2007-06-21
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Mr McADAM (Communications): Madam Speaker, the most recent announcement by the federal government concerning broadband is disappointing for the Territory. One of the major problems with the announcement is the deliberate lack of detail. To quote Simon Hackett, the Managing Director of Internode: ‘The devil is in the detail and we do not have the details yet’. The announcement is another rebadging of the funding for broadband and brings with it a sense of dj vu.
What was once Broadband Connect has now become Australia Connected. The federal government has, once again, used the same pool of money to produce the illusion of something new. The other sense of dj vu that one is left with is that, yet again, the Territory has been left behind. For the federal government and its local representatives, the Territory just does not matter. Whilst nearly $2bn will be spent nationally, very little money will be spent in the Territory and will, in effect, deliver nothing new for the Territory.
The wireless broadband is not mobile and it requires the users to be permanently connected with a stationary wireless antenna. This means that everyone who chooses to subscribe to wireless broadband will need an antenna on their roof. As I have said, details are scarce, but we do know that the purchase and installation of antennas is not cheap. There is an existing wireless service in Darwin, and in that regard there is nothing new in the federal government’s plan.
It has been suggested by many that the technology being adopted is untried wireless broadband. It relies on a frequency band operation that costs nothing to use and is, therefore, not managed. Consequently, this frequency, which is used to open automatic garage doors, is subject to a lot of noise that will also affect the capabilities and performance of the service.
The promise from the federal government is for 12 megabits per second download rate. Whilst this is theoretically feasible, the capacity of the technology to deliver these speeds will be drastically affected by a number of factors including the distance from the transmitter, environment such as tropical storms, and the number of other users and the level of demand they place on the service. So, if there is nothing for Darwin, what can be said for the rest of the Territory?
In complete contradiction to the stated aims of the now defunct Broadband Connect, there is nothing for those most disadvantaged right across the Territory. Those areas within the seat of Lingiari do not make it onto the government’s priority list for one very obvious reason: they are not within a marginal electorate held by the Coalition. Everyone in this place agrees on the need for education, health services and economic development in our regional and remote areas. Previous debates have highlighted the necessity of telecommunications infrastructure in remote communities for service delivery. Australia Connected demonstrates that the delivery of those services to the bush is not a priority of the federal government.
Madam Speaker, I have some concern with the existing small to medium Internet service providers in the Northern Territory. What is not apparent, at this stage, is what would happen when the nearly $1bn of taxpayers’ money is used to subsidise the consortium to potentially compete against localised ISP companies. Again, the devil is in the detail. I call upon the opposition to take this opportunity to stand up for the Territory and identify the announcement for what it is: yet another example of the federal government turning its back on the Territory.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, there must be a federal election looming shortly for this minister to get up and talk about this sort of thing. He can hardly even read the paper he was given and I wonder whether he understands anything about it. Never mind that Australian companies like Elders, who have contributed to this new initiative under the name of OPEL, is an Australian company that deserves every right to get its hands and its services out there to 99% of the population of Australia.
It is not for me to debate a federal political issue. That is pretty silly. For the minister’s information, this is going to deliver very fast broadband by June 2009, two years from now, without having to raid any of Australia’s Future Fund. That is what this government, in support of your federal masters, is going to do; rob Australia’s future. That is how despicable this government is, to say ‘poor Territorians’. It is not about poor Territorians; it is about Australia and how Australia can enter into the modern world through broadband very quickly. It is just on two years that this whole thing will be rolled out.
This government tries to grandstand and to core politically when, in fact, they have done very little to engage the federal government in delivering broadband in the Northern Territory.
Mr McADAM (Communications): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his contribution. He is very much a clone of the federal government: has no capacity, no vision, no commitment to the Northern Territory. Your allegation …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr McADAM: … to provide services to 99% of Australia is absolutely false. There is no capacity for the major regional centres of Australia and, indeed, for the four major regional centres of the Northern Territory - nothing for the bush whatsoever. The other point I wish to make is that we, as Australians and Territorians, believe in equity. We believe in a fair go. We believe in a fair go for all Australians. You have failed miserably on this occasion to stand up for those people most in need and endorse a second-rate broadband service for those people in the regional centres ...
Mr Stirling: We are not a little village in Malaysia.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Deputy Chief Minister really needs to get his act together. His behaviour in the Chamber has deteriorated excessively. Today this caps it off. He should withdraw what he just said.
Madam SPEAKER: Just pause. I am sorry, I did not actually hear what the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I simply pointed out that we are not a little village in Malaysia. What could be unparliamentary about that, I do not know.
Madam SPEAKER: All right. Please resume your seat.
Dr Lim interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, for an animal only 20 cm long and weighing no more than 600 gm, the little red flying fox punches above its weight in its impact on our parks management and on our tourists.
Many members here, and certainly the members for Daly and Katherine, will be well aware of the destruction and disruption caused by colonies of the little red flying fox at Mataranka thermal pools, in the Katherine River corridor and in Batchelor. Very large colonies up to 500 000 establish themselves almost annually in these locations and the pressure they put on the local environment is intense. The trees in which they roost are denuded of green leaves, leading to a loss of shade and accumulation of waste at ground level; the noise of the screeching is overwhelming; and the stench no better. Clearly, this is not an ideal attraction for our tourists.
The little red flying fox is a protected species and plays a critical role in our ecology and environment, so the line in the sand which we will not cross is that there will be no killing of these animals. This is a classic case of conflict at the interface of the natural and social environments.
For most of their race, the little reds are not a problem. It is when their range and habitat intersects with areas that people want to visit and spend time in that the problem starts. This leaves management and preferably relocation as the means of dealing with the problem.
Over the past 20 years, the Parks and Wildlife Service has tried everything to relocate these colonies. These strategies have included attempting to relocate the colonies using helicopters - not very successfully; the bats are very tenacious and the tourists tend not to enjoy low flying helicopter noise. In fact, the noise from the helicopters generated more complaints than the bats did. Apart from that, it is risky business for the pilots as they need to get near the roost trees. An explosive pyrotechnic device, called bird fright, has been used, again not successfully. Spraying colonies with water cannons is another strategy that has been tried, as has establishing a sprinkler system in the canopy of the trees. Smoke sirens and loud noises have been tried, but the little reds are not easily dissuaded.
Tree lopping to reduce roosting sites is a relatively effective action, but do tourists really want to sit in the pools and walk around in areas devoid of vegetation? All evidence suggests that the programs aimed at removing the little reds from Mataranka results in them establishing colonies in Katherine, and vice versa.
Essentially, then, the government is expending large amounts of money, time and labour in moving the flying foxes back and forth between Katherine and Mataranka. This is clearly unproductive. In 2006 alone, park staff at Elsey National Park totalled 335 hours for relocation and cleaning. Contract cleaners worked an additional 120 hours to do the flying fox cleanup of handrails and pool surrounds.
Parks and Wildlife have funded investigations into the movement patterns and distribution of the little reds using satellites and radio telemetry to better understand their behaviour. A joint study with my department, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, the University of Sydney and the University of California Davis has revealed some interesting results. An individual little red flying fox can travel over 1000 km in a matter of weeks. I table the maps for all members’ benefit. If you have a look at the maps, the amount of area that these little flying foxes cover is amazing.
They move following good supplies of eucalypts and paperbark flowers, and they appear to do almost a circuit focusing on the Katherine and Mataranka area. What the studies show is that the little reds will always return. I visited the spot recently and, while the little reds had moved on, their impact was clear. The area around the pool has certainly taken a hammering and I fully acknowledge that the presence of the flying fox is not conducive to a wonderful tourist experience. However, I have made it clear that there is almost nothing we can do, but we will continue to work with the park. It is almost like trying to prevent the tide coming in and going out.
There is an alternative spot to the thermal pools of which many people will not be aware. Bitter Springs, also in the Elsey National Park, and only a short distance from the pools, was opened to the public in November. It is a gem of a place, very small but with delightful, clear water stream and pools, which were being very much enjoyed by a handful of children and adults when I was there. I thoroughly recommend a visit to the springs.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her report. As the minister knows, these cute, little red things that are driving everybody mad have been a nightmare for Mataranka and Katherine. In Mataranka, from the time they have taken over Mataranka thermal pools, it has been a really disastrous time for the Mataranka Homestead and the people who run it, to the point that those people now are working mainly back in Perth. There is not much economy for them at all. People choose not to stay.
As the minister would have experienced herself, when you pull up at the pool, open up the car door, the odour is immediate and the devastation caused to the vegetation would break your heart. If you look at what it was like 10 to 15 years ago, before they decided to make it their habitat and their lovely little nursery area, it was absolutely beautiful and a wonderful tourist attraction. Now it is a disaster for tourists. And we have encouraged people to visit Mataranka thermal pools. Bitter Springs opened in about 2000. It does not attract the same number of people. It is lovely, and it has been done up very well, but it just does not attract the same number of people.
However, it is not only tourists. It is the locals in Katherine who have had to chop down many beautiful shade trees over the last few years, and try just about everything, as the minister has said in her report, and nothing seems to work. They still seem to find another tree. In this two minutes that I have, I advise one thing we have tried to do is improve people’s understanding of the little red fellows, and have night walks to watch the bats flying over from the high level bridge and the railway level bridge, which is pretty spectacular. We just want to see them flying over. We do not want them to land and, of course, they are. They are finding nice spots through Katherine, which is very disappointing.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her report. I thought for a minute, when she was talking about the little reds, she was talking about a junior branch of the Labor Party.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: Sorry, to get back to the subject, I was also in Mataranka early this year, I believe the week that the little reds disappeared, because there were people swimming in the pools there. I know the minister said that there was concern about destroying these little flying foxes, because of their interaction with human activity. Of course, one of the problems is that is not just the human activities they affect, it is the natural environment, because those palm trees there were absolutely destroyed - I would have thought they had been napalmed. There is a stem, with a few leaves, but there is nothing much else. They certainly cause a major amount of destruction just to the natural environment, let alone worrying about what effect it has on the tourism industry.
When I was there, the owner of the Mataranka caravan park raised issues regarding construction of new toilets there. He was also constructing toilets at the same time as the caravan park. I wonder whether there was some difficulty or problems in trying to combine resources from both those groups - Parks and Wildlife and the private management of the caravan park - so that we were not duplicating services. If one person is going to put in some toilets, why would Parks and Wildlife be doing the same thing 100 m down the road? I do not know whether you could comment on that.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for Katherine and Nelson for their contributions. As I said, this is a classic case of conflict at the interface of both the natural and social environment. You have to actually see the harm and destruction to believe it. It has been an ongoing problem. We are working on it. The member for Daly has certainly facilitated a lot of discussion between the park owners, Parks and Wildlife, and my office - and that is continuing - regarding the toilets and some of the issues that we have had there. However, we are discussing and working with them to try to resolve, not just the bat issues, but also the issues with the toilets and other matters of concern the owners have, with Parks and Wildlife Service. The discussions between the owners and Parks and Wildlife are ongoing.
Mr McADAM (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, today I report on the very successful Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race held over the Queen’s Birthday weekend in Alice Springs. This year was the 32nd time the Finke has been run. The race has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1976. From 56 bikes then to 85 cars and buggies and 477 bikes, quads, and sidecars this year it really is a remarkable event. Out of those 85 cars and 477 bikes, 41 cars and 346 bikes made it to the Finke and back. That is an amazing feat.
Congratulations to the winners, Hayden Bentley and Ben Chivell, in car No 2, and Ben Grabham on bike No 3. There are many great stories about this year’s Finke Desert Race. Darrell Knight on a 90cc quad bike showed true Finke spirit. He rode the least powerful bike of the entire field and finished in the dark followed only by the final sweeper vehicle. Aboriginal riders from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands competed once again. Sixty-nine-year-old Keith Poole was the oldest competitor this year and the first winner of the car race 20 years ago, and Jack Dooley-McDonnell, the youngest competitor at 16 years of age completed the journey. These are just some of the highlights. There were international competitors who came for the Finke experience. Six-time consecutive Baja 500 winners, Steve Hengeveld, again made the trip to finish 12th, and Team PNG had five of their seven riders finish the race.
Of course, no mention of the Finke Desert Race is complete without an update on the former minister for Finke, Peter Toyne. You will all be pleased to know that the Rick Schembri-driven, Peter Toyne-navigated, Correctional Services buggy ‘The Fugly’ made it to Finke and back, placing 37th overall. They dedicated this race to their mate and former Finke partner, Neil Anderson, who sadly passed away late last year.
We, as a government, have put more than $1m into the facilities for the Finke Desert Race and we continue to support the Finke annually through NT Major Events. The great success of the race and the record number of competitors show that this investment is paying off. There is also pit crew, family, friends and just general Finke lovers who bring an estimated $2.5m into the Alice Springs economy.
Of course, an event like the Finke Desert Race could not go ahead without the work put in by the Finke Desert Race Committee and the hundreds of volunteers. The committee are all volunteers who spend 12 months preparing for the next Finke. It takes great dedication and an enormous matter of effort. To Antony Yoffa, Damien Ryan, Brooke Fraser, Kelsey Rodda, Nina Hargrave, Tony Phillips, Glen Auricht and Clare Fuller, and the 300 or so people who volunteered to help with the race again, thank you for your great work.
The support of the sponsors is equally appreciated by the NT government. I thank Tattersall’s, Alice Springs Town Council, ABC radio, Readymix, Imparja Television, Foster’s Australia, Lasseter Hotel Casino, and all other sponsors as well. Thank you also to the pastoralists along the route, and the Aputula community for allowing the use of their land.
I make special mention of Lyn and Gary Butterfield, who were awarded the Local Hero Award, a most prestigious accolade, for their 25 years of volunteer service to the Finke Desert Race as check point chiefs at Rodinga - an outstanding achievement and a richly deserved acknowledgement. Congratulations to all the winners, all the competitors, the Finke Desert Race Committee, the hundreds of volunteers, the sponsors, and the spectators for making this year’s race another huge success for the Northern Territory.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, speaking on behalf of the member for Blain, the shadow minister for sports and recreation, I thank the minister for presenting the report on the Finke Desert Race. All of us living in Alice Springs are well aware of the benefits this race brings to the Territory. I join the minister in congratulating and thanking all the people who have contributed their voluntary services to support this event in the way that no other pubic event has been supported, as far as I know, in the Northern Territory.
We should also thank the community of Alice Springs and the way they turn out in huge numbers to support the event, not only at the start and finish line of the Finke Desert Race, but along the whole route all the way down to Finke. A few years ago, I was the course and race doctor. I camped at Rodinga and at Finke to ensure competitors were cared for medically and to ensure they all ended the race in safety.
It was peculiar that the minister, in his words of appreciation to the organisers and compliments to the success of the race, did not mention the 130 km speed limit rule for the Northern Territory. I suppose most of the track, if not all the track, is on private property and, therefore, does not have to comply with the 130 km speed limit. And thank God for that. Not thank the Labor government. Thank God that you do not have to comply with the 130 km speed limit otherwise it will be a race that is not a race. That is the problem …
Ms Lawrie: We give the race a permit, you fool.
Dr LIM: … this government does things that are contradictory. There is a 110 km speed limit on the Lasseter Highway, 130 km on the Stuart Highway, and for the Finke Desert Race it is okay, but anywhere else it is not on.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, let us stop the fuss. It was a great weekend. It was fantastic. The town was abuzz. Everyone got behind it, not just the 300 volunteers who helped, but all the population who camped along the roads, who went to Finke, and all the support teams. I have never seen it feeling so good. I want to say: ‘Well done, Antony Yoffa’, who is the president. He did a fantastic job. He visited schools. He visited Finke a couple of times. He even competed - I do not know where he came but I know he did get there and back. It was just such a good feel and there were so many people in town.
I say give thanks when thanks are due. Thank you, Northern Territory government, because the Finke Desert Race has great facilities now and, under the previous minister, Peter Toyne, they have been able to get some facilities that are worthwhile. What they do need now is a building. The St John Ambulance people did not have a donga or anywhere except a tent and it was just too darn cold, and they need something also for the race officials. I believe they will be applying for that.
As well as that, they did not have a Northern Territory flag to start the race. It must have been overlooked somewhere along the way. I know the Minister for Sport and Recreation is going to address that and make sure they have a Territory flag. Little things like that are forgotten, I guess.
Thanks to all the people, to Gary and Lyn who come up year after year to help, all those people, the small people out there. The pastoralists are wonderful; they allow the people to go there. We had a few problems with the long drops; there did not seem to be enough of them at Finke. I am sure that has been addressed, and I do not want to know about it anyway if it was not. There was no serious accident or incident.
All told we can say: ‘Well done, Finke Committee. You have done a fantastic job’.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr McADAM (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I thank members opposite for their contribution. Member for Braitling, you spoke like a true Centralian in your support for the race. I also thank the member for Greatorex. There can be no comparisons drawn between the 130 km limit and the Finke Desert Race. Clearly, the Finke Desert Race had to seek a special permit from the Northern Territory government. That was approved. It is important to understand that road safety is beholden on all Territorians and we should look upon Finke as quite a separate issue.
The Finke Desert Race over 32 years has come from a purely Centralian context to a major international event. We, as a government, and as members locally, have to be able to provide that ongoing support. We will continue to do that. I take on board the member for Braitling’s concerns about the St John Ambulance facility. We have had discussions with Mr Yoffa about ablution facilities.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bill is to amend the Mining Act and the Petroleum Act in response to amendments made by the Commonwealth to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act, commonly referred to as the Land Rights Act.
Amendments were made to the Land Rights Act following a review by the Commonwealth of the Land Rights Act, coupled with recommendations contained in a joint submission to the Commonwealth government by the Northern Territory government and the Northern Territory land councils in 2003. The submission highlighted a number of areas in the Land Rights Act which needed to be addressed to remove some of the impediments causing delays to the grant of mineral exploration licences and petroleum exploration permits on Aboriginal freehold land. Amendments were passed last year by the federal parliament, with the majority of amendments commencing on 1 October 2006.
However, commencement of amendments made to Part 4, Mining, of the Land Rights Act has been delayed by the Commonwealth to allow the Northern Territory to have drafted and to pass necessary amendments to the Mining Act and the Petroleum Act to give effect to the changes made in Part 4 of the Land Rights Act. Part 4 of the Land Rights Act deals specifically with mineral and petroleum exploration and mining. The amendments do not affect other parts of the Land Rights Act. The commencement of the Commonwealth amendments to Part 4 is on hold until the Northern Territory government has passed this amendment bill and confirmed a commencement date.
As honourable members will see, amendments to the act are relatively minor, but will ensure the Northern Territory has greater control and administrative responsibility for what is primarily a Northern Territory land use issue. I am confident these amendments will continue to clarify the administration of the act. The changes are best summarised in the following manner:
Section 137 of the Mining Act and section 13 of the Petroleum Act are to be repealed in their entirety and replaced with a clearer and more concise provision. The opportunity has been taken to clarify and expand the procedures covering all decisions that may arise in the process of granting or refusing the consent to negotiate. The purpose and intent of the existing provisions remain unaltered. The amendments made to both these acts deal primarily with the Northern Territory mining minister’s power to withdraw consent to negotiate. This is a new power introduced by the Commonwealth amendments to the Land Rights Act. The power enables the Northern Territory mining minister to withdraw his consent to negotiations in circumstances where he has previously given consent to an applicant to enter into negotiations with a land council. This provision has been inserted at subclause (7)(a) in each relevant section of each act. For clarity, clause 137(7)(b) has been added to allow the refusal of an application in instances where the Northern Territory mining minister has previously given consent to negotiations. Furthermore, it clarifies that in instances where the Northern Territory mining minister has given his consent to negotiate, but later refuses the application, the consent to negotiate will be deemed withdrawn.
New clause 137(8) provides the Northern Territory mining minister with the power to reissue consent to negotiate where consent has previously been refused or withdrawn. It is envisaged that in cases where consent has been withdrawn, the applicant will use the opportunity to refine their proposal prior to the mining minister reissuing consent to negotiate.
New clause 137(9) indicates the impact refusal or withdrawal of consent to negotiate will have on the application for the licence or permit. There is a subtle distinction we felt needed to be clarified. This clause, therefore, states that a refusal or withdrawal of the consent will not imply refusal of the application.
New clause 137(9) provides relevant definitions for additional terms used in the section. The definitions bring consistency between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory legislation, and include a definition for the following: ‘concluded’, ‘consent’ and ‘the Minister’, which refers to the Northern Territory mining minister as defined in the Land Rights Act. A note has also been inserted at the end of the section, referring the reader to Part 4 of the Land Rights Act, as well as the provision for delegations by the Commonwealth minister to the Northern Territory minister under section 76 of the Land Rights Act.
As previously indicated, these particular amendments represent the finalisation and recommendations made by the Northern Territory and the land councils to the Commonwealth. I consider these changes will enhance the administrative transparency and assist the Northern Territory to manage land access issues, and will be to the mutual benefit of explorers and the general community. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act to enable joint management standards to be applied consistently across all Territory jointly-managed parks and reserves. With the exception of parks and reserves which are managed under their own joint management legislation, such as Nitmiluk and the Garig Gunak Barlu (Cobourg) National Park where a joint management agreement is already in place.
Members will recall that the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act was introduced to this House in November 2003 to provide a mechanism for settling outstanding native title and Aboriginal land rights claims over 27 of the Territory’s parks and reserves. In February 2005, consequential amendments to the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act were passed to enable joint management provisions within the Framework act to be brought into effect. The legislative changes passed by this Assembly have been instrumental in resolving uncertainty about the future of many of the Territory’s parks and reserves, and have established a win/win situation for both indigenous and non-indigenous Territorians.
The joint management provisions under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act provide an overarching structure for the administration and management of joint management of parks established under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act. Specifically, the provisions define the objective and principles of joint management; the roles and responsibilities of the joint management partners; the way that a joint management plan must be prepared; the manner in which by-laws must be applied; the function and roles of the land councils; and a number of other details in respect to the administration and management of joint management parks and reserves established under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act.
I am pleased to report that the legislation has facilitated the roll-out of new joint management arrangements across the Territory. I take the opportunity to briefly update the House on the status of the new arrangements. To date, Indigenous Land Use Agreements and leases have been signed and registered for all 27 parks and reserves scheduled under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act, apart from the proposed Mary River National Park, where an objection to the registration of the Indigenous Land Use Agreement is under consideration by the Native Title Tribunal.
Joint management camps and induction workshops have been conducted with traditional owners, groups and Parks’ staff across the new jointly managed parks. There has been much interest generated by both groups in combining contemporary and traditional ways of looking after country. In total, over 200 traditional owners and over 60 Parks and Wildlife staff have participated in joint management induction workshops to date. Flexible employment and training programs, including innovative job sharing arrangements, have been developed to assist traditional owners with employment opportunities in joint management parks. This has provided an avenue for traditional owners to gain access to both full-time and part-time positions. As part of the new joint management arrangement, a total of 11 trainees and permanent indigenous ranger positions have been filled to date. The newly-created flexible employment program has 176 registered participants.
Over the past 12 months, participants have engaged in 52 on-park projects. New training and capacity building programs have resulted in 35 indigenous people enrolled in Certificate II and III accredited courses in Conservation and Land Management. Accredited training is also being provided to traditional owners in job-related training such as chemical use, first aid, fire management, chainsaw operation and tour guiding. Work contracts have been provided to indigenous communities at Gregory National Park, Flora River Nature Park and the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. It is likely that additional contracts will be awarded to indigenous groups to undertake maintenance and construction work associated with joint management parks over time.
Traditional owners of a number of joint management parks have expressed an interest in developing ecotourism opportunities. These are being explored through on-ground workshops and feasibility studies.
Joint management planning workshops have taken place for the majority of new jointly managed parks and reserves. The first joint management plans under the new arrangement are expected to be released for public comment in the near future. A new joint management monitoring and evaluation program is being established in cooperation with the Charles Darwin University. A pilot program is under way at the Flora River Nature Park and a $500 000 Australian Research Council grant application has been submitted to assist in the broader implementation of this program. The monitoring and evaluation program uses innovative and participatory techniques to capture the breadth of joint management outcomes.
Despite the uninformed assertions about our parks being given away, the Territory’s approach to resolving its land and native title claims over parks and reserves is seen both nationally and internationally as forward-looking and visionary. Other Australian states are taking note of the Territory’s farsighted approach, and following suit in resolving land and native title claims.
Today, I introduce to the Assembly a new amendment to the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act. The amendment is designed to broaden the application of the joint management provisions within the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act so that the provisions can apply to the newly-proposed jointly managed parks and reserves within the Territory.
As members will be aware, in late 2005 the former Indigenous Affairs minister, Amanda Vanstone, agreed to recommend the grant of land in the Warnarrwarnarr-Barranyi (Borroloola No 2) land claim to its traditional owners as part of the settlement of the longest running land claim in the Northern Territory’s history. The land comprised most of the islands in the Sir Edward Pellew group in the western Gulf of Carpentaria plus Barranyi, which is North Island, a declared national park. As part of the settlement package, it was agreed that the North Island would continue to be managed as a national park under a formal leaseback and joint management arrangement.
The amendment proposed in the bill will help to formalise a joint management agreement for this park so that it is consistent with the joint management provision outlined in the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act and the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act. Under the CLP government, Tjuwaliyn, which is the Douglas Hot Springs Park, was granted to the Wagiman Land Trust in 1994 and, in 1999, the Upper Daly (Repeat) Land Claim was settled, guaranteeing the Wagiman people freehold title over Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park. A condition of settlement of both of these land grants was for the parks to be jointly managed by the traditional Aboriginal owners and the Northern Territory government. Despite the lapse of 13 years in the case of Tjuwaliyn and over six years in the case of Umbrawarra, no formal agreement over the management of these two areas has ever been reached and the legal basis for their management remains uncertain. The amendments proposed in the bill helps to formalise joint management agreements for both of these parks.
The Parks and Conservation Master Plan provides a vision for an enhanced parks estate which could include, with the agreement of traditional owners, the addition of Aboriginal lands under joint management arrangement. However, there is presently no straightforward legal mechanism for this to occur. The amendments proposed through this bill will provide a mechanism for joint management to be formalised for the Douglas Hot Springs, Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park and Barranyi National Park, and provides a mechanism for the minister to establish, on behalf of the Territory, joint management agreements over the new areas of land for inclusion in the parks estate. The Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act and the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act have set high standards for achieving joint management in the Northern Territory. These standards recognise and value Aboriginal culture and tradition, and require that indigenous knowledge is incorporated in the park management decision-making processes. The standards require that the public is guaranteed access on a no entry fee and no permit basis. The standards require that the public has a say in the joint management planning processes; that the plans of management are passed through this Assembly before being legally adopted; that a joint management park or reserve is managed in accordance with joint management plans and joint management principles; and that the statutory procedures are in place for developing, amending and, if necessary, revoking a joint management plan.
The amendments before you today seek to ensure that the same high standards that apply to parks and reserves scheduled under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act can also apply to other jointly managed parks and reserves in the Territory with the exception, as mentioned before, of parks and reserves which are jointly managed under their own legislation, or where a joint management agreement is already in place. The bill before you allows for a more consistent, transparent and equitable approach to be applied to jointly managed parks and reserves in the Territory.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 1 May 2007.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the 2005 Legislative Assembly General Election was the first managed by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission as an independent statutory body, and the first conducted under the Electoral Act 2004. It was also the first election conducted by Bill Shepheard, who had just taken up the post of Electoral Commissioner only a few weeks before the election was called.
The Northern Territory enjoys a strong democratic tradition, and we are proud that our electoral processes are both fair and transparent. It is also fair to say that Territory elections are unlike most others across Australia, indeed, around the world. Elections are conducted across some of the remotest parts of the country with voters spread far and wide and in small numbers. Every member of this parliament has a story or two to tell about their campaigns, especially those from bush electorates. There is no doubt it is a unique experience and a great privilege to be involved in the process.
As the leader of the majority party the experience is different again. The range of issues and situations you deal with are diverse and challenging. The experience is unforgettable. I can assure the member for Araluen that when it is her turn to lead her party into an actual election, it will be like nothing she has ever experienced.
The job of politicians is one thing; the job of the Electoral Commissioner is quite another. I am very proud of the fact that this government put in place a truly independent Electoral Commission. It sets its own agenda and methodology and it operates within a straightforward and clear act that lays down the principles behind the conduct of elections here in the Territory.
The 2005 election is a good example of the commission’s integrity and professionalism. The election was open, fair and transparent and, importantly, managed in a highly efficient manner. The government notes the recommendations made by the commissioner and will take his views into consideration as we review our policies on the conduct of elections at a future date. We do not believe there is a pressing need for further reform of the electoral system, but it is part of the normal course of events. We review our policy approach on a regular basis and, at that time, we will consider Mr Shepheard’s recommendations. Those recommendations go to a range of issues, from the length of time for campaigns through to the structure of the commission’s website. The report recommends some clarifications in the application of the act as a result of the 2005 election experience. These issues, in particular, will be the subject of further internal discussion and submission to the government. They include clarification around declaration votes, extensions to the pre-poll voting periods, and the more definitive criteria to determine the location of remote polling stations.
I am also keen to see what more can be done to raise public awareness about the need to enrol and to prepare for an election during the final year of a term. As members would be aware, the Australian government has recently tightened procedures around enrolment, and these matters are of great concern. I do not intent to comment on these issues further today. As I have already said, they will be the subject of further internal discussion. I recommend the report to the House.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, many of the things that the Chief Minister spoke about are fairly self-explanatory. Obviously, the Electoral Commission is an independent body and has to operate outside the influence of government. Electoral Commission officers, whom I have met, have always shown great professionalism in their performance.
There are several recommendations made in the report, and I feel I should address some of these. Before I do that, I believe that, as politicians, we all need to have a reasonably high level of ethics in our personal performances during election campaigns. I refer in particular to an incident that occurred at my polling booths where all my posters, which were erected fairly early on the day before polling day, were all removed or displaced …
Mrs Braham: And my banner! Don’t forget my banner!
Dr LIM: … and many others were stolen or lost. Many of my corflutes which were on display during the election period were stolen. Who stole them? Who removed them? Many times we do not know. We do not have any witnesses. Those things were probably done in the dead of night. However, the displays at the polling booths in my electorate were shifted by people who were linked with the Labor Party, and they were seen to have done that. That is not a fair thing to do. We should all have better …
Mrs Braham: I thought the CLP pinched my banner.
Dr LIM: I pick up the interjection from the member for Braitling. She thinks! If you do not know, then you do not accuse.
Mrs Braham: You said the same …
Dr LIM: I said they were seen to have done that, and I have a witness who is prepared to stand in court and say that.
Turning to the recommendations, in recommendation 1, the commissioner recommends that because of the extremely short period between the issuing of the writs and polling day that perhaps the Territory should establish fixed terms, or extend the electoral period by at least one week. The opposition supports fixed terms. We have discussed this at length. In fact, in the run-up to the last election in 2005, we announced that, as CLP policy, we would bring in fixed terms of government had we won government. I put that on record: the opposition supports fixed terms. Our electoral cycle is around four years. If we made it a fixed four years - New South Wales does it and many other jurisdictions have gone down that path - it would benefit Territorians as well as the Electoral Commission. I will have more to say about that shortly.
Recommendation 2 suggests that the Electoral Act be amended to exempt certain types of electoral material from requiring authorisation. For instance, balloons and T-shirts are the examples of items that do not require - your face, your electorate - to be authorised by whoever. It is fairly evident that if your face is on a T-shirt, it is authorised by you. That it is only commonsense and we support that.
Recommendation 4 suggests improvement to the speed in which postal votes are issued. We support that also - and we support it very strongly. People living on pastoral properties, as well as out in bush communities, rely heavily on these votes, and if they do not get the mail plane on time, and vote before the mail plane leaves, they will miss out all together. It is very sensible for the Electoral Commission to ensure that postal votes are provided in a fairly expeditious manner.
Recommendation 5 is where the Electoral Commissioner wants the act to be amended to allow electors to nominate for a postal vote once the government enters its last year of office. That is very logical. If you want to expedite postal vote procedures, that is good. If a person believes that they are going to be out bush for a protracted period of time, or not going to be at their nominated address because of work commitments at another place within the Northern Territory, or even in Australia, they can register to vote straightaway. They can say: ‘I am going to be living 100 km or 200 km away from Alice Springs. I live there but I am working out here for the next six to 12 months. May I register myself by postal vote now?’ That register is then alive for the subsequent election whenever that may be called. It makes the process a lot more streamlined, and the Electoral Commission would have an idea of how many postal votes there will be and can organise itself around those numbers.
The next recommendation was about electronic voting. This one is a little hard to comment on. I have read a lot about electronic voting. In fact, through our own parliamentary committee, the Information Management Advisory Committee, we have considered electronic versions of petitions, voting and all that. There is still not yet a system that I am comfortable with, and which I am convinced will provide a secure, accurate way of counting votes. Perhaps the Electoral Commission needs to look into the models that are available worldwide and come back to the Assembly with some options for us to consider. Then we can make decisions in an informed way.
Recommendation 7 was about the commissioner wanting funding for educational programs to enrol voters in the last year of government. Surely, this should be the role of the Electoral Commission every day of the term of government - every day. I believe it is the duty of the commission to ensure that all Territorians are well informed and educated about the role of government, the right of an individual to vote, the value of the vote, and the purpose of the vote. That should be something that would be continued right across the board, not just for the bush. Sure, these people need to understand it, but that should be across the board, it should not be one race specific. If that is the case, it is a racist policy, and I do not believe that should be the way to consider the education of Territorians about the voting system. It should be across the broad and it should be done on a very regular basis throughout the term of government. That is what the Electoral Commission is resourced to do and they should be doing that.
In recommendation 8 the commissioner recommends improvements to the how-to-vote card delivery service. Right now, many political teams accompany the Electoral Commission officers to bush polling booths and they hand out how-to-vote cards. Sometimes, some parties, some individuals, some Independents who choose to run in remote electorates as well, find it difficult to get out there. They may not have the resources to get out there. At times, the parties and individuals have been able to negotiate with the Electoral Commission’s presiding officer for the particular booth to say: ‘We all agree we are not going out there. Will you take our how-to-vote forms?’, and then it is all taken out there. I believe that is a very fair and sensible thing to do. If a particular candidate is unable to get his or her how-to-vote cards out to a mobile polling booth, then the Electoral Commission’s presiding officer could actually take them out there and put them on display outside the boundary of the polling booth. If people then choose to pick up the how-to-vote card, it is their choice to do so. At least some means is provided to a person who is unable to get out to those remote polling booths.
Recommendation 9 seeks to amend the act to more specifically set the criteria for the selection of locations for mobile polling. The number of mobile polling booths in the Territory in the last few elections that I have been involved in sometimes appears to me to be a farce. In Alice Springs, at the last by-election for the electorate of Stuart, some of the mobile polling booths were in locations that, in my opinion, did not need them. They were closer to the stationary polling booth on the Saturday than the private homes of the people who had to vote at the polling booth. Take, for instance, a town camp like Mt Nancy. It was only a short distance from the stationary polling booth on the Saturday. Yet, Mt Nancy camp and the camps around that camp all had their own specific mobile polling booth. It was beyond me why that would occur. It was unnecessary and that needs to be looked at very closely. There should be a rationalisation of the number of mobile polling booths that are available out there.
You know what? If there was a fixed term of government, it would allow the Electoral Commission to take its full four-year period to thoroughly assess which mobile polling booth is worthy and which ones are, in fact, unnecessary. It will make life a lot easier for all of us, including the commissioner and better use of his resources.
In recommendation 10, the commissioner wants to amend the act so that the ballot card draw can be done in sites that are closer to the electorates, rather than just in Darwin. I believe that is unnecessary. I believe it is unnecessary that the commissioner should go to Alice Springs to draw the ballot for the Alice Springs region, and then go to Tennant Creek to do the ballot for the Tennant Creek region. They might include Barkly and a few other electorates like Stuart, for instance, and then go to Katherine and do them for the Daly. What is the seat for Daly?
Mrs Miller: Daly.
Dr LIM: Daly, yes. And Katherine and all that. To me it is silly; it is expenditure for no benefit. The best thing to do is for the commissioner to stay in Darwin and do the ballot in the one place. This also makes it easier for all the parties and individuals to get together and say: ‘Okay, we want to supervise the draw’, and it is in one location and it is all done. The resources spent by parties and individuals will be a lot better used in other aspects of the election campaign.
The next recommendation was that the commissioner wants to make the electoral roll available to all candidates. I believe that is very reasonable. I remember when I was a candidate in 1994, and I had to physically walk into the Electoral Office in Alice Springs to peruse the electoral roll. I could not have a copy of the electoral roll. I was a candidate and I could not get a copy of the roll. It is just ludicrous. If you are a candidate and you are running for election, you should have the roll just as the member would have the roll. I strongly support the commissioner making the electoral roll available to all candidates. If the Electoral Commissioner is concerned that after the election the roll could be misused, then perhaps the commissioner makes some sort of proviso that the roll will be returned and the unsuccessful candidate would have to declare that the roll had been deleted from his or her computers, or the hard copies were destroyed. That must be a declaration to ensure that the privacy of electoral enrolments are not being widely disseminated.
In recommendation 12 the commissioner wants to adopt the donation threshold lower than the federal government’s $10 000 threshold. I do not see why. The federal government has set a threshold and I believe we should all follow that. There are people who want to donate to political parties. There is a threshold. It is minor donations versus major donations. If the federal government set the threshold at $10 000, I believe we should stick with that.
The next recommendation was that the commissioner wanted to prepare costings for running a general election in the third and fourth years of the electoral cycle for budgetary purposes. If you have a fixed four-year term, the Electoral Commissioner would have a lot less concern about when he starts to prepare his budgetary cycle. If he has a fixed four-year term, he knows without doubt when his next election is going to be. He can set his budget from year to year with lots of foresight because of the time lines that are now fixed for the fixed term policy.
Recommendation 14: the commissioner recommends co-location with the Australian Electoral Commission. That is very logical. The uniqueness of the Northern Territory and with its small population, small electorates, it makes a lot of sense for the NT Electoral Commission to be co-located with the Australian Electoral Commission. They can much better share resources. I am certain that the AEC has a lot more resources than the NTEC and could share some of those resources with us. I know that the AEC staff assist the NTEC to run elections. Therefore, co-location and even sharing of resources would be beneficial to both parties.
Recommendation 15: the commissioner wants greater discretion to destroy ballot papers after the period of disputed returns is over. That is logical. We would support that. It is a logistical problem for the commissioner and it is something we should support to allow the commissioner to do his work properly.
Finally, the commissioner wants more money to upgrade his website. That is definitely supported. We should ensure that the commissioner has a website that can be used for educational purposes, for potential enrolees to seek information and, perhaps, lodge a request for enrolment so that the Electoral Commission can then send out the proper hard copy forms to enrol a person living in the Territory. Furthermore, it could allow people to register for a postal vote.
This is e-government we are talking about. The Northern Territory once used to be at the forefront on e-government. We should try to facilitate this to ensure that every voter out there, or potential voter, has a chance to enrol more easily, register for a postal vote and do it easily, and use all the technology that is available. We should be embracing that. I strongly support the commissioner in exploring how he can do this and to proceed with it. The resources are obviously not available at the moment to do it, and I strongly recommend that the government provides budgetary support for the commissioner to enable him to do his job properly.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, it is opportune for me as Leader of Government Business to speak to the commission’s report to the parliament and to reinforce the Chief Minister’s statement that government will be giving due consideration to the recommendations made in this report.
As a government, we are proud of establishing, for the first time in the Northern Territory’s history since self-government, a truly independent Electoral Commission with statutory powers for running elections and determining electoral boundaries. That stands in stark contrast to the Clayton’s independence that was in place for the 27 years of CLP government when the commission was part of the Chief Minister’s department - it reported to the Chief Minister of the day.
It is a sign that the Territory has truly reached maturity by being able to put its trust - this parliament, the government of the day - and confidence in an independent electoral commission that can be truly independent from the reaches of government in conducting what is, fundamentally, the most important institution in any democracy, which is a general election and the by-elections that occur from time to time. When people look at the history of self-government in the Northern Territory as we move towards statehood, it was a very significant step at the time of change of government to create a truly independent commission. Many members here can remember the extraordinarily creative electoral boundaries that were developed under the previous regime that stood no test in terms of scrutiny in regards to the relationships between those boundaries and community interest. I am sure many historians who study politics and the evolution of democracy in the Northern Territory will make comment on that. So we are proud to have established the independent commission.
I want to pick up on a little slur from the member for Greatorex about dirty tricks in elections, and the slur that people associated with the Labor Party stole his posters. The member for Greatorex has been around for a while. He has been through a few political campaigns. I am sure he has been up to ears in a number of election campaigns regarding dirty tricks. To come in here, holier than thou, saying we should all be absolutely ethical at every point – well, that is a great challenge and we should all try to live up to that in the contest of ideas and who has the best vision.
However, if he wants to come in here and make a slur against the Labor Party about the last election, I am going to bat one back to him. I am sure he knows about it. A number of us on this side of the House found it extraordinarily offensive. I went to the point of seeking legal advice and was going to pursue it after the election but, at the end of the day, it brings none of us into better consideration in our community and that is why I have decided to drop it. On the Wednesday and Thursday nights before the poll in the last election, there was an absolutely despicable flier distributed through a number of seats in the northern suburbs regarding the age of consent issue that was considered by this parliament in the last term. There were a number of us, including me - I know my colleagues, the members for Casuarina and Millner, and I believe the member for Karama was another one …
Mr Bonson: One was distributed by a local member.
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely. It was distributed into our letterbox, and directly alleged that I, as a member of parliament, supported under-age sex against boys. It was attributed to a certain independent candidate who was a dog running as an independent for the CLP, with strong links to the CLP. After the election, there was a direct link established between the then Leader of the Opposition’s office and who actually funded the production and distribution of that flyer, which alleged that I - as a member of parliament, as a father of three kids, two of whom are boys - actually supported, condoned and encouraged under-age sex against boys.
That is the type of filthy, grubby, electoral politics that the CLP played in the northern suburbs in the last election ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: For the member for Greatorex to say somebody from the ALP nicked a couple of his posters - well, get real!
I play this game pretty tough, as people know. However, I would never, ever - I would rather be out of government, out of office, than stoop to that length to try to win seats in the Northern Territory. I have kept that flyer, and I will keep it to the end of my days to remind me just how despicable, rotten and filthy to the core the CLP can be ...
Mrs Miller: How dare you!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: It would eternally …
Mrs Miller: How dare you make up statements …
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask you to be consistent with your directives about using unparliamentary language. Here is the minister now slurring the CLP, without evidence, and if he did, he did not report it the police anyway. He is using words that you have previously ruled as unparliamentary.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek some advice on …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I will not ask the minister to withdraw, because it is not actually referring to members. However, minister, I ask you to temper your language a little in the continuation of the debate.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I will temper my language, but I was so offended and angry at that flyer being put out. It is in my office, and it will always remind me how low people will go to be elected, and how low the CLP will go to try to win votes.
I am just tremendously encouraged, empowered and proud of people in our community who actually picked those flyers out of those letterboxes, looked at the allegations that were made against me and my colleagues, rang me up personally, in their dozens, absolutely outraged and offended that those allegations could be made against me. I would like to think that I am pretty well known in my electorate. My kids go to the local schools; they know I am a family man. For all of us who were returned significantly, those types of dirty tricks do not win votes because people see through them. They see through them. The Northern Territory is too small. People know their local members. They know the character of their local members. They know about the families of their local members, because we are truly part of the community.
Therefore, for the member for Greatorex to paint himself holier than thou, he stands condemned. The members of his party stand condemned by those particular tactics that they employed in the last Territory election.
Madam Speaker, I support the report.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, the 2005 election was pretty special for me because it is my last one. Yes, we all know about the dirty tricks that go on in campaigns. It gives you a tremendous feeling when you are going through an election because you are really putting yourself on the line, and there is probably nothing worse than rejection by people if you lose. When you do go in, you try very hard to make sure you present in a way that people will want to support you. I thank the voters of Braitling who did it again. We all know that there are dirty tricks happening, but we have to rise above that and try not to allow that to cloud our campaigns.
I believe the independent Electoral Commission is a great idea. It seems to be handling everything very professionally. I want to remark positively on the information and the service they have given me, particularly by Greg Davis who has been an officer there for many years. It is important that we, as Independents, opposition or government members - or candidates generally - all have some faith in the system; that we can be assured that they are there to assist us and help us whenever we have queries.
I would like to make sure that every candidate has a direct contact with an officer of the Electoral Commission on election day because, like other candidates, I have suddenly found a poster up that I felt that was untrue, or not accurate in what it was claiming. Trying to get in touch with the Electoral officer to have that taken down was very difficult. With our modern technology and good mobile phones, every candidate should be given a contact number on election day. You can do it before election day, as you say, so you can chase up people who have done things. However, you really need to have that instant contact so that you can be assured that your concerns are addressed. That is one of the recommendations that I would agree the Electoral Commission should do.
I am not going to go through each individual recommendation. I hope the Chief Minister does take on board some of those recommendations, in particular, recommendation 12. When you are a party member - remembering that I have had experience on both sides - the party does so much for you and takes a lot of the pressure off you as a candidate. However, when you are Independent, it is a much harder job. One of the things that you have to do as an Independent is either fund the campaign yourself or seek donations. At the end of the day, when you put in your disclosure, you have to list everything you received. I have talked about this before because I have already introduced an amendment to the Electoral Act.
Party people do not have to declare how much is spent on the campaign in each electorate. It is all hidden in the global amounts that parties put in to the Electoral Commission. I have no idea how much was spent by the CLP or the Labor Party in the electorate of Braitling when they were campaigning against me. All I can say is it was a lot of money, because there was a huge number of posters, banners, trucks - you name it - flyers, campaign ads, all targeted at Braitling, as well as what the party does on the bigger scheme of things for their party, which is different again. All I am saying is parties should have to declare what they spend on each electorate - what they actually spent in the way of advertisements, etcetera, on my electorate, so that at least we have a level playing field. As it is at the moment, they do not.
Sure, you, as a party member - and I quote the member for Greatorex who, I think, would have received a personal donation which he had to declare and it was in his return. However, that was just one item. It did not tell us what the party, no matter which party, spent individually for each electorate. That is a recommendation here. I quote:
Recommendation 12 not only talks about setting a specific threshold that is lower than that of the Commonwealth, but that the returns be redesigned so as to draw identical information from both endorsed and unendorsed candidates. The form returns should be redesigned - it will be interesting to see whether this government takes up that recommendation. If they do, it shows that they believe there should be that level playing field, that they are open and responsible to these sorts of things. If they do not, they are in the same bucket as the rest of the parties - the CLP that has been around for a long time. I urge the Chief Minister to think seriously about that.
We do sometimes look at the annual returns and see the huge amount of money that is spent on elections. Perhaps the general public might be entitled to know just how much is being spent in the electorate they are voting in. I am certainly curious to know how much it was. But, for an Independent to have to do it, just seems to be a little unfair and not as democratic as it should be within our system.
Since self-government, the Territory parliament has gone through swings of imbalance in representation. We only have to look at this parliament today: 19 government, four opposition and two Independents. When I first came into parliament there were 17 CLP, one Independent and seven Labor opposition. So we have had these huge imbalances over the years. I wonder whether the Chief Minister would think about the Hare-Clark system which is proportional representation ...
Members interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: Oh, moans already. In that way we would get a better balance of representation within the parliament. We would not get this strong imbalance that occurs from time to time in the Northern Territory. We go through these peaks, I realise that. The CLP goes through highs and then they slip down and, obviously, the Labor Party is in the high and I am sure they are going to slip down next election anyway. Perhaps there is a need to look at a different system than we have at the moment. Twenty-five electorates and you could almost bet your bottom dollar that those that are remote community electorates will always go to the same party. Those that are the business-based electorates will normally always go to the same party. Perhaps we should be looking at the Hare-Clark system which works in Tasmania and gives a better representation within this parliament rather than the imbalance that we see at the moment.
I know fixed terms has been flagged. I believe it is not smart politically to go to fixed terms. If you were the Chief Minister or the government in power, or whatever party is in power, you would probably want to ensure you chose the right time for election rather than relying on fixed terms. I am well aware that there is a feeling out there in the community that people will say that they would like to know exactly when the next election is. It is probably something the government should think about. If they are not interested - so be it. There is a trend, as you say, coming throughout Australia to go to fixed terms. Politically, though, I do not think it is a good idea.
It will be interesting when the election comes up next time. There is obviously a need for stronger representation for Independents in this parliament. No, do not frown like that. Of course there is.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: Yes, we are going to put a bit of a challenge out there, and say that we believe there are some electorates that are challengeable and, possibly, we will see a better balanced representation in this parliament. I say to voters: do not forget that Independents are not tied by the party. They can make up their own minds. It is not a bad thing to have that in a parliament, rather than just have two parties who tell their members what to say, and what they believe ...
Mr Mills: We have conscience votes.
Mrs BRAHAM: They do not have a conscience vote in parties …
Mr Mills: We do.
Mrs BRAHAM: Well, that is a new one. The member for Blain tells me they have conscience votes in the CLP.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: Once I can think of - I cannot think of any other time when there has been a conscience vote in this parliament.
Mr Stirling: You never get anything done. Gerry sits on the fence.
Mrs BRAHAM: All the time.
Mr Stirling: Yes, Gerry sits on the fence all the time.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling, have you concluded your speech?
Mrs BRAHAM: I wanted to say in closing, Madam Speaker, that the Independents will be lining up. We will certainly be seeking as much assistance from the Electoral Commission as we can, as if Independent candidates are a member of a party. I thank the Electoral Commission for their support and assistance to me over the years.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, the only comment I wish to make is that, in elections, the greatest reform we could have in the Territory is fixed terms. I am convinced of that after being in other states and seeing the difference in the public sector. They know exactly when the election date is due and all business is conducted up to that date. There is no speculation in the media and, as with the federal election at moment, there is already speculation about which date it is going to be. That consumes a lot of excess energy, where there is manoeuvring and game playing just to ensure that you take the most opportune date to suit your own fortunes.
As the member for Braitling said, it is perhaps politically sensible to reserve the right to nominate the date. That may well be the case. It may well be politically useful and expedient to reserve the right to call the date, but I believe it is plain wrong. We have a system of government. if we establish the set term of that government and make it very clear about when we are going to make, as a community, our decision upon the next government - whether the contract is renewed or changed in some way - and there is no speculation about the date, that will make for a far clearer and cleaner process. It has happened successfully in other states and it is time that it was done here.
It is interesting to see how seductive power is because the Labor Party, now in government, has a completely different view than they had whilst they were in opposition. It was an attractive idea in opposition but, in government, it is not such an attractive idea because of the opportunities that it presents to maintain control and power. This is a good illustration to show how wrong it is: we are playing a game of football under a rule that says the reigning premier has the right to blow the siren in the fourth quarter at a time of their choosing. We would say that it is not football ...
Mr Wood: We would not do that; we are Independent.
Mr MILLS: Well, we have that. We have four years to run, but the premier team, being the team in government, can nominate a time of their choosing to blow the siren. That can only benefit their fortunes ...
Mr Knight: It didn’t help the CLP, did it?
Mr MILLS: I will respond to that interjection. What happened in the past, I make no comment on. I do not approve of the system we currently have and, if it happened under the CLP, it is still wrong. It happens under the Labor Party; it is still wrong. The distinctive here is that the Labor Party had strong views on this when they were in opposition, but now have a completely different position. That is called hypocrisy. In response to the interjection, I do not accept what happened in the past. Times have changed in this nation and other jurisdictions, more progressive jurisdictions have moved to this area of electoral reform.
Finally, the member for Wanguri was able to bat away some comments made by the member for Greatorex. The member for Greatorex made reference to something that did occur and he gave an account that someone was seen interfering with electoral material, and it was done as that. That stirred the member for Wanguri to make, using incredibly strong language, a direct accusation to the CLP that it was something that the CLP did. The fact that you have the material, and that you never went to the stage of getting legal advice on it …
Mr Henderson: No, I did.
Mr MILLS: … proves to me, just judging your character, that you had no substance to affix it to the CLP, because …
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Is the member for Blain denying that it was a CLP publication?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please continue.
Mr MILLS: Indeed, I am. I would like to see the evidence. If the member for Wanguri had evidence that is was the CLP I would like to see the evidence ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Pull your horns in, buddy. I was talking about something completely …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I was specifically referring to the publication. I have no idea what the member for Wanguri is talking about. But the nature of the allegation, and saying that it was the CLP that circulated this thing - I would like to see the evidence. If there was insufficient evidence, then there would not have been any move on the CLP. But I know what this group are like. They are good haters. If they found good evidence, they would make sure that they would create as much damage they possibly could upon an opposition party. I would like to see the evidence.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would like to comment on a few issues that the Electoral Commission has raised. I also believe it is a great thing that the Electoral Commission is independent. That is one of the great things for the Northern Territory, and that was a promise of the Labor Party. Of course, there was a promise they forgot. That is highlighted in recommendation 1 of the same Electoral Commission which the Labor Party is saying is such a wonderful independent commission. It says:
It is recommending that. I am interested to know whether the Labor Party will endorse that recommendation, and keep its promise that it said it would have fixed polling dates. I know the member for Blain has just raised some matters regarding that. A number of states throughout Australia have fixed polling dates. Local government, the municipalities that are still left, have a fixed polling date. The United States’ President is elected on a fixed polling date; I believe their Congress and Senate have the same basis. Some people say that the problem with a fixed date is that you have a 12-month election campaign – maybe, maybe not – but if you look at the federal election at the moment, we are heading the same way anyway. I do not believe it makes much difference from that point of view. People know when the final year of a government is, and they start manoeuvring quite early. That can be no more seen than the toing and froing between the two major parties at the present time.
Fixed elections have many advantages. From a government’s point of view, they can organise themselves for that date. From the Electoral Commission’s point of view, they can be up and ready for that particular date. Many of the concerns and recommendations that this commission is raising are concerns that are caused by not having a fixed date. If you had that fixed date, some of these concerns the Electoral Commission has raised would not be so much of a problem.
I also believe that by having fixed date it takes away that political advantage which, naturally, for the party that is in government, want. They want to get back in - fair enough. However, from a democratic point of view, I do not believe it is a good thing. Democracy should not be so much about how one political party can achieve an electoral advantage over another simply because it happens to be the party controlling the purse strings. I would presume electors wish to vote for a particular candidate based on the performance of that particular candidate over the last four years, or what knowledge they have of a person who is standing against that already elected candidate - not because someone has decided to put a new swimming pool in their electorate, or new white lines down the main street that have not been done for the last three-and-a-half years or something. Those sorts of sweetener-type short-term approaches to politics do not do our democratic system any good at all. I certainly support the first recommendation put forward by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
It is interesting to note the states and territories that now do have fixed dates - the ACT, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales; and Western Australia is legislating for a fixed polling date. It is certainly something that the other states have looked at and, as I said, it is in local government in parts of the Northern Territory and in other states. That is a good thing from the point of view of a democratic process, notwithstanding there are plenty of other advantages from an administrative point of view.
The Electoral Commissioner has raised some issues. One, in my case, was an issue related to Robertson Barracks. Robertson Barracks is in my electorate. He mentioned there was a presumption that there was going to be a polling station at that place. I know that, at the time, we were all set up and ready to go because the information we had been given was that there would be a mobile poll at Robertson Barracks - and this appeared to have happened previously for the council elections – and, at the last minute, access was denied. It is not clear from the statement in the Electoral Commissioner’s report exactly what the reasons were for that access being denied. Was it because the Commonwealth does not allow a polling booth on Commonwealth land? Was it because of increased security arrangements because of our involvement in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places? The reason was certainly not clear. Those reasons should be enunciated and, if there needs to be some changes to allow a mobile polling booth to be at Robertson Barracks, then that is something the Electoral Commissioner should be looking at.
There is another issue that the Electoral Commissioner should be looking at. It is a problem which I have found. As most people would do when they are writing letters to people, they use the Rolldata that is sent out to them from the Electoral Commission. In the case of the Army, you cannot post things to members of the Army unless you have their correct name and battalion. Quite a few addresses are being sent out with ‘Mr Smith, Robertson Barracks’. If I send anything like my newsletter to those particular people, it is automatically sent back. For some reason, the Army does not like to look down its list of Mr Smiths at Robertson Barracks. It just says: ‘Too bad, oh dear, send it back’. If they are doing that with my newsletter, then what are they doing with electoral information? If the Electoral Commission is getting letters returned that are inadequately addressed, then they should at least try to rectify that situation.
For mail to be delivered to someone in Robertson Barracks, you have to actually give their rank and what battalion they are in. It would be Captain Smith, and Captain Smith might be working for 1 Battalion, Robertson Barracks. That would get to that person no matter whether they are stationed at Robertson Barracks or overseas. If it is just simply ‘Mr Smith, Robertson Barracks’, even if it has his given name, it will not get there. If this is a problem for me, it certainly must be a problem for the Electoral Commission because they cannot get information out if the Army is consistent with returning mail that they regard as having insufficient information
There was also an issue which was raised at one of the Estimates Committees, and not quite what I have in front of me here. It related to the opening of a ballot box by a member of the staff who was, at that time, staffing the Bees Creek polling booth. The wording in here, I think, puts it that because of some problems that occurred with the counting at the time at the polling booth, the tally room tried to contact one of the people who was in charge of that polling booth who was in transit at the time from Bees Creek to Darwin. It gives the impression that all they were trying to do was get that person to have a cursory look, if I remember the quote, at the voting because there had been some confusion at the central tally room at that time. The complaint that really should have been looked at was whether someone in the Electoral Commission should have actually authorised a person to open a ballot box while in transit. It was not necessarily the issue about having a cursory look; the issue really was whether it was appropriate for a person, in a motor car by the side of the road, without a witness, to open up a ballot box. I do not believe that issue …
Mr Warren: It was not just a person; it was part of the Electoral Commission.
