2008-06-12
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Years 8, 9 and 10 from the Essington School of Darwin. The students are accompanied by Ms Zara O’Connor. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome. It is an excellent school in my electorate.
Members: Hear, hear!
Dr BURNS (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I report today on the very successful Australian Hotels Association Annual Conference and Awards for Excellence. The hospitality industry plays an important role in our tourism sector and the great Territory lifestyle that we enjoy. The industry is also essential in ensuring that the Territory has comfortable and safe licensed premises where we can meet our friends and family for a great dinner or night out. There is no doubt the industry is also faced with many unique challenges in the Territory. I thank the AHA Board for regularly meeting with me to discuss how we can work together to deal with emerging issues.
Although I was interstate and unable to attend this year’s activities, all reports indicate the AHA Annual Conference and Trade Expo, and the Awards for Excellence, were a resounding success. The trade expo had over 40 exhibitors and provided those in the industry with a look at the newest innovations and access to the best information. The conference and trade show were held at the new Darwin Convention Centre and attracted a large number of owners, managers, staff and associated businesses from around the Territory and from interstate.
It would have been the first opportunity for them to experience the new facilities at the Darwin Convention Centre, and I am sure they were all very impressed. The trade show and conference provided a great opportunity for industry to gather and catch up on the latest industry trends and network with their peers. I am told the highlight was a forum conducted by Diageo Australia called ‘Drink iQ’, which asked participants to think about how we can all make responsible drinking a valued and enjoyable part of life. It is a very important message and it was good to hear about the high level of interest in these sessions.
Four hundred and fifty people attended the annual Awards for Excellence on the lawns at SKYCITY for an outstanding evening of celebration of achievement. While there were numerous awards presented on the night, I will acknowledge a few in particular. The award for Hotelier of the Year went to Emmanuel Cruz from SKYCITY Casino. For the third time in a row, Clubs NT Manager of the Year was won by Andrew Hay from the Palmerston Sports Club - a great effort by Andrew. SKYCITY was awarded the Minister’s Award for Responsible Service of Alcohol. Congratulations to all award winners who should be very proud of their achievement.
I will take a moment to single out a few for special mention. Congratulations to Cazalys Palmerston Club on collecting five awards on the night including Best Club Community Service and Achievement. SKYCITY Darwin won five awards including Best Entertainment Venue. The Parap Hotel took out four awards on the night - although I understand that the otherwise fantastic MC for the evening, Max Walker, insisted on pronouncing it ‘PA-Rup’.
The annual conference and awards night are an important occasion on the industry calendar, a chance for the industry to recognise excellent businesses, clubs and individuals in the Territory. I congratulate the AHA President, Mick Burns, and Executive Director, Amy Williamson, and their team for hosting such a successful and informative program on events.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, Max Walker did an excellent job. He was constantly encouraged but could not quite pick up that the correct pronunciation was Parap rather ‘PA-Rup’. It is funny how little things like that really irk. You like to hear words that you are familiar with pronounced correctly. However, he finally admitted and, to the Chief Minister’s credit, he, therefore, honoured him with honouree Territorian status for saying it correctly.
It was an excellent night. The industry makes a huge effort to improve issues of deep concern within our community. They were outstanding hosts on the evening. In the lead that you have taken, Madam Speaker, I am also proud as a local member in Palmerston - as I am sure the other two local members in Palmerston would also like to say - that the majority of those awards were presented to Palmerston clubs, which shows the outstanding role that the community clubs play in Palmerston, with the benefit flowing into a number of community groups right throughout Palmerston, the rural area and back into Darwin.
Whilst we are talking about that, I acknowledge a couple of clubs which have been beneficiaries, which have suffered sadly in the past; that being, the Raiders and Waratahs Reds, the baseball club which lost a lot of their gear during a recent fire. I am sure the Community Benefit Fund assists in times of need.
Congratulations to the board. Mick Burns and Amy did a fantastic job and, along with Emmanuel Cruz, were well acknowledged, recognised and applauded on the night - Andrew Hay four times. He is widely respected for his outstanding role, not just in running clubs but in services to the community. SKYCITY did a great job. Palmerston did very well on the night.
Dr BURNS (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his positive and supportive response. All of us support our hotel and club industry; it is an important part of life. We know that they are working with the community to reduce some of the problems we have regarding alcohol. It is a very constructive relationship. I commend the opposition for its constructive approach.
On the issue of Max Walker, perhaps if someone had told him ‘Parap’ is a palindrome and he could have read it backwards, he might have it right!
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, there is no doubting the popularity of motor sports amongst Territorians. The passion for motor sports was evident at TIO Stadium, Marrara, on 31 May when some 10 000 Territorians turned up to watch the Crusty Demons of Dirt Motocross Spectacular.
The government is committed to bringing the best in national and international sporting events to the Territory. Territorians embraced the chance to see some of the world’s best motocross riders live. I was lucky enough to be at TIO Stadium and, I have to say, it was an amazing event. As a government, we are committed to delivering to Territory families, and the Crusty Demons show was a great family event.
This Darwin show followed on the Crusty Demons performing to sell-out crowds across Great Britain in April. We were treated to the full international show, with seven of the world’s top 10 riders coming to Darwin. The line-up included world No 1 Nate Adams, ex-games gold medallist, Adam Jones, world No 3 Mike Mason, Nicky Danielson and Jim McNeil. None of these readers had ever been to Darwin before and I am told they loved the chance to perform here. It takes incredible skills and courage to get motor bikes airborne the way the Crusty Demons riders do.
Two years ago, Territorians showed how much they loved the Crusty Demons and it was the same this time. This year’s show was a bigger show than 2006 with more ramps and more pyrotechnics. Fans not only enjoyed the motocross action live, but were also able to enjoy the replays on the big screens. This really added to the atmosphere at TIO Stadium on the night. With more than 50 different tricks in this year’s Crusty Demons show, it took three full days to set up TIO Stadium for the event. The Northern Territory government had measures in place to ensure the surface of the stadium was properly protected, and I am pleased to say there have been no issues related to the show.
It is great to see a facility such as TIO Stadium used for a range of different events. Apart from sports and the Crusty Demons, we also recently saw the highly-successful Elton John concert staged at TIO Stadium.
The NT government was proud to contribute $50 000 to make this year’s Crusty Demons show a reality. This included a $30 000 sponsorship fee and $20 000 for traffic management and other vehicle services. It was pleasing to see things going so smoothly on the night, thanks to the planning and services provided by the ground staff. I thank everyone involved in organising the production of the show.
I was also privileged to host a parliamentary welcome function for the Crusty Demons at Kantillas overlooking the ground on the Friday before the show. There were some 300 invitations sent out, and we had 280 RSVPs, which was a fantastic result. It was great to meet so many motocross fans who were excited about the chance to meet their Crusty Demons idols. The Crusty Demons team members happily signed hundreds of autographs and posed for countless photos with their fans. I thank the Crusty Demons team members for their professionalism.
I am sure every one of the 10 000 people who attended the Crusty Demons event came away looking forward to seeing further motocross events in the future. Sport is an important part of our great Territory lifestyle and this government is proud to help deliver great entertainment like the Crusty Demons for Territory families.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that sport is a very important part of our lifestyle. There is a sport statement coming on and I wondered if the minister left out the Crusty Demons in his statement which is why he has presented a ministerial report on it.
They are a terrific show. I saw them last year in Alice Springs. They ran into a little difficulty; I think someone stole some of their gear last year from the casino but they managed to retrieve it. They are very good.
I welcome the minister’s statement on the Crusty Demons and hope they will come back to the Northern Territory.
Just a reminder, to follow up from my question to you yesterday in Question Time, minister, Greece are still in Euro 2008. They are still in the competition and, hopefully, survive on 29 June, so we could feel another party coming on eventually.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. Many people enjoy - I call them the Rusty Demons as they are getting a bit older - the Crusty Demons. Many people in the rural area enjoy motocross and it is a very popular sport.
On that side of things, I believe the government should be working and planning - a word that is sometimes dismissed in government - to ensure events like the Kamfari can continue. There is talk that Power and Water do not want them to operate on their new water management zone area. That means that they can only either operate in a conservation zone or on Koolpinyah pastoral station. There needs to be some work done by the government to ensure that sporting competitions like the Kamfari - which has been around a long time - are not at risk because of lack of future planning by the government in rezoning and developing land, especially in the rural area.
The Crusty Demons was a great event for the Northern Territory. You said that the government gave them $50 000 to make it happen. I ask you: if you did not give them $50 000, would have they still come? If that $50 000 had been given to Canteen Creek to put up their football ground, would that not have been better money well spent? I know you have a statement coming up today, but when you see the big dollars spent, they are spent in the urban areas of the Territory. There are some places where you have spent money, but we should not forget these little communities. Sport is very important to them. I do not think many people from Canteen Creek would have made the trip to see the Crusty Demons.
The Crusty Demons would have made an ample amount of money from the tickets sold. It would be good to see what the official attendance numbers were, and someone could do the multiplication with how much tickets cost. Then we could see if we really needed to pay them $50 000.
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their support for the Crusty Demons. It was a fantastic event for the 10 000 people who turned up. The $50 000 that we provided to the Crusty Demons is negotiated with them. Yes, I can say that if we did not pay the $50 000 they would not come. What we have shown with Elton John and other events is that if we do not invest in these events they do not come. A prime example is the V8s.
We are very proud to be spending over $25m on sport and recreation this year. Many of the issues I am interested in will be spoken about in the statement coming up. They address many of the matters raised by the member for Nelson. I will follow up the motocross issue. We recognise the popularity of motor sports in the Northern Territory. Around 80 000 to 90 000 people visit motor sport events across the Territory in one calendar year - the highest attendance rate. I can definitely say motor sports is high on my priorities.
Mr KIELY (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, on 29 May I had the pleasure of opening the Leprosarium Memorial at East Arm. The memorial traces the history of leprosy in the Territory and details how people who were once thought to have an incurable disease requiring permanent isolation were successfully treated and able to rejoin the community.
The story started on Mud Island in Darwin Harbour where leprosy sufferers were abandoned in the late 19th century and lived in appalling conditions. In 1930, things improved with leprosy sufferers able to be housed in better conditions on Channel Island. However, conditions were still difficult and compulsory isolation of patients was still enforced. In 1955, a major step forward was taken with the establishment of a facility at East Arm to provide accommodation and treatment facilities for leprosy patients who had previously lived on Channel Island.
Considerable infrastructure was developed over a period of 20 to 30 years to create a community. It began with the essentials such as dormitories, a hospital block, water supplies and kitchens. At its peak, the settlement boasted a school, a community hall and even sporting facilities such as basketball, tennis courts and a swimming pool. Unfortunately, not much, if anything, remains of this physical infrastructure. However, as I found when launching the memorial, the spirit of the people who made this remarkable community is very much still alive.
The story of the East Arm Leprosarium is about a remarkable doctor, a dedicated group of staff, and the sufferers. I had the great privilege to meet all of them. In 1956, Dr John Hargrave arrived in the Northern Territory and commenced a career that profoundly improved the wellbeing of the patients at East Arm Leprosarium. Working with a team of dedicated health professionals, church and community workers, he led a revolution in leprosy treatment in the Territory. No longer were leprosy sufferers isolated and stigmatised. New drugs and surgical procedures became available and were applied in a caring way that encouraged treatment, not isolation, under this new regime. Leprosy was a disease and leprosy patients were treated with dignity.
Dr Hargrave spent the rest of his career at the leprosarium working with the assistance of an inspiring group of people, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Confidence in the new treatment methods led to a significant reduction in the number of people needing treatment during the 1970s. Newly diagnosed patients could now be offered outpatient services or accommodation in recently established wards in mainstream hospitals. The East Arm settlement was closed in 1982.
The memorial I opened offers Territorians an opportunity to reflect on the leprosarium and its place in history and is a touchstone for very personal memories. It was developed with the assistance of people who worked at the East Arm Leprosarium, in particular, with Sr Pat Chalmers and Sr Joan Fong, and Dr Hargrave. Many of the former staff travelled to Darwin to be at the launch. Guests included Dr Hargrave, Sr Anne Gardiner, Sr Kathleen Leahy, Sr Marion Whelan and Sr Patricia Smith. It was great to see the member for Nelson and the Deputy Chief Minister in attendance, both of whom I know have a very personal connection to the work at the leprosarium.
On the morning of the launch, I felt honoured to be amongst such a remarkable group of people who made such a profound difference to the lives of many Territorians. I was also reminded, yet again, of the importance of preserving the unique stories and heritage of the Territory. We are, and always have been, a unique place that brings out the best in people.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report this morning. The East Arm Leprosarium played a very important role for many people who were rejected by society and isolated. It must have been the most dreadful situation for those people to be in; to not have anyone to care for them. These wonderful nuns who came and set up the leprosarium and worked there and the staff, need to be highly commended.
It is such a shame there is nothing significant of the buildings left so we can pay due respects to the conditions that they lived and worked in. At least this memorial is there now to recognise the wonderful work done, and the conditions provided for those people. I did not know anyone from the leprosarium personally, but I know there are people in this House who did. I know the love and the care patients were given would have played a very important part in giving them some self-esteem.
I thank the minister for his report. I am very pleased to see the plaque is finally there as a memorial to something that played a very significant part in the early history of the Northern Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report. Yes, it was a wonderful day. It was so great that it coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Daughters of our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It gave an opportunity for many of the Sisters who had worked there to be able to see what the government has done. It is more than a plaque; it is a memorial to all the people who have worked at that particular site.
It is not only the Sisters who worked there. There are the health workers who worked there over many periods. The family of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training worked there. Dr Hargrave, whom you mentioned, I think is a walking saint; he is one of the world’s greatest people not only for what he did at the leprosarium, but what he did in his retirement in Timor. It was fantastic to see him there. He looked a picture of health and had many photographs showing the history of East Arm.
It was a great day. It needs more publicising. I do not think people understand that leprosy was in the Northern Territory and is still in the Northern Territory. I hear people say things off the cuff about leprosy, and I do not know whether they understand that people are still afflicted by that disease. We are overcoming it and, hopefully, one day it will not exist.
My only disappointment is the siting of the memorial. When I first stood in parliament I asked if the entrance to the East Arm Leprosarium, where the gmelina trees still are, could be the site of the memorial. I am told there were certain traffic issues in relation to that. Be that as it may, we should still try to preserve some of that entrance. It is the only visible signs of the East Arm Leprosarium.
I drove to East Arm on the day of the memorial and I recalled the fence that went across the road where you had to ask the caretaker for permission to go through. That is all gone. We need some sign of what happened there to stay. I ask the government to consider preserving that entrance …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mr KIELY (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for their contributions to the report.
In response to the member for Katherine, Cyclone Tracy was the main reason why we do not have anything around there. These things happen in the Top End.
Member for Nelson, I know your connections, I know your passion, and rightly so, for that particular place. It was very heartening to run into people at the opening of the memorial who had been treated at the leprosarium, and also to run into many people, whom I know as friends, who had worked there when starting their careers in the Health department. So, it is really very deep into the fabric of our society today.
It would be wonderful if we could have more there to show. You are right about people not understanding leprosy and its important role in the Top End and throughout Australia, and the way it was treated up north. It would be great if we could. Unfortunately, due to the buildings being knocked down, I do not think it can happen. You also alluded to that, member for Nelson.
We will always maintain that site; we will always maintain that memorial. It is important. It goes deep into the foundation of our community. I thank all members for their contribution.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend various legislation which falls within the Justice portfolio and to make a number of other consequential amendments. Acts amended in this bill include Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act and the Professional Standards Act. The bill also contains amendments to the Powers of Attorney Act and Regulations, and the Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Regulations.
I will detail the amendments in the order in which they are contained in the bill.
The Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act is amended to include a provision to enable a minister to appoint a Deputy Commissioner for Consumer Affairs. The long title for the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act sets out that the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act is to provide for the appoint of Deputy Commissioners of Consumer Affairs. However, there are no substantive provisions in the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act. This bill solves this problem by permitting the appointment of a Deputy Commissioner. Over time, this role will provide the Department of Justice with greater organisational flexibility.
The Powers of Attorney Act and Regulations are amended in this bill to ensure that the same administrative actions and registration safeguards apply to powers of attorney as applied to other instruments registered by the Registrar-General. The Powers of Attorney Act at present does not require any witness for a general power or revocation, except under section 6(4) where executed by direction. It further requires a witness for an enduring power of attorney, being a person who is not the donee of the power or near relative of the donee, but not a qualified witness. The Powers of Attorney Act allows an instrument creating or revoking a power of attorney, or an instrument creating a power, supporting a dealing in relation to land must be registered.
Currently, powers of attorney need to be registered to enable any transaction signed under the Land Title Act and endorsed by the donee. The amendment ensures that the witnessing requirements are similar to those under the Registrar-General’s directions to make them consistent with other forms. The amendment also provides that a power of attorney is to be witnessed by a qualified witness. This amendment is necessary, as a power of attorney is a powerful instrument which enables someone to act on another’s behalf, including to sell property, and should be treated equally to any transfer document which requires a qualified witness.
The bill defines ‘qualified witness’ in the same terms as a person listed in Schedule 1 of the Land Title Act; namely, (a) in the Northern Territory: a Commissioner for Oaths; a member of the Legislative Assembly; a legal practitioner; a person holding office under the Supreme Court Act, the Justices Act, the Local Court Act or the Registration Act; a police officer; a person licensed as a conveyancing agent or real estate agent under the Agents Licensing Act; a Notary Public; and any other person approved by the Registrar-General; and (b) in a state or territory or place within Australia and in a place outside Australia: any person approved by the Registrar-General’s directions.
The amendments also require that the witnessing requirements are to match those under the Registrar-General’s directions to make them consistent with other forms.
Amendments are also made to the Professional Standards Act to avoid the unnecessary numbering of schemes as subordinate legislation. The bill amends the Professional Standards Act to disapply section 57 of the Interpretation Act. Section 57 of the Interpretation Act requires that subordinate legislation made in each calendar year is to be numbered in regular arithmetical series, beginning with the No 1, as close as possible to the order in which it is made. Additionally, that subordinate legislation may, without prejudice to any other method of citation, be cited by the number given to it and the calendar year in which it is made. The bill ensures that professional standard schemes are not, and never have been, subordinate legislation for the purposes of the Interpretation Act. Further, they are not, and never have been, required to be published in the Gazette for the purposes of the Professional Standards Act.
The Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Regulations are amended to enable the Fines Recovery Unit to collect and enforce debts owed to the Northern Territory by persons pursuant to the Crimes Compensation Act, Crimes (Victims Assistance) Act and, in future, the Victim of Crime Assistance Act. In order to reduce expenditure on crimes victims’ assistance debt recovery and improve recovery rates, it was determined that two key changes to the recovery process were required.
First, since 2007, the Solicitor for the Northern Territory assumed conduct of all crimes victims’ assistance legal proceedings, including obtaining judgment debts against offenders. As a result, the cost of recovery has reduced significantly from the last financial year. Second, it is envisaged that expenditure on crimes victims’ assistance recovery could be further reduced and rates of recovery could be improved if the Fines Recovery Unit was given authority to collect and enforce crimes victims’ assistance debts, with the result that the Solicitor for the Northern Territory would no longer have to rely on private collection agents and would not incur the associated costs.
Given the Fines Recovery Unit’s core business is to collect fines and penalties owed to the Territory, it is in the best position to also recover crimes victims’ assistance debts. As a government agency, the Fines Recovery Unit has access to information held by government which is essential in locating persons who owe money under the Crimes Compensation Act, Crimes (Victims Assistance) Act and, in future, the Victims of Crime Assistance Act and assessing their capacity to repay their crimes victims assistance debts.
In addition, the Fines Recovery Unit has wide-ranging powers including suspending licences and vehicle registration, seizing property, and garnishing of wages or salary in order to enforce payment of the debts where necessary.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The main purpose of this bill is to make amendments to the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Act consequential to amendments and proposed amendments by the Commonwealth to its Classification (Publications, Film and Computer Games) Act 1995.
A secondary purpose is to redraft all of the offence provisions so that they become subject to the modern principles of criminal responsibility as contained Part IIAA of the Criminal Code. The bill also amends the act so as to simplify aspects of prosecutions. Finally, the bill removes an anomaly regarding children’s access to pornography.
Australia’s laws regarding censorship and classification of publications, films and computer games comprise three main elements. The first is the Commonwealth’s Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995. This act sets out the mechanism for the classification of materials. It provides for:
the establishment of the Classification Board, which classifies material;
The second element comprises state and territory enforcement acts. The Northern Territory act is the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Act. This act, with its state equivalents, contains nearly all of the offence provisions relating to classification and censorship. Thus, whilst it is a Commonwealth law that establishes the censorship framework, it is state and territory law that actually determines what materials are lawful or unlawful in any particular jurisdiction. The only significant exception to this framework is Part 10 of the Commonwealth act which deals with the prohibition of possession of certain pornographic materials in areas prescribed under the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007.
The third element of the scheme is the classification code contained in the schedule to the Commonwealth act when enacted in 1995 and as amended from time to time. The classification code provides the basis on which classification decisions are made. In many ways, it is the core of the national scheme. It can only be amended by the agreement of the Commonwealth and all of the states and territories. On only one occasion has the Commonwealth enacted legislation that displaced the code in breach of the national agreement. That action occurred in 2007 when the former Commonwealth government enacted legislation relating to materials dealing with terrorism. These three elements are regulated by an intergovernmental agreement. The classification code and the agreement can be found at websites for the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and the Classification Office.
In accordance with the intergovernmental agreement, the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (Censorship) has agreed to various amendments to the Commonwealth act and to consequential amendments to state and territory acts.
In 2007, the Commonwealth enacted the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment Act 2007. The main purpose of this act was to reflect administrative changes made at the Commonwealth level. The legislation abolished the Office of Film and Literature Classification as a separate agency, and moved administrative and policy functions into the head offices of the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. There was some rearrangement of the respective responsibilities of the Director of the Board and the Convenor of the Review Board.
These Commonwealth changes led to a need for minor amendments to Northern Territory legislation. These consequential amendments are as follows:
change the definition of ‘approved form’ so it refers to forms approved by the Commonwealth minister under section 8A of the Commonwealth act. The forms were previously approved by the Director;
changes that reflect the fact that the Convener of the Review Board can now issue evidentiary certificates. Evidentiary certificates are used in court proceedings, for instance, in the prosecution of contraventions of the Northern Territory act and are prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate; and
change the definition of ‘film’ to take account of the fact that films can now have add-on features such as translations and navigations. The effect of the amendments is that such changes do not lead to a need for reclassification of the film. Similarly, the amendments mean that there is no need for reclassification if films are packaged as a compilation.
I will now deal with these amendments in more detail.
The Northern Territory act defines the word ‘film’ by reference to the definition of that word in the Commonwealth act. The definition of ‘film’ in Section 14A of the Commonwealth act has been amended so that it is clear that when previously classified films are brought together on a single device, the product does not require classification simply because of the fact of compilation. The amendment is a response to changing technologies that ensure the regulatory burden to industry is not inadvently increased.
This bill makes the required consequential changes to the Northern Territory act. In particular, section 35 of the Northern Territory act currently makes it an offence to sell or publicly exhibit a classified film unless the film is sold or exhibited with the same title as that under which it is classified. Under section 35, if a number of already classified films were complied onto one DVD, which was then marketed under a single named product, section 35 is, without the amendment in the bill, contravened.
New section 3AA of this bill incorporates section 14A of the Commonwealth act into the Northern Territory act in the same terms. It makes amendments to section 35 of the Northern Territory act to provide that the prohibition on selling or exhibiting a classified film, other than with the title under which it is classified, is not contravened by the sale or public exhibiting of a classified film if it is contained on one device consisting of two or more classified films.
The inclusion of a new section 3AA in the Northern Territory act, along with amendments to section 45 also, ensure that section 45 of the Northern Territory act, which prohibits the sale of an unclassified film, is not breached by a compilation of several classified films onto a single device. Section 45 is also amended to take account of modifications referred to in section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act. The general rule in section 21(1) of the Commonwealth act is that if a classified film is modified it becomes unclassified when the modification is made. Section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act provides for certain exceptions to the rule so that declassification does not occur.
Section 35 of the Northern Territory act prohibits the sale or public exhibition of a classified film unless it is sold or exhibited in the form in which it was classified. Hence, a film that is modified, other than in conformity with the exceptions in section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act, cannot be sold or exhibited in the Northern Territory unless it is reclassified. The Commonwealth amending act amends section 21(2) so that adding subtitles, captions, dubbing and audio descriptions to an already classified film will not amount to a modification of a classified film that would require the film to be reclassified. Similarly, the addition of navigation aids that assist the viewer to move around a film will not require the film to be reclassified.
The Commonwealth amendment has highlighted the need to ensure that modifications that will not affect the classification status of the film as set out in section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act do not render the film unsaleable or unable to be publicly exhibited in the Northern Territory. Hence, the bill makes a consequential amendment to section 45 of the Northern Territory act to the effect that the sale or a public exhibition of films modified in accordance with section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act are not unlawful in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory act, while primarily concerned with the offence and enforcement matters, also provides some scope for organisations approved by the Director of the Classification Board to apply for an exemption from classification with respect to a specific film at a specific event.
However, there is less scope for an exemption that would permit a cultural institution to apply for a broad exemption relating to ongoing public exhibition of interactive multimedia exhibitions that incorporate changing, moving images or selections from a back catalogue of archived moving images which may not be otherwise exempt. To accommodate the contemporary moving image exhibitions that are intrinsically unsuitable for classification, and to facilitate the exhibition of archived film material, this bill provides a mechanism, similar to that act, for organisations which carry on activities of an educational, cultural or artistic nature approved by the Director of the Classification Board. These amendments regarding moving image exhibitions follow on from amendments made to the Victorian legislation and agreed to by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, SCAG.
The Victorian amendments were designed to accommodate an exemption for the exhibition of contemporaneous interactive moving images and other films and computer games held by the Australian Centre for Moving Image, a Victorian cultural institution. An amendment to the Commonwealth act to provide a power to exempt an organisation in relation to computer games was made to facilitate the amendment to the Victorian enforcement act. This Commonwealth amendment will also facilitate the making of exemptions under this proposed amendment to the Northern Territory act.
The amendments contained in new sections 96 to 100 of the Northern Territory act will enable approved Northern Territory cultural institutions to apply to the Director of the Classification Board, or to the Northern Territory minister, for an exemption from classification from the classifications scheme for the purposes of all or any of the institution’s activities or functions that relate to films or computer games. The bill gives the director some guidance as to the types of organisation that may be approved for the purpose of applying for an exemption. The reputation of the organisation in relation to film and computer games, and the conditions it intends to impose concerning the admission of people to exhibitions involving film or computer games, are included in the matters the director must have regard to in determining whether to approve an organisation. The director is also required to give effect to any ministerial directions and guidelines in relation to approving an organisation under section 100.
In 2008, the Commonwealth introduced into parliament the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Assessments and Advertising) Bill 2008. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives in March 2008 and it is expected to be passed by the Senate in June 2008. SCAG had previously agreed that state and territories should make amendments consequential to an earlier version of the bill introduced but not passed by the former Commonwealth government. The 2008 Commonwealth bill provides for:
replacing the prohibition on advertising unclassified films and computer games with a new scheme that will allow advertising, subject to conditions to be set out in a new Commonwealth instrument; and
amending the classification procedures for films that are compilations of episodes of a television series so that an application for classification of such a film may be accompanied by a report that complies with conditions set out in a new Commonwealth instrument.
Schedule 1 of the Commonwealth act is part of a package of reforms involving amendments to state and territory legislation, and to legislative instruments under the Classification act. The proposal was developed in response to industry concerns that the current advertising arrangements were cumbersome and outdated. The increasing risk of piracy means that products are often available for classification only very close to their release date. The current prohibition, with limited exceptions only for public exhibition films, places unnecessary regulatory limitations on marketing of classifiable products. The bill enables a legislative instrument under the Commonwealth act to set out conditions on advertising unclassified films and computer games, and establish an industry-based self-assessment scheme whereby the likely classification of an unclassified film or computer game is assessed by an authorised industry assessor for the purposes of advertising that film or game together with classified films or games before it is classified.
Schedule 2 of the Commonwealth bill enables an industry-based self-assessment scheme to be established for films that are episodes of a television series and series-related material where that series has been broadcast in Australia. The proposal was developed in response to the increasing number of television series being released on video and DVD. Current arrangements for classification of such films are both expensive and time-consuming. The scheme will allow an application for classification of a box set of episodes of a television series to be accompanied by a report from an authorised assessor. The aim of this proposal is to streamline the classification process, respond to the changing technological environment for entertainment media, and reduce the cost to industry. Quality assurance processes and safeguards are included in the scheme to ensure the ongoing integrity of the classification process.
These amendments led to the following consequential amendments to the Northern Territory act:
amend the provisions dealing with the advertising of unclassified films so that such advertising is regulated by an advertising scheme put in place under the Commonwealth act rather than under the exemptions scheme that has existed since 1995; and
provide for the advertising of unclassified computer games to be also regulated by an advertising scheme in place under the Commonwealth act.
The legislation also provides for the repeal and/or amendment of the 86 offence sections contained in the act. They all have been amended so as to conform with the modern principles of criminal responsibility as contained in Part IIAA of the Criminal Code. The penalty provisions have also been modified so that they all rely on section 34DB of the Interpretation Act, so that the penalty for a corporate offender is five times the monetary penalty specified for each of the offences.
During the enactment of the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007, members of the Senate noted an apparent anomaly in the provisions of the act that prohibit persons under 18 years of age from accessing pornography. Such persons are not permitted to access pornography in places open to the public. However, in other situations, persons are excused from criminal liability if they are the parents or guardians of the child; that is, the legislation permits parents and guardians to allow their own children in the home and other non-public places to access X 18-plus films and Category 1 and 2 publications. These provisions reflect the model bill developed by the Australian Law Reform Commission in the early 1990s. They are also contained in the Australian Capital Territory’s Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1995.
No doubt, these provisions reflect the view that there are some children - for example, those aged 16 or 17 - for whom responsible parents may correctly take the view that there is no problem in the child accessing pornography. However, the Little Children are Sacred report does indicate there are parents who may not be able to deal with the issue in a proper way. Accordingly, this bill will remove the various defences.
The bill also includes new section 115. This is designed to simplify the prosecution process by providing that a factual allegation of the classification status of a film, publication or computer game is evidence of that status. The new section is proposed for the purpose of avoiding the need for time-consuming and expensive formal classifications of materials.
The final substantive amendment of the bill is that it provides that exemptions can be made by way of some regulation. SCAG is to consider, later in 2008, proposals concerning research into pornographic materials. Such proposals may require exemption. Current thinking is that exemptions of such a nature should be agreed by ministers and reflected in the regulations rather than exemptions given by ministers or by the national director.
Madam Speaker, the opportunity has also been taken to rationalise the numbering of the provisions of the act and to make the necessary consequential amendments to other Northern Territory legislation.
I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 7 May 2008.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I respond to the second reading of the National Gas (Northern Territory) Bill 2008. Although the bill in itself is not earth-moving or earth-shattering, and the minister’s second reading speech certainly did not indicate anything of concern, I thank him for organising a briefing for me for last week. I appreciate it; thank you.
As the minister said in his second reading speech, and as I was advised at the briefing, this bill comes on the back of a national agreement made at the Ministerial Council on Energy to create a national framework to regulate energy in Australia. It appears that the lead state will be South Australia, even though it is a national framework, and that the Northern Territory and all other states, except Western Australia, will refer their legislative frameworks directly to the Australian Energy Market Commission Establishment Act 2004 (South Australia). The South Australian legislation complies with the national agreement and would not alter their legislation unless there was agreement between the participating states.
By adopting this position, it means that the Northern Territory will be subordinating its legislation to South Australia. However, as the system is organised on national agreements, this does not present an issue, as the Northern Territory will still maintain control of its own legislation.
Minister, we support this legislation; however, I cannot finish without pointing out an annoying error you made in your second reading speech. You referred to the South Australian Energy Market Commission Establishment Act 2004, and it was really difficult to find this act, because it is actually called the Australian Energy Market Commission Act 2004 (South Australia). I wonder if your slip of the tongue was just meant to keep me trying longer to find it and keep me occupied. I do not believe so; I think it was just a slip of the tongue.
Madam Speaker, we support this legislation.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, the legislation is very timely, especially in relation to the supply of energy. Gas is a big market player in providing energy for the world and for Australia. Anything that can be done to allow companies to find an easier way - if I can put it that way - to get into the market, is good for the country as well as the Northern Territory. As was said at my briefing today, if we can make it easier for other companies to access existing pipelines, there is a good rationale behind that. As it was put to me: do we want pipelines all over the country duplicating infrastructure where that infrastructure could be used by several companies? I believe that makes a lot of sense.
I have not read the National Gas (South Australia) Bill 2008, not that that is one we have to debate today. It is one of those little bills that you can use to stop the door from blowing closed, or keep the paper from blowing off their desk. I am glad it was someone else’s job to read this particular bill. You can see why it has taken 10 years for this bill to come into place. There is certainly a lot of work and there has been much discussion between industry and government, all sorts of people, and the states and the ministers, to come up with something as comprehensive as we have.
It highlights that it took 10 years, and that is what we need to do if we are going to ensure that we are competitive in the world market for gas. In other words, we need good planning, and that is where the Territory has fallen down.
In relation to INPEX, I know people say: ‘Oh, you are supporting INPEX’. I have never been against INPEX. My belief is that the government has been negligent in the amount of planning it needed to do to ensure that, when gas comes into the Northern Territory, we have adequate planning. If we had set up 10 years ago, or when the government came to power seven years ago, a consultation process with industry, government, business and the gas industry about the area in the Northern Territory which would be a possible future hub for development for the gas industry, we may not have been having the debate today about whether INPEX should go in the middle of the harbour or somewhere else.
I may have said this before: we are bringing a pipeline into Port Keats at Wadeye at the moment for Blacktip. If we had a little more time, we could have discussed whether that is the site for INPEX, and whether that was an opportune time for us to develop the regions - really develop them to create employment in our regional areas, especially for indigenous people.
We have not really had this debate. All of a sudden it said: ‘Oh, INPEX is coming’. That is from an external point of view. I am talking about the public point of view. What the government was doing over the last couple of years, I do not know. But, all of a sudden, bingo, INPEX is here, bingo, that is the site that it is going to be, and if you do not agree with it, you are anti-Territorian and anti-development.
This bill today highlights if we are to ensure we are on top of the changes happening in the world today. The changes are happening rapidly - you only have to see the price of diesel at the moment, one of the main forms of energy in the Northern Territory - yet we have not done the solid planning from a Northern Territory perspective to allow …
Ms Lawrie: So, you say. Your view, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: That is right. That is why I am standing here, minister …
Ms Lawrie: That is right. No facts.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: If I was to give your view, minister, then I would say it was your view. The very reason I am standing here is to give a view I know other people agree with: that there was not good planning in relation to the setting up of gas in the Northern Territory. You may say that is my view, but I know there are other people who are also concerned about the future of our harbour; what it will look like aesthetically, the environmental impacts of having it at that particular point; the discussion about bringing another pipeline into the harbour - is that what is going to happen or are we going to use the existing pipeline or part of the way that ConocoPhillips own? These are all issues are relevant when we debate the future of energy sources in the Northern Territory.
The government gets upset at that and starts to throw the old anti-Territorian, anti-development labels around it - or I have heard economic vandals - because people do not take things that the government says for granted. They would like to put forward another point of view. After all, that is why parliament is here. Hopefully, we can put another point of view across. That is what I am saying today: if we had planned adequately for a future gas hub, we may not have been doing what we are doing today. The minister says that is my opinion. It was the government’s opinion. Only up until last year, there was a specific clause in the NT Planning Scheme saying there will not be LNG in the middle of the harbour. After six or seven years of the government saying there will not be one, just like that, we will change the law and it will be in the middle of the harbour.
Is it my fault that I am a little cynical to say for this long it was wrong and now it is right, and when I query that, I am wrong and you are right? It is a sort of funny system to argue when it was your government that signed off on the NT Planning Scheme which said no LNG in the middle of the harbour.
I welcome the bill before us today. It will be good for the nation and it will be good for the Territory. I reiterate that, if it takes 10 years to get this sort of bill before parliament to make the development of gas resources in our country more efficient, it highlights the lack of planning this government has. For the very same reason, we do not have a policy or a plan which says for future gas infrastructure: ‘This is what we are going to do’. Unfortunately, this government has tarnished itself in this area. It is well known to be a five-minute planner. It should be a five-, 10- or 15-year planner when it comes to these important matters. That is where we have let the people of the Northern Territory down.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I support the National Gas (Northern Territory) Bill 2008. We should bear in mind, particularly the member for Nelson, that this is part of the National Energy Reform Agenda. I appreciate the fact this legislation will deliver on key energy reforms to improve the governance arrangements for the regulation of natural gas pipeline services across Australia. It is not something just the Northern Territory is bringing in ...
Mr Wood: I know.
Mr WARREN: I think you are missing the point. Maybe you are not briefed enough, I am not sure. This is not about the particular issues you mentioned. I have read a fair bit of it because I am interested. I am a person who has experience and qualifications, and I understand that you are probably coming from a long way back, but that is okay.
I commend the member for Katherine because she, at least, does seem to understand the issues and has supported the bill. There are bilateral agreements across Australia on this particular bill because it is about the future of Australia, not just the Northern Territory, on the whole thing ...
Mr Wood: You better get a briefing.
Mr WARREN: I have actually read the bill, member for Nelson. I will take on that interjection and aspects of it and if you understood what the bill was about you would not be politicising the issue.
Madam Speaker, this is legislation that is complementary to other bills being introduced in other jurisdictions in regard to repealing the existing gas pipeline access legislation, particularly relating to third party access to the designated natural gas pipelines, and introducing the new national gas law.
This legislation will allow an orderly process for the gas industry to be able to utilise natural gas resources across Australia and that is very important. This is about a strategic approach across Australia, the development of our natural resources; it is not just a Northern Territory approach. The objectives of the legislation to the wholesale gas market are to encourage transparency, encourage new market entrants, and encourage investment in gas infrastructure. Those are the key elements of this and that is what must be borne in mind. We are taking our part. This is about a maturity for us in the Northern Territory participating as equal players with other jurisdictions across Australia. The lead state was South Australia. I understand Queensland is very close behind in initiating this. We are part of the process, up at the forefront of it, and I am pleased about that.
This is part of a national imperative and was developed through an intensive national cooperative process which involved extensive stakeholder consultation. That is what good governance is about. That is the important essence of it. It is not about …
Mr Wood: Hear, hear!
Mr WARREN: Exactly right. That is what it is about. That is why I do not understand why you were taking the path that you took when this is clearly about public consultation - good extensive stakeholder consultation.
There is no doubt that the natural gas industry will benefit with streamlined and improved economic regulation of the gas pipelines which will lower the cost and complexity of regulations facing investors, enhancing research certainty and lower barriers to competition. That is what it is all about, member for Nelson. In other words, improved incentives for investment in the gas industry and distribution pipelines while, at the same time, ensuring the rights of all parties seeking access to pipelines to ensure they are protected in those rights ...
Mr Wood: I got a briefing.
Mr WARREN: I am very surprised that you did not pick up the aspects of the bill then if you did get a proper briefing ...
Mr Wood: I got a briefing.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WARREN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to stick to the point.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker. I think the …
Mr WARREN: This legislation is about …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, please pause. What is your point of order?
Mr MILLS: Perhaps an assistance. If the member could direct his comments through the Chair; I think he is getting a little distracted.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, if you can direct your comments through the Chair. It would be helpful if there was less cross-Chamber banter.
Mr WARREN: Most certainly, Madam Speaker. I will try to ignore the interjections on that side and address everything through you ...
Mr Mills: You elicited them, though.
Mr WARREN: Madam Speaker, that was a …
Mr Mills: Provocative approach. Just talk …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, please just continue and direct your comments through the Chair.
Mr Mills: You started it, you goose.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The member for Goyder has the call.
Mr WARREN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. This legislation is about our future. That is what it is about. The most important aspect of the bill is the fact that we are talking about greenfields pipeline investment. In the Northern Territory, the only pipeline that we have under the existing arrangements is the Amadeus to Darwin pipeline. So the greenfields exemptions and the aspects of that are very important to our future development in the Northern Territory. The option for a post-pipeline to seek a binding no coverage exemption, which would remove the pipeline from access regulations and determinations for 15 years, is very important. That is what it is about: attracting new business to the Territory. That is what it is about: developing the Territory. That means that people who want to invest in the gas link, and in the pipeline, have some surety. That is very important.
This pricing regulatory holding gives the investors certainty at the planning stage, and that is very important. It means that they can go to their bankers and investors, and the whole aspect of investment up here taking advantage of the greenfields exemptions is very important. It is going to be a very big part of our future in the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support this bill because it is going to foster a more competitive gas supply industry in the Territory, and that augurs well for the proper and well-thought-out, well-planned future of the Territory in conjunction with other jurisdictions throughout Australia.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for Katherine, Nelson and my colleague, the member for Goyder, for their support of this bill. Member for Katherine, I do apologise for leading you on a wild goose chase, and will check up on the name of that particular legislation. I would also like to correct the member for Nelson. It actually has not taken 10 years to put together; it actually replaces an act that is 10 years old. It has only taken a couple of years to put together. For your own interest, I correct that.
As I mentioned in my second reading speech, in the short term, this impact is going to be minimal to the Northern Territory. However, it will benefit us greatly, especially when we get major local gas developments into the Territory with the potential to supply local and domestic markets. It is good legislation for Australia and for the Northern Territory. I look forward to the passage of the bill.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 11 June 2008.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, overall, the budget is a very good budget. I have some concerns about certain aspect of it. We should make note that, with record income from the GST, we would expect spending, especially in areas of need throughout the Northern Territory. I realise that the Closing the Gap initiatives are very important initiatives, and the government has certainly spent a quite a bit of money in setting up programs under that framework of Closing the Gap.
Aboriginal housing is an ongoing issue that will continue. As we have debated in this House previously, it is an area that is desperately required to be attacked - if you can put it that way - to overcome some of the existing problems we have in Aboriginal communities. We know that overcrowding in housing is one of a number of issues that cause the problems that we see today.
Economic development is one of the areas that we need to put more emphasis on. I noticed in the budget that you spoke about $830 000 for targeting indigenous ranger programs. That is good. I also think there is room for more development of areas such as in the case of appointing fisheries officers under the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency so that indigenous people have the powers to check on boats in their area - both amateur fishing and other commercial fishers.
The minister talked about police; that is one area that I believe is vital to community safety and closing the gap, and it is good to see that the government has put more money into policing. One of the questions I have in relation to policing is that we know that, as you put police in one end, police go out the other end. I imagine that the police department is doing its best to reduce that. Every time you have a policeman trained and, in a couple of years that policeman has gone off to some other jurisdiction, that is costing the Territory money. It is also costing experience. The one thing you want, especially in bush communities, is police who have a knowledge and understanding of indigenous people. If they do not have that knowledge, it takes time. It is a two-way street where indigenous people need to understand those people in the police force who have just arrived in their area, and also time for the police to get to understand the people they are there to serve.
If we are losing police on a fairly constant basis, there is not time for those relationships to be established. It is not only in indigenous areas, but in the suburbs. I know that for a long time we would have had situations where people would talk about a policeman who had been in that area for a long time. I wonder whether that is now, unfortunately, disappearing. You need that relationship between police and the community where they know and can trust one another.
I am interested to know whether the government is looking at ways of reducing the number of police leaving the force. If so, do they have any figures to show over the last couple of years, for instance, how many police they have recruited, and how many police have left the force, and if there is a decline in those numbers? Otherwise, we will certainly continue to spend large amounts of money on training and, unfortunately, lose the benefits of that training.
Education, naturally, is an important area. I know the government is saying that they are putting in a comprehensive reform agenda for improving indigenous education. However, I still think it is one of those areas that the government glosses over. If you go through the budget in that area, you get concerned that some of the figures that are given really should be more highlighted in the budget than it is at present. What I mean by that is, whilst a lot of time budgets are all about highlights - highlights here, highlights there - sometimes we need to reiterate some of the difficulties we are having.
I refer to page 62 of the Education department’s section in the budget in the main budget papers. It talks about performance measures in primary education. It looks at the 2007-08 estimates for writing for indigenous students in Year 3 and Year 5, and that is 31% and 30%. I am aware that Remote Indigenous has been removed over the last few years so you cannot quite see whether remote indigenous students are improving in their writing or numeracy skills. The way it has been put now in our budgets is that it is a combined figure which a few years ago was not a combined figure. Even so, 31% is the estimate for the indigenous students reaching Year 3 level writing and 30% reaching Year 5 level writing.
If you go to the annual report for 2006-07 and look at what was estimated for indigenous students - they do not have the writing figures in here so I will go to the reading figures for Year 3 and Year 5. The estimate was 45% for Year 3 and 48% for Year 5. The actual figures were Year 3, 40% and Year 5, 38%. So, even though the government last year had hoped for higher national reading benchmark figures, they were quite a bit lower. This year, we are estimating those figures will actually be either lower or level with the previous year, although we are estimating an increase of 48% and 46% next year.
From those figures, there is no great improvement, even though we have estimated there might be a great improvement. Last year, we thought it would be 45%, but it was actually 40%, which is the same figure as 2004-05. Year 5 reading benchmark for indigenous students in 2006-07 was 38%. In 2004-05 it was 45%. It has decreased by 7% in actual figures. We are not advancing. Even the figures we hope to get to this year are 5% lower than three years ago in indigenous reading benchmark.
When it comes to numeracy, in 2004-05 it was 64% for Year 3 indigenous students. Last year, it was actually 62%, even though it was estimated to be 67%. Over three years we have gone down. It is the same for Year 5: it was 38% in 2004-05, and the actual was 32% in 2006-07.
The Minister for Employment, Education and Training has said that things are pretty terrible. There should be much more emphasis in the budget to say that this is not good. We are actually lower than we were in previous years when it comes to indigenous reading and numeracy. Even though we like to have highlights in our budget, one of the areas of greatest concern has to be literacy and numeracy amongst indigenous people throughout the Northern Territory. Until we get on top of that, many of the issues we are talking about today are never going to change. If you do not have literacy and numeracy, you do not have employment. If you are sitting in a house that has many people in it, it is difficult to read and write and do homework; it is also difficult to advance oneself.
Even though we are talking about closing the gap, the gap actually appears to be going backwards in some of these areas. I appreciate that the government has a difficult job. There is no doubt that there is no quick fix and they are spending money in the right areas in relation to closing the gap.
The government needs to debate what its intentions are in other areas. One would be housing and the cost of housing. The government has put forward its proposals; that is, making the HomeNorth scheme more easily accessible, reducing stamp duty, or increasing the threshold on which you can get stamp duty reductions for first homeowners. That is all very good, but the reality is - and I will continue to say it - it is getting harder and harder for young people to buy a house today. I recently was quoted that land in Bellamack would be selling for around $260 000 a block because of many of the requirements there. People say land in Lyons is not for first homeowners; it is being advertised for about $330 000 a block. I ask the government: how much is it costing to develop this land, and how much is being skimmed off by the developers? We own the land because the government owns a lot of this land, and has allowed the developers to purchase it. In the end, what we really wanted was to allow people to buy a house on a reasonably priced block of land so they are not stuck with a mortgage for the rest of their lives.
Governments can say: ‘Look around at Farrar and around those places and you will see people building their houses’. But what is the social effect of people having to work, work, work, work to cover the high mortgages? I heard on the radio that one person said that there were quite a number of vacant blocks in Lyons because people have bought the land but simply could not get enough money to buy the house. They are getting to that stage where the covenants are telling them to start building and they are hanging on for dear life hoping that they, I suppose, find a form of finance which can help them put a house on those blocks.
I looked in the paper the other day at the results of the 2008 Royal Australian Institute of Architects annual Northern Territory Architecture Awards. There was a house in Batchelor which they were saying would have cost $160 000 to $170 000. I say, because of the way we are developing land in the suburbs, there is no way that that house could be built in the suburbs because of the covenants that are now applying.
I understand the system is that the government sells the land to developers. The developer works out that every house is going to have a different coloured roof, it is going to have a garage set back this way, it is going to have a roof of this shape, it will have to be a minimum size to cover the block, etcetera. There are conditions being put on by developers that make a very nice suburb, but add to the cost of housing.
I ask why a house that won the architects award in Batchelor could not be built in Palmerston or in Lyons? If it came up to the code, why cannot we have suburbs with a bit of difference? Are we being forced into higher costs simply because a developer has the power to say: ‘Your house must look this way, must contain these things, must have a black roof’. Have a look in Farrar; look at how many black rooves. What is that doing to our energy consumption? What is that doing to the cost of living in the house? The government is not addressing those issues as it should be. It is just piece-meal saying: ‘There is no problem. We are releasing a certain amount of land. If you cannot afford it, we have HomeNorth, and if you cannot afford HomeNorth, get a unit, and if you cannot afford a unit …’, which is not always suitable for young families, ‘… go and see Somerville Community Services for emergency accommodation or the Housing Commission’.
Is there anything in here that says there is a definitive effort by the government to build more Housing Commission houses to reduce the waiting lists? An 83-year-old gentleman rang me yesterday. He has asked for a house. He is not on priority, but he says: ‘I am not sure I will be alive by the time I get a house with the Housing Commission’. That is a disgrace in a place like the Northern Territory. We have sold off some of our assets, and I understand why, but have we replaced them? So, housing and land prices are something that is on the top list of what the government should be doing.
Berrimah Farm is not the way to go; that is a stopgap. You have a tiny suburb set 2 km from the port. It should be developed as industrial for the port. It means you have development that can go straight to the port without going through residential areas. We have plenty of land for residential land; we do not have to use a bit here and a bit there. We can do a well-developed Darwin region based on good planning principles, not five-minute planning principles.
What is missing in this budget is a real effort to change things around for people in the Territory. The Territory lifestyle is just getting more expensive, and for some people it is not achievable any more, which is very sad in a place as big as the Territory with all the land it has.
The budget mentions reducing payroll tax for businesses. So it should. Government can sound really nice: ‘Look, we have reduced payroll tax, we have promised that’, but sometimes it needs to look at the big picture. They have not really done much because they just got a heap more money from the GST. We have a lot more of our own money that we put in, coming back to us in the form of GST. If we are getting an increase, surely some of these other taxes can get knocked off, because it is our money.
When you look at the figures for payroll tax, they do not appear to have changed much because there are more businesses. The percentage might have dropped, but the actual amount of payroll tax is not much different to what it was previously. We have this extra money, and it is good that the government reduces payroll tax. However, I say that, yes, you can do that and you should do it because you are getting more money from the Commonwealth.
It is good to see the amount effort that the government is putting into training. Everyone knows there is a skills shortage. The headlines of today’s NT News are about how difficult it is for many employers to actually find people and, when they find them, they have to pay top dollar for everything they do. Taminmin High School is certainly a leader in this area: training young people for future employment in Northern Territory industry.
I take up a couple of notes from the minister’s speech. He talked about $110 000 for a 24-hour antisocial behaviour reporting hotline. That sounds good but, if you report that the neighbours next door are having a binge party and music is belting out at night and they are hooning on the street - as was reported to me yesterday in part of the rural area – and ring, what ability have the police to change things; to actually make a difference? Are there enough police to attend a large number of antisocial behaviour happenings on Saturday nights? Do we have the numbers of people who can make that difference? It is nice to have a 24-hour antisocial reporting hotline, but do we have the infrastructure, if you can call it that, to back that up?
I noticed also the government has talked about targeting $2.5m towards tough new measures including family responsibility agreements and orders, and youth camps to stop the revolving door of youth offending. Fine! I heard the minister talk about that yesterday. However, I must admit that it hurts a little, on one hand, to say ‘Great job, government, and I am glad you are doing it’ and, on the other hand, to stand here for I do not know how many years asking: ‘Why did you shut Wildman River down?’ It seems a strange position that we are now praising the idea of having youth camps when a couple of years ago I was being told that we did not need Wildman River.
It is appreciated that the government has moved in this direction. I believe we have a long way to go. We should certainly be using the pastoral industry as a place where we can run some of these youth camps. Reading some literature that was given to me yesterday from the criminal institute - they send out plenty of documents and newsletters all the time - it is all very well to put someone into a youth camp and then bring them out and say they will be good. Well, they might be for a few months but, if there is no one following it up, and if there is no continual checking, there may be a need for them to go back again to a youth camp for a little while. Sometimes, the changes you have made to people dissipate and they are back to where they were in the first place. When kids pick up with the same gang that they left, sometimes they have the same problems.
There was also talk about commencing detailed design on a new 1000-bed prison in Darwin. Without getting into arguments about where it should go, before we go down this path too far, there is really room for debate about whether we want to have 1000 prisoners in Darwin. I am not saying we should not have the prison where it is, but we could build a smaller prison in other areas such as Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Nhulunbuy. They might be small regional prison farms. I put this idea yesterday saying those prison farms might be run by someone like Outback Stores which employs a qualified commercial horticulturalist - not someone who is having a little experiment - and they pay a wage to those prisoners who work on that farm. Some of that money goes back to prison, some goes to the prisoners, and they provide Aboriginal communities with good quality fresh food. I do not think the model that has been put forward that local government should take over horticulture is going to work. Small farms all over the place will not be viable - they might be good but they will not be viable.
This is an opportunity here for government to think about whether we could use these prison farms in these communities to supply fresh fruit and vegetables as a commercial proposition. If you do not do it that way, the industry will complain you have taken away their markets, so we give people skills, we give people employment, we provide Aboriginal communities with fresh fruit and vegetables – not only those communities, it could be many of our isolated towns in the Territory. I believe that that is worth looking at, and I ask the government to reconsider the idea of one big prison in Darwin and one in Alice Springs. I do not believe there is a big hurry as the government is going to spend $39m on upgrading the prison in its present state with demountable cells, I presume. It would be good to allow a bit more debate about this before you finally decide that this is the way to go.
There are plenty of other issues I would like to talk about. It is good to see money going into Palmerston High School. I note that there has not been one Catholic primary or secondary school built since this government came into being - that is nearly seven or eight years. There was a Catholic school planned for Lambrick Avenue. It would be good to see some move in that direction. The popularity of private schools can be exemplified by the number of kids going to the new Lutheran middle school in Howard Springs. There is a need to look at ensuring the balance is kept in providing enough funds for both government schools and independent schools ...
Mr Burke: I do not think government can dictate that.
Mr WOOD: Well, that is part of their job. They get money from the Commonwealth to provide for independent schools as well as their own schools ...
Mr Burke: They cannot tell the Catholic education system what to do or when.
Mr WOOD: No, that is what has been planned. There is an area set aside for that school. It has been set aside for nearly eight years, and that is on Lambrick Avenue, but it has not gone ahead.
On a few local issues, I am disappointed in many ways that the budget has not done much for the rural area. There is no doubt that there are some good things. The Henning Road/Girraween Road intersection, at last - it has taken a long time but the government is going to put $1m into redirecting Girraween Road into the Henning Road area and that is good.
There is money for a rehabilitation centre at the old ANSTI development on Bees Creek Road. Last sittings I asked a question about that and I got one of those global answers: yes, we are doing something, but what it is we are not telling you. It would be good to know exactly what that rehabilitation centre is. I have had reports there is a hole in the fence at the moment. I have not been to check it, but if there is a hole in the fence, there is someone getting in there. I would hate to see that place being vandalised.
There is money for road upgrades on the Arnhem Highway, which is good. Taminmin High School is getting some money. It has a big VET program, and it is also tied up with the Australian Technical College, which is great. There is a small amount of money to continue the Coolalinga landscaping, which is good.
On the other side of it, I see something like $15m or $16m to put the power lines underground in Nightcliff and Millner. Madam Speaker, I am not knocking the concept of having the power lines underground. However, year after year after year, I have asked that the government look at replacing many of the outdated and leaking private water lines in the rural area. The government is entitled to give the money to Power and Water to do the work that it does in the northern suburbs, but it is a freebie. Power already exists in Nightcliff. What you are doing is moving the power from above the ground to under the ground. We are saying that if Power and Water can get a gift from the government for that much, they could do a little to help upgrade some of the infrastructure in the rural area. Unfortunately, that has not happened.
The famous bicycle path. I see the ex-minister sitting there, and here is the letter to the member for Brennan. At the bottom of the paragraph, it says, in relation to bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs: ‘This project is subject to the usual budgetary process and while I am unable to provide you with the exact timing, the government will deliver upon this commitment during the current four year term’. Well, here we are at the four-year term, this is the end of the term, and there is nothing in the budget. So unless it is in some smaller part of this great volume of …
Mr Burke: What is the date of the letter?
Mr WOOD: The date of the letter was 2006, member for Brennan. That is right; this is the end of the term. Just a few days and we are into the last term.
Mr Burke: The actual date.
Mr WOOD: The actual date: 25 July 2006. I am still waiting, and I have written a lot more letters than just that one about this particular issue. It is sad that something like that has not happened. We have tried, and asked the government to put the bicycle path down that road, down the old railway line. Nothing has happened. I note there is money for Wishart Road for a bicycle path. Interesting, I did not know they where applying for one but they have one. We have been trying for a long time - nothing.
The slip lane: I know it might sound pretty innocuous but we have been looking for a slip lane to the Howard Springs tip for, I do not know how many years. What we got about three weeks ago was a strip of bitumen to fill up the invert because it was a bit deep. I would say about 2 m of slip lane. That was it and they packed up and went home. Yet, a simple slip lane is needed to prevent people running into the back of people driving into the Howard Springs tip. For some reason, and it is not a huge expense, we cannot get that. A little thing but it is an important thing and it annoys people.
I mentioned before there is a lack of money for maintenance for the pool at Howard Springs so that it can be opened. There is no maintenance on that pool anymore. Two years ago we had the Friends of the Springs meet the previous Minister for the Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage, and what happened? We had people pumping mud out, removing weeds, and chopping trees. Has that happened again? Not on an annual basis and that is the problem. I would like to see the government spend money doing that maintenance annually, so that we can swim in that area. That is unfortunate.
The other issue is the swimming pool. The swimming pool gets mentioned in the local Territory Regional Weekly. I thought the swimming pool was going to be a school pool. Now I see they are going to seize the land from Taminmin High School. I do not see anything in the budget. If it is not going to be part of the school, is it going to be a community-based pool? I believe there needs to be more discussion about it. If the school is taking over the pool, that is an issue for the school. Now it is going to be part of a community-based project. Whilst I support the idea of a pool, we need to look at who is going to run it, is it the right site, and what will be the cost of running it? All those things that the council had concerns about should be out in an open forum. If it is part of the school, that is the school’s business. But it is not going to be part of the school now. There needs some discussion. There is nothing in the budget to say there is $1.5m. I could not see it, so I will be asking those questions at estimates because it is important.
I can go on about a lot of issues about planning. There is not enough talk about Weddell. There is nothing about Weddell in this whole thing. About future transport options, about options out in the rural area? Can we extend the railway line? Can we have the railway line into Darwin? Can we have a light rail system? What options is the government putting forward when the cost of fuel is very high? There is nothing in here. I believe the biggest problem with the budget is that it does not have vision. It has some good things in it but, overall, for this area here, it lacks vision. It has a softly, softly approach but it not going to lift the lid on the future of the Darwin region.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I will go into specific areas of the budget with my colleagues at estimates. Today, I will just outline a few areas relating to Central Australia and some areas of my portfolios, namely as shadow for Central Australia.
The government has a lot of money and it goes to show they have been able to spend up big in many areas across the Northern Territory. There are some concerns in the budget and I will highlight some of those. I know the Treasurer would expect me to highlight some of those; she would be disappointed if I did not. I have made a note of some of those concerns. Some have already been mentioned by the member for Araluen, my Central Australian colleague, but some of them are worth repeating. She mentioned the Alice Springs Court House and the lack of investment which has been going on for a long time and the lack of facilities. The same can also be said for the Alice Springs Police Station - poor working conditions, antiquated equipment, and lack of heating and cooling; Central Australia is an area of extremes when it comes to temperatures - furniture that is falling apart and is unusable in many areas. There are pokey staff facilities including offices, interview rooms and toilet facilities. While there has been an upgrade of the front counter at the Alice Springs Police Station recently, for the most it will remain simply just a bit of window dressing because the whole facility is in dire need of attention.
I know that the Casuarina Police Station is probably the most recent to receive an overhaul and the Alice Springs Police Station is in dire need of some attention. With all the energy we spend in Alice Springs on addressing law and order issues, providing our front line - that is our police - with comfortable and functioning working conditions would be a key in not only getting the best from our officers who already do an extraordinary job, but also go a long way in encouraging them to stick around in the job, in retaining those frontline police officers. It is disappointing we have not seen a large chunk of money put towards this very important facility.
The member for Araluen mentioned the ongoing issue with the telecommunications system or the phone system, and it is worth repeating. It has been going on for a long time. People have been hanging on the end of the line for a long time. While there have been a number of attempts to solve the problem, to address that issue, it is still far from being rectified. This has been going on for a number of years now. It was first highlighted about mid-2006. It was attempted to be addressed in the regional parliamentary sittings in 2007 but, here we are, beyond 12 months from that, and it is still not much better.
It causes not only the police undue stress but also those waiting on the line. Officers have to answer, for the lack of a better word, to people in the street, and senior officers, in particular, are usually the ones who find themselves at the other end of a microphone or in front of a journalist, or a community group which is angry about the fact that they cannot get through to the police station. They have to defend a system that is clearly inadequate. It is disappointing that there has not been anything mentioned in the budget to address that. Perhaps there has been, and the Treasurer can highlight that for us.
I have had a tour of the police station and seen some of the phone records. I have seen that many calls, by virtue of the hard-working police, do get answered on time but there are still too many that do not. People are just not getting through. In many cases, these are not very serious. While I certainly do not condone people using 000 as a means to get through to the police station for minor incidences or reports, I can certainly understand their frustration when they have to resort to doing it.
Closed circuit television is another ongoing issue. There is over $3m towards closed circuit television in Darwin that will be monitored by the police, but nothing - except what you may say is an appeasing $150 000 for CCTV in Alice Springs with no police monitoring; I think that is to be done by a private firm. Considering there will be no new police for Central Australia until at least midway through next year, I believe, Minister for Central Australia, that may be just as well. Alice Springs needs more police and we need more police on the beat right now. Sadly, this government has failed to do that in this budget.
I turn now to sporting infrastructure. The member for Araluen mentioned the Traeger Park grandstand; it is in her electorate. As shadow minister for Central Australia, I too am concerned that this facility is still yet to be complete; $1m, and there is the ongoing stoush between the town council and the Northern Territory government. I know we have the NAB Cup each year and I am pleased to see that that will continue over the next few years, but if we are serious about attracting major events like a premiership game to Traeger Park, we really need to have those facilities - the coaches boxes and the like. The AFL simply will not sanction a premiership game in Alice Springs without those facilities complete. It is disappointing to see that again. I think at the last count it was $1m to finish that.
There is the ongoing situation with the Aquatic Centre and the hydrotherapy pool. Anzac Oval is an area that needs some attention. The major supporting groups there are Rugby Union, Rugby League and soccer. They would very much like to see the infrastructure at Traeger Park and Anzac Oval improved with change rooms and grandstand facilities - not a grandstand to the extent of Traeger Park, but at least more seating area for crowds. It is interesting to note that the Rugby League game between the Knights and the Panthers a couple of years ago attracted about 6000 people and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Alice Springs community. If we are going to be serious about attracting games of that calibre into Central Australia, we really do need to have those facilities upgraded. Soccer also: I know that Adelaide United is keen to utilise Alice Springs as a regional development area. They would like to play games in Central Australia and, to do that, they require the facilities to not only house the crowds, but also their own players.
I believe that the minister for Sport has been in consultation with some of the user groups at Anzac Oval, mainly the Rugby League, the Rugby Union and soccer fraternity. However, it was nothing more than lip service at this stage, with no real commitment as to what sort of money they might be able to get out of the Northern Territory government.
Sport in Central Australia is the defining common denominator. Apart from a $420 000 spend on the Indigenous All Stars NAB Cup football game in 2009, sporting infrastructure has been fairly neglected in this year’s budget, and certainly appears that way through the budget papers. Perhaps the Treasurer can highlight some sporting infrastructure spends in Central Australia that I may have overlooked. I note that the minister for Sport is going to make a statement today, so we will talk more about the disappointing aspect in my reply.
