2005-10-11
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from His Honour the Administrator Message No 5 notifying assent to bills passed in the August 2005 sittings of the Assembly.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I seek leave of absence for the member for Greatorex for the remainder of this week for compassionate reasons which have been communicated to you and government members.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 275 petitioners praying that the restrictions to the entrance to the Koolpinyah Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Humpty Doo and Rural Golf Club be reviewed. The petition bears the Clerk’s certification that it conforms to the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that responses to Petitions Nos 2 and 3 have been received and circulated to honourable members.
to guide the development at Lee Point. This memorandum promotes cooperation and articulated joint
planning goals.
The land was rezoned to Specific Use (SU) in January 2005 in order to provide for the new suburb of Lyons.
The SU zone provides flexibility for the future development of this ‘green field’ site and stipulates a number of
planning controls including lots for detached dwellings with an average size of 700 m2 and a minimum of 600 m2.
While the Darwin Town Plan establishes a minimum lot size of 300 m2 in the R1 zone, it also includes the
R0 zone which was specifically introduced to accommodate detached dwellings on lots less than 800 m2
in the new estates where the dwellings and the estate are integrated in terms of design.
It has been the government’s intention to facilitate the creation of a community at Lee Point that is well served
by open space, is public transport and pedestrian friendly, integrated with existing infrastructure, environmentally responsive and energy efficient.
The development application for Stage 1 of the subdivision demonstrated a high level of commitment to the
philosophy of sustainable development and I consider that the development at Lyons will achieve a high
standard of residential amenity for future residents.
development, represent a relatively high provision of open space within the CBD when compared
with other city centres.
The Darwin Town Plan includes clauses intended to ensure the provision of adequate communal
open space for the enjoyment of the residents of flats. A flat development is required to provide,
at ground level, a landscaped area not less than 30% of the area of the site. While a communal
area equivalent to 30% of the site is usually provided, the need to locate this at ground level is
often waived in favour of podium level recreation facilities often incorporating swimming pools.
In some instances communal areas are supplemented by the provision of generous private
outdoor spaces in the form of balconies.
The draft NT Planning Scheme includes enhanced criteria to promote site responsive design
within central Darwin including the preservation of vistas and the inclusion of landscaping.
The Capital City Charter, which focuses the combined efforts of the Darwin City Council, the
NT government and the community on initiatives to promote and foster the development of
the CBD, is likely to provide a forum for consideration of issues such as adequacy of provision
of open space.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move - That this Assembly –
It is with a profound sense of regret that I stand before you today to relive the nightmare of 12 October 2002. Ten days ago, the lives of our Balinese neighbours were once again shattered by the vicious and calculated hand of terror. Three suicide bombs were detonated almost simultaneously in a busy part of Kuta. Twenty innocent people, including four Australians, lost their lives, and over 90 were injured. Many others will live with what they saw for the rest of their lives.
The Northern Territory government strongly condemns this shocking act of terrorism. Words cannot properly express the contempt we feel for those who commit such atrocities. Their cold-blooded slaughter of the innocent - innocents which included children - is staggering and, I believe, a stain on humanity. While this barbarism may get our attention it will never destroy our spirit and our way of life. This terror we face is savage and undiscriminating. That our dear friends in Bali can be targeted once more says much about the evil we all confront.
This parliament extends its condolences to the family and friends of the Australians who were killed and injured in the Kuta Square and Jimbaran Bay bombings on the evening of 1 October. In particular, we extend our support and sympathy to the families and loved ones of the four Australians who lost their lives. To the Williamson and Zwolinski families in Newcastle, and to the Fitzgerald family in the Western Australian town of Busselton, our thoughts are with you. I know I can speak for all of us when I say how greatly heartened we are at the strong recoveries being made by Jessica Fitzgerald, the sister of Brendan who was killed in the bombings, and her father, Terry. I am greatly relieved and thankful that, like 2002, the innocent victims of this insidious crime include no Territorians. Given the vast number of us who holiday in Bali each year, it is a fact that almost borders on the miraculous.
Madam Speaker, this parliament also extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the Indonesians and the Japanese, Korean, and German nationals who were killed, and the many injured on 1 October.
The Northern Territory’s relationship with Indonesia is a close and valued one. The senseless loss of their citizens to the cold hand of terror strikes a chord with all Territorians. For this to happen again in Bali, one of our most cherished holiday destinations and a place where many of us have friends, is a terrible blow. I know the Prime Minister has spoken with Indonesian President Yudhoyono and has offered assistance to Indonesian victims of the attack. The Territory, too, is ready to lend a helping hand and I have passed on our sympathies to President Yudhoyono.
The Australian and Indonesian governments have been working closely to help build the capacity of the region to fight and to respond to terrorism. While the tragic events in Bali will bring much sadness, the bombings will only strengthen the resolve of both governments and their citizens to triumph over this threat. To all those Indonesians living in the Northern Territory, and particularly in their vibrant community in Darwin, we send our condolences at this difficult time.
While the involvement of our agencies has not been as extensive as in 2002, their commitment and expertise has been truly inspiring. Indeed, the response to this tragedy was swift and decisive on all fronts. The response of Indonesian authorities was rapid and well coordinated and the injured were quickly treated in Bali hospitals. The Australian wing of the Sanglah Hospital also played a vital role. Australians such as Newcastle’s Dr Adam Frost, along with their Indonesian counterparts, selflessly responded to the crisis saving lives and limbs.
In conjunction with the Royal Darwin Hospital, the Australian Defence Force was quickly mobilised. At midnight on the Saturday evening, Royal Darwin Hospital, under the direction of Dr Len Notaras, already familiar with such events, commenced the first phase of its preparedness strategy. Coordinated responses to crises like this do not just simply happen. Preparedness, practice and planning are all crucial ingredients to success. As the hospital prepared, ongoing core business needed to be considered.
By Sunday morning, less than 12 hours after the attacks, the Emergency Operations Centre had been activated and the Region One External Disaster Response Plan was in action. In close collaboration with Royal Darwin Hospital and Northern Territory Emergency Services, Defence mobilised yet another retrieval mission dispatching three Royal Darwin Hospital doctors and one Darwin Private Hospital nurse in reservist uniform to the scene.
By midday Sunday, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin Private Hospital, welfare services, Darwin Mental Health Services, and emergency services including St John Ambulance and the Red Cross, and all the components of the Region One Response Group were ready to accommodate as many, if not more, victims than the previous tragedy of 2002. The first two victims arrived at 11 pm on Sunday night, and by 6 am on Monday morning, a total of 20 injured Australians and three foreign nationals were transferred from the airport by St John Ambulance and received at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
At least six of the victims were in a critical condition. These innocent holiday makers had extensive shrapnel wounds; wounds consistent with the horrors of battlefield. Mental Health Services staff, as part of the welfare response, also met all incoming flights from Bali and will continue to do so until the last victim arrives in our city. The injuries were treated by one of this nation’s most efficient and clinically proficient clinical teams - a team made up of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, and supported by vital welfare operational and administrative staff.
Last Tuesday evening, I visited Royal Darwin Hospital to catch up with Dr Adam Frost, whom I mentioned earlier. Adam and my brother are partners in a GP practice in Newcastle, and a number of the people injured in the blast were patients or friends of my brother and his family. Indeed, it is a small world. Adam and Len Notaras took me through the Intensive Care ward and Ward 2A where I met those injured by the bombs. I listened to their stories and saw first-hand the extent of their injuries. Their resilience and good humour were astonishing.
I was deeply moved by the consistent concern they had for the Balinese people and the impact on Bali despite their own injuries. And the injuries were shocking. Some were caused by the intense blast of the bombs, while many other people suffered appalling shrapnel wounds caused by high velocity ball bearing projectiles and debris such as metal, timber and glass. Even the sand of the beach became lethal as it was propelled by the blast into eyes, faces and limbs.
These visible and identifiable injuries are bad enough, but the wounds that go often unseen can last a lifetime. I would like the House to reflect upon the significant psychological trauma caused to victims and witnesses of this event and, of course, the severe emotional strain placed on Territory staff who, in some cases, have not responded once but twice to a senseless atrocity.
While all Australians have now been repatriated to interstate hospitals, three international citizens remain in the hospital in a critical condition. I take this opportunity on behalf of the House and all Territorians to offer condolences to those who sustained loss, and a speedy recovery to those injured.
Madam Speaker, along with Commissioner Paul White’s Police, Fire and Emergency staff and St John Ambulance, I pay tribute to Health Department Chief Executive Officer, Robert Griew, who along with Chief Health Officer, Tarun Weeramanthri, worked tirelessly to assist Len Notaras and his staff to mount what was an extremely effective response.
The 2002 Bali bombings, a tragedy that claimed the lives of 202 innocent people including 88 Australians, saw 100 victims despatched to our hospital. They were treated and cared for in a manner that has become a national and, indeed, an international template. So successful was that response that the Australian government has recognised the need to formalise Royal Darwin Hospital’s position as the national trauma centre. At that time, three years ago, we paid tribute to the untiring efforts of many staff across a wide number of agencies, all dedicating their time and expertise to ensuring that our response was the best it could possibly be. Once again, I stand here immensely proud of the whole-of-government and whole-of-hospital response to this terrible disaster.
Territorians have again risen to the challenge and offered generous and compassionate support in a time of crisis. I take this opportunity to acknowledge just a few of the people who ensured that the victims of this tragedy received the high level clinical care and support they needed. Coordinated by a team comprising Len Notaras, Dr Vino, Gary Lum, Dianne Stephens, Didier Palmer, Malcolm Johnston-Leek, David Read, Allan McEwan, Paddy Bade, David Gawler, and Michelle Foster, the hospital’s clinicians and support staff quickly put into practice its national award winning Emergency Response Plan. They were ably supported by Tim Pigot, Bronwyn Hendry, Sandy Spears, David Richardson, Colleen Bremner, Garry Scapin, Jo Wright and Xavier Schobben, to name just a few.
We should not forget the wonderful contribution of the hospital’s nursing staff, particularly Ronnie Taylor and Marg St Leone from the Emergency Department, and the Theatre, Surgical and Intensive Care teams. I cannot speak highly enough of their dedication and commitment. It would be remiss of me not to mention the significant network support provided at extremely short notice to the hospital by the Alice Springs and Tennant Creek Hospitals.
We must not forget the welfare teams who so effectively looked after people; they listened to their trauma and made sure they were accommodated and fed. They will continue to play a crucial role as people attempt to rebuild their lives.
The work of groups such as Qantas, Customs and the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, along with the Australian Defence Force, and many others, cannot be praised highly enough.
All Australians are entitled to feel very proud. We should all be proud of the work that has been done, the lives that have been saved, and the dedication of everyone involved. It is now time for all those who were involved to debrief, to get some attention for themselves, and be recognised, and the Department of Health and Community Services has this under way.
Madam Speaker, in times like this the Territorian spirit shines through, but my pride in our efforts is tempered by the unimaginable pain of those who have lost loved ones, and the grief of the Balinese people.
On behalf of this parliament, I extend our deepest sympathies to all affected by this senseless tragedy.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for moving this motion which is supported wholeheartedly and very sincerely by the opposition.
It is noteworthy that in this parliament only two or so months ago, I rose after the Chief Minister to express sorrow and outrage at the senseless terrorist acts committed against the people of London and Egypt. Here we are, once again, faced with expressing on behalf of ourselves and everyone else in the Northern Territory, our almost unspeakable sadness at the recent bombings in Bali. It is, indeed, a terrible tragedy and a sorrow.
It is, I believe, more than just sorrow. There is, I detect, certainly within myself and others, a rising anger at these senseless bombings and attacks on innocent lives. I ask: how can any sane person randomly murder innocent men, women and children? Terrorists they may be branded, but the reality is they are the very worst serial killers.
We should not rush to condemn Islam, one of the world’s great religions. These serial killers are not religious; they simply cannot be. No religion - not mine, not others - preaches death and destruction.
In the latest bombings, 23 people were killed including four Australians. Twenty three people who lived and loved, who cried and laughed, who worked and played, and so the list goes on. Perhaps the cruelty of these actions is demonstrated by an article from which I will quote, published in Melbourne’s The Age newspaper recently:
Motion agreed to.
Members rose and observed one minute’s silence.
Madam SPEAKER: I thank honourable members.
Dr TOYNE (Health): Madam Speaker, avian influenza, or bird flu, has received a lot of media coverage and there has been some confusion about the role of avian influenza virus in birds, its role in people and the possibility that this virus will mutate and become a pandemic virus that can spread easily from person to person. The Northern Territory government and the Department of Health and Community Services are taking seriously the possibility of pandemic influenza and supporting the required action. We are actively involved through our experts at the Centre for Disease Control with the Communicable Disease Network Australia. The Northern Territory is linked daily with the National Emergency Incident Room on avian influenza, with close monitoring of the situation in Asia, as well as undertaking general preparedness should a pandemic occur. We have been involved for many years in the development of the National Pandemic Influenza Plan, with the most recent Australian Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza, June 2005, available on the Internet.
The Northern Territory Pandemic Influenza Plan has also been developed and continues to be refined for a coordinated public health response. The plan covers all Northern Territory hospitals and regions, and will coordinate the response of remote, rural and urban primary health care practices. The plan includes enhanced surveillance, data systems support, and contingency plans to enhance laboratory and pharmacy capacity, strategies for contact tracing and isolation, and distribution of antivirals, mass vaccinations and hospital capacity.
Furthermore, the Northern Territory has one of the nation’s broadest enhanced influenza surveillance systems in operation, the Tropical Influenza Surveillance Scheme, due to the participation of local GPs in detecting influenza in the community. Processes are in place to raise awareness with health care facilities of the possible presentations of avian influenza, and to be alert for unusual influenza clusters heralding pandemic strains.
The avian influenza, or bird flu, is an infectious disease, and the current form spreading across the birds of Asia and into Russia is the highly pathogenic Avian influenza, known as H5N1. Some people in close contact with sick poultry have contracted bird flu, however this avian influenza virus is not very efficient at passing to humans. Internationally, since December 2004, there have only been 72 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans, with 28 deaths. So, bird flu is very uncommon and inefficiently spread to humans, but it is recognised as having a high death rate.
In recent months, avian influenza has been reported in birds in Indonesia, with four confirmed cases reported in people with close bird contact, of which three have died. This has lead to a heightened public concern of the risk of an incursion of the virus into the Australian bird population, and then possibly to humans. Birds migrating from Asia to Australia could potentially carry the avian influenza virus, although this is felt to be at low risk. Contingency planning for this is being managed by the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines. Any clusters of mortality in birds are investigated. Additionally, there are strict quarantine regulations in place to prevent the import of any poultry materials that might carry the virus.
In Australia, there are no cases of avian influenza, either in birds or in other animals, and the government and industry are working very hard to keep bird flu out. Questions have been raised about the risk of our magpie geese in the Northern Territory. However, because magpie geese do not migrate beyond Australia, there is no evidence that they are at risk of introducing avian influenza. So while it is recognised that the transmission from birds to humans of the avian influenza virus is very uncommon and human to human transmission has not occurred, there has been heightened alert and planning nonetheless.
It is important to reassure Territorians that the risk of current avian influenza to them is negligible particularly given the absence of any sizeable poultry industry in the Territory and no evidence or risk of introduction from migratory birds. The concern worldwide, however, is that the avian influenza virus will mutate to a form that is more easily transmittable in the human population thereby leading to a influenza pandemic strain to which the population has little or no immunity. Then it will be humans and not birds who transmit the disease.
Generally, it is not felt that the avian influenza strains would first appear in the Territory but more likely identified abroad. The Australian government has recently fast-tracked the development of a pandemic prototype vaccine and certainly as soon as we are aware of a human to human virus transmission we will produce those vaccines.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, it is pleasing to see that the questions we asked during the last sittings have prompted this ministerial report, so thank you, minister.
My understanding is that the jury is still out, or, perhaps expressed another way, a number of experts, as is so often the case, have a number of different views about migratory birds. I understand that magpie geese do in fact migrate to Papua New Guinea. However, this is not so much about what a range of experts have to say. In any event, I thank the minister for his report.
This is not an issue about which we should play politics. This is a serious issue which is why we raised it during the last sittings. We all need to be kept aware of the efforts of this government and, indeed, the Commonwealth government when it comes to planning for the possibility of bird flu coming to the Northern Territory. I simply say that I would be grateful for the minister to keep this parliament informed about this issue. I am sure he is aware of his need to keep Territorians informed about this issue. I extend the offer to him that in the event that he comes across more or other information that is significant I would be very grateful if he would communicate that to me, either by formal or informal channels. It is the sort of stuff that we should know about as the potential dangers to the Territory are immense. I thank the minister for his statement.
Dr TOYNE (Health): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their constructive response to the report. I certainly will conduct a process where you are kept informed as to what we are doing about this serious issue. We are working very hard to protect the interests of Territorians and Australians against this threat.
I will just mention that in the near future the Territory will participate in a national exercise simulating a large outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds in late November this year to test departmental and whole-of-government emergency response mechanisms.
In summary, we can say though that all that can be done is being done, both nationally and within our own health system. We will be as ready as any country ever has been in the event of an outbreak of this type. Let’s hope it does not happen, that it has not mutated. We all hope that it will not happen.
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, today I provide members with an update on the progress of the ‘Top End Secret’ road show.
The ‘Top End Secret’ road show was developed to promote the Northern Territory government’s Building the Territory’s Resource Base investment attraction initiative, a $15.2m program to expand and promote the Territory’s mineral and onshore petroleum potential to the mining and exploration industry.
The key objectives of the road show are:
to increase the Territory’s profile as a competitive location and to attract more exploration and
investment dollars;
opportunities for exploration, financing and alliance formation; and
to promote the support services in the minerals and energy teams.
So far this year, the road show has met over 700 people across Australia at a series of representations and briefings, and all events have been well received. Potential explorers and investors were provided with up-to-date information about the prospectivity of the Territory and the available government support. I have led government and industry delegations to Brisbane, Sydney and Perth and will continue in Melbourne and Adelaide in November this year.
The ‘Top End Secret’ campaign includes a media strategy, information and presentation materials and a web presence. Our ultimate message to road show participants is that exploration business in the Territory is mission possible. In the three months following the Brisbane, Sydney and Perth Royal Shows, geoscience data inquiries to the department increased by 165%, of which one third were from road show participants. In addition, exploration licence applications increased by 49% of which 30% were from road show participants. These applications from road show participants have an indicated exploration expenditure of nearly $1m.
The ‘Top End Secret’ campaign materials were effective because:
our geological survey listed 30 under-developed mineral opportunities in the
‘Top End Secret’ sales kit - an exercise in investment attraction that was a
first amongst Australian geological surveys;
with industry, we developed a promotional CD profiling 18 junior exploration
and mining companies operating in the Territory, a win-win for government
and industry and a valuable marketing tool to attract joint venture partners; and
audience to use those services.
The road show has proved to be an effective strategy in promoting the Territory’s exploration potential and I plan to build on the success.
We want to keep industry engaged and moving towards decisions to explore and set up operations in the Northern Territory. The latest phase of the campaign is a launch of regular ‘NT Investment Alerts’. The alerts contain the very latest information in short grabs and link to the departmental web site where further details can be accessed. The first alert was released on 21 September 2005 and subsequent alerts will be sent to road show participants about every eight weeks.
The department logged hundreds of hits on their web site linked to the alert within minutes of it going out. This shows that road show recipients valued information and are keen to get more. We will continue to work in strategic partnership with organisations like KPMG, Clayton Utz, and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies in order for us to further penetrate the interstate markets. These partners allow access to thousands of mining industry representatives across Australia.
Another point I wish to reiterate is that we view our clients as our business partners. Companies like Arafura Resources, Compass Resources, Northern Gold, Matilda Minerals, Olympia Resources and Territory Iron address many people each year to sell their projects. In selling their projects they also sell the Territory. By working together with our clients, and arming them with the tools to promote the Territory in their presentation and annual reports we develop an excellent group of ambassadors and enormous coverage.
Moreover, I would like to extend the promotion of the Territory’s potential to overseas audiences next year, and meet with a number of prospectors and developers in international forums and also attend some exhibitions and conventions, especially in Canada, which are attended by hundreds of delegates from all over the world. I also propose to meet with Canadian-based companies operating in the Northern Territory.
Ms MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. I noticed he spoke at the last sittings about the road show and the success that it is. We all know that if you want to promote a product that is in your region and in your territory that you do need to get out to show people what you have. You need to take the people from the industries with you, and it is usually far more successful if you do that.
We have done that in the tourism industry for a long time and I am very pleased to see that it is happening in primary industries and fisheries, and mines and energy. I hope that as part of this wonderful ‘Top End Secret’ that it contains materials and information about uranium in the Northern Territory as we have an untapped resource that we have not yet utilised and we need to get that into the coffers and in our own bank balances. We have the world’s best-known resources of uranium in the Territory and I would be very interested to know if the minister did include details of uranium deposits in the Northern Territory.
I welcome the government’s initiative in being able to have these road shows. I hope that they bring wonderful economic benefits to the Territory, and I would like to see them continue if they do that. I thank the minister for his report.
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for her support; I really appreciate that. She is on the right wave length. I have said before that mining is good for the Territory and Australia, not only because it provides thousands of jobs, but also it will provide opportunity for indigenous Territorians who live in centres outside Darwin and Alice Springs. There are already companies that provide opportunities to indigenous Territorians, such as Normandy.
Also, the good news is that a number of companies are now reinvesting in old mines. We have Tom’s Gully coming back into production with an extra 70 jobs. Maud Creek has now been taken over by Harmony Gold which has been taken over by a Canadian company. It will become a big player in gold in the Northern Territory. Considering that the price of gold is going through the roof at the moment and is expected to go up even further, we are going to see more mines coming on-line.
For the information of members, most of the exploration applications we have - and most of the applications for mining - are for base metals and none for uranium yet.
However, rest assured, member for Katherine, I will continue the road show. I will promote the Territory’s potential in Australia and, of course, if I can, internationally.
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, Home Territory 2010 was launched by my predecessor, Mr John Ah Kit, in August 2004. The primary goal of Home Territory 2010 is safe, secure and affordable housing, and rightfully so. My recent travels throughout the Northern Territory showed the clear need for just that.
A year on, we have made some significant changes to the way that we do business to ensure that our targets are being realised. We have placed a strong emphasis on the way we interact with clients and the community to ensure greater consultation. Initiatives such as the Housing minister’s round table, the homelessness task force and the community housing forums are examples of the achievements to date.
The Housing minister’s round table met three times last year with practical and positive results. In Katherine, a key community service provider accessed additional housing for their clients, and in Nhulunbuy a private sector partnership agreement was submitted to government and is currently being progressed. The housing round table is proving to be a vital mechanism for keeping me informed on housing issues right throughout the Northern Territory.
The homelessness task force is formed by representatives from NT Shelter, the Indigenous Housing Association of the Northern Territory, the Departments of the Chief Minister, Health and Community Services, Local Government, Housing and Sport, Commonwealth Health, and it is chaired by the Northern Territory Council of Social Services. The task force has met for the third time and is working to develop a framework that will help us address the complex issue of homelessness.
We have seen much progress in housing construction and renewal, and the flow-on benefits to training, employment and the economy. In the bush, we are contributing to the economy through local contracts, and providing employment and training opportunities for locals. Last year, there were more than 80 indigenous employees trained through housing projects via IHANT across the Northern Territory. Of these, more than 50 indigenous apprentices were engaged in the IHANT employment program. These opportunities can provide the basis for developing, using and keeping skills in the region.
Last year, we also saw the opening of 40 units at Fannie Bay Seniors Village and, just last month - I think it might actually have been early this month - I opened six units at Kenna Court in Alice Springs. It was pleasing to see and talk to some of the tenants there as to how happy they were in regards to that new complex.
To ensure that Territory Housing clients have access to a fair and equitable system of review and appeal, a new complaint handling model will be launched this month. This new model incorporates a three-level appeal system and makes provision for the appointment of a Territory Housing appeals board. The new appeals board consists of 10 members sourced from across the Northern Territory, and members were appointed on 26 September this year.
Territory Housing and the Department of Justice have entered into an agreement to refer clients involved in disputes with Territory Housing to a community justice centre for free mediation.
NT Shelter is funded to operate as a peak industry body to research, investigate and develop strategies in relation to the provision of affordable and appropriate housing within the Northern Territory for the disadvantaged. NT Shelter has recently undertaken community forums on housing in Darwin, Tennant Creek, Katherine, and Alice Springs, with more planned. I am looking forward to receiving feedback on the outcomes of these forums.
Frameworks are being developed for the urban life skills program in Alice Springs and consultations are continuing on the growing needs of renal patients in respect to their housing needs.
HomeNorth Extra continues on. It has been a great success. I acknowledge we have achieved much, however, I also acknowledge that there is much more to do.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report on housing. One of the things I have found that needs to be addressed with housing, and it is a very serious issue, we spend a lot of time in this building discussing the terrible state of housing that we have for low income people, and that something should be done, and usually we cop a slamming on this side because it is our fault, or else it is the Commonwealth’s fault.
One of the issues that I find really annoying is that people are given houses and are not taught how to respect those houses and the property that the house is on. I am talking about in regional towns, such as Katherine, Tennant Creek, and in some suburban areas in Alice Springs and Darwin. What happens then is that people end up with the neighbour from hell.
It is all very fine to have a complaints committee, and it is good that that is going to be in place, however, one of the serious problems is teaching people how to respect the house that they have been given, the privilege of living in. They pay some rent for it – sure, but there are some areas in Katherine that nobody else wants to live near, and there would be areas in other towns throughout the Northern Territory that people do not want to live next to.
I implore the minister to look at some sort of education programs to teach people how to be responsible and look after the property that they are given. I thank the minister for his report.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, my favourite topic, public housing! Minister, I congratulate you on the seniors village which was opened in Alice Springs …
Ms Carney: So I heard!
Mrs BRAHAM: Well, I was not invited either, Leader of the Opposition, however, I went anyway because there are many people I know who were getting a house. It was great; they are great complexes. However, we should be expanding the idea of having complexes for people with disabilities living together - the industry housing that you talk about. Perhaps if you are giving industry housing to the Salvation Army they could have a complex. Sometimes when you do give houses to these bodies, they do not supervise them as much as they could. Saying that, I thought the seniors village was great. Can I ask, what happened to Stuart Lodge, the plan that we were going to use that for temporary accommodation? I believe that is in your portfolio. Perhaps you can give us an update on that.
Have you appointed a chairman for the Complaints Commission yet? I would be interested to know whether you have. Have you considered offering the HomeNorth scheme to people on communities, seeing as we are talking about Aboriginal people owning their own homes? Are we going to extend that to Aboriginal communities? Have you had any approaches by communities to borrow under that scheme to build homes under the HomeNorth scheme? That would be interesting. Also, could you tell me if the Chairman of IHANT has been appointed yet?
I know all those things are scattered here and there, but they are all part of making sure that Territory Housing functions properly, and making sure that people in the community who really need the housing most of all actually get them.
Good on you for building a seniors village, let us have more of them. The fact that no developer in Alice Springs will take up the Larapinta Stage 4 development - there are 12 lots for public housing - is a reflection on how public housing is handled in Alice Springs which has stopped that development. What are you going to do about that?
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank the three members who spoke to the report.
The member for Braitling has asked many questions and, clearly, I do not have the time to address those issues. I am very conscious of the need to have a look at options of how we might be able to provide affordable housing, not only in regards to those communities out bush, but also to the smaller regional communities up and down the track. HomeNorth Extra will be doing that fairly shortly to try to encourage people to purchase their homes.
Leader of the Opposition, I did note that you were not there and I also understand that you described the actions of us as being arrogant. I want to assure you that that is not the case at all and that in the future I will ensure that members are invited to all those types of functions.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
Continued from 18 August 2005.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, there are three particular matters in the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report which related to the operation of the Department of Chief Minister.
The first was an audit of the tendering and evaluation process for the Darwin City Waterfront Project. It is highly appropriate that a $1.1bn project such as this, with a major impact on the image of our capital city on tourism, recreation and the residential accommodation market, is subject to rigorous audit to ensure that the processes in place to implement it meet relevant accounting standards. I am pleased to note that the audit identified no matters of concern and noted that the evaluation of the various proponents was thorough and appropriately supported by the provision of relevant technical and legal advice at all stages of the process.
I also note in relation to the objections raised with the probity auditor by one of the unsuccessful bidders, the Auditor-General has supported the conclusions of the probity auditor and the legal advisor that the objections lacked any basis in fact.
The second matter covered in the Auditor-General’s report directly relevant to my department was an audit of procedures in place for payments of grants and subsidies by Northern Territory government agencies. In relation to grant payments by the Department of the Chief Minister, the Auditor-General has commented on the adequacy of policies in place to ensure grants and subsidies paid are correctly identified, accounted for and acquitted. The audit found that appropriate written agreements were in place for community engagement grants which constituted 235 of the 303 grants made by the department.
However, the report found that the preparation of formal written grant agreements was not common practice for the remaining 68 grants provided by the department. This is to a large extent a question of determining the appropriate accounting treatments for these payments and then ensuring that accountability processes are in place relevant to the accounting classification of the expenditure. Two thirds of the funds involved in remaining 68 grants were to government owned organisations including subsidies for the Major Events Company to deliver the V8 Supercars event, and BassintheGrass and BassintheDust events, operational funding for the AustralAsia Railway Corporation, and funding for Desert Knowledge Australia. Each of these organisations are independently audited and have senior government representatives on their boards and the funding in question is clearly budgeted for.
I understand that there are discussions taking place with Treasury officials to decide whether these funds are best classified as grants. Whatever the outcome, the department will ensure that the appropriate accounting arrangements are in place.
The remaining one third of the funds involved in the 68 grants were to community organisations to subsidise events such as Carols by Candlelight and the Tropical Garden Spectacular. The department is reviewing its procedures in relation to these payments, however is mindful of not imposing an unnecessary burden of red tape on small community organisations delivering clearly identifiable public events. I am confident that appropriate arrangements will be put in place which provides the necessary level of accountability, however without the creation of an undue administrative burden to the community organisations concerned.
The Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report to the Assembly found that in relation to ministerial travel, and I quote from the report:
The report then goes on to list a range of different kinds of errors, involving calculation errors, use of superseded determination, calculations based on inappropriate rates, and the wrong number of nights used for the calculation of travel allowance. The nett result of the errors in the samples selected for audit was a total underpayment of $978 spread across seven ministers and the then Leader of the Opposition.
When commenting publicly on the findings, the Auditor-General was at pains to emphasise that the cause of the problem was an administrative error, and that there was no evidence of dishonesty by ministers or the then Leader of the Opposition. Previous audits of ministerial travel did not identify any issues of significance that required further action by the department. The breakdown in systems and processes has been traced to the retirement of a very experienced travel clerk with the accompanying loss of knowledge and expertise that was not easily replaced.
This situation was addressed in May 2005 when the travel administration responsibility was reassigned and proper procedures reinstituted. However, because the Auditor-General’s report was based on only a sample of travel events during 2004, as I indicated to the House last sittings, the Department of Chief Minister sought an independent audit of all travel documents relating to the period 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2005 and instituted a total review of travel documentation and procedures. As I advised the House on 24 August, the Auditor-General was notified of these additional reviews, and he was subsequently asked to provide comment on the outcome of the independent audit and the review procedures. Apart from endorsing the measures taken by the department, he has again once again confirmed that ministers are innocent of any suggestion of misconduct.
I table all the relevant documents relating to the original audit, the information requested by the Leader of the Opposition under the Information Act, the report of the independent auditor, and a list of all 481 items of travel undertaken during this period, identifying the person who travelled, the allowances paid and the nature of any errors and further correspondence between the department and the auditor.
I also offer the Opposition Leader and the former Opposition Leader, the member for Blain, a briefing by my CEO on those details, and certainly for the member for Blain where you yourself are involved.
The key findings of the independent audit are as follows: out of 481 items of travel undertaken between January 2004 and June 2005, 167 were found to have errors. This amounted to a nett overpayment of $1959.56 out of $1m in total travel costs incurred during that period with five ministers and the then Leader of the Opposition nett overpaid and three ministers including myself, nett underpaid. Out of the errors, 70% were miscalculations by the travel section in the Department of Chief Minister, while 10% were breakdowns in the payment review and approval processes of both the Department of Chief Minister and Department of Corporate and Information Services. The remaining 20% resulted from variations between the information on the original movement requisition and the final details of travel undertaken, as some aspect of travel had changed, such as late checkout, flight or meeting times, and incomplete information provided. The travel requisition approval, recording and payment processes in place during the period of the review lacked consistency and lacked a robust review process. The inherent complexities of the Remuneration Tribunal Determinations and the travel administration system contributed significantly to the numbers of errors noted.
The documents I have tabled listed every single item of travel undertaken during the 18 month period examined, and identified the cause of any error in allowances paid. Nothing is hidden. It lists me, for example, as being overpaid by a nett amount of $93 when I took leave during the course of a business trip, because the information had not been included in the documentation forwarded to the travel clerk. There were instances of minister Stirling and the then Leader of the Opposition being paid twice for one trip, resulting in overpayments. In fact, the most travelled minister, minister Stirling, was paid twice on three separate occasions and then not paid at all or underpaid. There were a number of instances where no travel allowance was paid for travel undertaken; four times to me, three times to minister Stirling, once for former minister Ah Kit, three times for minister Vatskalis, twice for the Leader of the Opposition; and twice for minister Scrymgour.
There are a number of instances where incorrect allowances have been paid, either because insufficient information has been included on the original movement requisition, or because travel was paid in advance and some aspect of travel arrangements changed resulting in a need for an adjustment.
Letters have been prepared for each person affected by the travel allowance error identifying the amount of adjustment required to address the overall nett total of $1959.56.
Both the Auditor-General and the recent comprehensive audit have not disclosed any evidence of any dishonesty by ministers or Leader of the Opposition. In each and every case, it was a matter of administrative error. However, as the independent auditor has noted in his report, the complexity of the travel procedures and documentation have contributed significantly to the problem. This is a system that has been in place for over 20 years and is in need of a significant overhaul.
One of the problems with the current system is that it revolves around a requisition for travel and then an acquittal of actual travel against the requisition. Travel allowance is calculated on the basis of travel information on the requisition form. When the travel is certified the person or their assistant signs a statement as to whether the travel was in accordance with the itinerary. The format of acquittal is clearly deficient in that it only identifies that travel took place in accordance with an itinerary; it does not provide a breakdown or methodology of how travel allowance is provided or calculated and, hence, provides no basis upon which an individual might determine whether they have received the correct amount. At the same time, the complexity of the Remuneration Tribunal Determination makes it quite difficult in practice for an individual to assess his or her entitlement. Given that the movement requisition is used not just to book travel, but also to pay a travel allowance, there are insufficient prompts on the form to ensure that all the relevant information required to calculate the correct allowance is provided.
I can now report that the department has completely overhauled the travel system that has been in place for a long time, to ensure the potential for administrative error is absolutely minimised, and unnecessary complexities removed from current process. The movement requisition and acquittal forms have been changed to include prompts for all the information required to calculate travel allowance; that is, any non-business travel. Experienced staff with expertise in travel have been recruited, and supervision has been increased; an ongoing internal audit process put in place; the travel policy has been reviewed and clarified; and a new training program has been developed for administrative staff involved in the travel process including those in offices of ministers and the Leader of the Opposition, which will be provided on an ongoing basis. The data supporting the travel function has been updated to more easily capture the key information, particularly to increase clarity when there is a need for any adjustments to be made.
The department has strongly recommended to me that we move to a simpler and more straightforward process of reimbursing reasonable expenses on the production of receipts for meals and incidentals, rather than an advance, with all accommodation paid directly as the only method to cover travel costs. Given the complexity of the current system and the issues raised, I strongly support this proposal. This will enable the claimants to be clear about what they are claiming for, and will reduce a cumbersome process which currently necessitates numerous adjustments and does little to assist clear accountability.
The department has prepared a submission along these lines for consideration of the Remuneration Tribunal during its current inquiry. The tribunal is due to report by the end of this month.
The Office of the Auditor-General has been consulted through the process of this overhaul and has reviewed what the department is putting in place, and considers the changes will significantly reduce the likelihood of error. He will audit the overhauled travel administration to ensure it is operating appropriately.
In fact, as an interim measure, I have determined that ministers from now will move to a reimbursement basis, and not use the travel advance option currently available.
It is regrettable that so many errors were made in the calculation of travel allowances, even though the nett payment error across 481 items of travel was $1959.56. However, the problem has been addressed and new procedures put in place which will minimise the likelihood of future administrative errors of this nature.
In summary, further to the Auditor-General’s report, the department has undertaken a comprehensive audit and review of all travel and processes in the system. Details of this external review have been made available. While I would have preferred that none of this had happened, the problem has been identified and the system overhauled. I am confident that this will see the potential for administrative error minimised, if not eliminated, in the future.
I thank our Auditor-General, Frank McGuiness, for well fulfilling his role as Auditor-General. He is auditing the process of government, which is his role, and bringing to our attention deficits in administrative procedures. Our system does work well, and even though we preferred not to find any errors, it is actually the role of the Auditor-General to examine the processes and provide those checks and balances that we need across government. I thank our Auditor-General for his work and his support for how my department has responded to his initial August report. I also thank my department, which has worked extremely hard on identifying where the errors lay in the travel processes and actually put a new system in place. It has taken a lot of work, it is very complex, and I pay tribute to them all.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to continue my remarks from last sittings.
Leave granted.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, thank you and thank you, government members. Well, how things have changed, and I will be considering this in due course. However, I wonder whether the Chief Minister misled parliament on 23 August, that is the last sittings, when she said on a number of occasions that her department has addressed the problems. The Chief Minister, with respect, was pretty much all over the place, she said, yes, the department is fixing them up; elsewhere in her answers to some of my questions she said that the department had already done it. Nevertheless, the Chief Minister is on the Parliamentary Record as saying: ‘My department has done it’. In other words, the Chief Minister, having come in here today saying, ‘Oops, I did, in fact, ask people to have a look at this because it does in fact smell a bit’, now comes in and says, ‘Well, here are the results of the investigation’. Clearly, we will be looking at those documents very carefully. However, one does wonder, and it certainly appears that the Chief Minister misled the House possibly on more than one occasion, during the last sittings …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition well knows that she cannot accuse the Chief Minister or any member of government of misleading the House unless she does so by way of substantive motion. I ask that she withdraws that allegation.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, if you could reword that.
Ms CARNEY: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker, I am not sure whether I need to withdraw it. I understood that in the event that I wanted to pursue the matter I would do so by substantive motion.
Madam SPEAKER: If you could be careful in the way you describe things so that we maintain the parliamentary process.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It always pays to be careful, of course, when you are giving an account of yourself or your government in parliament. What we have seen from this episode is the Chief Minister moving about and squirming in a way that I have not seen for some time. The Chief Minister and her government are not naturally accommodating when it comes to the provision of documents that the opposition or, for that matter, so many Territorians request. The Chief Minister and her government are not naturally accommodating when it comes to seriously answering questions put by the opposition and other Territorians who question the conduct of this government. What does naturally happen, and the Chief Minister is not alone in this regard, is that when an issue is raised, we see, and I will quote back the words of the Chief Minister, ‘an hysterical response’. The level of acting that the Chief Minister undertakes is truly worthy of a various awards; an Academy-award winning performance, I believe I described to my colleagues, her performance on 23 August when asked a number of questions.
In any event, I digress. The Chief Minister was not going to provide the documents we asked for, was at pains to say, in almost an hysterical fashion: ‘No, Leader of the Opposition, there is nothing wrong with us. No, it has all been fixed up’, and she said: ‘Well, it will be fixed up’. So, she was pretty much all over the place. She also said, and I quote:
Parliamentary Record, 23 August 2005.
Clearly, it was not the end of the matter, and if ever there was a time for the people of the Northern Territory to say: ‘Thank God for an opposition’, it is now. We may well be small in number, but we will not hold back in prosecuting issues that are important to the people of the Northern Territory. We will never hold back in getting stuck into this government in ways we see fit when we see the type of slipperiness, for the want of a better expression, that is propagated and exercised by the Chief Minister and some, though not all, of her parliamentary colleagues.
If ever there was a time for an opposition to question this government, it is now. This is an example of the opposition raising a question that was, for all intents and purposes, buried in the Auditor-General’s report. We raised a number of issues. I said to a number of people, some of the media, that if there was a sensible explanation, we would accept it. However, the questions we asked the Chief Minister did not provide us with sensible answers. That is why, and that is the only reason, we continue to pursue the matter.
Members of government will know that the opposition has made a request under the freedom of information act in relation to travel and you do not need to be a rocket scientist to work out, on the basis of the Chief Minister’s evasion in answering questions, why we would have done that. We took the view that if this government, this secretive, arrogant government, was not going to provide us with …
A member interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: There is that word again - arrogant. Got it? If they were not going to provide us with the information, then we would do it ourselves. We have made pretty slow progress, I might say, in relation to freedom of information, not the sort of information act Territorians envisaged, however I digress. I feel certain, however, that I will come back to that at another time.
I note the document called ‘Good Governance’, and I smiled because, by God, is it a laugh. It was issued prior to the 2001 election. I have heard, and I have not had time to look, that it has been removed from the government or Labor’s web site. I do not know whether that is the case, but if so, it is interesting, is it not? In any case, in this document it says, and it has the Chief Minister on the front, and I quote:
Well, it is like pulling teeth, and also not an inexpensive exercise, pursuing information under the government’s much lauded Information Act, commonly referred to as the freedom of information act.
I thank the Chief Minister, having been dragged kicking and screaming, for finally providing the documents. We will, sensibly, go through those documents. It seems to me that the Chief Minister undertook what was the only appropriate course of action by having done a fulsome investigation. That was our position. We have that now.
However, because we are not naturally trusting of this government, we will look at those documents very carefully. We will reserve our rights in relation to the application made under the Information Act and, in the event that the documents are less than satisfactory, we will continue to pursue the matter.
It may be, for instance, that one of the critical issues may not be addressed by the documents provided; they may or, then again, they may not. But that issue was: who was it and why was a claim made for travel allowance when a minister was on leave. I would have thought that was worthy of investigation, certainly worthy of explanation. We may have that explanation; then again, we may not.
Another issue the Auditor-General raised was the claiming and receiving of a higher rate than an entitlement provides. We will be very keen, obviously, to see whether those documents that the Chief Minister tabled today satisfy those concerns. I look forward to receiving those documents. The Chief Minister arguably, in fact, less than arguably, should have indicated when we raised this matter in August, she should have come clean. I know she is not naturally given to doing it, but she should have come clean and said: ‘Yes, Leader of the Opposition, yes Territorians, I am doing an investigation. We will table the results and there is nothing wrong here’. All we had was an hysterical, over the top reaction saying: ‘Oh no, it is not me, it is not me, and besides it is going to be fixed. Oops! We have done it’ ,and so on.
I will also go through the Parliamentary Record to see what the Chief Minister said today to see whether she had misled the parliament on another occasion.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I rise to make some comments about the Auditor-General’s report, in particular regarding my department’s Fisheries Division. I quote from the Auditor-General’s report that says:
However, at the same time he said there were informal procedures but they were inconsistent and in many ways inferior to those in place within the Commercial Services Division of DBIRD where the majority of DBIRD’s plan and subsidy payments are administered.
Where possible the Fisheries Division of the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines – DPIFM now – has adopted the model used in the Commercial Services Division of its predecessor, the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development for managing grants under Treasurers’ Direction A6.4. However, certain constraints preclude the full adoption of the Commercial Services Division’s procedures by the Fisheries Division, in particular, small research and development projects. Such grants require the capture of specific data for research and development and therefore the application form used by Fisheries is a generic model applied by fisheries agencies Australia wide.
Grants provided include the grant to the NT Seafood Council to fund its administration’ a grant to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation to fund research; and small grants to non-government organisations like the Seafood Festival.- these are generally one-off grants to assist in specific projects; and grants to the Marine Rangers Program to consult communities. Monies are provided to groups to assist in the operation of local Marine Rangers training programs. A range of additional funding opportunities are sought by indigenous community groups.
Further, there are certain grants requiring specific procedures defined under the Fisheries Act, administrative action that must be followed for the approval process; hence the adoption of the Commercial Services Division’s template is not necessarily a viable option. Even so, the powers of the Commercial Services Division process that can be adopted have been incorporated.
The DPIFM will endeavour to improve on the application approval processes and adopt the Commercial Services Division’s model of the former DBIRD where possible. In addition DPIFM will continue to review the industry grants process and procedures with a view to implement appropriate recommendation from the Auditor-General’s audit.
The agency has endeavoured to adopt a standardised procedure wherever possible. However, to ensure that the most appropriate and best practice has been adopted, DPIFM has scheduled to review this aspect of the fisheries operation initially in-house and, if necessary, with assistance from an external resource like an auditing firm, to ensure a robust internal control regime.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, this is a most interesting issue. I came into this parliament nearly six years ago and I remember very clearly the position taken by the now government on matters related to travel. So when an issue such as this arises, I watch very carefully to see the response. I expected to hear the sorts of utterances that were driven by a sense of integrity that was mouthed when they were in opposition to be translated to government. Instead, there was a response of total defence. Defensiveness without the opportunity provided to them to be honest and to accept fault and what was being masked by an attitude which I found appalling, was just a cover for embarrassment for feet of clay and the words of integrity mean little.
When we go through the document we need things to be addressed for the sake of the people who have elected us. There was audit evidence that a grand final in Melbourne was attended by a minister and accompanied by a family member. The Auditor-General, who was praised by the Chief Minister - and I likewise add my praise - reports that there was no indication of any meetings being held or any other reason for the travel being incurred. It needs a response, Chief Minister, and an apology or an explanation at least, because that goes right against the very spirit of the document that you presented before the Territory population before your elevation to the position of Chief Minister. Please give an explanation? If that was not raised by the opposition, it would never be raised by this Chief Minister.
Further to that, the member for Nelson, when this matter was raised in the last parliament, sought the opportunity to ask a fairly basic question and was effectively blocked from being able to ask that very simple question. That question was to provide full details and a full report to this parliament. It was a very fair question. After much hysteria, covering, defensiveness from government, and an assurance that everything is okay, five or six weeks passed, and what do we have for this parliament? Without the member for Nelson being permitted to ask the question, we have the provision of the answer; that is, the data, the information, the full report we are required to trust. We are required to trust this Chief Minister and this government in matters of detail, quality and integrity, where statements are matched by action.
I found it peculiar that, only a week or so after the last parliamentary sittings, I received a letter in my electorate office. That letter, with a paragraph and one sentence, tells me that I have been underpaid by $95. I received a cheque for $95. What am I meant to do with that cheque? Do I slip it into my account? No way! I wanted the answers to the questions that the member for Nelson sought. I wanted to have the full report brought before this parliament, because I am elected by the Territory population that resides in a section of Palmerston. I want to be able to stand with some integrity and know the story behind that cheque for $95. I somehow suspect that I should enter that into my account and that would be paid off, perhaps; that I would be silenced, because it belongs in my account. It certainly does not belong in my account; it belongs in another account. I need some details. What is the story behind this $95? I do not have that information until this parliament - that is why I did not put that cheque anywhere near a bank account. I want to know. I want to know whether I can actually trust the audit and the assurances of this Chief Minister and this government with regards to their response to an embarrassment that was uncovered by the Auditor-General and prosecuted by the opposition. Shame on you!
Dr BURNS (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, I speak to the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report to the Legislative Assembly. I suppose the two items that I will be speaking to relate to my portfolio areas, particularly the Darwin City Waterfront redevelopment and the performance measurement of executive contract officers in the public sector.
Turning first to the Darwin City Waterfront project, on page 33 of his August 2005 Report, the Auditor-General says that he has undertaken an initial review of the project with the objective of forming a view as to whether the processes that govern the tendering, assessment and the selection of the successful proponent were appropriate. He also notes that the review did not attempt to assess the financial implications of the project because he says: ‘It is intended that this will be done as a separate review to be covered in a future report’. That is what the Auditor-General set out to do. The Auditor-General became thoroughly familiar with all the processes relating to the issues that he has raised and investigated. On page 35 of the report, he mentions some of the objections raised by unsuccessful bidders. He says that he has:
After undertaking the review of the tendering and evaluation process, the Auditor-General stated in his report that he identified no matters of concern and that the evaluation of the various proponents was thorough. He also stated that the evaluation team was supported by the provision of appropriate technical and legal advice at all stages of the process, and that a probity auditor was also involved at each stage.
In the period immediately following the announcement of the successful proponent, as I outlined earlier, one of the unsuccessful bidders lodged a series of objections with the probity auditor. Each and every one of the issues raised as part of the objections was considered by the probity auditor and legal advisor. The legal advisor and the probity auditor conclude that the objections lacked any basis in fact and the objector was advised accordingly. The firm in question subsequently signed a release deed and received payment of $250 000 GST exclusive that was offered to each unsuccessful proponent whose proposals met the specified criteria. As I stated earlier, the Auditor-General stated that he has examined the objections raised by the unsuccessful proponent and concluded the foundation on which the objections were based was unreliable and the conclusions reached by the legal advisor and the probity auditor were correct.
I thank the Auditor-General for his views and acknowledge his efforts in reviewing the tendering and evaluation process undertaken in selecting the successful proponent for the Darwin City Waterfront development. It is an important project for all Territorians and it is critical that all appropriate processes are in place for each stage of its development and that all parties are held to account, and that includes government.
I am pleased that the processes undertaken thus far have been endorsed at the highest level, that is, by the Auditor-General. I am encouraged by the progress of the Darwin City Waterfront project and, like many Territorians, I am looking forward to witnessing the development of a world-class facility in Darwin that everyone can enjoy.
Turning to the Auditor-General’s report into the Performance Assessment of Executive Contract Officers in the Public Sector on page 15 of the report: it is pleasing to note that the Auditor-General reported that performance assessments for executive contract officers are generally being conducted across the public sector, and that these are in line with the relevant contractual provisions and sound performance management systems.
However, I also note that the Auditor-General considers that there is room for improvement in some areas and I will make some comment on these findings. Before doing so, I believe it is important for me to briefly explain the performance management of employees generally across the public sector and the particular provisions that apply to executive contract officers. This will provide some context to my later remarks in relation to the Auditor-General’s report findings.
The Performance Management Framework for Non-Executive Employees is legislatively based in Employment Instruction No 4 issued by the Commissioner for Public Employment under section 16 of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act. Under the framework, agencies are responsible for implementing performance management systems relevant to their particular needs provided they comply with the employment instruction. The basis for executive contract officers’ performance assessment is made explicit in the executive contract, and these are:
1. fulfilment of the express or implied terms of the contract;
2. any specific professional standards relevant to the nature of the duties to be performed; and
3. fulfilment of any agreed commitments of an executive contract and the expectation of the employer.
In January 2004, the commissioner issued a publication titled ‘Northern Territory Public Sector Executive Leadership Capabilities’. The document defines the leadership capabilities of executive according to eight criteria. These are visionary leadership; results through people; relationships and the environment; stewardship; delivery focus; strategic focus; outcome focus; and self. The capabilities describe the characteristics of successful leaders in the Northern Territory public sector, along with performance criteria reflective of each dimension. Whilst the capabilities are not mandatory, it is intended that they be used to inform the development of performance management systems, learning plans and other work force planning and development strategies.
Turning now to the Auditor-General’s findings: whilst reporting that performance assessment is generally occurring in performance with requirements, his report found that there were three areas where improvements could be made.
Before I turn to these three areas where improvements can be made, it is significant that the Auditor-General and his predecessors under this government, at least, make recommendations to government in terms of improvement to management systems and accounting systems within the public sector and within government. We are a government that takes up those particular recommendations.
I remember, particularly, when we first came to power in 2001 and I was Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, there was, I felt, much dissatisfaction with the then Auditor-General about the way in which his Auditor-General’s findings were studiously ignored under the previous government and, in fact, little or no comment was ever offered by agencies as to the findings of the Auditor-General, I think over a seven year period he said in one of his reports. That contrasts with the style of this government that when the Auditor-General makes a report and recommendations, we are a government that takes them on board.
I will turn to the improvements that can be made, as highlighted by the Auditor-General. Firstly, not all agencies have mechanisms to ensure regular assessments are undertaken. To address this, agencies are required to formalise their administrative arrangements to ensure the performance management cycle is implemented, and adhered to. In response to this finding, the Commissioner for Public Employment will issue general advice to all Chief Executive Officers reminding them of their obligations in this regard.
The second finding was that in some agencies performance assessments are not retained as part of the formal record-keeping process. This could lead to misplaced records in some instances, particularly when reporting relationships change. Whilst changes in reporting relationships are not unique to executive contract officers and often affect non-executive employees, it is expected that performance assessments should be retained as official records. The Commissioner for Public Employment will issue a general advice to all Chief Executive Officers on this subject, also.
Finally, the Auditor-General found that agencies utilise different approaches to assessing executive contract officer performance, with an emphasis on achieving tasks over the executive leadership capabilities. Different performance management systems are used by agencies according to their relevant needs. This is entirely appropriate. Agencies are free to utilise the capabilities at their discretion, and not all may be applicable to their particular operations. Further, it is important to note that the capability model is a relatively new approach in the public sector. I would expect that its use will become more entrenched over time as agencies adjust their practice. Nonetheless, I undertake to parliament that I will discuss this third issue here about agencies utilising different approaches, and find where there can be some common ground. I give that assurance to parliament.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I thank the Auditor-General for his report and findings into the performance assessment of executive contract officers across the public sector. Executive contract officers are the leaders of our public sector and represent a major investment by the government towards providing the best services to the Territory community, and advice to government. In this respect we have a responsibility to ensure that the performance of executives is properly assessed in accordance with the contractual provisions and sound management practice. In conclusion, I support the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to speak again on this subject.
Leave granted.
Mr WOOD: I do not intend to spend long on this particular issue, however I would like to thank the Chief Minister for presenting a detailed report on ministerial travel. When I did last speak I simply put the case to the government that one way to allow this issue to be debated in a full, open and transparent manner was to provide all the details of the errors that the Auditor-General had mentioned in his report. The government has done that and I thank them.
That does not necessarily mean they are off the hook because we have to go through that report and, as the member for Blain said, there was a football match there that was very interesting, however, there may be some good reasons for that as well. It is highlighted in schedule 2 that there was a trip to the AFL grand final and there did not seem to be any meetings or any other reason for going there except the football. However, it is there, the government has put it forward for us to debate, and I am sure if there was good reason for that occurring, that will be explained. That is basically the reason I asked if we need to get to the bottom of these issues, put forward the documentation showing where all these errors occurred. I am sure the opposition and the Independents will go through that as thoroughly as possible and at another stage raise any questions where they think there are some doubts as to the adequacy of answers given.
Once again, I thank the government for providing us with this information. We will certainly be scrutinising what is in that information and coming back to parliament with questions about it.
Dr TOYNE (Health): Madam Speaker, I give a short response. I must say that the two agencies for which I have responsibility were not unduly mentioned in the report. I can report on the matters involving the Department of Health and Community Services in regard to the Auditor-General’s comments.
Ex-gratia payments and legal settlements: the Department of Health and Community Services was one of the agencies selected by the Auditor-General to test the requirement that ex-gratia payments are:
approved in accordance with Treasurer’s Direction 6.2.11;
endorsed in accordance with Treasurer’s Directions 6.2.12; and
recorded in accordance with Treasurer’s Direction 6.2.13.
The audit did not raise any issues of note with respect to ex-gratia payments as defined. It did identify payments made as part of an out-of-court settlement. The Auditor-General observes that the current treatment of payments of this type by the agencies is to classify out-of-court settlements as legal expenses. The Auditor-General is of the view that this treatment is potentially misleading to the users of the agencies’ financial reports as it fails to distinguish between expenses incurred for the receipt of legal or similar services from those that represent payments to potential plaintiffs, or for the purposes of avoiding legal proceedings.
The current reporting practices are consistent with the direction from the NT Treasury and legal advice. The Department of Health and Community Services will await the advice of the NT Treasury as to any change of practice as a result of the observations of the Auditor-General and will naturally follow such instructions as Treasury want to give the agency.
The Menzies School of Health: the audit of financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2004. The Auditor-General examined the audited accounts of Menzies School of Health and found no anomalies. The Auditor-General observed that an unqualified independent audit opinion was issued on 14 April 2005.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I note that there is no mention at all of the Department of Justice in the report.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, first of all I thank the Auditor-General for his independent analysis and take this opportunity to respond to his comments relating to the former Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs.
My first comment relates to the audit conducted regarding pool fencing payments. This was carried out to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Swimming Pool Safety Act 2004, and previous legislation with respect to grants and loans. I am pleased to note that the report found departmental control procedures complied with legislative requirements, and that loans provided under the superseded Swimming Pool Fencing Act 2002 were properly treated.
The Auditor-General recommended a mandatory standard checklist for all inspections to ensure a uniform, transparent inspection and assessment of swimming pools, and confirmed the inspection regime is properly enforced.
I would like to advise my fellow members here today that, as a result of both this audit and an internal inspection into the actions of a former pool inspector, my department has implemented a number of changes. Current practice provides that individual inspectors are not required to use a checklist when inspecting swimming pools. However, compliance with legislation is assured as new inspectors are given thorough training and mentoring, and each inspection report is checked by the senior pool safety advisor against a standard checklist. Although this is a slight variation from the Auditor-General’s recommendation, it still provides a detailed quality assurance mechanism for the department to ensure a consistent, transparent and equitable process.
I would also like to address the matter raised in the Auditor-General’s report of a former employee being investigated for fraud. Late in 2003, allegations were brought to the department’s attention regarding a swimming pool inspector not performing his duties in accordance with the swimming pool fence legislation. As a result of an internal investigation, evidence of gross misconduct was identified and the inspector in question was stood down. The department engaged the assistance of the Northern Territory Police to further investigate these matters, and the investigations are continuing. This was a very unfortunate event.
However, my department has reinspected 401 out of the 403 pools certified by the inspector in question, and identified the costs that have resulted from any identified negligent work. No Territorian will be out-of-pocket as a consequence of the rectification costs. Legal advice has been sought in relation to commencing civil proceedings against the former employee to recover the amount it has cost the department to rectify the negligent work. Action is now under way to file a statement of claim with the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
The final matter relating to my portfolio as Minister for Local Government relates to the $35 000 grant to the Belyuen Community Government Council for the purchase of a vehicle for council purposes. The Chief Minister referred this matter to the Auditor-General for consideration and advice as to what action, if any, may be required. The Auditor-General concluded that, apart from the need to improve administrative protocols - which has been done, I have been assured of this by my department - that no further action is necessary.
This matter was previously looked into by the Ombudsman for the Northern Territory. My department has acted on and continues to implement all recommendations made by the Ombudsman which include: the implementation of clear protocols regarding the provision of special purpose grants; working with the Belyuen people, the community, to address issues identified by a compliance audit; the provision of financial assistance to the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory, otherwise known as LGANT, for governance training and elected member development; and further encouraging Belyuen to contact LGANT for assistance re staff and member training development.
My department also met with the council and it has agreed to repay the $35 000 grant. This will be paid in two equal instalments of $17 500 over the next two years by a reduction of their operational grant.
Madam Speaker, I thank the Auditor-General for his examination of these matters and I welcome his feedback on how to continue to improve the processes and performance of government agencies, including my own, to ensure the taxpayers’ monies are used in the most effective manner possible.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, the Auditor-General made comment in his report about the annual report prepared by the Nitmiluk, or Katherine Gorge, National Park for the year ending 2004. I need to emphasise from the outset that the Auditor-General did give an unqualified report on this matter, which means he has no concerns that the financial statements do not fairly present the financial position of the Nitmiluk National Park Board. He did, however, make comment that the financial statements were not made available until June 2005, that some data recorded during the year was inadequate, and that one instance of expenditure could not be supported by adequate documentation. I will deal briefly with each of these three issues.
The timely production of the financial statements has always been an issue due to the need to separate the liability of the park board from that of the Parks and Wildlife Service for the day-to-day operation of the national park. It has always been the view of the Auditor-General that the board has ultimate responsibility for all operational costs of the park. Recently, my department made a detailed submission to the Auditor-General that resulted in recognition that the responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the park, in fact, rests with Parks and Wildlife. As a consequence, the production of financial statements for the year ended June 2005 has become much less complex. The statements will be available for audit on a timely basis from now on.
In relation to the matter of inaccurate data, the errors made were detected and corrected, as is evident by the unqualified report by the Auditor-General of the financial statements.
The issue of skill level for the task of accounting for the Nitmiluk Board is being addressed by my department in consultation with the board. With regard to the one item of expenditure that could not be found, the missing document was subsequently located and has been forwarded to the Auditor-General to allow the purchase to be authenticated. The issues raised by the Auditor-General have been addressed and rectified, and he gave an unqualified report.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their comments in relation to this report which I tabled last sittings. It gets up my nose, the comments from both the member for Blain and member for Araluen, misrepresenting the facts when they come in here and claiming credit that it was the opposition that bought this …
Ms Carney: Read the Hansard! Read what your boss said!
Mr STIRLING: … to the attention of Territorians.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: The Leader of the Opposition, just this morning, …
Ms Carney: I can hand it to you if you like. Here it is.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: … Madam Speaker, says: ‘… buried away in the Auditor-General’s report so no one can find it’. In fact, on page 362 of the last Hansard, in my tabling comments in relation to this report:
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Deputy Chief Minister, please pause! What is your point of order?
Ms CARNEY: The Deputy Chief Minister well knows that – it is hard to take seriously - there was no allegation of criminal activity. I do ask that he withdraw it and that he remember that we have new microphones in parliament and I am just over here, and if he would not mind lowering his voice, I am sure we would all be very grateful.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order. However, Deputy Chief Minister, if you could be mindful of standing orders.
Mr STIRLING: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will refer to one comment there where she says, ‘who was it that misused taxpayers’ money through false and deceitful travel?’ – if they are not allegations of a criminal nature, well, I will go he.
What she as Leader of the Opposition should be doing is commending the work of our Auditor-General. This is his job, and this is the robustness of the system. We made errors that should not have been made – far too many errors made that should not have been made. We accept that. We accept that there were systemic errors; we accept that that was compounded by individual errors by a particular clerk. We accept that the forms were not up to scratch and the detail provided in order for that clerk to do their job fully and 100% effectively. We accept all of those things, Madam Speaker. However, it was not the opposition …
Ms Carney: You didn’t two months ago, did you?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It was not the opposition that brought it to the attention of this government, it was not the opposition that brought it to the attention of the House or, in fact, Territorians. It was one Mr Frank McGuiness in his role as Auditor-General, and that is what he is paid to do.
He is paid to audit all of the processes of government and, in this case, he found deficiencies, and such were those deficiencies that an 18-month audit was embarked upon, of which the full results have now been tabled in here. The Chief Minister laid out very clearly, and very plainly, every aspect of travel administration over this period in question, 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2005, and to say it has revealed mistakes is an understatement. It is a litany of errors, as I said, compounded by a number of factors.
However, importantly, it did not reveal any dishonesty. It did not reveal anything sinister on behalf of the member for Blain who is in the frame as well as I am. I am not very happy being in the frame. You talk about not cashing your cheque. Well, you have to find it as I do. I am not very happy about that. I am not very happy about that at all, however, I accept that what has gone on here, and unbeknownst to me, I was underpaid as many times as I was overpaid, and I finish up owing Chief Minister’s money, and I am very happy to pay that back. Of course, I will be paying it back when I get a letter, as no doubt he will be.