Mr WOOD: As I said, I do not think it would be appropriate for anyone to open a ballot box without a witness certifying that that ballot box was opened. That is the issue. I do not think any person should be opening a ballot box without someone witnessing that. That is what ensures that our elections are fair and that the counts have not been tampered with. The report tends to gloss over that.
There have been a couple of issues. I spoke today about the posters. I must admit I believe we could do without posters on the last day of an election, at least within a fairly big radius of the polling booth. Those posters would have been around a fair while before that anyway. People would have been infiltrated, if you want to use that word. They would have been smothered in electoral information. I do not have a problem with handing out how-to-vote cards on the day, but the whole concept of mass coverage of posters all over a polling booth defies the reality - people just get turned off. You can have so much, but you do not need all that. Maybe you allow one poster per entrance or something, but it becomes a bit of a joke. Fair-minded people think that people who run electoral campaigns must think we are all dumb. We do not have to have 100 posters of one candidate up or whatever.
I suppose one advantage of not putting your own face up on a poster is that it is very hard to put a moustache on a chicken. They tend to get vandalised a bit more than not having your portrait there. There is room for some regulation on how many posters are put up around a polling booth especially on the day, or if they are allowed, then they cannot be within, say, 1 km of the polling booth. Just draw a circle around that area and you cannot have any posters in that area. It looks terrible on polling day. People must shake every time they cast their vote seeing all the advertising material over the place.
I know we have an independent group of people who look at boundaries when they review electorates. There needs to be someone out there, independent, who has a little geographical commonsense. I use my electorate as an example. I do not mind my electorate going all the way out to Buffalo Creek. I know Ray Medlicott quite well. He is the caretaker of Buffalo Creek boat ramp. He is within 300 m of the boundary of Leanyer and is the sole person who lives within, I do not know how many square kilometres of anyone else in my electorate. Regardless of whom he votes for, it would have made a lot more sense because he is just down the road and he would have much more access to the member for Wanguri.
I am talking about sensible decisions being made about boundaries. I have another classic. The boundary for my electorate goes along the Stuart Highway, then it goes up to the Palmerston Indigenous Village and does a U-turn – literally, if you have a look on a map - and runs along the old railway line and avoids the bit of Yarrawonga on the side of the Stuart Highway. Why the boundary did not keep going down the Stuart Highway, I have no idea. There would be about 10 people living at Yarrawonga; it is an industrial area. There needs to be someone who has a bit of geographical knowledge about the lie of the land who says those boundaries are ridiculous.
The member for Goyder has a fairly crazy boundary as well. His boundary goes around Palmerston and takes in Marlows Lagoon. It takes off a couple of little sites on East Arm Port and heads over to the other side of the harbour. That is a pretty strange boundary. I know you pick up votes here and there, but there has to be a bit more emphasis on logical boundaries. That is not always easy to do because of the variation allowed within electorates, but it is something that we should try to apply where possible.
The issue about fairness in elections is a very important matter. The member for Braitling spoke about the Hare-Clark system. I say to people: do not always put the Hare-Clark system down. It is a complicated system but, luckily, with computers, analysis of voting is much quicker than it used to be in the old days. We use the Hare-Clark system when two people stand in an election because you have a quota of 50% plus one. That is actually a quota. The more candidates you have in an electorate - say there are five candidates in an electorate - the Hare-Clark system works out the quota that each candidate must get. It is really no different from when you do it for a single candidate in a seat.
Be that as that may, what I was getting at was that we do base our electorate areas on one-vote-one-value with a 20% variation. In light of the changes that are being proposed to local government, it is an important principle we should keep. If you establish principles outside of that, not only do you create undemocratic systems with a gerrymander, you also confuse people. We basically use the same system for the way we elect people in the Territory and in the House of Representatives. To change it just because it is difficult is not a good reason. I hope we retain the principle of one-vote-one-value with the allowable variation, which is important. There is no way that you can actually keep one-vote-one-value to the nth degree, but we do keep to a certain variance and that is important for retention of the democratic process.
There were a couple of other recommendations. Some of these might have been covered. If we had a fixed term, issues about postal and pre-poll votes being allowed to be sent out as soon as practical after the close of nominations would be resolved. Recommendation 5 recommends the Electoral Act be amended to allow electors to lodge an application for a postal vote for a nominated period for up to one year at any time, or at least one year once the final year of the current parliament has commenced. When you read that recommendation, it refers to the Defence Forces. We have many Defence Force people serving overseas who are enrolled in various electorates, not just mine, but Palmerston and Darwin. When they go overseas, I believe there should be some ability for all candidates to put a small package together, maybe limited in size and pages, to send with the postal vote.
At the last election, I had a great deal of difficulty being able to send out even a how-to-vote card. I believe a how-to-vote card would be the bare minimum that someone should be allowed to send with the postal vote. How is one supposed to ask an elector in the hills of Afghanistan to vote for a range of people that he probably has not heard of without some information being given of that candidate? That is extremely difficult under the present system. I believe the Electoral Commission needs to be talking to the Department of Defence about ways of doing it better than it is at the present time.
I also support the move by the member for Braitling, who gave a great plug for Independents. As much as the Attorney-General might say the member for Nelson sits on the fence, well, that might be a privilege of being independent. I say it is not sitting on the fence. You can have other opinions. I am sorry that side gets stuck on one opinion, though there are a few independents over here - good to see it. Independents do bring other points of view, which is not sitting on the fence. We see it as this is what parliament is about: having other points of view.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
APPROPRIATION BILL 2007-08
(Serial 94)
Continued from 20 June 2007.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, the achievements of the Martin Labor government in the context of economic development are significant. This Assembly and the people it represents are part of an era witnessing unprecedented growth. To maintain this growth, Aboriginal Territorians need to uplift their wellbeing and education standards. Governments have an obligation to ensure that conditions for this to occur. Aboriginal Territorians have an obligation to embrace and move in this direction. Budget 2007-08 builds on the economic achievements of the Martin Labor government in a substantial way.
Residents of Macdonnell electorate as Territorians will benefit from significant increases across the Territory in the core service obligations of government: Health, Employment, Education and Training, Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Justice, and many other areas. With significant increases in these core services of government, we will need to ensure availability and access to these services is equitable. I am confident of this government’s achievements and future commitments in this regard.
In health, while funding is allocated to the important task of establishing new facilities, employing more nurses, doctors and other health professionals, the task of preventative health requires targeted assistance. Preventative health covers a large range of areas addressing environmental health; dealing effectively with substance misuse; creating meaningful employment; combating truancy; and reducing homelessness. Each area has the potential to drastically reduce the burden on our health system.
As an example, and as I travel the electorate of Macdonnell, I observe significant health and social outcomes as a result of addressing petrol sniffing. The Northern Territory government’s volatile substance abuse legislation, the resolve of local communities, the work of staff in remote communities, government departments, the partnership with BP Australia, and the assistance of the Australian government have all contributed to removing this blight on many communities across Central Australia. In many ways, the commitment to preventative health can be challenging, but it is an essential part of developing a truly progressive health service. I am confident of this government’s achievements and commitment in this regard.
Similarly, with significant increases in education, we need to ensure funding is targeted to the challenging yet achievable task of engaging Aboriginal youth in the education system. The responsibility of school attendance rests with parents, and if parents absolve themselves of the responsibility it is the role of government to ensure that active participation is enforced. In the Territory, this role needs to be strengthened. It is appreciated that increases to funding in education are allocated to establishing new facilities and employing educators. However, we need to strengthen the nexus between Aboriginal youth and the full and active participation in the education system. I am confident in this government’s resolve in this regard.
In considering these important aspects of preventative health and an engaged education system, it is imperative that policies are developed in the context of ensuring our kids regularly attend school. As current demographic trends suggest a rapidly growing Aboriginal generation in proportion to the total youth population, decisions made now will play a more decisive role in shaping the challenges that face future generations.
In relation to the remote learning partnership program, I am disappointed that no school in either Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the program is within the electorate of Macdonnell, and that only one school in Central Australia is identified. In light of the Little Children are Sacred report, I have real concerns about this issue. Whilst I understand resources can be limited, and that programs deserve a trial prior to absolute roll-out, representing my electorate demands my attention to this issue in this Assembly. I am currently discussing this issue with the minister for Education and know that, with his resolve, the area of education will continue to improve and expand opportunities for Territorians. I recognise the significant achievements of this government in so many areas, including education and, with this recognition, I also acknowledge there is so much more to do.
I turn now to the specifics of Budget 2007-08. This budget is testament to the economic credentials of the Martin Labor government. It is a budget for a growing and confident Territory. It is one aimed at continued expansion. Budget 2007-08 allocates $500 000 towards improving the conditions of the Santa Teresa Road. Many renal patients travel on this road three times per week. Research confirms the health benefits of Aboriginal people residing on their own land, and each improvement to the road will go a long way to improving the quality of life for people who require regular access to renal services. It will assist many other Centralians as well. About two months ago, the Health troop carrier actually had an accident carrying the renal patients to Alice Springs on this dreadful road. I am grateful that this government has allocated money to fixing the road and making the lives of those people living out there much better.
$200 000 is allocated to the Ringwood/Numery road; upgrades to the Henbury Station access amount to $50 000. For tourists and those visiting Watarrka National Park, the provision of a disabled access park at the base of the canyon Stage 1 will enhance access, at a total cost of $150 000. Rainbow Valley will receive improvements with the construction of new alignments from the boundary to the car park valued at $80 000. These road and infrastructure improvements will benefit many residents of the Macdonnell electorate. With a high population mobility, it will enhance access to Alice Springs and its many services such as health, sporting and recreation. These works will also enhance employment opportunities for people travelling within those communities.
Completion of the Red Centre Way to the value of $10.5m will herald a new era in Central Australian tourism. This will benefit Glen Helen, Kings Canyon and many other locations along the Red Centre Way. This will create employment and tourism opportunities. This area will continue to pave the way for the Macdonnell electorate to contribute to industries based in Alice Springs. I look forward to monitoring and being part of this development in a way that sustains the lifestyle and environmental expectations of Macdonnell residents.
Completion of the Red Centre Way in this budget is complemented by specific marketing focus. The tourism industry west of Alice Springs and its associated industries will form part of the Hermannsburg Regional Tourism Development Plan. This plan will be implemented with funding to the value of $100 000. It will offer a strategic approach to promoting Hermannsburg in what is a competitive tourism marketing environment.
For those who have travelled to this location, also referred to as Ntaria, it is the place surrounded by the world-renowned West MacDonnell Ranges. It is home to the Arrernte people. Present day Hermannsburg was originally born from the efforts of two Lutheran missionaries from Germany. It is, therefore, unsurprising that Germany has a location with the same name. At the Australian version, there are a number of old dwellings built from galvanised iron, stones from the Finke River, mulga logs and lime. Only a short distance away is Palm Valley and the Palm Valley Walk. A famous Centralian artist born at this place was Albert Namatjira. Recently, it celebrated the annual football weekend attracting many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to this important tradition. With established bitumen access relatively close to Alice Springs, there is significant tourism potential for Hermannsburg to promote its rich history and natural resources. There will be opportunities for traditional owners to promote their region and knowledge. I look forward to launching the Hermannsburg Regional Tourism Development Plan with the Minister for Tourism at Ntaria next month.
The Central Australian pastoral industry is integral to our regional economy, producing around $48m annually. Funding allocated to Central Australian weed management prevention, water allocation, and advice and monitoring services, will also assist the local pastoral industry. These are but some of the overall services to the industry provided by this budget.
Specifically, the Hamilton Downs Station and Undoolya Station will benefit from stock fencing materials supplied by the Northern Territory government. For those living in regional and remote parts of the Territory, access to services and produce transported by air is important and, on some occasions, essential.
Members of this Assembly are aware of the important work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a service that saves many lives and works to improve the health outcomes of those who require an urgent response. The aerodromes at Mt Liebig and Papunya will each receive $300 000 to improve their runways. I urge the department to consider in the next budget, 2008-09, Bonya, Finke, Docker River, Haasts Bluff and Harts Range.
Residents of Macdonnell will benefit from $122m allocated for acute care services in the Alice Springs region, including road and aero-retrieval transport services, and the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. $700 000 is allocated to increase renal services at Alice Springs Hospital. $240 000 will expand volatile substance abuse treatment facilities at Aranda House, which is necessary for remote Aboriginal communities to bring their children to so they are getting rehab facilities. The Hermannsburg Health Centre will receive funding to improve the centre location.
In education, Macdonnell residents will benefit from $11.67m allocated to supporting the new world-class Distance Education Service with vast geographical distance. Such innovation and use of technology will bring education forward. A transportable classroom will be allocated to Ingkerreke outstations to a total value of $300 000; Walungurru School will receive $50 000 as part of an airconditioning upgrade.
Addressing the skills shortage is an important focus of this government. The shortage creates opportunities for Aboriginal people to gain the necessary skills and qualifications that will enable mainstream employment. The $1m towards training and employment specifically for Aboriginal people will provide support, in addition to growing mainstream focus, as will the $9.5m to the Batchelor Institute. In the Alice Springs region, $750 000 is allocated to training and employment of traditional owners for parks and reserves, an important initiate that creates employment based on Aboriginal people’s knowledge.
In the area of Justice, $2.3m will be spent on administering our court service in regional and remote parts of Central Australia, including my home community of Papunya, Mutitjulu, Hermannsburg, and Docker River. The use of Aboriginal interpreters ensures those taking part in our justice system are aware and have access to knowledge in relation to their rights, the proceedings and consequences. The use of interpreters also creates employment for people based on their distinct knowledge and skills. The involvement of local elders and respected persons in the justice system is an important part of restoring traditional and regional authority. I encourage further development and support of these concepts and initiatives.
This budget also focuses on the development of Desert Knowledge: $8.09m is allocated to the construction of Blocks 2 and 7 at the Desert Park Centre; $6.05m is allocated to continue work on Blocks 3 and 6; and $1.47m will go towards the Desert Knowledge Precinct headworks.
Upgrades to Power and Water facilities are an important, yet often overlooked, part of any budget. $600 000 is allocated to Titjikala to replace the water storage tank; $490 000 will go towards a new sewage pond at Amoonguna; and Hermannsburg will benefit from $450 000 to replace a bore field rising main. Other locations in the Macdonnell electorate will receive assistance through Power and Water upgrades and improvements.
In closing, reflecting on the principle of Federation, that benefits the Northern Territory within our national Commonwealth framework, I emphasise the importance of extending this principle to ensure equitable access to services for residents of the Macdonnell electorate. I am confident in this government’s achievements and future commitment in this regard.
Madam Speaker, I commend the 2007-08 Budget to this Assembly.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, in responding to the Appropriation Bill, I am going to direct my comments to shadow portfolios and, in the main, to Environment and Mines, but others as well.
I cannot but stop to consider how this government is bumbling its way through the environmental process in relation to how mining proceeds. It is a no small coincidence that the very minister who so publicly objected to the expansion of the McArthur River Mine is the minister for the Environment. Ministers must remember that the independent EPA is still nothing like independent. It is an extension of this minister’s will because it is an extension of her department. The effect of this is that she can bring influence to bear upon the EPA and, frankly, the employment of a former head of the Environment Centre is an indication as to where the minister’s mind is on environmental protection issues.
This minister promised an independent EPA but now that she is in government she likes to keep the EPA close to her heart. ‘It is coming, it is coming’, is what I constantly hear from her - but so is Christmas, minister. Worse still is that three Christmases have come and gone since then, and guess what? It is still coming. This minister wants to keep the EPA within her sphere and the reason for that is because she can pursue her ongoing resentment of miners and other sources of wealth. In many respects, she is probably the truest of the true believers. Her thinly veiled contempt of all those things that produce private wealth in this world is, at times, palpable.
The only mention of the EPA in Budget Paper No 3 is under the output group of Environmental Protection within the department. What is indicative about the struggle inside government is that the Treasurer has cut more than 10% from the EPA budget. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in Budget Cabinet when that little number was done on the minister for the Environment.
What is clear from this set of Budget Papers is that the EPA is going to remain a part of this government until at least the middle of 2008. In fact, feedback on the discussion paper closed nearly a year ago and still there is no sign of this minister’s independent EPA. The fact is that there are two things that this EPA will not be. The first is that it will not be coming along soon, and, second, it will not be independent.
Members must remember it was the EPA under this minister’s carriage that canned the original McArthur River Mine proposal to redirect the McArthur River. Why did she do the media conference for this on the Esplanade away from Parliament House? The reason was that she was acting unilaterally. She was out there by herself and wanted to get it up as the government’s position as soon as she could before she got shut down ...
Members interjecting.
Mrs MILLER: True, it is all true. Small wonder that when the minister for Mines looked so confused by the situation - they are all a bit titchy - and it is interesting to note that the defence of ‘the mine will have to do better’ was forced upon government by the minister for the Environment.
The minister for Mines was then forced to play ball and so he had to, with a straight face, stand in front of cameras and argue that a critique was done by a man from Newcastle who had not even visited the mine site in relation to this particular issue, and was more knowledgeable than the company that did the EIS which was done so professionally. Anyway, it was already cast. Government had to hang hundreds of people on tenterhooks while they waited for the government to go through a pantomime of going back and looking at the EIS and forcing Xstrata to jump through a couple of hoops so that Cabinet, and not the EPA, could make the final decision - not the minister for Environment’s EPA that made the final decision.
Yes, the final report from the EPA would have been made to Cabinet, but it was not them who gave the go ahead. In fact, this will be a good way for the minister to prove her credentials. Let us see her table the whole and complete final report from the EPA, including associated paperwork, to see what they really thought. Finally, Xstrata gets the go ahead, the jobs are saved - hip, hip hooray. All is sweetness and light again in the world of digging holes at McArthur River ...
A member: The X Files.
Mrs MILLER: Yes, and the miners are tucked up in their beds and they are really quite happy and secure about their future. Are they really? No. There is another problem. The traditional owners down river were moving to lodge an action in the Supreme Court. So nervous were the miners that they certainly did not sleep very well then. They wrote a letter to the Chief Minister …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It goes to the notion of the business that is before the Chair in the House, which is the Appropriation Bill for 2007-08. I have listened very carefully to the member for Katherine for at least the last seven or eight minutes, and not once has she talked about anything apart from an alleged cut to the EPA’s budget …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: … in regards to the budget of 2007-08. Trawling back through the history with as entertaining an imagination that the member for Katherine has in regards to the approval for McArthur River Mine project, has absolutely nothing to do with the 2007-08 Budget. I urge that you ask the member for Katherine to stop wasting this parliament’s time and get on with debate on the budget.
Mrs MILLER: Madam Speaker, I am referring to the Appropriation Bill. I am referring to it through the EPA, and I will also be referring to mines. I have other things in my comments in respect of the Appropriation Bill, not just the EPA.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, I will not ask you to deviate. There is a reasonable amount of latitude in these sorts of speeches. It would be good if you could direct some of your comments at least to the Appropriation Bill. That would be helpful.
Mrs MILLER: Certainly, but I was a little concerned that the EPA is so important and it has had a cut in this Appropriation Bill. I am just explaining why it is so important. There was still a problem because the traditional owners moved …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mrs MILLER: Yes, I am leading into it. I am leading into it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: This is about the 2007-08 Northern Territory government budget on which the member for Katherine is speaking in her capacity as shadow minister for the environment. What the 2007-08 Budget has to do, and what part the traditional owners of Borroloola play, in the context of the 2007-08 Budget, I see no connection at all. I urge that you ask the honourable member to get on with debating the budget, as opposed to the history of the McArthur River legislation earlier this year.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, if you could please contain your comments to the Appropriation Bill. Insofar as there are comments relating to traditional owners in Borroloola, if they can be specifically linked to the budget in the next couple of minutes, that would be very helpful.
Mrs MILLER: Madam Speaker, may I make a comment through you?
Madam SPEAKER: You can make a comment in that you can continue. However, I am suggesting to you that in the next couple of minutes there needs to be a close link between the traditional owners and the budget.
Mrs MILLER: Madam Speaker, that means that anyone else who gets up in any part of any debate cannot waffle on about anything that they want to. They will have to direct their comments to that particular point of debate. Is that right?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, this is a bill about the appropriations for the Northern Territory. I have said to you that there is a fair bit of latitude and, in fact, I have shown that latitude. There have been two points of order which have drawn attention to a standing order in relation to relevance to the bill. For that reason, I am asking you, in the next few minutes, to come to a point in relation to the Appropriation Bill.
Mrs MILLER: Okay, so I have a few minutes?
Madam SPEAKER: Not too many, member for Katherine.
Mrs MILLER: Oh, they are just a little titchy - very, very titchy.
Madam Speaker, I was actually enjoying that and I was going to get to some very interesting parts about the traditional owners. I am very sorry for those people who were keen to hear about that.
What I wanted to do is find out exactly when the independent EPA is actually going to be funded. I do not see that it is going to be set up as an independent EPA, and I cannot find it in the budget papers at all, except to say that it has had a cut of 10%, so I am not quite sure how serious that is. Well, that was really very interesting, was it not? I am going to refer to my own electorate - I presume I am allowed to do that?
I want to refer to how that affects Katherine. The budget allocations under the heading for Katherine cover about 400 000 km2, and that area goes from the Queensland border to the Western Australian border and my electorate of Katherine is in the middle of that. When people read what this government says: ‘Katherine is getting all of these things’, and we are really looking after Katherine, they talk about the Katherine electorate ...
Mr Wood: The rural area gets that, too.
Mrs MILLER: You get that as well. Well, Katherine is a small part in that huge area of over 400 000 km2. Therefore, it becomes interesting to really look at the breakdown of the budget allocation for my electorate, and to determine just how much Katherine really does benefit. Aside from services that government is obliged to fund, there is very little in this budget for my constituents to be excited about.
One of the areas is in regional economic development, and that should be at the heart of this government. Without regions and the economy generated through small business, the pastoral industry, mining, tourism, horticulture and agriculture, the Territory would be a pretty abysmal place. The problem is the majority of people live in urban areas like Alice Springs and Darwin, and that is where the majority of votes come, so that is where government focuses its spending.
For example, why has this government not fulfilled its promise to complete the upgrading of the main street of Katherine? That upgrade has been on the books for years now, and still not completed. Sure, the money is coming into Katherine in dribs and drabs, but will possibly drag out until the next election. What makes this so important to Katherine is that it is unsatisfactory that the footpaths on the southern side of Katherine Terrace do not have disability access to the shops and offices along the street. My office is one of those, Madam Speaker, and, next door, Bendigo Bank is preparing to open their new branch in July. They are also unable to install disability access because of the unsatisfactory height of the footpath.
The main street of Katherine, being the Stuart Highway, is the responsibility of this government. Not being able to install disability access is not only very restrictive, but discriminatory against disabled people. The owners of both my office and the Bendigo Bank are quite prepared to share the cost of installing disability access that needs planning approval, but are unable to do so at present with the levels of the main street footpath. It may seem very insignificant to this government, but it means a lot to the disabled people in Katherine, and the Katherine community in general. It means that we are unable to provide access to our offices and shops on that side of the main street.
Another very good indicator that regional development is in need of this government’s support is the fact that several small businesses have closed, or are closing, and these people are leaving Katherine. When talking to these people to find out why they are leaving, there is a combination of reasons which include: they are sick of the antisocial behaviour; they cannot sell their businesses; and there is not enough development to keep their business viable and they are closing their doors. I find all of this very frustrating, as that does not indicate assistance by this government to help regional development.
A positive side that really does not have anything to do with government - and I assume I am allowed to speak about this - there is a group of enterprising horticulturalists who have been working together for approximately 12 months now, having meetings to develop a group called the Katherine Farmers’ Group. That is the name they started with. They are going through the process of giving themselves another name. They are developing a very enterprising industry which is value-adding to produce from their properties. That includes mangoes, melons, rockmelons, and that sort of thing that does not meet the highest standards because it might have a speck on it or some mark that does not make it at the highest grade, but is still of the best quality and unable to find a market. They are developing some ideas of their own. This group of people got together and are quite enterprising. They have been formulating a business plan over that 12 months and developing strategies to move their produce through the Katherine community, either through a shopfront or through the support of other businesses in Katherine.
This group so professionally prepared their submission for funding for a community kitchen that they were very successful in receiving a grant from the federal government for $118 000 to set it up. That community kitchen, at this time, is planned to be in an extra space that the Red Cross has at its location on Riverbank Drive. This is great news for this enterprising group of people, and will also benefit many others in the community who wish to utilise the community kitchen. Of the people I need to mention who have had a lot to do with this community kitchen - and there are quite a few so I do not want to offend those that I do not mention today because, when it does get set up with all the proper equipment in it, I will talk about it again. However, Norma Higgins is the chairperson of that committee, and the committee is doing a great job in developing and promoting their produce and also the Katherine region.
I am also disappointed about something else in the Appropriation Bill. I know members of government espouse the wonderful things that government is doing. However, one of the things I am really disappointed in is the lack of funding for research stations. It has been reduced over the years. It is not a laughable matter, quite frankly. You can laugh, but it is not laughable matter. The lack of research that has been done at our research stations in the Northern Territory is embarrassing. The Territory should be the leaders in research in agriculture and horticulture. Instead, we are losing that opportunity with less and less research being funded and experienced staff lost from the Northern Territory. Why is this happening? It is another case of this government not interested or understanding the value of horticulture and agriculture and what it does, especially for the economy of regional areas.
The other area that happens to benefit Katherine in this Appropriation Bill, and it has been going on now for several years, is the $3.5m that is set aside for the cultural precinct. At long last the cultural precinct is developing. There has been a cultural precinct group formed with many members from the community and the location has finally been settled. It is going to be at the old weighbridge site in Katherine which is on the Stuart Highway between Katherine East and the main town. It is still some time from the bricks and mortar but I certainly welcome the Territory government’s support for that cultural centre which will be of great economic benefit to Katherine, for all Katherine people, indigenous and non-indigenous. I look forward to that. I am pleased to see that is still there.
In closing, one area that I feel the Appropriation Bill still definitely under-budgets for is for seniors in the Northern Territory. We talk about how we value our seniors and it is said, nicely, that we value our seniors, but we do not do provide enough monetary support for them. There are many seniors out there who are really struggling. They need some help with their activities and with things that they can attend. We need to look after them. We need to encourage them to stay here, to need to provide facilities for them so they are encouraged to stay here and not leave. We lose too much valuable experience and knowledge when our seniors leave the Territory. I would like to see much more money put towards the seniors.
With that, Madam Speaker, seeing I was cut short by about 20 minutes, I am sure I can bring some of those very interesting points to the fore during the estimates and I look forward to it.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, today I speak of the important impact that Budget 2007-08 will have specifically on the electorate of Port Darwin. The Treasurer said in his budget speech that Budget 2007-08 sets out the plan for this year, and provides the foundations for the next 10 years. Budget 2007-08 helps to support Territory business through continued tax cuts, strategic investment and large infrastructure programming that will target and support business.
Port Darwin is geographically a small electorate of approximately 14 km2. However, it is an economic hub. Construction is a huge focus with billions of dollars, both private and government contributions, being invested into this electorate. Tourism, retail and entertainment are but a few of the standouts in this fantastic electorate. Basically, you can reside, experience, explore, buy, eat, relax and be entertained all within 14 km. Wow, what a spot!
As the local member for Port Darwin I can be a little biased. However, Port Darwin sums up what I love about our great Territory lifestyle, and government is actively and continually strategically planning improvements to make it better. The future of Darwin, a tropical harbour city, showcases a myriad of suggestions across all areas. Extensive public consultations have been conducted. I personally participated in six public information stalls and two public presentations by the Chief Minister. All comments from people have been positive and this public consultation process has stimulated some fantastic and imaginative ideas. A great proportion of ideas are either geographically located within my electorate, or have significant economic and lifestyle influences for constituents of Port Darwin.
Some of the ideas flagged through the Future of Darwin: a Tropical Harbour City in Budget 2007-08 are already being investigated, including $250 000 which has been allocated to engage stakeholders and scope A Darwin Experience, including a World War II museum. Some proposals listed on the Future of Darwin: a Tropical Harbour City website include a new, world-class World War II museum showcasing the defence of Darwin as an expansion of the Museums and Art Galleries of the NT facilities, investigation of potential sites including East Point and the former Supreme Court building site, the inclusion of additional artefacts, interpretative materials and interactive displays.
The waterfront is a major project and is an obvious focus and important area within my electorate. The government’s commitment to this and other major projects but, more importantly, strategic planning and consistent commitment to infrastructure projects throughout the Northern Territory, has made significant changes to our continued buoyant economic viability. It has tipped the scales and endeavours to adjust that boom and bust situation that has been a theme of the Territory for far too long. The waterfront project will underpin the Territory’s construction industry for the next 15 years and add a new economic dimension to our tourism industry.
Infrastructure also contributes to strong growth in our tourism industry, which I believe is gaining intensity. Increased visitor numbers are also being achieved by good marketing, both internally and externally. The construction industry provides thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly for Territorians. The government’s high level of infrastructure spending supports jobs for Territorians, work for local business and flows through the whole economy. Our Labor government recognises this and has continued with an effective and record construction program in Budget 2007-08.
The two most talked about areas of the waterfront when doorknocking within my electorate are the wave lagoon, and the Smith Street connection. Many residents have expressed their concerns that the connection must be right to ensure that positives of the waterfront project are being projected through the CBD. I have been representing constituent concerns and suggestions at the steering committee meetings and stakeholder consultations. I am hopeful that on completion the connection will be fantastic, practical, climate conscious and a pleasant enticement to tourists and locals alike to travel through the city and enjoy all that it has to offer. I commend all involved in the project, including investors, the Chief Minister and Infrastructure minister, contractors, workers, future residents, future and current business people, and place on the record my excitement of what is to become a true world-class feature of Darwin.
In the heart of the Port Darwin electorate lies Myilly Point. $600 000 has been committed to the redevelopment of Myilly Point and the upgrade of Flagstaff Park. Myilly Point is an area which is rich in history and it is one of the most important remaining heritage sites close to Darwin. Myilly Point is significantly utilised by our tourism trade. Preserving the Territory’s heritage is very important to the Martin Labor government as it helps us to understand who we are and where we are going. $365 000 will be distributed for heritage grants, and a further $1m allocated for repairs and maintenance of our heritage sites. The areas of Myilly Point and Flagstaff Park are well used and important recreation areas. This is an area that many residents use every day and is significant to all Darwin residents, but particularly the residents of the close-by suburbs of Cullen Bay, Larrakeyah, Darwin city and Stuart Park, all of which are in the electorate of Port Darwin. With green space and parks in demand with the influx of residents to the city, it will be great to have these facilities upgraded for use by families, fitness conscious residents and tourists alike.
There are some surprising statistics from one of my local primary schools. Around 33% of students who attend the school live in city apartments. These surprising statistics highlight the importance of providing safe, pleasant and well facilitated recreation areas and open space whilst balancing the valuable land prices. Basically, we must use what we have wisely and invest in these facilities for the future.
Along with the commitment of a brand new middle school at Bullocky Point, due to open on day 1 of the 2008 school year, the intersections surrounding the area will be upgraded, with a commitment of $2.5m set aside to complete a new and safer entry and exit to Darwin Middle and Senior Schools. At a total cost of $19m, the new Darwin Middle School is the first new secondary school to be built since the 1980s. I have recently toured the work site with the minister for Education. At that time, we saw great progress with the project and were assured that everything was on track for completion within the required time line.
Darwin Middle School will be state-of-the-art; the first school built in the Northern Territory especially with pedagogy as a focus. The school is being built with flexible learning areas and up-to-the-minute ICT facilities. The school has also been designed with VET in mind.
I thank and commend Mr Marcus Dixon, the Principal of Darwin Middle School, and the interim school council, which includes Chairperson, Monica Van Den Nieuwenhof, Lynne Wallis, Alexandra Mullins, Erynne Fildes, Kathy Hamilton, Kim Row, Jenny Sherrington, Mick Purcell, Graham Lewis, Amanda Taylor, Lorraine Caldwell, Michael Duffy, and Peter Garrigan for the work that has been done so far and the huge amount of work that is yet to come. As the song says, the best is yet to come. This is true, but it does not happen on its own.
The Darwin Middle School is very important to me as local member for Port Darwin. The children who live in my electorate will be benefiting greatly from this fantastic facility. I commend the Larrakeyah School council, and particularly Mr Bertram Birk, who were very proactive and positive throughout the middle schools public consultation process. It was Larrakeyah Primary School’s council that provided the body of work and suggestion that a middle school be built on this site. Significant work was put into the submission, and the result of that submission is a $19m commitment by government to this site and to Building Better Schools.
Many residents and business people from the Tipperary Waters/Dinah Beach area and regular users of the Dinah Beach boat ramp have made representation to me concerning the busy Tiger Brennan Drive/Gonzales Street intersection within the suburb of Stuart Park. I have represented the concerns to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and I am very happy to report that the minister has responded with funding which has been allocated to conduct a traffic study which will be undertaken soon. As a stakeholder on behalf of constituents, I have had discussions with both departmental staff and the consultants employed to undertake this traffic study. I eagerly await a practical and innovative report into this much used intersection.
Larrakeyah Sewage Outfall Station has been a concern to residents for many years. In this year’s budget, there is an allocation of $440 000 to commence the project which will see sewage diverted from this area to the Ludmilla Plant and, hence, closing the Larrakeyah outfall within the next five years. I have had many discussions with local residents, and this is a very welcome project. The project will service the future development of the CBD and Larrakeyah.
In Budget 2007-08, the Treasurer has lifted the first homeowners stamp duty concessions threshold for stamp duty on conveyancing for first homeowners from $225 000 to $350 000, providing a maximum stamp duty savings of $15 312, which almost doubles the maximum stamp duty savings for first homeowners. I have been personally lobbying for this change. Having a real estate background, I understand how important it is to assist a young person to buy their first home, and particularly important to the economy of Australia. Home ownership is one of the key components to being self-funded, self-reliant and financially comfortable and secure in retirement.
Some other suggestions that have been made to me by constituents for consideration for future budgets are that the fantastic First Homeowners Concession could be extended to some extent to include those men and women who have had to start up the slippery slope of financial viability after selling their sole and primary residence due to property settlement as a result of the breakdown of a relationship; and an adjustment in the principal place of residence concession. These are all things that I am sure will be considered in the future.
The First Homeowners Concession Scheme is for entry level of first homeowners, as is the HomeNorth Scheme. As I have said in this House before, it will not buy you a mansion for 10 with room for a pony, but it will assist first homeowners with their most important real estate purchase - their first home – and set them on their way to financial independence.
Record Health and Community Services spending has increased the number and quality of health services available in the Territory. Supporting the Arts in the Territory is very important to me as a local member for the arts hub of Darwin. I am very pleased that $5.5m will be allocated in the 2007-08 budget as sponsorship to provide Arts NT grants, NT Film Office grants, and Public Arts grants. The Martin Labor government will also be providing financial and in-kind support at varying levels to support important festivals such as the Darwin Festival.
In closing my contribution, I thank the Treasurer for a great budget. I feel that the needs of the community as a whole have been taken into account. There is always more to do; however, this budget looks forward in a positive and strategic way. It is not a gamble; it is a sensible budget, and plans for and is building a sound future with strong support for the community and business.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Speaker, this is my first budget as a member of parliament. I start off by saying what this means to the people of the Northern Territory. Often, that gets lost in this debate. This budget is about how this government and we, as parliamentarians, represent our constituents and spend taxpayers’ dollars. That is a very important point. It comes down to responsibility. I put on the record that this budget is very responsible. It is a budget that delivers for all Territorians regardless of where they are living, which is, I suppose, in direct contrast to what we saw under the CLP government. As we all know, when the CLP left office, the cash deficit was $130m. People out there have not forgotten that.
This budget is very responsible, and it goes a long way in tackling many of the challenges that we face as the Northern Territory, in supporting and growing business, building a healthier Territory, improving educational outcomes, providing a safer community for all, and enhancing our great lifestyle. This budget provides a balance, both on the economic areas and in the social areas of the Northern Territory.
There are also other challenges that I, as a bush member, face as well, along with government: the regional shires and indigenous housing. This budget delivers on that. In the core area of education we see that there is $658m in the budget, and that is a record – up 38% from 2001. In the health area, it is $838m, another record, and a 73% increase from 2001. In employment and training, it is $21.3m over four years, including Jobs Plan 3, which is already delivering great results for the Territory. The overall budget in the context of the Northern Territory, as I said, is a budget that is delivering for all Territorians.
In my electorate of Stuart, I am proud of what the budget has delivered for my constituents. Hopefully, I would like to put a lot of that to my strong representation over a short time, but I also acknowledge my predecessor, who also, I imagine, fought hard in Budget Cabinet to get the voices of the bush heard. That is a true reflection of what we see in this year’s budget. Knowing my constituents, they are very patient people. They are people who will sit back and wait for things to come to them, and this budget delivers a lot for them.
I am proud to say that this government is investing in the bush. Regularly, I get to visit with ministers out in the electorate and the ministers are out there listening. They are visiting and listening and, more importantly, they are delivering to the people of Stuart. I acknowledge the ministers for their work over the past 12 months in getting out there and seeing firsthand what the issues are and the challenges, like the bush roads, for example, as well as secondary education. I am looking forward to working closely with the minister for Education in getting better results in my electorate for secondary education. My colleague, the member for Macdonnell, put it very clearly in her statement today: that secondary education in Central Australia is a big issue. I am sure we will both work together in getting much more delivered out there.
The Utopia and Ti Tree region is a region that encompasses around 2000 people. It is a growing area, as the sign says when you are travelling up the Stuart Highway. It is the growing centre of the Territory. Secondary education is a big need as well as across to Utopia along the Sandover Highway up to Ampilatwatja. One pleasing thing is the town camp education strategy which encompasses quite a few town camps in my electorate. That is a positive, and I have certainly seen some great results as I go around to the schools in Alice Springs which are now involving town camp children in mainstream education.
Indigenous housing in my electorate is a big issue. Last year, the Chief Minister announced an extra $100m for indigenous housing. I am looking forward to working with the Minister for Housing and ensuring my electorate and people of Central Australia get a fair share of that big cake.
We all know here, particularly the bush members, that regional shires is a big issue for all of us. It is a challenge that I am sure this government is taking up well and truly. It is good to see $6.8m in the budget to implement the new reforms, and $4.95m for the one-off establishment grants. Having travelled with the minister last week through my part of the electorate, I know that the minister is visiting and listening to the constituents about the issues that come with regional shires. This budget delivers much financial support that is going to be needed to get these reforms through parliament and out there in the bush to improve service delivery.
The other core areas of my electorate are health, education, housing, roads, employment, youth, sports and recreation, and substance abuse which the member for Macdonnell touched on. The $240 000 to upgrade Aranda House in Alice Springs is most welcome.
I now focus on some of the highlights of the funding from the budget, in particular roads, probably one of the key issues. I know the minister for roads has been out there and accompanied me on the Tanami Highway. She has seen the condition of the Tanami firsthand, and its importance to the Territory in bringing in dollars from the mining sector, but also as a vital link for the communities of Papunya, Yuendumu, Yuelamu and Laramba. So for the Tanami Highway, great news: $2m per year for this major road.
There is also $200 000 for the Lajamanu to Kalkarindji turn-off, on a road that has a sad history of many fatalities. This $200 000 is going to go a long way to upgrading that and improving the bad sections of the road. The Chief Minister has been out to Lajamanu and she has talked to the people there and listened to their concerns about this road. I am pleased, and I am sure the communities out there are very pleased, about this extra funding for the Lajamanu to Kalkarindji road. This is another example of this government getting out there to the bush, listening and then delivering on some of these key issues.
With the Lajamanu to Kalkarindji road I would like to mention the Wulaign Resource Centre. It is a local resource centre that services the outstations in that region but is also a resource centre that has dome very well in sourcing government road contracts. Marty Drenth and the fellows from Lajamanu are doing very well in sourcing these contracts and doing a fantastic job. I was out there the other day and they advised me that they have done some major works for the government on the road between Lajamanu and the Tanami mines. The work has been to such a great standard that they have lifted weight restrictions on that road, which is great news for the Tanami Mines because many mining contractors use the road.
Another road receiving some much needed funds of $500 000 per year is the Sandover Highway. As the local member, I am out there regularly, particularly talking to the Utopia Clinic staff. I would like to see some of that money focused on the part of the road which links the clinic to the airstrip. As you can imagine, it is very badly corrugated during the Wet, not to mention when the clinic is having to do night evacuations. The road does get very tricky, so that money will be most welcome, particularly on that part of the Sandover Highway.
There is $800 000 for rural roads such as the Buntine Highway, another strategic road for the Northern Territory, coming down from the Victoria Highway through to Top Springs and along some of the biggest cattle stations in the Northern Territory such as Camfield and Wave Hill, and then gradually winding its way through to Kalkarindji and Daguragu. It is a very important arterial road for the Northern Territory for tourism as well because it winds its way through that part of the Territory to Western Australia and Halls Creek. On many trips I have seen tourists, some of them with caravans, on that road. I am sure it shakes them up, so that money is going to be very well spent on the Buntine Highway.
Another core service for government is education. Secondary education in Central Australia is a big issue for both the member for Macdonnell and me, particularly for me through the Utopia and Ti Tree region. Education has done well in this budget, and I thank the minister for Education and the Treasurer for delivering.
There is $300 000 for transportable classrooms in the Ingkerreke Resource Centre Outstation region. Ingkerreke Resource Centre is based in Alice Springs but services many outstations just north and east of Alice Springs, with probably the farthest away in my electorate 90 km from Alice Springs. For many of those students who have to travel every morning, particularly the young children who catch a bus at 6 am to get to Alice Springs to Yeperenye School, this is great news for them and their parents. I look forward to working with Ingkerreke Resource Centre, Yeperenye School and other agencies in the near future to talk about how we are best going to utilise that $300 000.
Ampilatwatja School, which is on the Sandover Highway in the eastern part of my electorate, has $15 000 for minor new works projects, and $10 000 for Irrultja, a small outstation serviced by Ampilatwatja, for minor new works projects. Both minor new works projects will be more than welcome.
The Yarralin School in the Victoria River district of my electorate, has $27 000 to go towards a covered walkway. This will certainly go down well. They have funding for covering the basketball court with shade and the covered walkway links the school to the basketball court. Overall, it is going to improve the amenities of the school and be most appreciated by parents and students. Hopefully, it will have spin-off affects regarding attendance and getting kids to school with better sporting facilities.
I am sure everyone in this House has heard about Kalkaringi School, a very big success story in the Territory in secondary education. There is $320 000 for an additional secondary classroom, which is money well spent. The reputation of this school is outstanding. If you have ever been to the school, you will see the demountables, the classrooms. They are named after past students who have graduated. That is a great initiative, and $320 000 is a great investment.
Health is a key area for this government and a key issue in my electorate. Once again, there is record spending by this government - $838m, which is a 73% increase from 2001. There is $2.7m to complete the new clinic at Kalkarindji. While I was there the other week with the Minister for Local Government, we had a look around and were shown the site. The pegs are there on the site, and I look forward to the construction very soon.
Sport and recreation is probably one of my pet issues in my electorate. It is certainly good news in my electorate - $50 000 for the Yuendumu oval and softball ovals. For the up and coming Yuendumu sports, this money is going to go down very well ...
A member: Is it this weekend?
Mr HAMPTON: I have heard it is July, so they have actually changed the date. I believe that is in consideration of the impact that some of these sports weekends are having on school attendance. I believe it is a great initiative by the community to recognise that sport and recreation is great, but it can often have an impact on attendance at school. For them to change the date for the school holidays is fantastic, as well as this $50 000 for their oval.
There is $20 000 for the Utopia football oval, and if you have never been out there, you can see that this money is going to be appreciated. Along the Sandover, it is more or less just a bit of a dust bowl really, with no fences and, often, when there is a bit of a dispute, the cars get on the oval and they try to sort it out by driving their cars on the oval. I will not push it, but maybe the $20 000 can go towards fencing. It is going to go down great for the people of Utopia - $20 000 will go a long way, so I am very happy about that.
There is $120 000 for Willowra, and a new basketball court. This is fantastic news again. Willowra is supported by the Mt Theo substance abuse youth programs. There is very little in the way of sport and recreation facilities for the people of Willowra, and they have been asking for this for a long time. It is fantastic news for Willowra - $120 000 for the new basketball court.
Essential services is one area that has missed out a lot in the bush over the years. We have seen the wind-up of ATSIC, and the responsibility of the Commonwealth government in maintaining and repairing essential services infrastructure in communities has dwindled over the years. I believe it was also something that was, unfortunately, forgotten by the CLP over a long period. The infrastructure out there has worn down, so these highlights in the budget for my electorate are certainly most welcome. There is $660 000 for Pigeon Hole power station to relocate out of the flood area. If you have ever been to Pigeon Hole, and you have seen photos during the Wet Season, you can understand why the people there want to get away from the big river, because they certainly do get flooded in. I know, from talking to people there, they have future planning for their community on higher ground, so $660 000 for the relocation of their power station is welcome. There is $1.22m to complete the Pigeon Hole airstrip, again, up on higher ground.
For Daguragu, there is $470 000 to replace water tanks. Another recent announcement which I am very happy about is $440 000 additional funding for flood forecasting. I know, certainly through my electorate in the Victoria River region, that is going to be most welcome by those communities of Yarralin, Pigeon Hole and, Daguragu – so fantastic news there again.
Employment and training – it was great to be able to get the Minister for Business and Economic Development into my electorate at Ti Tree and the communities there. We have the task force working. Once again, it is government ministers out there in the bush, talking to people, listening, and now delivering. There are very exciting things happening at Ti Tree. It is the growing centre of Australia and the Northern Territory in economic development.
I have also had the pleasure of having the Minister for Mines and Energy there recently at Mulga Bore, signing off on an Indigenous Land Use Agreement that will open up horticulture developments on Pine Hill Station: three new blocks in the near future, which is going to create jobs and a stronger economy for the Anmatjere people at Ti Tree. Also, out of this budget, $190 000 is for horticulture job-ready training for local Ti Tree Anmatjere people. Fantastic news. I know the school is excited. There has also been an opening of a job shop at Ti Tree through Tangentyere. Things are looking good for the people of Ti Tree. I will certainly be getting involved in those discussions on how that $190 000 is going to be best spent to deliver the job opportunities and the jobs that people are looking for.
In conclusion, regarding my electorate, I am very excited about the future. This budget is delivering in many areas essential to the people of Stuart, my constituents. It is a budget that is good for Stuart; it builds on the future. I look forward over the next 12 months to some of these things being delivered.
Being a local, I need to mention Alice Springs. Obviously, the key initiative from the government is the Moving Alice Ahead projects. This government, through this budget, is delivering on all fronts. Regarding the economy, if you drive around Alice Springs, construction is happening all over the place. I can name a few of those projects right now to demonstrate that things are moving ahead in Alice Springs. We have a new store for Clark Rubber that opened in April this year. I was there for the opening of the Desert Knowledge Business Innovation Centre this month, as well as the sod turning of the Desert People’s Centre a couple of months ago. I had the pleasure of turning the first sod, together with representatives of the Desert People’s Centre organisations. It is fantastic to see in this budget $8m for the DPC. That is new money being delivered by this government. There is $6.5m is for new buildings that will see the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Batchelor Institute moving in there very soon.
There is $16m for the Alice Springs Hospital including $6m for a new Emergency Department which is most needed; $1.3m for Mt John Valley land servicing; $20m for new generation and to build a new power station at Brewer Estate; $1.96m for the Outback Way; $10.5m for ongoing works for the Red Centre Way; and funding under way for Moving Alice Ahead.
All in all, it is a great budget. There are challenges ahead for all of us. In my electorate there are certainly challenges in secondary education, which I will be working closely with the minister for Education on. I look forward, over the next 12 months, to working with ministers of government on highlighting these challenges, working together, and representing the people of Stuart the best way I can.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend this bill to the House and also thank the Treasurer for the bill and the appropriation.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to comment on some sections of the budget. Firstly, I congratulate the government on some of the expenditure in my area although, as the member for Katherine said, sometimes my area is a pretty big area when it is marked off in the budget. The power house at Weddell is, in theory, my area, but I am not sure that it actually affects people just in the rural area. Everyone from Larrimah to Darwin will be affected by that.
One of the highlights of the budget is the money being put into the middle school at Taminmin High School. Taminmin High School is going along very well. It is practically full at the moment, and that has a lot to do with the new principal, Tony Considine. The money that is being spent at the moment on the new middle school facilities and, I believe, the Australia Technical College, is proof of how vibrant that school is at the moment. In fact, through some good people on the staff at the school, they have been able to use the money allocated to that school to improve other facilities as well. That is a sign of the times at Taminmin. They are pushing ahead with a number of great programs. They are being looked up to in the community, whereas a number of years ago Taminmin was looked down on. People are now seeing it as a school of excellence. I heard recently there are quite a few people trying to come from Darwin to Taminimin and, because it is full at the moment, it can only take students from the rural area.
The sum of $100 000 was allocated to the bike path to Girraween Primary School. Unfortunately, this is one of those long-standing stories about a bicycle path which they simply wanted to cross a small creek so that the children who travelled from the Girraween Primary School would not be at risk from fairly heavy traffic along Girraween Road. I will not go into all the details but it is happening, but it is taking a long time. There has been some difficulty with getting agreement with the council. The last I heard is that this is going ahead. I would like to thank a lady, Jenny Hangan, who has worked on the school committee who has been working her darndest to make sure this particular project comes to conclusion.
There is $500 000 for the cyclone shelter at Taminmin. I have stood in parliament and said it was extremely bad timing that last year, just at the beginning of the Wet, the government decided to close down the shelter at Taminmin High School after it had been one for many years. At least there is money being put into that cyclone shelter so that it can once again be used for the Wet Season if needed.
There is $4m being allocated to the Howard East Bore Field. What I would be asking the Minister for Essential Services is what exactly that is going mean. I have said here before that it sounds strange if the government is going to promote taking more water out of the Howard East Bore Field while, at the same time, asking people to voluntarily put meters on their bores so we can get a reasonable idea how much water is in the aquifer. I am not sure that we need to be taking much more water out of the Howard East Bore Field. We are raising the level of Darwin River Dam and that should increase the amount of water in Darwin River Dam by 20%. If we find that it is not sufficient then we should be giving serious consideration to building the Warai Dam at Adelaide River, not use all the water resource from the rural area - not just because I live out there, or because people use that water for their own domestic supply, but from an environmental point of view. Water removed from the ground also has effects on rivers and lagoons in the area as well.
I notice there is $176 000 for special learning facilities at Humpty Doo Primary School. I notice the building was recently opened, not officially opened, but opened so that children could use the facility there, and that is great.
There has also been money allocated at last for a truck stop; I think it is in the budget as a bus stop. It is actually a truck stop opposite Woolworths at Coolininga. I have been writing letters for the last three or four years to the minister asking for something to be done because of the dust that has been pouring over many of the shops in that area as trucks pull up and drivers get something to eat from the shopping centre. Although money was put in there for dust suppression purposes it did not work, and the only way it will really work is by putting a seal there. I saw tenders in the paper the other day for this facility. I only hope they do not change the location of the site. If they are required to stop somewhere else near the existing bus stop I can bet you they will avoid it and keep going until they stop where they are presently stopping. I hope whoever is building this uses a little commonsense.
It is not actually a budget item from this year but last year $150 000 was given to change the entrance to the Howard Springs tip and the Palmerston Indigenous Village. I noticed in the paper at last there is a tender document going out for the development of the roads there. I would love to see what the design is. It has always been a mystery to me what sort of design they are going to get there with those two entrances. I will just have to wait and see on that.
I sometimes feel there are things that have been missed out in the budget, and I would like to raise some of those issues tonight. I have spoken before about housing. The minister knows my views; that we need to put a lot more money into public housing. A waiting list of 27 months for a one-bedroom unit is not good. In fact, it is a bit scandalous, to be honest with you, especially with the high cost of housing. If you have a high cost of housing and people cannot afford to get into that housing that is where the government steps in. That is the government’s role: to help those people on low incomes, those people who cannot afford a mortgage.
I wonder why we cannot provide housing that allows people to have one person staying at home and looking after children and one person at work, even if that person is only working part-time and then still coming home. With people having to go into such large debt to buy a home, you require both parents to work full-time to pay for the mortgage, and there is a social issue that concerns me. We are not looking at the consequences of that type of family life whereby mum and dad are out working to pay an enormous mortgage.
The Treasurer has talked about first homeowners being big winners. I support the Treasurer’s change to the tax-free threshold for stamp duty on conveyancing. That is very good. The reality is that you can get a loan, which is approximately 85% of what the Real Estate Institute determines as the median price. Since the Treasurer issued his 1 May media release about the changes to the cap, there are changes to the median price already. In his media release, he stated that the median price for Darwin was $370 000. If you take Colliers International’s book at the moment, which is one I receive every quarter, it states that the median price for Darwin in the March quarter of 2007 was $390 000. We continue to have more expensive houses.
If you take the Darwin rural area, it is amazing what has happened. Colliers International does not usually speak about the rural area because it is one of those areas that people forget is important in the home market. The median price for rural land in Litchfield Shire has jumped about $100 000 to around $270 000. What kind of house are you going to build on that? That is why I was talking about tents. I meant it. Young people cannot afford to buy a block of land in the rural area. That is not right.
At a recent Property Council meeting, the CEO of Lands provided a briefing about future land for development. I asked him about opening up forestry land at Howard Springs for first homeowners as one hectare blocks with town water. Not on the radar. The impression you have is that while government might be twiddling the knobs in relation to how much money is available from HomeNorth, it is not doing anything to reduce the price of land.
All the process the Chief Minister is talking about does is allow a person to secure a bigger loan, which means that person will be in debt for longer. They will probably be in debt for the rest of their life. As is happening down south, people have mortgages that they are passing on to their children. Is that the way we want to go? Is this the policy of the government? It owns a substantial amount of real estate. Why can’t we do something about that? It will not affect the market …
Mr Kiely: How can you pass a mortgage on. You cannot pass a mortgage on.
Mr WOOD: Well, you can.
Mr Kiely: You cannot!
Mr WOOD: You ought to see what is happening in Sydney.
Mr Kiely: You have to sell the house. They have to purchase that and pay it …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: That is right. Whoever buys the house buys the mortgage.
Mr Kiely: No …
Mr WOOD: You know what I mean.
Mr Kiely: That is not passing on the mortgage.
Mr WOOD: The mortgage is lasting for longer than people’s lives. That is not good. People do not want to be in debt for the rest of their lives. It would be nice to have a few years of your life when you were not in debt.
Mr Kiely: That is a bit different to what you just said.
Mr WOOD: If the member for Sanderson wants to be in debt, go for it! That is not something we should encourage. We should be trying to get people to pay off their home much earlier than their entire life ...
Mr Kiely interjecting.
Mr WOOD: The member for Sanderson can say that. He claims he is a great Labor man. Labor is supposed to stand up for the battlers, the low-income people, and the people who are having a hard time. When I put forward a proposal that you set aside some land in the new suburbs of Palmerston, so that you can sell land cheap to first homeowners, the answer I get from the minister for Planning and Lands is that it will affect the market.
The truth is these people cannot get in the market because they cannot afford to buy. It will not affect the market. If you do a limited number of releases each year, you are not going to affect the market. You can put covenants on the blocks that you cannot sell them for 10 years, that you must start building after two years, that you can only sell them back to the government if there was a problem with your relationship with your partner, or there is a death – whatever. You can put enough control on that, and you will encourage people back to owning their home. Surely, that is a policy this government should be promoting. At the moment is it promoting long-term debt …
Mr Kiely: I would like to see you in charge of the economy for one year.
Mr WOOD: It is a shame to hear from the member for Sanderson, who proudly stands up here and says: ‘I am Labor through and through’. Well, the Labor people I knew would support the battler, and would support trying to reduce the cost of buying a house. What is wrong with Labor today? It seems to want to be a friend of the market, a friend of the real estate industry. What about a friend of helping with families and first homeowners? Surely that is not a bad thing. If I get knocked by the member for Sanderson for saying that, well, be that as it may.
I will move on to some other issues. The minister talked about putting $10m into the duplication of Tiger Brennan Drive. I would have liked a bit more detail. Hopefully, we will get it out of the estimates. But what are we doing with Tiger Brennan Drive? Is there going to be Tiger Brennan Drive right through to the Roystonea intersection? Is that Roystonea/Stuart Highway intersection going to have bridge? That is what was meant to happen there so the flow of traffic going through behind the 11 Mile would be straight through to Darwin. That is certainly not clear in the minister’s statement. She just said there is $10m.
It is good to see there is some money for the sewage outfalls in Darwin. I believe it is not sufficient. It is a real problem. The government should be investing more money to get rid of the problems with the raw sewage outfall at Larrakeyah. I have heard that the Ludmilla site is not big enough to handle all the waste that would come from Larrakeyah. I would like to know whether that has been put in to the calculations.
