2003-10-14
The Assembly convened at 10 am.
The CLERK: I advise honourable members that the Speaker, Honourable Loraine Braham MLA, will be unavoidably absent for the remainder of the sitting week owing to a family bereavement. Pursuant to Standing Order 9, the Deputy Speaker, the member for Nelson, will take the Chair.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Honourable members, I move that during the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker shall on each sitting day take the Chair of the Assembly and may, during such absence, perform the duties and exercise the authority of the Speaker in relation to all proceedings of the Assembly, and proceedings of standing and sessional committees to which the Speaker is appointed.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Acting Speaker, I move that leave of absence be granted to the Speaker, Mrs Loraine Braham, for today and the remainder of these sittings on account of a family bereavement.
Motion agreed to.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Acting Speaker, I express, on behalf of all members here, our condolences to the Speaker on the very sudden and unexpected death of her husband Graeme. The thoughts of everyone in this parliament, and Territorians, are with Madam Speaker and her family at this time of sadness.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Mr Acting Speaker, I briefly add my comments to those of the Chief Minister and express the sincere condolences of both myself and the CLP parliamentary wing to Madam Speaker and her family over their grievous loss. To lose a partner and a soul mate after more than 40 years together is a devastating event. For it to happen out of the blue, to be so unexpected, only magnifies the trauma.
Loraine left Graeme behind only a week or so ago to come to Darwin for the current sittings, as she has done so many times in the past nine years. There was no reason to believe he would not be there when she returned after the sittings, to listen and advise should she seek his counsel, as she so often did. Graeme drove himself to hospital because he was not feeling well on Friday, and died a few hours later. His sudden death and its impact on Loraine and their family is something none of us will understand unless we, too, suffer such tragic circumstances.
Loraine and Graeme met and married in Victoria more than 40 years ago. As a young couple they set out to find their fortune on the opal fields of Andamooka, but it was not to be and they turned up in Alice Springs in the early 1960s. As Loraine put in it her maiden speech to this parliament back in 1994, they arrived in Alice broke and searching for work. How many Territorians have begun over the years in the same way?
After years away from work while their children, Michelle and Peter, were growing up, Loraine went back to the work force, working her way up through the Education Department, and then embarking on a political career first with Alice Springs Council and then the Legislative Assembly. Throughout her public career, Graeme was there, always in the background and always supportive. In good times and bad he was there with advice, with counsel and, all importantly, support. His public role was limited to manning the polling booths on election days, but his private role was enormous. He was a huge influence and someone Loraine always talked to about decisions she was called on to make.
Her loss is devastating, as it is for Michelle, Peter and Kathy, and grandchildren, Samantha, Leah and Kasey. Michelle and Samantha were here in Darwin for Loraine when the news came through on Friday night. They and the rest of the family will be there for her in the days and years ahead. We, as her parliamentary family, will offer what support we can.
Mr Acting Speaker, such a sudden loss and its effect on one of our parliamentary colleagues puts whatever political differences we may have in their correct context. In the end, it is family that is important. On behalf of my colleagues, let me say again that we grieve for our parliamentary colleague at this time, and we extend our sympathy to Madam Speaker and her family.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I concur with what the Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition have said, and convey my sympathy to the Speaker and her family on the tragic and untimely death of Graeme.
Much is said in this parliament that can put us at odds with one another, but in times of sorrow and grief, we should reflect on the fragility and shortness of our lives on this earth, which may help put into perspective how unimportant our political differences are, and how much more important are our relationships with one another as human beings.
I will ask the Clerk to convey to the Speaker our thoughts and tell her that we remember her in our prayers during this time of great sadness for herself and her family, and for her Electorate Officer, Robyn.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I draw attention of honourable members to the presence in the gallery of Year 6 and 7 students from Nakara Primary School accompanied by their teacher Mr Gaetano Gugliotta. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors.
Members: Hear, hear!
The CLERK: Mr Acting Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that a response to petition No 36 has been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the response will be included in the Hansard record.
Dr TOYNE (Communications): Mr Acting Speaker, today, I want to answer the question of what Singapore, Yuendumu, Kalkarindji and Lajamanu have in common. One might think it is the downtown district, the bright lights, the wonderful accommodation but, in fact, what they have in common is that they are critically important to the development of our ICT industry in the Northern Territory.
Next week I will be taking a contingent of ICT industry members to visit Lajamanu, Kalkarindji and Yuendumu. These industry members will see first-hand what is needed in communities where ICT applications will have an impact once they start developing them.
There are two main aims of the trip: first, to build an ICT industry development by making the introductions that I hope will create partnerships between the ICT industry and community organisations; and second, this trip will provide exposure to a variety of community based organisations that are currently using ICT and whose business or service delivery would benefit from the use of ICT.
The ICT industry has identified over the past year through visits to the two CeBIT fairs in Germany and Sydney that one of the strengths of the industry lies in the development of digital content and remote area solutions, so remote communities are a logical place to start in the search for those solutions.
Over two days the contingent will visit health clinics and schools. They will attend bilingual production units, the media associations, community councils and other organisations within these communities to identify where their products and applications could add value. In the Territory, we have two valuable commodities. We have a motivated, inventive and intelligent ICT industry sector and we have experienced, innovative and knowledgable people living in remote areas. I am excited to bring these two groups together and hope that we see an explosion of ideas and innovations.
I would like to see the industry gain an increased understanding of what communities need and how they can provide it. I would like to see communities realise that improved ICT can do wonders for them in meeting their needs, including government service delivery and enterprise support. It can assist their education, their record keeping, their flow of information and general transactions.
The government has been working steadily to develop our ICT industry and improve the uptake and use of ICT in the remote area service delivery areas. We continue to encourage the development of content and materials for use on-line and to support remote area infrastructure development. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I am pleased to see the interest in this bush trip which will follow on from the extremely productive discussions we had in Singapore. I can report that some of the major corporations in Singapore are very keen to join in with our local industry, communities and government to pursue these joint venture developments, which have an enormous potential to impact on our export market entry.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Acting Speaker, I commend the minister for, at long last, seeing the horizon from his 5th floor office, that he understands that remote area communications is about using all the technology that is available and exposing it not only in the Territory, but overseas.
The digital divide is a very important issue. The digital divide is becoming more and more prominent as people with less access to technology cannot access the things that we use as everyday tools in our work. To see that the ICT people in the Territory are interested in our bush communities is good, and I commend the minister for such an innovative idea. It is well worth supporting and you will have no complaints from the opposition if this comes through with lots of positive outcomes for our bush communities.
Look at Aboriginal children who deal with computers through a non-language interface. They have been able to attune to the concept of accessing information through images with such enthusiasm, and through their approach, they have started to understand that: ‘Hey! I need to learn to read. Literacy becomes an important thing for me and now I must improve my literacy to enhance the interaction I can have with technology’. School children here in the gallery would understand that. Sometimes they look at a computer screen and say: ‘I don’t understand this. I need to improve some other skills before I can benefit from the web site that I am looking at.’ This is what Aboriginal kids in our remote communities have suddenly taken to, like ducks to water. It is terrific.
Dr TOYNE (Communications): Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for his very qualified and grudging support. If he does not own an Akubra hat, don’t bother buying one because even if you went out bush, you would never understand the place.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Speaker, earlier this month I had the pleasure of launching October Business Month in Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin. Each year, my Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development conducts this event, a month-long program providing business people with the opportunity to develop their training and development needs to maximise business growth and job opportunities, and I personally try to get to as many of the regional centres as possible during October Business Month.
In response to the needs identified by Territory businesses, OBM 2003 is focussed on specific business essentials. The key areas of marketing, finance, human resources and e-business continue to be covered and have formed the framework for this year’s calendar of events. I advise honourable members that these themes are not selected by departmental staff or by myself as minister; they directly come from feedback post-October Business Month each year, and contacts my department has with business during the course of the year in the areas that business would like to see covered in October Business Month.
A number of keynote speakers who specialise in these areas have been secured to deliver presentations at a number of events across the Northern Territory. These speakers are Debbie Mayo-Smith, an international e-mail and Internet marketing guru who once worked as a market analyst on Wall Street. More and more, it is important for business to have an on-line presence. Earlier this year, government commissioned Sensis, the previous Yellow Pages, to conduct a survey and report on the take-up of e-business by our small business sector. I am pleased to say that report showed that Territory businesses are well represented and up there compared to other states with on-line presence. That was a very important report and one that has been circulated to the ICT community.
Already 100 people have registered for today’s lunch time presentation in Darwin: ‘Cheap, Easy and Effective Marketing Strategies to Sky Rocket Your Business’.
Peter Cox is a consultant with Macquarie Advisory Partnership and is an advisor to some of Australia’s leading organisations.
Ross Honeywill is, of all things, a social ecologist focussed on the future of business and is an internationally recognised authority on consumer behaviour and the impact of a rapidly changing social fabric on the future of business. Understanding consumer behaviour and motivations for purchasing is something that the business community is keen to hear about. Ross was the keynote speaker at the Katherine launch last Monday, which I attended. There were over 70 attendees on a Monday night in Katherine. It was a great turnout.
Participants will have the chance to hear former Territorian, Corrina Herbert, 2002 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Peel region in Western Australia, and winner of Western Australia’s Young Business Woman of the Year, and will join our Territory finalists in the 2003 Telstra Women’s Business Awards later this month. Corinna is a successful businesswoman and advocate for small and home-based businesses, and will encourage all home-based business operators with her presentation, ‘The Secrets of My Success’. Home-based business is the fastest growth sector of business nationally. ICT technology has opened up massive opportunities not only for urban businesses, but also for rural businesses that my colleague, the ICT minister, touched on earlier.
Again, government has funded the Business Enterprise Centre, run by Jack Hughes, to commission a consultancy on home-based business in the Northern Territory for the first time to try and get a real picture in the Territory of what is happening in that area and to develop strategies to assist more people to start up home-based businesses.
Not to forget October Business Month special keynote speaker, Mr Allan Pease, who drew record crowds to the official launches in Alice of over 150 people and, in Darwin, over 330 people. World renowned author of Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps, Allan Pease delivered an entertaining view of communication techniques to assist business people do business from around the meeting table to negotiating business deals. I acknowledge that the opposition member for Greatorex was there. It was a very informative speech.
I would like to congratulate Lyn White, NT Telstra Businesswoman of the Year 2003, and winner of the Westpac Group Business Owner Award. Lyn is the director of Jalyn Pty Ltd, and takes over the reins from the 2002 winner, Julie Newton, so Katherine businesswomen are going great guns. Congratulations to those people.
To our gold sponsor, Sensis, and silver sponsor, Original IT, a local Territory business, thank you, and a special thank you to my departmental staff in all of the regions who pull out all stops for October Business Month. They do a great job, above and beyond the call of duty, working after hours. My thanks to all those who produce a great calendar every year.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Mr Acting Speaker, It was good to that the government is carrying on some of the things put in place by the previous government, and that includes October Business Month, a great initiative.
However, let me point out issues at the forefront of businesses in the Northern Territory. They are upset that own-source taxation from this government is up. They are upset that population is down. They are upset that jobs are down. They are upset that unemployment is up. They are upset that Commonwealth money coming to this government is up by some hundreds of millions of dollars is not flowing through the community. They are upset that business confidence is down. They are upset that horticulture and tourism is down. They are upset that this government has cut primary industries, mining and tourism – all job generators – in this budget. That is what they are upset about.
It is a very good thing to have October Business Month. This government is also a business, and they are in the business of spending money - millions and millions of dollars of it. They have to great cracking with some of the stuff that was talked about in today’s NT News. They have to realise that these are not aberrant statistics. It is no good for the Deputy Chief Minister to come out and say: ‘ABS have it wrong; we have only lost a couple of thousand jobs. We have not lost 8000. We have lost a couple of thousand’. We have lost thousands of jobs. There are businesses closing down, up and down these streets, right out the front of Parliament House.
October Business Month – great. But let us concentrate on creating some jobs in this place. Let us concentrate on doing the business that government used to do well. Before the Business minister gets up and says: ‘Well, the opposition always knock matters to do with business’ - no, we do not. We are saying if you want to emulate the things that were done by the CLP, pick a couple of others, like job growth.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): In responding to the shadow spokesperson, what the business community is sick of is the whingeing, whining and carping of the opposition, and talking business down in the Northern Territory.
The statistics show that we are coming off a long period that started when they were in government. If we go back to the 2000-01 financial year, there was 0% growth in the economy; an economy that was going out of the door backwards. We now have economic growth forecasters consistently saying that economic growth is up in the Northern Territory. It is forecast to be ahead of the national average. We have massive projects coming on line.
Mr Dunham: Not we. The Commonwealth and the business sector. Not the government.
Mr HENDERSON: You see, again the member for Drysdale says the government is all things to business. Yes, we are driving the economy, but we are seeing massive private investment. We see residential and commercial building activity up, private investment. We are working, we are driving business, and they are sick of hearing the opposition talking business down.
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Mr Acting Speaker, yesterday I met with Northern Territory soccer stakeholders and articulated a comprehensive blueprint to regenerate and progress soccer in the Northern Territory.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Northern Territory Soccer Federation, Darwin and Districts Junior Soccer Association, the Darwin Premier Soccer League, Territory Amateur Soccer League, Women’s Soccer, the Referees Association, and regional representatives of soccer in Nhulunbuy, Borroloola, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. I am pleased to inform the House that the representatives of the soccer community at yesterday’s meeting endorsed the government’s three-point plan to regenerate and progress the development of soccer in the Northern Territory.
The first point is funding for an independent review of the development of soccer in the Northern Territory. The Australian Sports Commission strongly supports such a review in line with the Crawford Review.
An independent three-person review committee has been appointed, and the members are: Mr Iain Summers, Chair, a chartered accountant and former Northern Territory Auditor-General. The second person is Ms Kate Costello, who is a lawyer, a former academic, and member of the independent national review into soccer. She was on the Crawford Review. The third person is Mr Roger Bottrall, who is the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Services at the Alice Springs Town Council and has extensive experience in the Central Australian region.
The terms of reference are to:
examine the current status of soccer in the Northern Territory;
future development of soccer in the Northern Territory in line with the intent of the Australian Soccer
Association Ltd;
stakeholders; and
In addition, the review will recommend specific strategies to develop and improve competitions and pathways for juniors, women and girls, and regional participants.
The review team will consult with all stakeholders including administrators, players, parents, local government, sponsors, and the Australian Soccer Association Ltd. It is expected that a draft report shall be prepared by early February 2004, with a final report by the end of February 2004.
The second point is funding of $500 000 in 2003–04 for a grants program to upgrade facilities used by junior soccer competitions throughout the Northern Territory. These facilities should also allow use by other junior sporting codes. This commitment recognises that junior soccer is played on local government or school facilities as primary venues throughout the Northern Territory in line with junior soccer practices Australia-wide.
The funding round will open in November 2003, and close in February 2004. Funds will be available to successful applicants in May 2004, with all projects completed, milestones reported against, and funds acquitted by 30 June 2005. Applicants are encouraged to source other cash or in-kind support from local organisations, councils and private companies to maximise the benefit of individual grants. Applications will also be encouraged where the improvements can be used by a range of other junior sports.
The third point sees planning commenced for the development of a dedicated government-owned two pitch soccer facility at the Marrara Sporting precinct. Planning will commence immediately for such a facility on the land adjacent to the corner of Henry Wrigley Drive and McMillans Road. The planned facility will be similar to that in place by other sports at Marrara, in that it will have a main pitch or oval with grandstand and amenities, with a secondary or No 2 pitch next door. Such a facility would be appropriate for the playing of A grade and representative fixtures.
The development of this facility will be contingent upon the accepted recommendations of the review being implemented by soccer authorities in the Northern Territory.
I am sure that members will all agree that today’s announcement is an exciting development regarding the future of soccer in the Northern Territory. I look forward to working with the soccer community to progress their future throughout the Northern Territory.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Acting Speaker, of course this announcement is welcomed by the opposition and will of course receive bipartisan support.
In the game of soccer, it seems that a lot of activity occurs before a goal is scored. I would have to say that a certain amount of activity has been in play for some time, even before this administration took office. Ultimately, a goal has been scored with the announcement the minister announced today. It is not a score registered to the CLP account, nor to the ALP account, but a goal for the sport of soccer in the Northern Territory.
I pledge my support and the support of the opposition for today’s announcement. I am particularly impressed by the structure of this review. We are speaking of the review, but we are also speaking of the facility that will be built, which is contingent upon the review.