The Mereenie Loop has been overlooked again; that is, the funds to complete the whole loop. There was some conjecture yesterday in Question Time as to which part of the loop is being addressed but, essentially, we really need the whole loop fixed; that is, the road from Yulara to Alice Springs through King’s Canyon - the actual project to be completed. It is sad to see that has not been addressed and it is just dragging on and on. This project has taken almost as long as the oncology unit.
The member for Araluen mentioned breast screening. It is quite disappointing there is no money towards the breast screening service in Alice Springs. It is quite staggering, considering the severity of breast cancer in the Northern Territory and Australia, in our society as a whole, and how many people it affects - and there is no money towards that.
We have everything conceivable that attempts to deal with chronic alcohol abuse - restricted trading hours, dry town, $100 limits on certain items of grog, heavier fines - yet nothing in place to actually detoxify the person with the actual disease, which is quite amazing. A detox facility in Central Australia is something that the Country Liberal Party support and would pursue.
The member for Nelson mentioned housing and, particularly, affordable housing for low- to medium-income earners in Central Australia. If we are serious about growing the town, we need to provide housing for low- to middle-income earners. Hopefully, the planning forum that the minister for Planning and the Treasurer was at last Thursday will go some way to addressing those issues. Affordable housing and housing in general, particularly indigenous housing in Central Australia, appears to have been overlooked in many areas in the budget.
The member for Nelson mentioned the prison. I know the member for Barkly has been very keen for a prison to be built in his part of the world in Tennant Creek. As Tennant Creek takes in Central Australia, it would be encouraging to see such a facility built in Central Australia. It would be a great boost to the very small town of Tennant Creek and a great boost to Central Australia, but overlooked in the budget and earmarked for Darwin.
With the amount of money that the government has, there are going to be some positives, and there are going to be some winners in the budget in a few areas. There is $4m for the gravel access road to the horticultural district of Pine Hill. That is good news. There is $1.27m for repairs and maintenance along the Lasseter Highway. It is a pretty arduous stretch of road and, despite the 110 km/h limit, it still claims too many victims. The more money for repairs and maintenance we can put in for that very important part of Central Australia, taking people to Yulara, the better.
There are a couple of areas in my electorate which I will mention. The people of Greatorex have benefited with $2.5m at Ross Park Primary School. I am on the school council there and I know that they are very excited about their hall and the quadrangle in the middle of the school, and the ongoing works with new classrooms and the like. I know that the whole school community is very excited about that. Acacia Hill School has been desperate for some airconditioning for a long time, so much so that Marianne, the principal, was almost going to go to K-Mart and buy a little split system and get it installed. I said that I would help her with some fundraising, but the government has come to the rescue with $300 000 allocated to ease the pain of the 40C temperatures they have to put up with at Acacia Hill School. That is good news.
I am not sure if the Treasurer has received my request to donate a small bar fridge from my electorate office to Nathalie Gorey Preschool? It is amazing that Nathalie Gorey Preschool does not have a fridge for the kids to put their lunch and drinks in while they are at school. I have one in my electorate office. I have sent off the appropriate forms to the Treasurer and to Madam Speaker. They just need that signed off so I can deliver that fridge to them.
In the Greatorex electorate, it is good to see money being allocated to relocate the power station. That has been ongoing, and we are getting ever so close. I know the residents there are desperate to see the Titan and Taurus generators relocated. Hopefully, the negotiations with the AOPA can be finalised by September or October, I believe that is the time frame there. Hopefully, that can happen and the residents of that part of the golf course area, in Range Crescent and The Fairway, can have a peaceful Christmas this year far from the Titan and Taurus generators. Hopefully, that goes ahead. That goes to show what a good local member can do despite what side of the political fence he might be on, Madam Speaker.
All over Central Australia there are areas that have fallen short in this budget, and perhaps we may never be satisfied. We can always stick our hand out and ask for more to do more. There are some positives in this budget, but I think we still have a long way to go in addressing these many areas for Central Australia, the second biggest jurisdiction in the Northern Territory.
Debate suspended.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the gallery to visitors to the parliament today from NT Carers. On behalf of honourable members I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Continued from earlier this day.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I support the Appropriation Bill 2008 and commend the good news contained in the Budget 2008-09 for the constituents in Port Darwin, including businesses based there.
Number one on my personal favourite list is the reduction in the maximum rate of stamp duty from 5.4% to 4.95%. This is one change that I have lobbied for since being elected in 2005. The threshold has also increased from the highest rate applying at $500 000 to $525 000. This is an assistance to many people in Port Darwin as a large proportion of property bought and sold in my electorate falls in the price bracket of $525 000-plus. This is a good start and I will continue to work with my ministerial colleagues for further reductions in the future. The increase of the first homebuyer tax-free threshold from $350 000 to $385 000 is also an excellent incentive and assistance for first homeowners.
The Territory is now the lowest-taxing jurisdiction in the country for small business with a further reduction of payroll tax from 6.2% to 5.9%. This will save businesses up to $7.2m.
Police will be keeping our streets safer under Budget 2008-09, with an increase in resources including a $13m state-of-the-art upgrade to communications over the next three years. It is very important that police have the right tools to do their job, and this upgrade is vital to assist police to respond effectively and quickly to keep us safe. Our police force does a fantastic job and we must support them by providing the resources they need.
Also included in Budget 2008-09 is the ongoing funding of $650 000 to monitor the closed circuit television network in the Darwin CBD. A further $5m is allocated to reduce antisocial behaviour on a raft of measures including an antisocial behaviour hotline and Day and Night Patrols. Antisocial behaviour is an issue that concerns many residents and, quite frankly, people are sick of it. These additional incentives will join the arsenal of measures being put into place to tackle this problem head on.
There are also dollars in the budget to assist in the implementation of youth camps to help stop the revolving door of youth crime.
Safer buses are also a part of our budget in 2008-09, with $750 000 to deliver more staff and resources, which will start to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport, which is extremely important to the safety of commuters and drivers.
We love our lifestyle in the Territory which is why so many people come for a little while and stay forever, just like me 26 years ago. Budget 2008-09 is supporting some fantastic events including the Crusty Demons, the V8 Supercars, Masters Games, Arafura Games, international cricket matches, pre-season national Rugby League match, and the Heineken Hottest 7s World Rugby tournament. Sport is such an important part of life in the Territory, and new sporting facilities such as the $4.8m Marrara outdoor netball centre and the $900 000 upgrade of Hidden Valley raceway facilities are very welcome.
From all accounts, BassintheGrass was a huge success and well enjoyed, and funding has been continued in Budget 2008-09. $5.25m in arts grants in 2008-09 also includes $300 000 for public art for many creative and talented artists.
Climate change is an important issue which will impact on our lives and must be addressed now for future generations. In Budget 2008-09, an allocation of $11m has been made over three years, which includes education and incentives to residences and businesses, also the upgrading of some government-owned facilities to reduce the impact of our own government’s carbon footprint.
This budget is a great budget and welcomed, although there is more to do and some of the issues that need to be addressed in future budgets for Port Darwin include the increase in numbers of school-aged children in the city of Darwin. Around 35% of children attending Larrakeyah Primary are living in high-rise apartments. This is quite a surprising statistic. The requirement for additional primary school places will need to be addressed sooner rather than later as the population of the city increases and development continues. Also, amenities for residents of apartments in Port Darwin will need to be looked at, such as the provision of parks and open space. Development is great and I am most likely the most pro-development member of this Assembly, given my real estate background. However, within development there must be consideration given to the liveability of our community, and there is great value in providing safe and useful community areas for individuals and families to enjoy. Planning for these areas must not be compromised by development.
There is a need in Port Darwin for public areas where the community can gather. For example, perhaps a multipurpose community hall or building could provide great cohesion to what otherwise could become a distant community by design of apartment living. Exercise is a very important consideration for city living. There are some lovely areas for walking and running, but improvements could be made. Although this is predominately a council responsibility, I would like to see joint planning between council and government to improve bike paths, running and walking tracks through the city, lighting and consideration for safety of early morning and evening runners. I will be lobbying council and government for these improvements.
Recently, many constituents have asked that the Motor Vehicle Registry extend their trading hours to include a half day on a weekend, or a later night trade, as many people work and have difficulty accessing these offices within current business hours. I will be writing to the minister to express this issue on behalf of my constituents.
All in all, Budget 2008-09 spells success for individuals and businesses alike. I congratulate the Treasurer on her first budget. I also acknowledge the Under Treasurer, Jennifer Prince, and the long hours put in by her department and the minister’s staff.
Coming from a small business background, I know how important it is to be busy and be growing a business. For small business, it is very important that they feel confident in the economy and what is to come in the future. The most nerve-racking part of owning my own business was taking on the responsibility of staff. The stakes were increased, because suddenly I was responsible for another family. If my business did not do well, then I could not employ my staff. Although I ran a successful business, my mind would have been at ease and I would have had a lot less sleepless nights if the economy had been going as well then as it is now. It has not happened by accident; it has happened by sound financial management over the last seven years.
I wish all Territorians in business a 2008-09 financial year of nice sound-sleeping nights, and assure all residents that I will continue to be your strong voice for Port Darwin and work hard to ensure that Darwin is the best place in the country to work, live and raise a family.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I thank all honourable members for their contribution to the budget debate. Delivering the budget was a great honour and a privilege. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have done so. Hopefully, next year, it will be a lot easier in delivering my second budget.
Budget 2008-09 has been delivered in the context of the Territory being in the strongest economic position ever. On Thursday, 5 June, the ABS reported that the Northern Territory had a population at 31 December 2007 of 217 559 people. That means a growth in 2007 of 2.4%, a growth level unheard of since the days of the military move to the north in the mid-1990s. The really important news in the figures published by the ABS was the number of people who had migrated here from elsewhere. It is a little known fact that, for the last 20 years, our nett state migration was mostly negative. Around 18 000 people leave the Territory, and close to that figure came but, almost invariably, fewer people arrived than left.
Last year, 859 more people arrived than left the Territory. That is a major turnaround in our population growth and speaks volumes of the strength of the Territory today. When we came to office, that figure was between 1000 and 2000 loss for the Territory each year. Our population reflected the state of the Territory’s economy: it was going out the door backwards.
Today, in 2008, we have turned that around. It has taken the strong focus, effort and management of the Labor government. Today, we have a strong economy with the highest forecast growth levels across the nation. We have a retail trade growth level of 10.3%, the highest in the nation.
Our construction industry is going gang busters right across the Territory. We have low levels of unemployment. We are training more Territorians today than ever before. That was the context in which I delivered Budget 2008-09. My task and that of the government as a whole, was to construct a budget that would continue this growth, manage its direction, and deliver its benefits to Territorians, particularly through to our families. I believe the budget will achieve those aims.
The key priorities of the Henderson government are: growing and strengthening our economy and cutting taxes; closing the gap on indigenous disadvantage; tackling crime; delivering quality education and quality health services; and investing in our infrastructure.
Budget 2008-09 delivers all of those. It strengthens our economy in many ways. Principally, it reduces the tax burden on business through stamp duty and payroll tax reduction, and by making it easier to buy a home by reducing stamp duty on conveyancing. This confirms our position as the lowest-taxing jurisdiction in Australia for small- and medium-sized businesses. That commitment, made and achieved by this government, is an important weapon in our armoury of business support. This taxation regime, combined with our ongoing support for business - through business education seminars, funding for business loans and grants, and the support of an agency focused on business across the Territory - completes the picture of a government that proudly boats of its pro-business credentials.
Budget 2008-09 puts into place significant support for the services that Territorians need and expect with record budgets in Health, Police and Education. The record funding is certainly needed. I am very proud of the fact that since the Labor government came to office, we have significantly boosted the funds available to these three important areas of government. The Health budget has increased by 89% since 2001 and it needed to. Until we came into office, the effort by government in overcoming the rising levels of ill health was patchy and unsupported at best. Good staff despaired at the lack of support they received and the focus of funding was not in the areas of greatest needs.
Since coming to office, we have massively boosted the support for hospitals and for services such as child protection, the ambulance service and remote health funding. We have employed more nurses than ever before and, over the last couple of years, we have added an additional ward to the Royal Darwin Hospital and additional beds in Alice Springs. We are making a concerted effort at getting renal dialysis to where it is most needed. I am proud of the fact that since we came to office the average length of life of indigenous women has increased by three years.
Our spending on Education has increased by 51%. We have placed a major emphasis on indigenous education with the implementation of much of the Learning Lessons report, as well as major resource and policy changes that have supported indigenous education under three ministers - the member for Nhulunbuy, the Chief Minister, and our current Deputy Chief Minister. We now have indigenous students graduating from high schools in the bush - a first for the Territory and achieved only after we have removed the CLP from office. Urban schools have been massively upgraded and we have introduced right across the Territory the very exciting and, we believe, very successful middle school model.
Law and order issues occupy much of the time of this government. We have changed drug laws, laws relating to youth, and we are locking up people for longer.
We increased police numbers by 200 initially, then an additional 66 in the intervention, and now an additional 60 under a further expansion. We are providing police with more resources, better laws and, importantly, more equipment. We have increased the police budget by 81% since coming to office. We have introduced new alcohol laws and procedures. No matter what you say about crime, you must also say that this government is working hard to tackle crime and the underlying causes of that crime.
Budget 2008-09 ensures that services are delivered across the Territory. In this budget, the government provides funds that will close the gap of indigenous disadvantage through expenditure on indigenous education, infrastructure in the bush, and improved health services.
I am proud of the fact that we have the first five-year plan of a 20-year inter-generational plan in place to overcome indigenous disadvantage. It has the aim of ensuring that every Territory baby born in the future shares an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed in life. It is a worthy aim. We are the first government in the country to put such a plan in place and, what is more, we believe we will achieve it.
Budget 2008-09 delivers a record $870m in infrastructure expenditure. That $870m will be spent right across the Territory – in remote communities, regional centres and Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs. It is a budget that supports jobs. Our infrastructure budget alone will support almost 8000 jobs. On top of that, we have managed to create services by employing greater numbers of people to deliver those improved services - more police, nurses, doctors and teachers. That means more jobs.
No less important than that is the fact that this budget delivers a surplus, continuing the tradition that we have established as economic managers. Five surpluses in a row, and the sixth one about to happen, and more surpluses are predicted through the forward estimates.
We are delivering more services, a greater infrastructure budget, cutting taxes, and we are doing so while reducing debt and delivering budget surpluses. Madam Speaker, it is not a bad achievement.
Since I delivered the budget, many Territorians and significant organisations have expressed their support for the aims and goals of our programs. Business welcomed the budget; the community across the Territory has supported its outcomes. Graham Kemp from the Territory Construction Association said:
He went on to say:
And:
Chris Young, the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that while no business likes paying payroll tax, the savings from our cuts would help business. He said:
Ryan O’Hanlon, from the Real Estate Institute, said the stamp duty cuts would be a boost to their industry. He said that the cuts were:
Allan Garraway said that the Property Council:
He went on to say:
Allan Cooney from the Aboriginal horticulture company, Centre Farm, said he was pleased with the budget commitment to build a $4m access road at Pine Hill. He said the project:
Since delivering the budget, I have travelled to Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Nhulunbuy; I have spoken to the communities at Casuarina and Palmerston. At all of these meetings the feedback has been positive. Yes, there have been issues and, indeed, some want more but, by and large, people have been happy with the balance this budget has achieved.
Of course, there is always one crow in the field. The only real negative response has been from the Leader of the Country Liberal Party, in fact, not even all of the CLP. The member for Greatorex was very complimentary of the budget on air, but has since been forced to modify his tune. Of course, the Opposition Leader can criticise. What he cannot do is propose a credible alternative. He pulls ideas out of the air without costings, no consideration for the impact on Territory finances, and certainly no concern but to get a headline and quickly move on. It is the lucky dip approach to the budget. He is good with rhetoric, great with a cheap throwaway line, but a set of lines does not make a budget. It makes for economic chaos.
As we heard in the Chamber today, this Labor government has a $1bn program under way to improve and strengthen our essential services. We are strengthening the future of the Territory by building another power station in the Top End and developing better facilities in Alice Springs and Katherine. We are preparing to raise the level of our main dam to guarantee our future water supplies. We are strengthening generation facilities in Tennant Creek and across many remote communities. We are shutting down the Larrakeyah sewage outfall and upgrading the suburban sewerage system. That is what good government does: it puts plans into place and delivers on those plans.
Today, we are under way with the Territory’s largest-ever remote housing program. In close cooperation with the federal government, this government will build 750 new houses and upgrade thousands more right across the Territory. Not one word from the CLP about a remote housing program. Today, we are in the final stages of completion of the public aspects of the waterfront, a great new development that is already attracting much excitement in the convention industry right across Australia – opposed by the CLP. We have signed off on the development of the new resort-style tourism facility at Little Mindil. It will provide another tourist option and will create about 100 permanent jobs – opposed by the CLP.
Perhaps, most important of all today, the decision-makers in one of the most important natural gas projects in this nation, the INPEX gas proposal, are making their calculations and working through their issues deciding where to locate the landing of the Ichthys gas field. They are doing so having been briefed by this government through the Chief Minister, talked to by the government for 12 months, and been given every possible reason to put Darwin into their thinking - all in the interests of delivering a major and long-term boost to the Territory economy in what would be an economically transformational project for the Territory. Why? Because that is what good governments do. That is what governing for the future is about. The CLP opposed it and, now, they are putting every obstacle they can think of in its way. They simply cannot be trusted with our economy.
On 6 May, the government produced a budget that delivers for Territory families and, since then, the government has been working at a pace to continue to put our plans into place. The opposition has done nothing but carp, oppose, and obstruct. I am grateful for the contribution of my ministerial colleagues who expanded on the activities in their portfolios under the budget. I am grateful to my parliamentary colleagues who have made their contributions to the budget process.
We now go forward from here to examine the budget in detail in the estimates process, a process that highlights this government’s commitment to openness and transparency. I believe this budget will serve the Territory well and will be seen to do so under whatever scrutiny the opposition and the Independents give it next week.
Madam Speaker, I commend the budget to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ordered - That the committee stage be later taken in accordance with the resolution of the Assembly dated 11 June 2008 referring the Appropriation Bill 2008 and associated Budget Papers to the Estimates Committee for consideration.
Continued from 8 May 2008.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act requires that the Remuneration Tribunal must, at least once a year, inquire into and determine the entitlements of magistrates. It is also a requirement of the act that any tribunal determination is distributed to each person whose entitlements are affected by it before the determination is tabled in the Assembly. I am advised that copies of this determination were distributed in accordance with the act prior to tabling of the RTD in the last sittings. As members would be aware, the Assembly has the power to pass a resolution disallowing all or part of the determination within 10 sitting days after the determination is tabled in the Assembly.
Before turning to the contents of the tribunal’s report, I need to address an administrative matter. The RTD, as tabled on 8 May 2008, contained a typographical error. Clause 5.2.3 of the 2008 determination makes a reference to 7.5 calendar days being the entitlement for accrued long service leave payable upon the resignation of a magistrate after nine completed years of service. This figure should have read 67.5 calendar days. Accordingly, and in line with legal advice, I seek leave to table an amended version of the RTD which now includes a corrigendum at the beginning of the determination. I table that amended version.
This administrative correction is the only change to the determination, and I note there is no change required to the accompanying report. The 10 sitting days for disallowance of all or any part of the determination continues to run from the original tabling date of 8 May 2008. However, the government has no proposal for disallowance so I turn now to briefly address the contents of the tribunal’s 2008 report and determination.
Following submissions and research, the tribunal concluded that a salary increase for magistrates of 4.6% is appropriate. Further to this, the tribunal took the view that it is desirable that there be precise relativity between judges and magistrates’ salaries of 75% unless there are substantial changes in jurisdiction, or there is some other cogent reason to disturb this parity. Taking this into account, the tribunal has proposed a further salary increase of 0.015% be awarded to magistrates to establish the 75% relativity. This is an overall percentage increase of 4.615%. The same percentage has been applied to the Chief Magistrate, Deputy Chief Magistrate and Coroner. The allowances for additional duties of a magistrate serving as President of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and for the Alice Springs magistrate performing special administrative duties have also been increased by 4.615%.
For completeness, the remuneration of the chairperson of the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal, who is also a magistrate, has now also been included in the tribunal’s determination.
In terms of travelling allowances, the tribunal has slightly increased the rates of travelling allowance, where appropriate, to reflect the increases determined as reasonable by the Australian Taxation Office. The government supports these increases and changes.
The tribunal’s 2007 determination provided that magistrates were entitled to a Holden Acclaim, or motor vehicle specified by NT Fleet to be of an equivalent standard. The tribunal has formed the view that it cannot and should not delegate its power in this way, so it has removed this provision from this new determination. Further to this, the Holden Acclaim is no longer available, so the tribunal has identified two new vehicle models for magistrates that come closest in comparison to the Acclaim. These are the Holden Berlina and Toyota Prodigy. Given the limited choice in vehicles with comparable features, this has resulted in a merging of the motor vehicle entitlement of magistrates with that of the Deputy Chief Magistrate and the Coroner.
This is the summary of the key features in the tribunal’s 2008 Report and Determination of Magistrates’ Entitlements. I take this opportunity to note this is the first report by the new member of the tribunal, Mr John Flynn, who took up appointment in December 2007 following the retirement of Mr Otto Alder. Mr Flynn brings considerable and highly relevant skills and experience to the position of member of the Remuneration Tribunal, and the government thanks him for this report and looks forward to his future reports and determinations.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Thank you, Chief Minister, for raising your voice, which is not a thank you, you would receive very often from me, I hasten to add.
Madam Speaker, I also take this opportunity of congratulating John Flynn, not only on his appointment, but his first RTD. I am sure he will do the Territory proud.
I am not sure that a magistrate’s RTD has ever been disallowed, and it would be a brave government or opposition to even contemplate such a move. On this occasion, the opposition does not propose to oppose that in any way.
I do know that, in the negotiations and issues that the magistrates raise and have raised with Mr Alder in the past, there have been some hot issues, and there have been some that I think members of the public would not always like. That is why we have an independent RTD. That is why we, as politicians, do not decide the salaries ourselves; we have someone else to do that. It is utterly appropriate that Mr Flynn propose these changes. I know they have been in consultation with magistrates. We are very well served here in the Territory by our magistrates and judges. With the government we do not propose to oppose any of the matters contained in the RTD.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
Continued from 8 May 2008.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Speaker, I support the committee’s report which was tabled in May. I do so as a relatively new member of the committee having been placed on it in February this year. I will just add a few comments about the report in terms of my experiences, not only as a local member, but also through my previous work.
The workings and terms of reference of the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee has an impact on my electorate. I can relate mostly to the Tanami Desert region. This is where I feel I am likely to be able to add to suggestions to the committee through my previous work with the Normandy Mining Company at the Granites Gold Mine. It has broader implications in the Northern Territory given the boom we are going through with the mining sector. I can recall the Normandy Mining Group in 1999 having their own Environmental department on-site and doing extensive work in developing a booklet, not only for staff, but for passing tourists and traditional owners regarding their management of weeds and feral animals on the mining lease.
Back then, I thought it was ahead of its time compared to what mining companies were doing around the country. They were involving traditional owners in collecting native animals and also identifying feral animals and weeds which were on the mineral lease.
The mining industry is a significant player in future consultations. I am not sure what evidence the committee has collected to date from the mining sector or from organisations such as the Central Land Council, which directly represents traditional owners on Aboriginal land. Given the area of Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory, I would say they are very significant players in future hearings, if not in the past hearings of this committee. There is some very good work done by Normandy Mining Company at the Granites Gold Mine which is worth pursuing.
The Newhaven Station bird sanctuary is in my electorate of Stuart. They have done quite a significant amount of research. In his report, the Chair mentioned the importance of research being conducted as part of the deliberations of this committee. Places like Newhaven Station have done a lot of work researching and analysing bird species through that particular part of the country. They have some great research findings regarding threatened species. We looked at the impact of feral animals on the land.
One of the major worries of the traditional owners in my electorate is the impact on native species through the Newhaven Station area. I visited there in the middle of last year and stayed for quite a few hours to talk to some volunteers who worked for Birds Australia about some of the threatened species in that region. Birds, such as the night parrot, the grey falcon, the grey honey eater, and also the black footed rock wallaby, are some of the threatened species in that part of my electorate. Foxes, an introduced feral animal, are having a significant impact. The cats in that area are killing off substantial numbers of native birds. That is another issue I will be interested in as I get more involved in this committee.
The Granites Gold Mine and the Newhaven Station are two significant areas that I have had some experience in regarding invasive species and the control measures or management measures that people like Normandy and Newmont today are taking to try to control some of those on behalf and with the interests of traditional owners.
Desert Knowledge is a major growing industry in Central Australia. This government, through the budget process, has put a significant amount of funding into Desert Knowledge, not only the precinct but also the Centre for Remote Research. With the Desert Knowledge industry overall, there are great opportunities through the work of this committee to recommend or investigate later on an area where Desert Knowledge can complement the work that this committee can undertake. That is another area to highlight for future work for the committee.
This new federal government is committed to the work of rangers. In my electorate, we have the Wulaign Rangers at Lajamanu, and also the Indigenous Protected Areas in the northern Tanami area. It is a Commonwealth-supported program. The Wulaign Rangers work, not only with the mining sector, in going out to country to ensure that burning off country is done properly and in consideration of other factors such as the ecosystems in that arid zone area. Who better to get than people who know so much about their country and the traditional owners and people who live on those communities? I put on the public record, for the future reference of this committee, that I am a new member of the Wulaign Rangers, and they have done work not only with the mining companies in the rehabilitation of mine sites, revegetating the waste dumps, but also the burning off of country, and managing native wildlife and native plants.
The other area I would also like to mention is that of education. I am not sure if it is one of the recommendations. Maybe the Chair can reply in his closing remarks on the report. The students who were in the gallery this morning reminded me that no matter what works many parliamentary committees are doing, we must always keep in mind the young students and their education needs. We should be engaging with them and feeding back these reports and some of the recommendations that we are finding through our work on committees. As I said, this morning really made me think again about future references and the need to be out there in the schools passing on information that we are collecting through the work of committees to the younger generation of Territorians
Regarding any model that this committee will look at in the future, any model based on a partnership between government and community is a good model to have. It is essential that we bring the community along with us. In the workings of this committee into the future, I look forward to playing a part in that and ensuring that we have the community with us and supporting those recommendations into the future.
I understand this committee was established in 2005 and has worked under the terms of reference for the last three or four years. While this report is completed, there is a need for the committee to continue into the future. I look forward to being involved more in the workings of the committee and supporting the Chairman.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I support my colleague and the Chair of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. I am pleased to support the member for Goyder, simply because I am aware of the tremendous work that he has done in his role as Chair through the discussions we have had over a very short period of time. Like the member for Stuart, I am also a new member on the environment committee - a new and a very enthusiastic one.
There are many issues facing the Northern Territory. First, I start with the many parks that make up the Northern Territory. In my area of Arnhem we have the Limmen National Park. There are also the well-known parks of Uluru and Kakadu. We know how important it is to be very conscious - certainly the Aboriginal peoples of Australia have been very aware - of the importance of country, the land system, animals and plants, and the growth and regrowth of these areas. We look at parks and say: ‘We have issues to deal with such as the cane toads’.
I begin with the cane toads because that is something we all know about. I recall the first cane toads coming into the lands of the Yanyuwa people in the Gulf. When the cane toads first came across the Queensland border into that region, we were all watching very closely to see what kind of impact they would have on the food source and the food supply for the people in the region. It had a dramatic impact for quite a number of years - almost a decade. One of the first impacts noticed by the local people was the impact this invasive species had on the goanna population, in particular, the blue tongue. These are really important food sources for Aboriginal people and families in the Gulf. There was a noticeable difference, not only in the hunting cycle where people could not hunt for the goannas any more; they noticed that they were dying. Over a period of years, those that were growing into breeding size were not as large. I know this well because we eat them and you can tell the difference between the skinny ones and the fat ones. We noticed there were some really skinny ones for a good while. Local Aboriginal people put that down to the invasive species of the cane toad.
The most dramatic and profound impact was that the food source had dwindled greatly. If it had dwindled greatly just for the local people who lived there, then there was an automatic assumption that other animals in the region were also being impacted greatly. That, in turn, would have a dramatic impact on the biodiversity and on nature. We know that once you start to affect a certain part of the food cycle, it has a flow-on effect down the track, and if it was affecting the local people who ate the food, then naturally it was going to affect the animals that fed off each other.
We noticed the big changes to the goannas and the blue tongues. In fact, the blue tongues almost disappeared. Now, thankfully, we see the goannas come back nice and fat, and the tails are just as tasty as they were long ago. What actually happened then was, as the cane toad moved across the Gulf region and left a devastating trail in its path, it moved across and up the highway. We can all laugh at the ads that were made at the time with a cane toad hitching a ride on a car, but it had a profound impact right along its journey. You could ask each Aboriginal family group, from Yanyuwa, to the next group, the Garawa, to the next group, the Mara, up the track to the Alawa people, across to the Ngukurr area, up even further into Arnhem Land, and people will begin to tell you the track this invasive species had followed. That is just one important example as to why we need to monitor what is going on across the Territory.
The real concern was what was going to happen to our national parks. In this case, the concern was more than just about the biodiversity; it was also concerns regarding tourism. If, when, and how was it going to get into Kakadu National Park? That is one important area that our government battles consistently, and we are very aware that we cannot take our eye off the ball on that one in particular.
One of the projects occurring across the Territory, especially with regard to watching out and looking after country, is the traditional knowledge systems surrounding the burning off. In the report, we talked about weeds and the control of weeds, and the control of feral animals.
Again, I draw on the knowledge system of the local people through Arnhem with the burning off. If you travel down the track now, between now and probably for another month at least - in fact, the burning off would be almost finished - where the burning off cycle every year for the last 40 000 to 60 000 years is a way of regrowth, of preparing the country for new life, for new growth, and also for local knowledge of hunting. If you want to get the turtles in the ground, you know you have to burn off the area to then go with the crowbar to be able to hit the ground and make sure you can find that long neck turtle in the ground. If you have grass in the area, you cannot find that turtle. You need to burn the country. That is another important reason why the burning off is, and has been, a way of life.
What non-Aboriginal people have recognised with the burning off is that there is a sharing of knowledge here. There is a way of burning off at an appropriate time, because we have to all be concerned now about the impact of climate change. We will all have to be concerned about how many gases are going into the air, having an impact. This is where the burning off has become an important educational tool with the Parks and Wildlife in conjunction with Aboriginal organisations and individuals across Arnhem Land.
Another project worth talking about is the crocodile harvesting in Ramingining at Murwangi. There is a real desire to be able to set up a crocodile farm there. I raise this because, in the last 12 months, we had some strange stories about crocodile farming. The strange story was the diseases that baby crocodiles were getting and the general public had not heard - maybe scientists were very aware of this - that baby crocodiles were suspected of having Chlamydia. Very strange. It brought all sorts of laughter across the Territory. That, in itself, is an important reason why we have to be acutely aware of the many problems facing wildlife across the Territory.
The people at Ramingining and Murwangi who want to set up a crocodile farm collect eggs in very hostile environments. We know we have the largest crocodiles in the Territory and, in particular, that part of the Territory in Arnhem Land is a pretty scary place to be if you are out collecting eggs surrounded by very fierce mothers wanting to protect them. Recently, I had a look with Mick Burns at the crocodile farm here in Darwin. That crocodile farm is going to have a reciprocal or shared arrangement/partnership with the people of Ramingining to look at the early harvesting of crocodile eggs.
Another project in this area is the feral pigs, buffaloes and donkeys. We are very conscious of the impact that these feral animals have on wildlife and in the bush. Like tourism, the hunting of feral pigs, buffaloes and donkeys is an important economic source for indigenous people. I look forward to trying to work with the committee on how we look at all these areas regarding our environment.
The northern quoll is an important species which Parks and Wildlife has gone to great lengths to protect. Our government has been incredibly supportive of the protection of the northern quoll and is conscious of the need to be mindful of protecting species that are threatened.
Our government is committed to supporting the Ranger programs across the Territory. These are at the forefront, I believe, along with Parks and Wildlife, in alerting the appropriate authorities about invasive species, invasive weeds and how to locate, control and monitor these species or weeds. The member for Stuart also mentioned the ranger programs. These programs are at the forefront in protecting our environment and they are aware of what is going on in their neighbourhood.
In closing, I look forward to being a strong participant on this committee with the members for Goyder and Stuart, and look forward to other issues that our committee will be exploring.
I am equally passionate about - as I am sure are other members - climate change, and the need to look at where we are going and what we are doing in the Northern Territory.
We have an important power source in solar power. In the desert, we have an environment which is beautiful and wonderful and where solar energy can flourish. We, perhaps, have not explored wind power as strongly as we have solar power, but I think that is to come.
As I travel around Arnhem I talk to people about transport and road transport. We hear the concerns about the impact of vehicles and the smoke and pollution. We are in a really good position here in the Northern Territory, particularly in our regions, where we can choose to go back to the use of bicycles. We could probably do a couple of things as well as looking after the climate; we could probably get fitter while we are doing it.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Chairman on his report and look forward to working with my colleagues.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I thank those members who have contributed to the debate. Not only the members who have contributed - I know it has been a very busy session, and I appreciate the time constraints on other members of the committee.
I am very pleased with the work of this committee. I can honestly say that this is a truly bipartisan report. I am very proud of each and every person who has been on that committee. We have had a number of changes. I was looking at the numbers. We have had nine members. It has been quite a journey. On behalf of the committee members, I thank those past members who have contributed to this report. Some are still in the Chamber.
The member for Nelson decided for his own reasons that he could not participate to the fullest extent on the committee. I know he has taken an interest in the whole process. I think sometimes he might regret that but, hopefully, we will see him on board sometime in the future.
The members for Daly and Millner both contributed significantly in the early stages. They have gone on to become ministers. The early scene that was set for the committee by those two members was quite outstanding. They came on the field trip and were certainly very active. There were some late night sessions which they were heavily involved in it because they were very passionate about it, just like everyone who has been on the committee.
I also acknowledge - and I know I am breaking protocol here - but I will mention him by name and that is Dr Richard Lim, who was member for Greatorex. Dr Lim had a very strong commitment to the Central Australian area and, like all members on the committee, his belief was that we needed to explore all aspects of how best we could advise the government on combating the invasive species threat. I also thank the new members who have taken up the mantle and banner - I can see you are very proudly waving that banner. They are the members for Arnhem, Stuart and Greatorex who have made sure that this was a bipartisan report and ensured we did not pull any punches. We really did say it as we saw it.
I have left one other member for last: the member for Katherine. The member for Katherine, like me, is one of the two original members on the committee. She has been a great support. When you are on the road away from parliament you actually get to understand a little more about members on either side of the House. You start to realise that there is camaraderie because we are all on an equal basis when we attended those meetings. When we were on the field trips checking out what other towns and areas throughout the Territory were feeling and conducting our inquiry, you realised that these people are very passionate about the same issues. You get to know them better. We had some lunches and good times together on the field trip. I remember that very well. I thank all members, especially the member for Katherine, who put a lot of effort into the outcome of this committee.
We met some very interesting characters on our journey during this inquiry and every person who submitted to this inquiry has put some value into it. Some people come in with a very specific issue, others come with broader issues. They certainly made us very much aware of the situations and the current status, and also helped us make recommendations on the way forward. That is very important. Without them we would not have achieved that.
I thank the officers of relevant government agencies. They helped us consolidate our thinking. It is interesting to note that, in many respects, them coming together and talking through the issues with us as a committee in the early stages, coalesced their thoughts. We always believed that there needed to be more working relationships between different agencies and officers of those agencies. By the very fact that they came together to meet and discuss these issues with us, they went away and started talking. One of the really pleasing, but frustrating, elements of writing the report was that they were, in some respects, jumping ahead of us a bit. That was good because there were some things that were very obvious, and developing those working relationships was a very important part of that.
The Territory needs to retain its precious environmental treasures. We must preserve them for future generations. We have to fight to protect our unique and special environment.
I thank speakers who participated today. The member for Stuart, one of the newer members, commenced his speech talking about weeds. Weeds are probably the biggest single issue, even above vertebrate invasives that we encounter. Everyone knows about it; it is very topical. Everyone talks about gamba grass, mission grass, para grass, and things like that. There are weed grasses in Central Australia. Many of the grasses down there, such as the buffel grass, are a big issue, with the many other weeds they have as well. It was pertinent to remind us that it is not just the Top End that suffers the devastation that can occur through invasive weeds.
The member for Stuart also mentioned some of the stakeholders - that was something that came out in the report. He mentioned the mining industry and they are a very important aspect. In fact all stakeholders - the mining and the pastoral industry - are very important stakeholders. It is easy to put the blame on the mining industry or the pastoral industry for things, but let us not forget they are a major part of the solution. Weeds do affect pastoral properties. They are an important consideration in the cost element of the pastoral industry; the same with the mining industry. In this day and age, we have to acknowledge that. We are acutely aware of the problems with weeds and feral animals and the whole problem of invasive species. Their eradication is part of the solution - and a very important part of the solution - as is the CLC and the Northern Land Council. The member for Stuart mentioned the CLC, and they did have input into this process, together with the Northern Land Council. We valued their input.
The member talked about research and the need for continued research. This is a critical part of the study to overcome the issue of invasive species. We can do the legislation, and look at those areas, but we need to put some meat on the bones. Research helps us to do that because it allows us to develop – and we are developing - processes and fine-tuning the risk management systems which, basically, came out of research. These research tools have been involved and utilised in combating the invasives, particularly weeds, but we are now moving into the area of vertebrate animals. Then, we will move into aquatics and all the other areas as well. That stock-standard approach has devolved here and we will continue our investigations. What we are doing is really leading other jurisdictions in Australia in many respects and how we are taking that next step. We call it a coalescing of those thought processes, and research is certainly a big part of it.
The member mentioned Newhaven Station, and I am pretty sure they had input from their perspective. I know a couple stations were also concerned with the continuation of projects and that they would get funding for projects. We need to ensure that there is a continuation of projects. That is why the risk management systems lead the way forward for grant applications and accessing funds; also focusing the targeting of management of invasives. Desert Knowledge is an important part of it. That is where we can study the baseline information on native species and get a good handle on that.
The member for Stuart raised a very important point about the government supporting the recommendations. There are, maybe, some hard pills to swallow in this report. We were never going to pull punches with this report. This report was meant to alert the government to the seriousness of the problem. I know the Environment minister has had discussions and is very serious about the materials in the report. This report was not just about waving the big stick. It was also acknowledging the good work that had been done, the way forward and encouraging and giving some leadership role, and that is what a good committee report should do: provide that leadership role.
The member for Arnhem commenced her speech talking about the many parks and the preservation of our unique fauna in our Territory parks, and they are important. She mentioned about the impact cane toads have had upon indigenous communities, but also our park lands. It was quite humorous to talk about skinny and fat lizards, but there is a more serious side to that. It is easy to say there are skinny lizards but many indigenous people rely on native foods, not only as an important source of food supply and sustenance, but also teaching their culture and passing it on to future generations.
Even at this late stage, you start to see other aspects of the impact of the invasive species, and one of them is the cultural aspect. If you do not have the species there because invasive species have displaced them, then you are in a position where culture is affected, and indigenous culture is affected by that. Whilst it was quite funny to talk about skinny and fat lizards, there is a serious message behind that.
She went on to talk about the northern quolls and the great work being done there. It is important that we recognise that these native species are threatened at an early stage and that we do something about it. We did it before the cane toads overtook the Top End, and that is why Island Ark and Wild Ark programs have been so successful.
The member for Arnhem went on to talk about the crocodile harvest, and indigenous involvement in this burgeoning industry. She then talked about another invasive, which is not a weed or an animal, it is a disease; that was Chlamydia and the concerns with that. That is an invasive in its own right. You can easily forget about the other aspects of invasive species, the aquatics and the invertebrates. It is very easy to focus on weeds and animals and forget about some of the important aspects of invasive species.
She also mentioned the indigenous ranger program and hoping that the government would further that. That certainly was a very strong element that we pushed in our report; that we needed to get more stakeholders involved. This is also a way forward if we are talking about creating employment opportunities for indigenous people. I know it is on the back of something we do not like to think about, the invasive species, but that is a very important aspect of it, indeed.
In conclusion, I thank the secretariat staff and Terry Hanley, whom I am pleased to say is present here today. His secretariat leadership role was very helpful. Without Terry, we would have been struggling on many occasions, particularly the background organisation and preparedness. Brian Lloyd and Maria Viegas were very active in the compilation and the writing of the report. Without the thought processes of these two valuable people we would not have had the quality output and the quality research that particularly Maria did in that early stage in bringing the whole thing together. Brian came in fairly late in the piece to bring that into a very comprehensive and understandable report.
I also thank Kim Cowcher, Joanne Burgess and Lauren Copley who were involved with the administrative research and administrative support for the inquiry. Their work was invaluable. I make a special thank you to Terry, Maria, Joanne and Kim for the conference that was held this past year. In 2008, we held the Annual Environment and Public Works Conference in Darwin. They were very active, very stressed out at times, but very much involved in the running of that event. It was a very successful conference, and I could not let this occasion go without thanking them.
In conclusion, I will quote from my tabling speech because I do not think I could put it any more succinctly:
Madam Speaker, I thank everyone who has participated in the presentation of this very valuable report.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Report of the Legislative Assembly By-election for the Division of Greatorex.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Legislative Assembly Portfolio Budget Statement.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I lay on the table the Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 - Specific Purpose Payments.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, as chair of the Public Accounts Committee, I am pleased to table this report which deals with issues surrounding specific purpose payments from the Commonwealth to the Northern Territory.
Pursuant to Standing Order 21A(2)(d), in October 2005 the Public Accounts Committee received a reference from the Treasurer to investigate and report on the status of specific purpose payments made by the Commonwealth.
At the time, the Treasurer’s concern was a policy shift relating to specific purpose payments and, in particular, new reporting requirements including a greater focus on input controls rather than the achievement of outcomes, a new requirement that states and territories match specific purpose payments on a $1-for-$1 basis, and changes to the Commonwealth’s contribution to service delivery in some areas.
As I mentioned, this was a direct approach by the Treasurer and it should be noted that there were no tabling requirements contained within the correspondence. However, members were of the view that the work undertaken throughout the inquiry in conjunction with the very nature of the reference meant that the issues raised took on a level of importance that required a response to the Assembly as a whole.
The Public Accounts Committee began to gather information in respect of the Territory’s receipt of specific purpose payments which included background briefings by Treasury officials and individual agency briefings on details of specific purpose payments tied to their core business delivery.
Members will be aware that the Northern Territory is heavily reliant upon Commonwealth grants for funding. Commonwealth grants make up 80% of the Territory’s income compared with a 50% average for the states. Of that income, 80% is comprised of general purpose payments, which is effectively distribution of GST revenue, and is not tied to any particular expenditure stream. Specific purpose payments, however, make up the remaining 20% of the Territory’s revenue from the Commonwealth and these payments are tied, which means they are intended for and must be spent on a particular expenditure item.
What became clear to the committee was that a number of agencies negotiated specific purpose payments directly with the Commonwealth and there was no central means for tracking what payments were due, overdue or even expected.
It was the evidence of Treasury officials that a systematic whole-of-government approach was required to properly monitor receipt and disbursement of specific purpose payments. The committee’s work was thrown somewhat off course following the 2007 federal election. In December last year, the Council of Australian Governments met and agreed on a national reform package including an outcome focus on specific purpose payments. In January of this year, the Ministerial Council of Commonwealth State Funding Financial Relations - that is, the Treasurers - met and established a Specific Purpose Payment Working Group. COAG again met in March and was presented with the Treasurers blueprint for how specific purpose payments reform may be achieved. Because the issue has not been resolved between the Commonwealth and the states and territories at this stage, it would be futile to attempt to pre-empt the final resolution.
I can, however, inform the House that the general thrust of reforms include reducing the number of specific purpose payments from almost 100 in the case of the Territory to six large policy categories. This means that there will be fewer specific purpose payments, but their application will be broader and they will be outcome focused. There is no intention for any state or territory to lose quantum. The differences will be in policy and administration. In addition to this reduction in categories of specific purpose payments, there is a corresponding intention to establish a further group of payments to be called national partnership payments which will be used to drive reform in particular areas to produce specific outputs. We expect more news on this initiative in due course.
Because it has been a contentious issue for the Territory in the past, I reiterate that the policy intention is to remove the input focus of specific purpose payments and transform it to being outcome focused, which will facilitate a tangible means by which to measure the success or otherwise of a Commonwealth payment against its intended purpose. By way of example, under the former regime, payments were measured by input or dollar amounts. Under the proposed regime, payments will be measured by the results arising from the dollars which may be a number of new clinics or number of professionals on the ground.
There is little more I can add because the matter remains subject to consideration by COAG. Whilst it was not our intention to discharge the terms of reference in such an arbitrary fashion, the Public Accounts Committee considered it prudent to report to the Assembly that recent events and cross-jurisdictional ministerial councils have rendered our inquiry impotent.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I place on the record the committee’s gratitude to the following officers who were so thorough in their briefing of the committee: the Auditor-General, Mr Frank McGuiness; Under Treasurer, Jennifer Prince; Assistant Under Treasurer, Tony Stubbin; Director Public Finance, Bruce Michael; and Chief Executives of the agencies who responded to the committee’s 21 questions in relation to SPPs administered by them.
I also thank the secretary of the committee, Mr Hanley, for his invaluable help in pursuing this inquiry, and also the other staff members of the Committee Secretariat within the Legislative Assembly.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the report be noted.
Motion agreed to, paper noted.
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Deputy Speaker, there is no doubt that sport and recreation is an important part of the Territory’s great lifestyle. That is why this government continues to make every effort to maximise opportunities for Territorians to participate in sport and recreational activities in both the Territory’s urban and remote regions. This government is all about delivering for Territorian families and investing in the future. Our $25.8m commitment to sport and recreation in the 2008-09 financial year will both deliver for Territory families and invest in the future.
Families will benefit from our financial support of grassroots local sports, and commitment to bringing the best in national and international sporting events to the Northern Territory. Our investment in the future is not just about bricks and mortar, such as the $7.5m Larrakia Park or the soon-to-be completed Marrara Netball Centre; our investment in the future is also about the social and health dividends that flow from sport and active recreation. Territorians have historically enjoyed an active outdoor way of life. This has helped set the Territory apart from the rest of Australia and made this such a special place - the best place in Australia to live, work and raise a family.
As a government, we continue to foster and promote our great Territory lifestyle and that means fostering and promoting sport and recreation. Historically, sport in the Territory has meant more than the contest between participants on a playing field. Anyone who knows the Territory realises sport has been, and continues to be, a fundamental part of our social fabric. Sport has given us countless heroes and leaders and, importantly, it has provided generations of young Territorians with positive role models.
I am proud to call myself a born and bred Territorian. Years ago, I remember watching my sporting heroes at places like the Gardens Oval and Richardson Park, hoping that one day I would not only emulate their physical and athletic feats but also reflect their capacity for teamwork, discipline and loyalty. During my youth and that of my parents, for many people growing up in the Territory meant playing several sports each year. In fact, it was not unusual for people to play more than one sport on the same Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Sadly, this same love of an active participation in sport is no longer the norm for many Australians. We all know about the unacceptably high levels of obesity now affecting Australia. It is a problem affecting a growing number of younger Australians and is the cause of a number of chronic diseases. Too many families have lost sight of the social and physical benefits of participation in sport and active recreation. The rapid rise in our national obesity epidemic has been well documented in a range of surveys since the 1980s and, while there may be some conjecture amongst health professionals about exactly how grave the problem may be, I am pleased to note that the Rudd government has made tackling obesity a priority. Some experts have actually gone as far as asking whether obesity has reached the stage where public health interventions might be necessary.
Regardless of what might happen at the national level, here in the Northern Territory we must continue working to encourage as many young people as possible to become involved in sport and active recreation. The $25.8m committed to sport and recreation in Budget 2008-09 will not only promote our great Territory lifestyle but will, hopefully, lay the foundation for a healthy way of life for many young Territorians. This is a tangible example of this government’s delivery for Territory families and investing in the future.
Between now and the end of the year, Territorians will get to see top-flight teams such as the Australian cricket side and the AFL’s Western Bulldogs. We will continue working with and funding peak sporting organisations to ensure their individual clubs have the capacity to attract young Territorians to their sport. We will also continue our Come and Try Days initiative, which aims to attract young Territorians to individual sports. The underlying philosophy of this initiative is the promotion of physical activity, fun and boosting numbers in structured sporting competitions. Come and Try Days operate in both urban and remote areas of the Territory. In remote regions, we hope that by promoting an interest in a particular sport we might link a group of communities which, in turn, will hopefully lead to a structured competition that will benefit the communities and the participants. We recognise the vital role sport has to play in helping turn around the disadvantage and sense of futility that so often affects young people in our remote communities.
Sport offers health benefits. It offers hope and a sense of fulfilment where there may be none. Sport can help steer young people away from antisocial and illegal activities. Our Indigenous Sports Program supports participation in the establishment of sport and recreation programs in remote indigenous communities, as well as supporting community sport and recreation officers. The Indigenous Sport Program is funded through the Australian Sports Commission through an agreement for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years. The Australian Sports Commission provides just over $522 000 each year to support the employment of seven indigenous sports officers across the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory government provides almost $3m a year for sport and recreation programs in remote communities, assisting community government councils to employ 52 sport and recreation officers in 46 communities.
As part of the Territory government’s Closing the Gap initiative, $4.5m has also been allocated to supporting sport and recreation programs until 2011-12. This funding will provide additional support to remote indigenous communities. For instance, the Indigenous Sports Program, in partnership with Softball NT, recently conducted an indigenous softball carnival in Docker River, with others scheduled to be held in Kintore, Borroloola, Timber Creek and Wadeye. The additional funding allocated as part of the Emergency Response Youth Division funding has seen the Indigenous Sports Program take an active role in assisting with the management of 11 sport and recreation infrastructure projects valued at $760 000.
One of the cornerstones of our commitment to sport and recreation is the construction and maintenance of sporting facilities for Territorians. I have already mentioned the home of soccer at Larrakia Park, which has added a new dimension to football in the Territory. In keeping with our 2005 election promise, a $4.8m netball centre will be built at Marrara by early 2009, featuring 10 national standard rebound ace courts, court lighting, and first-class amenities including change rooms, canteen and bar. The new facility will be a far cry from the old Parap courts.
In Alice Springs, work has begun on Stage 1 of the aquatic centre. The Territory government is proud to contribute $8.1m to this exciting project. The Alice Springs Town Council has been able to take advantage of the Territory’s funding to leverage matching funds from the Australian government. I am proud that the funding provided by the Territory government has paved the way for this major investment in sport and recreation infrastructure for Alice Springs.
Since 2005-06, this government’s investment in sport and recreation infrastructure has also included construction of the $8.7m Palmerston Recreation Centre; construction of a $1.05m drag strip for Alice Springs; $800 000 for lighting the Tracy Village Sports and Social Club’s baseball ground; $400 000 for the construction of low-level lights for soccer at Nakara oval; a $1.25m upgrade for Katherine sports facilities damaged in the April 2006 floods; $500 000 for the upgrade of facilities at Ross Park for junior soccer; upgrade of sports facilities at Canteen Creek; $500 000 for the upgrade of the Ngukurr sports oval; $100 000 for the upgrade of the Elliott Recreation Centre; $500 000 for the upgrade of electrical facilities at Hidden Valley Raceway; and $35 000 for the upgrade of the Bulman oval.
Importantly, $1.26m will be provided in 2008-09 for the repairs and maintenance of government-owned sporting facilities. A total of $8.77m has been made available to the sport and recreation grants pool in Budget 2008-09. I am particularly excited about the new funding of $1m a year for both 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years, which has been made available in the sport and recreation grants pool for facility development grants. This pool is for grants to the peak governing body of sport and recreation groups, local government bodies, as well as grassroots organisations to increase their capacity to provide regular activities.
In February, I was delighted to join the representatives of Cricket Australia and NT Cricket to announce a $3.1m agreement to bring international cricket to the Territory for a further five years and develop grassroots cricket. The agreement will see a $2.1m investment from the Northern Territory government and a $1m investment from Cricket Australia. This agreement is very much in keeping with our philosophy of bringing the best of national and international events to the Territory, while also developing local sport. Australia plays Bangladesh in a three match, one-day series in Darwin on 31 August, in the first games of this second five-year agreement to deliver international cricket for Territory families. I am definitely looking forward to seeing Ricky Ponting’s Australia team playing at Marrara. Events like this help make the Territory a great place to live and our great lifestyle even better.
Madam Deputy Speaker, as you no doubt appreciate, in years gone by, sport has been something of a male bastion, but this government intends promoting sporting opportunities for Territory women. We have some enormously talented female athletes in the Territory and we want to give them the opportunity to make the most of their natural talents. In addition to the new netball facility, the government will also spend $50 000 to help the Territory netball side into the Australian Netball League. This will provide our best netball players with exposure to the next level of competition. In addition to our investment in netball, it is great to see the number of elite female athletes who are benefiting from programs and support from the Northern Territory Institute of Sport. It will not be just our netballers who will be getting exposure to the next level of competition. A $1m government commitment to the AFLNT will see the cream of our Australian footballers competing in a southern competition next year. Budget 2008-09 includes the first $200 000 instalment in this five-year agreement. We still have not had official confirmation on which state our team will be playing in. There is plenty of speculation currently doing the rounds.
Budget 2008-09 includes continued financial and administrative support for national and international sporting fixtures in the Territory. This includes:
securing the five-year international cricket agreement for Darwin. Australia plays Bangladesh in a three match one-day series in Darwin on 31 August, 3 September and 6 September;
staging of a national basketball fixture at Marrara indoor stadium;
staging of a national Rugby League game in Darwin;
staging the Indigenous All Starts AFL match; and
staging the NAB Cup game in the Darwin and the NAB Challenge game in Alice Springs, as well as an AFL premiership fixture between the Western Bulldogs and Port Power later this month.
This is in addition to the government’s support for:
the Hottest 7s Rugby Union tournament earlier this year;
the Imparja Cup indigenous cricket tournament in Alice Springs earlier in the year;
$37 000 in support of the highly successful Four Nations men’s hockey tournament in Darwin between 28 April to 2 May; and
$50 000 to help stage this month’s Crusty Demons motocross spectacular
What a night that was. I was lucky enough to be there. Some 10 000 Territorians were treated to an incredible display of skill and courage. We already have the Darwin round of the V8 Supercars scheduled for Hidden Valley later this month, as well as the Olyroos Soccer team coming to Darwin for a pre-Olympic training camp.
Some $3.3m has been allocated in the 2008-09 budget for the Northern Territory Institute of Sport which is a key partner in the sport and recreation sector through its identification, development and support of the Territory’s talented and elite athletes. The NTIS aims to be a leader in athlete development programs. We are also making a significant contribution to national and international sport. It is gratifying to know that the NTIS supports more than 150 Territory athletes each year. The NTIS also provides squad scholarships to attend sports programs. These are Australian Rules football, cricket, cycling, hockey, netball, Rugby League, Rugby Union, tennis, tenpin bowling and weightlifting. We also have athletes currently at the NTIS on individual scholarships from sports like athletics baseball, judo, swimming, touch football, triathlon, wheelchair basketball and yachting.
The NTIS has worked closely with the Australian national men’s hockey team, the Kookaburras, to assist in their preparations for the up and coming 2008 Olympics in Beijing. NTIS staff trialled the effectiveness of different cooling techniques on Kookaburra players while they competed in the recent Four Nations tournament. It is likely that the NTIS will provide similar support to the other Australian Olympic teams like football, otherwise known as soccer, clay target shooting, and wheelchair tennis in the coming months.
It is heartening, indeed, to look at the support the NTIS has given to individual athletes in the past year as they pursue their sporting dreams at both national and international levels. This includes support for: AFL draftees, Marlon Motlop and Cameron Stokes; Crystal Attenborough, as a member of the Australian relay team in the 2007 world championships; Eliza Mayger who finished 14th in the Boston Marathon; Des Abbott from the Men’s Australian Hockey side; Kellie Fong, an Australian representative at the 2007 world championships; Sam Irwin who was recruited to the Gold Coast Titans NRL club; Tamarra Betts, Australian Junior Judo representative; Jessica Moller and Sara Winch for the Under 17s National netball squad and Kim Bruyn for the Under 19s national squad; Jack Benson and Rohan Langworthy for sailing world championships in the Tornado Class; Kia King national age swimming champion and semi-finalist for the Beijing swimming trials; Jordan Ah Sam who made the Australian Under 18 girl’s touch team; Sophie Hawkins, an Australian age representative in 2007 World Triathlon Championships; and Alison Fitch, 2007 World Ironman Championships and NT Sportsperson of the Year.
The NTIS continues to play a crucial role in developing some of the Territory’s best sporting talent. This is a truly worthwhile investment in the future.
I believe that despite changing attitudes and greater options, particularly for young people, sport and recreation continues to be central part of the Territory’s great lifestyle. As a government we must continue working with peak sporting bodies to meet these generational challenges. We are intent on providing sufficient funding to ensure maximum opportunities for Territorians to become involved in sport and recreation. Our funding for sport and recreation delivers for Territory families. As a government we will continue working to maximise this crucial investment in the future.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. Sport and recreation is very important in the Northern Territory as it is right across Australia. It is evident every day of the week and, in particular, every Saturday morning when you see so many people out there. I know in my electorate of Greatorex there is soccer and netball in winter and footy and cricket in summer. Even people just walking their dogs or going for a jog or doing aerobics - whatever it might be, sport and recreation plays a vital part in the Northern Territory.
However, minister, I am a little unsure of the substance in your statement and how it has come to be a ministerial statement. There is really nothing new in this. It is pretty much a recap of what is already happening, or recurrent programs that have been operating for some time and, no doubt, will continue to operate for some time to come. In fact, when I compare this statement to other ministerial statements on sports and recreation, not much has changed. In fact, much of what you said in this, minister, looks like a cut-and-paste job, a rehash of previous statements with a few different words and the dates changed and the like.
When the debate is concluded I am sure there will be a few pats on the back about the statement. Your colleagues will say ‘well done’ but, really, there does not appear to be a lot of new stuff in here. It is not that this side of the House undervalues sports and recreation. The CLP established Marrara as a sporting precinct for sports and recreation. There does not appear to be a lot of new stuff in this ministerial statement this time round.
It is interesting that you talk about chronic diseases and the high level of obesity affecting the growing number of Territorians and Australians. Apart from the normal recurrent programs that you have previously announced, there are not a lot of new initiatives to tackle childhood obesity in this statement. There is no mention of any new programs to target children, or to encourage their participation in sport and recreation across the Northern Territory. It seems that you are waiting for the federal government to announce their new child obesity programs so that you can tag on the back. I cannot see anything in there that tackles the very serious issue of childhood obesity when it comes to sports and recreation.
Minister, you talk about sports and recreation infrastructure. It is important that both sides of politics, both sides of the House, continue to invest in sporting infrastructure. We are very pleased to see that $1m has been earmarked for facility development grants, and that is good. While acknowledging that increase, when you tag on labour costs and the increase in labour costs and building materials in recent times, I do not think that it is essentially adequate. There should be more money. There should be, and could be, more money allocated to facility development grants. There is not a lot of that there.
Facility developments in Central Australia at Traeger Park – I know we tend to talk about this ad nauseam, but it is a serious issue that this minister and previous ministers refuse to talk about. We want a straight answer as to what is happening with Traeger Park. Will the government complete Traeger Park? It has been going on far too long. It is a stoush with the Alice Springs Town Council. Why will the Alice Springs Town Council not accept responsibility for the Traeger Park facility? Why won’t they? Can we get a straight answer on that? It is $1m, I believe, at last count, to complete the top floor of Traeger Park.
I am on the school council at Centralian Senior Secondary College. They are desperate for some shade and ablution blocks. That oval is used every single day of the school year. It is used just about every weekend for cricket and footy, and it is a big venue for the Alice Springs Masters Games. Shade is important, you would think, given Central Australia is a solar cities town - we have more sunlight than just about anywhere else. Often, sport is being played in 40C-plus heat, yet there is no shade.
I wrote to the Sports minister about this. I got a rebuttal, at best. I have written to him again about that and still no reply. I have written to the Minister for Central Australia - no reply from him. I have written to the minister for Education - no reply from her. The government owns this facility, minister. You are in Cabinet. I would think that you would be able to do something about it if you are actually interested in providing some shade at Centralian Senior Secondary College or Charles Darwin University Oval. I have written to you again. I will continue to write until I get a reply and we start to see some action.
The issue of Humpty Doo swimming pool is normally the Infrastructural Facility Development Grants. The Humpty Doo swimming pool was promised in 2001. It is still not delivered. All along, government has been blaming the council about the Humpty Doo swimming pool. Blaming the council appeared with the original promise made way back then. It had nothing to do with the council. This, I might add, is the council that this government tried to sack. The member for Goyder is very keen to say he is fighting for the swimming pool at Humpty Doo …
Mr Warren: Absolutely! Absolutely is.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: Very keen to say he is fighting for the swimming pool at Humpty Doo. It would appear that he is really just fighting for his own colleagues to try to save a bit of face there, because this is a broken promise by the Northern Territory government to provide a swimming pool at Humpty Doo. Seven long years later and there is still no swimming pool.
Minister, you may have noted a number of letters - and I am sure you have - in the Northern Territory News about cycling. Cycling is a very important part of sport and recreation - obviously, in sport and in a recreational sense. For many, it is a good way of getting to and from work. How many bike lanes have been added since this government came to office in 2001? I cannot count any. Maybe, there are a couple the minister might be able to enlighten us on. Obviously, with fuel price increases, cycling would be an appropriate way to get to and from work, particularly in areas as flat as Darwin and some of our main towns across the Northern Territory. However, it appears - and for the life of me I do not understand why - there has been no provision for bike paths in the budget or, in fact, since this government came to office in 2001.
Minister, in the lead-up to the last election you promised a netball centre at Marrara. You finally allocated some funding in the budget for it. Of course, that is welcome and it is good to see that it has finally happened. However, to be honest, it is three years after this promise was made. There is a good-looking sign there which, no doubt, cost a fair bit of money. Now, we are finally seeing some money towards the netball centre at Marrara. It has taken a long time for this government to address that. I would like to know how much the sign cost. The sign has been sitting there for quite a while.
That money may have been better channelled into junior development or netball development. I am sure that junior sport could do with some money. On most Saturday mornings, I am out cooking the barbecue at the netball association, raising money for the netballers by cooking a sausage sizzle. We might get $300, $400, sometimes $500, every Saturday morning, and that goes a long way in junior sport to buy netballs, netball uniforms or nets, or just general maintenance. I believe some of them are using it for airfares towards their representative commitments throughout the course of the year. There is a lot of money tied up in saying what you are going to do, where money could be better spent in actually developing some of these junior sports.
I acknowledge the work that has gone into securing international cricket, and that is terrific, and assisting the AFL NT into becoming one of the interstate leagues. We have had Western Australia, South Australia, and it is now Queensland, I believe, which is probably appropriate as two developing leagues. Yet, your statement makes no mention whatsoever of the Alice Springs Masters Games, or the Finke Desert Race for that matter. I do not know what it is about Alice Springs that seems to have offended the Northern Territory government so much, but no mention whatsoever in this rehashed statement on two of the biggest sporting events in the Northern Territory, and certainly in Central Australia, that is the Alice Springs Masters Games and the Finke Desert Race.
The Alice Springs Masters Games gets under way on 11 October. It is about 120-odd days away, yet, according to this statement, it is nowhere on the minister’s radar, which is a tragedy. I know the people of Alice Springs are very committed and very passionate about the Alice Springs Masters Games. I know everyone is looking forward to the Masters Games, known as the Friendly Games. Anyone who is keen to take part in this year’s Masters Games, I encourage them to register now.
I will be part of the Masters Games this year, and by the looks of things, the minister for Sport will also be part of the Masters Games. It is important too, probably with the Rovers Relics Cricket side. Nevertheless, of course, the town fills up pretty quickly, and the fact that accommodation bursts at the seams throughout that week or 10 days is an indication of the size of the event in a town the size of Alice Springs. So, it is just staggering that it is not on the minister’s radar, there is not one mention of it.
I read with interest the role of the Northern Territory Institute of Sport in assisting the national athletes for Beijing. That is fantastic and I congratulate the NTIS and all their staff for the work there.