The member for Katherine mentioned the research station - and I am going from one department to the other here, just taking out some highlights that I see. I feel the government has dropped the ball when it comes to research stations. Once upon a time, we had research stations that actually did research, and now they seem to be industry driven. We seem to have reduced the amount of research that we are doing on these stations. The word I heard is now that the policy is that, basically, universities do the research, and that our research stations are advisory areas and that is about it. They do some research but, generally speaking, that will be on behalf of those of the more affluent parts of the industry. When you look at what Coastal Plains Research Station was once upon a time, looking at new varieties of vegetables and fruit, compared to what it was about 10 years ago, unfortunately, I believe it has just about gone into mothballs.
Looking at the ministry for Justice, I was looking at the section on prisons. I did not see anything which even gave me a feeling that there was some move to try to look at alternative ways for prisons. I have said this a number of times here: I believe we need either work camps or mobile work camps, and there is nothing. We are still relying on Don Dale for juveniles and some diversionary programs. It would have been good to see the government try to have a mobile work camp where young people are taken out to a cattle station, where they are given some education and some work, and they are out there for enough months to get themselves away from all the peer group pressures they get in the cities. Again, it seems we still go down the same path. We have closed Wildman River, we have given it over to Parks and Wildlife, and we just do not seem to want to look at alternative ways of doing things.
A point I raise every year is education, especially when it comes to indigenous communities. The figures are terrible. Unfortunately, the figures are actually hidden, unless you go back to the annual reports, and the annual reports show a lot different picture than the budget shows. However, even if you just take the Budget Paper, the estimate for indigenous students achieving national reading for Year 3 was 39% for 2006-07. The estimate this year is 48%. Until we look at the annual report, we will have to see whether we reached 39%. When you start to split the 39% up between remote indigenous communities and urban indigenous communities, you will find that most indigenous communities are well below 39%. The government is hoping for 48%. That is still a pretty terrible amount.
We heard the Chief Minister today talking about the importance of education in relation to sexual abuse of children. That shows that we have a long way to go; if education is the main aim of some of the recommendations that were put forward in that report. I really believe that we should not be glossing over too much of what has been said. The move by this government to have high school education is good, but I would like to know whether we are looking at mainstream subjects such as physics, chemistry - those types of studies that are going to make doctors and engineers - or are we looking at subjects in the tourism industry and that sort of thing? These are fine but, if we are talking about full secondary education, then we need the full gamut of subjects, not just a few of them.
The minister has announced there will be $248 000 spent on the establishment of the Environment Protection Agency. I must admit, if there were wages in that, that would give us two people. Just $248 000! I know the minister is going to stand in front of crocodiles tomorrow and tell us how relevant that is to an EPA. However, for an EPC or whatever …
Ms Scrymgour: EPA.
Mr WOOD: Oh, there I have it …
Ms Scrymgour: Do not mislead, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: Hang on, hang on! The member says I am misleading, Mr Deputy Speaker. The report said EPC, and I had to wait until today …
Ms SCRYMGOUR: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! The member for Nelson needs to clarify what he is saying. The report that the member for Nelson is talking about is the leaked document which stated Environment Protection Commission. That is not the report. It is an EPA, and the member for Nelson should get that right. He knows it and he likes to …
Mr WOOD: Can I speak to the point of order?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment. I am going to rule on it now. There is no point of order.
Mr WOOD: I did not think there was, but I was giving it a try. What a load of twaddle! How am I supposed to know it was a leaked report? I asked a question based on that report in Question Time. You did not tell me it was a leaked report.
Ms Scrymgour: What Question Time?
Mr WOOD: Whenever I mentioned that EPA, you told me …
Ms SCRYMGOUR: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Arafura, one moment.
Dr Burns: Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment. Member for Arafura, what is your point of order?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The member for Nelson should withdraw that, because he never asked a question about the EPA at all. Apart from Tuesday when he asked about the time line, he did not ask for clarification of the EPA or that document. He should withdraw or he should change his wording to reflect the truth rather than a half truth.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, I am unaware of the question that was asked in Question Time, but if you are unsure of it …
Mr WOOD: No, I am not unsure, it is right here. I will just put it into the Parliamentary Record so the minister can hear me. The question was in November 2005. You said you would establish an Environment Protection Agency Board – blah, blah, blah; it went on. In November 2006, the board released its report. In the report it states an Environmental Protection Commission should be established. That was part of the question …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, I accept that. There is no point of order, and if you can direct your remarks through the Chair.
Mr WOOD: Okay. That is what the question was about. If that was wrong, then why did the minister not give me that in her answer? Besides calling me a ‘Clayton greenie’, she said that she would give a commitment and it would be as per their election commitment. There was nothing in that answer that said I had a leaked document. How do you think I asked the question? I had a document that was given to me. I did not know it was leaked, I thought it was …
Ms Scrymgour: Oh yes, yes.
Mr WOOD: No. See …
Mr Kiely: You protest too much.
Mr WOOD: Yes, and you make up too much. You make it up as you go.
Anyway, we will see what happens with the EPA. I gather there is going to be an announcement. However, when you look at $248 000, do not expect too much. It is two people’s wages, so I do not think it is going to the EPA I thought you were going to establish. It is going to something a little lighter. I will be interested to hear what it is.
Mr Deputy Speaker, a couple of other issues. The waterfront is a big burden on the budget. It would have been nice to hear, for instance, how much the wave pool is going to cost. I have heard a number of people telling me the figure has blown out. I am interested to see what it is actually costing. The sound shell seems to have disappeared off the waterfront. I do not know what has happened there but it would be nice to know what has happened to the sound shell.
When we are talking about medical services, for the Farrar Medical Centre - again nothing, no matter how much we try. Even if we could get a nurse there during the night, just to have somebody there – no, nothing for the Farrar Medical Centre. Regardless of the Minister for Health saying, ‘It is up to the Commonwealth to provide a doctor’, the department could provide at least some service there until the Northern Territory government and the federal government sort themselves out. The people end up being the jam in sandwich and we do not get anything out there for the Palmerston/rural people.
I was surprised I did not see anything in the budget for oncology. Perhaps I misread the area, but I am interested to know whether the Minister for Health has somewhere in the budget a provision for the oncology service. We are hoping to have that up by early next year. I am interested to know if the Territory government is putting money into that very important facility.
Another area which is lacking in the rural area is a seniors’ village. There is much talk about retirement villages in Darwin and Alice Springs but at least 17 000 people live in the rural area. There is sufficient Crown land out there to build a seniors’ village. I know that many rural people are leaving the Territory because there are no facilities here. They do not want to look after their rural block any more and they would like a smaller place to stay without leaving the rural area. There is plenty of Crown land around. An example is where the new Lutheran School is going on Whitewood Road. There is sufficient land there to establish a seniors’ village. The government should not be selling the land to the highest bidder. They should be offering it to a developer who can give the best facility for the community, and that way you build affordable housing for seniors.
Once you start putting big prices on the land, that price is passed on to the consumer and you have people who have trouble buying reasonable seniors’ accommodation. I have had a number of people come to me in the last month saying: ‘We were looking at going to some of the senior villages in Darwin’. However, the price was absolutely enormous. They had to basically sell everything to go there and they felt that was not suitable for what they wanted. I believe governments have roles in providing for seniors and people who have lived here for a long time.
I would use the same argument for young people and the battlers, and those people on low incomes, and families. That is where government has a role to play. It is not just about leaving everything to the private market. If the CLP was on that side of the government I would probably expect them to say it, but I am not expecting to hear it all the time from the Labor Party. Or are they trying to be the CLP in a sheep’s clothing ...
Mr Kiely: Well, who are you trying to be?
Mr WOOD: I am trying to say a few things that need to be said. Hopefully, you will pick them up and run with them, instead of sitting there going ‘mumble, mumble’.
I would also like to know whether the Minister for Essential Services - and I am not sure this comes under him, but there has been talk a while back whether we should have an ambulance full-time at the Humpty Doo Fire and Emergency facility. The funny thing is, when it first opened, the sign on the fence said ‘Police, Fire and Ambulance’. Obviously, someone made a misprint. A number of people in the rural area now feel that it is time we had an ambulance stationed full-time there on 24-hour standby. We do have a first aid-type ambulance, and that is run by volunteers. The Payne family houses the ambulance at their place, and they do a lot of work in the rural area at different sporting functions. That is an important facility, but it is not one that can be used for major accidents.
An area that I have been promoting for some time, about 10 years, is getting the bicycle path from Palmerston into the rural area on the old railway corridor. A group of people went down with Trevor Horman two weekends ago as part of the Friends of North Australia Railway group and walked the length of that old railway line. We think that if the government will not give us any money to seal it, we might ask the government whether they will allow us to do voluntary work on it to make it a mountain bike path or a walking track. We think it is important to retain the heritage. If the government will give us permission to do some work on that as a voluntary group and ask people to donate some materials, we could open up that bicycle path nearly all the way to the Arnhem Highway. Perhaps then the government might come along with some funds to put some bitumen on it.
It is a beautiful little walk. It is a bit rough in places where people have stolen a bit more of the foundations, you might say, that was absolutely necessary, when they took some of the ballast away. There are a couple of bridges missing, too. One at Coolalinga is missing and will require a bit of money to replace. Basically, the rest are pretty well intact and it could happen. I know the government, in theory, has promised for that bicycle path to be sealed in its term of office. However, I get the feeling it went on roads, after hearing the Minister for Planning and Lands when I asked her what happened to the money for the bicycle path. That will be the same answer for a few more years.
An area in which I have always taken an interest is the Ombudsman. I notice the Ombudsman had some increase in money this year. Last year, at the Estimates Committee, there was a bit of discussion between the Ombudsman and the Chief Minister regarding a lack of funding. I noticed there is a little more funding this year. I noticed the Ombudsman also mentioned that she has been able to reduce some of the calls on the Ombudsman by using some new programs in the public service and by improving methods dealing with police complaints. That is great. The only thing I say is that there appears to be reduction in education and awareness and that tends to affect people in remote areas who should be informed about the role of the Ombudsman. It is all right for us in the city, but perhaps those in the regional and remote areas do not know what the role of the Ombudsman is.
All in all, it is a mixed bag. There are certainly some good things in the budget, there is no doubt about it. The rural area has a little out of it - not as much as I would have liked, but as with all budgets, you win some, you lose some. We will just keep trying to persevere and get a few of the things we have been pushing for. I thank the minister for his statement on the budget.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Mr Deputy Speaker, I speak in reply to the Treasurer’s budget speech delivered on 1 May 2007. Congratulations to the Treasurer for another budget meeting the needs of the Territorians. Well done to those in the Department of Treasury, who I am sure toiled many hours putting all the information together.
Territorians are entitled to ask government what it proposes to do with the funds it has received. The answer is one that should please Territorians: a record health budget of $838m. This is 73% higher than in 2001. There is record investment in education at $658m, an increase of 38% since 2001. There is $236m for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, an increase of 65% since 2001. There is an increase in the stamp duty concession for first homebuyers from $225 000 to $350 000. This is an increase of 55%. The maximum rebate is now $15 312. A further $645m cash is to be spent on infrastructure in the Territory. This brings the amount of cash spent on infrastructure since 2001 to $3.3m. These are big figures. They are impressive figures, figures that show this government is ensuring that the money it collects from taxpayers is put to work improving life in the Territory.
Palmerston has a population of approximately 25 500 people. The City of Palmerston website actually puts the population slightly higher at 28 500. Approximately 30% are under the age of 15. This, again, is from the figures taken from Palmerston City Council’s website. It is more interesting than that – 11% of the population is aged four or under. A further 11% are under 10 years old. That is a massive 22% of the population under 10. It is a phenomenal statistic.
The Northern Territory government is the only state or territory government that provides a subsidy for childcare. This government recognises that childcare costs are significant for ordinary families. This government also recognises the importance of having a mix of privately-owned childcare centres and community-based childcare. To this end, I advocated for the government to make some contribution to the Palmerston Community Childcare Centres. I was very pleased that government heard my call and allocated $60 000 to the Gray Community Childcare Centre. The Gray centre, like many throughout the Territory, was caught out by the need to play it safe and remove the African mahogany trees from its grounds. It is also an ageing centre and needs to effect a number of maintenance repairs. Its chief means of raising funds is the support of the parents. It is not run for profit. Its chief focus is keeping costs to parents down, while still paying its staff a reasonable salary.
This leads me very nicely back to the $658m record spend on education. Palmerston schools have been working very closely with each other in preparation for the implementation of middle years next year. Palmerston schools have been very productive in their use of technology. All have embraced the new electronic whiteboards that I have previously mentioned in this Assembly. There has been a lot of work done by government, and individual schools, ensuring access to computers for students. In a recent survey by Palmerston High School, Year 6 students about to enter high school next year nominated information technology among their four highest core concerns.
I congratulate the principals, teachers and school councils for their level of cooperation with each other, and their proactive approach to preparing for next year and the years beyond. I especially congratulate everyone for seeing the change that we are implementing to middle years schooling as an opportunity to re-focus and think outside the square. The ideas for rebadging the Palmerston school communities and getting a better sense of a whole-of-school community, a collective identity, are thrilling.
A lot of work is being put in by local parents and teachers to ensure the Palmerston community feels pride and confidence in all their government schools. Palmerston High School and a couple of the primary schools have copped some criticism in the past that I do not believe they now deserve. We also have some primary schools that are filled to capacity, in part because of the positive reputations they have enjoyed, but also in part because of their physical locations. The hard work being done now, I am sure, will convince young people and their parents that they are receiving high quality education wherever they go to school in Palmerston.
I have continued to represent the requirements and interests of the Palmerston community to the Education minister and Treasurer as often as possible. Even now, after the budget, I continue to keep them advised of what is going on in Palmerston and yes, I continue to humbug them about what more can be done.
People I meet at the Palmerston markets or when I am doorknocking want to talk about Palmerston High School when you mention education. People are really looking forward to seeing the new senior wing completed for the start of next year. It has also been raised with me that some work needs to occur on the existing structures that will house the middle year students. I assure Palmerston residents that I advocated all their concerns to the Treasurer and Education minister, and that I will continue to do so. I believe that there is great enthusiasm for the Palmerston High School. I share the community’s desire and commitment to ensure that it is a premier teaching and learning facility preparing our young people for the challenges of the future.
I am also asked many questions about Rosebery school. The government has the building of the facility well and truly in its sights. The ABS Census figures will help determine the shape of the facility.
Palmerston is a dynamic, multicultural community. We are blessed here in the Territory; we do not see some of the scenes that we witness happening in other parts of Australia. The Northern Territory Labor government has committed $741 000 for Multicultural Affairs sponsorship grants; $363 000 for the translating and interpreting service; and $350 000 for the Multicultural Facilities Development Program.
The number of houses being built in Palmerston is indicative of the speed of its present growth. Again, we receive confirmation of that growth when the ABS figures are released. The government has recognised the strength of the housing sector and the needs of those in the market to purchase their own home. The Treasurer announced the most comprehensive package of support for home ownership of any Territory government thus far.
I have already mentioned that the stamp duty concession for the first homebuyers was lifted from $225 000 to $350 000. Add to this the positive changes to the HomeNorth Scheme. I encourage everyone to investigate the low 2% deposit scheme and $10 000 interest-free loan. The increased income cap for families with dependents to $70 000 will be welcomed by many looking to move into Palmerston and raise their families. These and other changes as outlined by the Treasurer ensure HomeNorth keeps its status as the most generous and effective scheme of its type in the country. This is being grasped wholeheartedly by young people, especially with young families, moving to Palmerston.
Further good news for Palmerston and the Territory is the government’s decision to bring forward the development of Bellamack. Bellamack is estimated to provide about 600 housing sites. The government has provided $7m in this budget to progress the subdivision.
Still on infrastructure, the budget includes $6.3m for the Archer Zone Substation; $43.5m for the Weddell power station; and $4.9m to augment network capacity for the Weddell power station. The government has also committed to spending $500 000 on pressure reducing valves to balance water pressure across Palmerston.
Anyone living in Palmerston knows too well how painful driving along Wishart Road can be during peak hour times. The sun is at exactly the wrong angle so that you are pretty much driving into the sun - whether in the morning on your way into work in town, or if on your way home around 5 pm or 5.30 pm. The opposition and the Independents may allow at least the government cannot do much about the position of the sun. What we can do is provide $10m for duplication between Wishart Road and Tiger Brennan Drive. Doubling the lanes will have an extremely positive effect on traffic flow and I am sure will reduce the stress levels of those who have to travel from Palmerston into the city to go to work each morning.
All we need now is the Liberal Party to come to the party and to commit to the project just as federal Labor has. Hearing the pork barrelling the current federal government is prepared to engage in order to gets its marginal seat representatives up, I would have thought the CLP could have wrung a promise from the Liberals to ante-up for the people of Palmerston. Obviously not.
Maybe they think the current member for Solomon is safe and does not have to work very hard to stay in. Perhaps it is just the CLP is not good at advocating to their masters in Canberra for the needs of the people of Palmerston. I, and most residents in Palmerston, would like to see work commence on the realignment of Wishart Road and Tiger Brennan Drive. I guess in order to see that, Palmerston residents will need a member for Solomon who can convince his colleagues of their needs. This should not be a political issue but, obviously for the Liberal Party and the Territory branch, the CLP, it is. The only other option is that they think it is an unimportant project.
I hasten to add it is not something that I think is the case. I acknowledge that the member for Blain is on the record expressing his opinion that it is an important project. I believe him to be sincere in this matter and that all the Palmerston-based MLAs and the member for Goyder, whose electorate takes in Marlow’s Lagoon, are fully committed to seeing this project done and dusted. So we are left to ponder why there is a lack of desire by the Liberal federal government. Is it because of the ineffectiveness or unwillingness of the current member for Solomon to advocate for Palmerston, the ineffectiveness of the CLP in advocating for Palmerston, or that the member for Solomon simply thinks he is so safe as to not to bother about doing anything on this issue so he can get on with other election campaigning priorities?
I welcome the $20 000 set aside for the building of bus shelters in Farrar. This year, a school bus service commenced through Farrar taking students directly to Driver Primary School. I have had discussions with representatives of the department of Infrastructure and Transport already about adding that bus service to go via Bakewell and Gray Primary Schools. This would ensure that children attending those schools who live in Farrar can get there without having to rely on their parents dropping them off.
I advised the minister that I would discuss the issue with the school representatives affected. I have discussed it with everyone except the acting principal and school council of Driver Primary School. Everyone so far has told me what a good idea they think it is and that they would like to see it happen as soon as possible. Minister, I know that you must be getting tired of me making these representations to you about this bus route, but it makes so much sense and it is certainly needed. I watch a number of kids making their way on foot from Farrar to go to Bakewell Primary School. They have to cross Roystonea Avenue which has become an extremely busy road in the morning when people are heading in to work. The speed limit is 80 km/h and there is not much of a lip on the road, so I ask please minister make this a priority.
Yarrawonga is now a sizeable industrial estate and businesses that operate there employ many people and some of them do not drive. Kokoda Industries employ people with disabilities who require public transport. I know I have asked the minister for Infrastructure and Transport to look very seriously at a bus service for Yarrawonga as well as the Farrar suburb. I will continue to make those representations to you, minister. I see that it is recorded in the budget papers as something that the department is currently looking at. I really encourage you, minister, to take that on board. With that, I again congratulate the Treasurer on the budget that he handed down.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, for reasons the Treasurer most likely will understand, I will keep my comments brief. I find the budget difficult. For many years this has occurred, and most of my time in parliament has now been in opposition, reflecting on …
Mr Stirling: Mine, too!
Mr MILLS: Sorry?
Mr Stirling: Mine, too.
Mr MILLS: Yes, that is fine. … reflecting on the budget and going through the same sort of game of criticising one side over the other. I do not really want to do that. I would like to say that the general feedback, I would concur, from this budget has been acceptable from the community. Stakeholders have expressed modest response, sometimes a favourable response. Generally, it has not been very unfavourable. I am not going to extract opportunities to find political points in this, because the issue is government is elected to do a job. They have an allocation of funds and it is their responsibility to acquit those funds in ways that deliver services for the Northern Territory. So it largely dwells on discussion about how much money has been spent, as though that be an achievement.
I would prefer to look at the problems that we have in our community and whether we are addressing those through this budgetary process. Government has done a reasonably good job in crafting a modest response to the current situation. They leave themselves open, from a modest opposition and from many in the community, to shortfalls in service delivery in some areas.
The overriding issue is the inability to clearly describe a vision of where we are going, a comprehensive plan, so people sense they understand where we are really going. That, to me, is the most concerning aspect of this. After having the general positive feedback - and I cannot get up and say: ‘Oh, it is atrocious that you did this or did that’. I could spend my time on that, but what I started to hear from a deeper listening to what people were saying was that we want a sense of direction, a sense of purpose, and to know where we are really going. That opportunity has not been delivered by this budget. Those opposite may rail immediately because there is some criticism in that, but I think you would understand that there is an aspect of that.
I can illustrate it in my own electorate. If you are reactive to situations and try to contend with the demands of here and now, you jostle with the pressures that you are under to spend and, perhaps, deal with this issue or forgo that one. In Palmerston, the issue with the building of a school in Palmerston has gone on for far too long. I do not find any reference to the building of Rosebery Primary School in this budget. Though I have heard comments being made, I have not seen any reference to it in the budget. Words might be said and assurances given, but this lack of action in Palmerston has had a significant impact upon good mums and dads and teachers who are endeavouring to support their kids in education.
I admire the teachers at Bakewell Primary School. When I was elected in 1999, before I came into the parliament, I was at that school when it commenced. Now, not so many years later, it is, I understand, the largest primary school in the Northern Territory. That has largely happened, I would hope, not by accident. It has happened as a result of not building the school in Rosebery. The same with Woodroffe Primary School. When I was a principal in Palmerston that was a new school. I remember visiting it, and it is still a lovely school – same principal. However, that school has been subjected to extraordinary pressures as it has absorbed the lack of decisiveness to build a school in Rosebery.
You can have word games and discussions about what you are planning to do, or what you are considering, or you are waiting for this group or waiting for that group, but it becomes clear that there is not a sense of direction. It is a waiting. Then you get the people in the community saying that perhaps they have run out of money. When you do not have sense of direction or purpose, all sorts of confusions arise, as has happened in Palmerston in the situation regarding those two schools.
What it has demonstrated is that there appears to be an emergence of a plan; that being a desire to have much larger schools. This is a departure from previous plans to have schools that are based in suburbs or in areas, and so keep the schools closer to the community. If you look, and look again, you start to ask what are the visionary elements and plans that are driving the budget? Still we see reaffirmed there is either a clear plan, and that is to have mega-schools in Palmerston, a departure from previous plans, or is it just happening in a reactive way. It is those sorts of issues that we need to attend to.
I was quite interested to hear the Treasurer’s response during Question Time saying it was the federal government’s response to child sex concerns, saying it is a bold move. I do not think anyone would deny it is a bold move, and it is going to change the tempo, it is going to change the energy flows, and how we respond to this whole issue.
There is a lack of boldness in this budget, this lack of boldness to attend to issues that should be attended to. For example …
Mr Stirling: I am a conservative man, Terry.
Mr MILLS: Yes, very conservative.
For example, a sense of a vision for what our CBD should look like, so you know where you are going and, bit by bit, you start to put the planks in place. There isn’t that. I do not see any further evidence of that. I hear a lot of talk about education, and it is nice. However, I do not really get the sense that there is a clear plan, only to do superficial things perhaps, and to maintain an impression through momentum and activity, but there is no deeper analysis of how education is going and what we could do in a bold way in education, or in planning for our city, or train development - a whole host of things. It is those sorts of issues, that I and others have detected, that are absent from this conservative - to use the Treasurer’s own words - budget.
On the other side of town though - and this will be investigated more thoroughly through estimates - is the capacity, whilst there is no sense of direction or purpose, to enlarge the opportunities to harvest revenue. There seems to be a position taken that the money that we receive from the Commonwealth is our due, even though it is over and above what we ever expected. I get this awful sense, it is like a greedy kid who thinks that they are owed this, so there is no sense of the worth of what has been received, as well as the responsibility to acquit that in sensible ways that provide a legacy. That is the other response which I find offensive: the stamp duty receipts are up, the unfunded super liabilities are up, and these are good times.
We have members on the other side of whom I almost feel embarrassed at times. I just hope that I would never be in the position that I would stand up and sing the party song, basically, and say: ‘Everything is just hunky-dory in the land of the Northern Territory because of the government that I belong to’. Things are going okay, but they are not directly responsible for the resources boom. They are not directly responsible for the property market; it has occurred. There were times before when there were other events that impacted upon the Territory such as the pilot strike. You would not be accepting responsibility for that; it did have a very significant economic impact. There were other times such as when the Asian meltdown occurred. Do you accept responsibility for that when it is a negative impact on your own economy? No. However, when there are wonderful economic things happening in China - I will not say wonderful things - the economic strength and powerhouse in China, somehow or other we have, as an example, the member for Goyder thinking that the Chief Minister has single-handedly managed to pull this one off, which is delusion, fanciful, and a bit silly.
It comes back down to the basics: we need to manage what we have been given to manage, and to produce the outcomes and set a direction. I do not think that has really been done significantly. Receipts, the capacity to harvest and to spend, have been large in this budget. There is one area of concern which I will foreshadow I will investigate further during estimates. I am very concerned that the take from gambling has increased significantly, and the portion that flows back into assisting those who may be negatively impacted by gambling has not increased anywhere near the same quantum. That is wrong. That is showing a reactive government that is just very happy to take, and not take that moral responsibility to invest, guide, and address an issue over the horizon.
I did not hear any member on the opposite side make any reference to this, but you should be concerned about the amount of money that is coming from gambling. However, what is most concerning is that the portion that is coming back is less …
Mr Stirling: Does not come from Territorians, Terry.
Mr MILLS: It is less in …
Mr Stirling: We have the biggest bookmakers in Australia here, Terry, responsible for a good part of it.
Mr MILLS: You have an increase. You have the increase, but your return to the industry, particularly in the ways of alleviation, have not matched the quantum increase. That is a concern. That will be further investigated, as well as a number of other issues, throughout the estimates process.
With those general comments, I say yes, it is a conservative budget. You get a faint round of applause, perhaps, from the shadow Treasurer. It is all right. It is a bit like one of the gymnasts, or one of those divers at the Olympics where they get up there and everything is going their way. They have the opportunity to do a really difficult and gutsy dive that is going to dazzle the judges and they pull off this really mundane little dive. They had the opportunity to garner extra points, bonus points, by doing this magnificent double backflip with a twist into the water sideways. I do not know. They could have done something that was the highest ranking, or even slightly less than that. They have chosen, with the opportunities they have had, to do a very modest swan dive off the platform.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, in reply closing debate.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their contributions …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry, Treasurer in reply.
Mr STIRLING: … to the debate.
Mrs Miller: Chief Minister already!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I corrected myself.
Mr STIRLING: Chief Minister! I have just won the gold medal in the diving at the Olympics and now I am Chief Minister. I am on a roll. I like the analogy though because it is true and you do get those quite modest efforts when someone is within sight of the gold medal and it is best not to take too risky a shot. So I accept the faint applause and praise from the member for Blain, and consider this budget as of gold medal winning quality. I am quite happy to accept that analogy.
In making those comments though, the member for Blain blithely skips over about five or six years of quite difficult history for this government when we came to government in August 2001 with the state of the Northern Territory: the basket case that it was, the mounting deficit, the mountain of debt the people of the Northern Territory accumulated over many years of CLP government. Not without reason for a lot of it, particularly in the early years when the CLP was about building the Territory which itself had been very badly neglected by the Commonwealth right through to the 1970s and the advent of the Legislative Council and, eventually, self-government through the Legislative Assembly.
Therefore, a good part of that debt was established in those early years but added to in probably the last six to eight years of the CLP’s tenure in a quite squandering and wasteful fashion that did not contribute to the wealth of the Territory. Nonetheless, they got us into a fiscal and financial mess, such that they could not fund capital works, they could not pay for the railway, they could not put a budget together without a whole lot of deceit behind it which was subsequently unravelled after we came to government, first in the first six weeks by the admission of the then Under Treasurer, Ken Clarke, and then through the exposure under the Public Accounts Committee process and the Estimates Committee process later on. So bad was it, we had to bring forward a mini-budget in November 2001 to make sense of the figures we had been left with.
If this is a modest budget, as the member for Blain describes it, it is a budget that is looking forward over the next 10 years. It is a budget that takes stock of the robust manner in which the economy is travelling along at the moment, that takes stock of the fact that it is very busy in the private sector, and that seeks to balance the effort of government out there in the marketplace with the private sector.
It is in stark contrast, I think, to 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 where we struggled to get every cent we could to put into capital works, to use the construction industry as the engine room to kick start the economy again. After about two years, it gradually started to spark and rumble and get going, and we have had pretty strong economic growth over the last three years.
There is a time and place for budgets of different shapes and sizes, directions and priorities, and emphasis on where government should be putting that major effort. This budget in the context of where the Territory is at the moment, the ongoing needs that it has, the future directions, does the job very well indeed. In fact, I am quite happy to accept it as a gold medal winning budget performance ...
Mr Mills: You could have broken a world record!
Mr STIRLING: Well, that is how I understood and interpreted the comments from the member for Blain. I look forward, like him, to the estimates process next week. He will have the opportunity, along with all members of this parliament to ask me questions over a period of about seven-and-a-half hours on any aspect of 2006-07 budget, or indeed the 2007-08 budget which, hopefully, we will pass this week.
In listening to all the members who have contributed - and I have read through the comments where I did not listen to them - have reinforced to me that Budget 2007-08 is very much a budget that plans for the Territory’s future. It is about establishing a very strong plan, not just for this year, but the foundation for the next decade and beyond for Territorians who want to own their own home, for the school system, for health care, for essential infrastructure, for police and emergency services, and for continued strong economic growth.
I said on Budget day that it is the budget that our children would want us to deliver. It does create jobs; it continues to grow the economy now, but also over the longer term; and it secures and enhances the lifestyle of every Territorian.
I talked before about what it was like in 2001, and if the member for Blain thinks it is a modest effort, it is done in a very different context to the tough, dark days of 2001 when we simply did not have any money and the deficit headed up for $130m and counting. We subsequently brought it back to about $84m, and we began to establish then, in that first budget reporting cycle, a record of fiscal behaviour and discipline that has seen us improve our bottom line from the time the budget is put in the Assembly in May until 30 June the following year, the end of the financial year, that every subsequent reporting period after the first Budget in 2001-02, we have improved our bottom line by many millions of dollars. That $130m deficit down to $84m at the end of the first financial year set the scene for the way we were going to go into the future.
It is in stark contrast to the way our predecessors used to run government and the budget because they simply had no budget flexibility at all in order to grow out of the slump that had grown up around them. That was the difference between the two governments. The member for Blain will say it is all about the GST. We might get to that next Tuesday in terms of the relative share of the common wealth of Australia between the Commonwealth government and the states and territories. The states and territories are now at perilously low levels in the share of the overall wealth that Australia produces compared with the Commonwealth. I will put some graphs across the table next week so that the member for Blain has some idea of the tremendous wealth that the Commonwealth government is storing up behind everyone’s backs while they point at the GST and say the states and territories have squandered it.
In stark contrast to then, population growth in those years had stagnated. We know people were leaving. People with skills left to get work in other states. Who could blame them? The nett debt and employee liability to revenue ratio was 134%. We have that down to 116% today. Housing had ground to a halt. We had high vacancy levels. We had slow turnover of sales. It was a pretty poor track record. By the CLP refusing to even acknowledge those past mistakes, I do not think Territorians will trust them with management of the Territory economy again until they confront that reality.
Six years on, as I said, the economy is robust. It is performing strongly. In fact, many indicators report we are well out-performing the rest of the nation. It is a direct result of the fiscal policies of the Martin government. Resident employment growth is very strong, up 5.7% in the year to May. That is another factor that the member for Blain, despite it being a gold medal winning budget, refuses to acknowledge. He will not acknowledge that this government has any influence over the economic performance of the Territory. He says it is all due to John Howard and Peter Costello. Again, I will have the information in estimates next week that might direct him along the path. I have always believed that there are none so blind as those who will not see ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: None so blind as those who will not see. You failed. Your record in recognising the truth of the past is not good, so I do not expect you to recognise the truth of the present any better.
Resident employment, as I said, is up 5.7% in the year to May. ANZ job ads, which is a pretty good indicator, are up 7.5% for the same period. There was a national fall in job ads of 2.3%. The state of our economy is all to do with John Howard, yet nationally we have seen job ads fall 2.3%, but up 7.5% in the Northern Territory in the same period.
We have also experienced impressive growth in population, up 2% to the year December 2006. I had the pleasure, a couple of weeks ago, with the Chief Minister in the mall to report that the Territory population is now more than 212 000 people. More people are choosing to make the Territory their home because of good jobs, and more work for local business. Retail turnover growth is exceptionally strong at 11.8%; that is double the national growth rate in the year to April. Again, if our economy was all due to John Howard and Peter Costello, how come the national growth rate for retail turnover is half that of the Territory? We have to be honest at some stage and say, well, maybe the Northern Territory government has things right, has the economic levers right, has a little more control over this economy than we might like to admit, and is steering it in the right direction. They all demonstrate a strong economy is one important indicator of a series of successful budgets, and Budget 2007-08 does build on that excellent fiscal management of the past six years.
A $3.3bn budget - it was about $2.3bn when we came to government, so that is not a bad growth rate over that past six years. It has gone up $1bn - $2.3bn to $3.3bn now. It includes record spending in the key areas listed by the Martin government when it first took office. We have remained focused on those core areas necessary to build the Territory: Employment, Education and Training, a record $658m, up 38% since 2001; Police, Fire and Emergency Services, record $226m, up 65% since 2001; Health budget, $838m, up a massive 73% since 2001; an unprecedented $814m will be spent over five years on Power and Water infrastructure; a record $645m cash on infrastructure; taking the total cash spend since 2001 to $3.3bn. So, between 2001 and 2007, we have spent the entire proceeds of the 2007-08 all on infrastructure, $3.3bn, the same size as the 2007-08 Budget. Roads have a record $180m, a $35m increase in R&M over the next four years, which brings the repairs and maintenance budget to $57m.
To encourage people to stay and raise families in the Territory, Budget 2007-08 delivers the most comprehensive package of support for home ownership ever provided by the Territory government. The stamp duty free threshold has been lifted from $225 000 to $350 000, a 55% increase. The maximum rebate is now $15 312; 85% of first homebuyers in the Territory will pay no stamp duty. The HomeNorth scheme has been broadened to benefit more families with children. The Martin government has allocated $7m for land development at Bellamack in Palmerston. It will have blocks set aside for first homebuyers, another important step to assist young people and families getting on to the housing market.
The CLP opposition described the Territory’s budget as one of missed opportunities. Well, the CLP member’s responses had no initiatives for community safety, health and community services, infrastructure, mining, primary industry, or for roads. All we got was confusion over whether they support demerit points. That seems to be the issue of the day. ‘No confusion over the demerit points’, the CLP press release screamed out in its headline. So we do not see any initiatives at all, and from the CLP we get confusion.
Budget 2007-08 provides extensive funding in all these areas. Most importantly, it will create jobs, it will grow the economy, and it will secure our great lifestyle.
Madam Speaker, it is clear from contributions today and during the last sittings, the Martin government is justifiably proud of Budget 2007-08. I am happy to repeat: it is the best budget I have had the pleasure of delivering as Treasurer. Even better now that it has been described by the member for Blain as a gold medal winning performance as a budget. I would not have classified it thus myself, but I am happy to take the plaudits of the opposition spokesman with responsibility for Treasury, and that it is a gold medal winning budget. Thank you, Terry, I take that as a vote of confidence.
It is a confident, forward-looking budget for a confident community. We do have a bright future, and the budget will ensure that the Territory continues to be the best place to live and work in Australia. I look forward to estimates next week.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the committee stage be postponed until Friday, 29 June 2007.
Motion agreed to.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Department of the Legislative Assembly Portfolio Budget Statement 2007-08.
TABLED PAPER
Public Sector Annual Report Awards - Adjudicators Report
Mr BURKE (Brennan)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I table the Public Sector Annual Report Awards Adjudicators Report.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I had the pleasure of recently attending the award ceremony and can advise that the overall winner for this year was the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts. Awards of Excellence were awarded to the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and the Northern Territory Treasury.
There were a number of other awards which I will not go through as they are in the report. However, I would like to mention also the award for the Most Readable Report. It is notable that there were many nominees for this: the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority; the Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport; the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts; the Department of Employment, Education and Training; Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services; and the Northern Territory Treasury. The winners were the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and the Northern Territory Treasury. Well done to all of those.
I thank the adjudicators for their time and efforts in putting this report together. The adjudicators noted there was, in general, a raising from the standard of last year, which is always good to hear. I believe annual reports are an extremely important part of openness and accountability of government. It is government agencies reporting back to parliament as a whole. I know my colleagues on the Public Accounts Committee agree with me. If the departments want to see how important annual reports are, they should come along to the estimates process where they will see them put to great use by the members of the committee.
I particularly like the focus on readability of these reports. That is something which has gained momentum. It is interesting that issues we face as a jurisdiction, being a small jurisdiction, are, in fact, also experienced by the larger jurisdictions around the country in auditing and putting together annual reports.
I say a special thank you to Mr Frank McGuiness, the Northern Territory Auditor-General, for his help and advice. I also thank all the departments which took part, especially the people who put these reports together. I do know how much time it takes, and I want them to know that we, as parliamentarians, appreciate the efforts that they make.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the paper.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, today I make a progress statement in relation to the reference to the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the advancement of statehood for the Northern Territory.
On Monday, 28 May 2007, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon Peter Slipper MP, tabled in the Commonwealth parliament that committee’s report into the federal implications of Northern Territory statehood. I hereby table that report, titled The Long Road to Statehood, for the information of members.
The Statehood Steering Committee was pleased to immediately welcome the Commonwealth committee’s report, and the standing committee will convene during these sittings to consider the report further. The House of Representative’s committee report contains a single recommendation: that the committee recommends the Australian government update and refine its position on Northern Territory statehood and recommence work on unresolved federal issues.
The recommendation is a sound starting position for renewed discussions between the Northern Territory and the Commonwealth about Northern Territory statehood. The clear message from the Commonwealth report is, first, that the people of the Northern Territory will have to eventually decide to support or not to support statehood; and the Commonwealth has to examine its own policy position on Northern Territory statehood and recommence working on resolving the federal issues. These are issues such as our future levels of Senate representation and the power a new state government has over issues such as mining of uranium, Aboriginal land rights, national parks, and any other state-like power the existing Australian states have.
Members of the Legislative Assembly standing committee and members of the Statehood Steering Committee participated in the House of Representatives committee’s seminars in Alice Springs and Darwin during November 2006. As Chair of both committees, I made it clear to the Commonwealth committee that we need the Commonwealth to be part of the Territory’s moves towards statehood; that we cannot move towards statehood alone and in a vacuum. The Statehood Steering Committee welcomes the Commonwealth report as a step forward in bringing the Commonwealth government to the table to consider its role in Northern Territory statehood.
We are all well aware that 2007 is a federal election year. The Commonwealth is not going to let Territory statehood be part of an election campaign and nor would we want it to be. However, the Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee will ask the Territory Assembly through the minister and the shadow minister for Statehood to put the Commonwealth on notice that whoever forms government after the next federal election, the Territory will be seeking action from the incoming government on that recommendation put forward by the House of Representatives committee last month.
The Commonwealth report is 144 pages long and discusses a range of issues and puts forward a range of views. The Statehood Steering Committee notes with some satisfaction that the recommendation reflects its own public position on the various roles of government that it has taken since 2006. The main thrust of the Statehood Steering Committee’s position has been that until the Commonwealth’s intentions are known we will not come to a point of being able to ask Territorians to decide on statehood.
While the Statehood Steering Committee welcomes the Commonwealth committee’s report, during the week in which the report was released there was some media comment indicating the report was inconclusive or that it said nothing. The Katherine Times just last week echoed this comment about the Commonwealth report.
The wording of the recommendation is fairly cautious but it is, nonetheless, significant. No matter how you read it, the recommendations say the Commonwealth government has more work to do to inform the people of the Northern Territory of its intentions.
The report recognises we have a long way to go but it certainly does not say we should nothing. Quite the opposite. By reflecting on the submissions of the Statehood Steering Committee as advanced by the co-chairs, Sue Bradley and I, the report says on page 35 that the Commonwealth government should not let the Territory engage in a consultation exercise; that would be futile if the Commonwealth government does not reveal its policy positions on statehood issues. The report, on page 36, also acknowledges the Commonwealth government has a role to play in assisting the Northern Territory work through some of the unresolved issues of statehood. It is my understanding that this is the first time that a Commonwealth body has officially acknowledged the people of the Northern Territory require the Commonwealth government to develop policy positions in order to inform our decision-making about statehood. As I have indicated, the report’s recommendation directly reflects the Statehood Steering Committee’s submission to the Commonwealth committee.
As chair of the Statehood Steering Committee, I wish to make it clear that all Statehood Steering Committee members recognise our work is not yet done and appreciates the acknowledgement that the Commonwealth’s own work needs to be restarted after a 10-year gap. One part of the report that reflects this dual responsibility says:
It is the Commonwealth which has the constitutional responsibility for deciding on the terms and conditions of any new state. Let the Commonwealth work together with the Northern Territory to decide their positions on these terms and conditions of statehood. As we move toward statehood, Territorians will increasingly demand to know the Commonwealth’s views on terms and conditions. Indeed, people are starting to ask the committee about these matters already.
One very important issue in the statehood context is the future of Aboriginal land administration in a new state. The report says the land councils in the Northern Territory have a pivotal role to play. The Statehood Steering Committee understands this and takes the view that all Aboriginal people living in the Territory have to be engaged in the statehood discussion or it will not go forward. Both the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and the Native Title Act 1993 apply to land in the Northern Territory. Approximately 50% of the Northern Territory is Aboriginal land. To date, the land councils to which the Statehood Steering Committee have spoken have indicated the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act should remain administered by the Commonwealth, even upon statehood. It is very clear to the Statehood Steering Committee there is a position the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act should not become Northern Territory law.
The Statehood Steering Committee does not see its role as attempting to convince the land councils to change this position. However, the Statehood Steering Committee does have an important role to explore all options including examining any options for the patriation of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) to the Northern Territory upon statehood, even if, in the end, patriation is not pursued. Looking at and discussing these issues will allow Aboriginal Territorians to make an informed decision about the administration of Aboriginal land into the future.
The Northern Territory’s member of the Commonwealth committee, the member for Solomon, Mr David Tollner MP, has expressed a view that we could remove the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act from the statehood debate by patriating it to the Northern Territory now, ahead of any vote on the statehood issue. On behalf of the Statehood Steering Committee, I acknowledge the commitment the federal member for Solomon has to Territory statehood and thank him for his work on the Commonwealth committee. This is one particular issue, however, the federal member for Solomon may wish to give some further thought to.
On ABC radio on 30 May, the member for Solomon said the patriation of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act to the Northern Territory should occur ‘as soon as possible’ because ‘the removal of this issue from the statehood debate altogether is essential’. Such an approach would not remove the issue from the statehood debate. It may, in fact, hinder the advancement of statehood because, even if the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act was patriated to the Northern Territory immediately, the Commonwealth would retain its existing superior power over a territory.
The Commonwealth would be able to override any Territory law made concerning land rights, and the land councils which do not support Territory administration of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act would constantly seek Commonwealth intervention. When this power to override Territory law would be removed the land councils, if they still took the view that the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act must be Commonwealth law, would be unlikely to support statehood.
Also, Aboriginal people who oppose the patriation of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act to the Northern Territory may vote no to statehood in the future to show their displeasure at any unilateral decision made now to change its status. Aboriginal land rights is a statehood issue; the Statehood Steering Committee understands it is not possible to try to separate the issue from statehood. There will be a need for an agreement at some stage in the move toward statehood to either patriate the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act or to leave it as Commonwealth law. The act remaining with the Commonwealth may be either by special arrangement under the terms and conditions of statehood, or by immediate referral back to the Commonwealth upon statehood.
It is important for the statehood process that we do not cling to an agenda that insists the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act must move to the Northern Territory and stop the process there. This will be a decision for the people of the Northern Territory, most importantly for the traditional landowners. It is not something that politicians or committee members should continually focus on at the expense of the broader goal of statehood.
Madam Speaker, as committee chair, I am confident that by walking together, we can provide all Territory people the opportunity to be part of a genuinely inclusive process. Important decisions such as the future of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act must be part of that walking together.
At the Statehood Steering Committee’s last meeting, held in Alice Springs on 25 May, the steering committee started to hear some organisations saying they see statehood as an opportunity for our future constitutional development and for their children to be part of an inclusive Australian federation. As members of the Assembly, we are often aware that people are sometimes suspicious of political change. Many people have expressed their views over the process leading up to the 1998 Statehood Referendum. It has taken us some time to win back some trust, and we still have to convince many more people that we are genuine about inclusiveness and walking together. This is continuing.
Since meeting with the Commonwealth committee in November last year, the Statehood Steering Committee has undertaken more than 30 community presentations and briefings on statehood with a range of Territory organisations and individuals. The activities have included a professional development workshop in February for teachers to discuss how the statehood materials fit into the civics and citizenship aspects of the school curriculum, and provide advice on the resources the committee has developed to assist teachers.
This year, the committee has also travelled to Hermannsburg, Santa Teresa, Amoonguna, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Wallace Rockhole, Katherine, Barunga, Manyallaluk, Gulin Gulin, Beswick, Angurugu, Umbakumba, Milyakburra and Alyangula, as well as meeting with other communities and their representatives in Darwin. Discussions have taken place with the Anindilyakwa Land Council and the Central and Northern Land Councils to focus on opportunities for participation in constitutional development in the context of the 1998 Indigenous Constitutional Strategy document. We plan to meet the Tiwi Land Council as soon as possible to continue our open discussions on statehood with more Territorians.
On 8 May this year, the Statehood Steering Committee released its landmark discussion paper, titled Constitutional Paths to Statehood. The paper has been developed as a result of preliminary discussions the committee has undertaken with the Northern Territory community about what a Northern Territory constitution may look like, and draws together the work of previous Legislative Assembly committees and the land councils. The paper was released for detailed consultation with all Territorians for a period of 32 weeks. Submissions will close on 31 December 2007. Already, we have provided over 400 hard copies of the discussion paper to interested parties. The paper asks Territorians to examine a range of issues such as: how do we ensure we create a long lasting constitution for future generations? Do we need electoral reform or an upper house? Should a constitution have a bill of rights? What is the role of the constitutional convention? How does the Territory deal with land rights on statehood?
It is anticipated a detailed report on the matters raised will be considered by the Statehood Steering Committee and submitted to the Legislative Assembly early in 2008. The findings will enable the Statehood Steering Committee and the standing committee to discuss and develop a strategy for a future constitutional convention prior to any referendum on the statehood issue.
An executive summary paper will also be released next month to assist awareness and understanding of the issues contained in the major publication. This discussion paper is the first in a series of two vital issues papers for the Northern Territory. The second paper, Commonwealth Terms and Conditions of Northern Territory Statehood, will be released by the Statehood Steering Committee in early 2008. The second paper will, hopefully, be the platform for Territory and Commonwealth discussions on the terms and conditions, and will cover issues such as Senate representation upon statehood.
The Statehood Steering Committee notes the Commonwealth report says that it may not be appropriate for the Territory to be given 10 additional Senators straightaway. The Statehood Steering Committee has formed a preliminary view that equal Senate representation should be an eventual goal of statehood, but it is probably not realistic as an immediate goal. The Statehood Steering Committee has been discussing this with Territorians over the past year. Last year, 50% of 1012 people we surveyed said they would not accept statehood with less than equal representation in the Senate. The Commonwealth committee takes the view in their report that the Territory should achieve an additional two Senators upon statehood with a formula for a gradual increase over time. This may be a reasonable approach. We have more work to do on this, and it becomes one of those terms and conditions issues the Commonwealth government needs to consider as well.
In the meantime, the Statehood Steering Committee continues its work with Territorians. As I have advised the Assembly, the Statehood Steering Committee’s discussion paper is now out for consideration and available for download on our website at statehood.nt.gov.au. The Statehood Steering Committee will also have a presence on the Territory show circuit again this year, where it has teamed up with the Electoral Commission to conduct a mock referendum on statehood. The Electoral Commission had about 100 voters at Freds Pass show during May, and nearly 20 more and Barunga, and we expect plenty more at the other shows.
Madam Speaker, the Commonwealth committee’s report and its recommendation that the Commonwealth government must engage the Northern Territory on the terms and conditions of statehood is welcomed by the Statehood Steering Committee and, no doubt, this will also be endorsed by the Standing Committee. I look forward to that engagement unfolding over the coming few years as we move together towards statehood.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
This is an exciting time of year for local members across the Northern Territory running up to the end of Term 2 and the excitement of sports days and sports carnivals in all of our schools in our electorates. I am really pleased that I have been able to get to most of the carnivals in my electorate over the last week or so.
Wanguri Primary School held its sports day last Thursday afternoon, and I was pleased to be able to get there from 4 pm until 6 pm, to watch some of the events and also to participate fairly miserably in a race against other parents. I really enjoyed the afternoon. It is great to see the early childhood classes competing in some traditional old school activities such as egg and spoon race, sack races, and three-legged races. It is great to get out there and see the kids have such a great time. My daughter was competing on the day. To see so many families at Wanguri late in the afternoon to support the kids was magnificent.
Victoria House won overall, with a fantastic effort put in by all four houses. It was great to hear the kids’ enthusiastic house chants. Congratulations to Nikki Coggins, Josh Roach, Shanice Calma, Jihad Konda, Kyle O’Brian and Mitchell Rothwell, who the sports champion medal winners of Wanguri school.
I also say a big thank you to the staff and parents who assisted on the day. Members may not be aware that Wanguri is one of the first teaching schools for our new pre-service teachers studying at Charles Darwin University. There are 14 pre-service teachers at Wanguri school at the moment. They took over the organisation and running of the sports day. I give those 14 teachers a great big rap – they did a magnificent job.
Leanyer Primary School had its sports carnival last Friday and I managed to spend an hour to see all the fun. I was also there to witness the future in Territory athletics. There were some magnificent students and races during Friday morning. It was a close day with Coburg House taking out the Golden Sandshoe, but only after a massive effort from all four teams. It came right down to the last race of the day to determine which team had come out on top. The school was a riot of colours and it was great to see parents, grandparents and friends get behind the kids. Thanks to all the staff on the day - all of the teachers and the teaching committee that organise sports day at Leanyer; the students for their great behaviour and the school’s SRC for fundraising to purchase one of the sports day tents. It was a fantastic day at Leanyer Primary School.
Also on Friday, I managed to get to Henbury School in my electorate - a very special school in every sense of the word - to their sports carnival. It was filled with laughter, fun and sausage sizzle, which I managed to contribute to. I was lucky enough to head down there just in time for lunch, and to play a game of soccer with the kids at Henbury. It was just a lovely day. The overall team winners on the day were the blue team, but my congratulations go to Sitorn Boornmanee, Haydan Robertson and Abi Adjura, who all performed exceptionally well on the day.
This Monday, I managed to get out of the house for an hour to get down to St Andrew’s Lutheran School in my electorate for sports day. It was great to see the students enjoying themselves, showcasing great sportsmanship. The winning house was the Frill Neck Lizards with the Goannas coming in and scoring second place honours. The age athletics champions were Dominic Kay and Larissa Lum, so congratulations to those two fabulous students. Thanks go to the many parent helpers, but especially the Parents and Friends Association, which did a marvellous job with the cake stall and raffle which raised approximately $600 for the upcoming musical. They had great date and pecan cake that was enjoyed in my office.
Holy Spirit School is having their sports day today as we speak. I managed to get there for just half-an-hour during the lunch break today. Again, everyone was having a fantastic time at Holy Spirit.
On Friday, 11 March, I had the great pleasure of launching the new Outreach Program between Dripstone High School and Henbury School. Members would know that Henbury School is a school in my electorate of Wanguri for children with special needs. Fourteen Henbury students will use the refurbished facilities at Dripstone for their middle years program. These students will be able to participate in some of Dripstone High School’s specialist subjects such as art, technical studies, physical education, cookery and photography. The $183 500 project was funded by the Northern Territory government under our Building Better Schools plan. The works have included the creation of two classrooms and office space for class preparation, and a storeroom as well as the construction of a toilet for people with special needs, and electronic doors for wheelchair access. As part of the update, students actively participated in planning meetings to discuss the design, and assisted with the selection of colour schemes for their new classrooms. A further $250 000 will be spent on a new bathroom, wheelchair access, and additional fencing thanks to funding from the Commonwealth government.
It is fantastic to see school communities working together to deliver improved middle years education for students with special needs. Congratulations also to the project team for their excellent coordination and to Hercules – people would probably know Hercules from GEM Construction and Engineering - who completed the project three weeks ahead of schedule ready for the start of the 2007 school year. I thank principal, Michael Jones from Henbury School and all his staff, and Lyn Elphinstone, principal at Dripstone and all her staff. It has just been magnificent the way those two schools have come together to really give the Henbury kids real access and opportunities in a mainstream high school. Those students do participate in the main body of high school life. They mix with all of the students at Dripstone, and it has been great for both sets of students. I am just a very proud local member to see local schools coming together supporting each other.
Many members will have participated in the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea. Members on our side of the House sort of compete with each other to see how much we can raise. I think the member for Karama was the champion on this side this year. I was able to assist with morning tea at the Leanyer Seniors Village on Friday, 25 May. It was a great pleasure and opportunity to join everyone and enjoy a delicious morning tea. The wonderful food was provided by our great seniors at Leanyer. It was a fantastic success. Over $120 was raised. A big thank you to John, Nali, Christine, Rob, Helen and everyone else at our wonderful seniors’ village in Leanyer.
I cannot complete adjournment at this time of the year without talking about the Greek Glenti. What a fabulous success that was! I know members from Central Australia enjoy the long weekend at the Finke Desert Race but, I can certainly say as a member in the northern suburbs, I am never going to miss the Glenti. Much as I would like to go to the Finke Desert Race, I do not think it will ever come at the expense of spending time at the Glenti on The Esplanade amongst our magnificent Greek community. I really enjoy, along with other members - the members for Casuarina, Drysdale and, I think, Johnston, and other male members of this side of the House - spending time behind the bar. It is great to spend two or three hours behind the bar serving people, having a lot of fun with the Greek community.
A fantastic cocktail this year, that I did not take part in, was called the Glenti Bomb, which consisted of a shot of ouzo and a can of Red Bull - all for the bargain price of $6. There was going to be a lot of people who would have been really buzzing by the end of the night, enjoying the Greek food and the dancing after a couple of Glenti Bombs.
I thank the festival committee and especially the Glenti Coordinator Lilliane Gomatos. Lilliane provides tremendous enthusiastic commitment to Glenti every year, and it just seems to get bigger and better. Thank you also to Stratos Poulos and his team who worked tirelessly into the late hours to install electrical cabling along the Esplanade for the Glenti. I think I heard it may have been the minister for Infrastructure and Planning - the member for Casuarina might correct me if I am wrong - say we are going upgrade the electrical infrastructure on the Esplanade to provide much better support and electrical services for communities like the Greek community to use the Esplanade. Hopefully, Stratos, next year, that work will have been done and you will not have to work so hard. Following the Glenti, this cabling will be put underground and will enable other community groups to have safe and reliable access to power for other events. Glenti is a non-profit organisation and, each year, proceeds are donated to a Territory charity. This year’s proceeds, a whopping $24 000, have been donated to the Leukaemia Foundation to assist Territorians with leukaemia or lymphoma, and to provide support to their families.
Congratulations to our fabulous Greek community, all of the Greek sporting groups, community groups, and the Greek School. There are just so many in our community who turn out and use the Glenti as the major fundraiser for their community groups every year. You really are part of the great beating heart of the community of Darwin. You do a magnificent job and I look forward to the Glenti next year, which will be the 20th anniversary of the Glenti.
Holy Spirit Primary School held its annual fete on Saturday 26 May. I always look forward to the fete. My job was to spin the wheel and to call all the prizes. I enjoyed catching up with everyone and it was another fantastic effort at the school. The school’s fete is the biggest fundraiser they undertake every year. This year, they raised over $10 000, which is a huge effort. Congratulations to the organisers and, in particular, Ina Blake. Ina has been organising the fete for a number of years now, and it is a huge effort. Well done, Ina, Anne Myerscough, Jane Sheehan, Lisa Bell, Danielle Hogben and the rest of the staff and parents who worked hard to make the fete as good as it was.
Last weekend, Wanguri Preschool had a lawn and plants sale. It was fabulous to get down to the preschool. They have big plans to expand facilities. It was a very successful fundraiser, thanks to Rachel Cohen, Jess Hocking, Jessemma Reeves, Shirley Neve, Jayne Carter, Lisa Parker and Julie Borgese and all of the parents and helpers on the day.
Mr Deputy Speaker, that was around the traps and thank yous to wonderful schools, community groups in my electorate and the Greek community who provided us all with the fun of Glenti this year.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Deputy Speaker, I say farewell tonight to Mrs Kay Brohier, Dripstone High School Administration Manager, who is retiring on 20 July after 27 years of service with the Department of Employment, Education and Training.
