2004-05-20
Madam Speaker Braham took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I remind you of what I said yesterday about mobile phones. I do not know if you are aware, but putting the phone on silent does not stop it interfering with Hansard. Because it was rung twice in five minutes, it basically wiped out whatever was being said. You should not have your mobile phones in the Chamber - as simple as that. If you have, please make sure you take it out straight away.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, Katherine is a community close to my heart. Two of my children were born there and three of them spent their early childhood there. Our government made a commitment to the people of Katherine that we would work with them to deliver a safer community. We deliver on the promises we make.
The Katherine Region Harmony Group, with $600 000 from this government, is developing a whole-of-community approach to preventing crime through action in key areas: itinerants and antisocial behaviour; alcohol and substance abuse; young people; and crime prevention. The Katherine Region Harmony Group ‘has some of the most positive programs that Katherine has ever seen’ - not my words, but compliments from the member for Katherine. I thank the member for Katherine for her positive support for the programs.
It is unfortunate the opposition’s media office was not so positive when they slanted Katherine, describing it as a ‘war zone’. It is even more unfortunate that, on the CLP’s web site, a press release attributed to the member for Katherine remains available to the public two months after its release. It came out in your name, member for Katherine. The buck stops with you. If they are not your words as you have claimed, you should tell the parliament and remove it from the web site.
Keeping the Territory moving ahead is our top priority. In Katherine, we are working hard with the local people to deliver a safer community. The government has funded the Kalano Community Association to establish a Return to Home Scheme. This scheme started on 18 February 2004 and, to date, more than 50 people have gone back to their communities. The scheme provides the cost of a one-way fare to the person’s community, with the cost being repaid through Centrepay. A survey of itinerants in Katherine indicated that as many as 70% of them will return home if assisted to do so and be happy to repay that assistance.
Negotiations with Centrelink for space, access and furniture for the Information Referral Office have been successful, and the office will be located at the Centrelink office on Second Street, Katherine. The office will deliver an identification service and other referral services as they come on-line. For example, the office will provide an accommodation referral in addition to the Return to Home scheme. In more good news, funding has been approved to provide full-time employment for the existing Return to Home scheme officer and Community Development Employment Program, and top-up for additional assistance.
The Interim Activity Centre, Welkam Jenta, was officially opened on 27 April 2004, a little under a month ago. The centre, located in Pearce Street at the Mimi Arts/Nurdalingi Centre, is managed by the Kalano Association. A coordinator has been employed to develop the programs and activities at the centre. The foot patrol will also operate out of the centre. The centre is in its early stage and the numbers of people who visit daily are fluctuating, but you can usually expect around 10 to 40 people on a daily basis.
Community support is an important part of the Katherine Community Harmony Strategy and the key to its success. I thank the Westpac Bank for its support. Westpac will be providing financial management training, card use, automatic teller machine use, and account setup and trust setup for art sales. That is a great result and is corporate good citizenship at its very best. I mentioned the foot patrol earlier; $55 000 has been provided to Kalano Community Association to operate in the central business district in Katherine. This will allow the patrol to work with groups of itinerants and others in reducing antisocial behaviour in the central business district. I believe the work of the foot patrol can be improved, and we are conducting an internal review.
Looking ahead, the short-, medium- and long- term accommodation needs of the target group of the Community Harmony Strategy have been identified as a key project area. As part of our commitment to working in partnership with the local community a workshop held by the Accommodation Working Group, and facilitated by the shelter, was held on 21 April 2004 to identify and prioritise the accommodation needs.
I thank the people of Katherine for their support for this important project.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I welcome the report that the minister has delivered here this morning. The Region Harmony Group has been working extremely hard in Katherine and it has been received with mixed views because we did not have any idea of how it was going to work. It seems to have taken some time to get some of these programs implemented. However, I am very pleased to say that they seem to be working very well.
One of the problems that we have in Katherine is still the acceptance by people in the community to having to tolerate drunken behaviour in the main street of Katherine. Other things are happening very well. I visited the Interim Activity Centre and it actually had 60 clients there one day last week, 20 the next, so, yes, it is up and down. It has a very strong manager and I believe that it will work very successfully under his guidance.
I am very concerned about the foot patrol because it needs a lot more training. It is very important to have it in the main street, but it does need a lot more training. I am very reluctant to comment on this book-up service. We are quite concerned about that because we do not understand it fully and it could end up causing more problems than what is meant to solve. Right now there is one particular food place in the main street that has a book-up relationship set up and it seems to be discriminatory. We are quite concerned about that and I need to talk to the minister further about that.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, let me respond to the book-up service, which is news to me, but certainly we will look into it. I am certainly happy to receive representation from the member for Katherine in regards to what she actually knows about it so we can do something about it. If it is wrong, it is certainly not going to be tolerated by this government or me as the minister responsible.
I am disappointed that I did not get a response in regards to the ‘war zone’ statement that was made in a press release put out by the member for Katherine. As I said, the buck stops with her. If she wishes to disassociate herself from that particular statement, then she should have it removed from the web site. If she has problems with that and the person who drafted that press release for her, then we might need to ship him out and I will show him on his way.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory horticultural industry continues to grow at an impressive rate. From its infancy in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the industry has grown from around a couple of hundred thousand dollars to almost $90m in 2003-04.
As Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, I have been fortunate to meet with many horticulturalists throughout the Territory, including a range of mango, citrus and other tropical fruit growers near Darwin and Katherine, producers at Ti Tree, banana growers, nursery and cut flower growers, date farmers and vegetable growers in the Top End and at Alice Springs, horticulture suppliers, and growers’ peak associations.
I also had the pleasure of launching the NT Food Identifier with a launch providing an opportunity to showcase the diverse range of horticultural product grown throughout the Territory. Following my discussion with most sectors of the horticultural industry, I must say that I am excited about the future opportunities for the industry and the enthusiasm of the industry itself.
Further growth of the industry is a certainty if we get the planning in place and we can build a stronger partnership between the public and private sectors. Keeping the Territory moving ahead is our top priority. We are driving growth because it means jobs for Territorians. The horticulture industry has a high level of input and is a major employer throughout the year.
For some time, the Horticultural Advisory Committee has provided a valuable source of advice to government. They have achieved a great deal. The Horticultural Advisory Committee has now recommended that the committee be disbanded and a Horticultural Partnership Group established in its place. The partnership group is a departure from the past. It is an advisory group with a membership based on expertise from all sectors of the horticultural industry, like growers, packers and transporters, marketing, a business person. and two positions each for producers from the Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs regions. I have appointed an independent Chair, not directly involved as a grower, but with excellent knowledge and demonstrated experience in the food industry nationally and internationally, to ensure that we get the planning right for the horticultural industry. The selection panel, chaired by the industry with representation from my department, reviewed the 13 applications received and made recommendations to me.
Appointments to the partnership group include: as independent Chair, Mr Vincent Lange from Alice Springs; packer and transport representative, Mr Peter Delis; marketing representative, Graham Penfold; producers in Darwin, Ms Lee Berryman and Mr Haigh Arthur; producers in Katherine, Mr John Etty and Mr Ken Miller; producers in Alice Springs, Mr Trevor Sowman. I have also decided to appoint the president of the Northern Territory Horticulture Association, Mr Tom Harris, and the Director of Horticulture in my department as ex-offico members of the Horticultural Partnership Group.
We have long-term plans that put the Territory first. We have commissioned an independent review of the Northern Territory horticultural industry, including a review of my department’s capacity in research and development, and how to improve, through collaboration with CSIRO, Charles Darwin University and other agencies in the Territory, Australia and overseas. Dr Nigel Scott, an eminent and respected scientist with considerable expertise in horticulture, is undertaking this review. Dr Scott has over 35 years of research, research management and policy expertise with CSIRO, and has an extensive background in the Australian and international horticultural scene. His findings are expected to greatly assist the partnership group in its deliberations on future plans for the industry and will assist it in developing specific recommendations for government to consider.
This approach will put the Northern Territory horticulture industry on the front foot to go forward on a more effective and sustainable development path and become an even more significant contributor to the Territory economy and generator of employment for all Territorians.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report on a very important sector of the Northern Territory economy. I welcome the commissioning of a review and certainly welcome Dr Scott to head that up. It will be a very worthwhile set of recommendations and a good look at what is going on because there is so much going on in horticulture. I welcome the Horticultural Partnership Group and the restructure of that. It is a good thing and has some eminent people on there, Tom Harris, of course, Peter Dallas and Lee Berryman. I put on the record my congratulations to Lee, with whom I went to school, for winning just recently, the Australian Rural Woman of the Year award for her work with developing bamboo shoots, a work that she and her husband have been carrying on for a long time and for which she was very well recognised by winning that award.
That is the sort of thing that is going on in horticulture. Many new initiatives right across the Northern Territory, whether you talk about the temperate or the tropical parts of the Territory, or indeed, where I live in Katherine, and what is going on around there with mangoes and so forth. Some very exciting things are happening with mangoes that you might be across already, minister, such as trials into Europe of containers, in partnership with Western Australia. That is very exciting for the mango industry, and I certainly wish the growers in Katherine success with their trials coming up in the very near future. This is the third set of trials, one that they have been keeping me very much briefed on. I welcome the news and the report from the minister today.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his support. It is refreshing to see such support from the opposition. Horticulture is very important for the whole Territory; it does not matter what side of politics you are. I agree with him, the mango trials are very important, because we might open new markets for Territory mangoes. The only thing is that it is done in partnership with Western Australia. I would like the mangoes to be exported from Darwin if possible, and we are prepared to work with the mango producers and packers to produce a product that can be exported from Darwin to South-East Asia and Europe.
I am pleased to say that my department will continue to support horticulture. I want to see more extension officers out on the farms. I had the pleasure, during the Freds Pass Show, to launch the Horticulture Information Service, and Agnotes for people who want to grow their own produce, even in their own backyards.
The horticulture industry is very important, not only because it gives the Territory $90m income per year but it also provides significant employment for all Territorians, and some oversees visitors.
Dr BURNS (Transport and Infrastructure): Madam Speaker, our public transport network provides an important service to the community, carrying many thousands of passengers on their daily journeys each year, from commuters heading to work, to school children travelling to and from school. Passenger security and comfort on our public buses are very serious issues and, as our bus fleet has aged, these issues have begun to create problems for drivers and passengers alike.
Members will recall a terrible incident that occurred recently in Darwin, with a vicious assault on a bus driver. As Transport minister, I have received several complaints, directly in one case, from a bus driver who was a victim of one of these vicious assaults, about incidents on buses, both from drivers and passengers. I am sure that all members will agree that it is simply unacceptable for such antisocial behaviour to go unchecked. I am pleased to inform the House that this government is committed to upgrading our public transport fleet and facilities to greatly enhance the safety and comfort of passengers and drivers alike.
Over 80% of our public buses will have security cameras installed in them this year, following a $390 00 public transport upgrade announced earlier. Closed circuit monitoring systems at bus interchanges and lighting at key bus shelters is also being carried out as part of the public transport overhaul. Security cameras will also be installed on the Darwin/Mandorah ferry service. These measures are part of an overall public safety strategy that includes a strong relationship with the police. Members will be aware that members of our police force travel free on our public buses when in uniform. Recently, the police bicycle patrols have also been using the service as a means of quickly moving between their operational patrol areas.
This policy has been very well received by the travelling public, and drivers have reported that violent incidents on buses have dropped to almost zero as a result of these strategies.
At a barbecue for drivers, mechanics and other support that I attended, along with the member for Sanderson, drivers relayed to me their gratitude for these reforms. I reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the best possible working environment for our bus fleet drivers. They perform a very important and difficult role in our society, and often go well beyond the call of duty in providing service to the community.
The Northern Territory’s overall budget for public transport in the 2004-05 year is $228m, both for the operation of the existing fleet, and for the replacement of older buses that are past their use by date. This investment in strong safety and security measures on public transport can really make a difference to the peace of mind of travellers and bus drivers alike.
The government has also reached agreement with existing bus operators on service provision in the Darwin urban area for the next five years. As part of the agreement, the urban fleet will be upgraded with 13 new buses to be introduced over the next two years. I recently inspected one of the new buses, and I can assure the House that these vehicles provide an excellent level of comfort and safety for drivers and passengers alike. The new buses have the latest navigation technology, low-floor easy access, airconditioning and security cameras as standard features. The introduction of these buses, combined with upgrades to the existing fleet, will mean the Territory will have one of the most modern, comfortable and safe bus fleets in Australia.
Many of the users of our public transport network are elderly and have special requirements with regard to accessing buses. The low-floor buses are designed specifically to allow those in wheelchairs and those with limited capacity to step up onto a bus to have easy entry onto the buses. The also have a small ramp mechanism that joins the kerbing, allowing wheelchairs to roll easily onto the bus. At the moment, 56% of our public buses are low-floor access but, by the end of the 2005 year, over 80% will have disability-friendly access. Comfort on our buses is also an issue. We have airconditioning and, by the end of 2005, 80% of all public buses will be airconditioned.
All of these measures I have mentioned - security, comfort, new fleet - all points to a great transport system we can be justifiably proud of, and this government is really pleased to make an investment in our public transport system.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. There was certainly nothing in that statement that one could disagree with; the safety of drivers is something that should be attempted at all times to meet emerging needs. I am pleased to see that the government is doing that. No wonder the drivers are happy with it.
With regards to the modernising of the fleet, it is good to see that happening. I get reports often on the differing standards of buses that are being operated around the Territory, and how those standards are taken into consideration when contracts are let. There are, obviously, concerns amongst various operators in that regards. It is good to see that the government continues to move to attend to those matters.
However, you did not mentioned schoolchildren. You know that is a little hobby horse of mine. When we talk about safety and those travelling nowadays, there is a problem all the time with schoolchildren. I am sure the minister is aware of one, and I am not quite sure, but I will be interested in what the government’s policy and supervision of this is. When buses are overloaded picking kids up from school, often kids are left by the bus driver who simply says: ‘Sorry, bus is full; get the next bus’. Often, there is not another bus. I have had various representations from parents who are absolutely aghast that their kids are not at the bus terminals where they expect them to be. Often, primary schoolchildren are left at the school because the bus is overloaded.
That is an issue in itself as to how those methodologies are put in place to see those kids are properly supervised all the time because, at that time, they are very vulnerable. There are various issues with regards to overloading on the school buses, and I have mentioned that. There have been ministerial meetings nationally about this issue and I will be interested in the minister’s input in this regard.
Lastly, Katherine does not have a bus service - needs a bus service - and what bus service it has for kids is operated by the operator who picks people up from The Ghan. I know from the member for Katherine’s representations, that often The Ghan passengers take priority over school kids. That is something the government needs to look at, and make sure that contract is attended to in the way it should happen. There are other things that I will comment on, but I do not have the time.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report. It is good to hear that buses are modern, comfortable, safe and airconditioned. The only problem is that we do not have many of them. In the rural area, we are still struggling with two bus services in the morning and two in the afternoon. For the Litchfield Shire, the second fastest growing area in the Territory, that is a disgrace. I have lobbied for some time for at least a decent trial, over 12 months, of new bus services into the Howard Springs, Coolalinga and Humpty Doo areas. I have been told that there will be a review. That review has been going on for a very long time, and we still do not have decent bus services.
If we are going to put higher education facilities at Palmerston, we need a bus service to take children there and bring them home. We do not have that bus service. The rural area has been treated as a second-class area. It should be an area where people can expect to have a reasonable and reliable bus service all week. We do not even have a bus service on Saturday afternoon or Sunday. People cannot go to Palmerston, to go to the films, to go to the shopping centre. We certainly could do with an improvement in that area.
I do welcome, minister, the announcement that we are getting some bus shelters, even though they are second hand bus shelters. I know we are on the end of the line when it comes to bush shelters, but they certainly will be welcome. I will also welcome the day when we actually get bush shelters built specifically for our part of the world and we do not have to wait until we get the second hand ones from Darwin. I welcome that, and I hope we can get an increase in bus services in the rural area.
Dr BURNS (Transport and Infrastructure): Madam Speaker, firstly in reply to the member for Nelson, I agree the review of bus services has been taken quite longer than I would like. I will certainly have them hopping onto that case; it is a very valid point.
The member for Brennan was generally positive about the initiatives. Just a few issues: the overloading issue and children being left at bus stops. There was one issue with the Palmerston Christian School which has a half day swap with Marrara Christian School. Apparently, the bus services were not aware of the numbers of children involved in that, therefore, the bus capacity was not available for that. However, I believe that issue is being worked through.
The Katherine bus service: I was down there a few weeks ago and met with parents. There was justifiable anger, I believe, about the change there. I believe most of those issues have been addressed. I did go for a ride with some parents just to look at the problem …
A member interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Yes, we are working through that issue.
The issue about The Ghan: that is something I communicated directly to the contractor. I was not pleased about that and I do not believe it will happen again.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, the Palmerston Game Fishing Club hosted its 9th Annual Barra National Catch and Release Tournament on the Daly River from 25 April to 1 May this year. Following the Nationals, the Darwin Game Fishing Club hosted its 23rd Barra Classic on the Daly last week. These two premier fishing competitions showcase Territory barra fishing and are keenly followed by anglers, both local and interstate.
The Barra Nationals was contested by 45 teams, each made up of three competitors from the Territory and interstate, using artificial lures that are fitted with barbless hooks so as to minimise injury to released fish. The event was widely sponsored, including by the Northern Territory Tourist Commission for the production of a one hour long video that will be screened through the Channel 7 network. The level of interest by the media confirms that fishing is the lure for the Territory. The weather reporter for Channel 7’s national Sunrise program made his daily broadcast from the riverbank during the sail past which marks the start of fishing on the first competition day.
Barra fishing on the Daly at the start of our glorious dry season was beamed into the lounge rooms of thousands of southern viewers. What better promotion can you get? We are proud of our great Territory lifestyle. It is unique and the best in Australia.
The total number of fish caught at the Nationals, measured and then released, was 1180. The catch for the first two days exceeded that of last year’s entire tournament. The Darwin Game Fishing Club’s Barra Classic was the most successful ever with 123 competitors recording 1251 barra. Many more undersized fish were also caught, but were too small to be counted for the competition.
Everyone commented on the great health of the barra fishery on the Daly, particularly the hordes of small fish in every part of the river. Valuable catch and fish size statistics from these fishing competitions are provided to the fishery group each year.
A number of fishing magazine photojournalists were in attendance so significant national promotion of fishing tourism in the Territory will follow. The Territory continues to be the envy of anglers everywhere. Our local fishing identity, Alex Julius, together with ET, also covered the classic and will feature in future television programs throughout Australia. These tournaments also showcase events for recreational fishing and fishing tourism in the Northern Territory.
A quick glance of the competitors’ assembled boats and associated gear highlights the immense financial investment so many anglers make in pursuit of their sport. The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and I had the opportunity to hear anglers’ views first-hand. Anglers applauded the Northern Territory government on its initiative for the Daly River, the ban on dams, and its position on cotton. With Labor, balancing growth with lifestyle while protecting the environment is a priority.
Also, I must make mention of Rob Gayden, John Milliard and George Voukolos, who came up with the idea and designed the 25th anniversary barra lure, which will have a place in every angler’s tackle box. The lure was gifted to all competitors in the Classic to take home, and undoubtedly will be the source of many fishing tales and tours well into the future.
Madam Speaker, Budget 2004-05 continues to deliver for recreational anglers. This budget builds on the Territory’s great lifestyle. Not only do recreational fishers benefit through improved facilities, but locally based Territory contractors and tourism operators benefit directly from our investments. I look forward to making further announcements about recreational fishing this week.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Madam Speaker, another very important industry, both recreationally and commercially. It is great to see that the Barra Classic and the Barra National went off with great success this year. There were over 1000 fish caught in the first competition and over 1200 in the second. There were some very big fish caught in each of those.
I am happy to say that the Barra Classic was first hosted by Annaburroo Station at the Bark Hut for the first few years, about five years, I think, when we owned that, and they used to go to Corroboree. Now it has shifted to the Daly, and so it should. The Daly is a great river for this competition. Many fish have been caught up and down the Katherine and Daly system, including many little ones which augers well for a very good season ahead and for next year as well.
Can I say, though, that the reason that they catch good fish in the Daly River is - what? Closure to commercial fishermen. It has been proven time and time again the closure to commercial fishermen has resulted in the shifting of effort and allowing recreational fishermen to enjoy the benefits of that.
The announcement that I would like to see you make today in Question Time, and I think it will be today, is the closure of Adelaide River. Three years we have waited for this. Three years the recs have waited for it, three years the commercials have waited for it. While you are doing it, in your budget reply, I want you to announce the fact that you are going to buy five additional commercial barra licences. I did not see it in the budget, and you have been slammed for that, but I want to see that announced today. It is the next step to a 10 year strategy that you still have not started on, that they have been calling for as well; a 10 year strategy to provide certainty to commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen and to ensure that the barramundi is our icon species well into the future. So, over to you, minister.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his response. I agree with him; we have to buy more barramundi licences. This government is ...
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, in three years this government has actually closed one river and negotiated to close another one. It took them 26 years to get one area closed: the Darwin Harbour.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, the Barra Nationals and Barra Classic are icons for the Territory, and attract thousands of people from down south as well as many Territorians. The comments the member for Johnston and I heard from the anglers were absolutely enthusiastic. People were absolutely enthusiastic about the health of the river that this government intends to protect for tourist operators and tourists.
I congratulate the Darwin Game Fishing Club for the donation of $4200 to the Wooliana Scoop. That is a fantastic initiative. This money was collected by punters. I congratulate the Palmerston Game Fishing Club on the Anzac Day ceremony that they organised at the Mango Farm. They are absolutely fantastic initiatives.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent bills entitled Debits Tax Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 226), Mineral Royalty Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 227), Pay-roll Tax Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 228), Stamp Duty Amendment Bill (No 2) 2004 (Serial 229) and Taxation (Administration) Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 230) –
(a) being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively,
the second readings; the Committee’s report stage; and the third readings of the bills together; and
(b) consideration of the bills separately in the Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to.
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
The bills seek to put in place a package of revenue measures announced as part of the 2004-05 budget. Specifically, there are five bills proposing amendments to the Taxation (Administration) Act, Stamp Duty Act, Pay-roll Tax Act, Mineral Royalty Act, and the Debits Tax Act. These bills will go to assisting Territory business and promoting a fairer, more equitable and robust tax system.
The key proposals announced in the budget involve reducing the tax burden on Territorians and Territory businesses by increasing the payroll tax-free threshold to $800 000 from 1 July 2004, and increasing it again to $1m from 1 July 2005; and abolishing debits tax from 1 July 2005.
I will now address the measures included in the Pay-roll Tax Amendment Bill as outlined in the government’s pre-election financial statements committed to reducing the burden of payroll tax on business. Since coming to office, the Labor government has reduced the rate of payroll tax over two successive budgets from 6.5% to 6.2%. This once again delivers on this government’s commitment to reduce payroll tax by increasing the payroll tax-free threshold to $800 000 from 1 July 2004, and then to $1m from 1 July 2005. At $800 000, the Territory will have a payroll tax-free threshold that is greater than all other states other than Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT. When the payroll tax threshold increases to $1m from 1 July next year, the Territory will have a payroll tax-free threshold that is the third highest in Australia. This is great news for Territory businesses.
Treasury estimates that these changes will ultimately mean that 127 local-based businesses will no longer pay payroll tax, with other local-based businesses which continue to pay payroll tax being, on average, $20 400 better off. In addition, increasing the tax-free threshold to $1m will mean that 35 interstate businesses will no longer be required to pay this tax. The cost of increasing the payroll tax-free threshold to $800 000 is expected to be $4m on a full year basis, and the further increase in the threshold to $1m is expected to cost an additional $3.2m on a full year basis.
I now turn to the technical and administrative measures. The payroll tax grouping provisions cause employers to be grouped where employees of one business are shared with the business of another person. These employers are grouped by the legislation because they are considered to operate as a single unit. Without this provision, it would be possible for two separately owned but closely associated businesses to share workers with the aim of taking advantage of the payroll tax–free threshold to avoid payroll tax.
A recent Victorian case has highlighted a deficiency in that state’s legislation which, in turn, may cast doubt on the Territory’s ability to group two or more businesses, rather than just two businesses where the same employee works for multiple businesses. There is no reason why this provision should be limited in this way. This was not the intention of the grouping provisions, and the bill proposes to rectify this deficiency.
In addition, the bill proposes to vary the commissioner’s ability to exclude an employer from a payroll tax group that arises as a result of businesses sharing employees. It has recently been discovered that the Pay-roll Tax Act does not provide the commissioner with the ability to de-group two independent employers that operate a business together through an unincorporated joint venture. This can result in unintended and inequitable consequences for a business carried on through this business structure.
Accordingly, the bill proposes to allow a group member, who is grouped only through the use of shared employees, to be excluded from the group, where the commissioner considers it just and reasonable to do so. The commissioner will release a revenue circular detailing matters that will be considered in deciding whether to exclude someone from a group on this basis.
The Pay-roll Tax Act also includes provisions that cause two people to be grouped where there is a common controlling interest between the businesses carried on by those people. One of the ways in which a controlling interest can be established is where a person is the beneficiary of more than 50% of the value of the interest in a trust. However, the law does not clearly define how to determine when a person is a beneficiary in respect of more than 50% of the interests in a trust, as a beneficiary may only be entitled to the capital or income of a trust, rather than both.
Accordingly, the bill proposes to clarify that a person has, or persons together have, a controlling interest in a business carried on under a trust where they are beneficiaries in respect of more than 50% of the capital of the trust, or more than 50% of the income of the trust. This treatment accords with that already given to partnerships under the grouping provisions. Minor administrative changes are also proposed to the Pay-roll Tax Act to ensure consistency in the way that the general exemption is calculated for single employers and for payroll tax groups that commenced or ceased to pay wages part-way through a financial year, and remove an unnecessary compliance cost by allowing employers to claim the general exemption without having to advise the Commissioner of Taxes. All of the changes proposed in the bill commence on 1 July 2004, other than the increase in payroll tax-free threshold to $1m, which is set to commence 1 July 2005.
I now turn to the Debits Tax Amendment Bill. In the Territory, debits tax currently raises over $6m each year. As I announced on 26 March 2004, the Territory has joined with all states in agreeing to abolish this tax as part of national tax reform. This follows the abolition of financial institutions duty, stamp duty on quoted marketable securities, and tourism marketing duty in recent years - also as part of national tax reform.
These taxes raised in excess of $20m a year, which is no longer payable by Territory businesses and householders. The bill proposes to cease the collection of debits tax from 1 July 2005. To facilitate this, the bill ensures that no liability will arise in respect of a debit made to an account held with a financial institution on or after 1 July 2005. In addition, the bill proposes amendments to ensure that financial institutions will no longer be required to lodge returns in respect of debits that occur after 1 July 2005. However, to provide for the continued administration of past debits tax liabilities, investigations powers, record keeping requirements, assessment, objection and appeal provisions, and other supporting administrative powers will be retained past 1 July 2005.
I now turn to the Taxation (Administration) Amendment Bill 2004 and the Stamp Duty Amendment Bill (No 2) 2004. The government is committed to doing what it can to assist business and to provide appropriate tax exemptions. In recognition of this, the bills propose to extend an existing stamp duty exemption that applies to conveyances from a retiring trustee to a newly appointed trustee, to include the conveyance of property arising solely from the addition of a new trustee to a trust. This amendment makes the Territory consistent with most other jurisdictions and is proposed to commence from 1 July 2004.
Where a statute operates such that property of one entity vests in another, conveyance stamp duty is payable. It is recognised, however, that it is not always appropriate for stamp duty to be paid in relation to such a statutory vesting. Accordingly, the bills propose to introduce exemptions from stamp duty where a vesting occurs only because of the incorporation of an association where property held by a person on behalf of the association vests in the association under the Associations Act; death of a person where their property vests in the executor or the administrator of his or her estate under the Administration Probate Act; or establishment or variation to the area of a community government council pursuant to the Local Government Act whereby property that was owned by a council previously governing an area vests in the community government council. It is proposed that these exemptions take affect from 1 July 2004.
I am disappointed to say four anti-avoidance measures are proposed by these bills as a direct result of actions of taxpayers and advisors that have highlighted weaknesses in the stamp duty law of the Territory, or of similar laws in another state. Each of these measures are necessary to maintain the integrity of the Territory stamp duty regime, and commence from 18 May 2004, being the date they were announced as part of the budget.
The first and second anti-avoidance measures relate to the land rich stamp duty provisions. These provisions provide a mechanism to cause the indirect transfer of land and mining tenements by way of an unlisted corporation or unit trust to be subject to stamp duty as if ownership of that property was transferred directly. A land rich corporation or trust is characterised by having land or mining tenements in the Territory with a value of $500 000 or more. The first measure rectifies a deficiency in the land rich provisions by ensuring that the land rich definition of ‘acquire’ is aligned with the treatment of direct conveyances. At present, conveyance stamp duty is payable on certain transactions relating to dutiable properties such as land and goodwill, and to marketable securities as if those transactions where conveyances of the dutiable property or marketable securities.
While the land rich provisions cover a wide range of circumstances that can result in a person obtaining an interest of 50% or more in a corporation or unit trust, the provisions have not kept up with legislative changes relating to direct conveyances. Accordingly, the bill proposes to bring the land rich provisions up to speed with direct conveyances, by ensuring that the following four types of transactions are acquisitions for the purposes of the land rich provision:
declarations of trust;
the addition of a beneficiary, or class of beneficiaries to a discretionary trust;
a change of, or in the control of, a trustee of the discretionary trust that occurs within
12 months of the change in control of the beneficiary of that trust; and
a statutory vesting.
The second measure clarifies the scope of an exception to the land rich provisions. At present, land rich stamp duty does not apply where property owned by a land rich entity could have been conveyed directly to the person acquiring an interest in the entity without incurring a conveyance stamp duty liability. The intent of this limitation is to ensure that land rich stamp duty is not payable where a direct change in ownership in land to which the land rich entity is entitled, would not have been subject to duty.
However, the concession can be mischievously interpreted to totally negate the operation of the land rich provision. The bill proposes to clarify that an acquisition in the land rich entity will not be subject to land rich duty, if the land in which the entity is entitled, either directly or through it subsidiaries, could be conveyed to the person making the acquisition without incurring conveyance stamp duty. All other states have adopted a similar approach to this issue.
However, it is recognised that this exception will not always be appropriate due to the existence of stamp duty exemptions or other provisions of the stamp duty legislation that should otherwise apply. These circumstances are where:
the conveyance of land might otherwise be exempted by the corporate reconstruction exemption.
Members will recall that this exemption was provided by this government to enable efficient restructure
of business; and
the acquisition in the land rich entity is made by way of declaration of trust, or addition of beneficiaries,
or the changing control of a discretionary trust. This is necessary to reduce avoidance opportunities.
The third anti-avoidance measure relates to compromises and arrangements available under the Commonwealth’s Corporations Act. At present, no stamp duty is payable on conveyances of dutiable property and marketable securities, including under the land rich provisions, made by companies pursuant to court approved compromises or arrangements under the Corporations Act. This concession was initially provided in recognition of the fact that the transfers of assets under compromises and arrangements were mostly only made with the company’s creditors to settle a debt. However, due to considerable corporations law reform, compromises and arrangements can now be used for numerous purposes, and are often used to facilitate company takeovers. As a consequence, the conveyance of assets resulting from a takeover effected by a compromise or arrangement can be made stamp duty free, whereas takeovers made using traditional means are subject to stamp duty.
The bills propose to remove this avoidance opportunity by limiting the stamp duty concessions, so that it only applies to court approve compromises, and arrangements under the Commonwealth Corporations Act that the Commissioner of Taxes is satisfied are not made for the purpose of avoiding tax, and are made with the corporation’s creditors, or a class of creditors.
The fourth and final anti-avoidance measure proposed in the bills relates to the stamp duty change of trustee exemption. It is proposed to limit this exemption so that it only applies where the property being conveyed was acquired by the retiring or existing trustee by virtue of an instrument for which stamp duty has been paid, exempted from duty, or was not otherwise subject to duty. The amendment is necessary following a Victorian court decision that related to a stamp duty avoidance scheme which successfully exploited that state’s equivalent exemption. If the amendment is not made, similar schemes have the potential to seriously erode the stamp duty revenue base.
The bills also propose to rectify an inequity in the land rich provisions. Before determining the amount of land rich stamp duty payable, credits are provided for any marketable securities duty paid; duty paid on earlier acquisitions; and for interest acquired where a corporation is quoted on a stock exchange or when a unit trust is not a private unit trust.
Land rich duty is also not payable in relation to an interest acquired by an exempt corporate reconstruction. However, if a further interest is acquired, after a corporate group is reconstructed, land rich duty may become payable on the total interest acquired including the previously exempted acquisition. To ensure that the original corporate reconstruction exemption is maintained, the bills propose that, with effect from 1 July 2004, a duty credit be provided for an acquisition that has been exempted from land rich stamp duty under the corporate reconstruction provisions.
Finally, the bills also propose to make minor changes to the definition of the term ‘tax avoidance scheme’ in order to reflect the introduction of anti-avoidance provisions as part of this and previous budgets. These changes are to take effect from 18 May 2004, being the date of the budget announcement.
I turn not to the last of the bills proposing changes to the Territory’s revenue regime, being the Mineral Royalty Amendment Bill. The bill proposes two minor amendments to the Mineral Royalty Act. Presently, this act uses inconsistent terminology to describe what is available for inspection by a person authorised under that act. In particular, references are made to ‘records and documents’. For consistency, the bill replaces all references to the term ‘records’ in the act with the term ‘documents’.
The capital recognition deduction, or CRD, is an allowance provided to mines for capital investments such as infrastructure and plant and equipment. A royalty payer uses capital recognition deduction to legitimately reduce the amount of royalty payable by them. CRD incorporates an interest rate factor that I set as the Treasurer in my capacity as the minister responsible for administering the act. This interest rate factor is derived from long-term Commonwealth securities. The bill proposes to transfer the responsibility for setting the CRD interest rate factor from the Treasurer to the Secretary under the act, which is presently the Under Treasurer. This will provide for more efficient administration of mineral royalties and the Secretary will remain accountable to the Treasurer.
Madam Speaker, I commend these bills to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bill is to amend the Petroleum Act in response to the recommendations made and the report that was prepared following the competition review of the act. The review was conducted in accordance with the National Competition Principle Agreement. Fourteen recommendations were made in the report, of which eight have already been acted upon. They have now been implemented. They were included as amendments in the Petroleum Amendment Act 2003. These amendments have already been passed and have commenced.
Of the remaining six recommendations made in the competition report, it was found necessary to give further consideration to the possible implications for the administration of the act before making a decision on implementation. After due consideration, it has been found that these remaining recommendations would be best implemented by making further amendments to the act. The amendments to the bill are relatively minor, but I am confident will contribute to clarifying the administration of the act. The changes are best summarised in the following manner.
An objects clause has been inserted in the act. The principal objective of the act is stated as providing a legal framework within which persons are encouraged to undertake effective petroleum exploration and production. The supporting objectives are intended to clarify the role and function of the act. The existing section 3 of the act with reference to Schedule 3 is to be repealed as it is considered to be no longer necessary and its place substituted with a new objects clause.
Some very minor changes to the procedures have been made that apply to ‘dealing’ in blocks under a ‘reserve and release’ program. The amendments require the introduction of a closing date for the lodgement of applications for an exploration permit over the reserve blocks. In the future, the date of lodgement of an application for reserve blocks will take on significance to all explorers in circumstances where two or more eligible competing applications are lodged over the same area and are tied.
Usually, negotiations between the parties are encouraged in an effort to resolve the impasse, possibly through the parties entering into a sharing agreement or the formation of a joint venture company. These types of initiatives will continue to be encouraged, but, as a last resort, the date of lodgement will be used to break any deadlock. In the absence of a negotiated agreement between the parties, the grant will be determined on the basis of the first eligible application lodged. Every attempt is made to negotiate an outcome between tied eligible applications for exploration permits, whether they occur as part of a ‘reserve and release’ program or over ‘open acreage’.
The bill defines additional terms that have to be used in the act such as ‘competing applications’, ‘eligible applicant’, ‘negotiated agreements’, etcetera.
The bill repeals and substitutes the existing sections 20 and 21 of the act. These sections set out the procedures used in making a determination on the grant or refusal of an exploration permit. The opportunity has been taken to clarify and expand the procedures covering all decisions that may arise in the process of granting or refusal to grant a petroleum exploration permit. The minister shall in future be required to publicly release the guidelines that are used in the assessment of an application for an exploration permit. These are being made freely available to the public. The most likely source is through the Internet and published on the web page of DBIRD. This web page already contains much useful information that is helpful for the petroleum industry. While it is common practice followed by the department, in future, written reasons must be provided for the refusal of an application, whether for a permit, retention or production licences or renewals. At the same time, the unsuccessful applicant must be advised of their right to have the decision to refuse an application reviewed. This change will enhance the administrative transparency.
The introduction of a new Division 6 gives a ‘right of review’ for all refused applications, whether for the grant or review of an application or exploration permit, the grant or renewal of an retention licence, or the grant or renewal of a production licence. This new right of review will be conducted by an appointed panel and be accessible to all unsuccessful applicants, where they remain dissatisfied with the outcome of their application, even after having been provided with written reasons for the refusal at the time of being advised of the refusal. Any unsuccessful applicant may request a review of the decision. These changes will provide unsuccessful applicants with a convenient right of review. This change will strengthen confidence in the administration of the act. The introduction of this review process of the act will not interfere with any rights of appeal to the court system arising over a disputed title, although its existence and ease of access to unsuccessful applicants may reduce the need for any court action in the future.
Finally, there are transitional arrangements that form a new schedule to the act. The amended procedures will apply to all applications that have been submitted and are under active consideration prior to the commencement, or where a final decision has been made but the applicant has not yet been advised of the outcome.
Madam Speaker, as previously indicated, these particular amendments represent the remaining recommendations of the competition review of the Petroleum Act that are required to be implemented. It is a priority that these remaining recommendations be implemented immediately so that the Northern Territory is assured of meeting its obligations under the terms of the National Competition Agreement. The amendments in this bill will provide for greater administrative efficiencies and transparency in the administration of the Petroleum Act, and will be to the mutual benefit of petroleum explorers and producers and the general community. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
As a consequence of the reorganisation of the public sector in November 2001, Administrative Arrangements Orders state that the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment is the responsible agency for the management of the area of government known as the management of Parks and Reserves and Wildlife Management. This has led to potential governance issues as the department’s responsibilities clashed with many of the formal functions and powers of the Parks and Wildlife Commission.
The commission is established under the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act. Sections 19 and 20 of the act provide that the commission has various functions and powers concerning the conservation and protection of the environment, including the management of parks and reserves and the enforcement of provisions of the act. The formal powers, functions and responsibilities of the commission have become redundant as a consequence of the reorganisation of the public sector. Currently, the members of the commission operate in an advisory capacity, given that the commission is no longer an agency for the purposes of the Administrative Arrangements Order.
These amendments to the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act have been prepared as an interim measure. It is the intention of government to undertake a more comprehensive review of the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act as well as the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act and consequential amendments to other legislation, following the conclusion of negotiations between the government and land councils concerning the settlement of outstanding Aboriginal land claims over Territory parks and reserves.
The Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act was introduced in November 2003 to address those negotiations. As an interim measure, these amendments do not dissolve the Parks and Wildlife Commission; they reconstitute it in a way in which the chief executive of the department is responsible for administering the act and, in effect, becomes a commission. Advice from the Department of Justice indicates that this is the most simple and effective manner of introducing the required changes and is a model that currently exists within the Department of Employment, Education and Training whereby the Chief Executive Officer of DEET is the Work Health Authority. A similar model exists in the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs where the Chief Executive Officer of the department is the Housing Commission.
I add that the amendments will ensure that an appropriate level of community involvement is maintained in decision-making processes of government by establishing a Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council. The council will be established by the minister and will advise the commission on matters concerning the management of parks and wildlife. The council will consist of members with specialist expertise in conservation and park management, and will include representation from indigenous interests, the tourism industry, pastoral industry and other relevant interest groups. This interim model will enable the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service to continue to operate within the corporate governance of the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, and will ensure that the relevant interest groups and stakeholders, through the establishment of a Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council, are involved in the management and conservation of the Territory’s outstanding natural resources.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
For over 500 years, different national agencies around the world have been collecting, recording and making available the published cultural and intellectual heritage of nations through a customary obligation known as legal deposit. In more recent times, legal deposit has become a statutory provision which obliges publishers to deposit copies of their publications in libraries in the country of publication. In Australia, under the Commonwealth’s Copyright Act 1968, and various state acts, a copy of any work published must be deposited with the National Library of Australia and the appropriate state library. Under legal deposit legislation, the National Library and other state libraries assume an obligation to collect, store, preserve and provide access to all material lodged with them, with the exception of Western Australia where replacement legislation is before parliament.
The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction that does not currently have this type of legislation. Legal deposit for the Northern Territory is becoming an increasingly important and complex public policy issue. It is vital for the long-term maintenance of equitable access to information for Territorians. It is also essential that legal deposit is based on legislative grounds. Without a statutory obligation, the development and preservation of a Northern Territory collection of published material would not be complete. Legal deposit for the Northern Territory will ensure that the works of local Territory authors and publishers will survive for the use of future generations of Territorians. Moreover, the comprehensive collection of Territory publications formed in this way will provide a much improved and more extensive means for research into all aspects of Territory life and culture, embracing history, literature, art, public administration, business, commerce, technological and scientific endeavour.
Legal deposit will benefit the Northern Territory by providing Territorians, for the first time, with complete access to the published intellectual record of the Northern Territory’s economic, social, cultural, scientific and educational activities. It has always been a primary responsibility of the Northern Territory Library to provide for the long-term preservation of, and access to, the Northern Territory’s documentary heritage. However, the Northern Territory Library has had to rely on voluntary deposit and direct purchase to develop its collection of Northern Territory publications housed in the Northern Territory collection. Statistics kept by the National Library of Australia, indicate that without legal deposit, the Northern Territory Library is receiving only 62% of the Northern Territory publishing output, with its current reliance on purchase and voluntary deposit.
The lack of legal deposit is therefore disadvantaging Territorians because the Northern Territory Library has not been able to develop a comprehensive Northern Territory collection equivalent to the documentary heritage collections of the Commonwealth and states, where legal deposit legislation applies. The publishing industry in the Northern Territory comprises the Northern Territory government; academic organisations, such as the Charles Darwin University; local government authorities; non-government organisations, such as the Institute for Aboriginal Development; the Historical Society of the Northern Territory; independent publishers; self-published writers; newspaper and serial publishers; and audio and video publishers such as the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association and Burundi Pictures.
Northern Territory publishers already provide the National Library of Australia with publications under the Commonwealth legal deposit legislation. This bill will not be onerous on the publishing industry and will provide the benefit that there is statutory consistency. There are also a growing number of electronic publishers with the Northern Territory government publishing, by far, the greatest volume of electronic data. Legal deposit legislation in Australia has historically covered print materials with the Commonwealth having to consider, and some of the states already having to amend, legislation to include audio, visual and electronic material. However, this bill breaks new ground, recognising that a significant part of the Territory’s information is now being published in digital form via the Internet. It is vital that these publications are collected and made accessible for future generations.
The advent of powerful new information technologies as a means of publication makes it imperative for legal deposit legislation to ensure that its original objectives are maintained. Even if the media or the information carriers change, the need to record, preserve and make available the content of the material deposited remains. This is particularly relevant given the emphasis being placed on providing advanced communications infrastructure to indigenous and other rural and remote communities. The role of web publishing and the provision of government information is also significant. Hence, this bill is unique in proposing and defining legal deposit legislation for the Northern Territory, in terms of physical and digital format.
The bill includes definitions of the terms, ‘document’, ‘publication’ and ‘publisher’ and requires that publishers of physical publications deposit copies with the Northern Territory Library. Further, it also requires that publishers of Internet publications for which no physical version is published, advise the Northern Territory Library of the uniform resource identifier on the publisher’s web site. The challenge of depositing dynamic electronic publications, which are live and therefore change moment by moment, will be met by ensuring access to deposited web sites are in real time and reflect the latest changes.
The definition of materials to be deposited under this act is very broad. I have already referred to this legal deposit legislation extending to government, local government, commercial agencies and private individuals. It also extends to the growing arena of Territory relevant self and vanity publishing with respect to clubs, churches, societies and a range of community organisations. This is particularly so with the advance of new technology and desktop publication. Any document related to the heritage of the Northern Territory used to be collected regardless of length, format and medium. Concerns have been expressed that the definition of ‘documents’ in the bill is too broad and may attract a surplus of material of little value or relevance. However, to further prescribe exemptions to the bill will decrease the possibility of gaining a full and relevant collection.
Items deposited under legal deposit will be subject to the Northern Territory Library’s Collection Development Policy for eventual lodgement in the Northern Territory Collection. Publications which assist a visual and written record of Northern Territory society are necessary to protect the Northern Territory’s social and cultural heritage.
This new legislation will complement the Information Act 2002 by ensuring guaranteed access to all government documents published in the Northern Territory. The development of a national deposit collection of published material in its broadest sense has to rely on a legislative foundation in order to ensure that all publishers will comply. Current voluntary arrangements in the Northern Territory are jeopardising the completeness of Northern Territory collections.
The intention of this bill is industry-focussed and is a cooperative and consensual approach to ensuring a complete Territory collection. The bill is not intended to be trivial or punitive, and deposit will be encouraged rather than a penalty imposed. The purpose of regulating legal deposit is to encourage compliance rather than pursue offenders.
Legal deposit legislation is in place in Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and in the United States. Most countries rely on a legal instrument of some sort in order to ensure the comprehensiveness of collections. UNESCO recently noted that a well organised legal deposit scheme is considered as an essential element of any national public policy of freedom of expression and access to information. Legal deposit legislation is also a means to comply with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which gives everyone the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.
The legislation exempts from deposit certain types of spatial data and publications containing culturally sensitive information. However, the legislation does not prevent a publisher from depositing a publication with culturally sensitive information for preservation and safe keeping. The Northern Territory Library will ensure that restrictions to access to legally deposited publications for commercial and other grounds are observed.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bill is to standardise Northern Territory legislation with the agreed model clauses for national training registration and accreditation. The Australian National Training Authority Ministerial Council, which included the Territory Minister for Employment, Education and Training, agreed to the model clauses at its meeting in November 2002. The bill will enact the model clauses and ensure that standards established through the Australian quality training framework are uniform, reciprocal and legally enforceable.
The bill is the Territory’s contribution to an Australia-wide process of ensuring that nationally consistent quality vocational education and training standards are in place. The purpose of this is to ensure that public confidence in the vocational education and training sector is strengthened, and that users of the system can be confident that the vocational education training they receive, and the training organisation they attend, have been approved and registered through uniform, rigorous standards, whether that training has been undertaken in the Territory or another state.
The model clauses will be enacted in the proposed legislation through a new part 4 to the Northern Territory Employment and Training Act. In Division 2 of the new part, the national register is identified as the Australian National Training Authority Service, and confirms that a matter is registered once the details are entered in the register by the Northern Territory, another state or territory, or ANTA.
Division 3, subdivision 2 provides that a person may apply to the Northern Territory Employment and Training Authority for registration as a training organisation and the services they may be registered to provide. This part also identifies the issues the authority must consider and the processes to be followed when determining whether to grant or refuse to grant registration as a training organisation.
Subdivision 3 empowers the authority to conduct audits of registered training organisations for compliance with the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards, and includes the guidelines for when the training organisation is being registered by another jurisdiction.
Subdivision 4 provides the guidelines that allow the authority to conduct functions on behalf of another registering body, and provides that the authority may disclose information to another registering body for the purposes of registration or compliance audit.
Division 4, subdivision 1 of the proposed act creates an offence of falsely claiming to provide an accredited course unless that course is accredited. Subdivision 2 provides that a person may apply to the authority to accredit a course if the copyright holder of the course resides or conducts most of its business in the Northern Territory. This part also identifies the issues the authority must consider and the procedures to be followed when determining to grant or refuse accreditation.
Division 5 of the proposed act provides guidelines by which a person affected by a decision made by a delegate of the authority may have the decision reviewed. This section also provides for a person affected by a decision made by the authority himself to request the tribunal to conduct an inquiry into the decision.
Division 6 of the proposed act allows the authority to appoint authorised officers and provides the guidelines for the functions the authorised officers are permitted to perform. This section also creates an offence for a person to obstruct or hinder an authorised officer from exercising their powers. This part also creates an offence if an authorised officer does not return their identity card after ceasing as an authorised officer.
Clause 6 of the bill makes amendments to section 101 of the principal act, as well as conferring power to make regulations augmenting Part 4. Clause 7 repeals section 102 of the principal act. Clause 8 repeals the schedule to the principal act and lists the reviewable decisions and the persons affected by those decisions. Clause 9 identifies further amendments of a housekeeping nature to the principal act. Clause 10 provides for transitional provisions to continue registered training organisations and accredited courses registered prior to commencement of this act.
The bill provides consistent standards for vocational education and training in the Northern Territory and across Australia. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent three bills, the Soccer Football Pools Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 223), Gaming Control Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 224), and Gaming Machine Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 225) –
(a) being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively,
the second readings; the Committee’s report stage; and the third readings of the bills together; and
(b) the consideration of the bills separately in the Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to.
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bills is to amend the Gaming Control Act, Gaming Machine Act, and Soccer Football Pools Act following the National Competition Policy, or NCP, review of the Territory’s gaming legislation. Given the legislation was examined as a package and the amendments are all in the context of that NCP review, it is my intention to introduce the amending legislation together as cognate bills.
The amendments presented today address key recommendations requiring legislative change. Some of the review’s recommendations propose further legislative change, but those have been deferred because they form part of a broader change to gambling legislation as a whole. Specifically, the deferred aspects relate to recommendations dealing with a new, integrated legislative framework that incorporates licensing and operations of the industry on the one hand, and gambling control on the other. Also deferred are recommendations to make the term of all future gaming licences indefinite and to prescribe operational licence conditions that are currently contained in agreements. All these deferred matters require detailed consideration of associated issues before further effective legislation amendment can be contemplated.
As you would be aware from the introduction of earlier legislative amendments following similar reviews, the NCP review of gaming was undertaken in accordance with government commitments contained in the competition principles agreement to examine and remove anti-competitive requirements or restrictions that cannot be justified on a public benefit basis. The overall purpose of the review was to identify anti-competitive restrictions and undertake reforms that would enable the gaming industry to operate in an environment as free from unnecessary restrictions as possible, while ensuring the integrity of industry participants and ensuring industry regulation upholds the aims of harm minimisation and the amenity of community life.
An extensive public consultation program which directly canvassed the views of all identified stakeholders was conducted. An issues paper covering relevant legislative provisions was circulated. The paper gave a detailed overview of the legislation, as well as a preliminary assessment of potential restrictions that had been identified. The issues paper sought responses on a number of suggested amendments and invited comment on the full spectrum of legislative provisions involved, including objectives of the legislation; the regulatory framework; licensing structures; community benefit or amenity; responsible gambling and problem gambling; costs on business; key employee licensing; minor lotteries; and advertising and promotion.
The submissions contained a variety of views from which the following recommendations, based on competition principles, were developed. The review found that the strong and prescriptive regulatory approach taken toward the gaming industry is justified, and restrictions are generally in the public interest. Strong and prescriptive regulation is justified because it addresses concerns about the ability of gaming operators to control the operation of activities, and the ability of gaming operators to control information which could result in biased outcomes in favour of operators. The approach also addresses concerns about the potentially addictive nature of gaming activity. A firm regulatory regime is considered the most effective way to achieve and maintain the required standards of probity, consumer protection, business viability and consumer access.
I thank the following organisations which made submissions to the review: Australian Hotels Association, Lasseter’s Hotel Casino, MGM Grand Casino, NT TAB Pty Ltd, St Mary’s Football Club and Tattersall’s.
I turn now to the proposed amendments dealing first with the common amendments being introduced to the Gaming Control Act, the Gaming Machine Act and, where applicable, the Soccer Football Pools Act.
Objectives of the act: the bills propose inclusion of a common objects section. The reason for this is to make clear the purpose of each act, namely to ensure probity and integrity in gaming and to reduce the adverse social impact of gaming in the Territory. As the NCP Review noted, an important contemporary social objective of gambling regulation is to promote problem gambling remedies and responsible gaming practises.
The Productivity Commission, in the 1990 report into Australia’s gambling industries, found that the two objectives providing the strongest rationale for special gaming policies are to ensure the probity of gambling and to reduce its adverse social impacts. Accordingly, in proposing to insert an object section into the Gaming Control Act, the Gaming Machine Act and the Soccer Football Pools Act, prominence is given to the probity and integrity of the industry and persons engaged in the industry, and to reduce the impact of problem gaming activities. The proposed objects are: to promote probity and integrity in gaming; to maintain the probity and integrity of persons engaged in gaming in the Territory; to promote fairness, integrity and efficiency in the operations of persons engaged in gaming in the Territory; to reduce the adverse social impact of gaming; and to promote a balanced contribution by the gaming industry to general community benefit and amenity.
Regulatory directions: the NCP Review noted that the nature of the industry has an inherent risk of criminal exploitation of gaming activity. An effective regulatory framework is an essential element to protect against such infiltration. It is important that regulation against such infiltration is not overly protective against new initiatives. Thus, a new section is introduced into the Gaming Control Act and the Gaming Machine Act stipulating the following principles as the basis for regulating the industry: minimum regulatory intervention by government; maximum cooperation between industry and government; performance-based risk management controls; proactive and competitive industry positioning; long-term viability of the industry; and a balanced approach to problem gambling.
These regulatory principles will serve as a guide and point of reference for the Director of Licensing and the Licensing Commission when making decisions relating to the legislation. As situations arise, the basic elements will be considered as part of the decision-making process where appropriate. The principles are intended to be applied in an appropriate manner and provide the flexibility required to address changes that will occur in this rapidly developing industry.
Standard probity requirements: currently there are some inconsistencies in probity requirements and checking procedures that apply to the different gaming activities covered within the Gaming Control Act. The probity requirements for gaming machines and soccer football pools application also differ. The NCP Review recommended the adoption of uniform probity requirements and checking procedures for all types of gaming operations. To achieve this, the bill has introduced a set of uniform probity criteria to be applied across all gaming activities. The probity criteria are similar to the high level investigation applied to applicants for casino licensees under the Gaming Control Act.
The Gaming Control Act, the Gaming Machine Act and the Soccer Football Pools Act are amended to ensure that when determining a gaming licence application, regardless of whether it is to upgrade a casino or to operate a couple of gaming machines, there must be regard as to whether the applicant is of good repute; is of sound and stable financial background; has or has arranged satisfactory ownership, trust or company structure; is able to obtain financial resources that are adequate to ensure the financial viability of the proposed business; and has sufficient business ability. Further, consideration is to be given to whether any associate director, partner, trustee, executive officer, secretary and any another officer or person determined to be connected with the ownership, administration or management of the business is of good repute.
In addition, provisions enabling the minister to undertake investigations, negotiate an operating agreement, or for amending an existing agreement, are to be applied consistently to all the major licenses issued under the Gaming Control Act.
Refund of application fees: an application fee was introduced for gaming licences to recover the cost of processing the application, including the cost of undertaking the necessary probity checks, and assessing the applicant’s proposed activity. As it currently stands, once an application for a gaming licence is lodged the accompanying fee for the application can only be refunded if the minister refuses to consider the application, or the application is withdrawn before the minister considers it. The bills propose to give the minister absolute discretion in deciding whether or not to refund the application fee. This allows the minister to decide whether or not to refund the application fee in part or in full, taking into account the costs incurred to the point of refund.
Secrecy: neither the Gaming Control Act nor the Gaming Machine Act currently allow for full disclosure of some Territory industry activity to other states and territories, New Zealand, or other international agencies. This is a shortcoming in light of the international nature of gambling and particularly on-line gaming. The amendments seek to address this by expanding the secrecy sections and allowing information relating to a licensee to be disclosed to a person employed to regulate the operation of casinos or gaming in another country.
Codes of Practice: for many people, gambling is an enjoyable recreational activity. For some, gambling can have a negative impact on their lives and families. In April 2003, the government launched a responsible gambling code of practice, developed in partnership between government, the Licensing Commission, the gambling industry and gambling intervention services. The code aims to ensure responsible gambling in the community and ensure that gambling industry staff have the skills to identify and help problem gamblers. This example of co-regulation is being trialled on a voluntary basis during 2004. The bills propose to introduce provisions to enable the code of practice to be formalised and ensure that all licensed gaming operators adhere to the requirements of the code. The new provision enables the minister to approve a code of practice by gazettal notice. The new provisions also provide sanctions for non-compliance with the codes for a monetary penalties of up to $10 000.
Madam Speaker, I now turn to amendments specific to the Gaming Control Act:
Right of Entry to Casino: clause 8 of the bill amends the Gaming Control Act by removing the cumbersome provision that currently requires the Commissioner of Police to seek approval from the Director of Licensing to exclude an individual from a casino. The amendment only requires the Commission of Police to notify the Director of Licensing of any such direction given. The amendment is consistent with the national approach taken to casino exclusion.
Territory lotteries: clause 14 of the Gaming Control Amendment Bill proposes to delete Part 4 Division 3 of the Gaming Control Act which covers Territory-run and Territory-sponsored lotteries. Although this was not a recommendation arising from the NCP Review, the division was identified during the drafting process to be redundant. It should be deleted since government is no longer involved in sponsoring or operating lotteries.
Regulations - licensing of key employees: the NCP Review Report noted there a variety of legislative provisions covering different types of licensing for gaming industry employees across areas such as casinos, Internet gaming and community gaming. Currently, matters relating to the licensing of employees in casinos are prescribed in regulations. There is no provision for the licensing of employees of other operators licensed under the Gaming Control Act. Clause 19 of the bill proposes to amend section 80 of the Gaming Control Act to enable regulations applying to the licensing of casino employees to be prescribed for employees of other gaming operators licensed under the act.
That concludes the proposed amendments to the Gaming Control Act.
I turn now to amendments specific to the Gaming Machine Act.
Definitions: clause 5 of the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill proposes to amend the definition of ‘club liquor licence’ and ‘hotel liquor licence’ for the purpose of the Gaming Machine Act. The existing definition is no longer current as it refers to section 35(1) of the Liquor Act, which was recently repealed as part of an NCP-related amendment to the act.
Furthermore, amendment of the ‘hotel liquor licence’ definition is necessary to remove a restrictive condition in the Gaming Machine Act. It currently prevents hotels that are not licensed to sell takeaway liquor from applying for a gaming machine licence. The NCP review noted that this requirement presented a clear detriment to some other licensed liquor operators without any discernible public benefit to justify the practice. But for the measures outlined later, a removal of the takeaway condition could potentially enable everyone who holds a liquor licence to apply for a gaming machine. It is necessary to make clear the government does not want to see a proliferation of community gaming machines. Community gaming machines are a form of entertainment we associate with clubs and venues where the primary activity of the venue is the sale and consumption of liquor on the premises rather than outlets such as corner shops or restaurants.
Although the Licensing Commission has several working categories of liquor licence for administrative, analytical and reporting purposes, the Liquor Act does not currently provide any clear distinction between a pub, club, store or restaurant liquor licence. To protect against ‘machine creep’ into venues outside those that the Territory now accepts and considers appropriate, a club liquor licence and hotel liquor licence need to be specifically defined for the purposes of the Gaming Machine Act.
The bill proposes to define a hotel liquor licence as a liquor licence where the primary activity of the premises for which a liquor licence applies authorises the sale and consumption of liquor on those premises. The primary activity test provides scope for the Licensing Commission to apply judgment when determining whether or not an applicant is eligible to apply for a gaming machine licence. For example, it is clear from the definition that a store or a liquor merchant would not be eligible for a gaming machine licence, however, certain restaurants or an accommodation provider with a liquor licence might require further examination to determine their eligibility. A club liquor licence is to be defined as a liquor licence which authorises the sale of liquor by a body corporate for consumption on or at the licensed premises by a member of the body corporate or by a visitor in the presence of a member.
Consideration of application: in addition to stipulating the standard probity requirements that were discussed earlier, clause 8 of the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill seeks to address the issue of capping the number of gaming machines in the community and accounting for community interest when a licence application is being considered. The NCP Review recommended that a community gaming machine global cap be fully defined in regulatory provisions and that a public appeal mechanism for issuing gaming licences be introduced to augment the public scrutiny of industry participants and elevate transparency. There is currently no formal enforceable limit on the number of community gaming machines allowed. Consideration was given formalising a relative cap that is linked to a per capita base density rate with reference to the national population and national community gaming machine numbers. However, formalising this relative approach is problematic for two reasons: fundamentally, it sets a benchmark for the Territory based on some factors, such as national population and machine numbers, that are out of the Territory’s control; more critically, various jurisdictions are now reducing the numbers of machines, and a nationally based per capita density threshold could lead to the Territory being forced to remove machines, even if local circumstances give no cause for this to occur.
Furthermore, having an absolute number as the global cap is also impractical as changing circumstances are likely to demand continual revision so the limit remains relevant. It also tests the boundaries of competition principles as it can act as a barrier to prevent new operators entering the market. Without any benchmark or other mechanism to keep machine numbers in check, there could be an unfettered explosion in the number of gaming machines operating throughout the community.
Because of the real and potential costs such access can have on members of our community, this cannot be tolerated. Given the problems associated with prescribing a global limit, a more considered approach is proposed. It requires the Licensing Commission to have regard to the following factors when determining new licence applications:
the suitability of the premises to which the application relates having regard to the nature of the primary
activity of the premises;
the suitability of the location, size and type of the premises to which the application relates with attention to
the population of the local area, its proximity to other gaming venues and to other sensitive features such as
schools, shopping centres, other community congregation facilities, welfare agencies, banks and pawn brokers;
the appropriateness of the applicant’s problem gambling risk management and responsible gambling strategies; and
the economic impact of the proposal including contribution to the community, employment creation and significance
for tourism.
This approach is favoured as it is the most responsive to the local community circumstances, it is practical and is consistent with National Competition principles. As the interpretation of these criteria will be against the new objects of the act which clearly target adverse social impacts, this approach allows the merits of each application to be judged by the commission within a clear framework of minimising harm.
At present, the Licensing Commission may only reject applications on the basis of probity criteria. This amendment provides additional criteria for the Licensing Commission to assess the appropriateness of allowing additional machines into the community – an avenue that is based more on social dimensions of gaming and the potential for harm that exists for individuals, families and the broader community. An application may be rejected if it is deemed to be unsuitable in the primary nature of the business, or the size or location of the proposed premises. For example, if a proposal was within proximity of other licensed venues and the granting of the licence would lead to an unacceptable increase in the local machine density, that application would be refused. Accumulated research from interstate and elsewhere, and the Productivity Commission Report on Gambling, has found the density of gaming machines to be one of the strongest indicators of problem gambling. A greater geographical concentration or availability of gaming machines is associated with greater gambling losses and a higher prevalence of problem gambling.
Similarly, if the proposal does not outline advantages to the community, or has no clear strategies for minimising problem gambling, or ensuring responsible practices, then these too can be grounds for the Licensing Commission to reject an application. It would be expected that harm minimisation strategies would reflect agreed codes of practice and other compelling evidence about the best measures to apply.
The Licensing Commission is representative of the community and will have to reflect on the interests of the general community when assessing gaming machine licence applications against the prescribed criteria. Moreover, it will have to examine those criteria within the context of the objects of the Gaming Machine Act. The application will not be subject to any formal hearing process, which could be costly and time consuming for the small business operator.
Changes to the definition of who may apply for a gaming machine licence and not making a global cap explicit runs the risks of operators in non-traditional venues applying for licences and an expansion of applications that could result in a proliferation of machines in acceptable venues but in concentrations beyond what the community is willing to tolerate or accept. The introduction of these new criteria provides a filtering mechanism to protect against either of these eventualities.
Community contribution by clubs: clause 9 of the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill proposes to strengthen the current provision relating to the community benefit contributions made by club licensees. At present, hoteliers who operate gaming machines are required to pay 10% of gaming machine gross profits to the Community Benefit Fund. There is currently no specific requirement stating that a club licensee has to make any contribution and, to date, different clubs have made contributions of varying quality and amounts, both in monetary and non-monetary form.
The bill introduces provisions that clearly specify a club licensee is expected to make a community benefit contribution and that the minister can issue directions in relation to how the community benefit contribution is to be calculated; the type and nature of contributions that are of benefit to the community; the reporting, accountability and acquittal process that a licensee must use; the minimum rate of contribution and other relevant matters.
Cancellation, suspension, etcetera of gaming machine licences: up to now, the financial capacity of a licensee is assessed only at the application stage. Once a licence has been issued, there is no mechanism for the review of a licensee’s ongoing financial capacity to meet payouts and other financial obligations. As a player protection measure, clause 11 of the bill amends section 49 of the act by adding another criterion that the Licensing Commission can use to determine the ongoing suitability of a licensee and, if necessary, take action before players are affected.
Consideration of application: the NCP Review report noted that there are a variety of legislative provisions covering different types of licensing for certain gaming industry employees across areas such as casinos, Internet gaming and community gaming. Clause 12 of the bill proposes to amend section 64 of the Gaming Machine Act to adopt the same licensing approach for gaming machine managers as that of casino employees.
Audit of accounts: the bill proposes to amend section 146 of the Gaming Machine Act which requires the licensee to prepare and lodge with the Director of Licensing and Audit an account of gaming activity. Audited accounts from each licensee serve no useful purpose and represent a duplication of effort, as the information is readily available through the gaming machine monitoring service provider, currently performed by Unitab Gaming. This amendment was not a specific consequence of the NCP Review, but legitimises the current practise of the Director of Licensing to relieve each licensee from the requirement to submit an audited account of gaming activity.
The amendment also seeks to make the financial information available more useful by requiring licensees to maintain general financial reports that deal with the operation as a whole. This information need only be provided on request rather than annually submitted. This will help the licensing authority identify any change in the financial viability of the licensee and, if necessary, refer the matter to the Licensing Commission for deliberation.
That completes the proposed amendments to the Gambling Machine Act.
I have previously covered the amendments to the Soccer Football Pools Act when discussing the common amendments that apply to all three acts. There are no further or specific changes to the Soccer Football Pools Act. This concludes all the amendments.
Madam Speaker, the bills that I have today introduced address key recommendations contained within the National Competition Policy review into gaming in the Northern Territory that require legislative attention. This action reaffirms the government’s commitment to National Competition Policy principles and the reform process. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 31 March 2004.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, both bills are supported. I compliment the Attorney-General on the second reading speech; it was very thorough.
No doubt many have said that these reforms are overdue. I am not sure that that is a universally held position. However, as a lawyer in a past life who did have recourse to these acts, I can attest to the fact that some parts of them were very difficult and cumbersome and, certainly, costly for some clients.
The bills are supported by a range of industries. We have contacted them. In particular, I have contacted the Law Society and spoke with members of the profession. I know my colleague, the member for Drysdale, has spoken with motor vehicle tradesmen and some other industry sectors, the details of which I cannot recall. However, between us we have extensively consulted about these bills and the consensus, although not universal, is that these bills are welcome and, on that basis, we support them.
As a lawyer, I will quietly lament the passing of the terms ‘bailee’ and ‘bailor’. However, that is not something that should trouble many other people in the Northern Territory.
Minister, thank you for these bills; they are supported.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her contribution and the opposition’s support of the bill. I am happy to be afforded the opportunity to support my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, in the introduction to the Uncollected Goods Bill 2004, and Uncollected Goods (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2004.
Last Tuesday, arguably, in the history of self-government, one of the best budgets for Territory small business was handed down. That this should occur does not surprise me. This government understands the place small business owner/operators occupy in our economy. We have, time and again, shown that we listen and act to create the environment where small business has the opportunity to flourish and grow: the record tax cuts, our cashed-up jobs and training strategies, which will build our skills base both in the urban and remote settings, our cashed-up record infrastructure allocations for projects such as the cruise ship terminal, the Mereenie Loop and Litchfield Loop roads, a new low security facility, headworks for Palmerston’s recreation centre, Katherine Cultural Precinct and the Darwin Soccer stadium, to mention just a few. The realistic adjustment to public liability insurance requirements from $10m to $500 000 are indicative of how this government recognises the role it has to play in creating a fertile environment for stimulating small business growth.
We in government have a solid record of meeting our election commitments, particularly where they have great benefit to all of our community. I believe creating an environment where more jobs can be created is one thing that we do well. I did a quick search the other day to get a feel of what else we have done as a government to help stimulate and support small business. I will just refer to a number of media advices dating from early last year which gives a good overview of some of our initiatives.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, before you continue, you are aware that we are doing the Uncollected Goods Bill?
Mr KIELY: I am, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Oh, you are.
Mr KIELY: Madam Speaker, if we have a look at the Uncollected Goods Bill now, we will see that it is in response to a need of small business. We do not just do bills willy-nilly; we act in response to a community need and this is what it is about.
Members interjecting.
Mr KIELY: Let us just go back to 20 February 2003. No, Madam Speaker, look, I will pick up on this. The other day we had to listen to the shadow minister for small business carry on about how they help and support small business and care about it. Well, they do not. They have a track record of not supporting small business, and let us just get that on record, shall we? This is from the Chief Minister, 20 February 2003:
Government initiative saves Territorians $2.4m.
Stamp duty cuts to home purchases and franchise renewal have already saved Territory families more
than $2.4m, the Chief Minister said today.
The two initiatives for home buyers were: increasing first home owner concession by raising the threshold
for stamp duty from $80 000 to $125 000 and increasing the maximum concession from $2096 to $3640.
A new rebate of $1500 on the purchase of a principle place of residence, that is not the first home, was
also introduced. ‘Since its introduction on 20 August 2002 through to 31 January 2003 there have been
872 beneficiaries of the home buyers stamp duty cuts, an average of $2280 per beneficiary,’ she said.
That’s a total of $1.99m in the pockets of Territory families, to spend in local shops, to furnish their homes,
to educate their children, to generate more work and jobs for Territorians. This budget initiative has already
shown concrete results with the Territory Construction Association saying at the time, this budget is ‘very
much a construction budget’ …
Well, how is that? This is what this government is about; creating the environment for small business owners and operators.
One that this government is particularly proud of, and one that I am, and one, Madam Speaker, that you helped influence might I say, is franchisees.
…bookstores, food outlets and photo stores make up a significant proportion of our small business and employ
many Territorians. As a result of this government’s budget initiative, franchisees have saved a total of $440 000
that would have been paid in stamp duty under the previous government. That is $440 000 in the pockets of
Territory business, helping them to grow and employ more Territorians.
And there is more. This is in May 2003:
New trade support scheme for Territory business.
The Territory government has allocated $330 000 from the 2003-04 Budget to export grants for Territory traders and
major new trade support scheme ... The Trade Support Scheme will support not only existing exporters and traders
to expand their markets, but will also offer guidance and support to help Territory businesses successfully enter new
trade markets ... The government has listened to the feedback from business and industry associations, and has
developed the Trade Support Scheme to give all businesses… assistance.
So, you have it there. We go on to say in this press release:
‘The Trade Development Zone concept only supported businesses which were located within its confines’,
Mr Henderson said. ‘This meant exporters in other parts of the Territory didn’t get support. This new scheme
opens things up for all and is welcome news for existing and potential exporters’.
So once again we are looking across the board. The minister went on to say:
Our trading future lies largely in Asia, and the Trade Support Scheme will contribute strongly to the broadening
and strengthening of the Territory’s international trade, and supports the government’s number one priority of
creating more jobs for Territorians.
Madam Speaker, in August 2003:
Big win for small business.
‘The government has delivered an election commitment with the introduction into parliament of legislation to place
small businesses on a level playing field with their landlords when negotiating rental leases’, … minister Henderson
said. Mr Henderson said the government had conducted extensive consultation with small businesses, retailers,
landlords, and representative bodies from around the Territory in drafting the Business Tenancies (Fair Dealings) Act.
This measure was a key ingredient in the business package taken to the last election …
Mr Wood: The uncollected member for Sanderson.
Mr KIELY: Well, you know, you do not have to sit here and listen to this. Do not go on about.
Mr Wood: No, I don’t. I am waiting for you to get to the bill.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, just continue.
Members interjecting.
Mr KIELY: Do not go on about doing anything for business; we do.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, please, just continue. Speak to the bill we are discussing.
Mr KIELY: No, you can just wait, you can just wait, member for Nelson.
Dr Toyne: I will raise a point of order in a minute.
Madam SPEAKER: No wonder the Attorney-General is hiding his face.
Mr KIELY: It is important. Let me say this, Madam Speaker: there is lots more here, look!
Mr Elferink: That is what is worrying us.
Mr KIELY: Yes, well, you can worry because that is what we do for small business and this uncollected goods is just another part.
As you can see by these media releases, our initiatives for creating a good small business environment do not solely consist of throwing tax payers’ money willy-nilly in the hope of currying favour. We are about to look at the small business environment in its entirety as well as by sector by sector, to listen to relevant communities of interest and see what legislating framework we can either improve or introduce to help our community grow in work force participation. It is within this framework that we have the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General introducing the long-awaited Uncollected Goods Bill.
We have in the Territory, as we do all over Australia, small business owner/operators who make a living by repairing all manner of goods. Go into any of our city or town centres and you will find watch repair shops, camera repair shops, shoe and dress repairers, all manner of repairers associated with motor vehicles such as panel beating, mechanical, electrical, air conditioning – with cars, the list seems endless. You will find marine repair shops and whitegoods repair shops. It seems we do indeed have a large segment of our small business operators involved in work and income that relies on the fixing of other people’s property.
I have the pleasure of knowing the number of small business operators who make a living through repairing all manner of goods. I approached a couple of these people and asked them if they had any goods they had repaired that the owner had for one reason or another failed to arrange the pick up and pay for the repair work that had been undertaken. In both instances, and these people operate a television repair shop and a motor vehicle repair shop, they said yes. I further inquired as to what they did to try to recover the costs of the repairs for the unclaimed goods. In both instances, the reply was along the lines of: ‘If we can contact them, we will chase them for the money, while we remain hanging on to the goods’.
I asked them if they used the existing Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act, which has been around since 1977, close to the beginning of self-government. One operator said he did not know of this act and the other said it was far too complex and cumbersome to achieve any meaningful outcome. Such a response is not to be unexpected because, as the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General advised in his second reading speech, the current legislation has been criticised for being unnecessarily complex and difficult to utilise. In fact, when we started looking at the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act, we found areas of the disposal scheme that had never been used, not once.