We really must ensure - granted we do have quality leadership in that review team - that the governance aspects of soccer are completely, honestly and seriously addressed, and the recommendations are robust enough that the minister and this government ensures they are fully adhered to and complied with before we go to the next stage, because we can hold out hope for a great facility and speak lightly of the recommendations that may be contained within this review. That is the important aspect of this.
Finally, I thank you, minister, and officers of your office for the briefings that I received. More importantly, I am very pleased to see Zico Ilic yesterday on the news give his support. My thanks to the NT Soccer Federation for their support.
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Mr Acting Speaker, I welcome the bipartisan support by the shadow spokesperson for Sport and Recreation.
Yes, certainly, the summit meeting was told yesterday that we can begin the design and documentation, and we will do that. However, our government’s position was made very clear: the recommendations have to be implemented and that is conditional on us moving forward to commit ourselves to having the infrastructure put in place. That is something about which I want to talk to my colleague, Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, because we are mindful of the Arafura Games 2005, and it would be great if we could have that in place.
Dr BURNS (Tourism): Mr Acting Speaker, I inform the House of details of the newly extended Royal Brunei Airlines services due to commence in a fortnight’s time, on 28 October.
This is an exciting development and will provide a further incremental boost to international aviation capacity into and out of Darwin but, more importantly, it will provide a direct and convenient route to Darwin from Europe through Brunei. I am informed that on the Tuesday service, for people flying direct from London to Brunei, there will be a just over a one hour stopover in Brunei, then they jump on the plane, Brunei to Darwin.
The new schedule will increase Royal Brunei’s services into Darwin from two to three services a week. This will offer a shorter stopover time in Brunei, as I just said, and this will benefit both inbound and outbound Darwin travellers.
The new service will be provided by an airbus A39-E, which has a seating capacity of about 120 and is used primarily on medium-haul flights. It is recognised as one of the most technologically advanced aircraft operating on commercial passenger routes in the world today. Not only will this new service provide more convenient connections in to the European markets, but will also provide expanded options for marketing the Northern Territory in to developing Asian markets.
The move by Royal Brunei to increase services to the Territory clearly indicates that they recognise that a business opportunity exists here. As the services grow, so, too, will the aviation market, attracting, in turn, other airlines to Territory routes.
The recent highly successful charter flights to Central Australia from Japan are another example of clever niche marketing. With another set of these charter flights scheduled for November this year, Central Australia’s tourism industry will be given another welcome boost. We know from the first set of these flights that these visitors have very high personal expenditure rates indeed.
The Martin government recognises the critical importance of international aviation capacity into the Territory. With a greater reliance on international tourism than most other Australian states and territories, the Territory has taken some serious hits as a result of the global downturn in international travel over the past two years. However, with positive figures starting to come in about recovery in this critical sector, I am confident that the initiatives I have outlined today form a basis for a strong comeback for Territory tourism.
The Labor government will continue to present formal business cases to a number of international airlines, including Silk Air and Malaysian Airlines, making the case for the extension of services to the Territory market. This work, together with ongoing negotiations with Qantas and Australian Airlines to implement additional international services into the Northern Territory show just how committed we are to building tourism capacity in the Territory.
More needs to be done, but the Territory’s tourism sector can be confident that as the recovery continues, the Martin government will be taking every opportunity that comes along to promote our unforgettable Territory tourism experiences to the rest of the world.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Speaker, of course the opposition and, indeed, all Territorians, welcome the charter flights into Central Australia and Royal Brunei increasing flights into the Territory. I am aware that that has been discussed for some time and, naturally, we all welcome it.
However, the Tourism Minister, as usual, spoke about clever niche marketing, positive figures and expanding options for marketing. The Tourism Minister says one thing but, in fact, does another. There are not positive figures for the tourism industry in the Northern Territory. There are a number of indicators which, even read by themselves but certainly taken together, do not paint a good picture. One is ABS figures released yesterday; the Northern Territory down 30% in visitors who indicated where they spent most time.
Tourism Top End figures - there is a graph - have reduced by 50% for January to August 2002 compared with January to August 2003. The NTTC, in a presentation to Alice Springs some weeks ago, provided figures on an overhead projector. Amongst the figures, one was international holiday expenditure down 17.6%. There are 20 000 visitors fewer in Katherine for January to September this year than the preceding year, a loss of $6.3m.
Things are not good on any objective analysis in the tourism industry in the Northern Territory. What the industry is calling for - and the minister knows they are calling for it because they are telling me – is they want more money, they want an injection of cash so that the wonderful qualities that the Northern Territory has to offer can be promoted and marketed overseas. We ask: minister, when will you do it?
Dr BURNS (Tourism): Mr Acting Speaker, I welcome the positive aspects of what the member opposite said, but let us get back to these figures, the ABS figures that have been often quoted.
These figures, from any reading of the way they are defined, are very open-ended figures and are open to a range of interpretations. What the member opposite is not saying is that the ABS, in a footnote specifically about the Northern Territory, acknowledged that, in the past, there have been difficulties with the accuracy of those figures as they pertain to the Northern Territory.
Regarding the door counter at Tourism Top End, they themselves do not claim that this is a measure of tourism numbers coming into Darwin and, in fact, the Northern Territory Tourism Monitor, soon to be released, will show a 4% increase over financial year to financial year in holiday visitors who stayed in commercial accommodation in Darwin.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
Continued from 19 August 2003.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Speaker, I want to briefly talk about indigenous education. Before I start, I wish to make a couple of points in relation to the ministerial statement itself.
I was under the impression it was the order of this government that legislation came on before ministerial statements in this House as a general rule, because of the importance of legislation before this House. In fact, the Chief Minister herself has said in this House that the order of business shall always be legislation - if memory serves me correctly - before ministerial statements. Now we find ourselves talking about ministerial statements when I am aware that there are items on the Notice Paper dealing with legislation in the pipeline for today’s business. I am curious as to why there is a departure from the priorities of this House under this government.
The second point I wish to make in relation to ministerial statements is that, under the former government, when a ministerial statement as a general rule was laid on the Table, it was debated out fully and completely at the time that the minister deemed it was to be topical.
It is certainly the business of government on how this House operates and what comes up on the agenda, but it is something about which I would urge the government to be mindful; that when they say we are going to go down this path, they stick to it. When the minister brings important statements like indigenous education before this House, the minister should allow the matter to be debated out on the day, completely and thoroughly. I am certain that the minister can come back and say: ‘This gives you more chance to prepare’, and such things.
Things shift around on the Notice Paper and, as a consequence of that, we are never entirely sure what items are coming up. However, the point has been made and I would ask the government to turn their attention to it, and at least think about how they proceed through the Notice Paper from time to time.
This is not the first time indigenous education has been spoken about in this House, and it will not be last time. As a general statement, I congratulate the minister on the steps that he is taking in relation to the ministerial statement. However, I also very much look forward to the day that a ministerial statement entitled Indigenous Education will become as much an anathema as a ministerial statement on red-headed people’s education, or education for people over six feet tall. It is a sad fact of life, as it currently stands - and this is certainly recognised everywhere - that outcomes for indigenous people generally are much poorer than the rest of the community. Those of us who know and travel into indigenous communities from time to time see evidence of that on a regular basis.
It makes me sad when I go into these communities and see teachers in schools where attendance records are not particularly good, to see the outcomes of that because I know that the down- the-line effect is profound and does nothing to address all of the other social problems that we see in our communities.
One of the things that I have always maintained in relation to Aboriginal health, education and employment is that they are all pillars that should hold up a roof, and they cannot act independently of each other. To talk about indigenous education in isolation, without casting a wider net - I understand where it comes from regarding the minister’s position; he is, at the end of the day, the minister for Education. However, the general feeling I have is that it still tends to be this isolationist approach.
I notice from the minister’s statement that he does start to cast a wider net in several places and draws in knowledge and skills of organisations such as the Northern Land Council. I read into that as well, hopefully, the Central Land Council where appropriate in Central Australia. There is a very important role for the land councils to play in education, not only in their ability to deliver, but to create an environment in which education makes sense.
I have said in this House before that education needs an environment for it to make contextual sense. I once had a teacher in my electorate say to me that he may as well place a Picasso on a wall in his classroom and say to the kids: ‘Study that’. What he was actually driving at was that he goes into a classroom and teaches children numeracy and literacy as best he can in those circumstances, but then those kids leave the classroom, go into an environment in which that numeracy and literacy seems to make very little sense.
I am certain that many members in this House would have studied quadratic equations when they were in high school. I had to study them, but I would not recognise one at the moment, because I would not have a clue; I cannot remember what they look like. The important thing is that the education received needs to be used. If it is not used, if it does not find an environment to have a context, then it is an abstraction. This is the problem: once you leave a primary school in some of these communities, you go back into a community where the parents do not really rely on reading and writing a great deal, if you go to the shop you hand over a note and you get some coins and some notes back or you are told it is not enough and, if you go to the local health clinic to fill out a form, the form is generally filled out for you. Where, in the environment that these kids move into, is there a situation where that education makes sense?
The same is true, to a degree, for health. We also talk about the importance of health in our community, but it is an interesting point to ask the question: why is health important? Health is important to you and I because we need our health to go about our daily business, and to be able to be effective workers in our environment. The truth of the matter is that if you do not hold down a job and have no real reason to be healthy, why would you be healthy? Why would you engage in behaviour that would make you healthy. If you are idle and unhealthy or idle and healthy, you are still idle at the end of the day. The reason I mention this at such length is because there needs to be something to use the education for when you come out of the education process.
I urge the education processes to create practical educational outcomes - the minister certainly seems to be indicating that in his statement - because Mt Liebig would probably need a plumber or a carpenter before it needs a doctor of philosophy. I sense that that seems to be the thrust of the minister’s statement, and I applaud and welcome that.
This is the reason I say that the land councils have an important role, because I would urge the land councils to look at the environment out there and start asking themselves questions: ‘How can our country make the land work for the people who live there?’, as it has always done. Even prior to the arrival of Europeans, the land provided for the people who live there. I am arguing that there should be an extension of that philosophy. I am not suggesting for one second that they go back to traditional forms of income, but what I am suggesting is that the land can continue to provide for people.
It is within the contemplation of many traditional people that land does provide for Aboriginal people into the future, as is the case in the United States with a lot of land handed back - or those bits of land that have been handed back - to the traditional people who lived in the United States. Some of those folk have now slotted very well into the general economic environment, and find themselves able to generate wealth and jobs for themselves off that land, and they do so very effectively. The most common example that I see on television is the indigenous nation in America which actually has casinos set up on its land which is making huge amounts of wealth for its people.
I am not suggesting that Mt Liebig go out and buy a casino, but what I am suggesting is that they look at the country around and the people who live there and say: ‘How can we create jobs so that education, when it is delivered, makes sense?’ It is a logical progression. The reason that we go through an education system is so that we come out the other end and get a job. Those jobs have to be there in the first place, otherwise having the education is not going to do you a great deal of good.
What I urge the government to do - and I know that they are doing it, but continue to do - is to suggest, implore, plead with the land councils to look at a more commercial approach to traditional lands. We are starting to see signs of that. A great project is coming on line in the Finke area. I know that there are great projects in the Ti Tree area, but I hope to see much more of that sort of development occur because the technology by which to make these developments possible is out there. I have seen it overseas, as well as here in Australia, and I can see a day when Aboriginal land could create more wealth and could employ Aboriginal people. Now, how good would that be?
There are a couple of other issues that I wish to touch on. I mentioned the last time we spoke about indigenous education in this House the need to link or get kids into school, and to make parents responsible. The last time that I suggested this, I believe that the author of the Learning Lessons report, Bob Collins, was in the public gallery. I suggested that we should find a way in which to link child endowment to school attendance.
I continue to hold that belief simply because we, as an institution or a state, I suppose, should propose these ideas - and I am not just talking about indigenous people; I am talking across the board - to apply pressure to get kids to school. If we feel that we have a responsibility as a parliament to intervene from time to time in the welfare of children, then we should seriously consider linking child endowment - and I realise it comes through a federal department - with school attendance. It is incumbent upon us to try to ensure that kids have every opportunity to get an education and, if that means putting pressure on the parents, then let us put pressure on the parents. I have no major problem with that. If the way to do that is by linking child endowment payments to attendance at school, then let us do that. If we do not take steps and put a little pressure on parents through these sorts of processes, at the end of the day, we are not going to get these kids into school. Who are the losers? Not the parents. It is the kids themselves. Ultimately, if there are too many kids who fall through the cracks, the penalty will be paid by us all.
I turn my attention to a few other areas in relation to indigenous education. I wish to note from the Auditor-General’s Report of October 2003 some comments that he has made - and the minister needs to be made aware of these issues - in relation to the Batchelor Institute. There were a couple of key findings. One is, interestingly, a payment of $421 000 which was the result of a resource agreement with the Department of Employment, Education and Training, where money was paid to the institute to run certain courses which apparently were not run. There is an outstanding amount of $421 000. I urge the minister to re-visit this and take it up with the Batchelor Institute and urge them to run the courses.
If the courses have not been run, it is all very good for the money to go back and forth between departments and bureaucracies but, at the end of the day, I want to see the courses run so there is absolutely every opportunity given to make sure that Aboriginal kids as well as all other Territorians have a bite of the cherry so that they can enjoy part of the common wealth - little ‘c’, little ‘w’ - of the Northern Territory, and that common wealth is going to be shared amongst the citizens of the future, as it is shared out amongst the citizens of today. Those people without education are going to be on the receiving end of less than those with. So I urge the minister to visit that and find a way for those courses to be run.
A little note of concern out of the Auditor-General’s report in relation to the Batchelor Institute is that there is a need to run risk assessments. It was identified three years ago that these assessments needed to be done, and eight internal audits had to be conducted. To date, only two of those internal audits have been conducted in the Batchelor Institute, and I am concerned that the auditing system may not be living up to expectations. Whether you like it or not, these institutions and bureaucracies need to be audited and checked on how they are delivering services, not for the convenience of the bureaucracy, but to make sure that the outcomes are reaching the people down at the grassroots level - the customers, if you like, of these institutions.
From time to time, there is a sense that the inconvenience of the auditor doing the research gets in the way of service delivery. I hope that is not the case in this instance, but I would hope that the institute takes its job very seriously and revisits this aspect of their service delivery.
I wish to touch on one other subject in relation to the matter of indigenous education. I urge the minister to avoid the temptation that is out there, from time to time, to push indigenous people through in some fashion where they gain a qualification that is not reflected in the general community in the standard required for that education. The reason I say that is not because I am agin the idea per se, but I am terrified that if you have many indigenous people going through an educational system, like a normal university course or whatever, and they come out with a bit of paper and there is a reputation in the community for indigenous people receiving qualifications of a lower or revised standard. I am terrified on behalf of those indigenous people who end up sitting in front of potential employers with their legitimately earned qualifications being knocked back on the grounds that the employer is sitting there saying: ‘Oh, yes, it is an Aboriginal person with a qualification.’
I expect that qualifications attained by indigenous people reflect the general community. The reason I say that is to protect the integrity of indigenous education rather than to reflect upon it. It is a vitally important issue that the integrity of indigenous education be maintained for the sake of those people who are the customers of it and, at the end of the day, for the employers who have to rely upon it.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Speaker, before I begin my contribution to my colleague’s indigenous education statement, I pick up on the issues raised by the member for Macdonnell about the order of business in the House and legislation not being before this parliament today.
As government, it is our job to prioritise the business for this House. There has been a massive amount of legislation come before this parliament in the first two years of government. I remember on quite a number of occasions during my two years in opposition when we did not have legislation on a particular day for all sorts of reasons, including scheduling bottlenecks that occur in Parliamentary Counsel at particular times. So, it is not unheralded. I can assure the honourable member that our legislative reform program is well on track and we will be debating a lot of legislation in this parliament over the remainder of our term.
In respect of statements being adjourned back on to the Notice Paper, again, I accept his comments that the previous government did not do that. Well, just because the previous government did not do that does not mean to say that we have a different view of how debates can be progressed in this parliament. It is certainly standard in other Westminster parliaments for statements to be adjourned, and the reason why statements are adjourned on occasions - particularly very important statements like this one on indigenous education and the statement on the O’Sullivan review that I brought before this House - is that many members may want to speak on a particular statement.
The protocol is – and it is just a protocol - that government circulates a ministerial statement the night before to honourable members, who receive that statement at 6 pm or 7 pm, and people prepare a response. I would have thought the opportunity for members who have a very specific interest in a topic may want more time to prepare to a response. I believe it is good practice to adjourn statements back on to the Notice Paper where they are very important. There can be none as important as this statement on indigenous education.