However, the Chief Minister has provided a comprehensive response to an issue raised, not by the opposition, but raised by the Auditor-General in his capacity doing his job. I thank Frank McGuiness for the Auditor-General that he is, because he pointed to a problem, government has investigated it fully over that 18 month period, and you now have the results of that work. Am I happy, am I pleased this occurred? Not at all! I do not like my name up in lights saying ‘you got overpaid’, nor would you. However, that is the fact of what happened. It will be paid back and, most importantly, there will be a system in place under which these types of things cannot happen again.
In my own portfolio areas, the audits of Charles Darwin University and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education were completed for 2004, and reported on in the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report. No key issues were identified in the report for these bodies.
I put on the record my thanks and my commendation to the Auditor-General for doing what he is paid to do, doing his job, effectively and efficiently, alerting government to a problem where there was a range of deficiencies, upon which we now have a full report. I am sure the opposition will spend some time - both the member for Blain and the member for Araluen have been offered an opportunity for a briefing on the complete contents of that report. I suggest that they should take it in the benefits of full understanding.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise you of the presence in the gallery of various small business owners who are visiting parliament for Business Month. There are also visitors from interstate as well. On behalf of all members, I extend to you a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, members of this House do not need to be told that, while most Territorians do drink sensibly, the Territory does have serious problems with alcohol abuse, and there have been countless reports and extensive research highlighting the harm to our community from excessive alcohol consumption.
In 2003, government put in place a five point plan for tackling the issues of alcohol abuse and related harm. That five point plan was:
1. to legislate against the practice of book-up for alcohol, including a ban on the use of credit cards for book-up.
Members would be aware that government has fulfilled our commitments in points (1) and (2). We have banned the book-up of alcohol and maintained the current Sunday trading regime, despite being penalised by the Commonwealth government for doing so.
To implement the final three points, the government put in place a team to develop a comprehensive whole-of-government framework of policy, structures and actions in response to alcohol issues in the Territory. The team was headed up by Ms Donna Ah Chee from the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, and Mr Daryl Manzie, a former, well respected minister in successive CLP governments from 1983. They were supported by Mr Gordon Renouf and Ms Jo Townsend, as well as staff from Racing, Gaming and Licensing.
They reported in July 2004 following extensive discussion with the community. The report was distributed to members of parliament and throughout the community. Government considered the report and has been implementing many of the recommendations made by this group.
Today, I wish to update the House on the progress we have made. Recommendations can be summarised into 11 categories of action:
1. mapping a clear way forward.
4. supporting local solutions.
I will touch on the most significant of these.
Mapping a clear way forward: recommendations 1, 2 and 7 of the final report of the Northern Territory Alcohol Framework proposed that a coordinated, whole-of-government alcohol framework be adopted, supported by appropriate resources, structures and processes. It suggested that our goal should be reducing the Territory’s average per capita alcohol consumption to the national average within five years.
Government accepted the recommended framework outlined by the report. The framework is designed to ensure actions and decision making are targeted and directed at key areas of concern. That means ensuring valuable resources and funds are not misdirected to marginal problems or areas not at the core of the problem.
The government’s effort will focus on reducing harmful or risky patterns of drinking. In taking this approach, the government has rejected the recommendation to seek a general reduction in the amount of alcohol consumed by Territorians. Government believes that most Territorians know how to enjoy alcohol responsibly. They are not the target of this framework. Instead, our focus looks to reduce the drinking behaviours that produce the unacceptable levels of harm, social disharmony and community costs that we are no longer willing to tolerate. This approach recognises that alcohol has both social and health benefits, and risks, for our community that can vary across gender, age, cultural groups, locations and situations. Government believes this is a more effective overarching approach, rather than simply focusing on the amount of alcohol being drunk.
Whole-of-government commitment: recommendations 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the final report proposed a range of new governance and management structures and processes to oversee implementation of the framework. Government has largely accepted these recommendations. They include establishing an Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination within the Department of the Chief Minister as well as an interdepartmental committee on alcohol strategy that will report to a new minister for alcohol strategy. It was proposed that the interdepartmental committee should manage the framework, be responsible for all new and reallocated funding and negotiate program objectives with agencies. Agencies would be required to report annually against these objectives.
Government accepted the main elements of these recommendations but did not endorse seconding staff from other agencies as this would reduce the capacity of those agencies. However, those agencies dealing with alcohol issues will support and assist the work of the office of alcohol policy. A dedicated Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination has now been established within the Racing, Gaming and Licensing Division of Northern Territory Treasury. It will provide expert advice on policy development and intervention design. It will create strong links between departments dealing with alcohol issues, it will collate and disseminate data and information and support a number of advisory and consultative groups.
A senior officers group will be established to work on the practicalities of getting strategies in place, to collaborate on shared activities and negotiate priorities. Each year an agreed work plan will be developed by the senior officers group for alcohol-related activities and goals to be pursued over that 12 months.
Valuing community and industry input: recommendation 14 of the final report is for an alcohol policy reference group to undertake formal consultation with industry and community groups. This acknowledges that while government can and must provide leadership, it cannot work alone nor have all the answers. New advisory bodies have been established with key stakeholders to tap into the wealth of knowledge, experience and skills that they possess, and to give them a formal voice in the planning and decision making processes. This partnership approach has already started with industry. The Australian Hotels Association has been given a grant of $25 000 to communicate the government’s intentions to industry outlets across the Territory, as well as seek their feedback.
Supporting local solutions: recommendations 18 and 21 of the report propose that support be provided to industry and local community actions to promote a culture of responsible alcohol use and improved practices. The recommendations propose that the support could include community development grants, grants for community-based alcohol-free events, development and implementation of community education programs, employing local alcohol workers, funding for local supervision and support, employing visiting community support positions based in major centres and funding for related networking, training and projects.
Recommendations 16 and 17 propose the legislative basis for the creation of local alcohol management committees and recommend that the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination should promote and support the development of regional and local alcohol management plans.
The government accepted, in principal, the importance of local and regional planning relating to the supply of alcohol, health services and harm reduction initiatives. In particular, Cabinet supported the emphasis on encouraging local communities to develop their own response to alcohol and related issues, employing either informal processes or more formal mechanisms. The government also accepted, in principal, that positive steps should be taken to influence and affect the culture of alcohol use in the community. It endorsed the establishment of a fund to provide grants that support alcohol free community events.
We strongly supported the notion of establishing regional and local alcohol management plans and noted that community consultation highlighted the plans as the most innovative and key recommendation. However, the government does have concerns with the recommendations to invest them with legal powers. These concerns are being worked through.
Individual communities and regions are being encouraged to develop local responses to the most pressing alcohol concerns in their area. This will ensure actions deal with the priority issues and are sustainable. Of course, such plans will have to balance competing community needs and be practical. Government will do all it can to support the agreed plans. Some funding and help from the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination and relevant departments will be available to assist the management committee and the development of these plans. Work has already been done on developing alcohol management plans for the Tiwi Islands and Groote Eylandt and discussions are progressing with the Katherine Region Harmony Group.
Making an environment for change: recommendations 24, 26, 43, 52 and 60 propose a range of interventions to minimise alcohol-related harm. The recommendations include developing opportunities for early identification and referral for treatment of people with drinking problems; promoting workplace policies to change drinking culture; providing support to families of drinkers to protect their money from drinkers requests or demands; establishing close and formal relationships including intelligence-based approaches to takeaway sales and illegal or harmful practices between the Director of Licensing and the police; and developing annual plans for random breath testing.
The government accepted, in principle, the proposed range of interventions directing further work in many areas to ascertain the most effective way of implementing the recommendations. Funding and expertise has been provided for local activities to promote better practices and improve the culture of irresponsible alcohol use. These funds will be administered through the Racing, Gaming and Licensing agency in consultation with key stakeholders. Discussions are planned with the alcohol industry to identify opportunities for partnerships in this area. This may be in the form of collaborative activities or additional financial contributions. Funds have also been allocated for education programs and will be managed by the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination.
Alcohol courts and antisocial behaviour: recommendation 25 proposed the government should amend legislation and develop services to make available a number of coercive and compulsory options to respond to problem drinking including establishing an alcohol court; empowering the court to make orders; expanding the capacity of alcohol and other drug services to provide interventions to coerce compulsory clients; and expanding the capacity of community welfare and counselling services to assist drinkers and their families to organise their financial affairs.
Recommendation 24 of the framework proposed the development of new opportunities for people with drinking problems to be identified and referred for treatment. These matters were the subject of much debate in the recent election. Coercive and compulsory mechanisms are being set up to stop the cycle of habitual drunkenness and to protect innocent individuals, families and community members who have their convenience, safety and amenity compromised by drunks.
These mechanisms include the introduction of alcohol courts and new legislation. A task force led by the Department of Justice is working on implementing the election commitments made by the government. They will put together legislation that will extend dry area restrictions to urban settings, establish alcohol courts and allow for conditions to be made about the referral, assessment and treatment of habitual drunks. The alcohol courts will deal with offenders whose actions are related to alcohol abuse or dependence and will consider treatment as an option for these offenders. Some of these provisions will be included in the new Liquor Act, others will be introduced in the new antisocial behaviour act being drafted under the direction of my colleague, the Attorney-General. That act will address issues unrelated to alcohol as well. The Attorney-General will say more about this act as the details are finalised.
Of course the provision of coercive treatment options is pointless without effective treatment. I am pleased to report the Department of Health and Community Services has completed a review of existing alcohol services to identify strengths and weaknesses.
The government also promised during the election campaign to provide additional places for treatment. This funding is being placed with the relevant agency.
A new Liquor Act: recommendations 15, 26, 31, 33, 34, 37 to 39, and 44 to 47 propose that government should undertake a review and rewrite of the Liquor Act. The rewrite was proposed in order to:
provide a coherent framework for the operation of the liquor industry within harm
minimisation principles,
align the legislation with the goals and aims of the framework; and
ensure clear legislative directions from government.
Matters identified in the framework that may be addressed through a review and rewrite of the Liquor Act include:
empowering the Licensing Commission to inquire into and promulgate local or regional
liquor supply plans;
authorising the minister to issue alcohol policy guidelines on matters consistent with the
objectives of the act;
ensuring a clear allocation of powers to the Licensing Commission, the minister or the
Director of Licensing;
requiring new licensed applicants and existent licensees applying for variations to licence
conditions or for material alterations, to prepare and publish a community impact statement
covering matters relevant to the objects of the Liquor Act - this will allow community members,
government agencies and other bodies to comment on the application;
empowering the Licensing Commission to issue a licence for a fixed period of time where the
circumstances warrant a limited term licence;
empowering the Director of Licensing to conduct a harm minimisation audit in relation to a liquor licence;
creating an additional offence penalising a person who purchases or obtains alcohol for the purpose of
supplying it to a person they know to be intoxicated;
increasing the maximum penalties for a breach of a licence condition in line with the amount of liquor
supplied in breach;
increasing the maximum penalty for taking liquor into a restricted area in line with the amount of alcohol
involved; and
replacing monetary penalties for offences with penalty units to ensure that they maintain pace with inflation
and are consistent with other punitive legislation.
It is intended to have this new legislation ready for government consideration in late 2006. A cross-agency drafting team has been working on this task since May 2005. Key industry, community and service delivery stakeholders will be consulted as part of the process. A position paper outlining key matters to be covered in the act will soon be distributed for comment.
Licensing Commission: the final report recommended that the Licensing Commission continue to be the prime decision maker in relation to applications for licences and setting regional licensing conditions. However, it also recommended the commission’s composition, practices and procedures be reviewed. Such a review should lead to procedures that are not intimidating to witnesses or parties, and which facilitate participation by groups affected by decisions; fairness to all interests; transparency and testing of all evidence; mediation and conciliation to resolve complaints, where possible and appropriate; each of the powers under the Liquor Act being clearly allocated to either the commission, the minister, or the Director of Licensing; and provision of staff to perform administrative and investigative work that the commission requires to exercise its functions.
Cabinet supports the proposed review, and significant work has been done to reform this body. The commission will remain the final decision maker in relation to licensing applications and complaint hearings. However, changes will be made to provide greater certainty and transparency in the licensing process, and to prevent an unchecked proliferation of licences.
Consideration will be given to more stringent application processes that include: demonstration that any new licence is necessary; creating a capacity for the minister to issue clear alcohol policy guidelines so that the intention of the government of the day is known and taken into account; streamlining processes to avoid delays; and reducing the legalistic nature of processes and relying more on mediation and conciliation so that they are more accessible to all parties.
Better links are already in place with Racing, Gaming and Licensing to give the commission ready access to the resources of that division for conducting investigations and providing advice and information. The Director of Licensing will take on the more routine and less sensitive workload than previously done by the commission. This will free the commission to focus on the more significant and problematic matters.
Responsible liquor outlets: recommendations 40 to 42, 48 and 50 of the final report propose that the Licensing Commission should issue two different types of special licences, each of which would be supported by a licensee-developed and commission-approved patron care plan. Licensees should be required to develop a house management policy, code of conduct and a management plan. Licensees who sell takeaway and on-premises alcohol should submit separate returns for each type of sale, and liquor should make up no more than 15% of a general store’s turnover.
The government agreed that the commission should be able to issue two types of special licence, and accepted in principal that the licensee should develop a patron care plan that is approved as part of the licence conditions. Cabinet also accepted, in principal, licensees should develop a house management policy, a code of conduct and a management plan. Cabinet requested further consideration to recommendations that licensees submit separate returns for on-premises or takeaway sales, and for mixed purpose premises that takeaway sales make up no more than 15% of total goods sold.
The alcohol industry is fundamental to any efforts aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm and antisocial behaviour. The strategies will be pursued to reinforce the obligations industry has to supply and market alcohol responsibly. Government has rejected the recommendation that cheap alcohol sales make up no more than 25% of an outlet’s total alcohol sales due to trade practices and competition policy issues relating to commercial collusion and discrimination against patrons with certain beverage preferences.
Research and evaluation: recommendations 6, 12, 13, 56, 57 and 61 of the report propose that government should undertake research in the following areas: community use and attitudes to alcohol; drinking practices in remote indigenous communities; effectiveness of restricted areas and the benefits of and harm flowing from social clubs in restricted areas; economic analysis of the contribution of the liquor industry to the Northern Territory economy; and an evaluation of the drink driver education program.
The framework promoted an evidence-based approach through strategic research to developing and implementing activities to minimise alcohol-related harm. Government supported an evidence-based approach but identified that a significant body of research has already been undertaken in the Northern Territory. Cabinet acknowledged a small research capacity would be necessary to fill any gaps in research. Local knowledge and expertise, research literature, formal evaluations and practice and wisdom will all inform our strategies and priorities, whether we adapt practices from elsewhere to the local conditions of the Territory and decisions on when to withdraw certain policies, strategies or activities.
An allocation has been made to the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination for research purposes. A research advisory panel is being established with a suitably qualified membership to help identify the research agenda, assist the link between research and practice, and to leverage more funds from other sources into local alcohol-related research. Once set up, that panel will assess proposals that deal with restricted areas in licensed premises, price restrictions and an economic analysis of alcohol in the Territory, among other projects.
A preliminary examination is already being undertaken of the strengths and weaknesses of drink driver education courses as a prerequisite for relicensing. It has been agreed that, as a minimum, a regular series of studies will be conducted to monitor drinking behaviours and attitudes among the general population of young people and indigenous people in remote communities. These studies will be key components for tracking the effects of the alcohol reforms that are implemented.
The government’s decision to invest in the conclusive report prepared by Daryl Manzie and Donna Ah Chee has been strongly vindicated. The final report has provided a series of initiatives and recommendations that set an important and clear framework for government direction and policy. In itself, that will not solve the problems, however it will put into place the means by which these problems will be addressed.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): You read that so quickly, minister, I was not expecting you to finish quite so early.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I am responding today to the ministerial statement of the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing on the progress of the alcohol policy reform. I have been representing my electorate of Katherine in parliament for two years as of last week. Not long after the time I was sworn in, in October 2003, I was given the opportunity to be a representative on the Substance Abuse Select Committee. I had no hesitation in sitting on this committee, as the problems associated with substance abuse, leading on to antisocial behaviour, have been one of the most contentious issues in my electorate of Katherine for as long as I have lived there, which has been since late 1989. The issue of alcohol abuse was causing numerous problems in Katherine even as far back as that time and, unfortunately, has continued to deteriorate since then.
When my husband, Mike, and I became partners in Red Gum Tourist Park in 1993, and I became heavily involved with the Katherine Region Tourist Association as Chairman and executive member for many years, the problems that alcohol abuse presented to the tourist industry were magnified. It had a detrimental effect on the tourism to the town, and it was because the alcohol outlets were located in the main street, which is, of course, the main highway through Katherine, therefore, any problems that we had with alcohol abuse were magnified.
The tourist park we owned also had a licensed general store which served the local community for their daily milk, bread, papers, fast food outlet and, in some instances, alcohol. This was a service that we provided to locals as well as the tourists who stayed at our tourist park. I was the licensee of that premises and was fully aware before I was granted my licence of the rules and regulations applying. I would not have been granted the licence without meeting that strict criteria. One of those rules was that you, or any one of your employees, had the right and obligation to refuse service or takeaway alcohol sales if you believed the customer was intoxicated. No ifs or buts - straight out refusal.
For example, my usual conversation with a customer I believed to be intoxicated was: ‘I am sorry, mate, I believe you have had too much to drink, and I am sorry I cannot sell you this alcohol’. See, I can remember it so well and it is all those years ago that I stopped saying it. ‘So please leave my shop’. My staff were trained that when in doubt about the level of intoxication of the customer, you do not sell alcohol. My husband and I always backed up our staff.
As you can imagine, sometimes this refusal resulted in some pretty nasty words from the customer, who would only be making matters worse for him or herself by arguing; that really made the decision easy to live with. But the policy we had and which we emphasised to all our staff was: when in doubt, do not sell. That was a sound one and it worked for the 10 years that we had Red Gum Tourist Park.
That does not mean that we did not have problems with alcohol abuse to deal with. On the contrary. Running that licensed general store has taught me everything I need to know about the responsible sale of alcohol. Until you have experienced the situations that we did in that licensed general store, for that length of time, it is difficult to understand that the responsible sale of alcohol is achievable. But, I can assure you, it is. We knew our responsibilities and taught our staff well.
I cannot emphasise enough the responsible selling of alcohol. It was during the time that I was licensee of Red Gum Tourist Park, and also the Chairman of the Katherine Regional Tourist Association, that I was very vocal about the antisocial behaviour so visible in Katherine. That, I am so disappointed to have to state, is still having a detrimental effect on tourism as well as the attitude of local residents in Katherine who are just plain sick of it.
In Katherine we have been through the restriction of alcohol with two by six month trials. The first six months the sale of alcohol was only between 2 pm and 8 pm at night, and the following six month trial the hours reverted to the normal 10 am to10 pm. At the time, I thought that restrictions would be a good idea and, as a matter of fact, I was one who had a fair bit to say to the previous local member for Katherine to make sure that we implemented those restrictions. I have to say that the first six month trial of restricted hours made a considerable difference to the level of antisocial behaviour in Katherine. It looked like it would be a good idea to continue; and that was across all sectors and especially with the medical field and the police. There was an amazing reduction in incidents of domestic violence and drunken behaviour in that time.
But the enforcement of restricted sales, I have to say, really only moved the problem somewhere else. For example, the offenders would hire a cab and travel to either Mataranka or Pine Creek to purchase their alcohol. The winners, financially, at that time were the taxi cabs and the pubs in the respective towns with the same offenders barely inconvenienced at all. The only people really inconvenienced were the responsible drinkers, be they local or tourist, who had to make their purchases during restricted hours, and this caused some aggravation on many occasions, I can assure you.
For instance, tourists would come in, in the morning before they left the park in their caravan or their campervan, and want to purchase just a simple half a dozen cans of light beer, or whatever else they wanted to purchase, to be told: ‘Terribly sorry, we cannot sell that to you today until 12 o’clock’ or, in some instances, it was 2 pm because of the problems that we have in Katherine. Some people understood the situation however, many did not, and they were extremely inconvenienced. For the sake of about 150 problem drinkers, we were in effect making every responsible customer suffer the inconvenience of restrictions.
The second six month trial returned all the problems to Katherine and even with some minor adjustments at the end of that second period we are still experiencing the same problems.
Since the restrictions were lifted – due to considerable pressure – we have not made any significant inroads to the problems associated with alcohol abuse and, in fact, it has eventually resulted in the development of the Alcohol Framework that we are addressing now.
One of the glaring facts that stand out to me though is that after this government puts in place many of the recommendations within the Alcohol Framework the problems caused by the same 100 to 150 habitual drunks in Katherine, will still be there. So much emphasis has been placed on the sale of alcohol and on the records kept by the proprietor, some of which is necessary, but I would like to hear what the plans are for the habitual drunks that we still have on our streets. How is this government going to deal with them and how do they fit into the implementation of the Alcohol Framework recommendations? It is because of these habitual drunks that we have to deal so comprehensively with the subject of alcohol so it is appropriate that we are presented with details with planned action to deal with those offenders.
Just before I make some comments on some aspects of the proposals that this government is putting forward, I would also like to comment on the book-up of alcohol. This government has said, and I quote from the minister’s statement: ‘We have banned the book-up of alcohol’. In the rules and regulations that I had to agree to and adhere to when I became a licensee in 1993, was that my business would abide by the ruling that it was against the Liquor Act to book-up alcohol. That has always been the case. We have never been permitted to book-up alcohol. Anyone who was doing so was breaking the conditions of their liquor licence in the same way as holding on to bank cards. The whole 10 years that we were at Red Gum Tourist Park we were very well aware of those rules.
The Alcohol Framework which has been prepared by Daryl Manzie and Donna Ah Chee highlights many areas that need addressing and I welcome the minister’s statement addressing many of those recommendations. Could I however, minister, point out a couple of areas that I am certain the liquor industry will be very concerned about, and I have no doubt will express their concerns to you when given the opportunity.
One area is that liquor should not make up any more than 15% of a general store’s turnover. I can think of several general stores which will challenge that proposal, and rightly so. How, minister, do you intend to monitor this and to what lengths are you going to implement an administrative so-called watchdog into commercial business? The other is that licensees submit separate returns for on premises or takeaway sales. In some instances like hotels where there are separate areas for the sales to be more easily recorded it may not be such a problem. What happens to the wayside inns and clubs that only have one point of sale? How will the sales be monitored without a system akin to big brother watching over small business and licensed general stores should have no difficulty though as they will only have takeaway sales. This just adds another level of bureaucracy for some of these small businesses.
The recommendation that cheap alcohol sales make up no more than 25% of an outlet’s total alcohol sales would be most discriminatory. I was pleased to see that government is not supporting this recommendation. I certainly would not support it either. In theory, it sounds as if it would be a detriment to heavy drinkers; however, restricting the sale of cheaper alcohol beverages has shown that the hardened drinker will only go to a more expensive drink. Therefore, the problem has not been resolved; just moved to a different level.
There is no doubt that the problem of alcohol abuse in the Northern Territory appears more significant in the statistics than anywhere else in Australia, and that a firm stand has to be made by government in implementing the majority of the recommendations in the Alcohol Framework. I certainly hope to see that the education of responsible alcohol consumption and the responsible sale of alcohol is high on that list.
In my view, the most important issue is dealing with the habitual drunks, which is of serious concern to me and it has been for some time. I am not alone in feeling that way.
In Katherine, where drunken behaviour is all too obvious for all to see, I congratulate the Katherine and District AFL, who under a new president and committee two years ago, made the brave decision to ban all alcohol from AFL games. This was a very brave decision because, in the first instance, it was going to be very unpopular. It certainly was! People got to the gate and were not allowed to bring in their alcohol or, if they presented in an intoxicated manner, were not allowed in. The AFL association stuck to their digs. I have to say before they implemented that rule of no alcohol, I used to loathe going to an AFL game because you would be in the midst of mainly drunken behaviour and you could not enjoy an AFL match. It is completely different now. There are families who go to watch AFL in Katherine. I must admit there has been a significant downturn in spectators, but the standard of the spectators and the enjoyment that they have at the AFL is far exceeding having to tolerate intoxicated behaviour.
There is one big disadvantage, though, that the AFL has experienced by not having sales of alcohol on the ground, or allowing it to come into the ground. That of course, is that the alcohol provided much-needed funding for the AFL. That means that they have been running at a loss for the last two years, and it has been a constant struggle for them to maintain any financial viability.
Therefore, I consider that recommendation 21 is of extreme importance. I believe that associations and sporting clubs and the like that are in communities, which go out of their way to address the abuse of alcohol, need to be rewarded. I know that we have looked at a couple of funding areas in Katherine from which the AFL may be able to apply to for funding. I am very pleased to see that it is in recommendation 21 that government should establish and promote a fund to provide grants to support alcohol-free community events. I strongly support that.
Another aspect, before I wind up, is that in Katherine is a wonderful man, Fred Murphy, who has been doing some fabulous things with young people. He has organised an AFL youth competition. He is trying to distract young people from becoming involved in alcohol and drugs. I take my hat off to Fred. It is probably the most money that somebody has ever been able to get out of me for sponsorship, but I was quite happy to support what Fred is doing. He is trying to encourage the young kids to get out on Saturday afternoons and do something worthwhile; that is, to learn the skills of AFL. This is another person who needs support financially to be able to keep that going. If we can keep these young people channelled into healthy activities, hopefully, we will not have them veering off – which is so easy to do - and becoming involved in drugs and alcohol. I am very happy to see that recommendation 21 is going to be adopted.
I am sure over the ensuing months we are going to have many more discussions in relation to the Alcohol Framework. I look forward to taking part in it. However, to reply to the minister’s statement though, I really do look forward with great interest to seeing the government’s direction and policy in line with the recommendations of the Alcohol Framework. I am going to be especially interested and looking forward to hearing the views of those people involved in the alcohol industry.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Mr Deputy Speaker, I speak in support of the minister’s statement on Alcohol Policy Reform Progress. The February 2004 Northern Territory Alcohol Framework, the interim report by Donna Ah Chee and Daryl Manzie, assisted by Gordon Renouf and others, was a comprehensive and thorough document covering many aspects of the licensing and social impact of the legal substance, alcohol.
I refer to it in that way to underscore the findings made by the parliamentary Substance Abuse Committee that alcohol was one of the three main substances responsible for serious substance abuse in the Northern Territory. The other two were cannabis and petrol. Cannabis has always been an illegal drug under Northern Territory law and a substantive effort of the recent Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act is to enable law enforcement officers to treat petrol in the same way. By contrast, the habit of consuming alcohol is so ingrained and entrenched in the Territory lifestyle that Territory-wide prohibition is not an option, although de facto prohibition in respect of certain places and areas is part of our armoury of weapons for combating alcohol caused distress and trauma courtesy of the restricted areas provision in the Liquor Act.
As universal prohibition is not on anyone’s radar, government needs to be creative and strategic in the measures it adopts to minimise the enormous harm that is caused by alcohol abuse in our society.
The minister has taken us through many of the recommendations set out in the interim report, and I agree with his assessment that the interim report provides an appropriate road map for proceeding with reforms of Territory law and policies in relation to alcohol licensing and its social consequences. From his speech, I am only going to touch on two issues that I have a clear interest in. The first one is prohibition orders and compulsory treatment. Like some others who have developed a reasonable working knowledge of Territory alcoholism and alcohol abuse issues over the last 10 years as a result of having been involved in the health sector, I find some of the public debate about the policy reforms we took to the last election quite frustrating, particularly reflecting on the many commentators who heavily criticised our stance on addressing this scourge.
The reality was that what we were proposing they were saying was radical and a draconian attack on the civil liberties of Aboriginal people. I say to those commentators, whilst we often reflect on the rights of people to drink and to have a drink, it is to look beyond the rights of those drinkers, and ask about the rights of women and children, and is it still okay that we accept the abuse and the violence against them? And I say no. In my opinion, and many of my colleagues, what we proposed was a sensible incremental step that built on the foundation that was already in existence in the form of section 122 of the Liquor Act. That section already gives Territory magistrates the power to ban a habitual drunk from being sold or supplied alcohol, and if the member for Katherine wanted to have a look at that she should specifically look at section 122 within that act, and to order that such a person undergo compulsory treatment.
The main improvement on the existing law that the interim report recommended, and which the Martin Labor government will implement, is to ensure that a compulsory treatment order can be made, regardless of whether a prohibition order is being made at the same time. It is worthwhile quoting the relevant part of the interim report in full just to clarify this point. It says on page 193:
The other issue I want to touch on is something I raised in a speech a few years ago and it is with the implementation of recommendation 275 from the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody submitted in 1991. That recommendation specifically is in the following terms:
Since 2001, the minister has put in place such strategies as outlined in the progress report to look at the effectiveness and workability of the Liquor Act. The second part of the recommendations is yet to be implemented. However, I understand and in consultation with the minister that a new set of members of what is now called the Licensing Commission will soon be appointed. I have endeavoured during my travels to encourage Aboriginal women to apply for a position on the commission so that they are able to participate in a decision making process in relation to alcohol and licensing matters. I naturally hope that at least one of the members will be an Aboriginal person.
Apart from that, I also urge both the minister and the Attorney-General to ensure that the new Liquor Act adopts recommendation 275 of the Deaths in Custody recommendation in some formal and permanent way. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, we have a statement about one of the most important issues facing the Northern Territory. It is something we all see day in, day out that is affecting people’s lives, their health, and the whole community. Yet we have a statement that is so bureaucratic in the way it is written, and the minister delivered it with such a bland tone, there was no passion. I was a bit surprised because this minister of all ministers has passion. Surely we should be thinking a little bit broader than we are. I know the minister knows the effects alcohol is having on people in our community. How many lives do we have to see destroyed? Go down to the A&E of any hospital and look at the number of people presenting themselves because of alcohol-related problems.
And yet, what do we get from this government? Well, we are going to have a new minister, and I checked with the minister about this. Did he mean a new minister, an additional minister, or did he mean an additional portfolio that one of the current ministers will pick up? I tell you what; I bet they are all ducking for cover. Who the heck would want to take this portfolio on? It would have to be the most disappointing, difficult portfolios of all. I ask the minister whether he means a current minister will take on that. We are going to have a new minister, a new department, a research advisory body, new industry advisory panel, a task force, an interdepartmental committee, another review of the Liquor Act, community management committees, and an alcohol court. That just sounds to me like a lot of talk fest.
We are going to create this monster, this bureaucratic nightmare, to look at something we already know about. How many times do we have to have committees and researches and investigations to tell us what we already know? Why are you creating this monster? To tell us something we already know, or to give us something really definite? That is what I was looking for in that particular statement. I was looking for, I was going to say, the guts of the matter. I was looking for what is really going to happen. What is going to happen at the grass roots? We do not really need any more talkfest. We do not need any more people going around researching or investigating, or telling us what we need or what we do not know. We know we have problems. What we really need to be hearing from the minister is the nuts and bolts of what has come out of this review.
Three years ago we had the Minister for Central Australia and the previous Minister for Health and Community Services flag partnerships to fund alcohol measures for three years. That came out in August 2002. Three years have passed on. Where are the results? They said that they were going to make a real impact on the ground. I am still waiting to see where the real impact is. The targeted complementary measures linked to the 12 month Alice Springs alcohol trial are set to extend for three years in a joint deal between the Northern Territory government and the National Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation worth more than $2.1m. It says they are going to report back. I wonder what report they have given to the National Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation for the $1.2m that they put in. How successful have their programs been? These funds were going to be paid directly to non-government agencies. Does the government actually have a report from these agencies, and have they passed that report on to the AERF? What did we get for our $2.1m over three years?
It talks about $1.5m being supplied to Tangentyere Council for community day patrol, and the service will also employ referral officers. It sounds to me as though that is repeating what this minister has already said in his statements. It talks about a mobile youth drop in centre. Perhaps the Minister for Central Australia could tell me where that is operating because I have not recently come across or heard of that. It talks about one-off funding for training initiatives. It is almost a repeat of some of the initiatives the minister has in here, but it worries me that after three years we have heard nothing of this particular partnership. I just wonder whether the minister can give me some feedback on how successful those alcohol measures have been.
There is a need to address alcohol problems. We all know that. We have seen it in our communities, day in, day out. However, we do not need more and more committees. What we have to talk about is not fixing it up when people have problems. It is no good saying we are going to have rehabilitation services and all these things after the event. Why don’t we talk about the preventative measures that should be there before they even start? Why don’t we talk about the living conditions of people who are alcoholics? Why don’t we talk about community environment? What are we going to do for those communities out bush to make them a more attractive place to live, a better place to live? Why don’t we talk about the way people spend their pension payments? Are we really sitting back, letting children and families be deprived of the sustenance that they should have through these payments? Are we going to close our eyes to the fact that many of these payments are being spent on grog? It is as simple as that. Preventative measures, rather than just trying to patch up after it has all happened.
That is what I would like to have seen in your statement, minister. That is what I expected to see. I know you are a man of passion, and I thought I would get that coming through. However, all I got was a mundane discourse of what is going to happen. We all know education is the key. If alcohol is used as an emotional release, to feel good, to put things aside that are bad in your life then, perhaps, we need to address those things and find other ways to cure them rather than use alcohol. That is why I feel we need to talk more about preventing the dilemma we have before it occurs, rather than saying we are going to do all these wonderful things after the event.
I notice there is a slight reference to the dry areas legislation, and there has been a move to introduce it in the towns. I welcome the initiative of enabling people in public housing to be able to declare their house a dry area; that is good. However, I have not been convinced that it is a good idea to allow town camps to be declared dry, mainly because all that will do is push the drinkers into the rivers, parks, or whatever. What we are doing with our dry area legislation - which really needs to be reviewed because it came out in the early 1980s - is providing an industry for grog runners. Do not kid yourself that there is no grog out on those dry communities; there is. You only have to go to Bierut in Ntaria to see that happen. It might be out of sight, but we all know it is there.
I get back to what I have said before: do we want Aboriginal people to drink or not? It is as simple as that. If we do, why do we not give them the right environment to drink in? Why do we continually say to them: ‘Not in your own backyard; go to town and drink in the river. Buy your carton of grog and drink it while it is hot and you will end up in hospital, and in the police station because you have become silly, mad’? We need to ask whether we want them to drink or not. If you do, then teach them how to drink properly. Make it a gradual exercise, but at least give them the environment where they can do it with dignity and self-esteem. Do not force them to become the drunks on the street, because that is what we have done by saying you cannot have grog out on these communities.
I feel as though this is something we have turned a blind eye to for too long. I know - and I strongly agree with the women out there – they do not want grog on their communities because it creates domestic and all sorts of violence. However, that is the uncontrolled situation we have at the moment. It is uncontrolled drinking out there in the communities that we should start thinking about. This is why I urge you, minister, if you are looking at the Liquor Act, to also look at the dry areas legislation. We have created this situation whereby we are escalating violence in Alice Springs and other parts of the Territory, and road accidents caused by alcohol. We have deprived families of their substance, and increased domestic violence. We have really done all that by introducing this legislation that has not enabled Aboriginal people to learn to live with alcohol; it has not given Aboriginal people a chance to drink in a manner that you and I do. You might have a drink, minister, before you have tea at night, and you probably have one or two out of the fridge cold. How can people in Aboriginal communities do that? They cannot; all they do is have a hot bottle of port under a tree. We have created that; we have pushed them into the towns and suburbs by restricting the way they can learn to live with alcohol.
You may not like the idea of alcohol on communities; however, you need to look at some of the models at the top of Western Australia where it is controlled. When you have strong communities - and there are some that are strong - you can put in an environment. How many of you go down to your sporting club and have a few beers and a meal and, perhaps, play pool and watch a video? Do you realise that you cannot do that at Yuendumu or at most of the communities out bush? They have their own house that is extremely crowded which they cannot escape for a bit of privacy, and they are trying to survive. Is it any wonder you decide to go into town and get on the booze? We have been looking at all this, minister, but let us look at the dry area legislation, and let us hear from some of the members whether they think Aboriginal people should drink or not.
I know we cannot go back to the dog tag days, but we have to make up our mind - if we are going to allow them to drink, then we have to allow them to do it in a manner that will not destroy them and will keep their self-esteem and their confidence.
It worries me when I look at the liquor outlets. At the end of the Todd Mall, about 1.30 pm a group stands to descend around the liquor outlet, and by restricting hours and making them later, all we have ended up doing is creating other problems. Our tourists complain about the huge number of people waiting for the liquor outlets to open. The police will tell you the incidents occur later at night. The drunken behaviour in houses occurs later at night.
We have not solved the problems with restrictions. We have been trying to hide them, but we have not even done that. This is why I say to the minister, although you are going to set up this wonderful list of committees and what have you, what do you hope to do? What do you really want to get out of this? What do you think you will achieve by having a minister for alcohol? I really feel sorry for anyone who gets that. I reckon that is a death wish, the minister for alcohol and policy, because you are not going to win, and it is going to be such hard yards to go and it is going to be so disillusioning. I just do not think it is going to happen.
Have there been any approaches by communities to solve the problems themselves? What sort of communication, and we are talking about communities, what are they telling you? Do they really want their people to go away and not come back for a long time? Do they really want people’s families to break down?
Holyoake in Alice Springs does a great job with many of the families in town, and they provide support and counselling. What support and counselling would you give to people in communities? I would say, quite frankly, that we probably do not do very much at all. I want to see more grassroots, on the ground, answers to these problems, rather than that list of a new department, a research advisory body, interdepartmental committee, alcohol court, task force, it just goes on and on, minister. Is that really your idea of the answers to your problem? I am quite sure it is not.
I am really disappointed in the statement. I was expecting a lot more grunt, I guess. I was expecting a lot more answers. I know you are responding to a review, however, surely even you, with all the experience you have had, would have liked to have seen more teeth in this particular statement.
I will be interested in hearing the minister’s response, and I will be interested to see just how some of these recommendations transpire. I bet, in 12 or 18 months time, we are back on our feet saying the same things over and over again as we have said year after year after year in this House.
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I offer my support to the Treasurer and the activity aimed at reducing the high levels of alcohol-related harm in the Northern Territory.
The problems of alcohol and its related harms are not new, and solutions do not lie in the short term or single responses. The announcement of the Alcohol Framework and the work in coordinating government, industry and community action to address alcohol-related harm is integral to changing the terrible consequences these harms are having on our community. As Minister for Family and Community Services, I am particularly aware of the impact of alcohol on family functioning, children’s welfare and development, disability and health and injury.
Today, I mainly want to talk about the work the Division of Alcohol and Other Drugs in my department undertakes. However, firstly, I would like to make some brief comments in relation to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s statement.
Alcohol is obviously something that is enjoyed by many and in large part is consumed responsibly. Sale of alcohol occurs in a very competitive market. You only have to look at the NT News almost any day to see the advertisement and promotions for different outlets and products. We need to encourage competition and allow businesses the freedom to promote themselves in a fair environment.
However, I believe that alcohol and substance abuse is the number one barrier we face in achieving positive outcomes in health, education and community safety. The consideration of providing a competitive market should be secondary to considerations in relation to minimising the harm alcohol can cause. The minister mentioned that the Commonwealth government imposed a fine on us for restricting Sunday trading. I find that absolutely appalling. Not so much the fine itself, but the statement that is making. What the Commonwealth is saying is that the right to sell alcohol unfettered comes before the duty to tackle alcohol abuse.
I welcome the changes that the minister outlined in relation to the Liquor Commission and the Liquor Act. Harm minimisation should be foremost in consideration to the Liquor Commission and in the provisions of the Liquor Act. My department of Family and Community Services is responsible for providing services and to support the people affected by alcohol. Sadly, I am well aware that a disproportionate number of children are harmed by alcohol. I know that family violence and alcohol are inexplicably linked and that there are many people each year who seek treatment and care to manage their or their family’s alcohol problems.
The Alcohol Framework provides the context for the services funded and delivered through Family and Community Services to be delivered within a broader government and community commitment to alcohol issues. The department considers itself a key partner in the Northern Territory Alcohol Framework and has already initiated a number of its key recommendations. As my colleague, the Treasurer, has already reported, the alcohol and other drugs program has completed a review of treatment and care services in the Northern Territory. This review was conducted in consultation with all treatment providers and is critical for the future development of the alcohol and drug sector in the Territory and its capacity to meet the needs of people with substance misuse issues now and into the future.
I am very aware that the non-government sectors are tried and trusted partners in the delivery of these services. Organisations such as Amity and the Salvation Army Bridge Program here in Darwin, BRADAAG in Tennant Creek and DASA in Central Australia, are funded by the Department of Health and Community Services and deliver quality services day in, day out. I also recognise that there are excellent people in organisations which are not part of our treatment services but who support our work everyday. Of particular note are the patrol workers and sobering-up shelter workers dealing with a thankless task which is approached with both care and respect. The review has highlighted the need for services to be accessible and responsive to changing client needs and for there to be some focused support on developing treatment standards and clinical practice.
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Program has committed to continuing to support services and their continual improvement. The next step is a forum to be conducted in early November where we will work with service agencies to progress their ongoing development and to ensure an appropriate range and mix of services exists in each region that is able to support and respond to the new demands resulting from alcohol courts and the antisocial behaviour act. I am very concerned to ensure that there are many options and opportunities for people to participate in the treatment programs as is possible.
The Treasurer mentioned the value of working in partnership. The Family and Community Services Division has worked to develop strong relationships with other stakeholder agencies, such as Racing, Gaming and Licensing and police, so that a more integrated approach to reducing alcohol-related harms can occur. This includes providing health input to the liquor licensing decision making process which has led to policy changes regarding the availability of alcohol at events primarily for children and supporting more community input into licensing decisions and processes. The recommendations around alcohol management plans also provide a mechanism for improved coordination and community input around alcohol availability and they allow for community discussions and a consensus around supplementary education and treatment services in a given area or location. The Departments of Health and Community Services and Racing, Gaming and Licensing have already started to support communities to consider localised responses to alcohol services and issues.
An important part of the Alcohol Framework response involves improving data collection, evaluation and measuring the indicators of progress. The Department of Health and Community Services, through the Alcohol and Other Drugs Program, has committed to undertaking research projects which will support and inform the work of the Alcohol Framework. Work is currently in progress on the Australian School Students Alcohol and Drugs survey, surveying school students aged 12 to 17 in urban areas on alcohol and drug use. The survey is conducted every three years and it includes questions about patterns of both use and supply. The data gathered will provide useful insight into young people’s attitudes towards alcohol and drugs. It will alert us to trends and provide us with opportunities to identify where to focus future strategies for both prevention and harm minimisation.
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Program also collects important data around alcohol-related hospital separations, episodes of alcohol and other drug treatment and sobering-up shelter admissions. On their own these indicators allow us to monitor the use of treatment services for alcohol related programs and problems. When used in conjunction with other indicators collected by the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination they will assist us in monitoring alcohol programs or evaluating alcohol policy and their impact on the Territory’s drinking culture.
I strongly encourage and advocate full measures to support cultural change. That is, fostering community knowledge and understanding about alcohol and creating an environment in which communities support its safe and responsible use. It is only when this environment exists that we will see long term change, such as change to drinking practices resulting in positive impact on the health, safety and welfare of all Territorians. I support the statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, I support this statement. The framework that is outlined in this statement is applauded. I find no specific fault with the general direction and I do not think anyone really would. It is heading in the right direction and it is a framework that has been drawn from extensive consultation right across the community - all stakeholders, whether they are in the liquor industry or in the other side of the story, those who pick up the pieces. To that end it is a benign statement and it is supported.
The obvious comments which would come from anyone who is not in government would relate to the action side of this statement. The statement is fine. There will be no detractors as it addresses an issue of deep concern to all members of this Chamber and of our community, however, the sense of passion and urgency regarding this issue is questioned when we look at the slow pace with which it is going to be implemented. Time passes.
It was May 2003 I recall, that the five point plan which forms the hub of this framework was put together and presented at a public meeting. In 2003, it was recognised and applauded, and it is applauded today, in 2005. However, the report today is that, out of those five key points of the plan, two have been implemented. One is the legislation against the practice of book-up for alcohol. Fine; that is an obvious and necessary move that should have been taken quickly, and it was. Appropriate legislation was brought into place - that occurred. The next one was to maintain the current arrangements for alcohol sales on Sundays. That was something done by not doing anything; maintaining the current arrangements. That is fine. There was no community appetite for anything other than the maintenance of that aspect of the plan. Those two have been ticked off.
However, there are another three to go. I believe you could have gone a little further, minister, and ticked off No 3 of the five point plan, and that is to consider a reduction in the number of licensed outlets. I am sure you have considered it, so you could tick that off because it has been considered.
Since 2003, we have had the two obvious ones dealt with and the other three still resting there. What we have today, towards the end of 2005, is the announcement of further definition to the framework and the promise of further answers as we move forward. However, we will need to wait longer. We will have to wait until 2006 to get the further definition, when we get down to the business end, to the actual implementation of this framework. That is what the community actually wants.
You see, there is a very great difference between consultation and implementation. By observing this government, the object of the exercise appears to be consultation but, in fact, it is not; that is not the object of the exercise. The object of the exercise is to make a decision as a result of community consultation. We have become a little excessive - a little is an understatement - this government appears to be excessive in its desire to consult the community extensively, as though that is an achievement in itself. That is a process that leads to a decision.
We only have to call to mind in this debate the same approach, mind, and attitude with the education review. Things such as this framework are good. The intent is fine, same as education; they both start with a bang and end with a whimper because they start well with the grand announcements of embarking on this grand adventure, addressing an issue of great concern.
The community says: ‘Fantastic, we have elected a government which is finally going to do something’. Yes, that is right, we have heard from stakeholder X, Y and Z, and away we go. Time seems to tick away, the sand moves through the hourglass. Year passes year, and the next great achievement is another report to parliament that we are going to embark upon further consultation or another phase of the review. All of this is maintained while the community’s interest seems to fade. That is the very real concern with this.
I am sure, minister and members of government, if you were to stand out in the marketplace and genuinely talk to people without being defensive and trying to sell your product and say: ‘Aren’t we good, we are doing this and that’, yes, everyone will give you a pat on the back and make you feel okay, but the bottom line is to move to resolution. It seems a dreadfully slow process - excruciatingly slow. I have been elected to this parliament and I am starting to look at the time passing and a bit of action. The community will slowly start to register that sentiment as well: ‘This is good; we have been consulted to death’. Anyway, I move on.
I would like to reflect for a moment on the problems with alcohol. I would not be too far wrong to say that you do not have to go too far to see the dreadful effects of alcohol. It affects all of us, and we can see just how insidious the effect of alcohol is in our community. It does have a profound effect. And I deliberately say that we need to look even at our own families. You do not have to go too far, and I am sure I am no different than anyone here when we call to mind the powerful negative effect of alcohol in our community. As local members, we do not have to go too far to see community disputes, any problem, the neighbour from hell that we seem to run into from time to time in urban environments or in the bush electorates - any major issue, domestic violence, abuse of children, fights in the street, stealing, self harm, suicides – we do not have to go far back, we see alcohol there.
Alcohol is the problem. I know for a fact, alcohol is a symptom of a deeper problem, and that is something we must not pass too easily from. Alcohol is a problem, however, it is actually a symptom of a deeper problem, and that is where we start to gain some real insights on how our policy is actually going to make a difference. Are we as legislators going to make any real difference, or are we going to move at an excruciatingly slow pace to implement policy frameworks and so on that does not quite satisfy, do not quite bite? Maybe they will, but I am not so sure. What is the deeper problem that causes such an excessive use of, in too many cases, a destructive substance? What is that? Why is it that so many people in my electorate, the ones who can least afford it, drink the most and that results in the greatest harm to children and prospects of jobs? And it is not just alcohol, related to that is other substance abuse.
They are the underlying and persisting problems that we really need to always hold at the centre of this. It is not the actions of government and what they have done: ‘How nice we are, how carefully we have listened, and how nicely we have framed the questions and how slowly we have moved, carefully, of course’. That is academic and that is to look after the political fortunes of those who have their spot in the sun or a hand on the tiller for this particular patch.
What the community wants is people to stand up and start talking honestly about these matters, and it is coming through in our debates. So I bring that reference back to the framework itself. I will say it again, this is a good framework, but the reference to passion and the commitment of this government, that word commitment is used so often when looking at the core problem, that commitment seems to fade away to a word that means nothing. We have a commitment to deal with a very serious problem, and if that passion is borne out of commitment, why on earth do we have to wait so long for anything to happen? That is the concern.
What does this produce? What is produced as a result of this framework? One is a redefinition of the direction of government. That direction is fine; do not worry, be confident, you are on the right track. The whole community is behind you, you are on the right track. So that is done. What else does it produce? It seems to produce many employment opportunities. We have a new court being described in here, and by definition it creates the question: what is wrong with the existing court that we now have a new court? That needs to be seriously analysed as it may well just serve the purposes of window dressing to create the effect. The community will think that sounds great; you are dealing with the problems as you have created a new and special court to deal with it. Will it really?
Please let it be driven by much deeper issues than an opportunity to create an illusion. I have my doubts, as many in our community do who grow weary of signs and wonders, and puffs of smoke which make no difference to the problem. What is wrong with our current legal system that we now require a new court? Well, it produces a new court.
I have not done a thorough enough analysis of this to count how many bureaucrats are conjured up as a result of this framework. However, there are certainly taskforces, which is a really strong word, and off they march charging around the countryside. There is a new office of alcohol policy, which is fine. But I am saying this is what it produces: a new court, taskforces – you can imagine these guys in balaclavas, dressed in black charging around the place – there is a new office, and there is a research advisory panel.
There is even a drafting team, the team which has been drafting the new legislation beavering away, and they have been beavering away for a long time. They started this task someway behind us and we will not be getting the report from this team sometime towards the end of this year, I think. I am sure the minister will correct me on that – it might be 2006. A drafting team will present their work to this government for consideration, and as typical of this government, I am sure they will consider it long and hard and it will not be until the community remembers there was a drafting team proposing and developing new legislation: ‘Where is it?’ Then the media will begin to call out, the opposition, the community will start calling out: ‘Where is it?’ ‘Oh dear, the chickens have come home to roost for this government’, as it did for the education review. ‘Goodness me, we have gone through this very long process, we have drawn it out as long as possible, we have sought extensions, and now we must make a decision’. That is going to be where the acid hits; whether you have the ability to make decisions to affect the core problem.
That is what is at stake here. I am losing confidence in the government’s ability to make decisions as with the education review, which sat with this minister for a very long time after extensive community consultation. Everybody was visited, even the opposition spokesperson was visited, and I was very keen to put in my bit, as was everybody who was interested in education. Right over the countryside recommendations were produced. The report disappeared for a long time while the minister and Cabinet considered it, and they decided to embark upon further community consultation. ‘What should we do with the recommendations? Please someone, tell us what to do’. I hope that does not happen here as we have a very serious issue, and the community is waiting very patiently for action.
Time does not allow me to go too far into an area that is of concern, and a problem to this government. That is the difference between protective custody and summary offences. The deliberate impression created during the last election, which was given to the northern suburbs, was that this government was going to lock up drunks. That was the impression. You cannot deny that. I guess that behind the scenes there was a fair amount of pressure from within the Labor Party saying: ‘My God, what have we come to? What have we come to?’ You played that game right through the election: ‘We will do anything it takes to win and then let us undo that. We will see what we can do’. I bet the Chief Minister had a huge amount of pressure put on her and that many other Cabinet members had the acid put on them. And they skilfully adjusted that perception, carefully altered it, ever so slightly, so that what you said before the election does not match what you are actually going to do. That is appalling! That is appalling!
Those members who were elected in 2001, I have read your maiden speeches. I ask you to read your maiden speeches again. What have you come to? You will do whatever it takes to win and adjust your position for the purpose of political point scoring when, at the core of this, we have a serious issue. You could well win this battle, but you will lose the war if you continue this way. Face up to it. I expect better and there will be more on this issue on the difference between protective custody and summary offences. If you are serious about this issue, wake up and get on with some clarification of what you actually mean by dealing with those who have an alcohol problem.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be able to speak on this important issue. Alcohol does play an important part in the Territory lifestyle. We have all enjoyed a quiet beer at a backyard barbeque or out on the town. But for some people, and I have seen it in my own electorate, alcohol can become a problem. This does not only affect them, it also affects their families, their friends and the wider community. It has long been recognised that alcohol abuse is an issue for the Northern Territory. Statistics show that Territorians consume more alcohol per capita than any other Australians.
There have been many strategies and initiatives tried over the years, some more successful than others. What government is doing with the Alcohol Framework is to build on past efforts and to develop an overarching strategy to tackle alcohol issues. One of these coordinated cross-government agencies closely involves key stakeholders and community members. The framework is not designed to be the final answer on solving our alcohol issues. What it does provide is a cohesive set of policies and strategies designed to work together to tackle alcohol problems. Importantly, the aim is not to stop people from enjoying a drink. It is about targeting problem areas in our community and problem drunks.
From the consultation that was undertaken by Daryl Manzie and Donna Ah Chee’s Alcohol Framework report, it was clear that there was strong community support for the main policy objective of harm minimisation. That is the driving force behind the framework. The target is to reduce risky drinking; drinking that causes harm to people and to their community, socially, health-wise and economically. One important element of the framework is the view of the Licensing Commission. It is fair to say that urban areas of the Northern Territory have a significant number of liquor outlets, which means easy access to alcohol.
The government has a strong view that we do not need any further proliferation of liquor outlets; particularly takeaway outlets. Under the framework, government will look at the current process and procedure of the Licensing Commission to ensure that is has clear guidelines about issues such as new takeaway liquor licences. This will ensure that the Licensing Commission has clear direction about government policy and the proliferation of licences, as well as taking into account community concerns. Under the changes, people applying for a new liquor licence will be required to produce a community impact statement with their application. This will require them to spell out clearly exactly what sort of impact their application will have on the surrounding community, and the community will have access to that document and will be able to comment on it.
As well as having a more stringent application process for new licences, government has also signalled that it will consider bringing in a requirement that all licensees shall develop a house management policy, a code of conduct, and a management plan. This reinforces the need for licensees to act responsibly in alcohol service. The alcohol industry will also have some obligation under the framework; for example, there will be strategies to ensure the industry is supplying and marketing alcohol responsibly. Importantly, industry and licensees have been largely supportive of the Alcohol Framework, and government acknowledges their commitment to responsible supply and service of alcohol. The reality is government cannot achieve a reduction in risky drinking on its own. All stakeholders, as well as the wider community, have an obligation to ensure that alcohol is being enjoyed responsibly in the Northern Territory.
As well as putting the onus on government, the Licensing Commission, government agencies, the community and stakeholders to address alcohol problems in a coordinated, cooperative manner the framework also strengthens powers available to deal with problems. For example, the establishment of alcohol courts will provide new mechanisms to identify people with drinking problems, and refer them for treatment. Dry areas legislation will also be extended to allow people to declare their homes dry. This will help them to deal with humbug from drunken relatives or friends.
There is no simple answer to the problems our community faces in relation to alcohol abuse and habitual drunks. The Alcohol Framework is an attempt to draw together strategies already in place, strengthen them, and link them with new strategies and efforts to tackle problem drinking. There is no magical solution or quick fix to this problem, but we need to do all we can to minimise the harm to our community from too much grog. The Alcohol Framework provides us with a solid foundation to work with.
I am also interested in the government’s ability to force liquor outlets to responsibly sell alcohol to drunks. It is my observations within Darwin that there are areas that are hot spots for people who are drinking which are often close to liquor outlets. These liquor outlets are not behaving appropriately and are not thinking about the costs to not only the individuals they are selling alcohol to, but also the wider community. I believe we need to enforce the Liquor Act on those individuals who are selling alcohol to people who are intoxicated. I look forward to hearing from the minister about some of those initiatives over the next few weeks, months and years.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I have spoken on this subject several times. In fact, in my maiden speech, I made particular point of the effect excessive alcohol had on a number of Aboriginal boys I used to look after at Daly River, and how half of those died under the age of 21. The effect of alcohol on society in the Northern Territory has been a concern of mine for a long time. That is not to say that I have any problem with people drinking, however, sometimes we sweep things under the carpet. Sometimes, the reality of what is happening is smoothed over as we are dealing with a big and powerful industry and, in many cases, a popular industry - one that many people enjoy. We use it for social interaction.
Within this statement, there is a huge amount of material one could discuss, and various speakers, including the member for Braitling, have taken up certain issues about dry areas. She thinks there could have been a more positive and proactive approach. I have selected the issues that have stood out for me, and whilst there might be some criticism in that, it does not necessarily mean that I am criticising the statement as a whole. However, it would not be much good patting the minister on the back, as he also needs to hear the concerns that I have about some aspects of what is in the statement.
As I worked my way through the statement last night, it did not take long to come across a statement that left me wondering. The government has said it has rejected recommendation No 7, that the framework should set a target of reducing an average per capita consumption of alcohol in the Northern Territory to the national average consumption within five years. What does that mean and what message does it send out to the community? To me, it goes against the reality and the facts as stated in the Alcohol Framework Interim Report that the Northern Territory has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in Australia. It goes against the fact that the Northern Territory has a greater proportion of the population who drink at least once each month for acute harm and high risk levels for chronic harm. Deaths attributed to alcohol were three times the national average. The Northern Territory had the highest rate of hospitalisation as a result of high risk drinking, five times the national average. The Northern Territory has the highest proportion of people seeking assistance for alcohol-related problems, and 65% of driving fatalities in the Northern Territory had alcohol involved. Between 1990 and 1997, the Northern Territory had more than double the national rate of alcohol-related driver and pedestrian fatalities.
Alcohol is a major contributor to incidence of social disorder and crime, with 67% of police incidents in the Darwin area alcohol-related and 84% outside of the Darwin area. The Darwin figure, which was taken in 2001, relates to 127 383 alcohol-related incidents requiring police attention. The facts are that alcohol has a major social and economic effect on Territorians and too much alcohol consumption is the cause. It is easy to say that most Territorians drink responsibly, however, that sounds like an appeasement to the fact that quite a few do not drink responsibly and that they drink too much. Look at Mitchell Street late at night, look at the amount of alcohol drunk at the Darwin Cup, and then praised as being a great success. Look at the amount consumed at many sporting activities or functions. Walk around Marrara when an interstate football match is on; many do drink responsibly, however, many do not.
To try to avoid the issue of lowering total consumption by only looking at drinking behaviours that produce unacceptable levels of harm and social disharmony seems, to me, to be working right up the alley of the alcohol industry. We now have a culture of alcohol consumption, which in itself may not be a bad thing, however, we seem to be drifting into a culture where alcohol is the only drink and it is okay to drink to get drunk. That is what the alcohol industry promotes through some of its advertising. They are very clever, humorous, subtle and successful advertisements. The alcohol industry wants you to drink more as it is more profit for them. The Northern Territory government does not want to upset our sponsors for the Darwin Cup, the football sponsors, the Beer Can Regatta, the Hotels Association because this industry is very important to our economy. Any talk about reducing the consumption of alcohol is not going to win any friends in the alcohol industry, the Hotels Association or those bodies relying on sponsorship deals, so it is a great shame that the government has decided to reject a key recommendation from the framework.
The minister could have said that the government will try to at least lower the consumption of alcohol as a broad goal, instead of trying to bring it down to the level of the national average, and yet, in the final report brought down by the Northern Territory Alcohol Framework, on page 6, under the Aims, it says:
I believe recommendation No 7 should have been accepted, or could have been adjusted to say that the goal of the government is to reduce the overall consumption of alcohol. When we have twice the amount of average alcohol per capita consumption of any other state in Australia, I believe that is a really important statement for the community.
By rejecting this recommendation, the government has shown it is not willing to look at the big picture; instead they avoid the reality of alcohol consumption in the NT and shift the blame to a few. It is the wrong message. I am not saying the government should look only at the amount of alcohol being drunk, it should look at other matters. However, as the Alcohol Framework Report said: ‘In general, higher levels of consumption … are associated with higher levels of alcohol-related problems’. I believe the government has squibbed on this one and taken this off their option.
This was the chance for the government to say that alcohol consumption was too high in the Territory and it did not have to point a finger at anybody. Even more ironic the government has rejected this recommendation and as you know there was a bill before parliament which will make it an offence to cause death or serious harm by driving a motor vehicle. The minister introduced the bill saying it is high time we moved away from the acceptance that intoxication can excuse criminal behaviour. Intoxication is about excessive consumption and loss of control. It is in these two areas that the government should be sending out a clear message that by rejecting recommendation 7 it leaves uncertainty about its real objectives.
On a positive note, I see the government will endorse the establishment of a fund to provide grants to support alcohol-free community events. Groups like the Katherine Football Association, which is struggling because they will not accept alcohol sponsorship, need assistance from the government. The assistance should be commensurate with what they would have received from the alcohol industry. Some of the GST revenue from alcohol would be one way to fund it. Many sporting groups have little option when looking for sponsorships only to rely on alcohol companies and alcohol sales. The cosy relationships between breweries and sporting bodies may be seen to be beneficial by both parties. However, it just enforces the culture of sport and grog in that they always go together. I am sure if you were a footy umpire, you would not appreciate being abused by drunken spectators.
The other important issue is the treatment of habitual drunks. I am talking about those who have been through the rehabilitation revolving door time and time again; those who cannot help themselves or those who are a risk to themselves and others. The government said during the election that if someone goes into police custody for alcohol-related reasons six times in three months, it is time to call a spade a spade and do something about it. The government has then gone on to say that the order will make it clear that if a person is found consuming alcohol in a public place again and, this is the important bit, commits an offence, he or she will be ordered by the court to get treatment or face gaol. However, the government is only making treatment compulsory if you commit an offence. It is not saying we will get tough on people who are continually drunk and have been through the revolving doors six times. It is saying you have to commit an offence. That is the backdoor way of locking up drunks and the Berrimah and Alice Springs gaols are not the place for drunks. If they are there for an offence, that is one thing. However, if that is a cover to say that they are in there for compulsory treatment, I do not believe it is good enough.
Doug Owston, former CEO of Corrections, wrote the following in the NT News on 29 July 2005:
I believe he is right on the mark. Yes, I support compulsory rehabilitation for habitual drunks, although that does not mean putting them away in gaol using an offence to make it legitimate. The alcohol court should be able to send them to a place like the old Gunn Point Prison Farm, or something similar, based in other parts of the Territory. And it is the Gunn Point Prison Farm that Doug Owston was referring to. They can be learning skills, receiving some education, medical assistance and be reasonably close to family. I do not support drunks going to gaol but I do support the compulsory treatment at special purpose centres modelled on places like Gunn Point or the Western Australian work camps. The place has to have compulsion, however, it also has to have compassion.
I also raise this issue in line with petrol sniffing. Same thing - I do not support these people going to gaol, although I might support the pushers going to gaol. Gunn Point Prison Farm is the sort of facility we need to bring these people back to a normal lifestyle. It is not going to be easy, but it is important.
Another point I want to make, is that I hope the government will still change its mind over the process of liquor licence applications. I still believe it should be anyone’s right to lodge an objection to a liquor licence application except where it is purely done for commercial reasons. Development applications through planning allow anyone to object no matter where they live in the Territory, however, the limitations on liquor licence applications are too stringent. Everyone should have the right to object and it will be up to the Liquor Commission to decide whether that person’s objection is frivolous, or whether they do not know what they are talking about.