Earlier this week, I met with the executive officer of the Motor Traders Association and asked him what his association thought of the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act compared with the Uncollected Goods Bill before us today. Not surprisingly, he, too, advised me that the current act is unworkable and his members welcomed the change. He explained that under current arrangements, small business owner/operators were virtually stockpiling repaired goods belonging to people who owed the business money. This stockpiling not only meant that the outgoings expended by the business to undertake repairs was outstanding but also, as the business has a duty of care to ensure the property did not suffer any detriment while in the business’ custody, there were ongoing costs associated with storage, not to mention the probability of high legal fees should recovery action be taken through the court system.
For some businesses, this represented a substantial ongoing burden which impacted upon their ongoing ability to trade effectively. The Chief Executive of the Motor Trades Association went on to say that his members had been feeling the pressure of the ineffectiveness of the current legislation for about a decade and had lobbied the CLP government for a considerable period of time when they were in power. As we know, that was to no avail. You cannot help but note that this is a pattern we have seen on a number of occasions in regard to the CLP’s reluctance or inability to support small business.
We have heard from the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General that in 2001, the Law Reform Committee prepared a report which prompted the release of an issues paper by the Department of Justice in 2003. In August 2003, the review was finalised and so it is that today we are debating this bill. Yes, it has taken us some time to get this bill into the House, but it is time well spent because before us we have good law.
We need this legislation because a situation sometimes arises where the owner of goods leaves those goods in possession of another person and fails to collect or claim them. The most common situation to which the legislation will apply is that of goods left for repair. Having completed the work, the repairer is unable to locate the owner or the owner fails to collect the goods or pay for the service. This often leaves the repairer out of pocket for the repairs and sometimes with goods of little value. As well, at common law, there is no right of sale over those goods.
This legislation creates a statutory power of sale so the repairer can sell the goods, with or without a court order, recover his or her repair costs and, if applicable, storage and disposal costs. This bill means small business owner/operators are now able to dispose of perishable goods and goods that are worth less than $7000 in a simplified manner by giving the appropriate notice and disposing of goods by way of private sale or auction. This is compared to the current act that requires goods valued at less than $200 to undergo onerous notice requirements, and then dispose of the goods by way of public auction in separate lots. There are also protections in place for small business owner/operators in that they may apply for a court order for goods of any value if they prefer to have the security of the court order.
Further protections are in place in relation to a disputing system between a small business owner/operator and a property owner over the cost of repairs. If the owner of the repaired goods, which are being held by repairer awaiting payment, is taking the step of commencing a court action, the repairer can still give notice to the owner of his or her intention to dispose of the goods, and if the owner does not commence a court action, it enables their goods to be disposed of under the new legislation.
This bill also carries with it significant penalties which apply to holders of uncollected goods. These penalties will ensure a great level of consumer protection. Penalties apply to repairers if they dispose of a motor vehicle valued at $1000 or more without a police certificate stating the vehicle was not stolen. This provision is being introduced to ensure that the act does not inadvertently support the trade-in, or disposal of, stolen motor vehicles.
Penalties also apply to repairs who fail to prepare and retain appropriate records of the disposal process. The repairer has a responsibility to keep proper and accurate records of uncollected goods that he or she disposes of. Keeping proper records allows the person who claims an interest in the goods to inspect those records and make a claim against the accountable officer if applicable. These responsibilities are being imposed to ensure that the receiver recognises and acts in a way which will allow the interest holder, and/or the owner, to assert their rights. The record keeping requirement has been imposed to ensure that owners or security holders are not prevented from asserting their rights simply because the appropriate paperwork has not been kept. These penalties and protections have been welcomed by members of the Motor Traders the Association; they also provide protections for them, if and when a dispute may arise.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate, the current act is considered by industry, particularly motor vehicle dealers, to be completely unworkable to the extent that Department of Justice has been unable to find a single incidence of money being paid under the current scheme and the required trust fund. Every effort has been taken to ensure this new scheme is efficient, effective, low cost and user friendly, and balances the rights of interest holders.
In line with our ongoing commitment to small business, I believe the Department of Justice will be conducting seminars on the application of the new act. Information packages, including fact sheets, will also be available to all stakeholders after the bill has been passed.
I must apologise if the member for Nelson and other members opposite found it discomforting to sit through what we have been doing for small business. But let me say to member for Nelson, that if he believes he has the right to come in here with charts, and carry on about the Litchfield land plan, and have reams of charts, and then carry on, in all manner of things he deems is important, then he should have at least the courtesy and the consideration to listen to others on this side. Once again, the member for Nelson ought to start applying his own standards to others, instead of having one rule for him and one rule for others.
I commend the bills to the House.
Debate suspended.
Continued from earlier this day.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, I support the Uncollected Goods Bill, and the consequential amendment bill. These are bills where the Northern Territory government has listened to the concerns of business, and has acted. It has acted to cut red tape to simplify laws to help Territory’s small business people to do business better. I congratulate the minister for introducing this bill.
The bill provides a simple and effective scheme for the management of uncollected goods, and replaces the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act, which the minister informs us has areas of the disposal scheme which have never been used since the act commenced in 1977. This is a bill in several parts, which responds to business concerns regarding the disposal of uncollected goods. This bill followed many years of pressure by the business community which has been frustrated by its inability to deal effectively with uncollected goods. Uncollected goods are those left in the possession of another party, usually by the owner of the goods, who has then not collected the goods. This can involve one person delivering goods to another for safekeeping, the delivery of goods to another by mistake, and the most common situation, when goods are left for repair and are neither paid for nor collected.
This last category is the area of most concern to small business, and affects small businesses, especially those in the motor trade, those dealing with electrical goods, particularly white goods, and those businesses involved in repair of jewellery, and also dry cleaners. These business operators have expressed their concerns over many years. Businesses accept goods in good faith for repair or maintenance, then they may find themselves out of pocket and inconvenienced because goods have neither been paid for nor collected. An example of this situation is in the motor trade industry, where a person who wishes to have their vehicle repaired does not pay for or collected their vehicle, and the motor trader is then out of pocket for the cost of the repairs, and also for the safekeeping of the vehicle.
Mr Greg Sharam of Night and Day Auto Care is an example. He has around 30 vehicles which he is storing, and I understand he has had to store around 15 at his home, which has caused quite a bit of friction in his home. He is looking forward to the passing of this bill so he can start the process of disposing of these vehicles in a simplified and lower cost process.
This bill is fair for both the receiver of the goods and the provider; that is, the person that takes the goods to be repaired or stored.
Clause 6 sets out the meaning of ‘relevant charge’, that the amount the receiver is able to claim in relation to repairs to, or cleaning of, the goods, as well as storage, carriage, and maintenance costs.
Clause 9 preserves the application of the existing Northern Territory legislation dealing with the disposal of the uncollected goods in some industry specific situations. The bill applies in circumstances where it is not otherwise dealt with by specific legislation. Similarly, the bill preserves the right at common law for parties to contract and negotiate their own agreement as to the manner of the disposal of goods. It is only where the manner of disposal of goods has not been, or cannot, be reached that the legislation will apply.
Parts 2 and 3 of the bill set out procedures for the disposal of uncollected goods both with and without a court order. The section of the bill which is of particular interest to small business is Division 2 of Part 2, which sets out a new system for the disposal of uncollected goods without a court order. This is a welcome simplification and removal of the current link of the very complex notice requirement of the current legislation.
The bill clearly outlines the procedures in relation to goods according to their value and greatly simplifies the process. For example, for low value goods, that is those less than $200, the receiver may dispose of the goods if after 28 days since the giving of oral or written advice to the provider of the intention to dispose of the goods, the provider has neither claimed nor given direction as to their delivery, the goods may be disposed of by sale, destruction, appropriation or by any other means. Similarly, for those valued at $200 to $1000, notice is required to be given to the provider, the owner of the goods and any other person having or claiming an interest. After a period of two months, if the provider has not claimed the goods or given direction as to their delivery, disposal can take place by auction or private sale at a fair price. With those goods valued between $1000 and $7000, notice is required to be given to the provider, the owner of the goods, any other person having an interest and the Police Commissioner. A period of three months must elapse before the disposal can take place and 28 days prior to the disposal an advertisement must be placed in the daily Northern Territory newspaper advising of the proposed sale. The goods can then be auctioned or sold by private sale at a fair price.
If goods are valued at greater than $7000, a court order must be obtained to dispose of goods. If the goods are a motor vehicle, then a certificate must be obtained from the Commissioner of Police, to certify that the vehicle is not stolen. Further, to protect a person with a publicly registered interest such as a bank or finance company, a REVS search must be obtained for motor vehicles of medium value or greater.
The bill also outlines what is a fair price, and takes into consideration the age and conditions of goods, the market supply and demand for those goods. It also takes into account the expertise of industry specific knowledge. For example, that a certain vehicle is of little value and the only suitable way of disposing of the vehicle is by selling it for parts.
Part 3 of the bill also provides for flexibility in the system, so that at any time prior to the goods being disposed of, the provider can claim the goods after paying charges due to the receiver. The receiver is also protected by this part of the bill in so far as the receiver will not be liable to any other person who may claim an interest in the goods, as long as a receiver has complied with the provisions in the bill relating to the disposal of goods.
The next part of the bill, Part 4, is also recognition by government that businesses do not want more ‘administrivia’ and reduces the time frame from six years to three years for record keeping in relation to the disposal of goods, and a very welcome change for small businesses.
The bill also considers the method of distributing the proceeds of sale and allows the receiver once the goods have been sold to retain the relevant charge and disposal costs. However, if the proceeds are insufficient to pay the relevant charge and disposal cost, the receiver may recover it as a debt in a court of competent jurisdiction. If there are excess funds, the receiver must, within 28 days after the sale of the uncollected goods, pay the excess funds into an accountable officer’s trust account.
To ensure that the process is followed properly and fairly, the penalties for those who do not comply are severe: a maximum of six months imprisonment or $1100 for a natural person, and $55 000 for a body corporate. This is certainly to deter those who may decide that they may keep for themselves excess money from the proceeds of sale.
This is an important bill for small business. It allows businesses to dispose of goods in an orderly and simplified manner by retaining the rights of the provider of the goods. I am a member of the newly formed North Darwin Regional Business Association and this matter was discussed at the last meeting of the association. There was much discussion and members were unanimous in their support for the bill and commended the government for listening to business and acting.
In my electorate, I have many businesses for which this bill will be relevant. I am pleased that once again this government has shown its ability to listen to the needs of business and respond. I would have to say that this week has been a good one for Territory businesses with changes to payroll tax and the abolition of the HIH levy. This legislation is further evidence of the government’s commitment to work with small business. I welcome the legislation and commend the bills to the House.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank all the members for their contributions to this debate, and the opposition for their expression of support for the legislation, for the member for Sanderson’s wide ranging contribution, and the member for Nightcliff, who has added some dimensions to what this legislation is going to do out in the community.
It is very important and timely legislative reform. The existing Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act reads a bit like Chaucer’s Tale in the language in it. I always thought a bailer was someone who was trying to stop a boat sinking until we read the legislation and found out that it actually had all these other meanings.
Really, the point is that if you use even the terminology in the existing act out in the general community, it is another opaque layer over what should be a simple mechanism to resolve these issues in the community. As all speakers have said, this is good legislation for business. I expect that there will be tangible effects on many of our small to medium businesses around the Northern Territory.
Night and Day Auto Care was mentioned by the member for Nightcliff. Greg estimated that not only could he save his marriage by getting rid of all the cars off the front lawn of his house, but he would also accrue probably anything up to $20 000 or $30 000 in repair and other costs owed as a result of those vehicles coming through his business and having worked on them and then seen them not collected. In his case, there will be quite a clear financial alleviation as well as the general stress and strain of having to look after other people’s ex-property with limited space, both in his business and his home.
Madam Speaker, we have a couple of amendments here, so we should move into committee and we will deal with those.
Motion agreed to; bills read a second time.
In committee:
Mr CHAIRMAN: The committee has before it the Uncollected Goods Bill (Serial 217) together with a Schedule of Amendments No 82 circulated by the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General; and the Uncollected Goods (Consequential Amendments) Bill (Serial 218).
Uncollected Goods Bill (Serial 217):
Clauses 1 to 8, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 9:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 82.1. Clause 9 sets out the Northern Territory acts that would be excluded from the operation of the Uncollected Goods Act. Clause 9(g) identifies good deposited with a warehouseman under the Warehousemen’s Liens Act. Following the introduction of the Uncollected Goods Bill in March 2004, it became apparent that the Uncollected Goods Act should apply to goods to which the Warehousemen’s Liens Act applies. In particular, self-storage operators wish to be able to take advantage of the provisions of the Uncollected Goods Act in addition to their existing rights under the Warehousemen’s Liens Act. This amendment will remove clause 9(g) to give effect to this purpose.
Amendment agreed to.
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 82.2. This amendment has been inserted to remove any doubt that the Uncollected Goods Act can be used in addition to the Warehousemen’s Liens Act.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 9, as amended, agreed to.
Remainder of bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported with amendment.
Uncollected Goods (Consequential Amendments) Bill (Serial 218):
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported without amendment.
Bills reported, report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
I take this opportunity to thank the Department of Justice, and in particular, Faith Woodford, for the work on this legislation. It is a very good piece of work. I cannot wait to see it go out there and impact on our small to medium businesses.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
Continued from 31 March 2004.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise to advise that the CLP will be supporting the bill. This is part of the National Competition Policy, where we are trying to ensure that the Northern Territory is in line with uniform criteria, as has been done around the country.
In the words of the minister: ‘To ensure uniform criteria is standard for the establishment of academic institutions and the provision of higher education learning across Australia’. This is obviously important. We want to ensure that the standards in the Territory are in line with the rest of the nation. All you have to do is look on the Internet and you will find all sorts of so-called educational institutions offering courses. Half the time, we do not know whether they are qualified to offer the course, and when you actually go into the detail of the courses, some of them are quite suspect. So going to a national standard, following protocols that are being established to ensure that the Territory has the institutions that will match any in the country will be necessary.
I see that the bill also allows the minister to have some degree, I suppose you would call it, of checking. It requires the minister to address any application to him against national protocols, so that allows the government of the day to determine whether other higher education institutions may come into the Territory either to offer courses or to establish a presence of their own - not that I would like to see this legislation used to be an anti-competitive measure by imposing standards that other institutions cannot achieve. Having a national standard, everybody will be measured on an even level playing field and that will be a good thing.
I am sure the higher education centre in the Northern Territory, the Charles Darwin University, is also supportive of this change in the legislation. I have spoken to the Vice Chancellor about it and she is quite happy that we are coming in line with the rest of the country.
With those few remarks, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, we support the bill.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank the opposition spokesperson for his support of this bill. The decision to move to national higher education protocols was adopted back in March 2000 by the then members of the Ministerial Council of Education, Training, Employment and Youth Affairs. The bill now brings us into line with those national protocols. I thank him for his comments and I thank the opposition for their support of the bill.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training)(by leave): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I table the 2003-04 Statement of Corporate Intent, or SCI, for the Power and Water Corporation. I will refer to the Power and Water Corporation by its business name, PowerWater, in the rest of this statement.
As members are aware, PowerWater became the Territory’s first government owned corporation, or GOC, on 1 July 2002. The 2004-05 SCI will mark PowerWater’s third year as a GOC. The SCI is the annual performance agreement between the GOC and the shareholding minister on behalf of Territorians as owners of PowerWater. As required under section 39(7)(a) of the Government Owned Corporations Act, as shareholding minister for PowerWater, I now intend to table a copy of the GOC’s SCI in the Legislative Assembly.
A key objective of the GOC framework is to put PowerWater in a position as similar as possible to comparable private sector businesses. As I advised the Legislative Assembly when tabling the 2003-04 SCI, it would be unreasonable to disadvantage PowerWater by disclosing commercially sensitive information that no private sector business would be expected to release. This is still relevant even though, at this time, PowerWater has no direct competitor in its market. As such, as in previous years and consistent with the Government Owned Corporations Act requirements, commercially sensitive information has been removed from the 2004-05 SCI.
The 2004-05 SCI forecasts a nett profit after tax in 2004-05 of $40m. It shows an improvement in performance over the projected 2003 nett profit after tax of $31m. The improved performance is primarily due to an increase in the level of community service obligation and other government capital funding expected to be received by PowerWater from government in 2004-05. Therefore, included in the $40m is government community service obligation funding as well as electricity, water and sewerage assets gifted by government.
The issue of electricity prices has generated a significant level of public scrutiny over the past few months. In tabling PowerWater’s 2004-05 SCI let me take the opportunity to clear up any misunderstanding which may still exist about this issue. The government has a uniform tariff policy for certain customers, including small business and households. That means the cost of providing services to these customers exceeds the rate charged by PowerWater for the services. The shortfall in income for PowerWater is mainly made up by government providing community service obligation funding. Also, the government has accepted a lower rate of return for its investment in PowerWater than would be acceptable to a private sector business’s owners. The government also contribute community service obligation funding for medium-sized contestable electricity customers, Tranche 4 users, to cover the shortfall between the cost reflective tariffs and regulated maximum prices. Larger contestable customers pay cost-reflective prices as determined by PowerWater.
Without government CSO payments and gifted assets, PowerWater would be expecting to lose $3m in 2004-05 rather than show a $40m profit. It is therefore clear the cause for PowerWater’s expected profits to be used to further subsidise electricity prices are misplaced. Members will note from the 2004-05 SCI, that PowerWater is only profitable because of the government community service obligation gifted assets it receives each year. The profits which PowerWater achieves ensure its capital investment and maintenance programs are not compromised. For the first time PowerWater will be making company tax payments, and these are forecast to commence in 2004-05. Tax payments made by PowerWater are received by the Territory. The taxes paid by PowerWater will be made under the national tax equivalents regime administered by the Australian Taxation Office on behalf of all states and territories. As members will be aware, the primary objective of the national tax equivalents regime is to achieve competitive neutrality through a uniform application of income tax laws between national tax equivalent entities and their private sector counterparts.
As in previous years, and consistent with the position adopted for most government business divisions, PowerWater will pay a dividend to government equivalent to 50% of nett profits after tax. The dividend paid by PowerWater is the return Territorians as shareholders receive on their investment in PowerWater. The dividend is used by government to provide other services to Territorians, such as health, education, and safety.
As the 2004-05 SCI will be considered in more detail by the GOC scrutiny committee on the 25 June 2004, I will not go into anymore detail on the SCI here. I therefore table PowerWater’s 2004-05 Statement of Corporate Intent.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that pursuant to paragraph 1 of the Order of the Assembly dated 18 May 2004, establishing the Government Owned Corporations Scrutiny Committee that the Statement of Corporate Intent 2004-05 for PowerWater be referred to that committee for examination and report.
Motion agreed to.
Continued from 19 May 2004.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, Budget 2004 keeps the Territory moving ahead with a record tax cut, more jobs, and a great lifestyle. It is a budget that is economically responsible, supporting small business, and expanding opportunities for growth in jobs. It provides the highest ever cash spend on infrastructure, while delivering record health, education and police budgets. It builds on a unique Territory lifestyle.
With regards to my health portfolio, this budget is my first as Minister for Health, and I am proud to be able to deliver a record health budget for Territorians; a budget that will build on the progress that we have already made towards creating a genuinely sustainable, responsive and effective health system.
We know that across the western world, health budgets are facing the challenges of escalating costs, new technologies, increased demand and higher expectations. In the Northern Territory, these challenges have been compounded by years of neglect, and underfunding. When this government came to office, we inherited a system facing massive financial and management difficulties. The Department of Health and Community Service, despite numerous reviews and the work of its many dedicated staff, had been failing to live within its means for around a decade. Desperately needed reform began with the Bansemer Report released in early 2003. Since then, the department has undergone a substantial restructure to improve accountability, and build a sustainable budget footing.
The new structure focussed on program delivery, came into effect on the 1 July last year, and the results of that restructure are now paying off. The results of 2003-04 represents the first budget in a decade where the Department of Health and Community Services expected to deliver a budget outcome in line with predictions contrary to the outlandish claims of the current Leader of the Opposition, who should learn to read the budget papers. This is no small achievement and, in fact, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker herself has had a lot to do with that, both in the recent history of the Territory, and compared with other states around Australia.
I thank the staff of the department for their continued hard work during what has been, for some, a challenging period. In the health and community services portfolio, we have long term plans that put the Territory first. We now have a health system underpinned by sound financial management and proper accountability, and we are moving ahead competently to build better health services for all Territorians.
With this foundation laid, in February of this year, my colleague, the Minister for Family and Community Services, and I launched Building Healthier Communities, this government’s framework for the health and wellbeing of Territorians over the next five years.
The 2004-05 Budget provides funding for priority areas identified in the Building Healthier Communities framework. Building on the $100m boost already provided to the Territory’s health and family and community services, this budget sees an additional $23.7m, bringing the total health and community services budget for the Territory to $635.4m for 2004-05.
I am pleased to announce that this injection of funds into our health system will see the creation of additional 71 new nurse positions, 65 of them for our hospital system, during the 2004-05 financial year. With the 48 new nurse positions already created by the Martin government to date in our hospitals, we are on track to well exceed our election commitment of the additional 75 hospital nursing positions during the first term of this government.
It is interesting that in the face of our announcements about increasing nurse positions, the Leader of the Opposition continues to claim that we are doing nothing to reduce their workload. As usual, his rhetoric simply does not match the facts; he just keeps getting it wrong.
Our hospitals across the Territory provide a top class level of service for Territorians, and the Martin government is determined to make them even better. Our hospitals and other acute care services will receive an estimated $18.6m increase in the next financial year, with total funding of $357.9m.
It gives me particular pleasure to advise the House that the Alice Springs Hospital will receive an $11m injection of funds over the next four years to develop a fully integrated intensive care and high dependency unit, which will be expanded to carry eight beds. This is good news for Central Australia. It will reduce the need to transfer critically ill patients to Darwin or interstate, and will provide an improved professional environment, strengthening the recruitment of specialists and other staff to Alice Springs Hospital.
The additional funds will be used to employ a specialist intensivist and 36 other additional nursing and support staff, including a dietician, physiotherapist and pathologists. This will improve the quality of hospital care for Central Australia, and represents a major investment by our government in the future of Alice Springs. $2.9m over this financial year and next is also included in the capital works program for Alice Springs Hospital to upgrade fire safety and improve the air-conditioning system for the comfort of patients, staff and visitors.
Meanwhile, Royal Darwin Hospital will receive additional funding of $2.5m to complete the commissioning of critical care services. Those funds will allow three additional beds to be opened in the high dependency unit, three additional beds in the coronary care unit, and 10 short-stay beds in the emergency department itself. That means that RDH emergency department and critical care services now have 62 beds compared to 23 when this government was elected. This initiative builds further on the emergency department at RDH, which has been recently described as world class by the President of the AMA, Dr Bill Glasson.
Two other major projects will be under way in Royal Darwin Hospital during 2004-05. The first of these is the construction of a 12-bed stand alone hospice, which is due for completion by the end of the next financial year at a cost of $3.6m, delivering on our election promise. The hospice is a new service for the Territory, and will be integrated with the existing community-based palliative care team’s activities. It will provide care to those with terminal illnesses and those requiring respite care or pain relief in a less formal setting than a hospital ward. $900 000 has been included in the 2004-05 Budget to fund the recruitment and training of staff in preparation for the opening of the facility, together with an additional $1.36m in 2005-06 for the final fitout and ongoing staff costs.
The other major item in Royal Darwin Hospital is $2.5m for the establishment of a birthing centre. Two new home-style birth rooms for women who are assessed as having minimal risk of complications are to be built, together with an upgrade of the existing four birth rooms and complete refurbishment of the entire 6th floor maternity ward. $326 000 per year will be provided in 2005-06 to employ an extra four nurses in the birthing centre, and a new midwifery-led model of care will be implemented across the birthing service, including a dedicated midwifery nurse to work with patients from remote areas. This model provides the best care to the most number of women, and the additional funding provides greater choice of birth options for Territory women.
These are significant additions to our Territory hospital services, with 33 new hospital beds being provided over the next two years. It shows how out of touch the current Leader of the Opposition is when he claims that this government is closing hospital beds. He is wrong, again.
Our regional hospitals in Katherine, Gove and Tennant Creek will also benefit from this budget with funding increased by $1m to $39.7m. This will allow those hospitals to improve their range of services so more patients can be treated locally rather than having to transfer to larger hospitals or interstate. Over $750 000 in new capital equipment is currently being purchased for these hospitals, ranging from video conferencing facilities in Gove and Katherine, to defribulator units in Tennant Creek.
As our Building Healthier Communities five year framework highlighted, one of the greatest challenges we face in the Territory continues to be kidney disease. Haemodialysis treatments are growing at approximately 6% per year, with around 2370 treatments per month. We will be tackling this through the continued implementation of our Preventable Chronic Diseases Strategy and through increasing the resourcing of treatment facilities. An extra $1.5m will be spent on renal dialysis services across the Territory in 2004-05, including further expansion of renal dialysis services in Tennant Creek. An additional $900 000 will be spent to construct and install facilities to support remote renal services, subject to community agreement.
I am particularly proud to announce a considerable boost to health care in remote communities. $1.4m is to be provided in 2004-05 to commence a four year program to phase out the 18 single nurse posts in the Northern Territory. Four clinics will gain additional staff this year - Kings Canyon, Titjakala, Robinson River and Minjilang. Pending the construction of suitable housing, a further four single nurse posts will be phased out in 2005-06. In the interim, two additional Alice Springs-based nurses will be employed to provide additional support and relief staffing for the remaining posts. This program will result in healthier communities and better working conditions for remote-based nurses. The delivery of health services in remote areas is underpinned by appropriate, safe and good quality infrastructure.
Two new health centres will be constructed in 2004-05 at Kalkarindji and at Yuendumu, where the Northern Territory government is contributing half of the required costs. The completion of these centres will ensure a better working environment for staff and better services for clients.
In 2004-05, the Territory will also be contributing an additional $2m for expanded HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs. This was an area of need identified in the Bansemer review.
Finally, I would like to highlight funding for research of $4.6m in 2004-05. Research from the Menzies School of Health Research and CRC for Aboriginal Health, and our own in-house research conducted by the Health Gains Unit, make a valuable contribution to the evidence base of our health policies and services. Just last week, a major article by the Health Gains Unit has been published in the Medical Journal of Australia, which shows that, dollar for dollar, without taking into account aspects such as distance and isolation, the Territory is almost 20% underfunded in Commonwealth grants, based on the incidence and severity of illness, mainly to Aboriginal Territorians. We will therefore continue to push the Commonwealth to meet its funding commitments to the Northern Territory. We will also continue to promote, at the maximum practicable level, community control and involvement in the delivery of primary health care to Aboriginal communities.
These budget highlights show the depth of this government’s commitment to moving forward to provide the best possible health and community services to Territorians. We have reviewed the department and its operations, and we are delivering on the recommendations of that review, rather than allowing it to gather dust. We have long term plans, as outlined in our priorities for building healthier communities over the next five years, and we are beginning the process of delivering on them. We are moving ahead to deliver better outcomes for Territorians, and it is an achievement of which our government is proud.
Turning now to my Justice portfolio: Budget 2004 supports our focus on building safer communities by providing the first significant injections of funds into the Territory’s prison system for many years. $26.5m additional funding is to be provided over the next four years to implement the 71 recommendations of the Correctional Services Review, A Path to Good Corrections. With this government’s $75m investment in building our police force and delivering 200 extra police officers on the ground by the end of 2008, our government has already taken significant steps to tackle crime and to build a safer community. This $26.5m funding injection into our prison system will see us turn our prisons and prison officers into a second crime fighting force, building on the law enforcement work of our police force.
The major focus of these prison reforms will be to fight crime by reducing re-offending by up to 50%. Targeted work and education programs aimed directly at preventing re-offending will be introduced into our prisons. Specialist programs targeting specific offending behaviour, including sex offender and ‘criminogenic’ programs will be delivered.
An important element of building a safer community will be tightening security in our prisons by improving the readiness of prison officers and other staff to respond to a crisis. More prison officers will be recruited, and training will be increased to ensure ongoing skills and professionalism, as well as greater opportunities to contribute to reducing re-offending through rehabilitation programs. The government’s tough on crime approach with more police on the streets is working with better clear-up rates and tougher sentencing, and our corrections system is seeing the results: more criminals going to gaol for longer.
To cope with the increased prisoner numbers, construction will start immediately on an $8m low-security area at Darwin prison in 2004-05 to provide an additional 100 beds. This budget also provides a significant increase to core funding for prisons of $2.6m ongoing to cover the rising costs from increasing prison numbers and longer sentences. These reforms will ensure that our prison system is secure and effective, is able to cope with prison numbers, and is effectively using the more than 320 prison officers currently employed in our prison system, to fight crime by reducing re-offending.
I move now to the other budget highlights from the Justice portfolio. With the reform of the Associations Act last year, the government recognised a need to provide resources for training, capacity building and administration of the new legislation, given the large number of associations in the Territory, and the range of community, sporting and other important Territory interests that they represent. To that end, the government has committed a further $265 000 to training to assist the office holders in the many associations around the Territory to understand the requirements of the act, and to build the skills and knowledge necessary to run a successful association. Education and training workshops have also already started and will be held in a wide range of regional centres and communities throughout the Territory during 2004-05.
I am pleased to announce that the initial success of the Community Justice Centre pilot has led to a further commitment in this budget of $100 000 for that initiative. The Community Justice Centre opened its doors for business in June 2003 and, since then, has dealt with a wide range of issues such as neighbourhood disputes, conflicts between family members, workplace conflicts, consumer complaints, tenancy disputes, small claims, and other civil disputes. Mediators are now available to all major Territory centres, and I congratulate them on their ongoing work.
Together with the budget initiatives I have just outlined, the year ahead will see ongoing work on building a safer community through continued emphasis on crime prevention work across government and in community safety partnerships. I have already outlined how our police force and prisons will work at the coalface to tackle crime and reduce re-offending, but we will also attack the causes of crime through crime prevention partnerships with the community and through targeted actions based on community consultation and solid research.
This budget sees our Office of Crime Prevention funded for over $2.5m for the next financial year, allowing the office to continue across government and in partnership with local communities. In the next financial year, the Office of Crime Prevention will:
encourage the ongoing involvement of the community in crime prevention and community safety activity
at grassroots level;
continue to support regional and indigenous crime prevention councils and encourage communities to establish
new councils in their areas;
publish crime and justice statistics providing Territorians, for the first time, with an accurate and independently
verified source of information on recorded crime;
participate in the development of a sexual assault prevention plan with the newly established Sexual Assault
Taskforce;
continue to administer the successful $400 000 Northern Territory crime prevention grants scheme which
provides funding for local and targeted crime prevent initiatives; and
develop a whole-of-government five year safer communities framework.
The government will continue to support victims, witnesses and their families through the allocation of $620 000 to the Witness Assistance Service attached to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be further supported for the critical work it does in our criminal justice system, with an additional $100 000 to appoint another prosecutor to deal with the increased criminal case load.
Finally, I would like to mention our ongoing negotiations with the Commonwealth to secure funding for the juvenile diversion scheme. Members would be aware that funding for this important scheme was to cease in August this year. Following our negotiations with the Commonwealth, they have agreed to extend funding until the end of the next financial year. During that time we will be carefully considering the evaluation report recently completed by the Commonwealth and determining how the scheme might best be structured to continue to attract ongoing Commonwealth support. Budget 2004 lays the groundwork for an exciting year ahead in my justice portfolio with new initiatives funded to help build a safer community and support the fight against crime.
Turning to my home, Central Australia, this government has a commitment to a strong, vibrant Central Australia. We are driving its economic growth through a difficult time for its tourist industry. We are developing partnerships with Aboriginal people to ensure a stable, secure future. We are delivering on more nurses, more teachers and more police to Alice, the Barkly and the bush. We are investing in the great lifestyle that Central Australia has to offer. Central Australians want action on the release of land in Alice Springs for residential dwellings, new product for the tourist industry that will stimulate domestic and international interest, capital works that support the myriad of small businesses that rely on construction activity, decent roads, good health services and a high standard of education and training, safe communities and a healthy dose of sport, arts and cultural activities. We do not ask for much.
This budget has delivered on those priorities. Tourism is a key economic driver for the Centre. $38m will seal the Mereenie Loop Road over the next three years, and combined with a huge increase in marketing and development funds provided by the Northern Territory Tourist Commission will ensure the industry has the strongest backing possible for a recovery after the difficulties of the past few years. This year, over $0.5m will be spent specifically on marketing Central Australian destinations: Alice Springs itself, the Barkly and Uluru/Kata Tjuta. This is in addition to the normal marketing and public relations dollars spent on promoting the Centre. We are also spending $280 000 on a significant upgrade of the Battery Hill Mining Centre.
One of the Martin government’s key achievements for Alice Springs this year was the release of land for urban housing after a decade without significant land releases. We all recognise that 85 blocks is only a start and the government’s commitment to more land releases in negotiation with native title holders is indicated by the $1m allocated to headworks for Mt John Valley. The construction of the Desert Knowledge Precinct is receiving $25.6m over the next two years. This is not only a strategic project for the future economic development of Alice Springs but will provide a welcome boost to the construction industry.
The construction industry will also welcome $2.9m to be spent on upgrading fire safety and airconditioning at Alice Springs Hospital over this and the next financial year; $750 000 for fire safety at the Tennant Creek Hospital; $2.5m from this year’s budget towards the construction of the CDU campus in Alice Springs; and a $1m senior’s village of six units in Gillen in Alice Springs. $1.7m for the next stage of Traeger Park upgrade will allow a new grandstand to be built as well as other facilities. With the considerable investment this government has made, Traeger Park is now able to attract top rate games including quality cricket and AFL fixtures.
For many small construction businesses, it is the small projects that are their bread and butter. Projects such as the $225 000 to be spent on upgrades to the Alice Springs Desert Park; $250 000 for air conditioning at Gillen Primary School; $150 000 for landscaping to the pathways along Wills Terrace; $140 000 for drainage work on Crown land beside the beautiful Alice Springs Golf Course; and $65 000 to provide walkways, landscaping, seating and shading along Leichhardt Terrace.
Significant amounts of money will be spent on infrastructure out bush, which benefits businesses as well as the host communities. Kalkarindji will receive funding for a new health centre to the tune of $1.5m. Docker River and Nyirripi are getting new power stations. Imanpa, Hermannsburg and Yuendumu are getting upgrades or extensions to their power supplies. Alcoota, Alpurrurulam and Lajamanu will have improvements to their water supplies and a new ranger house will be built at Finke Gorge. Ti Tree Police Station will receive $220 000 for an upgrade.
Our road network continues to receive the attention it so desperately needs. As well as $38m allocated to the Mereenie Loop Road, access to Borroloola will be significantly improved once $4.8m is spent on rehabilitating parts of the Carpentaria Highway and Wollogorang Road. A further $1m has been allocated to the upgrading and sealing of the Tanami Road as part of our $6.5m election commitment to this important beef, mining and community road, and over $2m will be spent in Central Australia on strengthening bridges, and rehabilitation and widening works on one of our primary assets, the Stuart Highway.
This investment in construction and other economic drivers must be accompanied by an investment in the training of our local young people. This is why we are investing $390 000 to the continuation of Footprints Forward, the one-stop shop which supports businesses and mentors young indigenous people to get and retain employment. It is a partnership between business, government and Aboriginal people which promises to reap long-term benefits for the region.
However, strong regions are not just about physical development. This government proudly balances growth in lifestyle; that is why we see the support for the Desert Song, the Alice Springs Festival and the BassintheGrass in Alice Springs as so important. The Masters Games will receive $500 000 for their 10th games this coming October, and the hugely popular Wizard Cup Challenge Game in Alice will again be supported.
Safety in our towns and communities is being addressed with a massive boost to police, including extra Aboriginal community police officers in Central Australia. The extra policing will be backed up by our support for community crime fighting initiatives, such as $260 000 to Community Harmony in Alice Springs and $290 000 for Tennant Creek, as well as delivery of associated accommodation infrastructure. A share of the $400 000 for crime prevention grants will be enthusiastically welcomed by the Central Australian community. Increased funding to child protection services throughout the Territory and a major overhaul of community corrections will also add to our commitment to reducing the causes of crime.
I have also spoken of the investment in health in the Centre, through the $11m increase in funding to the Alice Springs Hospital ICU and HDU units, helping us to improve services and retain specialists in the Centre. We will also be investing in improved hospital staff accommodation, new clinicians offices, extra nurses and staff. The commitment to phasing out single nurse posts is a significant increase in remote health care resources. I am delighted that two of the first four to receive an additional nurse are in the Centre.
I am proud of the investment this government has made into Central Australian jobs and lifestyle through this budget. I am proud of the increase in services to the bush that this budget delivers. Central Australians make a huge investment in their community. I am proud this government has got behind them to ensure that the Centre keeps moving ahead.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, in closing, this is a good budget, despite the opposition’s attempts to doom say it. The community is getting a very good coverage through the interests that are embodied in the commitments under this budget. It will be welcomed by the vast majority of our community. While governments cannot do everything, we have used the resources available to us to invest the resources behind what is most important from a government, and that is ideas and vision. In all three of my portfolios, I look forward to a year now where we can get beyond the minutiae of day to day administration and start doing some visionary moving forward. The resources are there to do it, the ideas are there to do it, the commitment from the government and the community are there to do it. I believe we are going to have a great year.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, for my portfolios the key message of this budget is that the significant increase in tasks we started last year will continue.
The 2003-04 financial year resulted in substantial increases in the scope of policies administered and services delivered by my department. The scene has been set in 2003-04 with $20m in additional funding to the department, taking the annual budget from $204m at the beginning of 2003-04 to an end of year estimate of $225m. This includes:
$6.5m in one-off capital grants;
$4m has been allocated for Indigenous Essential Services to meet some part of the massive shortfall
and ongoing neglect of services in remote areas;
$2m for a home ground for the Palmerston Magpies, an important election commitment; and
$500 00 to upgrade the Katherine sports ground, for a much needed boost to sporting infrastructure in the town.
Excluding the one-off capital grants, the funding level for my department has been broadly maintained in 2004-05, allowing us to progress and consolidate the implementation of major policy platforms introduced in the past 18 months. Connected through the broad theme of community development, my portfolio brings together functions that require specific strategies and policy directions. Most are now in place.
There is significant work now under way to improve the conditions of public housing. Within the next three months, I intend launching Home Territory 2010, a strategy that will take us through the next decade to meet Territory Housing needs.
The Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures strategy provides a framework for Territory regional development. In the last budget, I announced the provision of the biggest increases in funding in this area for many years. This effort is maintained this year.
Community Harmony has delivered significant change to the streets of Darwin, and is gradually moving into regional centres. I will also put forward a strategy for the development of sport in the Territory. This strategy will recognise the importance to the Territory of sport in health, social, economic and development terms, and will guide development of facilities, infrastructure and support for many years to come.
In short, this is a budget that maintains a commitment to the portfolio areas for which I am responsible that is greater than has been achieved by any other government of the Northern Territory. The extent of the need in areas requiring the services of my portfolio is substantial. I want to do more, and the government wants to do more. I will continue to seek avenues through which additional funding can be leveraged. I will continue to examine policy and strategic directions that can deliver across all areas of my portfolio. In the meantime, we have maintained the high level established last year.
The total operating expenditure for 2004-05 for the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs is $218m. This includes $21m for the Arts and Museums portfolio, which is the responsibility of the Chief Minister.
The Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures strategy has now been in place for just 12 months, and already benefits are evident. This strategy signalled the start of a new era in regional development in the Northern Territory. I am confident that in the future this government will lift our regions to new levels of economic and social development and sustainability. The stronger regions strategy sets a clear direction for work across the whole-of-government. It seeks changes in the way that the government relates to regions, and has put in place mechanisms that will, over time, demonstrate their value to regional stakeholders and across government.
I noted in the debate on amendments to the Local Government Act in February that I believe that a review of the act was required. I will shortly announce terms of reference for that review. While it should deal with substantial issues, it should not drag on. I intend to set a time limit that will have the review completed and recommendations in my hands before the end of the year.
As part of the stronger regions strategy, I announced last year additional funding to employ 10 community development officers in my department. These are now in place and beginning to have an impact. The stronger regions strategy has changed the operational arrangements and approach taken by staff. A group of key officers with qualifications and experience appropriate to the task are now specifically allocated to the task of monitoring accountability for the delivery of local government services. This more specific focus has allowed the addition of a further 22 officers to carry out the regional and community development agenda of the stronger regions strategy, giving a total of 32 officers who will focus heavily on the implementation of a development agenda.
Development officers will play a critical role in achievement of the government’s desire for strong regions where economic and social outcomes are sustainable, and where cultural diversity is respected. To ensure that officers have the necessary skills to undertake this enhanced role, tertiary training is being developed in partnership with the Charles Darwin University. The Graduate Certificate in Community Development will commence at the CDU in the Semester 2 of 2004.
A number of priority projects are now well under way. Wadeye, also known as Port Keats, is the site for a major Indigenous Communities Coordination Project that is trialling new ways of achieving cooperation between three levels of government. To ensure that the Territory is able to obtain full benefit for the people at Wadeye from this work, the government has committed $358 000 for the Chief Minister’s task force on priority partnerships. Two additional staff will be employed and resourced to work with staff of other agencies to coordinate service delivery to remote areas, with an initial focus on Wadeye, Mutitjulu and Jabiru. Partnerships and regional development go together, but they are not easy to achieve and to maintain. One means that is being utilised to foster and develop this process is the placement of key officers in communities. My department placed an officer in Borroloola in August last year to bring together a focus on regional initiatives and regional development. While it can take time for it to be possible to access real outcomes, the signs are promising.
A further initiative along these lines will now be put in place with the allocation of $224 000 to my department to employ a coordinator to operate in the Groote Eylandt archipelago, who will be supported by a departmental officer. They will supply greater coordination of government service delivery in the archipelago and provide strategic direction for developments in the region. They will be involved in community development activity, liaison, and the development of more effective governance arrangements for the area. Other priority areas include Nyirranggulung-Mardrulk-Ngadberre in the Katherine East area, the Tiwi Islands, Jabiru and Kakadu, the Barkly, Anmatjere, the West MacDonnells and Alyawarra regions in Central Australia.
The five regional development boards are now in place. Funding of $500 000 is provided on a recurrent basis for a regional development fund which is directed towards regional development activities, including planning initiatives, facilitation of strategies under regional development plans, and assistance in negotiating partnership agreements with local governing bodies. Funding will also be used to partially support a State of the Regions conference to be held in September 2004. Regional development plans are being progressively developed for all regions and will be the vehicles for negotiation across the whole-of-government. The Katherine Regional Development Plan was approved by government in September 2003, and the Anmatjere Regional Development Plan approved in November 2003. A review of the Barkly Blueprint is about to commence and initial planning has commenced on the East Arnhem Regional Development Plan, a Thamarrurr Regional Development Plan, and the Gulf Regional Development Plan.
Water safety has tended to be a matter of interest only as a result of the impact of pool safety requirements. There is, however, a much wider and more important set of issues that need to be dealt with. The government moved to establish the Water Safety Advisory Committee in November 2002. This year we have established the new Water Safety Branch. The branch will coordinate all facets of the water safety campaign, aiming to increase the level of awareness of water safety issues across the spectrum of relationship in interaction of Territorians and tourists with water.
In regards to sport and recreation, Territorians place great value on lifestyle and our unique attractions and are enthusiastic participants in a multitude of activities. Their sporting prowess is well known across the nation and overseas. This government is well aware of the benefits of physical activity. Through my Office of Sport and Recreation, the grants program has been boosted with an additional $0.5m to further support sport and recreation organisations to operate effectively and deliver quality programs to members, officials, volunteers and participants. A capital grant of $0.5m has been approved for the provision of improved facilities at the Katherine Sports Ground, and $140 000 has also been approved to fund the construction of a skate park complex at Katherine, a project that was included in the Regional Development Plan and seen as a priority by the Katherine Regional Development Board.
An additional $1.7m will be made available for Traeger Park in Alice Springs further increasing the capacity of the ground to attract major events to the town. This will bring a total of around $2.4m available for Stage 3 of Traeger Park development honouring our $5m election commitment.
The Hidden Valley Raceway has deteriorated after years of neglect. This government has committed $1m to remedial work at this sports facility that hosts one of the Territory’s most popular sporting weekends, the V8 Supercars.
The Territory soccer fraternity has been frustrated for many years with the lack of a home ground. The government provided over $50 000 in 2003-04 to review the administration of the code in the Territory. I recently announced $500 000 of grant funding to improve junior soccer facilities across the Territory. Also, the Budget provides $500 000 to commence works on the soccer stadium at Marrara.
The 2004-05 financial year also sees the welcome return of the Arafura Games as well as a $1m increased to attract and hold major international and national sporting events in the Territory including next month’s Women’s Netball between the AIS Darters and Queensland Firebirds; Darwin’s second Cricket Test against Sri Lanka in July; a four match Men’s Hockey Series between Australia and South Korea in July; the first ever AFL Premiership points fixture in August; an International Soccer Challenge in August; the return of the Perth Wildcats for their second NBL home game in Darwin in February 2005, as well as the 10th birthday of the Alice Springs Masters Games in October.
The 2002 Alice Springs Masters Games were an enormous success, generating a direct income flow to Alice Springs of over $7m. Preparations are well under way not only to renew old relationships, but also to entice new participants to Alice Springs this year. The 2004-05 financial year will also see another Northern Territory Sports Awards night to celebrate sporting excellence in our community. With the level of sporting greatness we have here in the Territory, I am sure the number of nominations received this year will better the number of nominations received in 2003.
Once again, the Northern Territory Institute of Sport has shown that the Northern Territory is able to develop a range of talented athletes despite our small population base. In recognition of their outstanding sporting talent, 116 Territorians across 18 sports have been awarded with full-time 2004 scholarships to the Northern Territory Institute of Sport, with an additional 35 part-time scholarships awarded.
I am proud to announce the success of the Junior Elite Development Scholarships, also known as the JEDS program. I initiated this program last year. From this program, 14 Territorians have received individual scholarships for the first time including young sailor Jack Benson, Alice Springs cyclist Nic Ruscoe and Katherine’s Joel Lewis.
Some of the highlight over the year from this program include:
Michelle Halprin won gold for Australia at the Asian Youth Championships in Hong Kong in February.
Michelle is also ranked now Australia’s No 1 youth bowler;
Joel Lewis became an Australian junior champion by winning the Under 15 National Title for the cycling
criterium;
Alice Springs’ Mathew Stephens was selected in an Under 17 Australian cycling team which competed in
New Zealand in 2003. Mathew became the first Territory-based cyclist to make an Australian team following
his selection in the National Development Group, which went for the Oceania Junior Men’s Development Camp;
Katherine track cyclist Corey Heath also became the first Territorian to make an Australian track team as he came
third in the one-lap time trial at the recent Under 19 Australian Championships;
Maria Tsoukalis won gold at the Oceania and South Pacific Junior Championships in December 2003. Maria’s
performance was a great contribution to the Australian junior team. Maria also won the TIO Junior Sportsperson
of the Year Award; and
the Northern Territory Hockey Community has produced two more Australian representatives with Desmond Abbott
and Greg Anstess selected in the Australian Junior Talent Camp Squad. The squad represents the players likely to be
selected for the 2005 Junior World Cup to be held next year in the Netherlands.
In all, over the past year, the NTIS has seen 24 scholarship holders receive national representation and five selected by national club teams. These achievements are incredible given Northern Territory’s small population base. Some of the performances we can look forward to over the next years are:
ten pin bowler, Andrew McArthur, has been named in the Australian team which will contest the Asian
Championships in Thailand in July;
talented Territory cyclist and NTIS scholarship holder, Corey Heath, who will contest the World Junior Track
Championships in July; and
talented southern districts AFL player, Richard Tambling, who was drafted at this year’s AFL draft.
This long list of achievements is proof of the Northern Territory government’s positive support and investment in helping the NTIS create an environment where our youngsters can excel. This government will continue to support our elite achievers and provide them with the opportunity to realise their sporting dreams for themselves and for their community.
In regards to the Community Harmony projects, one of the most important responsibilities of government is the development of a harmonious community. I have spoken many times about the difficulties caused by people who act in an unacceptable way in towns throughout the Northern Territory. Community Harmony aims to find ways out of the itinerant lifestyle to home, or to appropriate services or interventions to allow people to live more productive life styles. While there is still much to do, Community Harmony has had proven success in Darwin by using patrols by traditional owners, Return to Home programs, day activities, transient and transitional accommodation options, re-integration programs in remote communities, night and day patrols, youth patrols, and sobering up shelters.
Regional Harmony Group committees are in place in four regions, and they are gradually having an impact in other major towns. The hallmark of this project has been a consensual approach to decision-making that involves over fifty agencies, including all key Aboriginal and non-government organisations. Short-term accommodation options have been included in Darwin and Palmerston. Plans are under way for a short-term accommodation facility in Alice Springs. Options for developing a community centre on a town camp for temporary accommodation are being considered in Tennant Creek, and a multipurpose facility is being planned for Nhulunbuy.
In regards to essential services in remote areas, people in remote areas generally prefer to live there. They will not do this though if they have lousy services and lousy places to live. This government recognised that there had been inadequate funding of power, water and sewerage services for remote indigenous communities over many years. Many of the assets in the communities are now at or near the end of their economic life and require replacement, and repairs and maintenance costs have been escalating. Funding for indigenous housing provided through the Commonwealth-funded National Aboriginal Health Strategy and the joint Northern Territory and Commonwealth-funded Indigenous Housing Authority of the Northern Territory programs has increased the demand for power and water, a demand that had not been sufficiently met under previous governments. This government increased the funding for power, water and sewerage essential services for remote indigenous communities from approximately $35m per annum to over $45m; a commitment we have maintained for 2004-05.
In regards to libraries, preserving our indigenous culture and increasing the opportunities for libraries in remote areas to assist in the development of information, literacy and basic literacy skills, are important aspects of community development. Last year, my department, through the Northern Territory Library and Information Service, assisted the commencement of three pilot knowledge centres in Anmatjere, Wadeye and Galiwinku. Further work has been done during the year to identify the essential building blocks for successful libraries and knowledge centres. The implementation plan for regional libraries and knowledge centres will continue this year, with $230 000 being directed into this area. Libraries preserve our documentary heritage for all present and future Territorians. An important initiative is the introduction of legal deposit legislation to ensure the preservation and availability for future generations of the published intellectual record of the Territory’s economic, cultural, social, scientific and education activities in the Northern Territory library.
Through a range of capital works programs and other projects, public housing tenants who reside in older housing will benefit from improved amenity and condition of their homes. The community will be pleased with the improved appearance and safety within their neighbourhoods, and more jobs will be created for Territorians who are small or single trade contractors, through direct and sub-contract labour. Due for completion this December, a total of $6.8m will be spent on the redevelopment of Kurringal to construct the Fannie Bay Seniors Village. It will provide 40 new ground-level two-bedroom homes for seniors complete with a community meeting place. The units will be specifically constructed to meet the needs of older people who may have disabilities, and the grounds will be attractively landscaped.
A major renovation program under Territory Housing’s urban renewal repairs and maintenance program commenced in 2003-04. This program will continue through 2004-05 with $1.754m allocated to fully renovate 40 to 50 houses NT-wide. In 2004-05, the focus for the works will be to provide tenants of our older properties with basic amenities that include the internal and external painting, floor covering replacement, kitchen refurbishment, bathroom refurbishment, bedroom and linen cupboard replacement, and solar hot water system replacement. As well as improving the conditions of older public housing stock and neighbourhood appeal, this project means all public housing tenants will be able to enjoy a consistent standard of housing regardless of where they live or how old the house is.
This government recognises the vital role that safe, secure and affordable housing plays in assisting people to participate fully in their communities. This year, $3m will be spent on developing a number of public housing complexes across the Territory. $1.5m has also been dedicated to extend the level of security in public housing through the addition of security screens. Other housing budget highlights for the 2004-05 financial year include:
$1.035m is allocated to providing financial assistance for community-based organisations to deliver crisis
accommodation and transitional supported accommodation through the community housing and crisis
accommodation programs;
$1.050m through subsidised rental will go to community organisations to provide alternative housing options
for people with special needs;
an additional allocation of $500 000 will be made available to community groups to purchase, build, upgrade
or modify crises and community accommodation services through Territory Housing’s capital works program;
$830 000 will be granted to indigenous organisations to provide a tenancy support service to assist Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people to access and maintain public housing; and as part of this government’s commitment
to improving conditions; and
this government will provide greater access to affordable housing by subsidising public housing tenants with rental
rebates totalling $23m. This rebate is the difference between market rent on public housing accommodation and the
various concessions available that are accessed by public housing tenants.
In regards to the Territory Housing’s direct tenancy leasing, Territory Housing will lease houses directly to its remote public sector employees rather than to the employing agencies. The benefits of this new policy include the establishment of tenant and landlord responsibilities, improved dwelling maintenance, and recovery of tenant responsibility costs for repairs. Agencies such as Education and Health will be relieved of housing responsibilities and we will have it much more centralised, particularly when we deal with the remote areas.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, that is my contribution to the budget. As other members on this side of the House said earlier, this is a good budget. I believe that this is one of the best budgets that has been brought forward in this House. The Treasurer has done a good job. We have a situation where we are catering for all Territorians and it is not an easy task to ensure you spread that money around fairly and equitably. We have had our priorities. We have put money into education, health, police, and tourism. We are ensuring that there are more dollars going out into the remote parts of the Northern Territory. We believe that this budget will go down as one of the best in history.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Family and Community Services): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to outline today the significant opportunities and advances afforded Territorians in the 2004-05 budget. This is the Martin Labor government’s third budget and proudly my first as minister. This budget is keeping the Territory moving ahead and is a budget that helps Territory families get ahead.
As Minister for Family and Community Services, I am delighted to see a budget that is about putting families first. This budget is about more jobs, and more jobs helps more families. This budget is about record tax cuts and helping small business and this helps families. This budget is about initiatives that promote our great Territory lifestyle. This budget is about making the Territory a great place to raise a family. Recently, we have seen attempts to buy the votes of families with one-off cash bribes. The Martin Labor government is about supporting families every single day of the year, supporting them with services, supporting them with health, education and community safety. We are helping families get ahead with a record spending health budget. We are helping families get ahead with record funding for education, and we are providing safer communities for families with the record police budget and more police on the beat. These records spends are all part of our long term plans that will put the Territory first whilst strengthening the important links between family and community.
I am proud of the Territory lifestyle. It is a unique, enviable way of living that is simply unmatched anywhere else in the country. It is a lifestyle that gives individuals, families and communities the perfect foundation for balancing work, family and play. This government is building on this foundation by committing dollars to continue enhancing our wonderful lifestyle. When we talk about lifestyle, we generally talk about the place in which we live, our fishing, great parks, arts, culture, sports and entertainment. But woven into that lifestyle is family. The Martin Labor government recognises that the wellbeing of families is critical to the Territory’s future and it is absolutely instrumental that we commit funding to putting Territory families first. This is the only way we will keep the Territory moving ahead.
My portfolio is diverse and deals with many of the significant challenges facing Territorians as individuals, families, and a society. It includes the impact of alcohol and substance abuse, the trials and joys of senior years, the challenges of living with a disability, mental ill health, the scourge of child abuse and neglect, and supporting Territory families in crisis. The objective of the portfolio is to work with Territorians to build strong and hopeful lives not only for this generation but also for those to come.
My colleague, the Minister for Health, has already acknowledged the significant reforms introduced by my predecessor, and I too recognise the considerable momentum she forged through the Bansemer Review and subsequent initiatives. This government presented its Building Healthier Communities framework in February, a framework designed to build a better health system for all Territorians.
This budget shows that Territorians have a right to be optimistic. It contains substance and continues the example that Labor offers the Territory; a government that delivers on its plans. The government has said that it is committed to working with Territory families, community, staff, professional groups and unions. Territory families should be reassured because this budget demonstrates the resolve of government to improve the level, scope and reach of family development and crisis support services available to Territorians. This budget continues Labor’s efforts to encourage individuals and families to try for themselves, but try in the knowledge that the social safety net provided by government is in place, ready to help them bounce back. We are in a better place today then we have been for many years to support, serve and nurture the family and community needs and aspirations of Territorians.
I have said previously that Labor is committed to building a cohesive and forward looking Territory society. We cannot do that if significant numbers of families and children are marginalised or unable to access services, particularly at times of greatest need. The job we confront in the Territory is not an easy one. Stresses in family life can come from a number of sources. For example, poverty is associated with increased stress in families. 12% of all Territory families have three or more children. However, 30% of Aboriginal families in the Territory have three or more children. Of all Territory families that have three or more children, about 13% survive on an income of less than $500 per week. Poverty is associated with increased risks of domestic violence and the rate of allegation of child abuse. Reducing the level of complexity of family crisis is influenced not only just by the quality of our interventions but also by the levels of poverty, overcrowding and other family stresses.
I have said that Labor will support families in communities and will encourage them to be active participants in solving the problems they face. Labor will work with families in need as well as seek to prevent the flow of families in crisis. The difficulties that push families into crisis range across the spectrum of life’s challenges. At their worst, they can result in children needing to spend short periods in and out of home placement, to crisis where children need more longer-term arrangements. Responding to the needs of families is always a balancing act between maintaining the responsibility of parents to do the best they can, and the need to ensure that if they reach their limit, that appropriate services are available to bolster their resilience and capabilities.
In keeping with our commitments, the budget provides an increase of $3.6m to Family and Children’s Services, bringing the total in 2004-05 to more than $44m. This increase delivers the promised 10% improvement in funding to Child Protection Services and includes $600 000 towards a new Family Support Program. The opposition spokesperson was pleased by the government’s commitments to foster carers and Building Healthier Communities. No one should be surprised that this budget delivers on that commitment. We have already increased the payment to foster carers by 8% as of 1 January 2004. This budget provides $595 000 to fund the ongoing cost of this increased payment to foster carers as well as to provide greater scope to attend to the need of children in the system, including children with high needs. Labor is committed to promoting and maintaining the social independence of Territory individuals and families and helping them to overcome crisis. The provision of quality child care offers potential benefits for the health and wellbeing of children. The budget includes an additional $300 000 to fund the increase in childcare subsidies.
This budget continues the work Labor commenced in 2001, by bringing greater stability, confidence and commitment to the Family and Community Services portfolio. These things are important for the staff who work in this important area. They are important to the families and individuals whose lives may be heading towards crisis. They are important for the Territory community because they help us as a society to build greater trust in the institutions that support our families and protect our children.
The Martin Labor government inherited a mental health system that was fragmented, under-resourced and poorly supported. The previous government blatantly neglected this important area of our community health. Let us not forget that mental illness affects one in five Australians and that the burden of disease attributable to mental illness in the Northern Territory ranks in the top two. This government said in 2003 that it was committed to addressing the historical levels of under-funding and inaction and, despite the scepticism of some opposite, we commenced our reform program in 2003-04 with an additional $2m.
We said when we launched that reform that we would continue to improve mental health funding. This budget continues to deliver on that commitment. In 2004-05, the government will increase mental health funding by $2.6m to more than $25.7m, a record amount. Funding has been allocated for two child psychiatrists; one in the Top End and a second one with a Territory-wide focus. Central Australia will also get an additional child and youth mental health worker. For Territorians suffering from mental health problems, this instalment on our promise will mean greater opportunity for early access to services. This funding will deliver increased access to community-based mental health services, and provide additional support to a system on the mend after so many years of neglect.
Labor’s commitment is delivering to Territorians improved prevention, assessment, treatment including sub-acute care, recovery and rehabilitation services. And let us not forget that Labor inherited a mental health system that had the lowest per capita funding in the country.
Territorians living with a disability have not been forgotten by this government. Like Australians generally, the great majority of Australians with a disability live in a private dwelling with at least one other person. In about 72% of cases, they live with their principal carer. Importantly, however, a greater proportion of people in the Northern Territory with a disability live alone when compared to other Australians. Regardless, however, of which circumstances people find themselves in, people like to be at home. Providing an increased level of services in regional and remote locations is an objective that has been identified in Building Healthier Communities. This about, where we can, moving services closer to home so that access is improved.
In 2004-05, the government will provide an additional $788 000 to improve generic and specialist services to people with a disability and their carers. Included in this is $50 000 in Alice Springs and $200 000 in Darwin for services to young disabled people with high support needs. This funding will provide much needed access to day options that allow for ongoing skills development, education and training.
The Northern Territory government will provide $8.2m in 2004-05 to support the pensioner and senior Territorians concession scheme. We estimate that recipients in the scheme will rise to an estimated 17 000 Territorians in 2004-05.
In total, more than $55m will be spent on aged and disability services in 2004-05. We believe that all Territorians have a contribution to make to the life of our community, and these funds will continue our work to build a society in which all can participate.
I came to office committed to the vision of an inclusive and fair society where government resources were well targeted and well managed. The department, for the first time in many years, is being well managed. We expect that the department will deliver a result for 2003-04 within budgetary expectations. This should give us all confidence that the resources allocated in the 2004-05 budget will also be well managed and we will see the results.
In 2004-05, we have increased the Community Services budget to more than $141.9m, an increase of more than 3.7% on the last financial year. We are also better off because we have targeted our funding to areas of significant need; areas left languishing under the previous regime. Government has taken seriously the need of Territorians and we will continue our efforts to build a better future.
I began my budget reply by talking about how proud I am of our great Territorian lifestyle. Let me revisit this for a moment. This is a lifestyle, and as I said at Question Time, that sees Territorians out fishing, hunting and camping at every opportunity. Whether it is playing sport on the weekend, going for a run in the park, sharing a family picnic or heading out bush with some mates, the foundation of our Territory lifestyle is our fantastic urban and natural environments. When I speak of the Territory lifestyle, I do so, not just for those in our urban centres, but also for those in our communities.
Indigenous lifestyles are different, but no less dependent on our environment. The environment is intimately associated with the spiritual, cultural and physical wellbeing of indigenous people, and when the environment is altered, it has serious implications for people on country.
An example is the cane toad. Many Aboriginal people in my electorate have told me that since the cane toads arrived, bush tucker, such as the goanna, is very difficult to find. As we all know, the goanna is important in the diet of these people, and it saddens many of them that such an important animal is being hurt by the cane toad. That is why I am very proud that this government has allocated $400 000 over three years, which includes $80 000 to test prototypes of traps to protect native species from cane toads. To the credit of my colleague, the Minister for Parks and Wildlife, he has been out there pushing for national action on cane toads. His efforts have been well received by federal and state governments. Some may say that this is a small start on a huge problem, but it is money well spent after years of neglect by the CLP who, to their shame, simply stuck their head in the sand.
The Martin Labor government is committed to balancing economic growth with the protection of the environment upon which our Territory lifestyle depends. This is a budget that does just that. It is a budget that will grow our economy, create jobs and, very importantly, make sure that we have the programs in place to protect our natural and cultural assets. Government takes the view that clear and strong environmental requirements create certainty for new investment, and this is good for business as well as the environment.
To this end, government established the independent Office of Environment and Heritage reporting directly to me. This year, $6.1m will be spent on environment programs delivered by this office, up from last year. Together with five new positions previously created, this represents a considerable strengthening of the Office of Environment and Heritage. A major task of the Office of Environment and Heritage is to assess the environmental impact of new developments. I am happy to say that they are very busy in the office at the moment. They are busy because this government is out there growing the economy. Major development such as the Darwin waterfront redevelopment and the Alcan expansion are coming on-line. I have every confidence that the Office of Environment and Heritage will continue to provide me with independent expert advice to ensure that this development is sustainable.
Of course, our environment not only sustains our lifestyle but, together with our cultural heritage, it is the very resource upon which very important industries such as tourism depend. This is a key point and one that I would like to emphasise. Protecting our environment and heritage does not simply mean a greener, cleaner place to use or enjoy; it also means more jobs for Territorians.
This budget continues government’s focus on conserving our heritage assets, with a particular emphasis on World War II heritage which, I believe, will become an increasingly important part of the tourism market as baby boomers down south retire and seek to retrace their mum and dad’s wartime experiences in the Top End. This renewed focus has seen the heritage declaration of Strauss Airfield, a site I firmly believe would not have been declared by the former CLP government. With the leadership and commitment of this government, the site has received heritage protection and, with assistance from the federal government to cover the additional costs of shifting the Stuart Highway duplication, we now have the opportunity to provide tourists with something very special. I am very pleased, therefore, that the budget will capitalise on the heritage listing by providing funding for installation of a lay-by, interpretive shelter, and interpretive walking trail at Strauss Airfield so that the locals and tourists alike can come to understand first-hand the heroism of those who served.
This government is very much leading by example on heritage conservation. The government is the single biggest owner of heritage assets, so it is important that we set the standards for keeping them in good shape. This budget will see $1m allocated for repairs and maintenance to these properties. That is a dedicated spend on repairs and maintenance that simply did not exist under the CLP. It is $1m to the upkeep of some of our heritage icons such as the Residency in Alice Springs, the Katherine railway precinct and the buildings at Newcastle Waters. That is great for heritage, great for small contractors around the Territory who will get more work, and great for tourism.
Conserving and protecting the Territory’s environment and heritage is an investment for the future. Combined with the $84.1m being spent in 2004-05 on conservation and natural resource management, government is investing more than $90m on the environment because this government has the long-term plans that will keep the Territory moving ahead.
Finally, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, this Martin Labor government’s budget for 2004-05 is about less tax, more jobs and our fantastic and enviable lifestyle.
Ms CARTER (Port Darwin): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, as members are aware, I cover a number of portfolios. These include health, community services, seniors, arts and museums. Due to the time limit that I face here this evening of only 30 minutes, I will not have time to touch on the areas of arts and museums and seniors which have been covered in the budget. For readers of Hansard, please be aware that I am concerned with these areas and hopefully we will get an opportunity during the estimates process to pursue matters there.
The areas of health and community services are big areas and need some special attention. I thank both ministers for their responses tonight in this debate which I listened to with keenness. The area of family and community services is obviously a very important area and I wish their new minister well over the remainder of her term. I welcome the extra funding that has gone into areas such as child protection and I hope that over the next year or so we see that having an impact in our community.
The minister, though, always lends herself to making sarcastic and provocative comments with regard to the previous government. The inference is that the CLP has never done a decent thing in 25 to 30 yeas of being in government and that every woe that occurs in the Northern Territory is a result of the CLP having been in government, and that the CLP in government obviously means that the Territory has much worse social, mental health, community problems that any other jurisdiction that ever had the joy of having a Labor government. So obviously, if you cross the border into South Australia and go to the Pit Lands, everything is goodness and light there. Of course we all know that that is not the case and as always I do find this petty politicking somewhat of a bore.
Mental health, for example; we have had Labor in government now for three yeas. Mental health is in no way glowing and happy with how they are going. You only have to tour an area such as Cowdy Ward in the grounds of Royal Darwin Hospital to know that it is overcrowded. You only have to listen to what the staff tell you with the fact that sometimes more than one patient has to share what was once a single bed room to realise the problems there. You only have to read the Northern Territory News which had an article in it a month or so back raising concerns that the staff there are getting ready to pursue industrial action. So, things are all not glowing in the area of mental health under Labor.
The minister makes comments often with regards to years of neglect under the CLP. May I warn her and her colleagues that every time they say that, various agencies - for example, I have here a submission and I am sure the minister has seen it, from the Northern Territory Carer’s Association. It is a discussion paper prepared for distribution to all NT political parties as this very capable group get ready to lobby, and they are obviously doing it now in the hope that we will all develop policies that affect carers in a positive manner. We have had Labor in government for three years and to quote from this document: ‘The funding for carer related supports and services in the Northern Territory by the Northern Territory government is, and has been, shameful’. Is and has been shameful. So, you are not that covered in glory, minister. That is your neck of the woods, member for Arafura.
I now turn to the Minister for Health and needless to say given what has transpired in the budget over the last couple of days he is going to get the majority of my time here tonight. Members will be aware that in the 2003-04 Budget Paper No 3 on page 193, the estimate of funding for the Department of Health and Community Services was $561m. Under 12 months later, this week, we have provided to us Budget Paper No 3 for the 2004-05 Budget. The estimate of spending for the current financial year, 2003-04, is now $612m. The difference between one book, what they budgeted for, and the other book, the estimate of spending for the Department of Health and Community Services, has shot up $50m. This is a significant funding increase. In fact, it is 9% of the total budget. In Budget Paper No 3 for this year, there is no explanation, there is no variation. Often when a budget comes down, you have explanations as to why significant funding changes have occurred. This time, nothing. Obviously, the hope is that we will not notice. Well, I am sorry. We have noticed this issue and it is a particular concern.
When the Labor government people go out crowing about increased spending in the area of health, obviously the aim is to impress Territorians into thinking: ‘That is great. We have more money, ergo we have more services and ergo our problems in health are decreasing’. It is a good thing to increase funding in health. I have no problem with increasing funding in health. What I have a problem with is the fact that this government cannot predict massive increases in their health spending. That is the problem: the fact you are unable to manage a budget. You should be able to predict what you are going to need spending in. You should be able to organise your budget 12 months before the spending needs to be done in these huge amounts of money because you have an obligation to Territorians and you have an obligation to Australians whose taxes pay for this.
In February, we had the Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report. Three months ago, it was published and delivered here. On page 26 of that report, the Department of Health and Community Services budget was on track to be overspent by $6m. Three months ago, we were told that by the end of this financial year, community services and health would be overspent by $6m. All things considered, that is probably not too bad.
However, here we are, three months later, and we are told that by the end of June, the blow-out is $50m. You have to wonder what on earth has gone wrong here. Why could they not ‘fess up in February that they were heading for a $50m blow-out? It was going to come out in some point in time, so why not ‘fess up? Was the reason that they did not know? If they did not know, why did they not know? Why did the department not know? Why did Treasury not know and why did the minister not know?
We need to find out what has happened here. If the Treasurer is going to give us a response at the end of this debate, I would welcome some detail as to what went wrong. It was hinted at yesterday but we definitely heard today in Question Time from the Treasurer when I asked questions in this area that the inference was that this is not a blow-out because Cabinet said: ‘Okay, you can have the money’. That was it. The spin on it was that in February you were only going to be blown out by $6m. Since then, you have obviously put to Cabinet requests for another $44m and because Cabinet said yes every time, it is not a blow-out.
Obviously, the discussion that was held behind the scenes was: ‘Heck, we are in a lot of trouble. The last thing we need is the CLP coming out swinging, saying we have blown the budget by $50m. We are going to have to spend this money. There is nothing we can do about it, so you better sign off. When we go into parliament and when they pick up on it, the spin we will give it’ – and this probably took half an hour to figure out – ‘is that because Cabinet said it was okay, then it is not a budget blow-out. We could not possibly have predicted it in February’. Suddenly, every week in Cabinet, they must have been ticking off $5m to $10m extra for health. It must have been exhausting. The fear of being able to have anyone say that they blew a budget was obviously horrific because we know the minute that Labor was elected three years ago, the two things they had to do were: one, convince Territorians that they could manage money and, two, convince Territorians that crime has got better under Labor. They know that these are the two strong areas of the CLP over many years. So, now, whatever they do, they have to spin things rather than tell people the truth.
Yesterday, the Treasurer claimed the $50m blow-out was caused by two things. The first was the increased funding for child protection. This increase in funding was announced in December last year, and given the problems that are in this area of child protection, I certainly applaud that the government said that they were going to increase funding, services and resources into child protection. I have a document here, which I seek leave to table.
Leave granted.
Ms CARTER: I am pretty sure that this document was given to me at a briefing that I had from the minister’s office some time ago. In the document, it sets out how the extra $50m-odd that is going to be overspent in the years to come is going to be divvied up. For this financial year, that document tells us that child protection is going to get an extra $3.8m. Well that goes a little way into our $50m overspend. And that is because, in February, we were told it was a $6m overspend coming our way. That is basically two-thirds of that $6m. The other reason we were given for an increase in the blow-out to $50m was the wages for doctors and nurses. Quite frankly, this government knew full well that during this financial year there would be an EBA for nurses and an EBA for doctors negotiated. On top of that, their election promise three years ago was to increase nurses’ wages by 15%. And they have gone a good way in doing that. By using your maths, at the start of this financial year, the government must have known that they were going to have an EBA, and that they were probably going to be increasing wages in the vicinity of 3% to 4%. It was not rocket science, so surely that was factored into the budget for this year. It is startling to think that that was given as an excuse as to why there has been a budget blow-out.
There has been a budget blow-out in the area of employee expenses. In the 2003-04 budget, the government had employee expenses, wages, at $289.6m. We find out this week, in our new budget books, that employee expenses will come in at $307m. This is a blow-out of $18m over 12 months in wages for one department, which is far more substantial than the $3.8m for child protection, but not considered worthy yesterday for the Treasurer to use as one of the reasons, one of the big contributors, towards the $50m blow-out. It will be very interesting during the Estimates Committee to get an open and accountable - we are always appreciative of that, aren’t we, member for Katherine? – an open and accountable report from the minister as to where this extra, unplanned $18m went.
In particular, I will be seeking a breakdown which shows how the expenditure in areas of the department’s executive has gone over the past few years. Also, the amount spent on overtime and agency nursing hours, because I am reliably informed this week that, at Royal Darwin Hospital, patient occupation of the wards is running at 110%. That means that, on any given day, every single bed in the hospital is full, and several beds turn over several times during the day, that is where you get 110% patient occupancy from. At the same time, staffing is held at 85% of staffing levels. The reason why a place like Royal Darwin Hospital does that with their staffing is because it saves money and it means that the staff can cope on these busy days because, on the off-chance that we do not have full wards, it then means we are not overstaffed. I am reliably informed by people who are not happy campers that we are currently running at 110% occupancy of the beds and staffing at 85%. In other words, things are flat out there.
Management, of course, are reporting that we are fully staffed, we have no problems, and we have no vacancies. I am aware of nurses who are approaching Royal Darwin Hospital seeking jobs and being told: ‘No, no, no, we do not have any vacancies at the moment’. Therefore, I ask given that: why is it that this year 55 000 hours extra has been worked by nurses in the hospital? These are either agency nurses or overtime shifts at Royal Darwin Hospital. Where will this have shown up in the budget? In the $18m blow-out for wages is where it has shown up. It is going to be very interesting during the estimates process to explore some of these issues. As I said, $50m is a huge blow-out over what was budgeted for 12 months ago. I do not know of any larger blow-out in Territory government history. Quite frankly, it is nearly half of the famous black hole. I ask our ministers: is this okay? Are you concerned? If so, what are you going to do? Does having two ministers now for this one department mean that two people have a credit card and they can just spend willy-nilly?