Antisocial issues, or lawlessness and criminal behaviour and sport and recreation can be intertwined. I am on the Sport and Youth Committee, chaired by member for Stuart. In the terms of reference there is some correlation between antisocial behaviour and sport. You will recall, minister, that we want people to be involved in sport and recreation right across the Northern Territory, to get off the streets, stop harassing ordinary law-abiding Territorians and get involved in sport and recreational activities. You will recall the tragic event of Bobby Saunders, who was a cricketer for the Wests Has Beens. At the last Alice Springs Masters Games, they won the gold medal, they were out celebrating and Bobby was senselessly dragged from his car and beaten within an inch of life. They took off with his car, they robbed him, and left him for dead. He was airlifted to Alice Springs Hospital. That was on the final night, the Friday night, so it really soured the event to a degree. And we have just had a funeral service for the caretaker at Richardson Park, who was severely senselessly bashed and killed. There are some unfortunate examples of what does happen on our streets. We encourage everyone to get off the streets and into sport and recreational activities. There is not a lot in this statement to encourage those people to do that.
In Alice Springs, where law and order issues are paramount and have the community at boiling point on many occasions, with the government’s lack of action in addressing law and order issues, its reputation does diminish as a result of that.
We, on this side of the House, want sport and recreation to be something that helps get these kids off the street, people off the streets and away from this life of lawlessness and antisocial behaviour. I believe it is on the head of government to provide every opportunity for those people to do just that. It is the responsibility of the government to provide an avenue for these people, many of them kids, to get involved in more positive aspects of life across the Northern Territory, and that is clearly through sport and recreational activities.
It is a bit of a rehash of the statement. I know where your heart is, minister. I can see what the intent is. There is not a lot that has not been said before. Suffice to say we, on this side of the House, thoroughly support sport and recreational activities throughout the Northern Territory.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Deputy Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to support the minister’s statement on sport and recreation. This government is delivering for Territory families and helping with our great lifestyle and our work experiences here in the Territory. It is investing in the future of the Territory because some of the sports and recreational activities offered help promote a healthy way of life.
To have $25.8m allocated to sport and recreation for the 2008-09 budget is quite outstanding. I congratulate the Treasurer and the department on the work they did to achieve that. I look forward to it being well spent in some of these areas.
Sport plays an important part in our social fabric in Australia. I am one of the lucky ones, having been heavily involved in sport all my life. The challenges, friendships and confidence it has given me has been outstanding. I know many people in the House have been in the same boat. Since coming to the Territory I have noticed that sport plays an integral part in many people’s lives.
With the increase in population, our participation growth in many sports is really demanding. I know the department has been working closely with all the peak bodies to ensure that the youth programs and the Come and Try programs are supported. The Northern Territory government will continue to work to ensure that organisations are funded to continue the youth programs and the Come and Try programs to attract young Territorians into sport.
Driving around Palmerston and Darwin at various times - the weekend or during the week - the amount of activity provided in the sports parks for our youth and children is outstanding. Soccer, for example, at the Gray Primary School on particular nights of the week is absolutely chock-a-block to the point we are looking for bigger grounds to accommodate some of those teams. They are ably supported by many parents and volunteers, which is great to see. The participation rate in soccer has grown. That is shown by the attendance they get at Bagot Reserve for their games over the weekend.
Soccer is starting to boom in the Territory and Australia. The fact that the Socceroos played in the World Cup a couple of years ago and are having another crack at it over the next 12 months has increased the interest in the sport, which is great to see. It is a great sport, it is a worldwide sport and it should be supported. It is great to see a lot of young kids becoming involved in those Come and Try activities.
Auskick is the same. Having a football background, I know the expansion of Auskick Australia-wide has been huge. The programs that we run during the Dry are getting bigger and bigger. I know AFL NT is doing a lot of work to ensure Australian Rules football still remains the strongest sport in the Territory. There is big participation of young kids from around Palmerston, Darwin and the rural area, and it also extends down the track to Alice Springs. Coming from an AFL NT background, I know the work undertaken in the Auskick centre in Alice Springs by volunteers and parents is fantastic. It is great to see the kids advance through the grades to go on and play a higher grade of football.
I have noticed that there is a huge participation rate in Rugby at Richardson Park and also at Marrara. Young kids are now taking on Rugby, and as there is a lot of television coverage, the kids are becoming interested. The antisocial aspects of the game are gradually decreasing. I know from my time, especially with my son playing in the junior grades when I first came up here, there was a lot of antisocial behaviour with the kids, and a lot of illegal activities happening in and around the place. It is still there in some areas, but I know that many of the clubs and the leagues are working to overcome this.
I have seen it firsthand, but the pleasing part about it is that I have seen many of these troubled kids really make advances in their lives because they had the opportunity to play the sport and, then, because of their ability have been able to advance into elite squads. By getting into those talent squads and elite squads, they have had opportunities that they would never have had before. To see their confidence rise and their mindset change is quite outstanding. I know a number of them have gone on to take on senior roles within clubs, and also they have created job opportunities for themselves. They are taking steps in their lives now that they never took early on. They were easily led by other individuals and got themselves into trouble. I know of at least half a dozen who have really made a change in their life and have gone on to bigger and better things. Sport really does play an integral role in many people’s lives.
It is not just the male aspect of it. I know that females are also well catered for. Construction of the netball courts, $4.8m at Marrara Netball Centre, is going to start early next year I understand. That is great. That is 10 rebound ace courts; there is going to infrastructure such as change rooms, canteens and bars, etcetera. To have a facility like this in Darwin, especially in the Marrara complex with the new Larrakia development for soccer, is a wonderful setup. To see the women and young girls involved in sport working through to bigger and better things is great. We have recognised that by giving money towards netball so they can achieve their goal of getting into the Australian Netball League. Having a Northern Territory team, to have that elite program, is a highlight for those kids to achieve as they move through their career. It is going to make a huge difference to the sport. That is felt right across the board by the number of elite athletes that do visit the Territory, and I will go into that a little more a little later on.
There are some very talented kids, and trying to harness that talent and keep it on track is a big role. That is where our volunteers need to be recognised, as well as the people who participate in the clubs, and the parents who get the kids out there.
Softball has a really strong following. There has been an indigenous softball carnival run at Docker River, and I understand that there are going to be future carnivals at Kintore, Borroloola, Timber Creek and Wadeye. It is great to see the indigenous girls playing. This is something that they are very good at it, and they are really starting to make a mark in that sport.
Being heavily involved in the administrative side of sport, and having played sport at a reasonable level, one thing that really struck me after coming up from down south is that sport is greatly supported by the government. I do not think that many of the sporting bodies or clubs get the support from governments in the southern states as they do here. It is recognised here that sport plays an integral role in the Territory lifestyle. It is delivering for Territory families and creating a healthy way of life. We love our outdoor activities, and the Northern Territory government recognises that. That is why they are allocating this $25.8m towards the support of sport to ensure that that lifestyle is maintained.
When I first started with the AFL NT, one thing I was disappointed with a little was trying to deal with the previous government. We had a lot of good ideas for AFL, and I know talking to other sporting bodies they were the same. However, we ran into a lot of obstacles dealing with the previous ministers. I can honestly say today that there was a big change when there was a change of government. The can-do attitude of the Clare Martin Labor government, as it was then, was like chalk and cheese. That has really turned many sports around and advanced many sports over the last seven years at least. That is one reason that I put my hand up to run for the Labor Party at the last election. I like their can-do attitude and the fact that they were there to assist wherever they could. If they could not, they were trying to offer or guide you in the right direction, and that is one thing we did not get from the previous government. There is a can-do attitude in this government, and that is shown by a number of aspects that are broadcast in the minister’s statement.
There are a number of sports that are covered by this government. Support is given to the Hidden Valley V8 Supercars for motor enthusiasts. The number of people it brings to town and the amount of money injected into the economy is outstanding. To have a world-class event of that calibre coming to Darwin every year is outstanding. I congratulate everyone involved. It is a wonderful weekend and is enjoyed by many motor enthusiasts around the world and around Australia through television coverage. The influx of people from interstate and overseas into Darwin for that particular weekend is outstanding.
Over $1m was put into the drag strip at Alice Springs. I know there are many rev heads in Alice Springs. They love their motor sports such as the recent Finke Desert Race. There are many drag enthusiasts there and the government supports that as they do with the Finke Desert Race. They also support the Crusty Demons. To see the outstanding skills that have been shown worldwide by this event is a bit of a coup for the Territory to have a program of such calibre at Marrara. I understand that over 10 000 people attended the Crusty Demons. Unfortunately, I could not make it on the night but, talking to a couple of my constituents last week, they had the opportunity to go and they raved about it. The skill of some of the guys on the bikes was quite outstanding. To have a world-class quality event of that calibre here in the Territory is fantastic.
Regarding Rugby, I had the opportunity this year to watch the Mosquitoes play. They played and beat South Australia that day. A friend of mine is the physiotherapist for South Australia. He was a little upset that night. It is interstate sport at its best; our best athletes pitting their best against interstate athletes. To watch the Mosquitoes play South Australia was a great game, and they only got up in the last couple of minutes of the game, which was quite exciting. I know the Mosquitoes have gone down south and played in other states and probably have not fared as well as they should have, but it was great to have those events here.
The Hottest 7s is a world-class event. I have quite often flicked through the sporting channels on cable television, being the sport nut that I am, and there is always Rugby 7s going on somewhere in the world. I noticed the other night there were some games on. A couple of the players who had played in the Hottest 7s in the Territory were playing in the Hottest 7s in this particular game overseas - I just cannot remember the country it was in - but we had some world-class athletes here in the Territory playing Hottest 7s earlier this year. It was a wonderful event. To have an NRL game up here later this year and the NRL trial games in Alice Springs early in the year, and to have athletes of this standard coming to the Territory is a coup.
Like the member for Greatorex, I cannot wait for the cricket to come. I am a bit of a cricket buff, and to have Ricky Ponting and his team here to play Bangladesh later on in the year is going …
Mr Wood: Are you playing in the Lord's Taverners?
Mr NATT: I think I am in the team. To have a world-class event and the calibre of these athletes who play cricket for Australia, and also Bangladesh, three one-day games at Marrara, is going to be great event. For the Northern Territory government to work out a five-year agreement with Cricket Australia is fantastic and to have internationally-recognised stars from the game playing at Marrara is fantastic.
The Imparja Cup is a wonderful week of cricket in Alice Springs. To have the best indigenous cricketers from around Australia playing there is a coup for Alice Springs and for cricket. Let us hope that we can get an indigenous player or two from that carnival into the Australian team in the not too distant future. I understand there is some outstanding talent there and I hope we can achieve that aim.
I cannot sit down without talking about the AFL. My team, Port Adelaide, is coming here in a couple of weeks to play the Western Bulldogs. We won’t talk about last weekend ...
Mr Wood: Can they play a full 20 minute quarter?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr NATT: Well, we hope so. We hope we do not go into the choking episode. I must admit that I was heavily involved in getting the AFL up here in my first couple of years with the AFL NT. It took a lot of hard work to get it here. This government has spent money on resurfacing Marrara Oval because the AFL was not going to come here unless the surface was fixed. We had a number of meetings with the Sports minister at the time, Mr Jack Ah Kit, and we felt proud that the government was going to spend - I forget the figure now; it was in the millions - to resurface Marrara Oval so that we could get AFL football. That culminated in getting Cricket Australia here as well - the Australian Cricket team. To get the calibre of that type of football here was fantastic.
I can remember that we had an AFL game here on the old ground. It had rained the night before. The old Marrara surface was an absolute quagmire. I think Geelong and the Sydney Swans were playing at the time. After that game, I was told that if the ground had not improved they were not going to come back. Now that it is done, they cannot wait to get up here. To have the Western Bulldogs adopt Darwin as their second home town is quite an achievement.
The kids get a real kick out of seeing not just the AFL players but all these outstanding, world-class Australian athletes competing at the highest standard. It keeps them in the game; it keeps an interest up for them. .
The AFL NAB challenge in Alice Springs is the pre-season game and we have had some wonderful setups there. I know we had to work hard to get the grandstand there but we got it there. Even before the grandstand, they were playing there. We have the grandstand there and it was great to see the AFL did bend a little, but it is only going to get better.
There are some football draftees from the Northern Territory lower grades playing AFL. The minister mentioned a couple of young draftees who are doing exceptionally well - Marlon Motlop, Cameron Stokes and Austin Wonaeamirri. They are some great names from the Northern Territory; there are around 25 names at the moment in the AFL. We could probably field our own Northern Territory side. We may not have ruckman but we will have a lot of quick players around the ground. This has come from the success of having AFL games here and the hope that some of our kids can learn from what they have seen on the ground, learn from the AFL stars and work their way towards bigger and better things.
The Tiwi Bombers have also made a big impact. Having the Tiwi Bombers in the competition for about six or eight games last year and a full season this year has really given an injection to the Tiwi and Aboriginal people. It is going to drive them onto bigger and better things, I am sure.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I could talk about the Olyroos Camp coming here prior to the Olympics; and the Arafura Games with young Crystal Attenborough, and the success she has had in her athletics career. I was lucky enough to watch a game between China and India at the hockey fields. There were four international teams playing in a Four Nations Tournament at Marrara which was an outstanding coup. To know we have a Northern Territory representative in the Kookaburras is an outstanding feat.
I also acknowledge the Northern Territory Institute of Sport. The NTIS plays a huge role in our elite program. Having coming from the AFL NT and working closely with them - my son was lucky enough to come through the program on the Australian Football side of things - I know the work that they put in with the coaching is outstanding. Their fitness programs are probably second to none. They work individually on scholarship holders in a number of sports, but the 10 main sports are Australian Rules football, cricket, cycling, hockey, netball, Rugby League, Rugby Union, tennis, tenpin bowling and weight lifting. We have achieved some wonderful recognition in those sports. I congratulate the staff at the NTIS on the success they have achieved over the years. They work very closely with the peak bodies involved.
I single out one individual, Matt Brearley. I am not sure of his official title but Matt is a scientist of some note and has worked extensively on the effects of heat on the body during competition. You will often see him on the television programs sticking thermometers in people’s ears and taking tests. He has written a thesis on it and the Australian Sports Commission has used that on several occasions. He works closely with teams which come here before they go overseas. Matt has been a wonderful asset for the NTIS. It is recognition of what this government does for sport. We put a lot of money into the NTIS to ensure these peak sporting bodies are successful. It is great for the future. The funding will be provided in the future to ensure maximum opportunities are there, and it is a fantastic effort by this government to do the work they do with sport. It is only going to get bigger and better. I congratulate the minister on his statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, this must be one of the easier statements to give in parliament because the minister must know that everyone is going to give a warm and fuzzy reply.
Well, you will get pretty well a warm and fuzzy reply. Even though we are both Hawthorn supporters, I hope, minister, you one day prove your worth in this job and have Hawthorn playing here in a dinky-di AFL match, not one of those half-time sort of matches they played in the Wet Season this year. People paid full tote odds to watch a match and they played 15-minute quarters. That was a bit rough, actually. That is something the government should take up with them. In that particular match, I know there were quite a few people who were not happy to pay the money they had to pay for a match that was brought back to 15-minute quarters just because it was a little warm. I did not think that was very good. But, I digress.
I was just thinking that, at this time of night, if I went to Freds Pass Reserve I would see kids everywhere. I would see the Swamp Dogs Rugby Union, the Litchfield Bears, the Southern Districts Crocs cricket team, and the Litchfield Football - soccer - Club playing at the present time. I would probably see a few people on horses practising the jumps, the dog people getting ready for dog obedience trials. If I was there on Wednesday night, I would have seen Little Athletics training. I would have also seen training for the juniors in the cricket. That is an indication of the amount of sport that occurs in the rural area.
I believe the one thing that helps us is our climate. I learned to play Aussie Rules in Melbourne at this time of year. By about now, the two lights would be on the football oval, it would be about 6C, the mist would be coming over the oval, and you would have purple legs it would be so cold. You would have a kick up the end of the ground to try to warm up. Up here, the sun goes down at 6.30 pm this time of year. It is beautiful weather and it is ideal for people to get out and enjoy sport. You can go to Freds Pass and see no better example of what the Northern Territory is about when it comes to sport.
The minister spoke about the importance of sport, and we have a committee that looks at sport. We know that sport is not only good from a health point of view, it is good from a community point of view, with people coming together. It is good for team discipline. It is good for young people as they grow up to learn responsibilities. It is good for the Territory and for the country because we share our pride in athletes as they achieve overseas. Many of the athletes the minister named in his statement are people we are proud of because of their achievements for the Territory and for Australia.
One area that we sometimes forget is that sport just does not happen. The government might throw the dollars in; that is fine. In many cases, the people you see at Freds Pass tonight will be the parents and the volunteers. There will be a barbecue at the Swamp Dogs, one at the Litchfield Bears, one at the cricket club and one at the soccer. I do a ‘sausage crawl’ as distinct from some other crawls that people have, and you have to be careful how much you eat on a Thursday night otherwise you can put on the weight quite quickly. The people running the sausage sizzles are all volunteers. Some of them are running the bar, some are coaching the kids. For every level of Rugby League, which might be from Under 6s right through to the A grade, there is a coach or coaches looking after those kids. There will be a physio out there as well. The presidents will be there. Teams will be being picked. People will be trying to sell raffle tickets to raise money. This is an area that we must not lose sight of if we want sport to be successful.
We must make sure these people are recognised and, if they need to have financial assistance, we have to do that. As we know, with many clubs and associations, volunteers are getting harder and harder to find. People are more reluctant to get onto committees. I have been to a few AGMs this year where they have asked: ‘Who would like to be the secretary?’. There is a deadly silence because people feel they do not have the time to take on those important jobs. If you do not have people taking on those jobs then your club is going to find it very hard to continue, even though you might have lots of people wanting to play. That is an important area which should be part of any statement we make about sports.
Another area that we are going to have to keep and eye on in relation to sport is travel. It is not quite so bad, I suppose. We get people groaning about coming to Freds Pass to play a game of soccer at 8.30 am on a Sunday - not many people mind us all heading into town. The point is that it costs money now; fuel is going up. What are some of the communities doing if they are travelling to these country carnivals? It must be starting to affect them due to the cost of getting there. The government needs to look at whether things like rising fuel prices are going to make it harder for people to bring their children to training. If you have children training twice a week plus having to go to a game on Saturday, that is a fair bit of expense for any parent. Obviously, they try to share those expenses by taking more than one person to a sporting match, but it is going to get dearer and dearer. That is another area we need to look at.
Regarding remote communities, I have said before that we do need to upgrade many of the facilities in remote areas. I have said this a couple of times. We have to be careful where our priorities are. Look at Freds Pass: the government puts some money in, but a lot of Freds Pass is voluntary work. At the moment, they are building a new Rugby Union pitch, and they have just finished two soccer pitches. Although there has been some money from the government, a lot of voluntary work goes in, on top of that, to ensure the money can stretch.
Whilst we have good facilities in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine, that is certainly not always the case in the remote communities. Whilst it might be good to give money to people like sport and recreation officers, if they have facilities that are really not up to standard, then that makes life a lot harder for them. I have mentioned Canteen Creek. I could mention Alpurrurulam and Epenarra. Their football ovals were not what you would call the best piece of country to play footy on. You certainly would not get an AFL match with those ovals …
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time to allow the member for Nelson to conclude his remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, member for Brennan. I will finish quickly.
The Masters Games is great because one of the things we forget is that older people should be playing sport - and can play sport. That is something we should emphasise.
I am not sure, Madam Deputy Speaker, what happened to the clock. It seemed awfully short to start with, now it is extremely long ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have 15 minutes, member for Nelson; it is up to you.
Mr WOOD: I will not use that much time, thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
It is important that we keep focusing on older people participating. I was listening to a show last night about osteoporosis and how, as you get older, your bones get more brittle. It is a major problem with older people. They were talking about it being worse for men than it is for women. It is sometimes regarded as a women’s disease to some extent, but they were saying last night, if a man gets it, it is actually more devastating. They were saying that a lot of that depends a little on your previous lifestyle. If you have conditions that do not help that, then you should be trying to do something about it – at least in your middle age.
We have to keep promoting physical fitness and participation in sport. It does not have to be all serious stuff; it can be just a game of touch football, or walking together around a park. Many people enjoy that. That is something we should emphasise when we are dealing with a statement that says ’delivering for Territory families and investing in the future’. That is exactly what we should be talking about: investing in the future of the older people as well.
School sport is great. I am not getting into the areas that that particular committee is dealing with, but I have seen PARCS, the Palmerston and Rural Cluster School Sport, in operation. I have seen kids from everywhere playing soccer at Freds Pass, and that has allowed kids to mingle with others, not only from different schools but from different racial backgrounds. You have the other advantage of sport in that it allows kids to meet other people and find out where they live. It improves their confidence in being able to talk to other young children and other athletes. I see that as a great thing that is in the Territory.
Indigenous involvement: I know the Minister for Mines and Energy spoke about the Imparja Cup and the Aboriginal involvement in that area. I believe we need to promote those other sports. At the moment it is more or less football, whether it is AFL or Rugby, but we know they can excel in other sports. There is the Tiwi Island girl, whose name escapes me, who plays tennis and has done extremely well. It is fantastic to see that young lady. I know what the Tiwi Islanders are like. They love their part of the world where they live. For a young girl like that to be more or less on her own, as distinct from blokes who go down and play in a team where at least you have some companionship, is fantastic. She is a credit to the Territory and credit to the Tiwis. We need to encourage more.
I know a number of Aboriginal communities in my area where I feel we need to do a little more to get kids out of that area. They live in a place which does not encourage much positive feeling. I must admit that the Palmerston Indigenous Village is going up; it is doing what it can. When you see the new houses there and you see people like Phil Goodman, you know there are people trying. At the same time, the reality is that alcoholism is a major negative factor in that community. When you see young kids getting brought up in that area, in that type of atmosphere, you wonder if they going to go down the same path. We may have to see if there are ways we can encourage children from those communities, if they have to be bussed, to some of these sporting facilities.
I have mentioned it to Ian Redpath, the captain of the A grade cricket team for Southern Districts. I believe he is also captain of the Imparja Team - I am not sure - but he is certainly involved with indigenous sport. I have spoken to him previously about this. There is an opportunity to see whether we can get some form of transport for young kids in those areas to encourage them to have an hour out of that community doing something positive. Whether it is in Palmerston, or Darwin or Freds Pass, it does not matter, as long as they get an opportunity.
There was one other issue and that was the Kamfari. I mentioned it earlier. The Kamfari people came to see me this year and they were concerned that the Kamfari would not go ahead because, if you know the area north of Howard Springs, Power and Water now have a very large piece of land which is now zoned Water Management. That is the land they used to run the Kamfari on. Power and Water have basically sent out the signals that, no, they do not want them to be on there because of possible pollution from the bikes and things.
Unless they go Conservation, they are allowed to use land on Koolpinyah Station, then they are really pushing to find a place for it to happen. I believe they should be able to stay where they are. It would be a long time before the bores that the government wants to drill in that area will happen. I also believe the risk of pollution, especially if you put in protocols for people changing oil, is minimal. We are dealing with old mining areas and sand-scrapes in that area so the government should reassess whether they should put controls to that extent where this type of sporting activity is totally banned.
The Kamfari is about people liking their motocross bikes, their quad bikes. Many people have that type of equipment in the rural area, and I suppose in Palmerston – I do see them come up the side of Lambrick Avenue when they should not, without registration - but we know many people love that type of sporting activity. In our planning we should leave bushland where they can enjoy that. You can call it the sacrificial piece of land. I would rather have a piece of land set aside. You can go crook at them if they are not in that section of land, if they are doing it around the back yard of someone’s house or close to where people live. You might say: ‘Hey, nick off. Go away’. If we have some place for them to enjoy that activity, it would be good.
There is an area near Knuckey’s Lagoon, for instance, near Micketts Creek, where a lot of rubbish has been dumped. It is a fairly worn out part of country just south of the Micketts Creek Shooting Range. That is an area that could be left for people from Karama and those areas to enjoy their motocrossing without interfering with people in the suburbs. It is not a formal type of facility for sport. It is more along the lines of allowing people to enjoy a recreation without getting into too much trouble. I put that on record to say that government, when it is looking at planning, should leave a few areas, make sure it is far enough away from people not to get sick of that two-stroke engine noise which can nearly drive you mad, but at least enable people to enjoy a sport that keeps them out of trouble.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I concur with much of what the member for Nelson has just said, especially about the bikes and going very early in the morning and being annoying. It is a pastime that many people enjoy.
I will pick up on what the member for Nelson was talking about: the physiological benefits of physical fitness. This is something well recognised in medicine and in the community as a whole. In fact, about the earliest record I can think of in relation to that is ancient Greece. I am reminded of this because we recently had the Glenti in Darwin which featured quite a number of dancers performing different traditional dances. Dancing is a form of physical exercise and a sport. As the song tells us, it can be murder on the dance floor when you are talking about competition.
The Glenti reminded me that back in the times of ancient Greece you had the two great city-states - Athens and Sparta. Sparta was renowned for the beauty of its women and modern professors of ancient Greek history have supposed the reason for this was that Sparta was quite advanced for its time. This included not only programs of physical fitness for its men but also for its women and young girls. Just as the young men were out performing in the precursor of the Olympics, holding their sports carnivals and participating naked, so did the young girls. This caused quite a stir in ancient Greece, as I am sure it would now if you were to propose a similar event. Sparta had the reputation of having the most beautiful women in Greece and this was because of this athleticism which was encouraged in equal measure in the culture of Sparta.
Honourable members may be aware that the soccer stadium which the Darwin soccer community has cried out for, for such a long time, recently won a design award. I congratulate the stadium designers and builders on that. It has become a fantastic home for soccer in the Top End. It is not just a stadium which gets high praise; it is the pitches as well. It is a fantastic rap for us in the Territory to have our facilities praised so highly. I am sure the reputation of those facilities played a part in us getting the Olyroos in Darwin practicing for the Olympics, and that really is a top-flight team.
The teams that go to the Olympics are, basically, the Under 23 national team. They are allowed a few players over that age but, essentially, that is what they are. This means that you have young men in their prime, in peak physical fitness, competing with the exuberance of young sportspeople as opposed to the wiser heads that you might see in the professional league. It makes for a very fast game, a very hard-fought game. During the Sydney Olympics, I went to one of the games played in Melbourne. I cannot remember who the teams were now, but it was an absolutely mesmerising game. You know that many of these young men who are playing are on the cusp - it was a high scoring game too - of great professional careers, or have already started professional careers with some of the big teams around the world.
Just like the member for Nelson, I think there are great benefits in focusing on grassroots sport. Last year, I went to the soccer PARCS competition, the Palmerston and rural schools competition, and I also went this year to Gray Oval which was the Come and Try Day where kids were encouraged to come along and have a game. They came from every school and then, from that, one of the PARCS teams for the competition was going to be chosen. When I went there it was fantastic, and I believe I have done an adjournment in relation to that already. It is not just about your elite people, the people who are well established in a sport. It is about encouraging young people to get involved. You do not have to be serious; you do not have to be spectacularly good. You just have to be participating. That is the important message we should be getting across to our young people.
We talked about issues in relation to alcohol abuse and obesity. These are trends, not just here in the Territory or even in Australia, but right across the world. Sport and encouraging sport at a grassroots level is fundamental to addressing those problems. I believe team sport provides great social benefits to a community as a whole but to the individuals as well. When you are part of a team, it does not matter how good one individual is. That individual either succeeds or fails with the team. It engenders a great cooperation and an ability to have others rely on you and, in turn, be confident to rely on others, not just on the sporting field, but that extends further.
We have great tradition of sport in the Territory. We have heard many of the previous speakers talk about the great names that have been here. I think of when I was growing up and the number of kids playing sport. It is fantastic to see the number of kids playing different sports on the ovals. It is always generally a laughter-filled venue when there are young kids.
It is also beneficial for the community because you get mums and dads involved. Many of these sports would fall over without the mums and dads. At the Palmerston Markets on a Friday night I got talking to the Palmerston BMX people. One of the dads was saying his son got involved and that, essentially, meant he got involved. He prepares the track and does minor repairs and that sort of thing, and there are other parents who do the same. It is the way that many people contribute to our community; by ensuring that we have a grassroots sport which is healthy. There are so many sports played here in the Territory, it is a fantastic thing.
Recently, the Palmerston Raiders, which is the League team, and the Reds baseball team, had their store shed set afire and both clubs lost a fair amount of equipment, which is unfortunate. Both teams are rebuilding and getting a lot of assistance from all sorts of places, including government. It was great that government was able to provide some money for the club. I do not know if the minister for Sport might correct me about whether the baseball club got funding, but I imagine they did. It is fantastic that, at the Territory level, the government is able to step in to help clubs out in such a fundamental way.
One aspect I would like to comment on is women’s sport. I am of the view that women’s sport does not get the coverage it deserves. It is great to see that the Territory is getting a top-flight team to play top-flight competition in netball. Anyone who has played or watched netball at any level would say that it is certainly not a non-contact sport. Having watched some of the Australia/New Zealand games which are played with as much passion as any Australia/New Zealand game, it can be a very physical contest. I do not think it gets much recognition, and we have such fantastic women’s teams. Everyone would be able to talk about Australia’s Olympic champions in the women’s hockey, but we have a women’s soccer team and women’s cricket team. The Australian women’s cricket team was undefeated for quite a period of years yet struggles to get sponsorship dollars and recognition, which is a great shame. Many young girls and women play netball in the Territory. The Palmerston club trains opposite the Palmerston High School in the evening.
Sport is part of our lifestyle and social fabric. It is part of what makes the Territory so great for young families and kids. It is not just the weather or the economy, it is the whole package wrapped up. The Territory has much to offer young families and people who come in from elsewhere and choose to make the Territory their home.
I thank the minister for his statement this evening and commend the statement to the House.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on Sport, and I share his passion for sport. It has been a big part of my life, not only in the Territory, but during my years in Adelaide. I share his passion and also acknowledge the strong contribution that many of those families the minister spoke about in his statement have provided over many years.
I know, in my time in Alice Springs, growing up at The Gap, the enjoyment of going to Traeger Park on a Saturday. In those days, it was just an open field of sports, like a platter on a table. You could watch your mother, sisters and aunties play hockey at the hockey field at Traeger Park, and then walk across and watch the family play football. It was common for every family in Alice Springs to do at that time in the late 1960s and 1970s. The whole family would pack the car, or walk to Traeger Park, and you would watch the hockey, the football, or go to the baseball, all on the same day on a Saturday or a Sunday.
The minister reflected in his statement on the important role that sport has played in the Northern Territory over many years, particularly since self-government. Territorians are probably amongst the most passionate sportspeople in this country. There is no greater way to provide an example of that passion than when you see people going away to represent the Territory. They are in their ochre and black colours, no matter what sport, and they wear those colours with much pride, with the Territory flag on their tracksuit or on their uniform. There is no doubt that sport has played, and will continue to play, an important part of the Northern Territory’s lifestyle, particularly into the future.
We have national teams being established all over the place. We have the AFL looking at putting together a team to take part in more competitive competitions down south, or in Queensland. We have, as the minister also said, the national netball team being put together. While we can reflect on the past and proud history that the Northern Territory has in sport, it is also great to see that we are looking into the future and moving into more competitive competitions interstate.
We need to reflect as well, and congratulate former ministers for Sport, particularly John Ah Kit. He was known as the Minister for Fun. He certainly had that personality about him where he could go anywhere in the country and people knew him. He had the image and he could really relate to people regarding sport. He was a very strong advocate during his time as minister. I put on the public record and acknowledge John Ah Kit for the fantastic representation he provided the Northern Territory during his time as Sports minister. He opened the door for many of us and we are seeing that coming to fruition today.
For me, sport in my early days at The Gap in Alice Springs was being able to go to Traeger Park and just walk around and go to any sport you wanted to watch. Hockey, football, and baseball were the main sports at that time in Alice Springs. Reflecting on the past at Traeger, maybe that is what we need to look at into the future for Traeger Park. It is a great sporting complex but, unfortunately, we see fences all over the place, so the access between hockey and football is no longer there. You have to go outside and around and pay again. Maybe we need to look at that particular venue in Alice Springs where you may have a multi-pass for the whole of Traeger Park, where you could go to the hockey and then walk across to go to the footy, the baseball, the basketball, or even to the tennis just by paying the one fee, by having a pass for the day or for the year. We need to look at that. That is certainly how Traeger Park in the early days attracted many of the families and the crowds that they did. Maybe the Traeger Park user group and the town council can look at the idea of a multi-sports pass for the Traeger Park complex.
In the early days, as I said, I suppose football was the main sport in Alice Springs where you could get 2000 or 3000 people on the weekend. They were watching people like Harold Webb, Lance White, Paul Ah Chee, and Lloyd Bray, running around the paddock. People really idolised their magnificent achievements on the football field. There were great role models in those early days.
I agree with the minister, when he talks about the importance of sport. When I spent my time in Adelaide at boarding school I learned that sport is an activity that crosses all boundaries. You get on the sports field and you are all equal; no matter what level of income your family is earning or what race you are from. Once you cross the white line on a football oval or a netball court, you are all equal. You are wearing the same team colours; that is who you represent. Through my days in Adelaide at boarding school, sport provided me with a great opportunity and opened many doors. Many of those doors included making new friends and continuing lifelong friendships. Sport is very important, as well, in breaking down many barriers outside the football oval or the sporting arena that we come up against in our community.
Sport has another function and we can see that demonstrated in the links between participation in sport and reduced antisocial behaviour. One of the best examples I can give is Clontarf Football Academy, which we have seen over the last couple of years roll out through the Northern Territory. I have met Gerard Neesham on a few occasions and sat down and listened to Gerard’s passion for the academy, as one of the co-founders of that academy. What Gerard and that academy has been able to achieve over the years is just fantastic, particularly in encouraging young indigenous men to stay at school and to become better community members through the motivation of football. Gerard’s passion and the reasons why he came up with the idea of a football academy is a fantastic story.
I also had the pleasure in late 2006 or early 2007, with the previous Chief Minister, to be in Alice Springs to launch the academy. We beat Darwin at something and that was getting the Clontarf Football Academy in the Northern Territory. It was great to be at that launch with the previous Chief Minister, at ANZAC Hill High School. The number of young fellows at the launch was truly uplifting. Fair enough, it is early days still but, nearly two years down the track, that academy really has shown it has succeeded in many ways, particularly in the retention of young Aboriginal men in Alice Springs.
Clontarf started in 2000, with 25 young fellows in Perth. It has grown over the years to this year where there are around 1380 young fellows between Western Australia and Northern Territory. We not only have academies in Alice Springs, at Yirara, ANZAC and Alice Springs High School, but also in Katherine, Palmerston and at Sanderson. We have had some of the young Sanderson Clontarf Academy lads here in parliament this year. The vision and the passion that Gerard Neesham had in the early days to where it is now, is a remarkable success story and one that we should all celebrate together.
The aim of the Clontarf Foundation was to target one of the most at risk groups in our society - young indigenous men. Part of the aim of the academy is to get them attending school regularly, or to re-enter education after prolonged absences from the system. It is achieving retention rates above the state averages, particularly in the Northern Territory which is very low as we all know, and it is to develop those young men into great people who are going to contribute to our community by improving their self-esteem and self-confidence. I put on the public record within the Sports statement that one of the ways we can give a good example that sport can actually play an important role in reducing antisocial behaviour is the Clontarf Football Academy here in the Northern Territory. Those statistics and the outcomes we are seeing today speak for themselves.
It is also great to see that we have the Smith Family Foundation, which has recently been in Alice Springs, talking about a similar program for girls called Girls at the Centre Program. I certainly am looking forward to catching up with the Smith Family Foundation representatives very soon to progress that particular program for the young girls in Central Australia. It is fantastic that we are starting to see some of these programs coming to the Northern Territory, particularly to Central Australia.
In my role as the Chair of the Sport and Youth committee, we see that these programs are going to play an important part in our deliberations in the near future. I know other Youth and Sport committee members are equally passionate. It is a great committee to cover the breadth and width of the Northern Territory, and it is great we have all those other members on the committee with their experience.
I congratulate the minister. He spoke about attracting national and international events and sporting teams to the Territory. The AFL Challenge matches in Alice Springs over the years have been fantastic events. I am sure the minister is aware of the current discussions about needing to upgrade Traeger Park. I know he is working on that. It is a very important event for the Central Australian region and the Territory because we get great support from the community. We get around 10 000 people attending those matches. Being a parochial Central Australian, I would like to see one day a proper pre-season game played, or maybe a proper AFL round match played at Traeger Park. It is a fantastic venue. As I said, the early days of Traeger Park has so much history to it, but the setting is wonderful. You are there with 10 000 people jammed into Traeger Park with the fantastic MacDonnell Ranges behind it. There is no better way to promote to the sporting tourism groups than to have Traeger Park on television with a proper pre-season AFL game.
Let us celebrate what we have been able to achieve. Congratulations to the minister in getting the Australian Cricket side back into Darwin. Getting more AFL games into the Northern Territory has its flow-on effects in terms of our economy and the lifestyle for all Territorians.
Just talking about the Australian Cricket side, I acknowledge a young bloke who was born and bred in Alice Springs, Tim Neilson. Many people may not know that name just yet, but Tim Neilson has achieved a lot from his birthplace of Alice Springs. He played for the Wests Cricket Club but now we all know Tim Neilson as the coach of the Australian Cricket Team. From the little things, big things grow. He has achieved a lot; from being the head coach of Cricket Australia to the Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane in 2005. He played, not at national level, but at state level for the Redbacks in South Australia. He was a wicketkeeper and batsman for South Australia and played 101 first-class matches before retiring in 1999 and then became assistant coach for the Redbacks. I am giving him a plug as well. It goes to show that we do not only produce fantastic footballers, but we have produced a current Australian cricket coach all of the way from Alice Springs. That is another great success story which deserves to be put on the public record.
I also recall quite a few years ago the West Indies team came to the Northern Territory and played a game at Traeger Park. I cannot recall whether that game was funded through the Northern Territory government. I suppose it was. There is no reason why we could not try to get another international game at Traeger Park. It was well supported and it was a great venue. Minister, that is one we could look at as well. Maybe that is something we should try to pursue into the future. Another international team at Traeger Park would be fantastic.
We heard a couple of speakers talk about the Imparja Cup. I had the pleasure playing in the first ever Imparja Cup game in Alice Springs against Tennant Creek. There is great rivalry. We talk about Darwin versus Alice Springs rivalry, but there is even greater rivalry between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. The member for Barkly would agree. The Imparja Cup is a great success story, and congratulations to those co-founders, Merv and Shane Franey and Ross Williams in Tennant Creek. Who would have thought that from those early days and that very first game between Tennant and Alice that it would grow into a national competition attracting hundreds of cricketers to the heart of Australia?
The Imparja Cup is a great success story and this government has done well to continue to support it because the pressure has been on over the years to get the Imparja Cup played in another state. This government has thrown its support behind it by putting in another turf wicket at Larapinta Oval. We have some pretty good facilities in Alice Springs to continue to host the Imparja Cup and the increasing numbers of teams that are coming, including teams from Borroloola and the Tiwi Islands. There is also a women’s division in the Imparja Cup. That is fantastic because we need to get a lot more involvement for women in sport as well.
Under the Closing the Gap initiatives, as the minister stated in his statement, it was great to be able to get that $25.8m committed into sport and recreation for this 2008-09 financial year. That is a significant investment on previous budgets for Territory families who really do enjoy their sport. Sport will play an important role in Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage, particularly for those people in the bush. We all know how much they love their sport, particularly footy. Once again, that is focusing on Central Australia. This year, we have had the AFL Central Australia combine the two competitions in Alice Springs - the community competition and the town competition. We now have 10 very competitive sides in the local footy competition. The member for Nelson touched on it and made a very good point regarding the cost of fuel and the cost every week of those teams travelling into Alice Springs. I believe we need to look at, whether it is through Closing the Gap or through sport and recreation how we support those competitions.
The league in Katherine is doing some great things there this year. I have Lajamanu, Kalkarindji and quite a few teams from the member for Arnhem’s communities, in the Katherine football league this year. They are playing games out on communities as part of the competition. They are taking a lead role in the Territory, because why have Kalkarindji and Lajamanu travelling into Katherine when you can just go down the road and play at Kalkarindji? It saves people driving six hours, fuel costs, having to move family and spectators to Katherine, when they are playing the game at Kalkarindji. I have put up an idea that I will sponsor some medals and a trophy for that game. That is something we need to look at in Alice Springs. Papunya is playing Yuendumu, and Yuendumu will win …
Mr BONSON: Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the member be granted an extension of time to conclude his comments, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HAMPTON: The Katherine league really has shown the way in supporting communities with the competition there, so having those games played out on communities means that we should be doing the same thing in Alice Springs. If Papunya is playing Yuendumu; why have both teams travel 400 km into Alice Springs to play at Traeger Park when they could alternate the games between Papunya and Yuendumu? As a local member I will be following that up with the league in Alice. I congratulate the Katherine Football League on that initiative. It is fantastic to see that they are not only supporting the teams by getting them to come in, but also supporting them to play on their home country.
For us, minister, it means that we should also look, and I am aware that there is some extra money in the budget for infrastructure, at how we support that initiative in upgrading the ovals in those communities so they can have good facilities to be able to do that. In terms of Closing the Gap, that is a very good initiative by the Katherine Football League.
Infrastructure in Alice Springs - support from this government has been fantastic over the years. We have talked about the aquatic centre with $8.1m. That is an aquatic centre not just for Alice Springs; it is for the whole region. I can see many of my communities in Stuart wanting to get into Alice Springs, bring schools in to be able to access that facility. It is a great facility not only for Alice Springs but for the region.
The drags is an interesting one. I can recall, in 2001 when the Labor Party first got into government, having been involved in a couple of early meetings with the drag committee there. They had been asking the CLP for years and years to get something done because they had been placed on the old airstrip at the airport for years. There was pressure on from the Airport Corporation people because it was becoming unsafe. I remember those members very strongly saying: ‘We have asked the CLP for years and years to do something’. In 2001, Labor came in and we have actually put $1.5m into that drag strip. It is fantastic that we have been able to do that. We know the benefits that that provides for the young people who are motor enthusiasts. Instead of going down the Tanami or the Stuart Highway having drags, they have a proper drag strip now in Alice Springs, all because of the Labor government.
Katherine sports facilities get $1.25m. That was very much needed after the floods in 2006. There is $500 000 for upgraded facilities at Ross Park for junior soccer. I go past there every day on my way to work, and the lights are up, so I am looking forward to those lights going on for junior soccer. It is a growing sport in Alice Springs. I am very heavily involved in the KickStart Auskick program in Alice Springs, but I can tell you what: the junior soccer is really pushing the numbers up against Auskick.
In terms of some of the commitments in my electorate, people in the bush – particularly in Stuart – do not always tend to look for big dollars. $20 000 or $30 000 just for a bit of shade, to upgrade their oval, their fence, goes a long way in supporting sport, particularly the ladies out there with the softball. I know the ladies are just as keen on softball as the men are on football. I look forward to working with them in the future in getting infrastructure and ovals upgraded for those competitions.
The other challenge I see as the local member is the sports weekends, particularly, in terms of education. I am sure that the member for Macdonnell supports our communities and their love of sports weekends. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for these to impact on school attendance. Somewhere we need to sit down with the communities and work together to work this out. There has to be a balance. We need plenty of sporting activities, we need to encourage people into sport, but we also need to encourage them in school attendance. I am sure the Sport and Youth committee will look into that as well. We need to find a middle ground in supporting sports weekends and also getting our kids to attend school regularly.
With the Institute of Sport, there are many young fellas and young women in Alice Springs involved in it. It is important to continue to support the elite level sportspeople in the Northern Territory so we can continue to pump out exceptional sportspeople who will go on to do great things nationally and internationally.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I am happy to support the minister in his statement.
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been fantastic to hear everyone talk about sport and recreation in the Northern Territory, no matter where they come from - whether it is from urban, rural or bush areas. Each member contributed in an articulate fashion their love for sport and their recognition of the important role it plays in the fabric of the Northern Territory.
As we have heard in everyone’s contribution, each individual member’s needs are quite different; each individual’s needs are tailored to their particular electorates. However, there are some global issues we all accept - that is people are far better off, both mentally and physically, when they participate in sport and recreation.
I noticed many of the comments expressed the desire for high-level attendance of international and national sports, as the Northern Territory government has been providing, but also recognition that at the grassroots level people benefit from participation as players, coaches, committee members or officials. It has been fantastic to hear all the views of each member.
I must admit I was a bit embarrassed when I heard from the member for Greatorex how good a job I was doing and how much support he had for me. I recognise the member for Greatorex’s comments and I thank him for giving me such a positive tick in my time as the Sport and Recreation minister.
As for the member for Nelson - everyone knows, I hear the feedback. I have family everywhere in the Northern Territory and I hear the feedback from the rural area about his efforts on the weekends in local grassroots sports, whether it is in the cricket season, the Rugby or football. I know he fully understands the benefits of sports and recreation. He does a fantastic job advocating on their behalf, and I can assure people in the rural area that he will continue to do that.
The members for Brennan, Drysdale, Stuart, Greatorex and Nelson all touched on their personal experiences in sport. I thought that was a great contribution because, indeed, I did as well.
There are just a couple of things I wanted to pick up on. The member for Stuart’s contribution on the Clontarf footy club program is one of them. As a first time elected member, I visited Clontarf in 2001. I heard of the program and spoke to Gerard Neesham. I brought that information back and I spoke to the then Sports minister and the then Education minister. It took three or four years for people to work through the issues surrounding the funding of the program but, as a result of those original conversations, it is fantastic to see it introduced in Alice Springs and now in the northern suburbs. I have built up a relationship with Gerard over that time and understand he recognises that sport not only plays an important part in attendance at school, but also in providing leadership and life skills that will then lead to jobs.
Some of those issues I just wanted to touch on were raised by the opposition representative, the member for Greatorex. I thank him for his thoughts. I take the member’s point in relation to the value of sport in relation to law in order. I did acknowledge that in the statement. I have seen examples in my own life of sport having positive effects on young men who have taken the wrong paths. Sport is not a silver bullet, and just because young people play sport, does not mean that they will not do wrong. However, there are enough examples of people turning around in life through sport and recreation to recognise its value.
An example - and I will not mention this person’s name, but he was a notorious juvenile offender. I was coaching the local football club and he approached me and asked: ‘Can I come and play in your football club?’ I knew of his background, and his time in and out of incarceration, particularly juvenile incarceration, and I said: ‘Well, these are the rules. This is what I expect and this is what I will do for you’. That person ended up being a star footy player for a period of time. He turned his life around. He now works, and is a well-known artist throughout the Northern Territory. He has become a leader for his family. He went from a person who never played organised Aussie Rules to playing in the grand final team in the Millennium 2000 for the Darwin Football Club. That was because he was hanging around young men and women and leaders or older people who showed him an example that you did not have to do things that were wrong to participate in the community and have a positive outcome.
The member for Greatorex spoke about the Masters Games. Like him, I am a fan and cannot wait for the next Masters in Alice Springs. I am looking forward to participating on the basketball courts. I will not be able to participate every day, the back will not hold up, but I will definitely be there to enjoy the Masters Games. We do a fantastic job in supporting the Masters Games.
I also recognise how big the Finke Desert Race event is. By all accounts, the organisers, people like Anthony Yoffa and Damien Ryan as well as our Major Events staff, did a fantastic job again last weekend. I know my colleague, the member for Stuart, has undertaken the Finke pilgrimage for the last few years. He has not asked me yet, but I would like to get the chance to join him and his family at the Finke camping spot in the future. It is one of those things that every Territorian should do, even people like me from the Top End who are not used to the weather in the Centre at this time of the year.
The member for Greatorex mentioned the Centralian College and issues surrounding shade there. Everyone recognises shade is an important for sports played right across the Northern Territory. I am advised that the oval is an Education department responsibility. The Education minister’s office is well aware of your interest in this matter. I also advise that the Alice Springs Town Council manages bookings for sporting events at the oval. Given the range of interest groups and user groups, I would like to see a stakeholder meeting. I am happy to advise the member for Greatorex of the outcomes of this meeting.
He also mentioned Traeger Park - I would have been surprised if he had not. The Northern Territory government has committed $5m to upgrade the sporting facility at Traeger Park Sporting Complex. A further $600 000 was committed in 2006, bringing the total investment to $5.61m. These plans were signed off by a working group called the Project Control Group which included representatives of the Alice Springs Town Council. There has been a long-standing difference of opinion between the council and government over the grants. It was one of the issues I raised with Alice Springs new Mayor, Damien Ryan, at a recent meeting while in Alice Springs. It was fantastic to talk to someone who is a long-standing local in Alice Springs. He has been there for many years and I was very impressed with my first meeting with him. I am sure he is a sensible person and he assures me that the majority of the new council in Alice Springs wants to resolve this matter. I am looking forward to working in partnership with him, and those discussions were very positive. I am hopeful we can reach a satisfactory resolution very shortly. I will inform all members, including those from the Central area and the Top End, and the general public, when this happens.
I can assure the member for Greatorex that the new netball centre at Marrara, featuring 10 rebound ace courts, will be completed by early next year.
The Humpty Doo pool and cycle path are not actually my area of responsibility, but I know my colleague, the member for Goyder is continuing to work on the Humpty Doo pool. I can assure you that the member for Goyder is not someone who gives up easily.
I thank the member for Greatorex for acknowledging the work that was put in on issues like the agreement to bring international cricket to Darwin and also the efforts to get a Territory side into a state level competition in the AFL. I thank the member for Greatorex for his contribution.
I have to agree with the member for Nelson when he says he would like to see Hawthorn play in Darwin. I am hoping that is something that will happen during my time as Sports minister. You never know. His description of a typical afternoon at Freds Pass suggests it is representative of sport in the Northern Territory and that is why it is such a special place to live, work and raise a family.
I pay tribute to those volunteers who have done so much to make Freds Pass the exceptional venue that is it is. Without the volunteers throughout the whole of the Territory, none of these events can occur. As you become older and, I suppose, more experienced in what is happening around the place instead of just turning up with your boots, running on the field and walking off, you start to realise that it does not happen by accident. It takes a lot of support from the general community. I am still trying to get a chance to meet representative from Freds Pass to talk about the facility and what might be happening in the future. I am sure the members for Nelson and Goyder would like to attend that meeting and give me their views as well. We can work together in partnership, hand-in-hand.
Speaking of volunteers, like the member for Nelson, I think they are the heart and soul of sport right across Australia; it does not happen without them. Yes, member for Nelson, I acknowledge that increasing fuel prices could pose a major challenge for sport in the future. I do not know the answer, but it is something we will have to consider. The reality is that the way the economy is with three major growing economies on top of North America and Europe, that is dictating that fuel and energy use is going to become a big part of our life considerations in the future.
I agree that school sport is vital, which I have been encouraging. I have spoken with many members about how I would like to work in partnership with the Education minister regarding sport in school. The Education minister and I are arranging a working group together, because we also believe that sport can also be used as a vehicle to get kids to go to school. However, it is not just kids. Many of my closest friends are people I met while growing up and playing sport.
Regarding the member for Nelson’s comments on seniors and sport, I am not quite in his age group yet - I hope to get there, though - and I appreciate how active the member for Nelson has remained through football and the like. I am still playing a bit of sport and I hope to do so for the remainder of my life. In fact, I am hoping to play in the grand final of Touch Rugby in the next week or so - only third division but, hopefully, we can win.
Madam Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I recognise that every member has contributed in a very positive manner, and has reflected on their life experiences and the importance of sport in their life. They have advocated the need for this government to recognise the value of sport, which it has in the past and will continue to do so. They have given us the opportunity that if we all work together we can improve sport and recreation facilities and services to the wider community.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I attended the Palmerston Futures 2008 charter signing ceremony on 28 March at Palmerston High School. A talk was given by Corporal Cindy Bowden, an ex-student of Palmerston High. She encouraged all students to follow their dreams and to work hard. The charter is to encourage Year 10 students to commit to remaining in school, vocational training or employment for the next two years. All students seemed very willing to make the commitment, and were very excited about putting their signatures on the charter, which will be hung in the front office of the school.
Another great event I attended there was the Special Education Unit’s special Olympic Day on Wednesday the 4 June. The purpose of the day was to introduce the students to the different countries which will be competing in the up and coming Olympic Games. The individual classes each had to choose a country and then research that nation’s culture, language, dress and cuisine. I was greeted at the centre by Kelsey Walker and Manisha Buick-Martin; and had a colourful handmade lei put around my neck and given my passport, which was to be taken into each class and had questions that needed to be filled out in regards to the country that had been chosen. The answers were in the selected classrooms for that country. I was then led through to the different classrooms by the Assistant Principal of the Special Education Centre, Mrs Frankie MacLean, and also joined by the High School Principal, Jenny Nash.
Italy was the first country I visited, and the room was decorated in the Italian colours. I was greeted by Ms Katie Grimshaw and Ms Andy Rolfe, with students, Chris Brandis, wonderfully dressed as a gladiator, Shannon Curtis, equally wonderful as the chef, Samantha Broster and Nyrssa Fitzallen, both of whom did great jobs as waitresses. The very talented Russell Goodwin had made a model catapult at home. That was a fantastic effort, too. The students talked about the best things they had learned. It was generally agreed that gladiators, Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian food, gondolas and the Colosseum were all amongst the very best with, of course, gelato topping the lot.
Mrs Pauline Baker and Mrs Ursula Longhurst, with students, Cindy Williams, Samantha Halse, Wynoa Andrews, Joshua Godwin and Jocelyn Ryder chose Papua New Guinea. The room was decorated in the colours of Papua New Guinea, and the students had dressed up in traditional dress and beads. The walls were covered with pictures of Papua New Guinea traditions and formal dress. Student, Joshua Godwin did a great job of grinding coconut, which the class had done when they prepared the food, which was banana and sago pudding.
The next country we attended was Mexico. This was chosen by Mrs Julie Millar and Ms Helen Hansen, along with students Amanda Hutton, Anita Richards, Cindy Bil Bil and Dylan Knowles. They had made great wanted posters and stuck them on the entrance, with the students dressed as bandidos. All the students wore sombreros they had painted and decorated. The food they presented was sweet Mexican dip, along with corn chips and a selection of salsa. One of the questions in the passport was to list any words that you know, and the students had to help me out, teaching me ‘amigo’, ‘gracias’ and ‘si’.
Students Manisha Buick-Martin, Floyd Virgen, Timothy Harrison, Matthew Lakey and Kelsey Walker, along with Mrs Donna Harbidge and Daniel Olsen greeted me at the Chinese room with a cordial ‘Ni Hao’. China was the country of their choice. They had been very busy cooking. The table was adorned with fortune cookies, spring rolls and money bags, to name just a few of the delicacies. I was given Chinese lucky money, and the students had made hats with their names written on them in English and Chinese. I cracked open my fortune cookie, but I am still pondering the message contained therein.
Mrs Thevi Chelliah and Mrs Rokiah Lacey, and students, Kevin Bil Bil, Destin Whitely, Thomas Robson and Brock Moir chose India. One of the questions in my passport was: what is the capital city of India? I learned that it was Chennai. All the students already knew this, so they showed their great knowledge of India. They had been very busy making curry, rice and pappadams, which sent a tantalising smell through the complex. The students then did an interpretation of an Indian dance they had been learning and did a fantastic job.
I was greeted with a ‘G’day mate’, and knew instantly I had entered the Australia room with Mrs Ros Tait and Ms Barbara Ditchfield, and students, Mathew North, who dressed up as a stockman, and Kearnee O’Mara, who was dressed in the Australian colours with a fantastic green and gold wig. The food on the table, of course, included Anzac bickies and damper, but also had maggot bags and dead horse which, of course, is meat pies and tomato sauce, and not to forget to mention the kangaroo stew. The class was decorated in the Australian colours with a big Australian flag hanging up. It looked wonderful. Unfortunately, I did not get to meet students, Linden Appo and Floyd Ormsby, who were away that day but they had done such an excellent job in that room and the students really deserve great congratulations.
The final classroom I approached was Japan. It was decorated with little candles burning in the room and the room looked fantastic. It was adorned with all manner of things from Japan such as chopstick holders, Japanese fighting sticks and swords, fans and Japanese movies. Of course, Japan makes cult manga movies which are cartoon-type movies so there were a few of those DVDs to help set the scene of modern Japan. The students, Marvin Godinho, Ashton Davey, Mac Hall, Jake Hinnen and Thomas Canning Atkins along with Ms Janice Prince and Ms Monica Karl had been very busy making origami cranes and boxes out of different coloured paper. They looked fantastic. The students had done a great job making sushi which both looked great and tasted fantastic. I know it is a very time-consuming effort to make sushi.
I congratulate all the students and teachers on such an excellent job of decorating their classrooms, dressing up, and cooking. What a great way to research some of these countries which are involved in the Olympics and to learn something about the people who live there. The students made me feel very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed every one of the different countries I experienced. You really did a fantastic effort.
Bakewell Preschool deserves recognition for raising $370 from their Mother’s Day raffle. That was a fantastic achievement. The first prize winner was Mai Mortimer, second prize was Lee Dunham, and third prize went to Regina Donohoe.
The Freds Pass Show was held over the weekend of 16 to 18 May and turned out to be another great weekend. The crowds began flocking through the gates very early. There were quite a number of displays and exhibitions, food stalls, activities, workshops, wood-chopping and much more. Congratulations to the committee for the organisation of the event. One of the many highlights of the show was the country music concert which featured artists local and international, and a spectacular fireworks display. I thank the many volunteers who helped me and others at the ALP stall at the show.
I recently went to the official launch of TALES in the Park, a new program initiated by the Palmerston Council. Palmerston Library Manager, Sara White, did the introductions and Alderman Sue McKinnon, a new alderman, launched the TALES in the Park Program. Donna Odegaad from Radio Larrakia did the welcome to country. The project’s focus is working with indigenous young people aged 6 to 12 years but also their families. What staff discovered was that indigenous families of the area were a bit reticent to join in some of the activities within the library.
Sally Howarth, who is a fantastic mover and shaker in these things, noticed a number of families were watching what was going on and when she went to talk to them about getting involved, they were a little shy. So she thought: ‘Why not take the activities outside the library into a more comfortable setting?’ The first one was held on Driver Primary School oval. There was a great turnout and we quickly got the barbeque fired up. I assisted in setting up some of the bits and pieces. On this occasion, I did not get behind the barbeque but left it to people who knew what they were doing.
The children ran around and had a great deal of fun playing with all the equipment, and then listening to the stories being told. There was also grass weaving and one of the ladies was doing indigenous artwork as well. I congratulate the Kids Action Time, the KAT team: Sally Howarth was the team leader; Joanne Adams, project officer; Nadine Chalmers and Sylvia Lasserre. Nadine is a trainee whom I met when she was at Palmerston High School; and Sylvia is the Park Coordinator. They all put a great deal, not just hard work, but enthusiasm into putting this together as they do with all things. It is a great community event, it will be a regular one and I have no doubt that it will keep growing and growing.
Another launch I attended was the official opening of the Somerville Community Care Centre, which was held on 21 May; and was opened by minister Scrymgour. The centre is situated on Victoria Drive in Gray, and is there to provide support for family services, disability services, financial counselling and support advocacy. It also has a meeting room that can be accessed by other community organisations requiring a meeting space. A time capsule has been planted and will be opened in May 2018 as a special reminder of the hard work that has gone into bringing the dream into a reality. I know Somerville wanted for some time to expand the services they were offering in Palmerston. I congratulate everyone involved, board members, management and staff - the building and gardens look fantastic. It is a fabulous centre and will be well used and do fantastic work.
I also congratulate the daughter of one of my constituents. Nancy Libien, the daughter of Art Libien, recently graduated from the Australian National University in Asian Studies and Commerce. I am sure she did fantastically well. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Today is Bakewell Primary School’s Twilight Sport’s Carnival. Regrettably I cannot be there, I am here, and that is unfortunate. I like to get down there each year, but I will be at the school very shortly and I am sure I will hear all of the great things that went on.
Before winding up, I have just met someone from my life as a practitioner in Melbourne, Mr Michael Brett-Young, the CEO of the Victorian Law Society. It was great to catch up with him upstairs. It is a great reminder of how small Australia really is. We get to bump into each other at some wonderful events. I hope they have all had a great time up here with the meeting with the regulatory officers. I am sure they discovered much of the great Territory.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I recognise the life of Ms Liz McFarlane, a former Parliamentary Officer and friend to many people in this parliament.
In the last sittings of this parliament I spoke on Liz’s career and noted that she was very unwell at the time. She had indicated to me and others that she would most likely die within a couple of months. Sadly, she died on the afternoon of 2 June 2008. After I presented that adjournment, Liz sent me an e-mail and I would like to read a little of that to the parliament. It says:
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I had the honour of being present at the funeral for Liz. There would have been more than 100 people at the funeral. It was a very special celebration of Liz’s life. I would have say that there are not too many people who die who would have had such an amazing turnout of members of parliament, former members of parliament and the current Administrator. I will mention who was there: His Honour the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling QC and me, the member for Johnston, the member for Brennan, and the member for Nelson. Former members who were present were Tim Baldwin, Rick Setter, Phil Mitchell, Terry McCarthy, Fred Finch, Steve Balch, Dawn Lawrie, John Bailey, and Sue Carter. It was an extraordinary turnout. There were also many former electorate officers and some current electorate officers at the funeral. There were many parliamentary officers representing our parliament as well.
It was a very moving service which was conducted by Mr McNeill, our Clerk. It was very difficult for him as well, as he was a very close friend of Liz.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to have the three main eulogies incorporated in the Parliamentary Record.
Leave granted.
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I also recognise tonight a couple of people who have received honours in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. First, I congratulate His Honour, The Administrator who becomes an AO, as well as his QC. It is terrific that he has been recognised in this way for all of his work in the legal profession leading up to becoming the Administrator. I send my congratulations to him.
I also send my congratulations to a constituent of mine, Mr Theo Gomatos, OAM, for his work with the Greek community. Theo, has worked tirelessly both as an Honorary Vice-Consul for the Greek community as well as in many community groups where he supported and promoted Greek culture in the Northern Territory. I offer my most sincere congratulations to him. I also offer my congratulations to his wife, Lilian Gomatos, for all her hard work in organising the Glenti. It was a terrific party; two days of amazing food and culture. One of the special things about living in Darwin or, indeed, the Northern Territory, is the wonderful Greek community which gets together every year and celebrates their culture with us. Thank you very much to Theo and Lilian.
I also congratulate Michelle Hanton, who received an Order of Australia Medal in this current Honours list for her work with Dragons Abreast. As many members know, Michelle established Dragons Abreast many years ago. Women who have been diagnosed and are being treated for breast cancer can, if they wish, join Dragons Abreast and become paddlers. It has actually become a worldwide movement. Michelle, thank you very much and congratulations.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank this evening Brian Price who, for the last six football seasons, has been the President of the Waratahs Football Club - and what a difference he has made in those six years. It is no secret that six years ago, Waratahs Football Club was not in great shape. Waratahs had serious debts, its senior team had lost its winning ways, and it was a struggle to get the numbers together for the junior teams. Waratahs thought Brian could help and he did. Brian’s background was in administration, hotels, and sports but, as he told me, he was not a football expert as such. He was, though, an administrator. He brought those talents to Tahs. To get the finances back in the black, he admits he took a tough approach. His motto: ‘A football club could not spend what it did not have’.
He had to get good financial administration and football management working together. He had to regenerate the junior’s program, get a women’s team up and running, build up sponsors and sponsorships, and bring in a contemporary constitution. It was a task Brian undertook with enormous commitment. He put in hours of work, week after week, year after year, building all aspects of the club. He was a fixture at the games on the weekend - hard to miss in fact, in his Tahs shirt, often long shorts, white socks, runners and a worried look on his face as he tackled yet another thing, big or small, that had to be done.
I cannot remember Brian ever sitting quietly in the stand watching the game with a beer in his hand. ‘Too much to do,’ he would say. Brian says he greatly enjoyed working for the Tahs’ future. He put it in a healthy position. Waratahs Football Club is the biggest club in town. Waratahs football teams are playing in all age competitions now, nine in all, and last season, all of those nine teams made their respective finals. Brian was disappointed that only four of those nine teams won. I said to him, as the proud patron of Waratahs, that at least they were there and there is always the 2008-09 season.
So, thank you to Brian Price for his enormous and successful efforts over the past six years. Waratahs Football Club has money in the bank and teams set for premiership glory. Maybe this coming season, he and Janicean can sit quietly and watch their teams with their biggest worry being what the winning margin might be.
A member interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: We will beat your lot!
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, hundreds of people gathered yesterday at the Smith St Uniting Church to farewell a man who died because of a senseless act of violence.