I commend my colleague, the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, for presenting his second statement on indigenous education before this parliament for debate. Most members on our side of the House want to contribute to it because the issue of indigenous education is a crucial issue for the Northern Territory, for this government, and for our economy. I would like to couch my comments on this statement in terms of how important improved outcomes in indigenous education are going to be for the economic development of the Northern Territory over many years. I see this as being one of the key strategic areas that needs a lot of work.
I refer members to the first of three forums that our government has committed to hosting, being the Indigenous Economic Forum we hosted in March of this year in Alice Springs, the first time such a forum has been held by government to look, in partnership with indigenous people in the Northern Territory, at how we can develop economies and enterprise on Aboriginal land involving Aboriginal people. I was very pleased to be present for the entire two days of that forum. I urge honourable members to access the papers presented to that forum from the government web site.
I would like to speak to a paper today in my response that was presented by Dr John Taylor and Dr Yohannes Kinfu from the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the ANU in Canberra, entitled Indigenous Economic Futures in the Northern Territory: the Socio and Economic Background. Going to the key findings in what is quite a scary document regarding the profile of Aboriginal people in our economy, but the last dot point in the key findings states:
That is a key structural problem in our economy that we neglect at our peril. That is why a very driven focus on indigenous education is so important. I acknowledge the member for Macdonnell’s well-intended comments. It is a bit of the chicken and the egg but, at the end of the day, Aboriginal people will not be able to participate in the economy, in any economy, unless they have an education that allows them to compete on merit for the jobs that are available and be able to produce in those jobs. That is why indigenous education is so very important.
I will quote some of the statistics that really go to the heart of what a massive problem we have inherited in the Northern Territory:
Obviously, the statistics in the document are from 2001 ABS statistics, so they are a bit out of date:
We know it is higher than that:
Only 4% of employment income in the Northern Territory, excluding CDEP, is actually generated from and with nearly 30% of our population. That is an extraordinary figure and goes to show the depth of the problem we have inherited in government.
And here is the challenge:
The structural problems that we have amongst the 30% of our population who own 50% of the land mass in the Northern Territory are absolutely massive. That problem is only going to get worse without a focussed effort from this government, and succeeding governments of whatever persuasion, to have specific targeted strategies in lifting education levels among Aboriginal people. It is not something that can be done from the mainstream. We have to have programs, targets, we have to be focussed. That is the essence of the Education minister’s statement to this House. I urge all members to get behind the government and what we are trying to do here.
My colleague stated that indigenous students make up nearly 4% of our student population. My colleague stated:
That is the message that has been delivered and is indicative of the leadership role that the minister has taken in that the core focus of everyone should be indigenous education. It is so important in urban, regional and remote settings for indigenous education and improving outcomes to be a focus of everyone’s business within the department. I commend him on that.
I also commend the government for picking up the Bob Collins Learning Lessons report, and putting resources behind it to implement those recommendations. I will give credit to the previous government for commissioning that report and challenging Bob Collins - a great Territorian and somebody who is passionate about the Northern Territory and indigenous aspirations within our population - to undertake that work, which will go down in history as being a seminal report and a wake-up call for government about the parlous state of indigenous education. I commend them for commissioning the report.
There is no commendation for the total failure to strategically get behind that report, in the 18 months or so of the last period of government, to actually focus on and implement those recommendations to start turning the ship around.
From day one, we have taken that report as a blueprint for a way forward. My colleague and the member for Arafura, as Parliamentary Secretary in this role, are really driving the department to implement those recommendations. We are starting to see some improved outcomes.
One of the key areas of Learning Lessons was a lack of student information at the school and at the system level. There is an old saying in every area of work and management, if you do not measure it, you cannot manage it. You cannot develop systems, strategies and programs if you do not know what on earth is going on out there with outcomes. Addressing those data deficiencies has been key to developing programs to start to turn indigenous education outcomes around. The MAP testing in indigenous communities for students eight, 10 and 12 years is certainly key to that for tracking outcomes to see how our indigenous kids are performing.
In respect of the funding relationship between the NT and federal governments, Collins stated that it was a 13-year-old dysfunctional relationship. It is an extraordinary observation in Learning Lessons that a key partner in delivering the resources to provide education in the Northern Territory, the Commonwealth government from where we derive 80% of our funding, had a dysfunctional relationship with the previous NT government for much of that 13 years. They were the same political persuasion, but regardless of that, there was a dysfunctional relationship between those two levels of government.
As a new member in this House, I remember when my colleague, the Justice minister who was then shadow Education minister, received a leaked report from the Education Department that showed how the department was systemically ripping off IESIP funding that was supposed to be going to Aboriginal schools and placing that funding in the mainstream schools. It was systemic, it was calculated and it was a total fraud of that program. I recall how outraged we were in the knowledge of the poor outcomes that our indigenous kids were achieving. The core funding coming from the Commonwealth, which was to be directed at those most impoverished kids in our community, was being ripped off blatantly and put into urban areas.
That censure debate will go down in history in respect of the absolute neglect and misappropriation of funding that should have been directed to indigenous education by the previous government.
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. I am not sure the word ‘misappropriation’ should be used in a debate of this type. It is a criminal offence and would appear not to conform with standing orders.
Mr HENDERSON: Speaking to the point of order. if the word ‘misappropriation’ is not accurate, we can go back through that debate and the correspondence between the Commonwealth and the Territory government at the time about the fact that funding was allocated to the IESIP program and was not spent in that program …
Mr Dunham: Were there charges arising? Did you report it to the police?
Mr HENDERSON: It is not a criminal offence in terms of fraud, but money was misappropriated from one area of government to another. If you rule ‘misappropriated’ is somehow criminal, I will withdraw that and use the word ‘misallocated’ in its place. I would like a ruling on the word ‘misappropriated’.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I will seek advice. I do not think there is a point of order. The reason being the minister has qualified the manner in which he was using the word ‘misappropriation’. As long as that was the intent of what the minister was saying, I will rule there is no point of order.
Mr HENDERSON: Mr Acting Speaker, if the member for Drysdale wants to challenge the history of this, he can get on his feet and challenge it. It was a very sad and sorry affair. What was also sad and sorry was argy bargy about whether we should set targets for outcomes in indigenous education. The previous government did not realise significant funding that was available from the Commonwealth for indigenous education because it was not brave enough to set target outcomes that they were committed to trying to achieve.
We committed to those targets in 2002. Quoting from the minister, we met 57% of the targets, and that compared with 32% of targets in 2001. It is a significant improvement. Again, unless you set targets and goals, you cannot develop strategies, programs, funding to meet them. Why the previous government was not brave enough to say: ‘Outcomes are appalling. We need to improve. These are the targets, and we are going to develop strategies, programs and funding to achieve those’. With much of that funding to come from the Commonwealth, for the life of me, I cannot understand why they would not just to put a number there. It should be beyond politics but, for whatever reason, the opportunity for each and every child in the Northern Territory to have access to a quality education system, to develop their own education to the maximum potential, is an opportunity that should be afforded to every child in the Northern Territory. We are committed to doing that.
To pay credit to my colleague, the minister for Education, there has been neglect of facilities and infrastructure in our schools in the bush. We have committed $3m of ongoing funding to upgrade remote schools. We would like to do more, and we would like to do more with health clinics, but we are making a start. We have programs, and we are particularly proud – and, again, congratulations to the minister – of the provision of secondary facilities at Kalkarindji and Minyerri. For the first time, these kids will be able to undertake senior studies at home in their own communities, a huge step forward.
We have a long way to go, but the end game is made up of lots of steps along the way. We have understood the problems of the lack of secondary education options for our kids in the bush and have started the long road to providing those opportunities. Government has also provided for Stage 2 at Maningrida, ensuring the completion of the Maningrida Community Education Centre upgrade. There will be further upgrades to bush schools announced in the budget for next year.
It is important that we employ Aboriginal people in our schools. I am pleased to see in the report that there are 600 core funded indigenous employees in our schools. We have made a financial commitment of $1m recurrent to remote employee work force development. Again, this is critical to ensure the capacity of those people in the bush.
One of the most pleasing things in the minister’s statement was that in the last 12 months, we have had 600 more indigenous kids in school than we had last year. That is huge outcome; we have a long, long way to go. Kids are not going to get an education unless they are in schools, but through the strategic approach that the minister and the department is taking, we have 600 more kids in our schools this year than last year. That is a sign of significant improvement. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Acting Speaker, having been one who learnt English as a second language in my childhood as a student in a missionary school in what was then Malaya, I have personal experience in education of a western system in a third world country, to which we sometimes compare our indigenous population in the Northern Territory.
It is important to understand that education is something that has to be valued by people. Until it is valued, we tend not to want to seek it Through the history of the development of the country, of the Northern Territory, there has been slow progress for indigenous people to appreciate that the importance of learning, the education system, as it applies at the moment. Education has to be made meaningful so that people who access that education say: ‘Yes, I want this because it is going to help me do certain things’. You can build all the schools you want all over the country. It is like taking a horse to water: unless the horse wants to drink, you can have all the water troughs around and it makes no difference.
Over the last two decades, more and more indigenous people are starting to appreciate that education is very important for them and, for their personal and community development, for them to have - as we all use the words - capacity building. Through the continued progress of those who have sought education becoming significant role models for their own community, other younger people are starting to follow suit. It is a long way from what we aspire for education for Aboriginal people. There will be a few more years before we can say generally that indigenous education is on a parity with mainstream education.
Earlier today, I spoke about information technology and how it has made learning attractive to our indigenous youth. When you look at a computer, particularly interactive web sites and computer games that indigenous youth can play with, it is all pictorial and very much conceptual. Without language, you can understand what you are doing and learn, through trial and error, how to interact with the computer program. Credit must be given to the designers and writers of these programs, who have been able to convert code into concepts where people, with or without language, can interact so easily. For myself to look at a Japanese computer program, without understanding the script or the language, I can still play the computer program. Likewise, I would see that Aboriginal children could relate to those programs, whether they could or could not read the English text that is on the screen.
Once you start to learn how to use these programs, you develop an inherent desire to improve your skill relating to that program. That is when it drives you to think: ‘Well, if I want to do better at this, I must have other processes in place to enable me to have a greater engagement with the program’. That is where you then go and seek that extra skill, whether that be literacy, numeracy, or even the verbal language. This is where computers have been such a great instrument in encouraging education among our indigenous children. That is where, I suppose, the indigenous kids themselves start to value computers and the education that helps support their interaction with that. Ideally, I hope that the parents also see the value in those things and, in turn, they will encourage their children to then seek to continue to look for improvements in their ability in numeracy and literacy.
Equality of access is about providing the facilities that are there. I thought I had equality of access when I was growing up in Malaya, going through a missionary school, right through to what we then called Form 5, the last year of senior high school, which is probably around pre-matriculation. We had to do two further years of Form 6 before we could go to university. I went through to Form 5, but I did not have the opportunity to go to university. So, I had to travel overseas, thousands of miles, to access further education. While it is well and good to be able to stay at home to study, sometimes going overseas, interstate or to another town to study is not such a bad thing because it exposes the child to different circumstances, standards of living, and opportunities that enhance or expand the horizons of that child. That is not to say that every child should go interstate or to another town or city to study. You have to make sure that whatever facility you have provides the child seeking that education meaningful challenges.
I was interested to hear the member for Macdonnell comment about ensuring that indigenous people, once they have received their certificates of attainment - whether it be a subject, a course or qualification - that those awards are meaningful. It is a crying shame when you walk up to an employer with your so-called qualification, and your employer starts to question the value of that qualification. It is demeaning to the recipient of that award and it brings a double standard into our communities; a particular certificate is taken on its face value and another is questioned. If that system currently applies, then it is up to government to influence institutions that provide this dual standard, whether it be through a private provider or any other, it does not really matter. It is up to government to ensure that providers can guarantee employers that the awards they provide are of equal standing with any other provider in the community. We try to encourage people who receive these awards to take their qualifications to any other part of the Territory or Australia and say: ‘Look, I have done this course and these are my qualifications. I am able to do the tasks that this certificate says I can’. We have to make sure that those awards are transferable in time and place across the country. If not, again, you start to question whether these things are of value.
I have used this in previous speeches; even medical degrees have been questioned by hospitals and by the population in general. A person of a certain ethnicity comes with a graduation certification and says: ‘I have graduated as a doctor. I am qualified as a doctor’. The population refuses to use that doctor because in their minds, they have devalued the doctor’s qualifications. They would rather go and see a doctor of another ethnic background because they believe that the second person would have gone through a fair and vigorous system of training, whereas the first one might not have. That is where you start to create a dual standard in qualifications, and employers and consumers in general make their own choices out of their perception of the value of that education. The reason why people do that is because they start to look at institutions that provide the certificates and say: ‘This institution has provided a certificate to this particular group for reasons other than academic qualifications’. That is a dangerous thing to do.
I support any moves by any government to improve education amongst indigenous people. It is very important that indigenous people in the Northern Territory receive the best education that we can afford. They have every right to that education and, every right to their natural place in the greater scheme of things in the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory will never progress fully without black and white walking side by side. The Territory has 25% of its population indigenous people and, if they are not part of the common people, then we will be forever held back in the progress of the Territory. I, for one, would like to see that those cooperative social – I do not know what the right word is - but cooperation between the two groups must be strongly knitted together for all Territorians’ sake.
In education in particular, it is important for us all to understand that parents and people must value education, encourage their kids to seek education, making sure that the education they receive is meaningful and valued. If we do that, we will have lots of progress, otherwise we will be forever arguing in this Chamber.
Dr BURNS (Tourism): Mr Acting Speaker, I want to make some comments in respect of the statement concerning indigenous education by my colleague the Treasurer and minister for Education.
In my statement, I would like to do two things: first, provide some observation of the critical importance of educational opportunities for indigenous Australians; and second, to provide some examples of work being undertaken in my portfolio areas in respect of indigenous education and training.
As members will know, before coming to parliament, I was heavily involved in health research and, before that, in teaching and developing courses for Aboriginal health workers. I have spent a great deal of time exploring some of the issues that underline the state of Aboriginal health, particularly in the Territory.
One of the key findings of the Learning Lessons report by Bob Collins is that education plays a critical role in determining the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians, particularly in the Northern Territory - an observation that I have made also through my own experiences. In fact, after the Collins report was tabled and published, there was quite a large conference here in Darwin hosted by the Australian Medical Association, looking at that nexus between Aboriginal health and education. It was a very interesting and thought provoking conference and it only focussed my attention on the importance of implementing the Collins report.
As the minister has said in his statement, right from day one, it was a priority of this Labor government to implement the Collins report. That is what we have set about to do. The committee that has been announced to oversee implementation of the Collins report and the involvement of my colleague, the member for Arafura, who is playing a pivotal role in implementation of the Collins report, really point to the fact that we are committed to its implementation.
There is a large and growing body of knowledge about the social determinants of health and evidence that relates health patterns to the organisation of society and the way in which society invests in its own human capital. Evidence worldwide shows a clear relationship between poverty, deprivation, social exclusion and ill health. Socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood, inadequate nutrition, poor education, unemployment and other socioeconomic factors all contribute to the state of an individual’s health irrespective of the level of access to health care services that the individual may have. That is a very important aspect. The example that the member for Greatorex gave was the simple one of leading a horse to water and all that sort of thing but, basically, there are many determinants for health for all of us.
Further, the factors that I have already outlined and circumstances shape the way that individuals identify themselves in which might seek to better themselves and also to safeguard their health. Bob Boughton, a Research Fellow with the Menzies School of Health Research, has explored the complex interrelationship between these factors in a paper published in January 2000 entitled What is the connection between Aboriginal education and Aboriginal health? In his paper, Boughton correctly identifies his conclusions that, while both health and education are key aspects of the way in which communities might govern themselves, education is the more complex because it is heavily involved with determining the position that an individual inhabits within society and empowering individuals to change that position. That is what Boughton had to say on this issue, and these patterns can be observed first-hand amongst the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory.
Some other researchers at the Menzies School, also tied up with the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, published in 2001 their conclusions about the determinants of health in relation to the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory. Devitt et al found that low levels of education and training had a disproportionately negative effect on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Territorians, and that improved levels of Aboriginal engagement in the economy and society are unlikely to occur without some change in education and training outcomes.