I have not been able to address all the issues which were raised in your statement today. However, I do know one area that still needs looking at. There is a small mention in the alcohol framework, however, I notice no mention in your statement, and it is an area which I continually believe is one of the big influences on the way we drink. That is the advertising and packaging of alcohol beverages.
Advertising is an extremely powerful medium. The way alcohol is packaged is not done so it looks pretty; it is done so it will attract people to drink. If that was not the case you would not have advertising or brightly coloured vodka drinks which are now available. The ads are aimed especially at the macho male, and many of those going fishing with a truckload of beer. Many of the new drinks are aimed at our young people, especially females, and we know things such as binge drinking are a major problem with our young people today.
The government has to get serious about the manner in which alcohol is advertised. For years we have slowly worn down the tobacco industry. They cannot advertise at all, they have to put their cigarettes up on the wall with practically no advertising, we have told people how terrible the stuff is for them. I always ask: ‘Why have you picked on tobacco and not alcohol?’ How many divorces were caused by tobacco? There might be the odd one; people got sick of them smoking. How many car accidents were caused by smoking; how many violent incidents were caused by smoking? These are certainly all caused by alcohol, yet alcohol is freely allowed to be advertised. You do not see on the bottom of an alcohol bottle ‘this substance can be dangerous if used in an excessive manner’, yet you get warnings on cigarette packets.
For some reason the alcohol industry is being exempted from those same conditions applying to tobacco although both are legal drugs. Although tobacco has caused a lot of self-harm and, to some extent to others through passive smoking, I do not believe it has caused anywhere near the social and economic effects as alcohol. I ask the minister to at least look at where we are going with alcohol advertising and promotion in the Northern Territory.
I am a little like the member for Braitling in saying there have been many reports – I was on the substance abuse committee at the time and part of our functions were taken away when the government decided to set up the alcohol framework, and much of that was disappointing. In the end it probably achieved something quicker than the substance abuse committee could have put together, however, there has been an awful lot of talk about alcohol. It goes on and on. There have been Senate reports, there have been all sorts of reports, and I ask: ‘Has anything really changed?’ When I came to the Territory in 1970 there were people being bashed and dying from the abuse of alcohol at Daly River, and I ask you today if anything has really changed? I doubt very much if it has. In fact, to some extent it may have even got worse.
I wonder whether we are serious about trying to change things; if we were then we would work with the Commonwealth to try to do some things which need to be done. I believe full employment, especially on remote communities, is a key. CDEP, as it is at the moment, is not adequate to feed a family. We need full pay or work on communities - the government needs to make it work. You can provide work. It may, to some people, be menial; however, you then get the pride in what you are doing. You get work ethic and you move up. You have education, but you also have work. People go to work not only for their self-motivation but, in the communities I worked on, people went there for social interaction. The two old men who went out for a day on the back of the tractor and trailer cutting firewood for the pensioners would be out there and would not cut a lot of wood, however, they would have a good time. They were interacting with one another and it was an important part of the day rather than sitting at home doing nothing.
If we do not have employment, good housing, recreational facilities and some means of giving people goals in life, then we are not going to get anywhere. Work on its own is not enough, housing on its own is not enough. Recreation - you can play sport until the cows come home and that is not going to save you either. You need a real effort to make things work. There is work on communities. There is housing that needs to be repaired, roads that need to be fixed, and fences that have to be fixed. People out there would know more about the kind of work that can be done. If we are to tackle alcohol problems we cannot have more committees, if we do not have at the same time, a process of trying to give people real employment. Bored people will look for outlets such as alcohol, drugs and petrol. We have seen that in the Territory for a long time.
The statement is good. There are some issues - especially recommendation 7 - which should not be rejected by the minister. It perhaps could be put in a more generic form. Even though we are going down this Alcohol Framework way, if this is not in conjunction with some real changes to society, especially for remote areas with work, employment, recreation and giving people goals and reasons to live, then this will just be a waste of time. You need to work as a Territory, with the Commonwealth and with the community, otherwise the hot air that we promote sometimes in this parliament will simply just be that, and nothing will change.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I speak in reply to the minister’s statement on alcohol policy reform progress.
The Northern Territory has a per capita alcohol consumption figure that is too high. This figure indicates a level of alcohol abuse, as well as use by some of those in our community. As the minister said, many in our community do not have an unhealthy alcohol habit, however, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that there are those who do. This abuse affects families throughout the Territory, both financially and physically.
I will touch on a few points the minister raised: mapping the way forward; the whole-of-government harm minimisation response; the overhaul of the Liquor Act; the proposed alcohol court, and review of the Licensing Commission.
Government formulated its five-point plan. The minister reported that the government had acted quickly to stop the practice of book-up for alcohol. The minister specifically mentioned the use of credit card book-up. We live in an age of freely available credit. It is so ridiculously available that the late Douglas Adams made it a target of his own brand of humour in a number of his books. Members need only read his book The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul for an example of the author’s treatment of the subject. The humour, however, attacks a very important issue. It used to be that you had to apply to a bank or financial institution to borrow money. A credit card offers a permanent line of credit with very high interest attached. We are all aware of the ease with which credit can turn from a handy tool to a nightmare if not handled with care. Making book-up available using credit cards to a person with an alcohol problem - which, in effect, is a drug problem - was a recipe for disaster. I, for one, am happy that the government has ended the practice.
Important work was done by the Living with Alcohol Program. This policy builds on that good work and the lessons learned through that earlier program. Government must continue to evaluate its programs and implement changes of direction where evidence suggests that this is required. That is what this government did when it put together the team, headed by Ms Donna Ah Chee and Mr Daryl Manzie. I note the process that led up to the final report included two rounds of consultation. It is another example of the government seeking to involve community, industry and other stakeholders in its policy formulation. This government, as the minister detailed, is implementing a majority of the recommendations made by the report. Once again, this government shows it is still listening to the people of the Northern Territory. It is doing its part to ensure Territorians feel part of the process and that government is responsive to them. This is a fact that continues to set this government apart from previous CLP governments.
This Alcohol Framework policy focuses on harm minimisation. It targets risky patterns of drinking through a whole-of-government approach and other strategies. I note that public education to change elements of our drinking culture will be part of the strategy. Honourable members will have noted with concern, as I have, the proportion of our youth that habitually engage in binge drinking. I have not brought figures with me, however, it is a social issue that needs to be addressed. I will also mention it is not an issue that is peculiar to the Northern Territory.
I mentioned credit cards before. Let me say that companies producing alcohol products engage in very sophisticated advertising. The promotional techniques are much more sophisticated now than when I was in my teens and early twenties. This is a good point to mention the local licensees of Palmerston who decided to be proactive in community education. On or about 9 August this year, the liquor licensees of Palmerston signed the Palmerston Licensees Accord. The accord was a result of licensees working together with the Northern Territory Police, Racing, Gaming and Licensing Division to develop a unified approach to enforcing liquor licensing laws in Palmerston. The Executive Director of the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Hotels Association, Ms Sally Fielke, said in her media release of 8 August this year:
Ms Fielke talks in the media release about the AHA, Northern Territory Police, and Racing, Gaming and Licensing and all the licensees in Palmerston meeting regularly to discuss licensing, policing and other issues. She says:
I congratulate the Palmerston licensees and the AHA on their proactive steps to address problems they have identified. It is recognised that problem drinking and the associated problems it can cause has a detrimental effect on their business. It is proof that this is not a case of enforcing anything on an unwilling industry. The industry is more than willing to play its part. As I said before, it is a good example of industry working with government in a coordinated way.
The effects of alcohol as well as the regulatory framework around access to alcohol stretch across most if not all governments. This government’s commitment to a whole-of-government approach including an office of alcohol policy and coordination will assist the government in being better placed to target the harm minimisation focus of this policy. This government’s review and future amendment of the Liquor Act ought to result in a better focused legislative framework. It is always prudent for legislation to be comprehensively reviewed periodically to ensure that the act continues to do what is required. The needs of our community and the direction of government are not static. I welcome the foreshadowing by the minister of the implementation of a new liquor act in response to recommendations made by the final report of Ms Ah Chee and Mr Manzie.
The minister mentioned the establishment of an alcohol court. Specialised courts to deal with drug abuse are now an accepted and successful part of many court structures. I mention the drug courts because as I said before alcohol is another drug. The alcohol court will be able to deal with the particular issues of a case involving alcohol abuse better than a criminal court. Further, it takes people out of a system that is focusing on punishing criminal activity. People may engage in antisocial behaviour under the influence of alcohol, however, it is the drug problem that is the cause.
I am not saying that alcohol ought to excuse criminal responsibility - far from it. Serious offences need to be prosecuted. Drug courts elsewhere are not a soft option for those guilty of serious offences so I see nothing to suggest that the proposed alcohol court will operate any differently here. However, there are many lesser offences typically committed by a person under the influence of alcohol where an order for compulsory treatment may be more effective. Taking people out of the general criminal court system can have good results for the community and the individual. Review of the role of the Liquor Licensing Commission and its processes will ensure it meets the expectations of the users of its service and the community generally.
Legal systems throughout the country as well as overseas have embraced the principle of alternative conflict resolution. It used to be that the only service courts and tribunals provided were adversarial hearings. More and more, governments are prescribing mediation and conciliation in an effort to encourage settlement. Once the legal profession was sceptical of such measures but now it is fairly well accepted that mediation and conciliation services using an independent mediator or conciliator can assist parties in some cases, even in situations where the legal representatives think there is no prospect of success. Resolution is not the only measure of success for mediation. Mediation can reduce the number of matters at issue or clarify what the issues actually are and this has an impact on the length of any particular hearing of a matter.
The minister referred to measures aimed at ensuring transparency of evidence. Such measures assist in making parties feel that their case has received a fair hearing. I can attest to how intimidating courts and tribunals can be for parties engaged in litigation, witnesses, and even for legal representatives at times. For some courts, that setting assists in establishing the authority of the court; in other settings it is detrimental to resolution of conflict. The review team made recommendations in relation to procedures of the Licensing Commission and this government is following through.
The minister referred to changes so that the Licensing Commission can take appropriate note of the policy direction of government. I believe this to be a desirable change. The Territory is not unique in having issues surrounding alcohol abuse. The Northern Territory, as I have said, has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in Australia. This government sought a report that was inclusive of stakeholders and industry. It received the report and is implementing many of its recommendations in line with its harm minimisation focus. I thank the minister for updating the Assembly on the progress of the reform process.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I support my colleague, the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing, on the alcohol framework progress report. It is no news to any of us here in the House that for many decades alcohol misuse in the Northern Territory has taken an unacceptable high toll in terms of low life expectancy, low education outcomes, family violence, and widespread community dysfunction.
On top of that, the Northern Territory has by far the worst outcomes for alcohol caused violence, education and health statistics in Australia. The people who shoulder the greatest burden are the Aboriginal or indigenous population. I have had extensive involvement with both the indigenous and non-indigenous community in listening to their concerns about substance abuse and misuse. I have also had the misfortune of attending funerals and visiting hospices to give support to grieving families who have lost their love ones to alcohol abuse or misuse. However, the minister’s statement today gives me some hope that some of the lessons learned by communities over the years have got through and have been listened to by this government.
I wish to concentrate my remarks today on the importance of two of the minister’s categories of action, namely, category 3, Valuing Community and Industry Input, and also category 4, Supporting Local Solutions. I will leave others to take up the other categories of action. It is not that they are not important; it is just, for me, there are no solutions to community harm unless the community is involved in providing some of these solutions.
Many positive initiatives have arisen from within towns and communities to address local problems with local solutions. One of these towns is Borroloola in my electorate. The community in conjunction with the Northern Territory Licensing Commission has agreed to liquor restrictions placed by the community. I am still looking into steps that can be taken to reduce alcohol-related problems in their community. Research has indicated that indigenous clients are more likely to nominate alcohol as their principal drug of concern with about 49% compared to the non-indigenous clientele of 33%. This is a concern and an argument: why I do not support the variation of current liquor licence in the township of Borroloola as there is enough data to indicate that we should concerned about the proposed variation?
The existing licensees of the Borroloola Hotel, are seeking a variation to allow them to sell up to three bottles of wine per day per person. This is plainly unacceptable especially given the very high levels of alcohol abuse in the community. I cannot understand why they want to go down this path without having the courtesy and the respect to consult and liaise with the community given the set of circumstances that are in Borroloola today and how excessive alcohol abuse impacts on them. I would urge the licensees of the hotel in Borroloola to give some consideration to withdrawing the application until such time as they speak to the community.
Borroloola is like a number of communities in the Territory. There is a group of people that is working very hard to address the problems they face of accessing appropriate education for their children, to provide for their families, for healthy and secure lifestyles for themselves and their families. If this sort of irresponsible variation threatens their very way of life and their efforts to improve the life of their families then this action should not be countenanced under any circumstances.
It is also important to note that the Borroloola community is also working hard to consider the many issues involving alcohol, including the current liquor licensing legislation. They are determined the onus should be on licensees to demonstrate their commitment to harm minimisation and how they will put this into practice. They are also convinced that public health and welfare issues should be the primary criteria in deciding on licence applications and conditions. They are of the view that the Licensing Commission be obliged to separately seek out the views of the community in question to ascertain the impact that a licence may have on its health and wellbeing, and they are determined that the Licensing Commission should take a proactive approach to encourage community input.
The township is also revisiting their local alcohol management plans, and work being done through the Alcohol Framework allows for individuals to form a committee made up of community representatives who, in conjunction with the Licensing Commission, can develop local alcohol management plans. The people of Borroloola are very conscious about the need for a local solution, and are very willing and able to work with government to develop precursors on what they want to do.
Recently, I visited the Daguragu Community Government Council which is in the electorate of the member for Daly. I was very impressed with the action they have taken, as both indigenous and non-indigenous residents wanted to develop a local solution to alcohol abuse or misuse. The Daguragu Community Council designed rules to ensure that local community members have a safe and enjoyable family environment in which to socialise. The Warnkurr Sports and Social Club - I hope that is correct, member for Daly - is owned and managed by the local Gurindji people and is there primarily for the Ngumpin community. However, non-indigenous residents also frequent the club.
Local solutions include that the club may only be closed by a special council meeting consisting of three councillors or more. The meeting must be minuted and presented to the next ordinary council meeting. The council agreed that the club will be automatically closed when flooding cuts off the community of Daguragu. This is to safeguard the residents from trying to cross Wattie Creek in a dangerous manner in order to drink at the club. The council also agreed that the club will be automatically closed on the day of a local funeral. Other rules include that no children are allowed in the club between the hours of 5 pm and 8 am, Monday to Friday, and between 2 pm and 5 pm on a Saturday. Instead, every second Friday is a family night where alcohol is served and children are allowed into the club between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm. Customers are only allowed to buy two cans at a time, and the two cans must also be brought to the counter for this purchase. If more than two cans are being purchased, then the drinkers of the extra cans must also come to the bar with the purchaser.
The club has a committee which is made up of two council members, the club manager, and two security staff. The committee makes recommendations to the Daguragu council as to who can endorse or vary their recommendations. Council endorses these decisions by the community as a matter of course, unless special cases come before them. The CEO may also be asked to attend committee meetings on matters which require policy change.
I was at Daguragu a few weeks ago and they alerted me to the work they had done as a community to address alcohol concerns within their community. I applaud the hard work they have put in addressing an issue which they obviously realise could impact severely upon the community if not addressed. They advised me that, as from 1 August each year, each patron will be required to pay their membership fees like any other club or tavern, and access will be denied to community members who have not paid their fees.
The council also has a ‘no work, no club’ policy, and there is a ban of one week for missing four days of work during the CDEP fortnight. This will seem very similar to the ‘no pool, no school’ policy. However, they have gone one step further. If a parent or guardian of a child fails to ensure their child attends school, a one week ban will apply for either the parents or the guardians.
If you are arguing in the club about a ban with club staff, committee members or counsellors, or even arguing with the security or club staff about someone else’s ban, then you will be dealt with by the local rules. They have strategies in place to deal with substance abuse and misuse, and an initiative the community feels very proud of. In fact, I am looking at nominating the Daguragu Community Council as a successful model of indigenous governance.
The two examples that I have given show how different communities are taking different sorts of strategies in dealing with their particular issues. I am acutely aware that there are many other communities around the place which look at things from a different perspective, or will develop new strategies. The Alcohol Framework as proposed by the minister allows that flexibility. Essentially, the bottom line is that you are not going to achieve these sorts of outcomes unless the communities have a real say in developing the strategies and those strategies are actually enforced by some of the actions that the minister has spoken about today.
As I have said, these two communities do share a common desire to make a difference for the people in their community. Like me, they have seen the reports, the earnest desire of governments to help over the many years, and I am absolutely certain that they welcome the support and they believe that the actions that they take at a local level will be met, as indicated by the minister.
In conclusion, the member for Nhulunbuy, the minister in question, has been in this House for in excess of 15 years, and I would dare say that the challenge the minister faces is by far and away the biggest he is going to have to deal with. I am certain that all members of this government and members on the other side of the House will provide as much support as possible to ensure that we do come to grips with the ravages of alcohol and its impact upon our communities.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Speaker, I support the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s statement on the progress of reforms of the government’s alcohol policy. I welcome the progress thus far. Alcohol use and abuse is a major issue in my electorate which spans the full usage spectrum, from a couple of glasses of wine occasionally with a meal, to a few stubbies after work with some work mates, and on to the heavy binge and daily consumption of cask wine and full strength beer. Like most things in life, everything is fine in moderation. What we see in the Northern Territory, and it is borne out in the per capita consumption of alcohol statistics, is not moderation. I can say that this statistic is representative of some of the constituents of mine.
High consumption, in itself, would not necessarily be a major concern to our society, however, it is the effect that this higher consumption has on the individuals concerned, their families and the communities in which they live. The regular instances of alcohol-related offences constantly remind us why we need to do more in this area, and as a reminder of how much this persists in our society, we only have to look at the paper’s headlines on a regular basis. This issue has been around for a long time. It goes way back to the previous governments and well before self-government.
I came to the Territory 17 years ago, and I remember the pubs in Cavenagh Street closing at 6 am and the constant reports of riots in the early hours of the morning. This policy is moving towards curbing the effects of excess drinking.
Darwin has evolved and has become more mature in its drinking habits - it had to. The new society of Darwin has demanded it. Regional and remote areas, under this new policy and this government, are moving towards a more mature and responsible approach to drinking. However, it is more difficult in the bush. We face the other dimensions and motivations for drinking and it is these underlying issues which will temper this advancement.
The minister talked about the five point plan. He highlighted the issue of book-up and, as the member for Katherine will well know, this has been something that has been raised in Katherine over previous years and it seems to have stopped.
One of the other points the minister spoke about was the limiting of the sale of alcohol on Sundays, this, in effect, reducing the consumption. There have been improvements in the behaviour of drinkers in Katherine on Sundays, although, they can be quite cunning as they change their drinking habits. It has been reported to me that the introduction of reducing the amount of liquor outlets on a Sunday and introducing the sale of light beer only in hotels up until 12 noon has had the effect of people taking longer to get drunk. It seems that people would rather wait to spend their money on bulk alcohol such as cask wine rather than paying for the higher price for heavy beer during the early part of the day. The experience from this is that the number of inebriated people has somewhat decreased in the cycle, meaning that they are getting drunk in the later part of the day as opposed to the early morning. This shows that they are still spending money on light beer and the statistics of disorderly behaviour has decreased on Sunday as by the afternoon they have spent all their money and there is nothing left.
There has been a rise in the statistics insofar as more people around in the Wet Season which leads to increased numbers of people drinking in Katherine. These people come to town for various reasons like football or funerals and they find themselves cut off from their communities. Some people know that they are going to be cut off for quite sometime and choose to stay in town as they do not want to be isolated back in their community. It seems to be a less visible presence in the immediate town vicinity and this is attributed to education and enforcement of the two kilometre law. People are becoming aware of the laws and the consequences so they are going deeper into the long grass and further down the river banks. Also they are also sly grog stashers. They make sure that they have a ‘hair of the dog’ available so the presence of hard core drinkers is still evident in the morning.
For the most part during the build-up, which we are experiencing now, many people tend to stay in the shade and sleep with hangovers from the previous night until the licence laws change at noon and the bulk alcohol is available. Again, this problem is quite difficult and hard to contain with the numbers in the sobering-up shelters increasing during the Wet Season with people coming in from the communities.
There is evidence that people are stashing alcohol and drinking it hot around the shelters. The sobering-up shelter does not open until 2 pm but the cycle pattern is still forming. Breakfast programs can still see that people are moving out further out of town to drink but they do not want to lose their grog to the police and the night patrol tipping it out. This is a good visually for the town, however, it is further to walk back to the town for a feed, shower or medical assistance. This is also having a negative effect on the health and wellbeing of long grassers and itinerants.
There has been an increase in people acting drunk to get access to these shelters. They are apparently pouring alcohol over themselves and acting intoxicated in hopes of getting admitted. This is because they feel that they are not safe in the long grass. There were several instances where these people have been robbed and bashed in the long grass and there are claims that the people who are bashing them are high on other substances so alcohol is not actually the cause of that. Many of the long grassers want to change their situation in Katherine, however, they are not in a position to enter into Territory Housing to get out of the long grass and it concerns us as to whether they can maintain a house as there is too much humbug from their family members and they end up in a lot of trouble.
The minister went on to discuss two aspects which I would like to pick up on. The first is supporting local solutions in the way of local advisory committees and the development of local plans. The second was rehabilitation and intervention initiatives. The Northern Territory is such a diverse place that the way forward for one community may not suit another. The people in one area may be vastly different to another. In addressing most issues, I believe the development of local solutions which are owned and administered by the local community have a greater success than a broad brush, centralised approach.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, your time has expired.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time to allow the member to complete his remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, I have been involved in some local initiatives around Timber Creek where the local people formed a committee with the publican and administered a bit of a kangaroo court. However, it was very effective and it featured in the Weekend Australian and it curbed a lot of problems in the town while it was still operating. Other pubs in my electorate are doing much the same, working together with the councils at Daly River and Peppimenarti. It is good to see the police at Peppimenarti Hotel and Daly River working together in those areas.
On rehabilitation and intervention, it was hopeful the Venn Block Rehabilitation Centre will open next year and will service up to 18 people in self-contained facilities and also provide some treatment centres. That is a welcome change. This would hopefully provide a circuit breaker for those drinkers. It cannot be forgotten that alcohol is a sedative and at one end of the extreme it is a relaxant and at the other end it is a heavy tranquilizer. The use of alcohol can be directly related to the pressures and psychological harm those people have experienced in their life. To many of the remote Aboriginal communities, alcohol is a relief to numb the constant pressures that they endure in their community. When you stop to think about it, they live in a place that has 80% to 90% unemployment, low education levels, overcrowded houses, there is crime and violence, and a constant stream of family funerals. This happens day after day, year after year. There is no expectation that things are going to change. There is little wonder that some people will resort to heavy drinking.
Can I also say to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing, who is the Treasurer as well, that we all know how protective the Treasury is on its spending. The Thamarrurr Council did an opportunity cost study not so long ago and this is an example of something that perhaps should be looked at as well. Every dollar our government can spend on addressing alcohol problems and problems of poverty will substantially reduce the spending the government has on services that we spend so much money on today. I would rather see fewer police on the streets as there are fewer alcohol-related offences and similarly with hospitals reducing the number of admissions with alcohol-related assaults.
With the positive highlights, the people and structures being put in place to coordinate and drive the strategy, I am going to use and encourage other people to use the office of the alcohol policy and coordination. I hope to be able to speak to the minister for alcohol strategy on a regular basis about alcohol issues in my electorate. I trust that my input will flow into the proposed 12-month agreed work plan which is to be developed by some senior officers. I urge liquor outlets throughout my electorate, which includes remote pubs, roadhouses and hotels in regional towns, to participate in the industry advisory bodies. I will also encourage my local communities to form the proposed local alcohol management committees and work with other committees in the area to develop regional alcohol plans.
Much has been made about the coercive powers within this policy, especially prior to the last election. At that time, I spoke to Aboriginal people about this subject. What came from that was that these families who have family members who might be affected by these powers were actually reassured by them. These families were worried about the family members who are heavy drinkers. They put themselves and others in danger whilst they are in town committing crimes and getting up to all sorts of activities which could harm their health. Family members wanted some high level intervention. They were truly worried about their family members only returning to the community in coffins. Although these powers are strong, they need to be; we are actually dealing with a very serious problem. With this policy, this government has shown some strong leadership, courage, and is caring for the people involved in tackling this scourge.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution in response to this statement: the members for Katherine, Karama, Braitling, Arafura, Blain, Brennan, Nelson, Barkly, Millner and Daly - and very considered contributions from one and all, even those who had some issues with the statement.
The member for Katherine gave us a good deal of her experience with alcohol in the Katherine region and also her experience with restrictions, which I was taken with as I have seen this before. Where restrictions come into play, they displace the problem, relocate it and everything seems hunky-dory for a while until either the restrictions are lifted, changed somewhat and the problem comes back. I do not think the Katherine situation and experience in this matter is that much different from what has occurred in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs or even Nhulunbuy in the antisocial behaviour emanating from alcohol abuse. I believe what the member for Katherine was illustrating with that example is the failure of those measures because they really were a bandaid attempt. They do not go to the core, the heart, of the problem. We can expect more failures of that kind unless we have strategies that go to the core, to the heart of it.
I thank the member for Katherine for her contribution - and I mean that. I travel through Katherine on a fairly regular basis when I do drive back to Nhulunbuy, and I see the same sorts of things that I witness in my home town of Nhulunbuy. I share with her those concerns as a local member and the need to do something about it.
The member for Nelson spoke about reducing the average alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory to the national average within five years. It was a recommendation of the original report not accepted by government. It was not accepted by government because we did not see it as a targeted strategy in the sense of the levels of irresponsible drinking to the point of abuse where that behaviour leads to a whole range of undesirable and dangerous behaviours is a much more strategic focus for government to focus on and to bring particular strategies to bear on. By acting to reduce levels of alcohol abuse and achieving a reduction in alcohol abuse will get many benefits. We will get the reduced antisocial behaviour, the reduced violence, the reduced suicides and attempted suicides, the reduction in car accidents as a result of alcohol abuse, as well, of course, as a reduction in alcohol consumption overall.
If you had a target of 3%, 4%, or 5% for alcohol consumption rate overall, the success or failure of the overall strategy becomes very much centred and mirrored on that one aspect. You might even achieve a 3% or 4% target and say we nearly got there, that is not all that much a failure. It might not have done anything, because if it does not go to those areas which are causing the most harm then I do not think the strategy has been worthwhile overall. The whole process in and around alcohol and alcohol abuse is a little more complicated than just saying, okay, there is our target, a 5% reduction. If we were to achieve reductions, and I do not think we will have achieved anything if we do not achieve reductions, we want to see reductions around this whole risk drinking scenario, because it is a minority of drinkers who drink to the harmful levels of abuse, but we must not underestimate the consumption levels of those drinkers in that risky and dangerous drinking level that drives those consumption levels up as high as they are.
The member for Braitling accused me of being bland, like the speech itself, of lacking passion. I will just remind the member for Braitling about what alcohol abuse is doing in my part of the world. There were 13 deaths on the Gove Peninsula between September last year and the end of September this year, a 12-month period. I live, as local member, with the effects of alcohol abuse on a daily basis and have done so for 15 years. I called on the previous government to bring measures in, such as an alcohol rehabilitation centre in that region, for many years as the local member and it is only now being achieved in the second term of our government.
Lonely Boy Richard, a feature film I launched a couple of years ago, is about a wonderful human being living a life of hopelessness and despair; his life is now ruined as he is serving 12 years in gaol for rape as a result of alcohol abuse. I do not accept very easily that I lack passion, or care, or compassion in this regard. I attend funerals on a regular basis caused by the effects of alcohol abuse. Whether they are in gaol doing 12 years or whether they are dead in the ground, it is pretty much the same effect. They are no longer around the region, and it is that hopelessness and despair that the member for Daly spoke of, and I think the member for Nelson might have touched on it as well, that is at the core of this. That needs to be attacked and addressed.
At the end of this process, we will have a sound framework to develop and refine policy and reduce that personal carnage that alcohol abuse causes as well as the social dysfunction, the family misery and the violence perpetrated by the abusers of alcohol, because they become abusers of one and all things.
I am not sure whether the member for Braitling was criticising or applauding the decision to have a minister responsible for alcohol policy. This whole area does need a central driver from within government, and that is what a minister with responsibility for alcohol will do as they have to drive reform across all government agencies, not just one.
In relation to the comments the member for Braitling is making about indigenous people learning to live responsibly with alcohol and learning to use it responsibly, I would give the example of Gunyangara at Ski Beach on the peninsula on Melville Bay. This was a homeland small community established in the late 1970s or early 1980s by Galarrwuy Yunupingu. In the first instance, he wanted his people to move from Yirrkala, both to live on their own homeland and not under other traditional owners, as they were at Rirratjingu and the Marikas’. However, he also wanted them to learn to live responsibly with alcohol and to use alcohol sensibly. He said you cannot learn responsible use of alcohol when you are living in a dry community and you cannot drink.
Over almost 25 years now, there have been many incidences of violence, many deaths at Gunyangara as a result of alcohol and alcohol abuse to the extent that the community some time ago was confronting the question of whether they would become a dry community and recently revisited it. The commission is taking that forward and there will be a public meeting process on the way to realising the community’s wishes in this regard.
If that was Galarrwuy’s aspiration and that was expressed at the time in the late 1970s and early 1980s it was probably admirable in the aspiration to get his people to learn to live responsibly with alcohol. Where the successive governments failed that community and those people I do not know. I do not know that government was ever called on in those times to assist with programs or the like that might assist those people to learn to use alcohol properly. The fact remains now that the level of pain, suffering, misery and torture on all of those families around alcohol abuse has been such that they want to go back to being dry.
There is an example of a community’s 25 year experience with alcohol right within the community itself. Based on that experience I would not be keen on tearing up the dry community’s legislation and forcing these people if they want to drink to have it in their own borders.
I am not sure in the end what the member for Braitling was seeking with this statement. It is a comprehensive response to what was a comprehensive review and a comprehensive report. Some of the work by its very nature will take time. The rewrite of the Liquor Act is probably an 18-month process. We will not see that till late next year. It is a big piece of legislation and it will require constant consultation with all stakeholders to keep it on track. And I make no excuse: it takes time to rewrite big pieces of legislation. You need to establish the alcohol courts. It is always going to be a process that takes a bit of time: the need to ensure that proper rehabilitation programs and services are in place so that these courts can make a sentence knowing that it will be fulfilled within the community also takes time, and the restructuring of the Liquor Commission and how it does its business. These are not responses that can be implemented quickly and I make, as I said, no apology for that.
There are other matters though that can be attended to more readily: acting more quickly on intelligence about irresponsible service of alcohol; intelligence about the serving of minors; intelligence about minors getting into licensed premises and being served; greater number of inspections in relation to that intelligence around breaches; and tougher penalties for breaches more in line with the seriousness of the offence of the breach. These practices are strengthened as we speak.
The local alcohol management plans at Groote Eylandt are an example where they formulated their own local alcohol management plan which results in everyone having a permit, in that everyone applies for a permit. There is a local committee established on the island that decides whether you get a permit, and if you play up on that permit you lose your right to purchase and consume alcohol. Things have been pretty quiet, I am told. It is only early days with that strategy. Whether it promotes or leads to any type of black market to get alcohol to those who have been scrubbed off the permit list is something that needs to be closely watched. In general terms, I am told that the strategy, albeit early days, is working. I know that strategies get undermined over the process of time where people find their way around them and perhaps they need to be dynamic in the sense of being able to respond once they have been attacked and dragged down.
The issuing of minister’s guidelines so that we have a clear statement of government direction of policy in front of the Liquor Commission is to avoid the types of things that we have seen in the past, where the Commission could quite rightly ask: ‘What is government’s view and what is government’s policy in this area?’ If the minister has guidelines, worked through with the Commission and ticked off, that will serve to assist the members of the Commission when they go about making their decision.
The member for Braitling also saw the new ministerial responsibilities as a hospital pass, in football terms, which is unfortunate. It is a challenge that has to be picked up; it has to have a champion within government and a minister who will drive it across the face of government. I believe any one of the nine ministers - and I include the Chief Minister in that, she might have it otherwise but I would include the Chief Minister in that - on this side of the House would be pleased to pick it up because it is a challenge.
The member for Blain was generally supportive. I thank you for that. I have explained the timeliness of some of the issues involved here. Some processes do take time. I guess we are prepared to be judged on the outcome of this work over the next 12 months. By the time of the introduction of the new act, all of the other recommendations will have been put in place, will have had an opportunity to have an effect, and we should be able by then to judge what these measures have achieved.
Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution. I undertake to give the House regular updates as we move forward in this process.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the member for Nelson:
Honourable members, is the proposal supported? The proposal is supported.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for his support. I must admit at Question Time today I did lose a bit of faith in the process as one knew this MPI was coming there was a certain element of politics, more than certain element. It is a little bit sad because this could be a positive for the government. That is why I put it forward; you are the people who have control of the funds. It would make a difference.
I raise the issue of the demise of the Howard Springs Nature Park as a matter of public importance. Why? First, because the government has done little in seriously trying to fix the ongoing problems that have dogged the park for a number of years and that are even now worse than ever, and second, because something needs to happen right now. That is why it is a matter of public importance.
Over the last few years, the Howard Springs Nature Park has been receiving fewer and fewer visitors. The government’s own figures showed that in 2001 186 689 global visits occurred down to 123 237 global visits in 2004. Whether that was because there was a drop in our visitors to our NT parks overall or because of the poor state of the park is hard to establish. However, the state of the park presently would certainly not attract people except for a very short sojourn. It seems coincidental that a caller to Macca on Sunday on the ABC described how sad he was to visit the Howard Springs Nature Park only to find one could not swim there because of the high bacterial count. What we could have told Macca is that that has been the case for a number of years and, minister, you said today it was due to this Dry Season. This has been occurring over the last few years. What is the government’s solution to the problem? Put up a sign and tell them no one can swim there.
In May this year, I raised the issue of the unavailability of the park for swimming. The minister said I was grandstanding. That is fine. However, these issues about the park were raised by the constituents. The first one was in May so I went down there and, after having a look, I put out a press release. I said it was about time the government held a public investigation into the future of Howard Springs Nature Park; that the future popularity of the park was in doubt due to the continuing restrictions on swimming in the pool - not the wading pool - due to high bacterial counts; and that many people, both local and interstate, used the park but the park will lose its attractiveness if swimming continues to be banned.
I told the government that the inquiry needs to look at the following: low flows into the pool; the effect of the many trees around the edge; possible leaf decomposition in the bottom of the pool; the need for a clean out of the bottom of the pool; and possibly a supplementary water supply into the pool when natural flows are low. I also said that action is required now - this is May - otherwise one of our closest to Darwin safe swimming holes will be no more.
In response to that, Parks and Wildlife invited me to an internal meeting at which matters were raised about what to do about the problems; however, nothing was decided except that they would call a public meeting. That meeting has not eventuated. Since then, the park has deteriorated even more.
What is the state of the park at the moment? Firstly, you cannot swim there, nor do I believe you would want to. As I said, you have not been able to swim there for quite a number of years except for very small breaks when the bacterial count dropped. However, as soon as people jumped in the water, the leaf litter stirred up again and it was closed. The water is more like the Yarra – even though I come from Melbourne and like my Yarra – and probably worse; it is an uninviting chocolate-green coloured liquid which is very unattractive and off-putting to anyone visiting. The fish and turtle which you could normally see there are hardly visible. They have been one of the attractions of the park and they are now in danger if the water dries up.
Minister, you said it was okay to put in the aeration. That is fine, but if there is no water to pump because it has all evaporated, aeration will be nothing but air-ration as it is drying up. Some may say the drying up is a natural phenomenon, especially in a bad season. I would agree if this was a natural wetland, however, it is not. It is a man-made pool and the fish and turtles have been put there by Parks and Wildlife as an attraction to the park. Therefore, they have a responsibility to look after the aquatic life they have established there.
There is now no flow of water over the weir, and the fish which were on the lower side have died and been cleaned up by foraging birds. The remaining water is green and stagnant. Not only is there no flow, but the water on the up-stream side is evaporating fast. I have two photographs taken last week about six days apart, and I will table them to show you how fast the level is dropping. It is quite substantial and quick. The Parks and Wildlife people have put in place some aerating devices to put oxygen into the pool to keep the fish alive and, whilst this is certainly needed, the process is speeding up the evaporation of the water.
As well as this, the dam wall had one major and two minor leaks which have recently appeared - that is yesterday - adding to the loss of water from the pond. Parks and Wildlife officers were doing their best to plug these holes as of yesterday. The theory behind the leaks is that the ground under the dam wall is drying out.
The electrical connections to the pumps that drive the aerators are also of some concern. I hope that they have been checked by OH&S. Leads cross the ground and public footpaths, and are suspended in the water. I will also table some photographs showing those leads.
There are many mosquitos in the park - big and plentiful enough to carry you away. If you turn up at the park in shorts and thongs you could not stay too long. Very few people seem to be visiting the park. I visited the park at lunchtime on Saturday and there were only two vehicles there. There was no one using the picnic grounds, although yesterday there were a few more using the wading pool. Howard Springs used to be a very popular picnic spot; however, last Saturday it was nearly deserted.
The next question is: why has nothing been done? Why has the government done nothing to fix the problem? It seems to me that the Howard Springs Nature Park is a very low priority for the government. It has the Leanyer Recreation Lake as its jewel in the crown in voter land in the northern suburbs, and it needs to spend plenty of money each year to keep it in good order - especially swimming order. The government is going to spend even more money to expand the facility this financial year. I believe Leanyer is a great facility, however, it should not be developed at the expense of other parks, especially those in the rural area which have been around a lot longer than Leanyer Recreation Lake.
I do not believe people in the rural area, or many older residents of Darwin, are very impressed by the inaction by the government in doing something proactive about fixing one of our oldest parks, which is also an important World War II heritage site. The springs used to supply drinking water to Darwin at the beginning of World War II, although it would have been very unlikely to have been drunk if the water was of the quality we see today. When the springs was no longer needed to supply water, it was used as a safe swimming hole for the residents of Darwin. Now it has declined to something resembling a dirty, smelly pond surrounded by nice trees and lawns.
Why is it so, as Professor Julius Sumner-Miller would say? My theory is that the parks management simply does not want to maintain the springs for recreational purposes. It is far easier to maintain it as a nature park devoid of swimming as it is less work and cheaper, and they have other priorities such as the maintenance and expansion of the Leanyer Recreation Lake. Whether that is a ministerial or purely managerial decision, who knows? I feel for the rangers of the park who have to maintain it with the limited funds they have available. They do a great job, however, they must get sad and depressed when visitors come and see the park as it is today. They bear the brunt of management or government bureaucratic inaction and I can understand their frustration. I talk to them, that is why I know is happening.
Instead of waiting for something to happen, the people of the rural area and older Darwin residents have decided to do something about it. I mentioned this when I released a press statement in May, the constituents had asked me to go and have a look at it. Again, just recently, a Darwin resident asked me to go in to the park.
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: That is right. I am reflecting what those people are saying. And what has happened? They have formed a group called FOTS. It is not a name for an American comedy. It is called Friends of the Springs. At present it has only a small number of people, about six, however, I am sure its membership will increase rapidly if the government leaves the springs as they are now.
So what is FOTS recommending? It is asking the government to do two things. First, they want immediate action to fix the park’s existing problems and, second, they want a plan developed for the ongoing use of the park in the future. What immediate action is required? As the park is not suitable for swimming, and looking for the fish and turtle requires heat-sensing goggles as you cannot see the fish, the following should be done:
empty the water from the ponds;
cleaned up. We had a meeting yesterday with Parks and Wildlife officers and they said they are able
to do that quite safely;
chains and money extracted from the mud. There must be a few bob’s worth lying in there as it has
not been cleaned out since 1985;
cut back all the trees overhanging the water as this will reduce breeding grounds for mozzies. Pictures
of the original pond show that there were very few trees around the water’s edge. Removal of those trees
will also reduce the leaf litter which appears to be one of the main causes of the high bacterial count;
install a deep bore which would not affect the springs. This could be used when there is not enough water
coming from the springs;
fill the pond from the bore and springs, and
irrigate the lawns only using dirty water from the ponds.
The second requirement is that you need to establish an annual or biennial plan for the maintenance of the park and an appropriate budget to ensure that the springs does not fall into the stagnant waterhole it is today. Friends of the Springs believe that the government should take action now, not sit on its backside with a PowerPoint presentation, getting a consultant’s report, and asking for public consultation, etcetera. It can do that later. It has to act now. We need a public meeting to work out a long-term plan for the park, but we also need action now to save the park. The park is of no use in its present state. Here is a good chance for the government to do something positive out of a bad situation.
How it will fund the works? Simple. Litchfield Shire Council did not want the $1m swimming pool because it was not enough for their purposes. Minister, could you not ask Treasury for that money and use that money to not only fix up the problems that are at the springs now, but also develop a plan for the park with the possibility of developing the park as a mini-Leanyer? The springs could be redesigned so that there is a section for the barramundi and the turtles, and a section for swimming with sloping edges, and a small beach to give visitors and local residents some recreational options. That can be looked at later.
You need to act now, not next week or the week after. If you procrastinate, I am sure, as the ponds dry up and the barra die, people are not going to be very pleased with your government if you could not be bothered doing anything about the situation. Your department has known about this issue for a long time and nothing practical has happened. They do not seem very interested, and I believe not one person from senior management has visited the park first-hand to see the state of the ponds recently, until the Friends of the Springs asked for a meeting on-site yesterday.
For many years, the springs were cleaned out and reeds removed. For some reason, this seems to have stopped around 1985. We need to start a program to get this happening again.
I raise this matter of public importance today because there needs to be action right now. I believe the opposition also supports this stand, and I am grateful for that support. Today, the government has an opportunity to show it is also concerned. The minister can show she is concerned, show leadership and show she runs the department by making a positive statement today about the park.
I look forward, along with the Friends of the Springs, to hearing what she is going to do and so do many rural residents, tourists, tourist industry members and residents of Darwin and Palmerston who also want the springs restored to the safe and popular swimming hole it once was.
The minister needs to show support for the rangers of the park by giving them the means to bring their park up to a standard they can be proud of to show visitors. If that means going to the Treasury for those Litchfield funds then I say go for it. I should not leave the Chief Minister out in this debate as she is the Minister for Tourism. Howard Springs is part of the story of the Northern Territory and I hope she is concerned that part of that story might be missing from future editions of the tourist guides if she does not do something to help. I hope that the Chief Minister does not rely on her memory on how the springs used to be rather than the state of the springs right now. They are a tourist shame job.
Tourism is a major industry for the Territory and our parks are an important part of that industry and the Chief Minister, I hope, will also support immediate action and also lobby Treasury for those Litchfield funds.
Howard Springs has long been a jewel in the rural area, popular with tourists and locals alike. It has been a safe place to swim and that is even more important these days considering that more and more of our swimming holes are off limits because of the dangers of crocodiles. This is a matter of public importance and I hope the Minister for Parks and Wildlife and the Minister for Tourism can say and do something that will fix Howard Springs right now and then put into place a process that will put the springs back on the map so it can once again be used as the great little park it used to be.
I challenge both the Minister for Parks and Wildlife and the Chief Minister as the Minister for Tourism to visit the park and see for themselves what is actually happening.
Ms Scrymgour: I have been there.
Mr WOOD: Well, I was not told that by the rangers. I would be happy to show you around and I know there would be lots of Friends of the Springs who would too. By the way you will not need your togs.
While I have a couple of minutes, I need to address some of the matters you raised this afternoon in Question Time. I am disappointed that the government could not find in itself to allow this to be debated in a far more reasonable way instead of using a dorothy dix question which we had no hope of replying to. I reiterate, we need to talk about it being closed for the Dry Season; it has been closed for many Dry Seasons. You just talk to the rangers and nothing has been done.
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Mr WOOD: No, I am reading from today’s Daily Hansard of Question Time. You said that the swimming hole had to be closed for the Dry Season. It has had to be closed for many Dry Seasons. You talked about installing an aeration device to increase the level of oxygen in the water. I understand that has met with quite considerable success and therefore it will not be necessary to flush the pool or relocate the fish or aquatic life. That is totally incorrect. Aeration is just putting in oxygen. If the water has evaporated, you will not have any place for the fish to live. Empty the pool out now because it is dirty. Empty it out, collect your fish. If you want to put them in an aquarium or put them in another river system, we will always get those back. It is a great opportunity because the water will evaporate. There is no doubt. The ranger tells me you will not get running water from the springs until February because they are so dry that it will take that long to get an adequate build up of the aquifer.
In the meantime you are going to have a pond that is either a puddle or practically non-existent. I am saying clean it out now, take the fish away, scrape out the bottom of it, put some sand in, cut down some of the trees - I am not saying cut the whole trees, at least you can prune them – and put in a bore. The bore would only take about a week. Start to fill up the pond with fresh water. Make sure when you irrigating the lawns, you only use the water from the ponds so you actually are keeping a constant supply of good water going into the pond and you are removing some of the contaminated water. Then when you have done that we can start looking at a long-term plan.
What you are going to get left with down there if you believe the people from Parks and Wildlife who say it will not be necessary to flush the pool or relocate the fish and other aquatic life -that is not what I am getting from the head ranger, and it is not what I am getting from people who have lived in the area much longer than I have – is that it will evaporate. It is not a very deep pool and I do not think it will be good publicity for the tourism industry or the government to have photographs of dead barramundi. They are big barramundi because that is what people used to go down to that pond for.
I am just saying here is an opportunity for the government to get brownie points, and I realise that is probably not quite the right word you want to use, however, here is an opportunity to do it. We are putting some positive ideas to the government, and if the government says they do not have the money we are saying you have the $1m that Litchfield did not want. Go to Treasury and ask to use that. That will pay for your bore, that will pay to scrape it out, and that will pay to relocate the fish.
I know there is a lot of politics and I have heard it today and people wonder why I get cranky because I criticised the government for not doing something and now it has come to the point where you have to do something. This is the point of no return. If you do not do something now you will get a mud-hole out there and you will get flack. If you do something you will get many people applauding your actions. I am putting it forward today as a matter of public importance because it is a public swimming hole, it is an historical site, and it is part of the Darwin tradition. You can fix it up and you will get all the praise. I will get a bit on the side if you do the right thing. However, if you do not do the right thing I can guarantee that the Friends of the Springs will be marching on this parliament asking why not. I said I will try my best in parliament but if nothing successful comes out of today I am sure they are not going to be happy. They want the ponds fixed.
That is why I am here standing up here today saying please, minister. There will not be any vote at the end of this. It is a discussion. I hope I hear some positive replies to what we have put. I know the people out there hope you will make a positive reply because we all want it to be a good little nature park that everyone can use and enjoy.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, I understand in the early moments of the debate that you sought leave to table some documents. Do you wish to table those documents?
Mr WOOD: I did.
Leave granted.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was quite shocked when the member for Nelson stood up and said that we were playing politics at Question Time. Member for Nelson, as a kid growing up in Darwin I have very fond memories of going to Howard Springs. The member for Nelson and people around the rural area are not the only ones who have an attachment to Howard Springs Nature Park.
Some of the issues that the member for Nelson touched on I had dealt with briefly in Question Time. I will go over some of that again. However, the member for Nelson says he knew about this issue in May. Not one approach in this whole time was made to me or my office in relation to this issue, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: Parks invited me to their meetings so they must have.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: If you wanted some action there was not one approach to me or my office to raise this issue.
Mr Wood: I went to that meeting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: There was a press release and we had a look at that. After all, we are in continuous dialogue with the department not only about Howard Springs but many of our parks which we need to look at.
Howard Springs Nature Park is a wonderful park. It is the Territory’s first park and the member for Nelson touched on its heritage values in connection with World War II, that it was a man-made swimming created for the benefit of the men and women of the Defence Force.
The member for Nelson just focused on the swimming hole. There is much more to the park than this. The nature park protects 283 hectares of diverse habitat including monsoon rainforests, swamps and river environments. There are many shady picnic areas with barbeques located in some of the grounds. A 1.8 km walking track winds its way through rainforests offering visitors a great chance to understand the trees, birds and animals that live in this special habitat.
Mr Wood: The tourist brochures say swimming.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Yes, the swimming hole is very important, however, it is not the whole park and each year more than 100 000 visitors enjoy all the attractions the park has to offer.
As I said in Question Time, the swimming hole did have to be closed for the Dry Season. When water flows are low, bacterial levels become too high to allow safe swimming. Recent water quality tests continue to show high levels of harmful bacteria in the pool. The water does not meet the required water quality standards for recreational water bodies. Weekly samplings of the waterhole and the associated paddling pool continues, and the pool will only be open for swimming when several water quality tests return low readings of harmful bacteria. Parks and Wildlife manage Howard Springs Nature Park in a way that keeps visitors safe. They have acted responsibly and they have my support. I do support the rangers, member for Nelson, contrary to what advice or views you might have heard.
The weather has played a significant role in the water quality problem. Last Wet Season was the 9th driest over the last 45 years, and four out of the last five Wet Seasons have been below average. Water flows to the swimming hole do dry up naturally in these low rainfall years. Certainly, the swimming hole has been closed in other low rainfall years and, in the 1990s, recommendations were made not to swim in the waterhole. That said, I am also very aware that the growing use of groundwater in the rural area has impacted on the spring that feeds the waterhole. The effect has been to enhance the natural reduction in water flows so the water stops flowing earlier than normal.
As I indicated earlier, immediate priority has been given to ensure the water quality in the swimming hole is sufficient to sustain the fish and other animals that depend on it. Parks and Wildlife has installed - and I know that you were quite critical of the aeration device to increase the level of oxygen in the water. The aerator has been successful. Before its introduction, the oxygen level in the water was 38%. This has now increased to 71%. The fish are, apparently, attacking the oxygen probes placed in the water, indicating that they are responding to the improved oxygen levels and have a good appetite. It will not be necessary to flush the pool or relocate the fish. The aeration device will be maintained permanently and floating aquatic vegetation will continue to be removed.
Government will also be immediately taking action to improve water flow by pumping into the pool from the nearby bore. The existing bore is currently being assessed and, if it is not possible for it to be used, then a new bore will be installed by the end of this month at a cost of approximately $25 000. It will not be necessary to use the bore all the time, however, it will be a very useful backup. Given that the draw down of the aquifer is part of the problem, any further use of the bore to supplement surface water flows in the swimming pool needs to be undertaken cautiously or we will make the problem worse. I am advised that the draw down from this particular bore will not, of itself, impact on spring flow. Water will only be applied when necessary.
I am confident that this action will lead to some significant improvements in water quality. We may not be able to avoid closing the swimming hole, however, it should be less frequently and for shorter durations.
In the longer term, we need to look at how we manage this great swimming spot in the face of reduced flows from groundwater. Parks and Wildlife is looking at a range of other options including many useful suggestions from the community. These will be considered as part of the plan of management, and there will be further community input.
The management issues at Howard Springs are also part of a much wider set of issues concerning water resources in the Territory. The member for Nelson should well understand these issues for the rural area having attended a recent public forum. This forum was very well attended. Officers from my department provided information of interest and explained the signs underlying government’s management of this valuable resource ...
Mr Wood: I organised it.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The department was very complimentary, member for Nelson and …
Mr Wood: I am very happy but it does not sound like I organised it.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: They also did the same presentation for me and it was very informative. Over 150 people, I understand, attended, which shows the level of interest.
The run of the dry Wet Seasons and the very low rainfall last Wet Season, combined with its early finish, have seen some quite natural phenomena happen that we are not used to but they are, nevertheless, natural.
The last serious rain was in March, two months early, and Howard Springs stopped flowing at the end of August, again, two months early. The aquifer system that sustains Howard Springs will survive. There are concerns and issues to manage, however, it is not about to collapse. As a whole, our groundwater resources will bounce back naturally. As a result of groundwater extraction in the rural area, we will see the more subtle results of change in groundwater-dependant ecosystems such as Howard Springs. Natural variations in flow may become a little more pronounced and a little more frequent, so at times we need to be prepared to give nature a bit of a hurry along, and that is our approach in strategically supplementing water flows to the waterhole.
We will be taking a strategic approach to our water resources in the rural area. A draft water allocation plan is being prepared and will go out for community comment early next year. Judging from the level of community interest in the recent public forum, I expect some healthy debate, and rightly so, because water is fundamental to our quality of life and those of the future generations. Right across the Northern Territory water issues are high on the list of community concerns. We recently had Community Cabinet in Alice Springs, and I listened to some very passionate views and ideas about water resource issues there. The issues are different but no less important.
I reiterate that it remains possible for young kids to swim at the wading pool near the kiosk at Howard Springs. The pool is chlorinated. It has not been closed and it continues to be used. Berry Springs swimming hole also remains open at the moment to swimming, so there is another option in the rural area. Government does spend considerable resources on Howard Springs. The swimming hole will be opened as soon as possible after tests show that it is safe and we are taking the practical steps to ensure that this happens as soon as possible.
Howard Springs Nature Park is a wonderful place for visitors and locals, and I will take on board some of those things that you have raised, member for Nelson.
I have to reiterate that I have been to Howard Springs, and whoever told you that they have not seen me out there, there cannot be too many short, little, black women who go out to Howard Springs, and maybe they should look out for me. I do not make it a habit of going up and saying …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Sometimes it is good just to go out there and have a look for yourself. I am not going to go up to rangers or other park staff and say: ‘Hi, I am your minister’. I also went to Gunn Point because there were issues to look at out there. Howard Springs is on the way, or you can go to Gunn Point first and Howard Springs on the way back. Do not stand up and say that you are the only one who has an interest in Howard Springs and our parks. We are very committed to our parks. There have been considerable resources put into our parks. I will go back again and have a look at some of the issues you have pointed out, and if it means meeting with the Friends of the Springs, I will do that and go through some of those issues.
As I said, there is strong action and we will be making sure that we move on this.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a matter of public importance and, as the member for Nelson rightly said, it is a golden opportunity for this government to act decisively. The core of this is, if there is a will the way has already been found. All the hard work, the stuff that you take so seriously, has already been done. A plan has been devised. Community consultation has occurred. The problem has been analysed, identified and solutions have been proposed at a community meeting organised by a community representative.
I am a member of the Palmerston community. The Palmerston community - 24 000 people, many families – is aware, and has been aware, of the decline over some time of Howard Springs Reserve. It is a place which exists in the memory of many families, most of whom would have accounts of visitors who have come from down south and visited Howard Springs Reserve. We have become accustomed to it and think of it as the place which we used to take the kids to when they were young. Often a visitor will arrive and we will say: ‘You should slip out of town and have a look at Howard Springs Reserve’. I have been surprised over the years at the level of endorsement of a wonderful facility by visitors from down south. It is a very important piece of our tourism infrastructure. It should ring alarm bells when the minister reads from a statement that there are 100 000 visitors a year; massive alarm bells. Fix it and you will gain great kudos.
It is clear what needs to occur. You have been presented with a wonderful opportunity. Twenty years ago was the last time this facility received attention. Now is the time to do something, and you can short-circuit it as the work has effectively been done. You will not know what to do with yourself as the consultation has occurred and you have outlined what needs to occur. This is one of those opportunities to get in there and to fix it up, and then in the next 20 years people will say what a great facility it is. Most people recall and slowly acknowledge the decline of this facility.
We are talking about something quite practical which requires immediate response; the opportunity to clean the place out has now been presented. The overhanging trees can be pruned and tidied up, and it also addresses the other problem to do with the bacteria. A new deep bore can be sunk starting immediately; the funding has even been identified. If I was in government, and government is obviously very busy, this is a piece of work which has already been done in every respect. The problem is clear, the solutions, and even the funding source, have been identified, and 100 000 visitors a year will be able to come to see the great work of a decisive government.
Here is an opportunity for you to begin to erode that perception that is pervading this community of yourselves; that of being tied to laborious processes of inaction, of consultation, of review after review, the establishing of action plans five, six, 10 point actions plans, as though that is the solution. That is a means to achieve a solution so get on with it and fix the problem. If there is a will there is a way and 100 000 people, visitors, will applaud you for your action.
I note in the minister’s response a reference to an underlying problem to do with the depletion of the aquifer. I am pleased to hear reference to a discussion document being prepared to deal with an important issue for the Top End that does of course result in the problem we are discussing now, which is Howard Springs Reserve having a depleted flow. There is an increased population and more water is being drawn from the aquifer which is resulting in diminished flows in lean times to a very important tourism and community infrastructure. That is welcomed as there are many things which can be discussed, and I look forward to that.
We do have a water problem, and it is time to get serious about issues related to water resources in the Top End. I add my support to the member for Nelson; I am very pleased to do so. I have received reports of the very well attended community meetings that were held with a very sincere purpose in mind, identifying a problem, bringing those who are concerned about that problem together to work on proactive solutions to the problem. That has been achieved and now we pass it across to the Northern Territory government for decisive action. The tone of the delivery of the speech by the member for Nelson which has been garnered by the discussions and the concerns of citizens has now come to the next stage and it is across to you, minister, and to this government.
There is not much more that can occur. Hopefully this is the end of the matter because now it is transferred across to the responsibility of government which has the capacity to respond quickly. The community will applaud you and it is absolutely necessary. I notice the minister will talk probably in the next little while about the draft Northern Territory Parks and Conservation Master Plan, an important document which has embedded within it the importance of tourism. Underneath this there are sound economic reasons why this should be addressed immediately. I add my support to the statement from the member for Nelson and I urge government to respond and act decisively.
Dr BURNS (Planning and Lands): Mr Deputy Speaker, this, indeed, is a matter of public importance and I am pleased to speak on this issue. There is no doubt, as has been discussed here today, that Howard Springs Nature Park does have a very important history and one time it was, I believe, the water supply for Darwin, and as other speakers have said, it was a man-made body of water. During the war there was a wall put there to enable allied troops to cool off there and to stop them going ‘troppo’ as they used to say in those particular days. It became a reserve in 1957 and it has been with Parks and Wildlife and its forerunners ever since.
There is an important history and the minister also talked about her personal history with this particular nature park and said, quite clearly, that contrary to what others have said earlier in the day, she has a long history with this park. She and her family, and extended family, have obviously enjoyed the park and its many recreational assets over many years. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a strong commitment on the part of the minister, just as there is from the member for Nelson, and concern about the Howard Springs Nature Park. Listening to the minister, the member for Nelson and the member for Blain, if you took some of the politics out of this, they would be pretty similar.
The member for Blain recently called for action. He said the consultation period is over, it is time for action whereas I heard very clearly during Question Time today, and subsequently in her speech, the minister has said that there is action being taken. I also take onboard what the member for Nelson said; he believes that the action undertaken by the minister may not be adequate. He wants more action, however, from what I can see this is an issue about water flow and the minister has pointed to a couple of aspects. We have had some very dry Wet Seasons over the last three years and this has impacted on the flow of water into Howard Springs Nature Park and also, very importantly, the minister also talked about the growing use of groundwater in the rural area, and that has impacted on the spring that feeds the waterhole.
I know when I was minister, not only for Parks and Wildlife, but when I had water resources in my portfolio area, the issue of groundwater and the aquifer in the rural area was an issue that a number of people brought to me at various times. It is a very emotive issue and does draw very sharp emotions. People out on rural blocks have an interest in this. You are very dependent on your groundwater or, if you have a business such as an orchard, you need that groundwater to make a living. It is not only a necessity, it is a very important part of our economy.
As the minister said, this is something that has to be looked at in the longer term. The member for Nelson will, naturally, be a big part of that, as will the member for Goyder and I suppose the member for Daly, because these are all issues that impact very importantly in these areas. There will be a very intense period of debate. However, I will come to the very fact that I have talked about here: there is a problem with water flow, and it comes back to dry Wet Seasons and to groundwater use.
What has the minister proposed? The minister has proposed that a bore will be sunk in the very near future to supply a stream of water into Howard Springs Nature Park. She also said, very clearly I recall, that that bore will not impact on the spring. I believe that was an issue raised by the member for Nelson. That should satisfy the member for Nelson in that regard.
The member for Nelson was not keen on the idea of aeration to solve some of the bacterial issues there. He did not think that was an adequate solution. Maybe I misheard what the member for Nelson had to say, but he did not think that was adequate. With the doubling of oxygen content within that body of water, it will have a massive effect on the bacteria that had been causing the problem. By oxygenating it, it will cut down the amount of bacteria there. I also listened carefully to what the minister had to say about the fish starting to nibble voraciously at the nipples of the oxygenator, showing that they are taking an active interest in the oxygen that is being pumped through the water. Let us hope the health and the appetite of the fish is being increased by these …
A member: It is high above the water; they cannot get there.
Dr BURNS: That is what I thought they meant …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: They are attacking oxygen probes, sorry, that are placed in the water. Obviously, that is what the minister was referring to. I suppose bathers, when it is open again, can expect the very pleasurable experience of swimming in the Howard Springs Nature Park.
The member for Nelson emphasised he wants the whole of the body of water at the nature park drained. I am pretty sure he said that. He said he wanted, in that process, the fish and the turtles to be relocated - I assumed temporarily - while the whole thing is dug out. The information that I had when I was minister was that trying to excavate the hole would only exacerbate the problem with the bacteria there, and it was better to get a good flush of water through there in the Wet Season rather than stir up all the leaf debris that is there. That was the advice I received when I was minister.
I was also advised by the member for Casuarina who, as most members would know, is a former environmental health officer. He recalls in the mid-1990s that Howard Springs Nature Park had to be closed a number of times. I suggest to the member for Nelson that there is probably a long history of closure of the park, I suppose, from the time when water sampling was done about this very issue. We are contending here, member for Nelson, with nature.
I commend the park service for the way in which it is trying to address and remediate this problem. It is a very wise way forward, and it will bear fruit. Time will show. All we can do is join in prayer, member for Nelson, for a great Wet Season next year. I suppose we are not Moses; we cannot smite the rock and a new spring will appear. However, I suppose we can all join in prayer that the good Lord sends a good Wet Season next year, flushes Howard Springs out, replenishes the aquifer, and everyone will live happily ever after.
Mr Wood: Hallelujah, brother!
Dr BURNS: That is right. As far as I can make out, Parks and Wildlife is working very hard to rectify this particular issue. I hope Howard Springs continues to be an asset to the people of the Northern Territory and the visitors to the Northern Territory. I commend the minister and the department for their response. I also commend you, member for Nelson. You have raised an issue which I believe is being adequately addressed. I support the minister in her response.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
I would like to recognise the passing of a well-respected Central Australian, Barry Bohning, on 3 October 2005 at the age of 65. Barry was born in Tasmania and moved to the Northern Territory as an eight-year-old with his family. The Bohnings used to own Helen Springs Station near Tennant Creek before selling the property. Barry also worked as a stockman at Kurundi Station south of Tennant Creek, and as a motorbike mechanic and an ambulance driver in Alice Springs. Barry also worked at the Alice Springs Hospital for 42 years, and was one of its longest serving employees. Most of those years were as an orderly.
I would like to share a few stories from staff at the hospital who worked with Barry over the years. The first is from Joe Hayes who worked in the transport section at the Alice Springs Hospital. Joe recalls working with Barry back in the 1970s in the store, and remembers how much Barry loved his job, as well as being someone who was very friendly and easy to get along with. Another person who worked with Barry was Chris Burrows, the Business Manager at the Alice Springs Hospital. Chris was recruited by Barry back in 1977 as an orderly. Chris remembers back in those days when St John was not in town and the hospital was responsible for the ambulance run, both in town and in the rural area. Barry was responsible for showing Chris the ropes and preparing him for the job.