John Mount, or Shadow as he was always known, was the caretaker at the home of Darwin Rugby League, Richardson Park. No one quite knows which year he appeared there but, somewhere between 25 and 30 years ago, Shadow became the resident of the ground, watching over the playing fields, adopted by the plovers, inordinately proud of the young men who played league, and always keeping a watchful eye over league patrons and groups, like the line dancers who used the premises.
We talk about some individuals who, because of who they are and what they do, become institutions, and Shadow was a league institution. Everyone knew him; most have a Shadow story, and probably told it at the Richardson Park wake yesterday. All will be grieving and angry at his untimely death in a much publicised and vicious assault.
Mick Palmer, as President of the League, spoke at the funeral with much humour and affection for Shadow - his propping up the bar over the years, the mowing of the grounds he insisted on doing, with his own mower, which was a very proud possession, and - what I didn’t know about, - some of his mower excursions into the suburbs.
Mick also called on young Territory men to end the growing violence that appears all too often on the streets of Darwin or, in Shadow’s case, in the grandstand at Richardson Park. As he said, government, police and courts can only do so much. Fundamentally, our community must take action to stop the assaults, the fights and gang violence.
So Darwin farewelled Shadow, a man who will be long remembered, whose commitment to Rugby League was so valued and whose death was so tragic and so pointless, and my thoughts are with his family and friends.
Finally tonight, I want to pay tribute to the young recorder players at the Stuart Park Primary School, and their dedicated recorder teacher, Richard Woodside. Richard is one of the school’s Deputy Principals. Richard has encouraged a number of his young charges at Stuart Park to take up the recorder. It does not seem to take much persuasion. Groups of recorder players perform regularly at school assemblies, and their performances are much enjoyed by classmates.
Last month, the Stuart Park recorder players performed at the North Australia Eisteddfod and did extraordinarily well. From the 10 years age group to 14 years, there were quite a number of winners and highly commended. I would like to put their achievements tonight on the Parliamentary Record.
Recorder One Piece Solo 10 Years and Under, Marianna Diamandopoulos was first, with Yi Ting Liang Highly Commended.
Recorder One Piece Solo 12 Years and Under, Aurora Philpin was first, with Caterina Savvas Highly Commended.
Recorder One Piece Duet 10 Years and Under, Jessica Bowling and Greta Stuart were first. and Highly Recommended, Marianna Diamandopoulos and Ariana Pryce.
Recorder One Piece Duet 14 and Under, Aurora Philpin and Chelsea Moyd were first, with Caterina Savvas and Laura Vincent, Highly Commended.
One Piece Trio 10 and Under, Yi Ting Liang, Marianna Diamandopoulos and Brittany Walker were first.
One Piece Trio 14 and Under, Alexandra Stewart, Greta Stewart and Jessica Bowling, and also Caterina Savvas, Chelsea Moyd and Aurora Philpin.
Recorder One Piece Quartet 10 Years and Under, Marianna Diamandopoulos, Yi Ting Liang, Greta Stewart and Brittany Walker.
Recorder One Piece Quartet 14 Years and Under, Caterina Savvas, Laura Vincent, Aurora Philpin and Chelsea Moyd.
Recorder Group Minimum 5 - One Piece, there was a Highly Commended for the Stuart Park Primary School.
They have done extraordinarily well. They have taken the enthusiasm for recorder from their school’s deputy, Richard Woodside and his young recorder players have certainly responded. So well done, and something to live up to next year.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I have stood in this House many times and spoken of the achievements of many people, but tonight I wish to place on record some thoughts of my rather unexpected parliamentary career.
I was elected as a town council alderman in Alice Springs in 1988, the year that Ian Tuxworth fell out with the CLP and formed the National Party. He rang me and asked me to stand but I declined. Instead, I ran the campaign for Enzo Floreani who was standing for the seat of Flynn. It was a successful campaign but Enzo’s career was cut short in the general election in 1990 after the boundaries were changed and an electoral redistribution. I thank Ian Tuxworth for that first taste of politics.
My next appointment approach was from Shane Stone. As principal of a school, I was hosting a principals’ conference where Stone was the guest speaker. He asked me if I was interested in standing and, after a further meeting, I stood for pre-selection for Braitling. I thank Stone and the CLP for the opportunity to become a member, a minister and Speaker of this parliament and to the electors of Braitling who supported me over this period.
I have to admit I was perplexed when the CLP decided not to pre-select me but I need to put on record and say to them ‘Thank you’ as it was the best thing that happened to me. No party pressure, no party politics, no party agenda. The role of Independents in this House, in my opinion, over the past two terms has been significant. All governments need an opposition to question government decisions and policies but, for me this term, the opposition has not presented a united front. It has been the member for Nelson, the other Independent member, and myself who have been the ones who have taken the government to task on many occasions.
I must make mention of my time as Speaker. It was opportune that the NT had a representative on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. My contact with other Speakers from Commonwealth countries was a learning experience I would never have had if I had not been in this parliament. I always came back to the Northern Territory with a deep appreciation of how fortunate we are to live in such a safe, democratic society where all people have access to services some countries do not offer.
My time as Speaker had high lights and low lights. As Speaker under the CLP government, Chief Minister Shane Stone did not like one of my rulings and moved a motion of dissent against me. Normally, this would have brought about the resignation of the Speaker but I did not step down as I knew I was right. I also during that term introduced the ‘sin bin’, that is, you would evict people for one hour rather than a whole day because I remember at the time there were only seven members of the opposition - the Magnificent Seven as they called themselves, or the Seven Dwarfs as the CLP called them – and it is a move today, I believe, that is genuinely useful because if people do play up, they can be thrown out for an hour rather than a whole day. In this circumstance if you threw out one member of the opposition for a whole day, it would probably be rather disastrous and not very democratic.
In my second term as Speaker I had a rather exciting time when we had the invasion of the parliament by a group of protesters. We had a ministerial advisor who had sex on the Speaker’s chair and table. Probably one of the highlights was taking parliament to the people of Alice Springs, taking it out of this building.
I believe I have had successes in influencing government legislation, as well as achieving amendments. For instance, in the Bail Act the government used the amendments I had put forward removing presumption of bail for serious sexual offences. In the Residential Tenancies Act, government used the amendment I put forward allowing third parties to apply for a termination of a tenancy agreement. The Planning Act bill, when it was pointed out to government, the government amended the bill allowing public meetings of DCA for certain development applications, and the Liquor Act bill, the same thing - government amended allowing permits for drinking in public restricted areas to be issued to any person, while the original bill had permits to be issued only to those people living in the area, and so on.
In addition, I have kept in touch with my electorate and brought about changes to improve the lives of people living there. Just recently, we talked about the bussing of town camp kids to school; supporting residents who managed to get a tenant evicted who had been making their life hell; we have had bicycle parks upgraded; we had extra bright lights put in where there has been a safety concern, temporary lane closures - all the sorts of things MLAs do for their electorate. My office has always been an open office. We have over 25 organisations using my conference room for meetings and about 22 which come in to use my photocopier as well.
I am a great supporter of people in schools. We have done much for people involved with schools where we can, and not just for the electorate but for Alice Springs, generally.
It has been a fruitful and full life. I thank the many people who have been supportive over many years. Robyn Van Dok, who has been in the House this week, has been my electorate secretary for 14 years. She is a very effective PR person, is well known and on many committees in town. Kerry Gadsby fills in when Robyn is absent and does so graciously. Caroline Cavanagh, the research officer I share with the independent member for Nelson, is very thorough, fires up well and is not backward, I might add, in giving us her advice. I can see the member for Nelson is nodding.
I also want to acknowledge the other officers who have helped me in the past such as Katie Tchia who was my secretary when I was Speaker, Kathy Cercarelli, and, for a short time, the late Liz McFarlane. I have also said it has been very satisfying for me to work with someone like the member for Nelson who is a fellow traveller and has great dedication to his job. And, of course, there are the officers of the Legislative Assembly who are so efficient and willing to provide advice when you want it. I mention, in particular, the Clerk, Ian McNeill; the Deputy Clerk, David Horton; Graham Gadd and Steve Stokes in the Table Office; and Helen Allmich in Hansard.
I only hope during my term that I have helped the people in my electorate as well as the people of Alice Springs and the Territory. This career will soon end, possibly in a couple of months’ time. We do not always get what we want but in my life experience you hope you give as much as you get. Thank you.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I acknowledge the great contribution the member for Braitling has made to this Assembly. I look forward to the next 12 months we spend together in this Assembly because the election is not until next year. It was good to recount your life in politics. I believe Madam Deputy Acting Speaker did not need to be reminded where she is sitting!
I am continuing my remarks from last night in regards to the Finke Desert Race. The rain suited many of the competitors by settling the usually dusty track. By the second day much of the track had dried out allowing the top buggies to get to Alice Springs in record time. First there and back in the buggies was former local combination of Dave Fellows and Andrew Kittle, followed by locals, Chris Coulthard and Bob Hawker, with New South Wales banker, Brad Prout, in his single seat buggy placed 3rd. Previous winners, Shannon and Ian Rentsch were in 3rd place until breaking an axle just 300 m from the finish line - rendering them unable to finish.
In the bikes, the 2007 top two put in a repeat performance with last year’s winner, Ben Grabham, and Alice Springs local and 2006 winner, Ryan Branford, placing 1st and 2nd respectively with just 58 seconds separating them. Brad Williscroft from Appin in New South Wales placed third in the top 20 which contained 10 Alice Springs riders - a great endorsement of the quality of Alice Springs Desert Races.
In the most anticipated ride of the event, Isaac Elliot completed his journey there and back to be the first paraplegic rider to complete the event on two wheels. Isaac finished in the very respectable 251st place after starting at the rear of the field on day one. Congratulations to Isaac and his support riders for making the 440 km journey there and back. Isaac truly is an inspiration.
Unfortunately, the triumphs of the 2008 Finke Desert Race were tempered by the tragedy of the death of Queenslander rider, David Schmidt, on race day one. The loss of a Finke competitor affects the entire Finke family and is a stark reminder of the danger associated with motor sports. I extend my condolences to all of David’s family, friends, crew, and fellow competitors on his loss.
Putting on an event like the Finke Desert Race takes a lot of time and effort from people behind the scenes. I congratulate the Finke Desert Race Committee: President, Anthony Yoffa; Vice President, Damien Ryan; Secretary, Kelsey Rodda; Treasurer, Brooke Fraser; Nina Hargrave; Glen Auricht; and Tony Phillips for all the work they do, and for their professionalism, particularly during very difficult circumstances this year.
I also congratulate Kristen Keating, Finke’s Administrative Officer, on the many hours she put in all year round. Kristen will be leaving Alice Springs in July to go back to the United States with her family. I know she will be sadly missed by everyone involved with the Finke.
There are a number of other people who need to be thanked for making the event possible each year: the many landholders whose land the Finke track runs though; the Finke Apatula community; the hundreds of volunteers; the naming rights sponsor Tattersall’s; the major sponsors of the event - Alice Springs Town Council, ABC radio, NT Major Events Company represented by Craig Markham, Fosters, Cemex, Imparja, Lasseter’s Hotel Casino; and the many class and in-kind sponsors who support the event year in and out.
The Finke Desert Race is a great event that people just keep coming back to. I hope the Finke continues to get bigger and better and continues to attract the competitors and spectators from across the country. Congratulations to everyone involved on this year’s Finke, and best of luck in 2009 Finke Desert Race.
As the Minister for Local Government, I acknowledge the contribution of an employee of the department of Local Government. Nick Scarvelis started with the NT Public Service in 2002, working in the former Indigenous House (IHANT) Unit, before transferring to Local Government.
As the Executive Director of Local Government in the Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport, Nick has led from the front to provide the government and staff with a strong vision for how local government can be better structured to improve governance, accountability and delivery of local government services to our bush communities. Nick was instrumental in shaping the Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport’s thinking on how local government reform could be delivered, and his unfailing enthusiasm and ability to think laterally has been a real driver in getting reform off the ground.
As with any reform, there is change and, often, people are not comfortable with change. It also means that the way things are done change. Nick has always provided government with sound and practical advice to address the concerns raised by people and to help with the transition from the old to the new. Nick has also understood the imperative of more real jobs for indigenous Territorians in the remote areas in the bush, and helped shape the government’s policy on providing jobs for local people in the new shires.
Nick is moving from the Territory to start a new life. I thank Nick for his leadership, work and dedication, and wish him well in his future endeavours. Nick may leave the Territory, but he will always be remembered as a person who has the interest of the Northern Territory close to his heart.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to report on a trip that I did last week to New South Wales and South-East Queensland. The purpose of my trip to New South Wales was to visit the University of New South Wales Centre for Materials Research in Energy Conversion. That part of the university is especially interesting from the point of view of the Territory, because there is a number of scientists there working on the possibility of producing hydrogen, which I believe is the fuel of the future, using the sun, water – in this case, salt water – and titanium oxide. Titanium oxide is a very common material in Australia. It is quite cheap and it is like a number of oxides. It has the ability to react and, in the case of titanium oxide, to allow hydrogen to escape from the water, which is normally done by hydrolysis. In this case it is a form of hydrolysis. People who know about how hydrogen is produced know the normal method is using electricity to produce hydrolysis, which makes the hydrogen break away from the oxygen molecules in water. This is a very strong bond normally. Hydrogen can be used to fuel motor cars, and it is a very clean fuel. In fact, when it burns, it turns back into water.
The director of this research group’s name is Professor Janusz Nowotny. He is the director of this section dealing with looking at ways of producing hydrogen from titanium oxide. I spent a good part of the morning discussing these issues with him. I met one of the key members of the team there, Dr Leigh Sheppard, who deals with material sciences and engineering, and is concentrating on photo-electrochemical cells. There are two other staff members there as well. Basically, they are hoping to produce hydrogen as a source of energy for the world, using the sun. So instead of using hydrogen as we do today, by using an energy source that requires carbon emissions, we could produce hydrogen using the sunlight. Basically, we would get free energy.
When you study the molecular structure of titanium oxide, when it is pure, it basically does not work. You actually need a defective structure. As the professor explained to me, when it is defective you are able to take some molecules out of that titanium oxide and replace it, and you cause a form of electrolysis. That electrolysis enables hydrogen to be released using the power of the sun. It is very technical. I found it difficult to understand, but I think I got to understand, in general forms, the process. It is not uncommon for this to occur in other oxides, but titanium oxide is plentiful in Australia, and it will not corrode if it sits in water, even for 100 years or so, so it would continue to cycle.
The difficulty we have is that it is very inefficient. In other words, although we know it will produce hydrogen - and this was discovered by the Japanese in the late 1970s - we do not have enough hydrogen being produced to say: ‘This is a future commercial way of producing hydrogen.’ What the people working at this centre are saying is, if they can get more funding, they could, hopefully, accelerate a process which would increase the efficiency of this titanium oxide material. If you increase the efficiency, even 5%, you would be able to produce quite a large amount of hydrogen. This could operate in isolated communities, remote communities and cattle stations. That is where I see it as a possible solution for power and energy on these isolated communities. You would set a solar photoelectric chemical cell and enough of them to produce hydrogen. You could store that hydrogen and it could then be used for farm vehicles or used to generate power like the solar systems. We have to rely on batteries and they cost a lot of money and run out. If you could produce hydrogen on a continual basis you could store that hydrogen and be able to operate these communities without having to rely on external form of energy.
It has a long way to go but I suggest government contact these people and talk to them. Maybe this is an opportunity for the Northern Territory government to look at a pilot program working collaboratively with them. They would have to talk to a range of people to see whether this was a promising way to go. From little things bit things grow. At the moment it is probably relatively small looking at future alternative power sources. I firmly believe - and I do not think I am the lone ranger in this - but hydrogen is our future source of energy. It is a matter of how we can produce hydrogen without the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. There is an opportunity here. I would say to the minister for Education - I am not sure who deals with science - I presume the minister ...
Ms Lawrie: Business, innovation.
Mr Wood: … Business could look at this. I am quite happy to talk to him about it. As I say, it still has a long way to go but the Territory government should be looking at something like that because of the amount of sunlight we have. It expands the use of the sun not just from the sun lighting fluorescent light and keeping the fridge going, it enables an energy source to be manufactured for use in vehicles and power generation. I put that to the government as a possibility. It is worth looking at.
I thank Professor Janusz for his hospitality and showing great fervour in what he is trying to do. One of the things he finds a little frustrating is how some of the other big players in this new technology tend to attract government funds. Because they are relatively small, they do not attract as much in the way of funding as some of the other areas. It is an area the Northern Territory government could look at. If they consider it is reasonable to spend money on, then we ought to. The Territory has been a good place for initiatives in this area. Charles Darwin University - I won’t say invented it - but it was one of its researchers who worked out if you put an electric motor on the solar car’s wheel you have far more efficiency. I have heard the Chinese have taken that process over and use it on bicycles. It was developed at Charles Darwin University.
The second part of my trip south was to go to a farm fest. I have never been to a big field day before so I thought I would have a look at what is happening in Australian agriculture. We do not get the opportunity for this sort of thing in the Territory. The day I went it happened to rain. They had not had much rain in the Darling Downs, and black soil and rain do not always mix. The first day I was there it was slippery. There were many people. Even though we have had a drought, people are still going on with the land, are still pretty confident for the future. You get different ideas from talking to people and moving around and seeing what changes there are in agriculture.
One of the interesting little inventions I saw was for a boom spray. They have huge boom sprays down the Darling Downs and the cost to the environment and the cost of applying herbicides, is something all farmers look at. There is a machine now that has each spray nozzle fitted with a sensor which can recognise a weed. It only sprays, and it is different for each row, when the boom spray or sensor sees a weed. So it goes, on, off, on, off, all over the place. Previously, a farmer would spray the entire block of land for weeds, so even where it did not need herbicide, he would spray regardless. Now, using these new technologies, they are able to just spot spray each weed in the row. That is pretty incredible. I know some people do not like herbicides but when growing large amounts of crops, you cannot have large amounts of weeds If you do, you do not get any production, or very little production.
The company bringing this out is saving the environment, and saving costs to the farmer. That is a really interesting development in that area. It also reduces spray drift. When I used to do weed spraying, spray drift was always a curse. Yet here we see some changes occurring in that area.
I was lucky enough while I was staying at Oakey, to run into some people who own the lot feeds and they ran their farm at Bowenville Park. It was Chris and Felicity Bartlett. They ran a feedlot for sheep, and some cattle, but mainly sheep. This which was unusual, but because of the cost of feed at the present time; I think they had one sheep in the yards and so for the moment they were not doing any feedlotting. They did have some wheat planted just recently and they used all the manure from their feedlot to produce compost which they would then sell. It was interesting to see what they were doing to diversify.
One of the issues there at the present time, is the future of ethanol as a source of fuel for vehicles. I really have concerns about the ethanol argument; that we should grow crops for fuel for vehicles. We should be growing crops for food. I understand that where it is a waste product, and I do not have a problem with that, but in Australia we are now growing crops for ethanol. The price of feed, of course, is going up. Consequently, we pay more for our grain fed beef, more for our pork and more for our chicken. I have a concern about that. After that, I visited a farm called Sandalwood Farm run by Kevin Roberts. It is a huge feedlot farm near Dalby. He agrees that it is nearly a disgrace how today we have governments subsidising companies to grow ethanol while, at the same time, we are now seeing the price of feed go up.
It was interesting on my trip to see that hydrogen appears to be the way of the future, not ethanol. Yet we seem to being going to ethanol which to me is using up land we should be using for food. You can see today how the price of food is going up; how America is trying to promote this as an option for fuel. It is a silly path to follow in America, but that is where they are going. We seem to be going along the same way. We should leave the ethanol business to waste products only. We should be putting the money we are putting into ethanol into finding better ways of producing hydrogen. We need to reconsider which way we are going in the world today.
It was a good trip. It was well worth it. It was nice to get out and see a different part of the world for a change. It gives you a different view on life and a chance to discuss some of these issues. Even though I love the Territory, you need to get out from the Territory sometimes to expand your knowledge on these particular issues.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, one of the great privileges of being a member of parliament is working with local schools and having the opportunity to encourage children to seize the chance of a public education here in the Territory. Being someone who went to a Darwin preschool, primary school and high school, I can attest that with our public education, if you listen to your teachers and do your lessons, you can come out of school equipped to pursue your employment here in the Territory or, indeed, anywhere in Australia and the world. That has been my experience.
I take my role as a local member very seriously in inspiring our young children to take their school opportunities strongly. The beauty in my electorate is that we have a very diverse group of students at our schools. It is the highest density of people from multicultural backgrounds but, equally, it is also the highest density of indigenous students in an urban setting. That makes for fabulous local primary schools. Sanderson Middle School is one such great local high school.
Each term, I present literacy and numeracy awards. The teachers select the students who win those awards, and the students get a certificate from me, as local member. Most importantly for them, they get a gift voucher to spend at Casuarina Shopping Square, so there is an incentive. These awards have been going for quite a few years now, so the kids are aware of them.
I went to Malak Primary School recently and was able to present the Term 2 awards. We had a lovely cohort of students who came forward at that school assembly to get their awards. We had awards for the junior primary kids, but we also have awards for the senior primary kids. My hearty congratulation go to Chloe Sae-gnow, Ambrose Tsang, Anna Khonwai, Bee Allen and Scott Wood - terrific young students showing great dedication to learning. Their parents were there, very proud watching them receive their awards. Malak Primary School is a credit to our community.
Interestingly, I ran into a teacher there from New South Wales who said she was there on a federal government project to look at the results coming out the federal government’s intervention. She was at Malak Primary School looking at the learning of the indigenous students. It was interesting turning up at a local school assembly seeing just where the Commonwealth is and what assessments they are doing on our education system. That teacher was extremely impressed with what she saw in education outcomes at Malak Primary.
Paul Nyhuis and Paul Quinn, the leadership team at Malak, are ably supported by the teachers. It is a great school and we are seeing very good literacy and numeracy results coming out of Malak Primary. Congratulations to those students. I always urge them to spend their gift vouchers wisely at Casuarina.
At Sanderson Middle School, Russell Legg, the principal, is strongly emphasising to the students the opportunities they have in those critical years of 7, 8 and 9 in their learning. I did not put any limits on my schools as to how many children get awards because it is important for the schools to determine that themselves. What I am seeing occurring at Sanderson Middle School is a growing number of students who are being selected for these awards. This time, the list of students who have won the awards is very impressive: Jared Moore, Jasmine The, Stephanie Mac, Fletcher Ludes, Hai Wong, Nathan Pereira da Silva, Emily Tchea, Frankie Goodrem, Yuki Ruzsicska and Nathan Reid. Well done to those students.
The thing I love about Sanderson Middle School is that they have a very successful Clontarf program running there at the moment. I have had the opportunity to meet up with the Clontarf students on a few occasions. They are very dedicated to attending school and participating in the school curriculum because of the Clontarf program. Importantly, indigenous parents are pushing very strongly for an equivalent program for females to operate, so we could have a cohort of young girls also being incorporated into a Clontarf-style program.
I thank my electorate officer, an indigenous parent at the school, Kerry Wetherall. She has been a stalwart of NT softball and is introducing the importance of school sports for young girls into Sanderson Middle School. Keep up the good work. With Margie Anstess and Kerry Wetherall working as a team, what an incredibly formidable team of strong indigenous women putting input into Sanderson Middle School. I am sure they will be great role models for those students. Congratulations to all of the students on their awards.
Bill Armstong is at the helm of Manunda Terrace Primary School, and he works very hard with the school community. I always enjoy the opportunity to get out to Manunda Terrace Primary and congratulate the students on excelling in literacy and numeracy. This term, Esther Mulume-Nawej and Matilda McLaughlan were the award winners, so congratulations to them. I look forward to seeing the students at school during the next term as we only have one week left of the term. Parents, teachers and staff, and students alike are bracing themselves for the four week school holiday period coming up. I always remind students and teachers, and the school communities to be very careful, and have a safe holiday season. I remind students constantly that people driving on our roads do not necessarily see kids moving around the streets. I stress how very careful they need to be when they are out and about on their pushbikes enjoying the school holiday break.
I am attending Karama Primary School to hand out those awards and I am looking forward to finding out the winners for Karama Primary School.
The other thing we do in Karama every year is host a Biggest Morning Tea for the Cancer Council. It is a tradition that we have. We head to the Karama Tavern, book out the Tavern for the morning and put on a morning tea. It is a very popular event which I am able to host as local member. I have to say a very big thank you to residents who contribute to that morning tea, just purely out of the goodness of their hearts. Donna Smith each year is a significant patron making donations for prizes and raffles. She also gets stuck into making a lot of sandwiches that everyone enjoys. Donna is ably assisted by Claire. Claire is fantastic in the effort she puts in. She and Donna have a great joy de vivre. They are fantastic, strong women with a great sense of humour.
Thanks this year to Dee Hona and Kerry Wetherall for their cake baking, a fantastic array of small cakes there. Mrs Nica LaPira, thank you very much for your very kind donation for the morning tea and for turning up. I appreciated having Nica there and it was great to catch up with her again. Thanks also to Karama Tavern for making their venue available to us; they were very helpful with the tea and coffee. Lyndalls Hair Care, Panda Foods and the Brumby Bakers were all busy donating to this year’s morning tea. We had the bakers from Brumby’s come along and help judge our school cake baking competition, but more of that shortly.
Also thank you to Rachael, who runs Rachael’s Design a Cake. She is our local cake maker who has her own small business in Karama. She supplied the official morning tea cake, and I have to say, for anyone who is interested in hiring someone to bake a cake for them, Rachael is incredible in terms of the designs she puts out. She is second to none. I am very impressed with her cake making skills. She is creating a lot of business from my own self in terms of supplying cakes to the various schools and events around the neighbourhood. Rachael is superb. She made a fantastic Cancer Council Morning Tea logo cake, and a whole range of cupcakes, which is just beautiful. So, well done, Rachael.
In terms of the cake baking competition, we had a competition for the local schools, so thank you to Karama Primary, Karama Preschool, Sanderson Middle School and O’Loughlin College for entering into the Morning Tea Bake Competition. I can announce the winner is Geraldine and her friends from O’Loughlin College. They won a $100 Angus and Robertson gift voucher. The runners up were Karama Primary School Year 5/6 Knights. Congratulations to Talia Mae, Kimberly, Esperanca and Alan; and also to other runners-up at Karama Preschool and O’Loughlin College. I believe Kate and Alex were the runners up there. They all received $30 gift vouchers from Angus and Robertson as well.
The other entrants were O’Loughlin College’s John Gobbert; the 5/6 Knights of Kirsty, Samantha, Shaun, Joyce and Anah; the 5/6 Knights of Saleta, Kiara, Cheyanne and Joel; Megan from O’Loughlin College; Chang from O’Loughlin College, and Sanderson Middle School. They all did a fantastic job with those cakes. We were all hard pressed to choose the winners out of those, and the boys from Brumby’s Bakery did a great job in assisting us to select the winners. Thank you. They were surprised at the sheer number of cakes we had there and the variety - a fantastic selection.
O’Loughlin Catholic College has celebrated 21 years. We had Bishop Eugene Hurley attend for the Mass and it was very exciting. It was great to see Pak Gawa. John Gawa was recognised for 21 years of service to O’Loughlin Catholic College. Pak Gawa is the Indonesian teacher who teaches at both O’Loughlin, as well as Holy Family Primary School. He is a leader of the Indonesian community and an absolute pillar of the society. He is a very dedicated teacher and the sort of teacher excellent at engaging his students and inspiring them to continue with learning the Bahasa language. My congratulations to John Gawa for the recognition that Bishop Eugene and the school community gave him for 21 years of excellent service. He continues to be a very fine leader of teachers in our school community.
There was also recognition of Father Luis Fernandez Fey, the Holy Family parish priest. Father Luis, who originally hails from Spain, is a stalwart of our community. We all love Father Luis. He has been there for decades and watched our school communities of O’Loughlin and Holy Family grow from infancy to the vibrant, diverse and strong successful schools they are today. Father Luis has been the spiritual guider of the community. Even though I am not a practicing Catholic, whenever I attend mass at Holy Family School and Father Luis is leading, there is a great peace that settles upon me. I have great respect for Father Luis and the way he has lead his parish and community in Karama through the decades.
Holy Family Primary School celebrated Anzac Day in a big way. Congratulations to Marty Ogle who had NORFORCE there. They had NORFORCE mounted with horses and an old army jeep. It was very exciting day for the Holy Family students. Well done to Marty Ogle and the team from Holy Family for celebrating Anzac Day with such enormous aplomb.
Manunda Terrace Primary School has received a significant grant and IT equipment from the federal government so thank you to the federal Education minister, Julia Gillard. I went out and had a look at Manunda Terrace Primary School’s new IT section. It has enhanced the school no end. Bill Armstrong and the team there are very pleased with the IT equipment they have received.
We have Harmony Days celebrated at all of our schools. Karama school and O’Loughlin school made significant Harmony Day celebrations. They had banner makings activities, fashion parades, flag ceremonies, market stalls and spear throwing competitions. Congratulations to Karama Primary School and Marg Fenbury and the team there for a very popular and successful Harmony Day, and also to O’Loughlin College who went out of there way to celebrate Harmony Day, as well.
The Northern Cluster Rugby team went to Katherine for the Northern Territory school sports and came back the winners. Congratulations to Travis Hagan from Karama Primary for being selected for the Northern Territory School Sport Rugby Squad to be played here in Darwin later in the year. I am sure, Travis, you will do really well. You are a young student with a bright future and a great deal of talent in Rugby.
The Manunda Terrace Rope Ragers attended a jump rope camp interstate. I have been able to donate, as local member, $500 towards their team’s trip away. I donate to the Rope Ragers every year to get them interstate for those jump rope competitions because they are a very exciting group of young girls in the electorate. They pick up a lot of ideas, skill and inspiration when they get the opportunity. Coming from a fairly low socio-economic area that Manunda Terrace is located in they love to get interstate and experience the broader world and all of the inspiration they get from their Rope Ragers trips. Good luck, Rope Ragers, you are a great bunch of girls and well done, Mrs Cooper, for all the effort you put into teaching them.
Finally, all the best to the O’Loughlin College World Youth Delegation who are attending the World Youth Day in Sydney. They are very excited. I donated $500 towards their trip and I am looking forward to getting a report on how their celebrations went. They are a great group of people heading off.
Karama and Malak are very well served by vibrant school communities. My best goes to the staff and parents for the school holidays. I know that teachers and staff always look forward to the break, as well as the parents who look forward to the opportunity to spend some time with their children. I hope we all have a safe, healthy and festive school holiday break. I look forward to seeing the schools come back with a lot of fun in July.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I talk about one day in my life in the Electorate of Sanderson and that day was Sunday, 1 June. A fantastic day, it was.
Starting from about 7 am, I was up and about the electorate. I went to the Anula shops and picked up with a group of people. We headed off on our MBF Healthy Lifestyle Challenge DarwinLite walk. On 10 May, people might be aware that DarwinLite MBF Healthy Life Challenge was launched at the Nightcliff Swimming Pool. It is a joint project with MBF, the Top End Division of General Practice and Darwin City Council. Leonie Katekar, whom I have met through my wife who used to work at the Top End Division of General Practice, did the launch. It was a great little morning. We all had to weigh in and get measured to see how we went over the time of the program. It coordinated by Bobbi-Jo Kalcher out of TEGP, Top End Division of General Practice. She is doing a fantastic job.
I put my hand up to lead a walk around the great leafy suburbs of Sanderson. We go from the Anula shops, through the parks, up Lee Point Road, into Wulagi and across Wulagi, past the school, down Wulagi Crescent and cross over into Sanderson High School, back up Matthews Road and back around up through the parks again, once again to Anula shops. It is probably around about 4 km or 5 km. It is a beautiful early morning walk and a great opportunity to chat with people.
I have done two of those walks. I have another one coming up this weekend. That is after I attend a wedding on Saturday. Sunday morning I will be up for another walk. I am looking forward to that.
That is how my day kicked off, but the great event that we had going on a bit later in the afternoon, at 4 pm, was the annual Brass in the Park, or as we have started to call it now, Brass in the Grass, with the Darwin City Band. This is a great day. This is the third time it has been on. On the last two occasions it was done under the banner of Anula Neighbourhood Watch, but they did not want to run with it this year. They have something else planned later on next month. The people of Sanderson really like the Darwin Brass Band. The Darwin Brass Band loves coming to the park. I said the other year how I would like to see it become an annual event so I was certainly keen to keep to my word. The Darwin Brass Band was keen to help me keep to my word and we organised it. We put our flyers into Northlakes, Anula, and Wulagi. I was out on the pushbike myself putting them out and walking around the suburbs. It is a great way to get to meet people. We put the flyers out and then on Sunday, 1 June, we had them all set up in the park again.
It is great they were able to get a whole lot of noise out. They are able to talk really clearly because the brass band had actually put in for a community benefit fund grant of $4500 so that they could buy a generator and update their musical computer systems. That had come through just in time. I was glad to see the Northern Territory government was able to help them out on that.
The main feature was the Brass in the Park. Everyone was there to see it. We had people with their deck chairs and rugs, a bottle of wine and cheese. There were family groups and everyone was having a laid back time in the sunshine. One of my neighbours, Ed Howard, was there with his dogs. One jumped into his lap and was having a little snooze listening to the band and so was Ed. It was something to see. Very laid back indeed.
This day could not have been held without the band members. I want to put it on a public record because these Darwin Brass Band people are all volunteers. They gave up their time as they do for a whole range of functions. They are: Ron Roberts, the Musical Director; Tony Beale; Harry Beale; Iris Beale; Terry Hine; Dr Ron Roberts; Col Bierton; Henry May; Paul Fisk; Carol Atkinson; Frank Roberts; Elaine Farnham; Kym Burdon; Jo Clarke; Anna Lemon; Tim Jacobs; Frank Haydock; Barbara Eather; Grant Roberts; Bruce Atkinson; Bill Buckley; Leigh Radford; Craig Williams; and Coral Roberts.
They played some really good tunes: The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, a real hit; the Quality Plus march was a good one; Amparita Roca; The Wiggles; Perhaps Love; Rodrigo’s Concerto D’aranuess from the show, Brassed Off; The Lazy Trumpeter; Dances with Wolves; Swing When You’re Winning; YMCA; and MacArthur Park.
You can see it was non-stop entertainment. It was fantastic – two hours of pure listening pleasure. We ran a raffle. We had a few prizes donated and people just chucked in and bought some tickets. It all went to the band. I must acknowledge the good contributions from Tessie Coturier from Pizza King, who gave a $50 voucher from Pizza King; and Mr and Mrs Jong from Wulagi Fish and Chips chipped in and gave a meal voucher for $50 – fantastic. I thank them for their generosity. As I said, the raffle was drawn and all the proceeds from the raffle and prizes went straight to the band for their efforts.
On a sadder note, I send my best wishes to Mr Frank Roberts. Frank is the 82-year-old patriarch, I guess you would call him. He is the old band leader. His son, Ron Roberts, is musical director now. It is quite a family affair. He was there though he has been off colour a little of late. He has been in hospital. I wish him well, and Coral, too. He is determined to get out as he is turning 82 soon. He still manages to have glass of wine and a beer. I hope when he is out of hospital, I will be able to have one with him. Our best wishes to you, Frank, get better soon.
While we are talking about 82-year-olds and octogenarians, I could not help but notice as I went past the neighbour’s house the other day, Mr Ram Badlu, who is 80. If you look at this bloke, you would not pick him for 80. He is well known around the neighbourhood. He used to have TV shops many years ago. He is a fantastic bloke and great contributor to the Filipino/Indian community. He is a salt-of-the-earth man. I said to him: ‘What is with all the balloons? Whose birthday is it?’ He said: ‘It is my 80th’. You would not have picked it. Happy octogenarian birthday to Mr Badlu.
To wind up, on Sunday 1 June in good old Sanderson, I had the pleasure of going down to Darwin Golf Club. It was the NT Open presentation dinner. The captain, Harry Coen, ran a really good presentation night. It was fantastic; there were a lot of winners. The guys from Norman – who is the Great White Shark?
A member: Greg Norman.
Mr KIELY: Greg Norman. They did pretty well and there were a couple of young fellows from around the Territory who played and beat all the old fellows. There were so many presentations to go through that night, that I will include the names of recipients in another adjournment debate - perhaps next Friday - to give them recognition. It was a great presentation night. I understand the NT Open was a great competition. Everyone seemed pretty happy. They all got together afterwards and were telling a few ripper yarns. Well done to the Darwin Golf Club. They have a pretty busy season. They have already had quite a number of competition days and they run a very good corporate day as well. I will make that a separate adjournment. That was my day, Sunday, 1 June in Sanderson. I am glad they are not all so busy but, gee, I wish that every one was just as enjoyable.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, with so much pride, tonight I talk about the achievements of the Santa Teresa football team. The team came to Darwin in their off-season, in the Top End’s footy season, last year to play in the curtain raiser at the MCG. For indigenous people in Central Australia, especially the community of Santa Teresa, it was a special moment. It was the great defeat by Santa Teresa of the Tiwi Islanders that allowed them to play there. I thank Phillip Ellis and the Santa Teresa community for getting behind their football lads, encouraging them to go to training, to get their families involved, and to continue training in order to go on the long journey to the MCG. It was absolutely magnificent for these young blokes from Santa Teresa. For most of them, it was their first time out of Central Australia, to go to Melbourne to play at the MCG. I do not think it is about whether they lost in the curtain raiser. It is the fact that they made their community and their parents, their wives, their children and the community of Alice Springs very proud that we had a team from Central Australia not only beat the Tiwi Islanders in the Top End, but also play in the curtain raiser at the MCG
The community of Santa Teresa is located 75 km east of Alice Springs in the electorate of Macdonnell, and I am deeply proud to be their local member. I hope I can place on record in this House their enormous achievements; achievements, not only for themselves, but for their community and Central Australia. I know that our local papers have written good stories on the young fellows who went to play at the MCG for the Alice News and also the Centralian Advocate. It is worthwhile getting this kind of recognition.
As we all know, footy is a way of life for our young indigenous men on remote Aboriginal communities. They love playing sports. When I go to footy on Sundays in Alice Springs, it is a family affair. It is heart warming to go there and see the grandmothers, the mums all getting up and standing on the side of the fence, singing out for their teams, their sons, their grandsons to make sure that they achieve their best in football.
Again, I thank the Santa Teresa football team, and the Santa Teresa community, specifically Robbie Conway, Phillip Alice and, of course, the 24 guys who went to the MCG. I applaud their contribution to the game and their tremendous skills they showed that day. Like we Central Australians say, it was just a slippery field at the MCG that did not allow the guys to win the game.
I thank those wonderful men and their families, and the community of Santa Teresa for encouraging, and continuing to encourage, their young fellows to participate in the game of football. That clearly shows how the community is tied together, it is family-orientated. There is a bus they get every week from Santa Teresa and take into town. Getting out of that bus you see mums, grandmothers, uncles, grandfathers and all their children. It is a whole of community affair. To go to the footy on Saturdays and Sunday and see the nannas all standing on the sideline, and the mums all barracking for their children and their grandchildren you understand. that is what we need to encourage family and community participation in sports.
Just on another note, I would thank very special people in my electorate. First, I would like to thank Edwyn and Gloria May, who are the principal and teacher at Docker River School, for their commitment and encouragement to full attendance at the Docker River School. Edwyn and Gloria have been there for five years. As the local member, I donate bikes to the school to encourage the kids to attend daily. They must go to school five days a week unless they have a medical certificate. Upon receiving the prizes students have to write a letter of thanks to me, their local member. I then write back to the school as well. I feel genuinely proud as a local member doing that – giving something to the community to encourage children to go to school.
There are other people I would like to acknowledge. First of all, Bob Durnan at Hermannsburg Western Arrernte Health Council, who has made a tremendous input to that community. There are indigenous people to recognise as well: Lionel Inkamala, Mark Inkamala and Carla Ingrid Inkamala. He invites them into the centre and talks about primary health care and preventative health. They have completed a comprehensive program on dogs, looking at what dogs are healthy and what dogs need to be put down. Talking to and encouraging the community to have two or three dogs rather than 20. What Aboriginal people need to understand is the end result of reduced dog populations is good personal hygiene, better primary health care and more effective preventative health. That is what the Western Arrernte Health Council has done. Those three elements - personal hygiene, primary health care and awareness of preventative health - stops the community from going to the doctors and nurses at the clinic. Ultimately, individuals reach a stage where they are no longer on any kind of medication.
Bob Durnan is participating now in all sorts of sports activities and encouraging the community to get behind junior softball and football. He talks to coaches about drug abuse in Aboriginal communities. This is an initiative that Bob has taken on and spread through the community. I congratulate him and his team at Western Arrernte Health Council and the health staff at the Hermannsburg Clinic.
I cannot go without saying thank you to Selwyn at the Mission Shop, who has changed the diet of the indigenous people at Hermannsburg. There is no take away food that is fried; it is all sandwiches and boiled eggs. It is all healthy food they have at the Mission Shop. Children from Hermannsburg School are taught when they come into the shop to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. This is a community initiative to teach manners, as well as teaching children about good health and social life.
I also thank Theresa Nipper at Areyonga and Sarah Gallagher at Areyonga Clinic; Tarna Andrews who has worked tirelessly with Areyonga School; she is the Principal of the school there, the indigenous principal. It is uplifting to see her commitment to Aboriginal education. She is a young indigenous woman but she gets behind the community 100%. The community supports her to encourage children to go to school at Areyonga every day. Also I thank her assistant, Caroline Wendy.
At Harts Range I say great work and thank you to Deidre, who is the new Community Manager there. As well as Rosie, Anthony, Patrick and Russell at the shop. They work as a team in that community to encourage local people to do jobs, encourage their children to go to school and make sure people in general are eating healthily and participating in all sorts of work. Harts Range has been one of the magnificent communities in the electorate of Macdonnell for years.
Elsie and Kathy at Yumurrpa; Margaret Pearce and also Phillip Combs - these are people who are committed to making the Yumurrpa community lift itself up. They have addressed the alcohol, drug, health; and school attendance problems. I would like to give these people a big boost because it is hard work for a handful of people to be doing that kind of work in a big community. Good on you to all these people.
I cannot go on without saying thank you to Dorothy Randall at Mutitjulu who has worked tirelessly without any funding at the Mutitjulu office. She has now gone to work at Voyages. Somewhere along the track I feel we have to fix up the situation with Mutitjulu. We are not here to brush away problem communities or turn a blind eye to a community in the middle a national park that is suffering. As governments, federal and the Northern Territory, we have to start doing something about putting Mutitjulu back on track so they can have a vision and a dream for their community and their children. I urge the Northern Territory government, together with our colleagues federally, to do something about Mutitjulu.
I now talk about someone who has spoken earlier in this House in our adjournment about her political career. That is the member for Braitling. I guess she may be thinking this is her last parliament. I would like to contribute some comments to her life as well, most notably the fact that she has been a good Central Australian. She taught my young brother at the Ross Park Primary School. Through the hardness, love and compassion Loraine showed at the Ross Park Primary School to many indigenous kids from remote communities, you now have some educated, healthy Aboriginal men and women on remote settlements. Loraine is a great leader. She has participated in countless community activities in Alice Springs. Everywhere you go, you see Loraine. She spoke about the number of people who use her office, and the number of people she encourages to see her about any of their problems.
I know she is a very good, active member. I see her driving around in her electorate all the time. She tries to lend a hand to indigenous people who have moved into her electorate; people who might have a non-indigenous person living next door, and who could benefit from knowing how both parties can live together without any disagreements they might have. Everyone is entitled to live anywhere but we must also respect the town rules, its boundaries and our neighbours. We must try to live together in harmony.
Lastly, I mention my elder son, Clint and his wife, Melissa, who live in Perth, will be having their first baby on Monday. Little Cassie will arrive on Monday while grandmother is at estimates. I congratulate Clint and Mel.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I report on some of the great highlights of the past few weeks in my electorate of Goyder. I will start off with the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Services annual volunteer fire fighter competition games held recently at Freds Pass Reserve. The aim of these games is to improve and hone the skills necessary to ensure actual fire fighting is carried out safely in the correct procedural manner. These competitions give the fire fighters the opportunity to enhance their operational skills, build stronger teamship, and establish a camaraderie with other brigades around the rural area. It is also a way to pass valuable fire safety information onto the local communities, and to highlight the great job our firies do for our rural community.
Each year, our volunteer fire brigades attend thousands of bush fires across the Territory. They carry out a vital role in protecting both the community and the environment. It is very important to train as you work. Teams that participated in the fire fighter competitions during that weekend have trained extensively to develop their fire fighting skills, build team work, and demonstrate a determination to succeed.
The member for Nelson and I were there as observers. We were roped into having a little competition with the senior personnel of the Fire and Rescue Service but it was all in good fun. We had a great day and it is typical of activities in the rural area where everyone got involved and everyone got out of the activities as much as they put in which was a hell of a lot.
This Saturday, 14 June, the Humpty Doo volunteer fire brigade will celebrate their 25th anniversary. When I look down and I see 25 years it is incredible. Humpty Doo is a great brigade. I regularly go to their AGMs. To be invited to participate in the celebrations, I take as a great honour. I am looking forward to the event and I will be reporting at the next sittings on the activities there. It’s great to see a volunteer fire brigade up there with the best of them celebrating 25 great years.
We have just witnessed the 30th Annual Freds Pass Show at the Freds Pass Reserve on the weekend of 16 to 18 May. Participation was tremendous from the agricultural, horticultural, mining, manufacturing, pastoralists, and community groups, contributing to the success over the last 30 fantastic years. There is another event that has gone from strength to strength and has really mastered the years. It is probably the second biggest show in the Territory now behind the Darwin show. Well done. I do not have the figures on the number of people who passed through the gates, but it was up there with the best crowds that I have witnessed over the years.
I am pleased to say that Taminmin High School scooped the pool in agricultural awards. They deserved the honour with their Supreme Champion of All Breeds Award. That was a fantastic achievement.
With regard to the Goats Awards, the weeks of training paid off for the Year 9 Agricultural students who worked extremely hard leading up to the show and, not surprisingly, were awarded the Best Handler, Best Presented Goat, Best Fancy Dressed Goat, Best Dry Doe, Best Buckling, Champion Doe and Reserve Champion Doe and the Champion Buck which was won by Rambo, who was led by Zac Philp who was able to take an uncontrolled young buck and train him to parade standard at the show. Well done, Zac.
With regard to the Cattle Awards, students studying in Certificates I and II in Rural Operations participated in the cattle handling category. They were winners for the Champion Female and Reserve Champion going to Bunda Nicole, which was led by Toni Sherley. Bunda Lazer was presented at his best by Jessica Fallas and was awarded All Breeds Champion. Jessica also went on to win the Junior Judging Competition. Winners in the Handling Classes went to Danielle Brown and Karina Pleitner. Each of these students was judged on their skills and ability to handle and parade cattle. The cattle were kindly donated by Reg Underwood from Bunda Brahman Stud and Moira O’Brien from Coodardie Brahmans.
Also, congratulations to Taminmin High School and Principal, Tony Considine, and all the students who participated during the Freds Pass Show weekend. You have shown your skills in the exhibitions, artwork and livestock handling.
I recently attended the 18th Litchfield Orchid Society Spectacular at the Marrara Indoor Stadium on 31 May and 1 June. The display this year had the theme of Blooming Spectacular, and has been an annual feature of the Darwin’s Dry Season attractions for the past 17 years. Over the past year, the club has continued to grow and strengthen in numbers quite considerably. I congratulate the Litchfield Orchid Club Committee and members for their outstanding work and for presenting another successful spectacular. I believe some 3500 people passed through the gates to witness that great floral display. Well done.
I will now talk about the schools in my electorate, and start with Litchfield Christian School. On 9 May, the school participated, with many other schools in the Territory and across Australia, in the Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope for Heart’s attempt to break to Guinness world record for the most people skipping at one time over a three-minute period. The school was one of the many schools across Australia that had to coordinate their times nationally for the attempt to be recognised. I and the member for Nelson, Mr Gerry Wood, were in attendance as judges. We had a great time and took plenty of photographs. I have not heard the results, but I believe that they probably broke the record. I certainly hope they did.
Last week, I represented the minister for Education at the launch of the 2008 Teacher of the Year Awards. It was no coincidence that Bees Creek was chosen as the launch location, as our own Gayle Purdue was the 2007 Teacher of the Year. Margaret Banks, the Education Chief Executive, was there to add her support to these prestigious awards. The Northern Territory government is committed to delivering the best education to students, and we value the work of our teachers and our teaching support staff. I am pleased to report that a new category has been added to the awards for this year. There will now also be acknowledging the Northern Territory Principal of the Year.
Student award winners for this month at Bees Creek included Madison Harvey, Mathew Cameron, Morgan Gray, Justin Bradley, Brooke Phelan, Paige Russell, Ben Harris, Maili Clarke and Chloe Grainger.
Taminmin High School has had another very successful month. The highlight was the Kakadora musical, which I attended at Taminmin High School last weekend. It was another great success with a cast of over 100 students and over 2000 people attending the four performances. I represented the Chief Minister at that musical, and I had a great view, a front row seat, absolutely spectacular. It was very professional, indeed. Congratulations go to Tanya Ham, director, Taryna Deslandes, the producer, and Shauna Ricardo, the choreographer, and the huge number of staff and students who contributed to such a successful and memorable event. I am looking forward to next year, because the bar has been raised very high.
Last month, I spoke about Taminmin High School students who will again be participating in the upcoming Youth Parliament Program commencing in this Chamber from 1 July 2008. I hope to get the opportunity to drop in and see how they are going. I wish them well.
The most recent monthly Taminmin High School Senior Student Award winners were Chris Pham, Tim Steffenson, Caitlyn Boulter, Sam Drawwater, Robert Lyness and Adrian Brook.
Humpty Doo Primary School also has a few great things to report. The school has focused on energy saving and lowering electricity costs, very pertinent in this day and age. As part of this focus, the school roofs were sprayed with SKYCOOL after receiving some funding from the COOLmob. They are trialling the water-based, non-toxic polymer product, which was painted onto the rooftop and is designed to reflect the heat from the building back into the atmosphere, thereby reducing classroom heat build-up. The cost of painting of the roof was $14 000 and will provide savings of about $2000 each year, and savings of greenhouse gas emissions of about nine tonnes carbon equivalent per year. Very well done. Along with Berry Springs School, which is also trialling this method, the energy usage will be carefully monitored by both SKYCOOL and COOLmob.
While on the subject of Humpty Doo Primary School, Felicity Hancock, the principal, is currently in Melbourne attending a five day leadership development program. Two principals attended from Darwin schools and one from Alice Springs High. All are contributing in the Leading Australia’s Schools program, which is open to all school sectors, both public and private schools and offers an excellent opportunity to network with other principals. Congratulations to Felicity.
The Student Award winners for Humpty Doo this month included Lily Trinh, Tiarna Hansen, Caitlin Durkin and Soni Buick-Martin.
Berry Springs Primary School has come third in a very prestigious art competition held here at Parliament House, the Top End Regional Primary School Art Competition 2008. It is currently on exhibit, along with all the paintings at Parliament House. I urge people to come and have a look. It is a great exhibit and I am very proud of Berry Springs Primary School. The first prize went to Minyerri School with their painting entitled ‘Minyerri Community’. Second prize went to Kalkarindji Community Education Centre - their title was ‘Kalkarindji,/Daguragu Community’. Equal third prize was Katherine School of the Air with their Community Leadership painting, and equal third, and I am very proud to say, was Berry Springs Primary School. The artists were students of Years 6, 5V and their title was ‘Community Leadership’. Their paintings represent a collaborative activity of the ideas and input of every child in the class. Initially, they discussed what community leadership meant and how could it be represented in picture form. The students discussed what community meant, then leadership, and finally the two words were put together.
The canvas is a very simplistic representation and interpretation of what they feel community leadership is. It may be simplistic, but it is very well thought out and very complex in meaning. I understand they had a lot of fun putting it together and I am very proud of them. The painting includes a circle symbolising an internal, endless cycle of a variety of things such as government, people and places growing. It includes a road and door, which represents people travelling and making the journey towards possibilities, choices and the future. It also symbolises closure.
The map of Australia, our home, our country, our nation is also on the painting. The flags incorporated in the painting acknowledge and represent indigenous first nation peoples and all other peoples who have come afterwards to settle and create our history. The flora and fauna of the Berry Springs area, and the bushland surrounding that area is also represented. People of all races, age, sex and gender are symbolised by the silhouetted people. It is a great piece of art. I have a photo of it and I will be displaying it on my electoral office window very shortly.
I would like to thank all the people who have done great things in my electorate, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, and with that I will say goodnight.
Motion agreed to, the Assembly adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Years 8, 9 and 10 from the Essington School of Darwin. The students are accompanied by Ms Zara O’Connor. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome. It is an excellent school in my electorate.
Members: Hear, hear!
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Australian Hotels Association Annual Conference and Awards for Excellence
Australian Hotels Association Annual Conference and Awards for Excellence
Dr BURNS (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I report today on the very successful Australian Hotels Association Annual Conference and Awards for Excellence. The hospitality industry plays an important role in our tourism sector and the great Territory lifestyle that we enjoy. The industry is also essential in ensuring that the Territory has comfortable and safe licensed premises where we can meet our friends and family for a great dinner or night out. There is no doubt the industry is also faced with many unique challenges in the Territory. I thank the AHA Board for regularly meeting with me to discuss how we can work together to deal with emerging issues.
Although I was interstate and unable to attend this year’s activities, all reports indicate the AHA Annual Conference and Trade Expo, and the Awards for Excellence, were a resounding success. The trade expo had over 40 exhibitors and provided those in the industry with a look at the newest innovations and access to the best information. The conference and trade show were held at the new Darwin Convention Centre and attracted a large number of owners, managers, staff and associated businesses from around the Territory and from interstate.
It would have been the first opportunity for them to experience the new facilities at the Darwin Convention Centre, and I am sure they were all very impressed. The trade show and conference provided a great opportunity for industry to gather and catch up on the latest industry trends and network with their peers. I am told the highlight was a forum conducted by Diageo Australia called ‘Drink iQ’, which asked participants to think about how we can all make responsible drinking a valued and enjoyable part of life. It is a very important message and it was good to hear about the high level of interest in these sessions.
Four hundred and fifty people attended the annual Awards for Excellence on the lawns at SKYCITY for an outstanding evening of celebration of achievement. While there were numerous awards presented on the night, I will acknowledge a few in particular. The award for Hotelier of the Year went to Emmanuel Cruz from SKYCITY Casino. For the third time in a row, Clubs NT Manager of the Year was won by Andrew Hay from the Palmerston Sports Club - a great effort by Andrew. SKYCITY was awarded the Minister’s Award for Responsible Service of Alcohol. Congratulations to all award winners who should be very proud of their achievement.
I will take a moment to single out a few for special mention. Congratulations to Cazalys Palmerston Club on collecting five awards on the night including Best Club Community Service and Achievement. SKYCITY Darwin won five awards including Best Entertainment Venue. The Parap Hotel took out four awards on the night - although I understand that the otherwise fantastic MC for the evening, Max Walker, insisted on pronouncing it ‘PA-Rup’.
The annual conference and awards night are an important occasion on the industry calendar, a chance for the industry to recognise excellent businesses, clubs and individuals in the Territory. I congratulate the AHA President, Mick Burns, and Executive Director, Amy Williamson, and their team for hosting such a successful and informative program on events.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, Max Walker did an excellent job. He was constantly encouraged but could not quite pick up that the correct pronunciation was Parap rather ‘PA-Rup’. It is funny how little things like that really irk. You like to hear words that you are familiar with pronounced correctly. However, he finally admitted and, to the Chief Minister’s credit, he, therefore, honoured him with honouree Territorian status for saying it correctly.
It was an excellent night. The industry makes a huge effort to improve issues of deep concern within our community. They were outstanding hosts on the evening. In the lead that you have taken, Madam Speaker, I am also proud as a local member in Palmerston - as I am sure the other two local members in Palmerston would also like to say - that the majority of those awards were presented to Palmerston clubs, which shows the outstanding role that the community clubs play in Palmerston, with the benefit flowing into a number of community groups right throughout Palmerston, the rural area and back into Darwin.
Whilst we are talking about that, I acknowledge a couple of clubs which have been beneficiaries, which have suffered sadly in the past; that being, the Raiders and Waratahs Reds, the baseball club which lost a lot of their gear during a recent fire. I am sure the Community Benefit Fund assists in times of need.
Congratulations to the board. Mick Burns and Amy did a fantastic job and, along with Emmanuel Cruz, were well acknowledged, recognised and applauded on the night - Andrew Hay four times. He is widely respected for his outstanding role, not just in running clubs but in services to the community. SKYCITY did a great job. Palmerston did very well on the night.
Dr BURNS (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his positive and supportive response. All of us support our hotel and club industry; it is an important part of life. We know that they are working with the community to reduce some of the problems we have regarding alcohol. It is a very constructive relationship. I commend the opposition for its constructive approach.
On the issue of Max Walker, perhaps if someone had told him ‘Parap’ is a palindrome and he could have read it backwards, he might have it right!
Crusty Demons Spectacular
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, there is no doubting the popularity of motor sports amongst Territorians. The passion for motor sports was evident at TIO Stadium, Marrara, on 31 May when some 10 000 Territorians turned up to watch the Crusty Demons of Dirt Motocross Spectacular.
The government is committed to bringing the best in national and international sporting events to the Territory. Territorians embraced the chance to see some of the world’s best motocross riders live. I was lucky enough to be at TIO Stadium and, I have to say, it was an amazing event. As a government, we are committed to delivering to Territory families, and the Crusty Demons show was a great family event.
This Darwin show followed on the Crusty Demons performing to sell-out crowds across Great Britain in April. We were treated to the full international show, with seven of the world’s top 10 riders coming to Darwin. The line-up included world No 1 Nate Adams, ex-games gold medallist, Adam Jones, world No 3 Mike Mason, Nicky Danielson and Jim McNeil. None of these readers had ever been to Darwin before and I am told they loved the chance to perform here. It takes incredible skills and courage to get motor bikes airborne the way the Crusty Demons riders do.
Two years ago, Territorians showed how much they loved the Crusty Demons and it was the same this time. This year’s show was a bigger show than 2006 with more ramps and more pyrotechnics. Fans not only enjoyed the motocross action live, but were also able to enjoy the replays on the big screens. This really added to the atmosphere at TIO Stadium on the night. With more than 50 different tricks in this year’s Crusty Demons show, it took three full days to set up TIO Stadium for the event. The Northern Territory government had measures in place to ensure the surface of the stadium was properly protected, and I am pleased to say there have been no issues related to the show.
It is great to see a facility such as TIO Stadium used for a range of different events. Apart from sports and the Crusty Demons, we also recently saw the highly-successful Elton John concert staged at TIO Stadium.
The NT government was proud to contribute $50 000 to make this year’s Crusty Demons show a reality. This included a $30 000 sponsorship fee and $20 000 for traffic management and other vehicle services. It was pleasing to see things going so smoothly on the night, thanks to the planning and services provided by the ground staff. I thank everyone involved in organising the production of the show.
I was also privileged to host a parliamentary welcome function for the Crusty Demons at Kantillas overlooking the ground on the Friday before the show. There were some 300 invitations sent out, and we had 280 RSVPs, which was a fantastic result. It was great to meet so many motocross fans who were excited about the chance to meet their Crusty Demons idols. The Crusty Demons team members happily signed hundreds of autographs and posed for countless photos with their fans. I thank the Crusty Demons team members for their professionalism.
I am sure every one of the 10 000 people who attended the Crusty Demons event came away looking forward to seeing further motocross events in the future. Sport is an important part of our great Territory lifestyle and this government is proud to help deliver great entertainment like the Crusty Demons for Territory families.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that sport is a very important part of our lifestyle. There is a sport statement coming on and I wondered if the minister left out the Crusty Demons in his statement which is why he has presented a ministerial report on it.
They are a terrific show. I saw them last year in Alice Springs. They ran into a little difficulty; I think someone stole some of their gear last year from the casino but they managed to retrieve it. They are very good.
I welcome the minister’s statement on the Crusty Demons and hope they will come back to the Northern Territory.
Just a reminder, to follow up from my question to you yesterday in Question Time, minister, Greece are still in Euro 2008. They are still in the competition and, hopefully, survive on 29 June, so we could feel another party coming on eventually.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. Many people enjoy - I call them the Rusty Demons as they are getting a bit older - the Crusty Demons. Many people in the rural area enjoy motocross and it is a very popular sport.
On that side of things, I believe the government should be working and planning - a word that is sometimes dismissed in government - to ensure events like the Kamfari can continue. There is talk that Power and Water do not want them to operate on their new water management zone area. That means that they can only either operate in a conservation zone or on Koolpinyah pastoral station. There needs to be some work done by the government to ensure that sporting competitions like the Kamfari - which has been around a long time - are not at risk because of lack of future planning by the government in rezoning and developing land, especially in the rural area.
The Crusty Demons was a great event for the Northern Territory. You said that the government gave them $50 000 to make it happen. I ask you: if you did not give them $50 000, would have they still come? If that $50 000 had been given to Canteen Creek to put up their football ground, would that not have been better money well spent? I know you have a statement coming up today, but when you see the big dollars spent, they are spent in the urban areas of the Territory. There are some places where you have spent money, but we should not forget these little communities. Sport is very important to them. I do not think many people from Canteen Creek would have made the trip to see the Crusty Demons.
The Crusty Demons would have made an ample amount of money from the tickets sold. It would be good to see what the official attendance numbers were, and someone could do the multiplication with how much tickets cost. Then we could see if we really needed to pay them $50 000.
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their support for the Crusty Demons. It was a fantastic event for the 10 000 people who turned up. The $50 000 that we provided to the Crusty Demons is negotiated with them. Yes, I can say that if we did not pay the $50 000 they would not come. What we have shown with Elton John and other events is that if we do not invest in these events they do not come. A prime example is the V8s.
We are very proud to be spending over $25m on sport and recreation this year. Many of the issues I am interested in will be spoken about in the statement coming up. They address many of the matters raised by the member for Nelson. I will follow up the motocross issue. We recognise the popularity of motor sports in the Northern Territory. Around 80 000 to 90 000 people visit motor sport events across the Territory in one calendar year - the highest attendance rate. I can definitely say motor sports is high on my priorities.
East Arm Leprosarium Memorial
Mr KIELY (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, on 29 May I had the pleasure of opening the Leprosarium Memorial at East Arm. The memorial traces the history of leprosy in the Territory and details how people who were once thought to have an incurable disease requiring permanent isolation were successfully treated and able to rejoin the community.
The story started on Mud Island in Darwin Harbour where leprosy sufferers were abandoned in the late 19th century and lived in appalling conditions. In 1930, things improved with leprosy sufferers able to be housed in better conditions on Channel Island. However, conditions were still difficult and compulsory isolation of patients was still enforced. In 1955, a major step forward was taken with the establishment of a facility at East Arm to provide accommodation and treatment facilities for leprosy patients who had previously lived on Channel Island.
Considerable infrastructure was developed over a period of 20 to 30 years to create a community. It began with the essentials such as dormitories, a hospital block, water supplies and kitchens. At its peak, the settlement boasted a school, a community hall and even sporting facilities such as basketball, tennis courts and a swimming pool. Unfortunately, not much, if anything, remains of this physical infrastructure. However, as I found when launching the memorial, the spirit of the people who made this remarkable community is very much still alive.
The story of the East Arm Leprosarium is about a remarkable doctor, a dedicated group of staff, and the sufferers. I had the great privilege to meet all of them. In 1956, Dr John Hargrave arrived in the Northern Territory and commenced a career that profoundly improved the wellbeing of the patients at East Arm Leprosarium. Working with a team of dedicated health professionals, church and community workers, he led a revolution in leprosy treatment in the Territory. No longer were leprosy sufferers isolated and stigmatised. New drugs and surgical procedures became available and were applied in a caring way that encouraged treatment, not isolation, under this new regime. Leprosy was a disease and leprosy patients were treated with dignity.
Dr Hargrave spent the rest of his career at the leprosarium working with the assistance of an inspiring group of people, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Confidence in the new treatment methods led to a significant reduction in the number of people needing treatment during the 1970s. Newly diagnosed patients could now be offered outpatient services or accommodation in recently established wards in mainstream hospitals. The East Arm settlement was closed in 1982.
The memorial I opened offers Territorians an opportunity to reflect on the leprosarium and its place in history and is a touchstone for very personal memories. It was developed with the assistance of people who worked at the East Arm Leprosarium, in particular, with Sr Pat Chalmers and Sr Joan Fong, and Dr Hargrave. Many of the former staff travelled to Darwin to be at the launch. Guests included Dr Hargrave, Sr Anne Gardiner, Sr Kathleen Leahy, Sr Marion Whelan and Sr Patricia Smith. It was great to see the member for Nelson and the Deputy Chief Minister in attendance, both of whom I know have a very personal connection to the work at the leprosarium.