I have observed this first-hand in some of the work that I did at Maningrida in relation to young men and particularly problems of substance abuse. It was apparent that once the community started to develop education and training programs for those young men, they really embraced it wholeheartedly. It provided a new direction for them and it empowered them. Also, the way in which they were able to contribute back into their community was very important to their self-esteem. Education, training and opportunities were pivotal in that community being able to eliminate petrol sniffing, something with which they had been afflicted for well on 35 years.
These issues are very, very important. History in the Northern Territory has shown that not a lot of progress has been made in this area. That is why the Collins report was commissioned by the previous government, and that is why this government is looking at progressing the implementation of the Collins report.
We want to see the poor educational outcomes that have been experienced turned around so that employment opportunities for these students are greatly improved. As a government, we want to provide life-long learning opportunities for older Aboriginal people, so that they, too, can take advantage of benefits that further education and training can bring.
Most importantly, as a government, we want to work constructively with indigenous Territorians to ensure that education and training opportunities are best suited to the needs and wishes of indigenous people. We want to follow that path. We believe that the paths followed by the previous government were largely unproductive, hence the need for something like the Collins report, and for two ministerial statements by this government on this very important issue. It is a priority area for us.
I turn to some of the indigenous education and training programs being developed in my portfolio areas. The excellent work being done by the Fisheries Division of the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development in this area deserves some attention. The Aboriginal Marine Rangers program receives funding and support from Fisheries. These marine rangers have participated in various forms of training provided by Fisheries and other agencies.
In conjunction with the Northern Land Council, Fisheries has developed appropriate training schedules for the marine rangers. This training includes sharing experiences with a range of groups, such as when the Port Keats Rangers visited the rangers at Borroloola. I have had the pleasure of meeting them and seeing their work first-hand. There would be some people who would try and assert that the Aboriginal Marine Rangers program is a bit of a mickey mouse type thing, but nothing could be further from the truth. These rangers are embarking upon a program where, at the end of the day, they will be involved in the enforcement of fisheries regulations throughout the Northern Territory. At present, they are finding out the finer points of boatmanship, fisheries issues, and enforcement issues.
This training for Aboriginal Marine Rangers is real, it is occurring and it is being greeted warmly by the Aboriginal communities involved in it. We are looking at expanding this program. I have mentioned Borroloola and Port Keats; Maningrida is also very interested in this program.
Last year, marine rangers from Borroloola attended three days of training on fisheries compliance with the NT Police as part of the Aboriginal Community Police Officers, or ACPOs, training package. Here is an example of government agencies coming together to support these training initiatives. I commend them highly.
It is now likely that the opportunity for marine rangers will be extended to other interested communities and groups, and courses will be run before the end of the year. Recently, sea ranger groups across the NT participated in sea ranger training workshops in Gove, and there were others in Cobourg. The Gove workshop was set up for sea rangers from Ramingining across to Borroloola, while the Cobourg workshop catered for sea rangers from Maningrida across to Port Keats. Various state and Commonwealth agencies participated in each five-day training course to ensure that all aspects of coastal surveillance and fisheries monitoring were covered.
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of surveillance along our coastline. We are the front line here in Australia, and Aboriginal people inhabiting very remote areas of our coastline have an absolutely crucial part to play in surveillance. They notice the unusual, untoward things that are happening in their area, and it is very good that they are part of a network that can report these issues on to the proper authorities.
The fisheries group, Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit, Charles Darwin University and the NLC are participants in the Recognising Current Competencies Committee in relation to the marine rangers. This committee was formed with members from Primary Industry’s Training Advisory Committee, or PITAC, to implement a Certificate II in Fisheries Compliance. The units in the Certificate II Fisheries Compliance course will be transferable to other accredited courses, such as those that prepare students for employment within the seafood industry. It is envisaged that this package would be trialled in the Northern Territory with at least three marine ranger groups. The course is due to be trialled in 2004. It will offer rangers an opportunity to obtain a diploma level in Fisheries Compliance, which will enable graduates to undertake full compliance duties. The fisheries group has been working with the NLC, Charles Darwin University and NT Police and selected ranger groups to establish a training program. To date, Fisheries funds have assisted four ranger programs – Tiwi, Borroloola, Port Keats and Maningrida – employing a total of approximately 17 rangers. Sixteen of the current rangers have participated in some form of training related to their duties.
Before I move on to tourism, there is another area that I am particularly interested in, and that is training Aboriginal people for the pastoral industry. When I was at Brunette Downs a couple of months ago, I went out to Corella Creek and visited that community, and had a long discussion with them. For those members who might not be aware, Aboriginal people now living at Corella Creek were formerly resident at Brunette Downs and have moved to Corella Creek.
The community leaders there put a very strong case that there have been in the past some training programs offered for young people to get involved in the pastoral industry, and they have been quite successful. I am very interested. I have asked my department to look into this; to find a way forward on this issue. My understanding is that a number of people had training on a pastoral property about the basics of being involved in the pastoral industry, and a significant number of them were able to get employment. This is another area within the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development, in consultation with the Education and Training area, where we can develop things that could have applications right across the Territory and involve more Aboriginal people, particularly young Aboriginal men, in the pastoral industry where they will find challenging, useful and fulfilling roles to play.
Indigenous tourism is another area where education and training plays a critical role. The Northern Territory Tourist Commission is developing an Indigenous Tourism Strategy, soon to be released, which is aimed at facilitating greater involvement of indigenous people in the tourism industry through the development of sustainable indigenous tourism product.
The strategy will have a key focus on education and training, recognising that education and training programs play such a critical role in shaping industry development. The strategy will canvass some concrete proposals regarding industry-specific education and training, including industry-based cadetship programs to provide not only training and personal development opportunities, but also to provide important cross-cultural connections; and a scholarship program to facilitate participation in relevant educational and professional development opportunities.
Tourism is a very important area that I believe Aboriginal people, with the right sort of education and training, can participate in more fully. At present, it is disappointing to see the lack of Aboriginal product out there. The products that are out there are very good, but we need to build and expand on that. I see this area of education and training as absolutely crucial in the future development of this sector.
As my colleague, the minister for Education, said, this government believes that improving education and training is a critical plank in improving the social and economic outcomes for our Aboriginal communities. Numerous reviews, inquiries and consultations in recent years have overwhelmingly reported that, contrary to the apparent beliefs of some members opposite, indigenous people place a high priority on education. As the former Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs found in respect of indigenous education in its study entitled Indigenous School to Work Transition (1998), indigenous people, and I quote:
Mr Acting Speaker, in seeking to help the Territory realise this goal, I can assure the House that I will continue to ensure that education and training opportunities for indigenous Territorians are maximised across my portfolio areas. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Mr VATSKALIS (Transport and Infrastructure): Mr Acting Speaker, mindful of the time, I will be brief with regards to my colleague, the minister for Education’s statement on indigenous education.
The statement was made in order to provide an update to the House about what the government is committed to do about indigenous education, and what the government has done. To his credit, the minister admits that there are more things to do and, as he does not believe in quick fixes, it is going to take a long time to sort things out in indigenous education. That is partially because of the neglect of the previous government of indigenous education, but also part of the complexity of the problem.
One point he made in his statement that is very important to remember is the issue that indigenous education is not only for the government, it is for everybody, including the opposition, any other political party, and every single person in the Territory because the reality is by neglecting indigenous education - or education for that matter - now we are asking for problems in the future.
One of the things that struck me a long time ago about indigenous education or lack of it was comments I heard from some elderly Aboriginal people when I was working at Danila Dilba. They said that they were really dismayed that they themselves had grown up in missions and foster homes - and they were very difficult conditions in the 1950s and 1960s - but they could read and write better than their grandchildren who had grown up in the 20th and 21st centuries attending well-equipped schools, not having to pay fees. That is something very important we have to remember.
To his credit, the minister for Education provided an update on what the government is doing about indigenous education and what he wants to see happen to indigenous education. He has adopted the recommendations of Learning Lessons and indigenous education is now a core responsibility of his department. At the same time, I believe it is a responsibility for every department, every minister because we have to have a holistic approach. We cannot expect indigenous education problems and issues to be resolved by one department only, because the Department of Education will provide the education background, teachers in schools and some training, but it is a responsibility of each department to provide opportunities. There is nothing more disappointing and dispiriting than finishing high school or tertiary education and being unable to have a job.
The Department of Education has done a lot of things and, in cooperation with other departments including my own department, has now moved quickly to address some of the issues that have plagued indigenous education for many years. Very quickly, we recognised that, in order to improve indigenous education and educational outcomes, we have to provide not only the teachers and equipment, but the facilities.
As a result, the government has allocated $3m ongoing funding to upgrade remote schools. Remote schools are the fundamental in keeping indigenous students in their communities, thus providing a better support to indigenous students by their families and their communities to graduate. A very good example is the Kalkarindji High School. It is one of the first high schools in the Territory to have a large number of Year 12 indigenous students graduating from that school. I was astounded when we visited Kalkarindji. When we walked into the classroom, there were seven or eight indigenous young adults finishing Year 12. I knew from my own experience and from other information that not many Aboriginal kids will graduate from Year 12 or even reach Year 10 or 11 in community high schools. Here we have a very good example of what we can achieve when we have dedication by the parents, the students and certainly the teaching staff.
Other schools that are going to be upgraded are Minyerri and Stage 2 at Maningrida with the completion of the Maningrida Community Education Centre upgrade. Another problem we have, of course, is the number of adequate teaching staff, and the large turnover of teaching staff who arrive from down south or other areas of the Territory in the communities, stay for a while and then disappear into the sunset again because either they are dissatisfied with their job, the facilities or housing.
As I stated previously in this parliament, as an Environmental Health Officer, I had to sign off condemnation orders for government housing provided to teachers, nurses or policemen because the houses were clearly substandard. It is a commitment of this government not only to upgrade houses but also to provide replacement of all housing stock and build new houses and provide teachers with adequate housing that is appropriate for people working in the communities. This is one of the strategies to maintain the teaching staff, to keep the teaching staff in the community and, in turn, to provide the teaching staff that, hopefully, will take indigenous children to a higher level of education. We will start seeing people graduating from these schools and entering university.
This government is exploring the introduction of new teaching methods and providing adequate support for teachers, parents and students because education is not the teachers teaching or the students learning; it is an inter-linked process between the teachers, students and parents. You can see that very often that the key to high achievers at school, university or college are the kids who attend school, the kids who are pushed and supported by their parents. One of the things we have seen recently in Australia is a lot of young adults of Asian background becoming high achievers in entry exams in universities or finishing university courses, and it is consistent. If you ask, they will tell you it is because they had the support of the family and the continuous push of the family to achieve.
A Vietnamese friend of mine who came as a refugee from Vietnam told me once that when he came here, they did not bring any money, gold or anything else. The only thing he brought with him was his education, his degree from Vietnam. He said you can lose gold, your belongings, your wealth, but education will remain with you forever, and you can create wealth by using your skills from education. That is true; education stays with you forever.
Because of the activity of the government, we have seen a higher retention rate of students at schools. I was very pleased to discuss this issue on the weekend with the Principal of Dripstone High School, Mary McCarthy. She told me that she was extremely pleased because, in the past two years, she has seen the number of indigenous kids coming to and staying at Dripstone High at Years 10, 11 and 12 increase significantly. We are talking about 30 indigenous children from the area who are at the high school competing with everyone else. They are achieving and they are going to finish at Dripstone High School and proceed to go to other education institutions and will achieve.
It is very encouraging to see that happening today in an urban high school because indigenous education is not just addressing issues from the bush; it is addressing issues in the urban environment. I am also very pleased when I visit the primary schools in my area - Alawa and Nakara, and I visit them on a monthly basis, especially during their assemblies - to see the number of indigenous children who attend these schools all the time. They are not wagging and missing lessons; they attend school. Some of them have significant problems at home, but they persist and attend school, and they are doing very well. That is very encouraging because we are not going to lose these children. These kids are going to progress and become really good citizens in our society. It is very encouraging.
The other thing that this government recognises - something that has been recognised for years by the professionals - is that unless the children who attend school are well fed and sheltered, they are not going to achieve much. We had the situation where a significant number of indigenous children in remote and urban communities were not doing very well at school for the simple reason that they could not hear well. They had problems with hearing caused by untreated sickness; ongoing infection of the ear. A lot of the children, when examined, were found to have deficient or complete loss of hearing. I know that well because I saw many of these cases coming through Danila Dilba Medical Service when I was there. Young children from the age of two up to the age of 14 or 16 would come in, and doctors, nurses and health workers would point to the problem that this untreated situation persisted for too long and the children now needed hearing aids. It is very well known, and I have personal experience of that.
A friend of ours had a young girl who was doing very badly at school until the age of 10 when somebody suggested that we take her to an optometrist. They took her and the optometrist put some glasses up to her eyes, and the girl said: ‘I can see clearly now.’ The question to her was: ‘If you could not see clearly before, why did you not say something?’ She said: ‘Doesn’t everyone see like that?’ She did not know better. She had a problem with her eyes and thought everyone had the same problem. That is the reason why she was falling behind at school. The moment the problem was treated, she went in leaps and bounds to become one of the best students in her class.
We have the same problem with indigenous children. We have lost generations of children who went through school and had not learned nearly enough of anything because of these persistent health problems being left unattended. It is something that this government is addressing and, together with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, providing teachers, assistants and health workers with the necessary skills to identify these problems and treat them where necessary.
As I said before, indigenous education is not only the responsibility for the minister for Education. It is the responsibility of every minister in this government, it is the responsibility of every department. In my department, we have worked actively with DEET, and with indigenous people, to provide these training opportunities through our different branches and operations. I am very pleased to say that we have a number of cadetships, traineeships, apprenticeships and placements in my department specifically targeting indigenous young adults to provide the opportunity, the skills and, of course, keep them in the department because we gain from their experience.
In Alice Springs, a young lady was employed by the Sacred Sites Authority for three months, a short-term placement. At the same time, it gave her enough confidence to put her foot in the door and apply for other jobs; it also gave her the necessary skills. In the Alice Springs Desert Park, we employ young people from the Arrernte Council and offer them a chance at traineeship. What is most important is we now have the first two indigenous zoology trainees in Australia working in Alice Springs at the Desert Park. I am really proud that my department provided this opportunity to these young people who otherwise would not have this opportunity, would never have acquired these skills.
Working together with Group Training NT, we will provide apprenticeships for school students who are going school but are interested in a job. My department is now providing in our different branches one day a week placement, and these people have started working with us in the Territory Wildlife Park, Mataranka, and the Botanic Gardens, learning skills. That then gives them an opportunity if they want to leave school to go directly to a job.
We have cadetships through the National Indigenous Cadet Program. That was originally offered to people with degrees, but now we offer it to people who are doing diplomas or other equivalent qualifications. The students are given work during school breaks, and we give them a great chance to do job training on the job. At the same time, we pay their HECS fees. If they graduate and they are successful, and they acquire the skills we want, we offer them a position in my department. That program costs $50 000 per annum for five students. This is a very small cost in what we can achieve and what we can provide these students and their families in the future. We open a new future for these people, and that is what is very important.
Last week, we had a graduate from that program and I am very pleased to advise the House that we offered him a place in DIPE in our Information Unit, which he has accepted. Next year, we are going to have another graduate, and I believe we are going to offer another position to that person within my department.
We provide technical training programs for people from remote communities. A typical example is a young man from Nhulunbuy who came to Darwin and is now doing a diploma in Civil Engineering with the support of my department who pays the HECS. He is paid a salary and, hopefully, when he finishes work with us, he will go back to his community to provide the skills he has acquired during his placement.
We have a mainstream program run with DCIS to ensure that trainees meet industry standards and allow them to gain competence and national accreditation before completing their training contracts.
It was my idea for indigenous people to come to Parks and Wildlife as trainees, as cadets and, starting from the bottom of the ladder, going up to become rangers. These rangers then can be utilised in different parks around the Northern Territory. Instead of having mainstream white, Anglo-Saxon or any other background rangers telling you the things they learn from the Aboriginal people, you can have local indigenous people who can talk to them about their experience, about the history of the area, the history as they found out from their fathers and mothers and forefathers.
I strongly support my colleague in his attempts to address the issues of indigenous education. However, one thing I want to stress is that the problems with indigenous education will not be resolved only by the minister for Education; it is a responsibility for all us on either side of this House.
Debate suspended.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I advise honourable members of the presence in the Gallery of Year 10 and 11 students from St John’s College accompanied by their teacher, Stephen Meara. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors.
Members: Hear, hear!
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Speaker, there is no doubt that education is the key to improving a person’s opportunities, a person’s options in life. This government is about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in society to their fullest potential. That is why we place such an importance on education. Since coming to office, the Labor government has increased funds to education, and it has focussed education on literacy and numeracy improvement.