One thing that Chris was particularly impressed with about Barry was his ability to handle difficult situations, such as the hot air balloon disaster in 1989. Barry, who also worked with Emergency Services during this tragic event, is remembered for the professional and dignified way in which he handled himself and worked with the others.
Barry will be mostly remembered for his tireless work with the Central Australian Show Society since the first show and was the society’s president for ten years. In recognition of Barry’s contribution to the show society, the oval in Blatherskite Park was named the Barry Bohning Oval. Barry will always be remembered as an easy going guy and always after a good laugh.
Barry is survived by two sons, Nick and Kim, grandson, Patrick, and granddaughters, Megan and Jessica.
I also take this opportunity to talk a little about what I see as very promising developments in Alice Springs regarding the responses to recent high levels of violence that are arising out of family feuds that have begun in surrounding communities in Central Australia and spilt into town as ongoing conflicts. It resulted in levels of trauma that have come into the emergency department of the hospital above what we normally see, and very worrying incidents where police have confiscated quite large numbers of weapons from young people at the grand final of the football or immediately before it. Thank goodness they moved in and did that before the crowd assembled.
Clearly, these offences are very difficult for a government to confront and, in fact, it is probably impossible for governments of any description to fully address all of the dynamics of the current situation. What we need is a very active partnership with the families and the communities from where these would-be offenders have come. There are well known feud situations that will work through our mediation processes and as well as the police offering of enforcement of law and order to try to intervene at a formal level of government service delivery. However, to solve a family feud you have to mobilise the families and particularly the people with authority over family members to work alongside police, to work alongside people in our Justice department and with the other organisations around town and in the non-government sectors to bring peace and harmony back to these families.
To that end, during the Community Cabinet in Alice Springs last week, we convened a forum for indigenous organisations to come together to start to look at a possible approach to these problems of violence and law breaking. What impressed me about the meeting, which was attended by Tangentyere Council, Congress, Lhere Artepe, Relekha from the Ntaria area and some members of the Warlpiri communities, is that there is a huge sense of urgency amongst the senior people in those organisations, the families and groups that they represent, particularly the Aranda people in Alice Springs.
We are starting to see two ways in which action can be taken. One is by the Aranda people asserting their right to control behaviour on their country, particularly with visiting groups that have come in from other surrounding areas. In fact, it is a very ancient right that belongs within indigenous groups to dictate or control what behaviour will occur and what visitations will occur on traditional country. This is simply returning to, or asserting, age old rights that the Aranda people have. Lhere Artepe is very determined to assert those rights in Alice Springs which is their country and that is a very powerful basis to start mobilising the local Aranda people to start to set some expectations of what behaviour is appropriate and what behaviour is not appropriate within the Alice Springs area and surrounds.
They believe that they will not be able to do that alone. They will need a very strong partnership with the town council and with the Northern Territory government. They will also need very strong networking with the elders of the surrounding communities, the Anmatjere lands, the Warlpiri lands, the Alyawarra, and south into Western Aranda and Pitjantjatjara areas. I have never seen a more focused and determined group than that forum. They are now moving to have follow-up meetings and I hope that this start can lead to some determined action.
I will not compromise the outcomes of the first meeting and the planned follow-up to it until the groups have gone away and done what we have all agreed to do. However, I can say that from the point of view of the Northern Territory government, and my particular role as Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, we will provide every assistance to these indigenous organisations as representatives of the Aranda people and the peoples around Alice Springs whether that be partnering them to police enforcement, to the sentencing processes of our courts, or to the use of by-laws at a council level. All of those things should be available in the mix of action, provided the groups are trying to fully assert their right to control the behaviour of their community members and visitors coming into that area. That will be a new pressure on the type of trends which we are seeing at the moment in criminal and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs.
We will see how this develops. Half of the battle for everyone, whether it be someone with my responsibilities, or our public servants who are out there trying to achieve the good outcomes for our communities, or whether it be indigenous leaders who are under a lot of pressure with the level of dysfunction which often occurs, is that we all need to know that each other exists and that we can get an effective working arrangement in place. We will see where it goes. I can say I came out of that meeting re-energised in having another go at tackling the antisocial and criminal behaviour in Alice Springs. We are going to have some very strong people side-by-side trying to make a difference and an impact.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak of the excellent events and achievements throughout the electorate of Port Darwin. National Police Remembrance Day was held on 29 September. A service to commemorate the fallen and to celebrate the dedication and lives of the extraordinary and courageous men and women of the Northern Territory Police Service was held at the St Mary’s Cathedral. This day of remembrance was supported by members of the government, opposition and public. The service commenced by parading the flag of the Northern Territory and the colours of the Northern Territory Police and the Australian Federal Police which symbolises our heritage, justice, integrity and service. As a new member of government, this was my first attendance at this moving occasion. It made me reflect on the contribution these officers and their families have made towards the development of the Territory and its laws. We must always recognise these achievements in the history of the Territory.
After the service, I am told that many a good story is swapped at the regular luncheon held at the SKYCITY Casino. This get together is organised by the Retired Police Association of the Northern Territory and Police Legacy. A special thanks to Father John Kelliher and Major Peter Wright, Chaplain for the service. The wonderful music was provided by a number of talented people such as Captain Lindsay Mee and the Australian Army Band, the Darwin Chorale under the direction of Nora Lewis, Darwin Youth and Children’s Choir under the direction of Emma Tantengco, organist, Bill Griffiths, vocalists, Sand Williams, Doug Lofts and Dave Skelton. I also mention the beautiful photograph used for the official program which was taken by Craig Windebank.
I had the opportunity to attend the Telstra Business Women’s Award lunch on 4 October where a constituent of Port Darwin, Ms Teresa Anderson of Kabuki Haircutters in Mitchell Street, won the Panasonic Young Business Women’s Award. Well done to Teresa and the team. I enjoyed having lunch with some enthusiastic Darwin business women; Veronica Peetz, Sally Sunits, Sue Smith and Veronica Warnham. All are achieving good things in their respective fields.
On 6 October, the Darwin Deckchair Cinema was the venue for a fundraising event held by the African Australian Friendship Association. A powerful and magnificently beautiful movie entitled Moolaade was shown. This evening was also supported by tantalising African food and music by local African musicians. Some of the organisers of this event were Ms Frederica Gaskell, Mach Mchawala, Felize Mpele and Charles Pitia. They advised that many of Darwin’s African community contributed with the cooking and were tirelessly dedicated workers for the occasions. Without them, functions would not be possible, or as successful.
On 19 September, I attended the Stuart Park Primary School Council meeting, and they were encouraging fathers, uncles, pops and brothers to get involved in their school activities and curriculum. The involvement will give students access to these male figures in many different ways, by learning about their jobs, their positions in the community, and their personal history in the Territory or other states of Australia. The school intends to have guest speakers, excursions to the workplace, sports involving father/son or daughter teams, using tools from the trades in conjunction with maths exercises, and promoting the arts with male relatives who can dance, sing or play different instruments. Richard Woodside is the teacher coordinating this program, and is encouraging males to get involved to promote positive male role models in schools.
Stuart Park Primary School is also having a fundraising event on 20 October at the Deckchair Cinema. This function will commence at 6 pm and is titled Super Heroes with Superman being screened and the children all dressing as their favourite super hero.
A big thank you is extended to Larrakeyah Primary School who hosted Community Cabinet for the government on 20 September. This was well participated in by residents of Port Darwin. The parents manned the barbecue and the soft drinks, and I extend my thanks to Belinda and Bertram Birk, Robyn Appleby, Juliet Cooper, Kathy Cantrell, Grace and Gus Matarazzo, Jo McLatchey, Emma and Holly Liveris, and Muriel and Peter Weir.
The Larrakeyah Primary School Community must be congratulated on the way their school was presented. Many thanks to Jo Wynn, Principal, and Michael Calwell, Assistant Principal. The school looked great and everyone enjoyed themselves.
St Mary’s School held their major fundraising event, the Build-up Ball on 17 September at SKYCITY Casino. It was a very successful evening. I spent a great time in the company of Peter and Carol Poniris and their daughter, Kelly, who sang the National Anthem. An auction was held during the evening and Bryon Wauchope from KG Young was enlisted for his talents as an auctioneer. My limited participation was to act as a spotter. My colleague, Mr Vatskalis, added to his art collection with a successful bid on a painting.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I acknowledge the good work of somebody well known to all honourable members: the Clerk of the Northern Territory parliament, Mr Ian McNeill. Mr McNeill was recently awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding service to the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory over the past 20 years.
After serving as an Officer of the Australian Senate from 1966 to 1985, including service in the Bills and Papers Office, the Table Office, the Procedure Office, the Office of the Usher of the Black Rod, and the Committee Office, Ian arrived in Darwin in 1985 to the position of Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. During his time as Deputy Clerk, Ian served as a secretary on the Select Committee on Interactive Television Gaming, and on the House and Public Accounts Committees.
During the period up until 1994, the Legislative Assembly was housed in the old Chan Building and, as the Deputy Clerk, Ian’s knowledge and experience meant he was able to provide valuable advice on the design, operation and layout of the new Parliament House, helping to ensure its effective operation until today.
Ian has worked with successive governments to support constitutional and procedural reform and has been a major contributor to the development of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and its committees. During his time in the Assembly, Ian has treated all members and governments with the professionalism and confidentiality that is vital to his role, regardless of their political affiliation, and has won the respect of all members.
Ian has also played an important role in the recording and acknowledgement of the history of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly with the implementation of the oral history project and the erection of historical markers in the Parliamentary Precinct. He has also been responsible for the development of curriculum resource materials for students and the implementation and successful operation of the annual Youth Parliament.
Over the past 20 years, the Clerk in his current role and, previously as the Deputy Clerk, has provided advice and guidance to the Assembly and parliamentary committees and, as a result, has ensured the operation at the highest levels of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory. Indeed, Ian has most recently provided this advice and guidance to me as a Speaker, for which I thank him. I look forward to continuing to work with him in the future.
Tonight, I also inform the Assembly of some of the recent visits made by international and local guests to Parliament House. In the ceremonial role of the Speaker, I have met with delegations and individuals from a range of places and walks of life. In August, I met with Mr Tamam Souliman, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to Australia, along with Mr Mohammad Alghezzawi, second secretary, and Mr Muhanned Qassar, Arabic correspondence. Mr Souliman has been a diplomat for many years in such varied roles as liaison and translation for the United Nations, where he also participated in the General Assembly Non-nuclear Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, to participating in foreign ministry delegations in Arab, African, Asian and European countries to his current duties as the Ambassador in Canberra.
The opportunity to speak with a delegation from this part of the world proved very interesting, and by the time the visit was over, I had an invitation to visit Syria and, in fact, this was conveyed to me by a letter as well, and all honourable members were invited to form a delegation to visit Syria.
Mr Souliman, well travelled by any standards, was very impressed by what he had seen of the Northern Territory, with particular enthusiasm for making a return journey to visit Central Australia and its many attractions. I am sure when that time comes, Mr Souliman, as with so many visitors, including me, to this beautiful part of our Territory, will be as impressed by the hospitality and friendliness of Central Australians as he is by the natural wonders that draw tourists there from all corners of the globe.
During the months of August and September, I was pleased to receive calls from visiting ships from Singapore and Thailand. The first was a party from the Singaporean Navy patrol boat, RSS Persistence, led by Deputy Fleet Commander, Colonel Tan Tow Koon, accompanied by Lt Col Bernard Song, Lt Col Chow Kim Chong, Captain She Shau Koon, and eight junior officers. Also accompanying the group was Captain Peter Marshall from the Royal Australian Navy.
In September, came a delegation from the Royal Thai Navy, headed by Rear Admiral Dumrongsak Haocharoen, Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Naval Academy, and Captain Anupong Taprasob, Commanding Officer of the HTMS Taksin, once again accompanied by Captain Peter Marshall of the RAN.
The ships visiting Darwin were on training cruises to allow midshipmen and junior officers to experience the full range of activities and employment at sea in a modern warship. The behaviour of the crews was impeccable throughout their visit, although it is interesting to note that the junior officers were required to be back aboard their ships by 9 pm, in most cases, I suspect, well before Mitchell Street swings into action.
During the official calls, I found the level of interest in Darwin and the Northern Territory very high with Kakadu and crocodiles high on the agenda. It was also interesting to note that during their visits representatives of their ethnic communities went to great lengths to ensure their time in Darwin was well spent.
I was pleased to host these visits, which are representative of the many visits made each year to Darwin by our neighbours and allies. These visits are of great benefit to the Northern Territory economy and Darwin’s reputation as a welcoming port for such visitors continues to grow.
In August, I was pleased to host an afternoon tea for Mrs Vi Oliver, with her daughter, Ms Sue Oliver, and friend, Ms Elizabeth Desailly, in celebration of Mrs Oliver’s 89th birthday. Mrs Oliver has lived in the Northern Territory, including Alice Springs, for over 20 years. Vi is an important member of the Oliver/Trollope/Curnow household in Ludmilla and is well known and loved by many people who have, over the years, enjoyed her friendship and her kindness to themselves and their children, and her friends tried to ensure that she was given a special treat to celebrate her birthday. As Vi was unable to attend the afternoon teas for seniors that were held during the last sittings, I was pleased to be able to host a special one in honour of her birthday. I am told that Vi enjoyed her first visit to Parliament House, the afternoon tea and tour of the parliament. I sincerely hope she will return at some stage.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to talk on one of the recent community festivals held in Katherine, the annual Flying Fox Festival. This festival has been an annual event for quite a few years, and has a theme which events and activities are organised to complement.
The theme for this year’s festival, People Living, People Speaking, has continued the themes of previous festivals in that it encourages such a wide diversity of expression. We are very lucky in the Katherine region to have so much talent and skill across a wide variety of media. This is highlighted throughout the year with the many art and cultural activities that Katherine showcases. The Flying Fox Festival compacted these gifted and talented people and activities into eight days with events that were so varied that there was something for everyone.
I will give an overview of what happened during the festival. The COGSO Club in conjunction with Katherine Regional Arts and Katherine Town Council ran a caf club for parents, community and children who wished to showcase or perform an item as part of the lead up to the Flying Fox Festival main event. It was an encouragement for them to improve their performing skills.
The Katherine Prize, which began over 25 years ago, has grown into a marvellous collection of art and craft for the community. Brian and Jeanette Lambert have supported this exhibition since its inception and the Lambert family are continuing into the future. This special exhibition encourages Territory artists to enter each year. The exhibition also includes a youth section. It is always a marvellous showcase of Territory talent in art and craft, with the Katherine community through the Katherine Town Council and the Lambert family having acquired an extensive collection. The artwork of the major prize winner is acquired by the Katherine Town Council so it is a very interesting collection of art. It will be fabulous when we finally have an appropriate area to display such great works.
Getting back to the festival there was a comedy/musical cabaret performance by David Scheel, which I unfortunately did not get the opportunity to experience as there were so many events simultaneous to enjoy. On the same evening as the cabaret performance, I had the wonderful experience of receiving 15 debutantes and their partners at the Katherine Debutante Ball, held for the first time in the grounds of the museum. Traditionally, this debutante ball has been called the Mayoral Deb Ball and held in the grounds of the Civic Centre. For various reasons, the Katherine Town Council decided not to continue that tradition this year. Several parents and young ladies were extremely disappointed with that decision so Chris de Witte, who has been training the debs and their partners for 10 years, after holding talks with other community people, decided to go ahead with the training and hold the ball in the grounds of the museum and historical society.
What a wonderful decision that was as the work that was put into the area by so many willing volunteers, parents and other community people, turned the grounds into a fairyland with a huge dancing area that can be utilised in the future. The fairy lights that were placed through and around the trees and the candles on the tables were fantastic. It was a delight to see these lovely young people so beautifully presented and thoroughly enjoying themselves. It just reminded me of how old I am growing because it only seems like yesterday I was a debutante myself. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the privilege of receiving them.
I would like to put on the record the names of the debs and their partners: Rachelle McKerlie and Jeremy Czoloszynski; Keran Donzow and John Bright; Sherry Crowley and Patrick Lucchese; Sally Cook and Jared Cheetham; Shannon Trattles and Alan Purcher; Jessica Canning and Jed Henderson; Keira Wardly and Giulio Puccetti; Lauren Croft and Shane Walker; Cassandra Champ and Ashley Smith; Caitlyn Lowe and Adrian Croft; Amy Barton and Oliver Ogilvie; Sinead Stubbs and Dwayne Beaumont; Lisa Wilton and Mark Lemura; Kylee Fletcher and Dan de Witte; and Rachel McClellan and David Reed. The gorgeous little flower girl was Trinity Duncan who was like a little princess and she was partnered by a very handsome Hamish Croft with the maids of honour being Samantha Russell and Traci Cook.
Following the formal presentation, the debutantes and their partners took to the dance floor and showed us how well they had been trained by Chris de Witte in the weeks prior. The evening continued with a great meal capably provided by Steve Laurie and staff from Kumbidgee Lodge and that was followed by plenty of dancing for all. This wonderfully happy event will be long remembered and hopefully continued in the same location well into the future.
The festival continued with the fun of the dragon boat races in Katherine Gorge which was not to be missed and was very capably compered by Daryl Manzie. It was great to see so many teams of people getting together to have such fun - if you can call paddling like fury over a small distance fun. I have to confess that I enjoyed viewing the races from the rescue boat on the river which was very pleasurable indeed. Teams came from Nhulunbuy, Kununurra and Darwin and, along with the local teams, made great entertainment for the spectators as well as themselves.
St Paul’s Anglican Church held their annual music and arts festival on the Saturday evening and this was a huge success with locals having the opportunity to not only exhibit their artwork depicting ‘people living, people speaking’, but to also perform musically and show us their talents. The performances included the Katherine choir which is fortunate to have the talent of Jen Scott as their conductor, an accomplished player of several musical instruments. The evening was complete with gourmet food for dinner sitting under the stars. The hard work and volunteer women of St Paul’s did an excellent job in providing such yummy food for so many people and more people than they expected. It was an excellent night.
The Neighbourhood Watch family fun day in Ryan Park followed the next morning which provided some great activities for families to participate in. There was a jumping castle, face painting, merry-go-round, fire engine, a fabulous clown and his funny little car, and a sausage sizzle amongst other displays. This fun morning was well attended and enjoyed by all. There was a ‘strut your stuff’ and local photographic exhibition with an ‘open mic’ session with the Katherine Region of Writers where you could give your original works, including songs, a public airing and the photographic exhibition was in the theme of ‘people living, people speaking’.
Tuesday evening saw the Fist Full of Films at the training centre outdoor stage at which 20 short films were shown. The top 20 short films in the Northern Territory this year included a film by very talented local resident Megan Holt. This short film called ‘Journey’ was very powerful and reflected Megan and her family’s personal challenges that they have faced through illness over the past couple of years.
We also had the pleasure of Lambu Lambu Aboriginal song, dance and music at the tick market area which showcased indigenous song, dance, music and art. The didgeridoo competition for the best traditional and contemporary player was so keenly contested that the judge, Paddy Fordham, could not decide on a winner and very tactfully divided the prize money between all performing players. It was interesting to see that most of the didgeridoo players were international tourists and they sure did themselves proud, they were very good. Renowned indigenous band Nabarlek and the Sandridge band were the highlight of the evening which was enjoyed by all.
The following evening at sunset the flying fox walk and talk was held at the high level bridge with Parks and Wildlife Rangers and this gave everybody the opportunity to not curse the flying foxes but actually enjoy their presence. Friday night, local artist, Danelle Batchler, held her inaugural art exhibition in the June Tapp room. It was great to see the support for Danelle’s work with many new faces at the exhibition and the encouragement given to her with the sale of some of her pieces.
There has certainly been something for everyone during this year’s Flying Fox Festival and the theme People Living, People Speaking has been expressed so adequately through the many activities and events that were organised. The grand finale, called the Main Event, highlighted the talents of many local people and it was enjoyed by an extremely large crowed.
The community held its tick market at this function which made for a very festive family event with plenty to eat, drink and entertainment including horse rides. In addition, a huge display of vehicles from vintage to the most modern was well received and will hopefully become an ongoing part of this community event. I congratulate all the people who put so much hard work into making this year’s 2005 Flying Fox Festival the success that is was. I have to especially mention Dallas Meeson and the Katherine Town Council and Nicole Rowan from Arts Katherine. There were many others who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the Flying Fox Festival and I would never be able to name them all but, to sum it up, well done to all of the Katherine Community.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I take the opportunity this evening to outline a few events that have occurred in my electorate of Drysdale over the last couple of months. My electorate is very diverse and covers an unusual expanse of land encompassing various forms of community and industry.
Drysdale has five schools within its boundaries, and I want to outline a couple of major events which two of these schools have undertaken during our recess. As all of my fellow members are aware, the 8th World Solar Challenge 2005 has just concluded. It is an international event which was started in Australia in 1987 by the Danish born explorer, Hans Tholstrup. It attracts entries from all over the globe; this year 25 solar entries and 12 ‘greenfleet’ from countries such as the USA, Japan, several European countries, Iran, Taiwan, Canada, and a couple of Australian states.
Known as the ‘brain sport’, the World Solar Challenge entrants travelled more than 3000 km, leaving Darwin on Sunday, 25 September, setting their sights on travelling to Adelaide in the quickest time possible in cars powered only by the sun and, in a few other cases, alternative energy fuels. The challenge promotes education and technical excellence, drawing attention to the imperatives of sustainable transport and providing a focus for bright young minds in the fields of physics, engineering, mathematics, electrochemistry, multi-disciplined learning, and personal development.
I am extremely proud to say that Kormilda College has competed in the challenge again, a task they have undertaken since 1996. Their vehicle, Towards Tomorrow, was removed from storage, dusted off and re-vamped by the team for the trip to Adelaide. On the Friday prior to the start of the challenge, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit the registration and scrutineering mooring at the Foskey Pavilion at the showground. I met two members of their team at the display. Glen Summers and Francis Allan represented the team at the pavilion and answered questions from school children. I want to say how impressive these two young gentlemen were. They conducted themselves admirably and exhibited maturity, confidence, and knowledge beyond their years, whilst answering some very posing questions from primary school children and visiting adults.
The Kormilda students gathered a very capable crew of 17 team members with interests in science and engineering. Several of these students have been involved in previous challenges, after having followed their interest from Year 8. The vehicle affectionately labelled by the group as the Cockroach, again served the team well. They finished the race in Adelaide on Saturday, 1 October at 1.24 pm in 14th place overall, winning the Stock Class Section of the challenge and the Schools Division - a wonderful feat for a Territory school competing against some amazing pieces of equipment from countries which have invested millions of dollars into the technology of solar power.
It gives me great pleasure in naming the dedicated team members and their support staff for the challenge: Michael Copley; Jaxon Finestone; Kerri Hauser; Danielle Humphris; Dannielle Kitchen; Ben Saunders; Owen Henry; Michael Molina; Rowena Molina; Sally-Anne Orchard; Austin Wonaemirra; Francis Allan; Norman Eagle; Arlo Meehan-Tille; Glen Summers; Chris Taylor and Alex Willoughby. Well done to all for their dedicated effort.
The team was admirably supported by a wonderful team of parents and friends in the support vehicle, and managed by the Head of the Science Faculty, Mr Martin Willoughby. The team and college had fantastic support from some dedicated sponsors, and I acknowledge them in Hansard on their behalf. Thank you to the CDU, Darwin Mitsubishi, Bank SA, All Financial Services, Merit Partners, Power and Water, FCL Transport, Norsign, In Motion Technology, Navcom, Mr Felino Molina and Mr Lawrence Stubbs.
Collective congratulations must be extended to all those involved. What a wonderful effort for a Territory college to not only compete in such a highly regarded world-focused activity, but to finish the race over a 3000 km journey, and finish high in the rankings. It was a truly remarkable performance; one for the Northern Territory to be extremely proud of. Well done, Kormilda College.
While talking about the events of the college, I want to acknowledge the participants from the college in the Tournament of Minds and their current achievements. A team of seven pupils from Years 8, 9 and 10 recently competed in and won the maths and engineering section of the Northern Territory regional final of the Tournament of Minds. This competition is a problem solving competition which is held annually around Australia. The team will now be representing the Northern Territory in Sydney at the Australian final on 15 October. I take this opportunity to congratulate the team members: Adam Pulford, Thomas Bade, Polly Henry, Rebecca Lambert, Haydn Lee, Gabriel Morriss, and Yasmine Osborne and wish them all the best this weekend in Sydney.
The second primary school I would like to acknowledge this evening is Driver Primary School. On Thursday, 8 September, the very proud and forward thinking primary school celebrated its 20th birthday. Driver Primary School began in 1985, with a small staff initially based at Berrimah Primary School as the school was in the later stages of its construction. In January 1986, the school then moved to the current site in Driver. In the early days, students were taken by bus to and from the school from a wide local area. The opening of the Moulden Primary School in January 1987 eased the pressure and the Driver school attendance settled into more comfortable numbers and curricula.
It is with great pleasure that I inform the House of a very special achievement. Mr Art Libien has been a teacher at the Driver Primary School for every single one of those 20 years. During his time, Mr Libien has taught students from Transition to Year 7. Mr Libien is a well liked and respected member of the Driver Primary School staff and we hope he continues to enjoy working there for many more years to come. As an aside, I understand that our very own Minister for Employment, Education and Training’s son was taught Indonesian by Mr Art Libien some years ago and is still remembered fondly by the minister’s family.
The Driver Primary School has much to celebrate. They are an active school, with innovative and energetic programs. The school opened their Early Learning Environment in March this year, the first in the Northern Territory. I am sure several members may also have attended the Driver Primary School International Food Fair, Twilight Sports or school concerts over the years.
The 20th birthday celebrations were marked with food stalls and school children enacting music, dances and games. A huge birthday cake was wheeled out at the conclusion of the entertainment and cut by the first principal of Driver Primary School, Mrs Daphne Read, and the teacher who has been there throughout its first 20 years, Mr Art Libien. It was my great pleasure to attend and be part of the 20th birthday celebrations. I congratulate all past and present students, teachers and school council members for their contribution throughout the years.
I also make special mention of the 20th Birthday Committee: Jodi Carbery, Raelene Babore, Kim Byron, Tracey Johnston, Neil Stephenson, Jo Jefferson, Kate Hender, Carmen Jones, and Fathma Mauger; the Driver Primary School Council members: Wally Mauger, Wendy Woods, Matt Darcey, Jodi Carbery, Rhonda Zerbe, Aiden McCaw, Tracey Johnston, Craig Smith, Raelene Babore, Graham Carvolth, Kim Byron, Karen Johnson and Jannine Hardy; the principal, Mr Rob Presswell, and Acting Principal at the time, Fathma Mauger; and the Driver Primary School Staff Council Reps: Mark Monaghan, Kate Hassett, Judy Fleming, Marg Moon and Jo Jefferson.
It was a wonderful and well attended event, something for all involved to be very proud of. My congratulations go to the school on a wonderful and fruitful 20 years.
We have some really innovative schools in the Northern Territory, with some very talented students. I will be more than pleased in future to bring to this forum the feats of the schools within my electorate.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I pay tribute to an amazing woman in Alice Springs, an inspiration to all who knew her, and a well known matriarch; a woman whose recollections of early settlement in Central Australia remain valuable to historians and Territorians. I speak, of course, of Jean Lillian Hayes, nee Bloomfield. For those of you who did not know her, I would like to spend my time this evening telling the Assembly something about her amazing life and the memorable changes she witnessed growing up in the Alice. Unfortunately, Jean died in August.
Jean Hayes arrived in the world on Valentine’s Day 1916, sister to Harry and the second child for Lillian and Lewis, fondly known as Lew Bloomfield. A younger sister was born soon after who throughout her life remained one of Jean’s best friends, Peg. Sadly, her second sister, Grace, died as a baby.
Jean Hayes first came to Alice Springs as a month old baby in a horse-drawn buggy. She was to be a very important part of the famous pioneering family in Central Australia. Her early memories of the town recall it as only having about eight houses. She would often fondly recall that she had seen more changes than most in the region going from virtually a one horse town right through to where Alice Springs is today. Jean’s father, Lew, was a pastoralist and an outstanding horseman who bred horses for the Indian Army at Loves Creek Station east of Alice Springs. Jean was no slouch in this area. She was an excellent horse rider and won several cups in her time.
Jean’s mother, Lillian, spent a lot of time away from the family due to medical reasons so Lew asked his sister from Victoria to come and help raise the girls and turn them into ladies. I quote a passage from Jean’s eulogy:
In her youth, Central Australia was one of the country’s most remote regions, without rail or air services and most provisions and materials carted overland by camels from the rail head at Oodnadatta. The children’s world co-existed with the Aboriginal world which was only few hundred yards down the creek. Jean’s fascination of little animals included a puppy named Yapper that she was given as a child. Her family recalled in her eulogy that Lew told Jean not to bring the puppy near the cattle yard so she threw Yapper over the fence. Jean was heartbroken when she learnt that she had dislocated Yapper’s leg. From the eulogy:
The early years for Jean and her family were bereft of the luxuries we take for granted today. Although Jean always said she never felt deprived by the lack of luxuries, she became very familiar with kerosene lamps, washboards and coppers, coal irons, salted meat and homemade soap and fruit that had a suspiciously familiar smell of camel’s urine!
Jean had been known to argue when people referred to her as a ‘pioneer’. Jean said about her and her close sister, Peg, in a newspaper interview with the Centralian Advocate:
A governess arrived at Loves Creek in the mid-1920s to teach Jean, her sister and brother. She was very strict, however, Jean proudly used to boast that she must have done a great job because only after 18 months the governess moved on and Jean’s mother put them into correspondence school with Jean starting off in Grade 4. She went from Grade 1 to Grade 4 in only 18 months. Jean loved being outside. She did not want to be inside all day and always found things to do outside like riding the ponies, donkeys and goats, or droving with her father during the holidays.
Jean Hayes was present during one of Central Australia’s milestones - the first train arriving in Alice Springs in 1929. She said in an interview with a Centralian film maker: ‘We came in from Loves Creek especially to see that train come in. And another special trip was to hear the first wireless’. Although she did admit to not being able to hear a thing on it except static. Both Jean and her sister, Peg, saw the first plane land in town, then called Stuart, in 1921. The DH4 biplane, owned by Francis Biggs, landed on the site later to become the town’s first airport at the old Connellan hanger. Jean remembers this as ‘a great day’.
One of Jean’s fondest memories around this time was of her father, Lew, driving their first car to the Alice Springs Telegraph Station to collect the mail. The postmaster and the postal workers all came out to see the family leave. Jean said: ‘About 10 or 20 yards into reverse, he flew back at all these people. You never saw such a scattering in all your life’. When Jean first got a motor car they were never required to have a driver’s licence. There was no registration of a motor car.
Jean first met her husband, pastoralist Ted Hayes, when he was seven years old. Ted’s family came to Undoolya Station when she was five. Jean was 21 and Ted was 23 when they married. The newlyweds moved to Owen Springs for three years before moving back to manage Undoolya. In 1950, Jean and Ted bought Undoolya from Ted’s parents. They were hard years indeed.
During the 1960s drought, they purchased Deep Well Station and put down many bores on both properties. While Ted was often away from his family mustering stock, Jean looked after things managing to create a home and garden on a rocky outcrop that is the Undoolya Homestead. Outback life was not without its risks. Jean was doing her bit opening one of the property’s gates delivering smoko, when on one occasion her car rolled forward trapping her. The pressure from the car cut off the circulation in her feet. By the time she was discovered she had had to be rushed to hospital never ever walking properly again. But she never once complained. In good humour, she told her daughter, Julie, ‘that it might be a little harder to climb the golden staircase’.
Jean spent 50 wonderful years on the station with her three children. A lovely memorial from Jean’s eulogy was:
When her husband, Ted, passed away in March 1988, Jean retired with a small dog into a brand new unit in Alice Springs. Jean said it was funny moving into town after all those years, however, it was no good sitting out on the station. She loved her family very much and proudly boasted: ‘I’m lucky, I’ve got family around me. Not a day goes past that one of them doesn’t pop in and see me. I love them all’.
Jean Hayes passed away on 26 August this year, aged 89. Jean is survived by her sister, Peg, the late Jock Nelson’s wife; her four children, Julie, Billy, Jim and Mick; 11 grandchildren, and 28 great grandchildren. Jean takes much of the Territory’s history with her but thankfully she leaves so many great memories behind for others to enjoy.
A parting quote from Jean’s eulogy: ‘Jean always said the problem with funerals is that you never get to hear all the nice things people had to say about you’.
I say to Jean Hayes, thank you for the memories. Thank you for educating me. Jean was a constituent in Ochre Court and was, I am very happy to say, one of my favourites. You would never call in briefly to see Jean. She was always good for a chat and every single chat I had with Jean Hayes was a good one, an educative experience for me who was, in relative terms, new to Alice Springs. I am proud to be able to have called her a friend. I thought the world of her and I thought in those circumstances it was appropriate to outline her contribution to Central Australia to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
I am sure that all members of parliament will join with me in expressing sympathy to Jean’s family and also thank her for her contribution throughout her wonderful life. I would, for the sake of the record, like to table a copy of the eulogy because it is a very good read.
Leave granted.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, on 18 August this year, I had the honour of announcing the government History Grant winners. Amongst the successful applicants was Mrs Gayle Carroll a constituent of mine from Jingili who will research a history of Marrenah House, the government’s women hostel in Darwin. Gayle is a long-time Territorian who hitchhiked her way to Darwin from Sydney in 1957, where she had been working in Dymocks bookshop. Gayle had crossed from New Zealand on the Monowai, a passenger ship with the Union Steam Ship Company which plied between Sydney and Wellington.
On arrival in Darwin, Gayle went to work at the old Brooke’s Hotel in Parap - out of Darwin in those days. She then secured employment with the Health Department which was located in Judge Wells’ old house on the Esplanade. Judge Wells was the judge who told Nemarluk that he was going to hang.
From Judge Wells’ house, Gayle moved to the X-ray Department in the old hospital around 1959 where she instituted a new system of numbering so that the patients files were easier to find. This system stayed in place for many years. There were only three people working in the X-ray Department in those days, and one of them included Anita Flockhart who left and started up the first riding school in the Top End.
Gayle left the work force to raise her three children born in 1960, 1961, and 1962 - a full-time job in itself raising three under two-and-a-half. She married Norm Carroll, a stepson of a Legislative Council member and secretary of the workers union for many years, Paddy Carroll.
During the years of child rearing, Gayle had many odd jobs including tour guide in and around Darwin. She would meet the visiting boats and conduct tours by bus around the local sites, thereby increasing her love of Darwin history.
In 1972, Gayle gave birth to her last child. In 1973, she was with the Bureau of Statistics compiling a home expenditure survey which was conducted in the early 1970s and again after the cyclone. Then Tracy came along and wrecked everything. Gayle and the kids returned to Darwin in 1975.
In 1982, Gayle started work at the university as a library technician. One hundred and sixty people applied to do the course and only 50 places were available. Gayle finished the four-year course in three-and-a-half years working part-time, and then went on to work in school, university, and state libraries and the Migrant Resource Library.
In 1989-1990, Gayle retired and became the coordinator of the ASSE - America and Swedish Study Exchange program - which she is still coordinating today. The organisation arranges for student exchange, as well as recruiting nannies. Gayle has the role of conducting initial interviews with potential students or nannies interested in exchange or work in countries like Iceland, Norway, Germany and France.
Gayle joined U3A about six years ago and plays a very active role in the group. She volunteers as a guide at the museum and enjoys helping the history curator wherever possible, and also helps out with the archives.
With her love of history, Gayle applied for a grant to write a research paper on the history of Marrenah House which was a hostel for women employed in the government. It was in use as a hostel between 1939 and 1958-59. Marrenah House was located on the Esplanade where the Holiday Inn - the old Travelodge - now stands. Marrenah House later became a police barracks before the buildings were relocated down the track. I look forward to reading all about Marrenah House when Gayle finishes her project.
As well as being a writer and researcher, Gayle is a very talented artist skilled in oils, pastels, acrylics and pencils. However, as we hear more and more these days, now that Gayle is retired she is too busy to find time to spend on her painting. I commend Gayle Carroll for the history grant work that she has done and also her very interesting story of how she came to the Territory to live and work and raise a family and prosper in the Northern Territory.
I would like now to talk about Moil Primary School achievers. I have been most impressed with the talent coming out of the Moil Primary School in my electorate. Not only excellent academic results for students, but also students representing a wide range of sports. Some of the more recent thrills are:
In Rugby Union, Liam Moseley won his medal for the Under 8s 2005 season, and a medal for the CRUFC Junior in 2005. Liam Hewitt was awarded a medal for the grand final win in the Rugby Union Under 12s, and Hayden Moseley won a medal for CRUFC Junior 2005 in Rugby Union and also an Under 10s coaches award in Aussie rules.
In League, Charles Cameron was recognised for his team’s effort to be the 2005 premiers in the Darwin Junior Rugby League.
In softball, Andrew Downes was on the runners-up team with Tracy Village in the Darwin Softball Under 15s, and Jo Newbery was awarded a commendation for her win in the Darwin Sailing Club Championship in her division.
At the NT Athletics Championships, Jarryn Zyka won gold, silver and bronze medals; Hamish Stephens won silver and bronze medals; and Arran Stephens won an incredible number of firsts and seconds. They are all fantastic performances.
In cricket, Daniel Hair was awarded medals for participating in the Under 11s team and being a member of the Under 11s Team of the Year. Sassi Packiakumar won medals for the Under 11s Pint Cricket Club 2005 and NT Team of the Year, and Gadjuan Packiakumar won medals for the Under 11s Pint Club 2005 and Most Improved Green.
In Judo, Brok Powell won a medal in the yellow belt competition.
And finally, soccer, in which Liam May was awarded his medal for the Under 9s Black Casuarina Junior Soccer Club 2005, Nathan Lai for the Casuarina Junior Soccer Club - Division 7 White, and Liam Moseley for the Under 9s White Casuarina Junior Soccer Club 2005.
Moil Primary School is also a greater achiever in academics, and it was great to see that over 50 students from Moil Primary School participated in the Australasian Mathematics Competition. The following students were recognised with High Distinctions, Distinctions and Credits:
In Year 3, Distinctions went to Andrew Harding, Adam Johnston and Chloe Wallent, and credits to Garwerd Liang, Skye Manley, Clancy Stanford, Ben Adams and Benjamin Carpenter. In Year 4, Natalie Freak, Kenny Lee and Mollie Harding were awarded distinctions, while Nick Deveril, Elysia Jongue, Tara McIntyre and Josephine Newbery were awarded Credits.
Phoebe Martin of Year 5 was the only student to win a High Distinction, which is a fantastic effort. Jack Bliss, Jethro Dickens, Ryan Hewitt, Mallory McGuiness and Sam Newbery of Year 5 were awarded Distinctions.
Year 6’s Ashlie Boots won a Distinction, with a Credit going to Briana Harding. And, lastly, in Year 7, Gareth Dickens and Chris Frew won distinctions, with Clancy Bennett-Kellam, Claire O’Bryan, Mark Deveril and Jeremy Lassemillante winning credits.
And if this were not enough, Josephine Newbery of Year 4, Jack Bliss and Jethro Dickens of Year 5, Vidhyashini Vinu and Harry Kerr of Year 6, and Clancy Bennett-Kellam of Year 7 all were rewarded with Certificates of Credit in the Australasian Schools Writing Competition of 2005. In this competition, the students write in a combination of genres, description, explanation and persuasion.
Whilst these students have all done a fantastic job both scholastically and in their chosen sports, I make a point of rewarding those quiet achievers in the schools in my electorate. Two deserving students are chosen from the whole school each semester and, at the end of the third semester, the following students received my Quiet Achiever Award: Shianne Craufurd and Jaslyn Walton of Wagaman Primary School; Bradley Golik and Sean Hartley of Jingili Primary School; and Joelyn Hansen and Hamish Stephens of Moil Primary School.
I have given the highlights of Moil School in particular, as they have done a great job scholastically. They have their gifted and talented students, and a program there that attracts students from all over. However, they have many other high achievers academically, and also in sports, and a whole range of sports from sailing to football, to all sorts of things. I commend Moil Primary School, I commend the staff and the students, and I am very proud to be the local member for Moil School. I am sure members join with me in congratulating Moil Primary School and all the great students in it.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Neighbourhood Watch held their annual general meeting in Alice Springs recently and I was very pleased to be able to go along to the reception where some of the Neighbourhood Watch members were honoured, and received an award. Ken Mildred, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch, was there to conduct the ceremony. Neighbourhood Watch fluctuates, as many organisations do, with community members and involvement and commitment, however, when you see these people turn up year after year to their meetings then you understand that they are the sort of people that we need in our communities. They are the cornerstone and the rocks that help Neighbourhood Watch.
Neighbourhood Watch and the Northern Territory Police now work together in a much better way perhaps than they did many years ago. It is a partnership that we have seen certain things achieved, even though one of the things I have always been sorry that they no longer do is give us the statistics on the number of reported break and enters and stealing in our area.
The Northern Territory interestingly has the most Neighbourhood Watch members per capita of population in Australia so we are a working model on how effective the program can be as a partnership between people, the board of management and the police. It is a very proactive approach and what has been happening up here has been brought to the attention of the National Neighbourhood Watch Conference.
Last year, Paul Wyatt was asked by the National Neighbourhood Watch Conference to prepare a marketing plan for the national body to be set up in the future. He completed his plan, and it was sent to the national secretariat and all states and territories have approved that marketing plan in principle. I congratulate Paul on his efforts in doing that.
Ken Mildred was also asked to form and chair the Neighbourhood Watch Australasia Advisory Board which will include all states and territories in Australia and New Zealand, a direct result of the Territory’s proactive program and Ken should be very proud to receive that honour. He certainly is one of those people that people look up to for his strength and his involvement.
They gave out three awards that night all to Alice Springs people who are all very well known. The first award they gave was the Joyce Williamson Award. The award was named after Joyce Williamson who was a volunteer at the Crime Prevention Unit at the Peter McAuley Centre in Darwin for over eight years. Remembering she was a volunteer, she kept the Neighbourhood Watch database up-to-date working 30 hours a week. She unfortunately passed away last year after a long illness, however, she would never take a day off, or have a sickie, or go on holiday without first seeking permission from the Sergeant in charge of the unit just as though she was an employee of the unit. Perhaps she forgot that she was indeed a volunteer. Due to her commitment to the Neighbourhood Watch Program in the Territory, the Board of Management annually gives the Joyce Williamson Outstanding Commitment Award and it is to keep her memory alive but it is also to honour the people who have that outstanding commitment.
For instance, the first recipient was Ron Earnshaw who was, for ten years, the Area Coordinator of the Coconut Grove Neighbourhood Watch Area. This year I am pleased to say that Fran Woods was presented with the award and people of Alice Springs would know Fran Woods for her long term commitment and effort with Neighbourhood Watch. She is one of those people who is a rock, who is there, although she says to me sometimes she is trying to back off and do less. People always rely on Fran because they know if she says she is going to do something then she will do it. Congratulations to Fran on that award; you certainly deserve it.
The next award was presented to Peter Hansen. Peter has been a long term member of the Neighbourhood Watch Program and of the Board of Management. He is also a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Advisory Council and was elected as one of the two Alice Springs regional members to the board when it was formed in 2003. As well, Peter has held the position of secretary for 12 months, then as a board member for two years representing the Alice Springs region. He is resigning this year from the board, however, he is still also an area coordinator in Alice Springs. The amount of involvement Peter has in Neighbourhood Watch over many years has been a reflection of his commitment to the community. Peter is also the President of the Senior Citizen’s Club at the moment, so he is a very active person. Thank you, Peter, for all the dedication and all the years of work which you have given to Neighbourhood Watch.
Interestingly, Neighbourhood Watch gives a special award to recognise a contribution of a different kind to Neighbourhood Watch. This year they recognised the commitment of an Area Coordinator’s partner, and the support they gave to the Area Coordinator. The partner this year was Rosemary Aiken who is Peter Hansen’s partner. She has supported Peter over many years in Neighbourhood Watch, and she has also organised Neighbourhood Watch at the Alice Springs Hospital which is an interesting concept which you can see would be of value to the hospital as well. Rosemary is a lovely person who always supports Peter, and she is always there taking his messages or doing whatever she can to make his life a little bit easier. That the board acknowledged the commitment of a partner is unusual, however, it is a great initiative and something to be applauded. I congratulate all three members on the awards they received.
Another person in Alice Springs who recently received an award was Phyllis Nichol, the Director of Lifeline in Central Australia. Phyllis received one of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards. She is a most interesting person and we are so lucky to have Phyllis work for us in Alice Springs. She is the lady who, at the age of 23, joined a Benedictine Abbey and became a contemplative nun, which means she took a vow of silence and she was there for 12 years. It is hard to imagine Phyllis being silent for 12 years when you know her now; she is certainly making up for it. She has had a sad life in many ways and it is the grief which has made her a stronger person. When she went into the Abbey she had lost her father, three siblings, and all her uncles and aunts. When she left the Abbey in 1984, she married and moved to Tasmania where she worked for 15 years for Lifeline. Unfortunately her husband also died in 1996, and in 2002 this extraordinary woman donated a kidney to her brother, following which she went to Fiji and Tonga to work in suicide prevention programs.
On her return, we were lucky to get her in Central Australia for Lifeline to be set up. She set Lifeline up and she helps train the people, and has specialised in training the volunteers who give so many hours of help. She also helped set up a trash-n-treasure shop to help fund Lifeline, and she did that by lobbying many of the local businesses. She is quite an extraordinary woman.
Lifeline volunteers’ work is probably not the safest of environments, and it has been of concern to her for sometime that the present premises were not as safe as they should be for her volunteers. She approached the Minister for Health and in July 2004 she was promised some accommodation. In September 2005 it still had not happened and I was prompted to write to the minister to remind him of his commitment to assist Lifeline. I am very pleased to say, and I thank the minister for this, that only last week we have been informed that Lifeline has been given some premises in a much safer environment and I know just how delighted Phyllis is to get that. Thanks, minister, for finally getting that settled.
The number of people Lifeline speaks to and the phone calls they have is quite incredible. Sometimes they may spend as long as one hour talking on the phone to someone, assisting them and giving them advice and counselling. It is an extremely valuable service and it is one that, unfortunately, is needed more and more in our rather troubled world. When you have someone like Phyllis as the head of Lifeline, you can appreciate that it is something we certainly do not want to lose. I am quite sure having those premises now will mean that Lifeline will continue for some time, and it will continue to bring comfort and assistance to those people in need.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight in the adjournment debate I acknowledge the hard work and great effort that a constituent of Northlakes has given to the community of the Northern Territory. Power and Water staff member, Joseph Ho, recently celebrate 30 years with government in the Northern Territory, the past 18 years with the Power and Water Corporation and its predecessors.
Jo was raised in Hong Kong - he was born there in 1946 – and, on leaving school, completed an apprenticeship as a plumber. In 1975, Jo immigrated to Australia where he started working as a plumber with the Australian government’s Department of Construction in Darwin. In this role, he did much work on the reconstruction of Darwin following Cyclone Tracy. In 1978, Jo was transferred to Northern Territory’s Department of Transport and Works following self-government for the Northern Territory. He was reclassified to a Civil Engineering Technical Assistant role and worked in the Transport and Works Materials Laboratory here in Darwin. In 1980, he was promoted to a new role as draftsman and, in 1981, completed a Certificate of Civil Engineering course at the Darwin Community College. In 1983, he was promoted to Senior Technical Officer and was transferred to Transport and Works Department of Community Development where he worked for four years. In 1987, he became part of the then newly-formed Power and Water Authority, and initially worked with the Water Development Area, and later in the Water Standards area. In 2000, Joe was transferred to Power and Water’s metering services where he currently works as a coordinator in the water metering area.
Jo’s wife, Loretta, is also a long-time public servant with the NT government, and joined the public service three months after Jo did. Loretta is now working in DCIS, and will have completed 30 years with NT government in December this year.
Jo and Loretta have three children: a son who works as a computer systems engineer in Singapore; another son who is a civil engineer in Canada; and a daughter who is an architect in London. Jo and Loretta are both described as solid achievers and they are the kind of public servants that make up the backbone of the Territory. On behalf of the members of this parliament and the greater community of the Northern Territory, I thank Jo and his wife for the enormous effort they have put into growing the Northern Territory.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about Aboriginal Health Worker, Ms Beryl Mayanini Djakala, who retired on 28 September 2005 after achieving a significant milestone - a career of 41 years working in Aboriginal health, which reflects her magnificent commitment to the health of Aboriginal people. I will start by telling you a little about Djakala’s life journey.
Djakala was born in 1946 and, when she was six years of age, she arrived in Milingimbi from Galiwinku. She went to the missionary school in Milingimbi when it was a Methodist mission, and Djakala left school at 15 years to have her only child, Gangalpa, who is now a teacher at Milingimbi School.
In 1963, at 16 years of age, Djakala did Bible translating and interpreting for the church services and, in 1965 as a young woman, Djakala temporarily left her community to complete a nurse aide course at the old Darwin Hospital at Myilly Point. This reflects her vision and commitment to pursue a career in health to benefit Aboriginal people. This was a brave action because, at this time in the 1960s, if local people were employed it would be as cleaners in and around the health centres, and they were known as Hospital Assistants. Djakala was committed to doing much more than just cleaning.
In 1973, the Department of Health in the Northern Territory took control of health service provision to rural and remote Aboriginal people and it was then that the concept of today’s Aboriginal Health Worker was first introduced. In later years, the training and employment of local people in the delivery of these services became the norm, and it remains so today. Many had doubts that this could be done and, indeed, Djakala was a pioneer of her profession proving it could be done extremely well. We are accustomed now to going to Aboriginal communities and looking for our Aboriginal Health Workers as a normal part of everyday life in our communities. Djakala was, indeed, a trail blazer for those people.
Djakala received one of 10 government awards presented by the Australian government. She spent five weeks in Papua New Guinea learning how to run a health centre independently. It was then she worked with the missionary, Jessie Smith, at Milingimbi until 1978 when the Methodist Mission departed. From 1980 to 1989, Djakala became the independent manager of the Milingimbi Health Centre, an outstanding achievement. She also spent two occasions working with Dr John Hargraves in the observation and treatment of Hansen’s disease at the East Arm Leprosarium.
Aside from her direct contribution to patients as a clinician, Djakala was also committed to school-based health promotion where for five years she would discuss all health-related issues, including sexual health. During Djakala’s career, she was involved in establishing and supporting the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program, and Djakala was a mentor for other Aboriginal health workers and trainees. With her religious background, she still leads the day with a bible reading and prayer.
Aboriginal Health Workers today are recognised for their roles as leaders and advocates for health in their communities. I wish to read from a quote Djakala made in the Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal in 1998:
For this visionary and committed person, an epic journey began 41 years ago. This career in health was an adventure - or a never-ending saga - for Beryl Mayanini Djakala. She is now finishing her career having come full circle, as she concludes her working life at Milingimbi where she began, 41 years ago. Djakala is known for her ability to effectively communicate with all sections of the communities where she has worked, and her interest in, and contribution to, improving infant health, and broad knowledge and skills in other aspects of health delivery. Her retirement will be a loss to many people, and her shoes will be very hard to fill.
I had the pleasure of attending the celebration ceremony at Milingimbi where dancers and songs were performed by her people. The people of Milingimbi, and beyond, came to pay tribute to an outstanding woman who touched the lives of indigenous people right across the Northern Territory and, indeed, right across Australia. Djakala’s perseverance, dedication and commitment to the health and wellbeing of her people will forever be recognised. She did not do it for one day, or for one month; she did it every single day for 41 years.
Djakala is an inspiring example to the younger generation that anything is possible if they dare to follow their dreams. During Djakala’s retirement, I understand she will visit her mother’s homeland, an outstation called Howard Island which the locals know as Langara. She will continue basket weaving, babysitting her grandchildren and help out at the clinic when they are short-staffed. I am sure my colleagues in the House will join me in acknowledging Djakala’s outstanding contribution to her people and we wish her well.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it is with great pleasure that tonight I inform the House about some tremendous achievers from my electorate. Dion Beasley, who is only 14 years old, is a Tennant Creek teenager who is profoundly deaf and has muscular dystrophy. However, these significant handicaps have not stopped Dion from winning a major prize in the Memento of Australia Awards. These awards were set up to acknowledge distinctively Australian gifts for tourists. Members may not be aware that the gift and memento industry turns over about $700m per year Australia-wide.
Dion’s winning entry was his design of dogs and, in this case, camp dogs. His drawings were described by the judges as ‘fun’ and ‘useable’. His independent assistant, Joie Boulter, has played a critical role in Dion’s success. Not only did she enter his designs in the award but also prints Dion’s designs on T-shirts, bags, cards and bookmarks. They have proven to be big sellers particularly in Tennant Creek at the famous Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Cultural Centre. I also know that the same products are also being marketed through NGOs throughout Australia and I am certain that in time they will provide a real opportunity for Dion.
Dion’s prize money from his award and the proceeds of the sale of products featuring his designs are going into a trust fund for his future wellbeing. I congratulate young Dion Beasley and applaud his carer, Joie Boulter, as well as the Tennant High School teacher, Louise Carrigan, who accompanied Dion and Joie to the prize presentation in Brisbane.
I would also like to inform the House about an excellent community program that has been running in Tennant Creek since March this year. It is called the ‘Giving Back to the Community Program’. The program, which is purely on a voluntary basis, grew out of a desire to clean up some of the rubbish left by some of the public drinkers in Tennant Creek and at the same time to improve the image of the town. Basically, clients from the Barkly Region Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Group, otherwise known as BRADAAG, are discharged from the sobering-up shelter and also from the police cells. These people are then picked up and taken around town to clean up the streets and parks of Tennant Creek on Saturday and Sunday mornings. As a result of that, they are also able to partake of a fairly nutritious breakfast.
This program has been successful in that 500 participants have contributed to the regular clean ups. It is important to point out here that whilst it is certainly not successful in terms of the numbers because many these people are repeat offenders, I know that the volunteers, and particularly BRADAAG, take the opportunity to counsel people and provide an education-type program regarding the effect or impact of excessive drinking. BRADAAG also works with other agencies which assist the program; for instance, Julalikari Council takes the rubbish to the dump and Tennant Creek Town Council provides the volunteers with gloves and rubbish bags. The outcomes have been very positive in not only keeping the streets clean on those particular days of the week, more importantly it provides real community involvement of the community itself taking responsibility and also showing the compassion to be able to work with people who are affected by alcohol.
That is why I say it is a wonderful community program and it is something I would like to see worked on a little bit further, particularly in some of the other communities not only in my electorate but other electorates.
I emphasise that the success of this program is purely on a voluntary basis. As it is with the clients they pick up, people are not forced to go there to pick up rubbish. I understand that BRADAAG will be submitting an application to the community benefits grant for a lock up-type trailer so they are able to carry all their cooking utensils, etcetera, as opposed to putting them on the back of the ute. I wish them well in securing that grant.
In regards to this program, I pay particular tribute to Sharon Kinraid. Most people would be aware of Sharon and I have spoken about her in this House before. She is a wonderful human being. She works very hard in a whole range of areas and was one of the initiators of this particular program. So to Sharon, we thank you very much on behalf of everyone in Tennant Creek, and also to Deb Nielson and Marie Gibson who also work with BRADAAG.
There are other people involved; the Mayor of Tennant Creek, Rod Swanson is also out there on occasion assisting and supporting, and his wife, Cheryl Swanson, is there on a constant basis every Saturday and Sunday. Also to Michael Dougall, who works for the Office of the Chief Minister in Tennant Creek, and his wife, Gayle Dougall, who works in my electorate office – they are also there on a very regular basis as well, cooking breakfasts and helping out and assisting where they can.
Thanks also go to Sylvia Ghaly. Sylvia is reasonably new into Tennant Creek, and she is the present coordinator of BRSCC. She is also there helping out as well. It is important to note that we are talking about 6 am in the morning that these people are starting, so they are giving a lot of their time in the interests of the community. Thanks go to Meg McGrath, who also helps out on occasions, and to Marty Strachan who does wonderful job on a voluntary basis. I mentioned Julalikari Council, and I refer to Gummo and the Gang, that is what I call them, they are always there every morning at 5.30 am to 6 am cleaning up the main street. Even on Saturday, they are there as well, so, as I say, it is a wonderful community effort.
The other matter I would like to talk about is that the Barkly Australian Football League recently played its grand final in Tennant Creek. In the Junior Under 17 Grand Final, which was a great game, a titanic struggle saw Tennant Creek High School Spitfires draw away in the last quarter to defeat a gallant Elliott Hawks by eight points, the scores being 8-5-53 to 6-3-39. This was a great game between two very closely matched rivals. Best player for the Spitfires was Jacob Warner, and for the Hawks, young Dillon Kingston.
The main game proved to be even closer. In fact, it was a replay of last year’s grand final between the Elliott Hawks and the Tennant Creak Eagles. Last year, the Eagles were victors in a close game. On this occasion, it was the Elliott Hawks who prevailed, winning a very tight game. I was not there as I was heading back from Alice Springs. I have been advised it was a great game, a very fair game, and it was a tribute to all the players.
The final scores were Elliott Hawks 14-9-93 to the Eagles 12-12-84. It was a very tight game all day, and it was only in the last quarter that the Hawks were able to get over the line and win their third premiership since they joined the BAFL in 1991.
The Man of the Match award went to Elliott ruckman, Jonathon Jackson, and major goal kickers for the victors were Stewart Anderson with four and Bonnie Bostock with three, whilst for the Eagles, Lawrence Williams kicked four goals and Paul Hansen three goals.
At the presentation ceremony, successful Hawks coach, Chris Langdon, gave his premiership medal to the recently retired Hawks full back Raymond Raymond, who has played every year with Hawks since they entered the BAFL in 1991. Raymond has been an absolute stalwart to the game in the Barkly, having played almost every game. We probably will not see him playing again so, to Raymond, thank you very much for all your talent that you put on display over this very long period of time.
Quite apart from my congratulations to both teams, the game was played in great spirit. I would also like to pay tribute to Randall Gould from the Barkly Australian Football League and his committee members who, under their stewardship, the BAFL has gone ahead this year, and it is a great tribute to people like Randall and his committee.
To everyone associated with the grand final weekend, all the volunteers, all those people who put in the hard work throughout the course of the year, again, thank you very much on behalf of the people in Tennant Creek and, more importantly, on behalf of all the people in the region who were able to send in sides. Footy is the heart and soul of many communities in the bush and we very much appreciate the efforts of everyone associated with BAFL in 2005.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATOR
Message No 5
Message No 5
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from His Honour the Administrator Message No 5 notifying assent to bills passed in the August 2005 sittings of the Assembly.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Member for Greatorex
Member for Greatorex
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I seek leave of absence for the member for Greatorex for the remainder of this week for compassionate reasons which have been communicated to you and government members.
Motion agreed to.
PETITION
Review of Restriction to Entrance to Koolpinyah Volunteer
Fire Brigade and Rural Golf Club
Review of Restriction to Entrance to Koolpinyah Volunteer
Fire Brigade and Rural Golf Club
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 275 petitioners praying that the restrictions to the entrance to the Koolpinyah Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Humpty Doo and Rural Golf Club be reviewed. The petition bears the Clerk’s certification that it conforms to the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the Honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
- Slip lane for the entrance to the Humpty Doo and Rural Golf Club:
The humble petition of citizens of the Northern Territory, Electors of the Northern Territory respectfully believe that the
entrance is dangerous and ask that the Litchfield Shire Council build a slip lane and erect street lights at the entrance
to the Koolpinyah Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Humpty Doo and Rural Golf Club to be constructed off Pioneer Drive,
Humpty Doo.
Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that a review of these restrictions be given due consideration. And your petition,
as in duty bound, will ever pray.
RESPONSES TO PETITIONS
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that responses to Petitions Nos 2 and 3 have been received and circulated to honourable members.
- Petition No 2
Family home lots in suburb of Lyons at least 800 m2
Date Presented: 17 August 2005
Presented by: Mr Wood
Referred to: Minister for Planning and Lands
Date response due: 30 November 2005
Date response received: 3 October 2005
Date response presented: 11 October 2005
Concerns with respect to lot sizes in Defence Housing Authority proposals for development at Lyons.
to guide the development at Lee Point. This memorandum promotes cooperation and articulated joint
planning goals.
The land was rezoned to Specific Use (SU) in January 2005 in order to provide for the new suburb of Lyons.
The SU zone provides flexibility for the future development of this ‘green field’ site and stipulates a number of
planning controls including lots for detached dwellings with an average size of 700 m2 and a minimum of 600 m2.
While the Darwin Town Plan establishes a minimum lot size of 300 m2 in the R1 zone, it also includes the
R0 zone which was specifically introduced to accommodate detached dwellings on lots less than 800 m2
in the new estates where the dwellings and the estate are integrated in terms of design.
It has been the government’s intention to facilitate the creation of a community at Lee Point that is well served
by open space, is public transport and pedestrian friendly, integrated with existing infrastructure, environmentally responsive and energy efficient.
The development application for Stage 1 of the subdivision demonstrated a high level of commitment to the
philosophy of sustainable development and I consider that the development at Lyons will achieve a high
standard of residential amenity for future residents.
Petition No 3
Open green space for Darwin CBD for new residents and public
Date Presented: 17 August 2005
Presented by: Mr Wood
Referred to: Minister for Planning and Lands
Date response due: 30 November 2005
Date response received: 3 October 2005
Date response presented: 11 October 2005
Concerns with respect to provision of green open space within the Darwin CBD for use of residents of tall buildings and the
Darwin public.
development, represent a relatively high provision of open space within the CBD when compared
with other city centres.
The Darwin Town Plan includes clauses intended to ensure the provision of adequate communal
open space for the enjoyment of the residents of flats. A flat development is required to provide,
at ground level, a landscaped area not less than 30% of the area of the site. While a communal
area equivalent to 30% of the site is usually provided, the need to locate this at ground level is
often waived in favour of podium level recreation facilities often incorporating swimming pools.
In some instances communal areas are supplemented by the provision of generous private
outdoor spaces in the form of balconies.
The draft NT Planning Scheme includes enhanced criteria to promote site responsive design
within central Darwin including the preservation of vistas and the inclusion of landscaping.
The Capital City Charter, which focuses the combined efforts of the Darwin City Council, the
NT government and the community on initiatives to promote and foster the development of
the CBD, is likely to provide a forum for consideration of issues such as adequacy of provision
of open space.
CONDOLENCE MOTION
Terrorist Attacks in Bali
Terrorist Attacks in Bali
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move - That this Assembly –
1. express its condemnation of the calculated and brutal acts of terrorism which occurred in Bali
on 1 October 2005;
2. extend its support and sympathy to the families, loved ones and friends of the Australians
killed or injured;
3. offer condolences to the family and friends of the Indonesians and other foreign nationals who
have been killed or injured;
4. offer sympathy to the people of Indonesia and particularly the Balinese during this tragic time; and
5. support and commend the prompt and effective action of Northern Territory government agencies
following this tragedy, including the Emergency Operations Centre, Royal Darwin Hospital, and our
police, ambulance and transport services.
It is with a profound sense of regret that I stand before you today to relive the nightmare of 12 October 2002. Ten days ago, the lives of our Balinese neighbours were once again shattered by the vicious and calculated hand of terror. Three suicide bombs were detonated almost simultaneously in a busy part of Kuta. Twenty innocent people, including four Australians, lost their lives, and over 90 were injured. Many others will live with what they saw for the rest of their lives.