On the morning of the launch, I felt honoured to be amongst such a remarkable group of people who made such a profound difference to the lives of many Territorians. I was also reminded, yet again, of the importance of preserving the unique stories and heritage of the Territory. We are, and always have been, a unique place that brings out the best in people.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report this morning. The East Arm Leprosarium played a very important role for many people who were rejected by society and isolated. It must have been the most dreadful situation for those people to be in; to not have anyone to care for them. These wonderful nuns who came and set up the leprosarium and worked there and the staff, need to be highly commended.
It is such a shame there is nothing significant of the buildings left so we can pay due respects to the conditions that they lived and worked in. At least this memorial is there now to recognise the wonderful work done, and the conditions provided for those people. I did not know anyone from the leprosarium personally, but I know there are people in this House who did. I know the love and the care patients were given would have played a very important part in giving them some self-esteem.
I thank the minister for his report. I am very pleased to see the plaque is finally there as a memorial to something that played a very significant part in the early history of the Northern Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report. Yes, it was a wonderful day. It was so great that it coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Daughters of our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It gave an opportunity for many of the Sisters who had worked there to be able to see what the government has done. It is more than a plaque; it is a memorial to all the people who have worked at that particular site.
It is not only the Sisters who worked there. There are the health workers who worked there over many periods. The family of the Minister for Employment, Education and Training worked there. Dr Hargrave, whom you mentioned, I think is a walking saint; he is one of the world’s greatest people not only for what he did at the leprosarium, but what he did in his retirement in Timor. It was fantastic to see him there. He looked a picture of health and had many photographs showing the history of East Arm.
It was a great day. It needs more publicising. I do not think people understand that leprosy was in the Northern Territory and is still in the Northern Territory. I hear people say things off the cuff about leprosy, and I do not know whether they understand that people are still afflicted by that disease. We are overcoming it and, hopefully, one day it will not exist.
My only disappointment is the siting of the memorial. When I first stood in parliament I asked if the entrance to the East Arm Leprosarium, where the gmelina trees still are, could be the site of the memorial. I am told there were certain traffic issues in relation to that. Be that as it may, we should still try to preserve some of that entrance. It is the only visible signs of the East Arm Leprosarium.
I drove to East Arm on the day of the memorial and I recalled the fence that went across the road where you had to ask the caretaker for permission to go through. That is all gone. We need some sign of what happened there to stay. I ask the government to consider preserving that entrance …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, your time has expired.
Mr KIELY (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for their contributions to the report.
In response to the member for Katherine, Cyclone Tracy was the main reason why we do not have anything around there. These things happen in the Top End.
Member for Nelson, I know your connections, I know your passion, and rightly so, for that particular place. It was very heartening to run into people at the opening of the memorial who had been treated at the leprosarium, and also to run into many people, whom I know as friends, who had worked there when starting their careers in the Health department. So, it is really very deep into the fabric of our society today.
It would be wonderful if we could have more there to show. You are right about people not understanding leprosy and its important role in the Top End and throughout Australia, and the way it was treated up north. It would be great if we could. Unfortunately, due to the buildings being knocked down, I do not think it can happen. You also alluded to that, member for Nelson.
We will always maintain that site; we will always maintain that memorial. It is important. It goes deep into the foundation of our community. I thank all members for their contribution.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
JUSTICE LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 153)
(Serial 153)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend various legislation which falls within the Justice portfolio and to make a number of other consequential amendments. Acts amended in this bill include Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act and the Professional Standards Act. The bill also contains amendments to the Powers of Attorney Act and Regulations, and the Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Regulations.
I will detail the amendments in the order in which they are contained in the bill.
The Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act is amended to include a provision to enable a minister to appoint a Deputy Commissioner for Consumer Affairs. The long title for the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act sets out that the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act is to provide for the appoint of Deputy Commissioners of Consumer Affairs. However, there are no substantive provisions in the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act. This bill solves this problem by permitting the appointment of a Deputy Commissioner. Over time, this role will provide the Department of Justice with greater organisational flexibility.
The Powers of Attorney Act and Regulations are amended in this bill to ensure that the same administrative actions and registration safeguards apply to powers of attorney as applied to other instruments registered by the Registrar-General. The Powers of Attorney Act at present does not require any witness for a general power or revocation, except under section 6(4) where executed by direction. It further requires a witness for an enduring power of attorney, being a person who is not the donee of the power or near relative of the donee, but not a qualified witness. The Powers of Attorney Act allows an instrument creating or revoking a power of attorney, or an instrument creating a power, supporting a dealing in relation to land must be registered.
Currently, powers of attorney need to be registered to enable any transaction signed under the Land Title Act and endorsed by the donee. The amendment ensures that the witnessing requirements are similar to those under the Registrar-General’s directions to make them consistent with other forms. The amendment also provides that a power of attorney is to be witnessed by a qualified witness. This amendment is necessary, as a power of attorney is a powerful instrument which enables someone to act on another’s behalf, including to sell property, and should be treated equally to any transfer document which requires a qualified witness.
The bill defines ‘qualified witness’ in the same terms as a person listed in Schedule 1 of the Land Title Act; namely, (a) in the Northern Territory: a Commissioner for Oaths; a member of the Legislative Assembly; a legal practitioner; a person holding office under the Supreme Court Act, the Justices Act, the Local Court Act or the Registration Act; a police officer; a person licensed as a conveyancing agent or real estate agent under the Agents Licensing Act; a Notary Public; and any other person approved by the Registrar-General; and (b) in a state or territory or place within Australia and in a place outside Australia: any person approved by the Registrar-General’s directions.
The amendments also require that the witnessing requirements are to match those under the Registrar-General’s directions to make them consistent with other forms.
Amendments are also made to the Professional Standards Act to avoid the unnecessary numbering of schemes as subordinate legislation. The bill amends the Professional Standards Act to disapply section 57 of the Interpretation Act. Section 57 of the Interpretation Act requires that subordinate legislation made in each calendar year is to be numbered in regular arithmetical series, beginning with the No 1, as close as possible to the order in which it is made. Additionally, that subordinate legislation may, without prejudice to any other method of citation, be cited by the number given to it and the calendar year in which it is made. The bill ensures that professional standard schemes are not, and never have been, subordinate legislation for the purposes of the Interpretation Act. Further, they are not, and never have been, required to be published in the Gazette for the purposes of the Professional Standards Act.
The Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Regulations are amended to enable the Fines Recovery Unit to collect and enforce debts owed to the Northern Territory by persons pursuant to the Crimes Compensation Act, Crimes (Victims Assistance) Act and, in future, the Victim of Crime Assistance Act. In order to reduce expenditure on crimes victims’ assistance debt recovery and improve recovery rates, it was determined that two key changes to the recovery process were required.
First, since 2007, the Solicitor for the Northern Territory assumed conduct of all crimes victims’ assistance legal proceedings, including obtaining judgment debts against offenders. As a result, the cost of recovery has reduced significantly from the last financial year. Second, it is envisaged that expenditure on crimes victims’ assistance recovery could be further reduced and rates of recovery could be improved if the Fines Recovery Unit was given authority to collect and enforce crimes victims’ assistance debts, with the result that the Solicitor for the Northern Territory would no longer have to rely on private collection agents and would not incur the associated costs.
Given the Fines Recovery Unit’s core business is to collect fines and penalties owed to the Territory, it is in the best position to also recover crimes victims’ assistance debts. As a government agency, the Fines Recovery Unit has access to information held by government which is essential in locating persons who owe money under the Crimes Compensation Act, Crimes (Victims Assistance) Act and, in future, the Victims of Crime Assistance Act and assessing their capacity to repay their crimes victims assistance debts.
In addition, the Fines Recovery Unit has wide-ranging powers including suspending licences and vehicle registration, seizing property, and garnishing of wages or salary in order to enforce payment of the debts where necessary.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
CLASSIFICATION OF PUBLICATIONS, FILMS AND COMPUTER GAMES AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 154)
(Serial 154)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The main purpose of this bill is to make amendments to the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Act consequential to amendments and proposed amendments by the Commonwealth to its Classification (Publications, Film and Computer Games) Act 1995.
A secondary purpose is to redraft all of the offence provisions so that they become subject to the modern principles of criminal responsibility as contained Part IIAA of the Criminal Code. The bill also amends the act so as to simplify aspects of prosecutions. Finally, the bill removes an anomaly regarding children’s access to pornography.
Australia’s laws regarding censorship and classification of publications, films and computer games comprise three main elements. The first is the Commonwealth’s Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995. This act sets out the mechanism for the classification of materials. It provides for:
the establishment of the Classification Board, which classifies material;
The second element comprises state and territory enforcement acts. The Northern Territory act is the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Act. This act, with its state equivalents, contains nearly all of the offence provisions relating to classification and censorship. Thus, whilst it is a Commonwealth law that establishes the censorship framework, it is state and territory law that actually determines what materials are lawful or unlawful in any particular jurisdiction. The only significant exception to this framework is Part 10 of the Commonwealth act which deals with the prohibition of possession of certain pornographic materials in areas prescribed under the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007.
The third element of the scheme is the classification code contained in the schedule to the Commonwealth act when enacted in 1995 and as amended from time to time. The classification code provides the basis on which classification decisions are made. In many ways, it is the core of the national scheme. It can only be amended by the agreement of the Commonwealth and all of the states and territories. On only one occasion has the Commonwealth enacted legislation that displaced the code in breach of the national agreement. That action occurred in 2007 when the former Commonwealth government enacted legislation relating to materials dealing with terrorism. These three elements are regulated by an intergovernmental agreement. The classification code and the agreement can be found at websites for the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and the Classification Office.
In accordance with the intergovernmental agreement, the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (Censorship) has agreed to various amendments to the Commonwealth act and to consequential amendments to state and territory acts.
In 2007, the Commonwealth enacted the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment Act 2007. The main purpose of this act was to reflect administrative changes made at the Commonwealth level. The legislation abolished the Office of Film and Literature Classification as a separate agency, and moved administrative and policy functions into the head offices of the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. There was some rearrangement of the respective responsibilities of the Director of the Board and the Convenor of the Review Board.
These Commonwealth changes led to a need for minor amendments to Northern Territory legislation. These consequential amendments are as follows:
change the definition of ‘approved form’ so it refers to forms approved by the Commonwealth minister under section 8A of the Commonwealth act. The forms were previously approved by the Director;
changes that reflect the fact that the Convener of the Review Board can now issue evidentiary certificates. Evidentiary certificates are used in court proceedings, for instance, in the prosecution of contraventions of the Northern Territory act and are prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate; and
change the definition of ‘film’ to take account of the fact that films can now have add-on features such as translations and navigations. The effect of the amendments is that such changes do not lead to a need for reclassification of the film. Similarly, the amendments mean that there is no need for reclassification if films are packaged as a compilation.
I will now deal with these amendments in more detail.
The Northern Territory act defines the word ‘film’ by reference to the definition of that word in the Commonwealth act. The definition of ‘film’ in Section 14A of the Commonwealth act has been amended so that it is clear that when previously classified films are brought together on a single device, the product does not require classification simply because of the fact of compilation. The amendment is a response to changing technologies that ensure the regulatory burden to industry is not inadvently increased.
This bill makes the required consequential changes to the Northern Territory act. In particular, section 35 of the Northern Territory act currently makes it an offence to sell or publicly exhibit a classified film unless the film is sold or exhibited with the same title as that under which it is classified. Under section 35, if a number of already classified films were complied onto one DVD, which was then marketed under a single named product, section 35 is, without the amendment in the bill, contravened.
New section 3AA of this bill incorporates section 14A of the Commonwealth act into the Northern Territory act in the same terms. It makes amendments to section 35 of the Northern Territory act to provide that the prohibition on selling or exhibiting a classified film, other than with the title under which it is classified, is not contravened by the sale or public exhibiting of a classified film if it is contained on one device consisting of two or more classified films.
The inclusion of a new section 3AA in the Northern Territory act, along with amendments to section 45 also, ensure that section 45 of the Northern Territory act, which prohibits the sale of an unclassified film, is not breached by a compilation of several classified films onto a single device. Section 45 is also amended to take account of modifications referred to in section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act. The general rule in section 21(1) of the Commonwealth act is that if a classified film is modified it becomes unclassified when the modification is made. Section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act provides for certain exceptions to the rule so that declassification does not occur.
Section 35 of the Northern Territory act prohibits the sale or public exhibition of a classified film unless it is sold or exhibited in the form in which it was classified. Hence, a film that is modified, other than in conformity with the exceptions in section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act, cannot be sold or exhibited in the Northern Territory unless it is reclassified. The Commonwealth amending act amends section 21(2) so that adding subtitles, captions, dubbing and audio descriptions to an already classified film will not amount to a modification of a classified film that would require the film to be reclassified. Similarly, the addition of navigation aids that assist the viewer to move around a film will not require the film to be reclassified.
The Commonwealth amendment has highlighted the need to ensure that modifications that will not affect the classification status of the film as set out in section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act do not render the film unsaleable or unable to be publicly exhibited in the Northern Territory. Hence, the bill makes a consequential amendment to section 45 of the Northern Territory act to the effect that the sale or a public exhibition of films modified in accordance with section 21(2) of the Commonwealth act are not unlawful in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory act, while primarily concerned with the offence and enforcement matters, also provides some scope for organisations approved by the Director of the Classification Board to apply for an exemption from classification with respect to a specific film at a specific event.
However, there is less scope for an exemption that would permit a cultural institution to apply for a broad exemption relating to ongoing public exhibition of interactive multimedia exhibitions that incorporate changing, moving images or selections from a back catalogue of archived moving images which may not be otherwise exempt. To accommodate the contemporary moving image exhibitions that are intrinsically unsuitable for classification, and to facilitate the exhibition of archived film material, this bill provides a mechanism, similar to that act, for organisations which carry on activities of an educational, cultural or artistic nature approved by the Director of the Classification Board. These amendments regarding moving image exhibitions follow on from amendments made to the Victorian legislation and agreed to by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, SCAG.
The Victorian amendments were designed to accommodate an exemption for the exhibition of contemporaneous interactive moving images and other films and computer games held by the Australian Centre for Moving Image, a Victorian cultural institution. An amendment to the Commonwealth act to provide a power to exempt an organisation in relation to computer games was made to facilitate the amendment to the Victorian enforcement act. This Commonwealth amendment will also facilitate the making of exemptions under this proposed amendment to the Northern Territory act.
The amendments contained in new sections 96 to 100 of the Northern Territory act will enable approved Northern Territory cultural institutions to apply to the Director of the Classification Board, or to the Northern Territory minister, for an exemption from classification from the classifications scheme for the purposes of all or any of the institution’s activities or functions that relate to films or computer games. The bill gives the director some guidance as to the types of organisation that may be approved for the purpose of applying for an exemption. The reputation of the organisation in relation to film and computer games, and the conditions it intends to impose concerning the admission of people to exhibitions involving film or computer games, are included in the matters the director must have regard to in determining whether to approve an organisation. The director is also required to give effect to any ministerial directions and guidelines in relation to approving an organisation under section 100.
In 2008, the Commonwealth introduced into parliament the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Assessments and Advertising) Bill 2008. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives in March 2008 and it is expected to be passed by the Senate in June 2008. SCAG had previously agreed that state and territories should make amendments consequential to an earlier version of the bill introduced but not passed by the former Commonwealth government. The 2008 Commonwealth bill provides for:
replacing the prohibition on advertising unclassified films and computer games with a new scheme that will allow advertising, subject to conditions to be set out in a new Commonwealth instrument; and
amending the classification procedures for films that are compilations of episodes of a television series so that an application for classification of such a film may be accompanied by a report that complies with conditions set out in a new Commonwealth instrument.
Schedule 1 of the Commonwealth act is part of a package of reforms involving amendments to state and territory legislation, and to legislative instruments under the Classification act. The proposal was developed in response to industry concerns that the current advertising arrangements were cumbersome and outdated. The increasing risk of piracy means that products are often available for classification only very close to their release date. The current prohibition, with limited exceptions only for public exhibition films, places unnecessary regulatory limitations on marketing of classifiable products. The bill enables a legislative instrument under the Commonwealth act to set out conditions on advertising unclassified films and computer games, and establish an industry-based self-assessment scheme whereby the likely classification of an unclassified film or computer game is assessed by an authorised industry assessor for the purposes of advertising that film or game together with classified films or games before it is classified.
Schedule 2 of the Commonwealth bill enables an industry-based self-assessment scheme to be established for films that are episodes of a television series and series-related material where that series has been broadcast in Australia. The proposal was developed in response to the increasing number of television series being released on video and DVD. Current arrangements for classification of such films are both expensive and time-consuming. The scheme will allow an application for classification of a box set of episodes of a television series to be accompanied by a report from an authorised assessor. The aim of this proposal is to streamline the classification process, respond to the changing technological environment for entertainment media, and reduce the cost to industry. Quality assurance processes and safeguards are included in the scheme to ensure the ongoing integrity of the classification process.
These amendments led to the following consequential amendments to the Northern Territory act:
amend the provisions dealing with the advertising of unclassified films so that such advertising is regulated by an advertising scheme put in place under the Commonwealth act rather than under the exemptions scheme that has existed since 1995; and
provide for the advertising of unclassified computer games to be also regulated by an advertising scheme in place under the Commonwealth act.
The legislation also provides for the repeal and/or amendment of the 86 offence sections contained in the act. They all have been amended so as to conform with the modern principles of criminal responsibility as contained in Part IIAA of the Criminal Code. The penalty provisions have also been modified so that they all rely on section 34DB of the Interpretation Act, so that the penalty for a corporate offender is five times the monetary penalty specified for each of the offences.
During the enactment of the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007, members of the Senate noted an apparent anomaly in the provisions of the act that prohibit persons under 18 years of age from accessing pornography. Such persons are not permitted to access pornography in places open to the public. However, in other situations, persons are excused from criminal liability if they are the parents or guardians of the child; that is, the legislation permits parents and guardians to allow their own children in the home and other non-public places to access X 18-plus films and Category 1 and 2 publications. These provisions reflect the model bill developed by the Australian Law Reform Commission in the early 1990s. They are also contained in the Australian Capital Territory’s Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1995.
No doubt, these provisions reflect the view that there are some children - for example, those aged 16 or 17 - for whom responsible parents may correctly take the view that there is no problem in the child accessing pornography. However, the Little Children are Sacred report does indicate there are parents who may not be able to deal with the issue in a proper way. Accordingly, this bill will remove the various defences.
The bill also includes new section 115. This is designed to simplify the prosecution process by providing that a factual allegation of the classification status of a film, publication or computer game is evidence of that status. The new section is proposed for the purpose of avoiding the need for time-consuming and expensive formal classifications of materials.
The final substantive amendment of the bill is that it provides that exemptions can be made by way of some regulation. SCAG is to consider, later in 2008, proposals concerning research into pornographic materials. Such proposals may require exemption. Current thinking is that exemptions of such a nature should be agreed by ministers and reflected in the regulations rather than exemptions given by ministers or by the national director.
Madam Speaker, the opportunity has also been taken to rationalise the numbering of the provisions of the act and to make the necessary consequential amendments to other Northern Territory legislation.
I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
NATIONAL GAS (NORTHERN TERRITORY) BILL
(Serial 149)
(Serial 149)
Continued from 7 May 2008.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I respond to the second reading of the National Gas (Northern Territory) Bill 2008. Although the bill in itself is not earth-moving or earth-shattering, and the minister’s second reading speech certainly did not indicate anything of concern, I thank him for organising a briefing for me for last week. I appreciate it; thank you.
As the minister said in his second reading speech, and as I was advised at the briefing, this bill comes on the back of a national agreement made at the Ministerial Council on Energy to create a national framework to regulate energy in Australia. It appears that the lead state will be South Australia, even though it is a national framework, and that the Northern Territory and all other states, except Western Australia, will refer their legislative frameworks directly to the Australian Energy Market Commission Establishment Act 2004 (South Australia). The South Australian legislation complies with the national agreement and would not alter their legislation unless there was agreement between the participating states.
By adopting this position, it means that the Northern Territory will be subordinating its legislation to South Australia. However, as the system is organised on national agreements, this does not present an issue, as the Northern Territory will still maintain control of its own legislation.
Minister, we support this legislation; however, I cannot finish without pointing out an annoying error you made in your second reading speech. You referred to the South Australian Energy Market Commission Establishment Act 2004, and it was really difficult to find this act, because it is actually called the Australian Energy Market Commission Act 2004 (South Australia). I wonder if your slip of the tongue was just meant to keep me trying longer to find it and keep me occupied. I do not believe so; I think it was just a slip of the tongue.
Madam Speaker, we support this legislation.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, the legislation is very timely, especially in relation to the supply of energy. Gas is a big market player in providing energy for the world and for Australia. Anything that can be done to allow companies to find an easier way - if I can put it that way - to get into the market, is good for the country as well as the Northern Territory. As was said at my briefing today, if we can make it easier for other companies to access existing pipelines, there is a good rationale behind that. As it was put to me: do we want pipelines all over the country duplicating infrastructure where that infrastructure could be used by several companies? I believe that makes a lot of sense.
I have not read the National Gas (South Australia) Bill 2008, not that that is one we have to debate today. It is one of those little bills that you can use to stop the door from blowing closed, or keep the paper from blowing off their desk. I am glad it was someone else’s job to read this particular bill. You can see why it has taken 10 years for this bill to come into place. There is certainly a lot of work and there has been much discussion between industry and government, all sorts of people, and the states and the ministers, to come up with something as comprehensive as we have.
It highlights that it took 10 years, and that is what we need to do if we are going to ensure that we are competitive in the world market for gas. In other words, we need good planning, and that is where the Territory has fallen down.
In relation to INPEX, I know people say: ‘Oh, you are supporting INPEX’. I have never been against INPEX. My belief is that the government has been negligent in the amount of planning it needed to do to ensure that, when gas comes into the Northern Territory, we have adequate planning. If we had set up 10 years ago, or when the government came to power seven years ago, a consultation process with industry, government, business and the gas industry about the area in the Northern Territory which would be a possible future hub for development for the gas industry, we may not have been having the debate today about whether INPEX should go in the middle of the harbour or somewhere else.
I may have said this before: we are bringing a pipeline into Port Keats at Wadeye at the moment for Blacktip. If we had a little more time, we could have discussed whether that is the site for INPEX, and whether that was an opportune time for us to develop the regions - really develop them to create employment in our regional areas, especially for indigenous people.
We have not really had this debate. All of a sudden it said: ‘Oh, INPEX is coming’. That is from an external point of view. I am talking about the public point of view. What the government was doing over the last couple of years, I do not know. But, all of a sudden, bingo, INPEX is here, bingo, that is the site that it is going to be, and if you do not agree with it, you are anti-Territorian and anti-development.
This bill today highlights if we are to ensure we are on top of the changes happening in the world today. The changes are happening rapidly - you only have to see the price of diesel at the moment, one of the main forms of energy in the Northern Territory - yet we have not done the solid planning from a Northern Territory perspective to allow …
Ms Lawrie: So, you say. Your view, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: That is right. That is why I am standing here, minister …
Ms Lawrie: That is right. No facts.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: If I was to give your view, minister, then I would say it was your view. The very reason I am standing here is to give a view I know other people agree with: that there was not good planning in relation to the setting up of gas in the Northern Territory. You may say that is my view, but I know there are other people who are also concerned about the future of our harbour; what it will look like aesthetically, the environmental impacts of having it at that particular point; the discussion about bringing another pipeline into the harbour - is that what is going to happen or are we going to use the existing pipeline or part of the way that ConocoPhillips own? These are all issues are relevant when we debate the future of energy sources in the Northern Territory.
The government gets upset at that and starts to throw the old anti-Territorian, anti-development labels around it - or I have heard economic vandals - because people do not take things that the government says for granted. They would like to put forward another point of view. After all, that is why parliament is here. Hopefully, we can put another point of view across. That is what I am saying today: if we had planned adequately for a future gas hub, we may not have been doing what we are doing today. The minister says that is my opinion. It was the government’s opinion. Only up until last year, there was a specific clause in the NT Planning Scheme saying there will not be LNG in the middle of the harbour. After six or seven years of the government saying there will not be one, just like that, we will change the law and it will be in the middle of the harbour.
Is it my fault that I am a little cynical to say for this long it was wrong and now it is right, and when I query that, I am wrong and you are right? It is a sort of funny system to argue when it was your government that signed off on the NT Planning Scheme which said no LNG in the middle of the harbour.
I welcome the bill before us today. It will be good for the nation and it will be good for the Territory. I reiterate that, if it takes 10 years to get this sort of bill before parliament to make the development of gas resources in our country more efficient, it highlights the lack of planning this government has. For the very same reason, we do not have a policy or a plan which says for future gas infrastructure: ‘This is what we are going to do’. Unfortunately, this government has tarnished itself in this area. It is well known to be a five-minute planner. It should be a five-, 10- or 15-year planner when it comes to these important matters. That is where we have let the people of the Northern Territory down.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I support the National Gas (Northern Territory) Bill 2008. We should bear in mind, particularly the member for Nelson, that this is part of the National Energy Reform Agenda. I appreciate the fact this legislation will deliver on key energy reforms to improve the governance arrangements for the regulation of natural gas pipeline services across Australia. It is not something just the Northern Territory is bringing in ...
Mr Wood: I know.
Mr WARREN: I think you are missing the point. Maybe you are not briefed enough, I am not sure. This is not about the particular issues you mentioned. I have read a fair bit of it because I am interested. I am a person who has experience and qualifications, and I understand that you are probably coming from a long way back, but that is okay.
I commend the member for Katherine because she, at least, does seem to understand the issues and has supported the bill. There are bilateral agreements across Australia on this particular bill because it is about the future of Australia, not just the Northern Territory, on the whole thing ...
Mr Wood: You better get a briefing.
Mr WARREN: I have actually read the bill, member for Nelson. I will take on that interjection and aspects of it and if you understood what the bill was about you would not be politicising the issue.
Madam Speaker, this is legislation that is complementary to other bills being introduced in other jurisdictions in regard to repealing the existing gas pipeline access legislation, particularly relating to third party access to the designated natural gas pipelines, and introducing the new national gas law.
This legislation will allow an orderly process for the gas industry to be able to utilise natural gas resources across Australia and that is very important. This is about a strategic approach across Australia, the development of our natural resources; it is not just a Northern Territory approach. The objectives of the legislation to the wholesale gas market are to encourage transparency, encourage new market entrants, and encourage investment in gas infrastructure. Those are the key elements of this and that is what must be borne in mind. We are taking our part. This is about a maturity for us in the Northern Territory participating as equal players with other jurisdictions across Australia. The lead state was South Australia. I understand Queensland is very close behind in initiating this. We are part of the process, up at the forefront of it, and I am pleased about that.
This is part of a national imperative and was developed through an intensive national cooperative process which involved extensive stakeholder consultation. That is what good governance is about. That is the important essence of it. It is not about …
Mr Wood: Hear, hear!
Mr WARREN: Exactly right. That is what it is about. That is why I do not understand why you were taking the path that you took when this is clearly about public consultation - good extensive stakeholder consultation.
There is no doubt that the natural gas industry will benefit with streamlined and improved economic regulation of the gas pipelines which will lower the cost and complexity of regulations facing investors, enhancing research certainty and lower barriers to competition. That is what it is all about, member for Nelson. In other words, improved incentives for investment in the gas industry and distribution pipelines while, at the same time, ensuring the rights of all parties seeking access to pipelines to ensure they are protected in those rights ...
Mr Wood: I got a briefing.
Mr WARREN: I am very surprised that you did not pick up the aspects of the bill then if you did get a proper briefing ...
Mr Wood: I got a briefing.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WARREN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to stick to the point.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker. I think the …
Mr WARREN: This legislation is about …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, please pause. What is your point of order?
Mr MILLS: Perhaps an assistance. If the member could direct his comments through the Chair; I think he is getting a little distracted.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, if you can direct your comments through the Chair. It would be helpful if there was less cross-Chamber banter.
Mr WARREN: Most certainly, Madam Speaker. I will try to ignore the interjections on that side and address everything through you ...
Mr Mills: You elicited them, though.
Mr WARREN: Madam Speaker, that was a …
Mr Mills: Provocative approach. Just talk …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, please just continue and direct your comments through the Chair.
Mr Mills: You started it, you goose.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The member for Goyder has the call.
Mr WARREN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. This legislation is about our future. That is what it is about. The most important aspect of the bill is the fact that we are talking about greenfields pipeline investment. In the Northern Territory, the only pipeline that we have under the existing arrangements is the Amadeus to Darwin pipeline. So the greenfields exemptions and the aspects of that are very important to our future development in the Northern Territory. The option for a post-pipeline to seek a binding no coverage exemption, which would remove the pipeline from access regulations and determinations for 15 years, is very important. That is what it is about: attracting new business to the Territory. That is what it is about: developing the Territory. That means that people who want to invest in the gas link, and in the pipeline, have some surety. That is very important.
This pricing regulatory holding gives the investors certainty at the planning stage, and that is very important. It means that they can go to their bankers and investors, and the whole aspect of investment up here taking advantage of the greenfields exemptions is very important. It is going to be a very big part of our future in the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support this bill because it is going to foster a more competitive gas supply industry in the Territory, and that augurs well for the proper and well-thought-out, well-planned future of the Territory in conjunction with other jurisdictions throughout Australia.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for Katherine, Nelson and my colleague, the member for Goyder, for their support of this bill. Member for Katherine, I do apologise for leading you on a wild goose chase, and will check up on the name of that particular legislation. I would also like to correct the member for Nelson. It actually has not taken 10 years to put together; it actually replaces an act that is 10 years old. It has only taken a couple of years to put together. For your own interest, I correct that.
As I mentioned in my second reading speech, in the short term, this impact is going to be minimal to the Northern Territory. However, it will benefit us greatly, especially when we get major local gas developments into the Territory with the potential to supply local and domestic markets. It is good legislation for Australia and for the Northern Territory. I look forward to the passage of the bill.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Serial 141)
(Serial 141)
Continued from 11 June 2008.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, overall, the budget is a very good budget. I have some concerns about certain aspect of it. We should make note that, with record income from the GST, we would expect spending, especially in areas of need throughout the Northern Territory. I realise that the Closing the Gap initiatives are very important initiatives, and the government has certainly spent a quite a bit of money in setting up programs under that framework of Closing the Gap.
Aboriginal housing is an ongoing issue that will continue. As we have debated in this House previously, it is an area that is desperately required to be attacked - if you can put it that way - to overcome some of the existing problems we have in Aboriginal communities. We know that overcrowding in housing is one of a number of issues that cause the problems that we see today.
Economic development is one of the areas that we need to put more emphasis on. I noticed in the budget that you spoke about $830 000 for targeting indigenous ranger programs. That is good. I also think there is room for more development of areas such as in the case of appointing fisheries officers under the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency so that indigenous people have the powers to check on boats in their area - both amateur fishing and other commercial fishers.
The minister talked about police; that is one area that I believe is vital to community safety and closing the gap, and it is good to see that the government has put more money into policing. One of the questions I have in relation to policing is that we know that, as you put police in one end, police go out the other end. I imagine that the police department is doing its best to reduce that. Every time you have a policeman trained and, in a couple of years that policeman has gone off to some other jurisdiction, that is costing the Territory money. It is also costing experience. The one thing you want, especially in bush communities, is police who have a knowledge and understanding of indigenous people. If they do not have that knowledge, it takes time. It is a two-way street where indigenous people need to understand those people in the police force who have just arrived in their area, and also time for the police to get to understand the people they are there to serve.
If we are losing police on a fairly constant basis, there is not time for those relationships to be established. It is not only in indigenous areas, but in the suburbs. I know that for a long time we would have had situations where people would talk about a policeman who had been in that area for a long time. I wonder whether that is now, unfortunately, disappearing. You need that relationship between police and the community where they know and can trust one another.
I am interested to know whether the government is looking at ways of reducing the number of police leaving the force. If so, do they have any figures to show over the last couple of years, for instance, how many police they have recruited, and how many police have left the force, and if there is a decline in those numbers? Otherwise, we will certainly continue to spend large amounts of money on training and, unfortunately, lose the benefits of that training.
Education, naturally, is an important area. I know the government is saying that they are putting in a comprehensive reform agenda for improving indigenous education. However, I still think it is one of those areas that the government glosses over. If you go through the budget in that area, you get concerned that some of the figures that are given really should be more highlighted in the budget than it is at present. What I mean by that is, whilst a lot of time budgets are all about highlights - highlights here, highlights there - sometimes we need to reiterate some of the difficulties we are having.
I refer to page 62 of the Education department’s section in the budget in the main budget papers. It talks about performance measures in primary education. It looks at the 2007-08 estimates for writing for indigenous students in Year 3 and Year 5, and that is 31% and 30%. I am aware that Remote Indigenous has been removed over the last few years so you cannot quite see whether remote indigenous students are improving in their writing or numeracy skills. The way it has been put now in our budgets is that it is a combined figure which a few years ago was not a combined figure. Even so, 31% is the estimate for the indigenous students reaching Year 3 level writing and 30% reaching Year 5 level writing.
If you go to the annual report for 2006-07 and look at what was estimated for indigenous students - they do not have the writing figures in here so I will go to the reading figures for Year 3 and Year 5. The estimate was 45% for Year 3 and 48% for Year 5. The actual figures were Year 3, 40% and Year 5, 38%. So, even though the government last year had hoped for higher national reading benchmark figures, they were quite a bit lower. This year, we are estimating those figures will actually be either lower or level with the previous year, although we are estimating an increase of 48% and 46% next year.
From those figures, there is no great improvement, even though we have estimated there might be a great improvement. Last year, we thought it would be 45%, but it was actually 40%, which is the same figure as 2004-05. Year 5 reading benchmark for indigenous students in 2006-07 was 38%. In 2004-05 it was 45%. It has decreased by 7% in actual figures. We are not advancing. Even the figures we hope to get to this year are 5% lower than three years ago in indigenous reading benchmark.
When it comes to numeracy, in 2004-05 it was 64% for Year 3 indigenous students. Last year, it was actually 62%, even though it was estimated to be 67%. Over three years we have gone down. It is the same for Year 5: it was 38% in 2004-05, and the actual was 32% in 2006-07.
The Minister for Employment, Education and Training has said that things are pretty terrible. There should be much more emphasis in the budget to say that this is not good. We are actually lower than we were in previous years when it comes to indigenous reading and numeracy. Even though we like to have highlights in our budget, one of the areas of greatest concern has to be literacy and numeracy amongst indigenous people throughout the Northern Territory. Until we get on top of that, many of the issues we are talking about today are never going to change. If you do not have literacy and numeracy, you do not have employment. If you are sitting in a house that has many people in it, it is difficult to read and write and do homework; it is also difficult to advance oneself.
Even though we are talking about closing the gap, the gap actually appears to be going backwards in some of these areas. I appreciate that the government has a difficult job. There is no doubt that there is no quick fix and they are spending money in the right areas in relation to closing the gap.
The government needs to debate what its intentions are in other areas. One would be housing and the cost of housing. The government has put forward its proposals; that is, making the HomeNorth scheme more easily accessible, reducing stamp duty, or increasing the threshold on which you can get stamp duty reductions for first homeowners. That is all very good, but the reality is - and I will continue to say it - it is getting harder and harder for young people to buy a house today. I recently was quoted that land in Bellamack would be selling for around $260 000 a block because of many of the requirements there. People say land in Lyons is not for first homeowners; it is being advertised for about $330 000 a block. I ask the government: how much is it costing to develop this land, and how much is being skimmed off by the developers? We own the land because the government owns a lot of this land, and has allowed the developers to purchase it. In the end, what we really wanted was to allow people to buy a house on a reasonably priced block of land so they are not stuck with a mortgage for the rest of their lives.
Governments can say: ‘Look around at Farrar and around those places and you will see people building their houses’. But what is the social effect of people having to work, work, work, work to cover the high mortgages? I heard on the radio that one person said that there were quite a number of vacant blocks in Lyons because people have bought the land but simply could not get enough money to buy the house. They are getting to that stage where the covenants are telling them to start building and they are hanging on for dear life hoping that they, I suppose, find a form of finance which can help them put a house on those blocks.
I looked in the paper the other day at the results of the 2008 Royal Australian Institute of Architects annual Northern Territory Architecture Awards. There was a house in Batchelor which they were saying would have cost $160 000 to $170 000. I say, because of the way we are developing land in the suburbs, there is no way that that house could be built in the suburbs because of the covenants that are now applying.
I understand the system is that the government sells the land to developers. The developer works out that every house is going to have a different coloured roof, it is going to have a garage set back this way, it is going to have a roof of this shape, it will have to be a minimum size to cover the block, etcetera. There are conditions being put on by developers that make a very nice suburb, but add to the cost of housing.
I ask why a house that won the architects award in Batchelor could not be built in Palmerston or in Lyons? If it came up to the code, why cannot we have suburbs with a bit of difference? Are we being forced into higher costs simply because a developer has the power to say: ‘Your house must look this way, must contain these things, must have a black roof’. Have a look in Farrar; look at how many black rooves. What is that doing to our energy consumption? What is that doing to the cost of living in the house? The government is not addressing those issues as it should be. It is just piece-meal saying: ‘There is no problem. We are releasing a certain amount of land. If you cannot afford it, we have HomeNorth, and if you cannot afford HomeNorth, get a unit, and if you cannot afford a unit …’, which is not always suitable for young families, ‘… go and see Somerville Community Services for emergency accommodation or the Housing Commission’.
Is there anything in here that says there is a definitive effort by the government to build more Housing Commission houses to reduce the waiting lists? An 83-year-old gentleman rang me yesterday. He has asked for a house. He is not on priority, but he says: ‘I am not sure I will be alive by the time I get a house with the Housing Commission’. That is a disgrace in a place like the Northern Territory. We have sold off some of our assets, and I understand why, but have we replaced them? So, housing and land prices are something that is on the top list of what the government should be doing.
Berrimah Farm is not the way to go; that is a stopgap. You have a tiny suburb set 2 km from the port. It should be developed as industrial for the port. It means you have development that can go straight to the port without going through residential areas. We have plenty of land for residential land; we do not have to use a bit here and a bit there. We can do a well-developed Darwin region based on good planning principles, not five-minute planning principles.
What is missing in this budget is a real effort to change things around for people in the Territory. The Territory lifestyle is just getting more expensive, and for some people it is not achievable any more, which is very sad in a place as big as the Territory with all the land it has.
The budget mentions reducing payroll tax for businesses. So it should. Government can sound really nice: ‘Look, we have reduced payroll tax, we have promised that’, but sometimes it needs to look at the big picture. They have not really done much because they just got a heap more money from the GST. We have a lot more of our own money that we put in, coming back to us in the form of GST. If we are getting an increase, surely some of these other taxes can get knocked off, because it is our money.
When you look at the figures for payroll tax, they do not appear to have changed much because there are more businesses. The percentage might have dropped, but the actual amount of payroll tax is not much different to what it was previously. We have this extra money, and it is good that the government reduces payroll tax. However, I say that, yes, you can do that and you should do it because you are getting more money from the Commonwealth.
It is good to see the amount effort that the government is putting into training. Everyone knows there is a skills shortage. The headlines of today’s NT News are about how difficult it is for many employers to actually find people and, when they find them, they have to pay top dollar for everything they do. Taminmin High School is certainly a leader in this area: training young people for future employment in Northern Territory industry.
I take up a couple of notes from the minister’s speech. He talked about $110 000 for a 24-hour antisocial behaviour reporting hotline. That sounds good but, if you report that the neighbours next door are having a binge party and music is belting out at night and they are hooning on the street - as was reported to me yesterday in part of the rural area – and ring, what ability have the police to change things; to actually make a difference? Are there enough police to attend a large number of antisocial behaviour happenings on Saturday nights? Do we have the numbers of people who can make that difference? It is nice to have a 24-hour antisocial reporting hotline, but do we have the infrastructure, if you can call it that, to back that up?
I noticed also the government has talked about targeting $2.5m towards tough new measures including family responsibility agreements and orders, and youth camps to stop the revolving door of youth offending. Fine! I heard the minister talk about that yesterday. However, I must admit that it hurts a little, on one hand, to say ‘Great job, government, and I am glad you are doing it’ and, on the other hand, to stand here for I do not know how many years asking: ‘Why did you shut Wildman River down?’ It seems a strange position that we are now praising the idea of having youth camps when a couple of years ago I was being told that we did not need Wildman River.
It is appreciated that the government has moved in this direction. I believe we have a long way to go. We should certainly be using the pastoral industry as a place where we can run some of these youth camps. Reading some literature that was given to me yesterday from the criminal institute - they send out plenty of documents and newsletters all the time - it is all very well to put someone into a youth camp and then bring them out and say they will be good. Well, they might be for a few months but, if there is no one following it up, and if there is no continual checking, there may be a need for them to go back again to a youth camp for a little while. Sometimes, the changes you have made to people dissipate and they are back to where they were in the first place. When kids pick up with the same gang that they left, sometimes they have the same problems.
There was also talk about commencing detailed design on a new 1000-bed prison in Darwin. Without getting into arguments about where it should go, before we go down this path too far, there is really room for debate about whether we want to have 1000 prisoners in Darwin. I am not saying we should not have the prison where it is, but we could build a smaller prison in other areas such as Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Nhulunbuy. They might be small regional prison farms. I put this idea yesterday saying those prison farms might be run by someone like Outback Stores which employs a qualified commercial horticulturalist - not someone who is having a little experiment - and they pay a wage to those prisoners who work on that farm. Some of that money goes back to prison, some goes to the prisoners, and they provide Aboriginal communities with good quality fresh food. I do not think the model that has been put forward that local government should take over horticulture is going to work. Small farms all over the place will not be viable - they might be good but they will not be viable.
This is an opportunity here for government to think about whether we could use these prison farms in these communities to supply fresh fruit and vegetables as a commercial proposition. If you do not do it that way, the industry will complain you have taken away their markets, so we give people skills, we give people employment, we provide Aboriginal communities with fresh fruit and vegetables – not only those communities, it could be many of our isolated towns in the Territory. I believe that that is worth looking at, and I ask the government to reconsider the idea of one big prison in Darwin and one in Alice Springs. I do not believe there is a big hurry as the government is going to spend $39m on upgrading the prison in its present state with demountable cells, I presume. It would be good to allow a bit more debate about this before you finally decide that this is the way to go.
There are plenty of other issues I would like to talk about. It is good to see money going into Palmerston High School. I note that there has not been one Catholic primary or secondary school built since this government came into being - that is nearly seven or eight years. There was a Catholic school planned for Lambrick Avenue. It would be good to see some move in that direction. The popularity of private schools can be exemplified by the number of kids going to the new Lutheran middle school in Howard Springs. There is a need to look at ensuring the balance is kept in providing enough funds for both government schools and independent schools ...
Mr Burke: I do not think government can dictate that.
Mr WOOD: Well, that is part of their job. They get money from the Commonwealth to provide for independent schools as well as their own schools ...
Mr Burke: They cannot tell the Catholic education system what to do or when.
Mr WOOD: No, that is what has been planned. There is an area set aside for that school. It has been set aside for nearly eight years, and that is on Lambrick Avenue, but it has not gone ahead.
On a few local issues, I am disappointed in many ways that the budget has not done much for the rural area. There is no doubt that there are some good things. The Henning Road/Girraween Road intersection, at last - it has taken a long time but the government is going to put $1m into redirecting Girraween Road into the Henning Road area and that is good.
There is money for a rehabilitation centre at the old ANSTI development on Bees Creek Road. Last sittings I asked a question about that and I got one of those global answers: yes, we are doing something, but what it is we are not telling you. It would be good to know exactly what that rehabilitation centre is. I have had reports there is a hole in the fence at the moment. I have not been to check it, but if there is a hole in the fence, there is someone getting in there. I would hate to see that place being vandalised.
There is money for road upgrades on the Arnhem Highway, which is good. Taminmin High School is getting some money. It has a big VET program, and it is also tied up with the Australian Technical College, which is great. There is a small amount of money to continue the Coolalinga landscaping, which is good.
On the other side of it, I see something like $15m or $16m to put the power lines underground in Nightcliff and Millner. Madam Speaker, I am not knocking the concept of having the power lines underground. However, year after year after year, I have asked that the government look at replacing many of the outdated and leaking private water lines in the rural area. The government is entitled to give the money to Power and Water to do the work that it does in the northern suburbs, but it is a freebie. Power already exists in Nightcliff. What you are doing is moving the power from above the ground to under the ground. We are saying that if Power and Water can get a gift from the government for that much, they could do a little to help upgrade some of the infrastructure in the rural area. Unfortunately, that has not happened.
The famous bicycle path. I see the ex-minister sitting there, and here is the letter to the member for Brennan. At the bottom of the paragraph, it says, in relation to bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs: ‘This project is subject to the usual budgetary process and while I am unable to provide you with the exact timing, the government will deliver upon this commitment during the current four year term’. Well, here we are at the four-year term, this is the end of the term, and there is nothing in the budget. So unless it is in some smaller part of this great volume of …
Mr Burke: What is the date of the letter?
Mr WOOD: The date of the letter was 2006, member for Brennan. That is right; this is the end of the term. Just a few days and we are into the last term.
Mr Burke: The actual date.
Mr WOOD: The actual date: 25 July 2006. I am still waiting, and I have written a lot more letters than just that one about this particular issue. It is sad that something like that has not happened. We have tried, and asked the government to put the bicycle path down that road, down the old railway line. Nothing has happened. I note there is money for Wishart Road for a bicycle path. Interesting, I did not know they where applying for one but they have one. We have been trying for a long time - nothing.
The slip lane: I know it might sound pretty innocuous but we have been looking for a slip lane to the Howard Springs tip for, I do not know how many years. What we got about three weeks ago was a strip of bitumen to fill up the invert because it was a bit deep. I would say about 2 m of slip lane. That was it and they packed up and went home. Yet, a simple slip lane is needed to prevent people running into the back of people driving into the Howard Springs tip. For some reason, and it is not a huge expense, we cannot get that. A little thing but it is an important thing and it annoys people.
I mentioned before there is a lack of money for maintenance for the pool at Howard Springs so that it can be opened. There is no maintenance on that pool anymore. Two years ago we had the Friends of the Springs meet the previous Minister for the Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage, and what happened? We had people pumping mud out, removing weeds, and chopping trees. Has that happened again? Not on an annual basis and that is the problem. I would like to see the government spend money doing that maintenance annually, so that we can swim in that area. That is unfortunate.
The other issue is the swimming pool. The swimming pool gets mentioned in the local Territory Regional Weekly. I thought the swimming pool was going to be a school pool. Now I see they are going to seize the land from Taminmin High School. I do not see anything in the budget. If it is not going to be part of the school, is it going to be a community-based pool? I believe there needs to be more discussion about it. If the school is taking over the pool, that is an issue for the school. Now it is going to be part of a community-based project. Whilst I support the idea of a pool, we need to look at who is going to run it, is it the right site, and what will be the cost of running it? All those things that the council had concerns about should be out in an open forum. If it is part of the school, that is the school’s business. But it is not going to be part of the school now. There needs some discussion. There is nothing in the budget to say there is $1.5m. I could not see it, so I will be asking those questions at estimates because it is important.
I can go on about a lot of issues about planning. There is not enough talk about Weddell. There is nothing about Weddell in this whole thing. About future transport options, about options out in the rural area? Can we extend the railway line? Can we have the railway line into Darwin? Can we have a light rail system? What options is the government putting forward when the cost of fuel is very high? There is nothing in here. I believe the biggest problem with the budget is that it does not have vision. It has some good things in it but, overall, for this area here, it lacks vision. It has a softly, softly approach but it not going to lift the lid on the future of the Darwin region.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I will go into specific areas of the budget with my colleagues at estimates. Today, I will just outline a few areas relating to Central Australia and some areas of my portfolios, namely as shadow for Central Australia.
The government has a lot of money and it goes to show they have been able to spend up big in many areas across the Northern Territory. There are some concerns in the budget and I will highlight some of those. I know the Treasurer would expect me to highlight some of those; she would be disappointed if I did not. I have made a note of some of those concerns. Some have already been mentioned by the member for Araluen, my Central Australian colleague, but some of them are worth repeating. She mentioned the Alice Springs Court House and the lack of investment which has been going on for a long time and the lack of facilities. The same can also be said for the Alice Springs Police Station - poor working conditions, antiquated equipment, and lack of heating and cooling; Central Australia is an area of extremes when it comes to temperatures - furniture that is falling apart and is unusable in many areas. There are pokey staff facilities including offices, interview rooms and toilet facilities. While there has been an upgrade of the front counter at the Alice Springs Police Station recently, for the most it will remain simply just a bit of window dressing because the whole facility is in dire need of attention.
I know that the Casuarina Police Station is probably the most recent to receive an overhaul and the Alice Springs Police Station is in dire need of some attention. With all the energy we spend in Alice Springs on addressing law and order issues, providing our front line - that is our police - with comfortable and functioning working conditions would be a key in not only getting the best from our officers who already do an extraordinary job, but also go a long way in encouraging them to stick around in the job, in retaining those frontline police officers. It is disappointing we have not seen a large chunk of money put towards this very important facility.
The member for Araluen mentioned the ongoing issue with the telecommunications system or the phone system, and it is worth repeating. It has been going on for a long time. People have been hanging on the end of the line for a long time. While there have been a number of attempts to solve the problem, to address that issue, it is still far from being rectified. This has been going on for a number of years now. It was first highlighted about mid-2006. It was attempted to be addressed in the regional parliamentary sittings in 2007 but, here we are, beyond 12 months from that, and it is still not much better.
It causes not only the police undue stress but also those waiting on the line. Officers have to answer, for the lack of a better word, to people in the street, and senior officers, in particular, are usually the ones who find themselves at the other end of a microphone or in front of a journalist, or a community group which is angry about the fact that they cannot get through to the police station. They have to defend a system that is clearly inadequate. It is disappointing that there has not been anything mentioned in the budget to address that. Perhaps there has been, and the Treasurer can highlight that for us.
I have had a tour of the police station and seen some of the phone records. I have seen that many calls, by virtue of the hard-working police, do get answered on time but there are still too many that do not. People are just not getting through. In many cases, these are not very serious. While I certainly do not condone people using 000 as a means to get through to the police station for minor incidences or reports, I can certainly understand their frustration when they have to resort to doing it.
Closed circuit television is another ongoing issue. There is over $3m towards closed circuit television in Darwin that will be monitored by the police, but nothing - except what you may say is an appeasing $150 000 for CCTV in Alice Springs with no police monitoring; I think that is to be done by a private firm. Considering there will be no new police for Central Australia until at least midway through next year, I believe, Minister for Central Australia, that may be just as well. Alice Springs needs more police and we need more police on the beat right now. Sadly, this government has failed to do that in this budget.
I turn now to sporting infrastructure. The member for Araluen mentioned the Traeger Park grandstand; it is in her electorate. As shadow minister for Central Australia, I too am concerned that this facility is still yet to be complete; $1m, and there is the ongoing stoush between the town council and the Northern Territory government. I know we have the NAB Cup each year and I am pleased to see that that will continue over the next few years, but if we are serious about attracting major events like a premiership game to Traeger Park, we really need to have those facilities - the coaches boxes and the like. The AFL simply will not sanction a premiership game in Alice Springs without those facilities complete. It is disappointing to see that again. I think at the last count it was $1m to finish that.
There is the ongoing situation with the Aquatic Centre and the hydrotherapy pool. Anzac Oval is an area that needs some attention. The major supporting groups there are Rugby Union, Rugby League and soccer. They would very much like to see the infrastructure at Traeger Park and Anzac Oval improved with change rooms and grandstand facilities - not a grandstand to the extent of Traeger Park, but at least more seating area for crowds. It is interesting to note that the Rugby League game between the Knights and the Panthers a couple of years ago attracted about 6000 people and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Alice Springs community. If we are going to be serious about attracting games of that calibre into Central Australia, we really do need to have those facilities upgraded. Soccer also: I know that Adelaide United is keen to utilise Alice Springs as a regional development area. They would like to play games in Central Australia and, to do that, they require the facilities to not only house the crowds, but also their own players.
I believe that the minister for Sport has been in consultation with some of the user groups at Anzac Oval, mainly the Rugby League, the Rugby Union and soccer fraternity. However, it was nothing more than lip service at this stage, with no real commitment as to what sort of money they might be able to get out of the Northern Territory government.
Sport in Central Australia is the defining common denominator. Apart from a $420 000 spend on the Indigenous All Stars NAB Cup football game in 2009, sporting infrastructure has been fairly neglected in this year’s budget, and certainly appears that way through the budget papers. Perhaps the Treasurer can highlight some sporting infrastructure spends in Central Australia that I may have overlooked. I note that the minister for Sport is going to make a statement today, so we will talk more about the disappointing aspect in my reply.
The Mereenie Loop has been overlooked again; that is, the funds to complete the whole loop. There was some conjecture yesterday in Question Time as to which part of the loop is being addressed but, essentially, we really need the whole loop fixed; that is, the road from Yulara to Alice Springs through King’s Canyon - the actual project to be completed. It is sad to see that has not been addressed and it is just dragging on and on. This project has taken almost as long as the oncology unit.
The member for Araluen mentioned breast screening. It is quite disappointing there is no money towards the breast screening service in Alice Springs. It is quite staggering, considering the severity of breast cancer in the Northern Territory and Australia, in our society as a whole, and how many people it affects - and there is no money towards that.
We have everything conceivable that attempts to deal with chronic alcohol abuse - restricted trading hours, dry town, $100 limits on certain items of grog, heavier fines - yet nothing in place to actually detoxify the person with the actual disease, which is quite amazing. A detox facility in Central Australia is something that the Country Liberal Party support and would pursue.
The member for Nelson mentioned housing and, particularly, affordable housing for low- to medium-income earners in Central Australia. If we are serious about growing the town, we need to provide housing for low- to middle-income earners. Hopefully, the planning forum that the minister for Planning and the Treasurer was at last Thursday will go some way to addressing those issues. Affordable housing and housing in general, particularly indigenous housing in Central Australia, appears to have been overlooked in many areas in the budget.
The member for Nelson mentioned the prison. I know the member for Barkly has been very keen for a prison to be built in his part of the world in Tennant Creek. As Tennant Creek takes in Central Australia, it would be encouraging to see such a facility built in Central Australia. It would be a great boost to the very small town of Tennant Creek and a great boost to Central Australia, but overlooked in the budget and earmarked for Darwin.
With the amount of money that the government has, there are going to be some positives, and there are going to be some winners in the budget in a few areas. There is $4m for the gravel access road to the horticultural district of Pine Hill. That is good news. There is $1.27m for repairs and maintenance along the Lasseter Highway. It is a pretty arduous stretch of road and, despite the 110 km/h limit, it still claims too many victims. The more money for repairs and maintenance we can put in for that very important part of Central Australia, taking people to Yulara, the better.
There are a couple of areas in my electorate which I will mention. The people of Greatorex have benefited with $2.5m at Ross Park Primary School. I am on the school council there and I know that they are very excited about their hall and the quadrangle in the middle of the school, and the ongoing works with new classrooms and the like. I know that the whole school community is very excited about that. Acacia Hill School has been desperate for some airconditioning for a long time, so much so that Marianne, the principal, was almost going to go to K-Mart and buy a little split system and get it installed. I said that I would help her with some fundraising, but the government has come to the rescue with $300 000 allocated to ease the pain of the 40C temperatures they have to put up with at Acacia Hill School. That is good news.
I am not sure if the Treasurer has received my request to donate a small bar fridge from my electorate office to Nathalie Gorey Preschool? It is amazing that Nathalie Gorey Preschool does not have a fridge for the kids to put their lunch and drinks in while they are at school. I have one in my electorate office. I have sent off the appropriate forms to the Treasurer and to Madam Speaker. They just need that signed off so I can deliver that fridge to them.
In the Greatorex electorate, it is good to see money being allocated to relocate the power station. That has been ongoing, and we are getting ever so close. I know the residents there are desperate to see the Titan and Taurus generators relocated. Hopefully, the negotiations with the AOPA can be finalised by September or October, I believe that is the time frame there. Hopefully, that can happen and the residents of that part of the golf course area, in Range Crescent and The Fairway, can have a peaceful Christmas this year far from the Titan and Taurus generators. Hopefully, that goes ahead. That goes to show what a good local member can do despite what side of the political fence he might be on, Madam Speaker.
All over Central Australia there are areas that have fallen short in this budget, and perhaps we may never be satisfied. We can always stick our hand out and ask for more to do more. There are some positives in this budget, but I think we still have a long way to go in addressing these many areas for Central Australia, the second biggest jurisdiction in the Northern Territory.
Debate suspended.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the gallery to visitors to the parliament today from NT Carers. On behalf of honourable members I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Serial 141)
(Serial 141)
Continued from earlier this day.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I support the Appropriation Bill 2008 and commend the good news contained in the Budget 2008-09 for the constituents in Port Darwin, including businesses based there.
Number one on my personal favourite list is the reduction in the maximum rate of stamp duty from 5.4% to 4.95%. This is one change that I have lobbied for since being elected in 2005. The threshold has also increased from the highest rate applying at $500 000 to $525 000. This is an assistance to many people in Port Darwin as a large proportion of property bought and sold in my electorate falls in the price bracket of $525 000-plus. This is a good start and I will continue to work with my ministerial colleagues for further reductions in the future. The increase of the first homebuyer tax-free threshold from $350 000 to $385 000 is also an excellent incentive and assistance for first homeowners.
The Territory is now the lowest-taxing jurisdiction in the country for small business with a further reduction of payroll tax from 6.2% to 5.9%. This will save businesses up to $7.2m.
Police will be keeping our streets safer under Budget 2008-09, with an increase in resources including a $13m state-of-the-art upgrade to communications over the next three years. It is very important that police have the right tools to do their job, and this upgrade is vital to assist police to respond effectively and quickly to keep us safe. Our police force does a fantastic job and we must support them by providing the resources they need.
Also included in Budget 2008-09 is the ongoing funding of $650 000 to monitor the closed circuit television network in the Darwin CBD. A further $5m is allocated to reduce antisocial behaviour on a raft of measures including an antisocial behaviour hotline and Day and Night Patrols. Antisocial behaviour is an issue that concerns many residents and, quite frankly, people are sick of it. These additional incentives will join the arsenal of measures being put into place to tackle this problem head on.
There are also dollars in the budget to assist in the implementation of youth camps to help stop the revolving door of youth crime.
Safer buses are also a part of our budget in 2008-09, with $750 000 to deliver more staff and resources, which will start to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport, which is extremely important to the safety of commuters and drivers.
We love our lifestyle in the Territory which is why so many people come for a little while and stay forever, just like me 26 years ago. Budget 2008-09 is supporting some fantastic events including the Crusty Demons, the V8 Supercars, Masters Games, Arafura Games, international cricket matches, pre-season national Rugby League match, and the Heineken Hottest 7s World Rugby tournament. Sport is such an important part of life in the Territory, and new sporting facilities such as the $4.8m Marrara outdoor netball centre and the $900 000 upgrade of Hidden Valley raceway facilities are very welcome.
From all accounts, BassintheGrass was a huge success and well enjoyed, and funding has been continued in Budget 2008-09. $5.25m in arts grants in 2008-09 also includes $300 000 for public art for many creative and talented artists.
Climate change is an important issue which will impact on our lives and must be addressed now for future generations. In Budget 2008-09, an allocation of $11m has been made over three years, which includes education and incentives to residences and businesses, also the upgrading of some government-owned facilities to reduce the impact of our own government’s carbon footprint.
This budget is a great budget and welcomed, although there is more to do and some of the issues that need to be addressed in future budgets for Port Darwin include the increase in numbers of school-aged children in the city of Darwin. Around 35% of children attending Larrakeyah Primary are living in high-rise apartments. This is quite a surprising statistic. The requirement for additional primary school places will need to be addressed sooner rather than later as the population of the city increases and development continues. Also, amenities for residents of apartments in Port Darwin will need to be looked at, such as the provision of parks and open space. Development is great and I am most likely the most pro-development member of this Assembly, given my real estate background. However, within development there must be consideration given to the liveability of our community, and there is great value in providing safe and useful community areas for individuals and families to enjoy. Planning for these areas must not be compromised by development.
There is a need in Port Darwin for public areas where the community can gather. For example, perhaps a multipurpose community hall or building could provide great cohesion to what otherwise could become a distant community by design of apartment living. Exercise is a very important consideration for city living. There are some lovely areas for walking and running, but improvements could be made. Although this is predominately a council responsibility, I would like to see joint planning between council and government to improve bike paths, running and walking tracks through the city, lighting and consideration for safety of early morning and evening runners. I will be lobbying council and government for these improvements.
Recently, many constituents have asked that the Motor Vehicle Registry extend their trading hours to include a half day on a weekend, or a later night trade, as many people work and have difficulty accessing these offices within current business hours. I will be writing to the minister to express this issue on behalf of my constituents.
All in all, Budget 2008-09 spells success for individuals and businesses alike. I congratulate the Treasurer on her first budget. I also acknowledge the Under Treasurer, Jennifer Prince, and the long hours put in by her department and the minister’s staff.
Coming from a small business background, I know how important it is to be busy and be growing a business. For small business, it is very important that they feel confident in the economy and what is to come in the future. The most nerve-racking part of owning my own business was taking on the responsibility of staff. The stakes were increased, because suddenly I was responsible for another family. If my business did not do well, then I could not employ my staff. Although I ran a successful business, my mind would have been at ease and I would have had a lot less sleepless nights if the economy had been going as well then as it is now. It has not happened by accident; it has happened by sound financial management over the last seven years.
I wish all Territorians in business a 2008-09 financial year of nice sound-sleeping nights, and assure all residents that I will continue to be your strong voice for Port Darwin and work hard to ensure that Darwin is the best place in the country to work, live and raise a family.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I thank all honourable members for their contribution to the budget debate. Delivering the budget was a great honour and a privilege. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have done so. Hopefully, next year, it will be a lot easier in delivering my second budget.
Budget 2008-09 has been delivered in the context of the Territory being in the strongest economic position ever. On Thursday, 5 June, the ABS reported that the Northern Territory had a population at 31 December 2007 of 217 559 people. That means a growth in 2007 of 2.4%, a growth level unheard of since the days of the military move to the north in the mid-1990s. The really important news in the figures published by the ABS was the number of people who had migrated here from elsewhere. It is a little known fact that, for the last 20 years, our nett state migration was mostly negative. Around 18 000 people leave the Territory, and close to that figure came but, almost invariably, fewer people arrived than left.
Last year, 859 more people arrived than left the Territory. That is a major turnaround in our population growth and speaks volumes of the strength of the Territory today. When we came to office, that figure was between 1000 and 2000 loss for the Territory each year. Our population reflected the state of the Territory’s economy: it was going out the door backwards.
Today, in 2008, we have turned that around. It has taken the strong focus, effort and management of the Labor government. Today, we have a strong economy with the highest forecast growth levels across the nation. We have a retail trade growth level of 10.3%, the highest in the nation.
Our construction industry is going gang busters right across the Territory. We have low levels of unemployment. We are training more Territorians today than ever before. That was the context in which I delivered Budget 2008-09. My task and that of the government as a whole, was to construct a budget that would continue this growth, manage its direction, and deliver its benefits to Territorians, particularly through to our families. I believe the budget will achieve those aims.
The key priorities of the Henderson government are: growing and strengthening our economy and cutting taxes; closing the gap on indigenous disadvantage; tackling crime; delivering quality education and quality health services; and investing in our infrastructure.
Budget 2008-09 delivers all of those. It strengthens our economy in many ways. Principally, it reduces the tax burden on business through stamp duty and payroll tax reduction, and by making it easier to buy a home by reducing stamp duty on conveyancing. This confirms our position as the lowest-taxing jurisdiction in Australia for small- and medium-sized businesses. That commitment, made and achieved by this government, is an important weapon in our armoury of business support. This taxation regime, combined with our ongoing support for business - through business education seminars, funding for business loans and grants, and the support of an agency focused on business across the Territory - completes the picture of a government that proudly boats of its pro-business credentials.
Budget 2008-09 puts into place significant support for the services that Territorians need and expect with record budgets in Health, Police and Education. The record funding is certainly needed. I am very proud of the fact that since the Labor government came to office, we have significantly boosted the funds available to these three important areas of government. The Health budget has increased by 89% since 2001 and it needed to. Until we came into office, the effort by government in overcoming the rising levels of ill health was patchy and unsupported at best. Good staff despaired at the lack of support they received and the focus of funding was not in the areas of greatest needs.