I know that both these ministers are good and nice people, and perhaps they just find it very difficult to say no. Between the pair of them, they have come up with a $50m blow-out. Even though both of them have only been in the job for six months, looking at the February mid-year report the budget for the department was running reasonably well. It is only since the arrival of the two new kids on the block that things have gone haywire - spectacularly haywire.
When Labor was elected, the Chief Minister said she would sack CEOs who did not come in on budget. We really have to ask: does this mean that the current CEO is packing his bags? Today in parliament, we had a discussion - quite constructive I thought it was - with regards to the current CEO who has put an e-mail out to the department on the same day that the budget was delivered telling the department staff - and I know this e-mail goes out everywhere – that for the first time in 10 years the department has come in on budget. As far as I am concerned, this is somewhat a stretch of the truth. It is something that is going to need to be explored during the estimates process because, quite frankly, this little trick of going to Cabinet and getting a tick-off on everything just so that, when it comes time for budget scrutiny and you guys are $50m over, you will be able to say: ‘Oh no, Cabinet ticked that off’. Really, you are trying to pull the wool over everybody’s eyes.
I know you do this routinely and across the board in all areas. It is like saying the economy is going gangbusters and everything is fine. You only have to walk up that mall, as the member for Katherine and I did today at lunchtime, and speak to people in the mall about business in the Territory. All we get, constantly, is: ‘What the heck is going on?’ You guys might like to go on and on and try to pull the wool over everybody’s eyes on these things, but the truth does out, and it will out in this instance.
Of course, we get the glowing claims that extra money has gone into the budget, and we certainly look forward to seeing how that pans out over the next 12 months. For example, I have some concerns here with the extra money. ‘Record health budget’. Well, of course, it is going to be a record health budget because every year the government tacks on CPI and there you usually have your budget, quite frankly. I cannot image any year where the total for a health budget went down. This year, you guys have given Health and Community Services an increase of $23m between this year and the next. That is an increase of 3.76%. It barely covers normal CPI, let alone the health CPI which members will be aware, particularly our two ministers and the Treasurer, runs at about 7% per annum as per the Australian Bureau of Statistics. You people have only allowed for an increase of about 50% of what was really needed in the increase for this department to continue spending the way it has been and come in on budget.
I guess this time next year it will be same story being coughed up: ‘Oh well, we had a stab in the dark and we came up with a budget figure last year but every time one of our two lovely ministers wanted a little bit extra, they just came to Cabinet and Cabinet ticked it off. Heaven’s above, the last thing we want to do is go to an election year looking dodgy in any way in our budget bean counting’.
I am predicting big trouble. You have not increased this budget in an adequate sense. It is not going to cover health CPI because of the way staffing costs and equipment costs go up. These are the things behind why health runs at such a high CPI each year. I am predicting big trouble for you guys. I suspect in 12 months time we are going to see a Department of Health and Community Services spend in the vicinity of $700m. That is my prediction. For this year, that is the sort of money that you guys are going to end up spending in health. The question will be: what will we see for it? What extra will we see for that extra money? How will the health of Territorians be improved? We will be looking to see that.
What also happens in these budget machinations is that the government tries to rein in spending. The department does try to rein it in. One of the more cynical ways that the government has done this since they came to term is one of their famous election promises to build a hospice. They made much mileage out of this. It is one thing to say, ‘We are going to build a water garden or build some correctional services or even build a convention centre,’ all to be applauded. But to say that you are going to build a hospice and then not build it is cruelty in the extreme. Every year for the past three years, every single Labor budget book that has come in here has said ‘hospice at Royal Darwin Hospital - $3m’. Here we are, three years down the track and if I wandered into Royal Darwin Hospital, what will I see? A car park; the Menzies car park where the famous hospice one day will sit. So it should not be surprising to members on the opposite side that people get a bit cynical in the system as to whether this money will actually ever be spent.
One of your advisors would be pretty disappointed at the moment - Mr Nieuwenhoven used to be the secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation up here. I remember when he launched a significant campaign with the nurses to get something done about the incinerator at Royal Darwin Hospital. That was allocated $2m in the budget book by Labor for 2002-03. That just completely disappeared. We have not heard much about that. In what was meant to have been spent this year, for example, we have had significant spending in Alice Springs hospital - fire protection – no sign of that; Yuendumu Health Clinic, $2m, no sign of that; Milikapiti Health Clinic, no sign of that. What happens is that each year the government rounds it all up into a package and moves it onto the next year and describes it as a revote: ‘We are going to take these funds, we never spent them, we spent them on something else, no doubt nurses wages. We are going to take that sort of concept and we will do it next year. We will just move it along. Hospice, hospice, hospice, hospice.’ For example, these revotes.
You will notice that in this budget book the revote for health totals $16m and for things that have been moved and moved and moved and the new capital works totals $8m. Two thirds of the money has not been spent in the past and it is coming over this year and one third of the money goes to new things. Constantly we get a cynicism out there that you might say you are going to build a birthing suite for example, it will be interesting to see what that looks like in 12 months time. Chances are: not much. A radiation oncology unit fell off the board fairly early in the Labor term. Some people have some cynicism and this is how the department reins in costs in an effort to try to come in on budget. Obviously, they just did not get Cabinet approval for those things.
It was disappointing in the budget to see that 25% of funding has been cut to non-government organisations providing services in the area of alcohol and other services, given the concern that we have in this community for the problems caused by alcohol and other drugs. It would have been great if this government could have seen its way clear to build an alcohol rehab service, a residential service, for the people of Alice Springs being promoted by the people from Green Gates, a service available for all Alice Springs people and people from the area not like the Aboriginal services which are exclusive in those areas. It was disappointing to see a cut in this area; it is an area that should have received more money.
Lost in the budget, of course, was the re-opening of the rehabilitation ward at Royal Darwin Hospital. I know it is a thing I go on about, but those eight beds are sorely missed. Robyne Burridge was on the radio last week representing the disability services area and the consumer services for people with the disability. She was terribly disappointed that the rehab unit is going to stay shut and I concur with her views.
One of their other tricks is to put promises on hold. Labor puts promises on hold. A classic example happening at the moment, I have been advised, is that at Alice Springs Hospital, management have been told not to start spending that famous extra $2m until October. This is the $2m to increase services in the intensive care and high dependency areas. ‘Don’t start doing anything until October’ is the message to them. ‘Wait a good five or six months, then you can pop an ad in the paper for some extra staff and we might put someone on by late February’, which means that of that $2m, hardly any has been spent. That is always a good strategy to avoid actually spending any money.
It reminds me of the year 2002-03 when Labor promised $2.3m for an extra 25 child health positions out bush, primarily to be nursing positions. I can tell you: the people promoting that within the department just pulled their hair out of their heads. They worked hard in developing job descriptions, they had everything ready to do the advertising campaigns and, no, it was all put on hold. Nothing happened. I would be very surprised if there are many of those extra 25 positions on the ground as we speak today. That was another ploy: make the big promo in the press, get the newspaper clippings, aren’t we great helping out Territorians, particularly the disadvantaged out bush? What happens in the end? Nothing. A good little strategy.
There are many issues with the Department of Health and Community Services. We have estimates to look forward to. Members will be aware of how incredibly disappointed I am at the extraordinary lack of opportunity that the opposition has to ask questions in this vital area. I do not know how it is going to work now that we have two ministers, but it will be interesting to see how it goes.
The issues that we are going to have to look at are the spectacular budget blow-out and to explore what the heck went on there. I am quite sure that the Treasurer has his toecutters from Treasury wandering the corridors of the Department of Health and Community Services, trying to find out what the heck went on. It will be interesting to see if they can in any way rein in their spending during this 12 months. As I say, I doubt it and, given the fact that they have barely touched on normal CPI, let alone health CPI, I wonder how close they will get to my estimate of departmental spending for this year to be $700m. If you do spend $700m, I hope we get some good bang for our buck out there.
The government will continue to be tricky in its implementation of this budget, delaying spending, revoting capital works. I will be looking forward, in 12 months time, to tour the new birthing centre to see how that is going and the refurbishment of the maternity ward, something that I agree needs to be done.
What is disappointing about this budget is that it lacks vision. It does not address the key issues of bed blocks for general beds in our public hospitals, particularly Royal Darwin Hospital and Alice Springs Hospital. Sure, there are extra intensive care beds and things like that, but what about general ward patients? These are the people waiting days on trolleys in our emergency departments for a comfortable bed on a ward where they actually turn the lights off at night.
The other thing it does not do is promote our community health services. Hospital in the Home is an area which should be increased so that we can prevent people going into hospital beds and care for people in their homes. Community health desperately needs more funding and resources to prevent people having to go into hospitals. The other thing it does not do is address industrial problems. Royal Darwin Hospital is brewing for an industrial dispute in the next month or so. Workloads are horrendous and this government has done nothing to deal with that problem.
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Mr Acting Deputy Acting Speaker, it is great to be here tody to speak about the 2004-05 Budget. It is not me as a member of this government who will praise that budget; praise has been received from different sectors in our community, namely, the Chamber of Commerce and the business community, the property groups and many others who have seen this budget as a pro-business budget. Somebody mentioned that it was a business-friendly budget, and certainly it is. It is a budget that caters for Territorians, for the small businesses, and we are the first to acknowledge that there were some hard times in the past few years, even before the change of government. Business in the Territory suffered, the construction sector suffered, there was a downturn in the economy of the Territory, and we now see it improving, crawling back to what it was before. This budget is going to boost the economy, it is going to boost the economic activity, help small business, help the construction sector and generally provide some certainty for a bright future for Territorians
This budget is good for Territorians. Speaking as a local member, I am very pleased that this budget caters for the people in my electorate. First of all, it caters for the people in my electorate because, according to the statistics, a significant number of people in my electorate are people with small businesses, people employed in small businesses, and a significant number in my electorate are people employed in the construction industry. This budget has good news for small business, but also for the construction industry. Especially with the urban renewal, the housing renewal, the spending in housing, in remote communities, in spending in housing to house public servants, to upgrade the existing houses and to build brand new houses. This means a lot of work for contractors, a lot of work of sub-contractors will flow down to the labourers who work in the NT building construction sector.
Also, for bigger business, with the Darwin City Waterfront redevelopment, and the oil pipeline and associated equipment at East Arm Wharf, the boat loading facility at Darwin Port Corporation, means big money for our big businesses. That, in turn, will help smaller contractors in the Territory. It will provide the bulk of the services, the bulk of the equipment.
The 2004-05 Budget delivers less tax, more jobs and great lifestyle. A record infrastructure program of $441m means more jobs and opportunities for Territorians, but also means providing the vital infrastructure for the Territory, and that is not only the Top End and Darwin, but also throughout the Territory.
The capital works program of $279m is especially important for my electorate of Casuarina, as I said before, because it will produce work in essential projects for my constituents, including the $1m upgrade of Alawa Primary School, and $1m for the upgrade of Nakara Primary School. These schools were built 30 to 35 years ago, and since then have never had a major refurbishment, never had a major upgrade and they look really old and tired. This money will go to a good cause; it will be used to help improve the condition of the schools, and certainly will improve the teaching and education environment for our children. At the same time, it will provide quite a bit of work for the local contractors in the area.
Less tax is also important for Territorians. Business will benefit from the payroll tax general exemption, which will increase from $600 000 to $800 000 in the new financial year, and eventually rising to $1m on July 1 2005.
Our unique Territory lifestyle is what makes living here so special. Recognising this, the Martin government will fund a range of great initiatives into 2004-05, with a couple of projects in the northern suburbs and outer Darwin, including the headworks for a Darwin soccer stadium and improvement works at Hidden Valley Raceway.
A record $635m Health budget will ensure Territorians will have the best options for their families, with many improvements to the quality of services throughout the Territory. Again, for my electorate of Casuarina there are a few key items, including the birth centre and the hospice for the Royal Darwin Hospital, and a lift for disabled access to Casuarina Senior College.
Returning to my portfolios, it gives me great pleasure to outline the budget initiatives for my portfolios of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Mines and Energy - both within the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development – and, of course, the Office of Ethnic Affairs. The Ministry for Primary Industry and Fisheries, together with Mines and Energy, are responsible for delivering programs and services relating to sustainable resource development across the Territory and, because of their very nature, often in our remote and regional areas as well. The NT boasts one of the most diverse multicultural communities in Australia, and these multicultural communities have not been forgotten in this budget.
The Fisheries Group works in partnership with stakeholders to facilitate a sustainable development of our aquaculture industry and fisheries, and aquatic resources. The great work and world-leading science of the Fisheries Group is acknowledged with our major fisheries afforded the highest level of sustainability under the Commonwealth government’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The budget contains an additional $436 000. We recognised that fishing and aquaculture holds significant potential for the social and economic benefit for indigenous people. Specifically, this money will facilitate the on-site involvement and training of indigenous people in their communities to maximise opportunities for local employment.
Already, the department has helped with the first trials of sponge aquaculture at the communities of Goulburn Island and Maningrida. This is something really funny. Here in Darwin, the majority of the Greek population come from the island of Kalymnos, where major employment was actually sponge diving. Here we are, many years later after we brought the first sponge divers to Australia to dive for pearls in the Northern Territory, establishing the first sponge aquaculture to improve the conditions and the economic condition of the indigenous communities.
In addition, funding till facilitate the supply of ‘crablets’ to indigenous regional communities such as the Gwalwa Daraniki Association, to enable it to establish and maintain a mud crab aquaculture business.
I also commend the Fisheries Group for the Certificate of Commendation at last year’s Commissioner’s Awards for Equity and Diversity. This was awarded for the indigenous fisheries apprenticeship program which was implemented in 2003. As well, some funding is provided for the indigenous community marine ranger program that, to date, has employed 18 rangers. This includes five rangers employed by the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation through the Djelk ranger program, and eight rangers with the Thamarrurr ranger program at Wadeye.
$1.403m will be used to develop aquaculture opportunities in the Territory, in addition to supporting the establishment of a commercial marine finfish hatchery which supplies the land barramundi farm at Port Hurd on Bathurst Island. The aquaculture program has substantially supported the ongoing development of barramundi, prawn and pearl farming in the Northern Territory, and is now undertaking work on the commercialisation of mud crab, trepang and sponge aquaculture.
As you are no doubt aware, the Darwin Aquaculture Centre spawns and rears barramundi fingerlings for commercial fish farms, often with a surplus of fish between 50 mm and 100 mm. Many of these surplus fish have been stocked in Manton Dam, and negotiations are currently under way to stock Lake Bennett and the disused water supply dam at Mt Todd near Pine Creek.
Last year, the government provided $620 000 to establish a new level of bio-security for marine aquaculture research facilities in Australia, and aids in the protection of Darwin Harbour and its flora and fauna.
$100 000 has been earmarked for a review of the Fisheries Act, in consultation with indigenous, commercial, recreational and community requirements for the future of fishing in the Northern Territory. This legislation will be reviewed in consultation with all fisheries stakeholders.
The Fisheries Group continues to work closely with the barramundi industry and other stakeholders to revise the current management arrangements for the commercial barramundi fishery. $50 000 has been earmarked for this purpose. This will include a 10-year resource sharing plan. The Northern Territory has been very successful in achieving accreditation from the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage for exports for our major fisheries. In the Northern Territory, the barramundi and aquarium fisheries are the final two fisheries that require accreditation, and $35 000 has been allocated to ensure that the deadline is met.
The Northern Territory government continues its support for the NT Seafood Council with a grant of $175 000 which has been derived from fishing licence revenue. Following public submissions, upgraded security at the Buffalo Creek boat ramp and extending the Dinah Beach boat ramp were identified as priorities. These works are currently under way and will be completed in the next few months.
Other initiatives to honour our commitment of $1.5m to improve the recreational fishing infrastructure include new ramps at Borroloola and Mule Creek providing a greater access to McArthur River, improvements to the Palmerston boat ramp and land based anglers through the platform or other facility at the Elizabeth River bridge in consultation with the Palmerston City Council.
In March, the Fisheries Group recruited two new officers for a one year period. These officers have been tasked with the management, development and promotion of recreational fishing in the Northern Territory. Riverwatch, a joint community and Fisheries Group initiative, has seen the establishment of information centres on the Daly, Mary and McArthur River systems. A further $50 000 has been earmarked to ensure similar centres planned for the Roper and Victoria River systems are established in the coming year.
The budget also has $170 000 to support the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory which includes $10 000 for fishing club grants. Together, the Fisheries Groups and AFANT have negotiated a series of outcomes as part of AFANT’s budget preparation for 2004-05. These outcomes include management of angler data collection programs on the Victoria, Roper, Adelaide and McArthur Rivers; implementation of the Tiwi Islands fishing access permit system; representation on a range of fishery advisory committees; management of the government’s funding grant program for fishing clubs and associations; and assistance with the negotiation and establishment of fishing access agreements.
A Land Access Working Group works with relevant land councils and pastoral lease holders to increase recreational fishing access opportunities in the Northern Territory. The group has now a dedicated officer and $150 000 has been earmarked to allow significant progress of this initiative during 2004-05.
The Northern Territory government has committed over $22m to be spent in support of Northern Territory Primary Industry programs during 2004-05 financial year. Primary Industry staff of the department continue working with, and revising, sectoral plans for its primary industry under the Northern Territory government’s Economic Development Strategy. The sectoral plans ensure industry growth that is sustainable and best practice. Northern Territory primary industry comprises cattle and other livestock including buffalo, crocodiles, poultry, pigs and camels; horticulture including fruit, vegetables, nursery and cut flowers; and cropping including peanuts, field crops, hay and seed. The current estimated gross value of production of these industries for 2002-03 in the Territory is $295m including $184m from the cattle industry, animal industries at $14m, food crops at $11m and horticulture at $86m.
Northern Territory primary industries employ an estimated 1900 people. Northern Territory programs for primary industries have a strong regional delivery focus: the agricultural mixed farming program is focussed in Katherine, Douglas Daly and Darwin area; horticulture is mostly in the Top End including Katherine, with some in Ti Tree and Alice Springs; pastoral programs support the export trade in the Darwin region and cattle production from Katherine through to Alice Springs; and resource protection services are located throughout the Territory with laboratory support provided from Darwin.
I now turn to some of the specific budget allocations for the Primary Industry: $1.3m has been earmarked for industry development support; $50 000 will be utilised to raise the profile of locally grown or produced food products throughout the Territory and through the Food Group initiative which has branches in Darwin and Alice Springs; the budget contains an additional $457 000 for delivery of programs that will help expand indigenous pastoral and horticultural enterprises on indigenous owned land; restore and expand employment opportunities for indigenous people in rural and remote areas by identifying training needs and coordinating the delivery of the training; and support the practical application of skills.
I am pleased to announce a recent staff addition to the Indigenous Pastoral Project with a dedicated officer now working from the Alice Springs Arid Zone Research Institute. Staff are also working with the horticultural industry and have developed and are working to a strategic plan that encourages the development through the management of knowledge, improved industry skills, and land, water and infrastructure availability.
The value of horticultural production in the Northern Territory, including nursery and cut flowers, for 2003-04 is estimated to be $85.6m. In this budget, $2.9m has been earmarked for research, expansion and development programs across our horticultural industry. This program will focus on continued work on our research stations to create an effective partnership with the horticultural industry and organisations that I mentioned earlier today, developing new products or varieties, developing and testing production technologies, providing support to achieve best practice supply chain management, and packaging and distributing horticultural information.
Work will also continue with the mango industry on improving management of the through-chain from the farm gate to the retailer. As such, $3.4m will be used to maintain the programs of grower accreditation and certification assurance, the management and/or eradication of plant pests and diseases, and the provision of laboratory services. $900 000 will be used to support public health and environmentally-related water quality monitoring for arid and remote communities.
To ensure livestock health and market access for the Territory, this budget contains $4.3m to support ready access to all available domestic and export markets of Territory livestock, including cattle, camels and buffalo. This service will include veterinary laboratory services; animal disease control and emergency response programs; inspection treatment certification services to facilitate the sale of animals and animal products; and a collaborative program for the Charles Darwin University.
A further $4.9m will be used for targeted research, development and extension services to the pastoral industry, and maintaining services on the Territory’s research stations. $3.6m will go towards agricultural development programs to ensure in continued research, development and extension services to enhance and promote mixed farming development in the Northern Territory. These programs include intensive cattle and buffalo production from improved pastures; hay and seed production; dryland Wet Season crop production; irrigation production; Agroforestry production; and continued work on the Territory’s research farms.
The mining industry remains one of the most important industries in the Northern Territory, accounting for 23% of gross state product in 2002-03. The Minerals and Energy Group within the department is the principal Northern Territory government agency responsible for supporting and regulating the Territory’s mining and petroleum industries. The Minerals and Energy Group works to promote the development of the Territory’s mining and petroleum industries and regulates these industries to ensure good practice in health, safety and environmental management.
The Minerals and Energy Group has funding of over $20m for the 2004-05 financial year. The Northern Territory government’s Building the Territory’s Resource Base program focusses on enhancing the Territory’s geological prospectivity, but providing industry with high quality, low cost, new generation geoscientific data, information and ideas. $3.8m has been earmarked from the 2004-05 Budget for the second year of this four-year initiative.
The Geological Survey division has an allocation of $7.45m for this financial year. This division is responsible for:
collecting, interpreting, synthesising and disseminating geoscientific data to attract and render more effective
mineral and onshore and offshore petroleum exploration and enable geoscientists to focus on enhancing the
Territory’s geological prospectivity and improve delivery of information to explorers; and
presenting results to explorers at the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar, known as AGES. Preparations
are currently under way to host the Central Australian Basins Symposium in Alice Springs in August 2005.
Under the capital works program, $360 000 has been allocated for the construction of a free standing, dedicated storage facility for mineralised drill core samples at the Winnellie depot in Darwin, which is managed by the Geological Survey division.
The Mining and Energy Services division, which incorporates the Group’s executive unit, has a budget of $7.1m. Of this, $897 000 will ensure the continued work by the Indigenous and Mining Industry Services unit to conduct information and training sessions with indigenous community councils and schools about the mineral and petroleum industries.
The Northern Territory government considers effective liaison with traditional owners about mineral and petroleum exploration is crucial to ensuring the benefits of exploration can be shared by all Territorians. With teams and officers now based in Darwin, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, the department has enhanced its capacity to provide targeted services to the mining industry and regional indigenous communities.
The Northern Territory government has committed funding to continue the administration of renewable energy programs including the Commonwealth’s Renewable Remote Power Generation Program and Photovoltaic Rebate Program. Under the Renewable Energy Rebate Program implemented by the Northern Territory government, $38.2m of Commonwealth funding is available to provide remote power users with cash rebates of 50% to replace expensive diesel generation with renewable energy. It is anticipated that over $4m will be distributed under this program in the next financial year.
These rebates assist communities and remote pastoral properties to provide reliable power for 24 hours a day, and also provides cheaper power supplies to Territorians living in rural and remote locations. The projects supported to date represent a capital expenditure of $16m, representing $8m in rebates and $8m in owner contribution.
The Titles Division of the Minerals and Energy Group has a budget of $2.3m to continue its critical role of granting and maintaining mineral and petroleum titles in the Northern Territory. Specifically, the Titles Division facilitates valid legal access to Northern Territory mineral resources through processing applications for mineral and petroleum titles, and is working to build productive partnerships between the government, the mining and petroleum industries and Northern Territory land councils, which will facilitate access to land for exploration and mining.
This division is also undertaking the review of the Mining Act to ensure its timeliness and relevance as the legislative basis for the administration of mining tenure in the Northern Territory.
The Mines and Petroleum Management Division has been allocated a budget of $3.97m. This unit oversees the mining and petroleum industries to authorise, inspect, monitor and audit companies to ensure they operate safely, in accordance with best practice and minimum environmental impact.
The Territory government is committed to protecting the safety and health of those in the mining industry and, to ensure the industry plays its part in protecting the environment, new legislation was introduced in January 2002 being the Mining Management Act. The act is designed to encourage continuous improvement in health, safety and environmental management by mining operators in the Northern Territory. The act represented a significant change from the previous highly prescriptive legislation to objective-based regulation.
While traditional inspections and investigations continue to be undertaken by the government as regulator, there is an increased emphasis on auditing of mining operator’s management systems and their continued development and improvement under the Mining Management Act.
$250 000 has been earmarked to ensure the effective and efficient management of petroleum and mineral resources to ensure maximum benefit for the Northern Territory. Departmental specialists review mine management plans and development proposals for mining and petroleum operations. Where appropriate, approvals are made with any necessary conditions to ensure that the target resources are developed in a manner that maximises the potential benefit to the Northern Territory.
Last, but not least, I move to my Ethnic Affairs portfolio. It is my pleasure to highlight some of our support for the Territory’s migrant and ethnic community through my Ethnic Affairs portfolio. The Martin Labor government is implementing a wide range of initiatives to build a better Territory, not only on the economic, but also social and cultural fronts.
In 2002-03, as part of our support for multiculturalism, we increased funding for the Ethnic Affairs Sponsorship Program by more than 50% from the amounts voted by the previous CLP government. Today, the program has a total value of $697 000, and I am pleased to announce that the 2004-05 Budget maintains this level of funding. The budget allows us to continue with the initiatives taken by the Martin Labor government in connection with the Cultural and Linguistic Awards, valued at $150 000 per annum.
The 2004-05 Budget includes a number of exciting funding initiatives to ensure Territorians continue to promote, celebrate and share with one another our unique multicultural mix. The major initiative is the $500 00 per annum being provided by the Martin government for three years to assist migrant and ethnic communities to refurbish and upgrade their existing facilities. This new program recognises the importance that these facilities play in maintaining the great Territory lifestyle. It is expected that, as a result of making this grant for community facility improvements, ethnic communities will be able to provide better facilities, not only for their own community groups, but for the wider community.
It also recognises that some communities have limited ability to raise the funds required to make capital improvements to their facilities. Applications under the program will be invited in the new financial year. These new funds take the total financial assistance available to the migrant and ethnic community through the Office of Ethnic Affairs to $1.197m. In other words, 300% more than the amount of money that was available when we came to government.
The Martin government is committed to encourage and support those who have settled in the Territory from different countries to continue their cultural ties and traditions and share them with the wider community. We also support the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory and the Multilingual Broadcasting Council of the Northern Territory to move to Malak Shopping Centre as part of the plans to develop a multicultural community centre. This move would see both organisations move closer to their client base, and provide additional facilities for the community.
In conclusion, yesterday I was amazed to hear some of the remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition in his budget response and I quote:
Madam Speaker, grandstands and soccer fields are well and good and add to the enviable lifestyle of those
Territorians who are staying here but, apart from the initial construction phase do not add to the economic
growth of the Territory. It is such things that make up a large part of this infrastructure spend, and almost
40% of it is not on new infrastructure anyway but repairs and maintenance.
Clearly, the Leader of Opposition is unable to relate the economic benefits that accrue to the Territory as a result of the upgrade to the Marrara Sports Complex and Traeger Park in Alice Springs, and the playing of the international test cricket that was played last year and, of course, more is coming this year. The reality is you do not always spend money to build and maintain the facilities to be utilised just for Territorians. These facilities also attract world famed international events like cricket and soccer. We are going to host an international Soccer Challenge for Under-18s. I recall very well a few years back when the Darwin Cubs were playing Singaporean and other South-East Asian Soccer teams. They were attracting many Territorians to the existing facilities, and also attracting interest from other countries. Quite apart from the economic benefit, there are the lifestyle benefits that these events will bring, that are so appreciated by all Territorians. If we do not have the infrastructure we are not going to get the events.
I suppose the Leader of the Opposition sees no benefits in the $500 000 that we have provided to upgrade the ethnic community facilities. He probably sees it as short-term construction work that brings no lasting benefits to Territorians. Unfortunately, he is wrong. By providing funds to upgrade the facilities increases the ability of the ethnic communities to promote a culture that provides benefits to all Territorians.
In closing, I must respond to some of the claims being made about Budget 2004. The opposition is supporting comments made publicly by their candidate in Nhulunbuy, Mr Manning, who is also the chair of a fishermen’s organisation, that the Fisheries budget has been cut by $500 000, and he gives the budget a score of zero out of 10. Quite simply, Mr Manning got it wrong again. The Fisheries budget in 2003-04 was $7.5m, and this year will be $9.3m. Any preschooler would tell you this is an increase - $7.6m to $9.3m. You have a clear increase of $1.7m. In the final estimate for 2003-04, this value includes the commercial barramundi licence buy-back that I announced earlier today, and the conclusion of an externally funded three-year research fund. Either the opposition is wrong or Mr Manning is wrong.
Madam Speaker, the budget delivers less tax, more jobs, and a great lifestyle for all Territorians and, quite rightly, the budget has received acclaimed praise from business groups, property groups, and all Territorians.
Dr BURNS (Transport and Infrastructure): Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory is entering a new era of social and economic growth. We are also on the threshold of further major developments across a wide spectrum. The government’s record infrastructure budget for the 2004-05 year will deliver more jobs for Territorians and will enhance our unique lifestyle that is envied throughout Australia. The record infrastructure budget will ensure Territorians receive the full benefits of economic growth. It balances economic growth with the promotion of our lifestyle and the protection of our environment.
The budget is constructed to ensure infrastructure is in the right place at the right time to deliver the right services to Territorians, and to support the growth of small business and our industry sectors. It also means a record budget for capital works, repairs and maintenance, and minor new works for the benefit of the construction industry and other sectors. It builds on the government’s long-term plans to put the Territory first, to maximise jobs and economic opportunities for Territorians, and to ensure that services are delivered effectively.
Infrastructure spending in the 2004-05 Budget builds on the historically high level allocated in the 2003-04 Budget. Total infrastructure expenditure for the 2004-05 Budget is $441m of which $274m or 62% is allocated for capital projects. Budget expenditure on repairs and maintenance is $167m for 2004-05. Power and Water Corporation capital works in the 2004-05 year is budgeted at $52m while $39m is budgeted for repairs and maintenance. The 2004-05 infrastructure budget provides for major expenditure on key projects that will stimulate the Territory’s economy and underpin our growth. In 2004-05, the Territory government will spend $6m on the Darwin City Waterfront Project to prepare the site and install the first phase of high voltage electrical distribution. This is the next step towards the $600m development of the Darwin Waterfront Project, a fantastic project for the Territory. The Darwin City Waterfront project will include a convention and exhibition centre, alfresco dining, residential areas, plenty of shaded space, boat moorings and a waterfront promenade. Darwin City Waterfront will put Darwin on the world map for conventions and be a draw card in its own right for other travellers.
The views of the community gathered from a series of forums and information sessions are being taken into account and will ensure that the final development reflects the history of the waterfront and is in harmony with its surrounds. The preferred development consortium from the short list of three will be announced in August with construction due to start in early 2005.
The 2004-05 Budget includes $2.5m to construct a new cruise ship terminal to provide improved facilities to cater for the increasing numbers of cruise ships visiting Darwin. Another boost to tourism and the local economy will come from the $38m project to seal and upgrade the Mereenie and West MacDonnell Loop Roads over the next three years which the Chief Minister announced recently. $10m has been allocated for the Mereenie and West MacDonnell Loop Roads in the 2004-05 Budget creating jobs and business opportunities while boosting the tourism industry. Another $4.5m has been allocated to complete stage 1 of sealing the Litchfield Loop Road.
Spending on infrastructure for our parks and reserves is also well supported in the 2004-05 Budget. $500 000 will be spent on the Gregory National Park in the Victoria River Gorge area to construct a boat ramp, toilet facilities, car park, and provide pedestrian access to the river. $575 000 will be spent on stage 1 of the Limmen National Park in the Gulf region. This expenditure will provide visitor facilities at the Southern Lost City, Butterfly Springs and the Towns River crossing. This will include camping areas, toilet facilities, park furniture, a viewing platform, a day use area and – I am sure the member for Casuarina will like this – a boat ramp.
$500 000 is allocated to further develop management of Leanyer Recreation Park. This provides for supervision by lifeguards and rangers, and maintenance and security of equipment. A further $1m will be spent on improving camping access, walking tracks and picnic facilities at national parks all across the Territory. These are just some of the works that are programmed for Territory parks and reserves in 2004-05.
The $52m capital expenditure by the Power and Water Corporation will provide for the government’s continuing program to underground electricity supplies in Darwin suburbs, thereby increasing the reliability of supplies in storms and protecting the infrastructure from cyclone damage. It is planned that the entire Nightcliff network will be underground by July 2005.
Major capital works are planned in the 2004-05 year to augment power generation in Alice Springs to meet continuing growth in the Alice. Works will also continue on the delivery of Power and Water Corporation’s $6.2m water re-use scheme in Alice Springs, another issue that the former CLP government failed to act on for decades. As Power and Water minister, I have taken a great interest in this. It is a great project and a great initiative by the Martin Labor government.
Expenditure on upgrades to water supply services at Ti Tree is budgeted at $1.3m. Major capital works are programmed for generation and switchyard facilities in Tennant Creek in 2004-05 to improve the reliability of supply. Growth in Darwin also requires further investment, estimated at some $8m to increase the reliability and security of the electricity supply in the CBD. Expenditure on the Territory-wide Sewer Relining Project is budgeted at $2.5m for 2004-05.
The government’s election commitment to deliver power to Dundee Beach will be met in 2004-05, with the spending of $5m to complete the 22 kilovolt line from the McMillans Substation to Dundee Beach. I will just digress here. This is a fantastic project. I have been lobbied by many residents of Dundee Beach, including the Mahoneys. I met with the Mahoneys and, basically, it has been very welcomed in the Dundee region. This is a government that sticks to its election commitments. We made an election commitment to put power at Dundee, something this crowd could never do in 27 years. I am hoping that it will be completed in the 2004-05 financial year and what a feather in the cap for this government.
Similarly, the 2004-05 Budget provides for extension of mains power along Wooliana Road, and the relocation and upgrade of the Nauiyu power station to supply the increased load. This is another service upgrade the CLP ignored for two decades. This service extension was another election commitment of the Martin Labor government. I am sure the member for Daly is listening to this. This is in his electorate. He could not deliver, but here is a government that promised and delivered. When I was at the Barra Nationals a couple of weeks ago, I spoke to a number of residents in the region and I gave them a little bit of a hint that there could be good news in this budget for the powerline along Wooliana. That will be a fantastic boost to the Daly region in infrastructure and tourism potential. It is going to attract a lot of investment into the Daly River, which is a fantastic region of the Territory, one which this government is safe guarding its future. We deliver on our commitments.
Environment and land tenure issues need to be resolved prior to finalising the design along Wooliana Road. The Nauiyu power station is prone to flooding and is difficult to access in the Wet Season. Relocating the power station is a component of a flood mitigation strategy for the region and will provide environmental benefits by moving it out of the floodplain.
The capital works program for the Port of Darwin totals $20m. This includes continuing works on security upgrades and cathodic protection of Stokes Hill Wharf. Major new works that are included in the 2004-05 program include:
$2m for the construction of the new quarantine incinerator at East Arm. The site of the ageing incinerator
is required for the Darwin waterfront development and the port’s major operations area, of course, is now
located at East Arm;
$10.3m is allocated for the installation of oil pipelines to enable fuel discharge at East Arm to service a new
Darwin industry fuel terminal being constructed by Vopak Terminals in the Darwin Business Park at East Arm.
This is another development that has happened under the auspices of this government. The previous government
struggled with it; it has now become a reality and it is something we are very proud of. It is a fantastic project and
it is going to have knock-on effects through the freeing-up of the land at Stuart Park and the Stuart Park tank farms.
The Darwin industry fuel terminal is due to be commissioned in the second half of 2005, ultimately leading to the
freeing-up of significant areas of inner Darwin land for redevelopment; and
$7m is provided for the construction of bulk materials capability. The completion of the rail/port link has improved
the economics of mining activity along the central rail corridor. Negotiations are progressing with one major exporter,
and it is anticipated that bulk handling capacity is likely to be required at the port in the first half of 2005.
The 110 m extension of the common usage wharf, and the construction of the bulk liquids berth, is expected to be completed by September this year. The design of the oil transfer pipeline that will connect the bulk liquids berth to the joint industry fuel terminal is well advanced. The joint industry fuel terminal represents an investment in the Darwin Business Park of some $50m by Vopak Terminals. Total import and export trade through the Port of Darwin is expected to be close to one million tonnes in the current year.
Exports of live cattle in the current financial year have been restrained to some degree by the strengthening Australian dollar. This has been offset by an increase in rig tender tonnages. These tonnages will be up about 40 000 tonnes due to the level of activity associated with the Bayu-Undan development. The projected tonnages for 2004-05 are about 1.3 million tonnes. There will be substantial load-outs of armour rock for the gas pipeline in the coming financial year. These are expected to total about 360 000 tonnes.
I turn now to the operational areas in my Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, and the excellent work undertaken by departmental officers across a whole range of services. The department is on track to achieve its operational budget for 2003-04. Based on current receipts and expenditure, revenue targets are likely to be achieved and expenditure will be within budget. The department is to be congratulated on achieving the budget targets and providing high standards of service to our community. All capital cash will be spent - and I hope the member for Brennan is listening to this - and all departmental repairs and maintenance will be fully spent for 2003-04.
As honourable members would be aware, the role of the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment is to balance development with conservation. The biodiversity of our plants and animals is being threatened by a particularly destructive pest. I refer, of course, to the spread of Bufo marinus, also known as the cane toad. We have had some discussions in this place about the cane toad. The entry of the cane toad into the Northern Territory has the potential to threaten some of our native species. In 2003-04, $10 000 was provided to establish ‘ark’ environments on selected islands off our coast to conserve biodiversity and mitigate the extinction of species threatened by the spread of cane toads in the Territory. The funding will be used to, firstly, breed selected species in captivity; develop the capacity of island communities to stay toad free; help tour operators and freight owners to put procedures in place to keep islands free of cane toads; and lastly, help people identify and manage cane toads through an awareness program. As previously announced, the Northern Territory government has provided a further $420 000 over the next three years to be spent on research on long-term biological control methods and towards a secretariat for the proposed national taskforce.
As I announced last month, we will spend $390 000 to upgrade security on public transport. This will include installing security cameras in more than 80% of our public buses and on board the Darwin to Mandorah ferry service. Closed circuit monitoring systems at bus interchanges and lighting of key shelters will also be upgraded. As part of our new arrangements with contractors, our urban bus fleet will be upgraded with 13 new buses introduced in the next two years. The new buses will have the latest technology, low floor easy access, airconditioning and security cameras as standard, making our bus fleet one of the best bus fleets in Australia. By the end of 2005, 80% of our buses with have low floor access and 87% of all public buses will be airconditioned.
Our overall budget for public transport in 2004-05 is $228m, a boost of more than 10%. The budget includes provision for bus services to special events. In the interests of public safety and to encourage community participation, the government will fund special bus services to a number of events in 2004-05 including the Shell Touring Car Championships at Hidden Valley, the Royal Darwin Show, the Darwin Cup, the Arafura Games, and Starlight Specials on New Year’s Eve.
The 2004-05 Budget recognises the crucial role of volunteer fire fighters in communities across the Territory. The Volunteer Bushfire Brigades of the Bushfire Council of the Northern Territory has almost 300 active volunteer members who manage wildfires over 1.35 million square kilometres …
Mr Maley: You cut their budget.
Dr BURNS: What is that?
Mr Maley: You cut their budget, didn’t you – the Bushfires Council?
Dr BURNS: No, listen up, member for Goyder. … or nearly 99% of the Northern Territory. Clearly, this is a vital service to the community, and we are pleased to support our Volunteer Bushfire Brigades with additional ongoing grant funding of $260 000. So, member for Goyder, that is $260 000 extra. However, it does not stop there ...
Mr Burke: No, you just said ongoing. That holds no new money.
Dr BURNS: It is extra. We have extra money in there, recurrent funding for the Bushfire Brigades. I have just said it. The funds will help repair and replace firefighting vehicles and cover the purchase of personal protective equipment, and operational expenses. These additional funds will bring the total grants to be distributed to the volunteer brigades in 2004-05 to approximately $900 000. This builds on additional funding provided in 2003-04 to establish an Arnhem Land fire control region at an annual cost of $210 000, and an additional $150 000 provided in 2003-04 for individual protective clothing and equipment for all volunteers.
It is my pleasure to go out on an early Dry Season burn and get rigged up in all the protective gear that we supply to the firefighters. They were very pleased about and, as a trade-off, they let me light some of the fires and it was a lot of fun. I can show you a picture of it, and they said I did a very good job.
There is extra money in there for the volunteers for bushfires and also extra money for vehicles. That was one of the asks that they had of me when I first met with them when I first became minister - vehicle replacement. That will be increased and there will be some new vehicles on the block. In the next week or so we will be making some announcements about that.
In 2004-05, my Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment will participate in a collaborative research initiative that aims to improve understanding and community awareness of the role of fire and biodiversity management in northern Australia.
This government has taken action to protect the unique asset we have in Darwin Harbour. The Darwin Harbour Regional Plan of Management will guide the next five years of development, natural resource management, monitoring, and research. The plan will ensure that the harbour’s ecosystems remain protected and the harbour’s value as a recreational, cultural, commercial and scenic resource is maintained. Government has committed $365 000 to implement all of the priority actions identified in the plan for 2004-05, including the ongoing role of the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee. This includes:
$100 000 to develop and implement a stormwater management strategy;
$55 000 to survey the harbour region to identify sites of significant cultural, spiritual and
heritage value;
$30 000 to develop an integrated environmental monitoring program for the harbour region;
$30 000 to develop an inventory of the existing data management system and data sources for
water quality, flora and fauna and other related data, and to evaluate the quality of existing data;
$15 000 to identify and evaluate the significance of current gaps in scientific knowledge at an ecosystem level;
$15 000 to develop a communication and education program; and
$120 000 to support the role of the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee, the Ecosystem Monitoring Group,
the Ecosystem Research Group and the Indigenous Working Group and their related functions.
As honourable members would be aware, 2004 is the Year of the Built Environment. The aim is to raise awareness amongst all Australians who live, work and play in a built environment about the impact of buildings and structures and human landscapes on our lifestyle. The 2004-5 Budget includes funding for several initiatives to improve our urban environment, not least of which is our continuing support for urban enhancement initiatives across the Territory. $3m has been provided to undertake a variety of urban enhancement works and heritage trail projects in all major Northern Territory centres and some regional centres. These works include shopping centre upgrades, landscaping, town entry statements, walks, displays and tree planting.
In Alice Springs, the government will contribute $150 000 to an urban enhancement project on Leichhardt Terrace. The aim is to encourage greater use of the river bank by operators and patrons of the CBD with provision of wide walkways and landscape facilities including lighting, seating, shade structures and an area for shows and entertainment. This will be located on the river edge near Parsons Street with ready access into the CBD and shops.
This year will see more than six kilometres of bicycle and walking trails completed along the Todd River in Alice Springs. The trails will extend from the CBD to the Casino causeway, down South Terrace and back along the western bank following Barrett Drive, past the famous Olive Pink Reserve and along past Prickly Park and Sturt Terrace to Undoolya Road, and back to the CBD. The project’s final instalment of $150 000 was recently transferred to the Alice Springs Town Council along with the design and documents for tender to allow for the final stage to proceed this year. The total value of the project has been more than $450 000 over two years.
Five suburban shopping centres in Darwin will receive a facelift in 2004-05 through a project funded by the Northern Territory government in partnership with the Darwin City Council. The Martin Labor government will contribute the major portion of the funds for these upgrades with the Darwin City Council providing $200 000 and work supervision for the projects.
Katherine will soon have a unique three kilometre walking trail along the northern banks of the Katherine River from the old railway heritage bridge to the low level nature reserve. Sealed paths were completed before the 2003-04 Wet Season and work has now begun on the three bridges required to complete the project. All works are expected to be completed over the next few months bringing the total cost of the two year project to almost $525 000. Final works will include high quality interpretation signage along the length of the walking trail.
The government is in the process of appointing a Northern Territory government architect to mark the Year of the Built Environment in 2004. The government architect will have a pivotal role in providing leadership on the built environment, urban design and heritage. The architect will be an ambassador for Territory architecture and will encourage innovation and promote public art.
The Northern Territory government is making life easier for individuals and business by providing greater opportunity for on-line transactions and web-based payments. Within my own department, the 2004-05 Budget includes $250 000 so people can deal with Motor Vehicle Registry on-line or over the telephone. They can register their vehicles, renew their licences at their own convenience by paying by credit card or Bpay. Large private sector fleet operators will be able to renew their registrations in bulk, and licensed motor vehicle dealers will be able to register new vehicles and transfer ownership of used vehicles more easily.
For 2004-05, the government has allocated $50.7m cash expenditure on Northern Territory roads including the works for Mereenie, West MacDonnell and Litchfield loop roads. The total includes:
$1m to upgrade and extend the seal on the Tanami Road and to improve access for mining, pastoral and
tourism industry and remote communities;
$1.3m to install traffic lights at Export Drive/Berrimah Road and duplicate Cochrane Street to enhance
access from the Stuart Highway to the Port, the Darwin Business Park and the railway terminal facilities;
$4.8m to fund the first stage of a project to improve access to Borroloola. This will include rehabilitating
the Carpentaria Highway and the Wollogorang Road;
$500 000 to improve drainage and partially seal the Oolloo, Fleming and Cadell Roads in the Douglas Daly
region. These works will improve access and encourage and support economic development of livestock
and agricultural industry in the region;
$500 000 to gravel sections of the Dorisvale Road north west of Katherine. This will improve access for
pastoral stations and communities, and reduce safety risk;
$1.6m to complete the seal to Belyuen on the Cox Peninsula Road. This will improve access for the Belyuen,
Mandorah and Wagait communities. Combined with the sealing of the Mereenie Loop, it also provides further
opportunities for tourism development in the region. This is yet another project that the former CLP government
ignored for two decades; and
$1m to selectively gravel the Oenpelli link from Cahills Crossing to the Central Arnhem Road to meet the increasing
demand by communities and tourists for improved Wet Season access to the area.
In total, $29.4m is provided for repairs and maintenance spending on Territory roads. In addition to this expenditure on Northern Territory roads, a further $37.4m will be spent on Commonwealth-funded national highways and programs.
This government has been lobbying hard to have the Commonwealth government address the underfunding the Territory suffers under the Commonwealth Roads to Recovery Program. The Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association industry representatives have also been lobbying hard to address this anomaly in Commonwealth funding. It is on the record: we have 9000 km of roads outside council borders in unincorporated areas. We calculate we have been missing out on $20m over the four years of the Roads to Recovery Project. The Prime Minister has written to the Chief Minister and acknowledged this shortcoming. However, we are yet to see any real colour of money apart from $1m, a once-off, not built into our base funding over the next few years, by the Commonwealth. We will be pursuing that.
The 2004-05 Budget provides for record infrastructure expenditure. This is good for Territory business, good for contractors and especially good for jobs for Territorians. The budget provides funding for key initiatives, both in capital and operational areas, that deliver on the government’s long-term plans that put Territorians first. The budget delivers further funding for the implementation of the Martin Labor government’s election commitments to deliver sustainable growth while protecting our world famous environment and enhancing our unique lifestyle: less tax, more jobs, great lifestyle.
I know the member for Brennan will stand up soon and he will try to pick little bits and pieces, nitpick on the budget here and there, compare variations and say: ‘This is less then this’. I urge him to have a look at the capital grants section of the infrastructure spend. It all adds up. It is another record capital works expenditure, a lot more than you ever put into capital works. I will repeat again: in your last year of government, your revote exceeded your cash. Your revote exceeded your cash in your infrastructure spend. Take that on board.
We have been reducing the revote over years to manageable levels, we have been increasing the cash and the work is out there. We have had very favourable reaction to this budget from a whole range of areas. The only ones who seem to be carping and grumbling about it and trying to pull it to pieces are the opposition. Let them.
Madam Speaker, I am proud of this budget. I commend the Treasurer and the Treasury staff on the budget for 2004-05, a great budget delivered by a dynamic government. I look forward to implementing it over the next 12 months.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, it is interesting, minister, I was watching the clock and, apart from a few snippets of criticism of the CLP, there was three minutes to go when you went into personal abuse of me and all of a sudden the hand went straight to the one minute to go and went sweeping around. So someone up there, whoever it is, if you are working that clock, thank you. I only had to put up with one minute of personal abuse. Until that stage, I thought we were doing fine.
I was going to stand up and say: ‘I believe I could have a reasonable relationship with this minister’ because we have a big responsibility in the minister’s hands, handling the infrastructure spending for the Northern Territory. My responsibility is to ensure that that spending is done for the benefit of Territorians. If we could have a positive relationship in that regard, that is good and if I consider that maybe I could be stuck with a minister like the member for Sanderson, again, I just say to myself: ‘The world may not be perfect, but I am pretty happy with what I have’.
So I was going to be nice to you, minister, I was not going to pick holes in it or anything; I was going to be quite nice to you and constructive. But you could not help yourself. You slipped in a bit of personal abuse right at the end. Was that written in the speech, or not? It was unnecessary. Regarding the speech itself, I have sat here all afternoon waiting for you to speak so that maybe we could get some sort of debate based on what you would say. I know you have a lot to get over in your particular budget portfolio, but really, I could have read the whole lot in the budget papers. All you did was rattle off all of the stuff that is listed in the budget papers.
Dr Burns: Well, the volunteer bush fire people …
Mr BURKE: Well, maybe you just want to get it on the Hansard, I do not know. When it comes to debate, whoever wrote the speech, it must have been pretty easy. You just went to the infrastructure program and put ands and buts between everything. The speech did not give me anything that really said to me, now what does this minister really want to achieve in his portfolio? When he goes into Cabinet what does he argue for, for the benefit of Northern Territory? Where does his depth of heart and feelings come from, so that when he is up against these other ministers who are after their budget and their pieces of the pie, how is he going to really argue for different sectors of the Territory that he is responsible for, and how does that come through in the speech that he gives tonight? Of course, I saw none of that.
The other day, when you were talking about pharmaceutical stuff, you were at your best. I reckon, tell your staff to toss the speeches, get back to getting a bit of heart and get a feel for what we really have to achieve together for the Territory. That would be my advice to you, and that is not abusive, that is being constructive.
I went to a Ward Keller breakfast this morning, which was well attended, at the MGM Grand. There were a number of speakers there who spoke on the Northern Territory budget. We have heard every minister in this House so far chant the mantra that they have obviously been told, that this budget is good for jobs, good for lifestyle, this is business friendly, this is wonderful for the Territory, this will create jobs and every damn thing, and life would all be wonderful. One of the speakers today, when he gave his assessment of the budget, said: ‘The Northern Territory government has brought their budget down, so the operation has been successful; just be careful that the patient does not die’.
Having said that, he then went on to talk about the importance of government in growing the Northern Territory, and what the government has to do, in his opinion, to stimulate various sectors of the economy. One of the speakers spoke about how we can judge whether the economy is growing and, of course, as we have heard from the government that GSP is one indicator. The government uses GSP when it suits them, and if it does not suit them, they say, oh well, GSP should not be seen as an accurate economic indicator because it includes all of these offshore oil production facilities which can come on or go off and have create spikes in our economic activity. Of course, for overall economic predictions, the government is happy to use them when they suit.
The Treasurer said consumption is a better indicator of growth in the Northern Territory. Consumption is growing. It is starting to level off in fact, but it has been growing, ever so slightly, but growing. The Treasurer points to that as a very good indicator of growth. If there is more consumption in the Northern Territory, people are spending, everyone is happy, the economy is buoyant, businesses are making money, retail trade is going at a million miles an hour, and ‘Aren’t we great as a government?’
I was talking to a small business person just before I walked into the Chamber. She runs a very small business in the Northern Territory. This particular person did not see consumption as being a great advantage to her particular business. All she talked about was very skinny margins, very little profit at the end of the day. When I asked her what the payroll tax benefit means to her, she said, well nothing, because she does not have a business that fits into those payroll tax parameters. What she was struggling with was the national wage case increase, because that affected the five or six people who work in her particular business. If you go back to what the speaker said this morning at the Ward Keller brief about being careful that the patient does not die, the message fits very closely to what this small business person was saying to me. And that is: do not think that by saying we have lowered payroll tax by a certain amount that all of a sudden we have fixed the problems of business in the Northern Territory. If you think that, I know you will be wrong.
There is no doubt some benefit, and I applaud the government for giving relief in payroll tax to some businesses. Overdue, in our opinion, but certainly to be applauded. But it certainly is not a catch-all and a fix-all for all the businesses in the Northern Territory. There are businesses that are of a specific size that need tailored programs to deal with their particular issues, and those initiatives are not in the budget. Therefore, to say it is a business friendly budget - and because you get an endorsement from one luncheon at the Chamber of Commerce that everything is going swimmingly - is expecting too much.
In getting back to what I was saying regarding your speech, minister, I really wanted to see how you see yourself delivering your responsibilities in the Northern Territory. All of the programs that you said that there is money allocated to are good, and it is pleasing to see that many of them are progressing.
New money is being put into things like the Mereenie Loop Road. However, there is no need to say that the CLP could not do it over two decades; you know that the main reason the Mereenie Loop Road has been sealed is because of Yulara. Without Yulara, there would be no need to seal the Mereenie Loop. The major reason you want it sealed is because of the lobby from the operators of Yulara who want to move their own people from the places they own in Alice Springs to the Yulara Resort, and create that experience between the two resorts. It is a tourism issue and is an advantage. But you certainly cannot say it is an indictment of the CLP, when we built Yulara and made it into an icon tourism attraction in the Northern Territory and that, somehow, the ALP have come along and said: ‘Aren’t we wonderful, we are going to seal the Mereenie Loop?’. What I wanted to hear from you, minister, was how you see transport per se in the Northern Territory, and how you would see infrastructure being grown in the Northern Territory to support the whole of the transport industry.
One of the issues I know that is out there at the moment is with civil contractors. You can talk in this Chamber about the large amounts of money that you have in the capital works program - the same amount of money that was in the program last year, I might add - and what a great infrastructure budget it is. However, if you drill down on that infrastructure budget and you see where the money is being spent, it goes mainly to prime contractors on large contracts. Those prime contractors on large contracts do very well, thank you very much - things like the LNG plant, the extensions in the port, the Mereenie Loop Road and those sorts of large contracts do very well out of that increased spending, there is no doubt. However, when you drill down to the amount of money that is then available for programs like R and M, other road programs, other infrastructure programs, you really fall into that whole plethora of work done by civil contractors in the Northern Territory.
The civil contractors are not like the Chamber of Commerce; they do not have a strong association. They have just formed an association - and you should meet them - the Civil Contractors Association. There is only a very minimal secretarial staff; one part-time person. I understand they are trying to see you, minister, and you should see them. They are important because just the members of that association employ over 1000 workers in the Northern Territory, and all of those workers vote. Once they start getting their act together, they will start drilling down into your infrastructure program. The message they are telling me, wrong or right, needs to be addressed. They have the perception that the procurement process is not working well, that the changes that you made - that the minister for business stands up and says: ‘We have made improvements’. The procurement processes are not working at all – they see no improvement. Their feedback on government contracts is appalling. They tell me – and I have spoken to a number of them – that you used to know within a few days whether you were on the short list to get a contract. Now they tell me that you get buggerised around for weeks and weeks. Under some sort of transparent arrangement, you do not know whether you are on the short list, you are going to get the contract, or you are out of the game altogether. It costs them a lot of money and this stops them for putting in for other jobs. Under this so-called bureaucratic transparency in tendering, these people are going broke.
One civil contactor talked to me the other day. He has been out in places like Maningrida, bidding on contracts under some transparent process that the government has introduced, knowing full well that the contract is going to go to an Aboriginal organisation, because these people talk and they know what goes on. However, they cannot get anyone to give them the straight information. They sit around, they spend $6000 bidding for contracts in this case – only a very small businessman – and, at the end of the day, he knew he could not get it because the people bidding against him were an Aboriginal organisation that were not paying for fuel and they were not paying for the vehicles and plant that they were using. So he is dead, not even in the game.
That is the sort of stuff that is important to Territorians when you talk about how this infrastructure budget is being rolled out. It is not just ‘We have allocated such a quantum of money and won’t it be great’. It is not because you are putting out the same amount of money as you put out last year. As a government you must know that if the money you put out and claimed to have spent – and I cannot find where it has not been spent and I have a different issue with the detail of the budget - but if what you are putting out this year in cash is the same as you put out last year, it did not work. It certainly did not have the effect on organisations like civil contractors that you believed it has had. Your rhetoric in this Chamber is leading you to believe that somehow all of this is having a massive and positive effect for your government with small business. As I said, if you talk to that particular association, they will tell you it is not.
Transport - I want to see a minister who stands up and talks about transport per se. Your government is already behind the eight ball. I will give you a quote; this is from the Road Transport Industry which is pretty angry at the moment. This is not a problem with your government only. It started with mine because of the emphasis that was put on the railway. We talked about what the railway was going to do for infrastructure development, and safe and quick passage of goods in the Northern Territory. Of course, it will be a great success story, we hope, and it is essential infrastructure for the Territory.
However, along the way we had forgotten the importance of road transport to the Northern Territory. And that is their beef. Their beef is that this is an industry that has underpinned the economic growth and development of the Northern Territory since its inception. All of a sudden this railway has come along and they have been treated like somehow they need to be shunned. The classic is in an information bulletin from the ATA Association. I am sure you have seen this quote. The Chief Minister gave a speech in Melbourne on one of her promoting the Northern Territory trips, and was quoted in the Melbourne Age as saying:
There is benefit in transporting temperature controlled containers containing produce from New South Wales,
South Australia and Victoria effortlessly through the desert to Darwin and from there to Asia. For Territorians
who pay enormous freight penalties to bring in the most basic goods, a reduction in the cost of living is expected.
No cost of living reduction yet with the railway, that is for sure. However, this is the Chief Minister speaking to people about the Territory:
The biggest social benefit will be the removal from the Territory roads of the giant lumbering road trains. The
road trains are a colourful part of Territory life and no one wants to see them go, but they are a danger,
particularly for visitors to the Territory who are unaccustomed to negotiating traffic of such scale and are too
frightened to overtake.
The ATA bulletin goes on to say:
These pieces of wisdom must have made the Victorians sit up and take notice, particularly when the Victorian
government has been handed back a great part of their rail system at the same time. All Territorians, even the
sceptics, hope that the railway will prove a success, even if it is for the sake of our pockets as taxpayers. But what
about the road trains and the people who own and operate them? What about the remote communities? The
remote mine sites? The towns not on the rail corridor? The fuel carrying road trains? Freight costs to these places
will more than triple if there were no road trains!
Nah, Clare must have been misquoted or it may be the NT government and not we truckies who end up with egg on
our face!
I quote that simply to say that is a major problem with the road transport industry at the moment. There is a perception that this railway is being subsidised by the NT government. Now, I know it is wrong.
Mr Henderson: Rubbish.
Mr BURKE: The minister for business says ‘Rubbish’. I know it is wrong. But if you read the Alice Springs News there was a major article that has created a perception. The fact that the railway is being subsidised was mentioned at a national ATA conference - I do not know whether you were there - probably attended by representatives of the industry; it was not a ministers’ conference. But it was raised at that conference nationally. The government needs to stand on that straight away because that perception is there in the industry now. First of all they are shunned. They are treated like black sheep. They are told they are a bloody danger to the public. They are told we want to get rid of road trains all together – and, by the way, they think we are subsidising the railway as well.
We should be now putting a particular effort into the road transport industry and doing everything we can to recognise the concerns and infrastructure effort that they require. The railway has had an enormous focus and all of that has been great, but that focus now needs to be also apportioned to the road transport industry and the concerns and issues that they have. They have major issues that need to be dealt with; not the least, minister, you would be aware I am sure, is their issue with the new national fatigue rules that could be introduced Australia-wide, fatigue rules that are totally inappropriate if agreed to at a national level. Our previous minister is nodding, so he is aware of it. They are fatigue rules about which I hope the NT government stands up for Territorians and does not agree to national standards that may be fine for a truck running between Sydney and Melbourne. In fact, as I was told, many of these rules were based on a modelling that was all about how long a truck would take to go from Sydney to Melbourne.
All of it is based on that modelling and we are happily falling into the lobby that is coming from that segment of the industry when we have a totally different environment including road trains carrying live cattle. Road trains carrying live cattle cannot be expected to move to fatigue management rules that are only appropriate for a lorry running the Sydney-Melbourne route. Those are the sorts of issues the road transport lobby wants the government to stand up and protect them and help them.
You say that you are going to put in road side stops for tourists. It is the first time a road side stop will have been put into a capital works budget as an addition on the Stuart Highway since this Labor government came to power. That is well overdue; fine and good.
The member for Braitling raised the issue that there is great confusion out there about the rights and responsibilities of road trains at road side stops as opposed to tourists. That confusion is there because I do not believe the government is putting sufficient effort into ensuring that the road side stops for tourists are appropriate and adequate, and the amenities for road trains, that integral part of our whole economy, is well and truly protected. So there is an issue that the government needs to tackle and tackle strongly. They are issues can help you put a real stamp on your portfolio, minister. You can be a champion for the transport industry in all of its modes. We seem to treat our industries in separate sectors. We have the Chief Minister talking for the railway, you are talking for buses and road trains, I do not know who speaks for ships. It is all about the port and the hub to Asia, but we need to talk about an integrated transport system for the Northern Territory - road, rail, air and sea. You need to be the spokesman for it. You need to be the champion for it. It needs to be totally integrated in terms of how the strategy for this whole economic driver is pulled together so that it is integrated in a modern, professional and inter-modal way.
These are the issues that I hope you tackle and take on board. Frankly, I was disappointed when I heard the Chief Minister talking about sealing the Mereenie Loop, and isn’t that great for tourism? I would rather hear the minister responsible for infrastructure driving all that sort of stuff because that will be fitting into the priorities that he sees in the whole of the integrated transport system in the Northern Territory.
Entrance Statements is another issue. It has been raised with me on many occasions that the Northern Territory is well and truly overdue to really do something about entrance statements to our towns and to the different points of entry to the Northern Territory. It is great that you are building a cruise ship terminal down there. It is great that it needs to be built and modernised, but I hope it is being modernised for our benefit and for the tourism industry and not primarily for the new security concerns with regards to cruise ships. The concept is something that the minister for infrastructure should well and truly be across, and developing, in line with the tourism minister, for every point of entry to the Northern Territory. Go to the sea point of entry, go to the airport of entry, go to the two major highway point of entries to the Northern Territory, and see what the visitor sees. Visitors see bugger all. It really is not a good look. You can go to many other places in the world that are beating us hands over feet. It is a very competitive environment to get people to, not only come to the Northern Territory, but to get a first impression that is positive and welcoming, and the information is there. We are eons behind in regard to proper entry statements to the Northern Territory through the different modes of entry, and to our major towns and cities. It is a government responsibility to drive and enhance those particular issues.
Turning now to the budget for a second, because I want you to know that I was not going to come in and nit pick the budget. There are a couple of issues in the budget that I do want to raise with you, minister. One of the problems with this budget is, if you look at the 2003-04 Budget, the budget is laid down, the 2003-04 outcome is revealed in the 2004-05 Budget, but there is nothing in the 2004-05 Budget that tells us where that outcome changed. We had to ask the Minister for Health, where has the blow-out come, and he stands up and says, ‘You dummies, read the budget papers’, but it is not in the budget papers. It might be decisions of Cabinet you have made, but it is not in the budget papers. You cannot see in those budget papers where a budget has been laid down, and the amounts that have driven that budget up to the outcome of that particular year are shown in the budget paper.
In the case of your budget, minister, if you look at the budget for the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment for, as I read it, for 2003-04, the budget was $247m, and the estimate for the end of 2003-04 is $295m. That is clearly there in the budget paper. The difference in your budget outcome is $48m. The only thing I can find in the budget papers is $8m of that blow-out explained. And I only found that because it has been produced in this budget by saying those jobs have been done: Dundee Beach power was $3.8m, the Battery Hill Project was $0.28m, and the Darwin Waterfront monies that were allocated for one particular aspect was $4m had been expended. I can only find $8m of the blow-out, of what I would see in the budget papers of a blow-out of $48m in that particular budget.
It may be well and truly explained, but I cannot find it. If one then drills down on that particular budget, of the money that was allocated for your budget, the biggest expenditure blow-out was that you allocated $104m in the budget for Territory roads. However, if you look at the 2004-05 Budget outcome for 2003-04, Territory roads spent $125m. Now, you told me you have come in on target with all your spending that you set down in your cash program that was in the previous budget. You said all the cash money allocated has been spent. But there is a $125m difference just in Territory roads between what you allocated in the 2003-04 Budget and what has been the estimated outcomes for the 2003-04 Budget. I cannot find the reasons anywhere.
I will have to ask you these questions in Estimates Committee, but the point I am trying to make is, that if you look at your budget for 2003-04, in Lands, Planning, Development and Management, you were allocated $20.6m, you have spent $23m. Environment and Heritage is $1m difference, additional. Conservation and National Resources has gone from $73m to $86m. Transport, Policy and Planning, that is right, $31m, same amount, they came in on target. Infrastructure Development, $13m, has gone up to $26m, of that only $8m is accounted for in the Budget Papers. I do not want to dwell on it, but that is why the opposition insists, if you cannot explain in two sets of budget papers that you have received this much money in your budget, yet the estimate for the end of that financial year is so much. We know in the case of Health that the mid-year TAF report shows that, in spending to budget on Health, they were on track only three months ago. All of a sudden – poof, through the roof. If you read the 2003-04 budget estimate, the estimate bears no relationship to the actual allocations.
As I said, we will explore this in the estimates procedure, but it is something that needs to be corrected so that we can stop ourselves from wasting a lot of time in the Budget Papers in the future.
For your appropriation for the 2004-05 Budget, you have had, as I said, a change from $247m to $295m over 12 months. That is a $48m change, and that has not been explained. Yet, your overall budget, if you can compare your outcome of $134m for 2003-04, has been cut to $122m. Some of those cuts can be explained in the Budget Papers and some of them cannot.
In the capital works program, you said to me that you are on target, you have spent it all. I go back to the letter that I wrote to you. We can play games with who is right and who is wrong, but the reality is what you can do for me is this: you said on 31 March that you had spent $303m and you were on track to spend $434m. You have now said to me tonight that you have spent $434m – well, you have not spent $434m, you told me that you spent all your capital works budget. Is that right, minister? You are not listening. You can read the Hansard. If you have, I would like to know where you have spent – just in capital works – between 31 March and 30 June $122m to $226m, a $100m difference - and what you have spent it on. And the same in the repairs and maintenance, the capital grants spending and the PowerWater spending. In total, you had to spend about $120m-odd of $434m in seven weeks, and you had only managed to spend two-thirds of that in about 45 weeks.
It raises my suspicions that you have actually spent it, and that money has actually hit the ground. It may have been committed and the books might look right, but I go back to what I was saying before. If it has not hit the ground, it certainly has not hit to benefit Territorians, and it certainly has not hit for the benefit of those contractors that are out there. Therefore, when you tell them that you have put $434m in cash out there, they had better be able to track $434m in cash, otherwise all of that rhetoric means nothing at the end of the day.
My time is up. I will leave it at that for now. I will take up some of the other issues when I have more time. There are a few other issues I would like to mention, but I will do that another time.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would like to make a few comments on the budget. As I am not the shadow minister for anything, these comments will vary across the board.
Budgets are famous for being delivered in such a manner that everything in the budget presented by the Treasurer as always positive and the economy is bright and rosy. The opposition, of course, will at times try to show the budget in a bad light and then announce how they could do a better job. I would like to look at the budget the way I see it.
Certainly, there are some highlights although, in my own area, we seem to have fared better last year than this year. With announcements about the removal of the store sheds from the port to Freds Pass and the $150 000 grants for soccer fields at Freds Pass, I am not complaining that much. I must admit, though, listening to the member for Brennan, I am interested to see where those figures - that is the money for the removal of the store shed and the $150 000 - show up. If they are not in this year’s budget, then they should show up in last year’s budget.
Money allocated for Strauss Airstrip, $140 000, is certainly welcomed and I hope to see money allocated for protecting our World War II airstrips in the region. Howard Springs School and Taminmin High School have both received grants for shade over playground areas, and I welcome that. The announcement of the sealing of Litchfield Loop Road is an excellent initiative and will be a boost to tourism in the Berry Springs area. The government should also look at allocating some money in the next budget for joining Myra Road South, which is bituminised, to the Rum Jungle Road. Litchfield Council sealed it up to its boundary several years ago and if there can be a connection to Batchelor from there, that would also boost tourism.
The Police, Fire and Emergency building at Humpty Doo highlighted in last year’s budget has yet to develop. I will be waiting with bated breath for its commencement. I would also like to know what the financial savings were when it was moved from an unserviced site on Crown land to a privately owned site on serviced land. The budget shows an increase of nearly $600 000 from last year’s figure, so I am hoping someone can tell me why. Last year’s budget showed an amount of money for a bicycle path to Girraween Primary School, but due to technical issues about the land, there was a delay about the siting of the path. This was followed up by the Litchfield Council doing some work, which resulted in the money being withdrawn. Minister, the bike path issue has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the school council or me. I would hope that the government would leave that money in this year’s budget until we get an agreement with the council over a safe alignment for the bicycle path.
Presently, the council’s work was to widen Girraween Road over the creek crossing - which is extremely dangerous - near the school. There is no protection for children either from the traffic or from falling in the creek. I would like that money set aside from last year and we will look once again at the issue. It may be worth the department, the school council, Litchfield council and me getting together to see whether we can come up with a sensible arrangement.
There are a number of other issues which the government should consider funding in my area, but unfortunately, there seems to be nothing in the budget. For a long time, the government would have known about the project to try to seal the bicycle path from Palmerston at least down to the Arnhem Highway on the old railway line. Once again, there has not been any money set aside for that. We were also asking money for a landscape consultant to look at Coolalinga. I did receive a letter from you, minister, stating there had been some internal work done on a plan. Again, taking up what the member for Brennan said about entrance statements, that is exactly what needs to happen for Coolalinga.
Coolalinga is basically the first major town after Katherine that you hit on the highway. You certainly run into Pine Creek and Adelaide River, but Coolalinga is the main entrance statement for tourists arriving in Litchfield Shire. Yet it has signs all over the place, the water pipes are above the ground, and generally in the Dry Season it is pretty dusty and very unappealing. I am hoping that the government will not just say we have already prepared a plan – that they first go out and talk to businesses, the council, the local MLA and other interested people about what they believe should be the entrance statement for Coolalinga and we come up with a suitable design.
I notice also, minister, there is one thing that seems to be missing – and maybe the minister knows more about it than me, but where is the money for the intersection of Girraween Road and the Stuart Highway? The proposal by the department to re-align Girraween Road so that it comes in at the Henning Road/Stuart Highway intersection near Woolworths Coolalinga has been on the design plan for quite a while, yet there is nothing in this year’s budget. It is something that is needed badly because the present intersection of Girraween Road and the Stuart Highway, especially for people trying to cross over to the Woolworths side of the Stuart Highway, is dangerous.
As the budget said, Litchfield Shire is the second fastest growing in the Northern Territory and there is some major funding required to reflect that growth. When I hear the Minister for Central Australia talk about the amount of money for landscaping, and the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Environment talking about the amount of money also spent in Central Australia on bicycle paths, the rural area in Litchfield Shire with a population of 17 000 - the third highest population outside of Darwin - could certainly do with some assistance in that area, too. They are mainly the local issues, minister.
Looking at the bigger issues, many businesses will be pleased to see the changes to the payroll tax threshold. I was talking to a gentleman just before the budget was brought down who was concerned that if the threshold was not changed, all he knew was that he would not employ any more people. He believed that it did not encourage businesses to put on more people. Those changes will be most welcome. It was good to see the HIH levy go. That was certainly not a popular tax and I am glad that that went.
I believe many people will welcome the abolition of the debits tax, especially ordinary folk who have to pay that. I presume the debits tax is the one that you pay when you go the bank. Many people will see that as a great action by the government because it is something that hurt a lot of people, especially the little people.
While a lot of these tax changes are pleasing, I would like to ask something about taxes in general. The Treasurer might be able to answer this: if one of the factors in determining the amount of GST we receive from the Commonwealth is based on relativities, which is partly based on the amount of effort we are putting into raising taxes, and if we continue to lower taxes, and the opposition has also flagged lower taxes, would we in fact be putting at risk the amount of money we receive from the Commonwealth through GST revenue? On top of that, if the population stays steady or is in decline, that, too, will affect the relativities, which also could have a downward effect on our GST.
I would be interested to hear if the government has a plan to make sure our relativities are not reduced. I do not believe the government has any real plans in place to either hold people in the Territory or attract people, especially families. The one thing that government has not looked at is whether the conditions of employment are better than down south to the extent that it would attract people to come to the Territory instead of another state where the conditions were the same or better.
Minister, I have an article here. There was a Senate Select Committee in April this year looking at the building industry. There was a gentleman called Mr Cridland - not the Cridland we hear talking about property. This is a gentleman who runs a construction business company in Darwin. Senator Cook said to him:
So you’re drawing on 23 years experience in the industry when you answer the questions?
To which he answered yes. So Senator Cook said:
I’ll just ask this broad question: given that experience and background, is the way in which the industry
operates in the Northern Territory a model for the rest of Australia?
Mr Cridland said:
No. In Sydney, the safety is a lot better, the conditions are a lot better, the money is a lot better and you have
a bit of choice. If you are not happy in Sydney, you can drive to Newcastle or even less distance to Wollongong
or wherever. If there is no work in Darwin, there is no work. If you upset too many people in Darwin, there is no
work. One of the reasons I came here today is that I saw the submission that in the Territory, everything is sweet.
I do not thing they’ve actually driven out and had a look if they think everything is sweet. You find that very few
young people are attracted into the industry any more because there is not enough money. It gets very hot up here
and it is very hard for the money they get. If they are going to work in the building industry when they leave school,
they will go down south to work. We lose a lot of young people in the Territory to that sort of thing.
Later on, Mr Cridland said in response to a statement by Senator Cook:
Yes, it is a tough job. When it is hot, you have to just keep going. The younger fellows can find better work elsewhere.
That is fair enough. We do not begrudge them that one bit. But for the industry in the long term, unless they are
getting enough money to make it worth their while, there is going to be a shortage sooner or later, isn’t there? The
average age in the building industry would be 40.
So, minister, there is the manager of a construction company saying that, basically, we have trouble attracting people simply because the conditions of service are not as good as down south.
At one stage, the Territory used to be the leader in conditions of service, and now we have dropped to the fourth in Australia. The problem with that is, when people have the option of coming to Darwin or Melbourne, or Adelaide or Perth, they are not coming to Darwin. The Territory government certainly should look at that as one of the reasons why people are not staying here.
As I have said before, sometimes if you want to keep more people here, then we could also reduce the number of terminations at Darwin Hospital, which is 1000 a year, which is certainly well above the number of people we are losing.