The Northern Territory government strongly condemns this shocking act of terrorism. Words cannot properly express the contempt we feel for those who commit such atrocities. Their cold-blooded slaughter of the innocent - innocents which included children - is staggering and, I believe, a stain on humanity. While this barbarism may get our attention it will never destroy our spirit and our way of life. This terror we face is savage and undiscriminating. That our dear friends in Bali can be targeted once more says much about the evil we all confront.
This parliament extends its condolences to the family and friends of the Australians who were killed and injured in the Kuta Square and Jimbaran Bay bombings on the evening of 1 October. In particular, we extend our support and sympathy to the families and loved ones of the four Australians who lost their lives. To the Williamson and Zwolinski families in Newcastle, and to the Fitzgerald family in the Western Australian town of Busselton, our thoughts are with you. I know I can speak for all of us when I say how greatly heartened we are at the strong recoveries being made by Jessica Fitzgerald, the sister of Brendan who was killed in the bombings, and her father, Terry. I am greatly relieved and thankful that, like 2002, the innocent victims of this insidious crime include no Territorians. Given the vast number of us who holiday in Bali each year, it is a fact that almost borders on the miraculous.
Madam Speaker, this parliament also extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the Indonesians and the Japanese, Korean, and German nationals who were killed, and the many injured on 1 October.
The Northern Territory’s relationship with Indonesia is a close and valued one. The senseless loss of their citizens to the cold hand of terror strikes a chord with all Territorians. For this to happen again in Bali, one of our most cherished holiday destinations and a place where many of us have friends, is a terrible blow. I know the Prime Minister has spoken with Indonesian President Yudhoyono and has offered assistance to Indonesian victims of the attack. The Territory, too, is ready to lend a helping hand and I have passed on our sympathies to President Yudhoyono.
The Australian and Indonesian governments have been working closely to help build the capacity of the region to fight and to respond to terrorism. While the tragic events in Bali will bring much sadness, the bombings will only strengthen the resolve of both governments and their citizens to triumph over this threat. To all those Indonesians living in the Northern Territory, and particularly in their vibrant community in Darwin, we send our condolences at this difficult time.
While the involvement of our agencies has not been as extensive as in 2002, their commitment and expertise has been truly inspiring. Indeed, the response to this tragedy was swift and decisive on all fronts. The response of Indonesian authorities was rapid and well coordinated and the injured were quickly treated in Bali hospitals. The Australian wing of the Sanglah Hospital also played a vital role. Australians such as Newcastle’s Dr Adam Frost, along with their Indonesian counterparts, selflessly responded to the crisis saving lives and limbs.
In conjunction with the Royal Darwin Hospital, the Australian Defence Force was quickly mobilised. At midnight on the Saturday evening, Royal Darwin Hospital, under the direction of Dr Len Notaras, already familiar with such events, commenced the first phase of its preparedness strategy. Coordinated responses to crises like this do not just simply happen. Preparedness, practice and planning are all crucial ingredients to success. As the hospital prepared, ongoing core business needed to be considered.
By Sunday morning, less than 12 hours after the attacks, the Emergency Operations Centre had been activated and the Region One External Disaster Response Plan was in action. In close collaboration with Royal Darwin Hospital and Northern Territory Emergency Services, Defence mobilised yet another retrieval mission dispatching three Royal Darwin Hospital doctors and one Darwin Private Hospital nurse in reservist uniform to the scene.
By midday Sunday, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin Private Hospital, welfare services, Darwin Mental Health Services, and emergency services including St John Ambulance and the Red Cross, and all the components of the Region One Response Group were ready to accommodate as many, if not more, victims than the previous tragedy of 2002. The first two victims arrived at 11 pm on Sunday night, and by 6 am on Monday morning, a total of 20 injured Australians and three foreign nationals were transferred from the airport by St John Ambulance and received at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
At least six of the victims were in a critical condition. These innocent holiday makers had extensive shrapnel wounds; wounds consistent with the horrors of battlefield. Mental Health Services staff, as part of the welfare response, also met all incoming flights from Bali and will continue to do so until the last victim arrives in our city. The injuries were treated by one of this nation’s most efficient and clinically proficient clinical teams - a team made up of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, and supported by vital welfare operational and administrative staff.
Last Tuesday evening, I visited Royal Darwin Hospital to catch up with Dr Adam Frost, whom I mentioned earlier. Adam and my brother are partners in a GP practice in Newcastle, and a number of the people injured in the blast were patients or friends of my brother and his family. Indeed, it is a small world. Adam and Len Notaras took me through the Intensive Care ward and Ward 2A where I met those injured by the bombs. I listened to their stories and saw first-hand the extent of their injuries. Their resilience and good humour were astonishing.
I was deeply moved by the consistent concern they had for the Balinese people and the impact on Bali despite their own injuries. And the injuries were shocking. Some were caused by the intense blast of the bombs, while many other people suffered appalling shrapnel wounds caused by high velocity ball bearing projectiles and debris such as metal, timber and glass. Even the sand of the beach became lethal as it was propelled by the blast into eyes, faces and limbs.
These visible and identifiable injuries are bad enough, but the wounds that go often unseen can last a lifetime. I would like the House to reflect upon the significant psychological trauma caused to victims and witnesses of this event and, of course, the severe emotional strain placed on Territory staff who, in some cases, have not responded once but twice to a senseless atrocity.
While all Australians have now been repatriated to interstate hospitals, three international citizens remain in the hospital in a critical condition. I take this opportunity on behalf of the House and all Territorians to offer condolences to those who sustained loss, and a speedy recovery to those injured.
Madam Speaker, along with Commissioner Paul White’s Police, Fire and Emergency staff and St John Ambulance, I pay tribute to Health Department Chief Executive Officer, Robert Griew, who along with Chief Health Officer, Tarun Weeramanthri, worked tirelessly to assist Len Notaras and his staff to mount what was an extremely effective response.
The 2002 Bali bombings, a tragedy that claimed the lives of 202 innocent people including 88 Australians, saw 100 victims despatched to our hospital. They were treated and cared for in a manner that has become a national and, indeed, an international template. So successful was that response that the Australian government has recognised the need to formalise Royal Darwin Hospital’s position as the national trauma centre. At that time, three years ago, we paid tribute to the untiring efforts of many staff across a wide number of agencies, all dedicating their time and expertise to ensuring that our response was the best it could possibly be. Once again, I stand here immensely proud of the whole-of-government and whole-of-hospital response to this terrible disaster.
Territorians have again risen to the challenge and offered generous and compassionate support in a time of crisis. I take this opportunity to acknowledge just a few of the people who ensured that the victims of this tragedy received the high level clinical care and support they needed. Coordinated by a team comprising Len Notaras, Dr Vino, Gary Lum, Dianne Stephens, Didier Palmer, Malcolm Johnston-Leek, David Read, Allan McEwan, Paddy Bade, David Gawler, and Michelle Foster, the hospital’s clinicians and support staff quickly put into practice its national award winning Emergency Response Plan. They were ably supported by Tim Pigot, Bronwyn Hendry, Sandy Spears, David Richardson, Colleen Bremner, Garry Scapin, Jo Wright and Xavier Schobben, to name just a few.
We should not forget the wonderful contribution of the hospital’s nursing staff, particularly Ronnie Taylor and Marg St Leone from the Emergency Department, and the Theatre, Surgical and Intensive Care teams. I cannot speak highly enough of their dedication and commitment. It would be remiss of me not to mention the significant network support provided at extremely short notice to the hospital by the Alice Springs and Tennant Creek Hospitals.
We must not forget the welfare teams who so effectively looked after people; they listened to their trauma and made sure they were accommodated and fed. They will continue to play a crucial role as people attempt to rebuild their lives.
The work of groups such as Qantas, Customs and the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, along with the Australian Defence Force, and many others, cannot be praised highly enough.
All Australians are entitled to feel very proud. We should all be proud of the work that has been done, the lives that have been saved, and the dedication of everyone involved. It is now time for all those who were involved to debrief, to get some attention for themselves, and be recognised, and the Department of Health and Community Services has this under way.
Madam Speaker, in times like this the Territorian spirit shines through, but my pride in our efforts is tempered by the unimaginable pain of those who have lost loved ones, and the grief of the Balinese people.
On behalf of this parliament, I extend our deepest sympathies to all affected by this senseless tragedy.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for moving this motion which is supported wholeheartedly and very sincerely by the opposition.
It is noteworthy that in this parliament only two or so months ago, I rose after the Chief Minister to express sorrow and outrage at the senseless terrorist acts committed against the people of London and Egypt. Here we are, once again, faced with expressing on behalf of ourselves and everyone else in the Northern Territory, our almost unspeakable sadness at the recent bombings in Bali. It is, indeed, a terrible tragedy and a sorrow.
It is, I believe, more than just sorrow. There is, I detect, certainly within myself and others, a rising anger at these senseless bombings and attacks on innocent lives. I ask: how can any sane person randomly murder innocent men, women and children? Terrorists they may be branded, but the reality is they are the very worst serial killers.
We should not rush to condemn Islam, one of the world’s great religions. These serial killers are not religious; they simply cannot be. No religion - not mine, not others - preaches death and destruction.
In the latest bombings, 23 people were killed including four Australians. Twenty three people who lived and loved, who cried and laughed, who worked and played, and so the list goes on. Perhaps the cruelty of these actions is demonstrated by an article from which I will quote, published in Melbourne’s The Age newspaper recently:
Janet Wolszczak could not judge the age of the screaming victim thrust into her arms moments after she ran to the
scene of the … blast.
‘I could not tell how old she was. I could hardly see her; all I can see is the blood on her from head to toe. She was trying
to say something and she was screaming at the same time. I got hold of her hand to lead her out of there and she
screamed, “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!”’
Ms Wolszczak took the distressed victim, who had been showered with broken glass, to a clinic under the shattered
Raja Bar, but the attending doctor took just seconds to tell Ms Wolszczak that her charge had to be taken to hospital.
And the doctor then added: ‘But there’s no ambulance’.
Ms Wolszczak recruited a security guard to drive her car and she spent the journey talking to the bloodied woman, who
lay across the back seat, trying to keep her conscious. ‘She had a deep hole in her neck, I kept talking to her to keep her
awake. She was talking to me and screaming at the same time’, Ms Wolszczak said.
But the traffic was chaotic. A 10-minute ride turned into 30 minutes. No one would give way. There were no police to
appeal to for an escort.
Despite extreme pain, Ms Wolszczak’s patient remained conscious and communicative. ‘When we arrived, the doctor
came to the car and she was able to say her name. She said her name was Jessica Fitzgerald.
Jessica Fitzgerald, ‘the woman’ Ms Wolszczak ushered to hospital, is 13. She was evacuated to Singapore General Hospital
where she remains …
Motion agreed to.
Members rose and observed one minute’s silence.
Madam SPEAKER: I thank honourable members.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Avian Influenza and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
Avian Influenza and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
Dr TOYNE (Health): Madam Speaker, avian influenza, or bird flu, has received a lot of media coverage and there has been some confusion about the role of avian influenza virus in birds, its role in people and the possibility that this virus will mutate and become a pandemic virus that can spread easily from person to person. The Northern Territory government and the Department of Health and Community Services are taking seriously the possibility of pandemic influenza and supporting the required action. We are actively involved through our experts at the Centre for Disease Control with the Communicable Disease Network Australia. The Northern Territory is linked daily with the National Emergency Incident Room on avian influenza, with close monitoring of the situation in Asia, as well as undertaking general preparedness should a pandemic occur. We have been involved for many years in the development of the National Pandemic Influenza Plan, with the most recent Australian Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza, June 2005, available on the Internet.
The Northern Territory Pandemic Influenza Plan has also been developed and continues to be refined for a coordinated public health response. The plan covers all Northern Territory hospitals and regions, and will coordinate the response of remote, rural and urban primary health care practices. The plan includes enhanced surveillance, data systems support, and contingency plans to enhance laboratory and pharmacy capacity, strategies for contact tracing and isolation, and distribution of antivirals, mass vaccinations and hospital capacity.
Furthermore, the Northern Territory has one of the nation’s broadest enhanced influenza surveillance systems in operation, the Tropical Influenza Surveillance Scheme, due to the participation of local GPs in detecting influenza in the community. Processes are in place to raise awareness with health care facilities of the possible presentations of avian influenza, and to be alert for unusual influenza clusters heralding pandemic strains.
The avian influenza, or bird flu, is an infectious disease, and the current form spreading across the birds of Asia and into Russia is the highly pathogenic Avian influenza, known as H5N1. Some people in close contact with sick poultry have contracted bird flu, however this avian influenza virus is not very efficient at passing to humans. Internationally, since December 2004, there have only been 72 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans, with 28 deaths. So, bird flu is very uncommon and inefficiently spread to humans, but it is recognised as having a high death rate.
In recent months, avian influenza has been reported in birds in Indonesia, with four confirmed cases reported in people with close bird contact, of which three have died. This has lead to a heightened public concern of the risk of an incursion of the virus into the Australian bird population, and then possibly to humans. Birds migrating from Asia to Australia could potentially carry the avian influenza virus, although this is felt to be at low risk. Contingency planning for this is being managed by the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines. Any clusters of mortality in birds are investigated. Additionally, there are strict quarantine regulations in place to prevent the import of any poultry materials that might carry the virus.
In Australia, there are no cases of avian influenza, either in birds or in other animals, and the government and industry are working very hard to keep bird flu out. Questions have been raised about the risk of our magpie geese in the Northern Territory. However, because magpie geese do not migrate beyond Australia, there is no evidence that they are at risk of introducing avian influenza. So while it is recognised that the transmission from birds to humans of the avian influenza virus is very uncommon and human to human transmission has not occurred, there has been heightened alert and planning nonetheless.
It is important to reassure Territorians that the risk of current avian influenza to them is negligible particularly given the absence of any sizeable poultry industry in the Territory and no evidence or risk of introduction from migratory birds. The concern worldwide, however, is that the avian influenza virus will mutate to a form that is more easily transmittable in the human population thereby leading to a influenza pandemic strain to which the population has little or no immunity. Then it will be humans and not birds who transmit the disease.
Generally, it is not felt that the avian influenza strains would first appear in the Territory but more likely identified abroad. The Australian government has recently fast-tracked the development of a pandemic prototype vaccine and certainly as soon as we are aware of a human to human virus transmission we will produce those vaccines.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, it is pleasing to see that the questions we asked during the last sittings have prompted this ministerial report, so thank you, minister.
My understanding is that the jury is still out, or, perhaps expressed another way, a number of experts, as is so often the case, have a number of different views about migratory birds. I understand that magpie geese do in fact migrate to Papua New Guinea. However, this is not so much about what a range of experts have to say. In any event, I thank the minister for his report.
This is not an issue about which we should play politics. This is a serious issue which is why we raised it during the last sittings. We all need to be kept aware of the efforts of this government and, indeed, the Commonwealth government when it comes to planning for the possibility of bird flu coming to the Northern Territory. I simply say that I would be grateful for the minister to keep this parliament informed about this issue. I am sure he is aware of his need to keep Territorians informed about this issue. I extend the offer to him that in the event that he comes across more or other information that is significant I would be very grateful if he would communicate that to me, either by formal or informal channels. It is the sort of stuff that we should know about as the potential dangers to the Territory are immense. I thank the minister for his statement.
Dr TOYNE (Health): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their constructive response to the report. I certainly will conduct a process where you are kept informed as to what we are doing about this serious issue. We are working very hard to protect the interests of Territorians and Australians against this threat.
I will just mention that in the near future the Territory will participate in a national exercise simulating a large outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds in late November this year to test departmental and whole-of-government emergency response mechanisms.
In summary, we can say though that all that can be done is being done, both nationally and within our own health system. We will be as ready as any country ever has been in the event of an outbreak of this type. Let’s hope it does not happen, that it has not mutated. We all hope that it will not happen.
Top End Secret Road Show Campaign
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, today I provide members with an update on the progress of the ‘Top End Secret’ road show.
The ‘Top End Secret’ road show was developed to promote the Northern Territory government’s Building the Territory’s Resource Base investment attraction initiative, a $15.2m program to expand and promote the Territory’s mineral and onshore petroleum potential to the mining and exploration industry.
The key objectives of the road show are:
to increase the Territory’s profile as a competitive location and to attract more exploration and
investment dollars;
opportunities for exploration, financing and alliance formation; and
to promote the support services in the minerals and energy teams.
So far this year, the road show has met over 700 people across Australia at a series of representations and briefings, and all events have been well received. Potential explorers and investors were provided with up-to-date information about the prospectivity of the Territory and the available government support. I have led government and industry delegations to Brisbane, Sydney and Perth and will continue in Melbourne and Adelaide in November this year.
The ‘Top End Secret’ campaign includes a media strategy, information and presentation materials and a web presence. Our ultimate message to road show participants is that exploration business in the Territory is mission possible. In the three months following the Brisbane, Sydney and Perth Royal Shows, geoscience data inquiries to the department increased by 165%, of which one third were from road show participants. In addition, exploration licence applications increased by 49% of which 30% were from road show participants. These applications from road show participants have an indicated exploration expenditure of nearly $1m.
The ‘Top End Secret’ campaign materials were effective because:
our geological survey listed 30 under-developed mineral opportunities in the
‘Top End Secret’ sales kit - an exercise in investment attraction that was a
first amongst Australian geological surveys;
with industry, we developed a promotional CD profiling 18 junior exploration
and mining companies operating in the Territory, a win-win for government
and industry and a valuable marketing tool to attract joint venture partners; and
audience to use those services.
The road show has proved to be an effective strategy in promoting the Territory’s exploration potential and I plan to build on the success.
We want to keep industry engaged and moving towards decisions to explore and set up operations in the Northern Territory. The latest phase of the campaign is a launch of regular ‘NT Investment Alerts’. The alerts contain the very latest information in short grabs and link to the departmental web site where further details can be accessed. The first alert was released on 21 September 2005 and subsequent alerts will be sent to road show participants about every eight weeks.
The department logged hundreds of hits on their web site linked to the alert within minutes of it going out. This shows that road show recipients valued information and are keen to get more. We will continue to work in strategic partnership with organisations like KPMG, Clayton Utz, and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies in order for us to further penetrate the interstate markets. These partners allow access to thousands of mining industry representatives across Australia.
Another point I wish to reiterate is that we view our clients as our business partners. Companies like Arafura Resources, Compass Resources, Northern Gold, Matilda Minerals, Olympia Resources and Territory Iron address many people each year to sell their projects. In selling their projects they also sell the Territory. By working together with our clients, and arming them with the tools to promote the Territory in their presentation and annual reports we develop an excellent group of ambassadors and enormous coverage.
Moreover, I would like to extend the promotion of the Territory’s potential to overseas audiences next year, and meet with a number of prospectors and developers in international forums and also attend some exhibitions and conventions, especially in Canada, which are attended by hundreds of delegates from all over the world. I also propose to meet with Canadian-based companies operating in the Northern Territory.
Ms MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. I noticed he spoke at the last sittings about the road show and the success that it is. We all know that if you want to promote a product that is in your region and in your territory that you do need to get out to show people what you have. You need to take the people from the industries with you, and it is usually far more successful if you do that.
We have done that in the tourism industry for a long time and I am very pleased to see that it is happening in primary industries and fisheries, and mines and energy. I hope that as part of this wonderful ‘Top End Secret’ that it contains materials and information about uranium in the Northern Territory as we have an untapped resource that we have not yet utilised and we need to get that into the coffers and in our own bank balances. We have the world’s best-known resources of uranium in the Territory and I would be very interested to know if the minister did include details of uranium deposits in the Northern Territory.
I welcome the government’s initiative in being able to have these road shows. I hope that they bring wonderful economic benefits to the Territory, and I would like to see them continue if they do that. I thank the minister for his report.
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for her support; I really appreciate that. She is on the right wave length. I have said before that mining is good for the Territory and Australia, not only because it provides thousands of jobs, but also it will provide opportunity for indigenous Territorians who live in centres outside Darwin and Alice Springs. There are already companies that provide opportunities to indigenous Territorians, such as Normandy.
Also, the good news is that a number of companies are now reinvesting in old mines. We have Tom’s Gully coming back into production with an extra 70 jobs. Maud Creek has now been taken over by Harmony Gold which has been taken over by a Canadian company. It will become a big player in gold in the Northern Territory. Considering that the price of gold is going through the roof at the moment and is expected to go up even further, we are going to see more mines coming on-line.
For the information of members, most of the exploration applications we have - and most of the applications for mining - are for base metals and none for uranium yet.
However, rest assured, member for Katherine, I will continue the road show. I will promote the Territory’s potential in Australia and, of course, if I can, internationally.
Home Territory 2010
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, Home Territory 2010 was launched by my predecessor, Mr John Ah Kit, in August 2004. The primary goal of Home Territory 2010 is safe, secure and affordable housing, and rightfully so. My recent travels throughout the Northern Territory showed the clear need for just that.
A year on, we have made some significant changes to the way that we do business to ensure that our targets are being realised. We have placed a strong emphasis on the way we interact with clients and the community to ensure greater consultation. Initiatives such as the Housing minister’s round table, the homelessness task force and the community housing forums are examples of the achievements to date.
The Housing minister’s round table met three times last year with practical and positive results. In Katherine, a key community service provider accessed additional housing for their clients, and in Nhulunbuy a private sector partnership agreement was submitted to government and is currently being progressed. The housing round table is proving to be a vital mechanism for keeping me informed on housing issues right throughout the Northern Territory.
The homelessness task force is formed by representatives from NT Shelter, the Indigenous Housing Association of the Northern Territory, the Departments of the Chief Minister, Health and Community Services, Local Government, Housing and Sport, Commonwealth Health, and it is chaired by the Northern Territory Council of Social Services. The task force has met for the third time and is working to develop a framework that will help us address the complex issue of homelessness.
We have seen much progress in housing construction and renewal, and the flow-on benefits to training, employment and the economy. In the bush, we are contributing to the economy through local contracts, and providing employment and training opportunities for locals. Last year, there were more than 80 indigenous employees trained through housing projects via IHANT across the Northern Territory. Of these, more than 50 indigenous apprentices were engaged in the IHANT employment program. These opportunities can provide the basis for developing, using and keeping skills in the region.
Last year, we also saw the opening of 40 units at Fannie Bay Seniors Village and, just last month - I think it might actually have been early this month - I opened six units at Kenna Court in Alice Springs. It was pleasing to see and talk to some of the tenants there as to how happy they were in regards to that new complex.
To ensure that Territory Housing clients have access to a fair and equitable system of review and appeal, a new complaint handling model will be launched this month. This new model incorporates a three-level appeal system and makes provision for the appointment of a Territory Housing appeals board. The new appeals board consists of 10 members sourced from across the Northern Territory, and members were appointed on 26 September this year.
Territory Housing and the Department of Justice have entered into an agreement to refer clients involved in disputes with Territory Housing to a community justice centre for free mediation.
NT Shelter is funded to operate as a peak industry body to research, investigate and develop strategies in relation to the provision of affordable and appropriate housing within the Northern Territory for the disadvantaged. NT Shelter has recently undertaken community forums on housing in Darwin, Tennant Creek, Katherine, and Alice Springs, with more planned. I am looking forward to receiving feedback on the outcomes of these forums.
Frameworks are being developed for the urban life skills program in Alice Springs and consultations are continuing on the growing needs of renal patients in respect to their housing needs.
HomeNorth Extra continues on. It has been a great success. I acknowledge we have achieved much, however, I also acknowledge that there is much more to do.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report on housing. One of the things I have found that needs to be addressed with housing, and it is a very serious issue, we spend a lot of time in this building discussing the terrible state of housing that we have for low income people, and that something should be done, and usually we cop a slamming on this side because it is our fault, or else it is the Commonwealth’s fault.
One of the issues that I find really annoying is that people are given houses and are not taught how to respect those houses and the property that the house is on. I am talking about in regional towns, such as Katherine, Tennant Creek, and in some suburban areas in Alice Springs and Darwin. What happens then is that people end up with the neighbour from hell.
It is all very fine to have a complaints committee, and it is good that that is going to be in place, however, one of the serious problems is teaching people how to respect the house that they have been given, the privilege of living in. They pay some rent for it – sure, but there are some areas in Katherine that nobody else wants to live near, and there would be areas in other towns throughout the Northern Territory that people do not want to live next to.
I implore the minister to look at some sort of education programs to teach people how to be responsible and look after the property that they are given. I thank the minister for his report.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, my favourite topic, public housing! Minister, I congratulate you on the seniors village which was opened in Alice Springs …
Ms Carney: So I heard!
Mrs BRAHAM: Well, I was not invited either, Leader of the Opposition, however, I went anyway because there are many people I know who were getting a house. It was great; they are great complexes. However, we should be expanding the idea of having complexes for people with disabilities living together - the industry housing that you talk about. Perhaps if you are giving industry housing to the Salvation Army they could have a complex. Sometimes when you do give houses to these bodies, they do not supervise them as much as they could. Saying that, I thought the seniors village was great. Can I ask, what happened to Stuart Lodge, the plan that we were going to use that for temporary accommodation? I believe that is in your portfolio. Perhaps you can give us an update on that.
Have you appointed a chairman for the Complaints Commission yet? I would be interested to know whether you have. Have you considered offering the HomeNorth scheme to people on communities, seeing as we are talking about Aboriginal people owning their own homes? Are we going to extend that to Aboriginal communities? Have you had any approaches by communities to borrow under that scheme to build homes under the HomeNorth scheme? That would be interesting. Also, could you tell me if the Chairman of IHANT has been appointed yet?
I know all those things are scattered here and there, but they are all part of making sure that Territory Housing functions properly, and making sure that people in the community who really need the housing most of all actually get them.
Good on you for building a seniors village, let us have more of them. The fact that no developer in Alice Springs will take up the Larapinta Stage 4 development - there are 12 lots for public housing - is a reflection on how public housing is handled in Alice Springs which has stopped that development. What are you going to do about that?
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank the three members who spoke to the report.
The member for Braitling has asked many questions and, clearly, I do not have the time to address those issues. I am very conscious of the need to have a look at options of how we might be able to provide affordable housing, not only in regards to those communities out bush, but also to the smaller regional communities up and down the track. HomeNorth Extra will be doing that fairly shortly to try to encourage people to purchase their homes.
Leader of the Opposition, I did note that you were not there and I also understand that you described the actions of us as being arrogant. I want to assure you that that is not the case at all and that in the future I will ensure that members are invited to all those types of functions.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
MOTION
Note Paper - Auditor-General for the Northern Territory, August 2005 Report to the Legislative Assembly
Note Paper - Auditor-General for the Northern Territory, August 2005 Report to the Legislative Assembly
Continued from 18 August 2005.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, there are three particular matters in the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report which related to the operation of the Department of Chief Minister.
The first was an audit of the tendering and evaluation process for the Darwin City Waterfront Project. It is highly appropriate that a $1.1bn project such as this, with a major impact on the image of our capital city on tourism, recreation and the residential accommodation market, is subject to rigorous audit to ensure that the processes in place to implement it meet relevant accounting standards. I am pleased to note that the audit identified no matters of concern and noted that the evaluation of the various proponents was thorough and appropriately supported by the provision of relevant technical and legal advice at all stages of the process.
I also note in relation to the objections raised with the probity auditor by one of the unsuccessful bidders, the Auditor-General has supported the conclusions of the probity auditor and the legal advisor that the objections lacked any basis in fact.
The second matter covered in the Auditor-General’s report directly relevant to my department was an audit of procedures in place for payments of grants and subsidies by Northern Territory government agencies. In relation to grant payments by the Department of the Chief Minister, the Auditor-General has commented on the adequacy of policies in place to ensure grants and subsidies paid are correctly identified, accounted for and acquitted. The audit found that appropriate written agreements were in place for community engagement grants which constituted 235 of the 303 grants made by the department.
However, the report found that the preparation of formal written grant agreements was not common practice for the remaining 68 grants provided by the department. This is to a large extent a question of determining the appropriate accounting treatments for these payments and then ensuring that accountability processes are in place relevant to the accounting classification of the expenditure. Two thirds of the funds involved in remaining 68 grants were to government owned organisations including subsidies for the Major Events Company to deliver the V8 Supercars event, and BassintheGrass and BassintheDust events, operational funding for the AustralAsia Railway Corporation, and funding for Desert Knowledge Australia. Each of these organisations are independently audited and have senior government representatives on their boards and the funding in question is clearly budgeted for.
I understand that there are discussions taking place with Treasury officials to decide whether these funds are best classified as grants. Whatever the outcome, the department will ensure that the appropriate accounting arrangements are in place.
The remaining one third of the funds involved in the 68 grants were to community organisations to subsidise events such as Carols by Candlelight and the Tropical Garden Spectacular. The department is reviewing its procedures in relation to these payments, however is mindful of not imposing an unnecessary burden of red tape on small community organisations delivering clearly identifiable public events. I am confident that appropriate arrangements will be put in place which provides the necessary level of accountability, however without the creation of an undue administrative burden to the community organisations concerned.
The Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report to the Assembly found that in relation to ministerial travel, and I quote from the report:
- The systems and processes in place in the Department of the Chief Minister during the period January 2004 to 31 December 2004
did not ensure compliance with the Remuneration Tribunal Determinations in that 61 records out of a sample of 81 were found not
to comply with Remuneration Tribunal Determinations.
The report then goes on to list a range of different kinds of errors, involving calculation errors, use of superseded determination, calculations based on inappropriate rates, and the wrong number of nights used for the calculation of travel allowance. The nett result of the errors in the samples selected for audit was a total underpayment of $978 spread across seven ministers and the then Leader of the Opposition.
When commenting publicly on the findings, the Auditor-General was at pains to emphasise that the cause of the problem was an administrative error, and that there was no evidence of dishonesty by ministers or the then Leader of the Opposition. Previous audits of ministerial travel did not identify any issues of significance that required further action by the department. The breakdown in systems and processes has been traced to the retirement of a very experienced travel clerk with the accompanying loss of knowledge and expertise that was not easily replaced.
This situation was addressed in May 2005 when the travel administration responsibility was reassigned and proper procedures reinstituted. However, because the Auditor-General’s report was based on only a sample of travel events during 2004, as I indicated to the House last sittings, the Department of Chief Minister sought an independent audit of all travel documents relating to the period 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2005 and instituted a total review of travel documentation and procedures. As I advised the House on 24 August, the Auditor-General was notified of these additional reviews, and he was subsequently asked to provide comment on the outcome of the independent audit and the review procedures. Apart from endorsing the measures taken by the department, he has again once again confirmed that ministers are innocent of any suggestion of misconduct.
I table all the relevant documents relating to the original audit, the information requested by the Leader of the Opposition under the Information Act, the report of the independent auditor, and a list of all 481 items of travel undertaken during this period, identifying the person who travelled, the allowances paid and the nature of any errors and further correspondence between the department and the auditor.
I also offer the Opposition Leader and the former Opposition Leader, the member for Blain, a briefing by my CEO on those details, and certainly for the member for Blain where you yourself are involved.
The key findings of the independent audit are as follows: out of 481 items of travel undertaken between January 2004 and June 2005, 167 were found to have errors. This amounted to a nett overpayment of $1959.56 out of $1m in total travel costs incurred during that period with five ministers and the then Leader of the Opposition nett overpaid and three ministers including myself, nett underpaid. Out of the errors, 70% were miscalculations by the travel section in the Department of Chief Minister, while 10% were breakdowns in the payment review and approval processes of both the Department of Chief Minister and Department of Corporate and Information Services. The remaining 20% resulted from variations between the information on the original movement requisition and the final details of travel undertaken, as some aspect of travel had changed, such as late checkout, flight or meeting times, and incomplete information provided. The travel requisition approval, recording and payment processes in place during the period of the review lacked consistency and lacked a robust review process. The inherent complexities of the Remuneration Tribunal Determinations and the travel administration system contributed significantly to the numbers of errors noted.
The documents I have tabled listed every single item of travel undertaken during the 18 month period examined, and identified the cause of any error in allowances paid. Nothing is hidden. It lists me, for example, as being overpaid by a nett amount of $93 when I took leave during the course of a business trip, because the information had not been included in the documentation forwarded to the travel clerk. There were instances of minister Stirling and the then Leader of the Opposition being paid twice for one trip, resulting in overpayments. In fact, the most travelled minister, minister Stirling, was paid twice on three separate occasions and then not paid at all or underpaid. There were a number of instances where no travel allowance was paid for travel undertaken; four times to me, three times to minister Stirling, once for former minister Ah Kit, three times for minister Vatskalis, twice for the Leader of the Opposition; and twice for minister Scrymgour.
There are a number of instances where incorrect allowances have been paid, either because insufficient information has been included on the original movement requisition, or because travel was paid in advance and some aspect of travel arrangements changed resulting in a need for an adjustment.
Letters have been prepared for each person affected by the travel allowance error identifying the amount of adjustment required to address the overall nett total of $1959.56.
Both the Auditor-General and the recent comprehensive audit have not disclosed any evidence of any dishonesty by ministers or Leader of the Opposition. In each and every case, it was a matter of administrative error. However, as the independent auditor has noted in his report, the complexity of the travel procedures and documentation have contributed significantly to the problem. This is a system that has been in place for over 20 years and is in need of a significant overhaul.
One of the problems with the current system is that it revolves around a requisition for travel and then an acquittal of actual travel against the requisition. Travel allowance is calculated on the basis of travel information on the requisition form. When the travel is certified the person or their assistant signs a statement as to whether the travel was in accordance with the itinerary. The format of acquittal is clearly deficient in that it only identifies that travel took place in accordance with an itinerary; it does not provide a breakdown or methodology of how travel allowance is provided or calculated and, hence, provides no basis upon which an individual might determine whether they have received the correct amount. At the same time, the complexity of the Remuneration Tribunal Determination makes it quite difficult in practice for an individual to assess his or her entitlement. Given that the movement requisition is used not just to book travel, but also to pay a travel allowance, there are insufficient prompts on the form to ensure that all the relevant information required to calculate the correct allowance is provided.
I can now report that the department has completely overhauled the travel system that has been in place for a long time, to ensure the potential for administrative error is absolutely minimised, and unnecessary complexities removed from current process. The movement requisition and acquittal forms have been changed to include prompts for all the information required to calculate travel allowance; that is, any non-business travel. Experienced staff with expertise in travel have been recruited, and supervision has been increased; an ongoing internal audit process put in place; the travel policy has been reviewed and clarified; and a new training program has been developed for administrative staff involved in the travel process including those in offices of ministers and the Leader of the Opposition, which will be provided on an ongoing basis. The data supporting the travel function has been updated to more easily capture the key information, particularly to increase clarity when there is a need for any adjustments to be made.
The department has strongly recommended to me that we move to a simpler and more straightforward process of reimbursing reasonable expenses on the production of receipts for meals and incidentals, rather than an advance, with all accommodation paid directly as the only method to cover travel costs. Given the complexity of the current system and the issues raised, I strongly support this proposal. This will enable the claimants to be clear about what they are claiming for, and will reduce a cumbersome process which currently necessitates numerous adjustments and does little to assist clear accountability.
The department has prepared a submission along these lines for consideration of the Remuneration Tribunal during its current inquiry. The tribunal is due to report by the end of this month.
The Office of the Auditor-General has been consulted through the process of this overhaul and has reviewed what the department is putting in place, and considers the changes will significantly reduce the likelihood of error. He will audit the overhauled travel administration to ensure it is operating appropriately.
In fact, as an interim measure, I have determined that ministers from now will move to a reimbursement basis, and not use the travel advance option currently available.
It is regrettable that so many errors were made in the calculation of travel allowances, even though the nett payment error across 481 items of travel was $1959.56. However, the problem has been addressed and new procedures put in place which will minimise the likelihood of future administrative errors of this nature.
In summary, further to the Auditor-General’s report, the department has undertaken a comprehensive audit and review of all travel and processes in the system. Details of this external review have been made available. While I would have preferred that none of this had happened, the problem has been identified and the system overhauled. I am confident that this will see the potential for administrative error minimised, if not eliminated, in the future.
I thank our Auditor-General, Frank McGuiness, for well fulfilling his role as Auditor-General. He is auditing the process of government, which is his role, and bringing to our attention deficits in administrative procedures. Our system does work well, and even though we preferred not to find any errors, it is actually the role of the Auditor-General to examine the processes and provide those checks and balances that we need across government. I thank our Auditor-General for his work and his support for how my department has responded to his initial August report. I also thank my department, which has worked extremely hard on identifying where the errors lay in the travel processes and actually put a new system in place. It has taken a lot of work, it is very complex, and I pay tribute to them all.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to continue my remarks from last sittings.
Leave granted.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, thank you and thank you, government members. Well, how things have changed, and I will be considering this in due course. However, I wonder whether the Chief Minister misled parliament on 23 August, that is the last sittings, when she said on a number of occasions that her department has addressed the problems. The Chief Minister, with respect, was pretty much all over the place, she said, yes, the department is fixing them up; elsewhere in her answers to some of my questions she said that the department had already done it. Nevertheless, the Chief Minister is on the Parliamentary Record as saying: ‘My department has done it’. In other words, the Chief Minister, having come in here today saying, ‘Oops, I did, in fact, ask people to have a look at this because it does in fact smell a bit’, now comes in and says, ‘Well, here are the results of the investigation’. Clearly, we will be looking at those documents very carefully. However, one does wonder, and it certainly appears that the Chief Minister misled the House possibly on more than one occasion, during the last sittings …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition well knows that she cannot accuse the Chief Minister or any member of government of misleading the House unless she does so by way of substantive motion. I ask that she withdraws that allegation.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, if you could reword that.
Ms CARNEY: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker, I am not sure whether I need to withdraw it. I understood that in the event that I wanted to pursue the matter I would do so by substantive motion.
Madam SPEAKER: If you could be careful in the way you describe things so that we maintain the parliamentary process.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It always pays to be careful, of course, when you are giving an account of yourself or your government in parliament. What we have seen from this episode is the Chief Minister moving about and squirming in a way that I have not seen for some time. The Chief Minister and her government are not naturally accommodating when it comes to the provision of documents that the opposition or, for that matter, so many Territorians request. The Chief Minister and her government are not naturally accommodating when it comes to seriously answering questions put by the opposition and other Territorians who question the conduct of this government. What does naturally happen, and the Chief Minister is not alone in this regard, is that when an issue is raised, we see, and I will quote back the words of the Chief Minister, ‘an hysterical response’. The level of acting that the Chief Minister undertakes is truly worthy of a various awards; an Academy-award winning performance, I believe I described to my colleagues, her performance on 23 August when asked a number of questions.
In any event, I digress. The Chief Minister was not going to provide the documents we asked for, was at pains to say, in almost an hysterical fashion: ‘No, Leader of the Opposition, there is nothing wrong with us. No, it has all been fixed up’, and she said: ‘Well, it will be fixed up’. So, she was pretty much all over the place. She also said, and I quote:
- That is the end of the matter.
Parliamentary Record, 23 August 2005.
Clearly, it was not the end of the matter, and if ever there was a time for the people of the Northern Territory to say: ‘Thank God for an opposition’, it is now. We may well be small in number, but we will not hold back in prosecuting issues that are important to the people of the Northern Territory. We will never hold back in getting stuck into this government in ways we see fit when we see the type of slipperiness, for the want of a better expression, that is propagated and exercised by the Chief Minister and some, though not all, of her parliamentary colleagues.
If ever there was a time for an opposition to question this government, it is now. This is an example of the opposition raising a question that was, for all intents and purposes, buried in the Auditor-General’s report. We raised a number of issues. I said to a number of people, some of the media, that if there was a sensible explanation, we would accept it. However, the questions we asked the Chief Minister did not provide us with sensible answers. That is why, and that is the only reason, we continue to pursue the matter.
Members of government will know that the opposition has made a request under the freedom of information act in relation to travel and you do not need to be a rocket scientist to work out, on the basis of the Chief Minister’s evasion in answering questions, why we would have done that. We took the view that if this government, this secretive, arrogant government, was not going to provide us with …
A member interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: There is that word again - arrogant. Got it? If they were not going to provide us with the information, then we would do it ourselves. We have made pretty slow progress, I might say, in relation to freedom of information, not the sort of information act Territorians envisaged, however I digress. I feel certain, however, that I will come back to that at another time.
I note the document called ‘Good Governance’, and I smiled because, by God, is it a laugh. It was issued prior to the 2001 election. I have heard, and I have not had time to look, that it has been removed from the government or Labor’s web site. I do not know whether that is the case, but if so, it is interesting, is it not? In any case, in this document it says, and it has the Chief Minister on the front, and I quote:
- We will also ensure that ministerial expenses are open to freedom of information claims.
Well, it is like pulling teeth, and also not an inexpensive exercise, pursuing information under the government’s much lauded Information Act, commonly referred to as the freedom of information act.
I thank the Chief Minister, having been dragged kicking and screaming, for finally providing the documents. We will, sensibly, go through those documents. It seems to me that the Chief Minister undertook what was the only appropriate course of action by having done a fulsome investigation. That was our position. We have that now.
However, because we are not naturally trusting of this government, we will look at those documents very carefully. We will reserve our rights in relation to the application made under the Information Act and, in the event that the documents are less than satisfactory, we will continue to pursue the matter.
It may be, for instance, that one of the critical issues may not be addressed by the documents provided; they may or, then again, they may not. But that issue was: who was it and why was a claim made for travel allowance when a minister was on leave. I would have thought that was worthy of investigation, certainly worthy of explanation. We may have that explanation; then again, we may not.
Another issue the Auditor-General raised was the claiming and receiving of a higher rate than an entitlement provides. We will be very keen, obviously, to see whether those documents that the Chief Minister tabled today satisfy those concerns. I look forward to receiving those documents. The Chief Minister arguably, in fact, less than arguably, should have indicated when we raised this matter in August, she should have come clean. I know she is not naturally given to doing it, but she should have come clean and said: ‘Yes, Leader of the Opposition, yes Territorians, I am doing an investigation. We will table the results and there is nothing wrong here’. All we had was an hysterical, over the top reaction saying: ‘Oh no, it is not me, it is not me, and besides it is going to be fixed. Oops! We have done it’ ,and so on.
I will also go through the Parliamentary Record to see what the Chief Minister said today to see whether she had misled the parliament on another occasion.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I rise to make some comments about the Auditor-General’s report, in particular regarding my department’s Fisheries Division. I quote from the Auditor-General’s report that says:
- Within the Department of Business, Industry, Resource and Development’s Fisheries Division, there are no documented
grant and subsidy application, approval and acquittal procedures.
However, at the same time he said there were informal procedures but they were inconsistent and in many ways inferior to those in place within the Commercial Services Division of DBIRD where the majority of DBIRD’s plan and subsidy payments are administered.
Where possible the Fisheries Division of the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines – DPIFM now – has adopted the model used in the Commercial Services Division of its predecessor, the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development for managing grants under Treasurers’ Direction A6.4. However, certain constraints preclude the full adoption of the Commercial Services Division’s procedures by the Fisheries Division, in particular, small research and development projects. Such grants require the capture of specific data for research and development and therefore the application form used by Fisheries is a generic model applied by fisheries agencies Australia wide.
Grants provided include the grant to the NT Seafood Council to fund its administration’ a grant to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation to fund research; and small grants to non-government organisations like the Seafood Festival.- these are generally one-off grants to assist in specific projects; and grants to the Marine Rangers Program to consult communities. Monies are provided to groups to assist in the operation of local Marine Rangers training programs. A range of additional funding opportunities are sought by indigenous community groups.
Further, there are certain grants requiring specific procedures defined under the Fisheries Act, administrative action that must be followed for the approval process; hence the adoption of the Commercial Services Division’s template is not necessarily a viable option. Even so, the powers of the Commercial Services Division process that can be adopted have been incorporated.
The DPIFM will endeavour to improve on the application approval processes and adopt the Commercial Services Division’s model of the former DBIRD where possible. In addition DPIFM will continue to review the industry grants process and procedures with a view to implement appropriate recommendation from the Auditor-General’s audit.
The agency has endeavoured to adopt a standardised procedure wherever possible. However, to ensure that the most appropriate and best practice has been adopted, DPIFM has scheduled to review this aspect of the fisheries operation initially in-house and, if necessary, with assistance from an external resource like an auditing firm, to ensure a robust internal control regime.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, this is a most interesting issue. I came into this parliament nearly six years ago and I remember very clearly the position taken by the now government on matters related to travel. So when an issue such as this arises, I watch very carefully to see the response. I expected to hear the sorts of utterances that were driven by a sense of integrity that was mouthed when they were in opposition to be translated to government. Instead, there was a response of total defence. Defensiveness without the opportunity provided to them to be honest and to accept fault and what was being masked by an attitude which I found appalling, was just a cover for embarrassment for feet of clay and the words of integrity mean little.
When we go through the document we need things to be addressed for the sake of the people who have elected us. There was audit evidence that a grand final in Melbourne was attended by a minister and accompanied by a family member. The Auditor-General, who was praised by the Chief Minister - and I likewise add my praise - reports that there was no indication of any meetings being held or any other reason for the travel being incurred. It needs a response, Chief Minister, and an apology or an explanation at least, because that goes right against the very spirit of the document that you presented before the Territory population before your elevation to the position of Chief Minister. Please give an explanation? If that was not raised by the opposition, it would never be raised by this Chief Minister.
Further to that, the member for Nelson, when this matter was raised in the last parliament, sought the opportunity to ask a fairly basic question and was effectively blocked from being able to ask that very simple question. That question was to provide full details and a full report to this parliament. It was a very fair question. After much hysteria, covering, defensiveness from government, and an assurance that everything is okay, five or six weeks passed, and what do we have for this parliament? Without the member for Nelson being permitted to ask the question, we have the provision of the answer; that is, the data, the information, the full report we are required to trust. We are required to trust this Chief Minister and this government in matters of detail, quality and integrity, where statements are matched by action.
I found it peculiar that, only a week or so after the last parliamentary sittings, I received a letter in my electorate office. That letter, with a paragraph and one sentence, tells me that I have been underpaid by $95. I received a cheque for $95. What am I meant to do with that cheque? Do I slip it into my account? No way! I wanted the answers to the questions that the member for Nelson sought. I wanted to have the full report brought before this parliament, because I am elected by the Territory population that resides in a section of Palmerston. I want to be able to stand with some integrity and know the story behind that cheque for $95. I somehow suspect that I should enter that into my account and that would be paid off, perhaps; that I would be silenced, because it belongs in my account. It certainly does not belong in my account; it belongs in another account. I need some details. What is the story behind this $95? I do not have that information until this parliament - that is why I did not put that cheque anywhere near a bank account. I want to know. I want to know whether I can actually trust the audit and the assurances of this Chief Minister and this government with regards to their response to an embarrassment that was uncovered by the Auditor-General and prosecuted by the opposition. Shame on you!
Dr BURNS (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, I speak to the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report to the Legislative Assembly. I suppose the two items that I will be speaking to relate to my portfolio areas, particularly the Darwin City Waterfront redevelopment and the performance measurement of executive contract officers in the public sector.
Turning first to the Darwin City Waterfront project, on page 33 of his August 2005 Report, the Auditor-General says that he has undertaken an initial review of the project with the objective of forming a view as to whether the processes that govern the tendering, assessment and the selection of the successful proponent were appropriate. He also notes that the review did not attempt to assess the financial implications of the project because he says: ‘It is intended that this will be done as a separate review to be covered in a future report’. That is what the Auditor-General set out to do. The Auditor-General became thoroughly familiar with all the processes relating to the issues that he has raised and investigated. On page 35 of the report, he mentions some of the objections raised by unsuccessful bidders. He says that he has:
… since examined the objections raised by the unsuccessful proponent and have concluded that the basis upon which
the objections were based were unreliable and that the conclusions reached by the legal advisor and probity auditor
were correct.
After undertaking the review of the tendering and evaluation process, the Auditor-General stated in his report that he identified no matters of concern and that the evaluation of the various proponents was thorough. He also stated that the evaluation team was supported by the provision of appropriate technical and legal advice at all stages of the process, and that a probity auditor was also involved at each stage.
In the period immediately following the announcement of the successful proponent, as I outlined earlier, one of the unsuccessful bidders lodged a series of objections with the probity auditor. Each and every one of the issues raised as part of the objections was considered by the probity auditor and legal advisor. The legal advisor and the probity auditor conclude that the objections lacked any basis in fact and the objector was advised accordingly. The firm in question subsequently signed a release deed and received payment of $250 000 GST exclusive that was offered to each unsuccessful proponent whose proposals met the specified criteria. As I stated earlier, the Auditor-General stated that he has examined the objections raised by the unsuccessful proponent and concluded the foundation on which the objections were based was unreliable and the conclusions reached by the legal advisor and the probity auditor were correct.
I thank the Auditor-General for his views and acknowledge his efforts in reviewing the tendering and evaluation process undertaken in selecting the successful proponent for the Darwin City Waterfront development. It is an important project for all Territorians and it is critical that all appropriate processes are in place for each stage of its development and that all parties are held to account, and that includes government.
I am pleased that the processes undertaken thus far have been endorsed at the highest level, that is, by the Auditor-General. I am encouraged by the progress of the Darwin City Waterfront project and, like many Territorians, I am looking forward to witnessing the development of a world-class facility in Darwin that everyone can enjoy.
Turning to the Auditor-General’s report into the Performance Assessment of Executive Contract Officers in the Public Sector on page 15 of the report: it is pleasing to note that the Auditor-General reported that performance assessments for executive contract officers are generally being conducted across the public sector, and that these are in line with the relevant contractual provisions and sound performance management systems.
However, I also note that the Auditor-General considers that there is room for improvement in some areas and I will make some comment on these findings. Before doing so, I believe it is important for me to briefly explain the performance management of employees generally across the public sector and the particular provisions that apply to executive contract officers. This will provide some context to my later remarks in relation to the Auditor-General’s report findings.
The Performance Management Framework for Non-Executive Employees is legislatively based in Employment Instruction No 4 issued by the Commissioner for Public Employment under section 16 of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act. Under the framework, agencies are responsible for implementing performance management systems relevant to their particular needs provided they comply with the employment instruction. The basis for executive contract officers’ performance assessment is made explicit in the executive contract, and these are:
1. fulfilment of the express or implied terms of the contract;
2. any specific professional standards relevant to the nature of the duties to be performed; and
3. fulfilment of any agreed commitments of an executive contract and the expectation of the employer.
In January 2004, the commissioner issued a publication titled ‘Northern Territory Public Sector Executive Leadership Capabilities’. The document defines the leadership capabilities of executive according to eight criteria. These are visionary leadership; results through people; relationships and the environment; stewardship; delivery focus; strategic focus; outcome focus; and self. The capabilities describe the characteristics of successful leaders in the Northern Territory public sector, along with performance criteria reflective of each dimension. Whilst the capabilities are not mandatory, it is intended that they be used to inform the development of performance management systems, learning plans and other work force planning and development strategies.
Turning now to the Auditor-General’s findings: whilst reporting that performance assessment is generally occurring in performance with requirements, his report found that there were three areas where improvements could be made.
Before I turn to these three areas where improvements can be made, it is significant that the Auditor-General and his predecessors under this government, at least, make recommendations to government in terms of improvement to management systems and accounting systems within the public sector and within government. We are a government that takes up those particular recommendations.
I remember, particularly, when we first came to power in 2001 and I was Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, there was, I felt, much dissatisfaction with the then Auditor-General about the way in which his Auditor-General’s findings were studiously ignored under the previous government and, in fact, little or no comment was ever offered by agencies as to the findings of the Auditor-General, I think over a seven year period he said in one of his reports. That contrasts with the style of this government that when the Auditor-General makes a report and recommendations, we are a government that takes them on board.
I will turn to the improvements that can be made, as highlighted by the Auditor-General. Firstly, not all agencies have mechanisms to ensure regular assessments are undertaken. To address this, agencies are required to formalise their administrative arrangements to ensure the performance management cycle is implemented, and adhered to. In response to this finding, the Commissioner for Public Employment will issue general advice to all Chief Executive Officers reminding them of their obligations in this regard.
The second finding was that in some agencies performance assessments are not retained as part of the formal record-keeping process. This could lead to misplaced records in some instances, particularly when reporting relationships change. Whilst changes in reporting relationships are not unique to executive contract officers and often affect non-executive employees, it is expected that performance assessments should be retained as official records. The Commissioner for Public Employment will issue a general advice to all Chief Executive Officers on this subject, also.
Finally, the Auditor-General found that agencies utilise different approaches to assessing executive contract officer performance, with an emphasis on achieving tasks over the executive leadership capabilities. Different performance management systems are used by agencies according to their relevant needs. This is entirely appropriate. Agencies are free to utilise the capabilities at their discretion, and not all may be applicable to their particular operations. Further, it is important to note that the capability model is a relatively new approach in the public sector. I would expect that its use will become more entrenched over time as agencies adjust their practice. Nonetheless, I undertake to parliament that I will discuss this third issue here about agencies utilising different approaches, and find where there can be some common ground. I give that assurance to parliament.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I thank the Auditor-General for his report and findings into the performance assessment of executive contract officers across the public sector. Executive contract officers are the leaders of our public sector and represent a major investment by the government towards providing the best services to the Territory community, and advice to government. In this respect we have a responsibility to ensure that the performance of executives is properly assessed in accordance with the contractual provisions and sound management practice. In conclusion, I support the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to speak again on this subject.
Leave granted.
Mr WOOD: I do not intend to spend long on this particular issue, however I would like to thank the Chief Minister for presenting a detailed report on ministerial travel. When I did last speak I simply put the case to the government that one way to allow this issue to be debated in a full, open and transparent manner was to provide all the details of the errors that the Auditor-General had mentioned in his report. The government has done that and I thank them.
That does not necessarily mean they are off the hook because we have to go through that report and, as the member for Blain said, there was a football match there that was very interesting, however, there may be some good reasons for that as well. It is highlighted in schedule 2 that there was a trip to the AFL grand final and there did not seem to be any meetings or any other reason for going there except the football. However, it is there, the government has put it forward for us to debate, and I am sure if there was good reason for that occurring, that will be explained. That is basically the reason I asked if we need to get to the bottom of these issues, put forward the documentation showing where all these errors occurred. I am sure the opposition and the Independents will go through that as thoroughly as possible and at another stage raise any questions where they think there are some doubts as to the adequacy of answers given.
Once again, I thank the government for providing us with this information. We will certainly be scrutinising what is in that information and coming back to parliament with questions about it.
Dr TOYNE (Health): Madam Speaker, I give a short response. I must say that the two agencies for which I have responsibility were not unduly mentioned in the report. I can report on the matters involving the Department of Health and Community Services in regard to the Auditor-General’s comments.
Ex-gratia payments and legal settlements: the Department of Health and Community Services was one of the agencies selected by the Auditor-General to test the requirement that ex-gratia payments are:
approved in accordance with Treasurer’s Direction 6.2.11;
endorsed in accordance with Treasurer’s Directions 6.2.12; and
recorded in accordance with Treasurer’s Direction 6.2.13.
The audit did not raise any issues of note with respect to ex-gratia payments as defined. It did identify payments made as part of an out-of-court settlement. The Auditor-General observes that the current treatment of payments of this type by the agencies is to classify out-of-court settlements as legal expenses. The Auditor-General is of the view that this treatment is potentially misleading to the users of the agencies’ financial reports as it fails to distinguish between expenses incurred for the receipt of legal or similar services from those that represent payments to potential plaintiffs, or for the purposes of avoiding legal proceedings.
The current reporting practices are consistent with the direction from the NT Treasury and legal advice. The Department of Health and Community Services will await the advice of the NT Treasury as to any change of practice as a result of the observations of the Auditor-General and will naturally follow such instructions as Treasury want to give the agency.
The Menzies School of Health: the audit of financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2004. The Auditor-General examined the audited accounts of Menzies School of Health and found no anomalies. The Auditor-General observed that an unqualified independent audit opinion was issued on 14 April 2005.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I note that there is no mention at all of the Department of Justice in the report.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, first of all I thank the Auditor-General for his independent analysis and take this opportunity to respond to his comments relating to the former Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs.
My first comment relates to the audit conducted regarding pool fencing payments. This was carried out to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Swimming Pool Safety Act 2004, and previous legislation with respect to grants and loans. I am pleased to note that the report found departmental control procedures complied with legislative requirements, and that loans provided under the superseded Swimming Pool Fencing Act 2002 were properly treated.
The Auditor-General recommended a mandatory standard checklist for all inspections to ensure a uniform, transparent inspection and assessment of swimming pools, and confirmed the inspection regime is properly enforced.
I would like to advise my fellow members here today that, as a result of both this audit and an internal inspection into the actions of a former pool inspector, my department has implemented a number of changes. Current practice provides that individual inspectors are not required to use a checklist when inspecting swimming pools. However, compliance with legislation is assured as new inspectors are given thorough training and mentoring, and each inspection report is checked by the senior pool safety advisor against a standard checklist. Although this is a slight variation from the Auditor-General’s recommendation, it still provides a detailed quality assurance mechanism for the department to ensure a consistent, transparent and equitable process.
I would also like to address the matter raised in the Auditor-General’s report of a former employee being investigated for fraud. Late in 2003, allegations were brought to the department’s attention regarding a swimming pool inspector not performing his duties in accordance with the swimming pool fence legislation. As a result of an internal investigation, evidence of gross misconduct was identified and the inspector in question was stood down. The department engaged the assistance of the Northern Territory Police to further investigate these matters, and the investigations are continuing. This was a very unfortunate event.
However, my department has reinspected 401 out of the 403 pools certified by the inspector in question, and identified the costs that have resulted from any identified negligent work. No Territorian will be out-of-pocket as a consequence of the rectification costs. Legal advice has been sought in relation to commencing civil proceedings against the former employee to recover the amount it has cost the department to rectify the negligent work. Action is now under way to file a statement of claim with the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
The final matter relating to my portfolio as Minister for Local Government relates to the $35 000 grant to the Belyuen Community Government Council for the purchase of a vehicle for council purposes. The Chief Minister referred this matter to the Auditor-General for consideration and advice as to what action, if any, may be required. The Auditor-General concluded that, apart from the need to improve administrative protocols - which has been done, I have been assured of this by my department - that no further action is necessary.
This matter was previously looked into by the Ombudsman for the Northern Territory. My department has acted on and continues to implement all recommendations made by the Ombudsman which include: the implementation of clear protocols regarding the provision of special purpose grants; working with the Belyuen people, the community, to address issues identified by a compliance audit; the provision of financial assistance to the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory, otherwise known as LGANT, for governance training and elected member development; and further encouraging Belyuen to contact LGANT for assistance re staff and member training development.
My department also met with the council and it has agreed to repay the $35 000 grant. This will be paid in two equal instalments of $17 500 over the next two years by a reduction of their operational grant.
Madam Speaker, I thank the Auditor-General for his examination of these matters and I welcome his feedback on how to continue to improve the processes and performance of government agencies, including my own, to ensure the taxpayers’ monies are used in the most effective manner possible.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, the Auditor-General made comment in his report about the annual report prepared by the Nitmiluk, or Katherine Gorge, National Park for the year ending 2004. I need to emphasise from the outset that the Auditor-General did give an unqualified report on this matter, which means he has no concerns that the financial statements do not fairly present the financial position of the Nitmiluk National Park Board. He did, however, make comment that the financial statements were not made available until June 2005, that some data recorded during the year was inadequate, and that one instance of expenditure could not be supported by adequate documentation. I will deal briefly with each of these three issues.
The timely production of the financial statements has always been an issue due to the need to separate the liability of the park board from that of the Parks and Wildlife Service for the day-to-day operation of the national park. It has always been the view of the Auditor-General that the board has ultimate responsibility for all operational costs of the park. Recently, my department made a detailed submission to the Auditor-General that resulted in recognition that the responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the park, in fact, rests with Parks and Wildlife. As a consequence, the production of financial statements for the year ended June 2005 has become much less complex. The statements will be available for audit on a timely basis from now on.
In relation to the matter of inaccurate data, the errors made were detected and corrected, as is evident by the unqualified report by the Auditor-General of the financial statements.
The issue of skill level for the task of accounting for the Nitmiluk Board is being addressed by my department in consultation with the board. With regard to the one item of expenditure that could not be found, the missing document was subsequently located and has been forwarded to the Auditor-General to allow the purchase to be authenticated. The issues raised by the Auditor-General have been addressed and rectified, and he gave an unqualified report.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their comments in relation to this report which I tabled last sittings. It gets up my nose, the comments from both the member for Blain and member for Araluen, misrepresenting the facts when they come in here and claiming credit that it was the opposition that bought this …
Ms Carney: Read the Hansard! Read what your boss said!
Mr STIRLING: … to the attention of Territorians.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: The Leader of the Opposition, just this morning, …
Ms Carney: I can hand it to you if you like. Here it is.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: … Madam Speaker, says: ‘… buried away in the Auditor-General’s report so no one can find it’. In fact, on page 362 of the last Hansard, in my tabling comments in relation to this report:
- The conditions under which travel may be undertaken, and the allowances that are payable, are set down in the Remuneration
Tribunal determinations. Unfortunately, the department’s systems and processes did not ensure compliance with Remuneration
Tribunal determinations. The nett cost of these errors was less than $1000, and were largely underpayments. The department
has acknowledged these areas and fixed them.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Deputy Chief Minister, please pause! What is your point of order?
Ms CARNEY: The Deputy Chief Minister well knows that – it is hard to take seriously - there was no allegation of criminal activity. I do ask that he withdraw it and that he remember that we have new microphones in parliament and I am just over here, and if he would not mind lowering his voice, I am sure we would all be very grateful.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order. However, Deputy Chief Minister, if you could be mindful of standing orders.
Mr STIRLING: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will refer to one comment there where she says, ‘who was it that misused taxpayers’ money through false and deceitful travel?’ – if they are not allegations of a criminal nature, well, I will go he.
What she as Leader of the Opposition should be doing is commending the work of our Auditor-General. This is his job, and this is the robustness of the system. We made errors that should not have been made – far too many errors made that should not have been made. We accept that. We accept that there were systemic errors; we accept that that was compounded by individual errors by a particular clerk. We accept that the forms were not up to scratch and the detail provided in order for that clerk to do their job fully and 100% effectively. We accept all of those things, Madam Speaker. However, it was not the opposition …
Ms Carney: You didn’t two months ago, did you?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It was not the opposition that brought it to the attention of this government, it was not the opposition that brought it to the attention of the House or, in fact, Territorians. It was one Mr Frank McGuiness in his role as Auditor-General, and that is what he is paid to do.
He is paid to audit all of the processes of government and, in this case, he found deficiencies, and such were those deficiencies that an 18-month audit was embarked upon, of which the full results have now been tabled in here. The Chief Minister laid out very clearly, and very plainly, every aspect of travel administration over this period in question, 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2005, and to say it has revealed mistakes is an understatement. It is a litany of errors, as I said, compounded by a number of factors.
However, importantly, it did not reveal any dishonesty. It did not reveal anything sinister on behalf of the member for Blain who is in the frame as well as I am. I am not very happy being in the frame. You talk about not cashing your cheque. Well, you have to find it as I do. I am not very happy about that. I am not very happy about that at all, however, I accept that what has gone on here, and unbeknownst to me, I was underpaid as many times as I was overpaid, and I finish up owing Chief Minister’s money, and I am very happy to pay that back. Of course, I will be paying it back when I get a letter, as no doubt he will be.