Since coming to office, we have massively boosted the support for hospitals and for services such as child protection, the ambulance service and remote health funding. We have employed more nurses than ever before and, over the last couple of years, we have added an additional ward to the Royal Darwin Hospital and additional beds in Alice Springs. We are making a concerted effort at getting renal dialysis to where it is most needed. I am proud of the fact that since we came to office the average length of life of indigenous women has increased by three years.
Our spending on Education has increased by 51%. We have placed a major emphasis on indigenous education with the implementation of much of the Learning Lessons report, as well as major resource and policy changes that have supported indigenous education under three ministers - the member for Nhulunbuy, the Chief Minister, and our current Deputy Chief Minister. We now have indigenous students graduating from high schools in the bush - a first for the Territory and achieved only after we have removed the CLP from office. Urban schools have been massively upgraded and we have introduced right across the Territory the very exciting and, we believe, very successful middle school model.
Law and order issues occupy much of the time of this government. We have changed drug laws, laws relating to youth, and we are locking up people for longer.
We increased police numbers by 200 initially, then an additional 66 in the intervention, and now an additional 60 under a further expansion. We are providing police with more resources, better laws and, importantly, more equipment. We have increased the police budget by 81% since coming to office. We have introduced new alcohol laws and procedures. No matter what you say about crime, you must also say that this government is working hard to tackle crime and the underlying causes of that crime.
Budget 2008-09 ensures that services are delivered across the Territory. In this budget, the government provides funds that will close the gap of indigenous disadvantage through expenditure on indigenous education, infrastructure in the bush, and improved health services.
I am proud of the fact that we have the first five-year plan of a 20-year inter-generational plan in place to overcome indigenous disadvantage. It has the aim of ensuring that every Territory baby born in the future shares an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed in life. It is a worthy aim. We are the first government in the country to put such a plan in place and, what is more, we believe we will achieve it.
Budget 2008-09 delivers a record $870m in infrastructure expenditure. That $870m will be spent right across the Territory – in remote communities, regional centres and Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs. It is a budget that supports jobs. Our infrastructure budget alone will support almost 8000 jobs. On top of that, we have managed to create services by employing greater numbers of people to deliver those improved services - more police, nurses, doctors and teachers. That means more jobs.
No less important than that is the fact that this budget delivers a surplus, continuing the tradition that we have established as economic managers. Five surpluses in a row, and the sixth one about to happen, and more surpluses are predicted through the forward estimates.
We are delivering more services, a greater infrastructure budget, cutting taxes, and we are doing so while reducing debt and delivering budget surpluses. Madam Speaker, it is not a bad achievement.
Since I delivered the budget, many Territorians and significant organisations have expressed their support for the aims and goals of our programs. Business welcomed the budget; the community across the Territory has supported its outcomes. Graham Kemp from the Territory Construction Association said:
- It is very good news considering there was stamp duty reform in the 2007 budget.
He went on to say:
- It will help young investors.
And:
- There are wins for everyone across the board.
Chris Young, the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that while no business likes paying payroll tax, the savings from our cuts would help business. He said:
- For smaller businesses paying payroll tax, the extra amount really helps.
Ryan O’Hanlon, from the Real Estate Institute, said the stamp duty cuts would be a boost to their industry. He said that the cuts were:
- … a wonderful step in the right direction.
Allan Garraway said that the Property Council:
- … has advocated for stamp duty reform, and I congratulate the Treasurer on her initiative to reduce stamp duty on property transactions.
He went on to say:
- Growing and retaining our population in the longer term requires both a sustained focus on employment growth and continued effort to ensure that the Northern Territory is a great place to live, raise and educate your family.
Allan Cooney from the Aboriginal horticulture company, Centre Farm, said he was pleased with the budget commitment to build a $4m access road at Pine Hill. He said the project:
- … means the same thing to Pine Hill as it does to the other horticultural blocks that are off the Stuart Highway. It actually gives access to the highway which is not currently available.
Since delivering the budget, I have travelled to Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Nhulunbuy; I have spoken to the communities at Casuarina and Palmerston. At all of these meetings the feedback has been positive. Yes, there have been issues and, indeed, some want more but, by and large, people have been happy with the balance this budget has achieved.
Of course, there is always one crow in the field. The only real negative response has been from the Leader of the Country Liberal Party, in fact, not even all of the CLP. The member for Greatorex was very complimentary of the budget on air, but has since been forced to modify his tune. Of course, the Opposition Leader can criticise. What he cannot do is propose a credible alternative. He pulls ideas out of the air without costings, no consideration for the impact on Territory finances, and certainly no concern but to get a headline and quickly move on. It is the lucky dip approach to the budget. He is good with rhetoric, great with a cheap throwaway line, but a set of lines does not make a budget. It makes for economic chaos.
As we heard in the Chamber today, this Labor government has a $1bn program under way to improve and strengthen our essential services. We are strengthening the future of the Territory by building another power station in the Top End and developing better facilities in Alice Springs and Katherine. We are preparing to raise the level of our main dam to guarantee our future water supplies. We are strengthening generation facilities in Tennant Creek and across many remote communities. We are shutting down the Larrakeyah sewage outfall and upgrading the suburban sewerage system. That is what good government does: it puts plans into place and delivers on those plans.
Today, we are under way with the Territory’s largest-ever remote housing program. In close cooperation with the federal government, this government will build 750 new houses and upgrade thousands more right across the Territory. Not one word from the CLP about a remote housing program. Today, we are in the final stages of completion of the public aspects of the waterfront, a great new development that is already attracting much excitement in the convention industry right across Australia – opposed by the CLP. We have signed off on the development of the new resort-style tourism facility at Little Mindil. It will provide another tourist option and will create about 100 permanent jobs – opposed by the CLP.
Perhaps, most important of all today, the decision-makers in one of the most important natural gas projects in this nation, the INPEX gas proposal, are making their calculations and working through their issues deciding where to locate the landing of the Ichthys gas field. They are doing so having been briefed by this government through the Chief Minister, talked to by the government for 12 months, and been given every possible reason to put Darwin into their thinking - all in the interests of delivering a major and long-term boost to the Territory economy in what would be an economically transformational project for the Territory. Why? Because that is what good governments do. That is what governing for the future is about. The CLP opposed it and, now, they are putting every obstacle they can think of in its way. They simply cannot be trusted with our economy.
On 6 May, the government produced a budget that delivers for Territory families and, since then, the government has been working at a pace to continue to put our plans into place. The opposition has done nothing but carp, oppose, and obstruct. I am grateful for the contribution of my ministerial colleagues who expanded on the activities in their portfolios under the budget. I am grateful to my parliamentary colleagues who have made their contributions to the budget process.
We now go forward from here to examine the budget in detail in the estimates process, a process that highlights this government’s commitment to openness and transparency. I believe this budget will serve the Territory well and will be seen to do so under whatever scrutiny the opposition and the Independents give it next week.
Madam Speaker, I commend the budget to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ordered - That the committee stage be later taken in accordance with the resolution of the Assembly dated 11 June 2008 referring the Appropriation Bill 2008 and associated Budget Papers to the Estimates Committee for consideration.
MOTION
Note Paper - Remuneration Tribunal Report on the Entitlements of Magistrates and Determination No 1 of 2008
Note Paper - Remuneration Tribunal Report on the Entitlements of Magistrates and Determination No 1 of 2008
Continued from 8 May 2008.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act requires that the Remuneration Tribunal must, at least once a year, inquire into and determine the entitlements of magistrates. It is also a requirement of the act that any tribunal determination is distributed to each person whose entitlements are affected by it before the determination is tabled in the Assembly. I am advised that copies of this determination were distributed in accordance with the act prior to tabling of the RTD in the last sittings. As members would be aware, the Assembly has the power to pass a resolution disallowing all or part of the determination within 10 sitting days after the determination is tabled in the Assembly.
Before turning to the contents of the tribunal’s report, I need to address an administrative matter. The RTD, as tabled on 8 May 2008, contained a typographical error. Clause 5.2.3 of the 2008 determination makes a reference to 7.5 calendar days being the entitlement for accrued long service leave payable upon the resignation of a magistrate after nine completed years of service. This figure should have read 67.5 calendar days. Accordingly, and in line with legal advice, I seek leave to table an amended version of the RTD which now includes a corrigendum at the beginning of the determination. I table that amended version.
This administrative correction is the only change to the determination, and I note there is no change required to the accompanying report. The 10 sitting days for disallowance of all or any part of the determination continues to run from the original tabling date of 8 May 2008. However, the government has no proposal for disallowance so I turn now to briefly address the contents of the tribunal’s 2008 report and determination.
Following submissions and research, the tribunal concluded that a salary increase for magistrates of 4.6% is appropriate. Further to this, the tribunal took the view that it is desirable that there be precise relativity between judges and magistrates’ salaries of 75% unless there are substantial changes in jurisdiction, or there is some other cogent reason to disturb this parity. Taking this into account, the tribunal has proposed a further salary increase of 0.015% be awarded to magistrates to establish the 75% relativity. This is an overall percentage increase of 4.615%. The same percentage has been applied to the Chief Magistrate, Deputy Chief Magistrate and Coroner. The allowances for additional duties of a magistrate serving as President of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and for the Alice Springs magistrate performing special administrative duties have also been increased by 4.615%.
For completeness, the remuneration of the chairperson of the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal, who is also a magistrate, has now also been included in the tribunal’s determination.
In terms of travelling allowances, the tribunal has slightly increased the rates of travelling allowance, where appropriate, to reflect the increases determined as reasonable by the Australian Taxation Office. The government supports these increases and changes.
The tribunal’s 2007 determination provided that magistrates were entitled to a Holden Acclaim, or motor vehicle specified by NT Fleet to be of an equivalent standard. The tribunal has formed the view that it cannot and should not delegate its power in this way, so it has removed this provision from this new determination. Further to this, the Holden Acclaim is no longer available, so the tribunal has identified two new vehicle models for magistrates that come closest in comparison to the Acclaim. These are the Holden Berlina and Toyota Prodigy. Given the limited choice in vehicles with comparable features, this has resulted in a merging of the motor vehicle entitlement of magistrates with that of the Deputy Chief Magistrate and the Coroner.
This is the summary of the key features in the tribunal’s 2008 Report and Determination of Magistrates’ Entitlements. I take this opportunity to note this is the first report by the new member of the tribunal, Mr John Flynn, who took up appointment in December 2007 following the retirement of Mr Otto Alder. Mr Flynn brings considerable and highly relevant skills and experience to the position of member of the Remuneration Tribunal, and the government thanks him for this report and looks forward to his future reports and determinations.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Thank you, Chief Minister, for raising your voice, which is not a thank you, you would receive very often from me, I hasten to add.
Madam Speaker, I also take this opportunity of congratulating John Flynn, not only on his appointment, but his first RTD. I am sure he will do the Territory proud.
I am not sure that a magistrate’s RTD has ever been disallowed, and it would be a brave government or opposition to even contemplate such a move. On this occasion, the opposition does not propose to oppose that in any way.
I do know that, in the negotiations and issues that the magistrates raise and have raised with Mr Alder in the past, there have been some hot issues, and there have been some that I think members of the public would not always like. That is why we have an independent RTD. That is why we, as politicians, do not decide the salaries ourselves; we have someone else to do that. It is utterly appropriate that Mr Flynn propose these changes. I know they have been in consultation with magistrates. We are very well served here in the Territory by our magistrates and judges. With the government we do not propose to oppose any of the matters contained in the RTD.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
MOTION
Note Paper - Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Invasive Species and Management Programs in the Northern Territory Report
Note Paper - Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Invasive Species and Management Programs in the Northern Territory Report
Continued from 8 May 2008.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Speaker, I support the committee’s report which was tabled in May. I do so as a relatively new member of the committee having been placed on it in February this year. I will just add a few comments about the report in terms of my experiences, not only as a local member, but also through my previous work.
The workings and terms of reference of the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee has an impact on my electorate. I can relate mostly to the Tanami Desert region. This is where I feel I am likely to be able to add to suggestions to the committee through my previous work with the Normandy Mining Company at the Granites Gold Mine. It has broader implications in the Northern Territory given the boom we are going through with the mining sector. I can recall the Normandy Mining Group in 1999 having their own Environmental department on-site and doing extensive work in developing a booklet, not only for staff, but for passing tourists and traditional owners regarding their management of weeds and feral animals on the mining lease.
Back then, I thought it was ahead of its time compared to what mining companies were doing around the country. They were involving traditional owners in collecting native animals and also identifying feral animals and weeds which were on the mineral lease.
The mining industry is a significant player in future consultations. I am not sure what evidence the committee has collected to date from the mining sector or from organisations such as the Central Land Council, which directly represents traditional owners on Aboriginal land. Given the area of Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory, I would say they are very significant players in future hearings, if not in the past hearings of this committee. There is some very good work done by Normandy Mining Company at the Granites Gold Mine which is worth pursuing.
The Newhaven Station bird sanctuary is in my electorate of Stuart. They have done quite a significant amount of research. In his report, the Chair mentioned the importance of research being conducted as part of the deliberations of this committee. Places like Newhaven Station have done a lot of work researching and analysing bird species through that particular part of the country. They have some great research findings regarding threatened species. We looked at the impact of feral animals on the land.
One of the major worries of the traditional owners in my electorate is the impact on native species through the Newhaven Station area. I visited there in the middle of last year and stayed for quite a few hours to talk to some volunteers who worked for Birds Australia about some of the threatened species in that region. Birds, such as the night parrot, the grey falcon, the grey honey eater, and also the black footed rock wallaby, are some of the threatened species in that part of my electorate. Foxes, an introduced feral animal, are having a significant impact. The cats in that area are killing off substantial numbers of native birds. That is another issue I will be interested in as I get more involved in this committee.
The Granites Gold Mine and the Newhaven Station are two significant areas that I have had some experience in regarding invasive species and the control measures or management measures that people like Normandy and Newmont today are taking to try to control some of those on behalf and with the interests of traditional owners.
Desert Knowledge is a major growing industry in Central Australia. This government, through the budget process, has put a significant amount of funding into Desert Knowledge, not only the precinct but also the Centre for Remote Research. With the Desert Knowledge industry overall, there are great opportunities through the work of this committee to recommend or investigate later on an area where Desert Knowledge can complement the work that this committee can undertake. That is another area to highlight for future work for the committee.
This new federal government is committed to the work of rangers. In my electorate, we have the Wulaign Rangers at Lajamanu, and also the Indigenous Protected Areas in the northern Tanami area. It is a Commonwealth-supported program. The Wulaign Rangers work, not only with the mining sector, in going out to country to ensure that burning off country is done properly and in consideration of other factors such as the ecosystems in that arid zone area. Who better to get than people who know so much about their country and the traditional owners and people who live on those communities? I put on the public record, for the future reference of this committee, that I am a new member of the Wulaign Rangers, and they have done work not only with the mining companies in the rehabilitation of mine sites, revegetating the waste dumps, but also the burning off of country, and managing native wildlife and native plants.
The other area I would also like to mention is that of education. I am not sure if it is one of the recommendations. Maybe the Chair can reply in his closing remarks on the report. The students who were in the gallery this morning reminded me that no matter what works many parliamentary committees are doing, we must always keep in mind the young students and their education needs. We should be engaging with them and feeding back these reports and some of the recommendations that we are finding through our work on committees. As I said, this morning really made me think again about future references and the need to be out there in the schools passing on information that we are collecting through the work of committees to the younger generation of Territorians
Regarding any model that this committee will look at in the future, any model based on a partnership between government and community is a good model to have. It is essential that we bring the community along with us. In the workings of this committee into the future, I look forward to playing a part in that and ensuring that we have the community with us and supporting those recommendations into the future.
I understand this committee was established in 2005 and has worked under the terms of reference for the last three or four years. While this report is completed, there is a need for the committee to continue into the future. I look forward to being involved more in the workings of the committee and supporting the Chairman.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I support my colleague and the Chair of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. I am pleased to support the member for Goyder, simply because I am aware of the tremendous work that he has done in his role as Chair through the discussions we have had over a very short period of time. Like the member for Stuart, I am also a new member on the environment committee - a new and a very enthusiastic one.
There are many issues facing the Northern Territory. First, I start with the many parks that make up the Northern Territory. In my area of Arnhem we have the Limmen National Park. There are also the well-known parks of Uluru and Kakadu. We know how important it is to be very conscious - certainly the Aboriginal peoples of Australia have been very aware - of the importance of country, the land system, animals and plants, and the growth and regrowth of these areas. We look at parks and say: ‘We have issues to deal with such as the cane toads’.
I begin with the cane toads because that is something we all know about. I recall the first cane toads coming into the lands of the Yanyuwa people in the Gulf. When the cane toads first came across the Queensland border into that region, we were all watching very closely to see what kind of impact they would have on the food source and the food supply for the people in the region. It had a dramatic impact for quite a number of years - almost a decade. One of the first impacts noticed by the local people was the impact this invasive species had on the goanna population, in particular, the blue tongue. These are really important food sources for Aboriginal people and families in the Gulf. There was a noticeable difference, not only in the hunting cycle where people could not hunt for the goannas any more; they noticed that they were dying. Over a period of years, those that were growing into breeding size were not as large. I know this well because we eat them and you can tell the difference between the skinny ones and the fat ones. We noticed there were some really skinny ones for a good while. Local Aboriginal people put that down to the invasive species of the cane toad.
The most dramatic and profound impact was that the food source had dwindled greatly. If it had dwindled greatly just for the local people who lived there, then there was an automatic assumption that other animals in the region were also being impacted greatly. That, in turn, would have a dramatic impact on the biodiversity and on nature. We know that once you start to affect a certain part of the food cycle, it has a flow-on effect down the track, and if it was affecting the local people who ate the food, then naturally it was going to affect the animals that fed off each other.
We noticed the big changes to the goannas and the blue tongues. In fact, the blue tongues almost disappeared. Now, thankfully, we see the goannas come back nice and fat, and the tails are just as tasty as they were long ago. What actually happened then was, as the cane toad moved across the Gulf region and left a devastating trail in its path, it moved across and up the highway. We can all laugh at the ads that were made at the time with a cane toad hitching a ride on a car, but it had a profound impact right along its journey. You could ask each Aboriginal family group, from Yanyuwa, to the next group, the Garawa, to the next group, the Mara, up the track to the Alawa people, across to the Ngukurr area, up even further into Arnhem Land, and people will begin to tell you the track this invasive species had followed. That is just one important example as to why we need to monitor what is going on across the Territory.
The real concern was what was going to happen to our national parks. In this case, the concern was more than just about the biodiversity; it was also concerns regarding tourism. If, when, and how was it going to get into Kakadu National Park? That is one important area that our government battles consistently, and we are very aware that we cannot take our eye off the ball on that one in particular.
One of the projects occurring across the Territory, especially with regard to watching out and looking after country, is the traditional knowledge systems surrounding the burning off. In the report, we talked about weeds and the control of weeds, and the control of feral animals.
Again, I draw on the knowledge system of the local people through Arnhem with the burning off. If you travel down the track now, between now and probably for another month at least - in fact, the burning off would be almost finished - where the burning off cycle every year for the last 40 000 to 60 000 years is a way of regrowth, of preparing the country for new life, for new growth, and also for local knowledge of hunting. If you want to get the turtles in the ground, you know you have to burn off the area to then go with the crowbar to be able to hit the ground and make sure you can find that long neck turtle in the ground. If you have grass in the area, you cannot find that turtle. You need to burn the country. That is another important reason why the burning off is, and has been, a way of life.
What non-Aboriginal people have recognised with the burning off is that there is a sharing of knowledge here. There is a way of burning off at an appropriate time, because we have to all be concerned now about the impact of climate change. We will all have to be concerned about how many gases are going into the air, having an impact. This is where the burning off has become an important educational tool with the Parks and Wildlife in conjunction with Aboriginal organisations and individuals across Arnhem Land.
Another project worth talking about is the crocodile harvesting in Ramingining at Murwangi. There is a real desire to be able to set up a crocodile farm there. I raise this because, in the last 12 months, we had some strange stories about crocodile farming. The strange story was the diseases that baby crocodiles were getting and the general public had not heard - maybe scientists were very aware of this - that baby crocodiles were suspected of having Chlamydia. Very strange. It brought all sorts of laughter across the Territory. That, in itself, is an important reason why we have to be acutely aware of the many problems facing wildlife across the Territory.
The people at Ramingining and Murwangi who want to set up a crocodile farm collect eggs in very hostile environments. We know we have the largest crocodiles in the Territory and, in particular, that part of the Territory in Arnhem Land is a pretty scary place to be if you are out collecting eggs surrounded by very fierce mothers wanting to protect them. Recently, I had a look with Mick Burns at the crocodile farm here in Darwin. That crocodile farm is going to have a reciprocal or shared arrangement/partnership with the people of Ramingining to look at the early harvesting of crocodile eggs.
Another project in this area is the feral pigs, buffaloes and donkeys. We are very conscious of the impact that these feral animals have on wildlife and in the bush. Like tourism, the hunting of feral pigs, buffaloes and donkeys is an important economic source for indigenous people. I look forward to trying to work with the committee on how we look at all these areas regarding our environment.
The northern quoll is an important species which Parks and Wildlife has gone to great lengths to protect. Our government has been incredibly supportive of the protection of the northern quoll and is conscious of the need to be mindful of protecting species that are threatened.
Our government is committed to supporting the Ranger programs across the Territory. These are at the forefront, I believe, along with Parks and Wildlife, in alerting the appropriate authorities about invasive species, invasive weeds and how to locate, control and monitor these species or weeds. The member for Stuart also mentioned the ranger programs. These programs are at the forefront in protecting our environment and they are aware of what is going on in their neighbourhood.
In closing, I look forward to being a strong participant on this committee with the members for Goyder and Stuart, and look forward to other issues that our committee will be exploring.
I am equally passionate about - as I am sure are other members - climate change, and the need to look at where we are going and what we are doing in the Northern Territory.
We have an important power source in solar power. In the desert, we have an environment which is beautiful and wonderful and where solar energy can flourish. We, perhaps, have not explored wind power as strongly as we have solar power, but I think that is to come.
As I travel around Arnhem I talk to people about transport and road transport. We hear the concerns about the impact of vehicles and the smoke and pollution. We are in a really good position here in the Northern Territory, particularly in our regions, where we can choose to go back to the use of bicycles. We could probably do a couple of things as well as looking after the climate; we could probably get fitter while we are doing it.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Chairman on his report and look forward to working with my colleagues.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I thank those members who have contributed to the debate. Not only the members who have contributed - I know it has been a very busy session, and I appreciate the time constraints on other members of the committee.
I am very pleased with the work of this committee. I can honestly say that this is a truly bipartisan report. I am very proud of each and every person who has been on that committee. We have had a number of changes. I was looking at the numbers. We have had nine members. It has been quite a journey. On behalf of the committee members, I thank those past members who have contributed to this report. Some are still in the Chamber.
The member for Nelson decided for his own reasons that he could not participate to the fullest extent on the committee. I know he has taken an interest in the whole process. I think sometimes he might regret that but, hopefully, we will see him on board sometime in the future.
The members for Daly and Millner both contributed significantly in the early stages. They have gone on to become ministers. The early scene that was set for the committee by those two members was quite outstanding. They came on the field trip and were certainly very active. There were some late night sessions which they were heavily involved in it because they were very passionate about it, just like everyone who has been on the committee.
I also acknowledge - and I know I am breaking protocol here - but I will mention him by name and that is Dr Richard Lim, who was member for Greatorex. Dr Lim had a very strong commitment to the Central Australian area and, like all members on the committee, his belief was that we needed to explore all aspects of how best we could advise the government on combating the invasive species threat. I also thank the new members who have taken up the mantle and banner - I can see you are very proudly waving that banner. They are the members for Arnhem, Stuart and Greatorex who have made sure that this was a bipartisan report and ensured we did not pull any punches. We really did say it as we saw it.
I have left one other member for last: the member for Katherine. The member for Katherine, like me, is one of the two original members on the committee. She has been a great support. When you are on the road away from parliament you actually get to understand a little more about members on either side of the House. You start to realise that there is camaraderie because we are all on an equal basis when we attended those meetings. When we were on the field trips checking out what other towns and areas throughout the Territory were feeling and conducting our inquiry, you realised that these people are very passionate about the same issues. You get to know them better. We had some lunches and good times together on the field trip. I remember that very well. I thank all members, especially the member for Katherine, who put a lot of effort into the outcome of this committee.
We met some very interesting characters on our journey during this inquiry and every person who submitted to this inquiry has put some value into it. Some people come in with a very specific issue, others come with broader issues. They certainly made us very much aware of the situations and the current status, and also helped us make recommendations on the way forward. That is very important. Without them we would not have achieved that.
I thank the officers of relevant government agencies. They helped us consolidate our thinking. It is interesting to note that, in many respects, them coming together and talking through the issues with us as a committee in the early stages, coalesced their thoughts. We always believed that there needed to be more working relationships between different agencies and officers of those agencies. By the very fact that they came together to meet and discuss these issues with us, they went away and started talking. One of the really pleasing, but frustrating, elements of writing the report was that they were, in some respects, jumping ahead of us a bit. That was good because there were some things that were very obvious, and developing those working relationships was a very important part of that.
The Territory needs to retain its precious environmental treasures. We must preserve them for future generations. We have to fight to protect our unique and special environment.
I thank speakers who participated today. The member for Stuart, one of the newer members, commenced his speech talking about weeds. Weeds are probably the biggest single issue, even above vertebrate invasives that we encounter. Everyone knows about it; it is very topical. Everyone talks about gamba grass, mission grass, para grass, and things like that. There are weed grasses in Central Australia. Many of the grasses down there, such as the buffel grass, are a big issue, with the many other weeds they have as well. It was pertinent to remind us that it is not just the Top End that suffers the devastation that can occur through invasive weeds.
The member for Stuart also mentioned some of the stakeholders - that was something that came out in the report. He mentioned the mining industry and they are a very important aspect. In fact all stakeholders - the mining and the pastoral industry - are very important stakeholders. It is easy to put the blame on the mining industry or the pastoral industry for things, but let us not forget they are a major part of the solution. Weeds do affect pastoral properties. They are an important consideration in the cost element of the pastoral industry; the same with the mining industry. In this day and age, we have to acknowledge that. We are acutely aware of the problems with weeds and feral animals and the whole problem of invasive species. Their eradication is part of the solution - and a very important part of the solution - as is the CLC and the Northern Land Council. The member for Stuart mentioned the CLC, and they did have input into this process, together with the Northern Land Council. We valued their input.
The member talked about research and the need for continued research. This is a critical part of the study to overcome the issue of invasive species. We can do the legislation, and look at those areas, but we need to put some meat on the bones. Research helps us to do that because it allows us to develop – and we are developing - processes and fine-tuning the risk management systems which, basically, came out of research. These research tools have been involved and utilised in combating the invasives, particularly weeds, but we are now moving into the area of vertebrate animals. Then, we will move into aquatics and all the other areas as well. That stock-standard approach has devolved here and we will continue our investigations. What we are doing is really leading other jurisdictions in Australia in many respects and how we are taking that next step. We call it a coalescing of those thought processes, and research is certainly a big part of it.
The member mentioned Newhaven Station, and I am pretty sure they had input from their perspective. I know a couple stations were also concerned with the continuation of projects and that they would get funding for projects. We need to ensure that there is a continuation of projects. That is why the risk management systems lead the way forward for grant applications and accessing funds; also focusing the targeting of management of invasives. Desert Knowledge is an important part of it. That is where we can study the baseline information on native species and get a good handle on that.
The member for Stuart raised a very important point about the government supporting the recommendations. There are, maybe, some hard pills to swallow in this report. We were never going to pull punches with this report. This report was meant to alert the government to the seriousness of the problem. I know the Environment minister has had discussions and is very serious about the materials in the report. This report was not just about waving the big stick. It was also acknowledging the good work that had been done, the way forward and encouraging and giving some leadership role, and that is what a good committee report should do: provide that leadership role.
The member for Arnhem commenced her speech talking about the many parks and the preservation of our unique fauna in our Territory parks, and they are important. She mentioned about the impact cane toads have had upon indigenous communities, but also our park lands. It was quite humorous to talk about skinny and fat lizards, but there is a more serious side to that. It is easy to say there are skinny lizards but many indigenous people rely on native foods, not only as an important source of food supply and sustenance, but also teaching their culture and passing it on to future generations.
Even at this late stage, you start to see other aspects of the impact of the invasive species, and one of them is the cultural aspect. If you do not have the species there because invasive species have displaced them, then you are in a position where culture is affected, and indigenous culture is affected by that. Whilst it was quite funny to talk about skinny and fat lizards, there is a serious message behind that.
She went on to talk about the northern quolls and the great work being done there. It is important that we recognise that these native species are threatened at an early stage and that we do something about it. We did it before the cane toads overtook the Top End, and that is why Island Ark and Wild Ark programs have been so successful.
The member for Arnhem went on to talk about the crocodile harvest, and indigenous involvement in this burgeoning industry. She then talked about another invasive, which is not a weed or an animal, it is a disease; that was Chlamydia and the concerns with that. That is an invasive in its own right. You can easily forget about the other aspects of invasive species, the aquatics and the invertebrates. It is very easy to focus on weeds and animals and forget about some of the important aspects of invasive species.
She also mentioned the indigenous ranger program and hoping that the government would further that. That certainly was a very strong element that we pushed in our report; that we needed to get more stakeholders involved. This is also a way forward if we are talking about creating employment opportunities for indigenous people. I know it is on the back of something we do not like to think about, the invasive species, but that is a very important aspect of it, indeed.
In conclusion, I thank the secretariat staff and Terry Hanley, whom I am pleased to say is present here today. His secretariat leadership role was very helpful. Without Terry, we would have been struggling on many occasions, particularly the background organisation and preparedness. Brian Lloyd and Maria Viegas were very active in the compilation and the writing of the report. Without the thought processes of these two valuable people we would not have had the quality output and the quality research that particularly Maria did in that early stage in bringing the whole thing together. Brian came in fairly late in the piece to bring that into a very comprehensive and understandable report.
I also thank Kim Cowcher, Joanne Burgess and Lauren Copley who were involved with the administrative research and administrative support for the inquiry. Their work was invaluable. I make a special thank you to Terry, Maria, Joanne and Kim for the conference that was held this past year. In 2008, we held the Annual Environment and Public Works Conference in Darwin. They were very active, very stressed out at times, but very much involved in the running of that event. It was a very successful conference, and I could not let this occasion go without thanking them.
In conclusion, I will quote from my tabling speech because I do not think I could put it any more succinctly:
- We need to make sure we as a government are firing on all cylinders to do our part of the job. For a little more investment we can get a lot more back. We can continue to enjoy our Territory environment, savour its gifts and continue to share them with the world.
Madam Speaker, I thank everyone who has participated in the presentation of this very valuable report.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
TABLED PAPER
Report of the Legislative Assembly
By-election for the Division of Greatorex
Report of the Legislative Assembly
By-election for the Division of Greatorex
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Report of the Legislative Assembly By-election for the Division of Greatorex.
TABLED PAPER
Legislative Assembly Portfolio
Budget Statement
Legislative Assembly Portfolio
Budget Statement
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Legislative Assembly Portfolio Budget Statement.
TABLED PAPER
Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 – Specific Purpose Payments
Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 – Specific Purpose Payments
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I lay on the table the Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 - Specific Purpose Payments.
MOTION
Print Paper - Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 – Specific Purpose Payments
Print Paper - Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 – Specific Purpose Payments
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Paper - Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 – Specific Purpose Payments
Note Paper - Public Accounts Committee Report No 44 – Specific Purpose Payments
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, as chair of the Public Accounts Committee, I am pleased to table this report which deals with issues surrounding specific purpose payments from the Commonwealth to the Northern Territory.
Pursuant to Standing Order 21A(2)(d), in October 2005 the Public Accounts Committee received a reference from the Treasurer to investigate and report on the status of specific purpose payments made by the Commonwealth.
At the time, the Treasurer’s concern was a policy shift relating to specific purpose payments and, in particular, new reporting requirements including a greater focus on input controls rather than the achievement of outcomes, a new requirement that states and territories match specific purpose payments on a $1-for-$1 basis, and changes to the Commonwealth’s contribution to service delivery in some areas.
As I mentioned, this was a direct approach by the Treasurer and it should be noted that there were no tabling requirements contained within the correspondence. However, members were of the view that the work undertaken throughout the inquiry in conjunction with the very nature of the reference meant that the issues raised took on a level of importance that required a response to the Assembly as a whole.
The Public Accounts Committee began to gather information in respect of the Territory’s receipt of specific purpose payments which included background briefings by Treasury officials and individual agency briefings on details of specific purpose payments tied to their core business delivery.
Members will be aware that the Northern Territory is heavily reliant upon Commonwealth grants for funding. Commonwealth grants make up 80% of the Territory’s income compared with a 50% average for the states. Of that income, 80% is comprised of general purpose payments, which is effectively distribution of GST revenue, and is not tied to any particular expenditure stream. Specific purpose payments, however, make up the remaining 20% of the Territory’s revenue from the Commonwealth and these payments are tied, which means they are intended for and must be spent on a particular expenditure item.
What became clear to the committee was that a number of agencies negotiated specific purpose payments directly with the Commonwealth and there was no central means for tracking what payments were due, overdue or even expected.
It was the evidence of Treasury officials that a systematic whole-of-government approach was required to properly monitor receipt and disbursement of specific purpose payments. The committee’s work was thrown somewhat off course following the 2007 federal election. In December last year, the Council of Australian Governments met and agreed on a national reform package including an outcome focus on specific purpose payments. In January of this year, the Ministerial Council of Commonwealth State Funding Financial Relations - that is, the Treasurers - met and established a Specific Purpose Payment Working Group. COAG again met in March and was presented with the Treasurers blueprint for how specific purpose payments reform may be achieved. Because the issue has not been resolved between the Commonwealth and the states and territories at this stage, it would be futile to attempt to pre-empt the final resolution.
I can, however, inform the House that the general thrust of reforms include reducing the number of specific purpose payments from almost 100 in the case of the Territory to six large policy categories. This means that there will be fewer specific purpose payments, but their application will be broader and they will be outcome focused. There is no intention for any state or territory to lose quantum. The differences will be in policy and administration. In addition to this reduction in categories of specific purpose payments, there is a corresponding intention to establish a further group of payments to be called national partnership payments which will be used to drive reform in particular areas to produce specific outputs. We expect more news on this initiative in due course.
Because it has been a contentious issue for the Territory in the past, I reiterate that the policy intention is to remove the input focus of specific purpose payments and transform it to being outcome focused, which will facilitate a tangible means by which to measure the success or otherwise of a Commonwealth payment against its intended purpose. By way of example, under the former regime, payments were measured by input or dollar amounts. Under the proposed regime, payments will be measured by the results arising from the dollars which may be a number of new clinics or number of professionals on the ground.
There is little more I can add because the matter remains subject to consideration by COAG. Whilst it was not our intention to discharge the terms of reference in such an arbitrary fashion, the Public Accounts Committee considered it prudent to report to the Assembly that recent events and cross-jurisdictional ministerial councils have rendered our inquiry impotent.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I place on the record the committee’s gratitude to the following officers who were so thorough in their briefing of the committee: the Auditor-General, Mr Frank McGuiness; Under Treasurer, Jennifer Prince; Assistant Under Treasurer, Tony Stubbin; Director Public Finance, Bruce Michael; and Chief Executives of the agencies who responded to the committee’s 21 questions in relation to SPPs administered by them.
I also thank the secretary of the committee, Mr Hanley, for his invaluable help in pursuing this inquiry, and also the other staff members of the Committee Secretariat within the Legislative Assembly.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the report be noted.
Motion agreed to, paper noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Delivering for Territory Families and Investing in the Future
Delivering for Territory Families and Investing in the Future
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Deputy Speaker, there is no doubt that sport and recreation is an important part of the Territory’s great lifestyle. That is why this government continues to make every effort to maximise opportunities for Territorians to participate in sport and recreational activities in both the Territory’s urban and remote regions. This government is all about delivering for Territorian families and investing in the future. Our $25.8m commitment to sport and recreation in the 2008-09 financial year will both deliver for Territory families and invest in the future.
Families will benefit from our financial support of grassroots local sports, and commitment to bringing the best in national and international sporting events to the Northern Territory. Our investment in the future is not just about bricks and mortar, such as the $7.5m Larrakia Park or the soon-to-be completed Marrara Netball Centre; our investment in the future is also about the social and health dividends that flow from sport and active recreation. Territorians have historically enjoyed an active outdoor way of life. This has helped set the Territory apart from the rest of Australia and made this such a special place - the best place in Australia to live, work and raise a family.
As a government, we continue to foster and promote our great Territory lifestyle and that means fostering and promoting sport and recreation. Historically, sport in the Territory has meant more than the contest between participants on a playing field. Anyone who knows the Territory realises sport has been, and continues to be, a fundamental part of our social fabric. Sport has given us countless heroes and leaders and, importantly, it has provided generations of young Territorians with positive role models.
I am proud to call myself a born and bred Territorian. Years ago, I remember watching my sporting heroes at places like the Gardens Oval and Richardson Park, hoping that one day I would not only emulate their physical and athletic feats but also reflect their capacity for teamwork, discipline and loyalty. During my youth and that of my parents, for many people growing up in the Territory meant playing several sports each year. In fact, it was not unusual for people to play more than one sport on the same Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Sadly, this same love of an active participation in sport is no longer the norm for many Australians. We all know about the unacceptably high levels of obesity now affecting Australia. It is a problem affecting a growing number of younger Australians and is the cause of a number of chronic diseases. Too many families have lost sight of the social and physical benefits of participation in sport and active recreation. The rapid rise in our national obesity epidemic has been well documented in a range of surveys since the 1980s and, while there may be some conjecture amongst health professionals about exactly how grave the problem may be, I am pleased to note that the Rudd government has made tackling obesity a priority. Some experts have actually gone as far as asking whether obesity has reached the stage where public health interventions might be necessary.
Regardless of what might happen at the national level, here in the Northern Territory we must continue working to encourage as many young people as possible to become involved in sport and active recreation. The $25.8m committed to sport and recreation in Budget 2008-09 will not only promote our great Territory lifestyle but will, hopefully, lay the foundation for a healthy way of life for many young Territorians. This is a tangible example of this government’s delivery for Territory families and investing in the future.
Between now and the end of the year, Territorians will get to see top-flight teams such as the Australian cricket side and the AFL’s Western Bulldogs. We will continue working with and funding peak sporting organisations to ensure their individual clubs have the capacity to attract young Territorians to their sport. We will also continue our Come and Try Days initiative, which aims to attract young Territorians to individual sports. The underlying philosophy of this initiative is the promotion of physical activity, fun and boosting numbers in structured sporting competitions. Come and Try Days operate in both urban and remote areas of the Territory. In remote regions, we hope that by promoting an interest in a particular sport we might link a group of communities which, in turn, will hopefully lead to a structured competition that will benefit the communities and the participants. We recognise the vital role sport has to play in helping turn around the disadvantage and sense of futility that so often affects young people in our remote communities.
Sport offers health benefits. It offers hope and a sense of fulfilment where there may be none. Sport can help steer young people away from antisocial and illegal activities. Our Indigenous Sports Program supports participation in the establishment of sport and recreation programs in remote indigenous communities, as well as supporting community sport and recreation officers. The Indigenous Sport Program is funded through the Australian Sports Commission through an agreement for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years. The Australian Sports Commission provides just over $522 000 each year to support the employment of seven indigenous sports officers across the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory government provides almost $3m a year for sport and recreation programs in remote communities, assisting community government councils to employ 52 sport and recreation officers in 46 communities.
As part of the Territory government’s Closing the Gap initiative, $4.5m has also been allocated to supporting sport and recreation programs until 2011-12. This funding will provide additional support to remote indigenous communities. For instance, the Indigenous Sports Program, in partnership with Softball NT, recently conducted an indigenous softball carnival in Docker River, with others scheduled to be held in Kintore, Borroloola, Timber Creek and Wadeye. The additional funding allocated as part of the Emergency Response Youth Division funding has seen the Indigenous Sports Program take an active role in assisting with the management of 11 sport and recreation infrastructure projects valued at $760 000.
One of the cornerstones of our commitment to sport and recreation is the construction and maintenance of sporting facilities for Territorians. I have already mentioned the home of soccer at Larrakia Park, which has added a new dimension to football in the Territory. In keeping with our 2005 election promise, a $4.8m netball centre will be built at Marrara by early 2009, featuring 10 national standard rebound ace courts, court lighting, and first-class amenities including change rooms, canteen and bar. The new facility will be a far cry from the old Parap courts.
In Alice Springs, work has begun on Stage 1 of the aquatic centre. The Territory government is proud to contribute $8.1m to this exciting project. The Alice Springs Town Council has been able to take advantage of the Territory’s funding to leverage matching funds from the Australian government. I am proud that the funding provided by the Territory government has paved the way for this major investment in sport and recreation infrastructure for Alice Springs.
Since 2005-06, this government’s investment in sport and recreation infrastructure has also included construction of the $8.7m Palmerston Recreation Centre; construction of a $1.05m drag strip for Alice Springs; $800 000 for lighting the Tracy Village Sports and Social Club’s baseball ground; $400 000 for the construction of low-level lights for soccer at Nakara oval; a $1.25m upgrade for Katherine sports facilities damaged in the April 2006 floods; $500 000 for the upgrade of facilities at Ross Park for junior soccer; upgrade of sports facilities at Canteen Creek; $500 000 for the upgrade of the Ngukurr sports oval; $100 000 for the upgrade of the Elliott Recreation Centre; $500 000 for the upgrade of electrical facilities at Hidden Valley Raceway; and $35 000 for the upgrade of the Bulman oval.
Importantly, $1.26m will be provided in 2008-09 for the repairs and maintenance of government-owned sporting facilities. A total of $8.77m has been made available to the sport and recreation grants pool in Budget 2008-09. I am particularly excited about the new funding of $1m a year for both 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years, which has been made available in the sport and recreation grants pool for facility development grants. This pool is for grants to the peak governing body of sport and recreation groups, local government bodies, as well as grassroots organisations to increase their capacity to provide regular activities.
In February, I was delighted to join the representatives of Cricket Australia and NT Cricket to announce a $3.1m agreement to bring international cricket to the Territory for a further five years and develop grassroots cricket. The agreement will see a $2.1m investment from the Northern Territory government and a $1m investment from Cricket Australia. This agreement is very much in keeping with our philosophy of bringing the best of national and international events to the Territory, while also developing local sport. Australia plays Bangladesh in a three match, one-day series in Darwin on 31 August, in the first games of this second five-year agreement to deliver international cricket for Territory families. I am definitely looking forward to seeing Ricky Ponting’s Australia team playing at Marrara. Events like this help make the Territory a great place to live and our great lifestyle even better.
Madam Deputy Speaker, as you no doubt appreciate, in years gone by, sport has been something of a male bastion, but this government intends promoting sporting opportunities for Territory women. We have some enormously talented female athletes in the Territory and we want to give them the opportunity to make the most of their natural talents. In addition to the new netball facility, the government will also spend $50 000 to help the Territory netball side into the Australian Netball League. This will provide our best netball players with exposure to the next level of competition. In addition to our investment in netball, it is great to see the number of elite female athletes who are benefiting from programs and support from the Northern Territory Institute of Sport. It will not be just our netballers who will be getting exposure to the next level of competition. A $1m government commitment to the AFLNT will see the cream of our Australian footballers competing in a southern competition next year. Budget 2008-09 includes the first $200 000 instalment in this five-year agreement. We still have not had official confirmation on which state our team will be playing in. There is plenty of speculation currently doing the rounds.
Budget 2008-09 includes continued financial and administrative support for national and international sporting fixtures in the Territory. This includes:
securing the five-year international cricket agreement for Darwin. Australia plays Bangladesh in a three match one-day series in Darwin on 31 August, 3 September and 6 September;
staging of a national basketball fixture at Marrara indoor stadium;
staging of a national Rugby League game in Darwin;
staging the Indigenous All Starts AFL match; and
staging the NAB Cup game in the Darwin and the NAB Challenge game in Alice Springs, as well as an AFL premiership fixture between the Western Bulldogs and Port Power later this month.
This is in addition to the government’s support for:
the Hottest 7s Rugby Union tournament earlier this year;
the Imparja Cup indigenous cricket tournament in Alice Springs earlier in the year;
$37 000 in support of the highly successful Four Nations men’s hockey tournament in Darwin between 28 April to 2 May; and
$50 000 to help stage this month’s Crusty Demons motocross spectacular
What a night that was. I was lucky enough to be there. Some 10 000 Territorians were treated to an incredible display of skill and courage. We already have the Darwin round of the V8 Supercars scheduled for Hidden Valley later this month, as well as the Olyroos Soccer team coming to Darwin for a pre-Olympic training camp.
Some $3.3m has been allocated in the 2008-09 budget for the Northern Territory Institute of Sport which is a key partner in the sport and recreation sector through its identification, development and support of the Territory’s talented and elite athletes. The NTIS aims to be a leader in athlete development programs. We are also making a significant contribution to national and international sport. It is gratifying to know that the NTIS supports more than 150 Territory athletes each year. The NTIS also provides squad scholarships to attend sports programs. These are Australian Rules football, cricket, cycling, hockey, netball, Rugby League, Rugby Union, tennis, tenpin bowling and weightlifting. We also have athletes currently at the NTIS on individual scholarships from sports like athletics baseball, judo, swimming, touch football, triathlon, wheelchair basketball and yachting.
The NTIS has worked closely with the Australian national men’s hockey team, the Kookaburras, to assist in their preparations for the up and coming 2008 Olympics in Beijing. NTIS staff trialled the effectiveness of different cooling techniques on Kookaburra players while they competed in the recent Four Nations tournament. It is likely that the NTIS will provide similar support to the other Australian Olympic teams like football, otherwise known as soccer, clay target shooting, and wheelchair tennis in the coming months.
It is heartening, indeed, to look at the support the NTIS has given to individual athletes in the past year as they pursue their sporting dreams at both national and international levels. This includes support for: AFL draftees, Marlon Motlop and Cameron Stokes; Crystal Attenborough, as a member of the Australian relay team in the 2007 world championships; Eliza Mayger who finished 14th in the Boston Marathon; Des Abbott from the Men’s Australian Hockey side; Kellie Fong, an Australian representative at the 2007 world championships; Sam Irwin who was recruited to the Gold Coast Titans NRL club; Tamarra Betts, Australian Junior Judo representative; Jessica Moller and Sara Winch for the Under 17s National netball squad and Kim Bruyn for the Under 19s national squad; Jack Benson and Rohan Langworthy for sailing world championships in the Tornado Class; Kia King national age swimming champion and semi-finalist for the Beijing swimming trials; Jordan Ah Sam who made the Australian Under 18 girl’s touch team; Sophie Hawkins, an Australian age representative in 2007 World Triathlon Championships; and Alison Fitch, 2007 World Ironman Championships and NT Sportsperson of the Year.
The NTIS continues to play a crucial role in developing some of the Territory’s best sporting talent. This is a truly worthwhile investment in the future.
I believe that despite changing attitudes and greater options, particularly for young people, sport and recreation continues to be central part of the Territory’s great lifestyle. As a government we must continue working with peak sporting bodies to meet these generational challenges. We are intent on providing sufficient funding to ensure maximum opportunities for Territorians to become involved in sport and recreation. Our funding for sport and recreation delivers for Territory families. As a government we will continue working to maximise this crucial investment in the future.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement. Sport and recreation is very important in the Northern Territory as it is right across Australia. It is evident every day of the week and, in particular, every Saturday morning when you see so many people out there. I know in my electorate of Greatorex there is soccer and netball in winter and footy and cricket in summer. Even people just walking their dogs or going for a jog or doing aerobics - whatever it might be, sport and recreation plays a vital part in the Northern Territory.
However, minister, I am a little unsure of the substance in your statement and how it has come to be a ministerial statement. There is really nothing new in this. It is pretty much a recap of what is already happening, or recurrent programs that have been operating for some time and, no doubt, will continue to operate for some time to come. In fact, when I compare this statement to other ministerial statements on sports and recreation, not much has changed. In fact, much of what you said in this, minister, looks like a cut-and-paste job, a rehash of previous statements with a few different words and the dates changed and the like.
When the debate is concluded I am sure there will be a few pats on the back about the statement. Your colleagues will say ‘well done’ but, really, there does not appear to be a lot of new stuff in here. It is not that this side of the House undervalues sports and recreation. The CLP established Marrara as a sporting precinct for sports and recreation. There does not appear to be a lot of new stuff in this ministerial statement this time round.
It is interesting that you talk about chronic diseases and the high level of obesity affecting the growing number of Territorians and Australians. Apart from the normal recurrent programs that you have previously announced, there are not a lot of new initiatives to tackle childhood obesity in this statement. There is no mention of any new programs to target children, or to encourage their participation in sport and recreation across the Northern Territory. It seems that you are waiting for the federal government to announce their new child obesity programs so that you can tag on the back. I cannot see anything in there that tackles the very serious issue of childhood obesity when it comes to sports and recreation.
Minister, you talk about sports and recreation infrastructure. It is important that both sides of politics, both sides of the House, continue to invest in sporting infrastructure. We are very pleased to see that $1m has been earmarked for facility development grants, and that is good. While acknowledging that increase, when you tag on labour costs and the increase in labour costs and building materials in recent times, I do not think that it is essentially adequate. There should be more money. There should be, and could be, more money allocated to facility development grants. There is not a lot of that there.
Facility developments in Central Australia at Traeger Park – I know we tend to talk about this ad nauseam, but it is a serious issue that this minister and previous ministers refuse to talk about. We want a straight answer as to what is happening with Traeger Park. Will the government complete Traeger Park? It has been going on far too long. It is a stoush with the Alice Springs Town Council. Why will the Alice Springs Town Council not accept responsibility for the Traeger Park facility? Why won’t they? Can we get a straight answer on that? It is $1m, I believe, at last count, to complete the top floor of Traeger Park.
I am on the school council at Centralian Senior Secondary College. They are desperate for some shade and ablution blocks. That oval is used every single day of the school year. It is used just about every weekend for cricket and footy, and it is a big venue for the Alice Springs Masters Games. Shade is important, you would think, given Central Australia is a solar cities town - we have more sunlight than just about anywhere else. Often, sport is being played in 40C-plus heat, yet there is no shade.
I wrote to the Sports minister about this. I got a rebuttal, at best. I have written to him again about that and still no reply. I have written to the Minister for Central Australia - no reply from him. I have written to the minister for Education - no reply from her. The government owns this facility, minister. You are in Cabinet. I would think that you would be able to do something about it if you are actually interested in providing some shade at Centralian Senior Secondary College or Charles Darwin University Oval. I have written to you again. I will continue to write until I get a reply and we start to see some action.
The issue of Humpty Doo swimming pool is normally the Infrastructural Facility Development Grants. The Humpty Doo swimming pool was promised in 2001. It is still not delivered. All along, government has been blaming the council about the Humpty Doo swimming pool. Blaming the council appeared with the original promise made way back then. It had nothing to do with the council. This, I might add, is the council that this government tried to sack. The member for Goyder is very keen to say he is fighting for the swimming pool at Humpty Doo …
Mr Warren: Absolutely! Absolutely is.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: Very keen to say he is fighting for the swimming pool at Humpty Doo. It would appear that he is really just fighting for his own colleagues to try to save a bit of face there, because this is a broken promise by the Northern Territory government to provide a swimming pool at Humpty Doo. Seven long years later and there is still no swimming pool.
Minister, you may have noted a number of letters - and I am sure you have - in the Northern Territory News about cycling. Cycling is a very important part of sport and recreation - obviously, in sport and in a recreational sense. For many, it is a good way of getting to and from work. How many bike lanes have been added since this government came to office in 2001? I cannot count any. Maybe, there are a couple the minister might be able to enlighten us on. Obviously, with fuel price increases, cycling would be an appropriate way to get to and from work, particularly in areas as flat as Darwin and some of our main towns across the Northern Territory. However, it appears - and for the life of me I do not understand why - there has been no provision for bike paths in the budget or, in fact, since this government came to office in 2001.
Minister, in the lead-up to the last election you promised a netball centre at Marrara. You finally allocated some funding in the budget for it. Of course, that is welcome and it is good to see that it has finally happened. However, to be honest, it is three years after this promise was made. There is a good-looking sign there which, no doubt, cost a fair bit of money. Now, we are finally seeing some money towards the netball centre at Marrara. It has taken a long time for this government to address that. I would like to know how much the sign cost. The sign has been sitting there for quite a while.
That money may have been better channelled into junior development or netball development. I am sure that junior sport could do with some money. On most Saturday mornings, I am out cooking the barbecue at the netball association, raising money for the netballers by cooking a sausage sizzle. We might get $300, $400, sometimes $500, every Saturday morning, and that goes a long way in junior sport to buy netballs, netball uniforms or nets, or just general maintenance. I believe some of them are using it for airfares towards their representative commitments throughout the course of the year. There is a lot of money tied up in saying what you are going to do, where money could be better spent in actually developing some of these junior sports.
I acknowledge the work that has gone into securing international cricket, and that is terrific, and assisting the AFL NT into becoming one of the interstate leagues. We have had Western Australia, South Australia, and it is now Queensland, I believe, which is probably appropriate as two developing leagues. Yet, your statement makes no mention whatsoever of the Alice Springs Masters Games, or the Finke Desert Race for that matter. I do not know what it is about Alice Springs that seems to have offended the Northern Territory government so much, but no mention whatsoever in this rehashed statement on two of the biggest sporting events in the Northern Territory, and certainly in Central Australia, that is the Alice Springs Masters Games and the Finke Desert Race.
The Alice Springs Masters Games gets under way on 11 October. It is about 120-odd days away, yet, according to this statement, it is nowhere on the minister’s radar, which is a tragedy. I know the people of Alice Springs are very committed and very passionate about the Alice Springs Masters Games. I know everyone is looking forward to the Masters Games, known as the Friendly Games. Anyone who is keen to take part in this year’s Masters Games, I encourage them to register now.
I will be part of the Masters Games this year, and by the looks of things, the minister for Sport will also be part of the Masters Games. It is important too, probably with the Rovers Relics Cricket side. Nevertheless, of course, the town fills up pretty quickly, and the fact that accommodation bursts at the seams throughout that week or 10 days is an indication of the size of the event in a town the size of Alice Springs. So, it is just staggering that it is not on the minister’s radar, there is not one mention of it.
I read with interest the role of the Northern Territory Institute of Sport in assisting the national athletes for Beijing. That is fantastic and I congratulate the NTIS and all their staff for the work there.
Antisocial issues, or lawlessness and criminal behaviour and sport and recreation can be intertwined. I am on the Sport and Youth Committee, chaired by member for Stuart. In the terms of reference there is some correlation between antisocial behaviour and sport. You will recall, minister, that we want people to be involved in sport and recreation right across the Northern Territory, to get off the streets, stop harassing ordinary law-abiding Territorians and get involved in sport and recreational activities. You will recall the tragic event of Bobby Saunders, who was a cricketer for the Wests Has Beens. At the last Alice Springs Masters Games, they won the gold medal, they were out celebrating and Bobby was senselessly dragged from his car and beaten within an inch of life. They took off with his car, they robbed him, and left him for dead. He was airlifted to Alice Springs Hospital. That was on the final night, the Friday night, so it really soured the event to a degree. And we have just had a funeral service for the caretaker at Richardson Park, who was severely senselessly bashed and killed. There are some unfortunate examples of what does happen on our streets. We encourage everyone to get off the streets and into sport and recreational activities. There is not a lot in this statement to encourage those people to do that.
In Alice Springs, where law and order issues are paramount and have the community at boiling point on many occasions, with the government’s lack of action in addressing law and order issues, its reputation does diminish as a result of that.
We, on this side of the House, want sport and recreation to be something that helps get these kids off the street, people off the streets and away from this life of lawlessness and antisocial behaviour. I believe it is on the head of government to provide every opportunity for those people to do just that. It is the responsibility of the government to provide an avenue for these people, many of them kids, to get involved in more positive aspects of life across the Northern Territory, and that is clearly through sport and recreational activities.
It is a bit of a rehash of the statement. I know where your heart is, minister. I can see what the intent is. There is not a lot that has not been said before. Suffice to say we, on this side of the House, thoroughly support sport and recreational activities throughout the Northern Territory.
Mr NATT (Mines and Energy): Madam Deputy Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to support the minister’s statement on sport and recreation. This government is delivering for Territory families and helping with our great lifestyle and our work experiences here in the Territory. It is investing in the future of the Territory because some of the sports and recreational activities offered help promote a healthy way of life.
To have $25.8m allocated to sport and recreation for the 2008-09 budget is quite outstanding. I congratulate the Treasurer and the department on the work they did to achieve that. I look forward to it being well spent in some of these areas.
Sport plays an important part in our social fabric in Australia. I am one of the lucky ones, having been heavily involved in sport all my life. The challenges, friendships and confidence it has given me has been outstanding. I know many people in the House have been in the same boat. Since coming to the Territory I have noticed that sport plays an integral part in many people’s lives.
With the increase in population, our participation growth in many sports is really demanding. I know the department has been working closely with all the peak bodies to ensure that the youth programs and the Come and Try programs are supported. The Northern Territory government will continue to work to ensure that organisations are funded to continue the youth programs and the Come and Try programs to attract young Territorians into sport.
Driving around Palmerston and Darwin at various times - the weekend or during the week - the amount of activity provided in the sports parks for our youth and children is outstanding. Soccer, for example, at the Gray Primary School on particular nights of the week is absolutely chock-a-block to the point we are looking for bigger grounds to accommodate some of those teams. They are ably supported by many parents and volunteers, which is great to see. The participation rate in soccer has grown. That is shown by the attendance they get at Bagot Reserve for their games over the weekend.
Soccer is starting to boom in the Territory and Australia. The fact that the Socceroos played in the World Cup a couple of years ago and are having another crack at it over the next 12 months has increased the interest in the sport, which is great to see. It is a great sport, it is a worldwide sport and it should be supported. It is great to see a lot of young kids becoming involved in those Come and Try activities.
Auskick is the same. Having a football background, I know the expansion of Auskick Australia-wide has been huge. The programs that we run during the Dry are getting bigger and bigger. I know AFL NT is doing a lot of work to ensure Australian Rules football still remains the strongest sport in the Territory. There is big participation of young kids from around Palmerston, Darwin and the rural area, and it also extends down the track to Alice Springs. Coming from an AFL NT background, I know the work undertaken in the Auskick centre in Alice Springs by volunteers and parents is fantastic. It is great to see the kids advance through the grades to go on and play a higher grade of football.
I have noticed that there is a huge participation rate in Rugby at Richardson Park and also at Marrara. Young kids are now taking on Rugby, and as there is a lot of television coverage, the kids are becoming interested. The antisocial aspects of the game are gradually decreasing. I know from my time, especially with my son playing in the junior grades when I first came up here, there was a lot of antisocial behaviour with the kids, and a lot of illegal activities happening in and around the place. It is still there in some areas, but I know that many of the clubs and the leagues are working to overcome this.
I have seen it firsthand, but the pleasing part about it is that I have seen many of these troubled kids really make advances in their lives because they had the opportunity to play the sport and, then, because of their ability have been able to advance into elite squads. By getting into those talent squads and elite squads, they have had opportunities that they would never have had before. To see their confidence rise and their mindset change is quite outstanding. I know a number of them have gone on to take on senior roles within clubs, and also they have created job opportunities for themselves. They are taking steps in their lives now that they never took early on. They were easily led by other individuals and got themselves into trouble. I know of at least half a dozen who have really made a change in their life and have gone on to bigger and better things. Sport really does play an integral role in many people’s lives.
It is not just the male aspect of it. I know that females are also well catered for. Construction of the netball courts, $4.8m at Marrara Netball Centre, is going to start early next year I understand. That is great. That is 10 rebound ace courts; there is going to infrastructure such as change rooms, canteens and bars, etcetera. To have a facility like this in Darwin, especially in the Marrara complex with the new Larrakia development for soccer, is a wonderful setup. To see the women and young girls involved in sport working through to bigger and better things is great. We have recognised that by giving money towards netball so they can achieve their goal of getting into the Australian Netball League. Having a Northern Territory team, to have that elite program, is a highlight for those kids to achieve as they move through their career. It is going to make a huge difference to the sport. That is felt right across the board by the number of elite athletes that do visit the Territory, and I will go into that a little more a little later on.
There are some very talented kids, and trying to harness that talent and keep it on track is a big role. That is where our volunteers need to be recognised, as well as the people who participate in the clubs, and the parents who get the kids out there.
Softball has a really strong following. There has been an indigenous softball carnival run at Docker River, and I understand that there are going to be future carnivals at Kintore, Borroloola, Timber Creek and Wadeye. It is great to see the indigenous girls playing. This is something that they are very good at it, and they are really starting to make a mark in that sport.
Being heavily involved in the administrative side of sport, and having played sport at a reasonable level, one thing that really struck me after coming up from down south is that sport is greatly supported by the government. I do not think that many of the sporting bodies or clubs get the support from governments in the southern states as they do here. It is recognised here that sport plays an integral role in the Territory lifestyle. It is delivering for Territory families and creating a healthy way of life. We love our outdoor activities, and the Northern Territory government recognises that. That is why they are allocating this $25.8m towards the support of sport to ensure that that lifestyle is maintained.
When I first started with the AFL NT, one thing I was disappointed with a little was trying to deal with the previous government. We had a lot of good ideas for AFL, and I know talking to other sporting bodies they were the same. However, we ran into a lot of obstacles dealing with the previous ministers. I can honestly say today that there was a big change when there was a change of government. The can-do attitude of the Clare Martin Labor government, as it was then, was like chalk and cheese. That has really turned many sports around and advanced many sports over the last seven years at least. That is one reason that I put my hand up to run for the Labor Party at the last election. I like their can-do attitude and the fact that they were there to assist wherever they could. If they could not, they were trying to offer or guide you in the right direction, and that is one thing we did not get from the previous government. There is a can-do attitude in this government, and that is shown by a number of aspects that are broadcast in the minister’s statement.
There are a number of sports that are covered by this government. Support is given to the Hidden Valley V8 Supercars for motor enthusiasts. The number of people it brings to town and the amount of money injected into the economy is outstanding. To have a world-class event of that calibre coming to Darwin every year is outstanding. I congratulate everyone involved. It is a wonderful weekend and is enjoyed by many motor enthusiasts around the world and around Australia through television coverage. The influx of people from interstate and overseas into Darwin for that particular weekend is outstanding.
Over $1m was put into the drag strip at Alice Springs. I know there are many rev heads in Alice Springs. They love their motor sports such as the recent Finke Desert Race. There are many drag enthusiasts there and the government supports that as they do with the Finke Desert Race. They also support the Crusty Demons. To see the outstanding skills that have been shown worldwide by this event is a bit of a coup for the Territory to have a program of such calibre at Marrara. I understand that over 10 000 people attended the Crusty Demons. Unfortunately, I could not make it on the night but, talking to a couple of my constituents last week, they had the opportunity to go and they raved about it. The skill of some of the guys on the bikes was quite outstanding. To have a world-class quality event of that calibre here in the Territory is fantastic.
Regarding Rugby, I had the opportunity this year to watch the Mosquitoes play. They played and beat South Australia that day. A friend of mine is the physiotherapist for South Australia. He was a little upset that night. It is interstate sport at its best; our best athletes pitting their best against interstate athletes. To watch the Mosquitoes play South Australia was a great game, and they only got up in the last couple of minutes of the game, which was quite exciting. I know the Mosquitoes have gone down south and played in other states and probably have not fared as well as they should have, but it was great to have those events here.
The Hottest 7s is a world-class event. I have quite often flicked through the sporting channels on cable television, being the sport nut that I am, and there is always Rugby 7s going on somewhere in the world. I noticed the other night there were some games on. A couple of the players who had played in the Hottest 7s in the Territory were playing in the Hottest 7s in this particular game overseas - I just cannot remember the country it was in - but we had some world-class athletes here in the Territory playing Hottest 7s earlier this year. It was a wonderful event. To have an NRL game up here later this year and the NRL trial games in Alice Springs early in the year, and to have athletes of this standard coming to the Territory is a coup.
Like the member for Greatorex, I cannot wait for the cricket to come. I am a bit of a cricket buff, and to have Ricky Ponting and his team here to play Bangladesh later on in the year is going …
Mr Wood: Are you playing in the Lord's Taverners?