There are a couple of other issues I would like to raise. There is an issue of superannuation in the budget. On the matter of superannuation liabilities, I would like to hear from the Treasurer what the government is doing to address that. The 2002-03 Budget said the government would set aside $10m a year from 2003-04 to start addressing the unfunded superannuation liability for public sector workers, which now appears to be almost $1.5bn. However, when the 2003-04 Budget was delivered, the $10m commitment was gone, with the following comment:
A further investigation is under way to determine the most appropriate mechanism for reducing the
superannuation liability. The $10m for 2003-04 has been removed until the way forward is finalised.
This budget for 2004-05 appears to be quiet on the unfunded superannuation liability. Not a word. Perhaps the minister can tell me what is happening. After a full 12 months of investigating, has Treasury determined the way forward on reducing this huge liability?
Another issue is to do with consultancies. I would really like to take a look at consultancies and how much has been allocated in the budgets of each department for consultancies. However, I cannot because the figures are not there. This is no different from in the past. What is different is that, now we have moved to accrual accounting, these figures are not available from any public record. I am picking on consultancies because that was one of the specific measures the Labor Party identified when it was in opposition. Labor said that the CLP government spent too much money on consultancies, and that it would cut back on that spending.
Before accrual accounting, at the back of the annual reports, from each department, there was a page entitled, ‘Expenditure by standard classification’, and on that page you could find out how much each department spent on items such as advertising, communications, marketing and promotion, travel allowance and consultant fees. However, with accrual accounting, this useful page has disappeared from the annual report. There is now no easy way for me to tell if Labor is spending less money on consultancies than the CLP did. I have looked at the government Gazette and got some figures on consultancies. In the 12 months to March this year, it appears that the government has spent about $25m across the departments on consultancies. The Treasurer might like to tell the House how much less than the CLP annual spending this was.
I will show you – this is the annual report for the Department of Chief Minister for 2001-02. In there is a section called ‘Consultant Fees’, and at that stage it was $1.652m. These were standardised across departments; you could compare one department with the other. They do not exist any more. You would have to ask, how can someone such as an Independent member, who cannot find this figure in the budget paper, and it is not now in the report, make an assessment of what money has been spent on consultancies? That is an area that needs to be looked at. I would prefer that it came back in the annual report so we can actually compare, not only department with department, but we can quickly find out how much the government is spending on those areas.
As regards work force and staff numbers in the public service, one thing that worries me about this budget and its projections into the future is the sustainability of it all. If you take a look at staffing for most departments, it appears that the government has gone one its own significant job creation scheme and population growth strategy. I have had a quick look at the staff figures for the major departments, and the difference between this year and next year is 600. That is 600 extra staff in one year. I know the government promised an extra 100 nurses and teachers and more police, but there are still a few more hundred jobs that have been created and they all cost money.
As an example, the Chief Minister’s department will have an extra 19 staff, bringing the total to 288 - that is 64 more than two years ago. What are all these extra people doing in such a small department, and how can we afford them in the long-term? What is worrying to me is that at the same time the Chief Minister’s department got itself an extra 64 people, DBIRD - a department that includes a section of great interest to me, the Animal, Plant and Fisheries Industry Services - has lost 50 staff members. So here we have …
Mr Henderson: AQIS staff have gone back to the Commonwealth.
Mr WOOD: Fifty?
Mr Henderson: Yes, a big mob of them.
Mr WOOD: Well, that does not lose the plot too much because we are still talking about 600 extra staff here. Fair enough.
Mr Henderson: They have gone back to the Commonwealth.
Mr WOOD: Anyway, the Treasurer might explain how we will afford to keep those extra staff, and whether we will keep hiring at this rate. I might just take up on the 50 staff. Did they all leave the Territory, because that would be pretty disappointing?
Mr Henderson: No, they are still here.
Mr WOOD: Well, that is sad to hear.
Mr Henderson: The Commonwealth wanted them back.
Mr WOOD: I realise that, but we lose them.
Mr Henderson: No, no, they are here in the Territory. They are still doing the same job, but just paid for by the Commonwealth.
Mr WOOD: Okay. Another area was contracts, and I know the member for Brennan also raised the contracts. The minister would understand that I have also been approached about contracts. There is a section in Budget Paper No 3, on page 232, which is about - and this under DIPE:
… work with the construction industry to maximise local participation and provide an open, fair
and competitive procurement process for government projects.
I know that there have been some issues in that area. I certainly hope that those issues can be worked out, because the issues that I know about procurement certainly are not fair. I hope the whole procurement process can be improved. Again, the member for Brennan talked about this new construction association. They have concerns about the possibility of ‘super’ contracts. I hope that those sorts of ideas are put out in the open for people to comment on before the government decides to make that a policy.
On another item in the Chief Minister’s department, and the reason I raise this issue is because I have been comparing one year to the next. In the Chief Minister’s department, there was a variation between last year’s budget and this year’s of $3.702m. Under that section, you get key variations and they are supposed to explain to you why there has been a variation of $3.7m. However, when you look through there, you are really pushing to find out where that variation of $3.7m is. All that I could come up with was $0.75m explained under the key variations. If we are meant to scrutinise the budget, then that section should clearly explain where the variation of $3.7m comes from. It certainly does not come from my reading of that part of the budget.
While I am just talking on budget, it is a pity when you have to look at figures and try to compare that you have to go back to last year’s budget. It would be nice to have another column which, basically, says: ‘This was the budget for 2003-04; this is the estimate’. Then we know how much they either overspent or not. It might be too easy …
Mrs Miller: Much too easy.
Mr WOOD: Too simple? Perhaps they could actually put the budget in a spiral form so we could actually hold the page open while we looked at it, because you have to have a brick with you every time you want to hold a page while you go look at last year’s Budget Papers. I know it is too simple, but it would make life easier when you are trying to read these books. Or maybe they are meant to sit on the shelf and gather dust.
The minister for DIPE mentioned the bus services. Yes, I saw the upgrading of buses but, as I said before, the bus service in the rural area is really a disgrace. We have had two buses in the morning and two buses at night for years and years. There is no reason why buses could not come up Lambrick Avenue from Palmerston and service at least part of the rural area and give kids, elderly people and students a bit of a chance to get out from their homes and go to Palmerston or into town. They just do not have that opportunity unless Mum or Dad drives them. It is time the government spent some money out from what I call the Lingiari Line.
I notice grants for non-government alcohol and drug services have been reduced fairly substantially. I hope with all the talk about alcohol and drug issues in this parliament that that is not going to happen. I would be interested to hear if any of the ministers would explain why that is.
Some issues about funding for roads in our pastoral area, I believe it is time that our pastoral areas were incorporated. I know that the Cattlemen’s Association is opposed to incorporation because it says it would have to pay rates. Let us not forget that about only 23% of cattle stations are owned by families. The rest are owned by giant companies that can well afford to pay something towards the area they live in. The richest man in Australia was on television last night; he owns Newcastle Waters. Surely he could pay something towards the roads? If it is a matter of working out whether a family farm should pay rates, the government might weight it according to that sort of rating. I cannot believe that we cannot incorporate the Territory. That would help get some funding for those roads. I believe that the cattle industry, which is booming at the moment, can afford to put some of its own finances into upgrading its own facilities.
Certainly, they should not be doing it all, but some contribution similar to what people in urban and rural areas like ourselves, we all pay rates, and those rates go into some of the services we use, upgrading our local roads and providing other services. Sometimes people hide behind the fact that this is a big industry and we will upset the Cattlemen’s Association. If the government sat down with a proposal that was fair for the different sections of that industry, it could be done. Most of Western Australia is under local government control. Most of Queensland is under local government control. They all have pastoral properties. I do not see why it could not be done in the Northern Territory.
Another issue that has not been funded as well as it should be is weeds. There is certainly plenty of money given for weeds in parks, but if you have a look at the rural area, and I would say the same in Katherine, weeds are really out of hand. They are an environmental problem. We have large amounts of gamba grass now, large amounts of mission grass, and it is just out of hand. There does not seem to be a program which says we are going to try to control it. You get CD-ROMs - the minister announced that he had launched a CD-ROM which was an important tool in the management of weeds. I have yet to see any weeds die from a CD-ROM! We need some positive action on weeds because the environment is certainly suffering. Anyone who has seen a fire in September going through a bank of gamba grass will know that kind of fire is extremely dangerous and will eventually ruin our environment.
The minister spoke a lot about the harbour and so did the Minister for Environment and Heritage. They all talk about the harbour. They tell you about how they are looking after it, they have a management plan for the harbour. However, if you flew over the centre of the harbour today, you will realise that they did not care two hoots about the middle of the harbour. They allowed it to be mined and that was a deliberate policy of the government to make sure that it would never be used for conservation. It would basically used for industrial. It is, I believe, a policy that was locked in by the department, and minister after minister has gone along blindly believing that is the only option. Sadly, that is where we stand today.
I am fairly cynical when we talk about protecting the harbour. They talk about industries like the tourism industry; they talk about having places to enjoy a lifestyle. Well, they just forgot that and checking the harbour and putting industry elsewhere and there is room elsewhere, we could have had both. We could have had industrial development and we could have looked after our local people and tourism.
There was mention of money being set aside for the wharf development. An interesting question with the wharf development is that the government is telling us that there are three consortia. The question I would like to ask is: are people of the Darwin area actually going to see what those consortia have designed? Are we going to end up with: ‘Government knows best. We have picked this one, and that is it’? I would have thought that people will want to see some options so that they can have a say in what is going to be developed down at the harbour. One of the reasons for that is because people are interested to see what natural and built parts of the environment will be protected.
I was talking to Margaret Clinch the other day and she is certainly concerned about the original site of Goyder’s Camp. Until she sees what these plans are, she has no idea whether Goyder’s Camp will be protected. It is a bit mean of government if it is just going to say: ‘We have three designs by different consortia. We will let you know when we pick one and then you can comment’. It would be far more open and transparent if the government would release the three designs and ask the community what they think of the proposed development down at Darwin Harbour.
I said I would be all over the place, and I am, but there is just one other item that the Minister for Primary Industry might clarify for me. It is an item about litigation. On page 152 of the budget paper in the Primary Industries section, under Key Variations, it states:
Litigation and compensation expenses required in 2003-04 are $3.1m for output group Animal, Plant and
Fishery Industry Services.
That is a fair bit of money given out in litigation and compensation. It would be nice to have an explanation as to what that was about. I can certainly ask the question in budget estimates, but I was trying to work out the key variations to see where the department had spent its money, and that popped out. I hope the minister can let us know what that variation is about.
The budget overall has some great things in it – the upgrading of the Litchfield Loop Road and the completion of Cox Peninsula Road are great things. As I said before, you look through a budget and it has some good items. We know all governments will try to improve health and education, but sometimes we also have to wonder whether we can do things more efficiently.
How many staff do we have there? If you have 60 more staff, what does that work out at? About $6m. When this government came to power, it decided to cut departments pretty severely. Is the cycle now going up again? Would we be better spending that money on roads and other infrastructure? Are we starting to pad our departments with more people than we need, or do we now have pet projects that require lots of people to do them? The Chief Minister’s department is fairly big, and you have to question why there are so many people employed there.
I congratulate the government on its initiatives. There are certainly some good initiatives there. The budget needs more scrutiny and, of course, that will occur at the Estimates Committee. Even though some think I might go on and on, I will certainly go on and on if I need to during the Estimates Committee. As long as my questioning is appropriate and to the point, I will do that.
Mr HENDERSON (Business and Industry): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to make this contribution to the debate on the Martin government’s Budget 2004-05, and what a budget it is.
It delivers the largest ever tax cuts for Territory business, more jobs, more training, and a great lifestyle for Territorians. I am going to focus my contribution in the debate on the impact on agencies for which I am responsible – Police, Fire and Emergency Services; DCIS; and Business and Industry. The more global aspects of the budget in its impact on the economy and the infrastructure projects have been dealt with by other speakers. Tonight I will be talking about the impacts on my agencies and the programs for which my departments are responsible.
For 2004-05, my Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development will have a budget of $86.6m to deliver services to Territorians. It is a very broad range of services which are provided to strengthen economic development in the Northern Territory, and in particular to support business, trade and industry development in the primary industries, fisheries, minerals and petroleum sectors. There are also many initiatives contained in this budget which will enable the department to build on the strong achievements of the previous year in the area of indigenous economic development. Opportunities in the primary production, aquaculture and other resource users and business opportunities for indigenous Territorians will continue to be identified, with the recent commencement of a director of Indigenous Economic Development within the department.
I will now detail the ways in which we will deliver support for economic development in the Territory through specific programs and services for small business. As I have noted on other occasions, the Territory Business Centre Network was established to develop a gateway to government for services provided to business and industry. The Northern Territory government’s latest initiative in helping businesses to do business in the Northern Territory was to launch an on-line business channel. Where previously the TBCs were physical offices located in the Territory’s major regional centres, they are now complemented with an on-line business channel available to all businesses wanting to do business in the Territory.
In the 2004-05 Budget, $1.513m has been earmarked to ensure this initial contact and referral point for starting businesses, licence information and links to departmental programs continues to provide a high level of service to Territorians. A further $532 000 has been earmarked to ensure the continued delivery of on-line information services, including Connect:NT, Transact:NT for on-line licences, and the business channel, www.tbc.nt.gov.au.
Launched in July last year, Connect:NT, the Northern Territory government’s Case Manager Network, fulfils an election commitment to connect the network of people across government with the business community who are there to help business. Once fully implemented, Connect:NT will give business access to the front door of government services, and help reduce time spent searching for the right person to speak to – a true, one-stop shop for the first time for Northern Territory business.
$120 000 will also be spent to ensure the Youth Desk continues to help young people aged between 14 and 30 in business, studying business, or wanting to start a business. The Youth Desk offers business support programs, networking and services for young Territorians through various programs such as Youth Business Awards, Young Achievement Australia and visits to high schools.
Once again, October Business Month, the premier annual business event, presented by the department, will feature high profile key note speakers and presenters. This is the 10th year that October Business Month will run in the Territory and it continues to provide excellent opportunities for Territory business to develop their training and develop needs. Without giving too much away, I can say that, this year, OBM will have a facelift, and the new look and feel month of business workshops and presentations will have a special focus on women in business and home-based business. According to 2001 ABS figures, there were 5700 home-based businesses in the Northern Territory. These can be further divided into 4700 businesses operating from home, and 1000 businesses operating at home.
In support of Territory women in business, $60 000 will be spent on delivering a program of events designed to assist women in the area of professional development. Client consultation and visits to individual Territory businesses will continue, with the department’s client managers offering information, assistance and advice.
Amongst my ministerial responsibilities, I hold the important portfolio of Defence Support, and last year I pledged to establish a Defence Support Division within the department to focus on identifying and realising business opportunities within the Defence Support sector. The 2004-05 Budget contains $570 000 for the Defence Support Division to engage with Defence to identify and track industry and business development opportunities.
The Mining and Petroleum Support Division is overseeing the implementation of building the Northern Territory Industry Participation Plan, a comprehensive local content policy launched in May last year. Its objectives are to maximise opportunities for competitive local business and to enhance Territory industry capability. The policy acknowledges the importance of major projects in the development of the Territory’s economy, and a key element is the requirement that industry participation plans be prepared and agreed on for NT government-assisted private sector projects with an expected value of over $5m.
The division also arranges supply, awareness and upskilling workshops and seminars in conjunction with the Business Services Division and industry associations to enhance local business and industry capability when tendering for large contracts.
I am pleased to announce that $95 000 has been earmarked for the implementation of the manufacturing industry strategy. Also, in support of Territory manufacturers, my Department of Corporate and Information Services through CAAPS will engage with the industry and relevant government agencies to establish panel frameworks for the supply of various manufactured items that are required by government. The first such panel creation process will focus on an issue that has been raised with me by industry on a number of occasions - the provision of marine vessels and marine repairs and maintenance work for our government agencies. These panels will provide an efficient and effective pre-qualification process from which tenderers can be invited to bid for business as specific needs arise.
The department’s Enterprise Improvement Program, Business Growth, has a budget of $225 000 to continue to offer funding and development services to established businesses to enhance business performance, profitability, employment levels, and market penetration. The department’s International Business Division will continue to help Territory-based exporters to improve their export capabilities through programs such as the Trade Support Scheme. In this budget I am pleased to announce that funding for the Trade Support Scheme has increased to a total of $358 000 to continue providing financial support in the form of taxable cash grants to reimburse Territory exporters up to 50% of their direct export marketing costs in obtaining trade outcomes. This program has been very well subscribed and it is pleasing to see so many Territory firms using the assistance to look outwards and move into international trade. It is a huge increase on the previous EMAS scheme - the Export Market Assistance Scheme - under the previous government that had about $80 000 allocated to assist Territory exporters. We have increased that to $358 000. It is a new scheme and was fully subscribed last year, and is a sign of the great commitment this government has to assisting business export from the Northern Territory.
The Chief Minister’s Business Round Table, another successful initiative of the government, will continue in 2004-05, giving industry and business –especially small business - a chance to talk directly to the Chief Minister and other ministers about issues relevant to business. For primary producers in the Territory who, for many generations, have been the backbone of the Northern Territory’s rural economy, a further $300 000 has been earmarked to supplement the Commonwealth FarmBis scheme where financial support is provided to primary producers and land managers for training to improve their business and natural resource management skills.
As well, the pastoral water enhancement scheme receives $300 000 towards the introduction of new watering facilities on Northern Territory pastoral enterprises. The budget also contains $260 000 to ensure the continuation of the popular upskill short courses, to provide regular workshops and mentoring programs for established business managers throughout the Northern Territory. For the first time this year, the upskill short courses training will be delivered via a panel contract, allowing a more extensive and contemporary range of topics to be offered. I signed off on those letters in the House here yesterday. It was good to see a number of regional training businesses on that panel contract up and down the Track. As well, the consultants delivering the upskills workshops were carefully identified to include those with the specific ability to deliver key programs in our rural and remote locations - another commitment filled by the government in our election commitments to assist businesses to upskill.
Like other regional areas around Australia, the Territory is faced with the difficulty of attracting, and keeping, appropriately skilled, qualified and experienced people to our work force. Whilst our primary objective is jobs for Territorians with the long-term commitment to the first ever Jobs Plan for the Northern Territory, which is providing apprenticeships and training for our young people, the Martin government is committing $345 000 in this budget to the business and skilled migration program to encourage highly-qualified workers to consider living, working, and doing business in the Northern Territory, and provide information, advice and support to Northern Territory employers seeking to recruit skilled workers from overseas. This is a significant commitment; one that I am pushing very strongly through the department. We are very much in a consultation phase at the moment, and there are real opportunities for the Northern Territory to get a far greater share of migrants coming to Australia to live, invest and raise families in the Northern Territory. It is the first time that government has done this in a strategic and policy sense, in committing $340 000 this year to that initiative.
Before I move on, I am confident that members will share my view that the budget allocation to my Department of Business and Industry in 2004-05 Budget will deliver real benefits to a business community that is working hard to make the most of the many exciting commercial opportunities that confront us. I pay tribute everybody in the department. They are doing a great job at the moment.
I now focus on the budget initiatives relating to my Police, Fire and Emergency service portfolio responsibilities. I am pleased to announce that budget 2004-05 has boosted funding for the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services to $172m; an increase of $30m or 21% over the past two years. This will be the first full year of the Martin government’s four year, $75m Building Our Police Force Plan which is delivering 200 more police on the beat by the end of 2006. An extra $16.43m has been injected into Police, Fire and Emergency Services to continue the roll-out of Building Our Police Force Plan in 2004-05, providing additional uniformed police patrolling our suburbs and communities, additional civilian support staff to keep our police on the beat, and improvements in conditions of service to help keep our experienced officers in the Territory.
This year an extra $13m will be spent on police personnel including $8.286m for increased police resources. This funding will enable the Martin government to continue to recruit police officers at the record rate of 120 constables in five squads. One hundred and twenty new constables for the Northern Territory community in 12 months time; it is a huge result and it is going to make a big difference out there in our community.
The record rate of recruitment identified by the independent O’Sullivan Report is the maximum possible rate of recruitment for the Northern Territory Police also takes into account filling positions of current staff that may leave during the year. As members would be aware, only last week I was pleased to join with the Police Commissioner in launching a recruitment campaign calling on Territorians to consider a career with the Northern Territory Police. So now really is the time to consider being part of this new era in Territory policing. Another $3.426m has been earmarked for an additional 22 civilian positions to provide technical specialists and administrative support to operational police officers helping to keep police out of the office and on the beat to carry out core policing duties.
Another O’Sullivan Report recommendation to be met by the Building Our Police Force Plan is the establishment of a call centre which becomes operational in June this year. $780 000 was allocated in 2003-04 to set up the centre and ongoing funding of $700 000 is being earmarked in budget 2004-05. Incorporated into the joint emergency services communications centre, the call centre will provide a more efficient and convenient reporting system for Territorians reducing the need to go to a police station to report certain crime incidents. Importantly, the call centre will also help keep police on the beat longer by reducing the paperwork load for officers at the end of each shift.
An important part of the Martin government’s $75m Building Our Police Force Plan is to provide adequate funding to maintain equipment our police use in their day to day duties. In budget 2004-05, $2.9m has been allocated to ensuring our police have the tools they need. Of that money, $800 000 has been allocated to replace operational equipment including evidence recording equipment, hand held radios, forensic equipment and training equipment. $1.2m has been provided to address the funding shortfall in the vehicle replacement program. $400 000 will be used to purchase a 12 metre coastal vessel continuing the government’s $1m coastal vessel replacement program to improve the ocean search and rescue and patrolling capacity of our police. This vessel will be used in and around Darwin Harbour and will allow police to respond to maritime incidents up to 30 nautical miles off our coast.
In building our police force, the government is working to keep experienced officers in the Territory through improved working conditions for our police. Budget 2004-05 funds the upgrade of 66 Territory Housing Police Industry Houses in centres across the Territory. The final details of the funding are being finalised but more than $1.8m has already been flagged for the upgrade. This is not only a great result for the police; most of these houses are in the regional centres of the Northern Territory and it is going to be a great boost to small contactors in those regions.
A further $0.78m has been allocated in budget 2004-05 for minor new works to upgrade and refurbish NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services facilities. Since its introduction, the police recording system, PROMIS, has been something of a bug bear for operational officers, and that is a bit of an understatement. In last year’s budget we committed $1.5m in ongoing funding for the maintenance of the PROMIS system and additional technical support; the first time money has been allocated for the specific purpose of maintaining this important policing tool. Significant improvements were made to PROMIS last year giving members a more reliable system to assist in fighting crime and intelligence-led policing. Budget 2004-05 again delivers $1.5m in recurrent funding which this year will fund the implementation of the latest technology to bring the Northern Territory police PROMIS system into line with the system used by the AFP.
Ongoing upgrades and maintenance will provide Northern Territory police with improved tools for case management of major incidents and intelligence-led policing. That funding has been very well received by police members in the Northern Territory who use this system. I have to say that the complaints I was receiving 18 months ago about this system, people can see massive change and it is money well invested that the previous government failed to invest.
I am pleased to advise the House that this year, we will recruit an additional six fire fighters, completing the government’s election commitment to increase fire fighter numbers by 16 in our first term. The recruit course will start in July and the resulting increase in staff numbers will see four fire fighters stationed at the new Humpty Doo facility, and one each to Katherine and Tennant Creek. The independent Metis Report into the industrial relations and human resource management systems in the NTFRS released in February gave a no holds barred account of the cycle of conflict that had built up over a decade within the organisation, and importantly, a road map for a new era into the NT Fire and Rescue Service.
The government endorsed the recommendations in the Metis Report and has committed funding to see the road map take shape: $0.88m in Budget 2004-05; $0.75m next financial year; and $0.5m in recurrent funding each year after that. Part of the funding, $0.13m in 2004-05, has been allocated to the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment to provide fire and rescue staff with training in industrial relations and appropriate workplace behaviour. $200 000 from the overall funding was allocated to the NT Fire and Rescue Service’s training division. The funding will also cover the creation of specialist positions in training, strategy, occupational health and safety, and industrial relations.
Budget 2004-05 is the last time the NTFRS does not have its own budget output group. Delivering on an important recommendation from the Metis Report, from 2005-06, the NTFRS will have greater financial autonomy with a separate output group over which the Director of the Fire Service will have independent accountability. $580 000 will be spent purchasing two new fire appliances in 2004-05, replacing the rescue vehicle in Katherine and a tanker in Alice Springs. These vehicles will end the NTFRS eight-year major appliance replacement program. I am also pleased to advise the major fire appliance to replace the one destroyed in last October’s bush fires will arrive in Yulara in the next few months. This vehicle is, of course, purchased with 2003-04 funding.
The Martin government is building safer communities for all Territorians with improved facilities in town and in the bush. In Budget 2004-05, we have allocated $1m to construct a policy post at Numbulwar, a community of about 1200 people. The police post will include an office from which the Aboriginal Community Police Officers can base themselves and visiting officers’ quarters for overnight police patrols. Design work for the new police post has already started, and it is expected work will begin in early 2005.
2004-05 will also see the last of the Territory’s police cells to be upgraded in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. $680 000 has been allocated to upgrade cells in Batchelor, Ti Tree and Maranboy, with work scheduled to begin in August and September and conclude in December 2004 and January 2005.
The construction of the new $2m Humpty Doo police and fire facility will start next month, to be completed by January 2005. The new facility will deliver a greater level of service for the residents of Darwin’s rural area and ease the pressure on services in Palmerston. That was an election commitment that will be delivered on by this government.
Budget 2004-05 also delivers $400 000 to boost the counter-terrorism capacity of the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services, as the Northern Territory continues to play its part in national counter-terrorism efforts. Of the funding in Budget 2004-05, $300 000 has been set aside to purchase highly specialised equipment including a bomb response vehicle and electronic surveillance equipment. Of course, it is not enough to simply purchase new equipment. Accordingly, $100 000 has been flagged to allow members of the NT police to attend nationally approved counter-terrorism courses and workshops, including tactical response capability, counter-terrorism negotiator skills and incident command and control. Participation in these courses will ensure the NT maintains best practice in counter-terrorism response capability.
I now move on to talk about Budget 2004-05 initiatives relating to my Department of Corporate and Information Services. DCIS is responsible for providing responsive quality and cost-effective corporate support services to government. DCIS’ role extends to key responsibility for the development of the information communication technology industry and archival heritage. The department endeavours to contain costs and where possible, to reduce the cost to government agencies through the use and adaptation of emerging technologies. This is reflected in its pricing structure, which shows that 19 of its product lines have reduced in price over the past 12 months. The balance remained unchanged. This cost containment is underscored by comparing the 2003-04 and 2004-05 Budgets. The increase of $3.663m can be accounted for:
$1.5m government-funded program for upgrade of accommodation and property refurbishment;
$1.47m joint Territory and Commonwealth government-funded program in support the government’s
Jobs Plan;
$127 000 increase to address difficulties in retaining and recruiting finance staff in 2003-04 during the
introduction of accrual accounting; and
$370 000 for the 2004-05 EBA.
Overall, DCIS staffing has reduced by five over the past year. This reflects efficiency gains in service delivery but does not identify the positive shift in the ratio of apprentices now in the work force. And they are doing a great job there. DCIS currently employs 15 apprentices, with a further 16 expected to be recruited in the January 2005 intake.
The Jobs Plan initiative has been highly successful with 81 apprentices employed across agencies in the February intake and a further intake of 25 mid-year. The 2005 target has been set at 120. Forty six of the total intake of 106, that is 43%, self-identify as indigenous. This is a very good achievement and a major step towards redressing the imbalance of indigenous employees in the Northern Territory public sector. I am digressing from the speech, and the member for Katherine might be aware of this, but in Katherine recently I was amazed that last year, and for many years, government only employed two apprentices in Katherine. This year there are 11. It is a fantastic initiative. I met some of those young people, and I am very pleased to see that. So, member for Katherine, 11 apprentices organised through DCIS in Katherine, a big step up on the two of last year.
The success of employing indigenous people has meant that the Northern Territory has achieved the three year target within the first year. To further contribute to the success of indigenous employment, DCIS is currently preparing a Request for Tender for the delivery of indigenous employment services over a 12 month trial. The Request for Tender is expected to be out by late June, and will include:
the establishment and maintenance of a database of indigenous jobseekers seeking employment in the NTPS;
the provision of customised pre-recruitment training to indigenous jobseekers seeking employment in the NTPS;
the provision of an indigenous mentoring program for all indigenous people seeking employment or already
employed with the NTPS; and
the provision of statistical information in relation to job referrals and placements.
A recent review of remote locality working conditions resulted in the Remote Work Force Development Strategy being launched by the Minister for Employment, Education and Training. The strategy makes provision for $1m in recurrent funding to be spent on targetted interventions for employees in remote localities. DCIS is developing a module to manage remote locality entitlements, which will support better management as well as information capture and reporting. Further reinforcing the work being undertaken in this area, the Commissioner for Public Employment recently announced DCIS’ success in its applications for the Remote Work Force Development Grants Program.
I am pleased to announce here that grants have been received for the following initiatives:
provision of a scoping document and analysis for the remote area PIPS module referred to above;
a $34 606 grant for the provision of part professional assault response training in remote areas;
delivery of SWIPE, Sector Wide Induction Program for Employees; and
OH&S training programs in Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek.
DCIS will continue to work with Westpac to enhance the on-line payment options available to the community. The Payments Gateway is a web site hosted by Westpac for paying bills issued by the Northern Territory government or purchasing items for the NTG. Currently, the web site includes payment of bills and point of sales purchases using a credit card. Work is currently under way to allow bill payments by direct debit. Bpay is already available to agencies for payment of some bills and DCIS is investigating payment of bills with a credit card via phone, or IVR, which is an Interactive Voice Response.
An archives management system will be acquired and installed. The system will hold detailed information about archived collections held by the NT Archive Service. It will allow more efficient management of the collections and improve community access.
Moving to another initiative, DCIS, in partnership with CDU, Fujitsu and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment has conducted a pilot project on the application of web services technologies in the Northern Territory government. The trial was successfully completed and the technology will now be used to provide on-line driver’s licensing and vehicle registration services to the community.
All of the above initiatives are consistent with the e-government direction being pursued by this government and a reducing back office processing cost. DCIS is continuing to work towards an innovative and expanding ICT industry which meets the needs of Territorians, and is poised to export its skills and expertise. This includes collaboration with the Singapore government, together with our respective ICT industries to increase ICT trade, particularly in the delivery of remote telecommunications-based services into South-East Asia. To enhance this, the government will support an ICT industry delegation to Singapore this year to seek partnership with Singapore ICT companies.
Progressing the ICT industry’s strategic plan, the government, in collaboration with the industry and CDU, will complete a five-year ICT industry strategic plan to focus industry, government and academic efforts so that we optimise benefits to Territorians in the ICT industry. The government has set goals to improve the performance of agencies’ ICT services to enable them to be more responsive to remote indigenous communities. To achieve this, DCIS will work with its key ICT services providers to establish an ICT service presence in many remote communities.
As the previous minister for procurement, I announced the government’s procurement reform initiative. I am particularly pleased now to announce that DCIS is taking the lead role in implementing some of the core procurement reforms. These include procurement training. The government is committed to ensuring that its procurement activities are open, effective and represent value for money. In order for this to happen, staff engaged in procurement need to undertake an appropriate level of training. DCIS is providing short courses to staff from agencies at several levels of accredited training, including individual accredited units in procurement in line with requirements outlined in the agency’s procurement management plans; Certificate IV in Government Procurement and Contracting; Diploma in Government Contract Management; and recognition of prior learning assessments for individual units and in workshops for the Certificate IV qualification.
In response to suggestions from Territory business, this government is now reviewing procurement thresholds and mechanisms to simplify the tendering process. The proposed changes include retaining current advertising thresholds, but introducing a more simple procurement method and tendering process for the supply of goods and services with a value between $10 000 and $50 000; review of existing period contracts as they expire, and will consider aggregating their requirements for some goods and services - these requirements will be tendered through the public tendering process; and the establishment of common use contracts by all government agencies.
In 2003, the Martin government committed to pay 100% of non-disputed invoices to Territory businesses within 30 days of receipt of invoice, or pay a penalty. In 2003-04, 83% of payments were processed within 30 days. The figure for April 2004 is 93%. It is amazing what a little incentive like paying an interest payment will do. DCIS and Treasury have been working to finalise this implementation of interest penalties that suppliers will be able to claim for late payments. These will commence from 1 July 2004. This has been a great initiative of our government and, certainly, been very well received by the business community which has noticed a huge improvement in the payment of accounts by government since we started working towards that 100% target. In the coming 12 months, the first annual review will be undertaken of this government’s property procurement guidelines to ensure they are achieving the levels of competition and openness required by this government.
In closing, Mr Deputy Speaker, I believe that the numerous initiatives I have listed above show Territorians that the Martin government is serious about delivering on the promises we made; serious about jobs for Territorians; serious about attacking the causes of crime; and serious about moving the Territory ahead.
I congratulate the Treasurer, his staff, the Treasury officers who worked long and hard and always do in preparing the best advice to the government and a great budget. I commend the Budget 2004-05 to the Assembly.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that debate be adjourned.
Debate adjourned.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly at its rising adjourn until Tuesday 15 June 2004 at 10 am or such other time and/or date as may be set by Madam Speaker pursuant to sessional order.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker, important things to do with the Fannie Bay electorate. On Saturday, 24 April, I was pleased to sponsor and attend the Vesteys Beach Community Barbeque. This meeting was inspired by local resident, Louise Jones, who is mother of Majella and Jazz. Louise is forming a ‘Friends of Vesteys’ group to develop a plan for Vesteys Beach. She uses the beach daily with her children and felt there was a real need for the area to become more user-friendly and family orientated. The move to gather community ideas was supported by Darwin City Council which sponsored the event through their Neighbourhoods Alive Program organised by Darwin City Council’s Recreation Services Officer, Amy Liddicoat.
Of great interest was a talk by Dave Cash from Greening Australia who pointed out the function of a lot of the scrub in the Vesteys Beach area maintaining the bird population. Dave’s talk highlighted the need for ensuring the habitat for the birds at Vesteys Beach is not disturbed in any works that occur in the future.
Some of the suggestions that were put forward by residents include safety lighting; redevelopment of the recreation area including new play equipment; and barbeques and public toilets to replace the old block that was recently demolished. I congratulate Louise Jones because about five years ago I tried to get a Land Care group going in the Vesteys Beach area and there was not sufficient community interest. Louise is trying again to get that greater community interest in what is an important foreshore area, the Vesteys Beach area, and she has garnered a lot of support so far. I am very hopeful that we will have a real community involvement; the Friends of Vesteys group will certainly be active and looking after a very beautiful are of our coastline.
It is always nice to say Happy Birthday to people, and one of my constituents, Herta Hakala celebrated her 80th birthday last Friday, 14 May. Herta migrated to Australia from Germany in the late 1940s when she settled in Darwin. She is best remembered for working at the Berrimah Store. Herta remains very active in the Lutheran Church and volunteers for Diabetes Australia where she assists with their newsletters and helps out generally. Herta celebrated her birthday with her many children and grandchildren. She is a long standing Kurringal resident and enjoys being a resident of the fourth floor of Block 8. She says the views are great and the breezes are better.
Another aspect of activity in the Fannie Bay electorate is the very active Stuart Park Residents Group. On Monday, 22 March, I attended the Stuart Park Residents Group AGM. The Residents Group was founded in 1997 and has successfully represented residents’ interest in Stuart Park on a range of issues including parks, planning and traffic issues. I congratulate the new executive and the committee members, many of whom have been very involved in the Stuart Park area for a long time and very vocal as members of the residents group. Continuing as chairperson is John Brears, who does a great job. Deputy chair is Liz Nicholls, treasurer is Chrissie, secretary is Joan Brears - so it is very much a Brears family team effort - and the committee is John Leishman, Dee Allan, Diane Szarkowicz and Michael Kilgariff.
A couple of weeks ago on 5 May, I had the pleasure of hosting a staff morning tea at Darwin High School. Darwin High is currently the largest high school in the Territory with over 100 teachers and administrative staff, and around 1200 students. It was good to catch up over morning tea with teachers and staff and some of the students. Marion Guppy, the new principal of Darwin High, the former principal of Dripstone High School, has been warmly accepted by the Darwin High School community and it was good to catch up with her over morning tea as well.
On a personal note, Judy Boland, historian and history teacher at Darwin High and well known to our Darwin High community turned 65 last month. That significant birthday she celebrated was recognised at the morning tea. So whilst sending birthdays wishes, I also want to commend Judy for the one wonderful work that she does in encouraging students and ex-students to care for the history of the school. Judy’s work on recent reunions and the compilation of historical documents and photos for the school is very important work. Judy is also very involved with the Historical Society of the Northern Territory and is also the chair of the Fannie Bay History and Heritage Society. In the past when you turned 65, you would be looking at retirement. We have changed the rules and Judy is continuing, so she is an inspiration.
There are many businesses in the Territory that are success stories. The story I would like to share tonight is of a business that is making a positive, successful contribution to our Territory community through the provision of services for people with disabilities. HPA Incorporated is a non-government, not for profit Territory-based organisation whose mission is to assist people with a disability to develop their full potential through a valued community service providing quality training, personal development and support.
HPA was started in 1963 by local school teacher, Harold Garner, when he presided over the first meeting of what was then known as the Mentally Handicapped Persons Association. The organisation has grown since then into a corporation that manufactures quality products at five registered businesses. HPA receives funding to support its endeavours from the Department of Health and Community Services and the federal government through the Department of Family and Community Services. Other funds come from charitable trusts, local fund raising and donations, and from the assistance of local service clubs.
Management of HPA is via a board of directors selected for their skills in business and their commitment to the provision of services to people with a disability.
HPA assists over 80 people with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses through the provision of employment and training options. It also provides accommodation and support services for over 30 people with an intellectual disability. The organisation employs 50 in the Top End to assist these Territorians with disabilities.
The manufacturing arm of HPA Incorporated consists of five businesses. Kokoda Industries is a carpentry workshop that manufactures a wide range of timber products including pallets, survey pegs, lattice and garden edging. It also has the capacity to manufacture most timber products and does contract work for the armed forces.
Supertube Outdoor Furniture is another one of its businesses. It is a manufacturer of PVC outdoor furniture, marketing signs, pet beds – my dog loves its HPA pet bed, let me say – bike racks and room dividers among other products. Supertube Outdoor Furniture also sells a range of jarrah and Queensland hardwood outdoor furniture assembled at the workshop and the retail outlet in Bishop Street.
Another is the Palmerston Business Service, which manufactures a range of steel and timber outdoor furniture. Palmerston Business Service also has an industrial sewing business that specialises in a range of indigenous print fabric products.
Then there is Shadow Prints, a screen printing business that provides high quality screen print into the manufacturing of products such as those produced by Calico Connection. They have also printed T-shirts and other products on request.
Finally, Calico Connection, an industrial sewing company that specialises in the design and manufacture of eye catching tourist promotional bags, conference bags and a host of other calico products. Recently, Calico Connection provided the conference bags for the successful NTCOSS Conference.
Margaret Marron, the manager of Calico Connection, has found innovative ways to utilise what would normally be fabric scraps to create a range of multicoloured and unique bags that will no doubt find a way into the greater Australian market. Working in the Calico Connection sewing room are wonderful Territorians who have found opportunities to be productive and enjoy the benefits of employment, such as making good friends, seeing a finished product and being part of a team. Donna Clark, Donna Camp, Ngaire Logan, Clint Logan, Bronwyn Hopkins, Belinda Higgins, Christine Murphy, Sally Davis, Peter Friend, Javid Ahmad and Nathan Chee Quee work together to produce high quality products that are now being sold around Australia.
The sales from these businesses have tripled in the last 10 years and HPA exports products interstate to the ACT, Western Australia, and Queensland, and internationally to East Timor. HPA also has license agreements in place that allow the manufacture of goods designed specifically for Aboriginal interests and markets. General Manager, Paul Goggin, and Marketing Manager, Kim Farrar, are full of enthusiasm and commitment to the organisation. I have agreed to assist with a fund raiser to be held later this year as a way to lift the profile of this great Territory business.
HPA Incorporated is a Northern Territory story of success that has been achieved through hard work and a commitment to the provision of services to Territorians with disabilities. It is a credit to our community. I commend previous and current staff and board members on their endeavours and wish them well with their enterprise.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to comment further to the Ministerial Report relating to the Harmony Program in Katherine. We are all aware in this Chamber that almost every community in the Northern Territory has significant problems with public drunkenness and antisocial behaviour. These problems are caused by a minority of people who have created such a huge challenge for our community, and for all levels of government to try to sort out. Not an easy job by any means, and not one that can have strategies put in place that every one will agree with.
For too long, when anyone has spoken out about the problems experienced in their community, they have been labelled racist and picking on the indigenous. That comment really gets up my nostrils, because in my instance I am addressing drunks. I do not care what race they are, a drunk is a drunk. In Katherine, for instance, the visibility of public drunkenness is highlighted, because Katherine Terrace is also the Stuart Highway, with four major liquor outlets on that main street. Naturally, this area is where the problems occur at their worst, and this presents such a dreadful visual impact to Katherine.
In an attempt to address the problems we are sick of putting up, a desperate short-term fix was implemented to see if we could make a difference, even though we were all aware that there needed to be a comprehensive approach to deal with our town. This occurred several years back, when we had restricted hours for the sale of alcohol. These were put in place in Katherine on a trial basis of two six-month trials. This was viewed by most of the owners of licensed premises as discriminatory and derogatory to their business. While the first six months of the trial definitely improved the problems that the town was experiencing, it discriminated against local responsible residents, the rural residents and tourists. Following a hearing by the Liquor Commission held in Katherine, the decision was to revert to almost the original trading times.
When the Harmony Group Committee was formed in Katherine, I was an Alderman on Katherine Town Council, and fully supported its formation and continue to do so. This committee is very ably chaired by Alderman Anne Shepherd, who is committed to the long haul to have successful outcomes for the programs implemented. While the committee is very large, it covers all sectors of the community so that consultation is comprehensive. There has been considerable criticism from sectors of the Katherine community of the length of time it has taken the Harmony Group to implement their programs. However, now that some of them are under way, I am hopeful that some early results will be obvious.
There are some areas of the Harmony Program that I have concerns about. The first one that I will address now is that of the foot patrols. The foot patrols have the opportunity to make a huge difference to the appearance and activities in the main street of Katherine. At present, that is not happening. The patrol officers are well presented and well mannered, and walk along the main street, reporting in regularly to retail businesses to show their presence. While this is happening, the usual very loud, and I call it verbal diarrhoea, is still being hurled along and across the street, drinking is still occurring on the median strip, and the median strip, most days, looks like a cast of thousands have had a picnic and walked away, leaving all their garbage behind. The role of the foot patrol needs to be revisited to ensure that they are doing the job to make the difference that is needed in Katherine Terrace. I encourage the minister to readdress the role of the foot patrol at his earliest convenience.
Another area of concern is the book-up service. Last week, a takeaway food outlet in Katherine Terrace was officially recognised as a supplier of food under the book-up scheme; a scheme that Katherine businesses were not aware they had access to. On the contrary, most people I have spoken to were of the opposite opinion, that book-up and the holding of plastic cards was a no-no, a practice that is unethical. Businesses that decided to use that practice did so at their own risk in the past. It has been well known that Bucking Bull Burger Bar has been booking-up food for many years to mainly the indigenous, and also well known that the previous owner of Bucking Bull Burger Bar, who began the book-up practice, ended up with a very substantial debt which she was unable to recover when she left the business and sold it.
The concerns that I have in relation to the book-up include:
1. there was no public information supplied to the Katherine community to inform them of this book-up facility.
It was not until the day that Bucking Bull Burger Bar was signed up that Katherine was aware of this. I can
assure you my telephone was running hot.
2. this outlet is in the centre of the main street where we already have major problems with groups with unruly
behaviour. The word will not take long to get around about the book-up which will increase the numbers of
people wanting to take advantage of this facility.
3. other food outlets see this arrangement as unfair trading as it encourages trade at this one specific outlet in
preference to others, which guarantees income for that outlet.
4. it is well known that Bucking Bull Burger Bar has had less than satisfactory recording arrangements for book-ups
in the past.
How are their book-up practices going to be monitored under this new practice, and how often are they going to be reviewed? May I suggest that for the first few months the review be conducted weekly and without notice to ensure that the practice is transparent and accountable to reassure the Katherine business community.
This idea of book-up surely must fly in the face of what we should be teaching our indigenous; that is, how to be responsible in managing their own money. There is so much talk of how we need to teach them to be independent, and here we have a recognised system that means that they do not have to be responsible for the very basic of requirements - food. Just go and book it up. I fail to see how this system is improving self-management. I will also be very interested to hear how the minister feels about this set-up.
I am sure that there will be many more discussions in this Chamber in the future relating to the Harmony programs in Katherine.
I would like to finish this evening with recognising a new program that was launched last Friday at Kalano, which is being coordinated by Janzey Pratt. This program is called KRISP, meaning Katherine Region Indigenous Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Program. The program is locally known as the Kumbidgee program, meaning ‘good from within’. Kalano with three workers, and Rock Hole with two workers, have been chosen as the pilot communities to run until September 2005. The program covers all ages and has been utilised by all ages in this past three weeks, reinforcing the importance of this support program. In these early stages, Janzey and her team are working in fairly substandard conditions until more suitable infrastructure can be arranged. Janzey is also working in partnership with Arts Katherine, and has been successful in obtaining a grant to run a program called Youth Led Futures. Hopefully, both of these programs will work together. I wish Janzey and her dedicated workers every success in achieving successful outcomes.
Tonight I would also like to advise this Chamber of the success of the Katherine Country Music Muster 2004 which was held the first weekend of May. The member for Daly spoke last night about the success of this event, so I will not cover the aspects that he did, but I will endorse everything he said. Just to give you a bit of history of this event, a small group of country music lovers got together several years ago and formed a committee to look at the possibility of running a country music festival. Many crisp, cool, early mornings were spent mid-year at meetings held at the Katherine Historical Society for the initial planning of the festival. I have to say that, without the commitment of this founding committee, the inaugural festival may not have taken place. Thank goodness they had such vision and determination.
This year, the committee’s hard work and commitment was rewarded when they took out the National Volunteer Awards, Cultural Division, winning a nice sum of $5000 which was very gratefully received.
The very small committee made up of very active volunteer members for this event have worked extremely hard all year to prepare for this successful 2004 muster. These committee members have successfully sourced sponsorship from over 80 local businesses which, considering the struggle that some of the businesses of Katherine are going through, is a fantastic outcome. Some of the support was financial and some was in-kind. Everyone in the community has welcomed and been happy to support the muster, which has ensured its success. I would like to recognise and thank all of the important sponsors. A big thank you to the many hard working volunteers, without whom the music muster could not go ahead.
The people of Katherine welcome the influx of visitors for this great annual muster, not only for the much needed injection of money to the local economy, but also for the fantastic atmosphere that country music creates. Whether you like country music or not, I do not believe anybody could possibly feel unhappy or uncomfortable when listening to country music. I have found that country music actually brings communities together.
This year, there were around 3000 people attending, including the Patron, His Honour Mr Ted Egan. Artists performing included the now famous and very successful Sara Storer, Keith Jamieson, Alisha Smith, Ray Cullen, Kate Oliver, Patrick Webster, Gus Williams, Matt Scullion, Martin Oakes, and who could forget, the Toe Sucking Cowgirls.
Some of the wonderful events of the muster included busking in the CBD, best dressed window, Aussie pub crawl of country music artists, Big Brekky, Cavalcade Street Parade on the Saturday morning, bush poets breakfast, walk up poets, bush poet competition, buskers, bush balladeers, whip cracking, kids’ tents, Johnny Cash tribute, and Slim Dusty tribute.
Another very famous Australian event, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, injects around $73m to the local economy over their annual festival. The Katherine organisers commented that wouldn’t it be great if we could inject $1m into ours, and I agree with them. The vision of the organisers of the Katherine Country Music Muster is to make Katherine the country music capital of the Northern Territory. I believe that, with the continuing level of commitment and on-going support from all sectors of the community, that vision will be achieved. Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the committee on their great success and look forward to an even bigger muster in 2005.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I should just say that the Adelaide River Country Festival is coming up in a couple of weeks.
Ms MILLER: I know.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to inform the House about recent events and achievements of the people of the Arafura electorate.
Recently, it was my pleasure to congratulate students, the principal, Esther Djayhgurrnga and the head teacher, Maree Timms, of the Gunbulunya Community Education Centre, whose film about how the echidna got her spikes won the best Northern Territory film at this year’s prestigious Down Under International Film Festival. Students of the Year 6/7 class developed and made a claymation film called The Echidna and Turtle as part of a school literacy and numeracy program. There were about 20 Grade 6/7 students aged between 10 and 12. They were from the Namarrkon class and Namarrkon means ‘lightening’ in the local Kunwinjku language. The story tells of how the echidna got her spikes and the turtle her hard shell. This comes from the rich oral cultural tradition of the Gunwinggu people of west Arnhem Land. Special mention should be made of the head teacher, Maree Timms and certainly also the local indigenous assistant teacher, Narissa Nadjalaburnburn.
The story of the echidna and the turtle came from the traditional elder, Stephen Garnarradj, who assisted students with set and character designs, as well as animating each scene. This film has been favourably compared to Academy Award winning Australian animated film Harvey Crumpet. High praise indeed, but thoroughly well deserved. It is brilliant work from the Gunbalanya CEC students, teachers and certainly the whole of the community.
That school certainly does need some praise because last year and early this year, there were a lot of problems with school attendance. Alcohol is also a real issue there. It just shows that if the community, and particularly a community that has some very strong women who work with those children and within the school area – and it is a pleasure to be amongst some of these women such as Tess Bulliwana and Julie Narndal, females from the seniors’ traditional owner group – the strides and the headway they are making with a lot of young children in getting those children to come back into school and getting better literacy and numeracy outcomes supported by fantastic teachers like Maree Timms.
I also need to mention James Armstrong and Seamus Hoare who assisted the children with the animated movie of the echidna and turtle. They are IT experts who spent some time out at Gunbalanya and assisted in getting all this happening.
I had the great honour to provide the closing address at the Anzac Day ceremony held at Jabiru in my electorate. It was very well attended. I thought that there would be a few people. To my surprise, there were about 150 people who turned up to the Anzac Day ceremony. Jabiru traditionally does get behind Anzac Day. The Friday before Anzac Day, I joined the school assembly, which was well attended by NORFORCE officers and participated in Anzac Day memorial events there.
This year was no different, particularly the Anzac Day ceremony on early Sunday morning, with a large crowd for a very moving Dawn Service, which was held in the town plaza. It was excellent to see so many young people in attendance and the very prominent role played by our young men in NORFORCE, again under the command of Lieutenant James Morrison.
Wreaths were laid by representatives of the Armed Forces, the RSL, Vietnam and other war veterans, the Northern Territory Police and Emergency Services, NT Fire Services, Jabiru Town Council and the Jabiru Area School, among others. I was asked to speak about the efforts of Territorians in World War II and was honoured to acknowledge the work of the Bininj from the Kakadu region who supported the Armed Forces during World War II, in particular the late Bill Neidje and Tiger Manggawulu who guarded the radar facility at Cape Don.
I was also proud to honour the efforts of William Alderson or Yorky Billy, Toby Gangele, Nipper Kapirigi and George Namingum for their services at the Allied Works Camp in Adelaide River where they loaded and unloaded stores, supplies, ammunitions.
Congratulations must go to Jabiru Town Council for an excellent commemoration, well organised and run, and the cooked brekkie enabled everybody to mingle over a good feed after the Dawn Service, enjoy each others company and just reflect on the day and what it meant, but also having a lot of the school children there with their parents. It was also good to see the Bininj and non-Bininj all together and talking about how Bininj played a role in it all. It was good to be part of that great Jabiru community spirit.
Whilst visiting Jabiru I had the pleasure of hosting a KFC lunch, and that went down very well, taking out a bucket of KFC for the hard working members of the Kakadu youth, Yawkyawk Yarrawinj Committee. This is an exciting group of young people who have been brought together by Dwayne Baker, the Coordinator of the Kakadu Youth Employment Scheme. Dwayne works hard to organise for local youth to get into proper, structured workplace learning with a view to increasing employment opportunities for youth of the region.
The committee had plenty to say to me, particularly about the obstacles they face in accessing employment in the Kakadu region. I was favourably impressed with their optimism and their enthusiasm. I am sure that with help from the Kakadu community, employees and government, these young energetic Territorians will find their places in the growing Territory work force.
It was also very good to be able to sit down with these young people who talked quite openly about the alcohol and drug abuse facing many of the youth, particularly in areas like Kakadu, and the lack of access to sporting activities and other facilities. I have offered that youth committee - because they are wanting to get involved in a number of festivals - assistance with a donation, as the local member, to enable the committee to travel to the Garma Festival this year. Garma will have a leadership focus this year and the youth committee wants to learn how they can provide leadership in Kakadu in the generation for employment and educational opportunities for a number of the youth out there.
Recently, a group of enterprising musicians from my electorate performed at the Entertainment Centre in Darwin and launched, with the CHARTTES Training Advisory Council, a report called From Outstation to Out There, a music industry case study. The band is Nabarlek, 12 dedicated musos from Manmoyi, a small outstation 200 km from Gunbalanya in western Arnhem Land. Nabarlek has worked very hard for more than five years to become very successful performing and recording artists. As hard as they have worked, Nabarlek would not have been as successful as they have been without the invaluable support of their partner, Skinny Fish Music in Darwin and Demed Outstation Resource Centre at Gunbalanya. The case study has been pulled together by long time music lobbyist, Gillian Harrison, and is a model for the music industry training and enterprise development in remote Aboriginal communities.
Nabarlek’s approach to music and economic self-sufficiency is very much one within a community development model, and one that should influence policy makers and funding agencies. I offer my congratulations to Nabarlek as they are an inspiration, not just to their community at Gunbalanya and all the outstations, but certainly to Territorians. Well done Skinny Fish and Demed, your innovative and creative partnership with Nabarlek is certain to be a success.
For some months now I have working with another lot of constituents, and members of my family, from the Tiwi Islands to develop better coordination between the Tiwi Islands Local Government and the Tiwi Land Council and other Tiwi organisations in the area of Tiwi governance. Many Tiwis have been involved in a series of workshops that have explored the relationship between Tiwi Island Local Government and the Tiwi Land Council. I especially wish to thank the two chairpersons of their respective organisations, Frederick Mungatopi and Maralumpuwi Kurrupuwu for their assistance in the running of these workshops.
It was very important to have these workshops because, in Tiwi at least, with all the development that is happening there, that is probably one area in a remote Aboriginal community where economic self-sufficiency and independence some time down the track is a reality rather than a dream. They are at the crossroads in terms of where they go from here, so it is good to start having and bringing these meetings together.
All of these meetings have been fully supported by all the Tiwis. At the last meeting, about 200 Tiwi leaders from all of the communities came together at Maxwell Creek. I was asked to facilitate the workshop, as their local member, and it was me with 200 of my Tiwi leaders. One of the pleasing things at all the meetings that I have had out on the island where it was mainly the Tiwi men, it was good to see that this meeting was attended by about 90 women.
In the Tiwi context, for these 90 women to come out in force, is certainly signalling a huge change. And not just for Tiwi. It is happening right throughout a lot of our remote Aboriginal communities where the women - and I am not saying that the men are not leading - but when we look on the ground at many of our communities, these women have been doing the hard yards for a long time. Through a lot of the work that I am doing with communities, these women are starting to stand up, form strong women’s groups, wanting to get the information about how do they get elected. So, it is working with them as a local member regarding what steps they take for getting elected on local or community government councils, and setting up their own enterprises. They are taking a real active involvement and if more of our women are doing it – and look, I cannot remember in all the times, and even when I was living with my own people on the Tiwi Islands back in the late 1980s, I have never seen a meeting that was so well attended by the women as this last meeting was.
The attendance by these women, I believe, started signalling to some of the Tiwi men that life is certainly going to change - certainly policies are going to start changing - and there is going to be no tolerance of violence, or excluding the women from economic development strategies and policies. It is the first time that they have put up a resolution of having women elected in the land council election. That is certainly a very positive move forward and one that I fully support.
It is certainly supported by men like Cyril Kalippa whose vision and foresight for Tiwi people has been there for as long as I can remember; Barry Puruntatameri, whom you would know, Mr Deputy Speaker, was for a long time involved in the local government area; Gibson Farmer; Lawrence Costa; Henry Dunn; and Gawin Tipiloura who are the young guys coming through and wanting to take a different approach from the old leadership and looking at a new way of doing things, and two former members of the Legislative Assembly, Maurice Rioli, and Hyacinth Tungatalum - who stood for the opposition many years ago when it was the Legislative Council - amongst others are all playing prominent roles in developing ways of getting these Tiwi organisations to work together to look at how Tiwi women can start getting actively working together.
I acknowledge the assistance provided by officers from the department, as well as from the Minister for Community Development and ATSIC Commissioner Hill, who also helped in that. We are looking forward to progress. It gives me pleasure as the member for Arafura to work with such a range of interested and enthusiastic people. If we can get it right with my people, we can get it right in some of the other communities.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to talk about something in Alice Springs that has been not brought to my attention - because I have been very conscious of the difficulties in the business and tourism sector in particular in Alice Springs for a long time. It is appropriate that I speak about this tonight, given that we are at the end of budget week, and given the currency of a letter or an e-mail sent to the Chief Minister on 12 May - although I have two dates on the top of this e-mail, so it could have been 11 May.
In any event, the Chief Minister has a letter sent to her by Angie Reidy. I have Angie’s permission to talk about this in the parliament tonight. It is appropriate I do, not only for the reasons I have already mentioned, but because I hope that members of this Assembly - especially those on the government side - actually believe the words of someone like Angie Reidy as opposed to government’s own rhetoric and, in particular the rhetoric of the Chief Minister.
For those who do not know, Angie Reidy has lived in Alice Springs with her husband, Peter, for about 26 years. She is probably the most successful tourism operator and entrepreneur in Alice Springs. She used to own Bojangles Restaurant, although she sold that. She used to own Sahara Tours; she sold that. She still owns Toddy’s Backpackers; she still owns the Desert Palms; and she owns the Novotel Hotel in partnership with Brian Measey and Andrew Burns. Andrew Burns is from interstate and he is very well known in the tourism industry across the country.
I do not think that there is anyone more qualified to give an assessment of the tourism industry in Central Australia than Angie Reidy, so I would implore government members to not only listen to what Angie has said, but also to look at the Hansard in their own time. In this letter - and I will just quote extracts of it - Angie Reidy writes to the Chief Minister:
The future of Alice Springs as a tourist destination is a major concern to myself and many other locals
whom I have been speaking to.
Further in the e-mail she says:
Tourism is the main industry we have in Alice Springs and if we continue to lose this industry we are going
to rely on government agencies and Pine Gap to try and survive as a town. Not so many yeas ago, it was like
the start of the Grand Prix each morning, with so many tour operators departing Alice Springs and heading
to Ayres Rock with the likes of AAT Kings and others operating double decker coaches. These days, the only tour
operators going to Ayres Rock are the camping tour operator, and departing with empty seats which are filled
from Ayres Rock.
Elsewhere in her letter she says:
Whilst progress demands that we seal major roads, many of the adventure roads are now off-route and restrictions
placed on what you can do and where you can go. Tourists and locals alike are going to look further afield for the
outback adventure.
She goes on:
It appears to me that the government is focussing on Darwin, the Top End and Ayers Rock. It is as if Alice Springs has
been totally forgotten.
Further in the letter she says:
On top of all of this, that is, difficulties in the tourism industry, recent statistics and letters regarding the
number of families leaving Alice Springs are also disturbing. Many of the people who are leaving Alice
Springs are people we all know and each of them that I personally know has stated that the antisocial
behaviour, the filthy streets and walking areas combined with no new industries coming to town are the
main reasons for leaving. The antisocial behaviour of the town and garbage along the Todd River on
South Terrace that a courtesy bus full of tourists passes several times each time with the driver being
asked why is there so much garbage is not helping what is left of tourism.
She says that one of her properties, the Desert Palms Resort, is down by 8% this year on occupancy and that her company is doing a lot better than many. She goes on to say how she and Brian Measey have spent $3.7m refurbishing the Novotel and they are having troubles as a result of the inability, or the lack of responsiveness this government has had to tourism. They are in trouble. They are going to ride out the storm but this letter speaks volume.
We know that government ignored tourism for pretty much two and a half years. I do not think members on the other side can argue with that. It was not just me, it was not just the CLP imploring government to put in some money; it was the tourism industry. Two and a half years later the Chief Minister has the audacity to go around to tourism shows and operators, pat them on the back and say, ‘Gee, aren’t we a good government? We have kicked in $27m over the four years’, or whatever it is.
The business minister in this Chamber a couple of times this week said that the business sector is going well, confidence is high, and because of the Labor government aren’t things wonderful. Well, I know who I believe and I would put my money on Angie Reidy any day of the week. I have known Angie Reidy for many years and she is not a letter writer. She is not the sort of person who writes letters to politicians. But she has been so concerned about the appalling state of tourism and other difficulties in Alice Springs that she has seen fit to write to the Chief Minister. I hope that Angie will provide me with a copy of the Chief Minister’s response. I would be very interested to see what sort of response the Chief Minister comes up with. I can guess that it will be something along the lines of, ‘Ah yes, there was a bit of a downturn. We never had any money but now all of a sudden we have some and I am spending it. And now that I am the tourism minister aren’t I fantastic’.
The likes of Angie Reidy and her colleagues are not stupid. They will not buy that sort of garbage and the Chief Minister should be on notice that she needs to treat not only Angie Reidy but other tourism operators with the utmost respect. In any event, Angie Reidy provided me with a copy of an e-mail that she received following the letter to the Chief Minister. Her e-mail to the Chief Minister was e-mailed to a number of other senior tourism operators around the Territory and was also e-mailed to some senior business commentators. I will not divulge the source of one of the responses she received, which she was kind enough to send to me. But I can assure members that a very senior well-known and respected business commentator, whom people in this Chamber know well, wrote to Angie and said that he regularly meets fellow business people who make the same comments as Angie Reidy made in her e-mail to the Chief Minister.
He said that many of them are disillusioned with the current state of affairs in the Northern Territory, and this is only last week. This is 11 or 12 May, so it is not as though it is 12 months ago; it was only eight days ago. He said that there was a lack of entrepreneurial leadership which business people had been used to in the Territory. He was scathing of the apparently poor relationship this government has with Qantas. He said there is a lack of a good relationship with Qantas. He felt certain that the Premier of Queensland and other premiers would be on first name terms with Geoff Dixon. He could not confirm it, but he told Angie Reidy that as far as he knew, the Chief Minister had not once met with Geoff Dixon from Qantas and that that would send a very bad message to them. I do not know whether that is true or otherwise, but that is the information from this senior business commentator.
He said that he understood Angie Reidy’s comments that there was an uphill battle that he and his colleagues were currently having, not only in relation to Alice Springs, but across the Northern Territory on issues such as airline access, tourism, the establishment of new industries and electricity pricing. He is concerned about the emphasis that the current government has on education and health, and does not see this government as performing at all well or indeed seriously interested in stimulating economic development around the Northern Territory.
I wish I could name this business commentator because members on the other side would fall off their chairs, but I would ask them to accept my assurance that these were comments made by a senior commentator.
It is appropriate that as a local member and a member from Alice Springs, I ventilate and continue ventilate these concerns. Members know well that for the better part of two and half years I have begged government to do better in tourism. We are now on to our fourth tourism minister. The Chief Minister can crow about the $27m that she had miraculously come up with – must have been that GST revenue – but she and her government will never be forgiven for abandoning the tourism industry for two and half years.
Members of this Chamber will know that when you suddenly come up with money, the flow-on effects do not just happen the next day. We are not seeing in Alice Springs any flow-on effects at this stage from that money. After an injection of funds, you would normally expect to see some results within six to 12 months. Some business operators have gone broke. They blame the Labor government and they will always blame the Labor government. I am right behind them in that regard.
The Chief Minister was Treasurer, so she knew how much money the government has had, more than the CLP government every had by virtue of the GST revenue, and yet she, it seemed to me at least, pretended that she did not have any money, she had other priorities. She will never be forgiven for ignoring the industry. I say again that members of the industry are not stupid. They know what the situation is. The government should have come up with this money two years ago and it is to its eternal shame that it has not.
As I say, I feel confident that Mrs Reidy will provide me with a copy of the Chief Minister’s response, and it may be on another occasion that I talk about that response in this Chamber.
With those remarks, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will leave it there. I ask members of the Assembly to take on board perhaps not my comments, as I know members on the other side are not always enamoured with what I say, but I ask that they perhaps chase up the letter dated 11 or 12 May written by Angie Reidy to the Chief Minister and they can have a look at it themselves.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is not often I rise to talk about the electorate of Macdonnell, but I thought the local member might take a night off tonight and leave it to me.
I would like to talk, first, about the Relekha Regional Crime Prevention Council, which is based at Ntaria. I have visited Ntaria twice this year so far and have appreciated enormously the great hospitality that was shown on both those visits.
I launched the Western Arrernte Crime Prevention Council at Ntaria on 26 March. I had an excellent meeting with the Relekha Committee, which is providing support for the Crime Prevention Council. The coordinator and chair, Alison Hunt and Marianne Swift, are doing a fantastic job and are very committed to the work that the Crime Prevention Council and the Relekha Committee are doing to the benefit of their communities.
I met many community leaders who have been taking the initiative with help from Relekha, and are fighting crime with success at Ntaria.
Mavis Malbunka, Ena Moketarinja Alison Ngalken, Conrad Ratara, and Pastor Davey Inkamala were some of the leaders who attended. Mavis brought along a group of twelve young people who had been petrol sniffing; 10 from Ntaria, and two from the Larapinta Camp at Alice Springs. These lads have been under the care of Mavis and her helpers at Ipolera outstation for some time, keeping off petrol and away from other harmful substances. Other sniffers, mainly young women, were at the Intjartnama outstation under the care of Elva Cook. Mavis and Elva are assisted by Relekha, the local police, council staff, clinic staff and teachers. Relekha has been particularly successful in bringing down the rate of violence, grog running and drunkenness in the town. Leaders of most local clan groups are represented on the Relekha committee. They joined forces to work with the police, providing them with intelligence about grog runners and drug dealers.
The police are assisted by the Relekha elders and, under the leadership of Sergeant Andrew Heath, have been very successful in such interceptions in recent months. Mavis is also assisted by a number of hardworking young men from the CDEP. These include Raphael Impu, Lionel Inkamala, Ivan Imitja, and Bevan Malbunka. Aboriginal health worker, Lance Malbunka, also plays a very important role in supporting the Ipolera youth project. Young Nathan Williams also provides help and backup in his role as Ntaria Council sport and recreation officer. Nathan, and young policemen, Matt and Tim, are doing a great job at helping to reduce sniffing rates by providing football training after school hours. It is great to see a community pulling itself up by its boot straps and with local Aboriginal people taking leading roles in solving their community’s difficult problems.
It is equally gratifying to see the NT public servants, such as Sergeant Heath, school principal, Mike Harries, and clinic coordinator, Sister Helen Haughton, and their staff providing excellent support for these local initiatives. I look forward to revisiting Ntaria later in the year to resume my conservations with Mrs Malbunka, her assistants and the young ex-sniffers from Ipolera outstation.
We also have a support program now being provided from the Alice Springs Gaol. Work parties are going down to those outstations and providing basic buildings where activities can be carried out, and providing some shelter for the young people who are being cared for there. That is a fantastic example of how the prison system can be used creatively. Most of those young inmates who are going down on those work parties are from that area, so as well as doing some very useful work, they are also helping the families that they belong to.
Turning now to Ntaria School. I strongly commend the efforts and initiatives of the school council, liaison officer, Kenny Windley, Mike Harries and the staff of the school in helping to address the problems with sniffers. My former school staff member, Andrew Stojanowski, at Yuendumu, is also providing advice to school staff and others at Ntaria about handling sniffers and sniffing problems in the school context. Andrew is now coordinator of the very famous Mt Theo/Yuendumu Substance Misuse Program. Through its workers, Blair McFarland and Tristan Ray, the Central Australian Youth Link Up Service, known as CAYLUS, is also assisting all the players at Ntaria, who are trying to get sniffing under control. CAYLUS provides various kinds of support and advice, and often provides brokerage funds to pay for food, equipment, fuel and some project wages, and bedding to help people who are trying to look after the sniffers at Ntaria and its outstations.
Currently, there are some 30 kids in those two outstations who were previously hopelessly lost in the activity of petrol sniffing. Although both sides of this House probably agree that we need to have stronger ways of compelling kids out of these activities and into rehabilitation, communities can do these things by themselves under the current conditions if they have the will to do it and the public responsibility to take charge of their own community and its problems.
I visited the Ntaria Clinic earlier, on 26 March. This was the tenth bush clinic I had visited by that stage as the Health Minister. This clinic is just a fantastic example of how a bush clinic should operate. The current staff is Helen Haughton, who is the sister-in-charge; Marion Swift, an Aboriginal Health Worker of some 20 years-plus standing; Ralph Malbunka and Lionel Inkamala, the other two Aboriginal Health Workers; Dr Diane Gillatt; Barbara Sharp, Anne Maloney and Peter Quinn, who are the RNs; and Dr Jane MacLeod as the Registrar. I was pleased that Ms Margo McGregor, Acting Manager of Remote Health was able to join us on the visit.
It is a clinic that has nurtured and brought on a whole range of local indigenous participation in the health services that are being provided there. It is a clinic that has maintained an enormous commitment to the community, and it does way beyond the basic services that you might expect from a remote clinic. It is very much integral to the Ntaria community, and I congratulate all the health staff for the fantastic job they are doing.
On the long weekend at the beginning of May, I returned to Ntaria at the community’s invitation to observe some of the sports carnival. It was another great day, with people from at least eight communities present and competing. Young Nathan Williams did a great job in organising the annual festival. Helen Kantawarra and Elva Cook oversaw the women’s softball competition, alongside the men playing footy. It was gratifying to see some of my old students from Yuendumu competing, and to catch up with old friends from many communities. Men from the Relekha Night Patrol volunteers told us about how they had ensured a quiet weekend by helping the local police to intercept several grog runners on the Friday night. Fourteen of them ended up being charged, and I believe three cars were confiscated. This is serious stuff.
My visit on this day confirmed my belief that something very important is happening at Ntaria, and it could become a model for other communities to look at for ideas and advice about how they, too, can mobilise their town’s human capital for the common good. It basically means getting the fire in your guts and drawing a line and just holding your ground. That is what they are doing.
I take this opportunity to congratulate Maryanne Malbunka for winning the Australian Mother of the Year Award - a fitting tribute to someone who has devoted her life to helping young people in her community get ahead.
Moving elsewhere in the electorate of Stuart, to Titjakala and Kings Canyon. I was delighted last week to go down and personally announce our government’s policy decision of phasing out single nurse stations, and to tell two very delighted nurses that they were going to get another RN to work with at their stations. Titjakala is a marvellous community and, again is moving its own affairs forward enormously. They have a great new arts centre there. In a very quirky enterprise, they have taught themselves how to manufacture tombstones. That might sound a bit depressing, however, there is potential through the whole of the bush communities in Central Australia for someone to actually hand manufacture tombstones much more cheaply than the ones sourced from the main capital cities, and with the personal touch and cultural understanding of people who are putting the messages on those stones.
At Kings Canyon, Sister Sharon Overend has been working in the region on a job-share basis for 15 months. To just give you some idea of what Sharon has had to cover, 200 local people are her normal clients. 250 000 tourists a year go through there doing all the normal things that that number of people might do: having heart attacks, heat exhaustion, dying of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and the normal sort of accidents including road accidents. Sharon is just absolutely amazing. She has coped with all that in a single nurse station even with the help that she gets from the Aboriginal health workers based there. She will not have to do that anymore. There will be another RN there to share the load, to give her time off, to allow them to extend their work to the more proactive areas of health service delivery.
Ian and Lyn Conway of Kings Creek Station deserve accolades for the work they and their family and staff have done over the years for tourists and others who have become involved in accidents. Having one more nurse will ensure that they get the back-up that they need when people are injured. The department is also funding a departure lounge, or really a donga, where patients being prepared for air evacuation can be held and treatment can be continued up to the point when the air vac arrives. So things are going to look up at long last around that area. It is great to see the enormous impact that is going to make on the community and the health staff who have been working there.
The two nurses will also be able to provide much better support for the nearby outstations. As I said the resident population of 200 at Ulpanyali, Lila, Wonmara, Ukarka and Ilpurla which are spread around the Kings Canyon resort area. In Titjakala, Harry Scott and chairman, Phillip Wilyuka, together with the council members, put on a great morning tea. Sister Mary Stafford has been working at Titjakala for almost four years with Sophie Conway, her Aboriginal health worker of three years standing and Jason King, an Aboriginal health worker of two years standing. Again, there was just great excitement that this much needed reform has finally arrived.
Occasionally in this work, you do get to see the importance of the decisions that governments have to make. When you get them right and when you can see that obviously people consider that it has been the right thing to do, it is a great moment to take part in. I wish all the best to the people of Macdonnell. I hope to get down there along with my colleagues increasingly into the future. I am sure we will be able to go down there and celebrate a lot of other decisions we have made to the benefit of that electorate.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Mobile Phones in the Chamber
Mobile Phones in the Chamber
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I remind you of what I said yesterday about mobile phones. I do not know if you are aware, but putting the phone on silent does not stop it interfering with Hansard. Because it was rung twice in five minutes, it basically wiped out whatever was being said. You should not have your mobile phones in the Chamber - as simple as that. If you have, please make sure you take it out straight away.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Katherine Crime Prevention Initiatives
Katherine Crime Prevention Initiatives
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, Katherine is a community close to my heart. Two of my children were born there and three of them spent their early childhood there. Our government made a commitment to the people of Katherine that we would work with them to deliver a safer community. We deliver on the promises we make.
The Katherine Region Harmony Group, with $600 000 from this government, is developing a whole-of-community approach to preventing crime through action in key areas: itinerants and antisocial behaviour; alcohol and substance abuse; young people; and crime prevention. The Katherine Region Harmony Group ‘has some of the most positive programs that Katherine has ever seen’ - not my words, but compliments from the member for Katherine. I thank the member for Katherine for her positive support for the programs.
It is unfortunate the opposition’s media office was not so positive when they slanted Katherine, describing it as a ‘war zone’. It is even more unfortunate that, on the CLP’s web site, a press release attributed to the member for Katherine remains available to the public two months after its release. It came out in your name, member for Katherine. The buck stops with you. If they are not your words as you have claimed, you should tell the parliament and remove it from the web site.