Kay joined the department in 1980. She has spent the majority of her time at Dripstone and has worked her way up to the position of Manager Administration within the school. She has worked tirelessly for the school and for the benefit of the students. Her efforts over the years have been much appreciated. My very best wishes to Kay. I know I join all the staff and students at Dripstone High School to wish Kay an enjoyable and well deserved retirement.
Congratulations also to Katie Ryan who was one of the four students from the Territory to travel to Canberra for National Safe Schools Week. Katie enjoyed meeting fellow students from around Australia and felt that the activity was very worthwhile.
Dripstone High School has once again hosted the Crickids event. Students from Dripstone are helping their younger primary school peers to learn about teamwork and cooperation through cricket. The aim of this program is to allow students to develop and enhance their leadership and communication skills, as well as develop their ability to adapt and take initiatives in their lives. It is a day where Dripstone students celebrate living in harmony in conjunction with students from surrounding primary schools by coaching the younger students in cricket skills and team building exercises.
Maintaining positive relationships with primary schools around Dripstone is seen as an important part of ensuring Year 6 and 7 students are able to move into their next stage of education with self-confidence. Similarly, the establishment of links through the team sport of cricket is a terrific way of introducing younger students to the Dripstone High School community, where students are encouraged to respect each other and work together to achieve success.
At Nakara Primary School, the Acting Principal, Angie Graham, told me that Nakara Primary has had a very successful first semester this year, despite the unfortunate absence of their principal, Barry Griffin. However, staff and students are anxiously looking forward to his return next semester after a full recovery.
Stage 2 of the Building Better Schools project is in full strength, as negotiations have commenced for further renovations and improvements to the Nakara Primary School infrastructure, including the canteen and preschool. The school is also grateful to Student Services for grants to purchase the Friendly Schools and Families kits; a mobile shade structure from the Casuarina Club, plus funds to employ Life Be In it for sports day. The school is awaiting confirmation of a grant to purchase 24 student laptops on trolleys, and three SMART Boards from the Investing in our Schools project.
Highlights from Nakara’s Term 2 include the Dry Season concert, the Eisteddfod, the Anzac Day ceremonies, sports day, and a visit from Tetrifide, a percussion group. The Dry Season concert was a wonderful evening with a cultural theme. Students performed songs and dances from a range of countries, whilst parents prepared and sold yiros, hot dogs, lamingtons and scones.
Congratulations to Felicity Williams Year 2/3Q and Illias Hourdas of Year 6/7GM for winning this month’s achievement award for their excellent efforts at school.
This week, I attended the Nakara Primary School sports carnival, along with many parents who were there to support their children and the school community. It was terrific to see so many of the parents taking the time to support their children with their achievements at school. It was a beautiful cool morning for a sports carnival on Tuesday, as I watched the Johnston, Erhardt and Hinkler teams battle it out in the march. Again this year, I was impressed with the themes used by all three teams. In particular, the little red back spiders in the Hinkler team caught my eye. Congratulations to all three sports captains for a terrific effort with organising their team’s war cries. I awarded the winner’s shield for the best march to Hinkler, Red Team, and I congratulate the Yellow Team again this year for winning the sports carnival.
Last week, I attended the Alawa Primary School assembly to present the Principal, Sharon Reeve, and students and school captains with a new Northern Territory flag. The old one looked a bit tired. It was also National Safe Schools Week and Alawa Primary celebrated with a picnic and disco. It was a fantastic day, with everyone, including parents, dressed up for the picnic and sharing great food.
I was extremely impressed with the anti-bullying poster competition at Alawa Primary, and the talented student artwork displayed around the school supporting the Safe School Code of Behaviour for all students, parents, teachers and school staff.
Congratulations to Sarah-Jane Murray of Room 8, and Christos Mellios of Room 3, for winning the Kon Vatskalis Achievement Awards again for June for their excellent efforts at school.
Congratulations also to Jasmine Christie from Alawa Primary, who recently won the Northern Territory Junior Judo Champion for the second time. I wish Jasmine all the best for her trip to Adelaide soon to compete for gold at the Junior National Judo Championship.
The Alawa Primary School sports carnival was another fun day. Unfortunately, I was unable to be there this year due to prior commitments; I was in Alice Springs. Congratulations to the Alawa Primary team captains for Finniss, Goyder and Manton, for a wonderful display of sportsmanship on the day, and congratulations to Finniss for winning the 2007 sports carnival.
I congratulate the dedicated staff and parents in my three electorate schools for their tireless work to ensure improved educational outcomes for our students and children. I am extremely proud to be involved with such a dedicated group of people.
Finally, I wish all students and staff, and their families, a safe and enjoyable mid-year school holidays, and look forward to seeing you all back in Term 3.
I was very pleased to again host my annual Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser for 2007 to support the Cancer Council NT. On Wednesday, 24 May, my electorate office in Casuarina was filled with my seniors, friends, and constituents, all enjoying a cup of tea and a delicious morning tea for a gold coin donation. It was a great opportunity for me to enjoy a chat with a very special group of constituents, the lovely senior ladies and gentlemen from my electorate, and many friends. The Cancer Council provides much needed support for many cancer sufferers, and I was happy to provide my support to this very worthy cause. I believe we raised almost $200. Thank you to Kelly from Bakers Delight, and Hannah from Donut King in Casuarina Square for your generous donation of freshly baked pastries and donuts. Also, a very big thank you to all my constituents and friends who attended to support this very worthy cause.
I congratulate some constituents now for a very special reason. I congratulate Peter and Lorraine Wright, two special seniors who live in my electorate in the suburb of Nakara. Peter and Lorraine recently celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary.
Peter and Lorraine married on 13 May 1950, and moved to Darwin in 1998, after many visits here in school holidays to look after their grandchildren. After semi-retirement, they decided to move here permanently to spend more time with their daughter and grandchildren, and have stayed here ever since. Peter was an engineer in the Australian Air Force and worked on planes all his life. He also accomplished the dangerous duties of tail gunner in the Australian Air Force during the World War II.
Lorraine is a piano teacher, and has always been involved with music, specialising in music therapy for healing purposes. Although Lorraine says she is now retired, she is still actively involved with the Music Therapy Association.
Congratulations on 57 years of happy marriage, and I wish you many more.
I also congratulate some young achievers. Congratulations to Simone Liddy of Nakara who has been selected as the captain of the Under 21 hockey team to represent the Northern Territory at the national Under 21 championships in South Australia next week. I wish Simone and all her team members the best of luck for a successful and enjoyable tournament.
Congratulations, also, to the three young Althouse sisters of Tiwi who are currently enjoying a basketball exchange visit to China and Singapore with the junior indigenous basketball team.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I will finish, like my colleague, the member for Wanguri, with the Greek Glenti. My sincere thanks to the Greek community of Darwin for hosting another exceptional Glenti for 2007. Every year, I attend the Glenti and I am extremely proud of my compatriots for what they have done for the Territory and Darwin, and what they offer today to the Darwin and Territory community.
My congratulations to the Glenti coordinator, Mrs Lilliane Gomatos and members of the Glenti festival committee. Thank you to all the hard-working committee members: Michael Melas, Matthew Boubaris, Lidia Tsirogiannis, Kerry and Kerry Kyriacou, John Nicolakis, Tony Miaoudis, Angelica and Steve Poulos, Sam Hatzivalsamis and Evan Papandonakis. Thanks also to Peter Delis who organised the entertainment for the Glenti.
I thank the Territory government for their contribution of $60 000. This year, the Glenti raised $24 000 which has been donated to the Leukaemia Foundation to assist leukaemia sufferers in the Northern Territory.
The Glenti was established in 1988 as part of the bicentennial celebrations of Australia and, next year, they intend to celebrate 20 years of continuous celebration every year at the Esplanade. Many times, I have said to people that the Greek Glenti is a typical Territory celebration. It is a time when Greeks put on a party and it is well-attended by people of Chinese, indigenous, Thai and Vietnamese descent, and Australians - everybody in Darwin comes together and celebrates in a traditional Greek way, drinking Greek beer, Greek wine, enjoying Greek music and tasting some Greek mezes and Greek delicacies. How popular is the Glenti? Well, the Kalymnian Brotherhood purchased one-and-a-half tonnes of octopus. By Sunday at 2 pm, they had sold the whole lot and they had to bring some more. As you will understand, octopus is very popular. I was behind the bar with my colleagues, the members for Johnston and Wanguri and others, and by 3 pm we had no more dry red wine or white wine left, but we had plenty of Greek beer – Mythos as they call it – and everybody enjoyed a good drink.
Congratulations to the Greek community. It makes me proud to say that I am of Greek descent, and also to recognise the people who came here as early as the beginning of the 20th century and created another big Greek city in the tropical top of Australia. Congratulations to all of them and thank you very much for the celebration you have for all Australians, to just show your appreciation for you, Darwinites, and people in the Territory, who welcome them here and let them become Territorians, create a home away from home, and bring up their families and contribute significantly to the Territory economy and Territory advancement.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Deputy Speaker, one of the great rewards of being a local member is that you get to know your constituents and their families. Tonight, I will talk about Mrs Mary Klonaris and her family, who have been a cornerstone of the Greek community for many years.
Mary’s father, Petros Mihailou, was born in Kalymnos in 1901. He was raised on the island and learnt his trade as a carpenter before migrating to Australia in 1927. He arrived in Sydney and, one day, heard about ‘this place called Darwin’ and its need for tradesman. He headed north and settled in Darwin where he worked as a builder. Mary tells me that Petros was the first Kalymnian to settle in Darwin, and brought many of his relatives and countrymen out here to join him. We all know the mighty contribution that Kalymnians have made to the Northern Territory in general and Darwin in particular.
Petros was joined by his wife, Vakina and their two children, Michael and Vange, who came out from Greece not long before the bombing of Darwin. Mary’s sisters, Kay and Jean, were both born in Darwin in the early 1940s. According to those who knew Vakina, she was a strong and beautiful woman with striking blonde hair. Certainly, the photographs I have seen of Vakina bear that out.
Petros built many houses in Darwin, and Mary tells me that most of the houses in Darwin at that time were built on low columns with flywire around them. Petros was the first to build a house with an open verandah, and Mary tells me he also built a spiral staircase. This house still exists today as a Mitchell Street backpackers lodge, the Wilderness Lodge, at 88 Mitchell Street to be exact. You can still the basic form of the house as Petros built it; so he built to last.
Petros and Vakina were evacuated to Sydney following the bombing of Darwin in 1942. It was in Sydney that Mary and her brother, Nick, were born in the mid-1940s. Unfortunately, because of the loss of records and other factors associated with the war, Petros lost his Mitchell Street property, but he was a strong man and he rebuilt the family fortunes when he returned to Darwin after the war in the 1950s.
Around that time, the Greek Orthodox Church in Cavenagh Street was being built. Petros and his son, Michael Mihailou, put many hours of volunteer work into helping build St Nicholas Church. Mary tells me that it was proposed that the church would have a spire but, Petros in particular, had a strong conviction that Greek churches should have a dome rather than a spire. He set about with Michael to construct the dome. He drew up the plans and was probably the only builder in town who could do it. I saw some great photos showing the various stages of construction as Petros, Michael and Manoli Kouros built the dome.
Michael was married in 1956. He brought his bride-to-be, Themis Kalavros, over from Greece and, because there was no Greek priest resident in Darwin at that time, they were married in the half-built St Nicholas Church by Father John, who was an Anglican priest. There was a great photo that Mary showed me of the wedding. You can clearly see the icons that are in the church today, but the rest of the church was still a long way from being completed.
It is very important to place such history, as Mary has told me, on the Parliamentary Record because it bears testimony to the contribution and commitment of those Greek people who came to the Northern Territory in those early days.
Petros was a tough and determined man and gave much back to his community. He passed away in Darwin in 1983, but his surviving children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are his enduring legacy to the Northern Territory. I thank Mary for sharing her family history and photos, and I wish her all the best. She is a wonderful mother and grandmother, a credit to Petros and Vakina.
Tonight I also want to talk about someone with a very long history of involvement with the Northern Territory, Dr David Lo, a very well-respected and long-serving clinician. Dr Lo was born in Hong Kong in 1937, but moved to Darwin with his parents in 1941. He was here for the bombing of Darwin the following year. Dr Lo studied for his medical degree in Sydney and completed his specialist training in Brisbane. He then saw an advertisement in the Medical Journal of Australia seeking a specialist physician at Darwin Hospital. As he had relatives living in Darwin and had a history with the city, Dr Lo answered the ad and started work in Darwin in December 1967.
He says he only planned to stay two years but, like so many others who come to the Territory, he stayed on. Indeed, Dr Lo made a massive contribution to our health system before retiring after 33 years of meritorious service, in the year 2000.
In 1997, the Royal Australian College of Physicians established a new college medal to recognise those who have provided outstanding critical service in rural and remote areas, and Dr David Lo was the first recipient - and a very worthy one too. In the year of his retirement, Dr Lo was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to medicine and the community.
I was honoured earlier this week to attend the launch of Dr Lo’s book, The Long Road to Territory Health - An Account of Clinical Medicine in the Northern Territory 1965 - 1985. Dr Lo has dedicated this book to all Northern Territory health professionals who provided care, service and loyalty to the Territory community between 1965 and 1985 He says he thought that he should record some of their experiences before, as he says, they all rode off into the sunset.
This book is simply not reminiscing about Dr Lo’s career; it is really about the history of medicine in the Northern Territory. Dr Lo wrote about the history of Darwin Hospital at Myilly Point and recalls there was no airconditioning. Patients survived with overhead and portable fans and mosquito nets in wards with bare concrete floors. He also recalls Dr Alan Walker filling the position of Director of Paediatrics in September 1967. As members would be aware, I paid tribute to the late Dr Walker and his significant contribution to the Territory in this House earlier this year.
Dr Lo was not only a physician at Royal Darwin Hospital; he also served as a medical advisor to all hospitals throughout the Territory. He made regular visits to Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Gove, as well as to a number of Top End communities.
Of course, Cyclone Tracy was a major event for all people living in Darwin in 1974. It is very interesting to read Dr Lo’s recollection and the role he played during Cyclone Tracy. He believes Tracy was the most destructive event on Australian soil in Australian history. With his typical wry sense of humour, David wrote that he survived the night, ‘with only half his house destroyed’ and reported for duty at daybreak headed directly for the emergency department to find senior surgeon, Alan Bromwich, directing operations.
More than 500 casualties reported to the hospital in the first 24 hours and it was a very busy time for all staff involved. They were very glad to receive some relief when surgical teams were rushed from Canberra. Dr Lo wrote:
I believe this underlines Dr Lo’s determination and unassuming nature, as well as his devotion to his role, and his ability to take on any task and get the job done.
Dr Lo remembers the achievement of self-government in July 1978. He was also there for the birth of Northern Territory Health Department in January 1979. He was certainly there when the new hospital opened in Casuarina in 1980, but he was unsure whether the design of the hospital really fitted the needs of Territorians, particularly Aboriginal patients.
He also recalls the formation of the Menzies School of Health Research and relates many collaborative ties forged between Menzies and the Royal Darwin Hospital senior staff. Within the book, there is a very detailed chapter on the clinical aspects of medicine, which would be essential for any clinician coming to the Territory. Dr Lo covers a whole range of conditions and diseases in detail, and provides very sage clinical advice based on 33 years of experience within the Northern Territory.
I place on the Parliamentary Record my respect for Dr Lo and the contribution he has made to Territory health. I am sure all Territorians will join me in congratulating him on the launch of his book.
Finally tonight, on one of my recent visits to Alice Springs, it was a pleasure to attend the Alice Springs Cup Carnival and host the reception for the local and visiting racing fraternity on the May Day long weekend.
The Alice Springs Cup Carnival is a highlight of the month’s racing calendar and attracts visitors from all over Australia. Pioneer Park came alive during the four days of carnival racing and every indicator - crowd numbers, horse numbers, on- and off-course turnover, and the work rate of the hospitality industry - was up markedly on the 2006 carnival. One visitor was cricketing legend, Darren Lehmann, who enjoys a punt and has made the trip to Alice Springs several years in a row.
Ford Australia, as part of their sales incentive scheme, flew their top sales people from various regions to Alice Springs as a reward. By all accounts, the visitors enjoy their taste of desert hospitality. Track records were broken and some unbeaten winning streaks continued.
Pioneer Park looked fantastic and, under clear blue skies, we got around to the main event of the weekend, the race for the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup. The start was delayed a little when By How Fraar was scratched after lying down in the barrier. Once away, Catechism kept up with last year’s Darwin’s Cup Winner, Nozi, and fellow favourite, Lot One. However, after the 800 m mark, Catechism streaked home - a fantastic win for trainer Viv Oldfield and for all of Catechism’s connections.
Cup Day was a huge success with 1900 people attending and enjoying the occasion. I especially congratulate Andrew O’Toole, the CEO of Alice Springs Turf Club, and his hard-working staff, including Carley Plume, Terry Huish, and the gardener extraordinaire who had Pioneer Park looking at its very best for the flagship event. I also congratulate the Alice Springs Turf Club committee, including Chairman Paul Bain, Vice-Chairman Andrew Doyle, Matthew Plummer, Allan Rowe, David Lillicrapp, Trevor Bell and Kevin Hickmott.
Pioneer Park is very aptly named, commemorating all those Central Australian pioneers who contributed to horse racing in the Alice from its early beginnings in the late 1800s. The first race track in town was on the Emily Plain on the east side of town near where Federal Sports Club was later established. After a few moves, the track was established in 1928 at Mt Nancy after a royal dedication of land was made. The last race meeting at Mt Nancy Racecourse was on 18 June 1977, with the final race being won by a horse called Abeson. The first race at Pioneer Park was on 25 June 1977, and now the track is preparing to celebrate 30 years of racing. I hope to attend that, and it will be a great celebration.
Congratulations to all the hard-working people on another successful Alice Springs Cup. I look forward to attending the 30th anniversary celebrations next week.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak tonight on a very topical subject that has not had a lot of debate in this House. It is a subject that I believe is close to many people’s hearts in my electorate, and probably in your electorate too, Mr Deputy Speaker: the amalgamation of local government councils. I should make an aside that I am wondering, after hearing some of the reports that are coming through regarding the Mal Brough press release today in relation to the federal government - I presume he is assuming some form of control over some Aboriginal communities - what effect that will have on the government’s proposals for amalgamation of councils? That is not quite clear at the moment. I will certainly be looking with interest to see whether that does have an effect.
I say also at the outset that I reject the minister’s assertions that the reasons for Litchfield Shire Council to be dissolved was because it would not be viable into the future - or the government presumed that it would not be viable in the future. I believe I am not alone in that. I believe many people in the Litchfield Shire would say that is just not true. If the government had said that it would retain Litchfield Shire and that other areas might be attached to it, that might be a different case, but they have decided to dissolve Litchfield Shire.
I have a feeling that the present CEO, Peter Visentin, and some of the others, are very upset with that - especially Peter Visentin. He is leaving the council. He has worked there faithfully for 20 years. I have not always agreed with some of the policies that the council has put forward, but he has always stuck to the idea that Litchfield Council should stick to its core functions. He has certainly been a very practical person in relation to how the council was developed, because he has an engineering background, and he always supported the concept of flat rates. We are now going to lose him. One of the reasons we are going to lose him is because he feels the government has said that he has run the council poorly. What are they going to do? They are not only going to dissolve the council, based on a premise that the council could have been unviable in the future, they also are giving the impression that the council was poorly run. That is why the CEO is quite upset, because now we have the government going to spend $9.9 m over the next two years introducing new CEOs. They are going to bring in the CEOs and they are also going to bring the financial people as well. I am not sure what is going to happen to our existing financial officer at Litchfield Shire.
I certainly think this is not the way to go, especially for places like Litchfield. We have some good staff there and I certainly would not want to see them replaced by southern people forced on the community by the government. That is not being seen as the way to put in staff who understand the philosophy behind places like the Litchfield Shire.
The government also made a statement, when it decided we would have new councils, that we would only have nine shires. Straightaway, I believe that was a mistake in itself; there was to be no debate about the shires. I believe there should have been much more debate, because councils are not just about money. They are not just about whether you can maintain the roads well or whether your oval is green. That, and whether the town is tidy, is important. The council is also about community.
For those people who are here, who might have seen this, I will hold up the bigger version, it gives you a better idea. This is the nine shires, and I find it very difficult to believe No 10, which is more or less in the Barkly, which is about big as Victoria, can give people a feeling of community. If I lived in Mildura, in Victoria, I am not sure I would feel like I was part of East Gippsland. It is just too big.
I know it is goes on population and all the theorists are saying: ‘This is ABS figures and regional areas of economic development’, etcetera. However, you have Lajamanu here right up here towards Victoria River, and way over here you have Tobermorey Station. That is Darwin to Tennant Creek. I do not mind amalgamation; I never said I am against amalgamation. However, we should have had a debate about the size of our shires. Are we going to kill them, because there will be no sense of community? People say to me: ‘Litchfield is going to be big’. I say: ‘No, it is not. It is a piece of cake compared to what you see down here’. There should have been much more debate in this House and in the public arena pertaining to whether that was a proper structure for amalgamation of councils. Two councils going from the Western Australian border to the Queensland border - that is a long, long way. The people who came in yesterday …
Mr McAdam: Come and get a briefing, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: You have to give public briefings on this, because this is not just me ...
Mr McAdam: No, you come and get a briefing so that when you do talk, you talk sense, and then we will debate it later.
Mr WOOD: Excuse me, this is your map.
Mr McAdam: Come and get a briefing.
Mr WOOD: This is your map. That is why we are in parliament - this is your map and I am saying there are some issues here.
You spoke of Wooliana yesterday. Wooliana happens to be way over here on the north side of the Daly River. What community does it belong to when you attach it to Kalkarindji, Timber Creek and Larrimah? I am not saying that we should not have amalgamation. What I am saying, minister - through the Deputy Speaker, I am sorry – is there should have been some more discussion about this. I do not want to see amalgamation collapse because these areas are too big. The Barkly shire is as big as Victoria - that is huge. If you talk about amalgamation in Victoria, they have about 200 councils. If you drop them into 100 councils, they are still tiny compared to the Northern Territory. That is an area that about which we should have had more discussion.
The other area that is of concern is that, when you try to break this into wards - and I am one who believes that wards should be of equal population - the bigger the area, the more difficult it is to have a ward where you are going to get enough people to have equal numbers of people. You are just going to have vast areas - say 12 councillors – who will all be in here. If you cut this up in two, you might find there is better representation of people in those vast areas.
The government has also said, when it was explaining to people why they should have local government, there will be real local jobs; better services; better roads and infrastructure; less humbug, not complex administration and finance; stronger voice; bigger and fairer share of funding; regional approaches to pest control, waste management, litter removal and housing services; extra opportunity for regional approaches to employment and training; stable local government administration; higher quality managers; and a better future as every community will have access to youth development, festival events, parks and gardens and other local government services that make lives happier and healthier. The new council would operate on a democratic basis similar to local government in the rest of Australia.
Of course, when an administrator sees that now we will be putting in higher quality managers, some people find that insulting. I think Peter Visentin is one who has found that difficult to take. He is a good person who has worked hard. He is leaving because he is signing his own death warrant working for the department, and that is unfortunate. I do not want to see a southern CEO in Litchfield Shire unless that person has really good …
Mr McAdam: Who says you will?
Mr WOOD: Because you said in these books here that you are going out recruiting people.
Mr McAdam: Does that mean that all high quality people come from south?
Mr WOOD: Recruiting them from where? When I read some of these minutes I do not get that impression …
Mr McAdam: Get real, Gerry. Get real.
Mr WOOD: … only that you are going to go nationwide. We have had good people in Litchfield Shire and I do not want to see people who do not understand the philosophy of that area.
The other matter that worries me is that the flat rate will disappear. You can say that the shires will have the right to do it when they are elected, but people would like to know now that they will retain the flat rate. If you take the new shire of – I would prefer to call it Litchfield – the recommendation from the advisory board is for pastoral and agricultural properties to have a UCV. What is an agricultural property? Is it just moo cows and hay down at Douglas Daly or is it mango farms? Are you going to apply the UCV in Litchfield Shire, or are you going to allow the flat rate to continue? They are questions that need answering and they need developing ...
Mr McAdam: And the answers will be provided in due course.
Mr WOOD: We are six months down the track, and the ‘due course’ might be too late to change. These are issues that need the community to have a say. That is one of our problems; Transition Committees are not the community. They are people you selected from the community, but they certainly have not gone back out into the community - at least not from what I have seen - telling people what is happening. I get on to the web page and find out what the minister is saying – and that is how I find out what is going on.
You also have a Transition Committee that has at least 12 people, of whom 10 are from outside the Litchfield Shire. Let us take an example of what is wrong with that. Litchfield Shire has a good name. It is named after Fred Litchfield. It is also the name we give to the national park. What is the advice from this Transitional Committee based on people who are predominantly from outside Litchfield? Get rid of the name and turn it into Top End Litchfield. I am sure if you asked people in Litchfield if they want the name changed to Top End, the 17 000 people would say no. That name is important to our area. The Transition Committee, which is not talking to the people, and is biased because it has 10 people from outside of Litchfield, is recommending to the Advisory Board to scrap the name. That, in itself, shows you one of the problems we have.
We do not know all the core functions. I have seen the paperwork that has been put to the Transition Committees but, again, people need to have a say about what core functions they would like to look after. They are important because the more core functions you have, the more likely it is that you are going to have an increase in rates. When we talk about whether we have an increase in rates, one area that is not being given a realistic answer is the future of road funding. Okay – yes, I know McAdam, that is it – in the phone book, I know.
I am quite happy to have a briefing, minister, but the community is not getting the briefing. That is the problem. People out there are concerned. Wooliana people would not have turned up here yesterday if they knew what was going on necessarily. They are worried. I do not get phone calls from people at Dundee for just any reason. They are concerned that they will be paying more on the beach than the people behind them. They are worried they will pay $2000 in rates and the people at the back $1000. That means the message is not getting out there. That is what I am saying is the problem.
In relation to road funding, anyone who has looked at how local government gets funding knows that it gets it based on population, and that is fixed. We do not get it under the horizontal equalisation scheme that the rest of the Territory gets its funding. Therefore, when you now expand the Territory to completely go under local government - that is, the land mass - you basically do not change the population. The population of the Territory is still going to stay the same, but you now have to pick up a lot more roads that were not covered before under the funding from the Grants Commission. The government is saying: ‘We are going to get $20m in grants. We are going down to see Mr Lloyd in the federal parliament and he is going to give us this $20m grant’. If you do not get that grant you have exactly the same amount of money given to you for all these new roads, which means places like Litchfield will get less money. Possibly, even Palmerston and Darwin will get less because the government does not give you any more money. The money is worked out on whether the road is bitumen, kerbed and guttered, graded or not graded – and that is how you get your money. The money pile will be the same, the roads will be much more and, therefore, if you do not get money from the federal government we are going to have less money to spend in the existing areas.
People need to be told: ‘If that happens, either rates will go up or your road maintenance will go down’. There are no other options. That is something that needs to be sorted through. Do not give us all this country under local government if we are not going to get sufficient funds. I know I am running out of time, but this is a big area to debate.
The other area the government is failing in, is saying it is going to get $9.9m over two years and that is to help with employing CEOs and getting technical IT equipment into these places. What needs to happen is a proper sum of money – an establishment package - as was given to Litchfield when it started. I think Litchfield got $13m and was able to build some halls at various places and locations; put in some bitumen roads where it would not have been able to, and that encouraged the council to become a council. By giving some money to start with, that helped us. If you do not give Litchfield money to start putting in some infrastructure at Dundee, Marrakai, Douglas Daly, wherever, the ratepayers are going to have to find that money straight off and that is not going to be good. Litchfield people will feel that they are going to have to fund all these things. If the government wants to sell this in the Litchfield area, it has to come up with a reasonable establishment package to help those areas that are not now in local government.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I would love to continue this debate a bit longer. It is a very important debate, and I will certainly do it during the Estimates Committee.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was very pleased to be able to attend this year’s Architecture Awards on the museum lawns earlier this month. As always it was a great night. Some of the Territory’s architects were recognised, as were the stunning tropical Territory designs our industry produced - and not only tropical, but arid lands as well.
Build Up Design won four awards during the evening for the Mamaruni School, the Community Learning Centre on the eastern side of Croker Island devastated by Cyclone Ingrid. They received the Public Architecture Award, The Tracy Memorial Award, The Colorbond Steel Award and the Indigenous Community Architecture Award for their work.
The Burnett Award, the Territory’s top award for residential architecture, was for the Henry residence in Darwin’s CBD and was won by Kapetas and Associates. The architect was acknowledged for skillfully designing the house’s levels vertically to complement the site’s steep slope. The house also took out the People’s Choice Award.
Other awards presented on the night were the Small Project Architect Award, which went to the Lindsay Avenue Studio by Steven Lumb Architect; the Public Architecture Commendation was the Palmerston Library by MKEA Architects and HASSELL Ltd; The Urban Design Award for the Goyder Square Precinct, again by MKEA and HASSELL Ltd; Interior Architecture Commendation, the Power and Water Corporation Office and Retail Fitout, HASSELL Ltd again; The 25-Year Award went to the TIO Building by Woodhead; The Student Award went to Irma Lamaya, who was a most confident young woman, and I wish her all the best in her architecture career.
As with all awards, the process is a tough one for the team of judges. They had to consider not only how the project met its original intentions, but also weigh up the environmental performance, the use of energy and, of course, the client satisfaction. It was a memorable night, and I acknowledge members of the Award Committee: the chair, Steven Huntingford from Jackman Gooden Architects, who is also the Chair of the Australian Council of Built Environment Design Professions; Richard Layton from Richard Layton and Associates; Geoff Wells from DPI; Ross Connolly from MKEA Architects; Gavin Sell from the NT Chapter; and Melanie Shottenkirk, the NT Chapter Awards Coordinator. A great effort and congratulations.
Special thanks also to the sponsors for this year’s awards: Colorbond BlueScope Steel; Tarkett Commercial; Cerbis Ceramics; Lockwood; DPI; Territory Housing; and Total Event Services. Congratulations to everyone, and best wishes to the award winners for the RAIA National Architecture Awards, which will be held in Alice Springs for the first time in October.
It gives me great pleasure to congratulate and acknowledge the Alice Springs winners of the Queen’s Birthday Honours: Margaret Friedel has earned an Australian Public Service Medal for her work in making sustainable use of arid lands. Margaret has worked as a scientist with the CSIRO in Alice Springs for 33 years and is recognised worldwide for her research work in arid ecosystems. Margaret’s current projects are based around the management of buffel grass, which is a major threat to arid zones, and improving our four-wheel drive tourism industry. Her work is vital in gaining the knowledge necessary to make productive use of Central Australia’s harsh terrain. Congratulations to Margaret, a very well-deserved winner of the Public Service Medal.
Another winner was Liz Martin, who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her life long contribution to the road transport industry. Many of us know Liz Martin as the founder of the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs, one of the region’s greatest tourist attractions. She is also responsible for the huge influx of trucks to Alice Springs every August for the National Road Transport Hall of Fame Reunion. Congratulations to Liz on her many achievements and on her OAM. I cannot think of somebody more deserving. What a great community worker.
Also winners in those awards were the founders of Mt Theo-Yuendumu Substance Misuse Program. Peggy Brown, Johnny Miller and Andrew Stojanovski have all been awarded the Medal of Order of Australia. When Peggy found her grandson sniffing petrol in 1994, she knew she had to do something so, along with her brother-in-law, Johnny, and care worker, Andrew, they set up Mt Theo, and the rest is history. Mt Theo has had great success treating petrol sniffers and misusers of other substances, and it is great to see the work being formerly recognised.
Congratulations to Margaret, Liz, Peggy, Johnny and Andrew on their important contribution to the Territory.
Top quality training opportunities are vital for our young Territorians and for the future prosperity of the Territory economy. Matthew Turner is one trainee who is excelling, and has just been recognised as Group Training NT’s Trainee of the Year for Central Australia. Matthew is a park ranger and guide at the Alice Springs Desert Park, and is heavily involved in the park’s research on the lifecycle of the witchetty grub. His enthusiasm for all aspects of the Desert Park has made him popular among his workmates, and with visitors to the park.
Matthew has spina bifida, but it has not dampened his passion, and he is a great example of someone who has overcome adversity and significant obstacles to pursue his dreams - an example to us all. Congratulations to Matthew on his award. I look forward to having him as my guide next time I visit the Alice Springs Desert Park.
Tonight, I also want to mark the end, with some sadness, of an era for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Alice Springs. Parish priest, Father Brian Healy, is leaving after 18 years at the helm, marking the end of the Sacred Heart’s 77 years of service to the Central Australian community. The Missionaries of Sacred Heart have contributed an enormous amount to Central Australia. Father James Long was the first parish priest for Stuart, as Alice was then known, in May 1929. He undertook the construction of the first Catholic Church in Hartley Street - and he did not just plan the building, he helped make the concrete bricks. The church was officially opened in June 1930.
In 1935, Father Patrick Malone established the Little Flower Mission for Eastern Arrernte people and, in 1938, nuns opened the first Catholic school with a grand total of 25 pupils, the first enrolled being Bernie Kilgariff. Over the years, this small school has grown to become Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, a school with three campuses and almost 1000 students.
One of Sacred Heart’s most recognised, and loved, parish priests is Father Brian Healy, a man renowned for his compassion and dedication to the Central Australian community. I congratulate and thank Father Healy on his service to Central Australia, along with all the other priests, brothers and nuns involved with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart over the past 77 years. Father Healy will be missed. He will be replaced by Father Jim Knight from the Divine Word Missionaries. I take this opportunity to welcome Father Jim and his order to Alice Springs, and wish him the very best for the future.
Alice Springs’ loss is Palmerston’s gain, as Father Healy has been appointed to Our Lady Help of Christians Church at Woodroffe. The Palmerston and Darwin communities can now get to see why Father Healy is so respected in Alice Springs. I welcome Father Healy to the Top End.
‘Mango’ John Crayford is a Territory icon and, sadly, he is selling his Red Centre farm at Ti Tree after 20 years. John and his wife, Shirley, bought the 9 ha property in 1988 and planted 200 mango trees that same year - the first Central Australian mangoes. The farm now has over 1700 mango trees and is an important part of the booming Central Australian horticultural industry. It is also a popular attraction for tourists keen to taste test the famous wines: Mango Magic; Mango Moonshine Liqueur; and Mango Mist. They are expected to be inundated by tourists this year following the sealing of the road to their farm.
John and Shirley are looking for the right person to buy their property so they can relax in the knowledge that the farm is in safe hands. The decision to sell was a difficult one and they will be sorely missed. Congratulations to both ‘Mango’ John and Shirley. I wish them all the best on their well deserved retirement.
Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, some of the best contributors to the Territory are our senior citizens, such as 89-year-old Nancy Lamb. Nancy spent over 20 years involved with Old Timers as the manager’s wife, a volunteer, and now a resident of Flynn Lodge. In recognition of Nancy’s service to Old Timers and its residents, the new $3.5m wing has been named in her honour.
The Nancy Lamb Wing provides single and double room accommodation for up to 20 people, and includes special facilities for residents with dementia. The new wing was officially opened recently by Jan Trengrove of Frontier Services, and the Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Pat Miller. Congratulations to Nancy on her service to Alzheimers, and having this honour bestowed on her.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am not going to talk about my electorate in the adjournment tonight. I need to respond to the announcement by the Prime Minister today of his intervention into Territory matters. I have mixed feelings about this. I am saddened that the Northern Territory has been put in the position that the Australian government has to take over any part of the Territory to address an issue that we, ourselves, should have been doing. On the other hand, I am happy that at last someone is doing something about.
It is an indictment on this government that the federal government has, in fact, made these announcements. Yes, it is too early to look at what has been said. We do not know the details, and there are many areas that have been announced that, perhaps, would concern us. However, I have sat here all week and been a bit stunned by the government’s lack of response. The Chief Minister has had many opportunities to stand and be strong in her response to this report, rather than wait until August when we know there is an urgency out there. I sometimes wonder whether the Chief Minister has had firsthand experience of child sexual abuse, as many teachers, doctors and professionals have. If she had, then she would not sit around; she would be trying to get out there and help children immediately. I still feel so sad that her lack of response has made the federal government react in this way.
I wonder how the other government members felt when she was giving the answers to the questions that were put to her. Were they sitting there hoping that she would show leadership and take the initiative and say what she was going to do? Or did they just sit there and say: ‘Yes, okay, we will wait’? I would have thought they would have been urging the Chief Minister to show leadership and react fairly immediately to the response. I was uncomfortable with her response, so I cannot imagine that the members of government were comfortable with what was happening. I am quite sure they wanted something stronger to happen. In recent times, we have had many things in this parliament to indicate that members were concerned about child sexual abuse.
I have introduced amendments to the Bail Act which the government knocked back, and amendments to the Sentencing Act. Both of these amendments were to address issues arising from the abuse of children, and government rejected them. I say to the Chief Minister: have a good look; think, search your conscience and ask whether you have done the right thing, because you could have averted this intervention by the Australian government if you had reacted earlier.
It is telling us the strong message that we need to understand that what is going on out there in communities is devastating for the children and for the families. I cannot imagine ever living in such a situation as some of these young children have to. I cannot imagine the consequences of what their lives will be in the future if this has happened to them and no one has bothered to do anything about it. We can make all sorts of excuses. We can blame housing, education, health, and families, but the bottom line is we should blame ourselves if we have not done anything about it. That is where the responsibility lies: on this parliament. We should be introducing measures and programs to address what has become a national shame.
I am certainly ashamed of what this report tells us. It says strongly we should be taking strong measures. We should be doing it. We only have to look at Pat Anderson and the emotions she showed when she was talking to the report. To just ignore it - perhaps for all sorts of reasons, I am not sure. Maybe there were things going on behind the scenes. If there were, why did the Chief Minister not tell the parliament? We had the feeling that the Chief Minister put it on the shelf where it would just get dusty. The fact that the Prime Minster and minister Mal Brough have come out and made some sweeping announcements - and they are sweeping – must, in fact, worry us.
At least the Chief Minister has said she will work in cooperation with the federal government, and that is really important. I wonder how long before this cooperation takes place. We have election time coming up. We know that. We may have a change of government at federal level. Will whatever initiatives occur continue? There are people out there. One of the leading Aboriginal women in Alice Springs came up to me the other day and, basically, said: ‘I am so disappointed in this Territory Labor government. I had so much faith when they came in but, now we have this report, and we do not see the reaction we expected. We do not see that they are there for our people. Who are they there for? Who is this government there for?’ They are meant to be there for all Territorians but, most importantly, there are many Aboriginal people who put faith in them when they voted them in. That is what the people out there are saying. They are crying out as much as the children are crying out for help.
Chief Minister, this has come as a shock. It has taken me by surprise. As I say, I have two responses. I am absolutely saddened that the federal government has had to take this step, but I am so pleased that they have because it may get us some action to address the problems that are identified so far. I say to the members of the Labor government now to please push your Chief Minister; make her do things. You have a responsibility, because you were elected to represent your people, to make sure your government is listening and reacting. It is very hard for opposition or Independents to get that message through if you are not there behind us.
It is just one of those occasions when I feel flat, but I feel happy. It seems to be a contradiction that I feel like this. Child sexual abuse must be the most abhorrent thing that I could think of. I have had experience as a principal and a teacher. I do not even like reading the reports in the papers about cases that come before the courts. I find it distressing, sometimes, to go shopping. Let me tell of one of the horrible occasions occurred recently when a Toyota stopped, two fellows got out and went into the pub. Two women got out with a baby and immediately said: ‘Money for the baby. Money for the baby’. It shamed me that they would do that when that baby should have been given all the love and care. You wonder what life there is for that baby when they are used as a tool like that.
This is the problem with sexual abuse. The body just becomes a tool. Do you remember once a long time ago when sex was for love? We did it for love as young people. However, sex has now become an abusive, physical activity, a power game. That horrible power game occurring out there in Aboriginal communities has to stop. Therefore, my plea tonight is for all members of government to stand up straight and strong; make sure that you are able to influence your Chief Minister to bring about the changes that are necessary. Do not knock everything the federal government is saying. Be prepared to listen and to work with them so that the outcomes and end result are that, at least in the end, we can say we have tried to save the children.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I was very sad to learn of the passing away of Mr John Read recently. John was a man who always greeted me with a smile and a joke, despite being in considerable pain as he battled cancer. My sincere condolences to his wife, Daphne, and the rest of the family.
On 2 June, I attended a talk given by Professor Ian Lowe, president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, on global warming. I thank the Environment Centre NT for the invitation, and congratulate the Groove Caf at Nightcliff for an excellent effort in catering.
Professor Lowe gave a thought-provoking and persuasive presentation. His information regarding the targets set in California, as well as excellent work being done in several European countries, on reducing carbon emissions as well as generating power by non-fossil fuel, was extremely interesting. I also inform members that the alternatives being used at not nuclear.
Professor Lowe spoke of the imminent peak in world oil production. He referred to a lecture he gave in the mid-1970s, at which time he forecast peaking of oil production was about 2010. He recalled that, at that time, he advised his audience that all was not lost because, while this would undoubtedly have a great impact on the world economy that was totally dependent on oil, we still had 30 years or so to do something about it. Here we are in 2007. No longer do we have 30 years before oil production has peaked. Looking back, what have we, as a nation, done in the last 30 years to prepare for the decline in oil production that we knew was coming? Unfortunately, we have not been doing much at all. I can advise members that they might like to case study Iceland, as they apparently have done a great deal.
As I said, Professor Lowe’s discussion was extremely interesting. It was a pleasure to go along and listen. The night was a sell-out, so congratulations to the Environment Centre for organising the night.
It was a pleasure to attend the Northern Territory Law Society’s Law Week luncheon at SKYCITY on 1 June on behalf of the Attorney-General. As usual, SKYCITY did a fantastic job. Mr Tim Bugg, President of the Law Council Australia, was guest speaker. His presentation raised some very interesting points. He spoke of the need for the legal profession to continue speaking out on contemporary legal issues. The legal profession is in a unique position to comment on legal policies. The rights we enjoy are protected and modified by the laws our various parliaments implement. Law is the business of the legal profession. The profession has a right to comment on the impact proposed changes may have. I wholeheartedly endorse the comments of Mr Bugg in encouraging the legal profession to stay engaged with the legal policy process.
I thank Ian Kew and his wife, Jill, for inviting me to A Night at the Opera on 26 May. The night featured guests Messrs Brett Kelly, guest conductor; Rosario La Spina, a tenor; and Dimitri Kopanakis, a baritone. Darwin’s own soprano, Mrs Kathy Banks, also performed. All were most ably accompanied by the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. Mr Kelly gave short background on each piece that formed part of the evening’s program. I, for one, was very glad to have his explanations. I recognised many of the pieces once they were played, but had no idea of where they actually came from. For example, Frederico’s Lament from L’aresiana, sung on the night most brilliantly by Rosario La Spina, has been used in a number of gangster movies where it has been the background music to mayhem and killing. I was quite surprised to learn that it was, in fact, a song of sincere, loving affection.
The Dry is celebration time. We have had four big events in the past few weeks, with more big events to come, such as the V8s this weekend. The four I would like to make mention of are the Arafura Games, the Freds Pass Show, May Day and the Palmerston Festival.
The Arafura Games concluded after 10 days of top class action. The games have become a key event in our region and beyond. Territorians are renowned for the generosity and hospitality. The legions of volunteers who make the Arafura Games possible, proved, once again, that our reputation is well deserved. I was speaking to some of the competitors from Macau and the Philippines at the Tennis Centre. They told me that they had really enjoyed the competition, but also the friendliness of Territorians. They enjoyed their visit immensely. Thank you to everyone who gave their time and energy to make the Arafura Games a huge success.
Freds Pass Show is another of our icon events. Congratulations to Andrew Blackadder, the rest of the show committee and of course, the many volunteers who brought us this year’s spectacular. Jacqui Izod sang the National Anthem at the official opening ceremony. Jacqui has a superb voice and is also a much-loved teacher at Moulden Park Primary School. She is also the driving force behind the formation of the Moulden Park Primary School Choir. I also thank all the volunteers who helped on the ALP stall this year. Year in and year out, our supporters give up their free time to ensure that the Labor Party has a presence at the various shows. So, thank you once again to all those people – the heart and soul of the party.
My boys, Brandon, three, and Flynn, 18 months, particularly liked the goats and roosters at this year’s Freds Pass Show. They also liked the helium balloons they brought home. One was destroyed fairly quickly, but the others lasted for quite some time.
The May Day march and concert on the Esplanade is always a hit. It regularly attracts tourists and locals alike to watch both the march and the concert. I marched with my family to show my support for this local event and what it celebrates. May Day celebrates the winning of the standard eight-hour working day. ‘Eight hours work, eight hours rest, eight hours play’ was the slogan, I think. Many people I talk to think that May Day is about militant unions. I do not agree; I believe May Day is about working families. May Day celebrates the winning of the right of working families to spend time together; the recognition that time at home is at least equally, if not more important, than time spent at work. If you like, the fight for a standard eight-hour working day was an early expression of the need for work/life balance. Here we are in 2007, and we are still fighting that basic fight.
The Palmerston Festival was held in Goyder Square on Saturday, 9 June, with many exciting events held throughout the day. It was a chance for me and the member for Drysdale to catch up with the many families who attended on what was a glorious day in Palmerston. I congratulate the Palmerston City Council on the festival.
The Palmerston Night Markets have also kicked off again this year, and that is where you will find me most Friday nights. The Palmerston Night Markets celebrated their 21st birthday this year, with a large number of people attending opening night. The crowds have grown since week one, with many Palmerston families and visitors enjoying the good food and relaxed atmosphere. I congratulate Julia Battison for all her hard work coordinating such a successful market.
A fantastic community event in Palmerston this year was Palmlesstonnes 2007. I congratulate Brooke Kimberley, the 2007 Palmlesstonnes Coordinator, the Palmlesstonnes Organising Committee, Sandie Smiles, as well as all the volunteers for making this year’s event a huge success. This is the second year that this event has been in operation and has proved very popular with many participants.
The member for Drysdale and I - and I believe the member for Blain - assisted with hosting Pollies Walks and Breakfasts …
Mr Mills: And the member for Goyder, too.
Mr BURKE: And the member for Goyder, thank you. As you can see, all the local MLAs get involved, and that really shows the community spirit of the whole event as well. It was an early start, with the politician’s walks kicking off at 7 am from various locations around the different electorates. I hosted a walk that started and ended at Sanctuary Lake in Gunn.
Palmlesstonnes participants overall have collectively lost 225 kg and 540 cm from their waistlines. Sixteen participants lost more than 5% of their starting body weight. Brooke advised that, aside from the fantastic results, the team spirit and camaraderie amongst participants this year has been the highlight. I can certainly vouch for that, listening to the conversations of people who had not met prior to the walks. Some have formed some great friendships over the course of the event. A special thank you to the sponsors of the event, including MBF; the Pearl Galleria for donating an absolutely stunning pearl necklace; the Northern Territory government; the Palmerston Community Wheel; Darwin Sun and Palmerston Sun newspapers; Territory FM; Healthy Food Guide magazine; Healthy Living NT; the Heart Foundation; Life Balance Gym; Palmerston Recreation and Leisure Centre; the Goldfish Bowl; Grow NT; Bakers Delight Palmerston; Athletes Foot; Life Be In It; CMAX Cinemas; Adopt-a-park; Bunnings; and the Palmerston Chemmart chemist.
I also thank the volunteers without whom Palmlesstonnes events could not have happened, and if I miss anyone I am sorry: Kelly Parker from Good Beginnings; Allen and Kerry Whitely for running the evening exercise sessions and going above and beyond the call of duty to run extra weekend sessions and the relay; Moysten Wright from Rat Race Dance Studios; the amazing Palmerston Boot Scooters; Keltikka Irish Dancers; Vanya Smith; Michael and Kylie Cole from For the Love of Dance, AusDance NT; Shaan Myall from Water Safety NT for organising the water fun day at the Goldfish Bowl; Annette Sym for providing the delicious, healthy recipe that featured in the weekly newsletter and for being kind enough to donate 10 of her fabulous Symply Too Good to be True cookbooks; the team at Palmerston Community Care Centre for providing the weigh-in cards; a special mention to Dallas Frakking, one of the first Palmlesstonnes coordinators for donating the $500 cash prize this year; Justine Glover, another lady who has been involved in both years; Palmerston City Library for their assistance; Denise and Audrey from the front desk at Palmerston City Council for their registration duties; and St John volunteers for checking the blood pressure and pulse of Palmlesstonnes participants. Robin Lion, Gerard Wong, Elizabeth Gould, Sharon Tomkinson, and Tamie Devine also all contributed a great deal.
Here we are at the end of Term 2 of the school semester. Many students and teachers will be looking forward to the school holidays which are fast approaching. I recently assisted at the Blue Light Disco held at Bakewell Primary School. It was an excellent night, and I really enjoyed talking to the students. I was meant to be a crowd controller, but the students were so well behaved it was a pretty easy job.
Bakewell has also just had its twilight sports carnival. I really enjoy this afternoon and evening event. Many families attend to support the school and the children during the afternoon. I was on hand to pass on a snag or steak sandwich straight off the barbie. A great deal of organising goes into such an event, and special thanks to Ms Carrie White, the Twilight Sport’s Carnival coordinator; the parents and school council helpers; of course, Mr Peter Chandler, the MC for the evening; and also, Terri and the other staff who donate their time willingly each year. This year, the competition was very close with Pygmies overall winners.
This morning, the Palmerston High School held its triathlon event. My electorate officer, Joanne, joined Rob Presswell, Jo Duncan and Michael Wadrop in the principal’s team. I am advised that the team finished third in the open division and that there were more than three teams.
Gray Primary School had its twilight sports carnival tonight, and I ask the students and parents to forgive my lack of attendance, having to be here. I am sure everyone had a great time though, as the Gray Primary School is a fantastic school community.
Lastly, Palmerston Ballet School had a fundraiser just days ago. I was very pleased to be able to supply my barbecue for their use, because the school is ‘absolutely fabulous’, to quote the phrase. It is an icon of Palmerston and we can accurately say that it has produced generations of dancers from the Palmerston region.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, today I congratulate Papunya in Central Australia for successfully eradicating petrol sniffing in their region. I was honoured to host a group of Canadians who came out to Australia as part of a tour organised by BP Australia to see the impact of the non-sniffable Opal fuel on Aboriginal communities.
Petrol sniffing has not only been a serious problem in Alice Springs and in the wider Central Australian region, but also overseas in Canada. They too, see young indigenous people suffering from similar social dislocation issues. The Canadian delegation was made up of the Indian representatives from the Inuit regions, a government representative, and health workers, all hoping to convince the Canadian government to learn from our strategy at Papunya.
Sniffing has severe health ramifications, as well as impacting on the social wellbeing of the community. Once upon a time, the graffiti on the side of Papunya old workshop said ‘sniffers never die’ and young people would roam the streets with their plastic bottles filled with petrol. They would be getting high on the fumes of petrol. Times have changed in Papunya. Those kids have swapped their plastic bottles for football boots and, now, the graffiti reflects a new chapter in Papunya’s history, ‘Go the Eagles’.
The members of the Papunya community, in conjunction with the Northern Territory government and BP, can proudly say we have managed to eradicate sniffing from our community. I have worked tirelessly with the community to develop a community management plan under the groundbreaking volatile substance abuse legislation, which came into effect on 1 May 2007.
I was proud to show the Canadian delegation how a community that was once debilitated by the problem has come through the other side through our multifaceted strategy. As we sat around the camp fire in Papunya, we openly discussed a number of the issues and discovered there were parallels between indigenous Canadians and Australians, and the patterns of volatile substance abuse. I was privileged to showcase our strategy to the Canadian representatives, and I hope we can learn from each other in order to combat such a serious problem.
Opal is not the only solution to stop them sniffing, but it is a start. We are working together from the grassroots level to the upper levels of government to help improve the life chances and choices of young people out bush.
Congratulations go to the community members Lance Cook, Sammy Butcher and Syd Anderson, BP’s Mark Glazebrook for highlighting their efforts to the rest of the world, and to the Territory government for supporting legislation which helps stamp out petrol sniffing in Central Australia.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I remember when I was an ATSIC Commissioner I took Mark Glazebrook from BP Australia out into my region and showed him the effects that petrol sniffing was having on young indigenous kids in my region. It was wonderful to have Mark Glazebrook back with the Canadian Indians to see a different Papunya and different kids. We brought a couple of ex-sniffers to the campfire that night so they could talk to the Indians. It was shocking to hear that 120 000 kids sniff in these communities in Canada. They are having the same problems that we have. BP Australia has to come up with a different strategy. These people are part of trying to encourage the Canadian government to legislate as we have here in the Northern Territory.
There are a few other things I want to talk about this evening as well. Over Easter we had the Hermannsburg sports weekend. I put on the record my thanks to Gus Williams, Les Smith and Kenny William, and to the Deputy of the Administrator, Pat Miller, for her attendance.
The sports weekend was a safe, enjoyable three days. I congratulate the Hermannsburg police for their hard work, and also the WAHAC committee, the Hermannsburg Health Service, for encouraging healthy foods. Around the football oval which was a real challenge, when you have the ice cream van trying to sell ice cream, and have the health professionals walking around the oval with apples, oranges and carrots. It was a good thing we saw happening at Hermannsburg, which we also saw a fortnight later at Papunya.
I congratulate Gus and his council specifically for holding the sports weekend over the three day period which was the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and encouraging the sports weekend not to go over on to the Monday and Tuesday because they feel the importance of having their children attend school for five days a week, rather than three days. The message of government is getting through to our people: that it is good to have sports weekends; sport is good for our communities, our young people, and for community economic development, but we also have to encourage our children to go back to school on time.
A fortnight later it was the Papunya sports weekend on the Queen’s Birthday weekend. I thank my brother, Syd Anderson, and also Sammy Butcher and Lance Cook, Linda and Karen for their support to the community for organising the football carnivals, the softball weekend, and encouraging participation. We had over 1200 people over the three days. I congratulate the Papunya police and health staff, and also say a big thank you to the Papunya Administrator, Rod, and the shop manager, Parko, for their support to the community.
The same thing happened at Papunya. The sports weekend finished on the Sunday evening with everybody in the community encouraging parents to send their children back to school on the Monday morning. The message of government about school attendance is getting through. As local member, as we get around our regions to our schools, it is about us encouraging and spreading the message as well to family, friends, and communities to say that education is important; it gives you choices in life.
Finally, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I recognise and congratulate John Rawnsley for his academic achievements. John has worked in my electorate office since February this year. In a bush electorate, he understands my preference to travel extensively to be with my people and to serve as a conduit to government. Working in an electorate office involves a diverse range of tasks and responsibilities, and I know John will build skills and experience in this regard.
On 15 June, John’s mother, Ruth, his brother, Shane, and wife, Anita, were there to witness his graduation as he received his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. John has explained to me the efforts that his mother put into his education, and this is an outcome of how education gives you something; it rewards you something back in life. It is about encouraging parents always to be actively participating in the wellbeing of their child and encouraging them to go to school every day so that they have the opportunity like this young fellow, John Rawnsley, had.
The ceremony was an occasion not only to mark his own personal achievements, but an opportunity to recognise the support provided to him by his family. In his youth, John’s mother played a key role in encouraging him to work hard and pursue his studies. As a teacher, she understands and appreciates the importance of strong education and how education provides the means for wider scope in career path choice.
Born and raised in the Territory, John spent a number of years as a young boy living in the electorate of Macdonnell at the base of Uluru. He completed his studies through Charles Darwin University and recently spoke at a forum of Aboriginal secondary students in Alice Springs to encourage them to pursue further studies.
At the ALP National Conference in April this year, John spoke in support of a motion relating to Aboriginal support systems at the tertiary education level. Whilst recognising that university studies can be daunting for any student, John spoke in support of specific structures as a substitute for the absence of social fabric that underpins Aboriginal students. I take this opportunity to congratulate John. I cannot go without saying that John would not have achieved this without the great support that he received from his wife, Anita. A very big thank you to Anita.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Commonwealth Broadband Plan Inadequacies
Commonwealth Broadband Plan Inadequacies
Mr McADAM (Communications): Madam Speaker, the most recent announcement by the federal government concerning broadband is disappointing for the Territory. One of the major problems with the announcement is the deliberate lack of detail. To quote Simon Hackett, the Managing Director of Internode: ‘The devil is in the detail and we do not have the details yet’. The announcement is another rebadging of the funding for broadband and brings with it a sense of dj vu.
What was once Broadband Connect has now become Australia Connected. The federal government has, once again, used the same pool of money to produce the illusion of something new. The other sense of dj vu that one is left with is that, yet again, the Territory has been left behind. For the federal government and its local representatives, the Territory just does not matter. Whilst nearly $2bn will be spent nationally, very little money will be spent in the Territory and will, in effect, deliver nothing new for the Territory.
The wireless broadband is not mobile and it requires the users to be permanently connected with a stationary wireless antenna. This means that everyone who chooses to subscribe to wireless broadband will need an antenna on their roof. As I have said, details are scarce, but we do know that the purchase and installation of antennas is not cheap. There is an existing wireless service in Darwin, and in that regard there is nothing new in the federal government’s plan.