Mr NATT: I think I am in the team. To have a world-class event and the calibre of these athletes who play cricket for Australia, and also Bangladesh, three one-day games at Marrara, is going to be great event. For the Northern Territory government to work out a five-year agreement with Cricket Australia is fantastic and to have internationally-recognised stars from the game playing at Marrara is fantastic.
The Imparja Cup is a wonderful week of cricket in Alice Springs. To have the best indigenous cricketers from around Australia playing there is a coup for Alice Springs and for cricket. Let us hope that we can get an indigenous player or two from that carnival into the Australian team in the not too distant future. I understand there is some outstanding talent there and I hope we can achieve that aim.
I cannot sit down without talking about the AFL. My team, Port Adelaide, is coming here in a couple of weeks to play the Western Bulldogs. We won’t talk about last weekend ...
Mr Wood: Can they play a full 20 minute quarter?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr NATT: Well, we hope so. We hope we do not go into the choking episode. I must admit that I was heavily involved in getting the AFL up here in my first couple of years with the AFL NT. It took a lot of hard work to get it here. This government has spent money on resurfacing Marrara Oval because the AFL was not going to come here unless the surface was fixed. We had a number of meetings with the Sports minister at the time, Mr Jack Ah Kit, and we felt proud that the government was going to spend - I forget the figure now; it was in the millions - to resurface Marrara Oval so that we could get AFL football. That culminated in getting Cricket Australia here as well - the Australian Cricket team. To get the calibre of that type of football here was fantastic.
I can remember that we had an AFL game here on the old ground. It had rained the night before. The old Marrara surface was an absolute quagmire. I think Geelong and the Sydney Swans were playing at the time. After that game, I was told that if the ground had not improved they were not going to come back. Now that it is done, they cannot wait to get up here. To have the Western Bulldogs adopt Darwin as their second home town is quite an achievement.
The kids get a real kick out of seeing not just the AFL players but all these outstanding, world-class Australian athletes competing at the highest standard. It keeps them in the game; it keeps an interest up for them. .
The AFL NAB challenge in Alice Springs is the pre-season game and we have had some wonderful setups there. I know we had to work hard to get the grandstand there but we got it there. Even before the grandstand, they were playing there. We have the grandstand there and it was great to see the AFL did bend a little, but it is only going to get better.
There are some football draftees from the Northern Territory lower grades playing AFL. The minister mentioned a couple of young draftees who are doing exceptionally well - Marlon Motlop, Cameron Stokes and Austin Wonaeamirri. They are some great names from the Northern Territory; there are around 25 names at the moment in the AFL. We could probably field our own Northern Territory side. We may not have ruckman but we will have a lot of quick players around the ground. This has come from the success of having AFL games here and the hope that some of our kids can learn from what they have seen on the ground, learn from the AFL stars and work their way towards bigger and better things.
The Tiwi Bombers have also made a big impact. Having the Tiwi Bombers in the competition for about six or eight games last year and a full season this year has really given an injection to the Tiwi and Aboriginal people. It is going to drive them onto bigger and better things, I am sure.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I could talk about the Olyroos Camp coming here prior to the Olympics; and the Arafura Games with young Crystal Attenborough, and the success she has had in her athletics career. I was lucky enough to watch a game between China and India at the hockey fields. There were four international teams playing in a Four Nations Tournament at Marrara which was an outstanding coup. To know we have a Northern Territory representative in the Kookaburras is an outstanding feat.
I also acknowledge the Northern Territory Institute of Sport. The NTIS plays a huge role in our elite program. Having coming from the AFL NT and working closely with them - my son was lucky enough to come through the program on the Australian Football side of things - I know the work that they put in with the coaching is outstanding. Their fitness programs are probably second to none. They work individually on scholarship holders in a number of sports, but the 10 main sports are Australian Rules football, cricket, cycling, hockey, netball, Rugby League, Rugby Union, tennis, tenpin bowling and weight lifting. We have achieved some wonderful recognition in those sports. I congratulate the staff at the NTIS on the success they have achieved over the years. They work very closely with the peak bodies involved.
I single out one individual, Matt Brearley. I am not sure of his official title but Matt is a scientist of some note and has worked extensively on the effects of heat on the body during competition. You will often see him on the television programs sticking thermometers in people’s ears and taking tests. He has written a thesis on it and the Australian Sports Commission has used that on several occasions. He works closely with teams which come here before they go overseas. Matt has been a wonderful asset for the NTIS. It is recognition of what this government does for sport. We put a lot of money into the NTIS to ensure these peak sporting bodies are successful. It is great for the future. The funding will be provided in the future to ensure maximum opportunities are there, and it is a fantastic effort by this government to do the work they do with sport. It is only going to get bigger and better. I congratulate the minister on his statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, this must be one of the easier statements to give in parliament because the minister must know that everyone is going to give a warm and fuzzy reply.
Well, you will get pretty well a warm and fuzzy reply. Even though we are both Hawthorn supporters, I hope, minister, you one day prove your worth in this job and have Hawthorn playing here in a dinky-di AFL match, not one of those half-time sort of matches they played in the Wet Season this year. People paid full tote odds to watch a match and they played 15-minute quarters. That was a bit rough, actually. That is something the government should take up with them. In that particular match, I know there were quite a few people who were not happy to pay the money they had to pay for a match that was brought back to 15-minute quarters just because it was a little warm. I did not think that was very good. But, I digress.
I was just thinking that, at this time of night, if I went to Freds Pass Reserve I would see kids everywhere. I would see the Swamp Dogs Rugby Union, the Litchfield Bears, the Southern Districts Crocs cricket team, and the Litchfield Football - soccer - Club playing at the present time. I would probably see a few people on horses practising the jumps, the dog people getting ready for dog obedience trials. If I was there on Wednesday night, I would have seen Little Athletics training. I would have also seen training for the juniors in the cricket. That is an indication of the amount of sport that occurs in the rural area.
I believe the one thing that helps us is our climate. I learned to play Aussie Rules in Melbourne at this time of year. By about now, the two lights would be on the football oval, it would be about 6C, the mist would be coming over the oval, and you would have purple legs it would be so cold. You would have a kick up the end of the ground to try to warm up. Up here, the sun goes down at 6.30 pm this time of year. It is beautiful weather and it is ideal for people to get out and enjoy sport. You can go to Freds Pass and see no better example of what the Northern Territory is about when it comes to sport.
The minister spoke about the importance of sport, and we have a committee that looks at sport. We know that sport is not only good from a health point of view, it is good from a community point of view, with people coming together. It is good for team discipline. It is good for young people as they grow up to learn responsibilities. It is good for the Territory and for the country because we share our pride in athletes as they achieve overseas. Many of the athletes the minister named in his statement are people we are proud of because of their achievements for the Territory and for Australia.
One area that we sometimes forget is that sport just does not happen. The government might throw the dollars in; that is fine. In many cases, the people you see at Freds Pass tonight will be the parents and the volunteers. There will be a barbecue at the Swamp Dogs, one at the Litchfield Bears, one at the cricket club and one at the soccer. I do a ‘sausage crawl’ as distinct from some other crawls that people have, and you have to be careful how much you eat on a Thursday night otherwise you can put on the weight quite quickly. The people running the sausage sizzles are all volunteers. Some of them are running the bar, some are coaching the kids. For every level of Rugby League, which might be from Under 6s right through to the A grade, there is a coach or coaches looking after those kids. There will be a physio out there as well. The presidents will be there. Teams will be being picked. People will be trying to sell raffle tickets to raise money. This is an area that we must not lose sight of if we want sport to be successful.
We must make sure these people are recognised and, if they need to have financial assistance, we have to do that. As we know, with many clubs and associations, volunteers are getting harder and harder to find. People are more reluctant to get onto committees. I have been to a few AGMs this year where they have asked: ‘Who would like to be the secretary?’. There is a deadly silence because people feel they do not have the time to take on those important jobs. If you do not have people taking on those jobs then your club is going to find it very hard to continue, even though you might have lots of people wanting to play. That is an important area which should be part of any statement we make about sports.
Another area that we are going to have to keep and eye on in relation to sport is travel. It is not quite so bad, I suppose. We get people groaning about coming to Freds Pass to play a game of soccer at 8.30 am on a Sunday - not many people mind us all heading into town. The point is that it costs money now; fuel is going up. What are some of the communities doing if they are travelling to these country carnivals? It must be starting to affect them due to the cost of getting there. The government needs to look at whether things like rising fuel prices are going to make it harder for people to bring their children to training. If you have children training twice a week plus having to go to a game on Saturday, that is a fair bit of expense for any parent. Obviously, they try to share those expenses by taking more than one person to a sporting match, but it is going to get dearer and dearer. That is another area we need to look at.
Regarding remote communities, I have said before that we do need to upgrade many of the facilities in remote areas. I have said this a couple of times. We have to be careful where our priorities are. Look at Freds Pass: the government puts some money in, but a lot of Freds Pass is voluntary work. At the moment, they are building a new Rugby Union pitch, and they have just finished two soccer pitches. Although there has been some money from the government, a lot of voluntary work goes in, on top of that, to ensure the money can stretch.
Whilst we have good facilities in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine, that is certainly not always the case in the remote communities. Whilst it might be good to give money to people like sport and recreation officers, if they have facilities that are really not up to standard, then that makes life a lot harder for them. I have mentioned Canteen Creek. I could mention Alpurrurulam and Epenarra. Their football ovals were not what you would call the best piece of country to play footy on. You certainly would not get an AFL match with those ovals …
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time to allow the member for Nelson to conclude his remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, member for Brennan. I will finish quickly.
The Masters Games is great because one of the things we forget is that older people should be playing sport - and can play sport. That is something we should emphasise.
I am not sure, Madam Deputy Speaker, what happened to the clock. It seemed awfully short to start with, now it is extremely long ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have 15 minutes, member for Nelson; it is up to you.
Mr WOOD: I will not use that much time, thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
It is important that we keep focusing on older people participating. I was listening to a show last night about osteoporosis and how, as you get older, your bones get more brittle. It is a major problem with older people. They were talking about it being worse for men than it is for women. It is sometimes regarded as a women’s disease to some extent, but they were saying last night, if a man gets it, it is actually more devastating. They were saying that a lot of that depends a little on your previous lifestyle. If you have conditions that do not help that, then you should be trying to do something about it – at least in your middle age.
We have to keep promoting physical fitness and participation in sport. It does not have to be all serious stuff; it can be just a game of touch football, or walking together around a park. Many people enjoy that. That is something we should emphasise when we are dealing with a statement that says ’delivering for Territory families and investing in the future’. That is exactly what we should be talking about: investing in the future of the older people as well.
School sport is great. I am not getting into the areas that that particular committee is dealing with, but I have seen PARCS, the Palmerston and Rural Cluster School Sport, in operation. I have seen kids from everywhere playing soccer at Freds Pass, and that has allowed kids to mingle with others, not only from different schools but from different racial backgrounds. You have the other advantage of sport in that it allows kids to meet other people and find out where they live. It improves their confidence in being able to talk to other young children and other athletes. I see that as a great thing that is in the Territory.
Indigenous involvement: I know the Minister for Mines and Energy spoke about the Imparja Cup and the Aboriginal involvement in that area. I believe we need to promote those other sports. At the moment it is more or less football, whether it is AFL or Rugby, but we know they can excel in other sports. There is the Tiwi Island girl, whose name escapes me, who plays tennis and has done extremely well. It is fantastic to see that young lady. I know what the Tiwi Islanders are like. They love their part of the world where they live. For a young girl like that to be more or less on her own, as distinct from blokes who go down and play in a team where at least you have some companionship, is fantastic. She is a credit to the Territory and credit to the Tiwis. We need to encourage more.
I know a number of Aboriginal communities in my area where I feel we need to do a little more to get kids out of that area. They live in a place which does not encourage much positive feeling. I must admit that the Palmerston Indigenous Village is going up; it is doing what it can. When you see the new houses there and you see people like Phil Goodman, you know there are people trying. At the same time, the reality is that alcoholism is a major negative factor in that community. When you see young kids getting brought up in that area, in that type of atmosphere, you wonder if they going to go down the same path. We may have to see if there are ways we can encourage children from those communities, if they have to be bussed, to some of these sporting facilities.
I have mentioned it to Ian Redpath, the captain of the A grade cricket team for Southern Districts. I believe he is also captain of the Imparja Team - I am not sure - but he is certainly involved with indigenous sport. I have spoken to him previously about this. There is an opportunity to see whether we can get some form of transport for young kids in those areas to encourage them to have an hour out of that community doing something positive. Whether it is in Palmerston, or Darwin or Freds Pass, it does not matter, as long as they get an opportunity.
There was one other issue and that was the Kamfari. I mentioned it earlier. The Kamfari people came to see me this year and they were concerned that the Kamfari would not go ahead because, if you know the area north of Howard Springs, Power and Water now have a very large piece of land which is now zoned Water Management. That is the land they used to run the Kamfari on. Power and Water have basically sent out the signals that, no, they do not want them to be on there because of possible pollution from the bikes and things.
Unless they go Conservation, they are allowed to use land on Koolpinyah Station, then they are really pushing to find a place for it to happen. I believe they should be able to stay where they are. It would be a long time before the bores that the government wants to drill in that area will happen. I also believe the risk of pollution, especially if you put in protocols for people changing oil, is minimal. We are dealing with old mining areas and sand-scrapes in that area so the government should reassess whether they should put controls to that extent where this type of sporting activity is totally banned.
The Kamfari is about people liking their motocross bikes, their quad bikes. Many people have that type of equipment in the rural area, and I suppose in Palmerston – I do see them come up the side of Lambrick Avenue when they should not, without registration - but we know many people love that type of sporting activity. In our planning we should leave bushland where they can enjoy that. You can call it the sacrificial piece of land. I would rather have a piece of land set aside. You can go crook at them if they are not in that section of land, if they are doing it around the back yard of someone’s house or close to where people live. You might say: ‘Hey, nick off. Go away’. If we have some place for them to enjoy that activity, it would be good.
There is an area near Knuckey’s Lagoon, for instance, near Micketts Creek, where a lot of rubbish has been dumped. It is a fairly worn out part of country just south of the Micketts Creek Shooting Range. That is an area that could be left for people from Karama and those areas to enjoy their motocrossing without interfering with people in the suburbs. It is not a formal type of facility for sport. It is more along the lines of allowing people to enjoy a recreation without getting into too much trouble. I put that on record to say that government, when it is looking at planning, should leave a few areas, make sure it is far enough away from people not to get sick of that two-stroke engine noise which can nearly drive you mad, but at least enable people to enjoy a sport that keeps them out of trouble.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I concur with much of what the member for Nelson has just said, especially about the bikes and going very early in the morning and being annoying. It is a pastime that many people enjoy.
I will pick up on what the member for Nelson was talking about: the physiological benefits of physical fitness. This is something well recognised in medicine and in the community as a whole. In fact, about the earliest record I can think of in relation to that is ancient Greece. I am reminded of this because we recently had the Glenti in Darwin which featured quite a number of dancers performing different traditional dances. Dancing is a form of physical exercise and a sport. As the song tells us, it can be murder on the dance floor when you are talking about competition.
The Glenti reminded me that back in the times of ancient Greece you had the two great city-states - Athens and Sparta. Sparta was renowned for the beauty of its women and modern professors of ancient Greek history have supposed the reason for this was that Sparta was quite advanced for its time. This included not only programs of physical fitness for its men but also for its women and young girls. Just as the young men were out performing in the precursor of the Olympics, holding their sports carnivals and participating naked, so did the young girls. This caused quite a stir in ancient Greece, as I am sure it would now if you were to propose a similar event. Sparta had the reputation of having the most beautiful women in Greece and this was because of this athleticism which was encouraged in equal measure in the culture of Sparta.
Honourable members may be aware that the soccer stadium which the Darwin soccer community has cried out for, for such a long time, recently won a design award. I congratulate the stadium designers and builders on that. It has become a fantastic home for soccer in the Top End. It is not just a stadium which gets high praise; it is the pitches as well. It is a fantastic rap for us in the Territory to have our facilities praised so highly. I am sure the reputation of those facilities played a part in us getting the Olyroos in Darwin practicing for the Olympics, and that really is a top-flight team.
The teams that go to the Olympics are, basically, the Under 23 national team. They are allowed a few players over that age but, essentially, that is what they are. This means that you have young men in their prime, in peak physical fitness, competing with the exuberance of young sportspeople as opposed to the wiser heads that you might see in the professional league. It makes for a very fast game, a very hard-fought game. During the Sydney Olympics, I went to one of the games played in Melbourne. I cannot remember who the teams were now, but it was an absolutely mesmerising game. You know that many of these young men who are playing are on the cusp - it was a high scoring game too - of great professional careers, or have already started professional careers with some of the big teams around the world.
Just like the member for Nelson, I think there are great benefits in focusing on grassroots sport. Last year, I went to the soccer PARCS competition, the Palmerston and rural schools competition, and I also went this year to Gray Oval which was the Come and Try Day where kids were encouraged to come along and have a game. They came from every school and then, from that, one of the PARCS teams for the competition was going to be chosen. When I went there it was fantastic, and I believe I have done an adjournment in relation to that already. It is not just about your elite people, the people who are well established in a sport. It is about encouraging young people to get involved. You do not have to be serious; you do not have to be spectacularly good. You just have to be participating. That is the important message we should be getting across to our young people.
We talked about issues in relation to alcohol abuse and obesity. These are trends, not just here in the Territory or even in Australia, but right across the world. Sport and encouraging sport at a grassroots level is fundamental to addressing those problems. I believe team sport provides great social benefits to a community as a whole but to the individuals as well. When you are part of a team, it does not matter how good one individual is. That individual either succeeds or fails with the team. It engenders a great cooperation and an ability to have others rely on you and, in turn, be confident to rely on others, not just on the sporting field, but that extends further.
We have great tradition of sport in the Territory. We have heard many of the previous speakers talk about the great names that have been here. I think of when I was growing up and the number of kids playing sport. It is fantastic to see the number of kids playing different sports on the ovals. It is always generally a laughter-filled venue when there are young kids.
It is also beneficial for the community because you get mums and dads involved. Many of these sports would fall over without the mums and dads. At the Palmerston Markets on a Friday night I got talking to the Palmerston BMX people. One of the dads was saying his son got involved and that, essentially, meant he got involved. He prepares the track and does minor repairs and that sort of thing, and there are other parents who do the same. It is the way that many people contribute to our community; by ensuring that we have a grassroots sport which is healthy. There are so many sports played here in the Territory, it is a fantastic thing.
Recently, the Palmerston Raiders, which is the League team, and the Reds baseball team, had their store shed set afire and both clubs lost a fair amount of equipment, which is unfortunate. Both teams are rebuilding and getting a lot of assistance from all sorts of places, including government. It was great that government was able to provide some money for the club. I do not know if the minister for Sport might correct me about whether the baseball club got funding, but I imagine they did. It is fantastic that, at the Territory level, the government is able to step in to help clubs out in such a fundamental way.
One aspect I would like to comment on is women’s sport. I am of the view that women’s sport does not get the coverage it deserves. It is great to see that the Territory is getting a top-flight team to play top-flight competition in netball. Anyone who has played or watched netball at any level would say that it is certainly not a non-contact sport. Having watched some of the Australia/New Zealand games which are played with as much passion as any Australia/New Zealand game, it can be a very physical contest. I do not think it gets much recognition, and we have such fantastic women’s teams. Everyone would be able to talk about Australia’s Olympic champions in the women’s hockey, but we have a women’s soccer team and women’s cricket team. The Australian women’s cricket team was undefeated for quite a period of years yet struggles to get sponsorship dollars and recognition, which is a great shame. Many young girls and women play netball in the Territory. The Palmerston club trains opposite the Palmerston High School in the evening.
Sport is part of our lifestyle and social fabric. It is part of what makes the Territory so great for young families and kids. It is not just the weather or the economy, it is the whole package wrapped up. The Territory has much to offer young families and people who come in from elsewhere and choose to make the Territory their home.
I thank the minister for his statement this evening and commend the statement to the House.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement on Sport, and I share his passion for sport. It has been a big part of my life, not only in the Territory, but during my years in Adelaide. I share his passion and also acknowledge the strong contribution that many of those families the minister spoke about in his statement have provided over many years.
I know, in my time in Alice Springs, growing up at The Gap, the enjoyment of going to Traeger Park on a Saturday. In those days, it was just an open field of sports, like a platter on a table. You could watch your mother, sisters and aunties play hockey at the hockey field at Traeger Park, and then walk across and watch the family play football. It was common for every family in Alice Springs to do at that time in the late 1960s and 1970s. The whole family would pack the car, or walk to Traeger Park, and you would watch the hockey, the football, or go to the baseball, all on the same day on a Saturday or a Sunday.
The minister reflected in his statement on the important role that sport has played in the Northern Territory over many years, particularly since self-government. Territorians are probably amongst the most passionate sportspeople in this country. There is no greater way to provide an example of that passion than when you see people going away to represent the Territory. They are in their ochre and black colours, no matter what sport, and they wear those colours with much pride, with the Territory flag on their tracksuit or on their uniform. There is no doubt that sport has played, and will continue to play, an important part of the Northern Territory’s lifestyle, particularly into the future.
We have national teams being established all over the place. We have the AFL looking at putting together a team to take part in more competitive competitions down south, or in Queensland. We have, as the minister also said, the national netball team being put together. While we can reflect on the past and proud history that the Northern Territory has in sport, it is also great to see that we are looking into the future and moving into more competitive competitions interstate.
We need to reflect as well, and congratulate former ministers for Sport, particularly John Ah Kit. He was known as the Minister for Fun. He certainly had that personality about him where he could go anywhere in the country and people knew him. He had the image and he could really relate to people regarding sport. He was a very strong advocate during his time as minister. I put on the public record and acknowledge John Ah Kit for the fantastic representation he provided the Northern Territory during his time as Sports minister. He opened the door for many of us and we are seeing that coming to fruition today.
For me, sport in my early days at The Gap in Alice Springs was being able to go to Traeger Park and just walk around and go to any sport you wanted to watch. Hockey, football, and baseball were the main sports at that time in Alice Springs. Reflecting on the past at Traeger, maybe that is what we need to look at into the future for Traeger Park. It is a great sporting complex but, unfortunately, we see fences all over the place, so the access between hockey and football is no longer there. You have to go outside and around and pay again. Maybe we need to look at that particular venue in Alice Springs where you may have a multi-pass for the whole of Traeger Park, where you could go to the hockey and then walk across to go to the footy, the baseball, the basketball, or even to the tennis just by paying the one fee, by having a pass for the day or for the year. We need to look at that. That is certainly how Traeger Park in the early days attracted many of the families and the crowds that they did. Maybe the Traeger Park user group and the town council can look at the idea of a multi-sports pass for the Traeger Park complex.
In the early days, as I said, I suppose football was the main sport in Alice Springs where you could get 2000 or 3000 people on the weekend. They were watching people like Harold Webb, Lance White, Paul Ah Chee, and Lloyd Bray, running around the paddock. People really idolised their magnificent achievements on the football field. There were great role models in those early days.
I agree with the minister, when he talks about the importance of sport. When I spent my time in Adelaide at boarding school I learned that sport is an activity that crosses all boundaries. You get on the sports field and you are all equal; no matter what level of income your family is earning or what race you are from. Once you cross the white line on a football oval or a netball court, you are all equal. You are wearing the same team colours; that is who you represent. Through my days in Adelaide at boarding school, sport provided me with a great opportunity and opened many doors. Many of those doors included making new friends and continuing lifelong friendships. Sport is very important, as well, in breaking down many barriers outside the football oval or the sporting arena that we come up against in our community.
Sport has another function and we can see that demonstrated in the links between participation in sport and reduced antisocial behaviour. One of the best examples I can give is Clontarf Football Academy, which we have seen over the last couple of years roll out through the Northern Territory. I have met Gerard Neesham on a few occasions and sat down and listened to Gerard’s passion for the academy, as one of the co-founders of that academy. What Gerard and that academy has been able to achieve over the years is just fantastic, particularly in encouraging young indigenous men to stay at school and to become better community members through the motivation of football. Gerard’s passion and the reasons why he came up with the idea of a football academy is a fantastic story.
I also had the pleasure in late 2006 or early 2007, with the previous Chief Minister, to be in Alice Springs to launch the academy. We beat Darwin at something and that was getting the Clontarf Football Academy in the Northern Territory. It was great to be at that launch with the previous Chief Minister, at ANZAC Hill High School. The number of young fellows at the launch was truly uplifting. Fair enough, it is early days still but, nearly two years down the track, that academy really has shown it has succeeded in many ways, particularly in the retention of young Aboriginal men in Alice Springs.
Clontarf started in 2000, with 25 young fellows in Perth. It has grown over the years to this year where there are around 1380 young fellows between Western Australia and Northern Territory. We not only have academies in Alice Springs, at Yirara, ANZAC and Alice Springs High School, but also in Katherine, Palmerston and at Sanderson. We have had some of the young Sanderson Clontarf Academy lads here in parliament this year. The vision and the passion that Gerard Neesham had in the early days to where it is now, is a remarkable success story and one that we should all celebrate together.
The aim of the Clontarf Foundation was to target one of the most at risk groups in our society - young indigenous men. Part of the aim of the academy is to get them attending school regularly, or to re-enter education after prolonged absences from the system. It is achieving retention rates above the state averages, particularly in the Northern Territory which is very low as we all know, and it is to develop those young men into great people who are going to contribute to our community by improving their self-esteem and self-confidence. I put on the public record within the Sports statement that one of the ways we can give a good example that sport can actually play an important role in reducing antisocial behaviour is the Clontarf Football Academy here in the Northern Territory. Those statistics and the outcomes we are seeing today speak for themselves.
It is also great to see that we have the Smith Family Foundation, which has recently been in Alice Springs, talking about a similar program for girls called Girls at the Centre Program. I certainly am looking forward to catching up with the Smith Family Foundation representatives very soon to progress that particular program for the young girls in Central Australia. It is fantastic that we are starting to see some of these programs coming to the Northern Territory, particularly to Central Australia.
In my role as the Chair of the Sport and Youth committee, we see that these programs are going to play an important part in our deliberations in the near future. I know other Youth and Sport committee members are equally passionate. It is a great committee to cover the breadth and width of the Northern Territory, and it is great we have all those other members on the committee with their experience.
I congratulate the minister. He spoke about attracting national and international events and sporting teams to the Territory. The AFL Challenge matches in Alice Springs over the years have been fantastic events. I am sure the minister is aware of the current discussions about needing to upgrade Traeger Park. I know he is working on that. It is a very important event for the Central Australian region and the Territory because we get great support from the community. We get around 10 000 people attending those matches. Being a parochial Central Australian, I would like to see one day a proper pre-season game played, or maybe a proper AFL round match played at Traeger Park. It is a fantastic venue. As I said, the early days of Traeger Park has so much history to it, but the setting is wonderful. You are there with 10 000 people jammed into Traeger Park with the fantastic MacDonnell Ranges behind it. There is no better way to promote to the sporting tourism groups than to have Traeger Park on television with a proper pre-season AFL game.
Let us celebrate what we have been able to achieve. Congratulations to the minister in getting the Australian Cricket side back into Darwin. Getting more AFL games into the Northern Territory has its flow-on effects in terms of our economy and the lifestyle for all Territorians.
Just talking about the Australian Cricket side, I acknowledge a young bloke who was born and bred in Alice Springs, Tim Neilson. Many people may not know that name just yet, but Tim Neilson has achieved a lot from his birthplace of Alice Springs. He played for the Wests Cricket Club but now we all know Tim Neilson as the coach of the Australian Cricket Team. From the little things, big things grow. He has achieved a lot; from being the head coach of Cricket Australia to the Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane in 2005. He played, not at national level, but at state level for the Redbacks in South Australia. He was a wicketkeeper and batsman for South Australia and played 101 first-class matches before retiring in 1999 and then became assistant coach for the Redbacks. I am giving him a plug as well. It goes to show that we do not only produce fantastic footballers, but we have produced a current Australian cricket coach all of the way from Alice Springs. That is another great success story which deserves to be put on the public record.
I also recall quite a few years ago the West Indies team came to the Northern Territory and played a game at Traeger Park. I cannot recall whether that game was funded through the Northern Territory government. I suppose it was. There is no reason why we could not try to get another international game at Traeger Park. It was well supported and it was a great venue. Minister, that is one we could look at as well. Maybe that is something we should try to pursue into the future. Another international team at Traeger Park would be fantastic.
We heard a couple of speakers talk about the Imparja Cup. I had the pleasure playing in the first ever Imparja Cup game in Alice Springs against Tennant Creek. There is great rivalry. We talk about Darwin versus Alice Springs rivalry, but there is even greater rivalry between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. The member for Barkly would agree. The Imparja Cup is a great success story, and congratulations to those co-founders, Merv and Shane Franey and Ross Williams in Tennant Creek. Who would have thought that from those early days and that very first game between Tennant and Alice that it would grow into a national competition attracting hundreds of cricketers to the heart of Australia?
The Imparja Cup is a great success story and this government has done well to continue to support it because the pressure has been on over the years to get the Imparja Cup played in another state. This government has thrown its support behind it by putting in another turf wicket at Larapinta Oval. We have some pretty good facilities in Alice Springs to continue to host the Imparja Cup and the increasing numbers of teams that are coming, including teams from Borroloola and the Tiwi Islands. There is also a women’s division in the Imparja Cup. That is fantastic because we need to get a lot more involvement for women in sport as well.
Under the Closing the Gap initiatives, as the minister stated in his statement, it was great to be able to get that $25.8m committed into sport and recreation for this 2008-09 financial year. That is a significant investment on previous budgets for Territory families who really do enjoy their sport. Sport will play an important role in Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage, particularly for those people in the bush. We all know how much they love their sport, particularly footy. Once again, that is focusing on Central Australia. This year, we have had the AFL Central Australia combine the two competitions in Alice Springs - the community competition and the town competition. We now have 10 very competitive sides in the local footy competition. The member for Nelson touched on it and made a very good point regarding the cost of fuel and the cost every week of those teams travelling into Alice Springs. I believe we need to look at, whether it is through Closing the Gap or through sport and recreation how we support those competitions.
The league in Katherine is doing some great things there this year. I have Lajamanu, Kalkarindji and quite a few teams from the member for Arnhem’s communities, in the Katherine football league this year. They are playing games out on communities as part of the competition. They are taking a lead role in the Territory, because why have Kalkarindji and Lajamanu travelling into Katherine when you can just go down the road and play at Kalkarindji? It saves people driving six hours, fuel costs, having to move family and spectators to Katherine, when they are playing the game at Kalkarindji. I have put up an idea that I will sponsor some medals and a trophy for that game. That is something we need to look at in Alice Springs. Papunya is playing Yuendumu, and Yuendumu will win …
Mr BONSON: Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the member be granted an extension of time to conclude his comments, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HAMPTON: The Katherine league really has shown the way in supporting communities with the competition there, so having those games played out on communities means that we should be doing the same thing in Alice Springs. If Papunya is playing Yuendumu; why have both teams travel 400 km into Alice Springs to play at Traeger Park when they could alternate the games between Papunya and Yuendumu? As a local member I will be following that up with the league in Alice. I congratulate the Katherine Football League on that initiative. It is fantastic to see that they are not only supporting the teams by getting them to come in, but also supporting them to play on their home country.
For us, minister, it means that we should also look, and I am aware that there is some extra money in the budget for infrastructure, at how we support that initiative in upgrading the ovals in those communities so they can have good facilities to be able to do that. In terms of Closing the Gap, that is a very good initiative by the Katherine Football League.
Infrastructure in Alice Springs - support from this government has been fantastic over the years. We have talked about the aquatic centre with $8.1m. That is an aquatic centre not just for Alice Springs; it is for the whole region. I can see many of my communities in Stuart wanting to get into Alice Springs, bring schools in to be able to access that facility. It is a great facility not only for Alice Springs but for the region.
The drags is an interesting one. I can recall, in 2001 when the Labor Party first got into government, having been involved in a couple of early meetings with the drag committee there. They had been asking the CLP for years and years to get something done because they had been placed on the old airstrip at the airport for years. There was pressure on from the Airport Corporation people because it was becoming unsafe. I remember those members very strongly saying: ‘We have asked the CLP for years and years to do something’. In 2001, Labor came in and we have actually put $1.5m into that drag strip. It is fantastic that we have been able to do that. We know the benefits that that provides for the young people who are motor enthusiasts. Instead of going down the Tanami or the Stuart Highway having drags, they have a proper drag strip now in Alice Springs, all because of the Labor government.
Katherine sports facilities get $1.25m. That was very much needed after the floods in 2006. There is $500 000 for upgraded facilities at Ross Park for junior soccer. I go past there every day on my way to work, and the lights are up, so I am looking forward to those lights going on for junior soccer. It is a growing sport in Alice Springs. I am very heavily involved in the KickStart Auskick program in Alice Springs, but I can tell you what: the junior soccer is really pushing the numbers up against Auskick.
In terms of some of the commitments in my electorate, people in the bush – particularly in Stuart – do not always tend to look for big dollars. $20 000 or $30 000 just for a bit of shade, to upgrade their oval, their fence, goes a long way in supporting sport, particularly the ladies out there with the softball. I know the ladies are just as keen on softball as the men are on football. I look forward to working with them in the future in getting infrastructure and ovals upgraded for those competitions.
The other challenge I see as the local member is the sports weekends, particularly, in terms of education. I am sure that the member for Macdonnell supports our communities and their love of sports weekends. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for these to impact on school attendance. Somewhere we need to sit down with the communities and work together to work this out. There has to be a balance. We need plenty of sporting activities, we need to encourage people into sport, but we also need to encourage them in school attendance. I am sure the Sport and Youth committee will look into that as well. We need to find a middle ground in supporting sports weekends and also getting our kids to attend school regularly.
With the Institute of Sport, there are many young fellas and young women in Alice Springs involved in it. It is important to continue to support the elite level sportspeople in the Northern Territory so we can continue to pump out exceptional sportspeople who will go on to do great things nationally and internationally.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I am happy to support the minister in his statement.
Mr BONSON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been fantastic to hear everyone talk about sport and recreation in the Northern Territory, no matter where they come from - whether it is from urban, rural or bush areas. Each member contributed in an articulate fashion their love for sport and their recognition of the important role it plays in the fabric of the Northern Territory.
As we have heard in everyone’s contribution, each individual member’s needs are quite different; each individual’s needs are tailored to their particular electorates. However, there are some global issues we all accept - that is people are far better off, both mentally and physically, when they participate in sport and recreation.
I noticed many of the comments expressed the desire for high-level attendance of international and national sports, as the Northern Territory government has been providing, but also recognition that at the grassroots level people benefit from participation as players, coaches, committee members or officials. It has been fantastic to hear all the views of each member.
I must admit I was a bit embarrassed when I heard from the member for Greatorex how good a job I was doing and how much support he had for me. I recognise the member for Greatorex’s comments and I thank him for giving me such a positive tick in my time as the Sport and Recreation minister.
As for the member for Nelson - everyone knows, I hear the feedback. I have family everywhere in the Northern Territory and I hear the feedback from the rural area about his efforts on the weekends in local grassroots sports, whether it is in the cricket season, the Rugby or football. I know he fully understands the benefits of sports and recreation. He does a fantastic job advocating on their behalf, and I can assure people in the rural area that he will continue to do that.
The members for Brennan, Drysdale, Stuart, Greatorex and Nelson all touched on their personal experiences in sport. I thought that was a great contribution because, indeed, I did as well.
There are just a couple of things I wanted to pick up on. The member for Stuart’s contribution on the Clontarf footy club program is one of them. As a first time elected member, I visited Clontarf in 2001. I heard of the program and spoke to Gerard Neesham. I brought that information back and I spoke to the then Sports minister and the then Education minister. It took three or four years for people to work through the issues surrounding the funding of the program but, as a result of those original conversations, it is fantastic to see it introduced in Alice Springs and now in the northern suburbs. I have built up a relationship with Gerard over that time and understand he recognises that sport not only plays an important part in attendance at school, but also in providing leadership and life skills that will then lead to jobs.
Some of those issues I just wanted to touch on were raised by the opposition representative, the member for Greatorex. I thank him for his thoughts. I take the member’s point in relation to the value of sport in relation to law in order. I did acknowledge that in the statement. I have seen examples in my own life of sport having positive effects on young men who have taken the wrong paths. Sport is not a silver bullet, and just because young people play sport, does not mean that they will not do wrong. However, there are enough examples of people turning around in life through sport and recreation to recognise its value.
An example - and I will not mention this person’s name, but he was a notorious juvenile offender. I was coaching the local football club and he approached me and asked: ‘Can I come and play in your football club?’ I knew of his background, and his time in and out of incarceration, particularly juvenile incarceration, and I said: ‘Well, these are the rules. This is what I expect and this is what I will do for you’. That person ended up being a star footy player for a period of time. He turned his life around. He now works, and is a well-known artist throughout the Northern Territory. He has become a leader for his family. He went from a person who never played organised Aussie Rules to playing in the grand final team in the Millennium 2000 for the Darwin Football Club. That was because he was hanging around young men and women and leaders or older people who showed him an example that you did not have to do things that were wrong to participate in the community and have a positive outcome.
The member for Greatorex spoke about the Masters Games. Like him, I am a fan and cannot wait for the next Masters in Alice Springs. I am looking forward to participating on the basketball courts. I will not be able to participate every day, the back will not hold up, but I will definitely be there to enjoy the Masters Games. We do a fantastic job in supporting the Masters Games.
I also recognise how big the Finke Desert Race event is. By all accounts, the organisers, people like Anthony Yoffa and Damien Ryan as well as our Major Events staff, did a fantastic job again last weekend. I know my colleague, the member for Stuart, has undertaken the Finke pilgrimage for the last few years. He has not asked me yet, but I would like to get the chance to join him and his family at the Finke camping spot in the future. It is one of those things that every Territorian should do, even people like me from the Top End who are not used to the weather in the Centre at this time of the year.
The member for Greatorex mentioned the Centralian College and issues surrounding shade there. Everyone recognises shade is an important for sports played right across the Northern Territory. I am advised that the oval is an Education department responsibility. The Education minister’s office is well aware of your interest in this matter. I also advise that the Alice Springs Town Council manages bookings for sporting events at the oval. Given the range of interest groups and user groups, I would like to see a stakeholder meeting. I am happy to advise the member for Greatorex of the outcomes of this meeting.
He also mentioned Traeger Park - I would have been surprised if he had not. The Northern Territory government has committed $5m to upgrade the sporting facility at Traeger Park Sporting Complex. A further $600 000 was committed in 2006, bringing the total investment to $5.61m. These plans were signed off by a working group called the Project Control Group which included representatives of the Alice Springs Town Council. There has been a long-standing difference of opinion between the council and government over the grants. It was one of the issues I raised with Alice Springs new Mayor, Damien Ryan, at a recent meeting while in Alice Springs. It was fantastic to talk to someone who is a long-standing local in Alice Springs. He has been there for many years and I was very impressed with my first meeting with him. I am sure he is a sensible person and he assures me that the majority of the new council in Alice Springs wants to resolve this matter. I am looking forward to working in partnership with him, and those discussions were very positive. I am hopeful we can reach a satisfactory resolution very shortly. I will inform all members, including those from the Central area and the Top End, and the general public, when this happens.
I can assure the member for Greatorex that the new netball centre at Marrara, featuring 10 rebound ace courts, will be completed by early next year.
The Humpty Doo pool and cycle path are not actually my area of responsibility, but I know my colleague, the member for Goyder is continuing to work on the Humpty Doo pool. I can assure you that the member for Goyder is not someone who gives up easily.
I thank the member for Greatorex for acknowledging the work that was put in on issues like the agreement to bring international cricket to Darwin and also the efforts to get a Territory side into a state level competition in the AFL. I thank the member for Greatorex for his contribution.
I have to agree with the member for Nelson when he says he would like to see Hawthorn play in Darwin. I am hoping that is something that will happen during my time as Sports minister. You never know. His description of a typical afternoon at Freds Pass suggests it is representative of sport in the Northern Territory and that is why it is such a special place to live, work and raise a family.
I pay tribute to those volunteers who have done so much to make Freds Pass the exceptional venue that is it is. Without the volunteers throughout the whole of the Territory, none of these events can occur. As you become older and, I suppose, more experienced in what is happening around the place instead of just turning up with your boots, running on the field and walking off, you start to realise that it does not happen by accident. It takes a lot of support from the general community. I am still trying to get a chance to meet representative from Freds Pass to talk about the facility and what might be happening in the future. I am sure the members for Nelson and Goyder would like to attend that meeting and give me their views as well. We can work together in partnership, hand-in-hand.
Speaking of volunteers, like the member for Nelson, I think they are the heart and soul of sport right across Australia; it does not happen without them. Yes, member for Nelson, I acknowledge that increasing fuel prices could pose a major challenge for sport in the future. I do not know the answer, but it is something we will have to consider. The reality is that the way the economy is with three major growing economies on top of North America and Europe, that is dictating that fuel and energy use is going to become a big part of our life considerations in the future.
I agree that school sport is vital, which I have been encouraging. I have spoken with many members about how I would like to work in partnership with the Education minister regarding sport in school. The Education minister and I are arranging a working group together, because we also believe that sport can also be used as a vehicle to get kids to go to school. However, it is not just kids. Many of my closest friends are people I met while growing up and playing sport.
Regarding the member for Nelson’s comments on seniors and sport, I am not quite in his age group yet - I hope to get there, though - and I appreciate how active the member for Nelson has remained through football and the like. I am still playing a bit of sport and I hope to do so for the remainder of my life. In fact, I am hoping to play in the grand final of Touch Rugby in the next week or so - only third division but, hopefully, we can win.
Madam Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I recognise that every member has contributed in a very positive manner, and has reflected on their life experiences and the importance of sport in their life. They have advocated the need for this government to recognise the value of sport, which it has in the past and will continue to do so. They have given us the opportunity that if we all work together we can improve sport and recreation facilities and services to the wider community.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
ADJOURNMENT
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I attended the Palmerston Futures 2008 charter signing ceremony on 28 March at Palmerston High School. A talk was given by Corporal Cindy Bowden, an ex-student of Palmerston High. She encouraged all students to follow their dreams and to work hard. The charter is to encourage Year 10 students to commit to remaining in school, vocational training or employment for the next two years. All students seemed very willing to make the commitment, and were very excited about putting their signatures on the charter, which will be hung in the front office of the school.
Another great event I attended there was the Special Education Unit’s special Olympic Day on Wednesday the 4 June. The purpose of the day was to introduce the students to the different countries which will be competing in the up and coming Olympic Games. The individual classes each had to choose a country and then research that nation’s culture, language, dress and cuisine. I was greeted at the centre by Kelsey Walker and Manisha Buick-Martin; and had a colourful handmade lei put around my neck and given my passport, which was to be taken into each class and had questions that needed to be filled out in regards to the country that had been chosen. The answers were in the selected classrooms for that country. I was then led through to the different classrooms by the Assistant Principal of the Special Education Centre, Mrs Frankie MacLean, and also joined by the High School Principal, Jenny Nash.
Italy was the first country I visited, and the room was decorated in the Italian colours. I was greeted by Ms Katie Grimshaw and Ms Andy Rolfe, with students, Chris Brandis, wonderfully dressed as a gladiator, Shannon Curtis, equally wonderful as the chef, Samantha Broster and Nyrssa Fitzallen, both of whom did great jobs as waitresses. The very talented Russell Goodwin had made a model catapult at home. That was a fantastic effort, too. The students talked about the best things they had learned. It was generally agreed that gladiators, Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian food, gondolas and the Colosseum were all amongst the very best with, of course, gelato topping the lot.
Mrs Pauline Baker and Mrs Ursula Longhurst, with students, Cindy Williams, Samantha Halse, Wynoa Andrews, Joshua Godwin and Jocelyn Ryder chose Papua New Guinea. The room was decorated in the colours of Papua New Guinea, and the students had dressed up in traditional dress and beads. The walls were covered with pictures of Papua New Guinea traditions and formal dress. Student, Joshua Godwin did a great job of grinding coconut, which the class had done when they prepared the food, which was banana and sago pudding.
The next country we attended was Mexico. This was chosen by Mrs Julie Millar and Ms Helen Hansen, along with students Amanda Hutton, Anita Richards, Cindy Bil Bil and Dylan Knowles. They had made great wanted posters and stuck them on the entrance, with the students dressed as bandidos. All the students wore sombreros they had painted and decorated. The food they presented was sweet Mexican dip, along with corn chips and a selection of salsa. One of the questions in the passport was to list any words that you know, and the students had to help me out, teaching me ‘amigo’, ‘gracias’ and ‘si’.
Students Manisha Buick-Martin, Floyd Virgen, Timothy Harrison, Matthew Lakey and Kelsey Walker, along with Mrs Donna Harbidge and Daniel Olsen greeted me at the Chinese room with a cordial ‘Ni Hao’. China was the country of their choice. They had been very busy cooking. The table was adorned with fortune cookies, spring rolls and money bags, to name just a few of the delicacies. I was given Chinese lucky money, and the students had made hats with their names written on them in English and Chinese. I cracked open my fortune cookie, but I am still pondering the message contained therein.
Mrs Thevi Chelliah and Mrs Rokiah Lacey, and students, Kevin Bil Bil, Destin Whitely, Thomas Robson and Brock Moir chose India. One of the questions in my passport was: what is the capital city of India? I learned that it was Chennai. All the students already knew this, so they showed their great knowledge of India. They had been very busy making curry, rice and pappadams, which sent a tantalising smell through the complex. The students then did an interpretation of an Indian dance they had been learning and did a fantastic job.
I was greeted with a ‘G’day mate’, and knew instantly I had entered the Australia room with Mrs Ros Tait and Ms Barbara Ditchfield, and students, Mathew North, who dressed up as a stockman, and Kearnee O’Mara, who was dressed in the Australian colours with a fantastic green and gold wig. The food on the table, of course, included Anzac bickies and damper, but also had maggot bags and dead horse which, of course, is meat pies and tomato sauce, and not to forget to mention the kangaroo stew. The class was decorated in the Australian colours with a big Australian flag hanging up. It looked wonderful. Unfortunately, I did not get to meet students, Linden Appo and Floyd Ormsby, who were away that day but they had done such an excellent job in that room and the students really deserve great congratulations.
The final classroom I approached was Japan. It was decorated with little candles burning in the room and the room looked fantastic. It was adorned with all manner of things from Japan such as chopstick holders, Japanese fighting sticks and swords, fans and Japanese movies. Of course, Japan makes cult manga movies which are cartoon-type movies so there were a few of those DVDs to help set the scene of modern Japan. The students, Marvin Godinho, Ashton Davey, Mac Hall, Jake Hinnen and Thomas Canning Atkins along with Ms Janice Prince and Ms Monica Karl had been very busy making origami cranes and boxes out of different coloured paper. They looked fantastic. The students had done a great job making sushi which both looked great and tasted fantastic. I know it is a very time-consuming effort to make sushi.
I congratulate all the students and teachers on such an excellent job of decorating their classrooms, dressing up, and cooking. What a great way to research some of these countries which are involved in the Olympics and to learn something about the people who live there. The students made me feel very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed every one of the different countries I experienced. You really did a fantastic effort.
Bakewell Preschool deserves recognition for raising $370 from their Mother’s Day raffle. That was a fantastic achievement. The first prize winner was Mai Mortimer, second prize was Lee Dunham, and third prize went to Regina Donohoe.
The Freds Pass Show was held over the weekend of 16 to 18 May and turned out to be another great weekend. The crowds began flocking through the gates very early. There were quite a number of displays and exhibitions, food stalls, activities, workshops, wood-chopping and much more. Congratulations to the committee for the organisation of the event. One of the many highlights of the show was the country music concert which featured artists local and international, and a spectacular fireworks display. I thank the many volunteers who helped me and others at the ALP stall at the show.
I recently went to the official launch of TALES in the Park, a new program initiated by the Palmerston Council. Palmerston Library Manager, Sara White, did the introductions and Alderman Sue McKinnon, a new alderman, launched the TALES in the Park Program. Donna Odegaad from Radio Larrakia did the welcome to country. The project’s focus is working with indigenous young people aged 6 to 12 years but also their families. What staff discovered was that indigenous families of the area were a bit reticent to join in some of the activities within the library.
Sally Howarth, who is a fantastic mover and shaker in these things, noticed a number of families were watching what was going on and when she went to talk to them about getting involved, they were a little shy. So she thought: ‘Why not take the activities outside the library into a more comfortable setting?’ The first one was held on Driver Primary School oval. There was a great turnout and we quickly got the barbeque fired up. I assisted in setting up some of the bits and pieces. On this occasion, I did not get behind the barbeque but left it to people who knew what they were doing.
The children ran around and had a great deal of fun playing with all the equipment, and then listening to the stories being told. There was also grass weaving and one of the ladies was doing indigenous artwork as well. I congratulate the Kids Action Time, the KAT team: Sally Howarth was the team leader; Joanne Adams, project officer; Nadine Chalmers and Sylvia Lasserre. Nadine is a trainee whom I met when she was at Palmerston High School; and Sylvia is the Park Coordinator. They all put a great deal, not just hard work, but enthusiasm into putting this together as they do with all things. It is a great community event, it will be a regular one and I have no doubt that it will keep growing and growing.
Another launch I attended was the official opening of the Somerville Community Care Centre, which was held on 21 May; and was opened by minister Scrymgour. The centre is situated on Victoria Drive in Gray, and is there to provide support for family services, disability services, financial counselling and support advocacy. It also has a meeting room that can be accessed by other community organisations requiring a meeting space. A time capsule has been planted and will be opened in May 2018 as a special reminder of the hard work that has gone into bringing the dream into a reality. I know Somerville wanted for some time to expand the services they were offering in Palmerston. I congratulate everyone involved, board members, management and staff - the building and gardens look fantastic. It is a fabulous centre and will be well used and do fantastic work.
I also congratulate the daughter of one of my constituents. Nancy Libien, the daughter of Art Libien, recently graduated from the Australian National University in Asian Studies and Commerce. I am sure she did fantastically well. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Today is Bakewell Primary School’s Twilight Sport’s Carnival. Regrettably I cannot be there, I am here, and that is unfortunate. I like to get down there each year, but I will be at the school very shortly and I am sure I will hear all of the great things that went on.
Before winding up, I have just met someone from my life as a practitioner in Melbourne, Mr Michael Brett-Young, the CEO of the Victorian Law Society. It was great to catch up with him upstairs. It is a great reminder of how small Australia really is. We get to bump into each other at some wonderful events. I hope they have all had a great time up here with the meeting with the regulatory officers. I am sure they discovered much of the great Territory.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I recognise the life of Ms Liz McFarlane, a former Parliamentary Officer and friend to many people in this parliament.
In the last sittings of this parliament I spoke on Liz’s career and noted that she was very unwell at the time. She had indicated to me and others that she would most likely die within a couple of months. Sadly, she died on the afternoon of 2 June 2008. After I presented that adjournment, Liz sent me an e-mail and I would like to read a little of that to the parliament. It says:
- As you indicated, I am on the latter part of my life’s journey, but I am not walking alone on this path. I have been blessed in that my wonderful family, friends and many colleagues are supporting me along the way. I hope that we may continue to share in the daily wonders of life and living as we move forward and that dignity and humour remain my constant companions.
Once again, I thank you for kindness.
Kindest personal regards
Liz McFarlane
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I had the honour of being present at the funeral for Liz. There would have been more than 100 people at the funeral. It was a very special celebration of Liz’s life. I would have say that there are not too many people who die who would have had such an amazing turnout of members of parliament, former members of parliament and the current Administrator. I will mention who was there: His Honour the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling QC and me, the member for Johnston, the member for Brennan, and the member for Nelson. Former members who were present were Tim Baldwin, Rick Setter, Phil Mitchell, Terry McCarthy, Fred Finch, Steve Balch, Dawn Lawrie, John Bailey, and Sue Carter. It was an extraordinary turnout. There were also many former electorate officers and some current electorate officers at the funeral. There were many parliamentary officers representing our parliament as well.
It was a very moving service which was conducted by Mr McNeill, our Clerk. It was very difficult for him as well, as he was a very close friend of Liz.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to have the three main eulogies incorporated in the Parliamentary Record.
Leave granted.
Speech Notes for the Funeral Service of Liz McFarlane
- Good afternoon and welcome. It is my honour to welcome you on behalf of Liz’s family to this service to express our thanks and to pay tribute for the life of Elizabeth Ann McFarlane.
Since Liz’s passing last Monday, a number of words have been used to describe her character and life. Some of these expressions include references to her generosity and compassion, her love and understanding, her wit and sense of humour, and in her professional work, her loyalty, commitment and professionalism; and in more recent times when confronting the challenges of her health problems to her strength, determination and courage.
There will be members of Liz’s family and friends who will present eulogies and readings during this service. I am sure that these presentations will serve to remind us all of the way in which Liz touched so many people’s lives in such a positive manner.
Before proceeding to invite these presentations I will briefly outline some of the early life and times of Liz and her family which will be expanded on by Patsy and Jan Sporn.
Liz was born on 30 December 1947 in Tennant Creek a Territorian by birth and choice. The daughter of Archibald Ronald McFarlane, known to his family as Ronnie, and to his mates as Mac, and Clodagh Mary McFarlane. Liz was the elder sister of Gary Owen.
Liz’s father was convinced a horse called Robert Bruce was going to win the Melbourne Cup that year and early in the spring indicated that he intended to name his son after the winner.
- Clodagh was particularly pleased when a daughter was born. As it turned out the cup that year was won by a horse named Hiraji.
Liz left Tennant Creek before her first birthday and via Berrigan in the Riverina, the family settled on the Port Phillip seafront at Seaholme near Altona in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
Seaholme was in the Footscray VFL zone - so, logically, the decision was made to follow the Bulldogs without question. As a youngster, Liz was a regular spectator at the Western Oval now renamed Whitten Oval. She had favourite players in Ted Whitten and John Schultz. In recent years Liz was able to strike a friendship with Ted Whitten Jnr during his visits to Darwin and became an active supporter of the EJ Whitten Foundation’s work in raising prostate cancer awareness.
Later, after the family had moved to South Croydon at the foot of the Dandenongs in Victoria she recalled having many an argument with Brian Dixon, a Melbourne footballer, and teacher at her high school when he would tease her about knitting a new Demons scarf or football jumper for her brother Gary.
When the family moved to Croydon, her parents realised there were no organised activities for young people in the area. There was an oval with a small hall attached, and, after enlisting the help of other parents, they formed the South Croydon Youth Club and gave up their time to teach gymnastics, ball games, boxing and other sports. This tradition was followed by Liz, in Darwin, where she established a reputation for community service and devoted much of her time to sporting and community groups involved in promoting and encouraging young Territorians in the fields of sailing and netball and in her charity work with Camp Quality.
On New Year’s Day in 1955 Liz nearly drowned in the sea opposite the Seaholme home. After recovering from her experience her father enrolled her in swimming classes being run by the local life saving club. To ensure she could in fact swim he threw her off the end of the local pier and instructed her to swim back to shore.
Liz often recalled fond memories of her childhoodgrowing up in Croydon: playing netball, close involvement with the Girl Guides and Brownies, her special visits to town by train to the Botanical Gardens, the Museum and a treat of lunch at Coles Cafeteria in Bourke Street, and her experiences fruit picking in the Dandenong Ranges.
It is probably a further indication of Liz’s generosity of spirit that she recalled all of these pleasant experiences despite the fact that over the extended period of her youth there were serious domestic tensions in her household.
While Liz readily owned up to never being a brilliant student she always claimed that her work was very neat.
Liz had always wanted to be a nurse which was probably brought on by personal experience of being prone to illness as a child particularly prone to severe chest infections requiring hospitalisation and regular physiotherapy.
During her last term at school her mother, Clodagh, found an advertisement in a weekend newspaper for young women to undertake nursing training in Darwin.
Following a profitable stint of fruit-picking in the Dandenong Ranges Liz left Melbourne for Darwin on 7 March 1965.
During the fruit picking season, Liz’s mother and friends were busy making clothes for her including a beautiful linen suit lined with matching taffeta and a number of fully lined dresses clearly with the ambition of Liz being the best dressed junior nurse in the Darwin hospital. As Liz recalls: ‘Needless to say I never wore the suit or many of the other clothes made with such love, due to the heat and humidity’.
Her first impressions of Darwin were not favourable. On the way from the airport to the Sisters Quarters at Myilly Point she recalled the height of the spear grass along the side of the road and having a very bad feeling that she had arrived in some God forsaken jungle.
Liz soon involved herself heavily in her nursing work and also in Darwin social life.
Nurses were made to feel welcome wherever they went but organised entertainment was very limited. The pubs closed at 10 pm except on one night when they operated until 11.30. Her favourite venues then were the ‘Hot and Cold’ at the old Hotel Darwin, the Vic and the Fannie Bay Hotel. Other entertainment was provided at the Star in Smith Street, the Parap Cinema and the Drive-in.
- Shortly after Liz’s 21st birthday she gave birth to Patsy and recalled her memories of taking Patsy Gay home in a newly purchased little white dress to begin life as a single mum who didn’t have a job.
- After a short stint as a housemaid at the Cornucopia Motel, Liz worked as a receptionist for Dr Alford at the Stuart Park Surgery. She then went on to work in the office of Eddie Zamolo, a local Italian building contractor.
By then Liz and Patsy had moved to the Wirrina Flats at Parap and Liz had commenced her new job pulling beers at the Darwin Club.
Before Patsy’s first birthday, Liz was offered a job at the Darwin Sailing Club. This was a period of her life which she always recalled with great fondness. In her own words she was a ‘damn good barmaid and had a good work ethic and won the respect of the management and members’.
However, she was also the butt of some practical jokes and recalled being placed in a rubbish bin half full of ice and then being placed on top of the bar unable to move ‘with my bum in the bin and legs and arms flailing wildly’.
Needless to say she paid back those offending members at various times.
She always recalled the support given by Noddy Blair he was as a great boss and support to her and remained a long-term friend.
When Patsy was due to go to preschool Liz had to consider different employment options and joined Tim Seats and his wife Lorri in their liquor agency business where she worked for the next 13 years.
It was during this time that Liz met David, the father of Tavis and Rhonda.
On Christmas Eve 1974, Liz and Patsy survived Cyclone Tracy by sheltering in the bathroom while the rest of the house they were occupying was demolished.
After Cyclone Tracy the family moved to Batchelor, commuting to Darwin for work. They only left just before Tavis was due and returned back to the Wirrina Flats at Parap.
After the cyclone, Tavis was delivered in the maternity ward that had no window glass, no air-conditioning, cotton hospital towels on the floor absorbing some of the water and an array of buckets gathering the dripping water. There was only one other white baby born in the ward the same day. Liz said: ‘“I can’t remember too much about the ward operation, but I do remember that Dawn Souey arrived while I was still there with a great big bunch of red roses and lots of goodies for Tavis’.
On returning to Darwin, Liz recommenced work with Tim and Lorri Seats and Patsy went to school at Berrimah. In 1977 with Rhonda on the way, the family negotiated for and purchased the still family home at 62 Jingili Tce.
After Rhonda arrived, Liz decided she would have the opportunity to be a full-time mum and resigned from Tim Seats but only for six weeks before she became a carer at Family Day Care returning to Tim and Lorri after 12 months at home which she recalled as an enjoyable experience.
In 1986 Liz commenced as Electorate Officer for the then member for Wanguri, the late Don Dale, and was later to work in the same role for the former member for Casuarina, Nick Dondas, and with the Legislative Assembly till 1998 when she worked as Steve Balch’s Electorate Officer for three years.
Then Liz returned and continued her employment until her retirement with the Department of the Legislative Assembly in various roles in the Office of the Clerk, Speaker’s Office and the Committee Secretariat during which time she served four Speakers – Speaker Dondas, Speaker McCarthy, Speaker Braham and current Speaker the Honourable, Jane Aagaard, MLA.
At this stage I leave the rest of Liz’s story to following speakers. I am sure that they will further indicate the high esteem with which Liz is held by all who knew her. I will make some concluding remarks at the end of the service. .
- On behalf of Liz’s family I thank all who have spoken, participated in the service today and thank you all for your attendance.
There are a number of members and former members who have contacted me during the week who wished to be remembered to the family.
The first was former member of the Legislative Council and Assembly and Senator, Bern Kilgariff with whom Liz has been in touch regularly over the last few months in respect of a project she has been conducting on behalf of the Assembly.
Bern and Aileen Kilgariff wish to record their condolences. Bern commented on Liz’s courage and their appreciation of her friendship over the years.
Former member for Stuart and Leader of the Opposition, Brian Ede and his wife, Anne Walsh, contacted me from their vineyard home in Pemberton, Western Australia, to express their sadness at hearing of Liz’s passing. Brian commented that ‘she was loyal, clever, committed – these are just some of the words that leapt to mind when remembering her if you get the chance would you pass on my condolences and best wishes to family and friends.’
While I briefly noted Liz’s career over the last 22 years with the Northern Territory Parliament there are two particular outstanding achievements which I wish to record.
First, in the development and conduct of Parliament House Tours Liz raised the standards for tours to new levels of excellence. Her dedication, knowledge and enthusiasm in describing the history of the site, parliamentary procedures and the building features prompted many comments of praise from tourists asked for feedback on the presentation of the tours.
Also, in recent times while Liz was in ill health I was pleased to facilitate Liz undertaking a project designed to record details and checking, validating and enhancing biographical and other records of Council and Assembly members. To have undertaken this significant project while undergoing treatment was a further example of Liz’s character, diligence and dedication.
In marking Liz’s retirement the Chief Minister in congratulating Liz on her service to the parliament wrote:.
Present and former members of the Assembly have spoken highly of your work as an Electorate Officer and with the Assembly, in particular, your friendship. The significant project of checking, validating and enhancing biographical records of the Assembly and Council members that you have undertaken while undergoing treatment is a true indication that you are a selfless and dedicated officer.
Your enthusiasm and dedication to the Parliament House Public Tours program is commended. The tours are invaluable and important in promoting the Territory.
On a personal note it has been a privilege to know you. I wish you all the best,
Yours sincerely, Paul Henderson.
- The first product of Liz’s work flowing from this project will be the installation of commemorative panels on the Speaker’s Green recording the terms of service of members of the Northern Territory Parliament together with details of relevant historical events.
I think it would be most appropriate if Liz is permanently and appropriately acknowledged when the panels are installed.
In paying tribute to Liz’s service the Speaker recently said:
During her career as a Parliamentary Officer, she served as the Clerk’s Executive Assistant, personal assistant to two Deputy Clerks, and as a research officer with the majority of parliamentary committees. In addition, she worked for four Speakers during the course of her career – indeed, she worked for me for a brief period when I became the Speaker. She also worked in the team that was part of the group with the Select Committee on Substance Abuse when I chaired that committee. She was a terrific asset to the committee.
- For more than three years, Liz conducted guided public tours of Parliament House, and it is largely due to her enthusiasm and dedication that the Parliament House public tours program was held in such high regard by visitors to this building.
During her career with the Legislative Assembly, Liz has been a selfless and dedicated officer and a good friend to many with whom she worked. She is very respected by members from all sides of politics, and her generosity of spirit is widely acknowledged, in particular, her mentoring and encouragement of junior officers.
To members of Liz’s family, children, grandchildren, we all pay tribute to the memory of Liz. You should be justifiably proud of her life and the way she has touched so many other people’s lives in such a positive manner.
She has been an inspiration to all of us.
In concluding I was hoping in the absence of music or other readings, to read or quote some appropriate prose or poetry. I think that in acknowledging that Liz’s last week and days with family and friends should be recalled in future not as being overwhelmed with the sadness and grief of her passing but balanced in our memories by the fact that she was given extra comfort by the expert care and assistance of the Palliative Care Unit of the Darwin Hospital and in the facilities at the magnificent Hospice on the hospital grounds.
Those last days shared with family and friends were characterised by an atmosphere of much love and not a little laughter. I think it might be appropriate to read a couple of lines from a dedication by poet, writer and sometime politician Hilaire Belloc, to whose writings I was directed fortunately some time ago by former Administrator Austin Asche. I think it appropriately describes the spirit of Liz’s life and times and hopefully our lasting memories and appreciation of her life:
- From quiet homes and first beginning,
Out to the undiscovered ends, There's nothing worth the wear of winning,
But laughter and the love of friends.
Dedication to Liz McFarlane
Not so long ago, Liz and I were discussing her funeral when I ventured that it could be quite a large affair. ‘Oh no’, she said, ‘I don’t imagine that there will be anymore than 50 people’. I am very glad to say that she was wrong and that the crowd today is an indication of the respect in which she is held.