However, the Chief Minister has provided a comprehensive response to an issue raised, not by the opposition, but raised by the Auditor-General in his capacity doing his job. I thank Frank McGuiness for the Auditor-General that he is, because he pointed to a problem, government has investigated it fully over that 18 month period, and you now have the results of that work. Am I happy, am I pleased this occurred? Not at all! I do not like my name up in lights saying ‘you got overpaid’, nor would you. However, that is the fact of what happened. It will be paid back and, most importantly, there will be a system in place under which these types of things cannot happen again.
In my own portfolio areas, the audits of Charles Darwin University and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education were completed for 2004, and reported on in the Auditor-General’s August 2005 Report. No key issues were identified in the report for these bodies.
I put on the record my thanks and my commendation to the Auditor-General for doing what he is paid to do, doing his job, effectively and efficiently, alerting government to a problem where there was a range of deficiencies, upon which we now have a full report. I am sure the opposition will spend some time - both the member for Blain and the member for Araluen have been offered an opportunity for a briefing on the complete contents of that report. I suggest that they should take it in the benefits of full understanding.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise you of the presence in the gallery of various small business owners who are visiting parliament for Business Month. There are also visitors from interstate as well. On behalf of all members, I extend to you a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Alcohol Policy Reform Progress
Alcohol Policy Reform Progress
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, members of this House do not need to be told that, while most Territorians do drink sensibly, the Territory does have serious problems with alcohol abuse, and there have been countless reports and extensive research highlighting the harm to our community from excessive alcohol consumption.
In 2003, government put in place a five point plan for tackling the issues of alcohol abuse and related harm. That five point plan was:
1. to legislate against the practice of book-up for alcohol, including a ban on the use of credit cards for book-up.
Members would be aware that government has fulfilled our commitments in points (1) and (2). We have banned the book-up of alcohol and maintained the current Sunday trading regime, despite being penalised by the Commonwealth government for doing so.
To implement the final three points, the government put in place a team to develop a comprehensive whole-of-government framework of policy, structures and actions in response to alcohol issues in the Territory. The team was headed up by Ms Donna Ah Chee from the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, and Mr Daryl Manzie, a former, well respected minister in successive CLP governments from 1983. They were supported by Mr Gordon Renouf and Ms Jo Townsend, as well as staff from Racing, Gaming and Licensing.
They reported in July 2004 following extensive discussion with the community. The report was distributed to members of parliament and throughout the community. Government considered the report and has been implementing many of the recommendations made by this group.
Today, I wish to update the House on the progress we have made. Recommendations can be summarised into 11 categories of action:
1. mapping a clear way forward.
4. supporting local solutions.
I will touch on the most significant of these.
Mapping a clear way forward: recommendations 1, 2 and 7 of the final report of the Northern Territory Alcohol Framework proposed that a coordinated, whole-of-government alcohol framework be adopted, supported by appropriate resources, structures and processes. It suggested that our goal should be reducing the Territory’s average per capita alcohol consumption to the national average within five years.
Government accepted the recommended framework outlined by the report. The framework is designed to ensure actions and decision making are targeted and directed at key areas of concern. That means ensuring valuable resources and funds are not misdirected to marginal problems or areas not at the core of the problem.
The government’s effort will focus on reducing harmful or risky patterns of drinking. In taking this approach, the government has rejected the recommendation to seek a general reduction in the amount of alcohol consumed by Territorians. Government believes that most Territorians know how to enjoy alcohol responsibly. They are not the target of this framework. Instead, our focus looks to reduce the drinking behaviours that produce the unacceptable levels of harm, social disharmony and community costs that we are no longer willing to tolerate. This approach recognises that alcohol has both social and health benefits, and risks, for our community that can vary across gender, age, cultural groups, locations and situations. Government believes this is a more effective overarching approach, rather than simply focusing on the amount of alcohol being drunk.
Whole-of-government commitment: recommendations 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the final report proposed a range of new governance and management structures and processes to oversee implementation of the framework. Government has largely accepted these recommendations. They include establishing an Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination within the Department of the Chief Minister as well as an interdepartmental committee on alcohol strategy that will report to a new minister for alcohol strategy. It was proposed that the interdepartmental committee should manage the framework, be responsible for all new and reallocated funding and negotiate program objectives with agencies. Agencies would be required to report annually against these objectives.
Government accepted the main elements of these recommendations but did not endorse seconding staff from other agencies as this would reduce the capacity of those agencies. However, those agencies dealing with alcohol issues will support and assist the work of the office of alcohol policy. A dedicated Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination has now been established within the Racing, Gaming and Licensing Division of Northern Territory Treasury. It will provide expert advice on policy development and intervention design. It will create strong links between departments dealing with alcohol issues, it will collate and disseminate data and information and support a number of advisory and consultative groups.
A senior officers group will be established to work on the practicalities of getting strategies in place, to collaborate on shared activities and negotiate priorities. Each year an agreed work plan will be developed by the senior officers group for alcohol-related activities and goals to be pursued over that 12 months.
Valuing community and industry input: recommendation 14 of the final report is for an alcohol policy reference group to undertake formal consultation with industry and community groups. This acknowledges that while government can and must provide leadership, it cannot work alone nor have all the answers. New advisory bodies have been established with key stakeholders to tap into the wealth of knowledge, experience and skills that they possess, and to give them a formal voice in the planning and decision making processes. This partnership approach has already started with industry. The Australian Hotels Association has been given a grant of $25 000 to communicate the government’s intentions to industry outlets across the Territory, as well as seek their feedback.
Supporting local solutions: recommendations 18 and 21 of the report propose that support be provided to industry and local community actions to promote a culture of responsible alcohol use and improved practices. The recommendations propose that the support could include community development grants, grants for community-based alcohol-free events, development and implementation of community education programs, employing local alcohol workers, funding for local supervision and support, employing visiting community support positions based in major centres and funding for related networking, training and projects.
Recommendations 16 and 17 propose the legislative basis for the creation of local alcohol management committees and recommend that the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination should promote and support the development of regional and local alcohol management plans.
The government accepted, in principal, the importance of local and regional planning relating to the supply of alcohol, health services and harm reduction initiatives. In particular, Cabinet supported the emphasis on encouraging local communities to develop their own response to alcohol and related issues, employing either informal processes or more formal mechanisms. The government also accepted, in principal, that positive steps should be taken to influence and affect the culture of alcohol use in the community. It endorsed the establishment of a fund to provide grants that support alcohol free community events.
We strongly supported the notion of establishing regional and local alcohol management plans and noted that community consultation highlighted the plans as the most innovative and key recommendation. However, the government does have concerns with the recommendations to invest them with legal powers. These concerns are being worked through.
Individual communities and regions are being encouraged to develop local responses to the most pressing alcohol concerns in their area. This will ensure actions deal with the priority issues and are sustainable. Of course, such plans will have to balance competing community needs and be practical. Government will do all it can to support the agreed plans. Some funding and help from the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination and relevant departments will be available to assist the management committee and the development of these plans. Work has already been done on developing alcohol management plans for the Tiwi Islands and Groote Eylandt and discussions are progressing with the Katherine Region Harmony Group.
Making an environment for change: recommendations 24, 26, 43, 52 and 60 propose a range of interventions to minimise alcohol-related harm. The recommendations include developing opportunities for early identification and referral for treatment of people with drinking problems; promoting workplace policies to change drinking culture; providing support to families of drinkers to protect their money from drinkers requests or demands; establishing close and formal relationships including intelligence-based approaches to takeaway sales and illegal or harmful practices between the Director of Licensing and the police; and developing annual plans for random breath testing.
The government accepted, in principle, the proposed range of interventions directing further work in many areas to ascertain the most effective way of implementing the recommendations. Funding and expertise has been provided for local activities to promote better practices and improve the culture of irresponsible alcohol use. These funds will be administered through the Racing, Gaming and Licensing agency in consultation with key stakeholders. Discussions are planned with the alcohol industry to identify opportunities for partnerships in this area. This may be in the form of collaborative activities or additional financial contributions. Funds have also been allocated for education programs and will be managed by the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination.
Alcohol courts and antisocial behaviour: recommendation 25 proposed the government should amend legislation and develop services to make available a number of coercive and compulsory options to respond to problem drinking including establishing an alcohol court; empowering the court to make orders; expanding the capacity of alcohol and other drug services to provide interventions to coerce compulsory clients; and expanding the capacity of community welfare and counselling services to assist drinkers and their families to organise their financial affairs.
Recommendation 24 of the framework proposed the development of new opportunities for people with drinking problems to be identified and referred for treatment. These matters were the subject of much debate in the recent election. Coercive and compulsory mechanisms are being set up to stop the cycle of habitual drunkenness and to protect innocent individuals, families and community members who have their convenience, safety and amenity compromised by drunks.
These mechanisms include the introduction of alcohol courts and new legislation. A task force led by the Department of Justice is working on implementing the election commitments made by the government. They will put together legislation that will extend dry area restrictions to urban settings, establish alcohol courts and allow for conditions to be made about the referral, assessment and treatment of habitual drunks. The alcohol courts will deal with offenders whose actions are related to alcohol abuse or dependence and will consider treatment as an option for these offenders. Some of these provisions will be included in the new Liquor Act, others will be introduced in the new antisocial behaviour act being drafted under the direction of my colleague, the Attorney-General. That act will address issues unrelated to alcohol as well. The Attorney-General will say more about this act as the details are finalised.
Of course the provision of coercive treatment options is pointless without effective treatment. I am pleased to report the Department of Health and Community Services has completed a review of existing alcohol services to identify strengths and weaknesses.
The government also promised during the election campaign to provide additional places for treatment. This funding is being placed with the relevant agency.
A new Liquor Act: recommendations 15, 26, 31, 33, 34, 37 to 39, and 44 to 47 propose that government should undertake a review and rewrite of the Liquor Act. The rewrite was proposed in order to:
provide a coherent framework for the operation of the liquor industry within harm
minimisation principles,
align the legislation with the goals and aims of the framework; and
ensure clear legislative directions from government.
Matters identified in the framework that may be addressed through a review and rewrite of the Liquor Act include:
empowering the Licensing Commission to inquire into and promulgate local or regional
liquor supply plans;
authorising the minister to issue alcohol policy guidelines on matters consistent with the
objectives of the act;
ensuring a clear allocation of powers to the Licensing Commission, the minister or the
Director of Licensing;
requiring new licensed applicants and existent licensees applying for variations to licence
conditions or for material alterations, to prepare and publish a community impact statement
covering matters relevant to the objects of the Liquor Act - this will allow community members,
government agencies and other bodies to comment on the application;
empowering the Licensing Commission to issue a licence for a fixed period of time where the
circumstances warrant a limited term licence;
empowering the Director of Licensing to conduct a harm minimisation audit in relation to a liquor licence;
creating an additional offence penalising a person who purchases or obtains alcohol for the purpose of
supplying it to a person they know to be intoxicated;
increasing the maximum penalties for a breach of a licence condition in line with the amount of liquor
supplied in breach;
increasing the maximum penalty for taking liquor into a restricted area in line with the amount of alcohol
involved; and
replacing monetary penalties for offences with penalty units to ensure that they maintain pace with inflation
and are consistent with other punitive legislation.
It is intended to have this new legislation ready for government consideration in late 2006. A cross-agency drafting team has been working on this task since May 2005. Key industry, community and service delivery stakeholders will be consulted as part of the process. A position paper outlining key matters to be covered in the act will soon be distributed for comment.
Licensing Commission: the final report recommended that the Licensing Commission continue to be the prime decision maker in relation to applications for licences and setting regional licensing conditions. However, it also recommended the commission’s composition, practices and procedures be reviewed. Such a review should lead to procedures that are not intimidating to witnesses or parties, and which facilitate participation by groups affected by decisions; fairness to all interests; transparency and testing of all evidence; mediation and conciliation to resolve complaints, where possible and appropriate; each of the powers under the Liquor Act being clearly allocated to either the commission, the minister, or the Director of Licensing; and provision of staff to perform administrative and investigative work that the commission requires to exercise its functions.
Cabinet supports the proposed review, and significant work has been done to reform this body. The commission will remain the final decision maker in relation to licensing applications and complaint hearings. However, changes will be made to provide greater certainty and transparency in the licensing process, and to prevent an unchecked proliferation of licences.
Consideration will be given to more stringent application processes that include: demonstration that any new licence is necessary; creating a capacity for the minister to issue clear alcohol policy guidelines so that the intention of the government of the day is known and taken into account; streamlining processes to avoid delays; and reducing the legalistic nature of processes and relying more on mediation and conciliation so that they are more accessible to all parties.
Better links are already in place with Racing, Gaming and Licensing to give the commission ready access to the resources of that division for conducting investigations and providing advice and information. The Director of Licensing will take on the more routine and less sensitive workload than previously done by the commission. This will free the commission to focus on the more significant and problematic matters.
Responsible liquor outlets: recommendations 40 to 42, 48 and 50 of the final report propose that the Licensing Commission should issue two different types of special licences, each of which would be supported by a licensee-developed and commission-approved patron care plan. Licensees should be required to develop a house management policy, code of conduct and a management plan. Licensees who sell takeaway and on-premises alcohol should submit separate returns for each type of sale, and liquor should make up no more than 15% of a general store’s turnover.
The government agreed that the commission should be able to issue two types of special licence, and accepted in principal that the licensee should develop a patron care plan that is approved as part of the licence conditions. Cabinet also accepted, in principal, licensees should develop a house management policy, a code of conduct and a management plan. Cabinet requested further consideration to recommendations that licensees submit separate returns for on-premises or takeaway sales, and for mixed purpose premises that takeaway sales make up no more than 15% of total goods sold.
The alcohol industry is fundamental to any efforts aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm and antisocial behaviour. The strategies will be pursued to reinforce the obligations industry has to supply and market alcohol responsibly. Government has rejected the recommendation that cheap alcohol sales make up no more than 25% of an outlet’s total alcohol sales due to trade practices and competition policy issues relating to commercial collusion and discrimination against patrons with certain beverage preferences.
Research and evaluation: recommendations 6, 12, 13, 56, 57 and 61 of the report propose that government should undertake research in the following areas: community use and attitudes to alcohol; drinking practices in remote indigenous communities; effectiveness of restricted areas and the benefits of and harm flowing from social clubs in restricted areas; economic analysis of the contribution of the liquor industry to the Northern Territory economy; and an evaluation of the drink driver education program.
The framework promoted an evidence-based approach through strategic research to developing and implementing activities to minimise alcohol-related harm. Government supported an evidence-based approach but identified that a significant body of research has already been undertaken in the Northern Territory. Cabinet acknowledged a small research capacity would be necessary to fill any gaps in research. Local knowledge and expertise, research literature, formal evaluations and practice and wisdom will all inform our strategies and priorities, whether we adapt practices from elsewhere to the local conditions of the Territory and decisions on when to withdraw certain policies, strategies or activities.
An allocation has been made to the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination for research purposes. A research advisory panel is being established with a suitably qualified membership to help identify the research agenda, assist the link between research and practice, and to leverage more funds from other sources into local alcohol-related research. Once set up, that panel will assess proposals that deal with restricted areas in licensed premises, price restrictions and an economic analysis of alcohol in the Territory, among other projects.
A preliminary examination is already being undertaken of the strengths and weaknesses of drink driver education courses as a prerequisite for relicensing. It has been agreed that, as a minimum, a regular series of studies will be conducted to monitor drinking behaviours and attitudes among the general population of young people and indigenous people in remote communities. These studies will be key components for tracking the effects of the alcohol reforms that are implemented.
The government’s decision to invest in the conclusive report prepared by Daryl Manzie and Donna Ah Chee has been strongly vindicated. The final report has provided a series of initiatives and recommendations that set an important and clear framework for government direction and policy. In itself, that will not solve the problems, however it will put into place the means by which these problems will be addressed.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): You read that so quickly, minister, I was not expecting you to finish quite so early.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I am responding today to the ministerial statement of the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing on the progress of the alcohol policy reform. I have been representing my electorate of Katherine in parliament for two years as of last week. Not long after the time I was sworn in, in October 2003, I was given the opportunity to be a representative on the Substance Abuse Select Committee. I had no hesitation in sitting on this committee, as the problems associated with substance abuse, leading on to antisocial behaviour, have been one of the most contentious issues in my electorate of Katherine for as long as I have lived there, which has been since late 1989. The issue of alcohol abuse was causing numerous problems in Katherine even as far back as that time and, unfortunately, has continued to deteriorate since then.
When my husband, Mike, and I became partners in Red Gum Tourist Park in 1993, and I became heavily involved with the Katherine Region Tourist Association as Chairman and executive member for many years, the problems that alcohol abuse presented to the tourist industry were magnified. It had a detrimental effect on the tourism to the town, and it was because the alcohol outlets were located in the main street, which is, of course, the main highway through Katherine, therefore, any problems that we had with alcohol abuse were magnified.
The tourist park we owned also had a licensed general store which served the local community for their daily milk, bread, papers, fast food outlet and, in some instances, alcohol. This was a service that we provided to locals as well as the tourists who stayed at our tourist park. I was the licensee of that premises and was fully aware before I was granted my licence of the rules and regulations applying. I would not have been granted the licence without meeting that strict criteria. One of those rules was that you, or any one of your employees, had the right and obligation to refuse service or takeaway alcohol sales if you believed the customer was intoxicated. No ifs or buts - straight out refusal.
For example, my usual conversation with a customer I believed to be intoxicated was: ‘I am sorry, mate, I believe you have had too much to drink, and I am sorry I cannot sell you this alcohol’. See, I can remember it so well and it is all those years ago that I stopped saying it. ‘So please leave my shop’. My staff were trained that when in doubt about the level of intoxication of the customer, you do not sell alcohol. My husband and I always backed up our staff.
As you can imagine, sometimes this refusal resulted in some pretty nasty words from the customer, who would only be making matters worse for him or herself by arguing; that really made the decision easy to live with. But the policy we had and which we emphasised to all our staff was: when in doubt, do not sell. That was a sound one and it worked for the 10 years that we had Red Gum Tourist Park.
That does not mean that we did not have problems with alcohol abuse to deal with. On the contrary. Running that licensed general store has taught me everything I need to know about the responsible sale of alcohol. Until you have experienced the situations that we did in that licensed general store, for that length of time, it is difficult to understand that the responsible sale of alcohol is achievable. But, I can assure you, it is. We knew our responsibilities and taught our staff well.
I cannot emphasise enough the responsible selling of alcohol. It was during the time that I was licensee of Red Gum Tourist Park, and also the Chairman of the Katherine Regional Tourist Association, that I was very vocal about the antisocial behaviour so visible in Katherine. That, I am so disappointed to have to state, is still having a detrimental effect on tourism as well as the attitude of local residents in Katherine who are just plain sick of it.
In Katherine we have been through the restriction of alcohol with two by six month trials. The first six months the sale of alcohol was only between 2 pm and 8 pm at night, and the following six month trial the hours reverted to the normal 10 am to10 pm. At the time, I thought that restrictions would be a good idea and, as a matter of fact, I was one who had a fair bit to say to the previous local member for Katherine to make sure that we implemented those restrictions. I have to say that the first six month trial of restricted hours made a considerable difference to the level of antisocial behaviour in Katherine. It looked like it would be a good idea to continue; and that was across all sectors and especially with the medical field and the police. There was an amazing reduction in incidents of domestic violence and drunken behaviour in that time.
But the enforcement of restricted sales, I have to say, really only moved the problem somewhere else. For example, the offenders would hire a cab and travel to either Mataranka or Pine Creek to purchase their alcohol. The winners, financially, at that time were the taxi cabs and the pubs in the respective towns with the same offenders barely inconvenienced at all. The only people really inconvenienced were the responsible drinkers, be they local or tourist, who had to make their purchases during restricted hours, and this caused some aggravation on many occasions, I can assure you.
For instance, tourists would come in, in the morning before they left the park in their caravan or their campervan, and want to purchase just a simple half a dozen cans of light beer, or whatever else they wanted to purchase, to be told: ‘Terribly sorry, we cannot sell that to you today until 12 o’clock’ or, in some instances, it was 2 pm because of the problems that we have in Katherine. Some people understood the situation however, many did not, and they were extremely inconvenienced. For the sake of about 150 problem drinkers, we were in effect making every responsible customer suffer the inconvenience of restrictions.
The second six month trial returned all the problems to Katherine and even with some minor adjustments at the end of that second period we are still experiencing the same problems.
Since the restrictions were lifted – due to considerable pressure – we have not made any significant inroads to the problems associated with alcohol abuse and, in fact, it has eventually resulted in the development of the Alcohol Framework that we are addressing now.
One of the glaring facts that stand out to me though is that after this government puts in place many of the recommendations within the Alcohol Framework the problems caused by the same 100 to 150 habitual drunks in Katherine, will still be there. So much emphasis has been placed on the sale of alcohol and on the records kept by the proprietor, some of which is necessary, but I would like to hear what the plans are for the habitual drunks that we still have on our streets. How is this government going to deal with them and how do they fit into the implementation of the Alcohol Framework recommendations? It is because of these habitual drunks that we have to deal so comprehensively with the subject of alcohol so it is appropriate that we are presented with details with planned action to deal with those offenders.
Just before I make some comments on some aspects of the proposals that this government is putting forward, I would also like to comment on the book-up of alcohol. This government has said, and I quote from the minister’s statement: ‘We have banned the book-up of alcohol’. In the rules and regulations that I had to agree to and adhere to when I became a licensee in 1993, was that my business would abide by the ruling that it was against the Liquor Act to book-up alcohol. That has always been the case. We have never been permitted to book-up alcohol. Anyone who was doing so was breaking the conditions of their liquor licence in the same way as holding on to bank cards. The whole 10 years that we were at Red Gum Tourist Park we were very well aware of those rules.
The Alcohol Framework which has been prepared by Daryl Manzie and Donna Ah Chee highlights many areas that need addressing and I welcome the minister’s statement addressing many of those recommendations. Could I however, minister, point out a couple of areas that I am certain the liquor industry will be very concerned about, and I have no doubt will express their concerns to you when given the opportunity.
One area is that liquor should not make up any more than 15% of a general store’s turnover. I can think of several general stores which will challenge that proposal, and rightly so. How, minister, do you intend to monitor this and to what lengths are you going to implement an administrative so-called watchdog into commercial business? The other is that licensees submit separate returns for on premises or takeaway sales. In some instances like hotels where there are separate areas for the sales to be more easily recorded it may not be such a problem. What happens to the wayside inns and clubs that only have one point of sale? How will the sales be monitored without a system akin to big brother watching over small business and licensed general stores should have no difficulty though as they will only have takeaway sales. This just adds another level of bureaucracy for some of these small businesses.
The recommendation that cheap alcohol sales make up no more than 25% of an outlet’s total alcohol sales would be most discriminatory. I was pleased to see that government is not supporting this recommendation. I certainly would not support it either. In theory, it sounds as if it would be a detriment to heavy drinkers; however, restricting the sale of cheaper alcohol beverages has shown that the hardened drinker will only go to a more expensive drink. Therefore, the problem has not been resolved; just moved to a different level.
There is no doubt that the problem of alcohol abuse in the Northern Territory appears more significant in the statistics than anywhere else in Australia, and that a firm stand has to be made by government in implementing the majority of the recommendations in the Alcohol Framework. I certainly hope to see that the education of responsible alcohol consumption and the responsible sale of alcohol is high on that list.
In my view, the most important issue is dealing with the habitual drunks, which is of serious concern to me and it has been for some time. I am not alone in feeling that way.
In Katherine, where drunken behaviour is all too obvious for all to see, I congratulate the Katherine and District AFL, who under a new president and committee two years ago, made the brave decision to ban all alcohol from AFL games. This was a very brave decision because, in the first instance, it was going to be very unpopular. It certainly was! People got to the gate and were not allowed to bring in their alcohol or, if they presented in an intoxicated manner, were not allowed in. The AFL association stuck to their digs. I have to say before they implemented that rule of no alcohol, I used to loathe going to an AFL game because you would be in the midst of mainly drunken behaviour and you could not enjoy an AFL match. It is completely different now. There are families who go to watch AFL in Katherine. I must admit there has been a significant downturn in spectators, but the standard of the spectators and the enjoyment that they have at the AFL is far exceeding having to tolerate intoxicated behaviour.
There is one big disadvantage, though, that the AFL has experienced by not having sales of alcohol on the ground, or allowing it to come into the ground. That of course, is that the alcohol provided much-needed funding for the AFL. That means that they have been running at a loss for the last two years, and it has been a constant struggle for them to maintain any financial viability.
Therefore, I consider that recommendation 21 is of extreme importance. I believe that associations and sporting clubs and the like that are in communities, which go out of their way to address the abuse of alcohol, need to be rewarded. I know that we have looked at a couple of funding areas in Katherine from which the AFL may be able to apply to for funding. I am very pleased to see that it is in recommendation 21 that government should establish and promote a fund to provide grants to support alcohol-free community events. I strongly support that.
Another aspect, before I wind up, is that in Katherine is a wonderful man, Fred Murphy, who has been doing some fabulous things with young people. He has organised an AFL youth competition. He is trying to distract young people from becoming involved in alcohol and drugs. I take my hat off to Fred. It is probably the most money that somebody has ever been able to get out of me for sponsorship, but I was quite happy to support what Fred is doing. He is trying to encourage the young kids to get out on Saturday afternoons and do something worthwhile; that is, to learn the skills of AFL. This is another person who needs support financially to be able to keep that going. If we can keep these young people channelled into healthy activities, hopefully, we will not have them veering off – which is so easy to do - and becoming involved in drugs and alcohol. I am very happy to see that recommendation 21 is going to be adopted.
I am sure over the ensuing months we are going to have many more discussions in relation to the Alcohol Framework. I look forward to taking part in it. However, to reply to the minister’s statement though, I really do look forward with great interest to seeing the government’s direction and policy in line with the recommendations of the Alcohol Framework. I am going to be especially interested and looking forward to hearing the views of those people involved in the alcohol industry.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Mr Deputy Speaker, I speak in support of the minister’s statement on Alcohol Policy Reform Progress. The February 2004 Northern Territory Alcohol Framework, the interim report by Donna Ah Chee and Daryl Manzie, assisted by Gordon Renouf and others, was a comprehensive and thorough document covering many aspects of the licensing and social impact of the legal substance, alcohol.
I refer to it in that way to underscore the findings made by the parliamentary Substance Abuse Committee that alcohol was one of the three main substances responsible for serious substance abuse in the Northern Territory. The other two were cannabis and petrol. Cannabis has always been an illegal drug under Northern Territory law and a substantive effort of the recent Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act is to enable law enforcement officers to treat petrol in the same way. By contrast, the habit of consuming alcohol is so ingrained and entrenched in the Territory lifestyle that Territory-wide prohibition is not an option, although de facto prohibition in respect of certain places and areas is part of our armoury of weapons for combating alcohol caused distress and trauma courtesy of the restricted areas provision in the Liquor Act.
As universal prohibition is not on anyone’s radar, government needs to be creative and strategic in the measures it adopts to minimise the enormous harm that is caused by alcohol abuse in our society.
The minister has taken us through many of the recommendations set out in the interim report, and I agree with his assessment that the interim report provides an appropriate road map for proceeding with reforms of Territory law and policies in relation to alcohol licensing and its social consequences. From his speech, I am only going to touch on two issues that I have a clear interest in. The first one is prohibition orders and compulsory treatment. Like some others who have developed a reasonable working knowledge of Territory alcoholism and alcohol abuse issues over the last 10 years as a result of having been involved in the health sector, I find some of the public debate about the policy reforms we took to the last election quite frustrating, particularly reflecting on the many commentators who heavily criticised our stance on addressing this scourge.
The reality was that what we were proposing they were saying was radical and a draconian attack on the civil liberties of Aboriginal people. I say to those commentators, whilst we often reflect on the rights of people to drink and to have a drink, it is to look beyond the rights of those drinkers, and ask about the rights of women and children, and is it still okay that we accept the abuse and the violence against them? And I say no. In my opinion, and many of my colleagues, what we proposed was a sensible incremental step that built on the foundation that was already in existence in the form of section 122 of the Liquor Act. That section already gives Territory magistrates the power to ban a habitual drunk from being sold or supplied alcohol, and if the member for Katherine wanted to have a look at that she should specifically look at section 122 within that act, and to order that such a person undergo compulsory treatment.
The main improvement on the existing law that the interim report recommended, and which the Martin Labor government will implement, is to ensure that a compulsory treatment order can be made, regardless of whether a prohibition order is being made at the same time. It is worthwhile quoting the relevant part of the interim report in full just to clarify this point. It says on page 193:
Section 122 is not an effective way of enabling a compulsory treatment order to be made as it requires the court to be satisfied
that it should make a prohibition order before it can make a compulsory treatment order. While a number of prohibition orders
have been made, we are not aware of any orders that have also required compulsory treatment. Given the problems with
prohibition orders, if compulsory treatment is to be an available option, it should be contained in a specific provision rather than
dependant on a prohibition order being made. It has been suggested that there should be increased use of compulsory treatment
(and additional funding for the required treatment services). The principle argument in favour of compulsory treatment is that a
relatively small number of people (approximately 500) account for more than 50% of admissions to the four sobering up shelters
across the Northern Territory each year. The suggestion is that significant gains in social amenity and harm to the individuals
concerned could flow from an alternate approach to this core group of drinkers. There is some resistance to compulsory treatment
in the absence of much evidence of long term success. However, whether it is compulsory or not, treatment provides respite from
the drinking environment, access to assessment and treatment services, and increased opportunities to move away from the
drinking lifestyle. We also note that a range of new approaches to treatment have become available in the last few years,
including pharmacotherapies which may or may not, contribute to greater efficacy in compulsory treatment.
The other issue I want to touch on is something I raised in a speech a few years ago and it is with the implementation of recommendation 275 from the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody submitted in 1991. That recommendation specifically is in the following terms:
- That the Northern Territory government review its liquor legislation in the light of the size of the Aboriginal population of the Territory
and its needs, and include in such a review the desirability of appointing at least one Aboriginal person to be a member of the
Northern Territory Liquor Commission.
Since 2001, the minister has put in place such strategies as outlined in the progress report to look at the effectiveness and workability of the Liquor Act. The second part of the recommendations is yet to be implemented. However, I understand and in consultation with the minister that a new set of members of what is now called the Licensing Commission will soon be appointed. I have endeavoured during my travels to encourage Aboriginal women to apply for a position on the commission so that they are able to participate in a decision making process in relation to alcohol and licensing matters. I naturally hope that at least one of the members will be an Aboriginal person.
Apart from that, I also urge both the minister and the Attorney-General to ensure that the new Liquor Act adopts recommendation 275 of the Deaths in Custody recommendation in some formal and permanent way. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, we have a statement about one of the most important issues facing the Northern Territory. It is something we all see day in, day out that is affecting people’s lives, their health, and the whole community. Yet we have a statement that is so bureaucratic in the way it is written, and the minister delivered it with such a bland tone, there was no passion. I was a bit surprised because this minister of all ministers has passion. Surely we should be thinking a little bit broader than we are. I know the minister knows the effects alcohol is having on people in our community. How many lives do we have to see destroyed? Go down to the A&E of any hospital and look at the number of people presenting themselves because of alcohol-related problems.
And yet, what do we get from this government? Well, we are going to have a new minister, and I checked with the minister about this. Did he mean a new minister, an additional minister, or did he mean an additional portfolio that one of the current ministers will pick up? I tell you what; I bet they are all ducking for cover. Who the heck would want to take this portfolio on? It would have to be the most disappointing, difficult portfolios of all. I ask the minister whether he means a current minister will take on that. We are going to have a new minister, a new department, a research advisory body, new industry advisory panel, a task force, an interdepartmental committee, another review of the Liquor Act, community management committees, and an alcohol court. That just sounds to me like a lot of talk fest.
We are going to create this monster, this bureaucratic nightmare, to look at something we already know about. How many times do we have to have committees and researches and investigations to tell us what we already know? Why are you creating this monster? To tell us something we already know, or to give us something really definite? That is what I was looking for in that particular statement. I was looking for, I was going to say, the guts of the matter. I was looking for what is really going to happen. What is going to happen at the grass roots? We do not really need any more talkfest. We do not need any more people going around researching or investigating, or telling us what we need or what we do not know. We know we have problems. What we really need to be hearing from the minister is the nuts and bolts of what has come out of this review.
Three years ago we had the Minister for Central Australia and the previous Minister for Health and Community Services flag partnerships to fund alcohol measures for three years. That came out in August 2002. Three years have passed on. Where are the results? They said that they were going to make a real impact on the ground. I am still waiting to see where the real impact is. The targeted complementary measures linked to the 12 month Alice Springs alcohol trial are set to extend for three years in a joint deal between the Northern Territory government and the National Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation worth more than $2.1m. It says they are going to report back. I wonder what report they have given to the National Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation for the $1.2m that they put in. How successful have their programs been? These funds were going to be paid directly to non-government agencies. Does the government actually have a report from these agencies, and have they passed that report on to the AERF? What did we get for our $2.1m over three years?
It talks about $1.5m being supplied to Tangentyere Council for community day patrol, and the service will also employ referral officers. It sounds to me as though that is repeating what this minister has already said in his statements. It talks about a mobile youth drop in centre. Perhaps the Minister for Central Australia could tell me where that is operating because I have not recently come across or heard of that. It talks about one-off funding for training initiatives. It is almost a repeat of some of the initiatives the minister has in here, but it worries me that after three years we have heard nothing of this particular partnership. I just wonder whether the minister can give me some feedback on how successful those alcohol measures have been.
There is a need to address alcohol problems. We all know that. We have seen it in our communities, day in, day out. However, we do not need more and more committees. What we have to talk about is not fixing it up when people have problems. It is no good saying we are going to have rehabilitation services and all these things after the event. Why don’t we talk about the preventative measures that should be there before they even start? Why don’t we talk about the living conditions of people who are alcoholics? Why don’t we talk about community environment? What are we going to do for those communities out bush to make them a more attractive place to live, a better place to live? Why don’t we talk about the way people spend their pension payments? Are we really sitting back, letting children and families be deprived of the sustenance that they should have through these payments? Are we going to close our eyes to the fact that many of these payments are being spent on grog? It is as simple as that. Preventative measures, rather than just trying to patch up after it has all happened.
That is what I would like to have seen in your statement, minister. That is what I expected to see. I know you are a man of passion, and I thought I would get that coming through. However, all I got was a mundane discourse of what is going to happen. We all know education is the key. If alcohol is used as an emotional release, to feel good, to put things aside that are bad in your life then, perhaps, we need to address those things and find other ways to cure them rather than use alcohol. That is why I feel we need to talk more about preventing the dilemma we have before it occurs, rather than saying we are going to do all these wonderful things after the event.
I notice there is a slight reference to the dry areas legislation, and there has been a move to introduce it in the towns. I welcome the initiative of enabling people in public housing to be able to declare their house a dry area; that is good. However, I have not been convinced that it is a good idea to allow town camps to be declared dry, mainly because all that will do is push the drinkers into the rivers, parks, or whatever. What we are doing with our dry area legislation - which really needs to be reviewed because it came out in the early 1980s - is providing an industry for grog runners. Do not kid yourself that there is no grog out on those dry communities; there is. You only have to go to Bierut in Ntaria to see that happen. It might be out of sight, but we all know it is there.
I get back to what I have said before: do we want Aboriginal people to drink or not? It is as simple as that. If we do, why do we not give them the right environment to drink in? Why do we continually say to them: ‘Not in your own backyard; go to town and drink in the river. Buy your carton of grog and drink it while it is hot and you will end up in hospital, and in the police station because you have become silly, mad’? We need to ask whether we want them to drink or not. If you do, then teach them how to drink properly. Make it a gradual exercise, but at least give them the environment where they can do it with dignity and self-esteem. Do not force them to become the drunks on the street, because that is what we have done by saying you cannot have grog out on these communities.
I feel as though this is something we have turned a blind eye to for too long. I know - and I strongly agree with the women out there – they do not want grog on their communities because it creates domestic and all sorts of violence. However, that is the uncontrolled situation we have at the moment. It is uncontrolled drinking out there in the communities that we should start thinking about. This is why I urge you, minister, if you are looking at the Liquor Act, to also look at the dry areas legislation. We have created this situation whereby we are escalating violence in Alice Springs and other parts of the Territory, and road accidents caused by alcohol. We have deprived families of their substance, and increased domestic violence. We have really done all that by introducing this legislation that has not enabled Aboriginal people to learn to live with alcohol; it has not given Aboriginal people a chance to drink in a manner that you and I do. You might have a drink, minister, before you have tea at night, and you probably have one or two out of the fridge cold. How can people in Aboriginal communities do that? They cannot; all they do is have a hot bottle of port under a tree. We have created that; we have pushed them into the towns and suburbs by restricting the way they can learn to live with alcohol.
You may not like the idea of alcohol on communities; however, you need to look at some of the models at the top of Western Australia where it is controlled. When you have strong communities - and there are some that are strong - you can put in an environment. How many of you go down to your sporting club and have a few beers and a meal and, perhaps, play pool and watch a video? Do you realise that you cannot do that at Yuendumu or at most of the communities out bush? They have their own house that is extremely crowded which they cannot escape for a bit of privacy, and they are trying to survive. Is it any wonder you decide to go into town and get on the booze? We have been looking at all this, minister, but let us look at the dry area legislation, and let us hear from some of the members whether they think Aboriginal people should drink or not.
I know we cannot go back to the dog tag days, but we have to make up our mind - if we are going to allow them to drink, then we have to allow them to do it in a manner that will not destroy them and will keep their self-esteem and their confidence.
It worries me when I look at the liquor outlets. At the end of the Todd Mall, about 1.30 pm a group stands to descend around the liquor outlet, and by restricting hours and making them later, all we have ended up doing is creating other problems. Our tourists complain about the huge number of people waiting for the liquor outlets to open. The police will tell you the incidents occur later at night. The drunken behaviour in houses occurs later at night.
We have not solved the problems with restrictions. We have been trying to hide them, but we have not even done that. This is why I say to the minister, although you are going to set up this wonderful list of committees and what have you, what do you hope to do? What do you really want to get out of this? What do you think you will achieve by having a minister for alcohol? I really feel sorry for anyone who gets that. I reckon that is a death wish, the minister for alcohol and policy, because you are not going to win, and it is going to be such hard yards to go and it is going to be so disillusioning. I just do not think it is going to happen.
Have there been any approaches by communities to solve the problems themselves? What sort of communication, and we are talking about communities, what are they telling you? Do they really want their people to go away and not come back for a long time? Do they really want people’s families to break down?
Holyoake in Alice Springs does a great job with many of the families in town, and they provide support and counselling. What support and counselling would you give to people in communities? I would say, quite frankly, that we probably do not do very much at all. I want to see more grassroots, on the ground, answers to these problems, rather than that list of a new department, a research advisory body, interdepartmental committee, alcohol court, task force, it just goes on and on, minister. Is that really your idea of the answers to your problem? I am quite sure it is not.
I am really disappointed in the statement. I was expecting a lot more grunt, I guess. I was expecting a lot more answers. I know you are responding to a review, however, surely even you, with all the experience you have had, would have liked to have seen more teeth in this particular statement.
I will be interested in hearing the minister’s response, and I will be interested to see just how some of these recommendations transpire. I bet, in 12 or 18 months time, we are back on our feet saying the same things over and over again as we have said year after year after year in this House.
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I offer my support to the Treasurer and the activity aimed at reducing the high levels of alcohol-related harm in the Northern Territory.
The problems of alcohol and its related harms are not new, and solutions do not lie in the short term or single responses. The announcement of the Alcohol Framework and the work in coordinating government, industry and community action to address alcohol-related harm is integral to changing the terrible consequences these harms are having on our community. As Minister for Family and Community Services, I am particularly aware of the impact of alcohol on family functioning, children’s welfare and development, disability and health and injury.
Today, I mainly want to talk about the work the Division of Alcohol and Other Drugs in my department undertakes. However, firstly, I would like to make some brief comments in relation to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s statement.
Alcohol is obviously something that is enjoyed by many and in large part is consumed responsibly. Sale of alcohol occurs in a very competitive market. You only have to look at the NT News almost any day to see the advertisement and promotions for different outlets and products. We need to encourage competition and allow businesses the freedom to promote themselves in a fair environment.
However, I believe that alcohol and substance abuse is the number one barrier we face in achieving positive outcomes in health, education and community safety. The consideration of providing a competitive market should be secondary to considerations in relation to minimising the harm alcohol can cause. The minister mentioned that the Commonwealth government imposed a fine on us for restricting Sunday trading. I find that absolutely appalling. Not so much the fine itself, but the statement that is making. What the Commonwealth is saying is that the right to sell alcohol unfettered comes before the duty to tackle alcohol abuse.
I welcome the changes that the minister outlined in relation to the Liquor Commission and the Liquor Act. Harm minimisation should be foremost in consideration to the Liquor Commission and in the provisions of the Liquor Act. My department of Family and Community Services is responsible for providing services and to support the people affected by alcohol. Sadly, I am well aware that a disproportionate number of children are harmed by alcohol. I know that family violence and alcohol are inexplicably linked and that there are many people each year who seek treatment and care to manage their or their family’s alcohol problems.
The Alcohol Framework provides the context for the services funded and delivered through Family and Community Services to be delivered within a broader government and community commitment to alcohol issues. The department considers itself a key partner in the Northern Territory Alcohol Framework and has already initiated a number of its key recommendations. As my colleague, the Treasurer, has already reported, the alcohol and other drugs program has completed a review of treatment and care services in the Northern Territory. This review was conducted in consultation with all treatment providers and is critical for the future development of the alcohol and drug sector in the Territory and its capacity to meet the needs of people with substance misuse issues now and into the future.
I am very aware that the non-government sectors are tried and trusted partners in the delivery of these services. Organisations such as Amity and the Salvation Army Bridge Program here in Darwin, BRADAAG in Tennant Creek and DASA in Central Australia, are funded by the Department of Health and Community Services and deliver quality services day in, day out. I also recognise that there are excellent people in organisations which are not part of our treatment services but who support our work everyday. Of particular note are the patrol workers and sobering-up shelter workers dealing with a thankless task which is approached with both care and respect. The review has highlighted the need for services to be accessible and responsive to changing client needs and for there to be some focused support on developing treatment standards and clinical practice.
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Program has committed to continuing to support services and their continual improvement. The next step is a forum to be conducted in early November where we will work with service agencies to progress their ongoing development and to ensure an appropriate range and mix of services exists in each region that is able to support and respond to the new demands resulting from alcohol courts and the antisocial behaviour act. I am very concerned to ensure that there are many options and opportunities for people to participate in the treatment programs as is possible.
The Treasurer mentioned the value of working in partnership. The Family and Community Services Division has worked to develop strong relationships with other stakeholder agencies, such as Racing, Gaming and Licensing and police, so that a more integrated approach to reducing alcohol-related harms can occur. This includes providing health input to the liquor licensing decision making process which has led to policy changes regarding the availability of alcohol at events primarily for children and supporting more community input into licensing decisions and processes. The recommendations around alcohol management plans also provide a mechanism for improved coordination and community input around alcohol availability and they allow for community discussions and a consensus around supplementary education and treatment services in a given area or location. The Departments of Health and Community Services and Racing, Gaming and Licensing have already started to support communities to consider localised responses to alcohol services and issues.
An important part of the Alcohol Framework response involves improving data collection, evaluation and measuring the indicators of progress. The Department of Health and Community Services, through the Alcohol and Other Drugs Program, has committed to undertaking research projects which will support and inform the work of the Alcohol Framework. Work is currently in progress on the Australian School Students Alcohol and Drugs survey, surveying school students aged 12 to 17 in urban areas on alcohol and drug use. The survey is conducted every three years and it includes questions about patterns of both use and supply. The data gathered will provide useful insight into young people’s attitudes towards alcohol and drugs. It will alert us to trends and provide us with opportunities to identify where to focus future strategies for both prevention and harm minimisation.
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Program also collects important data around alcohol-related hospital separations, episodes of alcohol and other drug treatment and sobering-up shelter admissions. On their own these indicators allow us to monitor the use of treatment services for alcohol related programs and problems. When used in conjunction with other indicators collected by the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination they will assist us in monitoring alcohol programs or evaluating alcohol policy and their impact on the Territory’s drinking culture.
I strongly encourage and advocate full measures to support cultural change. That is, fostering community knowledge and understanding about alcohol and creating an environment in which communities support its safe and responsible use. It is only when this environment exists that we will see long term change, such as change to drinking practices resulting in positive impact on the health, safety and welfare of all Territorians. I support the statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, I support this statement. The framework that is outlined in this statement is applauded. I find no specific fault with the general direction and I do not think anyone really would. It is heading in the right direction and it is a framework that has been drawn from extensive consultation right across the community - all stakeholders, whether they are in the liquor industry or in the other side of the story, those who pick up the pieces. To that end it is a benign statement and it is supported.
The obvious comments which would come from anyone who is not in government would relate to the action side of this statement. The statement is fine. There will be no detractors as it addresses an issue of deep concern to all members of this Chamber and of our community, however, the sense of passion and urgency regarding this issue is questioned when we look at the slow pace with which it is going to be implemented. Time passes.
It was May 2003 I recall, that the five point plan which forms the hub of this framework was put together and presented at a public meeting. In 2003, it was recognised and applauded, and it is applauded today, in 2005. However, the report today is that, out of those five key points of the plan, two have been implemented. One is the legislation against the practice of book-up for alcohol. Fine; that is an obvious and necessary move that should have been taken quickly, and it was. Appropriate legislation was brought into place - that occurred. The next one was to maintain the current arrangements for alcohol sales on Sundays. That was something done by not doing anything; maintaining the current arrangements. That is fine. There was no community appetite for anything other than the maintenance of that aspect of the plan. Those two have been ticked off.
However, there are another three to go. I believe you could have gone a little further, minister, and ticked off No 3 of the five point plan, and that is to consider a reduction in the number of licensed outlets. I am sure you have considered it, so you could tick that off because it has been considered.
Since 2003, we have had the two obvious ones dealt with and the other three still resting there. What we have today, towards the end of 2005, is the announcement of further definition to the framework and the promise of further answers as we move forward. However, we will need to wait longer. We will have to wait until 2006 to get the further definition, when we get down to the business end, to the actual implementation of this framework. That is what the community actually wants.
You see, there is a very great difference between consultation and implementation. By observing this government, the object of the exercise appears to be consultation but, in fact, it is not; that is not the object of the exercise. The object of the exercise is to make a decision as a result of community consultation. We have become a little excessive - a little is an understatement - this government appears to be excessive in its desire to consult the community extensively, as though that is an achievement in itself. That is a process that leads to a decision.
We only have to call to mind in this debate the same approach, mind, and attitude with the education review. Things such as this framework are good. The intent is fine, same as education; they both start with a bang and end with a whimper because they start well with the grand announcements of embarking on this grand adventure, addressing an issue of great concern.
The community says: ‘Fantastic, we have elected a government which is finally going to do something’. Yes, that is right, we have heard from stakeholder X, Y and Z, and away we go. Time seems to tick away, the sand moves through the hourglass. Year passes year, and the next great achievement is another report to parliament that we are going to embark upon further consultation or another phase of the review. All of this is maintained while the community’s interest seems to fade. That is the very real concern with this.
I am sure, minister and members of government, if you were to stand out in the marketplace and genuinely talk to people without being defensive and trying to sell your product and say: ‘Aren’t we good, we are doing this and that’, yes, everyone will give you a pat on the back and make you feel okay, but the bottom line is to move to resolution. It seems a dreadfully slow process - excruciatingly slow. I have been elected to this parliament and I am starting to look at the time passing and a bit of action. The community will slowly start to register that sentiment as well: ‘This is good; we have been consulted to death’. Anyway, I move on.
I would like to reflect for a moment on the problems with alcohol. I would not be too far wrong to say that you do not have to go too far to see the dreadful effects of alcohol. It affects all of us, and we can see just how insidious the effect of alcohol is in our community. It does have a profound effect. And I deliberately say that we need to look even at our own families. You do not have to go too far, and I am sure I am no different than anyone here when we call to mind the powerful negative effect of alcohol in our community. As local members, we do not have to go too far to see community disputes, any problem, the neighbour from hell that we seem to run into from time to time in urban environments or in the bush electorates - any major issue, domestic violence, abuse of children, fights in the street, stealing, self harm, suicides – we do not have to go far back, we see alcohol there.
Alcohol is the problem. I know for a fact, alcohol is a symptom of a deeper problem, and that is something we must not pass too easily from. Alcohol is a problem, however, it is actually a symptom of a deeper problem, and that is where we start to gain some real insights on how our policy is actually going to make a difference. Are we as legislators going to make any real difference, or are we going to move at an excruciatingly slow pace to implement policy frameworks and so on that does not quite satisfy, do not quite bite? Maybe they will, but I am not so sure. What is the deeper problem that causes such an excessive use of, in too many cases, a destructive substance? What is that? Why is it that so many people in my electorate, the ones who can least afford it, drink the most and that results in the greatest harm to children and prospects of jobs? And it is not just alcohol, related to that is other substance abuse.
They are the underlying and persisting problems that we really need to always hold at the centre of this. It is not the actions of government and what they have done: ‘How nice we are, how carefully we have listened, and how nicely we have framed the questions and how slowly we have moved, carefully, of course’. That is academic and that is to look after the political fortunes of those who have their spot in the sun or a hand on the tiller for this particular patch.
What the community wants is people to stand up and start talking honestly about these matters, and it is coming through in our debates. So I bring that reference back to the framework itself. I will say it again, this is a good framework, but the reference to passion and the commitment of this government, that word commitment is used so often when looking at the core problem, that commitment seems to fade away to a word that means nothing. We have a commitment to deal with a very serious problem, and if that passion is borne out of commitment, why on earth do we have to wait so long for anything to happen? That is the concern.
What does this produce? What is produced as a result of this framework? One is a redefinition of the direction of government. That direction is fine; do not worry, be confident, you are on the right track. The whole community is behind you, you are on the right track. So that is done. What else does it produce? It seems to produce many employment opportunities. We have a new court being described in here, and by definition it creates the question: what is wrong with the existing court that we now have a new court? That needs to be seriously analysed as it may well just serve the purposes of window dressing to create the effect. The community will think that sounds great; you are dealing with the problems as you have created a new and special court to deal with it. Will it really?
Please let it be driven by much deeper issues than an opportunity to create an illusion. I have my doubts, as many in our community do who grow weary of signs and wonders, and puffs of smoke which make no difference to the problem. What is wrong with our current legal system that we now require a new court? Well, it produces a new court.
I have not done a thorough enough analysis of this to count how many bureaucrats are conjured up as a result of this framework. However, there are certainly taskforces, which is a really strong word, and off they march charging around the countryside. There is a new office of alcohol policy, which is fine. But I am saying this is what it produces: a new court, taskforces – you can imagine these guys in balaclavas, dressed in black charging around the place – there is a new office, and there is a research advisory panel.
There is even a drafting team, the team which has been drafting the new legislation beavering away, and they have been beavering away for a long time. They started this task someway behind us and we will not be getting the report from this team sometime towards the end of this year, I think. I am sure the minister will correct me on that – it might be 2006. A drafting team will present their work to this government for consideration, and as typical of this government, I am sure they will consider it long and hard and it will not be until the community remembers there was a drafting team proposing and developing new legislation: ‘Where is it?’ Then the media will begin to call out, the opposition, the community will start calling out: ‘Where is it?’ ‘Oh dear, the chickens have come home to roost for this government’, as it did for the education review. ‘Goodness me, we have gone through this very long process, we have drawn it out as long as possible, we have sought extensions, and now we must make a decision’. That is going to be where the acid hits; whether you have the ability to make decisions to affect the core problem.
That is what is at stake here. I am losing confidence in the government’s ability to make decisions as with the education review, which sat with this minister for a very long time after extensive community consultation. Everybody was visited, even the opposition spokesperson was visited, and I was very keen to put in my bit, as was everybody who was interested in education. Right over the countryside recommendations were produced. The report disappeared for a long time while the minister and Cabinet considered it, and they decided to embark upon further community consultation. ‘What should we do with the recommendations? Please someone, tell us what to do’. I hope that does not happen here as we have a very serious issue, and the community is waiting very patiently for action.
Time does not allow me to go too far into an area that is of concern, and a problem to this government. That is the difference between protective custody and summary offences. The deliberate impression created during the last election, which was given to the northern suburbs, was that this government was going to lock up drunks. That was the impression. You cannot deny that. I guess that behind the scenes there was a fair amount of pressure from within the Labor Party saying: ‘My God, what have we come to? What have we come to?’ You played that game right through the election: ‘We will do anything it takes to win and then let us undo that. We will see what we can do’. I bet the Chief Minister had a huge amount of pressure put on her and that many other Cabinet members had the acid put on them. And they skilfully adjusted that perception, carefully altered it, ever so slightly, so that what you said before the election does not match what you are actually going to do. That is appalling! That is appalling!
Those members who were elected in 2001, I have read your maiden speeches. I ask you to read your maiden speeches again. What have you come to? You will do whatever it takes to win and adjust your position for the purpose of political point scoring when, at the core of this, we have a serious issue. You could well win this battle, but you will lose the war if you continue this way. Face up to it. I expect better and there will be more on this issue on the difference between protective custody and summary offences. If you are serious about this issue, wake up and get on with some clarification of what you actually mean by dealing with those who have an alcohol problem.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be able to speak on this important issue. Alcohol does play an important part in the Territory lifestyle. We have all enjoyed a quiet beer at a backyard barbeque or out on the town. But for some people, and I have seen it in my own electorate, alcohol can become a problem. This does not only affect them, it also affects their families, their friends and the wider community. It has long been recognised that alcohol abuse is an issue for the Northern Territory. Statistics show that Territorians consume more alcohol per capita than any other Australians.
There have been many strategies and initiatives tried over the years, some more successful than others. What government is doing with the Alcohol Framework is to build on past efforts and to develop an overarching strategy to tackle alcohol issues. One of these coordinated cross-government agencies closely involves key stakeholders and community members. The framework is not designed to be the final answer on solving our alcohol issues. What it does provide is a cohesive set of policies and strategies designed to work together to tackle alcohol problems. Importantly, the aim is not to stop people from enjoying a drink. It is about targeting problem areas in our community and problem drunks.
From the consultation that was undertaken by Daryl Manzie and Donna Ah Chee’s Alcohol Framework report, it was clear that there was strong community support for the main policy objective of harm minimisation. That is the driving force behind the framework. The target is to reduce risky drinking; drinking that causes harm to people and to their community, socially, health-wise and economically. One important element of the framework is the view of the Licensing Commission. It is fair to say that urban areas of the Northern Territory have a significant number of liquor outlets, which means easy access to alcohol.
The government has a strong view that we do not need any further proliferation of liquor outlets; particularly takeaway outlets. Under the framework, government will look at the current process and procedure of the Licensing Commission to ensure that is has clear guidelines about issues such as new takeaway liquor licences. This will ensure that the Licensing Commission has clear direction about government policy and the proliferation of licences, as well as taking into account community concerns. Under the changes, people applying for a new liquor licence will be required to produce a community impact statement with their application. This will require them to spell out clearly exactly what sort of impact their application will have on the surrounding community, and the community will have access to that document and will be able to comment on it.
As well as having a more stringent application process for new licences, government has also signalled that it will consider bringing in a requirement that all licensees shall develop a house management policy, a code of conduct, and a management plan. This reinforces the need for licensees to act responsibly in alcohol service. The alcohol industry will also have some obligation under the framework; for example, there will be strategies to ensure the industry is supplying and marketing alcohol responsibly. Importantly, industry and licensees have been largely supportive of the Alcohol Framework, and government acknowledges their commitment to responsible supply and service of alcohol. The reality is government cannot achieve a reduction in risky drinking on its own. All stakeholders, as well as the wider community, have an obligation to ensure that alcohol is being enjoyed responsibly in the Northern Territory.
As well as putting the onus on government, the Licensing Commission, government agencies, the community and stakeholders to address alcohol problems in a coordinated, cooperative manner the framework also strengthens powers available to deal with problems. For example, the establishment of alcohol courts will provide new mechanisms to identify people with drinking problems, and refer them for treatment. Dry areas legislation will also be extended to allow people to declare their homes dry. This will help them to deal with humbug from drunken relatives or friends.
There is no simple answer to the problems our community faces in relation to alcohol abuse and habitual drunks. The Alcohol Framework is an attempt to draw together strategies already in place, strengthen them, and link them with new strategies and efforts to tackle problem drinking. There is no magical solution or quick fix to this problem, but we need to do all we can to minimise the harm to our community from too much grog. The Alcohol Framework provides us with a solid foundation to work with.
I am also interested in the government’s ability to force liquor outlets to responsibly sell alcohol to drunks. It is my observations within Darwin that there are areas that are hot spots for people who are drinking which are often close to liquor outlets. These liquor outlets are not behaving appropriately and are not thinking about the costs to not only the individuals they are selling alcohol to, but also the wider community. I believe we need to enforce the Liquor Act on those individuals who are selling alcohol to people who are intoxicated. I look forward to hearing from the minister about some of those initiatives over the next few weeks, months and years.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I have spoken on this subject several times. In fact, in my maiden speech, I made particular point of the effect excessive alcohol had on a number of Aboriginal boys I used to look after at Daly River, and how half of those died under the age of 21. The effect of alcohol on society in the Northern Territory has been a concern of mine for a long time. That is not to say that I have any problem with people drinking, however, sometimes we sweep things under the carpet. Sometimes, the reality of what is happening is smoothed over as we are dealing with a big and powerful industry and, in many cases, a popular industry - one that many people enjoy. We use it for social interaction.
Within this statement, there is a huge amount of material one could discuss, and various speakers, including the member for Braitling, have taken up certain issues about dry areas. She thinks there could have been a more positive and proactive approach. I have selected the issues that have stood out for me, and whilst there might be some criticism in that, it does not necessarily mean that I am criticising the statement as a whole. However, it would not be much good patting the minister on the back, as he also needs to hear the concerns that I have about some aspects of what is in the statement.
As I worked my way through the statement last night, it did not take long to come across a statement that left me wondering. The government has said it has rejected recommendation No 7, that the framework should set a target of reducing an average per capita consumption of alcohol in the Northern Territory to the national average consumption within five years. What does that mean and what message does it send out to the community? To me, it goes against the reality and the facts as stated in the Alcohol Framework Interim Report that the Northern Territory has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in Australia. It goes against the fact that the Northern Territory has a greater proportion of the population who drink at least once each month for acute harm and high risk levels for chronic harm. Deaths attributed to alcohol were three times the national average. The Northern Territory had the highest rate of hospitalisation as a result of high risk drinking, five times the national average. The Northern Territory has the highest proportion of people seeking assistance for alcohol-related problems, and 65% of driving fatalities in the Northern Territory had alcohol involved. Between 1990 and 1997, the Northern Territory had more than double the national rate of alcohol-related driver and pedestrian fatalities.
Alcohol is a major contributor to incidence of social disorder and crime, with 67% of police incidents in the Darwin area alcohol-related and 84% outside of the Darwin area. The Darwin figure, which was taken in 2001, relates to 127 383 alcohol-related incidents requiring police attention. The facts are that alcohol has a major social and economic effect on Territorians and too much alcohol consumption is the cause. It is easy to say that most Territorians drink responsibly, however, that sounds like an appeasement to the fact that quite a few do not drink responsibly and that they drink too much. Look at Mitchell Street late at night, look at the amount of alcohol drunk at the Darwin Cup, and then praised as being a great success. Look at the amount consumed at many sporting activities or functions. Walk around Marrara when an interstate football match is on; many do drink responsibly, however, many do not.
To try to avoid the issue of lowering total consumption by only looking at drinking behaviours that produce unacceptable levels of harm and social disharmony seems, to me, to be working right up the alley of the alcohol industry. We now have a culture of alcohol consumption, which in itself may not be a bad thing, however, we seem to be drifting into a culture where alcohol is the only drink and it is okay to drink to get drunk. That is what the alcohol industry promotes through some of its advertising. They are very clever, humorous, subtle and successful advertisements. The alcohol industry wants you to drink more as it is more profit for them. The Northern Territory government does not want to upset our sponsors for the Darwin Cup, the football sponsors, the Beer Can Regatta, the Hotels Association because this industry is very important to our economy. Any talk about reducing the consumption of alcohol is not going to win any friends in the alcohol industry, the Hotels Association or those bodies relying on sponsorship deals, so it is a great shame that the government has decided to reject a key recommendation from the framework.
The minister could have said that the government will try to at least lower the consumption of alcohol as a broad goal, instead of trying to bring it down to the level of the national average, and yet, in the final report brought down by the Northern Territory Alcohol Framework, on page 6, under the Aims, it says:
- In order to reduce the harm caused to individuals and the community, the Northern Territory Alcohol Framework aims to
reduce the overall consumption of alcohol and reduce the occurrence of harmful patterns of drinking.
I believe recommendation No 7 should have been accepted, or could have been adjusted to say that the goal of the government is to reduce the overall consumption of alcohol. When we have twice the amount of average alcohol per capita consumption of any other state in Australia, I believe that is a really important statement for the community.
By rejecting this recommendation, the government has shown it is not willing to look at the big picture; instead they avoid the reality of alcohol consumption in the NT and shift the blame to a few. It is the wrong message. I am not saying the government should look only at the amount of alcohol being drunk, it should look at other matters. However, as the Alcohol Framework Report said: ‘In general, higher levels of consumption … are associated with higher levels of alcohol-related problems’. I believe the government has squibbed on this one and taken this off their option.
This was the chance for the government to say that alcohol consumption was too high in the Territory and it did not have to point a finger at anybody. Even more ironic the government has rejected this recommendation and as you know there was a bill before parliament which will make it an offence to cause death or serious harm by driving a motor vehicle. The minister introduced the bill saying it is high time we moved away from the acceptance that intoxication can excuse criminal behaviour. Intoxication is about excessive consumption and loss of control. It is in these two areas that the government should be sending out a clear message that by rejecting recommendation 7 it leaves uncertainty about its real objectives.
On a positive note, I see the government will endorse the establishment of a fund to provide grants to support alcohol-free community events. Groups like the Katherine Football Association, which is struggling because they will not accept alcohol sponsorship, need assistance from the government. The assistance should be commensurate with what they would have received from the alcohol industry. Some of the GST revenue from alcohol would be one way to fund it. Many sporting groups have little option when looking for sponsorships only to rely on alcohol companies and alcohol sales. The cosy relationships between breweries and sporting bodies may be seen to be beneficial by both parties. However, it just enforces the culture of sport and grog in that they always go together. I am sure if you were a footy umpire, you would not appreciate being abused by drunken spectators.
The other important issue is the treatment of habitual drunks. I am talking about those who have been through the rehabilitation revolving door time and time again; those who cannot help themselves or those who are a risk to themselves and others. The government said during the election that if someone goes into police custody for alcohol-related reasons six times in three months, it is time to call a spade a spade and do something about it. The government has then gone on to say that the order will make it clear that if a person is found consuming alcohol in a public place again and, this is the important bit, commits an offence, he or she will be ordered by the court to get treatment or face gaol. However, the government is only making treatment compulsory if you commit an offence. It is not saying we will get tough on people who are continually drunk and have been through the revolving doors six times. It is saying you have to commit an offence. That is the backdoor way of locking up drunks and the Berrimah and Alice Springs gaols are not the place for drunks. If they are there for an offence, that is one thing. However, if that is a cover to say that they are in there for compulsory treatment, I do not believe it is good enough.