In the area of indigenous education, the government has been adamant that indigenous students will be given the fullest opportunity to participate in education at all levels. In return for that commitment, the government has also made it clear that indigenous students will be subject to the same rigour and outcome focuses as students from other groups in our community. In his speech, the minister highlighted a matter that is worthwhile repeating: that this government sees indigenous education as core business. As such, indigenous education is not isolated in a small pocket, but on the table in front of the executives of DEET every day for their consideration in respect of almost every issue, and this approach is absolutely essential.
Members should be aware that the population of our schools is changing. Today, indigenous children make up 40% to 50% of the student cohort of some urban schools. In communities such as Karama, I have been advised that indigenous students now make up approximately 200 of the 600 children attending that primary school. Many of these children are not from urban indigenous families. Many are the children of traditional people from communities who have moved to the major urban centres to access urban services such as health care, jobs and the like.
The issue of education that once exercised the minds of educators in the bush are now as relevant and as important to teachers in town. This changes the dynamic of education in a most significant way, and one which government has come to grips with in a very determined way. Learning Lessons implementation has been the key focus of this government’s agenda on indigenous education and, like our predecessors, we accepted the reports and recommendations, and have instructed the department to implement them. We also provided the funds necessary for those recommendations.
There are 151 recommendations, and the minister’s speech highlighted the progress of implementing these proposals in key policy areas. In the time available today, I wish to hone in on a few of those. The minister advised the House of the preliminary outcomes of the MAP testing regime. MAP testing is now mandatory for all students in Years 3, 5 and 7, and the department has increased indigenous student participation rates. It has also improved test delivery, and data analysis has been developed, providing greater capacity within schools to use the data to impact on student outcomes. Schools are now required to provide parents/carers with benchmark results for individual students in a way that is meaningful so that parents and carers can know that their child is progressing. This also applies in remote and urban schools and allows the true story to be told.
Preliminary results show that there is an improvement in the outcomes achieved by indigenous children in all of these important tests. It is only early days, and we do not want to get overly excited; however there is no doubt that progress is being made. One thing that I find amazing and, frankly, pretty well damning, is that until this government came to power, MAP testing was not compulsory for remote schools. If educators did not wish to put students through these tests, they simply opted out. What they say to me is one clear thing: no one cared about educational outcomes for children in the bush. That has all changed, given the commitment of this government.
The minister reported that Learning Lessons identified the need for parity in infrastructure to address the inequities between urban and remote schools. He advised that the department is developing a strategic approach in planning and provision of school infrastructure in remote communities in the Northern Territory. I am pleased that the minister has recognised the importance of this issue. There is no doubt that the capital infrastructure, capital items such as desks and chairs, and minor new works to remote schools needs radical redressing. Like a lot of things I say in the House in respect of the bush - perhaps I am a little impatient - but I believe it needs to occur within a very quick time frame.
Let me be absolutely clear about this: if every student chose to go to school today and walked into their local school, we would not be able to cope. There would not be enough classrooms, enough desks, and there certainly would not be enough teachers. It is an indictment on and indicative of the neglect of the previous government in respect of indigenous education in the bush. I know that it will take us quite some time to get infrastructure up in schools.
To my mind, the department really needs to sit down and to have a look at the list of communities, the number of school-aged kids, infant numbers and, of course, facilities available in those schools, and use this information as a baseline to determine where our infrastructure needs are going to arise. The department’s infrastructure program should be then based on meeting those needs. This may be a simplistic approach, but it strikes me as a way to start.
Another issue I wish to make some comment on is the employment of indigenous people in our schools. The minister’s statement indicates about 600 employees of the department are indigenous. This is pleasing, but I believe the critical issue is not so much the number, but the areas in which they work, the career path they have, and the potential in the future for more and more of our schools to be staffed and run by fully-trained indigenous teachers.
Two reasons for having this hope readily come to mind. The first is straightforward role models. It is critical for indigenous children to see indigenous role models holding positions such as teachers or principals in a local school. It is important for adults to see also that schools can be effectively run by people from the community. The second reason lies in the future of the Territory’s recruitment and retention efforts. I understand significant amounts of money are being poured into recruitment and retention strategies for the department. I understand that this is necessary. However, the day is fast approaching when teachers are going to be harder and harder to recruit and retain as the ageing work force on the east coast starts hitting hard.
The Territory is also in a position where the cohort of young school-age children coming through is increasingly indigenous. The one group of people that is here to stay is indigenous Territorians, and we need to tap that source of future employees now, and have those people ready well into the future to take up roles as educators and management and other professionals within the Education Department. The number of indigenous people working in the schools is an important statistic to know, but what is more important is the roles they are undertaking. I believe it is critical to our future that the number of fully-trained professional teachers coming from the indigenous community is perhaps the most critical statistic we need to see over time.
Increasing access for indigenous students to a preschool experience has been a priority for this government in keeping with the emphasis on early childhood education in Learning Lessons. The minister has advised the House of a program that has been extremely successful; that being our mobile preschools. The small community of Elliott in my electorate is trialling the Mobile School Program. I am advised that these trials are proving to be extremely worthwhile and that more effort will be put into the program. It is a pleasing result. Providing young children a good school experience at a very young age is critical to preparing these kids for a successful program later on.
The final issue I wish to address today, as I alluded earlier in the speech, is the government’s focus on literacy and numeracy. I am particularly pleased by this government’s demands to improve literacy and numeracy in indigenous education. Learning English and understanding mathematics provides better options for our young people’s futures.
I am pleased, therefore, that this government has insisted on some of these key outcomes:
a minimum two hours of exclusive literacy and numeracy teaching every day for every student in
every school;
assessment and a whole-of-school program of staff development so that staff are skilled in appropriate
literacy teaching and assessment approaches required by the school;
methods for teaching literacy to indigenous students for whom English is a second language. Such a study
is long overdue;
Accelerated Literacy. Accelerated Literacy has been trialled for two years in six schools in urban and remote
areas and, as a result of these and other efforts, the minister has been able to report that in Year 3, 103 more
indigenous students reached the national benchmark than in 2001. In Year 5, 44 more students reached the
national benchmark than did in 2001. In Year 3, 102 more students reached the national benchmark as opposed
to 2001 and in Year 5, 77 more students reached the national benchmark than they did in 2001.
These results are a small step toward the much larger goal of competency in literacy and numeracy across the Territory in all schools. This focus has been driven by the government right throughout all aspects of the department and I am hopeful that this focus will remain.
In conclusion, I point out that indigenous education has a long way to go, but I want to applaud the minister for taking some small steps in alleviating many of the issues that impact upon indigenous children and parents in the bush. I congratulate the minister for his statement and I wish him well.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his contribution to the debate. I know he retains a keen interest in matters of education in his own electorate and, certainly from the correspondence I receive from him as local member, he keeps me honest in relation to matters of educational importance in and around the Barkly.
I want to thank all members for their contribution to debate. From both sides of the House, it shows that there is an interest and a commitment to indigenous education, and that is welcome. I thank, particularly, the member for Greatorex for his contribution because he managed to speak twice. I have not had a chance to check both contributions yet, but I heard most of both of them. I give him 10 out of 10 for both persistence and, I suspect, consistency. As I said, I have not had a chance to check. I will not accuse him of plagiarism because I will take it in the first case they were his remarks last sittings and they were certainly his remarks again today. Good luck to him; he got away with it.
I also thank the member for Blain for the overall thrust of support throughout, but there were a couple of areas of confusion. The member for Blain made great play of this idea of achievement versus talk, and he spoke of achieving real outcomes, but the thrust of his speech overall could be described as loose rhetoric.
I can understand and appreciate that all of us have a personal journey in this job coming to grips with and understanding indigenous issues overall, particularly indigenous education issues. The member for Blain has been in parliament for some time. He needs to start being a bit more advanced and solid in his contributions than was demonstrated in his speech because, at some point in the life of this parliament, the Country Liberal Party will be called upon to put on the table their policy initiatives in this area of indigenous education. Some real thought and application has to go into that process. I did wonder how thoroughly the speech had been read because some of the remarks included reporting and measuring of outcomes that were not acknowledged.
The member for Blain also talked about my so-called soothing words about improvement over time. That jars a bit because I have been conscious of two things since I came into the position of minister of Education. The first was not to be dishonest, that is, to paint the picture as it was. I sat on the other side of the Chamber for 11 years, and I heard sittings after sittings, minister for Education after minister for Education, talk about the wonderful achievements in Northern Territory education. I knew that was not the reality in my electorate. Throughout my years in opposition, the more I travelled around, I not only suspected, I came to know that the situation with indigenous education in my electorate was not one-off; it was a consistent picture of poor performance throughout the Territory overall. I have been very conscious of trying to draw the line, to say that what we have is a history of failure largely in indigenous education, probably from the time the missionaries left.
The second point was, having established that we have a huge job ahead of us, to consciously highlight those positive results where they are achieved while at the same time taking action to address the negatives and the failures that surround us.
The member for Blain also stressed the fundamental approach needed was a question of restoration of social order in Aboriginal communities. He quoted Noel Pearson at some length. I do not shy from that. The social dysfunction in some of our communities is important and does impact on the delivery of services, be they health, education or policing. However, it is not solely an indigenous issue. There are non-Aboriginal families and parts of communities affected the same way right across the Territory. We cannot focus on that alone. Whilst we have to work on getting interaction and community development right, they are part of the issue.
I understand those issues. They are complex and they are issues that government has to continue to deal with. They are bound up with substance abuse in many cases and the law breaking associated with that. The picture is not all doom and gloom on the other hand. You get the impression from reading the comments of the member for Blain - and I do not think it was delivered in this fashion - that nothing going on in the bush has any real value. It does, and I encourage him to see some of the areas that are responding and meeting the challenge in achieving real outcomes in indigenous education. There are difficulties, we acknowledge that, but there are many great families out there that desperately try to do the right thing by themselves and by those children that are students.
I cannot afford, as minister for Education, to sit around waiting for some social engineering fix or some magic solution to fix all of these issues that alienate families and kids from the process. We have to roll up our sleeves. We have to encourage and cajole our principals, schools, our teachers to do the same and get on with the job. The focus of that effort has to be improving literacy and numeracy in our schools. There was a bit of decrying at the reliance on MAP tests as an indicator of the success of these programs. We do not rely totally on MAP results as any indication overall of success in indigenous education, but it is a long time since progress was shown in the attainment of literacy and numeracy. If we can turn those around, as those early results have shown, we should not be all that far away from the first analysis of this last round of results. I am going to take that as an indication that we are beginning to get things right.
It is an interesting argument that the member for Blain puts up in relation to testing, because he says as well that MAP results are confusing and fail to inform parents of the real outcomes or progress of their students. At least they are getting some feedback. For many years, indigenous parents did not have any idea. They were told that their children were doing secondary education at school simply because they had turned 13 or 14, and that simply was not the case. There was a point where the member for Blain was probably right, that MAP tests were confusing and the language in which they were described to parents was less than best practice, but that is changing. Those issues have changed, and I have made it clear that we have instructed the agency to make the MAP tests a much more meaningful reporting measure to parents.
Unlike our predecessors, we have made MAP testing compulsory. We will bring in a whole cohort of the student population into those Years 3, 5 and 7 for compulsory testing. That fact alone underlines the determination that we have as a government to making a difference in this area, compared with the lack of interested demonstrated by the previous government. It was a lack of compulsion that sent a wrong signal to indigenous parents. Why were they not picked up? What did it tell indigenous parents about education in their own schools when they were not compulsorily tested? It suggested that in relation to remote community schools, we were not serious about the quality and value of education that we were delivering to those parents.
I will give you an anecdotal example. One of the indigenous officers working at Larrakeyah School - a middle-class part of town, middle-class school, and always has a strong cohort of indigenous kids. They have a liaison officer who works with the families, gets these kids into school and, often as not, if these children are from Ramingining, Millingimbi, or parts of the bush out in Arnhem Land, they do not go to school, despite the efforts of Larrakeyah to follow up these families, and follow up with the school to see if these students are back in their own school. Discussion with parents suggests that Larrakeyah is a ‘real school’. Larrakeyah is perceived as a real school where the kids will get a real education. Tragically, the community school has not been seen as a real school, and certainly not serious. So this is the message, a very important message, that we have to turn around: these rural and remote community schools are very much serious institutions about delivering a quality education, just the same as Jingili, Marrara, Kormilda, Sanderson or any other of those schools.
One of the areas we are coming to grips with is the neglect in infrastructure in our schooling system, particularly but not limited to remote schools. The previous government, of course, had the Learning Lessons report in its hands from 1999. It did nothing with it, despite constant questioning by the member for Stuart in those last couple of years of opposition. I guess it is another abdication, a walking away from the sense of responsibility to indigenous education overall.
The government, teachers, parents and students themselves all have levels of responsibility in the education equation, and I accept that some communities have elements of dysfunction. However, I also accept that, until recently, many parents in those communities did not feel particularly engaged with the government on the issue of education. We are working to make sure that that is no longer the case, and I expect everyone to play their part in this.
We have a focus on literacy and numeracy. We expect core teaching of those subjects, and we expect that all schools will have a literacy plan. In focussing on that alone, we would expect to see results improve.
Basically, I am pleased that members who spoke raised issues and some solutions in a constructive and positive way, and I thank them for their input; their comments have been noted. I want to conclude by reiterating that our commitment to results in indigenous education will remain right at the top of the list until we get a real closure of the gap between attainment on these tests between what is achieved in the urban situation - in the urban schools of the Territory - and what is achieved in the rural and remote areas.
I want to thank the teachers, the parents, the students themselves across the Territory for their commitment to education. I thank the department for its ongoing and strong commitment to achieve the government’s agenda and goals in this area because there has had to have been something of a sea change in the department to swing the focus onto the bush, and to get the department to accept and recognise that all is not well out there. The results were certainly telling us that, and that there is a big job to pull them up to par.
To end on a positive note, those early results suggest to us that we are turning the corner on many of the issues. As we have made it compulsory and we get more into the test cohort each year, that would suggest it is going to be difficult, as well, to continue to sustain the levels of improvement we have had to this point, because we will get more students with very low levels of English literacy and numeracy, who have not been tested before, and have not had a lot of experience in school. The attendance officers were rounding up those who have been disengaged and some of them never engaged in the process of schooling. However, in that sense, if the results suffer as a consequence of getting more into the cohorts, so what?
We have a responsibility to educate those kids; they have a responsibility to be at school to a certain age. We will continue to work that way because only by getting them all in to a point where we can say: ‘Yes, we are delivering a quality education. Yes, our outcomes are improving to the level that we would expect across the board’, only then can we say that future Territorians will reap the benefits of the diligence and the work that this government, the department, and the teachers, are putting into the effort today.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Mr Acting Speaker, I make a statement on the Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan for 2003 to 2006.
The Australian Sports Commission is working on the development of a new national framework for junior sport. The national framework will be released later this year. The Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan 2003- 2006 will complement this national framework.
The National Junior Sport Framework seeks to assist national sporting organisations to provide increased and improved opportunities for young people to participate at all levels of sport, and to provide safe and appropriate environments for the delivery of junior sport. The national framework will form a sound basis for national sporting organisations to increase their membership and to provide the best possible assistance for young people at all levels, whether their involvement is in non-competitive activities, learning new skills or competing at an elite level.
The national framework will aim to improve links between sporting organisations, schools, government, sport and recreation agencies and the Active Australia schools network in order to provide a team approach for the growth and delivery of junior sports programs in Australia.
The National Junior Sport Framework to be released later this year will supersede the 1994 National Junior Sport Policy. It will have the capacity to be continuously updated so that it maintains its currency. The primary objectives of the National Junior Sport Framework are to develop an extensive resource and research base for national sporting organisations delivering junior sport at all levels, and a template and resources to help national sporting organisations to develop sport-specific junior sport policies.
The new National Junior Sport Framework will support national sporting organisations to increase sports participation and junior club membership and is aimed at developing an enduring sport system for Australia. Peak bodies in the Northern Territory and their affiliates will implement the National Junior Sport Framework in partnership with my department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. The national framework has had nationwide consultation; including a workshop held in June 2003 in the Northern Territory.
In conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission, and the framework consultants, the University of Queensland, the department conducted a workshop as a means to providing feedback on the first draft of the framework. The workshop took place in Darwin on 5 June 2003 and involved 45 participants from the sport, education, government and non-government sectors. The workshop was very successful and provided valuable feedback to the Australian Sports Commission and the University of Queensland. Participants also presented strategies to address issues from the unique perspective of junior sport in the Northern Territory.