Keeping the Territory moving ahead is our top priority. In Katherine, we are working hard with the local people to deliver a safer community. The government has funded the Kalano Community Association to establish a Return to Home Scheme. This scheme started on 18 February 2004 and, to date, more than 50 people have gone back to their communities. The scheme provides the cost of a one-way fare to the person’s community, with the cost being repaid through Centrepay. A survey of itinerants in Katherine indicated that as many as 70% of them will return home if assisted to do so and be happy to repay that assistance.
Negotiations with Centrelink for space, access and furniture for the Information Referral Office have been successful, and the office will be located at the Centrelink office on Second Street, Katherine. The office will deliver an identification service and other referral services as they come on-line. For example, the office will provide an accommodation referral in addition to the Return to Home scheme. In more good news, funding has been approved to provide full-time employment for the existing Return to Home scheme officer and Community Development Employment Program, and top-up for additional assistance.
The Interim Activity Centre, Welkam Jenta, was officially opened on 27 April 2004, a little under a month ago. The centre, located in Pearce Street at the Mimi Arts/Nurdalingi Centre, is managed by the Kalano Association. A coordinator has been employed to develop the programs and activities at the centre. The foot patrol will also operate out of the centre. The centre is in its early stage and the numbers of people who visit daily are fluctuating, but you can usually expect around 10 to 40 people on a daily basis.
Community support is an important part of the Katherine Community Harmony Strategy and the key to its success. I thank the Westpac Bank for its support. Westpac will be providing financial management training, card use, automatic teller machine use, and account setup and trust setup for art sales. That is a great result and is corporate good citizenship at its very best. I mentioned the foot patrol earlier; $55 000 has been provided to Kalano Community Association to operate in the central business district in Katherine. This will allow the patrol to work with groups of itinerants and others in reducing antisocial behaviour in the central business district. I believe the work of the foot patrol can be improved, and we are conducting an internal review.
Looking ahead, the short-, medium- and long- term accommodation needs of the target group of the Community Harmony Strategy have been identified as a key project area. As part of our commitment to working in partnership with the local community a workshop held by the Accommodation Working Group, and facilitated by the shelter, was held on 21 April 2004 to identify and prioritise the accommodation needs.
I thank the people of Katherine for their support for this important project.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I welcome the report that the minister has delivered here this morning. The Region Harmony Group has been working extremely hard in Katherine and it has been received with mixed views because we did not have any idea of how it was going to work. It seems to have taken some time to get some of these programs implemented. However, I am very pleased to say that they seem to be working very well.
One of the problems that we have in Katherine is still the acceptance by people in the community to having to tolerate drunken behaviour in the main street of Katherine. Other things are happening very well. I visited the Interim Activity Centre and it actually had 60 clients there one day last week, 20 the next, so, yes, it is up and down. It has a very strong manager and I believe that it will work very successfully under his guidance.
I am very concerned about the foot patrol because it needs a lot more training. It is very important to have it in the main street, but it does need a lot more training. I am very reluctant to comment on this book-up service. We are quite concerned about that because we do not understand it fully and it could end up causing more problems than what is meant to solve. Right now there is one particular food place in the main street that has a book-up relationship set up and it seems to be discriminatory. We are quite concerned about that and I need to talk to the minister further about that.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, let me respond to the book-up service, which is news to me, but certainly we will look into it. I am certainly happy to receive representation from the member for Katherine in regards to what she actually knows about it so we can do something about it. If it is wrong, it is certainly not going to be tolerated by this government or me as the minister responsible.
I am disappointed that I did not get a response in regards to the ‘war zone’ statement that was made in a press release put out by the member for Katherine. As I said, the buck stops with her. If she wishes to disassociate herself from that particular statement, then she should have it removed from the web site. If she has problems with that and the person who drafted that press release for her, then we might need to ship him out and I will show him on his way.
Horticultural Partnership Group
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory horticultural industry continues to grow at an impressive rate. From its infancy in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the industry has grown from around a couple of hundred thousand dollars to almost $90m in 2003-04.
As Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, I have been fortunate to meet with many horticulturalists throughout the Territory, including a range of mango, citrus and other tropical fruit growers near Darwin and Katherine, producers at Ti Tree, banana growers, nursery and cut flower growers, date farmers and vegetable growers in the Top End and at Alice Springs, horticulture suppliers, and growers’ peak associations.
I also had the pleasure of launching the NT Food Identifier with a launch providing an opportunity to showcase the diverse range of horticultural product grown throughout the Territory. Following my discussion with most sectors of the horticultural industry, I must say that I am excited about the future opportunities for the industry and the enthusiasm of the industry itself.
Further growth of the industry is a certainty if we get the planning in place and we can build a stronger partnership between the public and private sectors. Keeping the Territory moving ahead is our top priority. We are driving growth because it means jobs for Territorians. The horticulture industry has a high level of input and is a major employer throughout the year.
For some time, the Horticultural Advisory Committee has provided a valuable source of advice to government. They have achieved a great deal. The Horticultural Advisory Committee has now recommended that the committee be disbanded and a Horticultural Partnership Group established in its place. The partnership group is a departure from the past. It is an advisory group with a membership based on expertise from all sectors of the horticultural industry, like growers, packers and transporters, marketing, a business person. and two positions each for producers from the Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs regions. I have appointed an independent Chair, not directly involved as a grower, but with excellent knowledge and demonstrated experience in the food industry nationally and internationally, to ensure that we get the planning right for the horticultural industry. The selection panel, chaired by the industry with representation from my department, reviewed the 13 applications received and made recommendations to me.
Appointments to the partnership group include: as independent Chair, Mr Vincent Lange from Alice Springs; packer and transport representative, Mr Peter Delis; marketing representative, Graham Penfold; producers in Darwin, Ms Lee Berryman and Mr Haigh Arthur; producers in Katherine, Mr John Etty and Mr Ken Miller; producers in Alice Springs, Mr Trevor Sowman. I have also decided to appoint the president of the Northern Territory Horticulture Association, Mr Tom Harris, and the Director of Horticulture in my department as ex-offico members of the Horticultural Partnership Group.
We have long-term plans that put the Territory first. We have commissioned an independent review of the Northern Territory horticultural industry, including a review of my department’s capacity in research and development, and how to improve, through collaboration with CSIRO, Charles Darwin University and other agencies in the Territory, Australia and overseas. Dr Nigel Scott, an eminent and respected scientist with considerable expertise in horticulture, is undertaking this review. Dr Scott has over 35 years of research, research management and policy expertise with CSIRO, and has an extensive background in the Australian and international horticultural scene. His findings are expected to greatly assist the partnership group in its deliberations on future plans for the industry and will assist it in developing specific recommendations for government to consider.
This approach will put the Northern Territory horticulture industry on the front foot to go forward on a more effective and sustainable development path and become an even more significant contributor to the Territory economy and generator of employment for all Territorians.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report on a very important sector of the Northern Territory economy. I welcome the commissioning of a review and certainly welcome Dr Scott to head that up. It will be a very worthwhile set of recommendations and a good look at what is going on because there is so much going on in horticulture. I welcome the Horticultural Partnership Group and the restructure of that. It is a good thing and has some eminent people on there, Tom Harris, of course, Peter Dallas and Lee Berryman. I put on the record my congratulations to Lee, with whom I went to school, for winning just recently, the Australian Rural Woman of the Year award for her work with developing bamboo shoots, a work that she and her husband have been carrying on for a long time and for which she was very well recognised by winning that award.
That is the sort of thing that is going on in horticulture. Many new initiatives right across the Northern Territory, whether you talk about the temperate or the tropical parts of the Territory, or indeed, where I live in Katherine, and what is going on around there with mangoes and so forth. Some very exciting things are happening with mangoes that you might be across already, minister, such as trials into Europe of containers, in partnership with Western Australia. That is very exciting for the mango industry, and I certainly wish the growers in Katherine success with their trials coming up in the very near future. This is the third set of trials, one that they have been keeping me very much briefed on. I welcome the news and the report from the minister today.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his support. It is refreshing to see such support from the opposition. Horticulture is very important for the whole Territory; it does not matter what side of politics you are. I agree with him, the mango trials are very important, because we might open new markets for Territory mangoes. The only thing is that it is done in partnership with Western Australia. I would like the mangoes to be exported from Darwin if possible, and we are prepared to work with the mango producers and packers to produce a product that can be exported from Darwin to South-East Asia and Europe.
I am pleased to say that my department will continue to support horticulture. I want to see more extension officers out on the farms. I had the pleasure, during the Freds Pass Show, to launch the Horticulture Information Service, and Agnotes for people who want to grow their own produce, even in their own backyards.
The horticulture industry is very important, not only because it gives the Territory $90m income per year but it also provides significant employment for all Territorians, and some oversees visitors.
Public Transport Network – Security Measures
Dr BURNS (Transport and Infrastructure): Madam Speaker, our public transport network provides an important service to the community, carrying many thousands of passengers on their daily journeys each year, from commuters heading to work, to school children travelling to and from school. Passenger security and comfort on our public buses are very serious issues and, as our bus fleet has aged, these issues have begun to create problems for drivers and passengers alike.
Members will recall a terrible incident that occurred recently in Darwin, with a vicious assault on a bus driver. As Transport minister, I have received several complaints, directly in one case, from a bus driver who was a victim of one of these vicious assaults, about incidents on buses, both from drivers and passengers. I am sure that all members will agree that it is simply unacceptable for such antisocial behaviour to go unchecked. I am pleased to inform the House that this government is committed to upgrading our public transport fleet and facilities to greatly enhance the safety and comfort of passengers and drivers alike.
Over 80% of our public buses will have security cameras installed in them this year, following a $390 00 public transport upgrade announced earlier. Closed circuit monitoring systems at bus interchanges and lighting at key bus shelters is also being carried out as part of the public transport overhaul. Security cameras will also be installed on the Darwin/Mandorah ferry service. These measures are part of an overall public safety strategy that includes a strong relationship with the police. Members will be aware that members of our police force travel free on our public buses when in uniform. Recently, the police bicycle patrols have also been using the service as a means of quickly moving between their operational patrol areas.
This policy has been very well received by the travelling public, and drivers have reported that violent incidents on buses have dropped to almost zero as a result of these strategies.
At a barbecue for drivers, mechanics and other support that I attended, along with the member for Sanderson, drivers relayed to me their gratitude for these reforms. I reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the best possible working environment for our bus fleet drivers. They perform a very important and difficult role in our society, and often go well beyond the call of duty in providing service to the community.
The Northern Territory’s overall budget for public transport in the 2004-05 year is $228m, both for the operation of the existing fleet, and for the replacement of older buses that are past their use by date. This investment in strong safety and security measures on public transport can really make a difference to the peace of mind of travellers and bus drivers alike.
The government has also reached agreement with existing bus operators on service provision in the Darwin urban area for the next five years. As part of the agreement, the urban fleet will be upgraded with 13 new buses to be introduced over the next two years. I recently inspected one of the new buses, and I can assure the House that these vehicles provide an excellent level of comfort and safety for drivers and passengers alike. The new buses have the latest navigation technology, low-floor easy access, airconditioning and security cameras as standard features. The introduction of these buses, combined with upgrades to the existing fleet, will mean the Territory will have one of the most modern, comfortable and safe bus fleets in Australia.
Many of the users of our public transport network are elderly and have special requirements with regard to accessing buses. The low-floor buses are designed specifically to allow those in wheelchairs and those with limited capacity to step up onto a bus to have easy entry onto the buses. The also have a small ramp mechanism that joins the kerbing, allowing wheelchairs to roll easily onto the bus. At the moment, 56% of our public buses are low-floor access but, by the end of the 2005 year, over 80% will have disability-friendly access. Comfort on our buses is also an issue. We have airconditioning and, by the end of 2005, 80% of all public buses will be airconditioned.
All of these measures I have mentioned - security, comfort, new fleet - all points to a great transport system we can be justifiably proud of, and this government is really pleased to make an investment in our public transport system.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his report. There was certainly nothing in that statement that one could disagree with; the safety of drivers is something that should be attempted at all times to meet emerging needs. I am pleased to see that the government is doing that. No wonder the drivers are happy with it.
With regards to the modernising of the fleet, it is good to see that happening. I get reports often on the differing standards of buses that are being operated around the Territory, and how those standards are taken into consideration when contracts are let. There are, obviously, concerns amongst various operators in that regards. It is good to see that the government continues to move to attend to those matters.
However, you did not mentioned schoolchildren. You know that is a little hobby horse of mine. When we talk about safety and those travelling nowadays, there is a problem all the time with schoolchildren. I am sure the minister is aware of one, and I am not quite sure, but I will be interested in what the government’s policy and supervision of this is. When buses are overloaded picking kids up from school, often kids are left by the bus driver who simply says: ‘Sorry, bus is full; get the next bus’. Often, there is not another bus. I have had various representations from parents who are absolutely aghast that their kids are not at the bus terminals where they expect them to be. Often, primary schoolchildren are left at the school because the bus is overloaded.
That is an issue in itself as to how those methodologies are put in place to see those kids are properly supervised all the time because, at that time, they are very vulnerable. There are various issues with regards to overloading on the school buses, and I have mentioned that. There have been ministerial meetings nationally about this issue and I will be interested in the minister’s input in this regard.
Lastly, Katherine does not have a bus service - needs a bus service - and what bus service it has for kids is operated by the operator who picks people up from The Ghan. I know from the member for Katherine’s representations, that often The Ghan passengers take priority over school kids. That is something the government needs to look at, and make sure that contract is attended to in the way it should happen. There are other things that I will comment on, but I do not have the time.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I welcome the minister’s report. It is good to hear that buses are modern, comfortable, safe and airconditioned. The only problem is that we do not have many of them. In the rural area, we are still struggling with two bus services in the morning and two in the afternoon. For the Litchfield Shire, the second fastest growing area in the Territory, that is a disgrace. I have lobbied for some time for at least a decent trial, over 12 months, of new bus services into the Howard Springs, Coolalinga and Humpty Doo areas. I have been told that there will be a review. That review has been going on for a very long time, and we still do not have decent bus services.
If we are going to put higher education facilities at Palmerston, we need a bus service to take children there and bring them home. We do not have that bus service. The rural area has been treated as a second-class area. It should be an area where people can expect to have a reasonable and reliable bus service all week. We do not even have a bus service on Saturday afternoon or Sunday. People cannot go to Palmerston, to go to the films, to go to the shopping centre. We certainly could do with an improvement in that area.
I do welcome, minister, the announcement that we are getting some bus shelters, even though they are second hand bus shelters. I know we are on the end of the line when it comes to bush shelters, but they certainly will be welcome. I will also welcome the day when we actually get bush shelters built specifically for our part of the world and we do not have to wait until we get the second hand ones from Darwin. I welcome that, and I hope we can get an increase in bus services in the rural area.
Dr BURNS (Transport and Infrastructure): Madam Speaker, firstly in reply to the member for Nelson, I agree the review of bus services has been taken quite longer than I would like. I will certainly have them hopping onto that case; it is a very valid point.
The member for Brennan was generally positive about the initiatives. Just a few issues: the overloading issue and children being left at bus stops. There was one issue with the Palmerston Christian School which has a half day swap with Marrara Christian School. Apparently, the bus services were not aware of the numbers of children involved in that, therefore, the bus capacity was not available for that. However, I believe that issue is being worked through.
The Katherine bus service: I was down there a few weeks ago and met with parents. There was justifiable anger, I believe, about the change there. I believe most of those issues have been addressed. I did go for a ride with some parents just to look at the problem …
A member interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Yes, we are working through that issue.
The issue about The Ghan: that is something I communicated directly to the contractor. I was not pleased about that and I do not believe it will happen again.
Barra National and Barra Classic
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, the Palmerston Game Fishing Club hosted its 9th Annual Barra National Catch and Release Tournament on the Daly River from 25 April to 1 May this year. Following the Nationals, the Darwin Game Fishing Club hosted its 23rd Barra Classic on the Daly last week. These two premier fishing competitions showcase Territory barra fishing and are keenly followed by anglers, both local and interstate.
The Barra Nationals was contested by 45 teams, each made up of three competitors from the Territory and interstate, using artificial lures that are fitted with barbless hooks so as to minimise injury to released fish. The event was widely sponsored, including by the Northern Territory Tourist Commission for the production of a one hour long video that will be screened through the Channel 7 network. The level of interest by the media confirms that fishing is the lure for the Territory. The weather reporter for Channel 7’s national Sunrise program made his daily broadcast from the riverbank during the sail past which marks the start of fishing on the first competition day.
Barra fishing on the Daly at the start of our glorious dry season was beamed into the lounge rooms of thousands of southern viewers. What better promotion can you get? We are proud of our great Territory lifestyle. It is unique and the best in Australia.
The total number of fish caught at the Nationals, measured and then released, was 1180. The catch for the first two days exceeded that of last year’s entire tournament. The Darwin Game Fishing Club’s Barra Classic was the most successful ever with 123 competitors recording 1251 barra. Many more undersized fish were also caught, but were too small to be counted for the competition.
Everyone commented on the great health of the barra fishery on the Daly, particularly the hordes of small fish in every part of the river. Valuable catch and fish size statistics from these fishing competitions are provided to the fishery group each year.
A number of fishing magazine photojournalists were in attendance so significant national promotion of fishing tourism in the Territory will follow. The Territory continues to be the envy of anglers everywhere. Our local fishing identity, Alex Julius, together with ET, also covered the classic and will feature in future television programs throughout Australia. These tournaments also showcase events for recreational fishing and fishing tourism in the Northern Territory.
A quick glance of the competitors’ assembled boats and associated gear highlights the immense financial investment so many anglers make in pursuit of their sport. The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and I had the opportunity to hear anglers’ views first-hand. Anglers applauded the Northern Territory government on its initiative for the Daly River, the ban on dams, and its position on cotton. With Labor, balancing growth with lifestyle while protecting the environment is a priority.
Also, I must make mention of Rob Gayden, John Milliard and George Voukolos, who came up with the idea and designed the 25th anniversary barra lure, which will have a place in every angler’s tackle box. The lure was gifted to all competitors in the Classic to take home, and undoubtedly will be the source of many fishing tales and tours well into the future.
Madam Speaker, Budget 2004-05 continues to deliver for recreational anglers. This budget builds on the Territory’s great lifestyle. Not only do recreational fishers benefit through improved facilities, but locally based Territory contractors and tourism operators benefit directly from our investments. I look forward to making further announcements about recreational fishing this week.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Madam Speaker, another very important industry, both recreationally and commercially. It is great to see that the Barra Classic and the Barra National went off with great success this year. There were over 1000 fish caught in the first competition and over 1200 in the second. There were some very big fish caught in each of those.
I am happy to say that the Barra Classic was first hosted by Annaburroo Station at the Bark Hut for the first few years, about five years, I think, when we owned that, and they used to go to Corroboree. Now it has shifted to the Daly, and so it should. The Daly is a great river for this competition. Many fish have been caught up and down the Katherine and Daly system, including many little ones which augers well for a very good season ahead and for next year as well.
Can I say, though, that the reason that they catch good fish in the Daly River is - what? Closure to commercial fishermen. It has been proven time and time again the closure to commercial fishermen has resulted in the shifting of effort and allowing recreational fishermen to enjoy the benefits of that.
The announcement that I would like to see you make today in Question Time, and I think it will be today, is the closure of Adelaide River. Three years we have waited for this. Three years the recs have waited for it, three years the commercials have waited for it. While you are doing it, in your budget reply, I want you to announce the fact that you are going to buy five additional commercial barra licences. I did not see it in the budget, and you have been slammed for that, but I want to see that announced today. It is the next step to a 10 year strategy that you still have not started on, that they have been calling for as well; a 10 year strategy to provide certainty to commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen and to ensure that the barramundi is our icon species well into the future. So, over to you, minister.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his response. I agree with him; we have to buy more barramundi licences. This government is ...
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, in three years this government has actually closed one river and negotiated to close another one. It took them 26 years to get one area closed: the Darwin Harbour.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, the Barra Nationals and Barra Classic are icons for the Territory, and attract thousands of people from down south as well as many Territorians. The comments the member for Johnston and I heard from the anglers were absolutely enthusiastic. People were absolutely enthusiastic about the health of the river that this government intends to protect for tourist operators and tourists.
I congratulate the Darwin Game Fishing Club for the donation of $4200 to the Wooliana Scoop. That is a fantastic initiative. This money was collected by punters. I congratulate the Palmerston Game Fishing Club on the Anzac Day ceremony that they organised at the Mango Farm. They are absolutely fantastic initiatives.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Take five bills together
Take five bills together
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent bills entitled Debits Tax Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 226), Mineral Royalty Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 227), Pay-roll Tax Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 228), Stamp Duty Amendment Bill (No 2) 2004 (Serial 229) and Taxation (Administration) Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 230) –
(a) being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively,
the second readings; the Committee’s report stage; and the third readings of the bills together; and
(b) consideration of the bills separately in the Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to.
DEBITS TAX AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 226)
MINERAL ROYALTY AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 227)
PAY-ROLL TAX AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 228)
STAMP DUTY AMENDMENT BILL (No 2)
(Serial 229)
TAXATION (ADMINISTRATION) AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 230)
(Serial 226)
MINERAL ROYALTY AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 227)
PAY-ROLL TAX AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 228)
STAMP DUTY AMENDMENT BILL (No 2)
(Serial 229)
TAXATION (ADMINISTRATION) AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 230)
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
The bills seek to put in place a package of revenue measures announced as part of the 2004-05 budget. Specifically, there are five bills proposing amendments to the Taxation (Administration) Act, Stamp Duty Act, Pay-roll Tax Act, Mineral Royalty Act, and the Debits Tax Act. These bills will go to assisting Territory business and promoting a fairer, more equitable and robust tax system.
The key proposals announced in the budget involve reducing the tax burden on Territorians and Territory businesses by increasing the payroll tax-free threshold to $800 000 from 1 July 2004, and increasing it again to $1m from 1 July 2005; and abolishing debits tax from 1 July 2005.
I will now address the measures included in the Pay-roll Tax Amendment Bill as outlined in the government’s pre-election financial statements committed to reducing the burden of payroll tax on business. Since coming to office, the Labor government has reduced the rate of payroll tax over two successive budgets from 6.5% to 6.2%. This once again delivers on this government’s commitment to reduce payroll tax by increasing the payroll tax-free threshold to $800 000 from 1 July 2004, and then to $1m from 1 July 2005. At $800 000, the Territory will have a payroll tax-free threshold that is greater than all other states other than Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT. When the payroll tax threshold increases to $1m from 1 July next year, the Territory will have a payroll tax-free threshold that is the third highest in Australia. This is great news for Territory businesses.
Treasury estimates that these changes will ultimately mean that 127 local-based businesses will no longer pay payroll tax, with other local-based businesses which continue to pay payroll tax being, on average, $20 400 better off. In addition, increasing the tax-free threshold to $1m will mean that 35 interstate businesses will no longer be required to pay this tax. The cost of increasing the payroll tax-free threshold to $800 000 is expected to be $4m on a full year basis, and the further increase in the threshold to $1m is expected to cost an additional $3.2m on a full year basis.
I now turn to the technical and administrative measures. The payroll tax grouping provisions cause employers to be grouped where employees of one business are shared with the business of another person. These employers are grouped by the legislation because they are considered to operate as a single unit. Without this provision, it would be possible for two separately owned but closely associated businesses to share workers with the aim of taking advantage of the payroll tax–free threshold to avoid payroll tax.
A recent Victorian case has highlighted a deficiency in that state’s legislation which, in turn, may cast doubt on the Territory’s ability to group two or more businesses, rather than just two businesses where the same employee works for multiple businesses. There is no reason why this provision should be limited in this way. This was not the intention of the grouping provisions, and the bill proposes to rectify this deficiency.
In addition, the bill proposes to vary the commissioner’s ability to exclude an employer from a payroll tax group that arises as a result of businesses sharing employees. It has recently been discovered that the Pay-roll Tax Act does not provide the commissioner with the ability to de-group two independent employers that operate a business together through an unincorporated joint venture. This can result in unintended and inequitable consequences for a business carried on through this business structure.
Accordingly, the bill proposes to allow a group member, who is grouped only through the use of shared employees, to be excluded from the group, where the commissioner considers it just and reasonable to do so. The commissioner will release a revenue circular detailing matters that will be considered in deciding whether to exclude someone from a group on this basis.
The Pay-roll Tax Act also includes provisions that cause two people to be grouped where there is a common controlling interest between the businesses carried on by those people. One of the ways in which a controlling interest can be established is where a person is the beneficiary of more than 50% of the value of the interest in a trust. However, the law does not clearly define how to determine when a person is a beneficiary in respect of more than 50% of the interests in a trust, as a beneficiary may only be entitled to the capital or income of a trust, rather than both.
Accordingly, the bill proposes to clarify that a person has, or persons together have, a controlling interest in a business carried on under a trust where they are beneficiaries in respect of more than 50% of the capital of the trust, or more than 50% of the income of the trust. This treatment accords with that already given to partnerships under the grouping provisions. Minor administrative changes are also proposed to the Pay-roll Tax Act to ensure consistency in the way that the general exemption is calculated for single employers and for payroll tax groups that commenced or ceased to pay wages part-way through a financial year, and remove an unnecessary compliance cost by allowing employers to claim the general exemption without having to advise the Commissioner of Taxes. All of the changes proposed in the bill commence on 1 July 2004, other than the increase in payroll tax-free threshold to $1m, which is set to commence 1 July 2005.
I now turn to the Debits Tax Amendment Bill. In the Territory, debits tax currently raises over $6m each year. As I announced on 26 March 2004, the Territory has joined with all states in agreeing to abolish this tax as part of national tax reform. This follows the abolition of financial institutions duty, stamp duty on quoted marketable securities, and tourism marketing duty in recent years - also as part of national tax reform.
These taxes raised in excess of $20m a year, which is no longer payable by Territory businesses and householders. The bill proposes to cease the collection of debits tax from 1 July 2005. To facilitate this, the bill ensures that no liability will arise in respect of a debit made to an account held with a financial institution on or after 1 July 2005. In addition, the bill proposes amendments to ensure that financial institutions will no longer be required to lodge returns in respect of debits that occur after 1 July 2005. However, to provide for the continued administration of past debits tax liabilities, investigations powers, record keeping requirements, assessment, objection and appeal provisions, and other supporting administrative powers will be retained past 1 July 2005.
I now turn to the Taxation (Administration) Amendment Bill 2004 and the Stamp Duty Amendment Bill (No 2) 2004. The government is committed to doing what it can to assist business and to provide appropriate tax exemptions. In recognition of this, the bills propose to extend an existing stamp duty exemption that applies to conveyances from a retiring trustee to a newly appointed trustee, to include the conveyance of property arising solely from the addition of a new trustee to a trust. This amendment makes the Territory consistent with most other jurisdictions and is proposed to commence from 1 July 2004.
Where a statute operates such that property of one entity vests in another, conveyance stamp duty is payable. It is recognised, however, that it is not always appropriate for stamp duty to be paid in relation to such a statutory vesting. Accordingly, the bills propose to introduce exemptions from stamp duty where a vesting occurs only because of the incorporation of an association where property held by a person on behalf of the association vests in the association under the Associations Act; death of a person where their property vests in the executor or the administrator of his or her estate under the Administration Probate Act; or establishment or variation to the area of a community government council pursuant to the Local Government Act whereby property that was owned by a council previously governing an area vests in the community government council. It is proposed that these exemptions take affect from 1 July 2004.
I am disappointed to say four anti-avoidance measures are proposed by these bills as a direct result of actions of taxpayers and advisors that have highlighted weaknesses in the stamp duty law of the Territory, or of similar laws in another state. Each of these measures are necessary to maintain the integrity of the Territory stamp duty regime, and commence from 18 May 2004, being the date they were announced as part of the budget.
The first and second anti-avoidance measures relate to the land rich stamp duty provisions. These provisions provide a mechanism to cause the indirect transfer of land and mining tenements by way of an unlisted corporation or unit trust to be subject to stamp duty as if ownership of that property was transferred directly. A land rich corporation or trust is characterised by having land or mining tenements in the Territory with a value of $500 000 or more. The first measure rectifies a deficiency in the land rich provisions by ensuring that the land rich definition of ‘acquire’ is aligned with the treatment of direct conveyances. At present, conveyance stamp duty is payable on certain transactions relating to dutiable properties such as land and goodwill, and to marketable securities as if those transactions where conveyances of the dutiable property or marketable securities.
While the land rich provisions cover a wide range of circumstances that can result in a person obtaining an interest of 50% or more in a corporation or unit trust, the provisions have not kept up with legislative changes relating to direct conveyances. Accordingly, the bill proposes to bring the land rich provisions up to speed with direct conveyances, by ensuring that the following four types of transactions are acquisitions for the purposes of the land rich provision:
declarations of trust;
the addition of a beneficiary, or class of beneficiaries to a discretionary trust;
a change of, or in the control of, a trustee of the discretionary trust that occurs within
12 months of the change in control of the beneficiary of that trust; and
a statutory vesting.
The second measure clarifies the scope of an exception to the land rich provisions. At present, land rich stamp duty does not apply where property owned by a land rich entity could have been conveyed directly to the person acquiring an interest in the entity without incurring a conveyance stamp duty liability. The intent of this limitation is to ensure that land rich stamp duty is not payable where a direct change in ownership in land to which the land rich entity is entitled, would not have been subject to duty.
However, the concession can be mischievously interpreted to totally negate the operation of the land rich provision. The bill proposes to clarify that an acquisition in the land rich entity will not be subject to land rich duty, if the land in which the entity is entitled, either directly or through it subsidiaries, could be conveyed to the person making the acquisition without incurring conveyance stamp duty. All other states have adopted a similar approach to this issue.
However, it is recognised that this exception will not always be appropriate due to the existence of stamp duty exemptions or other provisions of the stamp duty legislation that should otherwise apply. These circumstances are where:
the conveyance of land might otherwise be exempted by the corporate reconstruction exemption.
Members will recall that this exemption was provided by this government to enable efficient restructure
of business; and
the acquisition in the land rich entity is made by way of declaration of trust, or addition of beneficiaries,
or the changing control of a discretionary trust. This is necessary to reduce avoidance opportunities.
The third anti-avoidance measure relates to compromises and arrangements available under the Commonwealth’s Corporations Act. At present, no stamp duty is payable on conveyances of dutiable property and marketable securities, including under the land rich provisions, made by companies pursuant to court approved compromises or arrangements under the Corporations Act. This concession was initially provided in recognition of the fact that the transfers of assets under compromises and arrangements were mostly only made with the company’s creditors to settle a debt. However, due to considerable corporations law reform, compromises and arrangements can now be used for numerous purposes, and are often used to facilitate company takeovers. As a consequence, the conveyance of assets resulting from a takeover effected by a compromise or arrangement can be made stamp duty free, whereas takeovers made using traditional means are subject to stamp duty.
The bills propose to remove this avoidance opportunity by limiting the stamp duty concessions, so that it only applies to court approve compromises, and arrangements under the Commonwealth Corporations Act that the Commissioner of Taxes is satisfied are not made for the purpose of avoiding tax, and are made with the corporation’s creditors, or a class of creditors.
The fourth and final anti-avoidance measure proposed in the bills relates to the stamp duty change of trustee exemption. It is proposed to limit this exemption so that it only applies where the property being conveyed was acquired by the retiring or existing trustee by virtue of an instrument for which stamp duty has been paid, exempted from duty, or was not otherwise subject to duty. The amendment is necessary following a Victorian court decision that related to a stamp duty avoidance scheme which successfully exploited that state’s equivalent exemption. If the amendment is not made, similar schemes have the potential to seriously erode the stamp duty revenue base.
The bills also propose to rectify an inequity in the land rich provisions. Before determining the amount of land rich stamp duty payable, credits are provided for any marketable securities duty paid; duty paid on earlier acquisitions; and for interest acquired where a corporation is quoted on a stock exchange or when a unit trust is not a private unit trust.
Land rich duty is also not payable in relation to an interest acquired by an exempt corporate reconstruction. However, if a further interest is acquired, after a corporate group is reconstructed, land rich duty may become payable on the total interest acquired including the previously exempted acquisition. To ensure that the original corporate reconstruction exemption is maintained, the bills propose that, with effect from 1 July 2004, a duty credit be provided for an acquisition that has been exempted from land rich stamp duty under the corporate reconstruction provisions.
Finally, the bills also propose to make minor changes to the definition of the term ‘tax avoidance scheme’ in order to reflect the introduction of anti-avoidance provisions as part of this and previous budgets. These changes are to take effect from 18 May 2004, being the date of the budget announcement.
I turn not to the last of the bills proposing changes to the Territory’s revenue regime, being the Mineral Royalty Amendment Bill. The bill proposes two minor amendments to the Mineral Royalty Act. Presently, this act uses inconsistent terminology to describe what is available for inspection by a person authorised under that act. In particular, references are made to ‘records and documents’. For consistency, the bill replaces all references to the term ‘records’ in the act with the term ‘documents’.
The capital recognition deduction, or CRD, is an allowance provided to mines for capital investments such as infrastructure and plant and equipment. A royalty payer uses capital recognition deduction to legitimately reduce the amount of royalty payable by them. CRD incorporates an interest rate factor that I set as the Treasurer in my capacity as the minister responsible for administering the act. This interest rate factor is derived from long-term Commonwealth securities. The bill proposes to transfer the responsibility for setting the CRD interest rate factor from the Treasurer to the Secretary under the act, which is presently the Under Treasurer. This will provide for more efficient administration of mineral royalties and the Secretary will remain accountable to the Treasurer.
Madam Speaker, I commend these bills to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
PETROLEUM AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 233)
(Serial 233)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bill is to amend the Petroleum Act in response to the recommendations made and the report that was prepared following the competition review of the act. The review was conducted in accordance with the National Competition Principle Agreement. Fourteen recommendations were made in the report, of which eight have already been acted upon. They have now been implemented. They were included as amendments in the Petroleum Amendment Act 2003. These amendments have already been passed and have commenced.
Of the remaining six recommendations made in the competition report, it was found necessary to give further consideration to the possible implications for the administration of the act before making a decision on implementation. After due consideration, it has been found that these remaining recommendations would be best implemented by making further amendments to the act. The amendments to the bill are relatively minor, but I am confident will contribute to clarifying the administration of the act. The changes are best summarised in the following manner.
An objects clause has been inserted in the act. The principal objective of the act is stated as providing a legal framework within which persons are encouraged to undertake effective petroleum exploration and production. The supporting objectives are intended to clarify the role and function of the act. The existing section 3 of the act with reference to Schedule 3 is to be repealed as it is considered to be no longer necessary and its place substituted with a new objects clause.
Some very minor changes to the procedures have been made that apply to ‘dealing’ in blocks under a ‘reserve and release’ program. The amendments require the introduction of a closing date for the lodgement of applications for an exploration permit over the reserve blocks. In the future, the date of lodgement of an application for reserve blocks will take on significance to all explorers in circumstances where two or more eligible competing applications are lodged over the same area and are tied.
Usually, negotiations between the parties are encouraged in an effort to resolve the impasse, possibly through the parties entering into a sharing agreement or the formation of a joint venture company. These types of initiatives will continue to be encouraged, but, as a last resort, the date of lodgement will be used to break any deadlock. In the absence of a negotiated agreement between the parties, the grant will be determined on the basis of the first eligible application lodged. Every attempt is made to negotiate an outcome between tied eligible applications for exploration permits, whether they occur as part of a ‘reserve and release’ program or over ‘open acreage’.
The bill defines additional terms that have to be used in the act such as ‘competing applications’, ‘eligible applicant’, ‘negotiated agreements’, etcetera.
The bill repeals and substitutes the existing sections 20 and 21 of the act. These sections set out the procedures used in making a determination on the grant or refusal of an exploration permit. The opportunity has been taken to clarify and expand the procedures covering all decisions that may arise in the process of granting or refusal to grant a petroleum exploration permit. The minister shall in future be required to publicly release the guidelines that are used in the assessment of an application for an exploration permit. These are being made freely available to the public. The most likely source is through the Internet and published on the web page of DBIRD. This web page already contains much useful information that is helpful for the petroleum industry. While it is common practice followed by the department, in future, written reasons must be provided for the refusal of an application, whether for a permit, retention or production licences or renewals. At the same time, the unsuccessful applicant must be advised of their right to have the decision to refuse an application reviewed. This change will enhance the administrative transparency.
The introduction of a new Division 6 gives a ‘right of review’ for all refused applications, whether for the grant or review of an application or exploration permit, the grant or renewal of an retention licence, or the grant or renewal of a production licence. This new right of review will be conducted by an appointed panel and be accessible to all unsuccessful applicants, where they remain dissatisfied with the outcome of their application, even after having been provided with written reasons for the refusal at the time of being advised of the refusal. Any unsuccessful applicant may request a review of the decision. These changes will provide unsuccessful applicants with a convenient right of review. This change will strengthen confidence in the administration of the act. The introduction of this review process of the act will not interfere with any rights of appeal to the court system arising over a disputed title, although its existence and ease of access to unsuccessful applicants may reduce the need for any court action in the future.
Finally, there are transitional arrangements that form a new schedule to the act. The amended procedures will apply to all applications that have been submitted and are under active consideration prior to the commencement, or where a final decision has been made but the applicant has not yet been advised of the outcome.
Madam Speaker, as previously indicated, these particular amendments represent the remaining recommendations of the competition review of the Petroleum Act that are required to be implemented. It is a priority that these remaining recommendations be implemented immediately so that the Northern Territory is assured of meeting its obligations under the terms of the National Competition Agreement. The amendments in this bill will provide for greater administrative efficiencies and transparency in the administration of the Petroleum Act, and will be to the mutual benefit of petroleum explorers and producers and the general community. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 222)
(Serial 222)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Dr BURNS (Parks and Wildlife): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
As a consequence of the reorganisation of the public sector in November 2001, Administrative Arrangements Orders state that the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment is the responsible agency for the management of the area of government known as the management of Parks and Reserves and Wildlife Management. This has led to potential governance issues as the department’s responsibilities clashed with many of the formal functions and powers of the Parks and Wildlife Commission.
The commission is established under the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act. Sections 19 and 20 of the act provide that the commission has various functions and powers concerning the conservation and protection of the environment, including the management of parks and reserves and the enforcement of provisions of the act. The formal powers, functions and responsibilities of the commission have become redundant as a consequence of the reorganisation of the public sector. Currently, the members of the commission operate in an advisory capacity, given that the commission is no longer an agency for the purposes of the Administrative Arrangements Order.
These amendments to the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act have been prepared as an interim measure. It is the intention of government to undertake a more comprehensive review of the Parks and Wildlife Commission Act as well as the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act and consequential amendments to other legislation, following the conclusion of negotiations between the government and land councils concerning the settlement of outstanding Aboriginal land claims over Territory parks and reserves.
The Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act was introduced in November 2003 to address those negotiations. As an interim measure, these amendments do not dissolve the Parks and Wildlife Commission; they reconstitute it in a way in which the chief executive of the department is responsible for administering the act and, in effect, becomes a commission. Advice from the Department of Justice indicates that this is the most simple and effective manner of introducing the required changes and is a model that currently exists within the Department of Employment, Education and Training whereby the Chief Executive Officer of DEET is the Work Health Authority. A similar model exists in the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs where the Chief Executive Officer of the department is the Housing Commission.
I add that the amendments will ensure that an appropriate level of community involvement is maintained in decision-making processes of government by establishing a Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council. The council will be established by the minister and will advise the commission on matters concerning the management of parks and wildlife. The council will consist of members with specialist expertise in conservation and park management, and will include representation from indigenous interests, the tourism industry, pastoral industry and other relevant interest groups. This interim model will enable the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service to continue to operate within the corporate governance of the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, and will ensure that the relevant interest groups and stakeholders, through the establishment of a Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council, are involved in the management and conservation of the Territory’s outstanding natural resources.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
PUBLICATIONS (LEGAL DEPOSIT) BILL
(Serial 221)
(Serial 221)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
For over 500 years, different national agencies around the world have been collecting, recording and making available the published cultural and intellectual heritage of nations through a customary obligation known as legal deposit. In more recent times, legal deposit has become a statutory provision which obliges publishers to deposit copies of their publications in libraries in the country of publication. In Australia, under the Commonwealth’s Copyright Act 1968, and various state acts, a copy of any work published must be deposited with the National Library of Australia and the appropriate state library. Under legal deposit legislation, the National Library and other state libraries assume an obligation to collect, store, preserve and provide access to all material lodged with them, with the exception of Western Australia where replacement legislation is before parliament.
The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction that does not currently have this type of legislation. Legal deposit for the Northern Territory is becoming an increasingly important and complex public policy issue. It is vital for the long-term maintenance of equitable access to information for Territorians. It is also essential that legal deposit is based on legislative grounds. Without a statutory obligation, the development and preservation of a Northern Territory collection of published material would not be complete. Legal deposit for the Northern Territory will ensure that the works of local Territory authors and publishers will survive for the use of future generations of Territorians. Moreover, the comprehensive collection of Territory publications formed in this way will provide a much improved and more extensive means for research into all aspects of Territory life and culture, embracing history, literature, art, public administration, business, commerce, technological and scientific endeavour.
Legal deposit will benefit the Northern Territory by providing Territorians, for the first time, with complete access to the published intellectual record of the Northern Territory’s economic, social, cultural, scientific and educational activities. It has always been a primary responsibility of the Northern Territory Library to provide for the long-term preservation of, and access to, the Northern Territory’s documentary heritage. However, the Northern Territory Library has had to rely on voluntary deposit and direct purchase to develop its collection of Northern Territory publications housed in the Northern Territory collection. Statistics kept by the National Library of Australia, indicate that without legal deposit, the Northern Territory Library is receiving only 62% of the Northern Territory publishing output, with its current reliance on purchase and voluntary deposit.
The lack of legal deposit is therefore disadvantaging Territorians because the Northern Territory Library has not been able to develop a comprehensive Northern Territory collection equivalent to the documentary heritage collections of the Commonwealth and states, where legal deposit legislation applies. The publishing industry in the Northern Territory comprises the Northern Territory government; academic organisations, such as the Charles Darwin University; local government authorities; non-government organisations, such as the Institute for Aboriginal Development; the Historical Society of the Northern Territory; independent publishers; self-published writers; newspaper and serial publishers; and audio and video publishers such as the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association and Burundi Pictures.
Northern Territory publishers already provide the National Library of Australia with publications under the Commonwealth legal deposit legislation. This bill will not be onerous on the publishing industry and will provide the benefit that there is statutory consistency. There are also a growing number of electronic publishers with the Northern Territory government publishing, by far, the greatest volume of electronic data. Legal deposit legislation in Australia has historically covered print materials with the Commonwealth having to consider, and some of the states already having to amend, legislation to include audio, visual and electronic material. However, this bill breaks new ground, recognising that a significant part of the Territory’s information is now being published in digital form via the Internet. It is vital that these publications are collected and made accessible for future generations.
The advent of powerful new information technologies as a means of publication makes it imperative for legal deposit legislation to ensure that its original objectives are maintained. Even if the media or the information carriers change, the need to record, preserve and make available the content of the material deposited remains. This is particularly relevant given the emphasis being placed on providing advanced communications infrastructure to indigenous and other rural and remote communities. The role of web publishing and the provision of government information is also significant. Hence, this bill is unique in proposing and defining legal deposit legislation for the Northern Territory, in terms of physical and digital format.
The bill includes definitions of the terms, ‘document’, ‘publication’ and ‘publisher’ and requires that publishers of physical publications deposit copies with the Northern Territory Library. Further, it also requires that publishers of Internet publications for which no physical version is published, advise the Northern Territory Library of the uniform resource identifier on the publisher’s web site. The challenge of depositing dynamic electronic publications, which are live and therefore change moment by moment, will be met by ensuring access to deposited web sites are in real time and reflect the latest changes.
The definition of materials to be deposited under this act is very broad. I have already referred to this legal deposit legislation extending to government, local government, commercial agencies and private individuals. It also extends to the growing arena of Territory relevant self and vanity publishing with respect to clubs, churches, societies and a range of community organisations. This is particularly so with the advance of new technology and desktop publication. Any document related to the heritage of the Northern Territory used to be collected regardless of length, format and medium. Concerns have been expressed that the definition of ‘documents’ in the bill is too broad and may attract a surplus of material of little value or relevance. However, to further prescribe exemptions to the bill will decrease the possibility of gaining a full and relevant collection.
Items deposited under legal deposit will be subject to the Northern Territory Library’s Collection Development Policy for eventual lodgement in the Northern Territory Collection. Publications which assist a visual and written record of Northern Territory society are necessary to protect the Northern Territory’s social and cultural heritage.
This new legislation will complement the Information Act 2002 by ensuring guaranteed access to all government documents published in the Northern Territory. The development of a national deposit collection of published material in its broadest sense has to rely on a legislative foundation in order to ensure that all publishers will comply. Current voluntary arrangements in the Northern Territory are jeopardising the completeness of Northern Territory collections.
The intention of this bill is industry-focussed and is a cooperative and consensual approach to ensuring a complete Territory collection. The bill is not intended to be trivial or punitive, and deposit will be encouraged rather than a penalty imposed. The purpose of regulating legal deposit is to encourage compliance rather than pursue offenders.
Legal deposit legislation is in place in Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and in the United States. Most countries rely on a legal instrument of some sort in order to ensure the comprehensiveness of collections. UNESCO recently noted that a well organised legal deposit scheme is considered as an essential element of any national public policy of freedom of expression and access to information. Legal deposit legislation is also a means to comply with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which gives everyone the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.
The legislation exempts from deposit certain types of spatial data and publications containing culturally sensitive information. However, the legislation does not prevent a publisher from depositing a publication with culturally sensitive information for preservation and safe keeping. The Northern Territory Library will ensure that restrictions to access to legally deposited publications for commercial and other grounds are observed.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
NORTHERN TERRITORY EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 220)
(Serial 220)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bill is to standardise Northern Territory legislation with the agreed model clauses for national training registration and accreditation. The Australian National Training Authority Ministerial Council, which included the Territory Minister for Employment, Education and Training, agreed to the model clauses at its meeting in November 2002. The bill will enact the model clauses and ensure that standards established through the Australian quality training framework are uniform, reciprocal and legally enforceable.
The bill is the Territory’s contribution to an Australia-wide process of ensuring that nationally consistent quality vocational education and training standards are in place. The purpose of this is to ensure that public confidence in the vocational education and training sector is strengthened, and that users of the system can be confident that the vocational education training they receive, and the training organisation they attend, have been approved and registered through uniform, rigorous standards, whether that training has been undertaken in the Territory or another state.
The model clauses will be enacted in the proposed legislation through a new part 4 to the Northern Territory Employment and Training Act. In Division 2 of the new part, the national register is identified as the Australian National Training Authority Service, and confirms that a matter is registered once the details are entered in the register by the Northern Territory, another state or territory, or ANTA.
Division 3, subdivision 2 provides that a person may apply to the Northern Territory Employment and Training Authority for registration as a training organisation and the services they may be registered to provide. This part also identifies the issues the authority must consider and the processes to be followed when determining whether to grant or refuse to grant registration as a training organisation.
Subdivision 3 empowers the authority to conduct audits of registered training organisations for compliance with the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards, and includes the guidelines for when the training organisation is being registered by another jurisdiction.
Subdivision 4 provides the guidelines that allow the authority to conduct functions on behalf of another registering body, and provides that the authority may disclose information to another registering body for the purposes of registration or compliance audit.
Division 4, subdivision 1 of the proposed act creates an offence of falsely claiming to provide an accredited course unless that course is accredited. Subdivision 2 provides that a person may apply to the authority to accredit a course if the copyright holder of the course resides or conducts most of its business in the Northern Territory. This part also identifies the issues the authority must consider and the procedures to be followed when determining to grant or refuse accreditation.
Division 5 of the proposed act provides guidelines by which a person affected by a decision made by a delegate of the authority may have the decision reviewed. This section also provides for a person affected by a decision made by the authority himself to request the tribunal to conduct an inquiry into the decision.
Division 6 of the proposed act allows the authority to appoint authorised officers and provides the guidelines for the functions the authorised officers are permitted to perform. This section also creates an offence for a person to obstruct or hinder an authorised officer from exercising their powers. This part also creates an offence if an authorised officer does not return their identity card after ceasing as an authorised officer.
Clause 6 of the bill makes amendments to section 101 of the principal act, as well as conferring power to make regulations augmenting Part 4. Clause 7 repeals section 102 of the principal act. Clause 8 repeals the schedule to the principal act and lists the reviewable decisions and the persons affected by those decisions. Clause 9 identifies further amendments of a housekeeping nature to the principal act. Clause 10 provides for transitional provisions to continue registered training organisations and accredited courses registered prior to commencement of this act.
The bill provides consistent standards for vocational education and training in the Northern Territory and across Australia. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Take three bills together
Take three bills together
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent three bills, the Soccer Football Pools Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 223), Gaming Control Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 224), and Gaming Machine Amendment Bill 2004 (Serial 225) –
(a) being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively,
the second readings; the Committee’s report stage; and the third readings of the bills together; and
(b) the consideration of the bills separately in the Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to.
SOCCER FOOTBALL POOLS
AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 223)
GAMING CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 224)
GAMING MACHINE AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 225)
AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 223)
GAMING CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 224)
GAMING MACHINE AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 225)
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
The purpose of the bills is to amend the Gaming Control Act, Gaming Machine Act, and Soccer Football Pools Act following the National Competition Policy, or NCP, review of the Territory’s gaming legislation. Given the legislation was examined as a package and the amendments are all in the context of that NCP review, it is my intention to introduce the amending legislation together as cognate bills.
The amendments presented today address key recommendations requiring legislative change. Some of the review’s recommendations propose further legislative change, but those have been deferred because they form part of a broader change to gambling legislation as a whole. Specifically, the deferred aspects relate to recommendations dealing with a new, integrated legislative framework that incorporates licensing and operations of the industry on the one hand, and gambling control on the other. Also deferred are recommendations to make the term of all future gaming licences indefinite and to prescribe operational licence conditions that are currently contained in agreements. All these deferred matters require detailed consideration of associated issues before further effective legislation amendment can be contemplated.
As you would be aware from the introduction of earlier legislative amendments following similar reviews, the NCP review of gaming was undertaken in accordance with government commitments contained in the competition principles agreement to examine and remove anti-competitive requirements or restrictions that cannot be justified on a public benefit basis. The overall purpose of the review was to identify anti-competitive restrictions and undertake reforms that would enable the gaming industry to operate in an environment as free from unnecessary restrictions as possible, while ensuring the integrity of industry participants and ensuring industry regulation upholds the aims of harm minimisation and the amenity of community life.
An extensive public consultation program which directly canvassed the views of all identified stakeholders was conducted. An issues paper covering relevant legislative provisions was circulated. The paper gave a detailed overview of the legislation, as well as a preliminary assessment of potential restrictions that had been identified. The issues paper sought responses on a number of suggested amendments and invited comment on the full spectrum of legislative provisions involved, including objectives of the legislation; the regulatory framework; licensing structures; community benefit or amenity; responsible gambling and problem gambling; costs on business; key employee licensing; minor lotteries; and advertising and promotion.
The submissions contained a variety of views from which the following recommendations, based on competition principles, were developed. The review found that the strong and prescriptive regulatory approach taken toward the gaming industry is justified, and restrictions are generally in the public interest. Strong and prescriptive regulation is justified because it addresses concerns about the ability of gaming operators to control the operation of activities, and the ability of gaming operators to control information which could result in biased outcomes in favour of operators. The approach also addresses concerns about the potentially addictive nature of gaming activity. A firm regulatory regime is considered the most effective way to achieve and maintain the required standards of probity, consumer protection, business viability and consumer access.
I thank the following organisations which made submissions to the review: Australian Hotels Association, Lasseter’s Hotel Casino, MGM Grand Casino, NT TAB Pty Ltd, St Mary’s Football Club and Tattersall’s.
I turn now to the proposed amendments dealing first with the common amendments being introduced to the Gaming Control Act, the Gaming Machine Act and, where applicable, the Soccer Football Pools Act.
Objectives of the act: the bills propose inclusion of a common objects section. The reason for this is to make clear the purpose of each act, namely to ensure probity and integrity in gaming and to reduce the adverse social impact of gaming in the Territory. As the NCP Review noted, an important contemporary social objective of gambling regulation is to promote problem gambling remedies and responsible gaming practises.
The Productivity Commission, in the 1990 report into Australia’s gambling industries, found that the two objectives providing the strongest rationale for special gaming policies are to ensure the probity of gambling and to reduce its adverse social impacts. Accordingly, in proposing to insert an object section into the Gaming Control Act, the Gaming Machine Act and the Soccer Football Pools Act, prominence is given to the probity and integrity of the industry and persons engaged in the industry, and to reduce the impact of problem gaming activities. The proposed objects are: to promote probity and integrity in gaming; to maintain the probity and integrity of persons engaged in gaming in the Territory; to promote fairness, integrity and efficiency in the operations of persons engaged in gaming in the Territory; to reduce the adverse social impact of gaming; and to promote a balanced contribution by the gaming industry to general community benefit and amenity.
Regulatory directions: the NCP Review noted that the nature of the industry has an inherent risk of criminal exploitation of gaming activity. An effective regulatory framework is an essential element to protect against such infiltration. It is important that regulation against such infiltration is not overly protective against new initiatives. Thus, a new section is introduced into the Gaming Control Act and the Gaming Machine Act stipulating the following principles as the basis for regulating the industry: minimum regulatory intervention by government; maximum cooperation between industry and government; performance-based risk management controls; proactive and competitive industry positioning; long-term viability of the industry; and a balanced approach to problem gambling.
These regulatory principles will serve as a guide and point of reference for the Director of Licensing and the Licensing Commission when making decisions relating to the legislation. As situations arise, the basic elements will be considered as part of the decision-making process where appropriate. The principles are intended to be applied in an appropriate manner and provide the flexibility required to address changes that will occur in this rapidly developing industry.
Standard probity requirements: currently there are some inconsistencies in probity requirements and checking procedures that apply to the different gaming activities covered within the Gaming Control Act. The probity requirements for gaming machines and soccer football pools application also differ. The NCP Review recommended the adoption of uniform probity requirements and checking procedures for all types of gaming operations. To achieve this, the bill has introduced a set of uniform probity criteria to be applied across all gaming activities. The probity criteria are similar to the high level investigation applied to applicants for casino licensees under the Gaming Control Act.
The Gaming Control Act, the Gaming Machine Act and the Soccer Football Pools Act are amended to ensure that when determining a gaming licence application, regardless of whether it is to upgrade a casino or to operate a couple of gaming machines, there must be regard as to whether the applicant is of good repute; is of sound and stable financial background; has or has arranged satisfactory ownership, trust or company structure; is able to obtain financial resources that are adequate to ensure the financial viability of the proposed business; and has sufficient business ability. Further, consideration is to be given to whether any associate director, partner, trustee, executive officer, secretary and any another officer or person determined to be connected with the ownership, administration or management of the business is of good repute.
In addition, provisions enabling the minister to undertake investigations, negotiate an operating agreement, or for amending an existing agreement, are to be applied consistently to all the major licenses issued under the Gaming Control Act.
Refund of application fees: an application fee was introduced for gaming licences to recover the cost of processing the application, including the cost of undertaking the necessary probity checks, and assessing the applicant’s proposed activity. As it currently stands, once an application for a gaming licence is lodged the accompanying fee for the application can only be refunded if the minister refuses to consider the application, or the application is withdrawn before the minister considers it. The bills propose to give the minister absolute discretion in deciding whether or not to refund the application fee. This allows the minister to decide whether or not to refund the application fee in part or in full, taking into account the costs incurred to the point of refund.
Secrecy: neither the Gaming Control Act nor the Gaming Machine Act currently allow for full disclosure of some Territory industry activity to other states and territories, New Zealand, or other international agencies. This is a shortcoming in light of the international nature of gambling and particularly on-line gaming. The amendments seek to address this by expanding the secrecy sections and allowing information relating to a licensee to be disclosed to a person employed to regulate the operation of casinos or gaming in another country.
Codes of Practice: for many people, gambling is an enjoyable recreational activity. For some, gambling can have a negative impact on their lives and families. In April 2003, the government launched a responsible gambling code of practice, developed in partnership between government, the Licensing Commission, the gambling industry and gambling intervention services. The code aims to ensure responsible gambling in the community and ensure that gambling industry staff have the skills to identify and help problem gamblers. This example of co-regulation is being trialled on a voluntary basis during 2004. The bills propose to introduce provisions to enable the code of practice to be formalised and ensure that all licensed gaming operators adhere to the requirements of the code. The new provision enables the minister to approve a code of practice by gazettal notice. The new provisions also provide sanctions for non-compliance with the codes for a monetary penalties of up to $10 000.
Madam Speaker, I now turn to amendments specific to the Gaming Control Act:
Right of Entry to Casino: clause 8 of the bill amends the Gaming Control Act by removing the cumbersome provision that currently requires the Commissioner of Police to seek approval from the Director of Licensing to exclude an individual from a casino. The amendment only requires the Commission of Police to notify the Director of Licensing of any such direction given. The amendment is consistent with the national approach taken to casino exclusion.
Territory lotteries: clause 14 of the Gaming Control Amendment Bill proposes to delete Part 4 Division 3 of the Gaming Control Act which covers Territory-run and Territory-sponsored lotteries. Although this was not a recommendation arising from the NCP Review, the division was identified during the drafting process to be redundant. It should be deleted since government is no longer involved in sponsoring or operating lotteries.
Regulations - licensing of key employees: the NCP Review Report noted there a variety of legislative provisions covering different types of licensing for gaming industry employees across areas such as casinos, Internet gaming and community gaming. Currently, matters relating to the licensing of employees in casinos are prescribed in regulations. There is no provision for the licensing of employees of other operators licensed under the Gaming Control Act. Clause 19 of the bill proposes to amend section 80 of the Gaming Control Act to enable regulations applying to the licensing of casino employees to be prescribed for employees of other gaming operators licensed under the act.
That concludes the proposed amendments to the Gaming Control Act.
I turn now to amendments specific to the Gaming Machine Act.
Definitions: clause 5 of the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill proposes to amend the definition of ‘club liquor licence’ and ‘hotel liquor licence’ for the purpose of the Gaming Machine Act. The existing definition is no longer current as it refers to section 35(1) of the Liquor Act, which was recently repealed as part of an NCP-related amendment to the act.
Furthermore, amendment of the ‘hotel liquor licence’ definition is necessary to remove a restrictive condition in the Gaming Machine Act. It currently prevents hotels that are not licensed to sell takeaway liquor from applying for a gaming machine licence. The NCP review noted that this requirement presented a clear detriment to some other licensed liquor operators without any discernible public benefit to justify the practice. But for the measures outlined later, a removal of the takeaway condition could potentially enable everyone who holds a liquor licence to apply for a gaming machine. It is necessary to make clear the government does not want to see a proliferation of community gaming machines. Community gaming machines are a form of entertainment we associate with clubs and venues where the primary activity of the venue is the sale and consumption of liquor on the premises rather than outlets such as corner shops or restaurants.
Although the Licensing Commission has several working categories of liquor licence for administrative, analytical and reporting purposes, the Liquor Act does not currently provide any clear distinction between a pub, club, store or restaurant liquor licence. To protect against ‘machine creep’ into venues outside those that the Territory now accepts and considers appropriate, a club liquor licence and hotel liquor licence need to be specifically defined for the purposes of the Gaming Machine Act.
The bill proposes to define a hotel liquor licence as a liquor licence where the primary activity of the premises for which a liquor licence applies authorises the sale and consumption of liquor on those premises. The primary activity test provides scope for the Licensing Commission to apply judgment when determining whether or not an applicant is eligible to apply for a gaming machine licence. For example, it is clear from the definition that a store or a liquor merchant would not be eligible for a gaming machine licence, however, certain restaurants or an accommodation provider with a liquor licence might require further examination to determine their eligibility. A club liquor licence is to be defined as a liquor licence which authorises the sale of liquor by a body corporate for consumption on or at the licensed premises by a member of the body corporate or by a visitor in the presence of a member.
Consideration of application: in addition to stipulating the standard probity requirements that were discussed earlier, clause 8 of the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill seeks to address the issue of capping the number of gaming machines in the community and accounting for community interest when a licence application is being considered. The NCP Review recommended that a community gaming machine global cap be fully defined in regulatory provisions and that a public appeal mechanism for issuing gaming licences be introduced to augment the public scrutiny of industry participants and elevate transparency. There is currently no formal enforceable limit on the number of community gaming machines allowed. Consideration was given formalising a relative cap that is linked to a per capita base density rate with reference to the national population and national community gaming machine numbers. However, formalising this relative approach is problematic for two reasons: fundamentally, it sets a benchmark for the Territory based on some factors, such as national population and machine numbers, that are out of the Territory’s control; more critically, various jurisdictions are now reducing the numbers of machines, and a nationally based per capita density threshold could lead to the Territory being forced to remove machines, even if local circumstances give no cause for this to occur.
Furthermore, having an absolute number as the global cap is also impractical as changing circumstances are likely to demand continual revision so the limit remains relevant. It also tests the boundaries of competition principles as it can act as a barrier to prevent new operators entering the market. Without any benchmark or other mechanism to keep machine numbers in check, there could be an unfettered explosion in the number of gaming machines operating throughout the community.
Because of the real and potential costs such access can have on members of our community, this cannot be tolerated. Given the problems associated with prescribing a global limit, a more considered approach is proposed. It requires the Licensing Commission to have regard to the following factors when determining new licence applications:
the suitability of the premises to which the application relates having regard to the nature of the primary
activity of the premises;
the suitability of the location, size and type of the premises to which the application relates with attention to
the population of the local area, its proximity to other gaming venues and to other sensitive features such as
schools, shopping centres, other community congregation facilities, welfare agencies, banks and pawn brokers;
the appropriateness of the applicant’s problem gambling risk management and responsible gambling strategies; and
the economic impact of the proposal including contribution to the community, employment creation and significance
for tourism.
This approach is favoured as it is the most responsive to the local community circumstances, it is practical and is consistent with National Competition principles. As the interpretation of these criteria will be against the new objects of the act which clearly target adverse social impacts, this approach allows the merits of each application to be judged by the commission within a clear framework of minimising harm.
At present, the Licensing Commission may only reject applications on the basis of probity criteria. This amendment provides additional criteria for the Licensing Commission to assess the appropriateness of allowing additional machines into the community – an avenue that is based more on social dimensions of gaming and the potential for harm that exists for individuals, families and the broader community. An application may be rejected if it is deemed to be unsuitable in the primary nature of the business, or the size or location of the proposed premises. For example, if a proposal was within proximity of other licensed venues and the granting of the licence would lead to an unacceptable increase in the local machine density, that application would be refused. Accumulated research from interstate and elsewhere, and the Productivity Commission Report on Gambling, has found the density of gaming machines to be one of the strongest indicators of problem gambling. A greater geographical concentration or availability of gaming machines is associated with greater gambling losses and a higher prevalence of problem gambling.
Similarly, if the proposal does not outline advantages to the community, or has no clear strategies for minimising problem gambling, or ensuring responsible practices, then these too can be grounds for the Licensing Commission to reject an application. It would be expected that harm minimisation strategies would reflect agreed codes of practice and other compelling evidence about the best measures to apply.
The Licensing Commission is representative of the community and will have to reflect on the interests of the general community when assessing gaming machine licence applications against the prescribed criteria. Moreover, it will have to examine those criteria within the context of the objects of the Gaming Machine Act. The application will not be subject to any formal hearing process, which could be costly and time consuming for the small business operator.
Changes to the definition of who may apply for a gaming machine licence and not making a global cap explicit runs the risks of operators in non-traditional venues applying for licences and an expansion of applications that could result in a proliferation of machines in acceptable venues but in concentrations beyond what the community is willing to tolerate or accept. The introduction of these new criteria provides a filtering mechanism to protect against either of these eventualities.
Community contribution by clubs: clause 9 of the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill proposes to strengthen the current provision relating to the community benefit contributions made by club licensees. At present, hoteliers who operate gaming machines are required to pay 10% of gaming machine gross profits to the Community Benefit Fund. There is currently no specific requirement stating that a club licensee has to make any contribution and, to date, different clubs have made contributions of varying quality and amounts, both in monetary and non-monetary form.
The bill introduces provisions that clearly specify a club licensee is expected to make a community benefit contribution and that the minister can issue directions in relation to how the community benefit contribution is to be calculated; the type and nature of contributions that are of benefit to the community; the reporting, accountability and acquittal process that a licensee must use; the minimum rate of contribution and other relevant matters.
Cancellation, suspension, etcetera of gaming machine licences: up to now, the financial capacity of a licensee is assessed only at the application stage. Once a licence has been issued, there is no mechanism for the review of a licensee’s ongoing financial capacity to meet payouts and other financial obligations. As a player protection measure, clause 11 of the bill amends section 49 of the act by adding another criterion that the Licensing Commission can use to determine the ongoing suitability of a licensee and, if necessary, take action before players are affected.
Consideration of application: the NCP Review report noted that there are a variety of legislative provisions covering different types of licensing for certain gaming industry employees across areas such as casinos, Internet gaming and community gaming. Clause 12 of the bill proposes to amend section 64 of the Gaming Machine Act to adopt the same licensing approach for gaming machine managers as that of casino employees.
Audit of accounts: the bill proposes to amend section 146 of the Gaming Machine Act which requires the licensee to prepare and lodge with the Director of Licensing and Audit an account of gaming activity. Audited accounts from each licensee serve no useful purpose and represent a duplication of effort, as the information is readily available through the gaming machine monitoring service provider, currently performed by Unitab Gaming. This amendment was not a specific consequence of the NCP Review, but legitimises the current practise of the Director of Licensing to relieve each licensee from the requirement to submit an audited account of gaming activity.
The amendment also seeks to make the financial information available more useful by requiring licensees to maintain general financial reports that deal with the operation as a whole. This information need only be provided on request rather than annually submitted. This will help the licensing authority identify any change in the financial viability of the licensee and, if necessary, refer the matter to the Licensing Commission for deliberation.
That completes the proposed amendments to the Gambling Machine Act.
I have previously covered the amendments to the Soccer Football Pools Act when discussing the common amendments that apply to all three acts. There are no further or specific changes to the Soccer Football Pools Act. This concludes all the amendments.
Madam Speaker, the bills that I have today introduced address key recommendations contained within the National Competition Policy review into gaming in the Northern Territory that require legislative attention. This action reaffirms the government’s commitment to National Competition Policy principles and the reform process. I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
UNCOLLECTED GOODS BILL
(Serial 217)
UNCOLLECTED GOODS (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 218)
(Serial 217)
UNCOLLECTED GOODS (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 218)
Continued from 31 March 2004.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, both bills are supported. I compliment the Attorney-General on the second reading speech; it was very thorough.
No doubt many have said that these reforms are overdue. I am not sure that that is a universally held position. However, as a lawyer in a past life who did have recourse to these acts, I can attest to the fact that some parts of them were very difficult and cumbersome and, certainly, costly for some clients.
The bills are supported by a range of industries. We have contacted them. In particular, I have contacted the Law Society and spoke with members of the profession. I know my colleague, the member for Drysdale, has spoken with motor vehicle tradesmen and some other industry sectors, the details of which I cannot recall. However, between us we have extensively consulted about these bills and the consensus, although not universal, is that these bills are welcome and, on that basis, we support them.
As a lawyer, I will quietly lament the passing of the terms ‘bailee’ and ‘bailor’. However, that is not something that should trouble many other people in the Northern Territory.
Minister, thank you for these bills; they are supported.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her contribution and the opposition’s support of the bill. I am happy to be afforded the opportunity to support my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, in the introduction to the Uncollected Goods Bill 2004, and Uncollected Goods (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2004.
Last Tuesday, arguably, in the history of self-government, one of the best budgets for Territory small business was handed down. That this should occur does not surprise me. This government understands the place small business owner/operators occupy in our economy. We have, time and again, shown that we listen and act to create the environment where small business has the opportunity to flourish and grow: the record tax cuts, our cashed-up jobs and training strategies, which will build our skills base both in the urban and remote settings, our cashed-up record infrastructure allocations for projects such as the cruise ship terminal, the Mereenie Loop and Litchfield Loop roads, a new low security facility, headworks for Palmerston’s recreation centre, Katherine Cultural Precinct and the Darwin Soccer stadium, to mention just a few. The realistic adjustment to public liability insurance requirements from $10m to $500 000 are indicative of how this government recognises the role it has to play in creating a fertile environment for stimulating small business growth.
We in government have a solid record of meeting our election commitments, particularly where they have great benefit to all of our community. I believe creating an environment where more jobs can be created is one thing that we do well. I did a quick search the other day to get a feel of what else we have done as a government to help stimulate and support small business. I will just refer to a number of media advices dating from early last year which gives a good overview of some of our initiatives.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, before you continue, you are aware that we are doing the Uncollected Goods Bill?
Mr KIELY: I am, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Oh, you are.
Mr KIELY: Madam Speaker, if we have a look at the Uncollected Goods Bill now, we will see that it is in response to a need of small business. We do not just do bills willy-nilly; we act in response to a community need and this is what it is about.
Members interjecting.
Mr KIELY: Let us just go back to 20 February 2003. No, Madam Speaker, look, I will pick up on this. The other day we had to listen to the shadow minister for small business carry on about how they help and support small business and care about it. Well, they do not. They have a track record of not supporting small business, and let us just get that on record, shall we? This is from the Chief Minister, 20 February 2003:
Government initiative saves Territorians $2.4m.
Stamp duty cuts to home purchases and franchise renewal have already saved Territory families more
than $2.4m, the Chief Minister said today.
The two initiatives for home buyers were: increasing first home owner concession by raising the threshold
for stamp duty from $80 000 to $125 000 and increasing the maximum concession from $2096 to $3640.
A new rebate of $1500 on the purchase of a principle place of residence, that is not the first home, was
also introduced. ‘Since its introduction on 20 August 2002 through to 31 January 2003 there have been
872 beneficiaries of the home buyers stamp duty cuts, an average of $2280 per beneficiary,’ she said.
That’s a total of $1.99m in the pockets of Territory families, to spend in local shops, to furnish their homes,
to educate their children, to generate more work and jobs for Territorians. This budget initiative has already
shown concrete results with the Territory Construction Association saying at the time, this budget is ‘very
much a construction budget’ …
Well, how is that? This is what this government is about; creating the environment for small business owners and operators.
One that this government is particularly proud of, and one that I am, and one, Madam Speaker, that you helped influence might I say, is franchisees.
…bookstores, food outlets and photo stores make up a significant proportion of our small business and employ
many Territorians. As a result of this government’s budget initiative, franchisees have saved a total of $440 000
that would have been paid in stamp duty under the previous government. That is $440 000 in the pockets of
Territory business, helping them to grow and employ more Territorians.
And there is more. This is in May 2003:
New trade support scheme for Territory business.
The Territory government has allocated $330 000 from the 2003-04 Budget to export grants for Territory traders and
major new trade support scheme ... The Trade Support Scheme will support not only existing exporters and traders
to expand their markets, but will also offer guidance and support to help Territory businesses successfully enter new
trade markets ... The government has listened to the feedback from business and industry associations, and has
developed the Trade Support Scheme to give all businesses… assistance.
So, you have it there. We go on to say in this press release:
‘The Trade Development Zone concept only supported businesses which were located within its confines’,
Mr Henderson said. ‘This meant exporters in other parts of the Territory didn’t get support. This new scheme
opens things up for all and is welcome news for existing and potential exporters’.
So once again we are looking across the board. The minister went on to say:
Our trading future lies largely in Asia, and the Trade Support Scheme will contribute strongly to the broadening
and strengthening of the Territory’s international trade, and supports the government’s number one priority of
creating more jobs for Territorians.
Madam Speaker, in August 2003:
Big win for small business.
‘The government has delivered an election commitment with the introduction into parliament of legislation to place
small businesses on a level playing field with their landlords when negotiating rental leases’, … minister Henderson
said. Mr Henderson said the government had conducted extensive consultation with small businesses, retailers,
landlords, and representative bodies from around the Territory in drafting the Business Tenancies (Fair Dealings) Act.
This measure was a key ingredient in the business package taken to the last election …
Mr Wood: The uncollected member for Sanderson.
Mr KIELY: Well, you know, you do not have to sit here and listen to this. Do not go on about.
Mr Wood: No, I don’t. I am waiting for you to get to the bill.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, just continue.
Members interjecting.
Mr KIELY: Do not go on about doing anything for business; we do.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Sanderson, please, just continue. Speak to the bill we are discussing.
Mr KIELY: No, you can just wait, you can just wait, member for Nelson.
Dr Toyne: I will raise a point of order in a minute.
Madam SPEAKER: No wonder the Attorney-General is hiding his face.
Mr KIELY: It is important. Let me say this, Madam Speaker: there is lots more here, look!
Mr Elferink: That is what is worrying us.
Mr KIELY: Yes, well, you can worry because that is what we do for small business and this uncollected goods is just another part.
As you can see by these media releases, our initiatives for creating a good small business environment do not solely consist of throwing tax payers’ money willy-nilly in the hope of currying favour. We are about to look at the small business environment in its entirety as well as by sector by sector, to listen to relevant communities of interest and see what legislating framework we can either improve or introduce to help our community grow in work force participation. It is within this framework that we have the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General introducing the long-awaited Uncollected Goods Bill.
We have in the Territory, as we do all over Australia, small business owner/operators who make a living by repairing all manner of goods. Go into any of our city or town centres and you will find watch repair shops, camera repair shops, shoe and dress repairers, all manner of repairers associated with motor vehicles such as panel beating, mechanical, electrical, air conditioning – with cars, the list seems endless. You will find marine repair shops and whitegoods repair shops. It seems we do indeed have a large segment of our small business operators involved in work and income that relies on the fixing of other people’s property.
I have the pleasure of knowing the number of small business operators who make a living through repairing all manner of goods. I approached a couple of these people and asked them if they had any goods they had repaired that the owner had for one reason or another failed to arrange the pick up and pay for the repair work that had been undertaken. In both instances, and these people operate a television repair shop and a motor vehicle repair shop, they said yes. I further inquired as to what they did to try to recover the costs of the repairs for the unclaimed goods. In both instances, the reply was along the lines of: ‘If we can contact them, we will chase them for the money, while we remain hanging on to the goods’.
I asked them if they used the existing Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act, which has been around since 1977, close to the beginning of self-government. One operator said he did not know of this act and the other said it was far too complex and cumbersome to achieve any meaningful outcome. Such a response is not to be unexpected because, as the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General advised in his second reading speech, the current legislation has been criticised for being unnecessarily complex and difficult to utilise. In fact, when we started looking at the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act, we found areas of the disposal scheme that had never been used, not once.
