australia Day sports celebrations, which began mid-afternoon at the Katherine Works and Social Club. It was a great Australia Day 2007 that was well supported by the people of Katherine.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016