The second draft of the national framework will be circulated to states and territories for feedback before it is formally launched in November 2003. The Northern Territory Junior Sport Reference Group will provide feedback on the second draft of the framework when it meets later this month. Specific objectives of the revised national framework will be to:
build safe and appropriate environments for the delivery of junior sport;
Active Australia schools network in order to provide a team approach for junior sport growth and delivery
in Australia.
The Northern Territory’s Junior Sport Plan will complement these national objectives. Being active has many benefits, and physically active behavioural patterns are established early in life. Children need physical activity for healthy physical growth and development. However, numerous state-based and national surveys have confirmed the trend of decreasing levels of physical activity. This is emerging as a very significant issue in ensuring good health for all Australians.
Establishing a healthy lifestyle among our youth is obviously a key objective of government policy. Participating in organised sport is one of the most obvious ways to be active and is an integral part of the Territory lifestyle. Sport has so much it can offer young people, and it provides them with experiences and pathways that they can take into adulthood. Participation in sport has many social, health and educational benefits for our young Territorians. The Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan aims to increase participation rates and to make sport and recreation fun and exciting. The plan aims to have young Territorians balance the use of the Gameboy or computer joystick with the advantages, fun and experiences provided by participation in sport and recreation.
In September 2001, my department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs entered into a Sport Development Services Agreement with the Australian Sports Commission as part of Backing Australia’s Sporting Ability - A More Active Australia policy for 2001-2005. Aims of this policy include increasing the number of Australians participating in sport, particularly young people in organised sport and boosting membership in sporting organisations and clubs. In line with this policy, part of the agreement focuses on junior sport initiatives that aim to:
provide positive environments for junior participation and encourage young people to play active leadership
roles at club level;
and association competitions;
in sport and recreation.
Following on from this agreement, my department, in conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission, conducted a Junior Sport workshop in December 2001. The focus of the workshop was to seek input from sport, education and other key stakeholders into the future direction of junior sport within the Northern Territory. This workshop resulted in a draft operational plan for Northern Territory junior sport and the establishment of an Interim Junior Sport Reference Group.
My Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs also coordinated a Junior Sport Youth Forum in April 2002 to gain feedback from youth in regard to issues relating to participation and non-participation in junior sport. This forum, which formed part of Youth Week celebrations in 2002, involved approximately 80 young Territorians from a variety of backgrounds, physical abilities and included regional and remote participants.
In May 2002, a formalised Junior Sport Reference Group made up of leaders in the junior sport community was formed from the interim group. The Junior Sport Reference Group is made up of representation from the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation NT; Sports Medicine Australia NT; the Alice Springs Gymnastics Association; the Northern Territory Sailing Association; TC Raiders in Tennant Creek; the Northern Territory Hockey Association; the Department of Employment, Education and Training; and my Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs.
Since its formation in May, the Junior Sport Reference Group has been working on development of the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan.
The Junior Sport Youth Advisory Group and Regional Network has also been established, with meetings held in Alice Springs, Katherine, Darwin and Nhulunbuy. One representative from each region will attend meetings of the Junior Sport Reference Group to provide valuable input into junior sport issues. Feedback was sought from Northern Territory sporting organisations and other key partners within the junior sport and education industries on the development of the Northern Territory plan.
I would like to thank the following organisations and individuals for their valuable feedback: Alice Springs Junior Sport Regional Network; Alice Springs Netball Association; Alice Springs Town Council; AFL NT; Baseball Northern Territory Incorporated; Chief Minister’s Round Table for Young Territorians; Katherine Town Council; Ltyentye Apurte Community Council; Nhulunbuy Corporation Limited; Northern Territory Athletics; Northern Territory BMX Association Incorporated; Northern Territory Cycling Association; Northern Territory Gymnastic Association; Northern Territory Rugby Union; Northern Territory Sailing Association; Northern Territory Swimming Incorporated; Palmerston City Council; and participants at the Indigenous Sport Program Southern Region Workshop held in May 2003.
It is in this context of community consultation that the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006 has been developed as a means of making junior sport more accessible and enjoyable, and featuring a more customer focussed approach to junior sport. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of officially launching the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006. The creation and implementation of a Junior Sport Plan for the Northern Territory is recognition of the importance of providing opportunities for all young Territorians to participate in sport and recreation.
The plan seeks to address the key issues in providing access to safe, quality, interesting and enduring junior sport programs in urban, regional and remote areas. The plan encourages all sports to develop quality junior sports programs and develop innovative strategies that will increase junior participation rates. The plan is comprised of five key priority areas: participation and pathways; volunteers; quality and flexibility; school and community sport; and regional and remote programs.
Ongoing implementation of the plan will be coordinated through the Northern Territory Junior Sport Reference Group and monitored by the Office of Sport and Recreation in the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs.
The first priority area, participation and pathways, is aimed at increasing the number of young Territorians participating in sport. The latest survey conducted in 2002 showed participation in organised sport and physical activity for the Northern Territory is 44.5%, well above the national average of 40.9%. However, 15-year-old to 24-year-old males participating in organised sport in the Northern Territory has experienced a small decline from 64.6% in 2001 to 63.3% in 2002, below the 2002 national average of 68.3%. Females in this age bracket have experienced a slight increase, however, from 61.3% to 62%, whilst the national average is 63.9%. While these figures are for 15-year-old to 24-year-olds, physically active behaviour patterns are established early in life, and it is a priority of this plan to lift Northern Territory participation rates not only to equal the national average in all categories, but exceed it.
Junior sport is dependent on the recruitment and retention of many volunteers. This is becoming a pressing issue for an increasing number of sports. It is a key objective of the Territory Junior Sports Plan. An apprentice mentoring program for youth volunteers is an exciting direction that is part of this priority area, focussing on attracting and supporting volunteers for junior sports programs.
There is a need for junior sports programs to be flexible, of a high standard and to reflect customer needs. This is the third key priority area of the Territory plan. One example of a quality junior sports program already being delivered is Team Athletics. The success of Team Athletics is due to the program introducing athletics in a team-based, not individual, context that positively influences individual’s beliefs about participation in athletics and physical activity. Team Athletics is an introduction to physical activity, a platform for all sports, and an ideal environment in which to build positive attitudes that encourage children to engage in life-long sporting activity. Team Athletics is a new and innovative form of athletics for school children. It is just one of the initiatives that forms a part of Independent Grocers of Australia sponsorship of youth development programs to encourage more children to view athletics as a sport in which everyone can participate and have fun.
Schools play a major role in delivering junior sport, and the fourth priority area of the Territory Junior Sports Plan deals with developing and coordinating ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport to improve the delivery of junior sport.
The school environment is pivotal in providing opportunities for children to gain the basic social and motor skills necessary to participate in sport. There has been ongoing national concern within the sports industry that school sport and physical education is becoming increasingly marginalised in the school curriculum. The sports industry can assist in addressing this issue by working cooperatively with the education sector to ensure children develop the skills and interest required, and to encourage them to join community sporting programs.
Junior sport programs and products that address curriculum outcomes have been more successful and more readily accepted within schools and the education sector. The products developed by sporting organisations need to be compatible with school curriculum sports, and matched against specific outcomes. Many national sporting organisations have developed curriculum-targeted products as part of a strategy to increase membership under the Australian Sports Commission’s Targeted Sports Participation Growth Program.
The Active Australia Schools Network will play a large role in developing ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport. This network involves schools that show a commitment to sport and physical activity. Over the past year, the Northern Territory has nearly doubled its number of member schools from 32 in June 2002, to 60 member schools in September 2003. This is a school membership rate of 33% across the Northern Territory. I am pleased to advise that this figure is well above the national average of just 10%. This increase goes to show the commitment that the Northern Territory has made in positively promoting the Active Australia Schools Network.
My Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs has provided member schools with opportunities such as: assistance with the completion of sport and physical activity plans; facilitation of pilot programs linked more effectively to sporting organisations; coordinating regional network meetings where schools have been encouraged to work collaboratively utilising one another’s expertise and resources; coordinating professional development activities; and facilitating leadership programs in conjunction with a variety of sporting organisations.
The Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs has also been working with peak sporting organisations in the Northern Territory to improve service delivery within the education sector. Organisations were invited to presentations on the Active Australia Schools Network and the changes to the School Sport NT program for 2003. The sessions were highly successful in facilitating future pilot programs for junior sport.
Member schools from Nhulunbuy to Alice Springs have taken part in leadership programs as part of this network. Recently, O’Loughlin Catholic College ran a nine-week basketball leadership program for 15 students in Years 9 through to 11, which also incorporated sports medicine training. These students were then able to run two basketball sessions at the Holy Family Primary School, as well as coaching juniors from the Darwin Basketball Association. Next year, it is hoped to make use of these leaders as role models, and take the leadership program to St Francis Xavier School at Daly River. This is an excellent example of how sporting organisations and schools can work together to create ongoing benefits for students.
The final key priority area deals with regional and remote participation in sport. A focus of the plan is to encourage more young Territorians to participate in sport, especially those in regional and remote areas who do not have the same opportunities as in urban centres. It is particularly important to ensure all young Territorians are able to access sport, regardless of whether they reside in Darwin, Katherine, Numbulwar or Kintore.
One recent initiative is the fantastic softball program currently running in the Daly River region, enabling children in remote areas to access quality coaching and to compete against children from other communities. I would like to draw members’ attention to a recent workshop that successfully linked communities to sports. At the end of July this year, my Office of Sport and Recreation conducted a pilot workshop entitled Community Sport Mataranka 2003. The project was conducted in partnership with the Active Australia Schools Network, the Indigenous Sports Program, Sports Services, Northern Territory sporting organisations and schools.
The project was a result of ongoing consultation with Mataranka school staff. The major objective of this workshop was to improve the capacity of small remote communities to provide opportunities for participation in sport and to equip participants with the skills and confidence to conduct sporting activities in their regions. Sport development officers from basketball, Rugby League, hockey, touch football, tennis, athletics, netball, cricket, baseball, the AFL and gymnastics provided activities for students and professional development for teachers, school support staff, community sport and recreation officers and volunteers.
Rugby Union provided a professional development program and supporting resources to be used at the workshop. During the week, children had the opportunity to learn about and participate in a variety of sports appropriate to their skill level in teams of peers of similar ages. Students also participated in a leadership program to develop the skills required to organise a mini-competition for workshop participants. Attendance by Katherine schools took the number of students participating each day to between 90 and 110.
Twelve community sport and recreation officers attended from Timber Creek, Kalkarindji, Mataranka, Ngukurr, Binjari, Kalano and Borroloola. Teachers and school staff from Mataranka, Pine Creek, Jilkminggan, Urapunga and Wugularr who completed the professional development program will receive a certificate in General Principles of Coaching Level 1. Those who completed the professional development component will also receive the General Principles Certificate. A major highlight of the Community Sport Mataranka was the development of networks. People from education, the sports industry and communities developed a good understanding of each other’s roles that will translate into a strong support network.
The Office of Sport and Recreation has received positive feedback from participants. As a result of this workshop, bookings have been made for sport development officers to visit remote communities to share their resources.
Opportunities for similar projects in other areas are now being explored. As stated earlier, the Junior Sport Reference Group will coordinate the implementation of strategies within the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan over the next three years. My department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs, through the Office of Sport and Recreation, will take on a lead role in implementing these strategies and will monitor the plan’s achievements.
Northern Territories sporting organisations, peak bodies and regional associations and clubs will directly be involved in implementing strategies of the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan and be responsible for: developing and delivering sport-specific junior sports products; accessing improved delivery networks, for example, the Active Australia Schools network and new networks developed through piloting projects such as the Out of School Hours Sport Programs; and implementing new sport-specific junior sport policies aligned with the National Junior Sport Framework and the Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan. Sport-specific national junior sports policies developed as part of the National Junior Sport Framework will complement and support the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan.
I encourage all Northern Territory sporting organisations to proactively implement the plan, wherever they are located, and give more young Territorians the opportunity to play sport.
Mr Acting Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Acting Speaker, the statement is welcome and supported. It is noted that the statement is a response to a national framework being established, I presume under the direction of minister Kemp, who has also been active in the area of soccer.
Once again, the local response to soccer, in responding to the Crawford Review is, in fact, a response to a national restructure and establishment a new framework for the administration of the sport nationally.
In the Junior Sport Plan, we have a strategic plan to harmonise with the national framework. That is a good and timely move, particularly when the Australian Sports Commission, with their national framework, have not yet handed down their final report, but which I understand will be in November. It is good to see that we have this level of activity in the Northern Territory. Obviously, the minister is working closely with his colleagues interstate and with the federal minister to ensure we have unity between the two frameworks and that our framework, from my reading of it, complements that which has already been described by the national framework.
Going through the framework, we would probably not be particularly well served because generally, it is fully supported. I understand what has been articulated by the minister. From the point of view of every officer on the field endeavouring to promote the key priority areas, which are to increase the number of young Territorians participating in sport, of course that is fully supported.
A key priority area: to attract, educate and support sufficient volunteers to support junior sports programs. Who could do anything less than fully support that? Another key priority area: to improve the quality and flexibility of junior sports programs to reflect customer needs. Of course, fully supported. The final priority area, which I believe to be the most important one, is: to develop and coordinate ongoing partnerships which improve the delivery of junior sport between schools and community sport. That is the key area.
As I said, if my comments are restricted to reflecting on the strategy as it has been outlined by the minister, we would not do what we could do. I understand the position of opposition is to propose ideas for consideration, perhaps to challenge the way we do our business, to consider another way.
In starting this, we know that having kicked the footy, playing a bit of soccer, perhaps playing softball or doing a bit of athletics, joining a community group on the weekends, mum and dad shipping the kids out to Litchfield to Rural Little Athletics or into town here – and as a parent, I have done both; I have been all over the place with swimming, Little Athletics, hockey. Many parents are involved in this, they know what is going on, they want the best of their kids. However, I am going to come at it from this point of view: for all those good mums and dads, whether they are on communities, regional centres or here in the northern suburbs, there is this prevailing sense that there is something missing. Everyone is trying their best. The department is doing what it can do, but there seems to be some dislocation between what happens at the school and what happens with community-based sports. The Prime Minister, when he spoke at the Liberal Party convention earlier this year and echoed it later with this proposition to the community: ‘We need to find ways of better using our school facilities after school hours’.
That is a proposition that resonates fairly strongly here with regards to sport. It seems to be a waste of effort to have a school, fully-resourced, fully-staffed and closed at 2.30 pm, then we have a whole other set of activities and other groups of people – though I would have to say, there are many teachers who then transfer across and operate after hours, probably starting these programs around 4.30 pm or 5 pm. They help run the after-school program. However, school finishes at 2.30 pm and there is a gap when the kids seem to disappear into suburbia or town and then re-appear in a different form to be involved in sport. That is the gap that needs to be addressed.
In the good old days, we had active compulsory sport in schools, and there was active inter-school competition. The fact that we do not have active inter-school competitions that are fully supported, fully resourced and promoted and encouraged by government means that we are missing out on an opportunity. Now, of course, we are going to immediately run into an area of concern that must be pre-empted, that being teachers would then feel: ‘My goodness! Are we going to have all this school activity after school hours when we have just spent the whole day with our class?’. Anyone who has been close to schools and is sympathetic to what goes on in a classroom will know that is too much to place directly on a school community.
There are solutions, though, and they are going to come from interesting quarters. Mark Latham, for example, would support the idea of rewarding teachers for the extra that they do. Interestingly - I think it was yesterday - he made comment with regard to the issue of paying teachers performance pay, he articulated support for that concept. The federal minister, Brendan Nelson presented a report last Thursday that investigated what is happening in education, why so many teachers are leaving, what is the problem in education, why teachers are resigning from the profession instead of retiring; we have more people resigning from the teaching profession than retiring from it. We have 60% of those who graduate from universities and teachers colleges who continue on; 40% are lost in the first year. Why is it that teachers are leaving?
That has to be fairly and squarely looked at. There is immense pressure on teachers. What I am proposing is something that recognises that there is immense pressure on teachers, but still the answer lies in how we actually link sport and the school. There are ways of doing it. One is for those teachers we see in our School Sports Updates – and I am sure all members have a good look at that publication, because you will see names appear year after year after year. I was in schools for 10 years here, and I still read the School Sports Update, and I still see those great teachers I worked beside, year after year conducting sports programs, doing the exchanges: the hockey exchange, the Aussie Rules exchange, the swimming exchanges, the gymnastics, the athletics. It is those good teachers who step up, again and again, year after year, to carry sports programs. They are the ones who should be rewarded and recognised, not just recognised, but physically and sensibly rewarded for the part that they actually play.