Earlier this week, I met with the executive officer of the Motor Traders Association and asked him what his association thought of the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act compared with the Uncollected Goods Bill before us today. Not surprisingly, he, too, advised me that the current act is unworkable and his members welcomed the change. He explained that under current arrangements, small business owner/operators were virtually stockpiling repaired goods belonging to people who owed the business money. This stockpiling not only meant that the outgoings expended by the business to undertake repairs was outstanding but also, as the business has a duty of care to ensure the property did not suffer any detriment while in the business’ custody, there were ongoing costs associated with storage, not to mention the probability of high legal fees should recovery action be taken through the court system.
For some businesses, this represented a substantial ongoing burden which impacted upon their ongoing ability to trade effectively. The Chief Executive of the Motor Trades Association went on to say that his members had been feeling the pressure of the ineffectiveness of the current legislation for about a decade and had lobbied the CLP government for a considerable period of time when they were in power. As we know, that was to no avail. You cannot help but note that this is a pattern we have seen on a number of occasions in regard to the CLP’s reluctance or inability to support small business.
We have heard from the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General that in 2001, the Law Reform Committee prepared a report which prompted the release of an issues paper by the Department of Justice in 2003. In August 2003, the review was finalised and so it is that today we are debating this bill. Yes, it has taken us some time to get this bill into the House, but it is time well spent because before us we have good law.
We need this legislation because a situation sometimes arises where the owner of goods leaves those goods in possession of another person and fails to collect or claim them. The most common situation to which the legislation will apply is that of goods left for repair. Having completed the work, the repairer is unable to locate the owner or the owner fails to collect the goods or pay for the service. This often leaves the repairer out of pocket for the repairs and sometimes with goods of little value. As well, at common law, there is no right of sale over those goods.
This legislation creates a statutory power of sale so the repairer can sell the goods, with or without a court order, recover his or her repair costs and, if applicable, storage and disposal costs. This bill means small business owner/operators are now able to dispose of perishable goods and goods that are worth less than $7000 in a simplified manner by giving the appropriate notice and disposing of goods by way of private sale or auction. This is compared to the current act that requires goods valued at less than $200 to undergo onerous notice requirements, and then dispose of the goods by way of public auction in separate lots. There are also protections in place for small business owner/operators in that they may apply for a court order for goods of any value if they prefer to have the security of the court order.
Further protections are in place in relation to a disputing system between a small business owner/operator and a property owner over the cost of repairs. If the owner of the repaired goods, which are being held by repairer awaiting payment, is taking the step of commencing a court action, the repairer can still give notice to the owner of his or her intention to dispose of the goods, and if the owner does not commence a court action, it enables their goods to be disposed of under the new legislation.
This bill also carries with it significant penalties which apply to holders of uncollected goods. These penalties will ensure a great level of consumer protection. Penalties apply to repairers if they dispose of a motor vehicle valued at $1000 or more without a police certificate stating the vehicle was not stolen. This provision is being introduced to ensure that the act does not inadvertently support the trade-in, or disposal of, stolen motor vehicles.
Penalties also apply to repairs who fail to prepare and retain appropriate records of the disposal process. The repairer has a responsibility to keep proper and accurate records of uncollected goods that he or she disposes of. Keeping proper records allows the person who claims an interest in the goods to inspect those records and make a claim against the accountable officer if applicable. These responsibilities are being imposed to ensure that the receiver recognises and acts in a way which will allow the interest holder, and/or the owner, to assert their rights. The record keeping requirement has been imposed to ensure that owners or security holders are not prevented from asserting their rights simply because the appropriate paperwork has not been kept. These penalties and protections have been welcomed by members of the Motor Traders the Association; they also provide protections for them, if and when a dispute may arise.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate, the current act is considered by industry, particularly motor vehicle dealers, to be completely unworkable to the extent that Department of Justice has been unable to find a single incidence of money being paid under the current scheme and the required trust fund. Every effort has been taken to ensure this new scheme is efficient, effective, low cost and user friendly, and balances the rights of interest holders.
In line with our ongoing commitment to small business, I believe the Department of Justice will be conducting seminars on the application of the new act. Information packages, including fact sheets, will also be available to all stakeholders after the bill has been passed.
I must apologise if the member for Nelson and other members opposite found it discomforting to sit through what we have been doing for small business. But let me say to member for Nelson, that if he believes he has the right to come in here with charts, and carry on about the Litchfield land plan, and have reams of charts, and then carry on, in all manner of things he deems is important, then he should have at least the courtesy and the consideration to listen to others on this side. Once again, the member for Nelson ought to start applying his own standards to others, instead of having one rule for him and one rule for others.
I commend the bills to the House.
Debate suspended.
UNCOLLECTED GOODS BILL
(Serial 217)
UNCOLLECTED GOODS (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 218)
(Serial 217)
UNCOLLECTED GOODS (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 218)
Continued from earlier this day.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, I support the Uncollected Goods Bill, and the consequential amendment bill. These are bills where the Northern Territory government has listened to the concerns of business, and has acted. It has acted to cut red tape to simplify laws to help Territory’s small business people to do business better. I congratulate the minister for introducing this bill.
The bill provides a simple and effective scheme for the management of uncollected goods, and replaces the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act, which the minister informs us has areas of the disposal scheme which have never been used since the act commenced in 1977. This is a bill in several parts, which responds to business concerns regarding the disposal of uncollected goods. This bill followed many years of pressure by the business community which has been frustrated by its inability to deal effectively with uncollected goods. Uncollected goods are those left in the possession of another party, usually by the owner of the goods, who has then not collected the goods. This can involve one person delivering goods to another for safekeeping, the delivery of goods to another by mistake, and the most common situation, when goods are left for repair and are neither paid for nor collected.
This last category is the area of most concern to small business, and affects small businesses, especially those in the motor trade, those dealing with electrical goods, particularly white goods, and those businesses involved in repair of jewellery, and also dry cleaners. These business operators have expressed their concerns over many years. Businesses accept goods in good faith for repair or maintenance, then they may find themselves out of pocket and inconvenienced because goods have neither been paid for nor collected. An example of this situation is in the motor trade industry, where a person who wishes to have their vehicle repaired does not pay for or collected their vehicle, and the motor trader is then out of pocket for the cost of the repairs, and also for the safekeeping of the vehicle.
Mr Greg Sharam of Night and Day Auto Care is an example. He has around 30 vehicles which he is storing, and I understand he has had to store around 15 at his home, which has caused quite a bit of friction in his home. He is looking forward to the passing of this bill so he can start the process of disposing of these vehicles in a simplified and lower cost process.
This bill is fair for both the receiver of the goods and the provider; that is, the person that takes the goods to be repaired or stored.
Clause 6 sets out the meaning of ‘relevant charge’, that the amount the receiver is able to claim in relation to repairs to, or cleaning of, the goods, as well as storage, carriage, and maintenance costs.
Clause 9 preserves the application of the existing Northern Territory legislation dealing with the disposal of the uncollected goods in some industry specific situations. The bill applies in circumstances where it is not otherwise dealt with by specific legislation. Similarly, the bill preserves the right at common law for parties to contract and negotiate their own agreement as to the manner of the disposal of goods. It is only where the manner of disposal of goods has not been, or cannot, be reached that the legislation will apply.
Parts 2 and 3 of the bill set out procedures for the disposal of uncollected goods both with and without a court order. The section of the bill which is of particular interest to small business is Division 2 of Part 2, which sets out a new system for the disposal of uncollected goods without a court order. This is a welcome simplification and removal of the current link of the very complex notice requirement of the current legislation.
The bill clearly outlines the procedures in relation to goods according to their value and greatly simplifies the process. For example, for low value goods, that is those less than $200, the receiver may dispose of the goods if after 28 days since the giving of oral or written advice to the provider of the intention to dispose of the goods, the provider has neither claimed nor given direction as to their delivery, the goods may be disposed of by sale, destruction, appropriation or by any other means. Similarly, for those valued at $200 to $1000, notice is required to be given to the provider, the owner of the goods and any other person having or claiming an interest. After a period of two months, if the provider has not claimed the goods or given direction as to their delivery, disposal can take place by auction or private sale at a fair price. With those goods valued between $1000 and $7000, notice is required to be given to the provider, the owner of the goods, any other person having an interest and the Police Commissioner. A period of three months must elapse before the disposal can take place and 28 days prior to the disposal an advertisement must be placed in the daily Northern Territory newspaper advising of the proposed sale. The goods can then be auctioned or sold by private sale at a fair price.
If goods are valued at greater than $7000, a court order must be obtained to dispose of goods. If the goods are a motor vehicle, then a certificate must be obtained from the Commissioner of Police, to certify that the vehicle is not stolen. Further, to protect a person with a publicly registered interest such as a bank or finance company, a REVS search must be obtained for motor vehicles of medium value or greater.
The bill also outlines what is a fair price, and takes into consideration the age and conditions of goods, the market supply and demand for those goods. It also takes into account the expertise of industry specific knowledge. For example, that a certain vehicle is of little value and the only suitable way of disposing of the vehicle is by selling it for parts.
Part 3 of the bill also provides for flexibility in the system, so that at any time prior to the goods being disposed of, the provider can claim the goods after paying charges due to the receiver. The receiver is also protected by this part of the bill in so far as the receiver will not be liable to any other person who may claim an interest in the goods, as long as a receiver has complied with the provisions in the bill relating to the disposal of goods.
The next part of the bill, Part 4, is also recognition by government that businesses do not want more ‘administrivia’ and reduces the time frame from six years to three years for record keeping in relation to the disposal of goods, and a very welcome change for small businesses.
The bill also considers the method of distributing the proceeds of sale and allows the receiver once the goods have been sold to retain the relevant charge and disposal costs. However, if the proceeds are insufficient to pay the relevant charge and disposal cost, the receiver may recover it as a debt in a court of competent jurisdiction. If there are excess funds, the receiver must, within 28 days after the sale of the uncollected goods, pay the excess funds into an accountable officer’s trust account.
To ensure that the process is followed properly and fairly, the penalties for those who do not comply are severe: a maximum of six months imprisonment or $1100 for a natural person, and $55 000 for a body corporate. This is certainly to deter those who may decide that they may keep for themselves excess money from the proceeds of sale.
This is an important bill for small business. It allows businesses to dispose of goods in an orderly and simplified manner by retaining the rights of the provider of the goods. I am a member of the newly formed North Darwin Regional Business Association and this matter was discussed at the last meeting of the association. There was much discussion and members were unanimous in their support for the bill and commended the government for listening to business and acting.
In my electorate, I have many businesses for which this bill will be relevant. I am pleased that once again this government has shown its ability to listen to the needs of business and respond. I would have to say that this week has been a good one for Territory businesses with changes to payroll tax and the abolition of the HIH levy. This legislation is further evidence of the government’s commitment to work with small business. I welcome the legislation and commend the bills to the House.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank all the members for their contributions to this debate, and the opposition for their expression of support for the legislation, for the member for Sanderson’s wide ranging contribution, and the member for Nightcliff, who has added some dimensions to what this legislation is going to do out in the community.
It is very important and timely legislative reform. The existing Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act reads a bit like Chaucer’s Tale in the language in it. I always thought a bailer was someone who was trying to stop a boat sinking until we read the legislation and found out that it actually had all these other meanings.
Really, the point is that if you use even the terminology in the existing act out in the general community, it is another opaque layer over what should be a simple mechanism to resolve these issues in the community. As all speakers have said, this is good legislation for business. I expect that there will be tangible effects on many of our small to medium businesses around the Northern Territory.
Night and Day Auto Care was mentioned by the member for Nightcliff. Greg estimated that not only could he save his marriage by getting rid of all the cars off the front lawn of his house, but he would also accrue probably anything up to $20 000 or $30 000 in repair and other costs owed as a result of those vehicles coming through his business and having worked on them and then seen them not collected. In his case, there will be quite a clear financial alleviation as well as the general stress and strain of having to look after other people’s ex-property with limited space, both in his business and his home.
Madam Speaker, we have a couple of amendments here, so we should move into committee and we will deal with those.
Motion agreed to; bills read a second time.
In committee:
Mr CHAIRMAN: The committee has before it the Uncollected Goods Bill (Serial 217) together with a Schedule of Amendments No 82 circulated by the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General; and the Uncollected Goods (Consequential Amendments) Bill (Serial 218).
Uncollected Goods Bill (Serial 217):
Clauses 1 to 8, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 9:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 82.1. Clause 9 sets out the Northern Territory acts that would be excluded from the operation of the Uncollected Goods Act. Clause 9(g) identifies good deposited with a warehouseman under the Warehousemen’s Liens Act. Following the introduction of the Uncollected Goods Bill in March 2004, it became apparent that the Uncollected Goods Act should apply to goods to which the Warehousemen’s Liens Act applies. In particular, self-storage operators wish to be able to take advantage of the provisions of the Uncollected Goods Act in addition to their existing rights under the Warehousemen’s Liens Act. This amendment will remove clause 9(g) to give effect to this purpose.
Amendment agreed to.
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 82.2. This amendment has been inserted to remove any doubt that the Uncollected Goods Act can be used in addition to the Warehousemen’s Liens Act.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 9, as amended, agreed to.
Remainder of bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported with amendment.
Uncollected Goods (Consequential Amendments) Bill (Serial 218):
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill to be reported without amendment.
Bills reported, report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
I take this opportunity to thank the Department of Justice, and in particular, Faith Woodford, for the work on this legislation. It is a very good piece of work. I cannot wait to see it go out there and impact on our small to medium businesses.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
HIGHER EDUCATION BILL
(Serial 215)
(Serial 215)
Continued from 31 March 2004.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise to advise that the CLP will be supporting the bill. This is part of the National Competition Policy, where we are trying to ensure that the Northern Territory is in line with uniform criteria, as has been done around the country.
In the words of the minister: ‘To ensure uniform criteria is standard for the establishment of academic institutions and the provision of higher education learning across Australia’. This is obviously important. We want to ensure that the standards in the Territory are in line with the rest of the nation. All you have to do is look on the Internet and you will find all sorts of so-called educational institutions offering courses. Half the time, we do not know whether they are qualified to offer the course, and when you actually go into the detail of the courses, some of them are quite suspect. So going to a national standard, following protocols that are being established to ensure that the Territory has the institutions that will match any in the country will be necessary.
I see that the bill also allows the minister to have some degree, I suppose you would call it, of checking. It requires the minister to address any application to him against national protocols, so that allows the government of the day to determine whether other higher education institutions may come into the Territory either to offer courses or to establish a presence of their own - not that I would like to see this legislation used to be an anti-competitive measure by imposing standards that other institutions cannot achieve. Having a national standard, everybody will be measured on an even level playing field and that will be a good thing.
I am sure the higher education centre in the Northern Territory, the Charles Darwin University, is also supportive of this change in the legislation. I have spoken to the Vice Chancellor about it and she is quite happy that we are coming in line with the rest of the country.
With those few remarks, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, we support the bill.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank the opposition spokesperson for his support of this bill. The decision to move to national higher education protocols was adopted back in March 2000 by the then members of the Ministerial Council of Education, Training, Employment and Youth Affairs. The bill now brings us into line with those national protocols. I thank him for his comments and I thank the opposition for their support of the bill.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training)(by leave): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
TABLED PAPER
Power and Water Corporation
Statement of Corporate Intent, 2004-05
Power and Water Corporation
Statement of Corporate Intent, 2004-05
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I table the 2003-04 Statement of Corporate Intent, or SCI, for the Power and Water Corporation. I will refer to the Power and Water Corporation by its business name, PowerWater, in the rest of this statement.
As members are aware, PowerWater became the Territory’s first government owned corporation, or GOC, on 1 July 2002. The 2004-05 SCI will mark PowerWater’s third year as a GOC. The SCI is the annual performance agreement between the GOC and the shareholding minister on behalf of Territorians as owners of PowerWater. As required under section 39(7)(a) of the Government Owned Corporations Act, as shareholding minister for PowerWater, I now intend to table a copy of the GOC’s SCI in the Legislative Assembly.
A key objective of the GOC framework is to put PowerWater in a position as similar as possible to comparable private sector businesses. As I advised the Legislative Assembly when tabling the 2003-04 SCI, it would be unreasonable to disadvantage PowerWater by disclosing commercially sensitive information that no private sector business would be expected to release. This is still relevant even though, at this time, PowerWater has no direct competitor in its market. As such, as in previous years and consistent with the Government Owned Corporations Act requirements, commercially sensitive information has been removed from the 2004-05 SCI.
The 2004-05 SCI forecasts a nett profit after tax in 2004-05 of $40m. It shows an improvement in performance over the projected 2003 nett profit after tax of $31m. The improved performance is primarily due to an increase in the level of community service obligation and other government capital funding expected to be received by PowerWater from government in 2004-05. Therefore, included in the $40m is government community service obligation funding as well as electricity, water and sewerage assets gifted by government.
The issue of electricity prices has generated a significant level of public scrutiny over the past few months. In tabling PowerWater’s 2004-05 SCI let me take the opportunity to clear up any misunderstanding which may still exist about this issue. The government has a uniform tariff policy for certain customers, including small business and households. That means the cost of providing services to these customers exceeds the rate charged by PowerWater for the services. The shortfall in income for PowerWater is mainly made up by government providing community service obligation funding. Also, the government has accepted a lower rate of return for its investment in PowerWater than would be acceptable to a private sector business’s owners. The government also contribute community service obligation funding for medium-sized contestable electricity customers, Tranche 4 users, to cover the shortfall between the cost reflective tariffs and regulated maximum prices. Larger contestable customers pay cost-reflective prices as determined by PowerWater.
Without government CSO payments and gifted assets, PowerWater would be expecting to lose $3m in 2004-05 rather than show a $40m profit. It is therefore clear the cause for PowerWater’s expected profits to be used to further subsidise electricity prices are misplaced. Members will note from the 2004-05 SCI, that PowerWater is only profitable because of the government community service obligation gifted assets it receives each year. The profits which PowerWater achieves ensure its capital investment and maintenance programs are not compromised. For the first time PowerWater will be making company tax payments, and these are forecast to commence in 2004-05. Tax payments made by PowerWater are received by the Territory. The taxes paid by PowerWater will be made under the national tax equivalents regime administered by the Australian Taxation Office on behalf of all states and territories. As members will be aware, the primary objective of the national tax equivalents regime is to achieve competitive neutrality through a uniform application of income tax laws between national tax equivalent entities and their private sector counterparts.
As in previous years, and consistent with the position adopted for most government business divisions, PowerWater will pay a dividend to government equivalent to 50% of nett profits after tax. The dividend paid by PowerWater is the return Territorians as shareholders receive on their investment in PowerWater. The dividend is used by government to provide other services to Territorians, such as health, education, and safety.
As the 2004-05 SCI will be considered in more detail by the GOC scrutiny committee on the 25 June 2004, I will not go into anymore detail on the SCI here. I therefore table PowerWater’s 2004-05 Statement of Corporate Intent.
MOTION
Power and Water Corporation
Statement of Corporate Intent, 2004-05 – Referral to Government Owned Corporations Scrutiny Committee
Power and Water Corporation
Statement of Corporate Intent, 2004-05 – Referral to Government Owned Corporations Scrutiny Committee
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that pursuant to paragraph 1 of the Order of the Assembly dated 18 May 2004, establishing the Government Owned Corporations Scrutiny Committee that the Statement of Corporate Intent 2004-05 for PowerWater be referred to that committee for examination and report.
Motion agreed to.
APPROPRIATION BILL 2004-05
(Serial 234)
(Serial 234)
Continued from 19 May 2004.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, Budget 2004 keeps the Territory moving ahead with a record tax cut, more jobs, and a great lifestyle. It is a budget that is economically responsible, supporting small business, and expanding opportunities for growth in jobs. It provides the highest ever cash spend on infrastructure, while delivering record health, education and police budgets. It builds on a unique Territory lifestyle.
With regards to my health portfolio, this budget is my first as Minister for Health, and I am proud to be able to deliver a record health budget for Territorians; a budget that will build on the progress that we have already made towards creating a genuinely sustainable, responsive and effective health system.
We know that across the western world, health budgets are facing the challenges of escalating costs, new technologies, increased demand and higher expectations. In the Northern Territory, these challenges have been compounded by years of neglect, and underfunding. When this government came to office, we inherited a system facing massive financial and management difficulties. The Department of Health and Community Service, despite numerous reviews and the work of its many dedicated staff, had been failing to live within its means for around a decade. Desperately needed reform began with the Bansemer Report released in early 2003. Since then, the department has undergone a substantial restructure to improve accountability, and build a sustainable budget footing.
The new structure focussed on program delivery, came into effect on the 1 July last year, and the results of that restructure are now paying off. The results of 2003-04 represents the first budget in a decade where the Department of Health and Community Services expected to deliver a budget outcome in line with predictions contrary to the outlandish claims of the current Leader of the Opposition, who should learn to read the budget papers. This is no small achievement and, in fact, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker herself has had a lot to do with that, both in the recent history of the Territory, and compared with other states around Australia.
I thank the staff of the department for their continued hard work during what has been, for some, a challenging period. In the health and community services portfolio, we have long term plans that put the Territory first. We now have a health system underpinned by sound financial management and proper accountability, and we are moving ahead competently to build better health services for all Territorians.
With this foundation laid, in February of this year, my colleague, the Minister for Family and Community Services, and I launched Building Healthier Communities, this government’s framework for the health and wellbeing of Territorians over the next five years.
The 2004-05 Budget provides funding for priority areas identified in the Building Healthier Communities framework. Building on the $100m boost already provided to the Territory’s health and family and community services, this budget sees an additional $23.7m, bringing the total health and community services budget for the Territory to $635.4m for 2004-05.
I am pleased to announce that this injection of funds into our health system will see the creation of additional 71 new nurse positions, 65 of them for our hospital system, during the 2004-05 financial year. With the 48 new nurse positions already created by the Martin government to date in our hospitals, we are on track to well exceed our election commitment of the additional 75 hospital nursing positions during the first term of this government.
It is interesting that in the face of our announcements about increasing nurse positions, the Leader of the Opposition continues to claim that we are doing nothing to reduce their workload. As usual, his rhetoric simply does not match the facts; he just keeps getting it wrong.
Our hospitals across the Territory provide a top class level of service for Territorians, and the Martin government is determined to make them even better. Our hospitals and other acute care services will receive an estimated $18.6m increase in the next financial year, with total funding of $357.9m.
It gives me particular pleasure to advise the House that the Alice Springs Hospital will receive an $11m injection of funds over the next four years to develop a fully integrated intensive care and high dependency unit, which will be expanded to carry eight beds. This is good news for Central Australia. It will reduce the need to transfer critically ill patients to Darwin or interstate, and will provide an improved professional environment, strengthening the recruitment of specialists and other staff to Alice Springs Hospital.
The additional funds will be used to employ a specialist intensivist and 36 other additional nursing and support staff, including a dietician, physiotherapist and pathologists. This will improve the quality of hospital care for Central Australia, and represents a major investment by our government in the future of Alice Springs. $2.9m over this financial year and next is also included in the capital works program for Alice Springs Hospital to upgrade fire safety and improve the air-conditioning system for the comfort of patients, staff and visitors.
Meanwhile, Royal Darwin Hospital will receive additional funding of $2.5m to complete the commissioning of critical care services. Those funds will allow three additional beds to be opened in the high dependency unit, three additional beds in the coronary care unit, and 10 short-stay beds in the emergency department itself. That means that RDH emergency department and critical care services now have 62 beds compared to 23 when this government was elected. This initiative builds further on the emergency department at RDH, which has been recently described as world class by the President of the AMA, Dr Bill Glasson.
Two other major projects will be under way in Royal Darwin Hospital during 2004-05. The first of these is the construction of a 12-bed stand alone hospice, which is due for completion by the end of the next financial year at a cost of $3.6m, delivering on our election promise. The hospice is a new service for the Territory, and will be integrated with the existing community-based palliative care team’s activities. It will provide care to those with terminal illnesses and those requiring respite care or pain relief in a less formal setting than a hospital ward. $900 000 has been included in the 2004-05 Budget to fund the recruitment and training of staff in preparation for the opening of the facility, together with an additional $1.36m in 2005-06 for the final fitout and ongoing staff costs.
The other major item in Royal Darwin Hospital is $2.5m for the establishment of a birthing centre. Two new home-style birth rooms for women who are assessed as having minimal risk of complications are to be built, together with an upgrade of the existing four birth rooms and complete refurbishment of the entire 6th floor maternity ward. $326 000 per year will be provided in 2005-06 to employ an extra four nurses in the birthing centre, and a new midwifery-led model of care will be implemented across the birthing service, including a dedicated midwifery nurse to work with patients from remote areas. This model provides the best care to the most number of women, and the additional funding provides greater choice of birth options for Territory women.
These are significant additions to our Territory hospital services, with 33 new hospital beds being provided over the next two years. It shows how out of touch the current Leader of the Opposition is when he claims that this government is closing hospital beds. He is wrong, again.
Our regional hospitals in Katherine, Gove and Tennant Creek will also benefit from this budget with funding increased by $1m to $39.7m. This will allow those hospitals to improve their range of services so more patients can be treated locally rather than having to transfer to larger hospitals or interstate. Over $750 000 in new capital equipment is currently being purchased for these hospitals, ranging from video conferencing facilities in Gove and Katherine, to defribulator units in Tennant Creek.
As our Building Healthier Communities five year framework highlighted, one of the greatest challenges we face in the Territory continues to be kidney disease. Haemodialysis treatments are growing at approximately 6% per year, with around 2370 treatments per month. We will be tackling this through the continued implementation of our Preventable Chronic Diseases Strategy and through increasing the resourcing of treatment facilities. An extra $1.5m will be spent on renal dialysis services across the Territory in 2004-05, including further expansion of renal dialysis services in Tennant Creek. An additional $900 000 will be spent to construct and install facilities to support remote renal services, subject to community agreement.
I am particularly proud to announce a considerable boost to health care in remote communities. $1.4m is to be provided in 2004-05 to commence a four year program to phase out the 18 single nurse posts in the Northern Territory. Four clinics will gain additional staff this year - Kings Canyon, Titjakala, Robinson River and Minjilang. Pending the construction of suitable housing, a further four single nurse posts will be phased out in 2005-06. In the interim, two additional Alice Springs-based nurses will be employed to provide additional support and relief staffing for the remaining posts. This program will result in healthier communities and better working conditions for remote-based nurses. The delivery of health services in remote areas is underpinned by appropriate, safe and good quality infrastructure.
Two new health centres will be constructed in 2004-05 at Kalkarindji and at Yuendumu, where the Northern Territory government is contributing half of the required costs. The completion of these centres will ensure a better working environment for staff and better services for clients.
In 2004-05, the Territory will also be contributing an additional $2m for expanded HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs. This was an area of need identified in the Bansemer review.
Finally, I would like to highlight funding for research of $4.6m in 2004-05. Research from the Menzies School of Health Research and CRC for Aboriginal Health, and our own in-house research conducted by the Health Gains Unit, make a valuable contribution to the evidence base of our health policies and services. Just last week, a major article by the Health Gains Unit has been published in the Medical Journal of Australia, which shows that, dollar for dollar, without taking into account aspects such as distance and isolation, the Territory is almost 20% underfunded in Commonwealth grants, based on the incidence and severity of illness, mainly to Aboriginal Territorians. We will therefore continue to push the Commonwealth to meet its funding commitments to the Northern Territory. We will also continue to promote, at the maximum practicable level, community control and involvement in the delivery of primary health care to Aboriginal communities.
These budget highlights show the depth of this government’s commitment to moving forward to provide the best possible health and community services to Territorians. We have reviewed the department and its operations, and we are delivering on the recommendations of that review, rather than allowing it to gather dust. We have long term plans, as outlined in our priorities for building healthier communities over the next five years, and we are beginning the process of delivering on them. We are moving ahead to deliver better outcomes for Territorians, and it is an achievement of which our government is proud.
Turning now to my Justice portfolio: Budget 2004 supports our focus on building safer communities by providing the first significant injections of funds into the Territory’s prison system for many years. $26.5m additional funding is to be provided over the next four years to implement the 71 recommendations of the Correctional Services Review, A Path to Good Corrections. With this government’s $75m investment in building our police force and delivering 200 extra police officers on the ground by the end of 2008, our government has already taken significant steps to tackle crime and to build a safer community. This $26.5m funding injection into our prison system will see us turn our prisons and prison officers into a second crime fighting force, building on the law enforcement work of our police force.
The major focus of these prison reforms will be to fight crime by reducing re-offending by up to 50%. Targeted work and education programs aimed directly at preventing re-offending will be introduced into our prisons. Specialist programs targeting specific offending behaviour, including sex offender and ‘criminogenic’ programs will be delivered.
An important element of building a safer community will be tightening security in our prisons by improving the readiness of prison officers and other staff to respond to a crisis. More prison officers will be recruited, and training will be increased to ensure ongoing skills and professionalism, as well as greater opportunities to contribute to reducing re-offending through rehabilitation programs. The government’s tough on crime approach with more police on the streets is working with better clear-up rates and tougher sentencing, and our corrections system is seeing the results: more criminals going to gaol for longer.
To cope with the increased prisoner numbers, construction will start immediately on an $8m low-security area at Darwin prison in 2004-05 to provide an additional 100 beds. This budget also provides a significant increase to core funding for prisons of $2.6m ongoing to cover the rising costs from increasing prison numbers and longer sentences. These reforms will ensure that our prison system is secure and effective, is able to cope with prison numbers, and is effectively using the more than 320 prison officers currently employed in our prison system, to fight crime by reducing re-offending.
I move now to the other budget highlights from the Justice portfolio. With the reform of the Associations Act last year, the government recognised a need to provide resources for training, capacity building and administration of the new legislation, given the large number of associations in the Territory, and the range of community, sporting and other important Territory interests that they represent. To that end, the government has committed a further $265 000 to training to assist the office holders in the many associations around the Territory to understand the requirements of the act, and to build the skills and knowledge necessary to run a successful association. Education and training workshops have also already started and will be held in a wide range of regional centres and communities throughout the Territory during 2004-05.
I am pleased to announce that the initial success of the Community Justice Centre pilot has led to a further commitment in this budget of $100 000 for that initiative. The Community Justice Centre opened its doors for business in June 2003 and, since then, has dealt with a wide range of issues such as neighbourhood disputes, conflicts between family members, workplace conflicts, consumer complaints, tenancy disputes, small claims, and other civil disputes. Mediators are now available to all major Territory centres, and I congratulate them on their ongoing work.
Together with the budget initiatives I have just outlined, the year ahead will see ongoing work on building a safer community through continued emphasis on crime prevention work across government and in community safety partnerships. I have already outlined how our police force and prisons will work at the coalface to tackle crime and reduce re-offending, but we will also attack the causes of crime through crime prevention partnerships with the community and through targeted actions based on community consultation and solid research.
This budget sees our Office of Crime Prevention funded for over $2.5m for the next financial year, allowing the office to continue across government and in partnership with local communities. In the next financial year, the Office of Crime Prevention will:
encourage the ongoing involvement of the community in crime prevention and community safety activity
at grassroots level;
continue to support regional and indigenous crime prevention councils and encourage communities to establish
new councils in their areas;
publish crime and justice statistics providing Territorians, for the first time, with an accurate and independently
verified source of information on recorded crime;
participate in the development of a sexual assault prevention plan with the newly established Sexual Assault
Taskforce;
continue to administer the successful $400 000 Northern Territory crime prevention grants scheme which
provides funding for local and targeted crime prevent initiatives; and
develop a whole-of-government five year safer communities framework.
The government will continue to support victims, witnesses and their families through the allocation of $620 000 to the Witness Assistance Service attached to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be further supported for the critical work it does in our criminal justice system, with an additional $100 000 to appoint another prosecutor to deal with the increased criminal case load.
Finally, I would like to mention our ongoing negotiations with the Commonwealth to secure funding for the juvenile diversion scheme. Members would be aware that funding for this important scheme was to cease in August this year. Following our negotiations with the Commonwealth, they have agreed to extend funding until the end of the next financial year. During that time we will be carefully considering the evaluation report recently completed by the Commonwealth and determining how the scheme might best be structured to continue to attract ongoing Commonwealth support. Budget 2004 lays the groundwork for an exciting year ahead in my justice portfolio with new initiatives funded to help build a safer community and support the fight against crime.
Turning to my home, Central Australia, this government has a commitment to a strong, vibrant Central Australia. We are driving its economic growth through a difficult time for its tourist industry. We are developing partnerships with Aboriginal people to ensure a stable, secure future. We are delivering on more nurses, more teachers and more police to Alice, the Barkly and the bush. We are investing in the great lifestyle that Central Australia has to offer. Central Australians want action on the release of land in Alice Springs for residential dwellings, new product for the tourist industry that will stimulate domestic and international interest, capital works that support the myriad of small businesses that rely on construction activity, decent roads, good health services and a high standard of education and training, safe communities and a healthy dose of sport, arts and cultural activities. We do not ask for much.
This budget has delivered on those priorities. Tourism is a key economic driver for the Centre. $38m will seal the Mereenie Loop Road over the next three years, and combined with a huge increase in marketing and development funds provided by the Northern Territory Tourist Commission will ensure the industry has the strongest backing possible for a recovery after the difficulties of the past few years. This year, over $0.5m will be spent specifically on marketing Central Australian destinations: Alice Springs itself, the Barkly and Uluru/Kata Tjuta. This is in addition to the normal marketing and public relations dollars spent on promoting the Centre. We are also spending $280 000 on a significant upgrade of the Battery Hill Mining Centre.
One of the Martin government’s key achievements for Alice Springs this year was the release of land for urban housing after a decade without significant land releases. We all recognise that 85 blocks is only a start and the government’s commitment to more land releases in negotiation with native title holders is indicated by the $1m allocated to headworks for Mt John Valley. The construction of the Desert Knowledge Precinct is receiving $25.6m over the next two years. This is not only a strategic project for the future economic development of Alice Springs but will provide a welcome boost to the construction industry.
The construction industry will also welcome $2.9m to be spent on upgrading fire safety and airconditioning at Alice Springs Hospital over this and the next financial year; $750 000 for fire safety at the Tennant Creek Hospital; $2.5m from this year’s budget towards the construction of the CDU campus in Alice Springs; and a $1m senior’s village of six units in Gillen in Alice Springs. $1.7m for the next stage of Traeger Park upgrade will allow a new grandstand to be built as well as other facilities. With the considerable investment this government has made, Traeger Park is now able to attract top rate games including quality cricket and AFL fixtures.
For many small construction businesses, it is the small projects that are their bread and butter. Projects such as the $225 000 to be spent on upgrades to the Alice Springs Desert Park; $250 000 for air conditioning at Gillen Primary School; $150 000 for landscaping to the pathways along Wills Terrace; $140 000 for drainage work on Crown land beside the beautiful Alice Springs Golf Course; and $65 000 to provide walkways, landscaping, seating and shading along Leichhardt Terrace.
Significant amounts of money will be spent on infrastructure out bush, which benefits businesses as well as the host communities. Kalkarindji will receive funding for a new health centre to the tune of $1.5m. Docker River and Nyirripi are getting new power stations. Imanpa, Hermannsburg and Yuendumu are getting upgrades or extensions to their power supplies. Alcoota, Alpurrurulam and Lajamanu will have improvements to their water supplies and a new ranger house will be built at Finke Gorge. Ti Tree Police Station will receive $220 000 for an upgrade.
Our road network continues to receive the attention it so desperately needs. As well as $38m allocated to the Mereenie Loop Road, access to Borroloola will be significantly improved once $4.8m is spent on rehabilitating parts of the Carpentaria Highway and Wollogorang Road. A further $1m has been allocated to the upgrading and sealing of the Tanami Road as part of our $6.5m election commitment to this important beef, mining and community road, and over $2m will be spent in Central Australia on strengthening bridges, and rehabilitation and widening works on one of our primary assets, the Stuart Highway.
This investment in construction and other economic drivers must be accompanied by an investment in the training of our local young people. This is why we are investing $390 000 to the continuation of Footprints Forward, the one-stop shop which supports businesses and mentors young indigenous people to get and retain employment. It is a partnership between business, government and Aboriginal people which promises to reap long-term benefits for the region.
However, strong regions are not just about physical development. This government proudly balances growth in lifestyle; that is why we see the support for the Desert Song, the Alice Springs Festival and the BassintheGrass in Alice Springs as so important. The Masters Games will receive $500 000 for their 10th games this coming October, and the hugely popular Wizard Cup Challenge Game in Alice will again be supported.
Safety in our towns and communities is being addressed with a massive boost to police, including extra Aboriginal community police officers in Central Australia. The extra policing will be backed up by our support for community crime fighting initiatives, such as $260 000 to Community Harmony in Alice Springs and $290 000 for Tennant Creek, as well as delivery of associated accommodation infrastructure. A share of the $400 000 for crime prevention grants will be enthusiastically welcomed by the Central Australian community. Increased funding to child protection services throughout the Territory and a major overhaul of community corrections will also add to our commitment to reducing the causes of crime.
I have also spoken of the investment in health in the Centre, through the $11m increase in funding to the Alice Springs Hospital ICU and HDU units, helping us to improve services and retain specialists in the Centre. We will also be investing in improved hospital staff accommodation, new clinicians offices, extra nurses and staff. The commitment to phasing out single nurse posts is a significant increase in remote health care resources. I am delighted that two of the first four to receive an additional nurse are in the Centre.
I am proud of the investment this government has made into Central Australian jobs and lifestyle through this budget. I am proud of the increase in services to the bush that this budget delivers. Central Australians make a huge investment in their community. I am proud this government has got behind them to ensure that the Centre keeps moving ahead.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, in closing, this is a good budget, despite the opposition’s attempts to doom say it. The community is getting a very good coverage through the interests that are embodied in the commitments under this budget. It will be welcomed by the vast majority of our community. While governments cannot do everything, we have used the resources available to us to invest the resources behind what is most important from a government, and that is ideas and vision. In all three of my portfolios, I look forward to a year now where we can get beyond the minutiae of day to day administration and start doing some visionary moving forward. The resources are there to do it, the ideas are there to do it, the commitment from the government and the community are there to do it. I believe we are going to have a great year.
Mr AH KIT (Community Development): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, for my portfolios the key message of this budget is that the significant increase in tasks we started last year will continue.
The 2003-04 financial year resulted in substantial increases in the scope of policies administered and services delivered by my department. The scene has been set in 2003-04 with $20m in additional funding to the department, taking the annual budget from $204m at the beginning of 2003-04 to an end of year estimate of $225m. This includes:
$6.5m in one-off capital grants;
$4m has been allocated for Indigenous Essential Services to meet some part of the massive shortfall
and ongoing neglect of services in remote areas;
$2m for a home ground for the Palmerston Magpies, an important election commitment; and
$500 00 to upgrade the Katherine sports ground, for a much needed boost to sporting infrastructure in the town.
Excluding the one-off capital grants, the funding level for my department has been broadly maintained in 2004-05, allowing us to progress and consolidate the implementation of major policy platforms introduced in the past 18 months. Connected through the broad theme of community development, my portfolio brings together functions that require specific strategies and policy directions. Most are now in place.
There is significant work now under way to improve the conditions of public housing. Within the next three months, I intend launching Home Territory 2010, a strategy that will take us through the next decade to meet Territory Housing needs.
The Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures strategy provides a framework for Territory regional development. In the last budget, I announced the provision of the biggest increases in funding in this area for many years. This effort is maintained this year.
Community Harmony has delivered significant change to the streets of Darwin, and is gradually moving into regional centres. I will also put forward a strategy for the development of sport in the Territory. This strategy will recognise the importance to the Territory of sport in health, social, economic and development terms, and will guide development of facilities, infrastructure and support for many years to come.
In short, this is a budget that maintains a commitment to the portfolio areas for which I am responsible that is greater than has been achieved by any other government of the Northern Territory. The extent of the need in areas requiring the services of my portfolio is substantial. I want to do more, and the government wants to do more. I will continue to seek avenues through which additional funding can be leveraged. I will continue to examine policy and strategic directions that can deliver across all areas of my portfolio. In the meantime, we have maintained the high level established last year.
The total operating expenditure for 2004-05 for the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs is $218m. This includes $21m for the Arts and Museums portfolio, which is the responsibility of the Chief Minister.
The Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures strategy has now been in place for just 12 months, and already benefits are evident. This strategy signalled the start of a new era in regional development in the Northern Territory. I am confident that in the future this government will lift our regions to new levels of economic and social development and sustainability. The stronger regions strategy sets a clear direction for work across the whole-of-government. It seeks changes in the way that the government relates to regions, and has put in place mechanisms that will, over time, demonstrate their value to regional stakeholders and across government.
I noted in the debate on amendments to the Local Government Act in February that I believe that a review of the act was required. I will shortly announce terms of reference for that review. While it should deal with substantial issues, it should not drag on. I intend to set a time limit that will have the review completed and recommendations in my hands before the end of the year.
As part of the stronger regions strategy, I announced last year additional funding to employ 10 community development officers in my department. These are now in place and beginning to have an impact. The stronger regions strategy has changed the operational arrangements and approach taken by staff. A group of key officers with qualifications and experience appropriate to the task are now specifically allocated to the task of monitoring accountability for the delivery of local government services. This more specific focus has allowed the addition of a further 22 officers to carry out the regional and community development agenda of the stronger regions strategy, giving a total of 32 officers who will focus heavily on the implementation of a development agenda.
Development officers will play a critical role in achievement of the government’s desire for strong regions where economic and social outcomes are sustainable, and where cultural diversity is respected. To ensure that officers have the necessary skills to undertake this enhanced role, tertiary training is being developed in partnership with the Charles Darwin University. The Graduate Certificate in Community Development will commence at the CDU in the Semester 2 of 2004.
A number of priority projects are now well under way. Wadeye, also known as Port Keats, is the site for a major Indigenous Communities Coordination Project that is trialling new ways of achieving cooperation between three levels of government. To ensure that the Territory is able to obtain full benefit for the people at Wadeye from this work, the government has committed $358 000 for the Chief Minister’s task force on priority partnerships. Two additional staff will be employed and resourced to work with staff of other agencies to coordinate service delivery to remote areas, with an initial focus on Wadeye, Mutitjulu and Jabiru. Partnerships and regional development go together, but they are not easy to achieve and to maintain. One means that is being utilised to foster and develop this process is the placement of key officers in communities. My department placed an officer in Borroloola in August last year to bring together a focus on regional initiatives and regional development. While it can take time for it to be possible to access real outcomes, the signs are promising.
A further initiative along these lines will now be put in place with the allocation of $224 000 to my department to employ a coordinator to operate in the Groote Eylandt archipelago, who will be supported by a departmental officer. They will supply greater coordination of government service delivery in the archipelago and provide strategic direction for developments in the region. They will be involved in community development activity, liaison, and the development of more effective governance arrangements for the area. Other priority areas include Nyirranggulung-Mardrulk-Ngadberre in the Katherine East area, the Tiwi Islands, Jabiru and Kakadu, the Barkly, Anmatjere, the West MacDonnells and Alyawarra regions in Central Australia.
The five regional development boards are now in place. Funding of $500 000 is provided on a recurrent basis for a regional development fund which is directed towards regional development activities, including planning initiatives, facilitation of strategies under regional development plans, and assistance in negotiating partnership agreements with local governing bodies. Funding will also be used to partially support a State of the Regions conference to be held in September 2004. Regional development plans are being progressively developed for all regions and will be the vehicles for negotiation across the whole-of-government. The Katherine Regional Development Plan was approved by government in September 2003, and the Anmatjere Regional Development Plan approved in November 2003. A review of the Barkly Blueprint is about to commence and initial planning has commenced on the East Arnhem Regional Development Plan, a Thamarrurr Regional Development Plan, and the Gulf Regional Development Plan.
Water safety has tended to be a matter of interest only as a result of the impact of pool safety requirements. There is, however, a much wider and more important set of issues that need to be dealt with. The government moved to establish the Water Safety Advisory Committee in November 2002. This year we have established the new Water Safety Branch. The branch will coordinate all facets of the water safety campaign, aiming to increase the level of awareness of water safety issues across the spectrum of relationship in interaction of Territorians and tourists with water.
In regards to sport and recreation, Territorians place great value on lifestyle and our unique attractions and are enthusiastic participants in a multitude of activities. Their sporting prowess is well known across the nation and overseas. This government is well aware of the benefits of physical activity. Through my Office of Sport and Recreation, the grants program has been boosted with an additional $0.5m to further support sport and recreation organisations to operate effectively and deliver quality programs to members, officials, volunteers and participants. A capital grant of $0.5m has been approved for the provision of improved facilities at the Katherine Sports Ground, and $140 000 has also been approved to fund the construction of a skate park complex at Katherine, a project that was included in the Regional Development Plan and seen as a priority by the Katherine Regional Development Board.
An additional $1.7m will be made available for Traeger Park in Alice Springs further increasing the capacity of the ground to attract major events to the town. This will bring a total of around $2.4m available for Stage 3 of Traeger Park development honouring our $5m election commitment.
The Hidden Valley Raceway has deteriorated after years of neglect. This government has committed $1m to remedial work at this sports facility that hosts one of the Territory’s most popular sporting weekends, the V8 Supercars.
The Territory soccer fraternity has been frustrated for many years with the lack of a home ground. The government provided over $50 000 in 2003-04 to review the administration of the code in the Territory. I recently announced $500 000 of grant funding to improve junior soccer facilities across the Territory. Also, the Budget provides $500 000 to commence works on the soccer stadium at Marrara.
The 2004-05 financial year also sees the welcome return of the Arafura Games as well as a $1m increased to attract and hold major international and national sporting events in the Territory including next month’s Women’s Netball between the AIS Darters and Queensland Firebirds; Darwin’s second Cricket Test against Sri Lanka in July; a four match Men’s Hockey Series between Australia and South Korea in July; the first ever AFL Premiership points fixture in August; an International Soccer Challenge in August; the return of the Perth Wildcats for their second NBL home game in Darwin in February 2005, as well as the 10th birthday of the Alice Springs Masters Games in October.
The 2002 Alice Springs Masters Games were an enormous success, generating a direct income flow to Alice Springs of over $7m. Preparations are well under way not only to renew old relationships, but also to entice new participants to Alice Springs this year. The 2004-05 financial year will also see another Northern Territory Sports Awards night to celebrate sporting excellence in our community. With the level of sporting greatness we have here in the Territory, I am sure the number of nominations received this year will better the number of nominations received in 2003.
Once again, the Northern Territory Institute of Sport has shown that the Northern Territory is able to develop a range of talented athletes despite our small population base. In recognition of their outstanding sporting talent, 116 Territorians across 18 sports have been awarded with full-time 2004 scholarships to the Northern Territory Institute of Sport, with an additional 35 part-time scholarships awarded.
I am proud to announce the success of the Junior Elite Development Scholarships, also known as the JEDS program. I initiated this program last year. From this program, 14 Territorians have received individual scholarships for the first time including young sailor Jack Benson, Alice Springs cyclist Nic Ruscoe and Katherine’s Joel Lewis.
Some of the highlight over the year from this program include:
Michelle Halprin won gold for Australia at the Asian Youth Championships in Hong Kong in February.
Michelle is also ranked now Australia’s No 1 youth bowler;
Joel Lewis became an Australian junior champion by winning the Under 15 National Title for the cycling
criterium;
Alice Springs’ Mathew Stephens was selected in an Under 17 Australian cycling team which competed in
New Zealand in 2003. Mathew became the first Territory-based cyclist to make an Australian team following
his selection in the National Development Group, which went for the Oceania Junior Men’s Development Camp;
Katherine track cyclist Corey Heath also became the first Territorian to make an Australian track team as he came
third in the one-lap time trial at the recent Under 19 Australian Championships;
Maria Tsoukalis won gold at the Oceania and South Pacific Junior Championships in December 2003. Maria’s
performance was a great contribution to the Australian junior team. Maria also won the TIO Junior Sportsperson
of the Year Award; and
the Northern Territory Hockey Community has produced two more Australian representatives with Desmond Abbott
and Greg Anstess selected in the Australian Junior Talent Camp Squad. The squad represents the players likely to be
selected for the 2005 Junior World Cup to be held next year in the Netherlands.
In all, over the past year, the NTIS has seen 24 scholarship holders receive national representation and five selected by national club teams. These achievements are incredible given Northern Territory’s small population base. Some of the performances we can look forward to over the next years are:
ten pin bowler, Andrew McArthur, has been named in the Australian team which will contest the Asian
Championships in Thailand in July;
talented Territory cyclist and NTIS scholarship holder, Corey Heath, who will contest the World Junior Track
Championships in July; and
talented southern districts AFL player, Richard Tambling, who was drafted at this year’s AFL draft.
This long list of achievements is proof of the Northern Territory government’s positive support and investment in helping the NTIS create an environment where our youngsters can excel. This government will continue to support our elite achievers and provide them with the opportunity to realise their sporting dreams for themselves and for their community.
In regards to the Community Harmony projects, one of the most important responsibilities of government is the development of a harmonious community. I have spoken many times about the difficulties caused by people who act in an unacceptable way in towns throughout the Northern Territory. Community Harmony aims to find ways out of the itinerant lifestyle to home, or to appropriate services or interventions to allow people to live more productive life styles. While there is still much to do, Community Harmony has had proven success in Darwin by using patrols by traditional owners, Return to Home programs, day activities, transient and transitional accommodation options, re-integration programs in remote communities, night and day patrols, youth patrols, and sobering up shelters.
Regional Harmony Group committees are in place in four regions, and they are gradually having an impact in other major towns. The hallmark of this project has been a consensual approach to decision-making that involves over fifty agencies, including all key Aboriginal and non-government organisations. Short-term accommodation options have been included in Darwin and Palmerston. Plans are under way for a short-term accommodation facility in Alice Springs. Options for developing a community centre on a town camp for temporary accommodation are being considered in Tennant Creek, and a multipurpose facility is being planned for Nhulunbuy.
In regards to essential services in remote areas, people in remote areas generally prefer to live there. They will not do this though if they have lousy services and lousy places to live. This government recognised that there had been inadequate funding of power, water and sewerage services for remote indigenous communities over many years. Many of the assets in the communities are now at or near the end of their economic life and require replacement, and repairs and maintenance costs have been escalating. Funding for indigenous housing provided through the Commonwealth-funded National Aboriginal Health Strategy and the joint Northern Territory and Commonwealth-funded Indigenous Housing Authority of the Northern Territory programs has increased the demand for power and water, a demand that had not been sufficiently met under previous governments. This government increased the funding for power, water and sewerage essential services for remote indigenous communities from approximately $35m per annum to over $45m; a commitment we have maintained for 2004-05.
In regards to libraries, preserving our indigenous culture and increasing the opportunities for libraries in remote areas to assist in the development of information, literacy and basic literacy skills, are important aspects of community development. Last year, my department, through the Northern Territory Library and Information Service, assisted the commencement of three pilot knowledge centres in Anmatjere, Wadeye and Galiwinku. Further work has been done during the year to identify the essential building blocks for successful libraries and knowledge centres. The implementation plan for regional libraries and knowledge centres will continue this year, with $230 000 being directed into this area. Libraries preserve our documentary heritage for all present and future Territorians. An important initiative is the introduction of legal deposit legislation to ensure the preservation and availability for future generations of the published intellectual record of the Territory’s economic, cultural, social, scientific and education activities in the Northern Territory library.
Through a range of capital works programs and other projects, public housing tenants who reside in older housing will benefit from improved amenity and condition of their homes. The community will be pleased with the improved appearance and safety within their neighbourhoods, and more jobs will be created for Territorians who are small or single trade contractors, through direct and sub-contract labour. Due for completion this December, a total of $6.8m will be spent on the redevelopment of Kurringal to construct the Fannie Bay Seniors Village. It will provide 40 new ground-level two-bedroom homes for seniors complete with a community meeting place. The units will be specifically constructed to meet the needs of older people who may have disabilities, and the grounds will be attractively landscaped.
A major renovation program under Territory Housing’s urban renewal repairs and maintenance program commenced in 2003-04. This program will continue through 2004-05 with $1.754m allocated to fully renovate 40 to 50 houses NT-wide. In 2004-05, the focus for the works will be to provide tenants of our older properties with basic amenities that include the internal and external painting, floor covering replacement, kitchen refurbishment, bathroom refurbishment, bedroom and linen cupboard replacement, and solar hot water system replacement. As well as improving the conditions of older public housing stock and neighbourhood appeal, this project means all public housing tenants will be able to enjoy a consistent standard of housing regardless of where they live or how old the house is.
This government recognises the vital role that safe, secure and affordable housing plays in assisting people to participate fully in their communities. This year, $3m will be spent on developing a number of public housing complexes across the Territory. $1.5m has also been dedicated to extend the level of security in public housing through the addition of security screens. Other housing budget highlights for the 2004-05 financial year include:
$1.035m is allocated to providing financial assistance for community-based organisations to deliver crisis
accommodation and transitional supported accommodation through the community housing and crisis
accommodation programs;
$1.050m through subsidised rental will go to community organisations to provide alternative housing options
for people with special needs;
an additional allocation of $500 000 will be made available to community groups to purchase, build, upgrade
or modify crises and community accommodation services through Territory Housing’s capital works program;
$830 000 will be granted to indigenous organisations to provide a tenancy support service to assist Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people to access and maintain public housing; and as part of this government’s commitment
to improving conditions; and
this government will provide greater access to affordable housing by subsidising public housing tenants with rental
rebates totalling $23m. This rebate is the difference between market rent on public housing accommodation and the
various concessions available that are accessed by public housing tenants.
In regards to the Territory Housing’s direct tenancy leasing, Territory Housing will lease houses directly to its remote public sector employees rather than to the employing agencies. The benefits of this new policy include the establishment of tenant and landlord responsibilities, improved dwelling maintenance, and recovery of tenant responsibility costs for repairs. Agencies such as Education and Health will be relieved of housing responsibilities and we will have it much more centralised, particularly when we deal with the remote areas.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, that is my contribution to the budget. As other members on this side of the House said earlier, this is a good budget. I believe that this is one of the best budgets that has been brought forward in this House. The Treasurer has done a good job. We have a situation where we are catering for all Territorians and it is not an easy task to ensure you spread that money around fairly and equitably. We have had our priorities. We have put money into education, health, police, and tourism. We are ensuring that there are more dollars going out into the remote parts of the Northern Territory. We believe that this budget will go down as one of the best in history.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Family and Community Services): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to outline today the significant opportunities and advances afforded Territorians in the 2004-05 budget. This is the Martin Labor government’s third budget and proudly my first as minister. This budget is keeping the Territory moving ahead and is a budget that helps Territory families get ahead.
As Minister for Family and Community Services, I am delighted to see a budget that is about putting families first. This budget is about more jobs, and more jobs helps more families. This budget is about record tax cuts and helping small business and this helps families. This budget is about initiatives that promote our great Territory lifestyle. This budget is about making the Territory a great place to raise a family. Recently, we have seen attempts to buy the votes of families with one-off cash bribes. The Martin Labor government is about supporting families every single day of the year, supporting them with services, supporting them with health, education and community safety. We are helping families get ahead with a record spending health budget. We are helping families get ahead with record funding for education, and we are providing safer communities for families with the record police budget and more police on the beat. These records spends are all part of our long term plans that will put the Territory first whilst strengthening the important links between family and community.
I am proud of the Territory lifestyle. It is a unique, enviable way of living that is simply unmatched anywhere else in the country. It is a lifestyle that gives individuals, families and communities the perfect foundation for balancing work, family and play. This government is building on this foundation by committing dollars to continue enhancing our wonderful lifestyle. When we talk about lifestyle, we generally talk about the place in which we live, our fishing, great parks, arts, culture, sports and entertainment. But woven into that lifestyle is family. The Martin Labor government recognises that the wellbeing of families is critical to the Territory’s future and it is absolutely instrumental that we commit funding to putting Territory families first. This is the only way we will keep the Territory moving ahead.
My portfolio is diverse and deals with many of the significant challenges facing Territorians as individuals, families, and a society. It includes the impact of alcohol and substance abuse, the trials and joys of senior years, the challenges of living with a disability, mental ill health, the scourge of child abuse and neglect, and supporting Territory families in crisis. The objective of the portfolio is to work with Territorians to build strong and hopeful lives not only for this generation but also for those to come.
My colleague, the Minister for Health, has already acknowledged the significant reforms introduced by my predecessor, and I too recognise the considerable momentum she forged through the Bansemer Review and subsequent initiatives. This government presented its Building Healthier Communities framework in February, a framework designed to build a better health system for all Territorians.
This budget shows that Territorians have a right to be optimistic. It contains substance and continues the example that Labor offers the Territory; a government that delivers on its plans. The government has said that it is committed to working with Territory families, community, staff, professional groups and unions. Territory families should be reassured because this budget demonstrates the resolve of government to improve the level, scope and reach of family development and crisis support services available to Territorians. This budget continues Labor’s efforts to encourage individuals and families to try for themselves, but try in the knowledge that the social safety net provided by government is in place, ready to help them bounce back. We are in a better place today then we have been for many years to support, serve and nurture the family and community needs and aspirations of Territorians.
I have said previously that Labor is committed to building a cohesive and forward looking Territory society. We cannot do that if significant numbers of families and children are marginalised or unable to access services, particularly at times of greatest need. The job we confront in the Territory is not an easy one. Stresses in family life can come from a number of sources. For example, poverty is associated with increased stress in families. 12% of all Territory families have three or more children. However, 30% of Aboriginal families in the Territory have three or more children. Of all Territory families that have three or more children, about 13% survive on an income of less than $500 per week. Poverty is associated with increased risks of domestic violence and the rate of allegation of child abuse. Reducing the level of complexity of family crisis is influenced not only just by the quality of our interventions but also by the levels of poverty, overcrowding and other family stresses.
I have said that Labor will support families in communities and will encourage them to be active participants in solving the problems they face. Labor will work with families in need as well as seek to prevent the flow of families in crisis. The difficulties that push families into crisis range across the spectrum of life’s challenges. At their worst, they can result in children needing to spend short periods in and out of home placement, to crisis where children need more longer-term arrangements. Responding to the needs of families is always a balancing act between maintaining the responsibility of parents to do the best they can, and the need to ensure that if they reach their limit, that appropriate services are available to bolster their resilience and capabilities.
In keeping with our commitments, the budget provides an increase of $3.6m to Family and Children’s Services, bringing the total in 2004-05 to more than $44m. This increase delivers the promised 10% improvement in funding to Child Protection Services and includes $600 000 towards a new Family Support Program. The opposition spokesperson was pleased by the government’s commitments to foster carers and Building Healthier Communities. No one should be surprised that this budget delivers on that commitment. We have already increased the payment to foster carers by 8% as of 1 January 2004. This budget provides $595 000 to fund the ongoing cost of this increased payment to foster carers as well as to provide greater scope to attend to the need of children in the system, including children with high needs. Labor is committed to promoting and maintaining the social independence of Territory individuals and families and helping them to overcome crisis. The provision of quality child care offers potential benefits for the health and wellbeing of children. The budget includes an additional $300 000 to fund the increase in childcare subsidies.
This budget continues the work Labor commenced in 2001, by bringing greater stability, confidence and commitment to the Family and Community Services portfolio. These things are important for the staff who work in this important area. They are important to the families and individuals whose lives may be heading towards crisis. They are important for the Territory community because they help us as a society to build greater trust in the institutions that support our families and protect our children.
The Martin Labor government inherited a mental health system that was fragmented, under-resourced and poorly supported. The previous government blatantly neglected this important area of our community health. Let us not forget that mental illness affects one in five Australians and that the burden of disease attributable to mental illness in the Northern Territory ranks in the top two. This government said in 2003 that it was committed to addressing the historical levels of under-funding and inaction and, despite the scepticism of some opposite, we commenced our reform program in 2003-04 with an additional $2m.
We said when we launched that reform that we would continue to improve mental health funding. This budget continues to deliver on that commitment. In 2004-05, the government will increase mental health funding by $2.6m to more than $25.7m, a record amount. Funding has been allocated for two child psychiatrists; one in the Top End and a second one with a Territory-wide focus. Central Australia will also get an additional child and youth mental health worker. For Territorians suffering from mental health problems, this instalment on our promise will mean greater opportunity for early access to services. This funding will deliver increased access to community-based mental health services, and provide additional support to a system on the mend after so many years of neglect.
Labor’s commitment is delivering to Territorians improved prevention, assessment, treatment including sub-acute care, recovery and rehabilitation services. And let us not forget that Labor inherited a mental health system that had the lowest per capita funding in the country.
Territorians living with a disability have not been forgotten by this government. Like Australians generally, the great majority of Australians with a disability live in a private dwelling with at least one other person. In about 72% of cases, they live with their principal carer. Importantly, however, a greater proportion of people in the Northern Territory with a disability live alone when compared to other Australians. Regardless, however, of which circumstances people find themselves in, people like to be at home. Providing an increased level of services in regional and remote locations is an objective that has been identified in Building Healthier Communities. This about, where we can, moving services closer to home so that access is improved.
In 2004-05, the government will provide an additional $788 000 to improve generic and specialist services to people with a disability and their carers. Included in this is $50 000 in Alice Springs and $200 000 in Darwin for services to young disabled people with high support needs. This funding will provide much needed access to day options that allow for ongoing skills development, education and training.
The Northern Territory government will provide $8.2m in 2004-05 to support the pensioner and senior Territorians concession scheme. We estimate that recipients in the scheme will rise to an estimated 17 000 Territorians in 2004-05.
In total, more than $55m will be spent on aged and disability services in 2004-05. We believe that all Territorians have a contribution to make to the life of our community, and these funds will continue our work to build a society in which all can participate.
I came to office committed to the vision of an inclusive and fair society where government resources were well targeted and well managed. The department, for the first time in many years, is being well managed. We expect that the department will deliver a result for 2003-04 within budgetary expectations. This should give us all confidence that the resources allocated in the 2004-05 budget will also be well managed and we will see the results.
In 2004-05, we have increased the Community Services budget to more than $141.9m, an increase of more than 3.7% on the last financial year. We are also better off because we have targeted our funding to areas of significant need; areas left languishing under the previous regime. Government has taken seriously the need of Territorians and we will continue our efforts to build a better future.
I began my budget reply by talking about how proud I am of our great Territorian lifestyle. Let me revisit this for a moment. This is a lifestyle, and as I said at Question Time, that sees Territorians out fishing, hunting and camping at every opportunity. Whether it is playing sport on the weekend, going for a run in the park, sharing a family picnic or heading out bush with some mates, the foundation of our Territory lifestyle is our fantastic urban and natural environments. When I speak of the Territory lifestyle, I do so, not just for those in our urban centres, but also for those in our communities.
Indigenous lifestyles are different, but no less dependent on our environment. The environment is intimately associated with the spiritual, cultural and physical wellbeing of indigenous people, and when the environment is altered, it has serious implications for people on country.
An example is the cane toad. Many Aboriginal people in my electorate have told me that since the cane toads arrived, bush tucker, such as the goanna, is very difficult to find. As we all know, the goanna is important in the diet of these people, and it saddens many of them that such an important animal is being hurt by the cane toad. That is why I am very proud that this government has allocated $400 000 over three years, which includes $80 000 to test prototypes of traps to protect native species from cane toads. To the credit of my colleague, the Minister for Parks and Wildlife, he has been out there pushing for national action on cane toads. His efforts have been well received by federal and state governments. Some may say that this is a small start on a huge problem, but it is money well spent after years of neglect by the CLP who, to their shame, simply stuck their head in the sand.
The Martin Labor government is committed to balancing economic growth with the protection of the environment upon which our Territory lifestyle depends. This is a budget that does just that. It is a budget that will grow our economy, create jobs and, very importantly, make sure that we have the programs in place to protect our natural and cultural assets. Government takes the view that clear and strong environmental requirements create certainty for new investment, and this is good for business as well as the environment.
To this end, government established the independent Office of Environment and Heritage reporting directly to me. This year, $6.1m will be spent on environment programs delivered by this office, up from last year. Together with five new positions previously created, this represents a considerable strengthening of the Office of Environment and Heritage. A major task of the Office of Environment and Heritage is to assess the environmental impact of new developments. I am happy to say that they are very busy in the office at the moment. They are busy because this government is out there growing the economy. Major development such as the Darwin waterfront redevelopment and the Alcan expansion are coming on-line. I have every confidence that the Office of Environment and Heritage will continue to provide me with independent expert advice to ensure that this development is sustainable.
Of course, our environment not only sustains our lifestyle but, together with our cultural heritage, it is the very resource upon which very important industries such as tourism depend. This is a key point and one that I would like to emphasise. Protecting our environment and heritage does not simply mean a greener, cleaner place to use or enjoy; it also means more jobs for Territorians.
This budget continues government’s focus on conserving our heritage assets, with a particular emphasis on World War II heritage which, I believe, will become an increasingly important part of the tourism market as baby boomers down south retire and seek to retrace their mum and dad’s wartime experiences in the Top End. This renewed focus has seen the heritage declaration of Strauss Airfield, a site I firmly believe would not have been declared by the former CLP government. With the leadership and commitment of this government, the site has received heritage protection and, with assistance from the federal government to cover the additional costs of shifting the Stuart Highway duplication, we now have the opportunity to provide tourists with something very special. I am very pleased, therefore, that the budget will capitalise on the heritage listing by providing funding for installation of a lay-by, interpretive shelter, and interpretive walking trail at Strauss Airfield so that the locals and tourists alike can come to understand first-hand the heroism of those who served.
This government is very much leading by example on heritage conservation. The government is the single biggest owner of heritage assets, so it is important that we set the standards for keeping them in good shape. This budget will see $1m allocated for repairs and maintenance to these properties. That is a dedicated spend on repairs and maintenance that simply did not exist under the CLP. It is $1m to the upkeep of some of our heritage icons such as the Residency in Alice Springs, the Katherine railway precinct and the buildings at Newcastle Waters. That is great for heritage, great for small contractors around the Territory who will get more work, and great for tourism.
Conserving and protecting the Territory’s environment and heritage is an investment for the future. Combined with the $84.1m being spent in 2004-05 on conservation and natural resource management, government is investing more than $90m on the environment because this government has the long-term plans that will keep the Territory moving ahead.
Finally, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, this Martin Labor government’s budget for 2004-05 is about less tax, more jobs and our fantastic and enviable lifestyle.
Ms CARTER (Port Darwin): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, as members are aware, I cover a number of portfolios. These include health, community services, seniors, arts and museums. Due to the time limit that I face here this evening of only 30 minutes, I will not have time to touch on the areas of arts and museums and seniors which have been covered in the budget. For readers of Hansard, please be aware that I am concerned with these areas and hopefully we will get an opportunity during the estimates process to pursue matters there.
The areas of health and community services are big areas and need some special attention. I thank both ministers for their responses tonight in this debate which I listened to with keenness. The area of family and community services is obviously a very important area and I wish their new minister well over the remainder of her term. I welcome the extra funding that has gone into areas such as child protection and I hope that over the next year or so we see that having an impact in our community.
The minister, though, always lends herself to making sarcastic and provocative comments with regard to the previous government. The inference is that the CLP has never done a decent thing in 25 to 30 yeas of being in government and that every woe that occurs in the Northern Territory is a result of the CLP having been in government, and that the CLP in government obviously means that the Territory has much worse social, mental health, community problems that any other jurisdiction that ever had the joy of having a Labor government. So obviously, if you cross the border into South Australia and go to the Pit Lands, everything is goodness and light there. Of course we all know that that is not the case and as always I do find this petty politicking somewhat of a bore.
Mental health, for example; we have had Labor in government now for three yeas. Mental health is in no way glowing and happy with how they are going. You only have to tour an area such as Cowdy Ward in the grounds of Royal Darwin Hospital to know that it is overcrowded. You only have to listen to what the staff tell you with the fact that sometimes more than one patient has to share what was once a single bed room to realise the problems there. You only have to read the Northern Territory News which had an article in it a month or so back raising concerns that the staff there are getting ready to pursue industrial action. So, things are all not glowing in the area of mental health under Labor.
The minister makes comments often with regards to years of neglect under the CLP. May I warn her and her colleagues that every time they say that, various agencies - for example, I have here a submission and I am sure the minister has seen it, from the Northern Territory Carer’s Association. It is a discussion paper prepared for distribution to all NT political parties as this very capable group get ready to lobby, and they are obviously doing it now in the hope that we will all develop policies that affect carers in a positive manner. We have had Labor in government for three years and to quote from this document: ‘The funding for carer related supports and services in the Northern Territory by the Northern Territory government is, and has been, shameful’. Is and has been shameful. So, you are not that covered in glory, minister. That is your neck of the woods, member for Arafura.
I now turn to the Minister for Health and needless to say given what has transpired in the budget over the last couple of days he is going to get the majority of my time here tonight. Members will be aware that in the 2003-04 Budget Paper No 3 on page 193, the estimate of funding for the Department of Health and Community Services was $561m. Under 12 months later, this week, we have provided to us Budget Paper No 3 for the 2004-05 Budget. The estimate of spending for the current financial year, 2003-04, is now $612m. The difference between one book, what they budgeted for, and the other book, the estimate of spending for the Department of Health and Community Services, has shot up $50m. This is a significant funding increase. In fact, it is 9% of the total budget. In Budget Paper No 3 for this year, there is no explanation, there is no variation. Often when a budget comes down, you have explanations as to why significant funding changes have occurred. This time, nothing. Obviously, the hope is that we will not notice. Well, I am sorry. We have noticed this issue and it is a particular concern.
When the Labor government people go out crowing about increased spending in the area of health, obviously the aim is to impress Territorians into thinking: ‘That is great. We have more money, ergo we have more services and ergo our problems in health are decreasing’. It is a good thing to increase funding in health. I have no problem with increasing funding in health. What I have a problem with is the fact that this government cannot predict massive increases in their health spending. That is the problem: the fact you are unable to manage a budget. You should be able to predict what you are going to need spending in. You should be able to organise your budget 12 months before the spending needs to be done in these huge amounts of money because you have an obligation to Territorians and you have an obligation to Australians whose taxes pay for this.
In February, we had the Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report. Three months ago, it was published and delivered here. On page 26 of that report, the Department of Health and Community Services budget was on track to be overspent by $6m. Three months ago, we were told that by the end of this financial year, community services and health would be overspent by $6m. All things considered, that is probably not too bad.
However, here we are, three months later, and we are told that by the end of June, the blow-out is $50m. You have to wonder what on earth has gone wrong here. Why could they not ‘fess up in February that they were heading for a $50m blow-out? It was going to come out in some point in time, so why not ‘fess up? Was the reason that they did not know? If they did not know, why did they not know? Why did the department not know? Why did Treasury not know and why did the minister not know?
We need to find out what has happened here. If the Treasurer is going to give us a response at the end of this debate, I would welcome some detail as to what went wrong. It was hinted at yesterday but we definitely heard today in Question Time from the Treasurer when I asked questions in this area that the inference was that this is not a blow-out because Cabinet said: ‘Okay, you can have the money’. That was it. The spin on it was that in February you were only going to be blown out by $6m. Since then, you have obviously put to Cabinet requests for another $44m and because Cabinet said yes every time, it is not a blow-out.
Obviously, the discussion that was held behind the scenes was: ‘Heck, we are in a lot of trouble. The last thing we need is the CLP coming out swinging, saying we have blown the budget by $50m. We are going to have to spend this money. There is nothing we can do about it, so you better sign off. When we go into parliament and when they pick up on it, the spin we will give it’ – and this probably took half an hour to figure out – ‘is that because Cabinet said it was okay, then it is not a budget blow-out. We could not possibly have predicted it in February’. Suddenly, every week in Cabinet, they must have been ticking off $5m to $10m extra for health. It must have been exhausting. The fear of being able to have anyone say that they blew a budget was obviously horrific because we know the minute that Labor was elected three years ago, the two things they had to do were: one, convince Territorians that they could manage money and, two, convince Territorians that crime has got better under Labor. They know that these are the two strong areas of the CLP over many years. So, now, whatever they do, they have to spin things rather than tell people the truth.
Yesterday, the Treasurer claimed the $50m blow-out was caused by two things. The first was the increased funding for child protection. This increase in funding was announced in December last year, and given the problems that are in this area of child protection, I certainly applaud that the government said that they were going to increase funding, services and resources into child protection. I have a document here, which I seek leave to table.
Leave granted.
Ms CARTER: I am pretty sure that this document was given to me at a briefing that I had from the minister’s office some time ago. In the document, it sets out how the extra $50m-odd that is going to be overspent in the years to come is going to be divvied up. For this financial year, that document tells us that child protection is going to get an extra $3.8m. Well that goes a little way into our $50m overspend. And that is because, in February, we were told it was a $6m overspend coming our way. That is basically two-thirds of that $6m. The other reason we were given for an increase in the blow-out to $50m was the wages for doctors and nurses. Quite frankly, this government knew full well that during this financial year there would be an EBA for nurses and an EBA for doctors negotiated. On top of that, their election promise three years ago was to increase nurses’ wages by 15%. And they have gone a good way in doing that. By using your maths, at the start of this financial year, the government must have known that they were going to have an EBA, and that they were probably going to be increasing wages in the vicinity of 3% to 4%. It was not rocket science, so surely that was factored into the budget for this year. It is startling to think that that was given as an excuse as to why there has been a budget blow-out.
There has been a budget blow-out in the area of employee expenses. In the 2003-04 budget, the government had employee expenses, wages, at $289.6m. We find out this week, in our new budget books, that employee expenses will come in at $307m. This is a blow-out of $18m over 12 months in wages for one department, which is far more substantial than the $3.8m for child protection, but not considered worthy yesterday for the Treasurer to use as one of the reasons, one of the big contributors, towards the $50m blow-out. It will be very interesting during the Estimates Committee to get an open and accountable - we are always appreciative of that, aren’t we, member for Katherine? – an open and accountable report from the minister as to where this extra, unplanned $18m went.
In particular, I will be seeking a breakdown which shows how the expenditure in areas of the department’s executive has gone over the past few years. Also, the amount spent on overtime and agency nursing hours, because I am reliably informed this week that, at Royal Darwin Hospital, patient occupation of the wards is running at 110%. That means that, on any given day, every single bed in the hospital is full, and several beds turn over several times during the day, that is where you get 110% patient occupancy from. At the same time, staffing is held at 85% of staffing levels. The reason why a place like Royal Darwin Hospital does that with their staffing is because it saves money and it means that the staff can cope on these busy days because, on the off-chance that we do not have full wards, it then means we are not overstaffed. I am reliably informed by people who are not happy campers that we are currently running at 110% occupancy of the beds and staffing at 85%. In other words, things are flat out there.