It has been suggested by many that the technology being adopted is untried wireless broadband. It relies on a frequency band operation that costs nothing to use and is, therefore, not managed. Consequently, this frequency, which is used to open automatic garage doors, is subject to a lot of noise that will also affect the capabilities and performance of the service.
The promise from the federal government is for 12 megabits per second download rate. Whilst this is theoretically feasible, the capacity of the technology to deliver these speeds will be drastically affected by a number of factors including the distance from the transmitter, environment such as tropical storms, and the number of other users and the level of demand they place on the service. So, if there is nothing for Darwin, what can be said for the rest of the Territory?
In complete contradiction to the stated aims of the now defunct Broadband Connect, there is nothing for those most disadvantaged right across the Territory. Those areas within the seat of Lingiari do not make it onto the government’s priority list for one very obvious reason: they are not within a marginal electorate held by the Coalition. Everyone in this place agrees on the need for education, health services and economic development in our regional and remote areas. Previous debates have highlighted the necessity of telecommunications infrastructure in remote communities for service delivery. Australia Connected demonstrates that the delivery of those services to the bush is not a priority of the federal government.
Madam Speaker, I have some concern with the existing small to medium Internet service providers in the Northern Territory. What is not apparent, at this stage, is what would happen when the nearly $1bn of taxpayers’ money is used to subsidise the consortium to potentially compete against localised ISP companies. Again, the devil is in the detail. I call upon the opposition to take this opportunity to stand up for the Territory and identify the announcement for what it is: yet another example of the federal government turning its back on the Territory.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, there must be a federal election looming shortly for this minister to get up and talk about this sort of thing. He can hardly even read the paper he was given and I wonder whether he understands anything about it. Never mind that Australian companies like Elders, who have contributed to this new initiative under the name of OPEL, is an Australian company that deserves every right to get its hands and its services out there to 99% of the population of Australia.
It is not for me to debate a federal political issue. That is pretty silly. For the minister’s information, this is going to deliver very fast broadband by June 2009, two years from now, without having to raid any of Australia’s Future Fund. That is what this government, in support of your federal masters, is going to do; rob Australia’s future. That is how despicable this government is, to say ‘poor Territorians’. It is not about poor Territorians; it is about Australia and how Australia can enter into the modern world through broadband very quickly. It is just on two years that this whole thing will be rolled out.
This government tries to grandstand and to core politically when, in fact, they have done very little to engage the federal government in delivering broadband in the Northern Territory.
Mr McADAM (Communications): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his contribution. He is very much a clone of the federal government: has no capacity, no vision, no commitment to the Northern Territory. Your allegation …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr McADAM: … to provide services to 99% of Australia is absolutely false. There is no capacity for the major regional centres of Australia and, indeed, for the four major regional centres of the Northern Territory - nothing for the bush whatsoever. The other point I wish to make is that we, as Australians and Territorians, believe in equity. We believe in a fair go. We believe in a fair go for all Australians. You have failed miserably on this occasion to stand up for those people most in need and endorse a second-rate broadband service for those people in the regional centres ...
Mr Stirling: We are not a little village in Malaysia.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Deputy Chief Minister really needs to get his act together. His behaviour in the Chamber has deteriorated excessively. Today this caps it off. He should withdraw what he just said.
Madam SPEAKER: Just pause. I am sorry, I did not actually hear what the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I simply pointed out that we are not a little village in Malaysia. What could be unparliamentary about that, I do not know.
Madam SPEAKER: All right. Please resume your seat.
Dr Lim interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Bats at Mataranka
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, for an animal only 20 cm long and weighing no more than 600 gm, the little red flying fox punches above its weight in its impact on our parks management and on our tourists.
Many members here, and certainly the members for Daly and Katherine, will be well aware of the destruction and disruption caused by colonies of the little red flying fox at Mataranka thermal pools, in the Katherine River corridor and in Batchelor. Very large colonies up to 500 000 establish themselves almost annually in these locations and the pressure they put on the local environment is intense. The trees in which they roost are denuded of green leaves, leading to a loss of shade and accumulation of waste at ground level; the noise of the screeching is overwhelming; and the stench no better. Clearly, this is not an ideal attraction for our tourists.
The little red flying fox is a protected species and plays a critical role in our ecology and environment, so the line in the sand which we will not cross is that there will be no killing of these animals. This is a classic case of conflict at the interface of the natural and social environments.
For most of their race, the little reds are not a problem. It is when their range and habitat intersects with areas that people want to visit and spend time in that the problem starts. This leaves management and preferably relocation as the means of dealing with the problem.
Over the past 20 years, the Parks and Wildlife Service has tried everything to relocate these colonies. These strategies have included attempting to relocate the colonies using helicopters - not very successfully; the bats are very tenacious and the tourists tend not to enjoy low flying helicopter noise. In fact, the noise from the helicopters generated more complaints than the bats did. Apart from that, it is risky business for the pilots as they need to get near the roost trees. An explosive pyrotechnic device, called bird fright, has been used, again not successfully. Spraying colonies with water cannons is another strategy that has been tried, as has establishing a sprinkler system in the canopy of the trees. Smoke sirens and loud noises have been tried, but the little reds are not easily dissuaded.
Tree lopping to reduce roosting sites is a relatively effective action, but do tourists really want to sit in the pools and walk around in areas devoid of vegetation? All evidence suggests that the programs aimed at removing the little reds from Mataranka results in them establishing colonies in Katherine, and vice versa.
Essentially, then, the government is expending large amounts of money, time and labour in moving the flying foxes back and forth between Katherine and Mataranka. This is clearly unproductive. In 2006 alone, park staff at Elsey National Park totalled 335 hours for relocation and cleaning. Contract cleaners worked an additional 120 hours to do the flying fox cleanup of handrails and pool surrounds.
Parks and Wildlife have funded investigations into the movement patterns and distribution of the little reds using satellites and radio telemetry to better understand their behaviour. A joint study with my department, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, the University of Sydney and the University of California Davis has revealed some interesting results. An individual little red flying fox can travel over 1000 km in a matter of weeks. I table the maps for all members’ benefit. If you have a look at the maps, the amount of area that these little flying foxes cover is amazing.
They move following good supplies of eucalypts and paperbark flowers, and they appear to do almost a circuit focusing on the Katherine and Mataranka area. What the studies show is that the little reds will always return. I visited the spot recently and, while the little reds had moved on, their impact was clear. The area around the pool has certainly taken a hammering and I fully acknowledge that the presence of the flying fox is not conducive to a wonderful tourist experience. However, I have made it clear that there is almost nothing we can do, but we will continue to work with the park. It is almost like trying to prevent the tide coming in and going out.
There is an alternative spot to the thermal pools of which many people will not be aware. Bitter Springs, also in the Elsey National Park, and only a short distance from the pools, was opened to the public in November. It is a gem of a place, very small but with delightful, clear water stream and pools, which were being very much enjoyed by a handful of children and adults when I was there. I thoroughly recommend a visit to the springs.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her report. As the minister knows, these cute, little red things that are driving everybody mad have been a nightmare for Mataranka and Katherine. In Mataranka, from the time they have taken over Mataranka thermal pools, it has been a really disastrous time for the Mataranka Homestead and the people who run it, to the point that those people now are working mainly back in Perth. There is not much economy for them at all. People choose not to stay.
As the minister would have experienced herself, when you pull up at the pool, open up the car door, the odour is immediate and the devastation caused to the vegetation would break your heart. If you look at what it was like 10 to 15 years ago, before they decided to make it their habitat and their lovely little nursery area, it was absolutely beautiful and a wonderful tourist attraction. Now it is a disaster for tourists. And we have encouraged people to visit Mataranka thermal pools. Bitter Springs opened in about 2000. It does not attract the same number of people. It is lovely, and it has been done up very well, but it just does not attract the same number of people.
However, it is not only tourists. It is the locals in Katherine who have had to chop down many beautiful shade trees over the last few years, and try just about everything, as the minister has said in her report, and nothing seems to work. They still seem to find another tree. In this two minutes that I have, I advise one thing we have tried to do is improve people’s understanding of the little red fellows, and have night walks to watch the bats flying over from the high level bridge and the railway level bridge, which is pretty spectacular. We just want to see them flying over. We do not want them to land and, of course, they are. They are finding nice spots through Katherine, which is very disappointing.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, your time has expired.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her report. I thought for a minute, when she was talking about the little reds, she was talking about a junior branch of the Labor Party.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: Sorry, to get back to the subject, I was also in Mataranka early this year, I believe the week that the little reds disappeared, because there were people swimming in the pools there. I know the minister said that there was concern about destroying these little flying foxes, because of their interaction with human activity. Of course, one of the problems is that is not just the human activities they affect, it is the natural environment, because those palm trees there were absolutely destroyed - I would have thought they had been napalmed. There is a stem, with a few leaves, but there is nothing much else. They certainly cause a major amount of destruction just to the natural environment, let alone worrying about what effect it has on the tourism industry.
When I was there, the owner of the Mataranka caravan park raised issues regarding construction of new toilets there. He was also constructing toilets at the same time as the caravan park. I wonder whether there was some difficulty or problems in trying to combine resources from both those groups - Parks and Wildlife and the private management of the caravan park - so that we were not duplicating services. If one person is going to put in some toilets, why would Parks and Wildlife be doing the same thing 100 m down the road? I do not know whether you could comment on that.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for Katherine and Nelson for their contributions. As I said, this is a classic case of conflict at the interface of both the natural and social environment. You have to actually see the harm and destruction to believe it. It has been an ongoing problem. We are working on it. The member for Daly has certainly facilitated a lot of discussion between the park owners, Parks and Wildlife, and my office - and that is continuing - regarding the toilets and some of the issues that we have had there. However, we are discussing and working with them to try to resolve, not just the bat issues, but also the issues with the toilets and other matters of concern the owners have, with Parks and Wildlife Service. The discussions between the owners and Parks and Wildlife are ongoing.
Finke Desert Race
Mr McADAM (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, today I report on the very successful Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race held over the Queen’s Birthday weekend in Alice Springs. This year was the 32nd time the Finke has been run. The race has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1976. From 56 bikes then to 85 cars and buggies and 477 bikes, quads, and sidecars this year it really is a remarkable event. Out of those 85 cars and 477 bikes, 41 cars and 346 bikes made it to the Finke and back. That is an amazing feat.
Congratulations to the winners, Hayden Bentley and Ben Chivell, in car No 2, and Ben Grabham on bike No 3. There are many great stories about this year’s Finke Desert Race. Darrell Knight on a 90cc quad bike showed true Finke spirit. He rode the least powerful bike of the entire field and finished in the dark followed only by the final sweeper vehicle. Aboriginal riders from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands competed once again. Sixty-nine-year-old Keith Poole was the oldest competitor this year and the first winner of the car race 20 years ago, and Jack Dooley-McDonnell, the youngest competitor at 16 years of age completed the journey. These are just some of the highlights. There were international competitors who came for the Finke experience. Six-time consecutive Baja 500 winners, Steve Hengeveld, again made the trip to finish 12th, and Team PNG had five of their seven riders finish the race.
Of course, no mention of the Finke Desert Race is complete without an update on the former minister for Finke, Peter Toyne. You will all be pleased to know that the Rick Schembri-driven, Peter Toyne-navigated, Correctional Services buggy ‘The Fugly’ made it to Finke and back, placing 37th overall. They dedicated this race to their mate and former Finke partner, Neil Anderson, who sadly passed away late last year.
We, as a government, have put more than $1m into the facilities for the Finke Desert Race and we continue to support the Finke annually through NT Major Events. The great success of the race and the record number of competitors show that this investment is paying off. There is also pit crew, family, friends and just general Finke lovers who bring an estimated $2.5m into the Alice Springs economy.
Of course, an event like the Finke Desert Race could not go ahead without the work put in by the Finke Desert Race Committee and the hundreds of volunteers. The committee are all volunteers who spend 12 months preparing for the next Finke. It takes great dedication and an enormous matter of effort. To Antony Yoffa, Damien Ryan, Brooke Fraser, Kelsey Rodda, Nina Hargrave, Tony Phillips, Glen Auricht and Clare Fuller, and the 300 or so people who volunteered to help with the race again, thank you for your great work.
The support of the sponsors is equally appreciated by the NT government. I thank Tattersall’s, Alice Springs Town Council, ABC radio, Readymix, Imparja Television, Foster’s Australia, Lasseter Hotel Casino, and all other sponsors as well. Thank you also to the pastoralists along the route, and the Aputula community for allowing the use of their land.
I make special mention of Lyn and Gary Butterfield, who were awarded the Local Hero Award, a most prestigious accolade, for their 25 years of volunteer service to the Finke Desert Race as check point chiefs at Rodinga - an outstanding achievement and a richly deserved acknowledgement. Congratulations to all the winners, all the competitors, the Finke Desert Race Committee, the hundreds of volunteers, the sponsors, and the spectators for making this year’s race another huge success for the Northern Territory.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, speaking on behalf of the member for Blain, the shadow minister for sports and recreation, I thank the minister for presenting the report on the Finke Desert Race. All of us living in Alice Springs are well aware of the benefits this race brings to the Territory. I join the minister in congratulating and thanking all the people who have contributed their voluntary services to support this event in the way that no other pubic event has been supported, as far as I know, in the Northern Territory.
We should also thank the community of Alice Springs and the way they turn out in huge numbers to support the event, not only at the start and finish line of the Finke Desert Race, but along the whole route all the way down to Finke. A few years ago, I was the course and race doctor. I camped at Rodinga and at Finke to ensure competitors were cared for medically and to ensure they all ended the race in safety.
It was peculiar that the minister, in his words of appreciation to the organisers and compliments to the success of the race, did not mention the 130 km speed limit rule for the Northern Territory. I suppose most of the track, if not all the track, is on private property and, therefore, does not have to comply with the 130 km speed limit. And thank God for that. Not thank the Labor government. Thank God that you do not have to comply with the 130 km speed limit otherwise it will be a race that is not a race. That is the problem …
Ms Lawrie: We give the race a permit, you fool.
Dr LIM: … this government does things that are contradictory. There is a 110 km speed limit on the Lasseter Highway, 130 km on the Stuart Highway, and for the Finke Desert Race it is okay, but anywhere else it is not on.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, let us stop the fuss. It was a great weekend. It was fantastic. The town was abuzz. Everyone got behind it, not just the 300 volunteers who helped, but all the population who camped along the roads, who went to Finke, and all the support teams. I have never seen it feeling so good. I want to say: ‘Well done, Antony Yoffa’, who is the president. He did a fantastic job. He visited schools. He visited Finke a couple of times. He even competed - I do not know where he came but I know he did get there and back. It was just such a good feel and there were so many people in town.
I say give thanks when thanks are due. Thank you, Northern Territory government, because the Finke Desert Race has great facilities now and, under the previous minister, Peter Toyne, they have been able to get some facilities that are worthwhile. What they do need now is a building. The St John Ambulance people did not have a donga or anywhere except a tent and it was just too darn cold, and they need something also for the race officials. I believe they will be applying for that.
As well as that, they did not have a Northern Territory flag to start the race. It must have been overlooked somewhere along the way. I know the Minister for Sport and Recreation is going to address that and make sure they have a Territory flag. Little things like that are forgotten, I guess.
Thanks to all the people, to Gary and Lyn who come up year after year to help, all those people, the small people out there. The pastoralists are wonderful; they allow the people to go there. We had a few problems with the long drops; there did not seem to be enough of them at Finke. I am sure that has been addressed, and I do not want to know about it anyway if it was not. There was no serious accident or incident.
All told we can say: ‘Well done, Finke Committee. You have done a fantastic job’.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr McADAM (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I thank members opposite for their contribution. Member for Braitling, you spoke like a true Centralian in your support for the race. I also thank the member for Greatorex. There can be no comparisons drawn between the 130 km limit and the Finke Desert Race. Clearly, the Finke Desert Race had to seek a special permit from the Northern Territory government. That was approved. It is important to understand that road safety is beholden on all Territorians and we should look upon Finke as quite a separate issue.
The Finke Desert Race over 32 years has come from a purely Centralian context to a major international event. We, as a government, and as members locally, have to be able to provide that ongoing support. We will continue to do that. I take on board the member for Braitling’s concerns about the St John Ambulance facility. We have had discussions with Mr Yoffa about ablution facilities.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
MINING AND PETROLEUM (ABORIGINAL LAND RIGHTS) AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 104)
(Serial 104)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bill is to amend the Mining Act and the Petroleum Act in response to amendments made by the Commonwealth to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act, commonly referred to as the Land Rights Act.
Amendments were made to the Land Rights Act following a review by the Commonwealth of the Land Rights Act, coupled with recommendations contained in a joint submission to the Commonwealth government by the Northern Territory government and the Northern Territory land councils in 2003. The submission highlighted a number of areas in the Land Rights Act which needed to be addressed to remove some of the impediments causing delays to the grant of mineral exploration licences and petroleum exploration permits on Aboriginal freehold land. Amendments were passed last year by the federal parliament, with the majority of amendments commencing on 1 October 2006.
However, commencement of amendments made to Part 4, Mining, of the Land Rights Act has been delayed by the Commonwealth to allow the Northern Territory to have drafted and to pass necessary amendments to the Mining Act and the Petroleum Act to give effect to the changes made in Part 4 of the Land Rights Act. Part 4 of the Land Rights Act deals specifically with mineral and petroleum exploration and mining. The amendments do not affect other parts of the Land Rights Act. The commencement of the Commonwealth amendments to Part 4 is on hold until the Northern Territory government has passed this amendment bill and confirmed a commencement date.
As honourable members will see, amendments to the act are relatively minor, but will ensure the Northern Territory has greater control and administrative responsibility for what is primarily a Northern Territory land use issue. I am confident these amendments will continue to clarify the administration of the act. The changes are best summarised in the following manner:
Section 137 of the Mining Act and section 13 of the Petroleum Act are to be repealed in their entirety and replaced with a clearer and more concise provision. The opportunity has been taken to clarify and expand the procedures covering all decisions that may arise in the process of granting or refusing the consent to negotiate. The purpose and intent of the existing provisions remain unaltered. The amendments made to both these acts deal primarily with the Northern Territory mining minister’s power to withdraw consent to negotiate. This is a new power introduced by the Commonwealth amendments to the Land Rights Act. The power enables the Northern Territory mining minister to withdraw his consent to negotiations in circumstances where he has previously given consent to an applicant to enter into negotiations with a land council. This provision has been inserted at subclause (7)(a) in each relevant section of each act. For clarity, clause 137(7)(b) has been added to allow the refusal of an application in instances where the Northern Territory mining minister has previously given consent to negotiations. Furthermore, it clarifies that in instances where the Northern Territory mining minister has given his consent to negotiate, but later refuses the application, the consent to negotiate will be deemed withdrawn.
New clause 137(8) provides the Northern Territory mining minister with the power to reissue consent to negotiate where consent has previously been refused or withdrawn. It is envisaged that in cases where consent has been withdrawn, the applicant will use the opportunity to refine their proposal prior to the mining minister reissuing consent to negotiate.
New clause 137(9) indicates the impact refusal or withdrawal of consent to negotiate will have on the application for the licence or permit. There is a subtle distinction we felt needed to be clarified. This clause, therefore, states that a refusal or withdrawal of the consent will not imply refusal of the application.
New clause 137(9) provides relevant definitions for additional terms used in the section. The definitions bring consistency between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory legislation, and include a definition for the following: ‘concluded’, ‘consent’ and ‘the Minister’, which refers to the Northern Territory mining minister as defined in the Land Rights Act. A note has also been inserted at the end of the section, referring the reader to Part 4 of the Land Rights Act, as well as the provision for delegations by the Commonwealth minister to the Northern Territory minister under section 76 of the Land Rights Act.
As previously indicated, these particular amendments represent the finalisation and recommendations made by the Northern Territory and the land councils to the Commonwealth. I consider these changes will enhance the administrative transparency and assist the Northern Territory to manage land access issues, and will be to the mutual benefit of explorers and the general community. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
TERRITORY PARKS AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AMENDMENT
(JOINT MANAGEMENT PARKS) BILL
(Serial 103)
(JOINT MANAGEMENT PARKS) BILL
(Serial 103)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act to enable joint management standards to be applied consistently across all Territory jointly-managed parks and reserves. With the exception of parks and reserves which are managed under their own joint management legislation, such as Nitmiluk and the Garig Gunak Barlu (Cobourg) National Park where a joint management agreement is already in place.
Members will recall that the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act was introduced to this House in November 2003 to provide a mechanism for settling outstanding native title and Aboriginal land rights claims over 27 of the Territory’s parks and reserves. In February 2005, consequential amendments to the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act were passed to enable joint management provisions within the Framework act to be brought into effect. The legislative changes passed by this Assembly have been instrumental in resolving uncertainty about the future of many of the Territory’s parks and reserves, and have established a win/win situation for both indigenous and non-indigenous Territorians.
The joint management provisions under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act provide an overarching structure for the administration and management of joint management of parks established under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act. Specifically, the provisions define the objective and principles of joint management; the roles and responsibilities of the joint management partners; the way that a joint management plan must be prepared; the manner in which by-laws must be applied; the function and roles of the land councils; and a number of other details in respect to the administration and management of joint management parks and reserves established under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act.
I am pleased to report that the legislation has facilitated the roll-out of new joint management arrangements across the Territory. I take the opportunity to briefly update the House on the status of the new arrangements. To date, Indigenous Land Use Agreements and leases have been signed and registered for all 27 parks and reserves scheduled under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act, apart from the proposed Mary River National Park, where an objection to the registration of the Indigenous Land Use Agreement is under consideration by the Native Title Tribunal.
Joint management camps and induction workshops have been conducted with traditional owners, groups and Parks’ staff across the new jointly managed parks. There has been much interest generated by both groups in combining contemporary and traditional ways of looking after country. In total, over 200 traditional owners and over 60 Parks and Wildlife staff have participated in joint management induction workshops to date. Flexible employment and training programs, including innovative job sharing arrangements, have been developed to assist traditional owners with employment opportunities in joint management parks. This has provided an avenue for traditional owners to gain access to both full-time and part-time positions. As part of the new joint management arrangement, a total of 11 trainees and permanent indigenous ranger positions have been filled to date. The newly-created flexible employment program has 176 registered participants.
Over the past 12 months, participants have engaged in 52 on-park projects. New training and capacity building programs have resulted in 35 indigenous people enrolled in Certificate II and III accredited courses in Conservation and Land Management. Accredited training is also being provided to traditional owners in job-related training such as chemical use, first aid, fire management, chainsaw operation and tour guiding. Work contracts have been provided to indigenous communities at Gregory National Park, Flora River Nature Park and the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. It is likely that additional contracts will be awarded to indigenous groups to undertake maintenance and construction work associated with joint management parks over time.
Traditional owners of a number of joint management parks have expressed an interest in developing ecotourism opportunities. These are being explored through on-ground workshops and feasibility studies.
Joint management planning workshops have taken place for the majority of new jointly managed parks and reserves. The first joint management plans under the new arrangement are expected to be released for public comment in the near future. A new joint management monitoring and evaluation program is being established in cooperation with the Charles Darwin University. A pilot program is under way at the Flora River Nature Park and a $500 000 Australian Research Council grant application has been submitted to assist in the broader implementation of this program. The monitoring and evaluation program uses innovative and participatory techniques to capture the breadth of joint management outcomes.
Despite the uninformed assertions about our parks being given away, the Territory’s approach to resolving its land and native title claims over parks and reserves is seen both nationally and internationally as forward-looking and visionary. Other Australian states are taking note of the Territory’s farsighted approach, and following suit in resolving land and native title claims.
Today, I introduce to the Assembly a new amendment to the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act. The amendment is designed to broaden the application of the joint management provisions within the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act so that the provisions can apply to the newly-proposed jointly managed parks and reserves within the Territory.
As members will be aware, in late 2005 the former Indigenous Affairs minister, Amanda Vanstone, agreed to recommend the grant of land in the Warnarrwarnarr-Barranyi (Borroloola No 2) land claim to its traditional owners as part of the settlement of the longest running land claim in the Northern Territory’s history. The land comprised most of the islands in the Sir Edward Pellew group in the western Gulf of Carpentaria plus Barranyi, which is North Island, a declared national park. As part of the settlement package, it was agreed that the North Island would continue to be managed as a national park under a formal leaseback and joint management arrangement.
The amendment proposed in the bill will help to formalise a joint management agreement for this park so that it is consistent with the joint management provision outlined in the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act and the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act. Under the CLP government, Tjuwaliyn, which is the Douglas Hot Springs Park, was granted to the Wagiman Land Trust in 1994 and, in 1999, the Upper Daly (Repeat) Land Claim was settled, guaranteeing the Wagiman people freehold title over Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park. A condition of settlement of both of these land grants was for the parks to be jointly managed by the traditional Aboriginal owners and the Northern Territory government. Despite the lapse of 13 years in the case of Tjuwaliyn and over six years in the case of Umbrawarra, no formal agreement over the management of these two areas has ever been reached and the legal basis for their management remains uncertain. The amendments proposed in the bill helps to formalise joint management agreements for both of these parks.
The Parks and Conservation Master Plan provides a vision for an enhanced parks estate which could include, with the agreement of traditional owners, the addition of Aboriginal lands under joint management arrangement. However, there is presently no straightforward legal mechanism for this to occur. The amendments proposed through this bill will provide a mechanism for joint management to be formalised for the Douglas Hot Springs, Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park and Barranyi National Park, and provides a mechanism for the minister to establish, on behalf of the Territory, joint management agreements over the new areas of land for inclusion in the parks estate. The Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act and the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act have set high standards for achieving joint management in the Northern Territory. These standards recognise and value Aboriginal culture and tradition, and require that indigenous knowledge is incorporated in the park management decision-making processes. The standards require that the public is guaranteed access on a no entry fee and no permit basis. The standards require that the public has a say in the joint management planning processes; that the plans of management are passed through this Assembly before being legally adopted; that a joint management park or reserve is managed in accordance with joint management plans and joint management principles; and that the statutory procedures are in place for developing, amending and, if necessary, revoking a joint management plan.
The amendments before you today seek to ensure that the same high standards that apply to parks and reserves scheduled under the Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act can also apply to other jointly managed parks and reserves in the Territory with the exception, as mentioned before, of parks and reserves which are jointly managed under their own legislation, or where a joint management agreement is already in place. The bill before you allows for a more consistent, transparent and equitable approach to be applied to jointly managed parks and reserves in the Territory.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
MOTION
Note Paper - Northern Territory Electoral Commission – 2005 Legislative Assembly General Election Report
Note Paper - Northern Territory Electoral Commission – 2005 Legislative Assembly General Election Report
Continued from 1 May 2007.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the 2005 Legislative Assembly General Election was the first managed by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission as an independent statutory body, and the first conducted under the Electoral Act 2004. It was also the first election conducted by Bill Shepheard, who had just taken up the post of Electoral Commissioner only a few weeks before the election was called.
The Northern Territory enjoys a strong democratic tradition, and we are proud that our electoral processes are both fair and transparent. It is also fair to say that Territory elections are unlike most others across Australia, indeed, around the world. Elections are conducted across some of the remotest parts of the country with voters spread far and wide and in small numbers. Every member of this parliament has a story or two to tell about their campaigns, especially those from bush electorates. There is no doubt it is a unique experience and a great privilege to be involved in the process.
As the leader of the majority party the experience is different again. The range of issues and situations you deal with are diverse and challenging. The experience is unforgettable. I can assure the member for Araluen that when it is her turn to lead her party into an actual election, it will be like nothing she has ever experienced.
The job of politicians is one thing; the job of the Electoral Commissioner is quite another. I am very proud of the fact that this government put in place a truly independent Electoral Commission. It sets its own agenda and methodology and it operates within a straightforward and clear act that lays down the principles behind the conduct of elections here in the Territory.
The 2005 election is a good example of the commission’s integrity and professionalism. The election was open, fair and transparent and, importantly, managed in a highly efficient manner. The government notes the recommendations made by the commissioner and will take his views into consideration as we review our policies on the conduct of elections at a future date. We do not believe there is a pressing need for further reform of the electoral system, but it is part of the normal course of events. We review our policy approach on a regular basis and, at that time, we will consider Mr Shepheard’s recommendations. Those recommendations go to a range of issues, from the length of time for campaigns through to the structure of the commission’s website. The report recommends some clarifications in the application of the act as a result of the 2005 election experience. These issues, in particular, will be the subject of further internal discussion and submission to the government. They include clarification around declaration votes, extensions to the pre-poll voting periods, and the more definitive criteria to determine the location of remote polling stations.
I am also keen to see what more can be done to raise public awareness about the need to enrol and to prepare for an election during the final year of a term. As members would be aware, the Australian government has recently tightened procedures around enrolment, and these matters are of great concern. I do not intent to comment on these issues further today. As I have already said, they will be the subject of further internal discussion. I recommend the report to the House.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, many of the things that the Chief Minister spoke about are fairly self-explanatory. Obviously, the Electoral Commission is an independent body and has to operate outside the influence of government. Electoral Commission officers, whom I have met, have always shown great professionalism in their performance.
There are several recommendations made in the report, and I feel I should address some of these. Before I do that, I believe that, as politicians, we all need to have a reasonably high level of ethics in our personal performances during election campaigns. I refer in particular to an incident that occurred at my polling booths where all my posters, which were erected fairly early on the day before polling day, were all removed or displaced …
Mrs Braham: And my banner! Don’t forget my banner!
Dr LIM: … and many others were stolen or lost. Many of my corflutes which were on display during the election period were stolen. Who stole them? Who removed them? Many times we do not know. We do not have any witnesses. Those things were probably done in the dead of night. However, the displays at the polling booths in my electorate were shifted by people who were linked with the Labor Party, and they were seen to have done that. That is not a fair thing to do. We should all have better …
Mrs Braham: I thought the CLP pinched my banner.
Dr LIM: I pick up the interjection from the member for Braitling. She thinks! If you do not know, then you do not accuse.
Mrs Braham: You said the same …
Dr LIM: I said they were seen to have done that, and I have a witness who is prepared to stand in court and say that.
Turning to the recommendations, in recommendation 1, the commissioner recommends that because of the extremely short period between the issuing of the writs and polling day that perhaps the Territory should establish fixed terms, or extend the electoral period by at least one week. The opposition supports fixed terms. We have discussed this at length. In fact, in the run-up to the last election in 2005, we announced that, as CLP policy, we would bring in fixed terms of government had we won government. I put that on record: the opposition supports fixed terms. Our electoral cycle is around four years. If we made it a fixed four years - New South Wales does it and many other jurisdictions have gone down that path - it would benefit Territorians as well as the Electoral Commission. I will have more to say about that shortly.
Recommendation 2 suggests that the Electoral Act be amended to exempt certain types of electoral material from requiring authorisation. For instance, balloons and T-shirts are the examples of items that do not require - your face, your electorate - to be authorised by whoever. It is fairly evident that if your face is on a T-shirt, it is authorised by you. That it is only commonsense and we support that.
Recommendation 4 suggests improvement to the speed in which postal votes are issued. We support that also - and we support it very strongly. People living on pastoral properties, as well as out in bush communities, rely heavily on these votes, and if they do not get the mail plane on time, and vote before the mail plane leaves, they will miss out all together. It is very sensible for the Electoral Commission to ensure that postal votes are provided in a fairly expeditious manner.
Recommendation 5 is where the Electoral Commissioner wants the act to be amended to allow electors to nominate for a postal vote once the government enters its last year of office. That is very logical. If you want to expedite postal vote procedures, that is good. If a person believes that they are going to be out bush for a protracted period of time, or not going to be at their nominated address because of work commitments at another place within the Northern Territory, or even in Australia, they can register to vote straightaway. They can say: ‘I am going to be living 100 km or 200 km away from Alice Springs. I live there but I am working out here for the next six to 12 months. May I register myself by postal vote now?’ That register is then alive for the subsequent election whenever that may be called. It makes the process a lot more streamlined, and the Electoral Commission would have an idea of how many postal votes there will be and can organise itself around those numbers.
The next recommendation was about electronic voting. This one is a little hard to comment on. I have read a lot about electronic voting. In fact, through our own parliamentary committee, the Information Management Advisory Committee, we have considered electronic versions of petitions, voting and all that. There is still not yet a system that I am comfortable with, and which I am convinced will provide a secure, accurate way of counting votes. Perhaps the Electoral Commission needs to look into the models that are available worldwide and come back to the Assembly with some options for us to consider. Then we can make decisions in an informed way.
Recommendation 7 was about the commissioner wanting funding for educational programs to enrol voters in the last year of government. Surely, this should be the role of the Electoral Commission every day of the term of government - every day. I believe it is the duty of the commission to ensure that all Territorians are well informed and educated about the role of government, the right of an individual to vote, the value of the vote, and the purpose of the vote. That should be something that would be continued right across the board, not just for the bush. Sure, these people need to understand it, but that should be across the board, it should not be one race specific. If that is the case, it is a racist policy, and I do not believe that should be the way to consider the education of Territorians about the voting system. It should be across the broad and it should be done on a very regular basis throughout the term of government. That is what the Electoral Commission is resourced to do and they should be doing that.
In recommendation 8 the commissioner recommends improvements to the how-to-vote card delivery service. Right now, many political teams accompany the Electoral Commission officers to bush polling booths and they hand out how-to-vote cards. Sometimes, some parties, some individuals, some Independents who choose to run in remote electorates as well, find it difficult to get out there. They may not have the resources to get out there. At times, the parties and individuals have been able to negotiate with the Electoral Commission’s presiding officer for the particular booth to say: ‘We all agree we are not going out there. Will you take our how-to-vote forms?’, and then it is all taken out there. I believe that is a very fair and sensible thing to do. If a particular candidate is unable to get his or her how-to-vote cards out to a mobile polling booth, then the Electoral Commission’s presiding officer could actually take them out there and put them on display outside the boundary of the polling booth. If people then choose to pick up the how-to-vote card, it is their choice to do so. At least some means is provided to a person who is unable to get out to those remote polling booths.
Recommendation 9 seeks to amend the act to more specifically set the criteria for the selection of locations for mobile polling. The number of mobile polling booths in the Territory in the last few elections that I have been involved in sometimes appears to me to be a farce. In Alice Springs, at the last by-election for the electorate of Stuart, some of the mobile polling booths were in locations that, in my opinion, did not need them. They were closer to the stationary polling booth on the Saturday than the private homes of the people who had to vote at the polling booth. Take, for instance, a town camp like Mt Nancy. It was only a short distance from the stationary polling booth on the Saturday. Yet, Mt Nancy camp and the camps around that camp all had their own specific mobile polling booth. It was beyond me why that would occur. It was unnecessary and that needs to be looked at very closely. There should be a rationalisation of the number of mobile polling booths that are available out there.
You know what? If there was a fixed term of government, it would allow the Electoral Commission to take its full four-year period to thoroughly assess which mobile polling booth is worthy and which ones are, in fact, unnecessary. It will make life a lot easier for all of us, including the commissioner and better use of his resources.
In recommendation 10, the commissioner wants to amend the act so that the ballot card draw can be done in sites that are closer to the electorates, rather than just in Darwin. I believe that is unnecessary. I believe it is unnecessary that the commissioner should go to Alice Springs to draw the ballot for the Alice Springs region, and then go to Tennant Creek to do the ballot for the Tennant Creek region. They might include Barkly and a few other electorates like Stuart, for instance, and then go to Katherine and do them for the Daly. What is the seat for Daly?
Mrs Miller: Daly.
Dr LIM: Daly, yes. And Katherine and all that. To me it is silly; it is expenditure for no benefit. The best thing to do is for the commissioner to stay in Darwin and do the ballot in the one place. This also makes it easier for all the parties and individuals to get together and say: ‘Okay, we want to supervise the draw’, and it is in one location and it is all done. The resources spent by parties and individuals will be a lot better used in other aspects of the election campaign.
The next recommendation was that the commissioner wants to make the electoral roll available to all candidates. I believe that is very reasonable. I remember when I was a candidate in 1994, and I had to physically walk into the Electoral Office in Alice Springs to peruse the electoral roll. I could not have a copy of the electoral roll. I was a candidate and I could not get a copy of the roll. It is just ludicrous. If you are a candidate and you are running for election, you should have the roll just as the member would have the roll. I strongly support the commissioner making the electoral roll available to all candidates. If the Electoral Commissioner is concerned that after the election the roll could be misused, then perhaps the commissioner makes some sort of proviso that the roll will be returned and the unsuccessful candidate would have to declare that the roll had been deleted from his or her computers, or the hard copies were destroyed. That must be a declaration to ensure that the privacy of electoral enrolments are not being widely disseminated.
In recommendation 12 the commissioner wants to adopt the donation threshold lower than the federal government’s $10 000 threshold. I do not see why. The federal government has set a threshold and I believe we should all follow that. There are people who want to donate to political parties. There is a threshold. It is minor donations versus major donations. If the federal government set the threshold at $10 000, I believe we should stick with that.
The next recommendation was that the commissioner wanted to prepare costings for running a general election in the third and fourth years of the electoral cycle for budgetary purposes. If you have a fixed four-year term, the Electoral Commissioner would have a lot less concern about when he starts to prepare his budgetary cycle. If he has a fixed four-year term, he knows without doubt when his next election is going to be. He can set his budget from year to year with lots of foresight because of the time lines that are now fixed for the fixed term policy.
Recommendation 14: the commissioner recommends co-location with the Australian Electoral Commission. That is very logical. The uniqueness of the Northern Territory and with its small population, small electorates, it makes a lot of sense for the NT Electoral Commission to be co-located with the Australian Electoral Commission. They can much better share resources. I am certain that the AEC has a lot more resources than the NTEC and could share some of those resources with us. I know that the AEC staff assist the NTEC to run elections. Therefore, co-location and even sharing of resources would be beneficial to both parties.
Recommendation 15: the commissioner wants greater discretion to destroy ballot papers after the period of disputed returns is over. That is logical. We would support that. It is a logistical problem for the commissioner and it is something we should support to allow the commissioner to do his work properly.
Finally, the commissioner wants more money to upgrade his website. That is definitely supported. We should ensure that the commissioner has a website that can be used for educational purposes, for potential enrolees to seek information and, perhaps, lodge a request for enrolment so that the Electoral Commission can then send out the proper hard copy forms to enrol a person living in the Territory. Furthermore, it could allow people to register for a postal vote.
This is e-government we are talking about. The Northern Territory once used to be at the forefront on e-government. We should try to facilitate this to ensure that every voter out there, or potential voter, has a chance to enrol more easily, register for a postal vote and do it easily, and use all the technology that is available. We should be embracing that. I strongly support the commissioner in exploring how he can do this and to proceed with it. The resources are obviously not available at the moment to do it, and I strongly recommend that the government provides budgetary support for the commissioner to enable him to do his job properly.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, it is opportune for me as Leader of Government Business to speak to the commission’s report to the parliament and to reinforce the Chief Minister’s statement that government will be giving due consideration to the recommendations made in this report.
As a government, we are proud of establishing, for the first time in the Northern Territory’s history since self-government, a truly independent Electoral Commission with statutory powers for running elections and determining electoral boundaries. That stands in stark contrast to the Clayton’s independence that was in place for the 27 years of CLP government when the commission was part of the Chief Minister’s department - it reported to the Chief Minister of the day.
It is a sign that the Territory has truly reached maturity by being able to put its trust - this parliament, the government of the day - and confidence in an independent electoral commission that can be truly independent from the reaches of government in conducting what is, fundamentally, the most important institution in any democracy, which is a general election and the by-elections that occur from time to time. When people look at the history of self-government in the Northern Territory as we move towards statehood, it was a very significant step at the time of change of government to create a truly independent commission. Many members here can remember the extraordinarily creative electoral boundaries that were developed under the previous regime that stood no test in terms of scrutiny in regards to the relationships between those boundaries and community interest. I am sure many historians who study politics and the evolution of democracy in the Northern Territory will make comment on that. So we are proud to have established the independent commission.
I want to pick up on a little slur from the member for Greatorex about dirty tricks in elections, and the slur that people associated with the Labor Party stole his posters. The member for Greatorex has been around for a while. He has been through a few political campaigns. I am sure he has been up to ears in a number of election campaigns regarding dirty tricks. To come in here, holier than thou, saying we should all be absolutely ethical at every point – well, that is a great challenge and we should all try to live up to that in the contest of ideas and who has the best vision.
However, if he wants to come in here and make a slur against the Labor Party about the last election, I am going to bat one back to him. I am sure he knows about it. A number of us on this side of the House found it extraordinarily offensive. I went to the point of seeking legal advice and was going to pursue it after the election but, at the end of the day, it brings none of us into better consideration in our community and that is why I have decided to drop it. On the Wednesday and Thursday nights before the poll in the last election, there was an absolutely despicable flier distributed through a number of seats in the northern suburbs regarding the age of consent issue that was considered by this parliament in the last term. There were a number of us, including me - I know my colleagues, the members for Casuarina and Millner, and I believe the member for Karama was another one …
Mr Bonson: One was distributed by a local member.
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely. It was distributed into our letterbox, and directly alleged that I, as a member of parliament, supported under-age sex against boys. It was attributed to a certain independent candidate who was a dog running as an independent for the CLP, with strong links to the CLP. After the election, there was a direct link established between the then Leader of the Opposition’s office and who actually funded the production and distribution of that flyer, which alleged that I - as a member of parliament, as a father of three kids, two of whom are boys - actually supported, condoned and encouraged under-age sex against boys.
That is the type of filthy, grubby, electoral politics that the CLP played in the northern suburbs in the last election ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: For the member for Greatorex to say somebody from the ALP nicked a couple of his posters - well, get real!
I play this game pretty tough, as people know. However, I would never, ever - I would rather be out of government, out of office, than stoop to that length to try to win seats in the Northern Territory. I have kept that flyer, and I will keep it to the end of my days to remind me just how despicable, rotten and filthy to the core the CLP can be ...
Mrs Miller: How dare you!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: It would eternally …
Mrs Miller: How dare you make up statements …
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask you to be consistent with your directives about using unparliamentary language. Here is the minister now slurring the CLP, without evidence, and if he did, he did not report it the police anyway. He is using words that you have previously ruled as unparliamentary.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek some advice on …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I will not ask the minister to withdraw, because it is not actually referring to members. However, minister, I ask you to temper your language a little in the continuation of the debate.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I will temper my language, but I was so offended and angry at that flyer being put out. It is in my office, and it will always remind me how low people will go to be elected, and how low the CLP will go to try to win votes.
I am just tremendously encouraged, empowered and proud of people in our community who actually picked those flyers out of those letterboxes, looked at the allegations that were made against me and my colleagues, rang me up personally, in their dozens, absolutely outraged and offended that those allegations could be made against me. I would like to think that I am pretty well known in my electorate. My kids go to the local schools; they know I am a family man. For all of us who were returned significantly, those types of dirty tricks do not win votes because people see through them. They see through them. The Northern Territory is too small. People know their local members. They know the character of their local members. They know about the families of their local members, because we are truly part of the community.
Therefore, for the member for Greatorex to paint himself holier than thou, he stands condemned. The members of his party stand condemned by those particular tactics that they employed in the last Territory election.
Madam Speaker, I support the report.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, the 2005 election was pretty special for me because it is my last one. Yes, we all know about the dirty tricks that go on in campaigns. It gives you a tremendous feeling when you are going through an election because you are really putting yourself on the line, and there is probably nothing worse than rejection by people if you lose. When you do go in, you try very hard to make sure you present in a way that people will want to support you. I thank the voters of Braitling who did it again. We all know that there are dirty tricks happening, but we have to rise above that and try not to allow that to cloud our campaigns.
I believe the independent Electoral Commission is a great idea. It seems to be handling everything very professionally. I want to remark positively on the information and the service they have given me, particularly by Greg Davis who has been an officer there for many years. It is important that we, as Independents, opposition or government members - or candidates generally - all have some faith in the system; that we can be assured that they are there to assist us and help us whenever we have queries.
I would like to make sure that every candidate has a direct contact with an officer of the Electoral Commission on election day because, like other candidates, I have suddenly found a poster up that I felt that was untrue, or not accurate in what it was claiming. Trying to get in touch with the Electoral officer to have that taken down was very difficult. With our modern technology and good mobile phones, every candidate should be given a contact number on election day. You can do it before election day, as you say, so you can chase up people who have done things. However, you really need to have that instant contact so that you can be assured that your concerns are addressed. That is one of the recommendations that I would agree the Electoral Commission should do.
I am not going to go through each individual recommendation. I hope the Chief Minister does take on board some of those recommendations, in particular, recommendation 12. When you are a party member - remembering that I have had experience on both sides - the party does so much for you and takes a lot of the pressure off you as a candidate. However, when you are Independent, it is a much harder job. One of the things that you have to do as an Independent is either fund the campaign yourself or seek donations. At the end of the day, when you put in your disclosure, you have to list everything you received. I have talked about this before because I have already introduced an amendment to the Electoral Act.
Party people do not have to declare how much is spent on the campaign in each electorate. It is all hidden in the global amounts that parties put in to the Electoral Commission. I have no idea how much was spent by the CLP or the Labor Party in the electorate of Braitling when they were campaigning against me. All I can say is it was a lot of money, because there was a huge number of posters, banners, trucks - you name it - flyers, campaign ads, all targeted at Braitling, as well as what the party does on the bigger scheme of things for their party, which is different again. All I am saying is parties should have to declare what they spend on each electorate - what they actually spent in the way of advertisements, etcetera, on my electorate, so that at least we have a level playing field. As it is at the moment, they do not.
Sure, you, as a party member - and I quote the member for Greatorex who, I think, would have received a personal donation which he had to declare and it was in his return. However, that was just one item. It did not tell us what the party, no matter which party, spent individually for each electorate. That is a recommendation here. I quote:
- Under the current financial disclosure provisions, a candidate endorsed by a party may file a nil return and rely on their party’s annual return to disclose expenditure made on his/her behalf. This arrangement means the amount of detail and timeliness of disclosure will vary between candidates because party returns are done annually and figures are not categorised in the same way on the forms lodged. This system provides practical convenience but is not equitable to all candidates.
Recommendation 12 not only talks about setting a specific threshold that is lower than that of the Commonwealth, but that the returns be redesigned so as to draw identical information from both endorsed and unendorsed candidates. The form returns should be redesigned - it will be interesting to see whether this government takes up that recommendation. If they do, it shows that they believe there should be that level playing field, that they are open and responsible to these sorts of things. If they do not, they are in the same bucket as the rest of the parties - the CLP that has been around for a long time. I urge the Chief Minister to think seriously about that.
We do sometimes look at the annual returns and see the huge amount of money that is spent on elections. Perhaps the general public might be entitled to know just how much is being spent in the electorate they are voting in. I am certainly curious to know how much it was. But, for an Independent to have to do it, just seems to be a little unfair and not as democratic as it should be within our system.
Since self-government, the Territory parliament has gone through swings of imbalance in representation. We only have to look at this parliament today: 19 government, four opposition and two Independents. When I first came into parliament there were 17 CLP, one Independent and seven Labor opposition. So we have had these huge imbalances over the years. I wonder whether the Chief Minister would think about the Hare-Clark system which is proportional representation ...
Members interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: Oh, moans already. In that way we would get a better balance of representation within the parliament. We would not get this strong imbalance that occurs from time to time in the Northern Territory. We go through these peaks, I realise that. The CLP goes through highs and then they slip down and, obviously, the Labor Party is in the high and I am sure they are going to slip down next election anyway. Perhaps there is a need to look at a different system than we have at the moment. Twenty-five electorates and you could almost bet your bottom dollar that those that are remote community electorates will always go to the same party. Those that are the business-based electorates will normally always go to the same party. Perhaps we should be looking at the Hare-Clark system which works in Tasmania and gives a better representation within this parliament rather than the imbalance that we see at the moment.
I know fixed terms has been flagged. I believe it is not smart politically to go to fixed terms. If you were the Chief Minister or the government in power, or whatever party is in power, you would probably want to ensure you chose the right time for election rather than relying on fixed terms. I am well aware that there is a feeling out there in the community that people will say that they would like to know exactly when the next election is. It is probably something the government should think about. If they are not interested - so be it. There is a trend, as you say, coming throughout Australia to go to fixed terms. Politically, though, I do not think it is a good idea.
It will be interesting when the election comes up next time. There is obviously a need for stronger representation for Independents in this parliament. No, do not frown like that. Of course there is.
Mr Wood interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: Yes, we are going to put a bit of a challenge out there, and say that we believe there are some electorates that are challengeable and, possibly, we will see a better balanced representation in this parliament. I say to voters: do not forget that Independents are not tied by the party. They can make up their own minds. It is not a bad thing to have that in a parliament, rather than just have two parties who tell their members what to say, and what they believe ...
Mr Mills: We have conscience votes.
Mrs BRAHAM: They do not have a conscience vote in parties …
Mr Mills: We do.
Mrs BRAHAM: Well, that is a new one. The member for Blain tells me they have conscience votes in the CLP.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: Once I can think of - I cannot think of any other time when there has been a conscience vote in this parliament.
Mr Stirling: You never get anything done. Gerry sits on the fence.
Mrs BRAHAM: All the time.
Mr Stirling: Yes, Gerry sits on the fence all the time.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling, have you concluded your speech?
Mrs BRAHAM: I wanted to say in closing, Madam Speaker, that the Independents will be lining up. We will certainly be seeking as much assistance from the Electoral Commission as we can, as if Independent candidates are a member of a party. I thank the Electoral Commission for their support and assistance to me over the years.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, the only comment I wish to make is that, in elections, the greatest reform we could have in the Territory is fixed terms. I am convinced of that after being in other states and seeing the difference in the public sector. They know exactly when the election date is due and all business is conducted up to that date. There is no speculation in the media and, as with the federal election at moment, there is already speculation about which date it is going to be. That consumes a lot of excess energy, where there is manoeuvring and game playing just to ensure that you take the most opportune date to suit your own fortunes.
As the member for Braitling said, it is perhaps politically sensible to reserve the right to nominate the date. That may well be the case. It may well be politically useful and expedient to reserve the right to call the date, but I believe it is plain wrong. We have a system of government. if we establish the set term of that government and make it very clear about when we are going to make, as a community, our decision upon the next government - whether the contract is renewed or changed in some way - and there is no speculation about the date, that will make for a far clearer and cleaner process. It has happened successfully in other states and it is time that it was done here.
It is interesting to see how seductive power is because the Labor Party, now in government, has a completely different view than they had whilst they were in opposition. It was an attractive idea in opposition but, in government, it is not such an attractive idea because of the opportunities that it presents to maintain control and power. This is a good illustration to show how wrong it is: we are playing a game of football under a rule that says the reigning premier has the right to blow the siren in the fourth quarter at a time of their choosing. We would say that it is not football ...
Mr Wood: We would not do that; we are Independent.
Mr MILLS: Well, we have that. We have four years to run, but the premier team, being the team in government, can nominate a time of their choosing to blow the siren. That can only benefit their fortunes ...
Mr Knight: It didn’t help the CLP, did it?
Mr MILLS: I will respond to that interjection. What happened in the past, I make no comment on. I do not approve of the system we currently have and, if it happened under the CLP, it is still wrong. It happens under the Labor Party; it is still wrong. The distinctive here is that the Labor Party had strong views on this when they were in opposition, but now have a completely different position. That is called hypocrisy. In response to the interjection, I do not accept what happened in the past. Times have changed in this nation and other jurisdictions, more progressive jurisdictions have moved to this area of electoral reform.
Finally, the member for Wanguri was able to bat away some comments made by the member for Greatorex. The member for Greatorex made reference to something that did occur and he gave an account that someone was seen interfering with electoral material, and it was done as that. That stirred the member for Wanguri to make, using incredibly strong language, a direct accusation to the CLP that it was something that the CLP did. The fact that you have the material, and that you never went to the stage of getting legal advice on it …
Mr Henderson: No, I did.
Mr MILLS: … proves to me, just judging your character, that you had no substance to affix it to the CLP, because …
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Is the member for Blain denying that it was a CLP publication?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please continue.
Mr MILLS: Indeed, I am. I would like to see the evidence. If the member for Wanguri had evidence that is was the CLP I would like to see the evidence ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Pull your horns in, buddy. I was talking about something completely …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I was specifically referring to the publication. I have no idea what the member for Wanguri is talking about. But the nature of the allegation, and saying that it was the CLP that circulated this thing - I would like to see the evidence. If there was insufficient evidence, then there would not have been any move on the CLP. But I know what this group are like. They are good haters. If they found good evidence, they would make sure that they would create as much damage they possibly could upon an opposition party. I would like to see the evidence.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would like to comment on a few issues that the Electoral Commission has raised. I also believe it is a great thing that the Electoral Commission is independent. That is one of the great things for the Northern Territory, and that was a promise of the Labor Party. Of course, there was a promise they forgot. That is highlighted in recommendation 1 of the same Electoral Commission which the Labor Party is saying is such a wonderful independent commission. It says:
It is recommended that a fixed poll date be established …
It is recommending that. I am interested to know whether the Labor Party will endorse that recommendation, and keep its promise that it said it would have fixed polling dates. I know the member for Blain has just raised some matters regarding that. A number of states throughout Australia have fixed polling dates. Local government, the municipalities that are still left, have a fixed polling date. The United States’ President is elected on a fixed polling date; I believe their Congress and Senate have the same basis. Some people say that the problem with a fixed date is that you have a 12-month election campaign – maybe, maybe not – but if you look at the federal election at the moment, we are heading the same way anyway. I do not believe it makes much difference from that point of view. People know when the final year of a government is, and they start manoeuvring quite early. That can be no more seen than the toing and froing between the two major parties at the present time.
Fixed elections have many advantages. From a government’s point of view, they can organise themselves for that date. From the Electoral Commission’s point of view, they can be up and ready for that particular date. Many of the concerns and recommendations that this commission is raising are concerns that are caused by not having a fixed date. If you had that fixed date, some of these concerns the Electoral Commission has raised would not be so much of a problem.
I also believe that by having fixed date it takes away that political advantage which, naturally, for the party that is in government, want. They want to get back in - fair enough. However, from a democratic point of view, I do not believe it is a good thing. Democracy should not be so much about how one political party can achieve an electoral advantage over another simply because it happens to be the party controlling the purse strings. I would presume electors wish to vote for a particular candidate based on the performance of that particular candidate over the last four years, or what knowledge they have of a person who is standing against that already elected candidate - not because someone has decided to put a new swimming pool in their electorate, or new white lines down the main street that have not been done for the last three-and-a-half years or something. Those sorts of sweetener-type short-term approaches to politics do not do our democratic system any good at all. I certainly support the first recommendation put forward by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
It is interesting to note the states and territories that now do have fixed dates - the ACT, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales; and Western Australia is legislating for a fixed polling date. It is certainly something that the other states have looked at and, as I said, it is in local government in parts of the Northern Territory and in other states. That is a good thing from the point of view of a democratic process, notwithstanding there are plenty of other advantages from an administrative point of view.
The Electoral Commissioner has raised some issues. One, in my case, was an issue related to Robertson Barracks. Robertson Barracks is in my electorate. He mentioned there was a presumption that there was going to be a polling station at that place. I know that, at the time, we were all set up and ready to go because the information we had been given was that there would be a mobile poll at Robertson Barracks - and this appeared to have happened previously for the council elections – and, at the last minute, access was denied. It is not clear from the statement in the Electoral Commissioner’s report exactly what the reasons were for that access being denied. Was it because the Commonwealth does not allow a polling booth on Commonwealth land? Was it because of increased security arrangements because of our involvement in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places? The reason was certainly not clear. Those reasons should be enunciated and, if there needs to be some changes to allow a mobile polling booth to be at Robertson Barracks, then that is something the Electoral Commissioner should be looking at.
There is another issue that the Electoral Commissioner should be looking at. It is a problem which I have found. As most people would do when they are writing letters to people, they use the Rolldata that is sent out to them from the Electoral Commission. In the case of the Army, you cannot post things to members of the Army unless you have their correct name and battalion. Quite a few addresses are being sent out with ‘Mr Smith, Robertson Barracks’. If I send anything like my newsletter to those particular people, it is automatically sent back. For some reason, the Army does not like to look down its list of Mr Smiths at Robertson Barracks. It just says: ‘Too bad, oh dear, send it back’. If they are doing that with my newsletter, then what are they doing with electoral information? If the Electoral Commission is getting letters returned that are inadequately addressed, then they should at least try to rectify that situation.
For mail to be delivered to someone in Robertson Barracks, you have to actually give their rank and what battalion they are in. It would be Captain Smith, and Captain Smith might be working for 1 Battalion, Robertson Barracks. That would get to that person no matter whether they are stationed at Robertson Barracks or overseas. If it is just simply ‘Mr Smith, Robertson Barracks’, even if it has his given name, it will not get there. If this is a problem for me, it certainly must be a problem for the Electoral Commission because they cannot get information out if the Army is consistent with returning mail that they regard as having insufficient information
There was also an issue which was raised at one of the Estimates Committees, and not quite what I have in front of me here. It related to the opening of a ballot box by a member of the staff who was, at that time, staffing the Bees Creek polling booth. The wording in here, I think, puts it that because of some problems that occurred with the counting at the time at the polling booth, the tally room tried to contact one of the people who was in charge of that polling booth who was in transit at the time from Bees Creek to Darwin. It gives the impression that all they were trying to do was get that person to have a cursory look, if I remember the quote, at the voting because there had been some confusion at the central tally room at that time. The complaint that really should have been looked at was whether someone in the Electoral Commission should have actually authorised a person to open a ballot box while in transit. It was not necessarily the issue about having a cursory look; the issue really was whether it was appropriate for a person, in a motor car by the side of the road, without a witness, to open up a ballot box. I do not believe that issue …
Mr Warren: It was not just a person; it was part of the Electoral Commission.