In the report that Brendan Nelson presented to the community last Thursday, he drew attention to this; that there needs to not only be recognition, but actual paid performance. It is these teachers, I propose, who are the ones that need to be recognised and paid accordingly. There needs to be some kind of construction that I am sure the resources of government would be able to refine. I say simply: it is those teachers who are making an immense difference.
We are not looking at something superficial here; the minister well knows this: that which we find achieved through sport is not just occupying our young after school, making better use of facilities, or just keeping them busy, and it is more than keeping them healthy; it is the development of good lifestyle skills, a sense of who you are as a person, your ability to work in a team, to be fit and have a sense of your own purpose. A healthy child is one who is actively, physically engaged in sport. It engages the young person at all levels, so we all know it is far more than just keeping them occupied and off the streets; they should get into sport. It teaches much, much more. That leads to the opportunity for leadership skills, which is something I hope to come back to later.
We know there is the need. I sometimes shy away from these sorts of things, but I will not shy away from my supporting comments with regards to the need to develop a junior sports plan. We have a sense of tidiness, of reordering and restructuring. The questions that are being asked nationally will match up with what we are doing here in the Northern Territory, which is good. When we have a plan, often we think that the plan is the achievement, and it is not. An engagement plan or strategy is just that: a plan. It is making the plan work that is the real work. Making the difference is the real work, not the plan itself. That is where we, as politicians who represent our communities, real people, must ensure that these plans make a real difference to real people because we need to see our young people actively engaged.
Why are they participating less than they used to? ‘Why is that, Territorians?’, we ask each other. Why is that? What is happening to our young people that they are participating at a lesser degree than they once were? Granted, we might talk of percentage or decimal points: it is pretty good, but it is a little below the national standard. It should not be. However, the fact that it is prompts the question: why is it? Does this plan have the grunt to make that difference? I say that it is in priority area four; that being how do we link the school and sport? It is right there. It becomes a bit abstract if we have the school bell go, the kids disappear, and then come back and well-intentioned folk who have knocked off work come along and put on their joggers or their footy boots and they help this bunch of kids who know that it is a community program: ‘It is a different set-up than I had at school’. Anyone who has worked with kids knows that inherent in that are some other challenges. Really, that link needs to be there.
I heard a commentator yesterday on AM - I think it was - proposing that there should be compulsory sport in school. They were saying that it should be at the same level as reading, literacy, numeracy, maths, sport should be at the same position. It got my attention. First of all, I wanted to know whether it is compulsory in Northern Territory schools to participate in sport. Probably in primary schools, most of them would participate in sport, but I am not so sure whether it is compulsory in high schools. Anyone who has been involved in youth sports, you know that the kids are red hot and focussed and they will do anything; particularly if it is well run like Auskick and so on in those junior grades. But as they get into the high school era, that is where they start to become lost. That is where we need to put the emphasis. That is where we need the school. Our aspirations to deliver the benefit of sport need to be focussed on the area from late primary, Years 6 and 7, let’s say 12-year-olds up to 15, 16, 17. It is that area we are finding dramatic leakage from sport. We are finding talented young swimmers who hit puberty, they go into Year 7, and the structures are not there to support them all the way through. They go into high school and the same support structures are not there with regards to sport. It becomes optional, and they can depart the system.
That is where we are losing them. That is where we are finding them on the streets. I am not saying those same kids, but it is that cohort that we are finding our social problems and that is where we really need to put our effort. We have a massive number of kids playing soccer, there are paddocks full of them, but they are all fairly young. Then we have the older cohort over there playing soccer. It is like the dads are playing soccer, the kids are playing soccer, but it is the teenagers in the middle that are wandering in the car park. Where are they? It is they we need to be able to take from junior sport into adult sport. They are the kids who are in high school. It is that talent that could be developed. Minister, that is where we need to focus our attention. How do we make school sport work? For anyone out there listening who thinks: ‘Oh my goodness, it is working’, I know it is working.
I am talking about something fairly radical that rewards teachers for the extra that they put in to link the activities more directly with inter-school sporting competitions so that more are actively involved, so kids are still involved in the school. It helps to bring the morale, strength and focus of the school. The morale issue is very important so they feel they have a sense of belonging. They belong to their school, they might want to go along and support, to see their school have a game of football against another school. That needs to be encouraged.
I know it is going to be difficult, but there are solutions to these difficulties; and one of them, as I have already said, is rewarding those teachers who put in that extra bit. Do not just have them appear at 5.30 pm and go out and give another hand. Link it up to school. Find a way of rewarding them. Develop the structures. Bring in the supporters and resource it properly. You will probably find it is a bit expensive, and the Treasurer will say: ‘Well, you cannot do that’. However, you will be able to argue it well because in the longer term, these things have immense benefit and you will start finding the removal of certain weights upon, say, the Police budget, or the Health budget, or social issues would be diminished by a proactive way of linking school and sport together.
I support the fine work that has been undertaken by your department, minister. You are heading in the right direction but I would ask for the things that I have said with regards to compulsory physical education in high schools be considered and responded to, that the idea of inter-school competitions be encouraged in some way. You will be talking to your colleague. the minister for Education. We have to find creative ways of really recognising volunteers in meaningful ways, and I acknowledge the good work you have done with regard to holding functions here to recognise volunteers. There needs to be heaps of that.
At the AFLNT launch to their season on Saturday, it was tremendous to see Telstra come in and create – no, excuse me; it was not Telstra. It was the CEO, Chris Natt - saying that we have to find a way of recognising volunteers. He has a program designed, he has a price of about $50 000 on it. He described the program whereby all those good people who get involved in a junior AFL in our local teams, there is a huge amount, wonderful work that is done by community folk, are recognised and rewarded. He is looking for a sponsor. It is that kind of thing that we need to see a lot more of. Those volunteers who are recognised and rewarded will come back and perhaps encourage others. They are the lifeblood here. It is not plans. Plans are good because they provide some structure and guidance, but it is the people within those plans who really make that difference.
I would like to touch on one area of the plan and add my support to it. We have these pots on the hot plate, and this is the one I would like to turn the gas up on, as much as the linking of the school and our objectives in sport. It is leadership training. I have known some great young athletes - swimming, athletics, hockey - and I have seen them at presentation nights. You can see the sense of pride that they have; you can see their emerging leadership skills. That is great raw material in which we must invest.
You have mentioned recognition of leadership training. It is the training of young leaders on which we must strategically focus. There are lots of young leaders out there and, normally speaking, we do not have opportunities to recognise their leadership abilities because they are just being kids, but when you see them in a sporting endeavour, some of them will stand out in their ability to lead and to guide and encourage. There is a way we can recognise those qualities and kick in with some real training and support. It is good to see that that has been acknowledged and that there are things on foot.
With those words, minister, I welcome and support this statement.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Speaker, I am very pleased to speak this afternoon in support of my colleague, the sports minister’s statement and release of the Junior Sports Plan 2003-2006.
In my experience of working with the minister, there is no more passionate advocate for participation in sport than minister Ah Kit. I remember the minister saying – I believe it was in the House after we came to government and were allocated portfolios by the Chief Minister – that he had won the jackpot in his portfolio allocation, particularly the sport portfolio because it had been such a huge part of his life. He certainly delivered that enthusiasm through all the work he is doing to advance sport in the Northern Territory. It is great to see the release of this plan today. I am very pleased to support the statement.
I would like to acknowledge that this plan will complement the national framework that will be released later this year. That framework is going to supersede the 1994 National Junior Sport Policy, so it is good to see that we are working in partnership at the national level. The specific objectives of the revised national framework are going to be to build safe and appropriate environments for the delivery of junior sport, assist national sporting organisations to increase their membership, to provide the best possible assistance for young people participating at all levels, and aim to better link sporting organisations, schools, government, sport and recreation agencies and the Active Australia Schools Network in order to provide a team approach for junior sports growth and delivery in Australia. When you look at those specific objectives and the priorities in this plan, they go hand in hand and will work in partnership at the national level.
Sport, as all of us here would agree, is the glue that binds, to a large part, our sense of national identity. As the father of three young children, two boys of nine and six, who are really getting into their sporting life and thoroughly enjoying participating in many sports, I am seeing for the first time the different levels of competitiveness at that age. Sport has always been a part of my life, it is a part of everybody’s life, and it takes it to a new level when you have young kids and you are on the weekend merry-go-round of running kids to different venues, seeing the joy and the enthusiasm with which children participate in sport. It is such a tragedy that some kids just do not have the opportunity to participate because they take to sport like a duck to water.
They find their own levels of competitiveness and, yes, there are some children out there who are shy and a bit retiring, and who may not want to compete, but they are certainly in the minority. The vast majority of kids, given the opportunity, will certainly get out there with a ball and bat, or whatever the implement might be, or want to run and jump and have a great time. Being such a massive part of our culture in Australia, it is sad to see that we have declining participation rates in some areas of sporting endeavour. From, I suppose, not just a general ethos, but also of long life, healthy living, it is a responsibility for governments to promote sport and to finance facilities and encourage our population to compete. It really does start with our children and, certainly, I am prepared to give credit where credit is due.
The sporting facilities that we have in the Northern Territory are absolutely fantastic, particularly in our urban centres. There is a long way to go in the bush, but the sporting facilities we have in Darwin are second to none for a city of around 100 000 people. They are used to an enormous extent, and cost a significant amount of money for ongoing maintenance and upgrades. We had our issues in Cabinet, as I am sure the previous government did, in continually having to money in to maintain these facilities at a standard that are not only acceptable for sport here in the Northern Territory, but also attractive for national and international competition in the Northern Territory. It does not come cheap, but everyone agrees that it is well worth it as an investment, not only for the entertainment value, but also the great participation value that it has.
I would like to particularly commend and congratulate my colleague on his announcement yesterday, and in the House today, of the three-point plan to revise and generate progress for soccer in the Northern Territory. It is a great participation sport at the junior level. I see many members of this House at various soccer fields, including yourself, Mr Acting Speaker, on a Sunday morning - people who have kids who play soccer - and we all meet on Sunday mornings. It is certainly a time I rule out in my diary; I do not want to be anywhere else on a Sunday morning during the soccer season other than to be out with the kids.
We can certainly say that, at a senior level, the code has degenerated over the years through factionalism, personalities and a lack of a strategic approach to the development of soccer in the Northern Territory. That has been to the detriment of our young talent we see in their hundreds running around Bagot and Malak oval, out at Litchfield, in Alice Springs, in their hundreds on a Sunday, thousands across the Northern Territory, in the very few pathways for them. Those pathways were not there to develop that talent through to senior competition in the Northern Territory and, if those kids have the talent, to national competition and, hopefully, into the world game.
One of the key things that I am looking forward to out of this review and the implementation of the recommendations is for that pathway to be built so that our young talent can progress to the ultimate of their abilities. I know any number of parents whose kids are great soccer players, and it is only through the parents’ love of the game, their links with clubs in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, that those kids get an opportunity to go and train and develop and play with those clubs. It is not as a result of structures and pathways that are available currently through the Northern Territory Soccer Federation.
I congratulate the minister on the release of that three-point plan. I had the opportunity to have a couple of beers on the balcony after the meeting yesterday with the soccer community from around the Northern Territory, and they were ecstatic. They unanimously said that this was the best offer that they had ever had. They see this review and the sign-up to the recommendations of the review as a real stimulus. The level of enthusiasm on that balcony last night was absolutely fantastic, and it was great to be part of it. I am really looking forward to the review and the outcomes.
It is not just in the towns that soccer is gaining momentum. One of the great surprises that I have had in government over the last couple of years was being out at Borroloola and seeing those kids out there. The only patch of green in Borroloola in the Dry Season is the soccer pitch. The photos of the kids in their guernseys, and the enthusiasm for the game - and those kids travel all over the Northern Territory to play - is absolutely magnificent. That indigenous talent is totally untapped at a national level. We have many Aboriginal kids moving through into AFL and some into Rugby League and we have had the Australian Cricket test team here this year on the Tiwi Islands, really excited about that indigenous talent moving through one day to the Australian test team. However, soccer is absolutely untapped. The skills of those kids was great to see.
It is also here in Darwin. I would like to commend a fellow by the name of Blair Cheshire who has the Didgeridoos at the Bagot Community, together as a team. My colleague, the member for Millner, might want to talk about Blair. There is some fantastic talent there from those kids. They have been playing in competitions in New Zealand and Sydney and, talking to Blair and other people, he really believes there is great untapped talent amongst our Aboriginal kids and the potential for soccer.
It is great to see that plan, minister, and you certainly have me there to do everything I can to push this sport of soccer in the Northern Territory.
I would like to talk particularly about the priority areas set out in the strategic directions in this document. Again, it is good to see the department coming together with a strategic plan with specific strategies, assigning responsibilities and those key partners. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It is good to see that the thought has gone in, and that links in with the national framework that is going to be released later this year.
The first objective is participation and pathways to increase the number of young Territorians participating in sport. I know it is obvious, but I do not think there is anyone here who would disagree that that is absolutely a priority. If we want people to have healthy lifestyles, then participating in sport is great. The strategies there are very important, and the partnerships with those other groups to increase the number of kids playing sports in the Northern Territory is good to see.
I pick up the promotion of fun and quality entry level junior sport experiences. It is so important that kids, when they have their first experience either in solo or team sports, have fun. If they do not have fun within their first couple of outings, they are going to walk away and it is very hard to get them back. It will be interesting to see how my big fellow goes this week in his second AFL outing for the Nightcliff Saints. I always thought Nightcliff were the Tigers, but in Under-10 AFL they are the Nightcliff Saints. He had his first blood nose on Saturday, playing against a team from Leanyer, and left the field in the third quarter with quite a mess on his face. Half-an-hour later he is saying: ‘Dad, when is it going to stop hurting?’. It will be interesting to see if he is back on the oval next week, but I believe he will be. We are not making a fuss of it. Promoting fun is what it is all about for kids at that level, and it is good to see that that direction is acknowledged.
The member for Blain talked about volunteers. I could not agree more. Across our community, and as local members, we know how important volunteers are to our social fabric and how hard it is at every level to get people to put up their hands to volunteer; whether it is at the local Rotary club, the school council or the sports groups. Even at a function for Defence Reserves in Parliament House a couple of nights ago, with the pressures on life and family with both partners working, it is harder and harder to get people to find the time and have the inclination to put up their hand to volunteer. In junior sports, we are so reliant on volunteers to see this up there as a key priority area to attract, educate and support sufficient volunteers for junior sports programs. I see that as being absolutely critical. Unless we have those volunteers, we do not have junior sport.
The strategic directions of providing coordinated and affordable training opportunities for volunteers, coaches, officials and sports trainers is absolutely vital, and to acknowledge those volunteers, whether they be coaches, officials, club officials, referees and umpires. I know the minister has had a specific strategy of getting those groups into receptions and functions at Parliament House to say thank you for the time that they put in. I know he hosted a function a couple of months ago for referees and umpires for all codes across the Top End. A number of people said that this was the first time they had been invited to Parliament House as a group and acknowledged for their contribution to sport as referees and umpires. People were absolutely stoked, and I commend the minister for saying thank you to these people because, at the end of the day, we do not have a game unless we have people who are refereeing and umpiring. We all know how difficult that job is and, at the elite level, the amount of sledging you cop as a referee or umpire is nothing compared to that as a player. It is a person of unique strength of character who goes on to be a referee or an umpire at the elite level. We do not have the games without them, and the fact that the minister is acknowledging this key area as being absolutely paramount in junior sports development, deserves congratulations.
The quality and flexibility of junior sports programs is important for ensuring that as many kids as possible participate. Footy and soccer is not for everyone and we need a broad range so that all kids can get involved.
Regarding schools and community support, again, how important sport is in all of our communities across the Northern Territory, particularly on communities where there is no economic activity to speak of, and there is a lot of idle time on people’s hands. Those communities that have a sport and recreation officer, that have real and committed volunteers to programs amongst those communities, are much stronger than the communities without active sport programs for kids. It is absolutely critical to develop those opportunities for kids across all communities in the Territory so that we have active sport programs. I would again like to place on the record my congratulations to the many sport and recreation officers in the bush who are very dedicated to developing sport in the bush amongst Aboriginal people. Many of them have been there for many years. They do a great job. We are putting more of those people on and they are going to be integral to the development of this plan.
Those comments also go to priority area 5 regarding regional and remote, to increase the number and range of junior sport opportunities in regional and remote areas. Those sport and recreation officers do a great job.