Management, of course, are reporting that we are fully staffed, we have no problems, and we have no vacancies. I am aware of nurses who are approaching Royal Darwin Hospital seeking jobs and being told: ‘No, no, no, we do not have any vacancies at the moment’. Therefore, I ask given that: why is it that this year 55 000 hours extra has been worked by nurses in the hospital? These are either agency nurses or overtime shifts at Royal Darwin Hospital. Where will this have shown up in the budget? In the $18m blow-out for wages is where it has shown up. It is going to be very interesting during the estimates process to explore some of these issues. As I said, $50m is a huge blow-out over what was budgeted for 12 months ago. I do not know of any larger blow-out in Territory government history. Quite frankly, it is nearly half of the famous black hole. I ask our ministers: is this okay? Are you concerned? If so, what are you going to do? Does having two ministers now for this one department mean that two people have a credit card and they can just spend willy-nilly?
I know that both these ministers are good and nice people, and perhaps they just find it very difficult to say no. Between the pair of them, they have come up with a $50m blow-out. Even though both of them have only been in the job for six months, looking at the February mid-year report the budget for the department was running reasonably well. It is only since the arrival of the two new kids on the block that things have gone haywire - spectacularly haywire.
When Labor was elected, the Chief Minister said she would sack CEOs who did not come in on budget. We really have to ask: does this mean that the current CEO is packing his bags? Today in parliament, we had a discussion - quite constructive I thought it was - with regards to the current CEO who has put an e-mail out to the department on the same day that the budget was delivered telling the department staff - and I know this e-mail goes out everywhere – that for the first time in 10 years the department has come in on budget. As far as I am concerned, this is somewhat a stretch of the truth. It is something that is going to need to be explored during the estimates process because, quite frankly, this little trick of going to Cabinet and getting a tick-off on everything just so that, when it comes time for budget scrutiny and you guys are $50m over, you will be able to say: ‘Oh no, Cabinet ticked that off’. Really, you are trying to pull the wool over everybody’s eyes.
I know you do this routinely and across the board in all areas. It is like saying the economy is going gangbusters and everything is fine. You only have to walk up that mall, as the member for Katherine and I did today at lunchtime, and speak to people in the mall about business in the Territory. All we get, constantly, is: ‘What the heck is going on?’ You guys might like to go on and on and try to pull the wool over everybody’s eyes on these things, but the truth does out, and it will out in this instance.
Of course, we get the glowing claims that extra money has gone into the budget, and we certainly look forward to seeing how that pans out over the next 12 months. For example, I have some concerns here with the extra money. ‘Record health budget’. Well, of course, it is going to be a record health budget because every year the government tacks on CPI and there you usually have your budget, quite frankly. I cannot image any year where the total for a health budget went down. This year, you guys have given Health and Community Services an increase of $23m between this year and the next. That is an increase of 3.76%. It barely covers normal CPI, let alone the health CPI which members will be aware, particularly our two ministers and the Treasurer, runs at about 7% per annum as per the Australian Bureau of Statistics. You people have only allowed for an increase of about 50% of what was really needed in the increase for this department to continue spending the way it has been and come in on budget.
I guess this time next year it will be same story being coughed up: ‘Oh well, we had a stab in the dark and we came up with a budget figure last year but every time one of our two lovely ministers wanted a little bit extra, they just came to Cabinet and Cabinet ticked it off. Heaven’s above, the last thing we want to do is go to an election year looking dodgy in any way in our budget bean counting’.
I am predicting big trouble. You have not increased this budget in an adequate sense. It is not going to cover health CPI because of the way staffing costs and equipment costs go up. These are the things behind why health runs at such a high CPI each year. I am predicting big trouble for you guys. I suspect in 12 months time we are going to see a Department of Health and Community Services spend in the vicinity of $700m. That is my prediction. For this year, that is the sort of money that you guys are going to end up spending in health. The question will be: what will we see for it? What extra will we see for that extra money? How will the health of Territorians be improved? We will be looking to see that.
What also happens in these budget machinations is that the government tries to rein in spending. The department does try to rein it in. One of the more cynical ways that the government has done this since they came to term is one of their famous election promises to build a hospice. They made much mileage out of this. It is one thing to say, ‘We are going to build a water garden or build some correctional services or even build a convention centre,’ all to be applauded. But to say that you are going to build a hospice and then not build it is cruelty in the extreme. Every year for the past three years, every single Labor budget book that has come in here has said ‘hospice at Royal Darwin Hospital - $3m’. Here we are, three years down the track and if I wandered into Royal Darwin Hospital, what will I see? A car park; the Menzies car park where the famous hospice one day will sit. So it should not be surprising to members on the opposite side that people get a bit cynical in the system as to whether this money will actually ever be spent.
One of your advisors would be pretty disappointed at the moment - Mr Nieuwenhoven used to be the secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation up here. I remember when he launched a significant campaign with the nurses to get something done about the incinerator at Royal Darwin Hospital. That was allocated $2m in the budget book by Labor for 2002-03. That just completely disappeared. We have not heard much about that. In what was meant to have been spent this year, for example, we have had significant spending in Alice Springs hospital - fire protection – no sign of that; Yuendumu Health Clinic, $2m, no sign of that; Milikapiti Health Clinic, no sign of that. What happens is that each year the government rounds it all up into a package and moves it onto the next year and describes it as a revote: ‘We are going to take these funds, we never spent them, we spent them on something else, no doubt nurses wages. We are going to take that sort of concept and we will do it next year. We will just move it along. Hospice, hospice, hospice, hospice.’ For example, these revotes.
You will notice that in this budget book the revote for health totals $16m and for things that have been moved and moved and moved and the new capital works totals $8m. Two thirds of the money has not been spent in the past and it is coming over this year and one third of the money goes to new things. Constantly we get a cynicism out there that you might say you are going to build a birthing suite for example, it will be interesting to see what that looks like in 12 months time. Chances are: not much. A radiation oncology unit fell off the board fairly early in the Labor term. Some people have some cynicism and this is how the department reins in costs in an effort to try to come in on budget. Obviously, they just did not get Cabinet approval for those things.
It was disappointing in the budget to see that 25% of funding has been cut to non-government organisations providing services in the area of alcohol and other services, given the concern that we have in this community for the problems caused by alcohol and other drugs. It would have been great if this government could have seen its way clear to build an alcohol rehab service, a residential service, for the people of Alice Springs being promoted by the people from Green Gates, a service available for all Alice Springs people and people from the area not like the Aboriginal services which are exclusive in those areas. It was disappointing to see a cut in this area; it is an area that should have received more money.
Lost in the budget, of course, was the re-opening of the rehabilitation ward at Royal Darwin Hospital. I know it is a thing I go on about, but those eight beds are sorely missed. Robyne Burridge was on the radio last week representing the disability services area and the consumer services for people with the disability. She was terribly disappointed that the rehab unit is going to stay shut and I concur with her views.
One of their other tricks is to put promises on hold. Labor puts promises on hold. A classic example happening at the moment, I have been advised, is that at Alice Springs Hospital, management have been told not to start spending that famous extra $2m until October. This is the $2m to increase services in the intensive care and high dependency areas. ‘Don’t start doing anything until October’ is the message to them. ‘Wait a good five or six months, then you can pop an ad in the paper for some extra staff and we might put someone on by late February’, which means that of that $2m, hardly any has been spent. That is always a good strategy to avoid actually spending any money.
It reminds me of the year 2002-03 when Labor promised $2.3m for an extra 25 child health positions out bush, primarily to be nursing positions. I can tell you: the people promoting that within the department just pulled their hair out of their heads. They worked hard in developing job descriptions, they had everything ready to do the advertising campaigns and, no, it was all put on hold. Nothing happened. I would be very surprised if there are many of those extra 25 positions on the ground as we speak today. That was another ploy: make the big promo in the press, get the newspaper clippings, aren’t we great helping out Territorians, particularly the disadvantaged out bush? What happens in the end? Nothing. A good little strategy.
There are many issues with the Department of Health and Community Services. We have estimates to look forward to. Members will be aware of how incredibly disappointed I am at the extraordinary lack of opportunity that the opposition has to ask questions in this vital area. I do not know how it is going to work now that we have two ministers, but it will be interesting to see how it goes.
The issues that we are going to have to look at are the spectacular budget blow-out and to explore what the heck went on there. I am quite sure that the Treasurer has his toecutters from Treasury wandering the corridors of the Department of Health and Community Services, trying to find out what the heck went on. It will be interesting to see if they can in any way rein in their spending during this 12 months. As I say, I doubt it and, given the fact that they have barely touched on normal CPI, let alone health CPI, I wonder how close they will get to my estimate of departmental spending for this year to be $700m. If you do spend $700m, I hope we get some good bang for our buck out there.
The government will continue to be tricky in its implementation of this budget, delaying spending, revoting capital works. I will be looking forward, in 12 months time, to tour the new birthing centre to see how that is going and the refurbishment of the maternity ward, something that I agree needs to be done.
What is disappointing about this budget is that it lacks vision. It does not address the key issues of bed blocks for general beds in our public hospitals, particularly Royal Darwin Hospital and Alice Springs Hospital. Sure, there are extra intensive care beds and things like that, but what about general ward patients? These are the people waiting days on trolleys in our emergency departments for a comfortable bed on a ward where they actually turn the lights off at night.
The other thing it does not do is promote our community health services. Hospital in the Home is an area which should be increased so that we can prevent people going into hospital beds and care for people in their homes. Community health desperately needs more funding and resources to prevent people having to go into hospitals. The other thing it does not do is address industrial problems. Royal Darwin Hospital is brewing for an industrial dispute in the next month or so. Workloads are horrendous and this government has done nothing to deal with that problem.
Mr VATSKALIS (Mines and Energy): Mr Acting Deputy Acting Speaker, it is great to be here tody to speak about the 2004-05 Budget. It is not me as a member of this government who will praise that budget; praise has been received from different sectors in our community, namely, the Chamber of Commerce and the business community, the property groups and many others who have seen this budget as a pro-business budget. Somebody mentioned that it was a business-friendly budget, and certainly it is. It is a budget that caters for Territorians, for the small businesses, and we are the first to acknowledge that there were some hard times in the past few years, even before the change of government. Business in the Territory suffered, the construction sector suffered, there was a downturn in the economy of the Territory, and we now see it improving, crawling back to what it was before. This budget is going to boost the economy, it is going to boost the economic activity, help small business, help the construction sector and generally provide some certainty for a bright future for Territorians
This budget is good for Territorians. Speaking as a local member, I am very pleased that this budget caters for the people in my electorate. First of all, it caters for the people in my electorate because, according to the statistics, a significant number of people in my electorate are people with small businesses, people employed in small businesses, and a significant number in my electorate are people employed in the construction industry. This budget has good news for small business, but also for the construction industry. Especially with the urban renewal, the housing renewal, the spending in housing, in remote communities, in spending in housing to house public servants, to upgrade the existing houses and to build brand new houses. This means a lot of work for contractors, a lot of work of sub-contractors will flow down to the labourers who work in the NT building construction sector.
Also, for bigger business, with the Darwin City Waterfront redevelopment, and the oil pipeline and associated equipment at East Arm Wharf, the boat loading facility at Darwin Port Corporation, means big money for our big businesses. That, in turn, will help smaller contractors in the Territory. It will provide the bulk of the services, the bulk of the equipment.
The 2004-05 Budget delivers less tax, more jobs and great lifestyle. A record infrastructure program of $441m means more jobs and opportunities for Territorians, but also means providing the vital infrastructure for the Territory, and that is not only the Top End and Darwin, but also throughout the Territory.
The capital works program of $279m is especially important for my electorate of Casuarina, as I said before, because it will produce work in essential projects for my constituents, including the $1m upgrade of Alawa Primary School, and $1m for the upgrade of Nakara Primary School. These schools were built 30 to 35 years ago, and since then have never had a major refurbishment, never had a major upgrade and they look really old and tired. This money will go to a good cause; it will be used to help improve the condition of the schools, and certainly will improve the teaching and education environment for our children. At the same time, it will provide quite a bit of work for the local contractors in the area.
Less tax is also important for Territorians. Business will benefit from the payroll tax general exemption, which will increase from $600 000 to $800 000 in the new financial year, and eventually rising to $1m on July 1 2005.
Our unique Territory lifestyle is what makes living here so special. Recognising this, the Martin government will fund a range of great initiatives into 2004-05, with a couple of projects in the northern suburbs and outer Darwin, including the headworks for a Darwin soccer stadium and improvement works at Hidden Valley Raceway.
A record $635m Health budget will ensure Territorians will have the best options for their families, with many improvements to the quality of services throughout the Territory. Again, for my electorate of Casuarina there are a few key items, including the birth centre and the hospice for the Royal Darwin Hospital, and a lift for disabled access to Casuarina Senior College.
Returning to my portfolios, it gives me great pleasure to outline the budget initiatives for my portfolios of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Mines and Energy - both within the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development – and, of course, the Office of Ethnic Affairs. The Ministry for Primary Industry and Fisheries, together with Mines and Energy, are responsible for delivering programs and services relating to sustainable resource development across the Territory and, because of their very nature, often in our remote and regional areas as well. The NT boasts one of the most diverse multicultural communities in Australia, and these multicultural communities have not been forgotten in this budget.
The Fisheries Group works in partnership with stakeholders to facilitate a sustainable development of our aquaculture industry and fisheries, and aquatic resources. The great work and world-leading science of the Fisheries Group is acknowledged with our major fisheries afforded the highest level of sustainability under the Commonwealth government’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The budget contains an additional $436 000. We recognised that fishing and aquaculture holds significant potential for the social and economic benefit for indigenous people. Specifically, this money will facilitate the on-site involvement and training of indigenous people in their communities to maximise opportunities for local employment.
Already, the department has helped with the first trials of sponge aquaculture at the communities of Goulburn Island and Maningrida. This is something really funny. Here in Darwin, the majority of the Greek population come from the island of Kalymnos, where major employment was actually sponge diving. Here we are, many years later after we brought the first sponge divers to Australia to dive for pearls in the Northern Territory, establishing the first sponge aquaculture to improve the conditions and the economic condition of the indigenous communities.
In addition, funding till facilitate the supply of ‘crablets’ to indigenous regional communities such as the Gwalwa Daraniki Association, to enable it to establish and maintain a mud crab aquaculture business.
I also commend the Fisheries Group for the Certificate of Commendation at last year’s Commissioner’s Awards for Equity and Diversity. This was awarded for the indigenous fisheries apprenticeship program which was implemented in 2003. As well, some funding is provided for the indigenous community marine ranger program that, to date, has employed 18 rangers. This includes five rangers employed by the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation through the Djelk ranger program, and eight rangers with the Thamarrurr ranger program at Wadeye.
$1.403m will be used to develop aquaculture opportunities in the Territory, in addition to supporting the establishment of a commercial marine finfish hatchery which supplies the land barramundi farm at Port Hurd on Bathurst Island. The aquaculture program has substantially supported the ongoing development of barramundi, prawn and pearl farming in the Northern Territory, and is now undertaking work on the commercialisation of mud crab, trepang and sponge aquaculture.
As you are no doubt aware, the Darwin Aquaculture Centre spawns and rears barramundi fingerlings for commercial fish farms, often with a surplus of fish between 50 mm and 100 mm. Many of these surplus fish have been stocked in Manton Dam, and negotiations are currently under way to stock Lake Bennett and the disused water supply dam at Mt Todd near Pine Creek.
Last year, the government provided $620 000 to establish a new level of bio-security for marine aquaculture research facilities in Australia, and aids in the protection of Darwin Harbour and its flora and fauna.
$100 000 has been earmarked for a review of the Fisheries Act, in consultation with indigenous, commercial, recreational and community requirements for the future of fishing in the Northern Territory. This legislation will be reviewed in consultation with all fisheries stakeholders.
The Fisheries Group continues to work closely with the barramundi industry and other stakeholders to revise the current management arrangements for the commercial barramundi fishery. $50 000 has been earmarked for this purpose. This will include a 10-year resource sharing plan. The Northern Territory has been very successful in achieving accreditation from the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage for exports for our major fisheries. In the Northern Territory, the barramundi and aquarium fisheries are the final two fisheries that require accreditation, and $35 000 has been allocated to ensure that the deadline is met.
The Northern Territory government continues its support for the NT Seafood Council with a grant of $175 000 which has been derived from fishing licence revenue. Following public submissions, upgraded security at the Buffalo Creek boat ramp and extending the Dinah Beach boat ramp were identified as priorities. These works are currently under way and will be completed in the next few months.
Other initiatives to honour our commitment of $1.5m to improve the recreational fishing infrastructure include new ramps at Borroloola and Mule Creek providing a greater access to McArthur River, improvements to the Palmerston boat ramp and land based anglers through the platform or other facility at the Elizabeth River bridge in consultation with the Palmerston City Council.
In March, the Fisheries Group recruited two new officers for a one year period. These officers have been tasked with the management, development and promotion of recreational fishing in the Northern Territory. Riverwatch, a joint community and Fisheries Group initiative, has seen the establishment of information centres on the Daly, Mary and McArthur River systems. A further $50 000 has been earmarked to ensure similar centres planned for the Roper and Victoria River systems are established in the coming year.
The budget also has $170 000 to support the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory which includes $10 000 for fishing club grants. Together, the Fisheries Groups and AFANT have negotiated a series of outcomes as part of AFANT’s budget preparation for 2004-05. These outcomes include management of angler data collection programs on the Victoria, Roper, Adelaide and McArthur Rivers; implementation of the Tiwi Islands fishing access permit system; representation on a range of fishery advisory committees; management of the government’s funding grant program for fishing clubs and associations; and assistance with the negotiation and establishment of fishing access agreements.
A Land Access Working Group works with relevant land councils and pastoral lease holders to increase recreational fishing access opportunities in the Northern Territory. The group has now a dedicated officer and $150 000 has been earmarked to allow significant progress of this initiative during 2004-05.
The Northern Territory government has committed over $22m to be spent in support of Northern Territory Primary Industry programs during 2004-05 financial year. Primary Industry staff of the department continue working with, and revising, sectoral plans for its primary industry under the Northern Territory government’s Economic Development Strategy. The sectoral plans ensure industry growth that is sustainable and best practice. Northern Territory primary industry comprises cattle and other livestock including buffalo, crocodiles, poultry, pigs and camels; horticulture including fruit, vegetables, nursery and cut flowers; and cropping including peanuts, field crops, hay and seed. The current estimated gross value of production of these industries for 2002-03 in the Territory is $295m including $184m from the cattle industry, animal industries at $14m, food crops at $11m and horticulture at $86m.
Northern Territory primary industries employ an estimated 1900 people. Northern Territory programs for primary industries have a strong regional delivery focus: the agricultural mixed farming program is focussed in Katherine, Douglas Daly and Darwin area; horticulture is mostly in the Top End including Katherine, with some in Ti Tree and Alice Springs; pastoral programs support the export trade in the Darwin region and cattle production from Katherine through to Alice Springs; and resource protection services are located throughout the Territory with laboratory support provided from Darwin.
I now turn to some of the specific budget allocations for the Primary Industry: $1.3m has been earmarked for industry development support; $50 000 will be utilised to raise the profile of locally grown or produced food products throughout the Territory and through the Food Group initiative which has branches in Darwin and Alice Springs; the budget contains an additional $457 000 for delivery of programs that will help expand indigenous pastoral and horticultural enterprises on indigenous owned land; restore and expand employment opportunities for indigenous people in rural and remote areas by identifying training needs and coordinating the delivery of the training; and support the practical application of skills.
I am pleased to announce a recent staff addition to the Indigenous Pastoral Project with a dedicated officer now working from the Alice Springs Arid Zone Research Institute. Staff are also working with the horticultural industry and have developed and are working to a strategic plan that encourages the development through the management of knowledge, improved industry skills, and land, water and infrastructure availability.
The value of horticultural production in the Northern Territory, including nursery and cut flowers, for 2003-04 is estimated to be $85.6m. In this budget, $2.9m has been earmarked for research, expansion and development programs across our horticultural industry. This program will focus on continued work on our research stations to create an effective partnership with the horticultural industry and organisations that I mentioned earlier today, developing new products or varieties, developing and testing production technologies, providing support to achieve best practice supply chain management, and packaging and distributing horticultural information.
Work will also continue with the mango industry on improving management of the through-chain from the farm gate to the retailer. As such, $3.4m will be used to maintain the programs of grower accreditation and certification assurance, the management and/or eradication of plant pests and diseases, and the provision of laboratory services. $900 000 will be used to support public health and environmentally-related water quality monitoring for arid and remote communities.
To ensure livestock health and market access for the Territory, this budget contains $4.3m to support ready access to all available domestic and export markets of Territory livestock, including cattle, camels and buffalo. This service will include veterinary laboratory services; animal disease control and emergency response programs; inspection treatment certification services to facilitate the sale of animals and animal products; and a collaborative program for the Charles Darwin University.
A further $4.9m will be used for targeted research, development and extension services to the pastoral industry, and maintaining services on the Territory’s research stations. $3.6m will go towards agricultural development programs to ensure in continued research, development and extension services to enhance and promote mixed farming development in the Northern Territory. These programs include intensive cattle and buffalo production from improved pastures; hay and seed production; dryland Wet Season crop production; irrigation production; Agroforestry production; and continued work on the Territory’s research farms.
The mining industry remains one of the most important industries in the Northern Territory, accounting for 23% of gross state product in 2002-03. The Minerals and Energy Group within the department is the principal Northern Territory government agency responsible for supporting and regulating the Territory’s mining and petroleum industries. The Minerals and Energy Group works to promote the development of the Territory’s mining and petroleum industries and regulates these industries to ensure good practice in health, safety and environmental management.
The Minerals and Energy Group has funding of over $20m for the 2004-05 financial year. The Northern Territory government’s Building the Territory’s Resource Base program focusses on enhancing the Territory’s geological prospectivity, but providing industry with high quality, low cost, new generation geoscientific data, information and ideas. $3.8m has been earmarked from the 2004-05 Budget for the second year of this four-year initiative.
The Geological Survey division has an allocation of $7.45m for this financial year. This division is responsible for:
collecting, interpreting, synthesising and disseminating geoscientific data to attract and render more effective
mineral and onshore and offshore petroleum exploration and enable geoscientists to focus on enhancing the
Territory’s geological prospectivity and improve delivery of information to explorers; and
presenting results to explorers at the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar, known as AGES. Preparations
are currently under way to host the Central Australian Basins Symposium in Alice Springs in August 2005.
Under the capital works program, $360 000 has been allocated for the construction of a free standing, dedicated storage facility for mineralised drill core samples at the Winnellie depot in Darwin, which is managed by the Geological Survey division.
The Mining and Energy Services division, which incorporates the Group’s executive unit, has a budget of $7.1m. Of this, $897 000 will ensure the continued work by the Indigenous and Mining Industry Services unit to conduct information and training sessions with indigenous community councils and schools about the mineral and petroleum industries.
The Northern Territory government considers effective liaison with traditional owners about mineral and petroleum exploration is crucial to ensuring the benefits of exploration can be shared by all Territorians. With teams and officers now based in Darwin, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, the department has enhanced its capacity to provide targeted services to the mining industry and regional indigenous communities.
The Northern Territory government has committed funding to continue the administration of renewable energy programs including the Commonwealth’s Renewable Remote Power Generation Program and Photovoltaic Rebate Program. Under the Renewable Energy Rebate Program implemented by the Northern Territory government, $38.2m of Commonwealth funding is available to provide remote power users with cash rebates of 50% to replace expensive diesel generation with renewable energy. It is anticipated that over $4m will be distributed under this program in the next financial year.
These rebates assist communities and remote pastoral properties to provide reliable power for 24 hours a day, and also provides cheaper power supplies to Territorians living in rural and remote locations. The projects supported to date represent a capital expenditure of $16m, representing $8m in rebates and $8m in owner contribution.
The Titles Division of the Minerals and Energy Group has a budget of $2.3m to continue its critical role of granting and maintaining mineral and petroleum titles in the Northern Territory. Specifically, the Titles Division facilitates valid legal access to Northern Territory mineral resources through processing applications for mineral and petroleum titles, and is working to build productive partnerships between the government, the mining and petroleum industries and Northern Territory land councils, which will facilitate access to land for exploration and mining.
This division is also undertaking the review of the Mining Act to ensure its timeliness and relevance as the legislative basis for the administration of mining tenure in the Northern Territory.
The Mines and Petroleum Management Division has been allocated a budget of $3.97m. This unit oversees the mining and petroleum industries to authorise, inspect, monitor and audit companies to ensure they operate safely, in accordance with best practice and minimum environmental impact.
The Territory government is committed to protecting the safety and health of those in the mining industry and, to ensure the industry plays its part in protecting the environment, new legislation was introduced in January 2002 being the Mining Management Act. The act is designed to encourage continuous improvement in health, safety and environmental management by mining operators in the Northern Territory. The act represented a significant change from the previous highly prescriptive legislation to objective-based regulation.
While traditional inspections and investigations continue to be undertaken by the government as regulator, there is an increased emphasis on auditing of mining operator’s management systems and their continued development and improvement under the Mining Management Act.
$250 000 has been earmarked to ensure the effective and efficient management of petroleum and mineral resources to ensure maximum benefit for the Northern Territory. Departmental specialists review mine management plans and development proposals for mining and petroleum operations. Where appropriate, approvals are made with any necessary conditions to ensure that the target resources are developed in a manner that maximises the potential benefit to the Northern Territory.
Last, but not least, I move to my Ethnic Affairs portfolio. It is my pleasure to highlight some of our support for the Territory’s migrant and ethnic community through my Ethnic Affairs portfolio. The Martin Labor government is implementing a wide range of initiatives to build a better Territory, not only on the economic, but also social and cultural fronts.
In 2002-03, as part of our support for multiculturalism, we increased funding for the Ethnic Affairs Sponsorship Program by more than 50% from the amounts voted by the previous CLP government. Today, the program has a total value of $697 000, and I am pleased to announce that the 2004-05 Budget maintains this level of funding. The budget allows us to continue with the initiatives taken by the Martin Labor government in connection with the Cultural and Linguistic Awards, valued at $150 000 per annum.
The 2004-05 Budget includes a number of exciting funding initiatives to ensure Territorians continue to promote, celebrate and share with one another our unique multicultural mix. The major initiative is the $500 00 per annum being provided by the Martin government for three years to assist migrant and ethnic communities to refurbish and upgrade their existing facilities. This new program recognises the importance that these facilities play in maintaining the great Territory lifestyle. It is expected that, as a result of making this grant for community facility improvements, ethnic communities will be able to provide better facilities, not only for their own community groups, but for the wider community.
It also recognises that some communities have limited ability to raise the funds required to make capital improvements to their facilities. Applications under the program will be invited in the new financial year. These new funds take the total financial assistance available to the migrant and ethnic community through the Office of Ethnic Affairs to $1.197m. In other words, 300% more than the amount of money that was available when we came to government.
The Martin government is committed to encourage and support those who have settled in the Territory from different countries to continue their cultural ties and traditions and share them with the wider community. We also support the Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory and the Multilingual Broadcasting Council of the Northern Territory to move to Malak Shopping Centre as part of the plans to develop a multicultural community centre. This move would see both organisations move closer to their client base, and provide additional facilities for the community.
In conclusion, yesterday I was amazed to hear some of the remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition in his budget response and I quote:
Madam Speaker, grandstands and soccer fields are well and good and add to the enviable lifestyle of those
Territorians who are staying here but, apart from the initial construction phase do not add to the economic
growth of the Territory. It is such things that make up a large part of this infrastructure spend, and almost
40% of it is not on new infrastructure anyway but repairs and maintenance.
Clearly, the Leader of Opposition is unable to relate the economic benefits that accrue to the Territory as a result of the upgrade to the Marrara Sports Complex and Traeger Park in Alice Springs, and the playing of the international test cricket that was played last year and, of course, more is coming this year. The reality is you do not always spend money to build and maintain the facilities to be utilised just for Territorians. These facilities also attract world famed international events like cricket and soccer. We are going to host an international Soccer Challenge for Under-18s. I recall very well a few years back when the Darwin Cubs were playing Singaporean and other South-East Asian Soccer teams. They were attracting many Territorians to the existing facilities, and also attracting interest from other countries. Quite apart from the economic benefit, there are the lifestyle benefits that these events will bring, that are so appreciated by all Territorians. If we do not have the infrastructure we are not going to get the events.
I suppose the Leader of the Opposition sees no benefits in the $500 000 that we have provided to upgrade the ethnic community facilities. He probably sees it as short-term construction work that brings no lasting benefits to Territorians. Unfortunately, he is wrong. By providing funds to upgrade the facilities increases the ability of the ethnic communities to promote a culture that provides benefits to all Territorians.
In closing, I must respond to some of the claims being made about Budget 2004. The opposition is supporting comments made publicly by their candidate in Nhulunbuy, Mr Manning, who is also the chair of a fishermen’s organisation, that the Fisheries budget has been cut by $500 000, and he gives the budget a score of zero out of 10. Quite simply, Mr Manning got it wrong again. The Fisheries budget in 2003-04 was $7.5m, and this year will be $9.3m. Any preschooler would tell you this is an increase - $7.6m to $9.3m. You have a clear increase of $1.7m. In the final estimate for 2003-04, this value includes the commercial barramundi licence buy-back that I announced earlier today, and the conclusion of an externally funded three-year research fund. Either the opposition is wrong or Mr Manning is wrong.
Madam Speaker, the budget delivers less tax, more jobs, and a great lifestyle for all Territorians and, quite rightly, the budget has received acclaimed praise from business groups, property groups, and all Territorians.
Dr BURNS (Transport and Infrastructure): Madam Speaker, the Northern Territory is entering a new era of social and economic growth. We are also on the threshold of further major developments across a wide spectrum. The government’s record infrastructure budget for the 2004-05 year will deliver more jobs for Territorians and will enhance our unique lifestyle that is envied throughout Australia. The record infrastructure budget will ensure Territorians receive the full benefits of economic growth. It balances economic growth with the promotion of our lifestyle and the protection of our environment.
The budget is constructed to ensure infrastructure is in the right place at the right time to deliver the right services to Territorians, and to support the growth of small business and our industry sectors. It also means a record budget for capital works, repairs and maintenance, and minor new works for the benefit of the construction industry and other sectors. It builds on the government’s long-term plans to put the Territory first, to maximise jobs and economic opportunities for Territorians, and to ensure that services are delivered effectively.
Infrastructure spending in the 2004-05 Budget builds on the historically high level allocated in the 2003-04 Budget. Total infrastructure expenditure for the 2004-05 Budget is $441m of which $274m or 62% is allocated for capital projects. Budget expenditure on repairs and maintenance is $167m for 2004-05. Power and Water Corporation capital works in the 2004-05 year is budgeted at $52m while $39m is budgeted for repairs and maintenance. The 2004-05 infrastructure budget provides for major expenditure on key projects that will stimulate the Territory’s economy and underpin our growth. In 2004-05, the Territory government will spend $6m on the Darwin City Waterfront Project to prepare the site and install the first phase of high voltage electrical distribution. This is the next step towards the $600m development of the Darwin Waterfront Project, a fantastic project for the Territory. The Darwin City Waterfront project will include a convention and exhibition centre, alfresco dining, residential areas, plenty of shaded space, boat moorings and a waterfront promenade. Darwin City Waterfront will put Darwin on the world map for conventions and be a draw card in its own right for other travellers.
The views of the community gathered from a series of forums and information sessions are being taken into account and will ensure that the final development reflects the history of the waterfront and is in harmony with its surrounds. The preferred development consortium from the short list of three will be announced in August with construction due to start in early 2005.
The 2004-05 Budget includes $2.5m to construct a new cruise ship terminal to provide improved facilities to cater for the increasing numbers of cruise ships visiting Darwin. Another boost to tourism and the local economy will come from the $38m project to seal and upgrade the Mereenie and West MacDonnell Loop Roads over the next three years which the Chief Minister announced recently. $10m has been allocated for the Mereenie and West MacDonnell Loop Roads in the 2004-05 Budget creating jobs and business opportunities while boosting the tourism industry. Another $4.5m has been allocated to complete stage 1 of sealing the Litchfield Loop Road.
Spending on infrastructure for our parks and reserves is also well supported in the 2004-05 Budget. $500 000 will be spent on the Gregory National Park in the Victoria River Gorge area to construct a boat ramp, toilet facilities, car park, and provide pedestrian access to the river. $575 000 will be spent on stage 1 of the Limmen National Park in the Gulf region. This expenditure will provide visitor facilities at the Southern Lost City, Butterfly Springs and the Towns River crossing. This will include camping areas, toilet facilities, park furniture, a viewing platform, a day use area and – I am sure the member for Casuarina will like this – a boat ramp.
$500 000 is allocated to further develop management of Leanyer Recreation Park. This provides for supervision by lifeguards and rangers, and maintenance and security of equipment. A further $1m will be spent on improving camping access, walking tracks and picnic facilities at national parks all across the Territory. These are just some of the works that are programmed for Territory parks and reserves in 2004-05.
The $52m capital expenditure by the Power and Water Corporation will provide for the government’s continuing program to underground electricity supplies in Darwin suburbs, thereby increasing the reliability of supplies in storms and protecting the infrastructure from cyclone damage. It is planned that the entire Nightcliff network will be underground by July 2005.
Major capital works are planned in the 2004-05 year to augment power generation in Alice Springs to meet continuing growth in the Alice. Works will also continue on the delivery of Power and Water Corporation’s $6.2m water re-use scheme in Alice Springs, another issue that the former CLP government failed to act on for decades. As Power and Water minister, I have taken a great interest in this. It is a great project and a great initiative by the Martin Labor government.
Expenditure on upgrades to water supply services at Ti Tree is budgeted at $1.3m. Major capital works are programmed for generation and switchyard facilities in Tennant Creek in 2004-05 to improve the reliability of supply. Growth in Darwin also requires further investment, estimated at some $8m to increase the reliability and security of the electricity supply in the CBD. Expenditure on the Territory-wide Sewer Relining Project is budgeted at $2.5m for 2004-05.
The government’s election commitment to deliver power to Dundee Beach will be met in 2004-05, with the spending of $5m to complete the 22 kilovolt line from the McMillans Substation to Dundee Beach. I will just digress here. This is a fantastic project. I have been lobbied by many residents of Dundee Beach, including the Mahoneys. I met with the Mahoneys and, basically, it has been very welcomed in the Dundee region. This is a government that sticks to its election commitments. We made an election commitment to put power at Dundee, something this crowd could never do in 27 years. I am hoping that it will be completed in the 2004-05 financial year and what a feather in the cap for this government.
Similarly, the 2004-05 Budget provides for extension of mains power along Wooliana Road, and the relocation and upgrade of the Nauiyu power station to supply the increased load. This is another service upgrade the CLP ignored for two decades. This service extension was another election commitment of the Martin Labor government. I am sure the member for Daly is listening to this. This is in his electorate. He could not deliver, but here is a government that promised and delivered. When I was at the Barra Nationals a couple of weeks ago, I spoke to a number of residents in the region and I gave them a little bit of a hint that there could be good news in this budget for the powerline along Wooliana. That will be a fantastic boost to the Daly region in infrastructure and tourism potential. It is going to attract a lot of investment into the Daly River, which is a fantastic region of the Territory, one which this government is safe guarding its future. We deliver on our commitments.
Environment and land tenure issues need to be resolved prior to finalising the design along Wooliana Road. The Nauiyu power station is prone to flooding and is difficult to access in the Wet Season. Relocating the power station is a component of a flood mitigation strategy for the region and will provide environmental benefits by moving it out of the floodplain.
The capital works program for the Port of Darwin totals $20m. This includes continuing works on security upgrades and cathodic protection of Stokes Hill Wharf. Major new works that are included in the 2004-05 program include:
$2m for the construction of the new quarantine incinerator at East Arm. The site of the ageing incinerator
is required for the Darwin waterfront development and the port’s major operations area, of course, is now
located at East Arm;
$10.3m is allocated for the installation of oil pipelines to enable fuel discharge at East Arm to service a new
Darwin industry fuel terminal being constructed by Vopak Terminals in the Darwin Business Park at East Arm.
This is another development that has happened under the auspices of this government. The previous government
struggled with it; it has now become a reality and it is something we are very proud of. It is a fantastic project and
it is going to have knock-on effects through the freeing-up of the land at Stuart Park and the Stuart Park tank farms.
The Darwin industry fuel terminal is due to be commissioned in the second half of 2005, ultimately leading to the
freeing-up of significant areas of inner Darwin land for redevelopment; and
$7m is provided for the construction of bulk materials capability. The completion of the rail/port link has improved
the economics of mining activity along the central rail corridor. Negotiations are progressing with one major exporter,
and it is anticipated that bulk handling capacity is likely to be required at the port in the first half of 2005.
The 110 m extension of the common usage wharf, and the construction of the bulk liquids berth, is expected to be completed by September this year. The design of the oil transfer pipeline that will connect the bulk liquids berth to the joint industry fuel terminal is well advanced. The joint industry fuel terminal represents an investment in the Darwin Business Park of some $50m by Vopak Terminals. Total import and export trade through the Port of Darwin is expected to be close to one million tonnes in the current year.
Exports of live cattle in the current financial year have been restrained to some degree by the strengthening Australian dollar. This has been offset by an increase in rig tender tonnages. These tonnages will be up about 40 000 tonnes due to the level of activity associated with the Bayu-Undan development. The projected tonnages for 2004-05 are about 1.3 million tonnes. There will be substantial load-outs of armour rock for the gas pipeline in the coming financial year. These are expected to total about 360 000 tonnes.
I turn now to the operational areas in my Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, and the excellent work undertaken by departmental officers across a whole range of services. The department is on track to achieve its operational budget for 2003-04. Based on current receipts and expenditure, revenue targets are likely to be achieved and expenditure will be within budget. The department is to be congratulated on achieving the budget targets and providing high standards of service to our community. All capital cash will be spent - and I hope the member for Brennan is listening to this - and all departmental repairs and maintenance will be fully spent for 2003-04.
As honourable members would be aware, the role of the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment is to balance development with conservation. The biodiversity of our plants and animals is being threatened by a particularly destructive pest. I refer, of course, to the spread of Bufo marinus, also known as the cane toad. We have had some discussions in this place about the cane toad. The entry of the cane toad into the Northern Territory has the potential to threaten some of our native species. In 2003-04, $10 000 was provided to establish ‘ark’ environments on selected islands off our coast to conserve biodiversity and mitigate the extinction of species threatened by the spread of cane toads in the Territory. The funding will be used to, firstly, breed selected species in captivity; develop the capacity of island communities to stay toad free; help tour operators and freight owners to put procedures in place to keep islands free of cane toads; and lastly, help people identify and manage cane toads through an awareness program. As previously announced, the Northern Territory government has provided a further $420 000 over the next three years to be spent on research on long-term biological control methods and towards a secretariat for the proposed national taskforce.
As I announced last month, we will spend $390 000 to upgrade security on public transport. This will include installing security cameras in more than 80% of our public buses and on board the Darwin to Mandorah ferry service. Closed circuit monitoring systems at bus interchanges and lighting of key shelters will also be upgraded. As part of our new arrangements with contractors, our urban bus fleet will be upgraded with 13 new buses introduced in the next two years. The new buses will have the latest technology, low floor easy access, airconditioning and security cameras as standard, making our bus fleet one of the best bus fleets in Australia. By the end of 2005, 80% of our buses with have low floor access and 87% of all public buses will be airconditioned.
Our overall budget for public transport in 2004-05 is $228m, a boost of more than 10%. The budget includes provision for bus services to special events. In the interests of public safety and to encourage community participation, the government will fund special bus services to a number of events in 2004-05 including the Shell Touring Car Championships at Hidden Valley, the Royal Darwin Show, the Darwin Cup, the Arafura Games, and Starlight Specials on New Year’s Eve.
The 2004-05 Budget recognises the crucial role of volunteer fire fighters in communities across the Territory. The Volunteer Bushfire Brigades of the Bushfire Council of the Northern Territory has almost 300 active volunteer members who manage wildfires over 1.35 million square kilometres …
Mr Maley: You cut their budget.
Dr BURNS: What is that?
Mr Maley: You cut their budget, didn’t you – the Bushfires Council?
Dr BURNS: No, listen up, member for Goyder. … or nearly 99% of the Northern Territory. Clearly, this is a vital service to the community, and we are pleased to support our Volunteer Bushfire Brigades with additional ongoing grant funding of $260 000. So, member for Goyder, that is $260 000 extra. However, it does not stop there ...
Mr Burke: No, you just said ongoing. That holds no new money.
Dr BURNS: It is extra. We have extra money in there, recurrent funding for the Bushfire Brigades. I have just said it. The funds will help repair and replace firefighting vehicles and cover the purchase of personal protective equipment, and operational expenses. These additional funds will bring the total grants to be distributed to the volunteer brigades in 2004-05 to approximately $900 000. This builds on additional funding provided in 2003-04 to establish an Arnhem Land fire control region at an annual cost of $210 000, and an additional $150 000 provided in 2003-04 for individual protective clothing and equipment for all volunteers.
It is my pleasure to go out on an early Dry Season burn and get rigged up in all the protective gear that we supply to the firefighters. They were very pleased about and, as a trade-off, they let me light some of the fires and it was a lot of fun. I can show you a picture of it, and they said I did a very good job.
There is extra money in there for the volunteers for bushfires and also extra money for vehicles. That was one of the asks that they had of me when I first met with them when I first became minister - vehicle replacement. That will be increased and there will be some new vehicles on the block. In the next week or so we will be making some announcements about that.
In 2004-05, my Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment will participate in a collaborative research initiative that aims to improve understanding and community awareness of the role of fire and biodiversity management in northern Australia.
This government has taken action to protect the unique asset we have in Darwin Harbour. The Darwin Harbour Regional Plan of Management will guide the next five years of development, natural resource management, monitoring, and research. The plan will ensure that the harbour’s ecosystems remain protected and the harbour’s value as a recreational, cultural, commercial and scenic resource is maintained. Government has committed $365 000 to implement all of the priority actions identified in the plan for 2004-05, including the ongoing role of the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee. This includes:
$100 000 to develop and implement a stormwater management strategy;
$55 000 to survey the harbour region to identify sites of significant cultural, spiritual and
heritage value;
$30 000 to develop an integrated environmental monitoring program for the harbour region;
$30 000 to develop an inventory of the existing data management system and data sources for
water quality, flora and fauna and other related data, and to evaluate the quality of existing data;
$15 000 to identify and evaluate the significance of current gaps in scientific knowledge at an ecosystem level;
$15 000 to develop a communication and education program; and
$120 000 to support the role of the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee, the Ecosystem Monitoring Group,
the Ecosystem Research Group and the Indigenous Working Group and their related functions.
As honourable members would be aware, 2004 is the Year of the Built Environment. The aim is to raise awareness amongst all Australians who live, work and play in a built environment about the impact of buildings and structures and human landscapes on our lifestyle. The 2004-5 Budget includes funding for several initiatives to improve our urban environment, not least of which is our continuing support for urban enhancement initiatives across the Territory. $3m has been provided to undertake a variety of urban enhancement works and heritage trail projects in all major Northern Territory centres and some regional centres. These works include shopping centre upgrades, landscaping, town entry statements, walks, displays and tree planting.
In Alice Springs, the government will contribute $150 000 to an urban enhancement project on Leichhardt Terrace. The aim is to encourage greater use of the river bank by operators and patrons of the CBD with provision of wide walkways and landscape facilities including lighting, seating, shade structures and an area for shows and entertainment. This will be located on the river edge near Parsons Street with ready access into the CBD and shops.
This year will see more than six kilometres of bicycle and walking trails completed along the Todd River in Alice Springs. The trails will extend from the CBD to the Casino causeway, down South Terrace and back along the western bank following Barrett Drive, past the famous Olive Pink Reserve and along past Prickly Park and Sturt Terrace to Undoolya Road, and back to the CBD. The project’s final instalment of $150 000 was recently transferred to the Alice Springs Town Council along with the design and documents for tender to allow for the final stage to proceed this year. The total value of the project has been more than $450 000 over two years.
Five suburban shopping centres in Darwin will receive a facelift in 2004-05 through a project funded by the Northern Territory government in partnership with the Darwin City Council. The Martin Labor government will contribute the major portion of the funds for these upgrades with the Darwin City Council providing $200 000 and work supervision for the projects.
Katherine will soon have a unique three kilometre walking trail along the northern banks of the Katherine River from the old railway heritage bridge to the low level nature reserve. Sealed paths were completed before the 2003-04 Wet Season and work has now begun on the three bridges required to complete the project. All works are expected to be completed over the next few months bringing the total cost of the two year project to almost $525 000. Final works will include high quality interpretation signage along the length of the walking trail.
The government is in the process of appointing a Northern Territory government architect to mark the Year of the Built Environment in 2004. The government architect will have a pivotal role in providing leadership on the built environment, urban design and heritage. The architect will be an ambassador for Territory architecture and will encourage innovation and promote public art.
The Northern Territory government is making life easier for individuals and business by providing greater opportunity for on-line transactions and web-based payments. Within my own department, the 2004-05 Budget includes $250 000 so people can deal with Motor Vehicle Registry on-line or over the telephone. They can register their vehicles, renew their licences at their own convenience by paying by credit card or Bpay. Large private sector fleet operators will be able to renew their registrations in bulk, and licensed motor vehicle dealers will be able to register new vehicles and transfer ownership of used vehicles more easily.
For 2004-05, the government has allocated $50.7m cash expenditure on Northern Territory roads including the works for Mereenie, West MacDonnell and Litchfield loop roads. The total includes:
$1m to upgrade and extend the seal on the Tanami Road and to improve access for mining, pastoral and
tourism industry and remote communities;
$1.3m to install traffic lights at Export Drive/Berrimah Road and duplicate Cochrane Street to enhance
access from the Stuart Highway to the Port, the Darwin Business Park and the railway terminal facilities;
$4.8m to fund the first stage of a project to improve access to Borroloola. This will include rehabilitating
the Carpentaria Highway and the Wollogorang Road;
$500 000 to improve drainage and partially seal the Oolloo, Fleming and Cadell Roads in the Douglas Daly
region. These works will improve access and encourage and support economic development of livestock
and agricultural industry in the region;
$500 000 to gravel sections of the Dorisvale Road north west of Katherine. This will improve access for
pastoral stations and communities, and reduce safety risk;
$1.6m to complete the seal to Belyuen on the Cox Peninsula Road. This will improve access for the Belyuen,
Mandorah and Wagait communities. Combined with the sealing of the Mereenie Loop, it also provides further
opportunities for tourism development in the region. This is yet another project that the former CLP government
ignored for two decades; and
$1m to selectively gravel the Oenpelli link from Cahills Crossing to the Central Arnhem Road to meet the increasing
demand by communities and tourists for improved Wet Season access to the area.
In total, $29.4m is provided for repairs and maintenance spending on Territory roads. In addition to this expenditure on Northern Territory roads, a further $37.4m will be spent on Commonwealth-funded national highways and programs.
This government has been lobbying hard to have the Commonwealth government address the underfunding the Territory suffers under the Commonwealth Roads to Recovery Program. The Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association industry representatives have also been lobbying hard to address this anomaly in Commonwealth funding. It is on the record: we have 9000 km of roads outside council borders in unincorporated areas. We calculate we have been missing out on $20m over the four years of the Roads to Recovery Project. The Prime Minister has written to the Chief Minister and acknowledged this shortcoming. However, we are yet to see any real colour of money apart from $1m, a once-off, not built into our base funding over the next few years, by the Commonwealth. We will be pursuing that.
The 2004-05 Budget provides for record infrastructure expenditure. This is good for Territory business, good for contractors and especially good for jobs for Territorians. The budget provides funding for key initiatives, both in capital and operational areas, that deliver on the government’s long-term plans that put Territorians first. The budget delivers further funding for the implementation of the Martin Labor government’s election commitments to deliver sustainable growth while protecting our world famous environment and enhancing our unique lifestyle: less tax, more jobs, great lifestyle.
I know the member for Brennan will stand up soon and he will try to pick little bits and pieces, nitpick on the budget here and there, compare variations and say: ‘This is less then this’. I urge him to have a look at the capital grants section of the infrastructure spend. It all adds up. It is another record capital works expenditure, a lot more than you ever put into capital works. I will repeat again: in your last year of government, your revote exceeded your cash. Your revote exceeded your cash in your infrastructure spend. Take that on board.
We have been reducing the revote over years to manageable levels, we have been increasing the cash and the work is out there. We have had very favourable reaction to this budget from a whole range of areas. The only ones who seem to be carping and grumbling about it and trying to pull it to pieces are the opposition. Let them.
Madam Speaker, I am proud of this budget. I commend the Treasurer and the Treasury staff on the budget for 2004-05, a great budget delivered by a dynamic government. I look forward to implementing it over the next 12 months.
Mr BURKE (Brennan): Madam Speaker, it is interesting, minister, I was watching the clock and, apart from a few snippets of criticism of the CLP, there was three minutes to go when you went into personal abuse of me and all of a sudden the hand went straight to the one minute to go and went sweeping around. So someone up there, whoever it is, if you are working that clock, thank you. I only had to put up with one minute of personal abuse. Until that stage, I thought we were doing fine.
I was going to stand up and say: ‘I believe I could have a reasonable relationship with this minister’ because we have a big responsibility in the minister’s hands, handling the infrastructure spending for the Northern Territory. My responsibility is to ensure that that spending is done for the benefit of Territorians. If we could have a positive relationship in that regard, that is good and if I consider that maybe I could be stuck with a minister like the member for Sanderson, again, I just say to myself: ‘The world may not be perfect, but I am pretty happy with what I have’.
So I was going to be nice to you, minister, I was not going to pick holes in it or anything; I was going to be quite nice to you and constructive. But you could not help yourself. You slipped in a bit of personal abuse right at the end. Was that written in the speech, or not? It was unnecessary. Regarding the speech itself, I have sat here all afternoon waiting for you to speak so that maybe we could get some sort of debate based on what you would say. I know you have a lot to get over in your particular budget portfolio, but really, I could have read the whole lot in the budget papers. All you did was rattle off all of the stuff that is listed in the budget papers.
Dr Burns: Well, the volunteer bush fire people …
Mr BURKE: Well, maybe you just want to get it on the Hansard, I do not know. When it comes to debate, whoever wrote the speech, it must have been pretty easy. You just went to the infrastructure program and put ands and buts between everything. The speech did not give me anything that really said to me, now what does this minister really want to achieve in his portfolio? When he goes into Cabinet what does he argue for, for the benefit of Northern Territory? Where does his depth of heart and feelings come from, so that when he is up against these other ministers who are after their budget and their pieces of the pie, how is he going to really argue for different sectors of the Territory that he is responsible for, and how does that come through in the speech that he gives tonight? Of course, I saw none of that.
The other day, when you were talking about pharmaceutical stuff, you were at your best. I reckon, tell your staff to toss the speeches, get back to getting a bit of heart and get a feel for what we really have to achieve together for the Territory. That would be my advice to you, and that is not abusive, that is being constructive.
I went to a Ward Keller breakfast this morning, which was well attended, at the MGM Grand. There were a number of speakers there who spoke on the Northern Territory budget. We have heard every minister in this House so far chant the mantra that they have obviously been told, that this budget is good for jobs, good for lifestyle, this is business friendly, this is wonderful for the Territory, this will create jobs and every damn thing, and life would all be wonderful. One of the speakers today, when he gave his assessment of the budget, said: ‘The Northern Territory government has brought their budget down, so the operation has been successful; just be careful that the patient does not die’.
Having said that, he then went on to talk about the importance of government in growing the Northern Territory, and what the government has to do, in his opinion, to stimulate various sectors of the economy. One of the speakers spoke about how we can judge whether the economy is growing and, of course, as we have heard from the government that GSP is one indicator. The government uses GSP when it suits them, and if it does not suit them, they say, oh well, GSP should not be seen as an accurate economic indicator because it includes all of these offshore oil production facilities which can come on or go off and have create spikes in our economic activity. Of course, for overall economic predictions, the government is happy to use them when they suit.
The Treasurer said consumption is a better indicator of growth in the Northern Territory. Consumption is growing. It is starting to level off in fact, but it has been growing, ever so slightly, but growing. The Treasurer points to that as a very good indicator of growth. If there is more consumption in the Northern Territory, people are spending, everyone is happy, the economy is buoyant, businesses are making money, retail trade is going at a million miles an hour, and ‘Aren’t we great as a government?’
I was talking to a small business person just before I walked into the Chamber. She runs a very small business in the Northern Territory. This particular person did not see consumption as being a great advantage to her particular business. All she talked about was very skinny margins, very little profit at the end of the day. When I asked her what the payroll tax benefit means to her, she said, well nothing, because she does not have a business that fits into those payroll tax parameters. What she was struggling with was the national wage case increase, because that affected the five or six people who work in her particular business. If you go back to what the speaker said this morning at the Ward Keller brief about being careful that the patient does not die, the message fits very closely to what this small business person was saying to me. And that is: do not think that by saying we have lowered payroll tax by a certain amount that all of a sudden we have fixed the problems of business in the Northern Territory. If you think that, I know you will be wrong.
There is no doubt some benefit, and I applaud the government for giving relief in payroll tax to some businesses. Overdue, in our opinion, but certainly to be applauded. But it certainly is not a catch-all and a fix-all for all the businesses in the Northern Territory. There are businesses that are of a specific size that need tailored programs to deal with their particular issues, and those initiatives are not in the budget. Therefore, to say it is a business friendly budget - and because you get an endorsement from one luncheon at the Chamber of Commerce that everything is going swimmingly - is expecting too much.
In getting back to what I was saying regarding your speech, minister, I really wanted to see how you see yourself delivering your responsibilities in the Northern Territory. All of the programs that you said that there is money allocated to are good, and it is pleasing to see that many of them are progressing.
New money is being put into things like the Mereenie Loop Road. However, there is no need to say that the CLP could not do it over two decades; you know that the main reason the Mereenie Loop Road has been sealed is because of Yulara. Without Yulara, there would be no need to seal the Mereenie Loop. The major reason you want it sealed is because of the lobby from the operators of Yulara who want to move their own people from the places they own in Alice Springs to the Yulara Resort, and create that experience between the two resorts. It is a tourism issue and is an advantage. But you certainly cannot say it is an indictment of the CLP, when we built Yulara and made it into an icon tourism attraction in the Northern Territory and that, somehow, the ALP have come along and said: ‘Aren’t we wonderful, we are going to seal the Mereenie Loop?’. What I wanted to hear from you, minister, was how you see transport per se in the Northern Territory, and how you would see infrastructure being grown in the Northern Territory to support the whole of the transport industry.
One of the issues I know that is out there at the moment is with civil contractors. You can talk in this Chamber about the large amounts of money that you have in the capital works program - the same amount of money that was in the program last year, I might add - and what a great infrastructure budget it is. However, if you drill down on that infrastructure budget and you see where the money is being spent, it goes mainly to prime contractors on large contracts. Those prime contractors on large contracts do very well, thank you very much - things like the LNG plant, the extensions in the port, the Mereenie Loop Road and those sorts of large contracts do very well out of that increased spending, there is no doubt. However, when you drill down to the amount of money that is then available for programs like R and M, other road programs, other infrastructure programs, you really fall into that whole plethora of work done by civil contractors in the Northern Territory.
The civil contractors are not like the Chamber of Commerce; they do not have a strong association. They have just formed an association - and you should meet them - the Civil Contractors Association. There is only a very minimal secretarial staff; one part-time person. I understand they are trying to see you, minister, and you should see them. They are important because just the members of that association employ over 1000 workers in the Northern Territory, and all of those workers vote. Once they start getting their act together, they will start drilling down into your infrastructure program. The message they are telling me, wrong or right, needs to be addressed. They have the perception that the procurement process is not working well, that the changes that you made - that the minister for business stands up and says: ‘We have made improvements’. The procurement processes are not working at all – they see no improvement. Their feedback on government contracts is appalling. They tell me – and I have spoken to a number of them – that you used to know within a few days whether you were on the short list to get a contract. Now they tell me that you get buggerised around for weeks and weeks. Under some sort of transparent arrangement, you do not know whether you are on the short list, you are going to get the contract, or you are out of the game altogether. It costs them a lot of money and this stops them for putting in for other jobs. Under this so-called bureaucratic transparency in tendering, these people are going broke.
One civil contactor talked to me the other day. He has been out in places like Maningrida, bidding on contracts under some transparent process that the government has introduced, knowing full well that the contract is going to go to an Aboriginal organisation, because these people talk and they know what goes on. However, they cannot get anyone to give them the straight information. They sit around, they spend $6000 bidding for contracts in this case – only a very small businessman – and, at the end of the day, he knew he could not get it because the people bidding against him were an Aboriginal organisation that were not paying for fuel and they were not paying for the vehicles and plant that they were using. So he is dead, not even in the game.
That is the sort of stuff that is important to Territorians when you talk about how this infrastructure budget is being rolled out. It is not just ‘We have allocated such a quantum of money and won’t it be great’. It is not because you are putting out the same amount of money as you put out last year. As a government you must know that if the money you put out and claimed to have spent – and I cannot find where it has not been spent and I have a different issue with the detail of the budget - but if what you are putting out this year in cash is the same as you put out last year, it did not work. It certainly did not have the effect on organisations like civil contractors that you believed it has had. Your rhetoric in this Chamber is leading you to believe that somehow all of this is having a massive and positive effect for your government with small business. As I said, if you talk to that particular association, they will tell you it is not.
Transport - I want to see a minister who stands up and talks about transport per se. Your government is already behind the eight ball. I will give you a quote; this is from the Road Transport Industry which is pretty angry at the moment. This is not a problem with your government only. It started with mine because of the emphasis that was put on the railway. We talked about what the railway was going to do for infrastructure development, and safe and quick passage of goods in the Northern Territory. Of course, it will be a great success story, we hope, and it is essential infrastructure for the Territory.
However, along the way we had forgotten the importance of road transport to the Northern Territory. And that is their beef. Their beef is that this is an industry that has underpinned the economic growth and development of the Northern Territory since its inception. All of a sudden this railway has come along and they have been treated like somehow they need to be shunned. The classic is in an information bulletin from the ATA Association. I am sure you have seen this quote. The Chief Minister gave a speech in Melbourne on one of her promoting the Northern Territory trips, and was quoted in the Melbourne Age as saying:
There is benefit in transporting temperature controlled containers containing produce from New South Wales,
South Australia and Victoria effortlessly through the desert to Darwin and from there to Asia. For Territorians
who pay enormous freight penalties to bring in the most basic goods, a reduction in the cost of living is expected.
No cost of living reduction yet with the railway, that is for sure. However, this is the Chief Minister speaking to people about the Territory:
The biggest social benefit will be the removal from the Territory roads of the giant lumbering road trains. The
road trains are a colourful part of Territory life and no one wants to see them go, but they are a danger,
particularly for visitors to the Territory who are unaccustomed to negotiating traffic of such scale and are too
frightened to overtake.
The ATA bulletin goes on to say:
These pieces of wisdom must have made the Victorians sit up and take notice, particularly when the Victorian
government has been handed back a great part of their rail system at the same time. All Territorians, even the
sceptics, hope that the railway will prove a success, even if it is for the sake of our pockets as taxpayers. But what
about the road trains and the people who own and operate them? What about the remote communities? The
remote mine sites? The towns not on the rail corridor? The fuel carrying road trains? Freight costs to these places
will more than triple if there were no road trains!
Nah, Clare must have been misquoted or it may be the NT government and not we truckies who end up with egg on
our face!
I quote that simply to say that is a major problem with the road transport industry at the moment. There is a perception that this railway is being subsidised by the NT government. Now, I know it is wrong.
Mr Henderson: Rubbish.
Mr BURKE: The minister for business says ‘Rubbish’. I know it is wrong. But if you read the Alice Springs News there was a major article that has created a perception. The fact that the railway is being subsidised was mentioned at a national ATA conference - I do not know whether you were there - probably attended by representatives of the industry; it was not a ministers’ conference. But it was raised at that conference nationally. The government needs to stand on that straight away because that perception is there in the industry now. First of all they are shunned. They are treated like black sheep. They are told they are a bloody danger to the public. They are told we want to get rid of road trains all together – and, by the way, they think we are subsidising the railway as well.
We should be now putting a particular effort into the road transport industry and doing everything we can to recognise the concerns and infrastructure effort that they require. The railway has had an enormous focus and all of that has been great, but that focus now needs to be also apportioned to the road transport industry and the concerns and issues that they have. They have major issues that need to be dealt with; not the least, minister, you would be aware I am sure, is their issue with the new national fatigue rules that could be introduced Australia-wide, fatigue rules that are totally inappropriate if agreed to at a national level. Our previous minister is nodding, so he is aware of it. They are fatigue rules about which I hope the NT government stands up for Territorians and does not agree to national standards that may be fine for a truck running between Sydney and Melbourne. In fact, as I was told, many of these rules were based on a modelling that was all about how long a truck would take to go from Sydney to Melbourne.
All of it is based on that modelling and we are happily falling into the lobby that is coming from that segment of the industry when we have a totally different environment including road trains carrying live cattle. Road trains carrying live cattle cannot be expected to move to fatigue management rules that are only appropriate for a lorry running the Sydney-Melbourne route. Those are the sorts of issues the road transport lobby wants the government to stand up and protect them and help them.
You say that you are going to put in road side stops for tourists. It is the first time a road side stop will have been put into a capital works budget as an addition on the Stuart Highway since this Labor government came to power. That is well overdue; fine and good.
The member for Braitling raised the issue that there is great confusion out there about the rights and responsibilities of road trains at road side stops as opposed to tourists. That confusion is there because I do not believe the government is putting sufficient effort into ensuring that the road side stops for tourists are appropriate and adequate, and the amenities for road trains, that integral part of our whole economy, is well and truly protected. So there is an issue that the government needs to tackle and tackle strongly. They are issues can help you put a real stamp on your portfolio, minister. You can be a champion for the transport industry in all of its modes. We seem to treat our industries in separate sectors. We have the Chief Minister talking for the railway, you are talking for buses and road trains, I do not know who speaks for ships. It is all about the port and the hub to Asia, but we need to talk about an integrated transport system for the Northern Territory - road, rail, air and sea. You need to be the spokesman for it. You need to be the champion for it. It needs to be totally integrated in terms of how the strategy for this whole economic driver is pulled together so that it is integrated in a modern, professional and inter-modal way.
These are the issues that I hope you tackle and take on board. Frankly, I was disappointed when I heard the Chief Minister talking about sealing the Mereenie Loop, and isn’t that great for tourism? I would rather hear the minister responsible for infrastructure driving all that sort of stuff because that will be fitting into the priorities that he sees in the whole of the integrated transport system in the Northern Territory.
Entrance Statements is another issue. It has been raised with me on many occasions that the Northern Territory is well and truly overdue to really do something about entrance statements to our towns and to the different points of entry to the Northern Territory. It is great that you are building a cruise ship terminal down there. It is great that it needs to be built and modernised, but I hope it is being modernised for our benefit and for the tourism industry and not primarily for the new security concerns with regards to cruise ships. The concept is something that the minister for infrastructure should well and truly be across, and developing, in line with the tourism minister, for every point of entry to the Northern Territory. Go to the sea point of entry, go to the airport of entry, go to the two major highway point of entries to the Northern Territory, and see what the visitor sees. Visitors see bugger all. It really is not a good look. You can go to many other places in the world that are beating us hands over feet. It is a very competitive environment to get people to, not only come to the Northern Territory, but to get a first impression that is positive and welcoming, and the information is there. We are eons behind in regard to proper entry statements to the Northern Territory through the different modes of entry, and to our major towns and cities. It is a government responsibility to drive and enhance those particular issues.
Turning now to the budget for a second, because I want you to know that I was not going to come in and nit pick the budget. There are a couple of issues in the budget that I do want to raise with you, minister. One of the problems with this budget is, if you look at the 2003-04 Budget, the budget is laid down, the 2003-04 outcome is revealed in the 2004-05 Budget, but there is nothing in the 2004-05 Budget that tells us where that outcome changed. We had to ask the Minister for Health, where has the blow-out come, and he stands up and says, ‘You dummies, read the budget papers’, but it is not in the budget papers. It might be decisions of Cabinet you have made, but it is not in the budget papers. You cannot see in those budget papers where a budget has been laid down, and the amounts that have driven that budget up to the outcome of that particular year are shown in the budget paper.
In the case of your budget, minister, if you look at the budget for the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment for, as I read it, for 2003-04, the budget was $247m, and the estimate for the end of 2003-04 is $295m. That is clearly there in the budget paper. The difference in your budget outcome is $48m. The only thing I can find in the budget papers is $8m of that blow-out explained. And I only found that because it has been produced in this budget by saying those jobs have been done: Dundee Beach power was $3.8m, the Battery Hill Project was $0.28m, and the Darwin Waterfront monies that were allocated for one particular aspect was $4m had been expended. I can only find $8m of the blow-out, of what I would see in the budget papers of a blow-out of $48m in that particular budget.
It may be well and truly explained, but I cannot find it. If one then drills down on that particular budget, of the money that was allocated for your budget, the biggest expenditure blow-out was that you allocated $104m in the budget for Territory roads. However, if you look at the 2004-05 Budget outcome for 2003-04, Territory roads spent $125m. Now, you told me you have come in on target with all your spending that you set down in your cash program that was in the previous budget. You said all the cash money allocated has been spent. But there is a $125m difference just in Territory roads between what you allocated in the 2003-04 Budget and what has been the estimated outcomes for the 2003-04 Budget. I cannot find the reasons anywhere.
I will have to ask you these questions in Estimates Committee, but the point I am trying to make is, that if you look at your budget for 2003-04, in Lands, Planning, Development and Management, you were allocated $20.6m, you have spent $23m. Environment and Heritage is $1m difference, additional. Conservation and National Resources has gone from $73m to $86m. Transport, Policy and Planning, that is right, $31m, same amount, they came in on target. Infrastructure Development, $13m, has gone up to $26m, of that only $8m is accounted for in the Budget Papers. I do not want to dwell on it, but that is why the opposition insists, if you cannot explain in two sets of budget papers that you have received this much money in your budget, yet the estimate for the end of that financial year is so much. We know in the case of Health that the mid-year TAF report shows that, in spending to budget on Health, they were on track only three months ago. All of a sudden – poof, through the roof. If you read the 2003-04 budget estimate, the estimate bears no relationship to the actual allocations.
As I said, we will explore this in the estimates procedure, but it is something that needs to be corrected so that we can stop ourselves from wasting a lot of time in the Budget Papers in the future.
For your appropriation for the 2004-05 Budget, you have had, as I said, a change from $247m to $295m over 12 months. That is a $48m change, and that has not been explained. Yet, your overall budget, if you can compare your outcome of $134m for 2003-04, has been cut to $122m. Some of those cuts can be explained in the Budget Papers and some of them cannot.
In the capital works program, you said to me that you are on target, you have spent it all. I go back to the letter that I wrote to you. We can play games with who is right and who is wrong, but the reality is what you can do for me is this: you said on 31 March that you had spent $303m and you were on track to spend $434m. You have now said to me tonight that you have spent $434m – well, you have not spent $434m, you told me that you spent all your capital works budget. Is that right, minister? You are not listening. You can read the Hansard. If you have, I would like to know where you have spent – just in capital works – between 31 March and 30 June $122m to $226m, a $100m difference - and what you have spent it on. And the same in the repairs and maintenance, the capital grants spending and the PowerWater spending. In total, you had to spend about $120m-odd of $434m in seven weeks, and you had only managed to spend two-thirds of that in about 45 weeks.
It raises my suspicions that you have actually spent it, and that money has actually hit the ground. It may have been committed and the books might look right, but I go back to what I was saying before. If it has not hit the ground, it certainly has not hit to benefit Territorians, and it certainly has not hit for the benefit of those contractors that are out there. Therefore, when you tell them that you have put $434m in cash out there, they had better be able to track $434m in cash, otherwise all of that rhetoric means nothing at the end of the day.
My time is up. I will leave it at that for now. I will take up some of the other issues when I have more time. There are a few other issues I would like to mention, but I will do that another time.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would like to make a few comments on the budget. As I am not the shadow minister for anything, these comments will vary across the board.
Budgets are famous for being delivered in such a manner that everything in the budget presented by the Treasurer as always positive and the economy is bright and rosy. The opposition, of course, will at times try to show the budget in a bad light and then announce how they could do a better job. I would like to look at the budget the way I see it.
Certainly, there are some highlights although, in my own area, we seem to have fared better last year than this year. With announcements about the removal of the store sheds from the port to Freds Pass and the $150 000 grants for soccer fields at Freds Pass, I am not complaining that much. I must admit, though, listening to the member for Brennan, I am interested to see where those figures - that is the money for the removal of the store shed and the $150 000 - show up. If they are not in this year’s budget, then they should show up in last year’s budget.
Money allocated for Strauss Airstrip, $140 000, is certainly welcomed and I hope to see money allocated for protecting our World War II airstrips in the region. Howard Springs School and Taminmin High School have both received grants for shade over playground areas, and I welcome that. The announcement of the sealing of Litchfield Loop Road is an excellent initiative and will be a boost to tourism in the Berry Springs area. The government should also look at allocating some money in the next budget for joining Myra Road South, which is bituminised, to the Rum Jungle Road. Litchfield Council sealed it up to its boundary several years ago and if there can be a connection to Batchelor from there, that would also boost tourism.
The Police, Fire and Emergency building at Humpty Doo highlighted in last year’s budget has yet to develop. I will be waiting with bated breath for its commencement. I would also like to know what the financial savings were when it was moved from an unserviced site on Crown land to a privately owned site on serviced land. The budget shows an increase of nearly $600 000 from last year’s figure, so I am hoping someone can tell me why. Last year’s budget showed an amount of money for a bicycle path to Girraween Primary School, but due to technical issues about the land, there was a delay about the siting of the path. This was followed up by the Litchfield Council doing some work, which resulted in the money being withdrawn. Minister, the bike path issue has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the school council or me. I would hope that the government would leave that money in this year’s budget until we get an agreement with the council over a safe alignment for the bicycle path.
Presently, the council’s work was to widen Girraween Road over the creek crossing - which is extremely dangerous - near the school. There is no protection for children either from the traffic or from falling in the creek. I would like that money set aside from last year and we will look once again at the issue. It may be worth the department, the school council, Litchfield council and me getting together to see whether we can come up with a sensible arrangement.
There are a number of other issues which the government should consider funding in my area, but unfortunately, there seems to be nothing in the budget. For a long time, the government would have known about the project to try to seal the bicycle path from Palmerston at least down to the Arnhem Highway on the old railway line. Once again, there has not been any money set aside for that. We were also asking money for a landscape consultant to look at Coolalinga. I did receive a letter from you, minister, stating there had been some internal work done on a plan. Again, taking up what the member for Brennan said about entrance statements, that is exactly what needs to happen for Coolalinga.
Coolalinga is basically the first major town after Katherine that you hit on the highway. You certainly run into Pine Creek and Adelaide River, but Coolalinga is the main entrance statement for tourists arriving in Litchfield Shire. Yet it has signs all over the place, the water pipes are above the ground, and generally in the Dry Season it is pretty dusty and very unappealing. I am hoping that the government will not just say we have already prepared a plan – that they first go out and talk to businesses, the council, the local MLA and other interested people about what they believe should be the entrance statement for Coolalinga and we come up with a suitable design.
I notice also, minister, there is one thing that seems to be missing – and maybe the minister knows more about it than me, but where is the money for the intersection of Girraween Road and the Stuart Highway? The proposal by the department to re-align Girraween Road so that it comes in at the Henning Road/Stuart Highway intersection near Woolworths Coolalinga has been on the design plan for quite a while, yet there is nothing in this year’s budget. It is something that is needed badly because the present intersection of Girraween Road and the Stuart Highway, especially for people trying to cross over to the Woolworths side of the Stuart Highway, is dangerous.
As the budget said, Litchfield Shire is the second fastest growing in the Northern Territory and there is some major funding required to reflect that growth. When I hear the Minister for Central Australia talk about the amount of money for landscaping, and the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Environment talking about the amount of money also spent in Central Australia on bicycle paths, the rural area in Litchfield Shire with a population of 17 000 - the third highest population outside of Darwin - could certainly do with some assistance in that area, too. They are mainly the local issues, minister.
Looking at the bigger issues, many businesses will be pleased to see the changes to the payroll tax threshold. I was talking to a gentleman just before the budget was brought down who was concerned that if the threshold was not changed, all he knew was that he would not employ any more people. He believed that it did not encourage businesses to put on more people. Those changes will be most welcome. It was good to see the HIH levy go. That was certainly not a popular tax and I am glad that that went.
I believe many people will welcome the abolition of the debits tax, especially ordinary folk who have to pay that. I presume the debits tax is the one that you pay when you go the bank. Many people will see that as a great action by the government because it is something that hurt a lot of people, especially the little people.
While a lot of these tax changes are pleasing, I would like to ask something about taxes in general. The Treasurer might be able to answer this: if one of the factors in determining the amount of GST we receive from the Commonwealth is based on relativities, which is partly based on the amount of effort we are putting into raising taxes, and if we continue to lower taxes, and the opposition has also flagged lower taxes, would we in fact be putting at risk the amount of money we receive from the Commonwealth through GST revenue? On top of that, if the population stays steady or is in decline, that, too, will affect the relativities, which also could have a downward effect on our GST.
I would be interested to hear if the government has a plan to make sure our relativities are not reduced. I do not believe the government has any real plans in place to either hold people in the Territory or attract people, especially families. The one thing that government has not looked at is whether the conditions of employment are better than down south to the extent that it would attract people to come to the Territory instead of another state where the conditions were the same or better.
Minister, I have an article here. There was a Senate Select Committee in April this year looking at the building industry. There was a gentleman called Mr Cridland - not the Cridland we hear talking about property. This is a gentleman who runs a construction business company in Darwin. Senator Cook said to him:
So you’re drawing on 23 years experience in the industry when you answer the questions?
To which he answered yes. So Senator Cook said:
I’ll just ask this broad question: given that experience and background, is the way in which the industry
operates in the Northern Territory a model for the rest of Australia?
Mr Cridland said:
No. In Sydney, the safety is a lot better, the conditions are a lot better, the money is a lot better and you have
a bit of choice. If you are not happy in Sydney, you can drive to Newcastle or even less distance to Wollongong
or wherever. If there is no work in Darwin, there is no work. If you upset too many people in Darwin, there is no
work. One of the reasons I came here today is that I saw the submission that in the Territory, everything is sweet.