Mr WOOD: As I said, I do not think it would be appropriate for anyone to open a ballot box without a witness certifying that that ballot box was opened. That is the issue. I do not think any person should be opening a ballot box without someone witnessing that. That is what ensures that our elections are fair and that the counts have not been tampered with. The report tends to gloss over that.
There have been a couple of issues. I spoke today about the posters. I must admit I believe we could do without posters on the last day of an election, at least within a fairly big radius of the polling booth. Those posters would have been around a fair while before that anyway. People would have been infiltrated, if you want to use that word. They would have been smothered in electoral information. I do not have a problem with handing out how-to-vote cards on the day, but the whole concept of mass coverage of posters all over a polling booth defies the reality - people just get turned off. You can have so much, but you do not need all that. Maybe you allow one poster per entrance or something, but it becomes a bit of a joke. Fair-minded people think that people who run electoral campaigns must think we are all dumb. We do not have to have 100 posters of one candidate up or whatever.
I suppose one advantage of not putting your own face up on a poster is that it is very hard to put a moustache on a chicken. They tend to get vandalised a bit more than not having your portrait there. There is room for some regulation on how many posters are put up around a polling booth especially on the day, or if they are allowed, then they cannot be within, say, 1 km of the polling booth. Just draw a circle around that area and you cannot have any posters in that area. It looks terrible on polling day. People must shake every time they cast their vote seeing all the advertising material over the place.
I know we have an independent group of people who look at boundaries when they review electorates. There needs to be someone out there, independent, who has a little geographical commonsense. I use my electorate as an example. I do not mind my electorate going all the way out to Buffalo Creek. I know Ray Medlicott quite well. He is the caretaker of Buffalo Creek boat ramp. He is within 300 m of the boundary of Leanyer and is the sole person who lives within, I do not know how many square kilometres of anyone else in my electorate. Regardless of whom he votes for, it would have made a lot more sense because he is just down the road and he would have much more access to the member for Wanguri.
I am talking about sensible decisions being made about boundaries. I have another classic. The boundary for my electorate goes along the Stuart Highway, then it goes up to the Palmerston Indigenous Village and does a U-turn – literally, if you have a look on a map - and runs along the old railway line and avoids the bit of Yarrawonga on the side of the Stuart Highway. Why the boundary did not keep going down the Stuart Highway, I have no idea. There would be about 10 people living at Yarrawonga; it is an industrial area. There needs to be someone who has a bit of geographical knowledge about the lie of the land who says those boundaries are ridiculous.
The member for Goyder has a fairly crazy boundary as well. His boundary goes around Palmerston and takes in Marlows Lagoon. It takes off a couple of little sites on East Arm Port and heads over to the other side of the harbour. That is a pretty strange boundary. I know you pick up votes here and there, but there has to be a bit more emphasis on logical boundaries. That is not always easy to do because of the variation allowed within electorates, but it is something that we should try to apply where possible.
The issue about fairness in elections is a very important matter. The member for Braitling spoke about the Hare-Clark system. I say to people: do not always put the Hare-Clark system down. It is a complicated system but, luckily, with computers, analysis of voting is much quicker than it used to be in the old days. We use the Hare-Clark system when two people stand in an election because you have a quota of 50% plus one. That is actually a quota. The more candidates you have in an electorate - say there are five candidates in an electorate - the Hare-Clark system works out the quota that each candidate must get. It is really no different from when you do it for a single candidate in a seat.
Be that as that may, what I was getting at was that we do base our electorate areas on one-vote-one-value with a 20% variation. In light of the changes that are being proposed to local government, it is an important principle we should keep. If you establish principles outside of that, not only do you create undemocratic systems with a gerrymander, you also confuse people. We basically use the same system for the way we elect people in the Territory and in the House of Representatives. To change it just because it is difficult is not a good reason. I hope we retain the principle of one-vote-one-value with the allowable variation, which is important. There is no way that you can actually keep one-vote-one-value to the nth degree, but we do keep to a certain variance and that is important for retention of the democratic process.
There were a couple of other recommendations. Some of these might have been covered. If we had a fixed term, issues about postal and pre-poll votes being allowed to be sent out as soon as practical after the close of nominations would be resolved. Recommendation 5 recommends the Electoral Act be amended to allow electors to lodge an application for a postal vote for a nominated period for up to one year at any time, or at least one year once the final year of the current parliament has commenced. When you read that recommendation, it refers to the Defence Forces. We have many Defence Force people serving overseas who are enrolled in various electorates, not just mine, but Palmerston and Darwin. When they go overseas, I believe there should be some ability for all candidates to put a small package together, maybe limited in size and pages, to send with the postal vote.
At the last election, I had a great deal of difficulty being able to send out even a how-to-vote card. I believe a how-to-vote card would be the bare minimum that someone should be allowed to send with the postal vote. How is one supposed to ask an elector in the hills of Afghanistan to vote for a range of people that he probably has not heard of without some information being given of that candidate? That is extremely difficult under the present system. I believe the Electoral Commission needs to be talking to the Department of Defence about ways of doing it better than it is at the present time.
I also support the move by the member for Braitling, who gave a great plug for Independents. As much as the Attorney-General might say the member for Nelson sits on the fence, well, that might be a privilege of being independent. I say it is not sitting on the fence. You can have other opinions. I am sorry that side gets stuck on one opinion, though there are a few independents over here - good to see it. Independents do bring other points of view, which is not sitting on the fence. We see it as this is what parliament is about: having other points of view.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
APPROPRIATION BILL 2007-08
(Serial 94)
Continued from 20 June 2007.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, the achievements of the Martin Labor government in the context of economic development are significant. This Assembly and the people it represents are part of an era witnessing unprecedented growth. To maintain this growth, Aboriginal Territorians need to uplift their wellbeing and education standards. Governments have an obligation to ensure that conditions for this to occur. Aboriginal Territorians have an obligation to embrace and move in this direction. Budget 2007-08 builds on the economic achievements of the Martin Labor government in a substantial way.
Residents of Macdonnell electorate as Territorians will benefit from significant increases across the Territory in the core service obligations of government: Health, Employment, Education and Training, Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Justice, and many other areas. With significant increases in these core services of government, we will need to ensure availability and access to these services is equitable. I am confident of this government’s achievements and future commitments in this regard.
In health, while funding is allocated to the important task of establishing new facilities, employing more nurses, doctors and other health professionals, the task of preventative health requires targeted assistance. Preventative health covers a large range of areas addressing environmental health; dealing effectively with substance misuse; creating meaningful employment; combating truancy; and reducing homelessness. Each area has the potential to drastically reduce the burden on our health system.
As an example, and as I travel the electorate of Macdonnell, I observe significant health and social outcomes as a result of addressing petrol sniffing. The Northern Territory government’s volatile substance abuse legislation, the resolve of local communities, the work of staff in remote communities, government departments, the partnership with BP Australia, and the assistance of the Australian government have all contributed to removing this blight on many communities across Central Australia. In many ways, the commitment to preventative health can be challenging, but it is an essential part of developing a truly progressive health service. I am confident of this government’s achievements and commitment in this regard.
Similarly, with significant increases in education, we need to ensure funding is targeted to the challenging yet achievable task of engaging Aboriginal youth in the education system. The responsibility of school attendance rests with parents, and if parents absolve themselves of the responsibility it is the role of government to ensure that active participation is enforced. In the Territory, this role needs to be strengthened. It is appreciated that increases to funding in education are allocated to establishing new facilities and employing educators. However, we need to strengthen the nexus between Aboriginal youth and the full and active participation in the education system. I am confident in this government’s resolve in this regard.
In considering these important aspects of preventative health and an engaged education system, it is imperative that policies are developed in the context of ensuring our kids regularly attend school. As current demographic trends suggest a rapidly growing Aboriginal generation in proportion to the total youth population, decisions made now will play a more decisive role in shaping the challenges that face future generations.
In relation to the remote learning partnership program, I am disappointed that no school in either Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the program is within the electorate of Macdonnell, and that only one school in Central Australia is identified. In light of the Little Children are Sacred report, I have real concerns about this issue. Whilst I understand resources can be limited, and that programs deserve a trial prior to absolute roll-out, representing my electorate demands my attention to this issue in this Assembly. I am currently discussing this issue with the minister for Education and know that, with his resolve, the area of education will continue to improve and expand opportunities for Territorians. I recognise the significant achievements of this government in so many areas, including education and, with this recognition, I also acknowledge there is so much more to do.
I turn now to the specifics of Budget 2007-08. This budget is testament to the economic credentials of the Martin Labor government. It is a budget for a growing and confident Territory. It is one aimed at continued expansion. Budget 2007-08 allocates $500 000 towards improving the conditions of the Santa Teresa Road. Many renal patients travel on this road three times per week. Research confirms the health benefits of Aboriginal people residing on their own land, and each improvement to the road will go a long way to improving the quality of life for people who require regular access to renal services. It will assist many other Centralians as well. About two months ago, the Health troop carrier actually had an accident carrying the renal patients to Alice Springs on this dreadful road. I am grateful that this government has allocated money to fixing the road and making the lives of those people living out there much better.
$200 000 is allocated to the Ringwood/Numery road; upgrades to the Henbury Station access amount to $50 000. For tourists and those visiting Watarrka National Park, the provision of a disabled access park at the base of the canyon Stage 1 will enhance access, at a total cost of $150 000. Rainbow Valley will receive improvements with the construction of new alignments from the boundary to the car park valued at $80 000. These road and infrastructure improvements will benefit many residents of the Macdonnell electorate. With a high population mobility, it will enhance access to Alice Springs and its many services such as health, sporting and recreation. These works will also enhance employment opportunities for people travelling within those communities.
Completion of the Red Centre Way to the value of $10.5m will herald a new era in Central Australian tourism. This will benefit Glen Helen, Kings Canyon and many other locations along the Red Centre Way. This will create employment and tourism opportunities. This area will continue to pave the way for the Macdonnell electorate to contribute to industries based in Alice Springs. I look forward to monitoring and being part of this development in a way that sustains the lifestyle and environmental expectations of Macdonnell residents.
Completion of the Red Centre Way in this budget is complemented by specific marketing focus. The tourism industry west of Alice Springs and its associated industries will form part of the Hermannsburg Regional Tourism Development Plan. This plan will be implemented with funding to the value of $100 000. It will offer a strategic approach to promoting Hermannsburg in what is a competitive tourism marketing environment.
For those who have travelled to this location, also referred to as Ntaria, it is the place surrounded by the world-renowned West MacDonnell Ranges. It is home to the Arrernte people. Present day Hermannsburg was originally born from the efforts of two Lutheran missionaries from Germany. It is, therefore, unsurprising that Germany has a location with the same name. At the Australian version, there are a number of old dwellings built from galvanised iron, stones from the Finke River, mulga logs and lime. Only a short distance away is Palm Valley and the Palm Valley Walk. A famous Centralian artist born at this place was Albert Namatjira. Recently, it celebrated the annual football weekend attracting many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to this important tradition. With established bitumen access relatively close to Alice Springs, there is significant tourism potential for Hermannsburg to promote its rich history and natural resources. There will be opportunities for traditional owners to promote their region and knowledge. I look forward to launching the Hermannsburg Regional Tourism Development Plan with the Minister for Tourism at Ntaria next month.
The Central Australian pastoral industry is integral to our regional economy, producing around $48m annually. Funding allocated to Central Australian weed management prevention, water allocation, and advice and monitoring services, will also assist the local pastoral industry. These are but some of the overall services to the industry provided by this budget.
Specifically, the Hamilton Downs Station and Undoolya Station will benefit from stock fencing materials supplied by the Northern Territory government. For those living in regional and remote parts of the Territory, access to services and produce transported by air is important and, on some occasions, essential.
Members of this Assembly are aware of the important work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a service that saves many lives and works to improve the health outcomes of those who require an urgent response. The aerodromes at Mt Liebig and Papunya will each receive $300 000 to improve their runways. I urge the department to consider in the next budget, 2008-09, Bonya, Finke, Docker River, Haasts Bluff and Harts Range.
Residents of Macdonnell will benefit from $122m allocated for acute care services in the Alice Springs region, including road and aero-retrieval transport services, and the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. $700 000 is allocated to increase renal services at Alice Springs Hospital. $240 000 will expand volatile substance abuse treatment facilities at Aranda House, which is necessary for remote Aboriginal communities to bring their children to so they are getting rehab facilities. The Hermannsburg Health Centre will receive funding to improve the centre location.
In education, Macdonnell residents will benefit from $11.67m allocated to supporting the new world-class Distance Education Service with vast geographical distance. Such innovation and use of technology will bring education forward. A transportable classroom will be allocated to Ingkerreke outstations to a total value of $300 000; Walungurru School will receive $50 000 as part of an airconditioning upgrade.
Addressing the skills shortage is an important focus of this government. The shortage creates opportunities for Aboriginal people to gain the necessary skills and qualifications that will enable mainstream employment. The $1m towards training and employment specifically for Aboriginal people will provide support, in addition to growing mainstream focus, as will the $9.5m to the Batchelor Institute. In the Alice Springs region, $750 000 is allocated to training and employment of traditional owners for parks and reserves, an important initiate that creates employment based on Aboriginal people’s knowledge.
In the area of Justice, $2.3m will be spent on administering our court service in regional and remote parts of Central Australia, including my home community of Papunya, Mutitjulu, Hermannsburg, and Docker River. The use of Aboriginal interpreters ensures those taking part in our justice system are aware and have access to knowledge in relation to their rights, the proceedings and consequences. The use of interpreters also creates employment for people based on their distinct knowledge and skills. The involvement of local elders and respected persons in the justice system is an important part of restoring traditional and regional authority. I encourage further development and support of these concepts and initiatives.
This budget also focuses on the development of Desert Knowledge: $8.09m is allocated to the construction of Blocks 2 and 7 at the Desert Park Centre; $6.05m is allocated to continue work on Blocks 3 and 6; and $1.47m will go towards the Desert Knowledge Precinct headworks.
Upgrades to Power and Water facilities are an important, yet often overlooked, part of any budget. $600 000 is allocated to Titjikala to replace the water storage tank; $490 000 will go towards a new sewage pond at Amoonguna; and Hermannsburg will benefit from $450 000 to replace a bore field rising main. Other locations in the Macdonnell electorate will receive assistance through Power and Water upgrades and improvements.
In closing, reflecting on the principle of Federation, that benefits the Northern Territory within our national Commonwealth framework, I emphasise the importance of extending this principle to ensure equitable access to services for residents of the Macdonnell electorate. I am confident in this government’s achievements and future commitment in this regard.
Madam Speaker, I commend the 2007-08 Budget to this Assembly.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, in responding to the Appropriation Bill, I am going to direct my comments to shadow portfolios and, in the main, to Environment and Mines, but others as well.
I cannot but stop to consider how this government is bumbling its way through the environmental process in relation to how mining proceeds. It is a no small coincidence that the very minister who so publicly objected to the expansion of the McArthur River Mine is the minister for the Environment. Ministers must remember that the independent EPA is still nothing like independent. It is an extension of this minister’s will because it is an extension of her department. The effect of this is that she can bring influence to bear upon the EPA and, frankly, the employment of a former head of the Environment Centre is an indication as to where the minister’s mind is on environmental protection issues.
This minister promised an independent EPA but now that she is in government she likes to keep the EPA close to her heart. ‘It is coming, it is coming’, is what I constantly hear from her - but so is Christmas, minister. Worse still is that three Christmases have come and gone since then, and guess what? It is still coming. This minister wants to keep the EPA within her sphere and the reason for that is because she can pursue her ongoing resentment of miners and other sources of wealth. In many respects, she is probably the truest of the true believers. Her thinly veiled contempt of all those things that produce private wealth in this world is, at times, palpable.
The only mention of the EPA in Budget Paper No 3 is under the output group of Environmental Protection within the department. What is indicative about the struggle inside government is that the Treasurer has cut more than 10% from the EPA budget. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in Budget Cabinet when that little number was done on the minister for the Environment.
What is clear from this set of Budget Papers is that the EPA is going to remain a part of this government until at least the middle of 2008. In fact, feedback on the discussion paper closed nearly a year ago and still there is no sign of this minister’s independent EPA. The fact is that there are two things that this EPA will not be. The first is that it will not be coming along soon, and, second, it will not be independent.
Members must remember it was the EPA under this minister’s carriage that canned the original McArthur River Mine proposal to redirect the McArthur River. Why did she do the media conference for this on the Esplanade away from Parliament House? The reason was that she was acting unilaterally. She was out there by herself and wanted to get it up as the government’s position as soon as she could before she got shut down ...
Members interjecting.
Mrs MILLER: True, it is all true. Small wonder that when the minister for Mines looked so confused by the situation - they are all a bit titchy - and it is interesting to note that the defence of ‘the mine will have to do better’ was forced upon government by the minister for the Environment.
The minister for Mines was then forced to play ball and so he had to, with a straight face, stand in front of cameras and argue that a critique was done by a man from Newcastle who had not even visited the mine site in relation to this particular issue, and was more knowledgeable than the company that did the EIS which was done so professionally. Anyway, it was already cast. Government had to hang hundreds of people on tenterhooks while they waited for the government to go through a pantomime of going back and looking at the EIS and forcing Xstrata to jump through a couple of hoops so that Cabinet, and not the EPA, could make the final decision - not the minister for Environment’s EPA that made the final decision.
Yes, the final report from the EPA would have been made to Cabinet, but it was not them who gave the go ahead. In fact, this will be a good way for the minister to prove her credentials. Let us see her table the whole and complete final report from the EPA, including associated paperwork, to see what they really thought. Finally, Xstrata gets the go ahead, the jobs are saved - hip, hip hooray. All is sweetness and light again in the world of digging holes at McArthur River ...
A member: The X Files.
Mrs MILLER: Yes, and the miners are tucked up in their beds and they are really quite happy and secure about their future. Are they really? No. There is another problem. The traditional owners down river were moving to lodge an action in the Supreme Court. So nervous were the miners that they certainly did not sleep very well then. They wrote a letter to the Chief Minister …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It goes to the notion of the business that is before the Chair in the House, which is the Appropriation Bill for 2007-08. I have listened very carefully to the member for Katherine for at least the last seven or eight minutes, and not once has she talked about anything apart from an alleged cut to the EPA’s budget …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: … in regards to the budget of 2007-08. Trawling back through the history with as entertaining an imagination that the member for Katherine has in regards to the approval for McArthur River Mine project, has absolutely nothing to do with the 2007-08 Budget. I urge that you ask the member for Katherine to stop wasting this parliament’s time and get on with debate on the budget.
Mrs MILLER: Madam Speaker, I am referring to the Appropriation Bill. I am referring to it through the EPA, and I will also be referring to mines. I have other things in my comments in respect of the Appropriation Bill, not just the EPA.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, I will not ask you to deviate. There is a reasonable amount of latitude in these sorts of speeches. It would be good if you could direct some of your comments at least to the Appropriation Bill. That would be helpful.
Mrs MILLER: Certainly, but I was a little concerned that the EPA is so important and it has had a cut in this Appropriation Bill. I am just explaining why it is so important. There was still a problem because the traditional owners moved …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mrs MILLER: Yes, I am leading into it. I am leading into it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: This is about the 2007-08 Northern Territory government budget on which the member for Katherine is speaking in her capacity as shadow minister for the environment. What the 2007-08 Budget has to do, and what part the traditional owners of Borroloola play, in the context of the 2007-08 Budget, I see no connection at all. I urge that you ask the honourable member to get on with debating the budget, as opposed to the history of the McArthur River legislation earlier this year.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, if you could please contain your comments to the Appropriation Bill. Insofar as there are comments relating to traditional owners in Borroloola, if they can be specifically linked to the budget in the next couple of minutes, that would be very helpful.
Mrs MILLER: Madam Speaker, may I make a comment through you?
Madam SPEAKER: You can make a comment in that you can continue. However, I am suggesting to you that in the next couple of minutes there needs to be a close link between the traditional owners and the budget.
Mrs MILLER: Madam Speaker, that means that anyone else who gets up in any part of any debate cannot waffle on about anything that they want to. They will have to direct their comments to that particular point of debate. Is that right?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, this is a bill about the appropriations for the Northern Territory. I have said to you that there is a fair bit of latitude and, in fact, I have shown that latitude. There have been two points of order which have drawn attention to a standing order in relation to relevance to the bill. For that reason, I am asking you, in the next few minutes, to come to a point in relation to the Appropriation Bill.
Mrs MILLER: Okay, so I have a few minutes?
Madam SPEAKER: Not too many, member for Katherine.
Mrs MILLER: Oh, they are just a little titchy - very, very titchy.
Madam Speaker, I was actually enjoying that and I was going to get to some very interesting parts about the traditional owners. I am very sorry for those people who were keen to hear about that.
What I wanted to do is find out exactly when the independent EPA is actually going to be funded. I do not see that it is going to be set up as an independent EPA, and I cannot find it in the budget papers at all, except to say that it has had a cut of 10%, so I am not quite sure how serious that is. Well, that was really very interesting, was it not? I am going to refer to my own electorate - I presume I am allowed to do that?
I want to refer to how that affects Katherine. The budget allocations under the heading for Katherine cover about 400 000 km2, and that area goes from the Queensland border to the Western Australian border and my electorate of Katherine is in the middle of that. When people read what this government says: ‘Katherine is getting all of these things’, and we are really looking after Katherine, they talk about the Katherine electorate ...
Mr Wood: The rural area gets that, too.
Mrs MILLER: You get that as well. Well, Katherine is a small part in that huge area of over 400 000 km2. Therefore, it becomes interesting to really look at the breakdown of the budget allocation for my electorate, and to determine just how much Katherine really does benefit. Aside from services that government is obliged to fund, there is very little in this budget for my constituents to be excited about.
One of the areas is in regional economic development, and that should be at the heart of this government. Without regions and the economy generated through small business, the pastoral industry, mining, tourism, horticulture and agriculture, the Territory would be a pretty abysmal place. The problem is the majority of people live in urban areas like Alice Springs and Darwin, and that is where the majority of votes come, so that is where government focuses its spending.
For example, why has this government not fulfilled its promise to complete the upgrading of the main street of Katherine? That upgrade has been on the books for years now, and still not completed. Sure, the money is coming into Katherine in dribs and drabs, but will possibly drag out until the next election. What makes this so important to Katherine is that it is unsatisfactory that the footpaths on the southern side of Katherine Terrace do not have disability access to the shops and offices along the street. My office is one of those, Madam Speaker, and, next door, Bendigo Bank is preparing to open their new branch in July. They are also unable to install disability access because of the unsatisfactory height of the footpath.
The main street of Katherine, being the Stuart Highway, is the responsibility of this government. Not being able to install disability access is not only very restrictive, but discriminatory against disabled people. The owners of both my office and the Bendigo Bank are quite prepared to share the cost of installing disability access that needs planning approval, but are unable to do so at present with the levels of the main street footpath. It may seem very insignificant to this government, but it means a lot to the disabled people in Katherine, and the Katherine community in general. It means that we are unable to provide access to our offices and shops on that side of the main street.
Another very good indicator that regional development is in need of this government’s support is the fact that several small businesses have closed, or are closing, and these people are leaving Katherine. When talking to these people to find out why they are leaving, there is a combination of reasons which include: they are sick of the antisocial behaviour; they cannot sell their businesses; and there is not enough development to keep their business viable and they are closing their doors. I find all of this very frustrating, as that does not indicate assistance by this government to help regional development.
A positive side that really does not have anything to do with government - and I assume I am allowed to speak about this - there is a group of enterprising horticulturalists who have been working together for approximately 12 months now, having meetings to develop a group called the Katherine Farmers’ Group. That is the name they started with. They are going through the process of giving themselves another name. They are developing a very enterprising industry which is value-adding to produce from their properties. That includes mangoes, melons, rockmelons, and that sort of thing that does not meet the highest standards because it might have a speck on it or some mark that does not make it at the highest grade, but is still of the best quality and unable to find a market. They are developing some ideas of their own. This group of people got together and are quite enterprising. They have been formulating a business plan over that 12 months and developing strategies to move their produce through the Katherine community, either through a shopfront or through the support of other businesses in Katherine.
This group so professionally prepared their submission for funding for a community kitchen that they were very successful in receiving a grant from the federal government for $118 000 to set it up. That community kitchen, at this time, is planned to be in an extra space that the Red Cross has at its location on Riverbank Drive. This is great news for this enterprising group of people, and will also benefit many others in the community who wish to utilise the community kitchen. Of the people I need to mention who have had a lot to do with this community kitchen - and there are quite a few so I do not want to offend those that I do not mention today because, when it does get set up with all the proper equipment in it, I will talk about it again. However, Norma Higgins is the chairperson of that committee, and the committee is doing a great job in developing and promoting their produce and also the Katherine region.
I am also disappointed about something else in the Appropriation Bill. I know members of government espouse the wonderful things that government is doing. However, one of the things I am really disappointed in is the lack of funding for research stations. It has been reduced over the years. It is not a laughable matter, quite frankly. You can laugh, but it is not laughable matter. The lack of research that has been done at our research stations in the Northern Territory is embarrassing. The Territory should be the leaders in research in agriculture and horticulture. Instead, we are losing that opportunity with less and less research being funded and experienced staff lost from the Northern Territory. Why is this happening? It is another case of this government not interested or understanding the value of horticulture and agriculture and what it does, especially for the economy of regional areas.
The other area that happens to benefit Katherine in this Appropriation Bill, and it has been going on now for several years, is the $3.5m that is set aside for the cultural precinct. At long last the cultural precinct is developing. There has been a cultural precinct group formed with many members from the community and the location has finally been settled. It is going to be at the old weighbridge site in Katherine which is on the Stuart Highway between Katherine East and the main town. It is still some time from the bricks and mortar but I certainly welcome the Territory government’s support for that cultural centre which will be of great economic benefit to Katherine, for all Katherine people, indigenous and non-indigenous. I look forward to that. I am pleased to see that is still there.
In closing, one area that I feel the Appropriation Bill still definitely under-budgets for is for seniors in the Northern Territory. We talk about how we value our seniors and it is said, nicely, that we value our seniors, but we do not do provide enough monetary support for them. There are many seniors out there who are really struggling. They need some help with their activities and with things that they can attend. We need to look after them. We need to encourage them to stay here, to need to provide facilities for them so they are encouraged to stay here and not leave. We lose too much valuable experience and knowledge when our seniors leave the Territory. I would like to see much more money put towards the seniors.
With that, Madam Speaker, seeing I was cut short by about 20 minutes, I am sure I can bring some of those very interesting points to the fore during the estimates and I look forward to it.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, today I speak of the important impact that Budget 2007-08 will have specifically on the electorate of Port Darwin. The Treasurer said in his budget speech that Budget 2007-08 sets out the plan for this year, and provides the foundations for the next 10 years. Budget 2007-08 helps to support Territory business through continued tax cuts, strategic investment and large infrastructure programming that will target and support business.
Port Darwin is geographically a small electorate of approximately 14 km2. However, it is an economic hub. Construction is a huge focus with billions of dollars, both private and government contributions, being invested into this electorate. Tourism, retail and entertainment are but a few of the standouts in this fantastic electorate. Basically, you can reside, experience, explore, buy, eat, relax and be entertained all within 14 km. Wow, what a spot!
As the local member for Port Darwin I can be a little biased. However, Port Darwin sums up what I love about our great Territory lifestyle, and government is actively and continually strategically planning improvements to make it better. The future of Darwin, a tropical harbour city, showcases a myriad of suggestions across all areas. Extensive public consultations have been conducted. I personally participated in six public information stalls and two public presentations by the Chief Minister. All comments from people have been positive and this public consultation process has stimulated some fantastic and imaginative ideas. A great proportion of ideas are either geographically located within my electorate, or have significant economic and lifestyle influences for constituents of Port Darwin.
Some of the ideas flagged through the Future of Darwin: a Tropical Harbour City in Budget 2007-08 are already being investigated, including $250 000 which has been allocated to engage stakeholders and scope A Darwin Experience, including a World War II museum. Some proposals listed on the Future of Darwin: a Tropical Harbour City website include a new, world-class World War II museum showcasing the defence of Darwin as an expansion of the Museums and Art Galleries of the NT facilities, investigation of potential sites including East Point and the former Supreme Court building site, the inclusion of additional artefacts, interpretative materials and interactive displays.
The waterfront is a major project and is an obvious focus and important area within my electorate. The government’s commitment to this and other major projects but, more importantly, strategic planning and consistent commitment to infrastructure projects throughout the Northern Territory, has made significant changes to our continued buoyant economic viability. It has tipped the scales and endeavours to adjust that boom and bust situation that has been a theme of the Territory for far too long. The waterfront project will underpin the Territory’s construction industry for the next 15 years and add a new economic dimension to our tourism industry.
Infrastructure also contributes to strong growth in our tourism industry, which I believe is gaining intensity. Increased visitor numbers are also being achieved by good marketing, both internally and externally. The construction industry provides thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly for Territorians. The government’s high level of infrastructure spending supports jobs for Territorians, work for local business and flows through the whole economy. Our Labor government recognises this and has continued with an effective and record construction program in Budget 2007-08.
The two most talked about areas of the waterfront when doorknocking within my electorate are the wave lagoon, and the Smith Street connection. Many residents have expressed their concerns that the connection must be right to ensure that positives of the waterfront project are being projected through the CBD. I have been representing constituent concerns and suggestions at the steering committee meetings and stakeholder consultations. I am hopeful that on completion the connection will be fantastic, practical, climate conscious and a pleasant enticement to tourists and locals alike to travel through the city and enjoy all that it has to offer. I commend all involved in the project, including investors, the Chief Minister and Infrastructure minister, contractors, workers, future residents, future and current business people, and place on the record my excitement of what is to become a true world-class feature of Darwin.
In the heart of the Port Darwin electorate lies Myilly Point. $600 000 has been committed to the redevelopment of Myilly Point and the upgrade of Flagstaff Park. Myilly Point is an area which is rich in history and it is one of the most important remaining heritage sites close to Darwin. Myilly Point is significantly utilised by our tourism trade. Preserving the Territory’s heritage is very important to the Martin Labor government as it helps us to understand who we are and where we are going. $365 000 will be distributed for heritage grants, and a further $1m allocated for repairs and maintenance of our heritage sites. The areas of Myilly Point and Flagstaff Park are well used and important recreation areas. This is an area that many residents use every day and is significant to all Darwin residents, but particularly the residents of the close-by suburbs of Cullen Bay, Larrakeyah, Darwin city and Stuart Park, all of which are in the electorate of Port Darwin. With green space and parks in demand with the influx of residents to the city, it will be great to have these facilities upgraded for use by families, fitness conscious residents and tourists alike.
There are some surprising statistics from one of my local primary schools. Around 33% of students who attend the school live in city apartments. These surprising statistics highlight the importance of providing safe, pleasant and well facilitated recreation areas and open space whilst balancing the valuable land prices. Basically, we must use what we have wisely and invest in these facilities for the future.
Along with the commitment of a brand new middle school at Bullocky Point, due to open on day 1 of the 2008 school year, the intersections surrounding the area will be upgraded, with a commitment of $2.5m set aside to complete a new and safer entry and exit to Darwin Middle and Senior Schools. At a total cost of $19m, the new Darwin Middle School is the first new secondary school to be built since the 1980s. I have recently toured the work site with the minister for Education. At that time, we saw great progress with the project and were assured that everything was on track for completion within the required time line.
Darwin Middle School will be state-of-the-art; the first school built in the Northern Territory especially with pedagogy as a focus. The school is being built with flexible learning areas and up-to-the-minute ICT facilities. The school has also been designed with VET in mind.
I thank and commend Mr Marcus Dixon, the Principal of Darwin Middle School, and the interim school council, which includes Chairperson, Monica Van Den Nieuwenhof, Lynne Wallis, Alexandra Mullins, Erynne Fildes, Kathy Hamilton, Kim Row, Jenny Sherrington, Mick Purcell, Graham Lewis, Amanda Taylor, Lorraine Caldwell, Michael Duffy, and Peter Garrigan for the work that has been done so far and the huge amount of work that is yet to come. As the song says, the best is yet to come. This is true, but it does not happen on its own.
The Darwin Middle School is very important to me as local member for Port Darwin. The children who live in my electorate will be benefiting greatly from this fantastic facility. I commend the Larrakeyah School council, and particularly Mr Bertram Birk, who were very proactive and positive throughout the middle schools public consultation process. It was Larrakeyah Primary School’s council that provided the body of work and suggestion that a middle school be built on this site. Significant work was put into the submission, and the result of that submission is a $19m commitment by government to this site and to Building Better Schools.
Many residents and business people from the Tipperary Waters/Dinah Beach area and regular users of the Dinah Beach boat ramp have made representation to me concerning the busy Tiger Brennan Drive/Gonzales Street intersection within the suburb of Stuart Park. I have represented the concerns to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and I am very happy to report that the minister has responded with funding which has been allocated to conduct a traffic study which will be undertaken soon. As a stakeholder on behalf of constituents, I have had discussions with both departmental staff and the consultants employed to undertake this traffic study. I eagerly await a practical and innovative report into this much used intersection.
Larrakeyah Sewage Outfall Station has been a concern to residents for many years. In this year’s budget, there is an allocation of $440 000 to commence the project which will see sewage diverted from this area to the Ludmilla Plant and, hence, closing the Larrakeyah outfall within the next five years. I have had many discussions with local residents, and this is a very welcome project. The project will service the future development of the CBD and Larrakeyah.
In Budget 2007-08, the Treasurer has lifted the first homeowners stamp duty concessions threshold for stamp duty on conveyancing for first homeowners from $225 000 to $350 000, providing a maximum stamp duty savings of $15 312, which almost doubles the maximum stamp duty savings for first homeowners. I have been personally lobbying for this change. Having a real estate background, I understand how important it is to assist a young person to buy their first home, and particularly important to the economy of Australia. Home ownership is one of the key components to being self-funded, self-reliant and financially comfortable and secure in retirement.
Some other suggestions that have been made to me by constituents for consideration for future budgets are that the fantastic First Homeowners Concession could be extended to some extent to include those men and women who have had to start up the slippery slope of financial viability after selling their sole and primary residence due to property settlement as a result of the breakdown of a relationship; and an adjustment in the principal place of residence concession. These are all things that I am sure will be considered in the future.
The First Homeowners Concession Scheme is for entry level of first homeowners, as is the HomeNorth Scheme. As I have said in this House before, it will not buy you a mansion for 10 with room for a pony, but it will assist first homeowners with their most important real estate purchase - their first home – and set them on their way to financial independence.
Record Health and Community Services spending has increased the number and quality of health services available in the Territory. Supporting the Arts in the Territory is very important to me as a local member for the arts hub of Darwin. I am very pleased that $5.5m will be allocated in the 2007-08 budget as sponsorship to provide Arts NT grants, NT Film Office grants, and Public Arts grants. The Martin Labor government will also be providing financial and in-kind support at varying levels to support important festivals such as the Darwin Festival.
In closing my contribution, I thank the Treasurer for a great budget. I feel that the needs of the community as a whole have been taken into account. There is always more to do; however, this budget looks forward in a positive and strategic way. It is not a gamble; it is a sensible budget, and plans for and is building a sound future with strong support for the community and business.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Speaker, this is my first budget as a member of parliament. I start off by saying what this means to the people of the Northern Territory. Often, that gets lost in this debate. This budget is about how this government and we, as parliamentarians, represent our constituents and spend taxpayers’ dollars. That is a very important point. It comes down to responsibility. I put on the record that this budget is very responsible. It is a budget that delivers for all Territorians regardless of where they are living, which is, I suppose, in direct contrast to what we saw under the CLP government. As we all know, when the CLP left office, the cash deficit was $130m. People out there have not forgotten that.
This budget is very responsible, and it goes a long way in tackling many of the challenges that we face as the Northern Territory, in supporting and growing business, building a healthier Territory, improving educational outcomes, providing a safer community for all, and enhancing our great lifestyle. This budget provides a balance, both on the economic areas and in the social areas of the Northern Territory.
There are also other challenges that I, as a bush member, face as well, along with government: the regional shires and indigenous housing. This budget delivers on that. In the core area of education we see that there is $658m in the budget, and that is a record – up 38% from 2001. In the health area, it is $838m, another record, and a 73% increase from 2001. In employment and training, it is $21.3m over four years, including Jobs Plan 3, which is already delivering great results for the Territory. The overall budget in the context of the Northern Territory, as I said, is a budget that is delivering for all Territorians.
In my electorate of Stuart, I am proud of what the budget has delivered for my constituents. Hopefully, I would like to put a lot of that to my strong representation over a short time, but I also acknowledge my predecessor, who also, I imagine, fought hard in Budget Cabinet to get the voices of the bush heard. That is a true reflection of what we see in this year’s budget. Knowing my constituents, they are very patient people. They are people who will sit back and wait for things to come to them, and this budget delivers a lot for them.
I am proud to say that this government is investing in the bush. Regularly, I get to visit with ministers out in the electorate and the ministers are out there listening. They are visiting and listening and, more importantly, they are delivering to the people of Stuart. I acknowledge the ministers for their work over the past 12 months in getting out there and seeing firsthand what the issues are and the challenges, like the bush roads, for example, as well as secondary education. I am looking forward to working closely with the minister for Education in getting better results in my electorate for secondary education. My colleague, the member for Macdonnell, put it very clearly in her statement today: that secondary education in Central Australia is a big issue. I am sure we will both work together in getting much more delivered out there.
The Utopia and Ti Tree region is a region that encompasses around 2000 people. It is a growing area, as the sign says when you are travelling up the Stuart Highway. It is the growing centre of the Territory. Secondary education is a big need as well as across to Utopia along the Sandover Highway up to Ampilatwatja. One pleasing thing is the town camp education strategy which encompasses quite a few town camps in my electorate. That is a positive, and I have certainly seen some great results as I go around to the schools in Alice Springs which are now involving town camp children in mainstream education.
Indigenous housing in my electorate is a big issue. Last year, the Chief Minister announced an extra $100m for indigenous housing. I am looking forward to working with the Minister for Housing and ensuring my electorate and people of Central Australia get a fair share of that big cake.
We all know here, particularly the bush members, that regional shires is a big issue for all of us. It is a challenge that I am sure this government is taking up well and truly. It is good to see $6.8m in the budget to implement the new reforms, and $4.95m for the one-off establishment grants. Having travelled with the minister last week through my part of the electorate, I know that the minister is visiting and listening to the constituents about the issues that come with regional shires. This budget delivers much financial support that is going to be needed to get these reforms through parliament and out there in the bush to improve service delivery.
The other core areas of my electorate are health, education, housing, roads, employment, youth, sports and recreation, and substance abuse which the member for Macdonnell touched on. The $240 000 to upgrade Aranda House in Alice Springs is most welcome.
I now focus on some of the highlights of the funding from the budget, in particular roads, probably one of the key issues. I know the minister for roads has been out there and accompanied me on the Tanami Highway. She has seen the condition of the Tanami firsthand, and its importance to the Territory in bringing in dollars from the mining sector, but also as a vital link for the communities of Papunya, Yuendumu, Yuelamu and Laramba. So for the Tanami Highway, great news: $2m per year for this major road.
There is also $200 000 for the Lajamanu to Kalkarindji turn-off, on a road that has a sad history of many fatalities. This $200 000 is going to go a long way to upgrading that and improving the bad sections of the road. The Chief Minister has been out to Lajamanu and she has talked to the people there and listened to their concerns about this road. I am pleased, and I am sure the communities out there are very pleased, about this extra funding for the Lajamanu to Kalkarindji road. This is another example of this government getting out there to the bush, listening and then delivering on some of these key issues.
With the Lajamanu to Kalkarindji road I would like to mention the Wulaign Resource Centre. It is a local resource centre that services the outstations in that region but is also a resource centre that has dome very well in sourcing government road contracts. Marty Drenth and the fellows from Lajamanu are doing very well in sourcing these contracts and doing a fantastic job. I was out there the other day and they advised me that they have done some major works for the government on the road between Lajamanu and the Tanami mines. The work has been to such a great standard that they have lifted weight restrictions on that road, which is great news for the Tanami Mines because many mining contractors use the road.
Another road receiving some much needed funds of $500 000 per year is the Sandover Highway. As the local member, I am out there regularly, particularly talking to the Utopia Clinic staff. I would like to see some of that money focused on the part of the road which links the clinic to the airstrip. As you can imagine, it is very badly corrugated during the Wet, not to mention when the clinic is having to do night evacuations. The road does get very tricky, so that money will be most welcome, particularly on that part of the Sandover Highway.
There is $800 000 for rural roads such as the Buntine Highway, another strategic road for the Northern Territory, coming down from the Victoria Highway through to Top Springs and along some of the biggest cattle stations in the Northern Territory such as Camfield and Wave Hill, and then gradually winding its way through to Kalkarindji and Daguragu. It is a very important arterial road for the Northern Territory for tourism as well because it winds its way through that part of the Territory to Western Australia and Halls Creek. On many trips I have seen tourists, some of them with caravans, on that road. I am sure it shakes them up, so that money is going to be very well spent on the Buntine Highway.
Another core service for government is education. Secondary education in Central Australia is a big issue for both the member for Macdonnell and me, particularly for me through the Utopia and Ti Tree region. Education has done well in this budget, and I thank the minister for Education and the Treasurer for delivering.
There is $300 000 for transportable classrooms in the Ingkerreke Resource Centre Outstation region. Ingkerreke Resource Centre is based in Alice Springs but services many outstations just north and east of Alice Springs, with probably the farthest away in my electorate 90 km from Alice Springs. For many of those students who have to travel every morning, particularly the young children who catch a bus at 6 am to get to Alice Springs to Yeperenye School, this is great news for them and their parents. I look forward to working with Ingkerreke Resource Centre, Yeperenye School and other agencies in the near future to talk about how we are best going to utilise that $300 000.
Ampilatwatja School, which is on the Sandover Highway in the eastern part of my electorate, has $15 000 for minor new works projects, and $10 000 for Irrultja, a small outstation serviced by Ampilatwatja, for minor new works projects. Both minor new works projects will be more than welcome.
The Yarralin School in the Victoria River district of my electorate, has $27 000 to go towards a covered walkway. This will certainly go down well. They have funding for covering the basketball court with shade and the covered walkway links the school to the basketball court. Overall, it is going to improve the amenities of the school and be most appreciated by parents and students. Hopefully, it will have spin-off affects regarding attendance and getting kids to school with better sporting facilities.
I am sure everyone in this House has heard about Kalkaringi School, a very big success story in the Territory in secondary education. There is $320 000 for an additional secondary classroom, which is money well spent. The reputation of this school is outstanding. If you have ever been to the school, you will see the demountables, the classrooms. They are named after past students who have graduated. That is a great initiative, and $320 000 is a great investment.
Health is a key area for this government and a key issue in my electorate. Once again, there is record spending by this government - $838m, which is a 73% increase from 2001. There is $2.7m to complete the new clinic at Kalkarindji. While I was there the other week with the Minister for Local Government, we had a look around and were shown the site. The pegs are there on the site, and I look forward to the construction very soon.
Sport and recreation is probably one of my pet issues in my electorate. It is certainly good news in my electorate - $50 000 for the Yuendumu oval and softball ovals. For the up and coming Yuendumu sports, this money is going to go down very well ...
A member: Is it this weekend?
Mr HAMPTON: I have heard it is July, so they have actually changed the date. I believe that is in consideration of the impact that some of these sports weekends are having on school attendance. I believe it is a great initiative by the community to recognise that sport and recreation is great, but it can often have an impact on attendance at school. For them to change the date for the school holidays is fantastic, as well as this $50 000 for their oval.
There is $20 000 for the Utopia football oval, and if you have never been out there, you can see that this money is going to be appreciated. Along the Sandover, it is more or less just a bit of a dust bowl really, with no fences and, often, when there is a bit of a dispute, the cars get on the oval and they try to sort it out by driving their cars on the oval. I will not push it, but maybe the $20 000 can go towards fencing. It is going to go down great for the people of Utopia - $20 000 will go a long way, so I am very happy about that.
There is $120 000 for Willowra, and a new basketball court. This is fantastic news again. Willowra is supported by the Mt Theo substance abuse youth programs. There is very little in the way of sport and recreation facilities for the people of Willowra, and they have been asking for this for a long time. It is fantastic news for Willowra - $120 000 for the new basketball court.
Essential services is one area that has missed out a lot in the bush over the years. We have seen the wind-up of ATSIC, and the responsibility of the Commonwealth government in maintaining and repairing essential services infrastructure in communities has dwindled over the years. I believe it was also something that was, unfortunately, forgotten by the CLP over a long period. The infrastructure out there has worn down, so these highlights in the budget for my electorate are certainly most welcome. There is $660 000 for Pigeon Hole power station to relocate out of the flood area. If you have ever been to Pigeon Hole, and you have seen photos during the Wet Season, you can understand why the people there want to get away from the big river, because they certainly do get flooded in. I know, from talking to people there, they have future planning for their community on higher ground, so $660 000 for the relocation of their power station is welcome. There is $1.22m to complete the Pigeon Hole airstrip, again, up on higher ground.
For Daguragu, there is $470 000 to replace water tanks. Another recent announcement which I am very happy about is $440 000 additional funding for flood forecasting. I know, certainly through my electorate in the Victoria River region, that is going to be most welcome by those communities of Yarralin, Pigeon Hole and, Daguragu – so fantastic news there again.
Employment and training – it was great to be able to get the Minister for Business and Economic Development into my electorate at Ti Tree and the communities there. We have the task force working. Once again, it is government ministers out there in the bush, talking to people, listening, and now delivering. There are very exciting things happening at Ti Tree. It is the growing centre of Australia and the Northern Territory in economic development.
I have also had the pleasure of having the Minister for Mines and Energy there recently at Mulga Bore, signing off on an Indigenous Land Use Agreement that will open up horticulture developments on Pine Hill Station: three new blocks in the near future, which is going to create jobs and a stronger economy for the Anmatjere people at Ti Tree. Also, out of this budget, $190 000 is for horticulture job-ready training for local Ti Tree Anmatjere people. Fantastic news. I know the school is excited. There has also been an opening of a job shop at Ti Tree through Tangentyere. Things are looking good for the people of Ti Tree. I will certainly be getting involved in those discussions on how that $190 000 is going to be best spent to deliver the job opportunities and the jobs that people are looking for.
In conclusion, regarding my electorate, I am very excited about the future. This budget is delivering in many areas essential to the people of Stuart, my constituents. It is a budget that is good for Stuart; it builds on the future. I look forward over the next 12 months to some of these things being delivered.
Being a local, I need to mention Alice Springs. Obviously, the key initiative from the government is the Moving Alice Ahead projects. This government, through this budget, is delivering on all fronts. Regarding the economy, if you drive around Alice Springs, construction is happening all over the place. I can name a few of those projects right now to demonstrate that things are moving ahead in Alice Springs. We have a new store for Clark Rubber that opened in April this year. I was there for the opening of the Desert Knowledge Business Innovation Centre this month, as well as the sod turning of the Desert People’s Centre a couple of months ago. I had the pleasure of turning the first sod, together with representatives of the Desert People’s Centre organisations. It is fantastic to see in this budget $8m for the DPC. That is new money being delivered by this government. There is $6.5m is for new buildings that will see the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Batchelor Institute moving in there very soon.
There is $16m for the Alice Springs Hospital including $6m for a new Emergency Department which is most needed; $1.3m for Mt John Valley land servicing; $20m for new generation and to build a new power station at Brewer Estate; $1.96m for the Outback Way; $10.5m for ongoing works for the Red Centre Way; and funding under way for Moving Alice Ahead.
All in all, it is a great budget. There are challenges ahead for all of us. In my electorate there are certainly challenges in secondary education, which I will be working closely with the minister for Education on. I look forward, over the next 12 months, to working with ministers of government on highlighting these challenges, working together, and representing the people of Stuart the best way I can.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend this bill to the House and also thank the Treasurer for the bill and the appropriation.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to comment on some sections of the budget. Firstly, I congratulate the government on some of the expenditure in my area although, as the member for Katherine said, sometimes my area is a pretty big area when it is marked off in the budget. The power house at Weddell is, in theory, my area, but I am not sure that it actually affects people just in the rural area. Everyone from Larrimah to Darwin will be affected by that.
One of the highlights of the budget is the money being put into the middle school at Taminmin High School. Taminmin High School is going along very well. It is practically full at the moment, and that has a lot to do with the new principal, Tony Considine. The money that is being spent at the moment on the new middle school facilities and, I believe, the Australia Technical College, is proof of how vibrant that school is at the moment. In fact, through some good people on the staff at the school, they have been able to use the money allocated to that school to improve other facilities as well. That is a sign of the times at Taminmin. They are pushing ahead with a number of great programs. They are being looked up to in the community, whereas a number of years ago Taminmin was looked down on. People are now seeing it as a school of excellence. I heard recently there are quite a few people trying to come from Darwin to Taminimin and, because it is full at the moment, it can only take students from the rural area.
The sum of $100 000 was allocated to the bike path to Girraween Primary School. Unfortunately, this is one of those long-standing stories about a bicycle path which they simply wanted to cross a small creek so that the children who travelled from the Girraween Primary School would not be at risk from fairly heavy traffic along Girraween Road. I will not go into all the details but it is happening, but it is taking a long time. There has been some difficulty with getting agreement with the council. The last I heard is that this is going ahead. I would like to thank a lady, Jenny Hangan, who has worked on the school committee who has been working her darndest to make sure this particular project comes to conclusion.
There is $500 000 for the cyclone shelter at Taminmin. I have stood in parliament and said it was extremely bad timing that last year, just at the beginning of the Wet, the government decided to close down the shelter at Taminmin High School after it had been one for many years. At least there is money being put into that cyclone shelter so that it can once again be used for the Wet Season if needed.
There is $4m being allocated to the Howard East Bore Field. What I would be asking the Minister for Essential Services is what exactly that is going mean. I have said here before that it sounds strange if the government is going to promote taking more water out of the Howard East Bore Field while, at the same time, asking people to voluntarily put meters on their bores so we can get a reasonable idea how much water is in the aquifer. I am not sure that we need to be taking much more water out of the Howard East Bore Field. We are raising the level of Darwin River Dam and that should increase the amount of water in Darwin River Dam by 20%. If we find that it is not sufficient then we should be giving serious consideration to building the Warai Dam at Adelaide River, not use all the water resource from the rural area - not just because I live out there, or because people use that water for their own domestic supply, but from an environmental point of view. Water removed from the ground also has effects on rivers and lagoons in the area as well.
I notice there is $176 000 for special learning facilities at Humpty Doo Primary School. I notice the building was recently opened, not officially opened, but opened so that children could use the facility there, and that is great.
There has also been money allocated at last for a truck stop; I think it is in the budget as a bus stop. It is actually a truck stop opposite Woolworths at Coolininga. I have been writing letters for the last three or four years to the minister asking for something to be done because of the dust that has been pouring over many of the shops in that area as trucks pull up and drivers get something to eat from the shopping centre. Although money was put in there for dust suppression purposes it did not work, and the only way it will really work is by putting a seal there. I saw tenders in the paper the other day for this facility. I only hope they do not change the location of the site. If they are required to stop somewhere else near the existing bus stop I can bet you they will avoid it and keep going until they stop where they are presently stopping. I hope whoever is building this uses a little commonsense.
It is not actually a budget item from this year but last year $150 000 was given to change the entrance to the Howard Springs tip and the Palmerston Indigenous Village. I noticed in the paper at last there is a tender document going out for the development of the roads there. I would love to see what the design is. It has always been a mystery to me what sort of design they are going to get there with those two entrances. I will just have to wait and see on that.
I sometimes feel there are things that have been missed out in the budget, and I would like to raise some of those issues tonight. I have spoken before about housing. The minister knows my views; that we need to put a lot more money into public housing. A waiting list of 27 months for a one-bedroom unit is not good. In fact, it is a bit scandalous, to be honest with you, especially with the high cost of housing. If you have a high cost of housing and people cannot afford to get into that housing that is where the government steps in. That is the government’s role: to help those people on low incomes, those people who cannot afford a mortgage.
I wonder why we cannot provide housing that allows people to have one person staying at home and looking after children and one person at work, even if that person is only working part-time and then still coming home. With people having to go into such large debt to buy a home, you require both parents to work full-time to pay for the mortgage, and there is a social issue that concerns me. We are not looking at the consequences of that type of family life whereby mum and dad are out working to pay an enormous mortgage.
The Treasurer has talked about first homeowners being big winners. I support the Treasurer’s change to the tax-free threshold for stamp duty on conveyancing. That is very good. The reality is that you can get a loan, which is approximately 85% of what the Real Estate Institute determines as the median price. Since the Treasurer issued his 1 May media release about the changes to the cap, there are changes to the median price already. In his media release, he stated that the median price for Darwin was $370 000. If you take Colliers International’s book at the moment, which is one I receive every quarter, it states that the median price for Darwin in the March quarter of 2007 was $390 000. We continue to have more expensive houses.
If you take the Darwin rural area, it is amazing what has happened. Colliers International does not usually speak about the rural area because it is one of those areas that people forget is important in the home market. The median price for rural land in Litchfield Shire has jumped about $100 000 to around $270 000. What kind of house are you going to build on that? That is why I was talking about tents. I meant it. Young people cannot afford to buy a block of land in the rural area. That is not right.
At a recent Property Council meeting, the CEO of Lands provided a briefing about future land for development. I asked him about opening up forestry land at Howard Springs for first homeowners as one hectare blocks with town water. Not on the radar. The impression you have is that while government might be twiddling the knobs in relation to how much money is available from HomeNorth, it is not doing anything to reduce the price of land.
All the process the Chief Minister is talking about does is allow a person to secure a bigger loan, which means that person will be in debt for longer. They will probably be in debt for the rest of their life. As is happening down south, people have mortgages that they are passing on to their children. Is that the way we want to go? Is this the policy of the government? It owns a substantial amount of real estate. Why can’t we do something about that? It will not affect the market …
Mr Kiely: How can you pass a mortgage on. You cannot pass a mortgage on.
Mr WOOD: Well, you can.
Mr Kiely: You cannot!
Mr WOOD: You ought to see what is happening in Sydney.
Mr Kiely: You have to sell the house. They have to purchase that and pay it …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: That is right. Whoever buys the house buys the mortgage.
Mr Kiely: No …
Mr WOOD: You know what I mean.
Mr Kiely: That is not passing on the mortgage.
Mr WOOD: The mortgage is lasting for longer than people’s lives. That is not good. People do not want to be in debt for the rest of their lives. It would be nice to have a few years of your life when you were not in debt.
Mr Kiely: That is a bit different to what you just said.
Mr WOOD: If the member for Sanderson wants to be in debt, go for it! That is not something we should encourage. We should be trying to get people to pay off their home much earlier than their entire life ...
Mr Kiely interjecting.
Mr WOOD: The member for Sanderson can say that. He claims he is a great Labor man. Labor is supposed to stand up for the battlers, the low-income people, and the people who are having a hard time. When I put forward a proposal that you set aside some land in the new suburbs of Palmerston, so that you can sell land cheap to first homeowners, the answer I get from the minister for Planning and Lands is that it will affect the market.
The truth is these people cannot get in the market because they cannot afford to buy. It will not affect the market. If you do a limited number of releases each year, you are not going to affect the market. You can put covenants on the blocks that you cannot sell them for 10 years, that you must start building after two years, that you can only sell them back to the government if there was a problem with your relationship with your partner, or there is a death – whatever. You can put enough control on that, and you will encourage people back to owning their home. Surely, that is a policy this government should be promoting. At the moment is it promoting long-term debt …
Mr Kiely: I would like to see you in charge of the economy for one year.
Mr WOOD: It is a shame to hear from the member for Sanderson, who proudly stands up here and says: ‘I am Labor through and through’. Well, the Labor people I knew would support the battler, and would support trying to reduce the cost of buying a house. What is wrong with Labor today? It seems to want to be a friend of the market, a friend of the real estate industry. What about a friend of helping with families and first homeowners? Surely that is not a bad thing. If I get knocked by the member for Sanderson for saying that, well, be that as it may.
I will move on to some other issues. The minister talked about putting $10m into the duplication of Tiger Brennan Drive. I would have liked a bit more detail. Hopefully, we will get it out of the estimates. But what are we doing with Tiger Brennan Drive? Is there going to be Tiger Brennan Drive right through to the Roystonea intersection? Is that Roystonea/Stuart Highway intersection going to have bridge? That is what was meant to happen there so the flow of traffic going through behind the 11 Mile would be straight through to Darwin. That is certainly not clear in the minister’s statement. She just said there is $10m.
It is good to see there is some money for the sewage outfalls in Darwin. I believe it is not sufficient. It is a real problem. The government should be investing more money to get rid of the problems with the raw sewage outfall at Larrakeyah. I have heard that the Ludmilla site is not big enough to handle all the waste that would come from Larrakeyah. I would like to know whether that has been put in to the calculations.