Doug Owston, former CEO of Corrections, wrote the following in the NT News on 29 July 2005:
- Prisons should be reserved for community protection. Punishment for crimes involves physical and mental assault
and as a deterrent.
Not a ‘hold-all’ for community misfits - alcoholics, substance abusers and the mentally ill or impaired.
Cheaper options to prisons are - or should be available - including low cost minimum security prisons where prisoners
can become almost self sufficient in terms of food and pick up work skills.
I believe he is right on the mark. Yes, I support compulsory rehabilitation for habitual drunks, although that does not mean putting them away in gaol using an offence to make it legitimate. The alcohol court should be able to send them to a place like the old Gunn Point Prison Farm, or something similar, based in other parts of the Territory. And it is the Gunn Point Prison Farm that Doug Owston was referring to. They can be learning skills, receiving some education, medical assistance and be reasonably close to family. I do not support drunks going to gaol but I do support the compulsory treatment at special purpose centres modelled on places like Gunn Point or the Western Australian work camps. The place has to have compulsion, however, it also has to have compassion.
I also raise this issue in line with petrol sniffing. Same thing - I do not support these people going to gaol, although I might support the pushers going to gaol. Gunn Point Prison Farm is the sort of facility we need to bring these people back to a normal lifestyle. It is not going to be easy, but it is important.
Another point I want to make, is that I hope the government will still change its mind over the process of liquor licence applications. I still believe it should be anyone’s right to lodge an objection to a liquor licence application except where it is purely done for commercial reasons. Development applications through planning allow anyone to object no matter where they live in the Territory, however, the limitations on liquor licence applications are too stringent. Everyone should have the right to object and it will be up to the Liquor Commission to decide whether that person’s objection is frivolous, or whether they do not know what they are talking about.
I have not been able to address all the issues which were raised in your statement today. However, I do know one area that still needs looking at. There is a small mention in the alcohol framework, however, I notice no mention in your statement, and it is an area which I continually believe is one of the big influences on the way we drink. That is the advertising and packaging of alcohol beverages.
Advertising is an extremely powerful medium. The way alcohol is packaged is not done so it looks pretty; it is done so it will attract people to drink. If that was not the case you would not have advertising or brightly coloured vodka drinks which are now available. The ads are aimed especially at the macho male, and many of those going fishing with a truckload of beer. Many of the new drinks are aimed at our young people, especially females, and we know things such as binge drinking are a major problem with our young people today.
The government has to get serious about the manner in which alcohol is advertised. For years we have slowly worn down the tobacco industry. They cannot advertise at all, they have to put their cigarettes up on the wall with practically no advertising, we have told people how terrible the stuff is for them. I always ask: ‘Why have you picked on tobacco and not alcohol?’ How many divorces were caused by tobacco? There might be the odd one; people got sick of them smoking. How many car accidents were caused by smoking; how many violent incidents were caused by smoking? These are certainly all caused by alcohol, yet alcohol is freely allowed to be advertised. You do not see on the bottom of an alcohol bottle ‘this substance can be dangerous if used in an excessive manner’, yet you get warnings on cigarette packets.
For some reason the alcohol industry is being exempted from those same conditions applying to tobacco although both are legal drugs. Although tobacco has caused a lot of self-harm and, to some extent to others through passive smoking, I do not believe it has caused anywhere near the social and economic effects as alcohol. I ask the minister to at least look at where we are going with alcohol advertising and promotion in the Northern Territory.
I am a little like the member for Braitling in saying there have been many reports – I was on the substance abuse committee at the time and part of our functions were taken away when the government decided to set up the alcohol framework, and much of that was disappointing. In the end it probably achieved something quicker than the substance abuse committee could have put together, however, there has been an awful lot of talk about alcohol. It goes on and on. There have been Senate reports, there have been all sorts of reports, and I ask: ‘Has anything really changed?’ When I came to the Territory in 1970 there were people being bashed and dying from the abuse of alcohol at Daly River, and I ask you today if anything has really changed? I doubt very much if it has. In fact, to some extent it may have even got worse.
I wonder whether we are serious about trying to change things; if we were then we would work with the Commonwealth to try to do some things which need to be done. I believe full employment, especially on remote communities, is a key. CDEP, as it is at the moment, is not adequate to feed a family. We need full pay or work on communities - the government needs to make it work. You can provide work. It may, to some people, be menial; however, you then get the pride in what you are doing. You get work ethic and you move up. You have education, but you also have work. People go to work not only for their self-motivation but, in the communities I worked on, people went there for social interaction. The two old men who went out for a day on the back of the tractor and trailer cutting firewood for the pensioners would be out there and would not cut a lot of wood, however, they would have a good time. They were interacting with one another and it was an important part of the day rather than sitting at home doing nothing.
If we do not have employment, good housing, recreational facilities and some means of giving people goals in life, then we are not going to get anywhere. Work on its own is not enough, housing on its own is not enough. Recreation - you can play sport until the cows come home and that is not going to save you either. You need a real effort to make things work. There is work on communities. There is housing that needs to be repaired, roads that need to be fixed, and fences that have to be fixed. People out there would know more about the kind of work that can be done. If we are to tackle alcohol problems we cannot have more committees, if we do not have at the same time, a process of trying to give people real employment. Bored people will look for outlets such as alcohol, drugs and petrol. We have seen that in the Territory for a long time.
The statement is good. There are some issues - especially recommendation 7 - which should not be rejected by the minister. It perhaps could be put in a more generic form. Even though we are going down this Alcohol Framework way, if this is not in conjunction with some real changes to society, especially for remote areas with work, employment, recreation and giving people goals and reasons to live, then this will just be a waste of time. You need to work as a Territory, with the Commonwealth and with the community, otherwise the hot air that we promote sometimes in this parliament will simply just be that, and nothing will change.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I speak in reply to the minister’s statement on alcohol policy reform progress.
The Northern Territory has a per capita alcohol consumption figure that is too high. This figure indicates a level of alcohol abuse, as well as use by some of those in our community. As the minister said, many in our community do not have an unhealthy alcohol habit, however, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that there are those who do. This abuse affects families throughout the Territory, both financially and physically.
I will touch on a few points the minister raised: mapping the way forward; the whole-of-government harm minimisation response; the overhaul of the Liquor Act; the proposed alcohol court, and review of the Licensing Commission.
Government formulated its five-point plan. The minister reported that the government had acted quickly to stop the practice of book-up for alcohol. The minister specifically mentioned the use of credit card book-up. We live in an age of freely available credit. It is so ridiculously available that the late Douglas Adams made it a target of his own brand of humour in a number of his books. Members need only read his book The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul for an example of the author’s treatment of the subject. The humour, however, attacks a very important issue. It used to be that you had to apply to a bank or financial institution to borrow money. A credit card offers a permanent line of credit with very high interest attached. We are all aware of the ease with which credit can turn from a handy tool to a nightmare if not handled with care. Making book-up available using credit cards to a person with an alcohol problem - which, in effect, is a drug problem - was a recipe for disaster. I, for one, am happy that the government has ended the practice.
Important work was done by the Living with Alcohol Program. This policy builds on that good work and the lessons learned through that earlier program. Government must continue to evaluate its programs and implement changes of direction where evidence suggests that this is required. That is what this government did when it put together the team, headed by Ms Donna Ah Chee and Mr Daryl Manzie. I note the process that led up to the final report included two rounds of consultation. It is another example of the government seeking to involve community, industry and other stakeholders in its policy formulation. This government, as the minister detailed, is implementing a majority of the recommendations made by the report. Once again, this government shows it is still listening to the people of the Northern Territory. It is doing its part to ensure Territorians feel part of the process and that government is responsive to them. This is a fact that continues to set this government apart from previous CLP governments.
This Alcohol Framework policy focuses on harm minimisation. It targets risky patterns of drinking through a whole-of-government approach and other strategies. I note that public education to change elements of our drinking culture will be part of the strategy. Honourable members will have noted with concern, as I have, the proportion of our youth that habitually engage in binge drinking. I have not brought figures with me, however, it is a social issue that needs to be addressed. I will also mention it is not an issue that is peculiar to the Northern Territory.
I mentioned credit cards before. Let me say that companies producing alcohol products engage in very sophisticated advertising. The promotional techniques are much more sophisticated now than when I was in my teens and early twenties. This is a good point to mention the local licensees of Palmerston who decided to be proactive in community education. On or about 9 August this year, the liquor licensees of Palmerston signed the Palmerston Licensees Accord. The accord was a result of licensees working together with the Northern Territory Police, Racing, Gaming and Licensing Division to develop a unified approach to enforcing liquor licensing laws in Palmerston. The Executive Director of the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Hotels Association, Ms Sally Fielke, said in her media release of 8 August this year:
- Together, the licensees have established a Patron Code of Conduct, patron warning notices and ‘No More It’s the Law’ signage
which will be displayed around the licensed premises. The intention is to educate patrons regarding responsibilities under the
Liquor Act and to send a message to them that the licensees are working together and that breaches will not be tolerated
on any premises.
Ms Fielke talks in the media release about the AHA, Northern Territory Police, and Racing, Gaming and Licensing and all the licensees in Palmerston meeting regularly to discuss licensing, policing and other issues. She says:
- The licensees have a very good working relationship with the Police and licensing inspectors around Palmerston, so it is great to
see this proactive step being taken to further enhance this relationship and to continue to make licensed premises safe and
enjoyable for all who frequent them.
I congratulate the Palmerston licensees and the AHA on their proactive steps to address problems they have identified. It is recognised that problem drinking and the associated problems it can cause has a detrimental effect on their business. It is proof that this is not a case of enforcing anything on an unwilling industry. The industry is more than willing to play its part. As I said before, it is a good example of industry working with government in a coordinated way.
The effects of alcohol as well as the regulatory framework around access to alcohol stretch across most if not all governments. This government’s commitment to a whole-of-government approach including an office of alcohol policy and coordination will assist the government in being better placed to target the harm minimisation focus of this policy. This government’s review and future amendment of the Liquor Act ought to result in a better focused legislative framework. It is always prudent for legislation to be comprehensively reviewed periodically to ensure that the act continues to do what is required. The needs of our community and the direction of government are not static. I welcome the foreshadowing by the minister of the implementation of a new liquor act in response to recommendations made by the final report of Ms Ah Chee and Mr Manzie.
The minister mentioned the establishment of an alcohol court. Specialised courts to deal with drug abuse are now an accepted and successful part of many court structures. I mention the drug courts because as I said before alcohol is another drug. The alcohol court will be able to deal with the particular issues of a case involving alcohol abuse better than a criminal court. Further, it takes people out of a system that is focusing on punishing criminal activity. People may engage in antisocial behaviour under the influence of alcohol, however, it is the drug problem that is the cause.
I am not saying that alcohol ought to excuse criminal responsibility - far from it. Serious offences need to be prosecuted. Drug courts elsewhere are not a soft option for those guilty of serious offences so I see nothing to suggest that the proposed alcohol court will operate any differently here. However, there are many lesser offences typically committed by a person under the influence of alcohol where an order for compulsory treatment may be more effective. Taking people out of the general criminal court system can have good results for the community and the individual. Review of the role of the Liquor Licensing Commission and its processes will ensure it meets the expectations of the users of its service and the community generally.
Legal systems throughout the country as well as overseas have embraced the principle of alternative conflict resolution. It used to be that the only service courts and tribunals provided were adversarial hearings. More and more, governments are prescribing mediation and conciliation in an effort to encourage settlement. Once the legal profession was sceptical of such measures but now it is fairly well accepted that mediation and conciliation services using an independent mediator or conciliator can assist parties in some cases, even in situations where the legal representatives think there is no prospect of success. Resolution is not the only measure of success for mediation. Mediation can reduce the number of matters at issue or clarify what the issues actually are and this has an impact on the length of any particular hearing of a matter.
The minister referred to measures aimed at ensuring transparency of evidence. Such measures assist in making parties feel that their case has received a fair hearing. I can attest to how intimidating courts and tribunals can be for parties engaged in litigation, witnesses, and even for legal representatives at times. For some courts, that setting assists in establishing the authority of the court; in other settings it is detrimental to resolution of conflict. The review team made recommendations in relation to procedures of the Licensing Commission and this government is following through.
The minister referred to changes so that the Licensing Commission can take appropriate note of the policy direction of government. I believe this to be a desirable change. The Territory is not unique in having issues surrounding alcohol abuse. The Northern Territory, as I have said, has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in Australia. This government sought a report that was inclusive of stakeholders and industry. It received the report and is implementing many of its recommendations in line with its harm minimisation focus. I thank the minister for updating the Assembly on the progress of the reform process.
Mr McADAM (Local Government): Madam Speaker, I support my colleague, the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing, on the alcohol framework progress report. It is no news to any of us here in the House that for many decades alcohol misuse in the Northern Territory has taken an unacceptable high toll in terms of low life expectancy, low education outcomes, family violence, and widespread community dysfunction.
On top of that, the Northern Territory has by far the worst outcomes for alcohol caused violence, education and health statistics in Australia. The people who shoulder the greatest burden are the Aboriginal or indigenous population. I have had extensive involvement with both the indigenous and non-indigenous community in listening to their concerns about substance abuse and misuse. I have also had the misfortune of attending funerals and visiting hospices to give support to grieving families who have lost their love ones to alcohol abuse or misuse. However, the minister’s statement today gives me some hope that some of the lessons learned by communities over the years have got through and have been listened to by this government.
I wish to concentrate my remarks today on the importance of two of the minister’s categories of action, namely, category 3, Valuing Community and Industry Input, and also category 4, Supporting Local Solutions. I will leave others to take up the other categories of action. It is not that they are not important; it is just, for me, there are no solutions to community harm unless the community is involved in providing some of these solutions.
Many positive initiatives have arisen from within towns and communities to address local problems with local solutions. One of these towns is Borroloola in my electorate. The community in conjunction with the Northern Territory Licensing Commission has agreed to liquor restrictions placed by the community. I am still looking into steps that can be taken to reduce alcohol-related problems in their community. Research has indicated that indigenous clients are more likely to nominate alcohol as their principal drug of concern with about 49% compared to the non-indigenous clientele of 33%. This is a concern and an argument: why I do not support the variation of current liquor licence in the township of Borroloola as there is enough data to indicate that we should concerned about the proposed variation?
The existing licensees of the Borroloola Hotel, are seeking a variation to allow them to sell up to three bottles of wine per day per person. This is plainly unacceptable especially given the very high levels of alcohol abuse in the community. I cannot understand why they want to go down this path without having the courtesy and the respect to consult and liaise with the community given the set of circumstances that are in Borroloola today and how excessive alcohol abuse impacts on them. I would urge the licensees of the hotel in Borroloola to give some consideration to withdrawing the application until such time as they speak to the community.
Borroloola is like a number of communities in the Territory. There is a group of people that is working very hard to address the problems they face of accessing appropriate education for their children, to provide for their families, for healthy and secure lifestyles for themselves and their families. If this sort of irresponsible variation threatens their very way of life and their efforts to improve the life of their families then this action should not be countenanced under any circumstances.
It is also important to note that the Borroloola community is also working hard to consider the many issues involving alcohol, including the current liquor licensing legislation. They are determined the onus should be on licensees to demonstrate their commitment to harm minimisation and how they will put this into practice. They are also convinced that public health and welfare issues should be the primary criteria in deciding on licence applications and conditions. They are of the view that the Licensing Commission be obliged to separately seek out the views of the community in question to ascertain the impact that a licence may have on its health and wellbeing, and they are determined that the Licensing Commission should take a proactive approach to encourage community input.
The township is also revisiting their local alcohol management plans, and work being done through the Alcohol Framework allows for individuals to form a committee made up of community representatives who, in conjunction with the Licensing Commission, can develop local alcohol management plans. The people of Borroloola are very conscious about the need for a local solution, and are very willing and able to work with government to develop precursors on what they want to do.
Recently, I visited the Daguragu Community Government Council which is in the electorate of the member for Daly. I was very impressed with the action they have taken, as both indigenous and non-indigenous residents wanted to develop a local solution to alcohol abuse or misuse. The Daguragu Community Council designed rules to ensure that local community members have a safe and enjoyable family environment in which to socialise. The Warnkurr Sports and Social Club - I hope that is correct, member for Daly - is owned and managed by the local Gurindji people and is there primarily for the Ngumpin community. However, non-indigenous residents also frequent the club.
Local solutions include that the club may only be closed by a special council meeting consisting of three councillors or more. The meeting must be minuted and presented to the next ordinary council meeting. The council agreed that the club will be automatically closed when flooding cuts off the community of Daguragu. This is to safeguard the residents from trying to cross Wattie Creek in a dangerous manner in order to drink at the club. The council also agreed that the club will be automatically closed on the day of a local funeral. Other rules include that no children are allowed in the club between the hours of 5 pm and 8 am, Monday to Friday, and between 2 pm and 5 pm on a Saturday. Instead, every second Friday is a family night where alcohol is served and children are allowed into the club between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm. Customers are only allowed to buy two cans at a time, and the two cans must also be brought to the counter for this purchase. If more than two cans are being purchased, then the drinkers of the extra cans must also come to the bar with the purchaser.
The club has a committee which is made up of two council members, the club manager, and two security staff. The committee makes recommendations to the Daguragu council as to who can endorse or vary their recommendations. Council endorses these decisions by the community as a matter of course, unless special cases come before them. The CEO may also be asked to attend committee meetings on matters which require policy change.
I was at Daguragu a few weeks ago and they alerted me to the work they had done as a community to address alcohol concerns within their community. I applaud the hard work they have put in addressing an issue which they obviously realise could impact severely upon the community if not addressed. They advised me that, as from 1 August each year, each patron will be required to pay their membership fees like any other club or tavern, and access will be denied to community members who have not paid their fees.
The council also has a ‘no work, no club’ policy, and there is a ban of one week for missing four days of work during the CDEP fortnight. This will seem very similar to the ‘no pool, no school’ policy. However, they have gone one step further. If a parent or guardian of a child fails to ensure their child attends school, a one week ban will apply for either the parents or the guardians.
If you are arguing in the club about a ban with club staff, committee members or counsellors, or even arguing with the security or club staff about someone else’s ban, then you will be dealt with by the local rules. They have strategies in place to deal with substance abuse and misuse, and an initiative the community feels very proud of. In fact, I am looking at nominating the Daguragu Community Council as a successful model of indigenous governance.
The two examples that I have given show how different communities are taking different sorts of strategies in dealing with their particular issues. I am acutely aware that there are many other communities around the place which look at things from a different perspective, or will develop new strategies. The Alcohol Framework as proposed by the minister allows that flexibility. Essentially, the bottom line is that you are not going to achieve these sorts of outcomes unless the communities have a real say in developing the strategies and those strategies are actually enforced by some of the actions that the minister has spoken about today.
As I have said, these two communities do share a common desire to make a difference for the people in their community. Like me, they have seen the reports, the earnest desire of governments to help over the many years, and I am absolutely certain that they welcome the support and they believe that the actions that they take at a local level will be met, as indicated by the minister.
In conclusion, the member for Nhulunbuy, the minister in question, has been in this House for in excess of 15 years, and I would dare say that the challenge the minister faces is by far and away the biggest he is going to have to deal with. I am certain that all members of this government and members on the other side of the House will provide as much support as possible to ensure that we do come to grips with the ravages of alcohol and its impact upon our communities.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Speaker, I support the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s statement on the progress of reforms of the government’s alcohol policy. I welcome the progress thus far. Alcohol use and abuse is a major issue in my electorate which spans the full usage spectrum, from a couple of glasses of wine occasionally with a meal, to a few stubbies after work with some work mates, and on to the heavy binge and daily consumption of cask wine and full strength beer. Like most things in life, everything is fine in moderation. What we see in the Northern Territory, and it is borne out in the per capita consumption of alcohol statistics, is not moderation. I can say that this statistic is representative of some of the constituents of mine.
High consumption, in itself, would not necessarily be a major concern to our society, however, it is the effect that this higher consumption has on the individuals concerned, their families and the communities in which they live. The regular instances of alcohol-related offences constantly remind us why we need to do more in this area, and as a reminder of how much this persists in our society, we only have to look at the paper’s headlines on a regular basis. This issue has been around for a long time. It goes way back to the previous governments and well before self-government.
I came to the Territory 17 years ago, and I remember the pubs in Cavenagh Street closing at 6 am and the constant reports of riots in the early hours of the morning. This policy is moving towards curbing the effects of excess drinking.
Darwin has evolved and has become more mature in its drinking habits - it had to. The new society of Darwin has demanded it. Regional and remote areas, under this new policy and this government, are moving towards a more mature and responsible approach to drinking. However, it is more difficult in the bush. We face the other dimensions and motivations for drinking and it is these underlying issues which will temper this advancement.
The minister talked about the five point plan. He highlighted the issue of book-up and, as the member for Katherine will well know, this has been something that has been raised in Katherine over previous years and it seems to have stopped.
One of the other points the minister spoke about was the limiting of the sale of alcohol on Sundays, this, in effect, reducing the consumption. There have been improvements in the behaviour of drinkers in Katherine on Sundays, although, they can be quite cunning as they change their drinking habits. It has been reported to me that the introduction of reducing the amount of liquor outlets on a Sunday and introducing the sale of light beer only in hotels up until 12 noon has had the effect of people taking longer to get drunk. It seems that people would rather wait to spend their money on bulk alcohol such as cask wine rather than paying for the higher price for heavy beer during the early part of the day. The experience from this is that the number of inebriated people has somewhat decreased in the cycle, meaning that they are getting drunk in the later part of the day as opposed to the early morning. This shows that they are still spending money on light beer and the statistics of disorderly behaviour has decreased on Sunday as by the afternoon they have spent all their money and there is nothing left.
There has been a rise in the statistics insofar as more people around in the Wet Season which leads to increased numbers of people drinking in Katherine. These people come to town for various reasons like football or funerals and they find themselves cut off from their communities. Some people know that they are going to be cut off for quite sometime and choose to stay in town as they do not want to be isolated back in their community. It seems to be a less visible presence in the immediate town vicinity and this is attributed to education and enforcement of the two kilometre law. People are becoming aware of the laws and the consequences so they are going deeper into the long grass and further down the river banks. Also they are also sly grog stashers. They make sure that they have a ‘hair of the dog’ available so the presence of hard core drinkers is still evident in the morning.
For the most part during the build-up, which we are experiencing now, many people tend to stay in the shade and sleep with hangovers from the previous night until the licence laws change at noon and the bulk alcohol is available. Again, this problem is quite difficult and hard to contain with the numbers in the sobering-up shelters increasing during the Wet Season with people coming in from the communities.
There is evidence that people are stashing alcohol and drinking it hot around the shelters. The sobering-up shelter does not open until 2 pm but the cycle pattern is still forming. Breakfast programs can still see that people are moving out further out of town to drink but they do not want to lose their grog to the police and the night patrol tipping it out. This is a good visually for the town, however, it is further to walk back to the town for a feed, shower or medical assistance. This is also having a negative effect on the health and wellbeing of long grassers and itinerants.
There has been an increase in people acting drunk to get access to these shelters. They are apparently pouring alcohol over themselves and acting intoxicated in hopes of getting admitted. This is because they feel that they are not safe in the long grass. There were several instances where these people have been robbed and bashed in the long grass and there are claims that the people who are bashing them are high on other substances so alcohol is not actually the cause of that. Many of the long grassers want to change their situation in Katherine, however, they are not in a position to enter into Territory Housing to get out of the long grass and it concerns us as to whether they can maintain a house as there is too much humbug from their family members and they end up in a lot of trouble.
The minister went on to discuss two aspects which I would like to pick up on. The first is supporting local solutions in the way of local advisory committees and the development of local plans. The second was rehabilitation and intervention initiatives. The Northern Territory is such a diverse place that the way forward for one community may not suit another. The people in one area may be vastly different to another. In addressing most issues, I believe the development of local solutions which are owned and administered by the local community have a greater success than a broad brush, centralised approach.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Daly, your time has expired.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time to allow the member to complete his remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, I have been involved in some local initiatives around Timber Creek where the local people formed a committee with the publican and administered a bit of a kangaroo court. However, it was very effective and it featured in the Weekend Australian and it curbed a lot of problems in the town while it was still operating. Other pubs in my electorate are doing much the same, working together with the councils at Daly River and Peppimenarti. It is good to see the police at Peppimenarti Hotel and Daly River working together in those areas.
On rehabilitation and intervention, it was hopeful the Venn Block Rehabilitation Centre will open next year and will service up to 18 people in self-contained facilities and also provide some treatment centres. That is a welcome change. This would hopefully provide a circuit breaker for those drinkers. It cannot be forgotten that alcohol is a sedative and at one end of the extreme it is a relaxant and at the other end it is a heavy tranquilizer. The use of alcohol can be directly related to the pressures and psychological harm those people have experienced in their life. To many of the remote Aboriginal communities, alcohol is a relief to numb the constant pressures that they endure in their community. When you stop to think about it, they live in a place that has 80% to 90% unemployment, low education levels, overcrowded houses, there is crime and violence, and a constant stream of family funerals. This happens day after day, year after year. There is no expectation that things are going to change. There is little wonder that some people will resort to heavy drinking.
Can I also say to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing, who is the Treasurer as well, that we all know how protective the Treasury is on its spending. The Thamarrurr Council did an opportunity cost study not so long ago and this is an example of something that perhaps should be looked at as well. Every dollar our government can spend on addressing alcohol problems and problems of poverty will substantially reduce the spending the government has on services that we spend so much money on today. I would rather see fewer police on the streets as there are fewer alcohol-related offences and similarly with hospitals reducing the number of admissions with alcohol-related assaults.
With the positive highlights, the people and structures being put in place to coordinate and drive the strategy, I am going to use and encourage other people to use the office of the alcohol policy and coordination. I hope to be able to speak to the minister for alcohol strategy on a regular basis about alcohol issues in my electorate. I trust that my input will flow into the proposed 12-month agreed work plan which is to be developed by some senior officers. I urge liquor outlets throughout my electorate, which includes remote pubs, roadhouses and hotels in regional towns, to participate in the industry advisory bodies. I will also encourage my local communities to form the proposed local alcohol management committees and work with other committees in the area to develop regional alcohol plans.
Much has been made about the coercive powers within this policy, especially prior to the last election. At that time, I spoke to Aboriginal people about this subject. What came from that was that these families who have family members who might be affected by these powers were actually reassured by them. These families were worried about the family members who are heavy drinkers. They put themselves and others in danger whilst they are in town committing crimes and getting up to all sorts of activities which could harm their health. Family members wanted some high level intervention. They were truly worried about their family members only returning to the community in coffins. Although these powers are strong, they need to be; we are actually dealing with a very serious problem. With this policy, this government has shown some strong leadership, courage, and is caring for the people involved in tackling this scourge.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution in response to this statement: the members for Katherine, Karama, Braitling, Arafura, Blain, Brennan, Nelson, Barkly, Millner and Daly - and very considered contributions from one and all, even those who had some issues with the statement.
The member for Katherine gave us a good deal of her experience with alcohol in the Katherine region and also her experience with restrictions, which I was taken with as I have seen this before. Where restrictions come into play, they displace the problem, relocate it and everything seems hunky-dory for a while until either the restrictions are lifted, changed somewhat and the problem comes back. I do not think the Katherine situation and experience in this matter is that much different from what has occurred in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs or even Nhulunbuy in the antisocial behaviour emanating from alcohol abuse. I believe what the member for Katherine was illustrating with that example is the failure of those measures because they really were a bandaid attempt. They do not go to the core, the heart, of the problem. We can expect more failures of that kind unless we have strategies that go to the core, to the heart of it.
I thank the member for Katherine for her contribution - and I mean that. I travel through Katherine on a fairly regular basis when I do drive back to Nhulunbuy, and I see the same sorts of things that I witness in my home town of Nhulunbuy. I share with her those concerns as a local member and the need to do something about it.
The member for Nelson spoke about reducing the average alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory to the national average within five years. It was a recommendation of the original report not accepted by government. It was not accepted by government because we did not see it as a targeted strategy in the sense of the levels of irresponsible drinking to the point of abuse where that behaviour leads to a whole range of undesirable and dangerous behaviours is a much more strategic focus for government to focus on and to bring particular strategies to bear on. By acting to reduce levels of alcohol abuse and achieving a reduction in alcohol abuse will get many benefits. We will get the reduced antisocial behaviour, the reduced violence, the reduced suicides and attempted suicides, the reduction in car accidents as a result of alcohol abuse, as well, of course, as a reduction in alcohol consumption overall.
If you had a target of 3%, 4%, or 5% for alcohol consumption rate overall, the success or failure of the overall strategy becomes very much centred and mirrored on that one aspect. You might even achieve a 3% or 4% target and say we nearly got there, that is not all that much a failure. It might not have done anything, because if it does not go to those areas which are causing the most harm then I do not think the strategy has been worthwhile overall. The whole process in and around alcohol and alcohol abuse is a little more complicated than just saying, okay, there is our target, a 5% reduction. If we were to achieve reductions, and I do not think we will have achieved anything if we do not achieve reductions, we want to see reductions around this whole risk drinking scenario, because it is a minority of drinkers who drink to the harmful levels of abuse, but we must not underestimate the consumption levels of those drinkers in that risky and dangerous drinking level that drives those consumption levels up as high as they are.
The member for Braitling accused me of being bland, like the speech itself, of lacking passion. I will just remind the member for Braitling about what alcohol abuse is doing in my part of the world. There were 13 deaths on the Gove Peninsula between September last year and the end of September this year, a 12-month period. I live, as local member, with the effects of alcohol abuse on a daily basis and have done so for 15 years. I called on the previous government to bring measures in, such as an alcohol rehabilitation centre in that region, for many years as the local member and it is only now being achieved in the second term of our government.
Lonely Boy Richard, a feature film I launched a couple of years ago, is about a wonderful human being living a life of hopelessness and despair; his life is now ruined as he is serving 12 years in gaol for rape as a result of alcohol abuse. I do not accept very easily that I lack passion, or care, or compassion in this regard. I attend funerals on a regular basis caused by the effects of alcohol abuse. Whether they are in gaol doing 12 years or whether they are dead in the ground, it is pretty much the same effect. They are no longer around the region, and it is that hopelessness and despair that the member for Daly spoke of, and I think the member for Nelson might have touched on it as well, that is at the core of this. That needs to be attacked and addressed.
At the end of this process, we will have a sound framework to develop and refine policy and reduce that personal carnage that alcohol abuse causes as well as the social dysfunction, the family misery and the violence perpetrated by the abusers of alcohol, because they become abusers of one and all things.
I am not sure whether the member for Braitling was criticising or applauding the decision to have a minister responsible for alcohol policy. This whole area does need a central driver from within government, and that is what a minister with responsibility for alcohol will do as they have to drive reform across all government agencies, not just one.
In relation to the comments the member for Braitling is making about indigenous people learning to live responsibly with alcohol and learning to use it responsibly, I would give the example of Gunyangara at Ski Beach on the peninsula on Melville Bay. This was a homeland small community established in the late 1970s or early 1980s by Galarrwuy Yunupingu. In the first instance, he wanted his people to move from Yirrkala, both to live on their own homeland and not under other traditional owners, as they were at Rirratjingu and the Marikas’. However, he also wanted them to learn to live responsibly with alcohol and to use alcohol sensibly. He said you cannot learn responsible use of alcohol when you are living in a dry community and you cannot drink.
Over almost 25 years now, there have been many incidences of violence, many deaths at Gunyangara as a result of alcohol and alcohol abuse to the extent that the community some time ago was confronting the question of whether they would become a dry community and recently revisited it. The commission is taking that forward and there will be a public meeting process on the way to realising the community’s wishes in this regard.
If that was Galarrwuy’s aspiration and that was expressed at the time in the late 1970s and early 1980s it was probably admirable in the aspiration to get his people to learn to live responsibly with alcohol. Where the successive governments failed that community and those people I do not know. I do not know that government was ever called on in those times to assist with programs or the like that might assist those people to learn to use alcohol properly. The fact remains now that the level of pain, suffering, misery and torture on all of those families around alcohol abuse has been such that they want to go back to being dry.
There is an example of a community’s 25 year experience with alcohol right within the community itself. Based on that experience I would not be keen on tearing up the dry community’s legislation and forcing these people if they want to drink to have it in their own borders.
I am not sure in the end what the member for Braitling was seeking with this statement. It is a comprehensive response to what was a comprehensive review and a comprehensive report. Some of the work by its very nature will take time. The rewrite of the Liquor Act is probably an 18-month process. We will not see that till late next year. It is a big piece of legislation and it will require constant consultation with all stakeholders to keep it on track. And I make no excuse: it takes time to rewrite big pieces of legislation. You need to establish the alcohol courts. It is always going to be a process that takes a bit of time: the need to ensure that proper rehabilitation programs and services are in place so that these courts can make a sentence knowing that it will be fulfilled within the community also takes time, and the restructuring of the Liquor Commission and how it does its business. These are not responses that can be implemented quickly and I make, as I said, no apology for that.
There are other matters though that can be attended to more readily: acting more quickly on intelligence about irresponsible service of alcohol; intelligence about the serving of minors; intelligence about minors getting into licensed premises and being served; greater number of inspections in relation to that intelligence around breaches; and tougher penalties for breaches more in line with the seriousness of the offence of the breach. These practices are strengthened as we speak.
The local alcohol management plans at Groote Eylandt are an example where they formulated their own local alcohol management plan which results in everyone having a permit, in that everyone applies for a permit. There is a local committee established on the island that decides whether you get a permit, and if you play up on that permit you lose your right to purchase and consume alcohol. Things have been pretty quiet, I am told. It is only early days with that strategy. Whether it promotes or leads to any type of black market to get alcohol to those who have been scrubbed off the permit list is something that needs to be closely watched. In general terms, I am told that the strategy, albeit early days, is working. I know that strategies get undermined over the process of time where people find their way around them and perhaps they need to be dynamic in the sense of being able to respond once they have been attacked and dragged down.
The issuing of minister’s guidelines so that we have a clear statement of government direction of policy in front of the Liquor Commission is to avoid the types of things that we have seen in the past, where the Commission could quite rightly ask: ‘What is government’s view and what is government’s policy in this area?’ If the minister has guidelines, worked through with the Commission and ticked off, that will serve to assist the members of the Commission when they go about making their decision.
The member for Braitling also saw the new ministerial responsibilities as a hospital pass, in football terms, which is unfortunate. It is a challenge that has to be picked up; it has to have a champion within government and a minister who will drive it across the face of government. I believe any one of the nine ministers - and I include the Chief Minister in that, she might have it otherwise but I would include the Chief Minister in that - on this side of the House would be pleased to pick it up because it is a challenge.
The member for Blain was generally supportive. I thank you for that. I have explained the timeliness of some of the issues involved here. Some processes do take time. I guess we are prepared to be judged on the outcome of this work over the next 12 months. By the time of the introduction of the new act, all of the other recommendations will have been put in place, will have had an opportunity to have an effect, and we should be able by then to judge what these measures have achieved.
Madam Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution. I undertake to give the House regular updates as we move forward in this process.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Howard Springs Nature Park
Howard Springs Nature Park
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the member for Nelson:
- Madam Speaker,
I wish to raise a matter of public importance on Tuesday, 11 October 2005. The matter relates to the Howard Springs Nature Park
which cannot be used for swimming because of the putrid water. The barramundi that are a major tourist attraction are also at
risk because the pond is evaporating rapidly and the spring has stopped flowing.
Yours sincerely,
Gerry Wood MLA.
Honourable members, is the proposal supported? The proposal is supported.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for his support. I must admit at Question Time today I did lose a bit of faith in the process as one knew this MPI was coming there was a certain element of politics, more than certain element. It is a little bit sad because this could be a positive for the government. That is why I put it forward; you are the people who have control of the funds. It would make a difference.
I raise the issue of the demise of the Howard Springs Nature Park as a matter of public importance. Why? First, because the government has done little in seriously trying to fix the ongoing problems that have dogged the park for a number of years and that are even now worse than ever, and second, because something needs to happen right now. That is why it is a matter of public importance.
Over the last few years, the Howard Springs Nature Park has been receiving fewer and fewer visitors. The government’s own figures showed that in 2001 186 689 global visits occurred down to 123 237 global visits in 2004. Whether that was because there was a drop in our visitors to our NT parks overall or because of the poor state of the park is hard to establish. However, the state of the park presently would certainly not attract people except for a very short sojourn. It seems coincidental that a caller to Macca on Sunday on the ABC described how sad he was to visit the Howard Springs Nature Park only to find one could not swim there because of the high bacterial count. What we could have told Macca is that that has been the case for a number of years and, minister, you said today it was due to this Dry Season. This has been occurring over the last few years. What is the government’s solution to the problem? Put up a sign and tell them no one can swim there.
In May this year, I raised the issue of the unavailability of the park for swimming. The minister said I was grandstanding. That is fine. However, these issues about the park were raised by the constituents. The first one was in May so I went down there and, after having a look, I put out a press release. I said it was about time the government held a public investigation into the future of Howard Springs Nature Park; that the future popularity of the park was in doubt due to the continuing restrictions on swimming in the pool - not the wading pool - due to high bacterial counts; and that many people, both local and interstate, used the park but the park will lose its attractiveness if swimming continues to be banned.
I told the government that the inquiry needs to look at the following: low flows into the pool; the effect of the many trees around the edge; possible leaf decomposition in the bottom of the pool; the need for a clean out of the bottom of the pool; and possibly a supplementary water supply into the pool when natural flows are low. I also said that action is required now - this is May - otherwise one of our closest to Darwin safe swimming holes will be no more.
In response to that, Parks and Wildlife invited me to an internal meeting at which matters were raised about what to do about the problems; however, nothing was decided except that they would call a public meeting. That meeting has not eventuated. Since then, the park has deteriorated even more.
What is the state of the park at the moment? Firstly, you cannot swim there, nor do I believe you would want to. As I said, you have not been able to swim there for quite a number of years except for very small breaks when the bacterial count dropped. However, as soon as people jumped in the water, the leaf litter stirred up again and it was closed. The water is more like the Yarra – even though I come from Melbourne and like my Yarra – and probably worse; it is an uninviting chocolate-green coloured liquid which is very unattractive and off-putting to anyone visiting. The fish and turtle which you could normally see there are hardly visible. They have been one of the attractions of the park and they are now in danger if the water dries up.
Minister, you said it was okay to put in the aeration. That is fine, but if there is no water to pump because it has all evaporated, aeration will be nothing but air-ration as it is drying up. Some may say the drying up is a natural phenomenon, especially in a bad season. I would agree if this was a natural wetland, however, it is not. It is a man-made pool and the fish and turtles have been put there by Parks and Wildlife as an attraction to the park. Therefore, they have a responsibility to look after the aquatic life they have established there.
There is now no flow of water over the weir, and the fish which were on the lower side have died and been cleaned up by foraging birds. The remaining water is green and stagnant. Not only is there no flow, but the water on the up-stream side is evaporating fast. I have two photographs taken last week about six days apart, and I will table them to show you how fast the level is dropping. It is quite substantial and quick. The Parks and Wildlife people have put in place some aerating devices to put oxygen into the pool to keep the fish alive and, whilst this is certainly needed, the process is speeding up the evaporation of the water.
As well as this, the dam wall had one major and two minor leaks which have recently appeared - that is yesterday - adding to the loss of water from the pond. Parks and Wildlife officers were doing their best to plug these holes as of yesterday. The theory behind the leaks is that the ground under the dam wall is drying out.
The electrical connections to the pumps that drive the aerators are also of some concern. I hope that they have been checked by OH&S. Leads cross the ground and public footpaths, and are suspended in the water. I will also table some photographs showing those leads.
There are many mosquitos in the park - big and plentiful enough to carry you away. If you turn up at the park in shorts and thongs you could not stay too long. Very few people seem to be visiting the park. I visited the park at lunchtime on Saturday and there were only two vehicles there. There was no one using the picnic grounds, although yesterday there were a few more using the wading pool. Howard Springs used to be a very popular picnic spot; however, last Saturday it was nearly deserted.
The next question is: why has nothing been done? Why has the government done nothing to fix the problem? It seems to me that the Howard Springs Nature Park is a very low priority for the government. It has the Leanyer Recreation Lake as its jewel in the crown in voter land in the northern suburbs, and it needs to spend plenty of money each year to keep it in good order - especially swimming order. The government is going to spend even more money to expand the facility this financial year. I believe Leanyer is a great facility, however, it should not be developed at the expense of other parks, especially those in the rural area which have been around a lot longer than Leanyer Recreation Lake.
I do not believe people in the rural area, or many older residents of Darwin, are very impressed by the inaction by the government in doing something proactive about fixing one of our oldest parks, which is also an important World War II heritage site. The springs used to supply drinking water to Darwin at the beginning of World War II, although it would have been very unlikely to have been drunk if the water was of the quality we see today. When the springs was no longer needed to supply water, it was used as a safe swimming hole for the residents of Darwin. Now it has declined to something resembling a dirty, smelly pond surrounded by nice trees and lawns.
Why is it so, as Professor Julius Sumner-Miller would say? My theory is that the parks management simply does not want to maintain the springs for recreational purposes. It is far easier to maintain it as a nature park devoid of swimming as it is less work and cheaper, and they have other priorities such as the maintenance and expansion of the Leanyer Recreation Lake. Whether that is a ministerial or purely managerial decision, who knows? I feel for the rangers of the park who have to maintain it with the limited funds they have available. They do a great job, however, they must get sad and depressed when visitors come and see the park as it is today. They bear the brunt of management or government bureaucratic inaction and I can understand their frustration. I talk to them, that is why I know is happening.
Instead of waiting for something to happen, the people of the rural area and older Darwin residents have decided to do something about it. I mentioned this when I released a press statement in May, the constituents had asked me to go and have a look at it. Again, just recently, a Darwin resident asked me to go in to the park.
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: That is right. I am reflecting what those people are saying. And what has happened? They have formed a group called FOTS. It is not a name for an American comedy. It is called Friends of the Springs. At present it has only a small number of people, about six, however, I am sure its membership will increase rapidly if the government leaves the springs as they are now.
So what is FOTS recommending? It is asking the government to do two things. First, they want immediate action to fix the park’s existing problems and, second, they want a plan developed for the ongoing use of the park in the future. What immediate action is required? As the park is not suitable for swimming, and looking for the fish and turtle requires heat-sensing goggles as you cannot see the fish, the following should be done:
empty the water from the ponds;
cleaned up. We had a meeting yesterday with Parks and Wildlife officers and they said they are able
to do that quite safely;
chains and money extracted from the mud. There must be a few bob’s worth lying in there as it has
not been cleaned out since 1985;
cut back all the trees overhanging the water as this will reduce breeding grounds for mozzies. Pictures
of the original pond show that there were very few trees around the water’s edge. Removal of those trees
will also reduce the leaf litter which appears to be one of the main causes of the high bacterial count;
install a deep bore which would not affect the springs. This could be used when there is not enough water
coming from the springs;
fill the pond from the bore and springs, and
irrigate the lawns only using dirty water from the ponds.
The second requirement is that you need to establish an annual or biennial plan for the maintenance of the park and an appropriate budget to ensure that the springs does not fall into the stagnant waterhole it is today. Friends of the Springs believe that the government should take action now, not sit on its backside with a PowerPoint presentation, getting a consultant’s report, and asking for public consultation, etcetera. It can do that later. It has to act now. We need a public meeting to work out a long-term plan for the park, but we also need action now to save the park. The park is of no use in its present state. Here is a good chance for the government to do something positive out of a bad situation.
How it will fund the works? Simple. Litchfield Shire Council did not want the $1m swimming pool because it was not enough for their purposes. Minister, could you not ask Treasury for that money and use that money to not only fix up the problems that are at the springs now, but also develop a plan for the park with the possibility of developing the park as a mini-Leanyer? The springs could be redesigned so that there is a section for the barramundi and the turtles, and a section for swimming with sloping edges, and a small beach to give visitors and local residents some recreational options. That can be looked at later.
You need to act now, not next week or the week after. If you procrastinate, I am sure, as the ponds dry up and the barra die, people are not going to be very pleased with your government if you could not be bothered doing anything about the situation. Your department has known about this issue for a long time and nothing practical has happened. They do not seem very interested, and I believe not one person from senior management has visited the park first-hand to see the state of the ponds recently, until the Friends of the Springs asked for a meeting on-site yesterday.
For many years, the springs were cleaned out and reeds removed. For some reason, this seems to have stopped around 1985. We need to start a program to get this happening again.
I raise this matter of public importance today because there needs to be action right now. I believe the opposition also supports this stand, and I am grateful for that support. Today, the government has an opportunity to show it is also concerned. The minister can show she is concerned, show leadership and show she runs the department by making a positive statement today about the park.
I look forward, along with the Friends of the Springs, to hearing what she is going to do and so do many rural residents, tourists, tourist industry members and residents of Darwin and Palmerston who also want the springs restored to the safe and popular swimming hole it once was.
The minister needs to show support for the rangers of the park by giving them the means to bring their park up to a standard they can be proud of to show visitors. If that means going to the Treasury for those Litchfield funds then I say go for it. I should not leave the Chief Minister out in this debate as she is the Minister for Tourism. Howard Springs is part of the story of the Northern Territory and I hope she is concerned that part of that story might be missing from future editions of the tourist guides if she does not do something to help. I hope that the Chief Minister does not rely on her memory on how the springs used to be rather than the state of the springs right now. They are a tourist shame job.
Tourism is a major industry for the Territory and our parks are an important part of that industry and the Chief Minister, I hope, will also support immediate action and also lobby Treasury for those Litchfield funds.
Howard Springs has long been a jewel in the rural area, popular with tourists and locals alike. It has been a safe place to swim and that is even more important these days considering that more and more of our swimming holes are off limits because of the dangers of crocodiles. This is a matter of public importance and I hope the Minister for Parks and Wildlife and the Minister for Tourism can say and do something that will fix Howard Springs right now and then put into place a process that will put the springs back on the map so it can once again be used as the great little park it used to be.
I challenge both the Minister for Parks and Wildlife and the Chief Minister as the Minister for Tourism to visit the park and see for themselves what is actually happening.
Ms Scrymgour: I have been there.
Mr WOOD: Well, I was not told that by the rangers. I would be happy to show you around and I know there would be lots of Friends of the Springs who would too. By the way you will not need your togs.
While I have a couple of minutes, I need to address some of the matters you raised this afternoon in Question Time. I am disappointed that the government could not find in itself to allow this to be debated in a far more reasonable way instead of using a dorothy dix question which we had no hope of replying to. I reiterate, we need to talk about it being closed for the Dry Season; it has been closed for many Dry Seasons. You just talk to the rangers and nothing has been done.
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Mr WOOD: No, I am reading from today’s Daily Hansard of Question Time. You said that the swimming hole had to be closed for the Dry Season. It has had to be closed for many Dry Seasons. You talked about installing an aeration device to increase the level of oxygen in the water. I understand that has met with quite considerable success and therefore it will not be necessary to flush the pool or relocate the fish or aquatic life. That is totally incorrect. Aeration is just putting in oxygen. If the water has evaporated, you will not have any place for the fish to live. Empty the pool out now because it is dirty. Empty it out, collect your fish. If you want to put them in an aquarium or put them in another river system, we will always get those back. It is a great opportunity because the water will evaporate. There is no doubt. The ranger tells me you will not get running water from the springs until February because they are so dry that it will take that long to get an adequate build up of the aquifer.
In the meantime you are going to have a pond that is either a puddle or practically non-existent. I am saying clean it out now, take the fish away, scrape out the bottom of it, put some sand in, cut down some of the trees - I am not saying cut the whole trees, at least you can prune them – and put in a bore. The bore would only take about a week. Start to fill up the pond with fresh water. Make sure when you irrigating the lawns, you only use the water from the ponds so you actually are keeping a constant supply of good water going into the pond and you are removing some of the contaminated water. Then when you have done that we can start looking at a long-term plan.
What you are going to get left with down there if you believe the people from Parks and Wildlife who say it will not be necessary to flush the pool or relocate the fish and other aquatic life -that is not what I am getting from the head ranger, and it is not what I am getting from people who have lived in the area much longer than I have – is that it will evaporate. It is not a very deep pool and I do not think it will be good publicity for the tourism industry or the government to have photographs of dead barramundi. They are big barramundi because that is what people used to go down to that pond for.
I am just saying here is an opportunity for the government to get brownie points, and I realise that is probably not quite the right word you want to use, however, here is an opportunity to do it. We are putting some positive ideas to the government, and if the government says they do not have the money we are saying you have the $1m that Litchfield did not want. Go to Treasury and ask to use that. That will pay for your bore, that will pay to scrape it out, and that will pay to relocate the fish.
I know there is a lot of politics and I have heard it today and people wonder why I get cranky because I criticised the government for not doing something and now it has come to the point where you have to do something. This is the point of no return. If you do not do something now you will get a mud-hole out there and you will get flack. If you do something you will get many people applauding your actions. I am putting it forward today as a matter of public importance because it is a public swimming hole, it is an historical site, and it is part of the Darwin tradition. You can fix it up and you will get all the praise. I will get a bit on the side if you do the right thing. However, if you do not do the right thing I can guarantee that the Friends of the Springs will be marching on this parliament asking why not. I said I will try my best in parliament but if nothing successful comes out of today I am sure they are not going to be happy. They want the ponds fixed.
That is why I am here standing up here today saying please, minister. There will not be any vote at the end of this. It is a discussion. I hope I hear some positive replies to what we have put. I know the people out there hope you will make a positive reply because we all want it to be a good little nature park that everyone can use and enjoy.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, I understand in the early moments of the debate that you sought leave to table some documents. Do you wish to table those documents?
Mr WOOD: I did.
Leave granted.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Parks and Wildlife): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was quite shocked when the member for Nelson stood up and said that we were playing politics at Question Time. Member for Nelson, as a kid growing up in Darwin I have very fond memories of going to Howard Springs. The member for Nelson and people around the rural area are not the only ones who have an attachment to Howard Springs Nature Park.
Some of the issues that the member for Nelson touched on I had dealt with briefly in Question Time. I will go over some of that again. However, the member for Nelson says he knew about this issue in May. Not one approach in this whole time was made to me or my office in relation to this issue, member for Nelson.
Mr Wood: Parks invited me to their meetings so they must have.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: If you wanted some action there was not one approach to me or my office to raise this issue.
Mr Wood: I went to that meeting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: There was a press release and we had a look at that. After all, we are in continuous dialogue with the department not only about Howard Springs but many of our parks which we need to look at.
Howard Springs Nature Park is a wonderful park. It is the Territory’s first park and the member for Nelson touched on its heritage values in connection with World War II, that it was a man-made swimming created for the benefit of the men and women of the Defence Force.
The member for Nelson just focused on the swimming hole. There is much more to the park than this. The nature park protects 283 hectares of diverse habitat including monsoon rainforests, swamps and river environments. There are many shady picnic areas with barbeques located in some of the grounds. A 1.8 km walking track winds its way through rainforests offering visitors a great chance to understand the trees, birds and animals that live in this special habitat.
Mr Wood: The tourist brochures say swimming.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Yes, the swimming hole is very important, however, it is not the whole park and each year more than 100 000 visitors enjoy all the attractions the park has to offer.
As I said in Question Time, the swimming hole did have to be closed for the Dry Season. When water flows are low, bacterial levels become too high to allow safe swimming. Recent water quality tests continue to show high levels of harmful bacteria in the pool. The water does not meet the required water quality standards for recreational water bodies. Weekly samplings of the waterhole and the associated paddling pool continues, and the pool will only be open for swimming when several water quality tests return low readings of harmful bacteria. Parks and Wildlife manage Howard Springs Nature Park in a way that keeps visitors safe. They have acted responsibly and they have my support. I do support the rangers, member for Nelson, contrary to what advice or views you might have heard.
The weather has played a significant role in the water quality problem. Last Wet Season was the 9th driest over the last 45 years, and four out of the last five Wet Seasons have been below average. Water flows to the swimming hole do dry up naturally in these low rainfall years. Certainly, the swimming hole has been closed in other low rainfall years and, in the 1990s, recommendations were made not to swim in the waterhole. That said, I am also very aware that the growing use of groundwater in the rural area has impacted on the spring that feeds the waterhole. The effect has been to enhance the natural reduction in water flows so the water stops flowing earlier than normal.
As I indicated earlier, immediate priority has been given to ensure the water quality in the swimming hole is sufficient to sustain the fish and other animals that depend on it. Parks and Wildlife has installed - and I know that you were quite critical of the aeration device to increase the level of oxygen in the water. The aerator has been successful. Before its introduction, the oxygen level in the water was 38%. This has now increased to 71%. The fish are, apparently, attacking the oxygen probes placed in the water, indicating that they are responding to the improved oxygen levels and have a good appetite. It will not be necessary to flush the pool or relocate the fish. The aeration device will be maintained permanently and floating aquatic vegetation will continue to be removed.
Government will also be immediately taking action to improve water flow by pumping into the pool from the nearby bore. The existing bore is currently being assessed and, if it is not possible for it to be used, then a new bore will be installed by the end of this month at a cost of approximately $25 000. It will not be necessary to use the bore all the time, however, it will be a very useful backup. Given that the draw down of the aquifer is part of the problem, any further use of the bore to supplement surface water flows in the swimming pool needs to be undertaken cautiously or we will make the problem worse. I am advised that the draw down from this particular bore will not, of itself, impact on spring flow. Water will only be applied when necessary.
I am confident that this action will lead to some significant improvements in water quality. We may not be able to avoid closing the swimming hole, however, it should be less frequently and for shorter durations.
In the longer term, we need to look at how we manage this great swimming spot in the face of reduced flows from groundwater. Parks and Wildlife is looking at a range of other options including many useful suggestions from the community. These will be considered as part of the plan of management, and there will be further community input.
The management issues at Howard Springs are also part of a much wider set of issues concerning water resources in the Territory. The member for Nelson should well understand these issues for the rural area having attended a recent public forum. This forum was very well attended. Officers from my department provided information of interest and explained the signs underlying government’s management of this valuable resource ...
Mr Wood: I organised it.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The department was very complimentary, member for Nelson and …
Mr Wood: I am very happy but it does not sound like I organised it.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: They also did the same presentation for me and it was very informative. Over 150 people, I understand, attended, which shows the level of interest.
The run of the dry Wet Seasons and the very low rainfall last Wet Season, combined with its early finish, have seen some quite natural phenomena happen that we are not used to but they are, nevertheless, natural.
The last serious rain was in March, two months early, and Howard Springs stopped flowing at the end of August, again, two months early. The aquifer system that sustains Howard Springs will survive. There are concerns and issues to manage, however, it is not about to collapse. As a whole, our groundwater resources will bounce back naturally. As a result of groundwater extraction in the rural area, we will see the more subtle results of change in groundwater-dependant ecosystems such as Howard Springs. Natural variations in flow may become a little more pronounced and a little more frequent, so at times we need to be prepared to give nature a bit of a hurry along, and that is our approach in strategically supplementing water flows to the waterhole.
We will be taking a strategic approach to our water resources in the rural area. A draft water allocation plan is being prepared and will go out for community comment early next year. Judging from the level of community interest in the recent public forum, I expect some healthy debate, and rightly so, because water is fundamental to our quality of life and those of the future generations. Right across the Northern Territory water issues are high on the list of community concerns. We recently had Community Cabinet in Alice Springs, and I listened to some very passionate views and ideas about water resource issues there. The issues are different but no less important.
I reiterate that it remains possible for young kids to swim at the wading pool near the kiosk at Howard Springs. The pool is chlorinated. It has not been closed and it continues to be used. Berry Springs swimming hole also remains open at the moment to swimming, so there is another option in the rural area. Government does spend considerable resources on Howard Springs. The swimming hole will be opened as soon as possible after tests show that it is safe and we are taking the practical steps to ensure that this happens as soon as possible.
Howard Springs Nature Park is a wonderful place for visitors and locals, and I will take on board some of those things that you have raised, member for Nelson.
I have to reiterate that I have been to Howard Springs, and whoever told you that they have not seen me out there, there cannot be too many short, little, black women who go out to Howard Springs, and maybe they should look out for me. I do not make it a habit of going up and saying …
Mr Wood interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Sometimes it is good just to go out there and have a look for yourself. I am not going to go up to rangers or other park staff and say: ‘Hi, I am your minister’. I also went to Gunn Point because there were issues to look at out there. Howard Springs is on the way, or you can go to Gunn Point first and Howard Springs on the way back. Do not stand up and say that you are the only one who has an interest in Howard Springs and our parks. We are very committed to our parks. There have been considerable resources put into our parks. I will go back again and have a look at some of the issues you have pointed out, and if it means meeting with the Friends of the Springs, I will do that and go through some of those issues.
As I said, there is strong action and we will be making sure that we move on this.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a matter of public importance and, as the member for Nelson rightly said, it is a golden opportunity for this government to act decisively. The core of this is, if there is a will the way has already been found. All the hard work, the stuff that you take so seriously, has already been done. A plan has been devised. Community consultation has occurred. The problem has been analysed, identified and solutions have been proposed at a community meeting organised by a community representative.
I am a member of the Palmerston community. The Palmerston community - 24 000 people, many families – is aware, and has been aware, of the decline over some time of Howard Springs Reserve. It is a place which exists in the memory of many families, most of whom would have accounts of visitors who have come from down south and visited Howard Springs Reserve. We have become accustomed to it and think of it as the place which we used to take the kids to when they were young. Often a visitor will arrive and we will say: ‘You should slip out of town and have a look at Howard Springs Reserve’. I have been surprised over the years at the level of endorsement of a wonderful facility by visitors from down south. It is a very important piece of our tourism infrastructure. It should ring alarm bells when the minister reads from a statement that there are 100 000 visitors a year; massive alarm bells. Fix it and you will gain great kudos.
It is clear what needs to occur. You have been presented with a wonderful opportunity. Twenty years ago was the last time this facility received attention. Now is the time to do something, and you can short-circuit it as the work has effectively been done. You will not know what to do with yourself as the consultation has occurred and you have outlined what needs to occur. This is one of those opportunities to get in there and to fix it up, and then in the next 20 years people will say what a great facility it is. Most people recall and slowly acknowledge the decline of this facility.
We are talking about something quite practical which requires immediate response; the opportunity to clean the place out has now been presented. The overhanging trees can be pruned and tidied up, and it also addresses the other problem to do with the bacteria. A new deep bore can be sunk starting immediately; the funding has even been identified. If I was in government, and government is obviously very busy, this is a piece of work which has already been done in every respect. The problem is clear, the solutions, and even the funding source, have been identified, and 100 000 visitors a year will be able to come to see the great work of a decisive government.
Here is an opportunity for you to begin to erode that perception that is pervading this community of yourselves; that of being tied to laborious processes of inaction, of consultation, of review after review, the establishing of action plans five, six, 10 point actions plans, as though that is the solution. That is a means to achieve a solution so get on with it and fix the problem. If there is a will there is a way and 100 000 people, visitors, will applaud you for your action.
I note in the minister’s response a reference to an underlying problem to do with the depletion of the aquifer. I am pleased to hear reference to a discussion document being prepared to deal with an important issue for the Top End that does of course result in the problem we are discussing now, which is Howard Springs Reserve having a depleted flow. There is an increased population and more water is being drawn from the aquifer which is resulting in diminished flows in lean times to a very important tourism and community infrastructure. That is welcomed as there are many things which can be discussed, and I look forward to that.
We do have a water problem, and it is time to get serious about issues related to water resources in the Top End. I add my support to the member for Nelson; I am very pleased to do so. I have received reports of the very well attended community meetings that were held with a very sincere purpose in mind, identifying a problem, bringing those who are concerned about that problem together to work on proactive solutions to the problem. That has been achieved and now we pass it across to the Northern Territory government for decisive action. The tone of the delivery of the speech by the member for Nelson which has been garnered by the discussions and the concerns of citizens has now come to the next stage and it is across to you, minister, and to this government.
There is not much more that can occur. Hopefully this is the end of the matter because now it is transferred across to the responsibility of government which has the capacity to respond quickly. The community will applaud you and it is absolutely necessary. I notice the minister will talk probably in the next little while about the draft Northern Territory Parks and Conservation Master Plan, an important document which has embedded within it the importance of tourism. Underneath this there are sound economic reasons why this should be addressed immediately. I add my support to the statement from the member for Nelson and I urge government to respond and act decisively.
Dr BURNS (Planning and Lands): Mr Deputy Speaker, this, indeed, is a matter of public importance and I am pleased to speak on this issue. There is no doubt, as has been discussed here today, that Howard Springs Nature Park does have a very important history and one time it was, I believe, the water supply for Darwin, and as other speakers have said, it was a man-made body of water. During the war there was a wall put there to enable allied troops to cool off there and to stop them going ‘troppo’ as they used to say in those particular days. It became a reserve in 1957 and it has been with Parks and Wildlife and its forerunners ever since.
There is an important history and the minister also talked about her personal history with this particular nature park and said, quite clearly, that contrary to what others have said earlier in the day, she has a long history with this park. She and her family, and extended family, have obviously enjoyed the park and its many recreational assets over many years. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a strong commitment on the part of the minister, just as there is from the member for Nelson, and concern about the Howard Springs Nature Park. Listening to the minister, the member for Nelson and the member for Blain, if you took some of the politics out of this, they would be pretty similar.
The member for Blain recently called for action. He said the consultation period is over, it is time for action whereas I heard very clearly during Question Time today, and subsequently in her speech, the minister has said that there is action being taken. I also take onboard what the member for Nelson said; he believes that the action undertaken by the minister may not be adequate. He wants more action, however, from what I can see this is an issue about water flow and the minister has pointed to a couple of aspects. We have had some very dry Wet Seasons over the last three years and this has impacted on the flow of water into Howard Springs Nature Park and also, very importantly, the minister also talked about the growing use of groundwater in the rural area, and that has impacted on the spring that feeds the waterhole.
I know when I was minister, not only for Parks and Wildlife, but when I had water resources in my portfolio area, the issue of groundwater and the aquifer in the rural area was an issue that a number of people brought to me at various times. It is a very emotive issue and does draw very sharp emotions. People out on rural blocks have an interest in this. You are very dependent on your groundwater or, if you have a business such as an orchard, you need that groundwater to make a living. It is not only a necessity, it is a very important part of our economy.
As the minister said, this is something that has to be looked at in the longer term. The member for Nelson will, naturally, be a big part of that, as will the member for Goyder and I suppose the member for Daly, because these are all issues that impact very importantly in these areas. There will be a very intense period of debate. However, I will come to the very fact that I have talked about here: there is a problem with water flow, and it comes back to dry Wet Seasons and to groundwater use.
What has the minister proposed? The minister has proposed that a bore will be sunk in the very near future to supply a stream of water into Howard Springs Nature Park. She also said, very clearly I recall, that that bore will not impact on the spring. I believe that was an issue raised by the member for Nelson. That should satisfy the member for Nelson in that regard.
The member for Nelson was not keen on the idea of aeration to solve some of the bacterial issues there. He did not think that was an adequate solution. Maybe I misheard what the member for Nelson had to say, but he did not think that was adequate. With the doubling of oxygen content within that body of water, it will have a massive effect on the bacteria that had been causing the problem. By oxygenating it, it will cut down the amount of bacteria there. I also listened carefully to what the minister had to say about the fish starting to nibble voraciously at the nipples of the oxygenator, showing that they are taking an active interest in the oxygen that is being pumped through the water. Let us hope the health and the appetite of the fish is being increased by these …
A member: It is high above the water; they cannot get there.