I do not thing they’ve actually driven out and had a look if they think everything is sweet. You find that very few
young people are attracted into the industry any more because there is not enough money. It gets very hot up here
and it is very hard for the money they get. If they are going to work in the building industry when they leave school,
they will go down south to work. We lose a lot of young people in the Territory to that sort of thing.
Later on, Mr Cridland said in response to a statement by Senator Cook:
Yes, it is a tough job. When it is hot, you have to just keep going. The younger fellows can find better work elsewhere.
That is fair enough. We do not begrudge them that one bit. But for the industry in the long term, unless they are
getting enough money to make it worth their while, there is going to be a shortage sooner or later, isn’t there? The
average age in the building industry would be 40.
So, minister, there is the manager of a construction company saying that, basically, we have trouble attracting people simply because the conditions of service are not as good as down south.
At one stage, the Territory used to be the leader in conditions of service, and now we have dropped to the fourth in Australia. The problem with that is, when people have the option of coming to Darwin or Melbourne, or Adelaide or Perth, they are not coming to Darwin. The Territory government certainly should look at that as one of the reasons why people are not staying here.
As I have said before, sometimes if you want to keep more people here, then we could also reduce the number of terminations at Darwin Hospital, which is 1000 a year, which is certainly well above the number of people we are losing.
There are a couple of other issues I would like to raise. There is an issue of superannuation in the budget. On the matter of superannuation liabilities, I would like to hear from the Treasurer what the government is doing to address that. The 2002-03 Budget said the government would set aside $10m a year from 2003-04 to start addressing the unfunded superannuation liability for public sector workers, which now appears to be almost $1.5bn. However, when the 2003-04 Budget was delivered, the $10m commitment was gone, with the following comment:
A further investigation is under way to determine the most appropriate mechanism for reducing the
superannuation liability. The $10m for 2003-04 has been removed until the way forward is finalised.
This budget for 2004-05 appears to be quiet on the unfunded superannuation liability. Not a word. Perhaps the minister can tell me what is happening. After a full 12 months of investigating, has Treasury determined the way forward on reducing this huge liability?
Another issue is to do with consultancies. I would really like to take a look at consultancies and how much has been allocated in the budgets of each department for consultancies. However, I cannot because the figures are not there. This is no different from in the past. What is different is that, now we have moved to accrual accounting, these figures are not available from any public record. I am picking on consultancies because that was one of the specific measures the Labor Party identified when it was in opposition. Labor said that the CLP government spent too much money on consultancies, and that it would cut back on that spending.
Before accrual accounting, at the back of the annual reports, from each department, there was a page entitled, ‘Expenditure by standard classification’, and on that page you could find out how much each department spent on items such as advertising, communications, marketing and promotion, travel allowance and consultant fees. However, with accrual accounting, this useful page has disappeared from the annual report. There is now no easy way for me to tell if Labor is spending less money on consultancies than the CLP did. I have looked at the government Gazette and got some figures on consultancies. In the 12 months to March this year, it appears that the government has spent about $25m across the departments on consultancies. The Treasurer might like to tell the House how much less than the CLP annual spending this was.
I will show you – this is the annual report for the Department of Chief Minister for 2001-02. In there is a section called ‘Consultant Fees’, and at that stage it was $1.652m. These were standardised across departments; you could compare one department with the other. They do not exist any more. You would have to ask, how can someone such as an Independent member, who cannot find this figure in the budget paper, and it is not now in the report, make an assessment of what money has been spent on consultancies? That is an area that needs to be looked at. I would prefer that it came back in the annual report so we can actually compare, not only department with department, but we can quickly find out how much the government is spending on those areas.
As regards work force and staff numbers in the public service, one thing that worries me about this budget and its projections into the future is the sustainability of it all. If you take a look at staffing for most departments, it appears that the government has gone one its own significant job creation scheme and population growth strategy. I have had a quick look at the staff figures for the major departments, and the difference between this year and next year is 600. That is 600 extra staff in one year. I know the government promised an extra 100 nurses and teachers and more police, but there are still a few more hundred jobs that have been created and they all cost money.
As an example, the Chief Minister’s department will have an extra 19 staff, bringing the total to 288 - that is 64 more than two years ago. What are all these extra people doing in such a small department, and how can we afford them in the long-term? What is worrying to me is that at the same time the Chief Minister’s department got itself an extra 64 people, DBIRD - a department that includes a section of great interest to me, the Animal, Plant and Fisheries Industry Services - has lost 50 staff members. So here we have …
Mr Henderson: AQIS staff have gone back to the Commonwealth.
Mr WOOD: Fifty?
Mr Henderson: Yes, a big mob of them.
Mr WOOD: Well, that does not lose the plot too much because we are still talking about 600 extra staff here. Fair enough.
Mr Henderson: They have gone back to the Commonwealth.
Mr WOOD: Anyway, the Treasurer might explain how we will afford to keep those extra staff, and whether we will keep hiring at this rate. I might just take up on the 50 staff. Did they all leave the Territory, because that would be pretty disappointing?
Mr Henderson: No, they are still here.
Mr WOOD: Well, that is sad to hear.
Mr Henderson: The Commonwealth wanted them back.
Mr WOOD: I realise that, but we lose them.
Mr Henderson: No, no, they are here in the Territory. They are still doing the same job, but just paid for by the Commonwealth.
Mr WOOD: Okay. Another area was contracts, and I know the member for Brennan also raised the contracts. The minister would understand that I have also been approached about contracts. There is a section in Budget Paper No 3, on page 232, which is about - and this under DIPE:
… work with the construction industry to maximise local participation and provide an open, fair
and competitive procurement process for government projects.
I know that there have been some issues in that area. I certainly hope that those issues can be worked out, because the issues that I know about procurement certainly are not fair. I hope the whole procurement process can be improved. Again, the member for Brennan talked about this new construction association. They have concerns about the possibility of ‘super’ contracts. I hope that those sorts of ideas are put out in the open for people to comment on before the government decides to make that a policy.
On another item in the Chief Minister’s department, and the reason I raise this issue is because I have been comparing one year to the next. In the Chief Minister’s department, there was a variation between last year’s budget and this year’s of $3.702m. Under that section, you get key variations and they are supposed to explain to you why there has been a variation of $3.7m. However, when you look through there, you are really pushing to find out where that variation of $3.7m is. All that I could come up with was $0.75m explained under the key variations. If we are meant to scrutinise the budget, then that section should clearly explain where the variation of $3.7m comes from. It certainly does not come from my reading of that part of the budget.
While I am just talking on budget, it is a pity when you have to look at figures and try to compare that you have to go back to last year’s budget. It would be nice to have another column which, basically, says: ‘This was the budget for 2003-04; this is the estimate’. Then we know how much they either overspent or not. It might be too easy …
Mrs Miller: Much too easy.
Mr WOOD: Too simple? Perhaps they could actually put the budget in a spiral form so we could actually hold the page open while we looked at it, because you have to have a brick with you every time you want to hold a page while you go look at last year’s Budget Papers. I know it is too simple, but it would make life easier when you are trying to read these books. Or maybe they are meant to sit on the shelf and gather dust.
The minister for DIPE mentioned the bus services. Yes, I saw the upgrading of buses but, as I said before, the bus service in the rural area is really a disgrace. We have had two buses in the morning and two buses at night for years and years. There is no reason why buses could not come up Lambrick Avenue from Palmerston and service at least part of the rural area and give kids, elderly people and students a bit of a chance to get out from their homes and go to Palmerston or into town. They just do not have that opportunity unless Mum or Dad drives them. It is time the government spent some money out from what I call the Lingiari Line.
I notice grants for non-government alcohol and drug services have been reduced fairly substantially. I hope with all the talk about alcohol and drug issues in this parliament that that is not going to happen. I would be interested to hear if any of the ministers would explain why that is.
Some issues about funding for roads in our pastoral area, I believe it is time that our pastoral areas were incorporated. I know that the Cattlemen’s Association is opposed to incorporation because it says it would have to pay rates. Let us not forget that about only 23% of cattle stations are owned by families. The rest are owned by giant companies that can well afford to pay something towards the area they live in. The richest man in Australia was on television last night; he owns Newcastle Waters. Surely he could pay something towards the roads? If it is a matter of working out whether a family farm should pay rates, the government might weight it according to that sort of rating. I cannot believe that we cannot incorporate the Territory. That would help get some funding for those roads. I believe that the cattle industry, which is booming at the moment, can afford to put some of its own finances into upgrading its own facilities.
Certainly, they should not be doing it all, but some contribution similar to what people in urban and rural areas like ourselves, we all pay rates, and those rates go into some of the services we use, upgrading our local roads and providing other services. Sometimes people hide behind the fact that this is a big industry and we will upset the Cattlemen’s Association. If the government sat down with a proposal that was fair for the different sections of that industry, it could be done. Most of Western Australia is under local government control. Most of Queensland is under local government control. They all have pastoral properties. I do not see why it could not be done in the Northern Territory.
Another issue that has not been funded as well as it should be is weeds. There is certainly plenty of money given for weeds in parks, but if you have a look at the rural area, and I would say the same in Katherine, weeds are really out of hand. They are an environmental problem. We have large amounts of gamba grass now, large amounts of mission grass, and it is just out of hand. There does not seem to be a program which says we are going to try to control it. You get CD-ROMs - the minister announced that he had launched a CD-ROM which was an important tool in the management of weeds. I have yet to see any weeds die from a CD-ROM! We need some positive action on weeds because the environment is certainly suffering. Anyone who has seen a fire in September going through a bank of gamba grass will know that kind of fire is extremely dangerous and will eventually ruin our environment.
The minister spoke a lot about the harbour and so did the Minister for Environment and Heritage. They all talk about the harbour. They tell you about how they are looking after it, they have a management plan for the harbour. However, if you flew over the centre of the harbour today, you will realise that they did not care two hoots about the middle of the harbour. They allowed it to be mined and that was a deliberate policy of the government to make sure that it would never be used for conservation. It would basically used for industrial. It is, I believe, a policy that was locked in by the department, and minister after minister has gone along blindly believing that is the only option. Sadly, that is where we stand today.
I am fairly cynical when we talk about protecting the harbour. They talk about industries like the tourism industry; they talk about having places to enjoy a lifestyle. Well, they just forgot that and checking the harbour and putting industry elsewhere and there is room elsewhere, we could have had both. We could have had industrial development and we could have looked after our local people and tourism.
There was mention of money being set aside for the wharf development. An interesting question with the wharf development is that the government is telling us that there are three consortia. The question I would like to ask is: are people of the Darwin area actually going to see what those consortia have designed? Are we going to end up with: ‘Government knows best. We have picked this one, and that is it’? I would have thought that people will want to see some options so that they can have a say in what is going to be developed down at the harbour. One of the reasons for that is because people are interested to see what natural and built parts of the environment will be protected.
I was talking to Margaret Clinch the other day and she is certainly concerned about the original site of Goyder’s Camp. Until she sees what these plans are, she has no idea whether Goyder’s Camp will be protected. It is a bit mean of government if it is just going to say: ‘We have three designs by different consortia. We will let you know when we pick one and then you can comment’. It would be far more open and transparent if the government would release the three designs and ask the community what they think of the proposed development down at Darwin Harbour.
I said I would be all over the place, and I am, but there is just one other item that the Minister for Primary Industry might clarify for me. It is an item about litigation. On page 152 of the budget paper in the Primary Industries section, under Key Variations, it states:
Litigation and compensation expenses required in 2003-04 are $3.1m for output group Animal, Plant and
Fishery Industry Services.
That is a fair bit of money given out in litigation and compensation. It would be nice to have an explanation as to what that was about. I can certainly ask the question in budget estimates, but I was trying to work out the key variations to see where the department had spent its money, and that popped out. I hope the minister can let us know what that variation is about.
The budget overall has some great things in it – the upgrading of the Litchfield Loop Road and the completion of Cox Peninsula Road are great things. As I said before, you look through a budget and it has some good items. We know all governments will try to improve health and education, but sometimes we also have to wonder whether we can do things more efficiently.
How many staff do we have there? If you have 60 more staff, what does that work out at? About $6m. When this government came to power, it decided to cut departments pretty severely. Is the cycle now going up again? Would we be better spending that money on roads and other infrastructure? Are we starting to pad our departments with more people than we need, or do we now have pet projects that require lots of people to do them? The Chief Minister’s department is fairly big, and you have to question why there are so many people employed there.
I congratulate the government on its initiatives. There are certainly some good initiatives there. The budget needs more scrutiny and, of course, that will occur at the Estimates Committee. Even though some think I might go on and on, I will certainly go on and on if I need to during the Estimates Committee. As long as my questioning is appropriate and to the point, I will do that.
Mr HENDERSON (Business and Industry): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to make this contribution to the debate on the Martin government’s Budget 2004-05, and what a budget it is.
It delivers the largest ever tax cuts for Territory business, more jobs, more training, and a great lifestyle for Territorians. I am going to focus my contribution in the debate on the impact on agencies for which I am responsible – Police, Fire and Emergency Services; DCIS; and Business and Industry. The more global aspects of the budget in its impact on the economy and the infrastructure projects have been dealt with by other speakers. Tonight I will be talking about the impacts on my agencies and the programs for which my departments are responsible.
For 2004-05, my Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development will have a budget of $86.6m to deliver services to Territorians. It is a very broad range of services which are provided to strengthen economic development in the Northern Territory, and in particular to support business, trade and industry development in the primary industries, fisheries, minerals and petroleum sectors. There are also many initiatives contained in this budget which will enable the department to build on the strong achievements of the previous year in the area of indigenous economic development. Opportunities in the primary production, aquaculture and other resource users and business opportunities for indigenous Territorians will continue to be identified, with the recent commencement of a director of Indigenous Economic Development within the department.
I will now detail the ways in which we will deliver support for economic development in the Territory through specific programs and services for small business. As I have noted on other occasions, the Territory Business Centre Network was established to develop a gateway to government for services provided to business and industry. The Northern Territory government’s latest initiative in helping businesses to do business in the Northern Territory was to launch an on-line business channel. Where previously the TBCs were physical offices located in the Territory’s major regional centres, they are now complemented with an on-line business channel available to all businesses wanting to do business in the Territory.
In the 2004-05 Budget, $1.513m has been earmarked to ensure this initial contact and referral point for starting businesses, licence information and links to departmental programs continues to provide a high level of service to Territorians. A further $532 000 has been earmarked to ensure the continued delivery of on-line information services, including Connect:NT, Transact:NT for on-line licences, and the business channel, www.tbc.nt.gov.au.
Launched in July last year, Connect:NT, the Northern Territory government’s Case Manager Network, fulfils an election commitment to connect the network of people across government with the business community who are there to help business. Once fully implemented, Connect:NT will give business access to the front door of government services, and help reduce time spent searching for the right person to speak to – a true, one-stop shop for the first time for Northern Territory business.
$120 000 will also be spent to ensure the Youth Desk continues to help young people aged between 14 and 30 in business, studying business, or wanting to start a business. The Youth Desk offers business support programs, networking and services for young Territorians through various programs such as Youth Business Awards, Young Achievement Australia and visits to high schools.
Once again, October Business Month, the premier annual business event, presented by the department, will feature high profile key note speakers and presenters. This is the 10th year that October Business Month will run in the Territory and it continues to provide excellent opportunities for Territory business to develop their training and develop needs. Without giving too much away, I can say that, this year, OBM will have a facelift, and the new look and feel month of business workshops and presentations will have a special focus on women in business and home-based business. According to 2001 ABS figures, there were 5700 home-based businesses in the Northern Territory. These can be further divided into 4700 businesses operating from home, and 1000 businesses operating at home.
In support of Territory women in business, $60 000 will be spent on delivering a program of events designed to assist women in the area of professional development. Client consultation and visits to individual Territory businesses will continue, with the department’s client managers offering information, assistance and advice.
Amongst my ministerial responsibilities, I hold the important portfolio of Defence Support, and last year I pledged to establish a Defence Support Division within the department to focus on identifying and realising business opportunities within the Defence Support sector. The 2004-05 Budget contains $570 000 for the Defence Support Division to engage with Defence to identify and track industry and business development opportunities.
The Mining and Petroleum Support Division is overseeing the implementation of building the Northern Territory Industry Participation Plan, a comprehensive local content policy launched in May last year. Its objectives are to maximise opportunities for competitive local business and to enhance Territory industry capability. The policy acknowledges the importance of major projects in the development of the Territory’s economy, and a key element is the requirement that industry participation plans be prepared and agreed on for NT government-assisted private sector projects with an expected value of over $5m.
The division also arranges supply, awareness and upskilling workshops and seminars in conjunction with the Business Services Division and industry associations to enhance local business and industry capability when tendering for large contracts.
I am pleased to announce that $95 000 has been earmarked for the implementation of the manufacturing industry strategy. Also, in support of Territory manufacturers, my Department of Corporate and Information Services through CAAPS will engage with the industry and relevant government agencies to establish panel frameworks for the supply of various manufactured items that are required by government. The first such panel creation process will focus on an issue that has been raised with me by industry on a number of occasions - the provision of marine vessels and marine repairs and maintenance work for our government agencies. These panels will provide an efficient and effective pre-qualification process from which tenderers can be invited to bid for business as specific needs arise.
The department’s Enterprise Improvement Program, Business Growth, has a budget of $225 000 to continue to offer funding and development services to established businesses to enhance business performance, profitability, employment levels, and market penetration. The department’s International Business Division will continue to help Territory-based exporters to improve their export capabilities through programs such as the Trade Support Scheme. In this budget I am pleased to announce that funding for the Trade Support Scheme has increased to a total of $358 000 to continue providing financial support in the form of taxable cash grants to reimburse Territory exporters up to 50% of their direct export marketing costs in obtaining trade outcomes. This program has been very well subscribed and it is pleasing to see so many Territory firms using the assistance to look outwards and move into international trade. It is a huge increase on the previous EMAS scheme - the Export Market Assistance Scheme - under the previous government that had about $80 000 allocated to assist Territory exporters. We have increased that to $358 000. It is a new scheme and was fully subscribed last year, and is a sign of the great commitment this government has to assisting business export from the Northern Territory.
The Chief Minister’s Business Round Table, another successful initiative of the government, will continue in 2004-05, giving industry and business –especially small business - a chance to talk directly to the Chief Minister and other ministers about issues relevant to business. For primary producers in the Territory who, for many generations, have been the backbone of the Northern Territory’s rural economy, a further $300 000 has been earmarked to supplement the Commonwealth FarmBis scheme where financial support is provided to primary producers and land managers for training to improve their business and natural resource management skills.
As well, the pastoral water enhancement scheme receives $300 000 towards the introduction of new watering facilities on Northern Territory pastoral enterprises. The budget also contains $260 000 to ensure the continuation of the popular upskill short courses, to provide regular workshops and mentoring programs for established business managers throughout the Northern Territory. For the first time this year, the upskill short courses training will be delivered via a panel contract, allowing a more extensive and contemporary range of topics to be offered. I signed off on those letters in the House here yesterday. It was good to see a number of regional training businesses on that panel contract up and down the Track. As well, the consultants delivering the upskills workshops were carefully identified to include those with the specific ability to deliver key programs in our rural and remote locations - another commitment filled by the government in our election commitments to assist businesses to upskill.
Like other regional areas around Australia, the Territory is faced with the difficulty of attracting, and keeping, appropriately skilled, qualified and experienced people to our work force. Whilst our primary objective is jobs for Territorians with the long-term commitment to the first ever Jobs Plan for the Northern Territory, which is providing apprenticeships and training for our young people, the Martin government is committing $345 000 in this budget to the business and skilled migration program to encourage highly-qualified workers to consider living, working, and doing business in the Northern Territory, and provide information, advice and support to Northern Territory employers seeking to recruit skilled workers from overseas. This is a significant commitment; one that I am pushing very strongly through the department. We are very much in a consultation phase at the moment, and there are real opportunities for the Northern Territory to get a far greater share of migrants coming to Australia to live, invest and raise families in the Northern Territory. It is the first time that government has done this in a strategic and policy sense, in committing $340 000 this year to that initiative.
Before I move on, I am confident that members will share my view that the budget allocation to my Department of Business and Industry in 2004-05 Budget will deliver real benefits to a business community that is working hard to make the most of the many exciting commercial opportunities that confront us. I pay tribute everybody in the department. They are doing a great job at the moment.
I now focus on the budget initiatives relating to my Police, Fire and Emergency service portfolio responsibilities. I am pleased to announce that budget 2004-05 has boosted funding for the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services to $172m; an increase of $30m or 21% over the past two years. This will be the first full year of the Martin government’s four year, $75m Building Our Police Force Plan which is delivering 200 more police on the beat by the end of 2006. An extra $16.43m has been injected into Police, Fire and Emergency Services to continue the roll-out of Building Our Police Force Plan in 2004-05, providing additional uniformed police patrolling our suburbs and communities, additional civilian support staff to keep our police on the beat, and improvements in conditions of service to help keep our experienced officers in the Territory.
This year an extra $13m will be spent on police personnel including $8.286m for increased police resources. This funding will enable the Martin government to continue to recruit police officers at the record rate of 120 constables in five squads. One hundred and twenty new constables for the Northern Territory community in 12 months time; it is a huge result and it is going to make a big difference out there in our community.
The record rate of recruitment identified by the independent O’Sullivan Report is the maximum possible rate of recruitment for the Northern Territory Police also takes into account filling positions of current staff that may leave during the year. As members would be aware, only last week I was pleased to join with the Police Commissioner in launching a recruitment campaign calling on Territorians to consider a career with the Northern Territory Police. So now really is the time to consider being part of this new era in Territory policing. Another $3.426m has been earmarked for an additional 22 civilian positions to provide technical specialists and administrative support to operational police officers helping to keep police out of the office and on the beat to carry out core policing duties.
Another O’Sullivan Report recommendation to be met by the Building Our Police Force Plan is the establishment of a call centre which becomes operational in June this year. $780 000 was allocated in 2003-04 to set up the centre and ongoing funding of $700 000 is being earmarked in budget 2004-05. Incorporated into the joint emergency services communications centre, the call centre will provide a more efficient and convenient reporting system for Territorians reducing the need to go to a police station to report certain crime incidents. Importantly, the call centre will also help keep police on the beat longer by reducing the paperwork load for officers at the end of each shift.
An important part of the Martin government’s $75m Building Our Police Force Plan is to provide adequate funding to maintain equipment our police use in their day to day duties. In budget 2004-05, $2.9m has been allocated to ensuring our police have the tools they need. Of that money, $800 000 has been allocated to replace operational equipment including evidence recording equipment, hand held radios, forensic equipment and training equipment. $1.2m has been provided to address the funding shortfall in the vehicle replacement program. $400 000 will be used to purchase a 12 metre coastal vessel continuing the government’s $1m coastal vessel replacement program to improve the ocean search and rescue and patrolling capacity of our police. This vessel will be used in and around Darwin Harbour and will allow police to respond to maritime incidents up to 30 nautical miles off our coast.
In building our police force, the government is working to keep experienced officers in the Territory through improved working conditions for our police. Budget 2004-05 funds the upgrade of 66 Territory Housing Police Industry Houses in centres across the Territory. The final details of the funding are being finalised but more than $1.8m has already been flagged for the upgrade. This is not only a great result for the police; most of these houses are in the regional centres of the Northern Territory and it is going to be a great boost to small contactors in those regions.
A further $0.78m has been allocated in budget 2004-05 for minor new works to upgrade and refurbish NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services facilities. Since its introduction, the police recording system, PROMIS, has been something of a bug bear for operational officers, and that is a bit of an understatement. In last year’s budget we committed $1.5m in ongoing funding for the maintenance of the PROMIS system and additional technical support; the first time money has been allocated for the specific purpose of maintaining this important policing tool. Significant improvements were made to PROMIS last year giving members a more reliable system to assist in fighting crime and intelligence-led policing. Budget 2004-05 again delivers $1.5m in recurrent funding which this year will fund the implementation of the latest technology to bring the Northern Territory police PROMIS system into line with the system used by the AFP.
Ongoing upgrades and maintenance will provide Northern Territory police with improved tools for case management of major incidents and intelligence-led policing. That funding has been very well received by police members in the Northern Territory who use this system. I have to say that the complaints I was receiving 18 months ago about this system, people can see massive change and it is money well invested that the previous government failed to invest.
I am pleased to advise the House that this year, we will recruit an additional six fire fighters, completing the government’s election commitment to increase fire fighter numbers by 16 in our first term. The recruit course will start in July and the resulting increase in staff numbers will see four fire fighters stationed at the new Humpty Doo facility, and one each to Katherine and Tennant Creek. The independent Metis Report into the industrial relations and human resource management systems in the NTFRS released in February gave a no holds barred account of the cycle of conflict that had built up over a decade within the organisation, and importantly, a road map for a new era into the NT Fire and Rescue Service.
The government endorsed the recommendations in the Metis Report and has committed funding to see the road map take shape: $0.88m in Budget 2004-05; $0.75m next financial year; and $0.5m in recurrent funding each year after that. Part of the funding, $0.13m in 2004-05, has been allocated to the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment to provide fire and rescue staff with training in industrial relations and appropriate workplace behaviour. $200 000 from the overall funding was allocated to the NT Fire and Rescue Service’s training division. The funding will also cover the creation of specialist positions in training, strategy, occupational health and safety, and industrial relations.
Budget 2004-05 is the last time the NTFRS does not have its own budget output group. Delivering on an important recommendation from the Metis Report, from 2005-06, the NTFRS will have greater financial autonomy with a separate output group over which the Director of the Fire Service will have independent accountability. $580 000 will be spent purchasing two new fire appliances in 2004-05, replacing the rescue vehicle in Katherine and a tanker in Alice Springs. These vehicles will end the NTFRS eight-year major appliance replacement program. I am also pleased to advise the major fire appliance to replace the one destroyed in last October’s bush fires will arrive in Yulara in the next few months. This vehicle is, of course, purchased with 2003-04 funding.
The Martin government is building safer communities for all Territorians with improved facilities in town and in the bush. In Budget 2004-05, we have allocated $1m to construct a policy post at Numbulwar, a community of about 1200 people. The police post will include an office from which the Aboriginal Community Police Officers can base themselves and visiting officers’ quarters for overnight police patrols. Design work for the new police post has already started, and it is expected work will begin in early 2005.
2004-05 will also see the last of the Territory’s police cells to be upgraded in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. $680 000 has been allocated to upgrade cells in Batchelor, Ti Tree and Maranboy, with work scheduled to begin in August and September and conclude in December 2004 and January 2005.
The construction of the new $2m Humpty Doo police and fire facility will start next month, to be completed by January 2005. The new facility will deliver a greater level of service for the residents of Darwin’s rural area and ease the pressure on services in Palmerston. That was an election commitment that will be delivered on by this government.
Budget 2004-05 also delivers $400 000 to boost the counter-terrorism capacity of the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services, as the Northern Territory continues to play its part in national counter-terrorism efforts. Of the funding in Budget 2004-05, $300 000 has been set aside to purchase highly specialised equipment including a bomb response vehicle and electronic surveillance equipment. Of course, it is not enough to simply purchase new equipment. Accordingly, $100 000 has been flagged to allow members of the NT police to attend nationally approved counter-terrorism courses and workshops, including tactical response capability, counter-terrorism negotiator skills and incident command and control. Participation in these courses will ensure the NT maintains best practice in counter-terrorism response capability.
I now move on to talk about Budget 2004-05 initiatives relating to my Department of Corporate and Information Services. DCIS is responsible for providing responsive quality and cost-effective corporate support services to government. DCIS’ role extends to key responsibility for the development of the information communication technology industry and archival heritage. The department endeavours to contain costs and where possible, to reduce the cost to government agencies through the use and adaptation of emerging technologies. This is reflected in its pricing structure, which shows that 19 of its product lines have reduced in price over the past 12 months. The balance remained unchanged. This cost containment is underscored by comparing the 2003-04 and 2004-05 Budgets. The increase of $3.663m can be accounted for:
$1.5m government-funded program for upgrade of accommodation and property refurbishment;
$1.47m joint Territory and Commonwealth government-funded program in support the government’s
Jobs Plan;
$127 000 increase to address difficulties in retaining and recruiting finance staff in 2003-04 during the
introduction of accrual accounting; and
$370 000 for the 2004-05 EBA.
Overall, DCIS staffing has reduced by five over the past year. This reflects efficiency gains in service delivery but does not identify the positive shift in the ratio of apprentices now in the work force. And they are doing a great job there. DCIS currently employs 15 apprentices, with a further 16 expected to be recruited in the January 2005 intake.
The Jobs Plan initiative has been highly successful with 81 apprentices employed across agencies in the February intake and a further intake of 25 mid-year. The 2005 target has been set at 120. Forty six of the total intake of 106, that is 43%, self-identify as indigenous. This is a very good achievement and a major step towards redressing the imbalance of indigenous employees in the Northern Territory public sector. I am digressing from the speech, and the member for Katherine might be aware of this, but in Katherine recently I was amazed that last year, and for many years, government only employed two apprentices in Katherine. This year there are 11. It is a fantastic initiative. I met some of those young people, and I am very pleased to see that. So, member for Katherine, 11 apprentices organised through DCIS in Katherine, a big step up on the two of last year.
The success of employing indigenous people has meant that the Northern Territory has achieved the three year target within the first year. To further contribute to the success of indigenous employment, DCIS is currently preparing a Request for Tender for the delivery of indigenous employment services over a 12 month trial. The Request for Tender is expected to be out by late June, and will include:
the establishment and maintenance of a database of indigenous jobseekers seeking employment in the NTPS;
the provision of customised pre-recruitment training to indigenous jobseekers seeking employment in the NTPS;
the provision of an indigenous mentoring program for all indigenous people seeking employment or already
employed with the NTPS; and
the provision of statistical information in relation to job referrals and placements.
A recent review of remote locality working conditions resulted in the Remote Work Force Development Strategy being launched by the Minister for Employment, Education and Training. The strategy makes provision for $1m in recurrent funding to be spent on targetted interventions for employees in remote localities. DCIS is developing a module to manage remote locality entitlements, which will support better management as well as information capture and reporting. Further reinforcing the work being undertaken in this area, the Commissioner for Public Employment recently announced DCIS’ success in its applications for the Remote Work Force Development Grants Program.
I am pleased to announce here that grants have been received for the following initiatives:
provision of a scoping document and analysis for the remote area PIPS module referred to above;
a $34 606 grant for the provision of part professional assault response training in remote areas;
delivery of SWIPE, Sector Wide Induction Program for Employees; and
OH&S training programs in Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek.
DCIS will continue to work with Westpac to enhance the on-line payment options available to the community. The Payments Gateway is a web site hosted by Westpac for paying bills issued by the Northern Territory government or purchasing items for the NTG. Currently, the web site includes payment of bills and point of sales purchases using a credit card. Work is currently under way to allow bill payments by direct debit. Bpay is already available to agencies for payment of some bills and DCIS is investigating payment of bills with a credit card via phone, or IVR, which is an Interactive Voice Response.
An archives management system will be acquired and installed. The system will hold detailed information about archived collections held by the NT Archive Service. It will allow more efficient management of the collections and improve community access.
Moving to another initiative, DCIS, in partnership with CDU, Fujitsu and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment has conducted a pilot project on the application of web services technologies in the Northern Territory government. The trial was successfully completed and the technology will now be used to provide on-line driver’s licensing and vehicle registration services to the community.
All of the above initiatives are consistent with the e-government direction being pursued by this government and a reducing back office processing cost. DCIS is continuing to work towards an innovative and expanding ICT industry which meets the needs of Territorians, and is poised to export its skills and expertise. This includes collaboration with the Singapore government, together with our respective ICT industries to increase ICT trade, particularly in the delivery of remote telecommunications-based services into South-East Asia. To enhance this, the government will support an ICT industry delegation to Singapore this year to seek partnership with Singapore ICT companies.
Progressing the ICT industry’s strategic plan, the government, in collaboration with the industry and CDU, will complete a five-year ICT industry strategic plan to focus industry, government and academic efforts so that we optimise benefits to Territorians in the ICT industry. The government has set goals to improve the performance of agencies’ ICT services to enable them to be more responsive to remote indigenous communities. To achieve this, DCIS will work with its key ICT services providers to establish an ICT service presence in many remote communities.
As the previous minister for procurement, I announced the government’s procurement reform initiative. I am particularly pleased now to announce that DCIS is taking the lead role in implementing some of the core procurement reforms. These include procurement training. The government is committed to ensuring that its procurement activities are open, effective and represent value for money. In order for this to happen, staff engaged in procurement need to undertake an appropriate level of training. DCIS is providing short courses to staff from agencies at several levels of accredited training, including individual accredited units in procurement in line with requirements outlined in the agency’s procurement management plans; Certificate IV in Government Procurement and Contracting; Diploma in Government Contract Management; and recognition of prior learning assessments for individual units and in workshops for the Certificate IV qualification.
In response to suggestions from Territory business, this government is now reviewing procurement thresholds and mechanisms to simplify the tendering process. The proposed changes include retaining current advertising thresholds, but introducing a more simple procurement method and tendering process for the supply of goods and services with a value between $10 000 and $50 000; review of existing period contracts as they expire, and will consider aggregating their requirements for some goods and services - these requirements will be tendered through the public tendering process; and the establishment of common use contracts by all government agencies.
In 2003, the Martin government committed to pay 100% of non-disputed invoices to Territory businesses within 30 days of receipt of invoice, or pay a penalty. In 2003-04, 83% of payments were processed within 30 days. The figure for April 2004 is 93%. It is amazing what a little incentive like paying an interest payment will do. DCIS and Treasury have been working to finalise this implementation of interest penalties that suppliers will be able to claim for late payments. These will commence from 1 July 2004. This has been a great initiative of our government and, certainly, been very well received by the business community which has noticed a huge improvement in the payment of accounts by government since we started working towards that 100% target. In the coming 12 months, the first annual review will be undertaken of this government’s property procurement guidelines to ensure they are achieving the levels of competition and openness required by this government.
In closing, Mr Deputy Speaker, I believe that the numerous initiatives I have listed above show Territorians that the Martin government is serious about delivering on the promises we made; serious about jobs for Territorians; serious about attacking the causes of crime; and serious about moving the Territory ahead.
I congratulate the Treasurer, his staff, the Treasury officers who worked long and hard and always do in preparing the best advice to the government and a great budget. I commend the Budget 2004-05 to the Assembly.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that debate be adjourned.
Debate adjourned.
SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly at its rising adjourn until Tuesday 15 June 2004 at 10 am or such other time and/or date as may be set by Madam Speaker pursuant to sessional order.
Motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms MARTIN (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker, important things to do with the Fannie Bay electorate. On Saturday, 24 April, I was pleased to sponsor and attend the Vesteys Beach Community Barbeque. This meeting was inspired by local resident, Louise Jones, who is mother of Majella and Jazz. Louise is forming a ‘Friends of Vesteys’ group to develop a plan for Vesteys Beach. She uses the beach daily with her children and felt there was a real need for the area to become more user-friendly and family orientated. The move to gather community ideas was supported by Darwin City Council which sponsored the event through their Neighbourhoods Alive Program organised by Darwin City Council’s Recreation Services Officer, Amy Liddicoat.
Of great interest was a talk by Dave Cash from Greening Australia who pointed out the function of a lot of the scrub in the Vesteys Beach area maintaining the bird population. Dave’s talk highlighted the need for ensuring the habitat for the birds at Vesteys Beach is not disturbed in any works that occur in the future.
Some of the suggestions that were put forward by residents include safety lighting; redevelopment of the recreation area including new play equipment; and barbeques and public toilets to replace the old block that was recently demolished. I congratulate Louise Jones because about five years ago I tried to get a Land Care group going in the Vesteys Beach area and there was not sufficient community interest. Louise is trying again to get that greater community interest in what is an important foreshore area, the Vesteys Beach area, and she has garnered a lot of support so far. I am very hopeful that we will have a real community involvement; the Friends of Vesteys group will certainly be active and looking after a very beautiful are of our coastline.
It is always nice to say Happy Birthday to people, and one of my constituents, Herta Hakala celebrated her 80th birthday last Friday, 14 May. Herta migrated to Australia from Germany in the late 1940s when she settled in Darwin. She is best remembered for working at the Berrimah Store. Herta remains very active in the Lutheran Church and volunteers for Diabetes Australia where she assists with their newsletters and helps out generally. Herta celebrated her birthday with her many children and grandchildren. She is a long standing Kurringal resident and enjoys being a resident of the fourth floor of Block 8. She says the views are great and the breezes are better.
Another aspect of activity in the Fannie Bay electorate is the very active Stuart Park Residents Group. On Monday, 22 March, I attended the Stuart Park Residents Group AGM. The Residents Group was founded in 1997 and has successfully represented residents’ interest in Stuart Park on a range of issues including parks, planning and traffic issues. I congratulate the new executive and the committee members, many of whom have been very involved in the Stuart Park area for a long time and very vocal as members of the residents group. Continuing as chairperson is John Brears, who does a great job. Deputy chair is Liz Nicholls, treasurer is Chrissie, secretary is Joan Brears - so it is very much a Brears family team effort - and the committee is John Leishman, Dee Allan, Diane Szarkowicz and Michael Kilgariff.
A couple of weeks ago on 5 May, I had the pleasure of hosting a staff morning tea at Darwin High School. Darwin High is currently the largest high school in the Territory with over 100 teachers and administrative staff, and around 1200 students. It was good to catch up over morning tea with teachers and staff and some of the students. Marion Guppy, the new principal of Darwin High, the former principal of Dripstone High School, has been warmly accepted by the Darwin High School community and it was good to catch up with her over morning tea as well.
On a personal note, Judy Boland, historian and history teacher at Darwin High and well known to our Darwin High community turned 65 last month. That significant birthday she celebrated was recognised at the morning tea. So whilst sending birthdays wishes, I also want to commend Judy for the one wonderful work that she does in encouraging students and ex-students to care for the history of the school. Judy’s work on recent reunions and the compilation of historical documents and photos for the school is very important work. Judy is also very involved with the Historical Society of the Northern Territory and is also the chair of the Fannie Bay History and Heritage Society. In the past when you turned 65, you would be looking at retirement. We have changed the rules and Judy is continuing, so she is an inspiration.
There are many businesses in the Territory that are success stories. The story I would like to share tonight is of a business that is making a positive, successful contribution to our Territory community through the provision of services for people with disabilities. HPA Incorporated is a non-government, not for profit Territory-based organisation whose mission is to assist people with a disability to develop their full potential through a valued community service providing quality training, personal development and support.
HPA was started in 1963 by local school teacher, Harold Garner, when he presided over the first meeting of what was then known as the Mentally Handicapped Persons Association. The organisation has grown since then into a corporation that manufactures quality products at five registered businesses. HPA receives funding to support its endeavours from the Department of Health and Community Services and the federal government through the Department of Family and Community Services. Other funds come from charitable trusts, local fund raising and donations, and from the assistance of local service clubs.
Management of HPA is via a board of directors selected for their skills in business and their commitment to the provision of services to people with a disability.
HPA assists over 80 people with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses through the provision of employment and training options. It also provides accommodation and support services for over 30 people with an intellectual disability. The organisation employs 50 in the Top End to assist these Territorians with disabilities.
The manufacturing arm of HPA Incorporated consists of five businesses. Kokoda Industries is a carpentry workshop that manufactures a wide range of timber products including pallets, survey pegs, lattice and garden edging. It also has the capacity to manufacture most timber products and does contract work for the armed forces.
Supertube Outdoor Furniture is another one of its businesses. It is a manufacturer of PVC outdoor furniture, marketing signs, pet beds – my dog loves its HPA pet bed, let me say – bike racks and room dividers among other products. Supertube Outdoor Furniture also sells a range of jarrah and Queensland hardwood outdoor furniture assembled at the workshop and the retail outlet in Bishop Street.
Another is the Palmerston Business Service, which manufactures a range of steel and timber outdoor furniture. Palmerston Business Service also has an industrial sewing business that specialises in a range of indigenous print fabric products.
Then there is Shadow Prints, a screen printing business that provides high quality screen print into the manufacturing of products such as those produced by Calico Connection. They have also printed T-shirts and other products on request.
Finally, Calico Connection, an industrial sewing company that specialises in the design and manufacture of eye catching tourist promotional bags, conference bags and a host of other calico products. Recently, Calico Connection provided the conference bags for the successful NTCOSS Conference.
Margaret Marron, the manager of Calico Connection, has found innovative ways to utilise what would normally be fabric scraps to create a range of multicoloured and unique bags that will no doubt find a way into the greater Australian market. Working in the Calico Connection sewing room are wonderful Territorians who have found opportunities to be productive and enjoy the benefits of employment, such as making good friends, seeing a finished product and being part of a team. Donna Clark, Donna Camp, Ngaire Logan, Clint Logan, Bronwyn Hopkins, Belinda Higgins, Christine Murphy, Sally Davis, Peter Friend, Javid Ahmad and Nathan Chee Quee work together to produce high quality products that are now being sold around Australia.
The sales from these businesses have tripled in the last 10 years and HPA exports products interstate to the ACT, Western Australia, and Queensland, and internationally to East Timor. HPA also has license agreements in place that allow the manufacture of goods designed specifically for Aboriginal interests and markets. General Manager, Paul Goggin, and Marketing Manager, Kim Farrar, are full of enthusiasm and commitment to the organisation. I have agreed to assist with a fund raiser to be held later this year as a way to lift the profile of this great Territory business.
HPA Incorporated is a Northern Territory story of success that has been achieved through hard work and a commitment to the provision of services to Territorians with disabilities. It is a credit to our community. I commend previous and current staff and board members on their endeavours and wish them well with their enterprise.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to comment further to the Ministerial Report relating to the Harmony Program in Katherine. We are all aware in this Chamber that almost every community in the Northern Territory has significant problems with public drunkenness and antisocial behaviour. These problems are caused by a minority of people who have created such a huge challenge for our community, and for all levels of government to try to sort out. Not an easy job by any means, and not one that can have strategies put in place that every one will agree with.
For too long, when anyone has spoken out about the problems experienced in their community, they have been labelled racist and picking on the indigenous. That comment really gets up my nostrils, because in my instance I am addressing drunks. I do not care what race they are, a drunk is a drunk. In Katherine, for instance, the visibility of public drunkenness is highlighted, because Katherine Terrace is also the Stuart Highway, with four major liquor outlets on that main street. Naturally, this area is where the problems occur at their worst, and this presents such a dreadful visual impact to Katherine.
In an attempt to address the problems we are sick of putting up, a desperate short-term fix was implemented to see if we could make a difference, even though we were all aware that there needed to be a comprehensive approach to deal with our town. This occurred several years back, when we had restricted hours for the sale of alcohol. These were put in place in Katherine on a trial basis of two six-month trials. This was viewed by most of the owners of licensed premises as discriminatory and derogatory to their business. While the first six months of the trial definitely improved the problems that the town was experiencing, it discriminated against local responsible residents, the rural residents and tourists. Following a hearing by the Liquor Commission held in Katherine, the decision was to revert to almost the original trading times.
When the Harmony Group Committee was formed in Katherine, I was an Alderman on Katherine Town Council, and fully supported its formation and continue to do so. This committee is very ably chaired by Alderman Anne Shepherd, who is committed to the long haul to have successful outcomes for the programs implemented. While the committee is very large, it covers all sectors of the community so that consultation is comprehensive. There has been considerable criticism from sectors of the Katherine community of the length of time it has taken the Harmony Group to implement their programs. However, now that some of them are under way, I am hopeful that some early results will be obvious.
There are some areas of the Harmony Program that I have concerns about. The first one that I will address now is that of the foot patrols. The foot patrols have the opportunity to make a huge difference to the appearance and activities in the main street of Katherine. At present, that is not happening. The patrol officers are well presented and well mannered, and walk along the main street, reporting in regularly to retail businesses to show their presence. While this is happening, the usual very loud, and I call it verbal diarrhoea, is still being hurled along and across the street, drinking is still occurring on the median strip, and the median strip, most days, looks like a cast of thousands have had a picnic and walked away, leaving all their garbage behind. The role of the foot patrol needs to be revisited to ensure that they are doing the job to make the difference that is needed in Katherine Terrace. I encourage the minister to readdress the role of the foot patrol at his earliest convenience.
Another area of concern is the book-up service. Last week, a takeaway food outlet in Katherine Terrace was officially recognised as a supplier of food under the book-up scheme; a scheme that Katherine businesses were not aware they had access to. On the contrary, most people I have spoken to were of the opposite opinion, that book-up and the holding of plastic cards was a no-no, a practice that is unethical. Businesses that decided to use that practice did so at their own risk in the past. It has been well known that Bucking Bull Burger Bar has been booking-up food for many years to mainly the indigenous, and also well known that the previous owner of Bucking Bull Burger Bar, who began the book-up practice, ended up with a very substantial debt which she was unable to recover when she left the business and sold it.
The concerns that I have in relation to the book-up include:
1. there was no public information supplied to the Katherine community to inform them of this book-up facility.
It was not until the day that Bucking Bull Burger Bar was signed up that Katherine was aware of this. I can
assure you my telephone was running hot.
2. this outlet is in the centre of the main street where we already have major problems with groups with unruly
behaviour. The word will not take long to get around about the book-up which will increase the numbers of
people wanting to take advantage of this facility.
3. other food outlets see this arrangement as unfair trading as it encourages trade at this one specific outlet in
preference to others, which guarantees income for that outlet.
4. it is well known that Bucking Bull Burger Bar has had less than satisfactory recording arrangements for book-ups
in the past.
How are their book-up practices going to be monitored under this new practice, and how often are they going to be reviewed? May I suggest that for the first few months the review be conducted weekly and without notice to ensure that the practice is transparent and accountable to reassure the Katherine business community.
This idea of book-up surely must fly in the face of what we should be teaching our indigenous; that is, how to be responsible in managing their own money. There is so much talk of how we need to teach them to be independent, and here we have a recognised system that means that they do not have to be responsible for the very basic of requirements - food. Just go and book it up. I fail to see how this system is improving self-management. I will also be very interested to hear how the minister feels about this set-up.
I am sure that there will be many more discussions in this Chamber in the future relating to the Harmony programs in Katherine.
I would like to finish this evening with recognising a new program that was launched last Friday at Kalano, which is being coordinated by Janzey Pratt. This program is called KRISP, meaning Katherine Region Indigenous Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Program. The program is locally known as the Kumbidgee program, meaning ‘good from within’. Kalano with three workers, and Rock Hole with two workers, have been chosen as the pilot communities to run until September 2005. The program covers all ages and has been utilised by all ages in this past three weeks, reinforcing the importance of this support program. In these early stages, Janzey and her team are working in fairly substandard conditions until more suitable infrastructure can be arranged. Janzey is also working in partnership with Arts Katherine, and has been successful in obtaining a grant to run a program called Youth Led Futures. Hopefully, both of these programs will work together. I wish Janzey and her dedicated workers every success in achieving successful outcomes.
Tonight I would also like to advise this Chamber of the success of the Katherine Country Music Muster 2004 which was held the first weekend of May. The member for Daly spoke last night about the success of this event, so I will not cover the aspects that he did, but I will endorse everything he said. Just to give you a bit of history of this event, a small group of country music lovers got together several years ago and formed a committee to look at the possibility of running a country music festival. Many crisp, cool, early mornings were spent mid-year at meetings held at the Katherine Historical Society for the initial planning of the festival. I have to say that, without the commitment of this founding committee, the inaugural festival may not have taken place. Thank goodness they had such vision and determination.
This year, the committee’s hard work and commitment was rewarded when they took out the National Volunteer Awards, Cultural Division, winning a nice sum of $5000 which was very gratefully received.
The very small committee made up of very active volunteer members for this event have worked extremely hard all year to prepare for this successful 2004 muster. These committee members have successfully sourced sponsorship from over 80 local businesses which, considering the struggle that some of the businesses of Katherine are going through, is a fantastic outcome. Some of the support was financial and some was in-kind. Everyone in the community has welcomed and been happy to support the muster, which has ensured its success. I would like to recognise and thank all of the important sponsors. A big thank you to the many hard working volunteers, without whom the music muster could not go ahead.
The people of Katherine welcome the influx of visitors for this great annual muster, not only for the much needed injection of money to the local economy, but also for the fantastic atmosphere that country music creates. Whether you like country music or not, I do not believe anybody could possibly feel unhappy or uncomfortable when listening to country music. I have found that country music actually brings communities together.
This year, there were around 3000 people attending, including the Patron, His Honour Mr Ted Egan. Artists performing included the now famous and very successful Sara Storer, Keith Jamieson, Alisha Smith, Ray Cullen, Kate Oliver, Patrick Webster, Gus Williams, Matt Scullion, Martin Oakes, and who could forget, the Toe Sucking Cowgirls.
Some of the wonderful events of the muster included busking in the CBD, best dressed window, Aussie pub crawl of country music artists, Big Brekky, Cavalcade Street Parade on the Saturday morning, bush poets breakfast, walk up poets, bush poet competition, buskers, bush balladeers, whip cracking, kids’ tents, Johnny Cash tribute, and Slim Dusty tribute.
Another very famous Australian event, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, injects around $73m to the local economy over their annual festival. The Katherine organisers commented that wouldn’t it be great if we could inject $1m into ours, and I agree with them. The vision of the organisers of the Katherine Country Music Muster is to make Katherine the country music capital of the Northern Territory. I believe that, with the continuing level of commitment and on-going support from all sectors of the community, that vision will be achieved. Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the committee on their great success and look forward to an even bigger muster in 2005.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I should just say that the Adelaide River Country Festival is coming up in a couple of weeks.
Ms MILLER: I know.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to inform the House about recent events and achievements of the people of the Arafura electorate.
Recently, it was my pleasure to congratulate students, the principal, Esther Djayhgurrnga and the head teacher, Maree Timms, of the Gunbulunya Community Education Centre, whose film about how the echidna got her spikes won the best Northern Territory film at this year’s prestigious Down Under International Film Festival. Students of the Year 6/7 class developed and made a claymation film called The Echidna and Turtle as part of a school literacy and numeracy program. There were about 20 Grade 6/7 students aged between 10 and 12. They were from the Namarrkon class and Namarrkon means ‘lightening’ in the local Kunwinjku language. The story tells of how the echidna got her spikes and the turtle her hard shell. This comes from the rich oral cultural tradition of the Gunwinggu people of west Arnhem Land. Special mention should be made of the head teacher, Maree Timms and certainly also the local indigenous assistant teacher, Narissa Nadjalaburnburn.
The story of the echidna and the turtle came from the traditional elder, Stephen Garnarradj, who assisted students with set and character designs, as well as animating each scene. This film has been favourably compared to Academy Award winning Australian animated film Harvey Crumpet. High praise indeed, but thoroughly well deserved. It is brilliant work from the Gunbalanya CEC students, teachers and certainly the whole of the community.
That school certainly does need some praise because last year and early this year, there were a lot of problems with school attendance. Alcohol is also a real issue there. It just shows that if the community, and particularly a community that has some very strong women who work with those children and within the school area – and it is a pleasure to be amongst some of these women such as Tess Bulliwana and Julie Narndal, females from the seniors’ traditional owner group – the strides and the headway they are making with a lot of young children in getting those children to come back into school and getting better literacy and numeracy outcomes supported by fantastic teachers like Maree Timms.
I also need to mention James Armstrong and Seamus Hoare who assisted the children with the animated movie of the echidna and turtle. They are IT experts who spent some time out at Gunbalanya and assisted in getting all this happening.
I had the great honour to provide the closing address at the Anzac Day ceremony held at Jabiru in my electorate. It was very well attended. I thought that there would be a few people. To my surprise, there were about 150 people who turned up to the Anzac Day ceremony. Jabiru traditionally does get behind Anzac Day. The Friday before Anzac Day, I joined the school assembly, which was well attended by NORFORCE officers and participated in Anzac Day memorial events there.
This year was no different, particularly the Anzac Day ceremony on early Sunday morning, with a large crowd for a very moving Dawn Service, which was held in the town plaza. It was excellent to see so many young people in attendance and the very prominent role played by our young men in NORFORCE, again under the command of Lieutenant James Morrison.
Wreaths were laid by representatives of the Armed Forces, the RSL, Vietnam and other war veterans, the Northern Territory Police and Emergency Services, NT Fire Services, Jabiru Town Council and the Jabiru Area School, among others. I was asked to speak about the efforts of Territorians in World War II and was honoured to acknowledge the work of the Bininj from the Kakadu region who supported the Armed Forces during World War II, in particular the late Bill Neidje and Tiger Manggawulu who guarded the radar facility at Cape Don.
I was also proud to honour the efforts of William Alderson or Yorky Billy, Toby Gangele, Nipper Kapirigi and George Namingum for their services at the Allied Works Camp in Adelaide River where they loaded and unloaded stores, supplies, ammunitions.
Congratulations must go to Jabiru Town Council for an excellent commemoration, well organised and run, and the cooked brekkie enabled everybody to mingle over a good feed after the Dawn Service, enjoy each others company and just reflect on the day and what it meant, but also having a lot of the school children there with their parents. It was also good to see the Bininj and non-Bininj all together and talking about how Bininj played a role in it all. It was good to be part of that great Jabiru community spirit.
Whilst visiting Jabiru I had the pleasure of hosting a KFC lunch, and that went down very well, taking out a bucket of KFC for the hard working members of the Kakadu youth, Yawkyawk Yarrawinj Committee. This is an exciting group of young people who have been brought together by Dwayne Baker, the Coordinator of the Kakadu Youth Employment Scheme. Dwayne works hard to organise for local youth to get into proper, structured workplace learning with a view to increasing employment opportunities for youth of the region.
The committee had plenty to say to me, particularly about the obstacles they face in accessing employment in the Kakadu region. I was favourably impressed with their optimism and their enthusiasm. I am sure that with help from the Kakadu community, employees and government, these young energetic Territorians will find their places in the growing Territory work force.
It was also very good to be able to sit down with these young people who talked quite openly about the alcohol and drug abuse facing many of the youth, particularly in areas like Kakadu, and the lack of access to sporting activities and other facilities. I have offered that youth committee - because they are wanting to get involved in a number of festivals - assistance with a donation, as the local member, to enable the committee to travel to the Garma Festival this year. Garma will have a leadership focus this year and the youth committee wants to learn how they can provide leadership in Kakadu in the generation for employment and educational opportunities for a number of the youth out there.
Recently, a group of enterprising musicians from my electorate performed at the Entertainment Centre in Darwin and launched, with the CHARTTES Training Advisory Council, a report called From Outstation to Out There, a music industry case study. The band is Nabarlek, 12 dedicated musos from Manmoyi, a small outstation 200 km from Gunbalanya in western Arnhem Land. Nabarlek has worked very hard for more than five years to become very successful performing and recording artists. As hard as they have worked, Nabarlek would not have been as successful as they have been without the invaluable support of their partner, Skinny Fish Music in Darwin and Demed Outstation Resource Centre at Gunbalanya. The case study has been pulled together by long time music lobbyist, Gillian Harrison, and is a model for the music industry training and enterprise development in remote Aboriginal communities.
Nabarlek’s approach to music and economic self-sufficiency is very much one within a community development model, and one that should influence policy makers and funding agencies. I offer my congratulations to Nabarlek as they are an inspiration, not just to their community at Gunbalanya and all the outstations, but certainly to Territorians. Well done Skinny Fish and Demed, your innovative and creative partnership with Nabarlek is certain to be a success.
For some months now I have working with another lot of constituents, and members of my family, from the Tiwi Islands to develop better coordination between the Tiwi Islands Local Government and the Tiwi Land Council and other Tiwi organisations in the area of Tiwi governance. Many Tiwis have been involved in a series of workshops that have explored the relationship between Tiwi Island Local Government and the Tiwi Land Council. I especially wish to thank the two chairpersons of their respective organisations, Frederick Mungatopi and Maralumpuwi Kurrupuwu for their assistance in the running of these workshops.
It was very important to have these workshops because, in Tiwi at least, with all the development that is happening there, that is probably one area in a remote Aboriginal community where economic self-sufficiency and independence some time down the track is a reality rather than a dream. They are at the crossroads in terms of where they go from here, so it is good to start having and bringing these meetings together.
All of these meetings have been fully supported by all the Tiwis. At the last meeting, about 200 Tiwi leaders from all of the communities came together at Maxwell Creek. I was asked to facilitate the workshop, as their local member, and it was me with 200 of my Tiwi leaders. One of the pleasing things at all the meetings that I have had out on the island where it was mainly the Tiwi men, it was good to see that this meeting was attended by about 90 women.
In the Tiwi context, for these 90 women to come out in force, is certainly signalling a huge change. And not just for Tiwi. It is happening right throughout a lot of our remote Aboriginal communities where the women - and I am not saying that the men are not leading - but when we look on the ground at many of our communities, these women have been doing the hard yards for a long time. Through a lot of the work that I am doing with communities, these women are starting to stand up, form strong women’s groups, wanting to get the information about how do they get elected. So, it is working with them as a local member regarding what steps they take for getting elected on local or community government councils, and setting up their own enterprises. They are taking a real active involvement and if more of our women are doing it – and look, I cannot remember in all the times, and even when I was living with my own people on the Tiwi Islands back in the late 1980s, I have never seen a meeting that was so well attended by the women as this last meeting was.
The attendance by these women, I believe, started signalling to some of the Tiwi men that life is certainly going to change - certainly policies are going to start changing - and there is going to be no tolerance of violence, or excluding the women from economic development strategies and policies. It is the first time that they have put up a resolution of having women elected in the land council election. That is certainly a very positive move forward and one that I fully support.
It is certainly supported by men like Cyril Kalippa whose vision and foresight for Tiwi people has been there for as long as I can remember; Barry Puruntatameri, whom you would know, Mr Deputy Speaker, was for a long time involved in the local government area; Gibson Farmer; Lawrence Costa; Henry Dunn; and Gawin Tipiloura who are the young guys coming through and wanting to take a different approach from the old leadership and looking at a new way of doing things, and two former members of the Legislative Assembly, Maurice Rioli, and Hyacinth Tungatalum - who stood for the opposition many years ago when it was the Legislative Council - amongst others are all playing prominent roles in developing ways of getting these Tiwi organisations to work together to look at how Tiwi women can start getting actively working together.
I acknowledge the assistance provided by officers from the department, as well as from the Minister for Community Development and ATSIC Commissioner Hill, who also helped in that. We are looking forward to progress. It gives me pleasure as the member for Arafura to work with such a range of interested and enthusiastic people. If we can get it right with my people, we can get it right in some of the other communities.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to talk about something in Alice Springs that has been not brought to my attention - because I have been very conscious of the difficulties in the business and tourism sector in particular in Alice Springs for a long time. It is appropriate that I speak about this tonight, given that we are at the end of budget week, and given the currency of a letter or an e-mail sent to the Chief Minister on 12 May - although I have two dates on the top of this e-mail, so it could have been 11 May.
In any event, the Chief Minister has a letter sent to her by Angie Reidy. I have Angie’s permission to talk about this in the parliament tonight. It is appropriate I do, not only for the reasons I have already mentioned, but because I hope that members of this Assembly - especially those on the government side - actually believe the words of someone like Angie Reidy as opposed to government’s own rhetoric and, in particular the rhetoric of the Chief Minister.
For those who do not know, Angie Reidy has lived in Alice Springs with her husband, Peter, for about 26 years. She is probably the most successful tourism operator and entrepreneur in Alice Springs. She used to own Bojangles Restaurant, although she sold that. She used to own Sahara Tours; she sold that. She still owns Toddy’s Backpackers; she still owns the Desert Palms; and she owns the Novotel Hotel in partnership with Brian Measey and Andrew Burns. Andrew Burns is from interstate and he is very well known in the tourism industry across the country.
I do not think that there is anyone more qualified to give an assessment of the tourism industry in Central Australia than Angie Reidy, so I would implore government members to not only listen to what Angie has said, but also to look at the Hansard in their own time. In this letter - and I will just quote extracts of it - Angie Reidy writes to the Chief Minister:
The future of Alice Springs as a tourist destination is a major concern to myself and many other locals
whom I have been speaking to.
Further in the e-mail she says:
Tourism is the main industry we have in Alice Springs and if we continue to lose this industry we are going
to rely on government agencies and Pine Gap to try and survive as a town. Not so many yeas ago, it was like
the start of the Grand Prix each morning, with so many tour operators departing Alice Springs and heading
to Ayres Rock with the likes of AAT Kings and others operating double decker coaches. These days, the only tour
operators going to Ayres Rock are the camping tour operator, and departing with empty seats which are filled
from Ayres Rock.
Elsewhere in her letter she says:
Whilst progress demands that we seal major roads, many of the adventure roads are now off-route and restrictions
placed on what you can do and where you can go. Tourists and locals alike are going to look further afield for the
outback adventure.
She goes on:
It appears to me that the government is focussing on Darwin, the Top End and Ayers Rock. It is as if Alice Springs has
been totally forgotten.
Further in the letter she says:
On top of all of this, that is, difficulties in the tourism industry, recent statistics and letters regarding the
number of families leaving Alice Springs are also disturbing. Many of the people who are leaving Alice
Springs are people we all know and each of them that I personally know has stated that the antisocial
behaviour, the filthy streets and walking areas combined with no new industries coming to town are the
main reasons for leaving. The antisocial behaviour of the town and garbage along the Todd River on
South Terrace that a courtesy bus full of tourists passes several times each time with the driver being
asked why is there so much garbage is not helping what is left of tourism.
She says that one of her properties, the Desert Palms Resort, is down by 8% this year on occupancy and that her company is doing a lot better than many. She goes on to say how she and Brian Measey have spent $3.7m refurbishing the Novotel and they are having troubles as a result of the inability, or the lack of responsiveness this government has had to tourism. They are in trouble. They are going to ride out the storm but this letter speaks volume.
We know that government ignored tourism for pretty much two and a half years. I do not think members on the other side can argue with that. It was not just me, it was not just the CLP imploring government to put in some money; it was the tourism industry. Two and a half years later the Chief Minister has the audacity to go around to tourism shows and operators, pat them on the back and say, ‘Gee, aren’t we a good government? We have kicked in $27m over the four years’, or whatever it is.
The business minister in this Chamber a couple of times this week said that the business sector is going well, confidence is high, and because of the Labor government aren’t things wonderful. Well, I know who I believe and I would put my money on Angie Reidy any day of the week. I have known Angie Reidy for many years and she is not a letter writer. She is not the sort of person who writes letters to politicians. But she has been so concerned about the appalling state of tourism and other difficulties in Alice Springs that she has seen fit to write to the Chief Minister. I hope that Angie will provide me with a copy of the Chief Minister’s response. I would be very interested to see what sort of response the Chief Minister comes up with. I can guess that it will be something along the lines of, ‘Ah yes, there was a bit of a downturn. We never had any money but now all of a sudden we have some and I am spending it. And now that I am the tourism minister aren’t I fantastic’.
The likes of Angie Reidy and her colleagues are not stupid. They will not buy that sort of garbage and the Chief Minister should be on notice that she needs to treat not only Angie Reidy but other tourism operators with the utmost respect. In any event, Angie Reidy provided me with a copy of an e-mail that she received following the letter to the Chief Minister. Her e-mail to the Chief Minister was e-mailed to a number of other senior tourism operators around the Territory and was also e-mailed to some senior business commentators. I will not divulge the source of one of the responses she received, which she was kind enough to send to me. But I can assure members that a very senior well-known and respected business commentator, whom people in this Chamber know well, wrote to Angie and said that he regularly meets fellow business people who make the same comments as Angie Reidy made in her e-mail to the Chief Minister.
He said that many of them are disillusioned with the current state of affairs in the Northern Territory, and this is only last week. This is 11 or 12 May, so it is not as though it is 12 months ago; it was only eight days ago. He said that there was a lack of entrepreneurial leadership which business people had been used to in the Territory. He was scathing of the apparently poor relationship this government has with Qantas. He said there is a lack of a good relationship with Qantas. He felt certain that the Premier of Queensland and other premiers would be on first name terms with Geoff Dixon. He could not confirm it, but he told Angie Reidy that as far as he knew, the Chief Minister had not once met with Geoff Dixon from Qantas and that that would send a very bad message to them. I do not know whether that is true or otherwise, but that is the information from this senior business commentator.
He said that he understood Angie Reidy’s comments that there was an uphill battle that he and his colleagues were currently having, not only in relation to Alice Springs, but across the Northern Territory on issues such as airline access, tourism, the establishment of new industries and electricity pricing. He is concerned about the emphasis that the current government has on education and health, and does not see this government as performing at all well or indeed seriously interested in stimulating economic development around the Northern Territory.
I wish I could name this business commentator because members on the other side would fall off their chairs, but I would ask them to accept my assurance that these were comments made by a senior commentator.
It is appropriate that as a local member and a member from Alice Springs, I ventilate and continue ventilate these concerns. Members know well that for the better part of two and half years I have begged government to do better in tourism. We are now on to our fourth tourism minister. The Chief Minister can crow about the $27m that she had miraculously come up with – must have been that GST revenue – but she and her government will never be forgiven for abandoning the tourism industry for two and half years.
Members of this Chamber will know that when you suddenly come up with money, the flow-on effects do not just happen the next day. We are not seeing in Alice Springs any flow-on effects at this stage from that money. After an injection of funds, you would normally expect to see some results within six to 12 months. Some business operators have gone broke. They blame the Labor government and they will always blame the Labor government. I am right behind them in that regard.
The Chief Minister was Treasurer, so she knew how much money the government has had, more than the CLP government every had by virtue of the GST revenue, and yet she, it seemed to me at least, pretended that she did not have any money, she had other priorities. She will never be forgiven for ignoring the industry. I say again that members of the industry are not stupid. They know what the situation is. The government should have come up with this money two years ago and it is to its eternal shame that it has not.
As I say, I feel confident that Mrs Reidy will provide me with a copy of the Chief Minister’s response, and it may be on another occasion that I talk about that response in this Chamber.
With those remarks, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will leave it there. I ask members of the Assembly to take on board perhaps not my comments, as I know members on the other side are not always enamoured with what I say, but I ask that they perhaps chase up the letter dated 11 or 12 May written by Angie Reidy to the Chief Minister and they can have a look at it themselves.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is not often I rise to talk about the electorate of Macdonnell, but I thought the local member might take a night off tonight and leave it to me.
I would like to talk, first, about the Relekha Regional Crime Prevention Council, which is based at Ntaria. I have visited Ntaria twice this year so far and have appreciated enormously the great hospitality that was shown on both those visits.
I launched the Western Arrernte Crime Prevention Council at Ntaria on 26 March. I had an excellent meeting with the Relekha Committee, which is providing support for the Crime Prevention Council. The coordinator and chair, Alison Hunt and Marianne Swift, are doing a fantastic job and are very committed to the work that the Crime Prevention Council and the Relekha Committee are doing to the benefit of their communities.
I met many community leaders who have been taking the initiative with help from Relekha, and are fighting crime with success at Ntaria.
Mavis Malbunka, Ena Moketarinja Alison Ngalken, Conrad Ratara, and Pastor Davey Inkamala were some of the leaders who attended. Mavis brought along a group of twelve young people who had been petrol sniffing; 10 from Ntaria, and two from the Larapinta Camp at Alice Springs. These lads have been under the care of Mavis and her helpers at Ipolera outstation for some time, keeping off petrol and away from other harmful substances. Other sniffers, mainly young women, were at the Intjartnama outstation under the care of Elva Cook. Mavis and Elva are assisted by Relekha, the local police, council staff, clinic staff and teachers. Relekha has been particularly successful in bringing down the rate of violence, grog running and drunkenness in the town. Leaders of most local clan groups are represented on the Relekha committee. They joined forces to work with the police, providing them with intelligence about grog runners and drug dealers.
The police are assisted by the Relekha elders and, under the leadership of Sergeant Andrew Heath, have been very successful in such interceptions in recent months. Mavis is also assisted by a number of hardworking young men from the CDEP. These include Raphael Impu, Lionel Inkamala, Ivan Imitja, and Bevan Malbunka. Aboriginal health worker, Lance Malbunka, also plays a very important role in supporting the Ipolera youth project. Young Nathan Williams also provides help and backup in his role as Ntaria Council sport and recreation officer. Nathan, and young policemen, Matt and Tim, are doing a great job at helping to reduce sniffing rates by providing football training after school hours. It is great to see a community pulling itself up by its boot straps and with local Aboriginal people taking leading roles in solving their community’s difficult problems.
It is equally gratifying to see the NT public servants, such as Sergeant Heath, school principal, Mike Harries, and clinic coordinator, Sister Helen Haughton, and their staff providing excellent support for these local initiatives. I look forward to revisiting Ntaria later in the year to resume my conservations with Mrs Malbunka, her assistants and the young ex-sniffers from Ipolera outstation.
We also have a support program now being provided from the Alice Springs Gaol. Work parties are going down to those outstations and providing basic buildings where activities can be carried out, and providing some shelter for the young people who are being cared for there. That is a fantastic example of how the prison system can be used creatively. Most of those young inmates who are going down on those work parties are from that area, so as well as doing some very useful work, they are also helping the families that they belong to.
Turning now to Ntaria School. I strongly commend the efforts and initiatives of the school council, liaison officer, Kenny Windley, Mike Harries and the staff of the school in helping to address the problems with sniffers. My former school staff member, Andrew Stojanowski, at Yuendumu, is also providing advice to school staff and others at Ntaria about handling sniffers and sniffing problems in the school context. Andrew is now coordinator of the very famous Mt Theo/Yuendumu Substance Misuse Program. Through its workers, Blair McFarland and Tristan Ray, the Central Australian Youth Link Up Service, known as CAYLUS, is also assisting all the players at Ntaria, who are trying to get sniffing under control. CAYLUS provides various kinds of support and advice, and often provides brokerage funds to pay for food, equipment, fuel and some project wages, and bedding to help people who are trying to look after the sniffers at Ntaria and its outstations.
Currently, there are some 30 kids in those two outstations who were previously hopelessly lost in the activity of petrol sniffing. Although both sides of this House probably agree that we need to have stronger ways of compelling kids out of these activities and into rehabilitation, communities can do these things by themselves under the current conditions if they have the will to do it and the public responsibility to take charge of their own community and its problems.
I visited the Ntaria Clinic earlier, on 26 March. This was the tenth bush clinic I had visited by that stage as the Health Minister. This clinic is just a fantastic example of how a bush clinic should operate. The current staff is Helen Haughton, who is the sister-in-charge; Marion Swift, an Aboriginal Health Worker of some 20 years-plus standing; Ralph Malbunka and Lionel Inkamala, the other two Aboriginal Health Workers; Dr Diane Gillatt; Barbara Sharp, Anne Maloney and Peter Quinn, who are the RNs; and Dr Jane MacLeod as the Registrar. I was pleased that Ms Margo McGregor, Acting Manager of Remote Health was able to join us on the visit.
It is a clinic that has nurtured and brought on a whole range of local indigenous participation in the health services that are being provided there. It is a clinic that has maintained an enormous commitment to the community, and it does way beyond the basic services that you might expect from a remote clinic. It is very much integral to the Ntaria community, and I congratulate all the health staff for the fantastic job they are doing.
On the long weekend at the beginning of May, I returned to Ntaria at the community’s invitation to observe some of the sports carnival. It was another great day, with people from at least eight communities present and competing. Young Nathan Williams did a great job in organising the annual festival. Helen Kantawarra and Elva Cook oversaw the women’s softball competition, alongside the men playing footy. It was gratifying to see some of my old students from Yuendumu competing, and to catch up with old friends from many communities. Men from the Relekha Night Patrol volunteers told us about how they had ensured a quiet weekend by helping the local police to intercept several grog runners on the Friday night. Fourteen of them ended up being charged, and I believe three cars were confiscated. This is serious stuff.
My visit on this day confirmed my belief that something very important is happening at Ntaria, and it could become a model for other communities to look at for ideas and advice about how they, too, can mobilise their town’s human capital for the common good. It basically means getting the fire in your guts and drawing a line and just holding your ground. That is what they are doing.
I take this opportunity to congratulate Maryanne Malbunka for winning the Australian Mother of the Year Award - a fitting tribute to someone who has devoted her life to helping young people in her community get ahead.
Moving elsewhere in the electorate of Stuart, to Titjakala and Kings Canyon. I was delighted last week to go down and personally announce our government’s policy decision of phasing out single nurse stations, and to tell two very delighted nurses that they were going to get another RN to work with at their stations. Titjakala is a marvellous community and, again is moving its own affairs forward enormously. They have a great new arts centre there. In a very quirky enterprise, they have taught themselves how to manufacture tombstones. That might sound a bit depressing, however, there is potential through the whole of the bush communities in Central Australia for someone to actually hand manufacture tombstones much more cheaply than the ones sourced from the main capital cities, and with the personal touch and cultural understanding of people who are putting the messages on those stones.
At Kings Canyon, Sister Sharon Overend has been working in the region on a job-share basis for 15 months. To just give you some idea of what Sharon has had to cover, 200 local people are her normal clients. 250 000 tourists a year go through there doing all the normal things that that number of people might do: having heart attacks, heat exhaustion, dying of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and the normal sort of accidents including road accidents. Sharon is just absolutely amazing. She has coped with all that in a single nurse station even with the help that she gets from the Aboriginal health workers based there. She will not have to do that anymore. There will be another RN there to share the load, to give her time off, to allow them to extend their work to the more proactive areas of health service delivery.
Ian and Lyn Conway of Kings Creek Station deserve accolades for the work they and their family and staff have done over the years for tourists and others who have become involved in accidents. Having one more nurse will ensure that they get the back-up that they need when people are injured. The department is also funding a departure lounge, or really a donga, where patients being prepared for air evacuation can be held and treatment can be continued up to the point when the air vac arrives. So things are going to look up at long last around that area. It is great to see the enormous impact that is going to make on the community and the health staff who have been working there.
The two nurses will also be able to provide much better support for the nearby outstations. As I said the resident population of 200 at Ulpanyali, Lila, Wonmara, Ukarka and Ilpurla which are spread around the Kings Canyon resort area. In Titjakala, Harry Scott and chairman, Phillip Wilyuka, together with the council members, put on a great morning tea. Sister Mary Stafford has been working at Titjakala for almost four years with Sophie Conway, her Aboriginal health worker of three years standing and Jason King, an Aboriginal health worker of two years standing. Again, there was just great excitement that this much needed reform has finally arrived.
Occasionally in this work, you do get to see the importance of the decisions that governments have to make. When you get them right and when you can see that obviously people consider that it has been the right thing to do, it is a great moment to take part in. I wish all the best to the people of Macdonnell. I hope to get down there along with my colleagues increasingly into the future. I am sure we will be able to go down there and celebrate a lot of other decisions we have made to the benefit of that electorate.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016