The member for Katherine mentioned the research station - and I am going from one department to the other here, just taking out some highlights that I see. I feel the government has dropped the ball when it comes to research stations. Once upon a time, we had research stations that actually did research, and now they seem to be industry driven. We seem to have reduced the amount of research that we are doing on these stations. The word I heard is now that the policy is that, basically, universities do the research, and that our research stations are advisory areas and that is about it. They do some research but, generally speaking, that will be on behalf of those of the more affluent parts of the industry. When you look at what Coastal Plains Research Station was once upon a time, looking at new varieties of vegetables and fruit, compared to what it was about 10 years ago, unfortunately, I believe it has just about gone into mothballs.
Looking at the ministry for Justice, I was looking at the section on prisons. I did not see anything which even gave me a feeling that there was some move to try to look at alternative ways for prisons. I have said this a number of times here: I believe we need either work camps or mobile work camps, and there is nothing. We are still relying on Don Dale for juveniles and some diversionary programs. It would have been good to see the government try to have a mobile work camp where young people are taken out to a cattle station, where they are given some education and some work, and they are out there for enough months to get themselves away from all the peer group pressures they get in the cities. Again, it seems we still go down the same path. We have closed Wildman River, we have given it over to Parks and Wildlife, and we just do not seem to want to look at alternative ways of doing things.
A point I raise every year is education, especially when it comes to indigenous communities. The figures are terrible. Unfortunately, the figures are actually hidden, unless you go back to the annual reports, and the annual reports show a lot different picture than the budget shows. However, even if you just take the Budget Paper, the estimate for indigenous students achieving national reading for Year 3 was 39% for 2006-07. The estimate this year is 48%. Until we look at the annual report, we will have to see whether we reached 39%. When you start to split the 39% up between remote indigenous communities and urban indigenous communities, you will find that most indigenous communities are well below 39%. The government is hoping for 48%. That is still a pretty terrible amount.
We heard the Chief Minister today talking about the importance of education in relation to sexual abuse of children. That shows that we have a long way to go; if education is the main aim of some of the recommendations that were put forward in that report. I really believe that we should not be glossing over too much of what has been said. The move by this government to have high school education is good, but I would like to know whether we are looking at mainstream subjects such as physics, chemistry - those types of studies that are going to make doctors and engineers - or are we looking at subjects in the tourism industry and that sort of thing? These are fine but, if we are talking about full secondary education, then we need the full gamut of subjects, not just a few of them.
The minister has announced there will be $248 000 spent on the establishment of the Environment Protection Agency. I must admit, if there were wages in that, that would give us two people. Just $248 000! I know the minister is going to stand in front of crocodiles tomorrow and tell us how relevant that is to an EPA. However, for an EPC or whatever …
Ms Scrymgour: EPA.
Mr WOOD: Oh, there I have it …
Ms Scrymgour: Do not mislead, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: Hang on, hang on! The member says I am misleading, Mr Deputy Speaker. The report said EPC, and I had to wait until today …
Ms SCRYMGOUR: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! The member for Nelson needs to clarify what he is saying. The report that the member for Nelson is talking about is the leaked document which stated Environment Protection Commission. That is not the report. It is an EPA, and the member for Nelson should get that right. He knows it and he likes to …
Mr WOOD: Can I speak to the point of order?
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment. I am going to rule on it now. There is no point of order.
Mr WOOD: I did not think there was, but I was giving it a try. What a load of twaddle! How am I supposed to know it was a leaked report? I asked a question based on that report in Question Time. You did not tell me it was a leaked report.
Ms Scrymgour: What Question Time?
Mr WOOD: Whenever I mentioned that EPA, you told me …
Ms SCRYMGOUR: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Arafura, one moment.
Dr Burns: Mr Deputy Speaker!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: One moment. Member for Arafura, what is your point of order?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The member for Nelson should withdraw that, because he never asked a question about the EPA at all. Apart from Tuesday when he asked about the time line, he did not ask for clarification of the EPA or that document. He should withdraw or he should change his wording to reflect the truth rather than a half truth.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, I am unaware of the question that was asked in Question Time, but if you are unsure of it …
Mr WOOD: No, I am not unsure, it is right here. I will just put it into the Parliamentary Record so the minister can hear me. The question was in November 2005. You said you would establish an Environment Protection Agency Board – blah, blah, blah; it went on. In November 2006, the board released its report. In the report it states an Environmental Protection Commission should be established. That was part of the question …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, I accept that. There is no point of order, and if you can direct your remarks through the Chair.
Mr WOOD: Okay. That is what the question was about. If that was wrong, then why did the minister not give me that in her answer? Besides calling me a ‘Clayton greenie’, she said that she would give a commitment and it would be as per their election commitment. There was nothing in that answer that said I had a leaked document. How do you think I asked the question? I had a document that was given to me. I did not know it was leaked, I thought it was …
Ms Scrymgour: Oh yes, yes.
Mr WOOD: No. See …
Mr Kiely: You protest too much.
Mr WOOD: Yes, and you make up too much. You make it up as you go.
Anyway, we will see what happens with the EPA. I gather there is going to be an announcement. However, when you look at $248 000, do not expect too much. It is two people’s wages, so I do not think it is going to the EPA I thought you were going to establish. It is going to something a little lighter. I will be interested to hear what it is.
Mr Deputy Speaker, a couple of other issues. The waterfront is a big burden on the budget. It would have been nice to hear, for instance, how much the wave pool is going to cost. I have heard a number of people telling me the figure has blown out. I am interested to see what it is actually costing. The sound shell seems to have disappeared off the waterfront. I do not know what has happened there but it would be nice to know what has happened to the sound shell.
When we are talking about medical services, for the Farrar Medical Centre - again nothing, no matter how much we try. Even if we could get a nurse there during the night, just to have somebody there – no, nothing for the Farrar Medical Centre. Regardless of the Minister for Health saying, ‘It is up to the Commonwealth to provide a doctor’, the department could provide at least some service there until the Northern Territory government and the federal government sort themselves out. The people end up being the jam in sandwich and we do not get anything out there for the Palmerston/rural people.
I was surprised I did not see anything in the budget for oncology. Perhaps I misread the area, but I am interested to know whether the Minister for Health has somewhere in the budget a provision for the oncology service. We are hoping to have that up by early next year. I am interested to know if the Territory government is putting money into that very important facility.
Another area which is lacking in the rural area is a seniors’ village. There is much talk about retirement villages in Darwin and Alice Springs but at least 17 000 people live in the rural area. There is sufficient Crown land out there to build a seniors’ village. I know that many rural people are leaving the Territory because there are no facilities here. They do not want to look after their rural block any more and they would like a smaller place to stay without leaving the rural area. There is plenty of Crown land around. An example is where the new Lutheran School is going on Whitewood Road. There is sufficient land there to establish a seniors’ village. The government should not be selling the land to the highest bidder. They should be offering it to a developer who can give the best facility for the community, and that way you build affordable housing for seniors.
Once you start putting big prices on the land, that price is passed on to the consumer and you have people who have trouble buying reasonable seniors’ accommodation. I have had a number of people come to me in the last month saying: ‘We were looking at going to some of the senior villages in Darwin’. However, the price was absolutely enormous. They had to basically sell everything to go there and they felt that was not suitable for what they wanted. I believe governments have roles in providing for seniors and people who have lived here for a long time.
I would use the same argument for young people and the battlers, and those people on low incomes, and families. That is where government has a role to play. It is not just about leaving everything to the private market. If the CLP was on that side of the government I would probably expect them to say it, but I am not expecting to hear it all the time from the Labor Party. Or are they trying to be the CLP in a sheep’s clothing ...
Mr Kiely: Well, who are you trying to be?
Mr WOOD: I am trying to say a few things that need to be said. Hopefully, you will pick them up and run with them, instead of sitting there going ‘mumble, mumble’.
I would also like to know whether the Minister for Essential Services - and I am not sure this comes under him, but there has been talk a while back whether we should have an ambulance full-time at the Humpty Doo Fire and Emergency facility. The funny thing is, when it first opened, the sign on the fence said ‘Police, Fire and Ambulance’. Obviously, someone made a misprint. A number of people in the rural area now feel that it is time we had an ambulance stationed full-time there on 24-hour standby. We do have a first aid-type ambulance, and that is run by volunteers. The Payne family houses the ambulance at their place, and they do a lot of work in the rural area at different sporting functions. That is an important facility, but it is not one that can be used for major accidents.
An area that I have been promoting for some time, about 10 years, is getting the bicycle path from Palmerston into the rural area on the old railway corridor. A group of people went down with Trevor Horman two weekends ago as part of the Friends of North Australia Railway group and walked the length of that old railway line. We think that if the government will not give us any money to seal it, we might ask the government whether they will allow us to do voluntary work on it to make it a mountain bike path or a walking track. We think it is important to retain the heritage. If the government will give us permission to do some work on that as a voluntary group and ask people to donate some materials, we could open up that bicycle path nearly all the way to the Arnhem Highway. Perhaps then the government might come along with some funds to put some bitumen on it.
It is a beautiful little walk. It is a bit rough in places where people have stolen a bit more of the foundations, you might say, that was absolutely necessary, when they took some of the ballast away. There are a couple of bridges missing, too. One at Coolalinga is missing and will require a bit of money to replace. Basically, the rest are pretty well intact and it could happen. I know the government, in theory, has promised for that bicycle path to be sealed in its term of office. However, I get the feeling it went on roads, after hearing the Minister for Planning and Lands when I asked her what happened to the money for the bicycle path. That will be the same answer for a few more years.
An area in which I have always taken an interest is the Ombudsman. I notice the Ombudsman had some increase in money this year. Last year, at the Estimates Committee, there was a bit of discussion between the Ombudsman and the Chief Minister regarding a lack of funding. I noticed there is a little more funding this year. I noticed the Ombudsman also mentioned that she has been able to reduce some of the calls on the Ombudsman by using some new programs in the public service and by improving methods dealing with police complaints. That is great. The only thing I say is that there appears to be reduction in education and awareness and that tends to affect people in remote areas who should be informed about the role of the Ombudsman. It is all right for us in the city, but perhaps those in the regional and remote areas do not know what the role of the Ombudsman is.
All in all, it is a mixed bag. There are certainly some good things in the budget, there is no doubt about it. The rural area has a little out of it - not as much as I would have liked, but as with all budgets, you win some, you lose some. We will just keep trying to persevere and get a few of the things we have been pushing for. I thank the minister for his statement on the budget.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Mr Deputy Speaker, I speak in reply to the Treasurer’s budget speech delivered on 1 May 2007. Congratulations to the Treasurer for another budget meeting the needs of the Territorians. Well done to those in the Department of Treasury, who I am sure toiled many hours putting all the information together.
Territorians are entitled to ask government what it proposes to do with the funds it has received. The answer is one that should please Territorians: a record health budget of $838m. This is 73% higher than in 2001. There is record investment in education at $658m, an increase of 38% since 2001. There is $236m for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, an increase of 65% since 2001. There is an increase in the stamp duty concession for first homebuyers from $225 000 to $350 000. This is an increase of 55%. The maximum rebate is now $15 312. A further $645m cash is to be spent on infrastructure in the Territory. This brings the amount of cash spent on infrastructure since 2001 to $3.3m. These are big figures. They are impressive figures, figures that show this government is ensuring that the money it collects from taxpayers is put to work improving life in the Territory.
Palmerston has a population of approximately 25 500 people. The City of Palmerston website actually puts the population slightly higher at 28 500. Approximately 30% are under the age of 15. This, again, is from the figures taken from Palmerston City Council’s website. It is more interesting than that – 11% of the population is aged four or under. A further 11% are under 10 years old. That is a massive 22% of the population under 10. It is a phenomenal statistic.
The Northern Territory government is the only state or territory government that provides a subsidy for childcare. This government recognises that childcare costs are significant for ordinary families. This government also recognises the importance of having a mix of privately-owned childcare centres and community-based childcare. To this end, I advocated for the government to make some contribution to the Palmerston Community Childcare Centres. I was very pleased that government heard my call and allocated $60 000 to the Gray Community Childcare Centre. The Gray centre, like many throughout the Territory, was caught out by the need to play it safe and remove the African mahogany trees from its grounds. It is also an ageing centre and needs to effect a number of maintenance repairs. Its chief means of raising funds is the support of the parents. It is not run for profit. Its chief focus is keeping costs to parents down, while still paying its staff a reasonable salary.
This leads me very nicely back to the $658m record spend on education. Palmerston schools have been working very closely with each other in preparation for the implementation of middle years next year. Palmerston schools have been very productive in their use of technology. All have embraced the new electronic whiteboards that I have previously mentioned in this Assembly. There has been a lot of work done by government, and individual schools, ensuring access to computers for students. In a recent survey by Palmerston High School, Year 6 students about to enter high school next year nominated information technology among their four highest core concerns.
I congratulate the principals, teachers and school councils for their level of cooperation with each other, and their proactive approach to preparing for next year and the years beyond. I especially congratulate everyone for seeing the change that we are implementing to middle years schooling as an opportunity to re-focus and think outside the square. The ideas for rebadging the Palmerston school communities and getting a better sense of a whole-of-school community, a collective identity, are thrilling.
A lot of work is being put in by local parents and teachers to ensure the Palmerston community feels pride and confidence in all their government schools. Palmerston High School and a couple of the primary schools have copped some criticism in the past that I do not believe they now deserve. We also have some primary schools that are filled to capacity, in part because of the positive reputations they have enjoyed, but also in part because of their physical locations. The hard work being done now, I am sure, will convince young people and their parents that they are receiving high quality education wherever they go to school in Palmerston.
I have continued to represent the requirements and interests of the Palmerston community to the Education minister and Treasurer as often as possible. Even now, after the budget, I continue to keep them advised of what is going on in Palmerston and yes, I continue to humbug them about what more can be done.
People I meet at the Palmerston markets or when I am doorknocking want to talk about Palmerston High School when you mention education. People are really looking forward to seeing the new senior wing completed for the start of next year. It has also been raised with me that some work needs to occur on the existing structures that will house the middle year students. I assure Palmerston residents that I advocated all their concerns to the Treasurer and Education minister, and that I will continue to do so. I believe that there is great enthusiasm for the Palmerston High School. I share the community’s desire and commitment to ensure that it is a premier teaching and learning facility preparing our young people for the challenges of the future.
I am also asked many questions about Rosebery school. The government has the building of the facility well and truly in its sights. The ABS Census figures will help determine the shape of the facility.
Palmerston is a dynamic, multicultural community. We are blessed here in the Territory; we do not see some of the scenes that we witness happening in other parts of Australia. The Northern Territory Labor government has committed $741 000 for Multicultural Affairs sponsorship grants; $363 000 for the translating and interpreting service; and $350 000 for the Multicultural Facilities Development Program.
The number of houses being built in Palmerston is indicative of the speed of its present growth. Again, we receive confirmation of that growth when the ABS figures are released. The government has recognised the strength of the housing sector and the needs of those in the market to purchase their own home. The Treasurer announced the most comprehensive package of support for home ownership of any Territory government thus far.
I have already mentioned that the stamp duty concession for the first homebuyers was lifted from $225 000 to $350 000. Add to this the positive changes to the HomeNorth Scheme. I encourage everyone to investigate the low 2% deposit scheme and $10 000 interest-free loan. The increased income cap for families with dependents to $70 000 will be welcomed by many looking to move into Palmerston and raise their families. These and other changes as outlined by the Treasurer ensure HomeNorth keeps its status as the most generous and effective scheme of its type in the country. This is being grasped wholeheartedly by young people, especially with young families, moving to Palmerston.
Further good news for Palmerston and the Territory is the government’s decision to bring forward the development of Bellamack. Bellamack is estimated to provide about 600 housing sites. The government has provided $7m in this budget to progress the subdivision.
Still on infrastructure, the budget includes $6.3m for the Archer Zone Substation; $43.5m for the Weddell power station; and $4.9m to augment network capacity for the Weddell power station. The government has also committed to spending $500 000 on pressure reducing valves to balance water pressure across Palmerston.
Anyone living in Palmerston knows too well how painful driving along Wishart Road can be during peak hour times. The sun is at exactly the wrong angle so that you are pretty much driving into the sun - whether in the morning on your way into work in town, or if on your way home around 5 pm or 5.30 pm. The opposition and the Independents may allow at least the government cannot do much about the position of the sun. What we can do is provide $10m for duplication between Wishart Road and Tiger Brennan Drive. Doubling the lanes will have an extremely positive effect on traffic flow and I am sure will reduce the stress levels of those who have to travel from Palmerston into the city to go to work each morning.
All we need now is the Liberal Party to come to the party and to commit to the project just as federal Labor has. Hearing the pork barrelling the current federal government is prepared to engage in order to gets its marginal seat representatives up, I would have thought the CLP could have wrung a promise from the Liberals to ante-up for the people of Palmerston. Obviously not.
Maybe they think the current member for Solomon is safe and does not have to work very hard to stay in. Perhaps it is just the CLP is not good at advocating to their masters in Canberra for the needs of the people of Palmerston. I, and most residents in Palmerston, would like to see work commence on the realignment of Wishart Road and Tiger Brennan Drive. I guess in order to see that, Palmerston residents will need a member for Solomon who can convince his colleagues of their needs. This should not be a political issue but, obviously for the Liberal Party and the Territory branch, the CLP, it is. The only other option is that they think it is an unimportant project.
I hasten to add it is not something that I think is the case. I acknowledge that the member for Blain is on the record expressing his opinion that it is an important project. I believe him to be sincere in this matter and that all the Palmerston-based MLAs and the member for Goyder, whose electorate takes in Marlow’s Lagoon, are fully committed to seeing this project done and dusted. So we are left to ponder why there is a lack of desire by the Liberal federal government. Is it because of the ineffectiveness or unwillingness of the current member for Solomon to advocate for Palmerston, the ineffectiveness of the CLP in advocating for Palmerston, or that the member for Solomon simply thinks he is so safe as to not to bother about doing anything on this issue so he can get on with other election campaigning priorities?
I welcome the $20 000 set aside for the building of bus shelters in Farrar. This year, a school bus service commenced through Farrar taking students directly to Driver Primary School. I have had discussions with representatives of the department of Infrastructure and Transport already about adding that bus service to go via Bakewell and Gray Primary Schools. This would ensure that children attending those schools who live in Farrar can get there without having to rely on their parents dropping them off.
I advised the minister that I would discuss the issue with the school representatives affected. I have discussed it with everyone except the acting principal and school council of Driver Primary School. Everyone so far has told me what a good idea they think it is and that they would like to see it happen as soon as possible. Minister, I know that you must be getting tired of me making these representations to you about this bus route, but it makes so much sense and it is certainly needed. I watch a number of kids making their way on foot from Farrar to go to Bakewell Primary School. They have to cross Roystonea Avenue which has become an extremely busy road in the morning when people are heading in to work. The speed limit is 80 km/h and there is not much of a lip on the road, so I ask please minister make this a priority.
Yarrawonga is now a sizeable industrial estate and businesses that operate there employ many people and some of them do not drive. Kokoda Industries employ people with disabilities who require public transport. I know I have asked the minister for Infrastructure and Transport to look very seriously at a bus service for Yarrawonga as well as the Farrar suburb. I will continue to make those representations to you, minister. I see that it is recorded in the budget papers as something that the department is currently looking at. I really encourage you, minister, to take that on board. With that, I again congratulate the Treasurer on the budget that he handed down.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, for reasons the Treasurer most likely will understand, I will keep my comments brief. I find the budget difficult. For many years this has occurred, and most of my time in parliament has now been in opposition, reflecting on …
Mr Stirling: Mine, too!
Mr MILLS: Sorry?
Mr Stirling: Mine, too.
Mr MILLS: Yes, that is fine. … reflecting on the budget and going through the same sort of game of criticising one side over the other. I do not really want to do that. I would like to say that the general feedback, I would concur, from this budget has been acceptable from the community. Stakeholders have expressed modest response, sometimes a favourable response. Generally, it has not been very unfavourable. I am not going to extract opportunities to find political points in this, because the issue is government is elected to do a job. They have an allocation of funds and it is their responsibility to acquit those funds in ways that deliver services for the Northern Territory. So it largely dwells on discussion about how much money has been spent, as though that be an achievement.
I would prefer to look at the problems that we have in our community and whether we are addressing those through this budgetary process. Government has done a reasonably good job in crafting a modest response to the current situation. They leave themselves open, from a modest opposition and from many in the community, to shortfalls in service delivery in some areas.
The overriding issue is the inability to clearly describe a vision of where we are going, a comprehensive plan, so people sense they understand where we are really going. That, to me, is the most concerning aspect of this. After having the general positive feedback - and I cannot get up and say: ‘Oh, it is atrocious that you did this or did that’. I could spend my time on that, but what I started to hear from a deeper listening to what people were saying was that we want a sense of direction, a sense of purpose, and to know where we are really going. That opportunity has not been delivered by this budget. Those opposite may rail immediately because there is some criticism in that, but I think you would understand that there is an aspect of that.
I can illustrate it in my own electorate. If you are reactive to situations and try to contend with the demands of here and now, you jostle with the pressures that you are under to spend and, perhaps, deal with this issue or forgo that one. In Palmerston, the issue with the building of a school in Palmerston has gone on for far too long. I do not find any reference to the building of Rosebery Primary School in this budget. Though I have heard comments being made, I have not seen any reference to it in the budget. Words might be said and assurances given, but this lack of action in Palmerston has had a significant impact upon good mums and dads and teachers who are endeavouring to support their kids in education.
I admire the teachers at Bakewell Primary School. When I was elected in 1999, before I came into the parliament, I was at that school when it commenced. Now, not so many years later, it is, I understand, the largest primary school in the Northern Territory. That has largely happened, I would hope, not by accident. It has happened as a result of not building the school in Rosebery. The same with Woodroffe Primary School. When I was a principal in Palmerston that was a new school. I remember visiting it, and it is still a lovely school – same principal. However, that school has been subjected to extraordinary pressures as it has absorbed the lack of decisiveness to build a school in Rosebery.
You can have word games and discussions about what you are planning to do, or what you are considering, or you are waiting for this group or waiting for that group, but it becomes clear that there is not a sense of direction. It is a waiting. Then you get the people in the community saying that perhaps they have run out of money. When you do not have sense of direction or purpose, all sorts of confusions arise, as has happened in Palmerston in the situation regarding those two schools.
What it has demonstrated is that there appears to be an emergence of a plan; that being a desire to have much larger schools. This is a departure from previous plans to have schools that are based in suburbs or in areas, and so keep the schools closer to the community. If you look, and look again, you start to ask what are the visionary elements and plans that are driving the budget? Still we see reaffirmed there is either a clear plan, and that is to have mega-schools in Palmerston, a departure from previous plans, or is it just happening in a reactive way. It is those sorts of issues that we need to attend to.
I was quite interested to hear the Treasurer’s response during Question Time saying it was the federal government’s response to child sex concerns, saying it is a bold move. I do not think anyone would deny it is a bold move, and it is going to change the tempo, it is going to change the energy flows, and how we respond to this whole issue.
There is a lack of boldness in this budget, this lack of boldness to attend to issues that should be attended to. For example …
Mr Stirling: I am a conservative man, Terry.
Mr MILLS: Yes, very conservative.
For example, a sense of a vision for what our CBD should look like, so you know where you are going and, bit by bit, you start to put the planks in place. There isn’t that. I do not see any further evidence of that. I hear a lot of talk about education, and it is nice. However, I do not really get the sense that there is a clear plan, only to do superficial things perhaps, and to maintain an impression through momentum and activity, but there is no deeper analysis of how education is going and what we could do in a bold way in education, or in planning for our city, or train development - a whole host of things. It is those sorts of issues, that I and others have detected, that are absent from this conservative - to use the Treasurer’s own words - budget.
On the other side of town though - and this will be investigated more thoroughly through estimates - is the capacity, whilst there is no sense of direction or purpose, to enlarge the opportunities to harvest revenue. There seems to be a position taken that the money that we receive from the Commonwealth is our due, even though it is over and above what we ever expected. I get this awful sense, it is like a greedy kid who thinks that they are owed this, so there is no sense of the worth of what has been received, as well as the responsibility to acquit that in sensible ways that provide a legacy. That is the other response which I find offensive: the stamp duty receipts are up, the unfunded super liabilities are up, and these are good times.
We have members on the other side of whom I almost feel embarrassed at times. I just hope that I would never be in the position that I would stand up and sing the party song, basically, and say: ‘Everything is just hunky-dory in the land of the Northern Territory because of the government that I belong to’. Things are going okay, but they are not directly responsible for the resources boom. They are not directly responsible for the property market; it has occurred. There were times before when there were other events that impacted upon the Territory such as the pilot strike. You would not be accepting responsibility for that; it did have a very significant economic impact. There were other times such as when the Asian meltdown occurred. Do you accept responsibility for that when it is a negative impact on your own economy? No. However, when there are wonderful economic things happening in China - I will not say wonderful things - the economic strength and powerhouse in China, somehow or other we have, as an example, the member for Goyder thinking that the Chief Minister has single-handedly managed to pull this one off, which is delusion, fanciful, and a bit silly.
It comes back down to the basics: we need to manage what we have been given to manage, and to produce the outcomes and set a direction. I do not think that has really been done significantly. Receipts, the capacity to harvest and to spend, have been large in this budget. There is one area of concern which I will foreshadow I will investigate further during estimates. I am very concerned that the take from gambling has increased significantly, and the portion that flows back into assisting those who may be negatively impacted by gambling has not increased anywhere near the same quantum. That is wrong. That is showing a reactive government that is just very happy to take, and not take that moral responsibility to invest, guide, and address an issue over the horizon.
I did not hear any member on the opposite side make any reference to this, but you should be concerned about the amount of money that is coming from gambling. However, what is most concerning is that the portion that is coming back is less …
Mr Stirling: Does not come from Territorians, Terry.
Mr MILLS: It is less in …
Mr Stirling: We have the biggest bookmakers in Australia here, Terry, responsible for a good part of it.
Mr MILLS: You have an increase. You have the increase, but your return to the industry, particularly in the ways of alleviation, have not matched the quantum increase. That is a concern. That will be further investigated, as well as a number of other issues, throughout the estimates process.
With those general comments, I say yes, it is a conservative budget. You get a faint round of applause, perhaps, from the shadow Treasurer. It is all right. It is a bit like one of the gymnasts, or one of those divers at the Olympics where they get up there and everything is going their way. They have the opportunity to do a really difficult and gutsy dive that is going to dazzle the judges and they pull off this really mundane little dive. They had the opportunity to garner extra points, bonus points, by doing this magnificent double backflip with a twist into the water sideways. I do not know. They could have done something that was the highest ranking, or even slightly less than that. They have chosen, with the opportunities they have had, to do a very modest swan dive off the platform.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, in reply closing debate.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their contributions …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry, Treasurer in reply.
Mr STIRLING: … to the debate.
Mrs Miller: Chief Minister already!
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I corrected myself.
Mr STIRLING: Chief Minister! I have just won the gold medal in the diving at the Olympics and now I am Chief Minister. I am on a roll. I like the analogy though because it is true and you do get those quite modest efforts when someone is within sight of the gold medal and it is best not to take too risky a shot. So I accept the faint applause and praise from the member for Blain, and consider this budget as of gold medal winning quality. I am quite happy to accept that analogy.
In making those comments though, the member for Blain blithely skips over about five or six years of quite difficult history for this government when we came to government in August 2001 with the state of the Northern Territory: the basket case that it was, the mounting deficit, the mountain of debt the people of the Northern Territory accumulated over many years of CLP government. Not without reason for a lot of it, particularly in the early years when the CLP was about building the Territory which itself had been very badly neglected by the Commonwealth right through to the 1970s and the advent of the Legislative Council and, eventually, self-government through the Legislative Assembly.
Therefore, a good part of that debt was established in those early years but added to in probably the last six to eight years of the CLP’s tenure in a quite squandering and wasteful fashion that did not contribute to the wealth of the Territory. Nonetheless, they got us into a fiscal and financial mess, such that they could not fund capital works, they could not pay for the railway, they could not put a budget together without a whole lot of deceit behind it which was subsequently unravelled after we came to government, first in the first six weeks by the admission of the then Under Treasurer, Ken Clarke, and then through the exposure under the Public Accounts Committee process and the Estimates Committee process later on. So bad was it, we had to bring forward a mini-budget in November 2001 to make sense of the figures we had been left with.
If this is a modest budget, as the member for Blain describes it, it is a budget that is looking forward over the next 10 years. It is a budget that takes stock of the robust manner in which the economy is travelling along at the moment, that takes stock of the fact that it is very busy in the private sector, and that seeks to balance the effort of government out there in the marketplace with the private sector.
It is in stark contrast, I think, to 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 where we struggled to get every cent we could to put into capital works, to use the construction industry as the engine room to kick start the economy again. After about two years, it gradually started to spark and rumble and get going, and we have had pretty strong economic growth over the last three years.
There is a time and place for budgets of different shapes and sizes, directions and priorities, and emphasis on where government should be putting that major effort. This budget in the context of where the Territory is at the moment, the ongoing needs that it has, the future directions, does the job very well indeed. In fact, I am quite happy to accept it as a gold medal winning budget performance ...
Mr Mills: You could have broken a world record!
Mr STIRLING: Well, that is how I understood and interpreted the comments from the member for Blain. I look forward, like him, to the estimates process next week. He will have the opportunity, along with all members of this parliament to ask me questions over a period of about seven-and-a-half hours on any aspect of 2006-07 budget, or indeed the 2007-08 budget which, hopefully, we will pass this week.
In listening to all the members who have contributed - and I have read through the comments where I did not listen to them - have reinforced to me that Budget 2007-08 is very much a budget that plans for the Territory’s future. It is about establishing a very strong plan, not just for this year, but the foundation for the next decade and beyond for Territorians who want to own their own home, for the school system, for health care, for essential infrastructure, for police and emergency services, and for continued strong economic growth.
I said on Budget day that it is the budget that our children would want us to deliver. It does create jobs; it continues to grow the economy now, but also over the longer term; and it secures and enhances the lifestyle of every Territorian.
I talked before about what it was like in 2001, and if the member for Blain thinks it is a modest effort, it is done in a very different context to the tough, dark days of 2001 when we simply did not have any money and the deficit headed up for $130m and counting. We subsequently brought it back to about $84m, and we began to establish then, in that first budget reporting cycle, a record of fiscal behaviour and discipline that has seen us improve our bottom line from the time the budget is put in the Assembly in May until 30 June the following year, the end of the financial year, that every subsequent reporting period after the first Budget in 2001-02, we have improved our bottom line by many millions of dollars. That $130m deficit down to $84m at the end of the first financial year set the scene for the way we were going to go into the future.
It is in stark contrast to the way our predecessors used to run government and the budget because they simply had no budget flexibility at all in order to grow out of the slump that had grown up around them. That was the difference between the two governments. The member for Blain will say it is all about the GST. We might get to that next Tuesday in terms of the relative share of the common wealth of Australia between the Commonwealth government and the states and territories. The states and territories are now at perilously low levels in the share of the overall wealth that Australia produces compared with the Commonwealth. I will put some graphs across the table next week so that the member for Blain has some idea of the tremendous wealth that the Commonwealth government is storing up behind everyone’s backs while they point at the GST and say the states and territories have squandered it.
In stark contrast to then, population growth in those years had stagnated. We know people were leaving. People with skills left to get work in other states. Who could blame them? The nett debt and employee liability to revenue ratio was 134%. We have that down to 116% today. Housing had ground to a halt. We had high vacancy levels. We had slow turnover of sales. It was a pretty poor track record. By the CLP refusing to even acknowledge those past mistakes, I do not think Territorians will trust them with management of the Territory economy again until they confront that reality.
Six years on, as I said, the economy is robust. It is performing strongly. In fact, many indicators report we are well out-performing the rest of the nation. It is a direct result of the fiscal policies of the Martin government. Resident employment growth is very strong, up 5.7% in the year to May. That is another factor that the member for Blain, despite it being a gold medal winning budget, refuses to acknowledge. He will not acknowledge that this government has any influence over the economic performance of the Territory. He says it is all due to John Howard and Peter Costello. Again, I will have the information in estimates next week that might direct him along the path. I have always believed that there are none so blind as those who will not see ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: None so blind as those who will not see. You failed. Your record in recognising the truth of the past is not good, so I do not expect you to recognise the truth of the present any better.
Resident employment, as I said, is up 5.7% in the year to May. ANZ job ads, which is a pretty good indicator, are up 7.5% for the same period. There was a national fall in job ads of 2.3%. The state of our economy is all to do with John Howard, yet nationally we have seen job ads fall 2.3%, but up 7.5% in the Northern Territory in the same period.
We have also experienced impressive growth in population, up 2% to the year December 2006. I had the pleasure, a couple of weeks ago, with the Chief Minister in the mall to report that the Territory population is now more than 212 000 people. More people are choosing to make the Territory their home because of good jobs, and more work for local business. Retail turnover growth is exceptionally strong at 11.8%; that is double the national growth rate in the year to April. Again, if our economy was all due to John Howard and Peter Costello, how come the national growth rate for retail turnover is half that of the Territory? We have to be honest at some stage and say, well, maybe the Northern Territory government has things right, has the economic levers right, has a little more control over this economy than we might like to admit, and is steering it in the right direction. They all demonstrate a strong economy is one important indicator of a series of successful budgets, and Budget 2007-08 does build on that excellent fiscal management of the past six years.
A $3.3bn budget - it was about $2.3bn when we came to government, so that is not a bad growth rate over that past six years. It has gone up $1bn - $2.3bn to $3.3bn now. It includes record spending in the key areas listed by the Martin government when it first took office. We have remained focused on those core areas necessary to build the Territory: Employment, Education and Training, a record $658m, up 38% since 2001; Police, Fire and Emergency Services, record $226m, up 65% since 2001; Health budget, $838m, up a massive 73% since 2001; an unprecedented $814m will be spent over five years on Power and Water infrastructure; a record $645m cash on infrastructure; taking the total cash spend since 2001 to $3.3bn. So, between 2001 and 2007, we have spent the entire proceeds of the 2007-08 all on infrastructure, $3.3bn, the same size as the 2007-08 Budget. Roads have a record $180m, a $35m increase in R&M over the next four years, which brings the repairs and maintenance budget to $57m.
To encourage people to stay and raise families in the Territory, Budget 2007-08 delivers the most comprehensive package of support for home ownership ever provided by the Territory government. The stamp duty free threshold has been lifted from $225 000 to $350 000, a 55% increase. The maximum rebate is now $15 312; 85% of first homebuyers in the Territory will pay no stamp duty. The HomeNorth scheme has been broadened to benefit more families with children. The Martin government has allocated $7m for land development at Bellamack in Palmerston. It will have blocks set aside for first homebuyers, another important step to assist young people and families getting on to the housing market.
The CLP opposition described the Territory’s budget as one of missed opportunities. Well, the CLP member’s responses had no initiatives for community safety, health and community services, infrastructure, mining, primary industry, or for roads. All we got was confusion over whether they support demerit points. That seems to be the issue of the day. ‘No confusion over the demerit points’, the CLP press release screamed out in its headline. So we do not see any initiatives at all, and from the CLP we get confusion.
Budget 2007-08 provides extensive funding in all these areas. Most importantly, it will create jobs, it will grow the economy, and it will secure our great lifestyle.
Madam Speaker, it is clear from contributions today and during the last sittings, the Martin government is justifiably proud of Budget 2007-08. I am happy to repeat: it is the best budget I have had the pleasure of delivering as Treasurer. Even better now that it has been described by the member for Blain as a gold medal winning performance as a budget. I would not have classified it thus myself, but I am happy to take the plaudits of the opposition spokesman with responsibility for Treasury, and that it is a gold medal winning budget. Thank you, Terry, I take that as a vote of confidence.
It is a confident, forward-looking budget for a confident community. We do have a bright future, and the budget will ensure that the Territory continues to be the best place to live and work in Australia. I look forward to estimates next week.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the committee stage be postponed until Friday, 29 June 2007.
Motion agreed to.
TABLED PAPER
Department of the Legislative Assembly Portfolio Budget Statement 2007-08
Department of the Legislative Assembly Portfolio Budget Statement 2007-08
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Department of the Legislative Assembly Portfolio Budget Statement 2007-08.
TABLED PAPER
Public Sector Annual Report Awards - Adjudicators Report
Mr BURKE (Brennan)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I table the Public Sector Annual Report Awards Adjudicators Report.
MOTION
Note Paper - Public Sector Annual Report - Awards Adjudicators Report
Note Paper - Public Sector Annual Report - Awards Adjudicators Report
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I had the pleasure of recently attending the award ceremony and can advise that the overall winner for this year was the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts. Awards of Excellence were awarded to the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and the Northern Territory Treasury.
There were a number of other awards which I will not go through as they are in the report. However, I would like to mention also the award for the Most Readable Report. It is notable that there were many nominees for this: the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority; the Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport; the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts; the Department of Employment, Education and Training; Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services; and the Northern Territory Treasury. The winners were the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and the Northern Territory Treasury. Well done to all of those.
I thank the adjudicators for their time and efforts in putting this report together. The adjudicators noted there was, in general, a raising from the standard of last year, which is always good to hear. I believe annual reports are an extremely important part of openness and accountability of government. It is government agencies reporting back to parliament as a whole. I know my colleagues on the Public Accounts Committee agree with me. If the departments want to see how important annual reports are, they should come along to the estimates process where they will see them put to great use by the members of the committee.
I particularly like the focus on readability of these reports. That is something which has gained momentum. It is interesting that issues we face as a jurisdiction, being a small jurisdiction, are, in fact, also experienced by the larger jurisdictions around the country in auditing and putting together annual reports.
I say a special thank you to Mr Frank McGuiness, the Northern Territory Auditor-General, for his help and advice. I also thank all the departments which took part, especially the people who put these reports together. I do know how much time it takes, and I want them to know that we, as parliamentarians, appreciate the efforts that they make.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the paper.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
TABLED PAPER
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs –
Report into the Federal Implications of Northern Territory Statehood –
Long Road to Statehood
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs –
Report into the Federal Implications of Northern Territory Statehood –
Long Road to Statehood
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, today I make a progress statement in relation to the reference to the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the advancement of statehood for the Northern Territory.
On Monday, 28 May 2007, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon Peter Slipper MP, tabled in the Commonwealth parliament that committee’s report into the federal implications of Northern Territory statehood. I hereby table that report, titled The Long Road to Statehood, for the information of members.
The Statehood Steering Committee was pleased to immediately welcome the Commonwealth committee’s report, and the standing committee will convene during these sittings to consider the report further. The House of Representative’s committee report contains a single recommendation: that the committee recommends the Australian government update and refine its position on Northern Territory statehood and recommence work on unresolved federal issues.
The recommendation is a sound starting position for renewed discussions between the Northern Territory and the Commonwealth about Northern Territory statehood. The clear message from the Commonwealth report is, first, that the people of the Northern Territory will have to eventually decide to support or not to support statehood; and the Commonwealth has to examine its own policy position on Northern Territory statehood and recommence working on resolving the federal issues. These are issues such as our future levels of Senate representation and the power a new state government has over issues such as mining of uranium, Aboriginal land rights, national parks, and any other state-like power the existing Australian states have.
Members of the Legislative Assembly standing committee and members of the Statehood Steering Committee participated in the House of Representatives committee’s seminars in Alice Springs and Darwin during November 2006. As Chair of both committees, I made it clear to the Commonwealth committee that we need the Commonwealth to be part of the Territory’s moves towards statehood; that we cannot move towards statehood alone and in a vacuum. The Statehood Steering Committee welcomes the Commonwealth report as a step forward in bringing the Commonwealth government to the table to consider its role in Northern Territory statehood.
We are all well aware that 2007 is a federal election year. The Commonwealth is not going to let Territory statehood be part of an election campaign and nor would we want it to be. However, the Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee will ask the Territory Assembly through the minister and the shadow minister for Statehood to put the Commonwealth on notice that whoever forms government after the next federal election, the Territory will be seeking action from the incoming government on that recommendation put forward by the House of Representatives committee last month.
The Commonwealth report is 144 pages long and discusses a range of issues and puts forward a range of views. The Statehood Steering Committee notes with some satisfaction that the recommendation reflects its own public position on the various roles of government that it has taken since 2006. The main thrust of the Statehood Steering Committee’s position has been that until the Commonwealth’s intentions are known we will not come to a point of being able to ask Territorians to decide on statehood.
While the Statehood Steering Committee welcomes the Commonwealth committee’s report, during the week in which the report was released there was some media comment indicating the report was inconclusive or that it said nothing. The Katherine Times just last week echoed this comment about the Commonwealth report.
The wording of the recommendation is fairly cautious but it is, nonetheless, significant. No matter how you read it, the recommendations say the Commonwealth government has more work to do to inform the people of the Northern Territory of its intentions.
The report recognises we have a long way to go but it certainly does not say we should nothing. Quite the opposite. By reflecting on the submissions of the Statehood Steering Committee as advanced by the co-chairs, Sue Bradley and I, the report says on page 35 that the Commonwealth government should not let the Territory engage in a consultation exercise; that would be futile if the Commonwealth government does not reveal its policy positions on statehood issues. The report, on page 36, also acknowledges the Commonwealth government has a role to play in assisting the Northern Territory work through some of the unresolved issues of statehood. It is my understanding that this is the first time that a Commonwealth body has officially acknowledged the people of the Northern Territory require the Commonwealth government to develop policy positions in order to inform our decision-making about statehood. As I have indicated, the report’s recommendation directly reflects the Statehood Steering Committee’s submission to the Commonwealth committee.
As chair of the Statehood Steering Committee, I wish to make it clear that all Statehood Steering Committee members recognise our work is not yet done and appreciates the acknowledgement that the Commonwealth’s own work needs to be restarted after a 10-year gap. One part of the report that reflects this dual responsibility says:
- The people of the Northern Territory would be in a better position to come to a view on statehood if they had a clearer understanding of the associated terms and conditions.
It is the Commonwealth which has the constitutional responsibility for deciding on the terms and conditions of any new state. Let the Commonwealth work together with the Northern Territory to decide their positions on these terms and conditions of statehood. As we move toward statehood, Territorians will increasingly demand to know the Commonwealth’s views on terms and conditions. Indeed, people are starting to ask the committee about these matters already.
One very important issue in the statehood context is the future of Aboriginal land administration in a new state. The report says the land councils in the Northern Territory have a pivotal role to play. The Statehood Steering Committee understands this and takes the view that all Aboriginal people living in the Territory have to be engaged in the statehood discussion or it will not go forward. Both the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and the Native Title Act 1993 apply to land in the Northern Territory. Approximately 50% of the Northern Territory is Aboriginal land. To date, the land councils to which the Statehood Steering Committee have spoken have indicated the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act should remain administered by the Commonwealth, even upon statehood. It is very clear to the Statehood Steering Committee there is a position the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act should not become Northern Territory law.
The Statehood Steering Committee does not see its role as attempting to convince the land councils to change this position. However, the Statehood Steering Committee does have an important role to explore all options including examining any options for the patriation of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) to the Northern Territory upon statehood, even if, in the end, patriation is not pursued. Looking at and discussing these issues will allow Aboriginal Territorians to make an informed decision about the administration of Aboriginal land into the future.
The Northern Territory’s member of the Commonwealth committee, the member for Solomon, Mr David Tollner MP, has expressed a view that we could remove the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act from the statehood debate by patriating it to the Northern Territory now, ahead of any vote on the statehood issue. On behalf of the Statehood Steering Committee, I acknowledge the commitment the federal member for Solomon has to Territory statehood and thank him for his work on the Commonwealth committee. This is one particular issue, however, the federal member for Solomon may wish to give some further thought to.
On ABC radio on 30 May, the member for Solomon said the patriation of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act to the Northern Territory should occur ‘as soon as possible’ because ‘the removal of this issue from the statehood debate altogether is essential’. Such an approach would not remove the issue from the statehood debate. It may, in fact, hinder the advancement of statehood because, even if the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act was patriated to the Northern Territory immediately, the Commonwealth would retain its existing superior power over a territory.
The Commonwealth would be able to override any Territory law made concerning land rights, and the land councils which do not support Territory administration of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act would constantly seek Commonwealth intervention. When this power to override Territory law would be removed the land councils, if they still took the view that the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act must be Commonwealth law, would be unlikely to support statehood.
Also, Aboriginal people who oppose the patriation of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act to the Northern Territory may vote no to statehood in the future to show their displeasure at any unilateral decision made now to change its status. Aboriginal land rights is a statehood issue; the Statehood Steering Committee understands it is not possible to try to separate the issue from statehood. There will be a need for an agreement at some stage in the move toward statehood to either patriate the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act or to leave it as Commonwealth law. The act remaining with the Commonwealth may be either by special arrangement under the terms and conditions of statehood, or by immediate referral back to the Commonwealth upon statehood.
It is important for the statehood process that we do not cling to an agenda that insists the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act must move to the Northern Territory and stop the process there. This will be a decision for the people of the Northern Territory, most importantly for the traditional landowners. It is not something that politicians or committee members should continually focus on at the expense of the broader goal of statehood.
Madam Speaker, as committee chair, I am confident that by walking together, we can provide all Territory people the opportunity to be part of a genuinely inclusive process. Important decisions such as the future of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act must be part of that walking together.
At the Statehood Steering Committee’s last meeting, held in Alice Springs on 25 May, the steering committee started to hear some organisations saying they see statehood as an opportunity for our future constitutional development and for their children to be part of an inclusive Australian federation. As members of the Assembly, we are often aware that people are sometimes suspicious of political change. Many people have expressed their views over the process leading up to the 1998 Statehood Referendum. It has taken us some time to win back some trust, and we still have to convince many more people that we are genuine about inclusiveness and walking together. This is continuing.
Since meeting with the Commonwealth committee in November last year, the Statehood Steering Committee has undertaken more than 30 community presentations and briefings on statehood with a range of Territory organisations and individuals. The activities have included a professional development workshop in February for teachers to discuss how the statehood materials fit into the civics and citizenship aspects of the school curriculum, and provide advice on the resources the committee has developed to assist teachers.
This year, the committee has also travelled to Hermannsburg, Santa Teresa, Amoonguna, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Wallace Rockhole, Katherine, Barunga, Manyallaluk, Gulin Gulin, Beswick, Angurugu, Umbakumba, Milyakburra and Alyangula, as well as meeting with other communities and their representatives in Darwin. Discussions have taken place with the Anindilyakwa Land Council and the Central and Northern Land Councils to focus on opportunities for participation in constitutional development in the context of the 1998 Indigenous Constitutional Strategy document. We plan to meet the Tiwi Land Council as soon as possible to continue our open discussions on statehood with more Territorians.
On 8 May this year, the Statehood Steering Committee released its landmark discussion paper, titled Constitutional Paths to Statehood. The paper has been developed as a result of preliminary discussions the committee has undertaken with the Northern Territory community about what a Northern Territory constitution may look like, and draws together the work of previous Legislative Assembly committees and the land councils. The paper was released for detailed consultation with all Territorians for a period of 32 weeks. Submissions will close on 31 December 2007. Already, we have provided over 400 hard copies of the discussion paper to interested parties. The paper asks Territorians to examine a range of issues such as: how do we ensure we create a long lasting constitution for future generations? Do we need electoral reform or an upper house? Should a constitution have a bill of rights? What is the role of the constitutional convention? How does the Territory deal with land rights on statehood?
It is anticipated a detailed report on the matters raised will be considered by the Statehood Steering Committee and submitted to the Legislative Assembly early in 2008. The findings will enable the Statehood Steering Committee and the standing committee to discuss and develop a strategy for a future constitutional convention prior to any referendum on the statehood issue.
An executive summary paper will also be released next month to assist awareness and understanding of the issues contained in the major publication. This discussion paper is the first in a series of two vital issues papers for the Northern Territory. The second paper, Commonwealth Terms and Conditions of Northern Territory Statehood, will be released by the Statehood Steering Committee in early 2008. The second paper will, hopefully, be the platform for Territory and Commonwealth discussions on the terms and conditions, and will cover issues such as Senate representation upon statehood.
The Statehood Steering Committee notes the Commonwealth report says that it may not be appropriate for the Territory to be given 10 additional Senators straightaway. The Statehood Steering Committee has formed a preliminary view that equal Senate representation should be an eventual goal of statehood, but it is probably not realistic as an immediate goal. The Statehood Steering Committee has been discussing this with Territorians over the past year. Last year, 50% of 1012 people we surveyed said they would not accept statehood with less than equal representation in the Senate. The Commonwealth committee takes the view in their report that the Territory should achieve an additional two Senators upon statehood with a formula for a gradual increase over time. This may be a reasonable approach. We have more work to do on this, and it becomes one of those terms and conditions issues the Commonwealth government needs to consider as well.
In the meantime, the Statehood Steering Committee continues its work with Territorians. As I have advised the Assembly, the Statehood Steering Committee’s discussion paper is now out for consideration and available for download on our website at statehood.nt.gov.au. The Statehood Steering Committee will also have a presence on the Territory show circuit again this year, where it has teamed up with the Electoral Commission to conduct a mock referendum on statehood. The Electoral Commission had about 100 voters at Freds Pass show during May, and nearly 20 more and Barunga, and we expect plenty more at the other shows.
Madam Speaker, the Commonwealth committee’s report and its recommendation that the Commonwealth government must engage the Northern Territory on the terms and conditions of statehood is welcomed by the Statehood Steering Committee and, no doubt, this will also be endorsed by the Standing Committee. I look forward to that engagement unfolding over the coming few years as we move together towards statehood.
MOTION
Note Paper - House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs –
Report into the Federal Implications of Northern Territory Statehood –
Long Road to Statehood
Note Paper - House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs –
Report into the Federal Implications of Northern Territory Statehood –
Long Road to Statehood
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report.
Motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
This is an exciting time of year for local members across the Northern Territory running up to the end of Term 2 and the excitement of sports days and sports carnivals in all of our schools in our electorates. I am really pleased that I have been able to get to most of the carnivals in my electorate over the last week or so.
Wanguri Primary School held its sports day last Thursday afternoon, and I was pleased to be able to get there from 4 pm until 6 pm, to watch some of the events and also to participate fairly miserably in a race against other parents. I really enjoyed the afternoon. It is great to see the early childhood classes competing in some traditional old school activities such as egg and spoon race, sack races, and three-legged races. It is great to get out there and see the kids have such a great time. My daughter was competing on the day. To see so many families at Wanguri late in the afternoon to support the kids was magnificent.
Victoria House won overall, with a fantastic effort put in by all four houses. It was great to hear the kids’ enthusiastic house chants. Congratulations to Nikki Coggins, Josh Roach, Shanice Calma, Jihad Konda, Kyle O’Brian and Mitchell Rothwell, who the sports champion medal winners of Wanguri school.
I also say a big thank you to the staff and parents who assisted on the day. Members may not be aware that Wanguri is one of the first teaching schools for our new pre-service teachers studying at Charles Darwin University. There are 14 pre-service teachers at Wanguri school at the moment. They took over the organisation and running of the sports day. I give those 14 teachers a great big rap – they did a magnificent job.
Leanyer Primary School had its sports carnival last Friday and I managed to spend an hour to see all the fun. I was also there to witness the future in Territory athletics. There were some magnificent students and races during Friday morning. It was a close day with Coburg House taking out the Golden Sandshoe, but only after a massive effort from all four teams. It came right down to the last race of the day to determine which team had come out on top. The school was a riot of colours and it was great to see parents, grandparents and friends get behind the kids. Thanks to all the staff on the day - all of the teachers and the teaching committee that organise sports day at Leanyer; the students for their great behaviour and the school’s SRC for fundraising to purchase one of the sports day tents. It was a fantastic day at Leanyer Primary School.
Also on Friday, I managed to get to Henbury School in my electorate - a very special school in every sense of the word - to their sports carnival. It was filled with laughter, fun and sausage sizzle, which I managed to contribute to. I was lucky enough to head down there just in time for lunch, and to play a game of soccer with the kids at Henbury. It was just a lovely day. The overall team winners on the day were the blue team, but my congratulations go to Sitorn Boornmanee, Haydan Robertson and Abi Adjura, who all performed exceptionally well on the day.
This Monday, I managed to get out of the house for an hour to get down to St Andrew’s Lutheran School in my electorate for sports day. It was great to see the students enjoying themselves, showcasing great sportsmanship. The winning house was the Frill Neck Lizards with the Goannas coming in and scoring second place honours. The age athletics champions were Dominic Kay and Larissa Lum, so congratulations to those two fabulous students. Thanks go to the many parent helpers, but especially the Parents and Friends Association, which did a marvellous job with the cake stall and raffle which raised approximately $600 for the upcoming musical. They had great date and pecan cake that was enjoyed in my office.
Holy Spirit School is having their sports day today as we speak. I managed to get there for just half-an-hour during the lunch break today. Again, everyone was having a fantastic time at Holy Spirit.
On Friday, 11 March, I had the great pleasure of launching the new Outreach Program between Dripstone High School and Henbury School. Members would know that Henbury School is a school in my electorate of Wanguri for children with special needs. Fourteen Henbury students will use the refurbished facilities at Dripstone for their middle years program. These students will be able to participate in some of Dripstone High School’s specialist subjects such as art, technical studies, physical education, cookery and photography. The $183 500 project was funded by the Northern Territory government under our Building Better Schools plan. The works have included the creation of two classrooms and office space for class preparation, and a storeroom as well as the construction of a toilet for people with special needs, and electronic doors for wheelchair access. As part of the update, students actively participated in planning meetings to discuss the design, and assisted with the selection of colour schemes for their new classrooms. A further $250 000 will be spent on a new bathroom, wheelchair access, and additional fencing thanks to funding from the Commonwealth government.
It is fantastic to see school communities working together to deliver improved middle years education for students with special needs. Congratulations also to the project team for their excellent coordination and to Hercules – people would probably know Hercules from GEM Construction and Engineering - who completed the project three weeks ahead of schedule ready for the start of the 2007 school year. I thank principal, Michael Jones from Henbury School and all his staff, and Lyn Elphinstone, principal at Dripstone and all her staff. It has just been magnificent the way those two schools have come together to really give the Henbury kids real access and opportunities in a mainstream high school. Those students do participate in the main body of high school life. They mix with all of the students at Dripstone, and it has been great for both sets of students. I am just a very proud local member to see local schools coming together supporting each other.
Many members will have participated in the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea. Members on our side of the House sort of compete with each other to see how much we can raise. I think the member for Karama was the champion on this side this year. I was able to assist with morning tea at the Leanyer Seniors Village on Friday, 25 May. It was a great pleasure and opportunity to join everyone and enjoy a delicious morning tea. The wonderful food was provided by our great seniors at Leanyer. It was a fantastic success. Over $120 was raised. A big thank you to John, Nali, Christine, Rob, Helen and everyone else at our wonderful seniors’ village in Leanyer.
I cannot complete adjournment at this time of the year without talking about the Greek Glenti. What a fabulous success that was! I know members from Central Australia enjoy the long weekend at the Finke Desert Race but, I can certainly say as a member in the northern suburbs, I am never going to miss the Glenti. Much as I would like to go to the Finke Desert Race, I do not think it will ever come at the expense of spending time at the Glenti on The Esplanade amongst our magnificent Greek community. I really enjoy, along with other members - the members for Casuarina, Drysdale and, I think, Johnston, and other male members of this side of the House - spending time behind the bar. It is great to spend two or three hours behind the bar serving people, having a lot of fun with the Greek community.
A fantastic cocktail this year, that I did not take part in, was called the Glenti Bomb, which consisted of a shot of ouzo and a can of Red Bull - all for the bargain price of $6. There was going to be a lot of people who would have been really buzzing by the end of the night, enjoying the Greek food and the dancing after a couple of Glenti Bombs.
I thank the festival committee and especially the Glenti Coordinator Lilliane Gomatos. Lilliane provides tremendous enthusiastic commitment to Glenti every year, and it just seems to get bigger and better. Thank you also to Stratos Poulos and his team who worked tirelessly into the late hours to install electrical cabling along the Esplanade for the Glenti. I think I heard it may have been the minister for Infrastructure and Planning - the member for Casuarina might correct me if I am wrong - say we are going upgrade the electrical infrastructure on the Esplanade to provide much better support and electrical services for communities like the Greek community to use the Esplanade. Hopefully, Stratos, next year, that work will have been done and you will not have to work so hard. Following the Glenti, this cabling will be put underground and will enable other community groups to have safe and reliable access to power for other events. Glenti is a non-profit organisation and, each year, proceeds are donated to a Territory charity. This year’s proceeds, a whopping $24 000, have been donated to the Leukaemia Foundation to assist Territorians with leukaemia or lymphoma, and to provide support to their families.
Congratulations to our fabulous Greek community, all of the Greek sporting groups, community groups, and the Greek School. There are just so many in our community who turn out and use the Glenti as the major fundraiser for their community groups every year. You really are part of the great beating heart of the community of Darwin. You do a magnificent job and I look forward to the Glenti next year, which will be the 20th anniversary of the Glenti.
Holy Spirit Primary School held its annual fete on Saturday 26 May. I always look forward to the fete. My job was to spin the wheel and to call all the prizes. I enjoyed catching up with everyone and it was another fantastic effort at the school. The school’s fete is the biggest fundraiser they undertake every year. This year, they raised over $10 000, which is a huge effort. Congratulations to the organisers and, in particular, Ina Blake. Ina has been organising the fete for a number of years now, and it is a huge effort. Well done, Ina, Anne Myerscough, Jane Sheehan, Lisa Bell, Danielle Hogben and the rest of the staff and parents who worked hard to make the fete as good as it was.