I first met Liz not long after she applied for a position with then member for Wanguri, Don Dale. I would imagine that Don fully expected to interview her. Instead she turned the tables and interviewed him. Not interested in conditions and salary, Liz was far more interested in Don’s commitment as a local member and fielded 20 questions in that direction. She was employed on the spot.
Liz and I got on well from the start; however, we really became friends during the 1987 election campaign. She had never been involved in anything like that before but was very determined to get her part right. Armed with highlighters, maps, street walks, plastic folders, arch files and such like she took to the campaign trail like a duck to water. Enthusiasm was her second name as she worked tirelessly to assist Don in winning the seat. I remember the day when she discovered that Don had decided that visiting Tracy Village Social Club was a far better option than knocking on doors. As far as I know he was the first member of parliament to experience ‘the fogarty glare’ but he certainly wasn’t the last.
The ‘fogarty glare’ was a very frightening thing and any of you who have been exposed to it will understand what I am talking about. I was only ever the subject once when Clodagh, Liz’s mother and I foolishly decided to interfere in her life. I still shiver when I think about it. Fortunately, Liz rarely inflicted her glare on anyone as she spent her life caring for other people, providing love, sustenance and compassion to all around her.
- She personified the word generosity. Not remotely interested in indulging herself, she made it her life’s work to take care of others. The extent of her devotion to the human race is only just beginning to unfold as myriads of people contact her family and friends with tales of her activities. She gave away every cent she could to others. I suspect that not a week went by without her doing something for somebody else. She raised money for kids sporting trips, knitted and crocheted baby stuff for people she didn’t know, cooked wonderful food for all sorts of activities and listened to other people’s tales of woe. Then there was her devotion to her children which cannot be surpassed.
It was Liz who organised Clodagh’s former partner’s burial service. We travelled down to Canerry Row on the banks of the Adelaide River, a beautiful spot that Smithy had once owned. Smithy’s ashes were placed in a hole along with Berocca and sundry other things. As a final gesture McFarlane poured whisky into the hole and then planted a tree. There were a few of us that sobbed a little too loudly at the sight of single malt whisky being poured in that hole. The tree died 2 weeks later.
My own family loved her passionately. She has been there for every event, good and bad, for over 20 years. Kristie commented the other day that there were times during her teenage years when Liz was tougher on her than I was. When I contracted hepatitis she visited me every day for three months. When we sold our house and bought a new one in the middle of me undergoing a couple of operations she was there. Gardening, cooking and assisting in every way possible with the packing and unpacking as well as visiting me in hospital despite the fact that I told her not too.
Liz had a great sense of humour and certainly had a fun side. No doubt His Honour will elaborate on her earlier years. Whilst she rarely drank, every now and then Liz made a fist of it. I have seen her dance on tabletops, though I must admit not with huge success. We were at an electorate secretary’s lunch at the Hibiscus Tavern many years ago. Latish in the afternoon out of the blue I heard a booming voice from the other side of the room with an order: ‘Janet, take me home - now!’
I managed to bundle her in the Moke and drove her home as she hung her head out the side singing to her heart’s content all the way home. It was quite an effort to get her out of the Moke, with my last view of her weaving down the driveway calling to her startled children: ‘I love yous all’. . I was so keen to escape that I backed into her gate and to this day still cannot back out of her driveway properly.
Anzac Day is our special day. For many years we have attended the Dawn Service together, had breakfast at an establishment that shall remain nameless as we are served copius quantities of cane cutter’s cordial and champagne, and then on to watch Stu march. She and I cried our eyes out the year Kelly lead the march carrying the Legacy banner. This year, as usual, Geddes had a seat for her at the dawn service but there was severe doubt that she would be able to attend. Refusing any assistance from Kristie, Gunner or me, she insisted on catching a taxi if well enough to attend. I put the lights on at 5 am, though not expecting her to turn up. I was just about to leave for the service when in she struggled, bent almost double with pain. I couldn’t help but tell her how proud I was of her. It was only when we got outside that I discovered she had driven herself – how I don’t know.
Not long after she became ill, Anna Maria Socci and Maria Viegas hatched a plan to raise money for Liz so that she could fly her family home in case of emergency. They expected to raise around $800 within the department. The Speaker, Jane Aagaard, lead the charge and within a short period of time members, former members, some officers of the Assembly as well as people outside the building had contributed over $4000. I think if the campaign had continued we could have raised enough for her to reside in the south of France. She was completely blown away by the gesture and cried for three days. It was beyond her comprehension that she was held in such respect by her colleagues, friends and members from all sides of politics.
McFarlane’s courage is an inspiration to us all. I have never witnessed anything like it. To say that her funeral arrangements are well organised is an understatement. I got the job of going with her to choose the coffin and the headstone. Everything was in order to ensure that her family didn’t have the burden of making arrangements after her departure. Despite the terrible pain she was in control. It was her, not the hospital, who summonsed her children at 4 am last Sunday morning as she knew she was near the end of her journey.
Much has been said and will be said about Liz’s bravery but there are also many people who helped along the way. I hesitate to name names as there were so many wonderful people who assisted or were desperate to help. Pam Hopkinson is an inspiration to us all. Her care of Liz is unsurpassed. Derek and Rhonda Stafford - they are indeed a very special couple. My own family – Stu, Kelly and Kristie. Stu and Kristie were always there for Liz and all of them an amazing support to me through the tough times even with Kelly being so far away. Brian Cook carted away palm fronds every week from Liz’s prized garden. There are many people who helped and some that I don’t know who wanted nothing more than to repay her many kind acts, however, as we all know McFarlane was a very independent person and found it difficult to accept help.
- Then of course there are her children. Emotion will get in the way of truly expressing my feelings about them. Patsy, Tavis and Rhonda, you should be exceptionally proud of yourselves. I had the opportunity to witness a small part of your care and love for your mother and your courage. You are a credit to your mother and a credit to yourselves.
My final conversation with Liz took place last Sunday morning. She was in great pain and having difficulty speaking. We spoke only of the things that matter. She then gently squeezed my hand and her last words to me were: ‘You know, Jan, we have been so wonderfully lucky with our children. They are so wonderful and you and I are just so very, very lucky’.
That is the measure of Liz McFarlane.
Jan Sporn
Dedication to Liz McFarlane
There’s an envelope on my dresser, gathering dust, unopened. Mum brought it over with her when she visited me here in London a couple of months ago. Liz wrote it several months ago, as I understand it. I look at it every day, but I can’t bring myself to open it.
I know what her letter will say. It will be full of love and hope and praise and encouragement, because that’s what Liz was all about.
I can’t remember first meeting her. Logically, there must have been a time when she wasn’t there, as mum didn’t meet her until our last move back to Darwin, but it’s impossible to recall when she wasn’t a constant presence in our lives.
I do, however, recall the day mum called to tell me that Liz had cancer. The sun was far too bright that morning, as though it hadn’t heard the news. The idea of a world without her in it was inconceivable.
Somehow, with all of the goodbyes we’ve said in the past few years, I’d assumed she was going to remain a fixture in our lives. I’d thought she’d still be making those marvellous decorations for our Christmas table when I was middle-aged, and she and my parents were old and grey. I imagined we were going to have to get zimmer frames for she and mum to help them keep pace with dad in the Anzac March in decades to come. I believed I would still have time to talk with her about the book of poetry she bought me when I was a kid - a book that remains my favourite tome to this day; or to get her to teach me how to knit scarves like the glorious one she made for me that keeps me warm each winter.
There will be a thousand and one tales told of Liz’s kindness and selflessness. Just to name one instance amongst many, I recall my last telephone call to her. It wasn’t long after mum had had a second cancer scare and had been having a bit of a rough time. Liz was clearly in considerable pain, although she was making every effort to disguise it from her voice. Rather than talking about her own burdens, her sole concern was to reassure me that mum was going to be okay.
Her pragmatism and directness could take some people off-guard, but it always gave me enormous comfort. I recall being curled up in the kitchen of the Chan Building many years ago, in distress from a health issue. As those in pain are wont to do, I repelled any attempts at sympathy from anyone who tried. Then Liz came in, sat down next to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. She explained what had happened to me, what to expect next. She made something scary seem manageable. When I think of that moment, she seemed to be a lighthouse in a sea of pain and confusion.
I think the thing I’ll miss the most is the sense that someone, somewhere in the world really knew who I was. Many a person has walked through their whole life without a single person ever really knowing them, but Liz could see me as clearly as daylight. And she’d pull me up smartly if I ever started talking crap.
There is a tendency to canonise those who have died; perhaps it’s our way of coping with the grief of loss. But in this case, the superlatives are completely merited. Indeed, they are inadequate. Liz was a model of all the best qualities a person can be: courage, strength, humour, generosity and, above all, love. If I am even half the woman that Liz was when I reach the end of my journey, I will consider myself a success.
I’m not sure when I’ll be able to read that letter. I don’t have her courage yet. I’m still not ready to have this last conversation with her.
Kelly Sporn
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I also recognise tonight a couple of people who have received honours in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. First, I congratulate His Honour, The Administrator who becomes an AO, as well as his QC. It is terrific that he has been recognised in this way for all of his work in the legal profession leading up to becoming the Administrator. I send my congratulations to him.
I also send my congratulations to a constituent of mine, Mr Theo Gomatos, OAM, for his work with the Greek community. Theo, has worked tirelessly both as an Honorary Vice-Consul for the Greek community as well as in many community groups where he supported and promoted Greek culture in the Northern Territory. I offer my most sincere congratulations to him. I also offer my congratulations to his wife, Lilian Gomatos, for all her hard work in organising the Glenti. It was a terrific party; two days of amazing food and culture. One of the special things about living in Darwin or, indeed, the Northern Territory, is the wonderful Greek community which gets together every year and celebrates their culture with us. Thank you very much to Theo and Lilian.
I also congratulate Michelle Hanton, who received an Order of Australia Medal in this current Honours list for her work with Dragons Abreast. As many members know, Michelle established Dragons Abreast many years ago. Women who have been diagnosed and are being treated for breast cancer can, if they wish, join Dragons Abreast and become paddlers. It has actually become a worldwide movement. Michelle, thank you very much and congratulations.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank this evening Brian Price who, for the last six football seasons, has been the President of the Waratahs Football Club - and what a difference he has made in those six years. It is no secret that six years ago, Waratahs Football Club was not in great shape. Waratahs had serious debts, its senior team had lost its winning ways, and it was a struggle to get the numbers together for the junior teams. Waratahs thought Brian could help and he did. Brian’s background was in administration, hotels, and sports but, as he told me, he was not a football expert as such. He was, though, an administrator. He brought those talents to Tahs. To get the finances back in the black, he admits he took a tough approach. His motto: ‘A football club could not spend what it did not have’.
He had to get good financial administration and football management working together. He had to regenerate the junior’s program, get a women’s team up and running, build up sponsors and sponsorships, and bring in a contemporary constitution. It was a task Brian undertook with enormous commitment. He put in hours of work, week after week, year after year, building all aspects of the club. He was a fixture at the games on the weekend - hard to miss in fact, in his Tahs shirt, often long shorts, white socks, runners and a worried look on his face as he tackled yet another thing, big or small, that had to be done.
I cannot remember Brian ever sitting quietly in the stand watching the game with a beer in his hand. ‘Too much to do,’ he would say. Brian says he greatly enjoyed working for the Tahs’ future. He put it in a healthy position. Waratahs Football Club is the biggest club in town. Waratahs football teams are playing in all age competitions now, nine in all, and last season, all of those nine teams made their respective finals. Brian was disappointed that only four of those nine teams won. I said to him, as the proud patron of Waratahs, that at least they were there and there is always the 2008-09 season.
So, thank you to Brian Price for his enormous and successful efforts over the past six years. Waratahs Football Club has money in the bank and teams set for premiership glory. Maybe this coming season, he and Janicean can sit quietly and watch their teams with their biggest worry being what the winning margin might be.
A member interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: We will beat your lot!
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, hundreds of people gathered yesterday at the Smith St Uniting Church to farewell a man who died because of a senseless act of violence.
John Mount, or Shadow as he was always known, was the caretaker at the home of Darwin Rugby League, Richardson Park. No one quite knows which year he appeared there but, somewhere between 25 and 30 years ago, Shadow became the resident of the ground, watching over the playing fields, adopted by the plovers, inordinately proud of the young men who played league, and always keeping a watchful eye over league patrons and groups, like the line dancers who used the premises.
We talk about some individuals who, because of who they are and what they do, become institutions, and Shadow was a league institution. Everyone knew him; most have a Shadow story, and probably told it at the Richardson Park wake yesterday. All will be grieving and angry at his untimely death in a much publicised and vicious assault.
Mick Palmer, as President of the League, spoke at the funeral with much humour and affection for Shadow - his propping up the bar over the years, the mowing of the grounds he insisted on doing, with his own mower, which was a very proud possession, and - what I didn’t know about, - some of his mower excursions into the suburbs.
Mick also called on young Territory men to end the growing violence that appears all too often on the streets of Darwin or, in Shadow’s case, in the grandstand at Richardson Park. As he said, government, police and courts can only do so much. Fundamentally, our community must take action to stop the assaults, the fights and gang violence.
So Darwin farewelled Shadow, a man who will be long remembered, whose commitment to Rugby League was so valued and whose death was so tragic and so pointless, and my thoughts are with his family and friends.
Finally tonight, I want to pay tribute to the young recorder players at the Stuart Park Primary School, and their dedicated recorder teacher, Richard Woodside. Richard is one of the school’s Deputy Principals. Richard has encouraged a number of his young charges at Stuart Park to take up the recorder. It does not seem to take much persuasion. Groups of recorder players perform regularly at school assemblies, and their performances are much enjoyed by classmates.
Last month, the Stuart Park recorder players performed at the North Australia Eisteddfod and did extraordinarily well. From the 10 years age group to 14 years, there were quite a number of winners and highly commended. I would like to put their achievements tonight on the Parliamentary Record.
Recorder One Piece Solo 10 Years and Under, Marianna Diamandopoulos was first, with Yi Ting Liang Highly Commended.
Recorder One Piece Solo 12 Years and Under, Aurora Philpin was first, with Caterina Savvas Highly Commended.
Recorder One Piece Duet 10 Years and Under, Jessica Bowling and Greta Stuart were first. and Highly Recommended, Marianna Diamandopoulos and Ariana Pryce.
Recorder One Piece Duet 14 and Under, Aurora Philpin and Chelsea Moyd were first, with Caterina Savvas and Laura Vincent, Highly Commended.
One Piece Trio 10 and Under, Yi Ting Liang, Marianna Diamandopoulos and Brittany Walker were first.
One Piece Trio 14 and Under, Alexandra Stewart, Greta Stewart and Jessica Bowling, and also Caterina Savvas, Chelsea Moyd and Aurora Philpin.
Recorder One Piece Quartet 10 Years and Under, Marianna Diamandopoulos, Yi Ting Liang, Greta Stewart and Brittany Walker.
Recorder One Piece Quartet 14 Years and Under, Caterina Savvas, Laura Vincent, Aurora Philpin and Chelsea Moyd.
Recorder Group Minimum 5 - One Piece, there was a Highly Commended for the Stuart Park Primary School.
They have done extraordinarily well. They have taken the enthusiasm for recorder from their school’s deputy, Richard Woodside and his young recorder players have certainly responded. So well done, and something to live up to next year.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I have stood in this House many times and spoken of the achievements of many people, but tonight I wish to place on record some thoughts of my rather unexpected parliamentary career.
I was elected as a town council alderman in Alice Springs in 1988, the year that Ian Tuxworth fell out with the CLP and formed the National Party. He rang me and asked me to stand but I declined. Instead, I ran the campaign for Enzo Floreani who was standing for the seat of Flynn. It was a successful campaign but Enzo’s career was cut short in the general election in 1990 after the boundaries were changed and an electoral redistribution. I thank Ian Tuxworth for that first taste of politics.
My next appointment approach was from Shane Stone. As principal of a school, I was hosting a principals’ conference where Stone was the guest speaker. He asked me if I was interested in standing and, after a further meeting, I stood for pre-selection for Braitling. I thank Stone and the CLP for the opportunity to become a member, a minister and Speaker of this parliament and to the electors of Braitling who supported me over this period.
I have to admit I was perplexed when the CLP decided not to pre-select me but I need to put on record and say to them ‘Thank you’ as it was the best thing that happened to me. No party pressure, no party politics, no party agenda. The role of Independents in this House, in my opinion, over the past two terms has been significant. All governments need an opposition to question government decisions and policies but, for me this term, the opposition has not presented a united front. It has been the member for Nelson, the other Independent member, and myself who have been the ones who have taken the government to task on many occasions.
I must make mention of my time as Speaker. It was opportune that the NT had a representative on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. My contact with other Speakers from Commonwealth countries was a learning experience I would never have had if I had not been in this parliament. I always came back to the Northern Territory with a deep appreciation of how fortunate we are to live in such a safe, democratic society where all people have access to services some countries do not offer.
My time as Speaker had high lights and low lights. As Speaker under the CLP government, Chief Minister Shane Stone did not like one of my rulings and moved a motion of dissent against me. Normally, this would have brought about the resignation of the Speaker but I did not step down as I knew I was right. I also during that term introduced the ‘sin bin’, that is, you would evict people for one hour rather than a whole day because I remember at the time there were only seven members of the opposition - the Magnificent Seven as they called themselves, or the Seven Dwarfs as the CLP called them – and it is a move today, I believe, that is genuinely useful because if people do play up, they can be thrown out for an hour rather than a whole day. In this circumstance if you threw out one member of the opposition for a whole day, it would probably be rather disastrous and not very democratic.
In my second term as Speaker I had a rather exciting time when we had the invasion of the parliament by a group of protesters. We had a ministerial advisor who had sex on the Speaker’s chair and table. Probably one of the highlights was taking parliament to the people of Alice Springs, taking it out of this building.
I believe I have had successes in influencing government legislation, as well as achieving amendments. For instance, in the Bail Act the government used the amendments I had put forward removing presumption of bail for serious sexual offences. In the Residential Tenancies Act, government used the amendment I put forward allowing third parties to apply for a termination of a tenancy agreement. The Planning Act bill, when it was pointed out to government, the government amended the bill allowing public meetings of DCA for certain development applications, and the Liquor Act bill, the same thing - government amended allowing permits for drinking in public restricted areas to be issued to any person, while the original bill had permits to be issued only to those people living in the area, and so on.
In addition, I have kept in touch with my electorate and brought about changes to improve the lives of people living there. Just recently, we talked about the bussing of town camp kids to school; supporting residents who managed to get a tenant evicted who had been making their life hell; we have had bicycle parks upgraded; we had extra bright lights put in where there has been a safety concern, temporary lane closures - all the sorts of things MLAs do for their electorate. My office has always been an open office. We have over 25 organisations using my conference room for meetings and about 22 which come in to use my photocopier as well.
I am a great supporter of people in schools. We have done much for people involved with schools where we can, and not just for the electorate but for Alice Springs, generally.
It has been a fruitful and full life. I thank the many people who have been supportive over many years. Robyn Van Dok, who has been in the House this week, has been my electorate secretary for 14 years. She is a very effective PR person, is well known and on many committees in town. Kerry Gadsby fills in when Robyn is absent and does so graciously. Caroline Cavanagh, the research officer I share with the independent member for Nelson, is very thorough, fires up well and is not backward, I might add, in giving us her advice. I can see the member for Nelson is nodding.
I also want to acknowledge the other officers who have helped me in the past such as Katie Tchia who was my secretary when I was Speaker, Kathy Cercarelli, and, for a short time, the late Liz McFarlane. I have also said it has been very satisfying for me to work with someone like the member for Nelson who is a fellow traveller and has great dedication to his job. And, of course, there are the officers of the Legislative Assembly who are so efficient and willing to provide advice when you want it. I mention, in particular, the Clerk, Ian McNeill; the Deputy Clerk, David Horton; Graham Gadd and Steve Stokes in the Table Office; and Helen Allmich in Hansard.
I only hope during my term that I have helped the people in my electorate as well as the people of Alice Springs and the Territory. This career will soon end, possibly in a couple of months’ time. We do not always get what we want but in my life experience you hope you give as much as you get. Thank you.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I acknowledge the great contribution the member for Braitling has made to this Assembly. I look forward to the next 12 months we spend together in this Assembly because the election is not until next year. It was good to recount your life in politics. I believe Madam Deputy Acting Speaker did not need to be reminded where she is sitting!
I am continuing my remarks from last night in regards to the Finke Desert Race. The rain suited many of the competitors by settling the usually dusty track. By the second day much of the track had dried out allowing the top buggies to get to Alice Springs in record time. First there and back in the buggies was former local combination of Dave Fellows and Andrew Kittle, followed by locals, Chris Coulthard and Bob Hawker, with New South Wales banker, Brad Prout, in his single seat buggy placed 3rd. Previous winners, Shannon and Ian Rentsch were in 3rd place until breaking an axle just 300 m from the finish line - rendering them unable to finish.
In the bikes, the 2007 top two put in a repeat performance with last year’s winner, Ben Grabham, and Alice Springs local and 2006 winner, Ryan Branford, placing 1st and 2nd respectively with just 58 seconds separating them. Brad Williscroft from Appin in New South Wales placed third in the top 20 which contained 10 Alice Springs riders - a great endorsement of the quality of Alice Springs Desert Races.
In the most anticipated ride of the event, Isaac Elliot completed his journey there and back to be the first paraplegic rider to complete the event on two wheels. Isaac finished in the very respectable 251st place after starting at the rear of the field on day one. Congratulations to Isaac and his support riders for making the 440 km journey there and back. Isaac truly is an inspiration.
Unfortunately, the triumphs of the 2008 Finke Desert Race were tempered by the tragedy of the death of Queenslander rider, David Schmidt, on race day one. The loss of a Finke competitor affects the entire Finke family and is a stark reminder of the danger associated with motor sports. I extend my condolences to all of David’s family, friends, crew, and fellow competitors on his loss.
Putting on an event like the Finke Desert Race takes a lot of time and effort from people behind the scenes. I congratulate the Finke Desert Race Committee: President, Anthony Yoffa; Vice President, Damien Ryan; Secretary, Kelsey Rodda; Treasurer, Brooke Fraser; Nina Hargrave; Glen Auricht; and Tony Phillips for all the work they do, and for their professionalism, particularly during very difficult circumstances this year.
I also congratulate Kristen Keating, Finke’s Administrative Officer, on the many hours she put in all year round. Kristen will be leaving Alice Springs in July to go back to the United States with her family. I know she will be sadly missed by everyone involved with the Finke.
There are a number of other people who need to be thanked for making the event possible each year: the many landholders whose land the Finke track runs though; the Finke Apatula community; the hundreds of volunteers; the naming rights sponsor Tattersall’s; the major sponsors of the event - Alice Springs Town Council, ABC radio, NT Major Events Company represented by Craig Markham, Fosters, Cemex, Imparja, Lasseter’s Hotel Casino; and the many class and in-kind sponsors who support the event year in and out.
The Finke Desert Race is a great event that people just keep coming back to. I hope the Finke continues to get bigger and better and continues to attract the competitors and spectators from across the country. Congratulations to everyone involved on this year’s Finke, and best of luck in 2009 Finke Desert Race.
As the Minister for Local Government, I acknowledge the contribution of an employee of the department of Local Government. Nick Scarvelis started with the NT Public Service in 2002, working in the former Indigenous House (IHANT) Unit, before transferring to Local Government.
As the Executive Director of Local Government in the Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport, Nick has led from the front to provide the government and staff with a strong vision for how local government can be better structured to improve governance, accountability and delivery of local government services to our bush communities. Nick was instrumental in shaping the Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport’s thinking on how local government reform could be delivered, and his unfailing enthusiasm and ability to think laterally has been a real driver in getting reform off the ground.
As with any reform, there is change and, often, people are not comfortable with change. It also means that the way things are done change. Nick has always provided government with sound and practical advice to address the concerns raised by people and to help with the transition from the old to the new. Nick has also understood the imperative of more real jobs for indigenous Territorians in the remote areas in the bush, and helped shape the government’s policy on providing jobs for local people in the new shires.
Nick is moving from the Territory to start a new life. I thank Nick for his leadership, work and dedication, and wish him well in his future endeavours. Nick may leave the Territory, but he will always be remembered as a person who has the interest of the Northern Territory close to his heart.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to report on a trip that I did last week to New South Wales and South-East Queensland. The purpose of my trip to New South Wales was to visit the University of New South Wales Centre for Materials Research in Energy Conversion. That part of the university is especially interesting from the point of view of the Territory, because there is a number of scientists there working on the possibility of producing hydrogen, which I believe is the fuel of the future, using the sun, water – in this case, salt water – and titanium oxide. Titanium oxide is a very common material in Australia. It is quite cheap and it is like a number of oxides. It has the ability to react and, in the case of titanium oxide, to allow hydrogen to escape from the water, which is normally done by hydrolysis. In this case it is a form of hydrolysis. People who know about how hydrogen is produced know the normal method is using electricity to produce hydrolysis, which makes the hydrogen break away from the oxygen molecules in water. This is a very strong bond normally. Hydrogen can be used to fuel motor cars, and it is a very clean fuel. In fact, when it burns, it turns back into water.
The director of this research group’s name is Professor Janusz Nowotny. He is the director of this section dealing with looking at ways of producing hydrogen from titanium oxide. I spent a good part of the morning discussing these issues with him. I met one of the key members of the team there, Dr Leigh Sheppard, who deals with material sciences and engineering, and is concentrating on photo-electrochemical cells. There are two other staff members there as well. Basically, they are hoping to produce hydrogen as a source of energy for the world, using the sun. So instead of using hydrogen as we do today, by using an energy source that requires carbon emissions, we could produce hydrogen using the sunlight. Basically, we would get free energy.
When you study the molecular structure of titanium oxide, when it is pure, it basically does not work. You actually need a defective structure. As the professor explained to me, when it is defective you are able to take some molecules out of that titanium oxide and replace it, and you cause a form of electrolysis. That electrolysis enables hydrogen to be released using the power of the sun. It is very technical. I found it difficult to understand, but I think I got to understand, in general forms, the process. It is not uncommon for this to occur in other oxides, but titanium oxide is plentiful in Australia, and it will not corrode if it sits in water, even for 100 years or so, so it would continue to cycle.
The difficulty we have is that it is very inefficient. In other words, although we know it will produce hydrogen - and this was discovered by the Japanese in the late 1970s - we do not have enough hydrogen being produced to say: ‘This is a future commercial way of producing hydrogen.’ What the people working at this centre are saying is, if they can get more funding, they could, hopefully, accelerate a process which would increase the efficiency of this titanium oxide material. If you increase the efficiency, even 5%, you would be able to produce quite a large amount of hydrogen. This could operate in isolated communities, remote communities and cattle stations. That is where I see it as a possible solution for power and energy on these isolated communities. You would set a solar photoelectric chemical cell and enough of them to produce hydrogen. You could store that hydrogen and it could then be used for farm vehicles or used to generate power like the solar systems. We have to rely on batteries and they cost a lot of money and run out. If you could produce hydrogen on a continual basis you could store that hydrogen and be able to operate these communities without having to rely on external form of energy.
It has a long way to go but I suggest government contact these people and talk to them. Maybe this is an opportunity for the Northern Territory government to look at a pilot program working collaboratively with them. They would have to talk to a range of people to see whether this was a promising way to go. From little things bit things grow. At the moment it is probably relatively small looking at future alternative power sources. I firmly believe - and I do not think I am the lone ranger in this - but hydrogen is our future source of energy. It is a matter of how we can produce hydrogen without the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. There is an opportunity here. I would say to the minister for Education - I am not sure who deals with science - I presume the minister ...
Ms Lawrie: Business, innovation.
Mr Wood: … Business could look at this. I am quite happy to talk to him about it. As I say, it still has a long way to go but the Territory government should be looking at something like that because of the amount of sunlight we have. It expands the use of the sun not just from the sun lighting fluorescent light and keeping the fridge going, it enables an energy source to be manufactured for use in vehicles and power generation. I put that to the government as a possibility. It is worth looking at.
I thank Professor Janusz for his hospitality and showing great fervour in what he is trying to do. One of the things he finds a little frustrating is how some of the other big players in this new technology tend to attract government funds. Because they are relatively small, they do not attract as much in the way of funding as some of the other areas. It is an area the Northern Territory government could look at. If they consider it is reasonable to spend money on, then we ought to. The Territory has been a good place for initiatives in this area. Charles Darwin University - I won’t say invented it - but it was one of its researchers who worked out if you put an electric motor on the solar car’s wheel you have far more efficiency. I have heard the Chinese have taken that process over and use it on bicycles. It was developed at Charles Darwin University.
The second part of my trip south was to go to a farm fest. I have never been to a big field day before so I thought I would have a look at what is happening in Australian agriculture. We do not get the opportunity for this sort of thing in the Territory. The day I went it happened to rain. They had not had much rain in the Darling Downs, and black soil and rain do not always mix. The first day I was there it was slippery. There were many people. Even though we have had a drought, people are still going on with the land, are still pretty confident for the future. You get different ideas from talking to people and moving around and seeing what changes there are in agriculture.
One of the interesting little inventions I saw was for a boom spray. They have huge boom sprays down the Darling Downs and the cost to the environment and the cost of applying herbicides, is something all farmers look at. There is a machine now that has each spray nozzle fitted with a sensor which can recognise a weed. It only sprays, and it is different for each row, when the boom spray or sensor sees a weed. So it goes, on, off, on, off, all over the place. Previously, a farmer would spray the entire block of land for weeds, so even where it did not need herbicide, he would spray regardless. Now, using these new technologies, they are able to just spot spray each weed in the row. That is pretty incredible. I know some people do not like herbicides but when growing large amounts of crops, you cannot have large amounts of weeds If you do, you do not get any production, or very little production.
The company bringing this out is saving the environment, and saving costs to the farmer. That is a really interesting development in that area. It also reduces spray drift. When I used to do weed spraying, spray drift was always a curse. Yet here we see some changes occurring in that area.
I was lucky enough while I was staying at Oakey, to run into some people who own the lot feeds and they ran their farm at Bowenville Park. It was Chris and Felicity Bartlett. They ran a feedlot for sheep, and some cattle, but mainly sheep. This which was unusual, but because of the cost of feed at the present time; I think they had one sheep in the yards and so for the moment they were not doing any feedlotting. They did have some wheat planted just recently and they used all the manure from their feedlot to produce compost which they would then sell. It was interesting to see what they were doing to diversify.
One of the issues there at the present time, is the future of ethanol as a source of fuel for vehicles. I really have concerns about the ethanol argument; that we should grow crops for fuel for vehicles. We should be growing crops for food. I understand that where it is a waste product, and I do not have a problem with that, but in Australia we are now growing crops for ethanol. The price of feed, of course, is going up. Consequently, we pay more for our grain fed beef, more for our pork and more for our chicken. I have a concern about that. After that, I visited a farm called Sandalwood Farm run by Kevin Roberts. It is a huge feedlot farm near Dalby. He agrees that it is nearly a disgrace how today we have governments subsidising companies to grow ethanol while, at the same time, we are now seeing the price of feed go up.
It was interesting on my trip to see that hydrogen appears to be the way of the future, not ethanol. Yet we seem to being going to ethanol which to me is using up land we should be using for food. You can see today how the price of food is going up; how America is trying to promote this as an option for fuel. It is a silly path to follow in America, but that is where they are going. We seem to be going along the same way. We should leave the ethanol business to waste products only. We should be putting the money we are putting into ethanol into finding better ways of producing hydrogen. We need to reconsider which way we are going in the world today.
It was a good trip. It was well worth it. It was nice to get out and see a different part of the world for a change. It gives you a different view on life and a chance to discuss some of these issues. Even though I love the Territory, you need to get out from the Territory sometimes to expand your knowledge on these particular issues.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, one of the great privileges of being a member of parliament is working with local schools and having the opportunity to encourage children to seize the chance of a public education here in the Territory. Being someone who went to a Darwin preschool, primary school and high school, I can attest that with our public education, if you listen to your teachers and do your lessons, you can come out of school equipped to pursue your employment here in the Territory or, indeed, anywhere in Australia and the world. That has been my experience.
I take my role as a local member very seriously in inspiring our young children to take their school opportunities strongly. The beauty in my electorate is that we have a very diverse group of students at our schools. It is the highest density of people from multicultural backgrounds but, equally, it is also the highest density of indigenous students in an urban setting. That makes for fabulous local primary schools. Sanderson Middle School is one such great local high school.
Each term, I present literacy and numeracy awards. The teachers select the students who win those awards, and the students get a certificate from me, as local member. Most importantly for them, they get a gift voucher to spend at Casuarina Shopping Square, so there is an incentive. These awards have been going for quite a few years now, so the kids are aware of them.
I went to Malak Primary School recently and was able to present the Term 2 awards. We had a lovely cohort of students who came forward at that school assembly to get their awards. We had awards for the junior primary kids, but we also have awards for the senior primary kids. My hearty congratulation go to Chloe Sae-gnow, Ambrose Tsang, Anna Khonwai, Bee Allen and Scott Wood - terrific young students showing great dedication to learning. Their parents were there, very proud watching them receive their awards. Malak Primary School is a credit to our community.
Interestingly, I ran into a teacher there from New South Wales who said she was there on a federal government project to look at the results coming out the federal government’s intervention. She was at Malak Primary School looking at the learning of the indigenous students. It was interesting turning up at a local school assembly seeing just where the Commonwealth is and what assessments they are doing on our education system. That teacher was extremely impressed with what she saw in education outcomes at Malak Primary.
Paul Nyhuis and Paul Quinn, the leadership team at Malak, are ably supported by the teachers. It is a great school and we are seeing very good literacy and numeracy results coming out of Malak Primary. Congratulations to those students. I always urge them to spend their gift vouchers wisely at Casuarina.
At Sanderson Middle School, Russell Legg, the principal, is strongly emphasising to the students the opportunities they have in those critical years of 7, 8 and 9 in their learning. I did not put any limits on my schools as to how many children get awards because it is important for the schools to determine that themselves. What I am seeing occurring at Sanderson Middle School is a growing number of students who are being selected for these awards. This time, the list of students who have won the awards is very impressive: Jared Moore, Jasmine The, Stephanie Mac, Fletcher Ludes, Hai Wong, Nathan Pereira da Silva, Emily Tchea, Frankie Goodrem, Yuki Ruzsicska and Nathan Reid. Well done to those students.
The thing I love about Sanderson Middle School is that they have a very successful Clontarf program running there at the moment. I have had the opportunity to meet up with the Clontarf students on a few occasions. They are very dedicated to attending school and participating in the school curriculum because of the Clontarf program. Importantly, indigenous parents are pushing very strongly for an equivalent program for females to operate, so we could have a cohort of young girls also being incorporated into a Clontarf-style program.
I thank my electorate officer, an indigenous parent at the school, Kerry Wetherall. She has been a stalwart of NT softball and is introducing the importance of school sports for young girls into Sanderson Middle School. Keep up the good work. With Margie Anstess and Kerry Wetherall working as a team, what an incredibly formidable team of strong indigenous women putting input into Sanderson Middle School. I am sure they will be great role models for those students. Congratulations to all of the students on their awards.
Bill Armstong is at the helm of Manunda Terrace Primary School, and he works very hard with the school community. I always enjoy the opportunity to get out to Manunda Terrace Primary and congratulate the students on excelling in literacy and numeracy. This term, Esther Mulume-Nawej and Matilda McLaughlan were the award winners, so congratulations to them. I look forward to seeing the students at school during the next term as we only have one week left of the term. Parents, teachers and staff, and students alike are bracing themselves for the four week school holiday period coming up. I always remind students and teachers, and the school communities to be very careful, and have a safe holiday season. I remind students constantly that people driving on our roads do not necessarily see kids moving around the streets. I stress how very careful they need to be when they are out and about on their pushbikes enjoying the school holiday break.
I am attending Karama Primary School to hand out those awards and I am looking forward to finding out the winners for Karama Primary School.
The other thing we do in Karama every year is host a Biggest Morning Tea for the Cancer Council. It is a tradition that we have. We head to the Karama Tavern, book out the Tavern for the morning and put on a morning tea. It is a very popular event which I am able to host as local member. I have to say a very big thank you to residents who contribute to that morning tea, just purely out of the goodness of their hearts. Donna Smith each year is a significant patron making donations for prizes and raffles. She also gets stuck into making a lot of sandwiches that everyone enjoys. Donna is ably assisted by Claire. Claire is fantastic in the effort she puts in. She and Donna have a great joy de vivre. They are fantastic, strong women with a great sense of humour.
Thanks this year to Dee Hona and Kerry Wetherall for their cake baking, a fantastic array of small cakes there. Mrs Nica LaPira, thank you very much for your very kind donation for the morning tea and for turning up. I appreciated having Nica there and it was great to catch up with her again. Thanks also to Karama Tavern for making their venue available to us; they were very helpful with the tea and coffee. Lyndalls Hair Care, Panda Foods and the Brumby Bakers were all busy donating to this year’s morning tea. We had the bakers from Brumby’s come along and help judge our school cake baking competition, but more of that shortly.
Also thank you to Rachael, who runs Rachael’s Design a Cake. She is our local cake maker who has her own small business in Karama. She supplied the official morning tea cake, and I have to say, for anyone who is interested in hiring someone to bake a cake for them, Rachael is incredible in terms of the designs she puts out. She is second to none. I am very impressed with her cake making skills. She is creating a lot of business from my own self in terms of supplying cakes to the various schools and events around the neighbourhood. Rachael is superb. She made a fantastic Cancer Council Morning Tea logo cake, and a whole range of cupcakes, which is just beautiful. So, well done, Rachael.
In terms of the cake baking competition, we had a competition for the local schools, so thank you to Karama Primary, Karama Preschool, Sanderson Middle School and O’Loughlin College for entering into the Morning Tea Bake Competition. I can announce the winner is Geraldine and her friends from O’Loughlin College. They won a $100 Angus and Robertson gift voucher. The runners up were Karama Primary School Year 5/6 Knights. Congratulations to Talia Mae, Kimberly, Esperanca and Alan; and also to other runners-up at Karama Preschool and O’Loughlin College. I believe Kate and Alex were the runners up there. They all received $30 gift vouchers from Angus and Robertson as well.
The other entrants were O’Loughlin College’s John Gobbert; the 5/6 Knights of Kirsty, Samantha, Shaun, Joyce and Anah; the 5/6 Knights of Saleta, Kiara, Cheyanne and Joel; Megan from O’Loughlin College; Chang from O’Loughlin College, and Sanderson Middle School. They all did a fantastic job with those cakes. We were all hard pressed to choose the winners out of those, and the boys from Brumby’s Bakery did a great job in assisting us to select the winners. Thank you. They were surprised at the sheer number of cakes we had there and the variety - a fantastic selection.
O’Loughlin Catholic College has celebrated 21 years. We had Bishop Eugene Hurley attend for the Mass and it was very exciting. It was great to see Pak Gawa. John Gawa was recognised for 21 years of service to O’Loughlin Catholic College. Pak Gawa is the Indonesian teacher who teaches at both O’Loughlin, as well as Holy Family Primary School. He is a leader of the Indonesian community and an absolute pillar of the society. He is a very dedicated teacher and the sort of teacher excellent at engaging his students and inspiring them to continue with learning the Bahasa language. My congratulations to John Gawa for the recognition that Bishop Eugene and the school community gave him for 21 years of excellent service. He continues to be a very fine leader of teachers in our school community.
There was also recognition of Father Luis Fernandez Fey, the Holy Family parish priest. Father Luis, who originally hails from Spain, is a stalwart of our community. We all love Father Luis. He has been there for decades and watched our school communities of O’Loughlin and Holy Family grow from infancy to the vibrant, diverse and strong successful schools they are today. Father Luis has been the spiritual guider of the community. Even though I am not a practicing Catholic, whenever I attend mass at Holy Family School and Father Luis is leading, there is a great peace that settles upon me. I have great respect for Father Luis and the way he has lead his parish and community in Karama through the decades.
Holy Family Primary School celebrated Anzac Day in a big way. Congratulations to Marty Ogle who had NORFORCE there. They had NORFORCE mounted with horses and an old army jeep. It was very exciting day for the Holy Family students. Well done to Marty Ogle and the team from Holy Family for celebrating Anzac Day with such enormous aplomb.
Manunda Terrace Primary School has received a significant grant and IT equipment from the federal government so thank you to the federal Education minister, Julia Gillard. I went out and had a look at Manunda Terrace Primary School’s new IT section. It has enhanced the school no end. Bill Armstrong and the team there are very pleased with the IT equipment they have received.
We have Harmony Days celebrated at all of our schools. Karama school and O’Loughlin school made significant Harmony Day celebrations. They had banner makings activities, fashion parades, flag ceremonies, market stalls and spear throwing competitions. Congratulations to Karama Primary School and Marg Fenbury and the team there for a very popular and successful Harmony Day, and also to O’Loughlin College who went out of there way to celebrate Harmony Day, as well.
The Northern Cluster Rugby team went to Katherine for the Northern Territory school sports and came back the winners. Congratulations to Travis Hagan from Karama Primary for being selected for the Northern Territory School Sport Rugby Squad to be played here in Darwin later in the year. I am sure, Travis, you will do really well. You are a young student with a bright future and a great deal of talent in Rugby.
The Manunda Terrace Rope Ragers attended a jump rope camp interstate. I have been able to donate, as local member, $500 towards their team’s trip away. I donate to the Rope Ragers every year to get them interstate for those jump rope competitions because they are a very exciting group of young girls in the electorate. They pick up a lot of ideas, skill and inspiration when they get the opportunity. Coming from a fairly low socio-economic area that Manunda Terrace is located in they love to get interstate and experience the broader world and all of the inspiration they get from their Rope Ragers trips. Good luck, Rope Ragers, you are a great bunch of girls and well done, Mrs Cooper, for all the effort you put into teaching them.
Finally, all the best to the O’Loughlin College World Youth Delegation who are attending the World Youth Day in Sydney. They are very excited. I donated $500 towards their trip and I am looking forward to getting a report on how their celebrations went. They are a great group of people heading off.
Karama and Malak are very well served by vibrant school communities. My best goes to the staff and parents for the school holidays. I know that teachers and staff always look forward to the break, as well as the parents who look forward to the opportunity to spend some time with their children. I hope we all have a safe, healthy and festive school holiday break. I look forward to seeing the schools come back with a lot of fun in July.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I talk about one day in my life in the Electorate of Sanderson and that day was Sunday, 1 June. A fantastic day, it was.
Starting from about 7 am, I was up and about the electorate. I went to the Anula shops and picked up with a group of people. We headed off on our MBF Healthy Lifestyle Challenge DarwinLite walk. On 10 May, people might be aware that DarwinLite MBF Healthy Life Challenge was launched at the Nightcliff Swimming Pool. It is a joint project with MBF, the Top End Division of General Practice and Darwin City Council. Leonie Katekar, whom I have met through my wife who used to work at the Top End Division of General Practice, did the launch. It was a great little morning. We all had to weigh in and get measured to see how we went over the time of the program. It coordinated by Bobbi-Jo Kalcher out of TEGP, Top End Division of General Practice. She is doing a fantastic job.
I put my hand up to lead a walk around the great leafy suburbs of Sanderson. We go from the Anula shops, through the parks, up Lee Point Road, into Wulagi and across Wulagi, past the school, down Wulagi Crescent and cross over into Sanderson High School, back up Matthews Road and back around up through the parks again, once again to Anula shops. It is probably around about 4 km or 5 km. It is a beautiful early morning walk and a great opportunity to chat with people.
I have done two of those walks. I have another one coming up this weekend. That is after I attend a wedding on Saturday. Sunday morning I will be up for another walk. I am looking forward to that.
That is how my day kicked off, but the great event that we had going on a bit later in the afternoon, at 4 pm, was the annual Brass in the Park, or as we have started to call it now, Brass in the Grass, with the Darwin City Band. This is a great day. This is the third time it has been on. On the last two occasions it was done under the banner of Anula Neighbourhood Watch, but they did not want to run with it this year. They have something else planned later on next month. The people of Sanderson really like the Darwin Brass Band. The Darwin Brass Band loves coming to the park. I said the other year how I would like to see it become an annual event so I was certainly keen to keep to my word. The Darwin Brass Band was keen to help me keep to my word and we organised it. We put our flyers into Northlakes, Anula, and Wulagi. I was out on the pushbike myself putting them out and walking around the suburbs. It is a great way to get to meet people. We put the flyers out and then on Sunday, 1 June, we had them all set up in the park again.
It is great they were able to get a whole lot of noise out. They are able to talk really clearly because the brass band had actually put in for a community benefit fund grant of $4500 so that they could buy a generator and update their musical computer systems. That had come through just in time. I was glad to see the Northern Territory government was able to help them out on that.
The main feature was the Brass in the Park. Everyone was there to see it. We had people with their deck chairs and rugs, a bottle of wine and cheese. There were family groups and everyone was having a laid back time in the sunshine. One of my neighbours, Ed Howard, was there with his dogs. One jumped into his lap and was having a little snooze listening to the band and so was Ed. It was something to see. Very laid back indeed.
This day could not have been held without the band members. I want to put it on a public record because these Darwin Brass Band people are all volunteers. They gave up their time as they do for a whole range of functions. They are: Ron Roberts, the Musical Director; Tony Beale; Harry Beale; Iris Beale; Terry Hine; Dr Ron Roberts; Col Bierton; Henry May; Paul Fisk; Carol Atkinson; Frank Roberts; Elaine Farnham; Kym Burdon; Jo Clarke; Anna Lemon; Tim Jacobs; Frank Haydock; Barbara Eather; Grant Roberts; Bruce Atkinson; Bill Buckley; Leigh Radford; Craig Williams; and Coral Roberts.
They played some really good tunes: The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, a real hit; the Quality Plus march was a good one; Amparita Roca; The Wiggles; Perhaps Love; Rodrigo’s Concerto D’aranuess from the show, Brassed Off; The Lazy Trumpeter; Dances with Wolves; Swing When You’re Winning; YMCA; and MacArthur Park.
You can see it was non-stop entertainment. It was fantastic – two hours of pure listening pleasure. We ran a raffle. We had a few prizes donated and people just chucked in and bought some tickets. It all went to the band. I must acknowledge the good contributions from Tessie Coturier from Pizza King, who gave a $50 voucher from Pizza King; and Mr and Mrs Jong from Wulagi Fish and Chips chipped in and gave a meal voucher for $50 – fantastic. I thank them for their generosity. As I said, the raffle was drawn and all the proceeds from the raffle and prizes went straight to the band for their efforts.
On a sadder note, I send my best wishes to Mr Frank Roberts. Frank is the 82-year-old patriarch, I guess you would call him. He is the old band leader. His son, Ron Roberts, is musical director now. It is quite a family affair. He was there though he has been off colour a little of late. He has been in hospital. I wish him well, and Coral, too. He is determined to get out as he is turning 82 soon. He still manages to have glass of wine and a beer. I hope when he is out of hospital, I will be able to have one with him. Our best wishes to you, Frank, get better soon.
While we are talking about 82-year-olds and octogenarians, I could not help but notice as I went past the neighbour’s house the other day, Mr Ram Badlu, who is 80. If you look at this bloke, you would not pick him for 80. He is well known around the neighbourhood. He used to have TV shops many years ago. He is a fantastic bloke and great contributor to the Filipino/Indian community. He is a salt-of-the-earth man. I said to him: ‘What is with all the balloons? Whose birthday is it?’ He said: ‘It is my 80th’. You would not have picked it. Happy octogenarian birthday to Mr Badlu.
To wind up, on Sunday 1 June in good old Sanderson, I had the pleasure of going down to Darwin Golf Club. It was the NT Open presentation dinner. The captain, Harry Coen, ran a really good presentation night. It was fantastic; there were a lot of winners. The guys from Norman – who is the Great White Shark?
A member: Greg Norman.
Mr KIELY: Greg Norman. They did pretty well and there were a couple of young fellows from around the Territory who played and beat all the old fellows. There were so many presentations to go through that night, that I will include the names of recipients in another adjournment debate - perhaps next Friday - to give them recognition. It was a great presentation night. I understand the NT Open was a great competition. Everyone seemed pretty happy. They all got together afterwards and were telling a few ripper yarns. Well done to the Darwin Golf Club. They have a pretty busy season. They have already had quite a number of competition days and they run a very good corporate day as well. I will make that a separate adjournment. That was my day, Sunday, 1 June in Sanderson. I am glad they are not all so busy but, gee, I wish that every one was just as enjoyable.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, with so much pride, tonight I talk about the achievements of the Santa Teresa football team. The team came to Darwin in their off-season, in the Top End’s footy season, last year to play in the curtain raiser at the MCG. For indigenous people in Central Australia, especially the community of Santa Teresa, it was a special moment. It was the great defeat by Santa Teresa of the Tiwi Islanders that allowed them to play there. I thank Phillip Ellis and the Santa Teresa community for getting behind their football lads, encouraging them to go to training, to get their families involved, and to continue training in order to go on the long journey to the MCG. It was absolutely magnificent for these young blokes from Santa Teresa. For most of them, it was their first time out of Central Australia, to go to Melbourne to play at the MCG. I do not think it is about whether they lost in the curtain raiser. It is the fact that they made their community and their parents, their wives, their children and the community of Alice Springs very proud that we had a team from Central Australia not only beat the Tiwi Islanders in the Top End, but also play in the curtain raiser at the MCG
The community of Santa Teresa is located 75 km east of Alice Springs in the electorate of Macdonnell, and I am deeply proud to be their local member. I hope I can place on record in this House their enormous achievements; achievements, not only for themselves, but for their community and Central Australia. I know that our local papers have written good stories on the young fellows who went to play at the MCG for the Alice News and also the Centralian Advocate. It is worthwhile getting this kind of recognition.
As we all know, footy is a way of life for our young indigenous men on remote Aboriginal communities. They love playing sports. When I go to footy on Sundays in Alice Springs, it is a family affair. It is heart warming to go there and see the grandmothers, the mums all getting up and standing on the side of the fence, singing out for their teams, their sons, their grandsons to make sure that they achieve their best in football.
Again, I thank the Santa Teresa football team, and the Santa Teresa community, specifically Robbie Conway, Phillip Alice and, of course, the 24 guys who went to the MCG. I applaud their contribution to the game and their tremendous skills they showed that day. Like we Central Australians say, it was just a slippery field at the MCG that did not allow the guys to win the game.
I thank those wonderful men and their families, and the community of Santa Teresa for encouraging, and continuing to encourage, their young fellows to participate in the game of football. That clearly shows how the community is tied together, it is family-orientated. There is a bus they get every week from Santa Teresa and take into town. Getting out of that bus you see mums, grandmothers, uncles, grandfathers and all their children. It is a whole of community affair. To go to the footy on Saturdays and Sunday and see the nannas all standing on the sideline, and the mums all barracking for their children and their grandchildren you understand. that is what we need to encourage family and community participation in sports.
Just on another note, I would thank very special people in my electorate. First, I would like to thank Edwyn and Gloria May, who are the principal and teacher at Docker River School, for their commitment and encouragement to full attendance at the Docker River School. Edwyn and Gloria have been there for five years. As the local member, I donate bikes to the school to encourage the kids to attend daily. They must go to school five days a week unless they have a medical certificate. Upon receiving the prizes students have to write a letter of thanks to me, their local member. I then write back to the school as well. I feel genuinely proud as a local member doing that – giving something to the community to encourage children to go to school.
There are other people I would like to acknowledge. First of all, Bob Durnan at Hermannsburg Western Arrernte Health Council, who has made a tremendous input to that community. There are indigenous people to recognise as well: Lionel Inkamala, Mark Inkamala and Carla Ingrid Inkamala. He invites them into the centre and talks about primary health care and preventative health. They have completed a comprehensive program on dogs, looking at what dogs are healthy and what dogs need to be put down. Talking to and encouraging the community to have two or three dogs rather than 20. What Aboriginal people need to understand is the end result of reduced dog populations is good personal hygiene, better primary health care and more effective preventative health. That is what the Western Arrernte Health Council has done. Those three elements - personal hygiene, primary health care and awareness of preventative health - stops the community from going to the doctors and nurses at the clinic. Ultimately, individuals reach a stage where they are no longer on any kind of medication.
Bob Durnan is participating now in all sorts of sports activities and encouraging the community to get behind junior softball and football. He talks to coaches about drug abuse in Aboriginal communities. This is an initiative that Bob has taken on and spread through the community. I congratulate him and his team at Western Arrernte Health Council and the health staff at the Hermannsburg Clinic.
I cannot go without saying thank you to Selwyn at the Mission Shop, who has changed the diet of the indigenous people at Hermannsburg. There is no take away food that is fried; it is all sandwiches and boiled eggs. It is all healthy food they have at the Mission Shop. Children from Hermannsburg School are taught when they come into the shop to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. This is a community initiative to teach manners, as well as teaching children about good health and social life.
I also thank Theresa Nipper at Areyonga and Sarah Gallagher at Areyonga Clinic; Tarna Andrews who has worked tirelessly with Areyonga School; she is the Principal of the school there, the indigenous principal. It is uplifting to see her commitment to Aboriginal education. She is a young indigenous woman but she gets behind the community 100%. The community supports her to encourage children to go to school at Areyonga every day. Also I thank her assistant, Caroline Wendy.
At Harts Range I say great work and thank you to Deidre, who is the new Community Manager there. As well as Rosie, Anthony, Patrick and Russell at the shop. They work as a team in that community to encourage local people to do jobs, encourage their children to go to school and make sure people in general are eating healthily and participating in all sorts of work. Harts Range has been one of the magnificent communities in the electorate of Macdonnell for years.
Elsie and Kathy at Yumurrpa; Margaret Pearce and also Phillip Combs - these are people who are committed to making the Yumurrpa community lift itself up. They have addressed the alcohol, drug, health; and school attendance problems. I would like to give these people a big boost because it is hard work for a handful of people to be doing that kind of work in a big community. Good on you to all these people.
I cannot go on without saying thank you to Dorothy Randall at Mutitjulu who has worked tirelessly without any funding at the Mutitjulu office. She has now gone to work at Voyages. Somewhere along the track I feel we have to fix up the situation with Mutitjulu. We are not here to brush away problem communities or turn a blind eye to a community in the middle a national park that is suffering. As governments, federal and the Northern Territory, we have to start doing something about putting Mutitjulu back on track so they can have a vision and a dream for their community and their children. I urge the Northern Territory government, together with our colleagues federally, to do something about Mutitjulu.
I now talk about someone who has spoken earlier in this House in our adjournment about her political career. That is the member for Braitling. I guess she may be thinking this is her last parliament. I would like to contribute some comments to her life as well, most notably the fact that she has been a good Central Australian. She taught my young brother at the Ross Park Primary School. Through the hardness, love and compassion Loraine showed at the Ross Park Primary School to many indigenous kids from remote communities, you now have some educated, healthy Aboriginal men and women on remote settlements. Loraine is a great leader. She has participated in countless community activities in Alice Springs. Everywhere you go, you see Loraine. She spoke about the number of people who use her office, and the number of people she encourages to see her about any of their problems.
I know she is a very good, active member. I see her driving around in her electorate all the time. She tries to lend a hand to indigenous people who have moved into her electorate; people who might have a non-indigenous person living next door, and who could benefit from knowing how both parties can live together without any disagreements they might have. Everyone is entitled to live anywhere but we must also respect the town rules, its boundaries and our neighbours. We must try to live together in harmony.
Lastly, I mention my elder son, Clint and his wife, Melissa, who live in Perth, will be having their first baby on Monday. Little Cassie will arrive on Monday while grandmother is at estimates. I congratulate Clint and Mel.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I report on some of the great highlights of the past few weeks in my electorate of Goyder. I will start off with the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Services annual volunteer fire fighter competition games held recently at Freds Pass Reserve. The aim of these games is to improve and hone the skills necessary to ensure actual fire fighting is carried out safely in the correct procedural manner. These competitions give the fire fighters the opportunity to enhance their operational skills, build stronger teamship, and establish a camaraderie with other brigades around the rural area. It is also a way to pass valuable fire safety information onto the local communities, and to highlight the great job our firies do for our rural community.
Each year, our volunteer fire brigades attend thousands of bush fires across the Territory. They carry out a vital role in protecting both the community and the environment. It is very important to train as you work. Teams that participated in the fire fighter competitions during that weekend have trained extensively to develop their fire fighting skills, build team work, and demonstrate a determination to succeed.
The member for Nelson and I were there as observers. We were roped into having a little competition with the senior personnel of the Fire and Rescue Service but it was all in good fun. We had a great day and it is typical of activities in the rural area where everyone got involved and everyone got out of the activities as much as they put in which was a hell of a lot.
This Saturday, 14 June, the Humpty Doo volunteer fire brigade will celebrate their 25th anniversary. When I look down and I see 25 years it is incredible. Humpty Doo is a great brigade. I regularly go to their AGMs. To be invited to participate in the celebrations, I take as a great honour. I am looking forward to the event and I will be reporting at the next sittings on the activities there. It’s great to see a volunteer fire brigade up there with the best of them celebrating 25 great years.
We have just witnessed the 30th Annual Freds Pass Show at the Freds Pass Reserve on the weekend of 16 to 18 May. Participation was tremendous from the agricultural, horticultural, mining, manufacturing, pastoralists, and community groups, contributing to the success over the last 30 fantastic years. There is another event that has gone from strength to strength and has really mastered the years. It is probably the second biggest show in the Territory now behind the Darwin show. Well done. I do not have the figures on the number of people who passed through the gates, but it was up there with the best crowds that I have witnessed over the years.
I am pleased to say that Taminmin High School scooped the pool in agricultural awards. They deserved the honour with their Supreme Champion of All Breeds Award. That was a fantastic achievement.
With regard to the Goats Awards, the weeks of training paid off for the Year 9 Agricultural students who worked extremely hard leading up to the show and, not surprisingly, were awarded the Best Handler, Best Presented Goat, Best Fancy Dressed Goat, Best Dry Doe, Best Buckling, Champion Doe and Reserve Champion Doe and the Champion Buck which was won by Rambo, who was led by Zac Philp who was able to take an uncontrolled young buck and train him to parade standard at the show. Well done, Zac.
With regard to the Cattle Awards, students studying in Certificates I and II in Rural Operations participated in the cattle handling category. They were winners for the Champion Female and Reserve Champion going to Bunda Nicole, which was led by Toni Sherley. Bunda Lazer was presented at his best by Jessica Fallas and was awarded All Breeds Champion. Jessica also went on to win the Junior Judging Competition. Winners in the Handling Classes went to Danielle Brown and Karina Pleitner. Each of these students was judged on their skills and ability to handle and parade cattle. The cattle were kindly donated by Reg Underwood from Bunda Brahman Stud and Moira O’Brien from Coodardie Brahmans.
Also, congratulations to Taminmin High School and Principal, Tony Considine, and all the students who participated during the Freds Pass Show weekend. You have shown your skills in the exhibitions, artwork and livestock handling.
I recently attended the 18th Litchfield Orchid Society Spectacular at the Marrara Indoor Stadium on 31 May and 1 June. The display this year had the theme of Blooming Spectacular, and has been an annual feature of the Darwin’s Dry Season attractions for the past 17 years. Over the past year, the club has continued to grow and strengthen in numbers quite considerably. I congratulate the Litchfield Orchid Club Committee and members for their outstanding work and for presenting another successful spectacular. I believe some 3500 people passed through the gates to witness that great floral display. Well done.
I will now talk about the schools in my electorate, and start with Litchfield Christian School. On 9 May, the school participated, with many other schools in the Territory and across Australia, in the Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope for Heart’s attempt to break to Guinness world record for the most people skipping at one time over a three-minute period. The school was one of the many schools across Australia that had to coordinate their times nationally for the attempt to be recognised. I and the member for Nelson, Mr Gerry Wood, were in attendance as judges. We had a great time and took plenty of photographs. I have not heard the results, but I believe that they probably broke the record. I certainly hope they did.
Last week, I represented the minister for Education at the launch of the 2008 Teacher of the Year Awards. It was no coincidence that Bees Creek was chosen as the launch location, as our own Gayle Purdue was the 2007 Teacher of the Year. Margaret Banks, the Education Chief Executive, was there to add her support to these prestigious awards. The Northern Territory government is committed to delivering the best education to students, and we value the work of our teachers and our teaching support staff. I am pleased to report that a new category has been added to the awards for this year. There will now also be acknowledging the Northern Territory Principal of the Year.
Student award winners for this month at Bees Creek included Madison Harvey, Mathew Cameron, Morgan Gray, Justin Bradley, Brooke Phelan, Paige Russell, Ben Harris, Maili Clarke and Chloe Grainger.
Taminmin High School has had another very successful month. The highlight was the Kakadora musical, which I attended at Taminmin High School last weekend. It was another great success with a cast of over 100 students and over 2000 people attending the four performances. I represented the Chief Minister at that musical, and I had a great view, a front row seat, absolutely spectacular. It was very professional, indeed. Congratulations go to Tanya Ham, director, Taryna Deslandes, the producer, and Shauna Ricardo, the choreographer, and the huge number of staff and students who contributed to such a successful and memorable event. I am looking forward to next year, because the bar has been raised very high.
Last month, I spoke about Taminmin High School students who will again be participating in the upcoming Youth Parliament Program commencing in this Chamber from 1 July 2008. I hope to get the opportunity to drop in and see how they are going. I wish them well.
The most recent monthly Taminmin High School Senior Student Award winners were Chris Pham, Tim Steffenson, Caitlyn Boulter, Sam Drawwater, Robert Lyness and Adrian Brook.
Humpty Doo Primary School also has a few great things to report. The school has focused on energy saving and lowering electricity costs, very pertinent in this day and age. As part of this focus, the school roofs were sprayed with SKYCOOL after receiving some funding from the COOLmob. They are trialling the water-based, non-toxic polymer product, which was painted onto the rooftop and is designed to reflect the heat from the building back into the atmosphere, thereby reducing classroom heat build-up. The cost of painting of the roof was $14 000 and will provide savings of about $2000 each year, and savings of greenhouse gas emissions of about nine tonnes carbon equivalent per year. Very well done. Along with Berry Springs School, which is also trialling this method, the energy usage will be carefully monitored by both SKYCOOL and COOLmob.
While on the subject of Humpty Doo Primary School, Felicity Hancock, the principal, is currently in Melbourne attending a five day leadership development program. Two principals attended from Darwin schools and one from Alice Springs High. All are contributing in the Leading Australia’s Schools program, which is open to all school sectors, both public and private schools and offers an excellent opportunity to network with other principals. Congratulations to Felicity.
The Student Award winners for Humpty Doo this month included Lily Trinh, Tiarna Hansen, Caitlin Durkin and Soni Buick-Martin.
Berry Springs Primary School has come third in a very prestigious art competition held here at Parliament House, the Top End Regional Primary School Art Competition 2008. It is currently on exhibit, along with all the paintings at Parliament House. I urge people to come and have a look. It is a great exhibit and I am very proud of Berry Springs Primary School. The first prize went to Minyerri School with their painting entitled ‘Minyerri Community’. Second prize went to Kalkarindji Community Education Centre - their title was ‘Kalkarindji,/Daguragu Community’. Equal third prize was Katherine School of the Air with their Community Leadership painting, and equal third, and I am very proud to say, was Berry Springs Primary School. The artists were students of Years 6, 5V and their title was ‘Community Leadership’. Their paintings represent a collaborative activity of the ideas and input of every child in the class. Initially, they discussed what community leadership meant and how could it be represented in picture form. The students discussed what community meant, then leadership, and finally the two words were put together.
The canvas is a very simplistic representation and interpretation of what they feel community leadership is. It may be simplistic, but it is very well thought out and very complex in meaning. I understand they had a lot of fun putting it together and I am very proud of them. The painting includes a circle symbolising an internal, endless cycle of a variety of things such as government, people and places growing. It includes a road and door, which represents people travelling and making the journey towards possibilities, choices and the future. It also symbolises closure.
The map of Australia, our home, our country, our nation is also on the painting. The flags incorporated in the painting acknowledge and represent indigenous first nation peoples and all other peoples who have come afterwards to settle and create our history. The flora and fauna of the Berry Springs area, and the bushland surrounding that area is also represented. People of all races, age, sex and gender are symbolised by the silhouetted people. It is a great piece of art. I have a photo of it and I will be displaying it on my electoral office window very shortly.
I would like to thank all the people who have done great things in my electorate, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, and with that I will say goodnight.
Motion agreed to, the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016