Dr BURNS: That is what I thought they meant …
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: They are attacking oxygen probes, sorry, that are placed in the water. Obviously, that is what the minister was referring to. I suppose bathers, when it is open again, can expect the very pleasurable experience of swimming in the Howard Springs Nature Park.
The member for Nelson emphasised he wants the whole of the body of water at the nature park drained. I am pretty sure he said that. He said he wanted, in that process, the fish and the turtles to be relocated - I assumed temporarily - while the whole thing is dug out. The information that I had when I was minister was that trying to excavate the hole would only exacerbate the problem with the bacteria there, and it was better to get a good flush of water through there in the Wet Season rather than stir up all the leaf debris that is there. That was the advice I received when I was minister.
I was also advised by the member for Casuarina who, as most members would know, is a former environmental health officer. He recalls in the mid-1990s that Howard Springs Nature Park had to be closed a number of times. I suggest to the member for Nelson that there is probably a long history of closure of the park, I suppose, from the time when water sampling was done about this very issue. We are contending here, member for Nelson, with nature.
I commend the park service for the way in which it is trying to address and remediate this problem. It is a very wise way forward, and it will bear fruit. Time will show. All we can do is join in prayer, member for Nelson, for a great Wet Season next year. I suppose we are not Moses; we cannot smite the rock and a new spring will appear. However, I suppose we can all join in prayer that the good Lord sends a good Wet Season next year, flushes Howard Springs out, replenishes the aquifer, and everyone will live happily ever after.
Mr Wood: Hallelujah, brother!
Dr BURNS: That is right. As far as I can make out, Parks and Wildlife is working very hard to rectify this particular issue. I hope Howard Springs continues to be an asset to the people of the Northern Territory and the visitors to the Northern Territory. I commend the minister and the department for their response. I also commend you, member for Nelson. You have raised an issue which I believe is being adequately addressed. I support the minister in her response.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
I would like to recognise the passing of a well-respected Central Australian, Barry Bohning, on 3 October 2005 at the age of 65. Barry was born in Tasmania and moved to the Northern Territory as an eight-year-old with his family. The Bohnings used to own Helen Springs Station near Tennant Creek before selling the property. Barry also worked as a stockman at Kurundi Station south of Tennant Creek, and as a motorbike mechanic and an ambulance driver in Alice Springs. Barry also worked at the Alice Springs Hospital for 42 years, and was one of its longest serving employees. Most of those years were as an orderly.
I would like to share a few stories from staff at the hospital who worked with Barry over the years. The first is from Joe Hayes who worked in the transport section at the Alice Springs Hospital. Joe recalls working with Barry back in the 1970s in the store, and remembers how much Barry loved his job, as well as being someone who was very friendly and easy to get along with. Another person who worked with Barry was Chris Burrows, the Business Manager at the Alice Springs Hospital. Chris was recruited by Barry back in 1977 as an orderly. Chris remembers back in those days when St John was not in town and the hospital was responsible for the ambulance run, both in town and in the rural area. Barry was responsible for showing Chris the ropes and preparing him for the job.
One thing that Chris was particularly impressed with about Barry was his ability to handle difficult situations, such as the hot air balloon disaster in 1989. Barry, who also worked with Emergency Services during this tragic event, is remembered for the professional and dignified way in which he handled himself and worked with the others.
Barry will be mostly remembered for his tireless work with the Central Australian Show Society since the first show and was the society’s president for ten years. In recognition of Barry’s contribution to the show society, the oval in Blatherskite Park was named the Barry Bohning Oval. Barry will always be remembered as an easy going guy and always after a good laugh.
Barry is survived by two sons, Nick and Kim, grandson, Patrick, and granddaughters, Megan and Jessica.
I also take this opportunity to talk a little about what I see as very promising developments in Alice Springs regarding the responses to recent high levels of violence that are arising out of family feuds that have begun in surrounding communities in Central Australia and spilt into town as ongoing conflicts. It resulted in levels of trauma that have come into the emergency department of the hospital above what we normally see, and very worrying incidents where police have confiscated quite large numbers of weapons from young people at the grand final of the football or immediately before it. Thank goodness they moved in and did that before the crowd assembled.
Clearly, these offences are very difficult for a government to confront and, in fact, it is probably impossible for governments of any description to fully address all of the dynamics of the current situation. What we need is a very active partnership with the families and the communities from where these would-be offenders have come. There are well known feud situations that will work through our mediation processes and as well as the police offering of enforcement of law and order to try to intervene at a formal level of government service delivery. However, to solve a family feud you have to mobilise the families and particularly the people with authority over family members to work alongside police, to work alongside people in our Justice department and with the other organisations around town and in the non-government sectors to bring peace and harmony back to these families.
To that end, during the Community Cabinet in Alice Springs last week, we convened a forum for indigenous organisations to come together to start to look at a possible approach to these problems of violence and law breaking. What impressed me about the meeting, which was attended by Tangentyere Council, Congress, Lhere Artepe, Relekha from the Ntaria area and some members of the Warlpiri communities, is that there is a huge sense of urgency amongst the senior people in those organisations, the families and groups that they represent, particularly the Aranda people in Alice Springs.
We are starting to see two ways in which action can be taken. One is by the Aranda people asserting their right to control behaviour on their country, particularly with visiting groups that have come in from other surrounding areas. In fact, it is a very ancient right that belongs within indigenous groups to dictate or control what behaviour will occur and what visitations will occur on traditional country. This is simply returning to, or asserting, age old rights that the Aranda people have. Lhere Artepe is very determined to assert those rights in Alice Springs which is their country and that is a very powerful basis to start mobilising the local Aranda people to start to set some expectations of what behaviour is appropriate and what behaviour is not appropriate within the Alice Springs area and surrounds.
They believe that they will not be able to do that alone. They will need a very strong partnership with the town council and with the Northern Territory government. They will also need very strong networking with the elders of the surrounding communities, the Anmatjere lands, the Warlpiri lands, the Alyawarra, and south into Western Aranda and Pitjantjatjara areas. I have never seen a more focused and determined group than that forum. They are now moving to have follow-up meetings and I hope that this start can lead to some determined action.
I will not compromise the outcomes of the first meeting and the planned follow-up to it until the groups have gone away and done what we have all agreed to do. However, I can say that from the point of view of the Northern Territory government, and my particular role as Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, we will provide every assistance to these indigenous organisations as representatives of the Aranda people and the peoples around Alice Springs whether that be partnering them to police enforcement, to the sentencing processes of our courts, or to the use of by-laws at a council level. All of those things should be available in the mix of action, provided the groups are trying to fully assert their right to control the behaviour of their community members and visitors coming into that area. That will be a new pressure on the type of trends which we are seeing at the moment in criminal and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs.
We will see how this develops. Half of the battle for everyone, whether it be someone with my responsibilities, or our public servants who are out there trying to achieve the good outcomes for our communities, or whether it be indigenous leaders who are under a lot of pressure with the level of dysfunction which often occurs, is that we all need to know that each other exists and that we can get an effective working arrangement in place. We will see where it goes. I can say I came out of that meeting re-energised in having another go at tackling the antisocial and criminal behaviour in Alice Springs. We are going to have some very strong people side-by-side trying to make a difference and an impact.
Ms SACILOTTO (Port Darwin): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak of the excellent events and achievements throughout the electorate of Port Darwin. National Police Remembrance Day was held on 29 September. A service to commemorate the fallen and to celebrate the dedication and lives of the extraordinary and courageous men and women of the Northern Territory Police Service was held at the St Mary’s Cathedral. This day of remembrance was supported by members of the government, opposition and public. The service commenced by parading the flag of the Northern Territory and the colours of the Northern Territory Police and the Australian Federal Police which symbolises our heritage, justice, integrity and service. As a new member of government, this was my first attendance at this moving occasion. It made me reflect on the contribution these officers and their families have made towards the development of the Territory and its laws. We must always recognise these achievements in the history of the Territory.
After the service, I am told that many a good story is swapped at the regular luncheon held at the SKYCITY Casino. This get together is organised by the Retired Police Association of the Northern Territory and Police Legacy. A special thanks to Father John Kelliher and Major Peter Wright, Chaplain for the service. The wonderful music was provided by a number of talented people such as Captain Lindsay Mee and the Australian Army Band, the Darwin Chorale under the direction of Nora Lewis, Darwin Youth and Children’s Choir under the direction of Emma Tantengco, organist, Bill Griffiths, vocalists, Sand Williams, Doug Lofts and Dave Skelton. I also mention the beautiful photograph used for the official program which was taken by Craig Windebank.
I had the opportunity to attend the Telstra Business Women’s Award lunch on 4 October where a constituent of Port Darwin, Ms Teresa Anderson of Kabuki Haircutters in Mitchell Street, won the Panasonic Young Business Women’s Award. Well done to Teresa and the team. I enjoyed having lunch with some enthusiastic Darwin business women; Veronica Peetz, Sally Sunits, Sue Smith and Veronica Warnham. All are achieving good things in their respective fields.
On 6 October, the Darwin Deckchair Cinema was the venue for a fundraising event held by the African Australian Friendship Association. A powerful and magnificently beautiful movie entitled Moolaade was shown. This evening was also supported by tantalising African food and music by local African musicians. Some of the organisers of this event were Ms Frederica Gaskell, Mach Mchawala, Felize Mpele and Charles Pitia. They advised that many of Darwin’s African community contributed with the cooking and were tirelessly dedicated workers for the occasions. Without them, functions would not be possible, or as successful.
On 19 September, I attended the Stuart Park Primary School Council meeting, and they were encouraging fathers, uncles, pops and brothers to get involved in their school activities and curriculum. The involvement will give students access to these male figures in many different ways, by learning about their jobs, their positions in the community, and their personal history in the Territory or other states of Australia. The school intends to have guest speakers, excursions to the workplace, sports involving father/son or daughter teams, using tools from the trades in conjunction with maths exercises, and promoting the arts with male relatives who can dance, sing or play different instruments. Richard Woodside is the teacher coordinating this program, and is encouraging males to get involved to promote positive male role models in schools.
Stuart Park Primary School is also having a fundraising event on 20 October at the Deckchair Cinema. This function will commence at 6 pm and is titled Super Heroes with Superman being screened and the children all dressing as their favourite super hero.
A big thank you is extended to Larrakeyah Primary School who hosted Community Cabinet for the government on 20 September. This was well participated in by residents of Port Darwin. The parents manned the barbecue and the soft drinks, and I extend my thanks to Belinda and Bertram Birk, Robyn Appleby, Juliet Cooper, Kathy Cantrell, Grace and Gus Matarazzo, Jo McLatchey, Emma and Holly Liveris, and Muriel and Peter Weir.
The Larrakeyah Primary School Community must be congratulated on the way their school was presented. Many thanks to Jo Wynn, Principal, and Michael Calwell, Assistant Principal. The school looked great and everyone enjoyed themselves.
St Mary’s School held their major fundraising event, the Build-up Ball on 17 September at SKYCITY Casino. It was a very successful evening. I spent a great time in the company of Peter and Carol Poniris and their daughter, Kelly, who sang the National Anthem. An auction was held during the evening and Bryon Wauchope from KG Young was enlisted for his talents as an auctioneer. My limited participation was to act as a spotter. My colleague, Mr Vatskalis, added to his art collection with a successful bid on a painting.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I acknowledge the good work of somebody well known to all honourable members: the Clerk of the Northern Territory parliament, Mr Ian McNeill. Mr McNeill was recently awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding service to the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory over the past 20 years.
After serving as an Officer of the Australian Senate from 1966 to 1985, including service in the Bills and Papers Office, the Table Office, the Procedure Office, the Office of the Usher of the Black Rod, and the Committee Office, Ian arrived in Darwin in 1985 to the position of Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. During his time as Deputy Clerk, Ian served as a secretary on the Select Committee on Interactive Television Gaming, and on the House and Public Accounts Committees.
During the period up until 1994, the Legislative Assembly was housed in the old Chan Building and, as the Deputy Clerk, Ian’s knowledge and experience meant he was able to provide valuable advice on the design, operation and layout of the new Parliament House, helping to ensure its effective operation until today.
Ian has worked with successive governments to support constitutional and procedural reform and has been a major contributor to the development of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and its committees. During his time in the Assembly, Ian has treated all members and governments with the professionalism and confidentiality that is vital to his role, regardless of their political affiliation, and has won the respect of all members.
Ian has also played an important role in the recording and acknowledgement of the history of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly with the implementation of the oral history project and the erection of historical markers in the Parliamentary Precinct. He has also been responsible for the development of curriculum resource materials for students and the implementation and successful operation of the annual Youth Parliament.
Over the past 20 years, the Clerk in his current role and, previously as the Deputy Clerk, has provided advice and guidance to the Assembly and parliamentary committees and, as a result, has ensured the operation at the highest levels of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory. Indeed, Ian has most recently provided this advice and guidance to me as a Speaker, for which I thank him. I look forward to continuing to work with him in the future.
Tonight, I also inform the Assembly of some of the recent visits made by international and local guests to Parliament House. In the ceremonial role of the Speaker, I have met with delegations and individuals from a range of places and walks of life. In August, I met with Mr Tamam Souliman, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to Australia, along with Mr Mohammad Alghezzawi, second secretary, and Mr Muhanned Qassar, Arabic correspondence. Mr Souliman has been a diplomat for many years in such varied roles as liaison and translation for the United Nations, where he also participated in the General Assembly Non-nuclear Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, to participating in foreign ministry delegations in Arab, African, Asian and European countries to his current duties as the Ambassador in Canberra.
The opportunity to speak with a delegation from this part of the world proved very interesting, and by the time the visit was over, I had an invitation to visit Syria and, in fact, this was conveyed to me by a letter as well, and all honourable members were invited to form a delegation to visit Syria.
Mr Souliman, well travelled by any standards, was very impressed by what he had seen of the Northern Territory, with particular enthusiasm for making a return journey to visit Central Australia and its many attractions. I am sure when that time comes, Mr Souliman, as with so many visitors, including me, to this beautiful part of our Territory, will be as impressed by the hospitality and friendliness of Central Australians as he is by the natural wonders that draw tourists there from all corners of the globe.
During the months of August and September, I was pleased to receive calls from visiting ships from Singapore and Thailand. The first was a party from the Singaporean Navy patrol boat, RSS Persistence, led by Deputy Fleet Commander, Colonel Tan Tow Koon, accompanied by Lt Col Bernard Song, Lt Col Chow Kim Chong, Captain She Shau Koon, and eight junior officers. Also accompanying the group was Captain Peter Marshall from the Royal Australian Navy.
In September, came a delegation from the Royal Thai Navy, headed by Rear Admiral Dumrongsak Haocharoen, Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Naval Academy, and Captain Anupong Taprasob, Commanding Officer of the HTMS Taksin, once again accompanied by Captain Peter Marshall of the RAN.
The ships visiting Darwin were on training cruises to allow midshipmen and junior officers to experience the full range of activities and employment at sea in a modern warship. The behaviour of the crews was impeccable throughout their visit, although it is interesting to note that the junior officers were required to be back aboard their ships by 9 pm, in most cases, I suspect, well before Mitchell Street swings into action.
During the official calls, I found the level of interest in Darwin and the Northern Territory very high with Kakadu and crocodiles high on the agenda. It was also interesting to note that during their visits representatives of their ethnic communities went to great lengths to ensure their time in Darwin was well spent.
I was pleased to host these visits, which are representative of the many visits made each year to Darwin by our neighbours and allies. These visits are of great benefit to the Northern Territory economy and Darwin’s reputation as a welcoming port for such visitors continues to grow.
In August, I was pleased to host an afternoon tea for Mrs Vi Oliver, with her daughter, Ms Sue Oliver, and friend, Ms Elizabeth Desailly, in celebration of Mrs Oliver’s 89th birthday. Mrs Oliver has lived in the Northern Territory, including Alice Springs, for over 20 years. Vi is an important member of the Oliver/Trollope/Curnow household in Ludmilla and is well known and loved by many people who have, over the years, enjoyed her friendship and her kindness to themselves and their children, and her friends tried to ensure that she was given a special treat to celebrate her birthday. As Vi was unable to attend the afternoon teas for seniors that were held during the last sittings, I was pleased to be able to host a special one in honour of her birthday. I am told that Vi enjoyed her first visit to Parliament House, the afternoon tea and tour of the parliament. I sincerely hope she will return at some stage.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to talk on one of the recent community festivals held in Katherine, the annual Flying Fox Festival. This festival has been an annual event for quite a few years, and has a theme which events and activities are organised to complement.
The theme for this year’s festival, People Living, People Speaking, has continued the themes of previous festivals in that it encourages such a wide diversity of expression. We are very lucky in the Katherine region to have so much talent and skill across a wide variety of media. This is highlighted throughout the year with the many art and cultural activities that Katherine showcases. The Flying Fox Festival compacted these gifted and talented people and activities into eight days with events that were so varied that there was something for everyone.
I will give an overview of what happened during the festival. The COGSO Club in conjunction with Katherine Regional Arts and Katherine Town Council ran a caf club for parents, community and children who wished to showcase or perform an item as part of the lead up to the Flying Fox Festival main event. It was an encouragement for them to improve their performing skills.
The Katherine Prize, which began over 25 years ago, has grown into a marvellous collection of art and craft for the community. Brian and Jeanette Lambert have supported this exhibition since its inception and the Lambert family are continuing into the future. This special exhibition encourages Territory artists to enter each year. The exhibition also includes a youth section. It is always a marvellous showcase of Territory talent in art and craft, with the Katherine community through the Katherine Town Council and the Lambert family having acquired an extensive collection. The artwork of the major prize winner is acquired by the Katherine Town Council so it is a very interesting collection of art. It will be fabulous when we finally have an appropriate area to display such great works.
Getting back to the festival there was a comedy/musical cabaret performance by David Scheel, which I unfortunately did not get the opportunity to experience as there were so many events simultaneous to enjoy. On the same evening as the cabaret performance, I had the wonderful experience of receiving 15 debutantes and their partners at the Katherine Debutante Ball, held for the first time in the grounds of the museum. Traditionally, this debutante ball has been called the Mayoral Deb Ball and held in the grounds of the Civic Centre. For various reasons, the Katherine Town Council decided not to continue that tradition this year. Several parents and young ladies were extremely disappointed with that decision so Chris de Witte, who has been training the debs and their partners for 10 years, after holding talks with other community people, decided to go ahead with the training and hold the ball in the grounds of the museum and historical society.
What a wonderful decision that was as the work that was put into the area by so many willing volunteers, parents and other community people, turned the grounds into a fairyland with a huge dancing area that can be utilised in the future. The fairy lights that were placed through and around the trees and the candles on the tables were fantastic. It was a delight to see these lovely young people so beautifully presented and thoroughly enjoying themselves. It just reminded me of how old I am growing because it only seems like yesterday I was a debutante myself. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the privilege of receiving them.
I would like to put on the record the names of the debs and their partners: Rachelle McKerlie and Jeremy Czoloszynski; Keran Donzow and John Bright; Sherry Crowley and Patrick Lucchese; Sally Cook and Jared Cheetham; Shannon Trattles and Alan Purcher; Jessica Canning and Jed Henderson; Keira Wardly and Giulio Puccetti; Lauren Croft and Shane Walker; Cassandra Champ and Ashley Smith; Caitlyn Lowe and Adrian Croft; Amy Barton and Oliver Ogilvie; Sinead Stubbs and Dwayne Beaumont; Lisa Wilton and Mark Lemura; Kylee Fletcher and Dan de Witte; and Rachel McClellan and David Reed. The gorgeous little flower girl was Trinity Duncan who was like a little princess and she was partnered by a very handsome Hamish Croft with the maids of honour being Samantha Russell and Traci Cook.
Following the formal presentation, the debutantes and their partners took to the dance floor and showed us how well they had been trained by Chris de Witte in the weeks prior. The evening continued with a great meal capably provided by Steve Laurie and staff from Kumbidgee Lodge and that was followed by plenty of dancing for all. This wonderfully happy event will be long remembered and hopefully continued in the same location well into the future.
The festival continued with the fun of the dragon boat races in Katherine Gorge which was not to be missed and was very capably compered by Daryl Manzie. It was great to see so many teams of people getting together to have such fun - if you can call paddling like fury over a small distance fun. I have to confess that I enjoyed viewing the races from the rescue boat on the river which was very pleasurable indeed. Teams came from Nhulunbuy, Kununurra and Darwin and, along with the local teams, made great entertainment for the spectators as well as themselves.
St Paul’s Anglican Church held their annual music and arts festival on the Saturday evening and this was a huge success with locals having the opportunity to not only exhibit their artwork depicting ‘people living, people speaking’, but to also perform musically and show us their talents. The performances included the Katherine choir which is fortunate to have the talent of Jen Scott as their conductor, an accomplished player of several musical instruments. The evening was complete with gourmet food for dinner sitting under the stars. The hard work and volunteer women of St Paul’s did an excellent job in providing such yummy food for so many people and more people than they expected. It was an excellent night.
The Neighbourhood Watch family fun day in Ryan Park followed the next morning which provided some great activities for families to participate in. There was a jumping castle, face painting, merry-go-round, fire engine, a fabulous clown and his funny little car, and a sausage sizzle amongst other displays. This fun morning was well attended and enjoyed by all. There was a ‘strut your stuff’ and local photographic exhibition with an ‘open mic’ session with the Katherine Region of Writers where you could give your original works, including songs, a public airing and the photographic exhibition was in the theme of ‘people living, people speaking’.
Tuesday evening saw the Fist Full of Films at the training centre outdoor stage at which 20 short films were shown. The top 20 short films in the Northern Territory this year included a film by very talented local resident Megan Holt. This short film called ‘Journey’ was very powerful and reflected Megan and her family’s personal challenges that they have faced through illness over the past couple of years.
We also had the pleasure of Lambu Lambu Aboriginal song, dance and music at the tick market area which showcased indigenous song, dance, music and art. The didgeridoo competition for the best traditional and contemporary player was so keenly contested that the judge, Paddy Fordham, could not decide on a winner and very tactfully divided the prize money between all performing players. It was interesting to see that most of the didgeridoo players were international tourists and they sure did themselves proud, they were very good. Renowned indigenous band Nabarlek and the Sandridge band were the highlight of the evening which was enjoyed by all.
The following evening at sunset the flying fox walk and talk was held at the high level bridge with Parks and Wildlife Rangers and this gave everybody the opportunity to not curse the flying foxes but actually enjoy their presence. Friday night, local artist, Danelle Batchler, held her inaugural art exhibition in the June Tapp room. It was great to see the support for Danelle’s work with many new faces at the exhibition and the encouragement given to her with the sale of some of her pieces.
There has certainly been something for everyone during this year’s Flying Fox Festival and the theme People Living, People Speaking has been expressed so adequately through the many activities and events that were organised. The grand finale, called the Main Event, highlighted the talents of many local people and it was enjoyed by an extremely large crowed.
The community held its tick market at this function which made for a very festive family event with plenty to eat, drink and entertainment including horse rides. In addition, a huge display of vehicles from vintage to the most modern was well received and will hopefully become an ongoing part of this community event. I congratulate all the people who put so much hard work into making this year’s 2005 Flying Fox Festival the success that is was. I have to especially mention Dallas Meeson and the Katherine Town Council and Nicole Rowan from Arts Katherine. There were many others who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the Flying Fox Festival and I would never be able to name them all but, to sum it up, well done to all of the Katherine Community.
Mr NATT (Drysdale): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I take the opportunity this evening to outline a few events that have occurred in my electorate of Drysdale over the last couple of months. My electorate is very diverse and covers an unusual expanse of land encompassing various forms of community and industry.
Drysdale has five schools within its boundaries, and I want to outline a couple of major events which two of these schools have undertaken during our recess. As all of my fellow members are aware, the 8th World Solar Challenge 2005 has just concluded. It is an international event which was started in Australia in 1987 by the Danish born explorer, Hans Tholstrup. It attracts entries from all over the globe; this year 25 solar entries and 12 ‘greenfleet’ from countries such as the USA, Japan, several European countries, Iran, Taiwan, Canada, and a couple of Australian states.
Known as the ‘brain sport’, the World Solar Challenge entrants travelled more than 3000 km, leaving Darwin on Sunday, 25 September, setting their sights on travelling to Adelaide in the quickest time possible in cars powered only by the sun and, in a few other cases, alternative energy fuels. The challenge promotes education and technical excellence, drawing attention to the imperatives of sustainable transport and providing a focus for bright young minds in the fields of physics, engineering, mathematics, electrochemistry, multi-disciplined learning, and personal development.
I am extremely proud to say that Kormilda College has competed in the challenge again, a task they have undertaken since 1996. Their vehicle, Towards Tomorrow, was removed from storage, dusted off and re-vamped by the team for the trip to Adelaide. On the Friday prior to the start of the challenge, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit the registration and scrutineering mooring at the Foskey Pavilion at the showground. I met two members of their team at the display. Glen Summers and Francis Allan represented the team at the pavilion and answered questions from school children. I want to say how impressive these two young gentlemen were. They conducted themselves admirably and exhibited maturity, confidence, and knowledge beyond their years, whilst answering some very posing questions from primary school children and visiting adults.
The Kormilda students gathered a very capable crew of 17 team members with interests in science and engineering. Several of these students have been involved in previous challenges, after having followed their interest from Year 8. The vehicle affectionately labelled by the group as the Cockroach, again served the team well. They finished the race in Adelaide on Saturday, 1 October at 1.24 pm in 14th place overall, winning the Stock Class Section of the challenge and the Schools Division - a wonderful feat for a Territory school competing against some amazing pieces of equipment from countries which have invested millions of dollars into the technology of solar power.
It gives me great pleasure in naming the dedicated team members and their support staff for the challenge: Michael Copley; Jaxon Finestone; Kerri Hauser; Danielle Humphris; Dannielle Kitchen; Ben Saunders; Owen Henry; Michael Molina; Rowena Molina; Sally-Anne Orchard; Austin Wonaemirra; Francis Allan; Norman Eagle; Arlo Meehan-Tille; Glen Summers; Chris Taylor and Alex Willoughby. Well done to all for their dedicated effort.
The team was admirably supported by a wonderful team of parents and friends in the support vehicle, and managed by the Head of the Science Faculty, Mr Martin Willoughby. The team and college had fantastic support from some dedicated sponsors, and I acknowledge them in Hansard on their behalf. Thank you to the CDU, Darwin Mitsubishi, Bank SA, All Financial Services, Merit Partners, Power and Water, FCL Transport, Norsign, In Motion Technology, Navcom, Mr Felino Molina and Mr Lawrence Stubbs.
Collective congratulations must be extended to all those involved. What a wonderful effort for a Territory college to not only compete in such a highly regarded world-focused activity, but to finish the race over a 3000 km journey, and finish high in the rankings. It was a truly remarkable performance; one for the Northern Territory to be extremely proud of. Well done, Kormilda College.
While talking about the events of the college, I want to acknowledge the participants from the college in the Tournament of Minds and their current achievements. A team of seven pupils from Years 8, 9 and 10 recently competed in and won the maths and engineering section of the Northern Territory regional final of the Tournament of Minds. This competition is a problem solving competition which is held annually around Australia. The team will now be representing the Northern Territory in Sydney at the Australian final on 15 October. I take this opportunity to congratulate the team members: Adam Pulford, Thomas Bade, Polly Henry, Rebecca Lambert, Haydn Lee, Gabriel Morriss, and Yasmine Osborne and wish them all the best this weekend in Sydney.
The second primary school I would like to acknowledge this evening is Driver Primary School. On Thursday, 8 September, the very proud and forward thinking primary school celebrated its 20th birthday. Driver Primary School began in 1985, with a small staff initially based at Berrimah Primary School as the school was in the later stages of its construction. In January 1986, the school then moved to the current site in Driver. In the early days, students were taken by bus to and from the school from a wide local area. The opening of the Moulden Primary School in January 1987 eased the pressure and the Driver school attendance settled into more comfortable numbers and curricula.
It is with great pleasure that I inform the House of a very special achievement. Mr Art Libien has been a teacher at the Driver Primary School for every single one of those 20 years. During his time, Mr Libien has taught students from Transition to Year 7. Mr Libien is a well liked and respected member of the Driver Primary School staff and we hope he continues to enjoy working there for many more years to come. As an aside, I understand that our very own Minister for Employment, Education and Training’s son was taught Indonesian by Mr Art Libien some years ago and is still remembered fondly by the minister’s family.
The Driver Primary School has much to celebrate. They are an active school, with innovative and energetic programs. The school opened their Early Learning Environment in March this year, the first in the Northern Territory. I am sure several members may also have attended the Driver Primary School International Food Fair, Twilight Sports or school concerts over the years.
The 20th birthday celebrations were marked with food stalls and school children enacting music, dances and games. A huge birthday cake was wheeled out at the conclusion of the entertainment and cut by the first principal of Driver Primary School, Mrs Daphne Read, and the teacher who has been there throughout its first 20 years, Mr Art Libien. It was my great pleasure to attend and be part of the 20th birthday celebrations. I congratulate all past and present students, teachers and school council members for their contribution throughout the years.
I also make special mention of the 20th Birthday Committee: Jodi Carbery, Raelene Babore, Kim Byron, Tracey Johnston, Neil Stephenson, Jo Jefferson, Kate Hender, Carmen Jones, and Fathma Mauger; the Driver Primary School Council members: Wally Mauger, Wendy Woods, Matt Darcey, Jodi Carbery, Rhonda Zerbe, Aiden McCaw, Tracey Johnston, Craig Smith, Raelene Babore, Graham Carvolth, Kim Byron, Karen Johnson and Jannine Hardy; the principal, Mr Rob Presswell, and Acting Principal at the time, Fathma Mauger; and the Driver Primary School Staff Council Reps: Mark Monaghan, Kate Hassett, Judy Fleming, Marg Moon and Jo Jefferson.
It was a wonderful and well attended event, something for all involved to be very proud of. My congratulations go to the school on a wonderful and fruitful 20 years.
We have some really innovative schools in the Northern Territory, with some very talented students. I will be more than pleased in future to bring to this forum the feats of the schools within my electorate.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I pay tribute to an amazing woman in Alice Springs, an inspiration to all who knew her, and a well known matriarch; a woman whose recollections of early settlement in Central Australia remain valuable to historians and Territorians. I speak, of course, of Jean Lillian Hayes, nee Bloomfield. For those of you who did not know her, I would like to spend my time this evening telling the Assembly something about her amazing life and the memorable changes she witnessed growing up in the Alice. Unfortunately, Jean died in August.
Jean Hayes arrived in the world on Valentine’s Day 1916, sister to Harry and the second child for Lillian and Lewis, fondly known as Lew Bloomfield. A younger sister was born soon after who throughout her life remained one of Jean’s best friends, Peg. Sadly, her second sister, Grace, died as a baby.
Jean Hayes first came to Alice Springs as a month old baby in a horse-drawn buggy. She was to be a very important part of the famous pioneering family in Central Australia. Her early memories of the town recall it as only having about eight houses. She would often fondly recall that she had seen more changes than most in the region going from virtually a one horse town right through to where Alice Springs is today. Jean’s father, Lew, was a pastoralist and an outstanding horseman who bred horses for the Indian Army at Loves Creek Station east of Alice Springs. Jean was no slouch in this area. She was an excellent horse rider and won several cups in her time.
Jean’s mother, Lillian, spent a lot of time away from the family due to medical reasons so Lew asked his sister from Victoria to come and help raise the girls and turn them into ladies. I quote a passage from Jean’s eulogy:
- Her work was cut out for her. Between Aunt Maggie and their governess, the girls eventually learnt table manners, how to read
and write, how to sew and do needlework. Even today, most members of the family have one of Jean’s tapestries, however,
while Jean and Peg may have learnt the ways of polite society, they never lost their love of adventure and humorous spirit.
In her youth, Central Australia was one of the country’s most remote regions, without rail or air services and most provisions and materials carted overland by camels from the rail head at Oodnadatta. The children’s world co-existed with the Aboriginal world which was only few hundred yards down the creek. Jean’s fascination of little animals included a puppy named Yapper that she was given as a child. Her family recalled in her eulogy that Lew told Jean not to bring the puppy near the cattle yard so she threw Yapper over the fence. Jean was heartbroken when she learnt that she had dislocated Yapper’s leg. From the eulogy:
- Hearing Jean’s distress, one of the Aboriginals came up and told her that he would perform a magic singing ritual to heal the dog’s
leg. A little sceptical, and with eyebrow raised, Jean watched as the self appointed doctor started singing and making a hell of a
racket. He pulled the dog’s legs this way and that, and then shoved the dog back into Jean’s arms. To her amazement, the dog
could walk.
- This is why many years later, as she was singing to us when we were sick in bed, she would say: ‘A little singing is a powerful
medicine!’
The early years for Jean and her family were bereft of the luxuries we take for granted today. Although Jean always said she never felt deprived by the lack of luxuries, she became very familiar with kerosene lamps, washboards and coppers, coal irons, salted meat and homemade soap and fruit that had a suspiciously familiar smell of camel’s urine!
Jean had been known to argue when people referred to her as a ‘pioneer’. Jean said about her and her close sister, Peg, in a newspaper interview with the Centralian Advocate:
- I don’t class us as pioneers. I think our parents were. They pioneered the country for us to live in the luxury that we have today.
A governess arrived at Loves Creek in the mid-1920s to teach Jean, her sister and brother. She was very strict, however, Jean proudly used to boast that she must have done a great job because only after 18 months the governess moved on and Jean’s mother put them into correspondence school with Jean starting off in Grade 4. She went from Grade 1 to Grade 4 in only 18 months. Jean loved being outside. She did not want to be inside all day and always found things to do outside like riding the ponies, donkeys and goats, or droving with her father during the holidays.
Jean Hayes was present during one of Central Australia’s milestones - the first train arriving in Alice Springs in 1929. She said in an interview with a Centralian film maker: ‘We came in from Loves Creek especially to see that train come in. And another special trip was to hear the first wireless’. Although she did admit to not being able to hear a thing on it except static. Both Jean and her sister, Peg, saw the first plane land in town, then called Stuart, in 1921. The DH4 biplane, owned by Francis Biggs, landed on the site later to become the town’s first airport at the old Connellan hanger. Jean remembers this as ‘a great day’.
One of Jean’s fondest memories around this time was of her father, Lew, driving their first car to the Alice Springs Telegraph Station to collect the mail. The postmaster and the postal workers all came out to see the family leave. Jean said: ‘About 10 or 20 yards into reverse, he flew back at all these people. You never saw such a scattering in all your life’. When Jean first got a motor car they were never required to have a driver’s licence. There was no registration of a motor car.
Jean first met her husband, pastoralist Ted Hayes, when he was seven years old. Ted’s family came to Undoolya Station when she was five. Jean was 21 and Ted was 23 when they married. The newlyweds moved to Owen Springs for three years before moving back to manage Undoolya. In 1950, Jean and Ted bought Undoolya from Ted’s parents. They were hard years indeed.
During the 1960s drought, they purchased Deep Well Station and put down many bores on both properties. While Ted was often away from his family mustering stock, Jean looked after things managing to create a home and garden on a rocky outcrop that is the Undoolya Homestead. Outback life was not without its risks. Jean was doing her bit opening one of the property’s gates delivering smoko, when on one occasion her car rolled forward trapping her. The pressure from the car cut off the circulation in her feet. By the time she was discovered she had had to be rushed to hospital never ever walking properly again. But she never once complained. In good humour, she told her daughter, Julie, ‘that it might be a little harder to climb the golden staircase’.
Jean spent 50 wonderful years on the station with her three children. A lovely memorial from Jean’s eulogy was:
- Jean loved little coloured birds. If she wasn’t feeding us, she was feeding them. She would drive into Alice Springs and buy four
or five loaves of bread which she would soak with honey and water. At the crack of dawn, as was her practice, she would put on
her face, spray her hair, dab a little perfume behind her ears and then reach for - the gun. After letting off a few rounds from her
trusty .410 the ground would be covered in black feathers of dead crows. This of course was the signal for the clouds of finches
and little budgerigars to descend on the homestead to eat Jean’s bread and honey. It was also a time for us to get out of bed and
you never argue with a lady who was carrying a gun.
When her husband, Ted, passed away in March 1988, Jean retired with a small dog into a brand new unit in Alice Springs. Jean said it was funny moving into town after all those years, however, it was no good sitting out on the station. She loved her family very much and proudly boasted: ‘I’m lucky, I’ve got family around me. Not a day goes past that one of them doesn’t pop in and see me. I love them all’.
Jean Hayes passed away on 26 August this year, aged 89. Jean is survived by her sister, Peg, the late Jock Nelson’s wife; her four children, Julie, Billy, Jim and Mick; 11 grandchildren, and 28 great grandchildren. Jean takes much of the Territory’s history with her but thankfully she leaves so many great memories behind for others to enjoy.
A parting quote from Jean’s eulogy: ‘Jean always said the problem with funerals is that you never get to hear all the nice things people had to say about you’.
I say to Jean Hayes, thank you for the memories. Thank you for educating me. Jean was a constituent in Ochre Court and was, I am very happy to say, one of my favourites. You would never call in briefly to see Jean. She was always good for a chat and every single chat I had with Jean Hayes was a good one, an educative experience for me who was, in relative terms, new to Alice Springs. I am proud to be able to have called her a friend. I thought the world of her and I thought in those circumstances it was appropriate to outline her contribution to Central Australia to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
I am sure that all members of parliament will join with me in expressing sympathy to Jean’s family and also thank her for her contribution throughout her wonderful life. I would, for the sake of the record, like to table a copy of the eulogy because it is a very good read.
Leave granted.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, on 18 August this year, I had the honour of announcing the government History Grant winners. Amongst the successful applicants was Mrs Gayle Carroll a constituent of mine from Jingili who will research a history of Marrenah House, the government’s women hostel in Darwin. Gayle is a long-time Territorian who hitchhiked her way to Darwin from Sydney in 1957, where she had been working in Dymocks bookshop. Gayle had crossed from New Zealand on the Monowai, a passenger ship with the Union Steam Ship Company which plied between Sydney and Wellington.
On arrival in Darwin, Gayle went to work at the old Brooke’s Hotel in Parap - out of Darwin in those days. She then secured employment with the Health Department which was located in Judge Wells’ old house on the Esplanade. Judge Wells was the judge who told Nemarluk that he was going to hang.
From Judge Wells’ house, Gayle moved to the X-ray Department in the old hospital around 1959 where she instituted a new system of numbering so that the patients files were easier to find. This system stayed in place for many years. There were only three people working in the X-ray Department in those days, and one of them included Anita Flockhart who left and started up the first riding school in the Top End.
Gayle left the work force to raise her three children born in 1960, 1961, and 1962 - a full-time job in itself raising three under two-and-a-half. She married Norm Carroll, a stepson of a Legislative Council member and secretary of the workers union for many years, Paddy Carroll.
During the years of child rearing, Gayle had many odd jobs including tour guide in and around Darwin. She would meet the visiting boats and conduct tours by bus around the local sites, thereby increasing her love of Darwin history.
In 1972, Gayle gave birth to her last child. In 1973, she was with the Bureau of Statistics compiling a home expenditure survey which was conducted in the early 1970s and again after the cyclone. Then Tracy came along and wrecked everything. Gayle and the kids returned to Darwin in 1975.
In 1982, Gayle started work at the university as a library technician. One hundred and sixty people applied to do the course and only 50 places were available. Gayle finished the four-year course in three-and-a-half years working part-time, and then went on to work in school, university, and state libraries and the Migrant Resource Library.
In 1989-1990, Gayle retired and became the coordinator of the ASSE - America and Swedish Study Exchange program - which she is still coordinating today. The organisation arranges for student exchange, as well as recruiting nannies. Gayle has the role of conducting initial interviews with potential students or nannies interested in exchange or work in countries like Iceland, Norway, Germany and France.
Gayle joined U3A about six years ago and plays a very active role in the group. She volunteers as a guide at the museum and enjoys helping the history curator wherever possible, and also helps out with the archives.
With her love of history, Gayle applied for a grant to write a research paper on the history of Marrenah House which was a hostel for women employed in the government. It was in use as a hostel between 1939 and 1958-59. Marrenah House was located on the Esplanade where the Holiday Inn - the old Travelodge - now stands. Marrenah House later became a police barracks before the buildings were relocated down the track. I look forward to reading all about Marrenah House when Gayle finishes her project.
As well as being a writer and researcher, Gayle is a very talented artist skilled in oils, pastels, acrylics and pencils. However, as we hear more and more these days, now that Gayle is retired she is too busy to find time to spend on her painting. I commend Gayle Carroll for the history grant work that she has done and also her very interesting story of how she came to the Territory to live and work and raise a family and prosper in the Northern Territory.
I would like now to talk about Moil Primary School achievers. I have been most impressed with the talent coming out of the Moil Primary School in my electorate. Not only excellent academic results for students, but also students representing a wide range of sports. Some of the more recent thrills are:
In Rugby Union, Liam Moseley won his medal for the Under 8s 2005 season, and a medal for the CRUFC Junior in 2005. Liam Hewitt was awarded a medal for the grand final win in the Rugby Union Under 12s, and Hayden Moseley won a medal for CRUFC Junior 2005 in Rugby Union and also an Under 10s coaches award in Aussie rules.
In League, Charles Cameron was recognised for his team’s effort to be the 2005 premiers in the Darwin Junior Rugby League.
In softball, Andrew Downes was on the runners-up team with Tracy Village in the Darwin Softball Under 15s, and Jo Newbery was awarded a commendation for her win in the Darwin Sailing Club Championship in her division.
At the NT Athletics Championships, Jarryn Zyka won gold, silver and bronze medals; Hamish Stephens won silver and bronze medals; and Arran Stephens won an incredible number of firsts and seconds. They are all fantastic performances.
In cricket, Daniel Hair was awarded medals for participating in the Under 11s team and being a member of the Under 11s Team of the Year. Sassi Packiakumar won medals for the Under 11s Pint Cricket Club 2005 and NT Team of the Year, and Gadjuan Packiakumar won medals for the Under 11s Pint Club 2005 and Most Improved Green.
In Judo, Brok Powell won a medal in the yellow belt competition.
And finally, soccer, in which Liam May was awarded his medal for the Under 9s Black Casuarina Junior Soccer Club 2005, Nathan Lai for the Casuarina Junior Soccer Club - Division 7 White, and Liam Moseley for the Under 9s White Casuarina Junior Soccer Club 2005.
Moil Primary School is also a greater achiever in academics, and it was great to see that over 50 students from Moil Primary School participated in the Australasian Mathematics Competition. The following students were recognised with High Distinctions, Distinctions and Credits:
In Year 3, Distinctions went to Andrew Harding, Adam Johnston and Chloe Wallent, and credits to Garwerd Liang, Skye Manley, Clancy Stanford, Ben Adams and Benjamin Carpenter. In Year 4, Natalie Freak, Kenny Lee and Mollie Harding were awarded distinctions, while Nick Deveril, Elysia Jongue, Tara McIntyre and Josephine Newbery were awarded Credits.
Phoebe Martin of Year 5 was the only student to win a High Distinction, which is a fantastic effort. Jack Bliss, Jethro Dickens, Ryan Hewitt, Mallory McGuiness and Sam Newbery of Year 5 were awarded Distinctions.
Year 6’s Ashlie Boots won a Distinction, with a Credit going to Briana Harding. And, lastly, in Year 7, Gareth Dickens and Chris Frew won distinctions, with Clancy Bennett-Kellam, Claire O’Bryan, Mark Deveril and Jeremy Lassemillante winning credits.
And if this were not enough, Josephine Newbery of Year 4, Jack Bliss and Jethro Dickens of Year 5, Vidhyashini Vinu and Harry Kerr of Year 6, and Clancy Bennett-Kellam of Year 7 all were rewarded with Certificates of Credit in the Australasian Schools Writing Competition of 2005. In this competition, the students write in a combination of genres, description, explanation and persuasion.
Whilst these students have all done a fantastic job both scholastically and in their chosen sports, I make a point of rewarding those quiet achievers in the schools in my electorate. Two deserving students are chosen from the whole school each semester and, at the end of the third semester, the following students received my Quiet Achiever Award: Shianne Craufurd and Jaslyn Walton of Wagaman Primary School; Bradley Golik and Sean Hartley of Jingili Primary School; and Joelyn Hansen and Hamish Stephens of Moil Primary School.
I have given the highlights of Moil School in particular, as they have done a great job scholastically. They have their gifted and talented students, and a program there that attracts students from all over. However, they have many other high achievers academically, and also in sports, and a whole range of sports from sailing to football, to all sorts of things. I commend Moil Primary School, I commend the staff and the students, and I am very proud to be the local member for Moil School. I am sure members join with me in congratulating Moil Primary School and all the great students in it.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Neighbourhood Watch held their annual general meeting in Alice Springs recently and I was very pleased to be able to go along to the reception where some of the Neighbourhood Watch members were honoured, and received an award. Ken Mildred, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch, was there to conduct the ceremony. Neighbourhood Watch fluctuates, as many organisations do, with community members and involvement and commitment, however, when you see these people turn up year after year to their meetings then you understand that they are the sort of people that we need in our communities. They are the cornerstone and the rocks that help Neighbourhood Watch.
Neighbourhood Watch and the Northern Territory Police now work together in a much better way perhaps than they did many years ago. It is a partnership that we have seen certain things achieved, even though one of the things I have always been sorry that they no longer do is give us the statistics on the number of reported break and enters and stealing in our area.
The Northern Territory interestingly has the most Neighbourhood Watch members per capita of population in Australia so we are a working model on how effective the program can be as a partnership between people, the board of management and the police. It is a very proactive approach and what has been happening up here has been brought to the attention of the National Neighbourhood Watch Conference.
Last year, Paul Wyatt was asked by the National Neighbourhood Watch Conference to prepare a marketing plan for the national body to be set up in the future. He completed his plan, and it was sent to the national secretariat and all states and territories have approved that marketing plan in principle. I congratulate Paul on his efforts in doing that.
Ken Mildred was also asked to form and chair the Neighbourhood Watch Australasia Advisory Board which will include all states and territories in Australia and New Zealand, a direct result of the Territory’s proactive program and Ken should be very proud to receive that honour. He certainly is one of those people that people look up to for his strength and his involvement.
They gave out three awards that night all to Alice Springs people who are all very well known. The first award they gave was the Joyce Williamson Award. The award was named after Joyce Williamson who was a volunteer at the Crime Prevention Unit at the Peter McAuley Centre in Darwin for over eight years. Remembering she was a volunteer, she kept the Neighbourhood Watch database up-to-date working 30 hours a week. She unfortunately passed away last year after a long illness, however, she would never take a day off, or have a sickie, or go on holiday without first seeking permission from the Sergeant in charge of the unit just as though she was an employee of the unit. Perhaps she forgot that she was indeed a volunteer. Due to her commitment to the Neighbourhood Watch Program in the Territory, the Board of Management annually gives the Joyce Williamson Outstanding Commitment Award and it is to keep her memory alive but it is also to honour the people who have that outstanding commitment.
For instance, the first recipient was Ron Earnshaw who was, for ten years, the Area Coordinator of the Coconut Grove Neighbourhood Watch Area. This year I am pleased to say that Fran Woods was presented with the award and people of Alice Springs would know Fran Woods for her long term commitment and effort with Neighbourhood Watch. She is one of those people who is a rock, who is there, although she says to me sometimes she is trying to back off and do less. People always rely on Fran because they know if she says she is going to do something then she will do it. Congratulations to Fran on that award; you certainly deserve it.
The next award was presented to Peter Hansen. Peter has been a long term member of the Neighbourhood Watch Program and of the Board of Management. He is also a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Advisory Council and was elected as one of the two Alice Springs regional members to the board when it was formed in 2003. As well, Peter has held the position of secretary for 12 months, then as a board member for two years representing the Alice Springs region. He is resigning this year from the board, however, he is still also an area coordinator in Alice Springs. The amount of involvement Peter has in Neighbourhood Watch over many years has been a reflection of his commitment to the community. Peter is also the President of the Senior Citizen’s Club at the moment, so he is a very active person. Thank you, Peter, for all the dedication and all the years of work which you have given to Neighbourhood Watch.
Interestingly, Neighbourhood Watch gives a special award to recognise a contribution of a different kind to Neighbourhood Watch. This year they recognised the commitment of an Area Coordinator’s partner, and the support they gave to the Area Coordinator. The partner this year was Rosemary Aiken who is Peter Hansen’s partner. She has supported Peter over many years in Neighbourhood Watch, and she has also organised Neighbourhood Watch at the Alice Springs Hospital which is an interesting concept which you can see would be of value to the hospital as well. Rosemary is a lovely person who always supports Peter, and she is always there taking his messages or doing whatever she can to make his life a little bit easier. That the board acknowledged the commitment of a partner is unusual, however, it is a great initiative and something to be applauded. I congratulate all three members on the awards they received.
Another person in Alice Springs who recently received an award was Phyllis Nichol, the Director of Lifeline in Central Australia. Phyllis received one of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards. She is a most interesting person and we are so lucky to have Phyllis work for us in Alice Springs. She is the lady who, at the age of 23, joined a Benedictine Abbey and became a contemplative nun, which means she took a vow of silence and she was there for 12 years. It is hard to imagine Phyllis being silent for 12 years when you know her now; she is certainly making up for it. She has had a sad life in many ways and it is the grief which has made her a stronger person. When she went into the Abbey she had lost her father, three siblings, and all her uncles and aunts. When she left the Abbey in 1984, she married and moved to Tasmania where she worked for 15 years for Lifeline. Unfortunately her husband also died in 1996, and in 2002 this extraordinary woman donated a kidney to her brother, following which she went to Fiji and Tonga to work in suicide prevention programs.
On her return, we were lucky to get her in Central Australia for Lifeline to be set up. She set Lifeline up and she helps train the people, and has specialised in training the volunteers who give so many hours of help. She also helped set up a trash-n-treasure shop to help fund Lifeline, and she did that by lobbying many of the local businesses. She is quite an extraordinary woman.
Lifeline volunteers’ work is probably not the safest of environments, and it has been of concern to her for sometime that the present premises were not as safe as they should be for her volunteers. She approached the Minister for Health and in July 2004 she was promised some accommodation. In September 2005 it still had not happened and I was prompted to write to the minister to remind him of his commitment to assist Lifeline. I am very pleased to say, and I thank the minister for this, that only last week we have been informed that Lifeline has been given some premises in a much safer environment and I know just how delighted Phyllis is to get that. Thanks, minister, for finally getting that settled.
The number of people Lifeline speaks to and the phone calls they have is quite incredible. Sometimes they may spend as long as one hour talking on the phone to someone, assisting them and giving them advice and counselling. It is an extremely valuable service and it is one that, unfortunately, is needed more and more in our rather troubled world. When you have someone like Phyllis as the head of Lifeline, you can appreciate that it is something we certainly do not want to lose. I am quite sure having those premises now will mean that Lifeline will continue for some time, and it will continue to bring comfort and assistance to those people in need.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight in the adjournment debate I acknowledge the hard work and great effort that a constituent of Northlakes has given to the community of the Northern Territory. Power and Water staff member, Joseph Ho, recently celebrate 30 years with government in the Northern Territory, the past 18 years with the Power and Water Corporation and its predecessors.
Jo was raised in Hong Kong - he was born there in 1946 – and, on leaving school, completed an apprenticeship as a plumber. In 1975, Jo immigrated to Australia where he started working as a plumber with the Australian government’s Department of Construction in Darwin. In this role, he did much work on the reconstruction of Darwin following Cyclone Tracy. In 1978, Jo was transferred to Northern Territory’s Department of Transport and Works following self-government for the Northern Territory. He was reclassified to a Civil Engineering Technical Assistant role and worked in the Transport and Works Materials Laboratory here in Darwin. In 1980, he was promoted to a new role as draftsman and, in 1981, completed a Certificate of Civil Engineering course at the Darwin Community College. In 1983, he was promoted to Senior Technical Officer and was transferred to Transport and Works Department of Community Development where he worked for four years. In 1987, he became part of the then newly-formed Power and Water Authority, and initially worked with the Water Development Area, and later in the Water Standards area. In 2000, Joe was transferred to Power and Water’s metering services where he currently works as a coordinator in the water metering area.
Jo’s wife, Loretta, is also a long-time public servant with the NT government, and joined the public service three months after Jo did. Loretta is now working in DCIS, and will have completed 30 years with NT government in December this year.
Jo and Loretta have three children: a son who works as a computer systems engineer in Singapore; another son who is a civil engineer in Canada; and a daughter who is an architect in London. Jo and Loretta are both described as solid achievers and they are the kind of public servants that make up the backbone of the Territory. On behalf of the members of this parliament and the greater community of the Northern Territory, I thank Jo and his wife for the enormous effort they have put into growing the Northern Territory.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about Aboriginal Health Worker, Ms Beryl Mayanini Djakala, who retired on 28 September 2005 after achieving a significant milestone - a career of 41 years working in Aboriginal health, which reflects her magnificent commitment to the health of Aboriginal people. I will start by telling you a little about Djakala’s life journey.
Djakala was born in 1946 and, when she was six years of age, she arrived in Milingimbi from Galiwinku. She went to the missionary school in Milingimbi when it was a Methodist mission, and Djakala left school at 15 years to have her only child, Gangalpa, who is now a teacher at Milingimbi School.
In 1963, at 16 years of age, Djakala did Bible translating and interpreting for the church services and, in 1965 as a young woman, Djakala temporarily left her community to complete a nurse aide course at the old Darwin Hospital at Myilly Point. This reflects her vision and commitment to pursue a career in health to benefit Aboriginal people. This was a brave action because, at this time in the 1960s, if local people were employed it would be as cleaners in and around the health centres, and they were known as Hospital Assistants. Djakala was committed to doing much more than just cleaning.
In 1973, the Department of Health in the Northern Territory took control of health service provision to rural and remote Aboriginal people and it was then that the concept of today’s Aboriginal Health Worker was first introduced. In later years, the training and employment of local people in the delivery of these services became the norm, and it remains so today. Many had doubts that this could be done and, indeed, Djakala was a pioneer of her profession proving it could be done extremely well. We are accustomed now to going to Aboriginal communities and looking for our Aboriginal Health Workers as a normal part of everyday life in our communities. Djakala was, indeed, a trail blazer for those people.
Djakala received one of 10 government awards presented by the Australian government. She spent five weeks in Papua New Guinea learning how to run a health centre independently. It was then she worked with the missionary, Jessie Smith, at Milingimbi until 1978 when the Methodist Mission departed. From 1980 to 1989, Djakala became the independent manager of the Milingimbi Health Centre, an outstanding achievement. She also spent two occasions working with Dr John Hargraves in the observation and treatment of Hansen’s disease at the East Arm Leprosarium.
Aside from her direct contribution to patients as a clinician, Djakala was also committed to school-based health promotion where for five years she would discuss all health-related issues, including sexual health. During Djakala’s career, she was involved in establishing and supporting the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program, and Djakala was a mentor for other Aboriginal health workers and trainees. With her religious background, she still leads the day with a bible reading and prayer.
Aboriginal Health Workers today are recognised for their roles as leaders and advocates for health in their communities. I wish to read from a quote Djakala made in the Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal in 1998:
- I have a special interest and a lot of experience with child health. The kids and families all know me and trust me so this
program is starting to work well. I’m building the foundation for the other health workers today. The other health workers in
the future will finish the building and put the roof on. So I’m looking forward to the future and wondering what my next role will be.
For this visionary and committed person, an epic journey began 41 years ago. This career in health was an adventure - or a never-ending saga - for Beryl Mayanini Djakala. She is now finishing her career having come full circle, as she concludes her working life at Milingimbi where she began, 41 years ago. Djakala is known for her ability to effectively communicate with all sections of the communities where she has worked, and her interest in, and contribution to, improving infant health, and broad knowledge and skills in other aspects of health delivery. Her retirement will be a loss to many people, and her shoes will be very hard to fill.
I had the pleasure of attending the celebration ceremony at Milingimbi where dancers and songs were performed by her people. The people of Milingimbi, and beyond, came to pay tribute to an outstanding woman who touched the lives of indigenous people right across the Northern Territory and, indeed, right across Australia. Djakala’s perseverance, dedication and commitment to the health and wellbeing of her people will forever be recognised. She did not do it for one day, or for one month; she did it every single day for 41 years.
Djakala is an inspiring example to the younger generation that anything is possible if they dare to follow their dreams. During Djakala’s retirement, I understand she will visit her mother’s homeland, an outstation called Howard Island which the locals know as Langara. She will continue basket weaving, babysitting her grandchildren and help out at the clinic when they are short-staffed. I am sure my colleagues in the House will join me in acknowledging Djakala’s outstanding contribution to her people and we wish her well.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it is with great pleasure that tonight I inform the House about some tremendous achievers from my electorate. Dion Beasley, who is only 14 years old, is a Tennant Creek teenager who is profoundly deaf and has muscular dystrophy. However, these significant handicaps have not stopped Dion from winning a major prize in the Memento of Australia Awards. These awards were set up to acknowledge distinctively Australian gifts for tourists. Members may not be aware that the gift and memento industry turns over about $700m per year Australia-wide.
Dion’s winning entry was his design of dogs and, in this case, camp dogs. His drawings were described by the judges as ‘fun’ and ‘useable’. His independent assistant, Joie Boulter, has played a critical role in Dion’s success. Not only did she enter his designs in the award but also prints Dion’s designs on T-shirts, bags, cards and bookmarks. They have proven to be big sellers particularly in Tennant Creek at the famous Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Cultural Centre. I also know that the same products are also being marketed through NGOs throughout Australia and I am certain that in time they will provide a real opportunity for Dion.
Dion’s prize money from his award and the proceeds of the sale of products featuring his designs are going into a trust fund for his future wellbeing. I congratulate young Dion Beasley and applaud his carer, Joie Boulter, as well as the Tennant High School teacher, Louise Carrigan, who accompanied Dion and Joie to the prize presentation in Brisbane.
I would also like to inform the House about an excellent community program that has been running in Tennant Creek since March this year. It is called the ‘Giving Back to the Community Program’. The program, which is purely on a voluntary basis, grew out of a desire to clean up some of the rubbish left by some of the public drinkers in Tennant Creek and at the same time to improve the image of the town. Basically, clients from the Barkly Region Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Group, otherwise known as BRADAAG, are discharged from the sobering-up shelter and also from the police cells. These people are then picked up and taken around town to clean up the streets and parks of Tennant Creek on Saturday and Sunday mornings. As a result of that, they are also able to partake of a fairly nutritious breakfast.
This program has been successful in that 500 participants have contributed to the regular clean ups. It is important to point out here that whilst it is certainly not successful in terms of the numbers because many these people are repeat offenders, I know that the volunteers, and particularly BRADAAG, take the opportunity to counsel people and provide an education-type program regarding the effect or impact of excessive drinking. BRADAAG also works with other agencies which assist the program; for instance, Julalikari Council takes the rubbish to the dump and Tennant Creek Town Council provides the volunteers with gloves and rubbish bags. The outcomes have been very positive in not only keeping the streets clean on those particular days of the week, more importantly it provides real community involvement of the community itself taking responsibility and also showing the compassion to be able to work with people who are affected by alcohol.
That is why I say it is a wonderful community program and it is something I would like to see worked on a little bit further, particularly in some of the other communities not only in my electorate but other electorates.
I emphasise that the success of this program is purely on a voluntary basis. As it is with the clients they pick up, people are not forced to go there to pick up rubbish. I understand that BRADAAG will be submitting an application to the community benefits grant for a lock up-type trailer so they are able to carry all their cooking utensils, etcetera, as opposed to putting them on the back of the ute. I wish them well in securing that grant.
In regards to this program, I pay particular tribute to Sharon Kinraid. Most people would be aware of Sharon and I have spoken about her in this House before. She is a wonderful human being. She works very hard in a whole range of areas and was one of the initiators of this particular program. So to Sharon, we thank you very much on behalf of everyone in Tennant Creek, and also to Deb Nielson and Marie Gibson who also work with BRADAAG.
There are other people involved; the Mayor of Tennant Creek, Rod Swanson is also out there on occasion assisting and supporting, and his wife, Cheryl Swanson, is there on a constant basis every Saturday and Sunday. Also to Michael Dougall, who works for the Office of the Chief Minister in Tennant Creek, and his wife, Gayle Dougall, who works in my electorate office – they are also there on a very regular basis as well, cooking breakfasts and helping out and assisting where they can.
Thanks also go to Sylvia Ghaly. Sylvia is reasonably new into Tennant Creek, and she is the present coordinator of BRSCC. She is also there helping out as well. It is important to note that we are talking about 6 am in the morning that these people are starting, so they are giving a lot of their time in the interests of the community. Thanks go to Meg McGrath, who also helps out on occasions, and to Marty Strachan who does wonderful job on a voluntary basis. I mentioned Julalikari Council, and I refer to Gummo and the Gang, that is what I call them, they are always there every morning at 5.30 am to 6 am cleaning up the main street. Even on Saturday, they are there as well, so, as I say, it is a wonderful community effort.
The other matter I would like to talk about is that the Barkly Australian Football League recently played its grand final in Tennant Creek. In the Junior Under 17 Grand Final, which was a great game, a titanic struggle saw Tennant Creek High School Spitfires draw away in the last quarter to defeat a gallant Elliott Hawks by eight points, the scores being 8-5-53 to 6-3-39. This was a great game between two very closely matched rivals. Best player for the Spitfires was Jacob Warner, and for the Hawks, young Dillon Kingston.
The main game proved to be even closer. In fact, it was a replay of last year’s grand final between the Elliott Hawks and the Tennant Creak Eagles. Last year, the Eagles were victors in a close game. On this occasion, it was the Elliott Hawks who prevailed, winning a very tight game. I was not there as I was heading back from Alice Springs. I have been advised it was a great game, a very fair game, and it was a tribute to all the players.
The final scores were Elliott Hawks 14-9-93 to the Eagles 12-12-84. It was a very tight game all day, and it was only in the last quarter that the Hawks were able to get over the line and win their third premiership since they joined the BAFL in 1991.
The Man of the Match award went to Elliott ruckman, Jonathon Jackson, and major goal kickers for the victors were Stewart Anderson with four and Bonnie Bostock with three, whilst for the Eagles, Lawrence Williams kicked four goals and Paul Hansen three goals.
At the presentation ceremony, successful Hawks coach, Chris Langdon, gave his premiership medal to the recently retired Hawks full back Raymond Raymond, who has played every year with Hawks since they entered the BAFL in 1991. Raymond has been an absolute stalwart to the game in the Barkly, having played almost every game. We probably will not see him playing again so, to Raymond, thank you very much for all your talent that you put on display over this very long period of time.
Quite apart from my congratulations to both teams, the game was played in great spirit. I would also like to pay tribute to Randall Gould from the Barkly Australian Football League and his committee members who, under their stewardship, the BAFL has gone ahead this year, and it is a great tribute to people like Randall and his committee.
To everyone associated with the grand final weekend, all the volunteers, all those people who put in the hard work throughout the course of the year, again, thank you very much on behalf of the people in Tennant Creek and, more importantly, on behalf of all the people in the region who were able to send in sides. Footy is the heart and soul of many communities in the bush and we very much appreciate the efforts of everyone associated with BAFL in 2005.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016