Last weekend, Wanguri Preschool had a lawn and plants sale. It was fabulous to get down to the preschool. They have big plans to expand facilities. It was a very successful fundraiser, thanks to Rachel Cohen, Jess Hocking, Jessemma Reeves, Shirley Neve, Jayne Carter, Lisa Parker and Julie Borgese and all of the parents and helpers on the day.
Mr Deputy Speaker, that was around the traps and thank yous to wonderful schools, community groups in my electorate and the Greek community who provided us all with the fun of Glenti this year.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Deputy Speaker, I say farewell tonight to Mrs Kay Brohier, Dripstone High School Administration Manager, who is retiring on 20 July after 27 years of service with the Department of Employment, Education and Training.
Kay joined the department in 1980. She has spent the majority of her time at Dripstone and has worked her way up to the position of Manager Administration within the school. She has worked tirelessly for the school and for the benefit of the students. Her efforts over the years have been much appreciated. My very best wishes to Kay. I know I join all the staff and students at Dripstone High School to wish Kay an enjoyable and well deserved retirement.
Congratulations also to Katie Ryan who was one of the four students from the Territory to travel to Canberra for National Safe Schools Week. Katie enjoyed meeting fellow students from around Australia and felt that the activity was very worthwhile.
Dripstone High School has once again hosted the Crickids event. Students from Dripstone are helping their younger primary school peers to learn about teamwork and cooperation through cricket. The aim of this program is to allow students to develop and enhance their leadership and communication skills, as well as develop their ability to adapt and take initiatives in their lives. It is a day where Dripstone students celebrate living in harmony in conjunction with students from surrounding primary schools by coaching the younger students in cricket skills and team building exercises.
Maintaining positive relationships with primary schools around Dripstone is seen as an important part of ensuring Year 6 and 7 students are able to move into their next stage of education with self-confidence. Similarly, the establishment of links through the team sport of cricket is a terrific way of introducing younger students to the Dripstone High School community, where students are encouraged to respect each other and work together to achieve success.
At Nakara Primary School, the Acting Principal, Angie Graham, told me that Nakara Primary has had a very successful first semester this year, despite the unfortunate absence of their principal, Barry Griffin. However, staff and students are anxiously looking forward to his return next semester after a full recovery.
Stage 2 of the Building Better Schools project is in full strength, as negotiations have commenced for further renovations and improvements to the Nakara Primary School infrastructure, including the canteen and preschool. The school is also grateful to Student Services for grants to purchase the Friendly Schools and Families kits; a mobile shade structure from the Casuarina Club, plus funds to employ Life Be In it for sports day. The school is awaiting confirmation of a grant to purchase 24 student laptops on trolleys, and three SMART Boards from the Investing in our Schools project.
Highlights from Nakara’s Term 2 include the Dry Season concert, the Eisteddfod, the Anzac Day ceremonies, sports day, and a visit from Tetrifide, a percussion group. The Dry Season concert was a wonderful evening with a cultural theme. Students performed songs and dances from a range of countries, whilst parents prepared and sold yiros, hot dogs, lamingtons and scones.
Congratulations to Felicity Williams Year 2/3Q and Illias Hourdas of Year 6/7GM for winning this month’s achievement award for their excellent efforts at school.
This week, I attended the Nakara Primary School sports carnival, along with many parents who were there to support their children and the school community. It was terrific to see so many of the parents taking the time to support their children with their achievements at school. It was a beautiful cool morning for a sports carnival on Tuesday, as I watched the Johnston, Erhardt and Hinkler teams battle it out in the march. Again this year, I was impressed with the themes used by all three teams. In particular, the little red back spiders in the Hinkler team caught my eye. Congratulations to all three sports captains for a terrific effort with organising their team’s war cries. I awarded the winner’s shield for the best march to Hinkler, Red Team, and I congratulate the Yellow Team again this year for winning the sports carnival.
Last week, I attended the Alawa Primary School assembly to present the Principal, Sharon Reeve, and students and school captains with a new Northern Territory flag. The old one looked a bit tired. It was also National Safe Schools Week and Alawa Primary celebrated with a picnic and disco. It was a fantastic day, with everyone, including parents, dressed up for the picnic and sharing great food.
I was extremely impressed with the anti-bullying poster competition at Alawa Primary, and the talented student artwork displayed around the school supporting the Safe School Code of Behaviour for all students, parents, teachers and school staff.
Congratulations to Sarah-Jane Murray of Room 8, and Christos Mellios of Room 3, for winning the Kon Vatskalis Achievement Awards again for June for their excellent efforts at school.
Congratulations also to Jasmine Christie from Alawa Primary, who recently won the Northern Territory Junior Judo Champion for the second time. I wish Jasmine all the best for her trip to Adelaide soon to compete for gold at the Junior National Judo Championship.
The Alawa Primary School sports carnival was another fun day. Unfortunately, I was unable to be there this year due to prior commitments; I was in Alice Springs. Congratulations to the Alawa Primary team captains for Finniss, Goyder and Manton, for a wonderful display of sportsmanship on the day, and congratulations to Finniss for winning the 2007 sports carnival.
I congratulate the dedicated staff and parents in my three electorate schools for their tireless work to ensure improved educational outcomes for our students and children. I am extremely proud to be involved with such a dedicated group of people.
Finally, I wish all students and staff, and their families, a safe and enjoyable mid-year school holidays, and look forward to seeing you all back in Term 3.
I was very pleased to again host my annual Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser for 2007 to support the Cancer Council NT. On Wednesday, 24 May, my electorate office in Casuarina was filled with my seniors, friends, and constituents, all enjoying a cup of tea and a delicious morning tea for a gold coin donation. It was a great opportunity for me to enjoy a chat with a very special group of constituents, the lovely senior ladies and gentlemen from my electorate, and many friends. The Cancer Council provides much needed support for many cancer sufferers, and I was happy to provide my support to this very worthy cause. I believe we raised almost $200. Thank you to Kelly from Bakers Delight, and Hannah from Donut King in Casuarina Square for your generous donation of freshly baked pastries and donuts. Also, a very big thank you to all my constituents and friends who attended to support this very worthy cause.
I congratulate some constituents now for a very special reason. I congratulate Peter and Lorraine Wright, two special seniors who live in my electorate in the suburb of Nakara. Peter and Lorraine recently celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary.
Peter and Lorraine married on 13 May 1950, and moved to Darwin in 1998, after many visits here in school holidays to look after their grandchildren. After semi-retirement, they decided to move here permanently to spend more time with their daughter and grandchildren, and have stayed here ever since. Peter was an engineer in the Australian Air Force and worked on planes all his life. He also accomplished the dangerous duties of tail gunner in the Australian Air Force during the World War II.
Lorraine is a piano teacher, and has always been involved with music, specialising in music therapy for healing purposes. Although Lorraine says she is now retired, she is still actively involved with the Music Therapy Association.
Congratulations on 57 years of happy marriage, and I wish you many more.
I also congratulate some young achievers. Congratulations to Simone Liddy of Nakara who has been selected as the captain of the Under 21 hockey team to represent the Northern Territory at the national Under 21 championships in South Australia next week. I wish Simone and all her team members the best of luck for a successful and enjoyable tournament.
Congratulations, also, to the three young Althouse sisters of Tiwi who are currently enjoying a basketball exchange visit to China and Singapore with the junior indigenous basketball team.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I will finish, like my colleague, the member for Wanguri, with the Greek Glenti. My sincere thanks to the Greek community of Darwin for hosting another exceptional Glenti for 2007. Every year, I attend the Glenti and I am extremely proud of my compatriots for what they have done for the Territory and Darwin, and what they offer today to the Darwin and Territory community.
My congratulations to the Glenti coordinator, Mrs Lilliane Gomatos and members of the Glenti festival committee. Thank you to all the hard-working committee members: Michael Melas, Matthew Boubaris, Lidia Tsirogiannis, Kerry and Kerry Kyriacou, John Nicolakis, Tony Miaoudis, Angelica and Steve Poulos, Sam Hatzivalsamis and Evan Papandonakis. Thanks also to Peter Delis who organised the entertainment for the Glenti.
I thank the Territory government for their contribution of $60 000. This year, the Glenti raised $24 000 which has been donated to the Leukaemia Foundation to assist leukaemia sufferers in the Northern Territory.
The Glenti was established in 1988 as part of the bicentennial celebrations of Australia and, next year, they intend to celebrate 20 years of continuous celebration every year at the Esplanade. Many times, I have said to people that the Greek Glenti is a typical Territory celebration. It is a time when Greeks put on a party and it is well-attended by people of Chinese, indigenous, Thai and Vietnamese descent, and Australians - everybody in Darwin comes together and celebrates in a traditional Greek way, drinking Greek beer, Greek wine, enjoying Greek music and tasting some Greek mezes and Greek delicacies. How popular is the Glenti? Well, the Kalymnian Brotherhood purchased one-and-a-half tonnes of octopus. By Sunday at 2 pm, they had sold the whole lot and they had to bring some more. As you will understand, octopus is very popular. I was behind the bar with my colleagues, the members for Johnston and Wanguri and others, and by 3 pm we had no more dry red wine or white wine left, but we had plenty of Greek beer – Mythos as they call it – and everybody enjoyed a good drink.
Congratulations to the Greek community. It makes me proud to say that I am of Greek descent, and also to recognise the people who came here as early as the beginning of the 20th century and created another big Greek city in the tropical top of Australia. Congratulations to all of them and thank you very much for the celebration you have for all Australians, to just show your appreciation for you, Darwinites, and people in the Territory, who welcome them here and let them become Territorians, create a home away from home, and bring up their families and contribute significantly to the Territory economy and Territory advancement.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Deputy Speaker, one of the great rewards of being a local member is that you get to know your constituents and their families. Tonight, I will talk about Mrs Mary Klonaris and her family, who have been a cornerstone of the Greek community for many years.
Mary’s father, Petros Mihailou, was born in Kalymnos in 1901. He was raised on the island and learnt his trade as a carpenter before migrating to Australia in 1927. He arrived in Sydney and, one day, heard about ‘this place called Darwin’ and its need for tradesman. He headed north and settled in Darwin where he worked as a builder. Mary tells me that Petros was the first Kalymnian to settle in Darwin, and brought many of his relatives and countrymen out here to join him. We all know the mighty contribution that Kalymnians have made to the Northern Territory in general and Darwin in particular.
Petros was joined by his wife, Vakina and their two children, Michael and Vange, who came out from Greece not long before the bombing of Darwin. Mary’s sisters, Kay and Jean, were both born in Darwin in the early 1940s. According to those who knew Vakina, she was a strong and beautiful woman with striking blonde hair. Certainly, the photographs I have seen of Vakina bear that out.
Petros built many houses in Darwin, and Mary tells me that most of the houses in Darwin at that time were built on low columns with flywire around them. Petros was the first to build a house with an open verandah, and Mary tells me he also built a spiral staircase. This house still exists today as a Mitchell Street backpackers lodge, the Wilderness Lodge, at 88 Mitchell Street to be exact. You can still the basic form of the house as Petros built it; so he built to last.
Petros and Vakina were evacuated to Sydney following the bombing of Darwin in 1942. It was in Sydney that Mary and her brother, Nick, were born in the mid-1940s. Unfortunately, because of the loss of records and other factors associated with the war, Petros lost his Mitchell Street property, but he was a strong man and he rebuilt the family fortunes when he returned to Darwin after the war in the 1950s.
Around that time, the Greek Orthodox Church in Cavenagh Street was being built. Petros and his son, Michael Mihailou, put many hours of volunteer work into helping build St Nicholas Church. Mary tells me that it was proposed that the church would have a spire but, Petros in particular, had a strong conviction that Greek churches should have a dome rather than a spire. He set about with Michael to construct the dome. He drew up the plans and was probably the only builder in town who could do it. I saw some great photos showing the various stages of construction as Petros, Michael and Manoli Kouros built the dome.
Michael was married in 1956. He brought his bride-to-be, Themis Kalavros, over from Greece and, because there was no Greek priest resident in Darwin at that time, they were married in the half-built St Nicholas Church by Father John, who was an Anglican priest. There was a great photo that Mary showed me of the wedding. You can clearly see the icons that are in the church today, but the rest of the church was still a long way from being completed.
It is very important to place such history, as Mary has told me, on the Parliamentary Record because it bears testimony to the contribution and commitment of those Greek people who came to the Northern Territory in those early days.
Petros was a tough and determined man and gave much back to his community. He passed away in Darwin in 1983, but his surviving children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are his enduring legacy to the Northern Territory. I thank Mary for sharing her family history and photos, and I wish her all the best. She is a wonderful mother and grandmother, a credit to Petros and Vakina.
Tonight I also want to talk about someone with a very long history of involvement with the Northern Territory, Dr David Lo, a very well-respected and long-serving clinician. Dr Lo was born in Hong Kong in 1937, but moved to Darwin with his parents in 1941. He was here for the bombing of Darwin the following year. Dr Lo studied for his medical degree in Sydney and completed his specialist training in Brisbane. He then saw an advertisement in the Medical Journal of Australia seeking a specialist physician at Darwin Hospital. As he had relatives living in Darwin and had a history with the city, Dr Lo answered the ad and started work in Darwin in December 1967.
He says he only planned to stay two years but, like so many others who come to the Territory, he stayed on. Indeed, Dr Lo made a massive contribution to our health system before retiring after 33 years of meritorious service, in the year 2000.
In 1997, the Royal Australian College of Physicians established a new college medal to recognise those who have provided outstanding critical service in rural and remote areas, and Dr David Lo was the first recipient - and a very worthy one too. In the year of his retirement, Dr Lo was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to medicine and the community.
I was honoured earlier this week to attend the launch of Dr Lo’s book, The Long Road to Territory Health - An Account of Clinical Medicine in the Northern Territory 1965 - 1985. Dr Lo has dedicated this book to all Northern Territory health professionals who provided care, service and loyalty to the Territory community between 1965 and 1985 He says he thought that he should record some of their experiences before, as he says, they all rode off into the sunset.
This book is simply not reminiscing about Dr Lo’s career; it is really about the history of medicine in the Northern Territory. Dr Lo wrote about the history of Darwin Hospital at Myilly Point and recalls there was no airconditioning. Patients survived with overhead and portable fans and mosquito nets in wards with bare concrete floors. He also recalls Dr Alan Walker filling the position of Director of Paediatrics in September 1967. As members would be aware, I paid tribute to the late Dr Walker and his significant contribution to the Territory in this House earlier this year.
Dr Lo was not only a physician at Royal Darwin Hospital; he also served as a medical advisor to all hospitals throughout the Territory. He made regular visits to Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Gove, as well as to a number of Top End communities.
Of course, Cyclone Tracy was a major event for all people living in Darwin in 1974. It is very interesting to read Dr Lo’s recollection and the role he played during Cyclone Tracy. He believes Tracy was the most destructive event on Australian soil in Australian history. With his typical wry sense of humour, David wrote that he survived the night, ‘with only half his house destroyed’ and reported for duty at daybreak headed directly for the emergency department to find senior surgeon, Alan Bromwich, directing operations.
More than 500 casualties reported to the hospital in the first 24 hours and it was a very busy time for all staff involved. They were very glad to receive some relief when surgical teams were rushed from Canberra. Dr Lo wrote:
- Once off duty, I would return to my own house to retrieve whatever possessions I had. I buried rotting food, dug latrines, salvaged rainwater for drinking, nailed on a temporary roof. I had my shots for both typhoid and tetanus, queued up for weekly food rations, and continued the slow task of rehabilitation.
I believe this underlines Dr Lo’s determination and unassuming nature, as well as his devotion to his role, and his ability to take on any task and get the job done.
Dr Lo remembers the achievement of self-government in July 1978. He was also there for the birth of Northern Territory Health Department in January 1979. He was certainly there when the new hospital opened in Casuarina in 1980, but he was unsure whether the design of the hospital really fitted the needs of Territorians, particularly Aboriginal patients.
He also recalls the formation of the Menzies School of Health Research and relates many collaborative ties forged between Menzies and the Royal Darwin Hospital senior staff. Within the book, there is a very detailed chapter on the clinical aspects of medicine, which would be essential for any clinician coming to the Territory. Dr Lo covers a whole range of conditions and diseases in detail, and provides very sage clinical advice based on 33 years of experience within the Northern Territory.
I place on the Parliamentary Record my respect for Dr Lo and the contribution he has made to Territory health. I am sure all Territorians will join me in congratulating him on the launch of his book.
Finally tonight, on one of my recent visits to Alice Springs, it was a pleasure to attend the Alice Springs Cup Carnival and host the reception for the local and visiting racing fraternity on the May Day long weekend.
The Alice Springs Cup Carnival is a highlight of the month’s racing calendar and attracts visitors from all over Australia. Pioneer Park came alive during the four days of carnival racing and every indicator - crowd numbers, horse numbers, on- and off-course turnover, and the work rate of the hospitality industry - was up markedly on the 2006 carnival. One visitor was cricketing legend, Darren Lehmann, who enjoys a punt and has made the trip to Alice Springs several years in a row.
Ford Australia, as part of their sales incentive scheme, flew their top sales people from various regions to Alice Springs as a reward. By all accounts, the visitors enjoy their taste of desert hospitality. Track records were broken and some unbeaten winning streaks continued.
Pioneer Park looked fantastic and, under clear blue skies, we got around to the main event of the weekend, the race for the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup. The start was delayed a little when By How Fraar was scratched after lying down in the barrier. Once away, Catechism kept up with last year’s Darwin’s Cup Winner, Nozi, and fellow favourite, Lot One. However, after the 800 m mark, Catechism streaked home - a fantastic win for trainer Viv Oldfield and for all of Catechism’s connections.
Cup Day was a huge success with 1900 people attending and enjoying the occasion. I especially congratulate Andrew O’Toole, the CEO of Alice Springs Turf Club, and his hard-working staff, including Carley Plume, Terry Huish, and the gardener extraordinaire who had Pioneer Park looking at its very best for the flagship event. I also congratulate the Alice Springs Turf Club committee, including Chairman Paul Bain, Vice-Chairman Andrew Doyle, Matthew Plummer, Allan Rowe, David Lillicrapp, Trevor Bell and Kevin Hickmott.
Pioneer Park is very aptly named, commemorating all those Central Australian pioneers who contributed to horse racing in the Alice from its early beginnings in the late 1800s. The first race track in town was on the Emily Plain on the east side of town near where Federal Sports Club was later established. After a few moves, the track was established in 1928 at Mt Nancy after a royal dedication of land was made. The last race meeting at Mt Nancy Racecourse was on 18 June 1977, with the final race being won by a horse called Abeson. The first race at Pioneer Park was on 25 June 1977, and now the track is preparing to celebrate 30 years of racing. I hope to attend that, and it will be a great celebration.
Congratulations to all the hard-working people on another successful Alice Springs Cup. I look forward to attending the 30th anniversary celebrations next week.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak tonight on a very topical subject that has not had a lot of debate in this House. It is a subject that I believe is close to many people’s hearts in my electorate, and probably in your electorate too, Mr Deputy Speaker: the amalgamation of local government councils. I should make an aside that I am wondering, after hearing some of the reports that are coming through regarding the Mal Brough press release today in relation to the federal government - I presume he is assuming some form of control over some Aboriginal communities - what effect that will have on the government’s proposals for amalgamation of councils? That is not quite clear at the moment. I will certainly be looking with interest to see whether that does have an effect.
I say also at the outset that I reject the minister’s assertions that the reasons for Litchfield Shire Council to be dissolved was because it would not be viable into the future - or the government presumed that it would not be viable in the future. I believe I am not alone in that. I believe many people in the Litchfield Shire would say that is just not true. If the government had said that it would retain Litchfield Shire and that other areas might be attached to it, that might be a different case, but they have decided to dissolve Litchfield Shire.
I have a feeling that the present CEO, Peter Visentin, and some of the others, are very upset with that - especially Peter Visentin. He is leaving the council. He has worked there faithfully for 20 years. I have not always agreed with some of the policies that the council has put forward, but he has always stuck to the idea that Litchfield Council should stick to its core functions. He has certainly been a very practical person in relation to how the council was developed, because he has an engineering background, and he always supported the concept of flat rates. We are now going to lose him. One of the reasons we are going to lose him is because he feels the government has said that he has run the council poorly. What are they going to do? They are not only going to dissolve the council, based on a premise that the council could have been unviable in the future, they also are giving the impression that the council was poorly run. That is why the CEO is quite upset, because now we have the government going to spend $9.9 m over the next two years introducing new CEOs. They are going to bring in the CEOs and they are also going to bring the financial people as well. I am not sure what is going to happen to our existing financial officer at Litchfield Shire.
I certainly think this is not the way to go, especially for places like Litchfield. We have some good staff there and I certainly would not want to see them replaced by southern people forced on the community by the government. That is not being seen as the way to put in staff who understand the philosophy behind places like the Litchfield Shire.
The government also made a statement, when it decided we would have new councils, that we would only have nine shires. Straightaway, I believe that was a mistake in itself; there was to be no debate about the shires. I believe there should have been much more debate, because councils are not just about money. They are not just about whether you can maintain the roads well or whether your oval is green. That, and whether the town is tidy, is important. The council is also about community.
For those people who are here, who might have seen this, I will hold up the bigger version, it gives you a better idea. This is the nine shires, and I find it very difficult to believe No 10, which is more or less in the Barkly, which is about big as Victoria, can give people a feeling of community. If I lived in Mildura, in Victoria, I am not sure I would feel like I was part of East Gippsland. It is just too big.
I know it is goes on population and all the theorists are saying: ‘This is ABS figures and regional areas of economic development’, etcetera. However, you have Lajamanu here right up here towards Victoria River, and way over here you have Tobermorey Station. That is Darwin to Tennant Creek. I do not mind amalgamation; I never said I am against amalgamation. However, we should have had a debate about the size of our shires. Are we going to kill them, because there will be no sense of community? People say to me: ‘Litchfield is going to be big’. I say: ‘No, it is not. It is a piece of cake compared to what you see down here’. There should have been much more debate in this House and in the public arena pertaining to whether that was a proper structure for amalgamation of councils. Two councils going from the Western Australian border to the Queensland border - that is a long, long way. The people who came in yesterday …
Mr McAdam: Come and get a briefing, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: You have to give public briefings on this, because this is not just me ...
Mr McAdam: No, you come and get a briefing so that when you do talk, you talk sense, and then we will debate it later.
Mr WOOD: Excuse me, this is your map.
Mr McAdam: Come and get a briefing.
Mr WOOD: This is your map. That is why we are in parliament - this is your map and I am saying there are some issues here.
You spoke of Wooliana yesterday. Wooliana happens to be way over here on the north side of the Daly River. What community does it belong to when you attach it to Kalkarindji, Timber Creek and Larrimah? I am not saying that we should not have amalgamation. What I am saying, minister - through the Deputy Speaker, I am sorry – is there should have been some more discussion about this. I do not want to see amalgamation collapse because these areas are too big. The Barkly shire is as big as Victoria - that is huge. If you talk about amalgamation in Victoria, they have about 200 councils. If you drop them into 100 councils, they are still tiny compared to the Northern Territory. That is an area that about which we should have had more discussion.
The other area that is of concern is that, when you try to break this into wards - and I am one who believes that wards should be of equal population - the bigger the area, the more difficult it is to have a ward where you are going to get enough people to have equal numbers of people. You are just going to have vast areas - say 12 councillors – who will all be in here. If you cut this up in two, you might find there is better representation of people in those vast areas.
The government has also said, when it was explaining to people why they should have local government, there will be real local jobs; better services; better roads and infrastructure; less humbug, not complex administration and finance; stronger voice; bigger and fairer share of funding; regional approaches to pest control, waste management, litter removal and housing services; extra opportunity for regional approaches to employment and training; stable local government administration; higher quality managers; and a better future as every community will have access to youth development, festival events, parks and gardens and other local government services that make lives happier and healthier. The new council would operate on a democratic basis similar to local government in the rest of Australia.
Of course, when an administrator sees that now we will be putting in higher quality managers, some people find that insulting. I think Peter Visentin is one who has found that difficult to take. He is a good person who has worked hard. He is leaving because he is signing his own death warrant working for the department, and that is unfortunate. I do not want to see a southern CEO in Litchfield Shire unless that person has really good …
Mr McAdam: Who says you will?
Mr WOOD: Because you said in these books here that you are going out recruiting people.
Mr McAdam: Does that mean that all high quality people come from south?
Mr WOOD: Recruiting them from where? When I read some of these minutes I do not get that impression …
Mr McAdam: Get real, Gerry. Get real.
Mr WOOD: … only that you are going to go nationwide. We have had good people in Litchfield Shire and I do not want to see people who do not understand the philosophy of that area.
The other matter that worries me is that the flat rate will disappear. You can say that the shires will have the right to do it when they are elected, but people would like to know now that they will retain the flat rate. If you take the new shire of – I would prefer to call it Litchfield – the recommendation from the advisory board is for pastoral and agricultural properties to have a UCV. What is an agricultural property? Is it just moo cows and hay down at Douglas Daly or is it mango farms? Are you going to apply the UCV in Litchfield Shire, or are you going to allow the flat rate to continue? They are questions that need answering and they need developing ...
Mr McAdam: And the answers will be provided in due course.
Mr WOOD: We are six months down the track, and the ‘due course’ might be too late to change. These are issues that need the community to have a say. That is one of our problems; Transition Committees are not the community. They are people you selected from the community, but they certainly have not gone back out into the community - at least not from what I have seen - telling people what is happening. I get on to the web page and find out what the minister is saying – and that is how I find out what is going on.
You also have a Transition Committee that has at least 12 people, of whom 10 are from outside the Litchfield Shire. Let us take an example of what is wrong with that. Litchfield Shire has a good name. It is named after Fred Litchfield. It is also the name we give to the national park. What is the advice from this Transitional Committee based on people who are predominantly from outside Litchfield? Get rid of the name and turn it into Top End Litchfield. I am sure if you asked people in Litchfield if they want the name changed to Top End, the 17 000 people would say no. That name is important to our area. The Transition Committee, which is not talking to the people, and is biased because it has 10 people from outside of Litchfield, is recommending to the Advisory Board to scrap the name. That, in itself, shows you one of the problems we have.
We do not know all the core functions. I have seen the paperwork that has been put to the Transition Committees but, again, people need to have a say about what core functions they would like to look after. They are important because the more core functions you have, the more likely it is that you are going to have an increase in rates. When we talk about whether we have an increase in rates, one area that is not being given a realistic answer is the future of road funding. Okay – yes, I know McAdam, that is it – in the phone book, I know.
I am quite happy to have a briefing, minister, but the community is not getting the briefing. That is the problem. People out there are concerned. Wooliana people would not have turned up here yesterday if they knew what was going on necessarily. They are worried. I do not get phone calls from people at Dundee for just any reason. They are concerned that they will be paying more on the beach than the people behind them. They are worried they will pay $2000 in rates and the people at the back $1000. That means the message is not getting out there. That is what I am saying is the problem.
In relation to road funding, anyone who has looked at how local government gets funding knows that it gets it based on population, and that is fixed. We do not get it under the horizontal equalisation scheme that the rest of the Territory gets its funding. Therefore, when you now expand the Territory to completely go under local government - that is, the land mass - you basically do not change the population. The population of the Territory is still going to stay the same, but you now have to pick up a lot more roads that were not covered before under the funding from the Grants Commission. The government is saying: ‘We are going to get $20m in grants. We are going down to see Mr Lloyd in the federal parliament and he is going to give us this $20m grant’. If you do not get that grant you have exactly the same amount of money given to you for all these new roads, which means places like Litchfield will get less money. Possibly, even Palmerston and Darwin will get less because the government does not give you any more money. The money is worked out on whether the road is bitumen, kerbed and guttered, graded or not graded – and that is how you get your money. The money pile will be the same, the roads will be much more and, therefore, if you do not get money from the federal government we are going to have less money to spend in the existing areas.
People need to be told: ‘If that happens, either rates will go up or your road maintenance will go down’. There are no other options. That is something that needs to be sorted through. Do not give us all this country under local government if we are not going to get sufficient funds. I know I am running out of time, but this is a big area to debate.
The other area the government is failing in, is saying it is going to get $9.9m over two years and that is to help with employing CEOs and getting technical IT equipment into these places. What needs to happen is a proper sum of money – an establishment package - as was given to Litchfield when it started. I think Litchfield got $13m and was able to build some halls at various places and locations; put in some bitumen roads where it would not have been able to, and that encouraged the council to become a council. By giving some money to start with, that helped us. If you do not give Litchfield money to start putting in some infrastructure at Dundee, Marrakai, Douglas Daly, wherever, the ratepayers are going to have to find that money straight off and that is not going to be good. Litchfield people will feel that they are going to have to fund all these things. If the government wants to sell this in the Litchfield area, it has to come up with a reasonable establishment package to help those areas that are not now in local government.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I would love to continue this debate a bit longer. It is a very important debate, and I will certainly do it during the Estimates Committee.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was very pleased to be able to attend this year’s Architecture Awards on the museum lawns earlier this month. As always it was a great night. Some of the Territory’s architects were recognised, as were the stunning tropical Territory designs our industry produced - and not only tropical, but arid lands as well.
Build Up Design won four awards during the evening for the Mamaruni School, the Community Learning Centre on the eastern side of Croker Island devastated by Cyclone Ingrid. They received the Public Architecture Award, The Tracy Memorial Award, The Colorbond Steel Award and the Indigenous Community Architecture Award for their work.
The Burnett Award, the Territory’s top award for residential architecture, was for the Henry residence in Darwin’s CBD and was won by Kapetas and Associates. The architect was acknowledged for skillfully designing the house’s levels vertically to complement the site’s steep slope. The house also took out the People’s Choice Award.
Other awards presented on the night were the Small Project Architect Award, which went to the Lindsay Avenue Studio by Steven Lumb Architect; the Public Architecture Commendation was the Palmerston Library by MKEA Architects and HASSELL Ltd; The Urban Design Award for the Goyder Square Precinct, again by MKEA and HASSELL Ltd; Interior Architecture Commendation, the Power and Water Corporation Office and Retail Fitout, HASSELL Ltd again; The 25-Year Award went to the TIO Building by Woodhead; The Student Award went to Irma Lamaya, who was a most confident young woman, and I wish her all the best in her architecture career.
As with all awards, the process is a tough one for the team of judges. They had to consider not only how the project met its original intentions, but also weigh up the environmental performance, the use of energy and, of course, the client satisfaction. It was a memorable night, and I acknowledge members of the Award Committee: the chair, Steven Huntingford from Jackman Gooden Architects, who is also the Chair of the Australian Council of Built Environment Design Professions; Richard Layton from Richard Layton and Associates; Geoff Wells from DPI; Ross Connolly from MKEA Architects; Gavin Sell from the NT Chapter; and Melanie Shottenkirk, the NT Chapter Awards Coordinator. A great effort and congratulations.
Special thanks also to the sponsors for this year’s awards: Colorbond BlueScope Steel; Tarkett Commercial; Cerbis Ceramics; Lockwood; DPI; Territory Housing; and Total Event Services. Congratulations to everyone, and best wishes to the award winners for the RAIA National Architecture Awards, which will be held in Alice Springs for the first time in October.
It gives me great pleasure to congratulate and acknowledge the Alice Springs winners of the Queen’s Birthday Honours: Margaret Friedel has earned an Australian Public Service Medal for her work in making sustainable use of arid lands. Margaret has worked as a scientist with the CSIRO in Alice Springs for 33 years and is recognised worldwide for her research work in arid ecosystems. Margaret’s current projects are based around the management of buffel grass, which is a major threat to arid zones, and improving our four-wheel drive tourism industry. Her work is vital in gaining the knowledge necessary to make productive use of Central Australia’s harsh terrain. Congratulations to Margaret, a very well-deserved winner of the Public Service Medal.
Another winner was Liz Martin, who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her life long contribution to the road transport industry. Many of us know Liz Martin as the founder of the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs, one of the region’s greatest tourist attractions. She is also responsible for the huge influx of trucks to Alice Springs every August for the National Road Transport Hall of Fame Reunion. Congratulations to Liz on her many achievements and on her OAM. I cannot think of somebody more deserving. What a great community worker.
Also winners in those awards were the founders of Mt Theo-Yuendumu Substance Misuse Program. Peggy Brown, Johnny Miller and Andrew Stojanovski have all been awarded the Medal of Order of Australia. When Peggy found her grandson sniffing petrol in 1994, she knew she had to do something so, along with her brother-in-law, Johnny, and care worker, Andrew, they set up Mt Theo, and the rest is history. Mt Theo has had great success treating petrol sniffers and misusers of other substances, and it is great to see the work being formerly recognised.
Congratulations to Margaret, Liz, Peggy, Johnny and Andrew on their important contribution to the Territory.
Top quality training opportunities are vital for our young Territorians and for the future prosperity of the Territory economy. Matthew Turner is one trainee who is excelling, and has just been recognised as Group Training NT’s Trainee of the Year for Central Australia. Matthew is a park ranger and guide at the Alice Springs Desert Park, and is heavily involved in the park’s research on the lifecycle of the witchetty grub. His enthusiasm for all aspects of the Desert Park has made him popular among his workmates, and with visitors to the park.
Matthew has spina bifida, but it has not dampened his passion, and he is a great example of someone who has overcome adversity and significant obstacles to pursue his dreams - an example to us all. Congratulations to Matthew on his award. I look forward to having him as my guide next time I visit the Alice Springs Desert Park.
Tonight, I also want to mark the end, with some sadness, of an era for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Alice Springs. Parish priest, Father Brian Healy, is leaving after 18 years at the helm, marking the end of the Sacred Heart’s 77 years of service to the Central Australian community. The Missionaries of Sacred Heart have contributed an enormous amount to Central Australia. Father James Long was the first parish priest for Stuart, as Alice was then known, in May 1929. He undertook the construction of the first Catholic Church in Hartley Street - and he did not just plan the building, he helped make the concrete bricks. The church was officially opened in June 1930.
In 1935, Father Patrick Malone established the Little Flower Mission for Eastern Arrernte people and, in 1938, nuns opened the first Catholic school with a grand total of 25 pupils, the first enrolled being Bernie Kilgariff. Over the years, this small school has grown to become Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, a school with three campuses and almost 1000 students.
One of Sacred Heart’s most recognised, and loved, parish priests is Father Brian Healy, a man renowned for his compassion and dedication to the Central Australian community. I congratulate and thank Father Healy on his service to Central Australia, along with all the other priests, brothers and nuns involved with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart over the past 77 years. Father Healy will be missed. He will be replaced by Father Jim Knight from the Divine Word Missionaries. I take this opportunity to welcome Father Jim and his order to Alice Springs, and wish him the very best for the future.
Alice Springs’ loss is Palmerston’s gain, as Father Healy has been appointed to Our Lady Help of Christians Church at Woodroffe. The Palmerston and Darwin communities can now get to see why Father Healy is so respected in Alice Springs. I welcome Father Healy to the Top End.
‘Mango’ John Crayford is a Territory icon and, sadly, he is selling his Red Centre farm at Ti Tree after 20 years. John and his wife, Shirley, bought the 9 ha property in 1988 and planted 200 mango trees that same year - the first Central Australian mangoes. The farm now has over 1700 mango trees and is an important part of the booming Central Australian horticultural industry. It is also a popular attraction for tourists keen to taste test the famous wines: Mango Magic; Mango Moonshine Liqueur; and Mango Mist. They are expected to be inundated by tourists this year following the sealing of the road to their farm.
John and Shirley are looking for the right person to buy their property so they can relax in the knowledge that the farm is in safe hands. The decision to sell was a difficult one and they will be sorely missed. Congratulations to both ‘Mango’ John and Shirley. I wish them all the best on their well deserved retirement.
Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, some of the best contributors to the Territory are our senior citizens, such as 89-year-old Nancy Lamb. Nancy spent over 20 years involved with Old Timers as the manager’s wife, a volunteer, and now a resident of Flynn Lodge. In recognition of Nancy’s service to Old Timers and its residents, the new $3.5m wing has been named in her honour.
The Nancy Lamb Wing provides single and double room accommodation for up to 20 people, and includes special facilities for residents with dementia. The new wing was officially opened recently by Jan Trengrove of Frontier Services, and the Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Pat Miller. Congratulations to Nancy on her service to Alzheimers, and having this honour bestowed on her.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am not going to talk about my electorate in the adjournment tonight. I need to respond to the announcement by the Prime Minister today of his intervention into Territory matters. I have mixed feelings about this. I am saddened that the Northern Territory has been put in the position that the Australian government has to take over any part of the Territory to address an issue that we, ourselves, should have been doing. On the other hand, I am happy that at last someone is doing something about.
It is an indictment on this government that the federal government has, in fact, made these announcements. Yes, it is too early to look at what has been said. We do not know the details, and there are many areas that have been announced that, perhaps, would concern us. However, I have sat here all week and been a bit stunned by the government’s lack of response. The Chief Minister has had many opportunities to stand and be strong in her response to this report, rather than wait until August when we know there is an urgency out there. I sometimes wonder whether the Chief Minister has had firsthand experience of child sexual abuse, as many teachers, doctors and professionals have. If she had, then she would not sit around; she would be trying to get out there and help children immediately. I still feel so sad that her lack of response has made the federal government react in this way.
I wonder how the other government members felt when she was giving the answers to the questions that were put to her. Were they sitting there hoping that she would show leadership and take the initiative and say what she was going to do? Or did they just sit there and say: ‘Yes, okay, we will wait’? I would have thought they would have been urging the Chief Minister to show leadership and react fairly immediately to the response. I was uncomfortable with her response, so I cannot imagine that the members of government were comfortable with what was happening. I am quite sure they wanted something stronger to happen. In recent times, we have had many things in this parliament to indicate that members were concerned about child sexual abuse.
I have introduced amendments to the Bail Act which the government knocked back, and amendments to the Sentencing Act. Both of these amendments were to address issues arising from the abuse of children, and government rejected them. I say to the Chief Minister: have a good look; think, search your conscience and ask whether you have done the right thing, because you could have averted this intervention by the Australian government if you had reacted earlier.
It is telling us the strong message that we need to understand that what is going on out there in communities is devastating for the children and for the families. I cannot imagine ever living in such a situation as some of these young children have to. I cannot imagine the consequences of what their lives will be in the future if this has happened to them and no one has bothered to do anything about it. We can make all sorts of excuses. We can blame housing, education, health, and families, but the bottom line is we should blame ourselves if we have not done anything about it. That is where the responsibility lies: on this parliament. We should be introducing measures and programs to address what has become a national shame.
I am certainly ashamed of what this report tells us. It says strongly we should be taking strong measures. We should be doing it. We only have to look at Pat Anderson and the emotions she showed when she was talking to the report. To just ignore it - perhaps for all sorts of reasons, I am not sure. Maybe there were things going on behind the scenes. If there were, why did the Chief Minister not tell the parliament? We had the feeling that the Chief Minister put it on the shelf where it would just get dusty. The fact that the Prime Minster and minister Mal Brough have come out and made some sweeping announcements - and they are sweeping – must, in fact, worry us.
At least the Chief Minister has said she will work in cooperation with the federal government, and that is really important. I wonder how long before this cooperation takes place. We have election time coming up. We know that. We may have a change of government at federal level. Will whatever initiatives occur continue? There are people out there. One of the leading Aboriginal women in Alice Springs came up to me the other day and, basically, said: ‘I am so disappointed in this Territory Labor government. I had so much faith when they came in but, now we have this report, and we do not see the reaction we expected. We do not see that they are there for our people. Who are they there for? Who is this government there for?’ They are meant to be there for all Territorians but, most importantly, there are many Aboriginal people who put faith in them when they voted them in. That is what the people out there are saying. They are crying out as much as the children are crying out for help.
Chief Minister, this has come as a shock. It has taken me by surprise. As I say, I have two responses. I am absolutely saddened that the federal government has had to take this step, but I am so pleased that they have because it may get us some action to address the problems that are identified so far. I say to the members of the Labor government now to please push your Chief Minister; make her do things. You have a responsibility, because you were elected to represent your people, to make sure your government is listening and reacting. It is very hard for opposition or Independents to get that message through if you are not there behind us.
It is just one of those occasions when I feel flat, but I feel happy. It seems to be a contradiction that I feel like this. Child sexual abuse must be the most abhorrent thing that I could think of. I have had experience as a principal and a teacher. I do not even like reading the reports in the papers about cases that come before the courts. I find it distressing, sometimes, to go shopping. Let me tell of one of the horrible occasions occurred recently when a Toyota stopped, two fellows got out and went into the pub. Two women got out with a baby and immediately said: ‘Money for the baby. Money for the baby’. It shamed me that they would do that when that baby should have been given all the love and care. You wonder what life there is for that baby when they are used as a tool like that.
This is the problem with sexual abuse. The body just becomes a tool. Do you remember once a long time ago when sex was for love? We did it for love as young people. However, sex has now become an abusive, physical activity, a power game. That horrible power game occurring out there in Aboriginal communities has to stop. Therefore, my plea tonight is for all members of government to stand up straight and strong; make sure that you are able to influence your Chief Minister to bring about the changes that are necessary. Do not knock everything the federal government is saying. Be prepared to listen and to work with them so that the outcomes and end result are that, at least in the end, we can say we have tried to save the children.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I was very sad to learn of the passing away of Mr John Read recently. John was a man who always greeted me with a smile and a joke, despite being in considerable pain as he battled cancer. My sincere condolences to his wife, Daphne, and the rest of the family.
On 2 June, I attended a talk given by Professor Ian Lowe, president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, on global warming. I thank the Environment Centre NT for the invitation, and congratulate the Groove Caf at Nightcliff for an excellent effort in catering.
Professor Lowe gave a thought-provoking and persuasive presentation. His information regarding the targets set in California, as well as excellent work being done in several European countries, on reducing carbon emissions as well as generating power by non-fossil fuel, was extremely interesting. I also inform members that the alternatives being used at not nuclear.
Professor Lowe spoke of the imminent peak in world oil production. He referred to a lecture he gave in the mid-1970s, at which time he forecast peaking of oil production was about 2010. He recalled that, at that time, he advised his audience that all was not lost because, while this would undoubtedly have a great impact on the world economy that was totally dependent on oil, we still had 30 years or so to do something about it. Here we are in 2007. No longer do we have 30 years before oil production has peaked. Looking back, what have we, as a nation, done in the last 30 years to prepare for the decline in oil production that we knew was coming? Unfortunately, we have not been doing much at all. I can advise members that they might like to case study Iceland, as they apparently have done a great deal.
As I said, Professor Lowe’s discussion was extremely interesting. It was a pleasure to go along and listen. The night was a sell-out, so congratulations to the Environment Centre for organising the night.
It was a pleasure to attend the Northern Territory Law Society’s Law Week luncheon at SKYCITY on 1 June on behalf of the Attorney-General. As usual, SKYCITY did a fantastic job. Mr Tim Bugg, President of the Law Council Australia, was guest speaker. His presentation raised some very interesting points. He spoke of the need for the legal profession to continue speaking out on contemporary legal issues. The legal profession is in a unique position to comment on legal policies. The rights we enjoy are protected and modified by the laws our various parliaments implement. Law is the business of the legal profession. The profession has a right to comment on the impact proposed changes may have. I wholeheartedly endorse the comments of Mr Bugg in encouraging the legal profession to stay engaged with the legal policy process.
I thank Ian Kew and his wife, Jill, for inviting me to A Night at the Opera on 26 May. The night featured guests Messrs Brett Kelly, guest conductor; Rosario La Spina, a tenor; and Dimitri Kopanakis, a baritone. Darwin’s own soprano, Mrs Kathy Banks, also performed. All were most ably accompanied by the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. Mr Kelly gave short background on each piece that formed part of the evening’s program. I, for one, was very glad to have his explanations. I recognised many of the pieces once they were played, but had no idea of where they actually came from. For example, Frederico’s Lament from L’aresiana, sung on the night most brilliantly by Rosario La Spina, has been used in a number of gangster movies where it has been the background music to mayhem and killing. I was quite surprised to learn that it was, in fact, a song of sincere, loving affection.
The Dry is celebration time. We have had four big events in the past few weeks, with more big events to come, such as the V8s this weekend. The four I would like to make mention of are the Arafura Games, the Freds Pass Show, May Day and the Palmerston Festival.
The Arafura Games concluded after 10 days of top class action. The games have become a key event in our region and beyond. Territorians are renowned for the generosity and hospitality. The legions of volunteers who make the Arafura Games possible, proved, once again, that our reputation is well deserved. I was speaking to some of the competitors from Macau and the Philippines at the Tennis Centre. They told me that they had really enjoyed the competition, but also the friendliness of Territorians. They enjoyed their visit immensely. Thank you to everyone who gave their time and energy to make the Arafura Games a huge success.
Freds Pass Show is another of our icon events. Congratulations to Andrew Blackadder, the rest of the show committee and of course, the many volunteers who brought us this year’s spectacular. Jacqui Izod sang the National Anthem at the official opening ceremony. Jacqui has a superb voice and is also a much-loved teacher at Moulden Park Primary School. She is also the driving force behind the formation of the Moulden Park Primary School Choir. I also thank all the volunteers who helped on the ALP stall this year. Year in and year out, our supporters give up their free time to ensure that the Labor Party has a presence at the various shows. So, thank you once again to all those people – the heart and soul of the party.
My boys, Brandon, three, and Flynn, 18 months, particularly liked the goats and roosters at this year’s Freds Pass Show. They also liked the helium balloons they brought home. One was destroyed fairly quickly, but the others lasted for quite some time.
The May Day march and concert on the Esplanade is always a hit. It regularly attracts tourists and locals alike to watch both the march and the concert. I marched with my family to show my support for this local event and what it celebrates. May Day celebrates the winning of the standard eight-hour working day. ‘Eight hours work, eight hours rest, eight hours play’ was the slogan, I think. Many people I talk to think that May Day is about militant unions. I do not agree; I believe May Day is about working families. May Day celebrates the winning of the right of working families to spend time together; the recognition that time at home is at least equally, if not more important, than time spent at work. If you like, the fight for a standard eight-hour working day was an early expression of the need for work/life balance. Here we are in 2007, and we are still fighting that basic fight.
The Palmerston Festival was held in Goyder Square on Saturday, 9 June, with many exciting events held throughout the day. It was a chance for me and the member for Drysdale to catch up with the many families who attended on what was a glorious day in Palmerston. I congratulate the Palmerston City Council on the festival.
The Palmerston Night Markets have also kicked off again this year, and that is where you will find me most Friday nights. The Palmerston Night Markets celebrated their 21st birthday this year, with a large number of people attending opening night. The crowds have grown since week one, with many Palmerston families and visitors enjoying the good food and relaxed atmosphere. I congratulate Julia Battison for all her hard work coordinating such a successful market.
A fantastic community event in Palmerston this year was Palmlesstonnes 2007. I congratulate Brooke Kimberley, the 2007 Palmlesstonnes Coordinator, the Palmlesstonnes Organising Committee, Sandie Smiles, as well as all the volunteers for making this year’s event a huge success. This is the second year that this event has been in operation and has proved very popular with many participants.
The member for Drysdale and I - and I believe the member for Blain - assisted with hosting Pollies Walks and Breakfasts …
Mr Mills: And the member for Goyder, too.
Mr BURKE: And the member for Goyder, thank you. As you can see, all the local MLAs get involved, and that really shows the community spirit of the whole event as well. It was an early start, with the politician’s walks kicking off at 7 am from various locations around the different electorates. I hosted a walk that started and ended at Sanctuary Lake in Gunn.
Palmlesstonnes participants overall have collectively lost 225 kg and 540 cm from their waistlines. Sixteen participants lost more than 5% of their starting body weight. Brooke advised that, aside from the fantastic results, the team spirit and camaraderie amongst participants this year has been the highlight. I can certainly vouch for that, listening to the conversations of people who had not met prior to the walks. Some have formed some great friendships over the course of the event. A special thank you to the sponsors of the event, including MBF; the Pearl Galleria for donating an absolutely stunning pearl necklace; the Northern Territory government; the Palmerston Community Wheel; Darwin Sun and Palmerston Sun newspapers; Territory FM; Healthy Food Guide magazine; Healthy Living NT; the Heart Foundation; Life Balance Gym; Palmerston Recreation and Leisure Centre; the Goldfish Bowl; Grow NT; Bakers Delight Palmerston; Athletes Foot; Life Be In It; CMAX Cinemas; Adopt-a-park; Bunnings; and the Palmerston Chemmart chemist.
I also thank the volunteers without whom Palmlesstonnes events could not have happened, and if I miss anyone I am sorry: Kelly Parker from Good Beginnings; Allen and Kerry Whitely for running the evening exercise sessions and going above and beyond the call of duty to run extra weekend sessions and the relay; Moysten Wright from Rat Race Dance Studios; the amazing Palmerston Boot Scooters; Keltikka Irish Dancers; Vanya Smith; Michael and Kylie Cole from For the Love of Dance, AusDance NT; Shaan Myall from Water Safety NT for organising the water fun day at the Goldfish Bowl; Annette Sym for providing the delicious, healthy recipe that featured in the weekly newsletter and for being kind enough to donate 10 of her fabulous Symply Too Good to be True cookbooks; the team at Palmerston Community Care Centre for providing the weigh-in cards; a special mention to Dallas Frakking, one of the first Palmlesstonnes coordinators for donating the $500 cash prize this year; Justine Glover, another lady who has been involved in both years; Palmerston City Library for their assistance; Denise and Audrey from the front desk at Palmerston City Council for their registration duties; and St John volunteers for checking the blood pressure and pulse of Palmlesstonnes participants. Robin Lion, Gerard Wong, Elizabeth Gould, Sharon Tomkinson, and Tamie Devine also all contributed a great deal.
Here we are at the end of Term 2 of the school semester. Many students and teachers will be looking forward to the school holidays which are fast approaching. I recently assisted at the Blue Light Disco held at Bakewell Primary School. It was an excellent night, and I really enjoyed talking to the students. I was meant to be a crowd controller, but the students were so well behaved it was a pretty easy job.
Bakewell has also just had its twilight sports carnival. I really enjoy this afternoon and evening event. Many families attend to support the school and the children during the afternoon. I was on hand to pass on a snag or steak sandwich straight off the barbie. A great deal of organising goes into such an event, and special thanks to Ms Carrie White, the Twilight Sport’s Carnival coordinator; the parents and school council helpers; of course, Mr Peter Chandler, the MC for the evening; and also, Terri and the other staff who donate their time willingly each year. This year, the competition was very close with Pygmies overall winners.
This morning, the Palmerston High School held its triathlon event. My electorate officer, Joanne, joined Rob Presswell, Jo Duncan and Michael Wadrop in the principal’s team. I am advised that the team finished third in the open division and that there were more than three teams.
Gray Primary School had its twilight sports carnival tonight, and I ask the students and parents to forgive my lack of attendance, having to be here. I am sure everyone had a great time though, as the Gray Primary School is a fantastic school community.
Lastly, Palmerston Ballet School had a fundraiser just days ago. I was very pleased to be able to supply my barbecue for their use, because the school is ‘absolutely fabulous’, to quote the phrase. It is an icon of Palmerston and we can accurately say that it has produced generations of dancers from the Palmerston region.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, today I congratulate Papunya in Central Australia for successfully eradicating petrol sniffing in their region. I was honoured to host a group of Canadians who came out to Australia as part of a tour organised by BP Australia to see the impact of the non-sniffable Opal fuel on Aboriginal communities.
Petrol sniffing has not only been a serious problem in Alice Springs and in the wider Central Australian region, but also overseas in Canada. They too, see young indigenous people suffering from similar social dislocation issues. The Canadian delegation was made up of the Indian representatives from the Inuit regions, a government representative, and health workers, all hoping to convince the Canadian government to learn from our strategy at Papunya.
Sniffing has severe health ramifications, as well as impacting on the social wellbeing of the community. Once upon a time, the graffiti on the side of Papunya old workshop said ‘sniffers never die’ and young people would roam the streets with their plastic bottles filled with petrol. They would be getting high on the fumes of petrol. Times have changed in Papunya. Those kids have swapped their plastic bottles for football boots and, now, the graffiti reflects a new chapter in Papunya’s history, ‘Go the Eagles’.
The members of the Papunya community, in conjunction with the Northern Territory government and BP, can proudly say we have managed to eradicate sniffing from our community. I have worked tirelessly with the community to develop a community management plan under the groundbreaking volatile substance abuse legislation, which came into effect on 1 May 2007.
I was proud to show the Canadian delegation how a community that was once debilitated by the problem has come through the other side through our multifaceted strategy. As we sat around the camp fire in Papunya, we openly discussed a number of the issues and discovered there were parallels between indigenous Canadians and Australians, and the patterns of volatile substance abuse. I was privileged to showcase our strategy to the Canadian representatives, and I hope we can learn from each other in order to combat such a serious problem.
Opal is not the only solution to stop them sniffing, but it is a start. We are working together from the grassroots level to the upper levels of government to help improve the life chances and choices of young people out bush.
Congratulations go to the community members Lance Cook, Sammy Butcher and Syd Anderson, BP’s Mark Glazebrook for highlighting their efforts to the rest of the world, and to the Territory government for supporting legislation which helps stamp out petrol sniffing in Central Australia.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I remember when I was an ATSIC Commissioner I took Mark Glazebrook from BP Australia out into my region and showed him the effects that petrol sniffing was having on young indigenous kids in my region. It was wonderful to have Mark Glazebrook back with the Canadian Indians to see a different Papunya and different kids. We brought a couple of ex-sniffers to the campfire that night so they could talk to the Indians. It was shocking to hear that 120 000 kids sniff in these communities in Canada. They are having the same problems that we have. BP Australia has to come up with a different strategy. These people are part of trying to encourage the Canadian government to legislate as we have here in the Northern Territory.
There are a few other things I want to talk about this evening as well. Over Easter we had the Hermannsburg sports weekend. I put on the record my thanks to Gus Williams, Les Smith and Kenny William, and to the Deputy of the Administrator, Pat Miller, for her attendance.
The sports weekend was a safe, enjoyable three days. I congratulate the Hermannsburg police for their hard work, and also the WAHAC committee, the Hermannsburg Health Service, for encouraging healthy foods. Around the football oval which was a real challenge, when you have the ice cream van trying to sell ice cream, and have the health professionals walking around the oval with apples, oranges and carrots. It was a good thing we saw happening at Hermannsburg, which we also saw a fortnight later at Papunya.
I congratulate Gus and his council specifically for holding the sports weekend over the three day period which was the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and encouraging the sports weekend not to go over on to the Monday and Tuesday because they feel the importance of having their children attend school for five days a week, rather than three days. The message of government is getting through to our people: that it is good to have sports weekends; sport is good for our communities, our young people, and for community economic development, but we also have to encourage our children to go back to school on time.
A fortnight later it was the Papunya sports weekend on the Queen’s Birthday weekend. I thank my brother, Syd Anderson, and also Sammy Butcher and Lance Cook, Linda and Karen for their support to the community for organising the football carnivals, the softball weekend, and encouraging participation. We had over 1200 people over the three days. I congratulate the Papunya police and health staff, and also say a big thank you to the Papunya Administrator, Rod, and the shop manager, Parko, for their support to the community.
The same thing happened at Papunya. The sports weekend finished on the Sunday evening with everybody in the community encouraging parents to send their children back to school on the Monday morning. The message of government about school attendance is getting through. As local member, as we get around our regions to our schools, it is about us encouraging and spreading the message as well to family, friends, and communities to say that education is important; it gives you choices in life.
Finally, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I recognise and congratulate John Rawnsley for his academic achievements. John has worked in my electorate office since February this year. In a bush electorate, he understands my preference to travel extensively to be with my people and to serve as a conduit to government. Working in an electorate office involves a diverse range of tasks and responsibilities, and I know John will build skills and experience in this regard.
On 15 June, John’s mother, Ruth, his brother, Shane, and wife, Anita, were there to witness his graduation as he received his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. John has explained to me the efforts that his mother put into his education, and this is an outcome of how education gives you something; it rewards you something back in life. It is about encouraging parents always to be actively participating in the wellbeing of their child and encouraging them to go to school every day so that they have the opportunity like this young fellow, John Rawnsley, had.
The ceremony was an occasion not only to mark his own personal achievements, but an opportunity to recognise the support provided to him by his family. In his youth, John’s mother played a key role in encouraging him to work hard and pursue his studies. As a teacher, she understands and appreciates the importance of strong education and how education provides the means for wider scope in career path choice.
Born and raised in the Territory, John spent a number of years as a young boy living in the electorate of Macdonnell at the base of Uluru. He completed his studies through Charles Darwin University and recently spoke at a forum of Aboriginal secondary students in Alice Springs to encourage them to pursue further studies.
At the ALP National Conference in April this year, John spoke in support of a motion relating to Aboriginal support systems at the tertiary education level. Whilst recognising that university studies can be daunting for any student, John spoke in support of specific structures as a substitute for the absence of social fabric that underpins Aboriginal students. I take this opportunity to congratulate John. I cannot go without saying that John would not have achieved this without the great support that he received from his wife, Anita. A very big thank you to Anita.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016