In summing up, I commend the minister for bringing this plan to the House today. I commend him for his great enthusiasm for his portfolio. I commend him for his ability to get significant amounts of money out of Cabinet for sport across the Northern Territory. I am sure that the minister will have bipartisan support from all members for this plan.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Mr Acting Speaker, the member for Blain summarised very well the opposition’s position, and I am not going to repeat the sensible comments and observations that he made.
There is absolutely no doubt that junior sport is crucial to the healthy development of children. Teams sports particularly promote the best human qualities such as loyalty, honesty, a sense of fair play and, of course, how to be gracious in defeat and also in victory.
The statement has a positive sentiment and the fundamental message is moving in the right direction. The basis sentiment is something to be commended. However, at the end of the day the proof will be in the pudding to see what sort of effect this plan has on real participation rates at a very basic level.
Rural kids are very active. Indeed, it is generally accepted that participation rates in outdoor activities are higher in the rural area. From a very narrow electorate perspective, I know that members have been at Freds Pass when there are numerous soccer teams from town and Palmerston. They come out to Freds Pass and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of kids, volunteers and parents involved in this process on a weekend.
Freds Pass itself is really an icon for the rural area. There are some 30 or 40 user groups. It is an enormous patch of land close to Palmerston, only a short drive from town, and is probably in the very centre of the built up portions of the rural area. On any weekend, you can see soccer, Rugby League, all the different codes of football, Aussie Rules and the like, Little Athletics, all the horse sports - polocrosse, dressage, jumping - dog events, BMX, netball and the list just goes on.
I note from the ministerial statement that a working group has been put together. It is an interim group and there is a fairly broad cross-section of interests represented. I acknowledge also that it seems there was an enormous amount of feedback from organisations across the Territory, and there is a comprehensive list of those parent sporting associations contained in pages 11 and 12 of the statement.
Our kids and promoting their involvement in sport is something that should be above politics. Any reasonable person in this parliament would support the basic sentiment of trying to get our kids more actively involved in sport to promote those human qualities, which they will hopefully exhibit when they are adults. None of the would be possible if it was not for the enormous amount of effort by volunteers. The members for Wanguri and Blain acknowledged that and I am not going to repeat it, but it is obvious. Once again, close to my home is Freds Pass. There are so many parents, so many people involved. There are people now involved in the coaching and umpiring side of junior sport who don’t have children in that area. I am thinking of Little Athletics. There are a few people who had children, they went to Rural Little Athletics, the children moved on and discovered fast cars and other distractions, but the parents are so committed to promoting junior sport that they have stayed on and maintain a coaching role. There are umpires who week in, week out, give their time for free in the form of unpaid volunteer work. They should be commended.
The plan is, of course, important, certainly as an initial first step. What concerns me is that there has been a fall in participation rate. There seems to be lots of rhetoric and motherhood statements but, at the end of the day, there are no clear, definitive answers, and there is probably no real yardstick to determine how successful the plan is going to be apart from time and the usual statistics on participation rates.
One of the matters which government can provide for is to ensure that the Territory has the very best sporting facilities, and that those sporting facilities are available to the broadest cross-section of junior sport and talent across the Northern Territory. We have some wonderful facilities in Darwin and across our regional centres.
We have had a recent announcement that there will be a multipurpose sports facility built on the super block at the top of Palmerston. On a personal note, I have some real reservations about the lack of long-term vision as to why that facility is going at the top of Palmerston when it should be at Freds Pass, it should be centralised. We will have the situation where we have Freds Pass, Weddell and Palmerston all within five or 10 minutes of each other, and there will be these three mediocre type sports facilities when there should be one Marrara type structure, something close, something central. Freds Pass is the ideal location for that to be constructed. What seems to be coming from this government is a certain lack of vision of the long-term future of our sporting facilities, but I suppose, as some people have said, we would rather have something in Palmerston than absolutely nothing at all. It is a step, albeit a shaky step, in the right direction.
I have said this in a couple of speeches I have given to my old school and the like, there is a skate rink opposite Taminmin High School and the kids on their BMXs get on there. The BMX track at Freds Pass has been demolished, of course. I was asked by a group of Year 9 kids: ‘What did you do when you were in Year 9 at Taminmin High School? We have the skate park across the road. What was there?’ I said there was nothing there. They were genuinely perplexed and said: ‘What did you do? What did you do after school?’ I told them the truth, which, of course, is that I was lucky enough to have a very supportive family. If I was not out bush fishing, camping or doing something like that, there was always my mum or dad available to take us into town to get involved heavily in junior sport. We played Rugby League during the Dry Season and Aussie Rules during the Wet, that went on until later on in my high school years.
I thought for a moment: ‘Gee, I have just made the assumption that these kids have at least one parent at home who is available to drive them about’. Things have changed. I asked them: ‘How many of your parents both work?’. Overwhelmingly, most of the kids in that class put their hands up and said: ‘Mum and dad work full-time’. So I suppose it comes back to the fundamental fabric of our society. Things are tighter, things are economically tougher. There are lots of kids now who grow up in this environment where mum and dad have to work, and work hard, to maintain their standard of living. So these kids knock off school at 3 pm, or 3.30 pm by the time they get home and, when they get home, they are there for a couple of hours by themselves.
Everyone looks back at when they were a kid. I am sure when I was growing up, it was not uncommon that there was at least one parent to pick you up from the bus stop, or sometimes they would pick you up from school; invariably someone was always available. If it was not my mum, it was my neighbour’s mum and dad. There was always someone there to take us somewhere to be actively involved in sport, and those parents, of course, had the time to become volunteers and promote junior sport.
I hope that this plan and these wonderful sentiments which are contained in this statement do not die the death of a thousand lashes like those recommendations from the Economic Development Summit that appeared on the government Internet site for a period of months, and then they were washed away like marks on a beach when the tide comes in. This Martin Labour government decided to reinvent the wheel and now we have these seven committees that will investigate different areas. It is rhetoric followed by rhetoric. The whole aim is to persuade the poor journalists that this government is doing something about this subject matter.
It has taken two years for the government to put together a plan. I wonder how long it is going to take until the plan is implemented and there are some real results. Once again, we need a mechanism to determine how successful or unsuccessful this plan is going to be and, ultimately, how effectively this government has implemented the plan.
Mr Acting Speaker, the jury is out. We will see what effect this is going to have on junior participation. The basic sentiment of trying to get more kids involved is absolutely fantastic and should be supported but, as with anything that this government does, I have reservations about their capacity to practically have an effect on the ground. We know they are good at making motherhood statements, at getting their media liaison people to massage the journalists and get the odd misleading story into the paper, but we know that they are just not good at delivering for Territorians on a day-to-day basis.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Acting Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of this statement. Normally, when you are speaking following a member of the opposition, you would make comment on what they said. The gratuitous nature of the comments that we heard mostly through that contribution do not deserve comment or to be taken seriously.
The issue of youth sport is serious. The minister has outlined the details of our Junior Sports Plan from 2003-2006. This, as the minister explained, will complement the national framework to be released next month. The minister articulated the aim of the Territory’s Junior Sports Plan: to seek to address the key issues in providing access to safe, quality, challenging and enduring junior sports programs right across the Territory in urban, regional and remote areas.
As Minister for Young Territorians and, of course, as a parent, I cannot emphasise how importantly I view the minister’s statement today. In this age of increasing automation, remote control, and a lifestyle that frequently sees young people working and playing on computers, watching television, doing study - a lot of those sedentary activities that seem to be forming a greater proportion of our young people’s lives - this focus on the health and fitness of our young people is a real issue. It is not only for their mental health, but also for their physical health.
I recently received a publication funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. It also came from the New South Wales Health Department, which is relevant to this discussion. I refer to the Getting Australia Active: Towards Better Practice for the Promotion of Physical Activity which came out in March last year. This most comprehensive publication contains much valuable information, but it is in section 3 on children and adolescents that is particularly relevant today. The publication argues conclusively:
The report continues by noting that:
A 1997 report noted that:
There are even more compelling reasons to promote physical activity in children. The report goes on to say that there is a relationship between physical activity and anxiety and stress, depressed moods, self-esteem, self-concept and self-efficacy, which is a key factor in learning and antisocial behaviour.
The Northern Territory is justly famous for our sporting youngsters, and as they get older. As the ministerial statement noted, participation in organised sport and physical activity in the Territory is well above the national average. Youth all over the Territory engage in football, basketball, touch, netball, swimming, sailing and a host of other sporting activities. Importantly, we want to build on our strengths and, through sport and training, provide sustainable activities that extend participation beyond youth and into active, healthy adulthood. This is a new approach. The plan will build partnerships and work together in ways that will enhance sporting opportunities for all Territorians.
Territorians are well represented on the national scene, particularly in such areas as football, touch, track and field, swimming. For our comparatively small population base, young Territorians are able to demonstrate that they are able to hold their own and more when competing nationally. At present, though, it is easier for young Territorians in urban centres to access assistance and facilities. It is extraordinary when you consider how many of our young people go interstate to compete at various levels, starting as young as nine and 10. They are often going interstate in football, netball, swimming based activities. For the size of our population, we manage to do extraordinarily well. Often when a team goes interstate they know that it is going to be tough, but I have seen the coaches and managers work with teams, and they say: ‘Go for your personal best’. We have to be realistic when our young people go interstate. Competing against the numbers that you have in somewhere like New South Wales or Victoria is tough, but they do fantastically and they do it with a great spirit.
I have travelled a couple of times with teams and have been really proud not only of the performance that our young people put in, but also they way they do it. They come away with a reputation for friendliness, for trying hard and even when they are beaten, doing it graciously. It really is delightful to see young Territorians, even though often it is a tough ask in whatever sport they are competing in, doing well and being able to hold their heads up and coming away having built on the reputation of Territorians as friendly people and as certainly ones to try even when we are up against the odds. We might be small in population, but we certainly punch above our weight.
A focus of this junior sport plan is to encourage more participation by young Territorians from remote or regional centres who do not enjoy access to the same opportunities as their counterparts in urban centres do. The idea of extensive consultation outlined by the minister with the advice of the Junior Sport Reference Group and the added feedback from a broad range of community and sporting associations and groups has ensured that this plan is conceived, developed and driven by the key stakeholders themselves.
The consultation was wide ranging and took in organisations beyond and in addition to sporting associations. The Chief Minister’s Round Table for Young Territorians were among just some of the groups who provided valuable feedback. This comprehensive strategy of public and community consultation ensures the plan is both relevant and timely. Encouragement of junior sport not only offers a lifetime opportunity for health and physical activity but also provides a mechanism so that people can come together as equals to enjoy pitting their skills against themselves and others. We use the term ‘level playing field’ as a metaphor for equality within our society. This metaphor acknowledges the inherent equality provided through sporting interactions. The Territory is justly famous for our multiculturalism. Sport offers opportunities for groups from all different ethnic communities, spiritual beliefs and geographic backgrounds to come together and meet on equal grounds. Opportunities for greater sporting participation around the Territory promote interactions between different social groups and build the substance of friendships that can endure for a lifetime.
I have mentioned that this plan builds on existing strengths and here, like the minister, would like to pay a tribute to one of the keystones of our community sports programs: the role of volunteers. These are the people who work within schools and community sporting groups in regional and remote places all around the Territory for the love of the sport and the promotion of opportunity for kids to take part. Within the tapestry of national, Northern Territory government, regional, peak, local and community groups, the contribution of volunteers runs as a steady, bright thread. As the minister noted, this strategy recognises their role and builds on it. I am extremely interested, for example, in the Apprenticeship Mentoring Program for youth volunteers.
This plan looks specifically at the needs and requirements of young people participating in sport between the ages of five and 17. It seems to me we ask so much of our young people today; the penalties for not succeeding are so much greater. When I was growing up, there were a number of jobs available where individuals with manual dexterity, good oral skills and a pleasant manner could find employment in a number of areas. Increasingly, however, our society is asking for specific training or qualifications, demonstrated levels of competence across a range of fields that include, as a starting point, high levels of literacy and numeracy, computing skills, good interpersonal qualities and more.
The level of competence required in a highly competitive world puts great levels of stress upon our youth to achieve in a particular direction. The scenario where young people drop out of school and fail to achieve their full potential, suffer depression or worse, is now known to every member of the community. Academic achievement in school is important, but so is physical activity.
I notice with interest some statistics from a school in Western Australia recently given to me from the Territory’s Sport Academy. Balga Senior High School, which offers a school-based football program, found that overall school attendance of participants improved by 3%. In addition, the literacy and numeracy skills of participants doubled. Values, as determined by the parent community, were estimated to have improved by 30%. Similarly, health was estimated to have improved, also by 30%. Working in partnerships, schools and sport offer young people opportunities for enhanced physical activity, but at the same time participation also improves academic skills and personal esteem.
Childhood is important to our memories, our identity, our sense of self. Patterns established in youth are often maintained throughout life. The report I cited earlier noted, and I quote:
As I noted, our experiences in youth significantly impact on our adult life. There is clear evidence that at present at least, participation in sports drops significantly with age. The report from the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport noted that in Australia, by age 65 and over, just under 30% were engaged in organised sport, although the figures for Territorians were not sufficient to be able to conclusively determine participation rates in this age group.
The Territory figures for mature participation in active sport may well be less than the average. This would follow other trends in Territory participation in sport. As the minister noted in the statement, 15-year-old to 24-year-old males participating in organised sport has declined and, for 2002, is below the national average. Although it is to be congratulated that females in this age bracket have experienced an increase, this, too, is still below the national average.
We know that sport and increased physical activity assist with raising self-esteem, increased coordination, increased academic performance and enhanced social skills. For a range of reasons, participation in youth sport is very important.
I would like to go on the public record in this instance and say that I believe that working for the health and physical activity of our youth is an investment for the future as surely and as importantly as investments in the rail, energy or gas. Territory youth is our bank balance for the future because it is from them that our success in generations to come will be judged. A society that places a premium on the physical activity, health and wellbeing of our youth can surely be judged to be determining its priorities correctly.
I would particularly like to take this opportunity to thank the sporting community of the Territory for their involvement and input for a successful and relevant way forward for youth sporting opportunities. I commend the minister for his work and his department’s work, and look forward to seeing the success of this program in the future.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is interesting that the Chief Minister read quite a good speech. I am not sure it is indicative of her views on it, but it was quite a good speech, in terms of a speech that should be read by a Chief Minister. I note, for instance, that in a previous life as a media person, she did not like the sweaty game of football and was quite dismissive of it, and now she likes it.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! If the member opposite is going to quote my views on things, he should get it right at least. I have been a passionate supporter of football since I was that high. Do not come in here and verbal people.
Mr Dunham: You can make a personal explanation.
Ms MARTIN: No! That is rubbish. I have always been very upfront about it.
Mr DUNHAM: Okay. Let us now move to banning one of her members from participating in sport. What about that? What about banning one of your members from participating in sport because you thought that he had transgressed some law or other and therefore you banned him.
If we go through your statement, you talk about people who have sport taken from them suffer depression, and young people do not go on, and it has this terrible effect on their life. I hope you bear that in mind when you look at the mark, the scar, you put on one of your juniors by banning him from participating in sport.
I would like to talk also about just how powerful a thing sport can be for all of us, but particularly for young people. The Chief Minister talked about its impact on school attendance, for instance. That is true. I have seen schools that have a run a no-school, no-pool policy, including Nauiyu Nambiyu and others, and it is a good thing to get kids to school. Many of these programs are not formal sporting programs, they are programs of recreation and fun but, nonetheless, they do the same thing.
Indeed, while we are reminiscing about our youth, as the Chief Minister talked about her great passion for football, for instance, I can tell this House I had never seen a game of Australian Rules played. I grew up in Katherine where it was not played. Our sporting conquests were between the schools at Beswick and Katherine. Children were conveyed in the back of a cattle truck with a tarp over the top to Beswick. We did running and hop, skip and jump and all that stuff with them. The recreation centre in Katherine was the Katherine River, a great facility for us, something that is still there for people. This whole idea that government have to provide infrastructure, and parents have to do drop-off is part of it. A sense of parental importance certainly encourages the kids, but there is basic infrastructure in all our towns that was used in the past and can be used in the future.
I was pleased that the minister talked about multiculturalism, and the part it can play in bringing people together, meeting on equal ground and building a structure of friendship. That is true. There is immense participation between different racial and cultural groups, and I hope that continues. In fact, I am a little worried about proposals to build indigenous sporting clubs in Darwin. It flies in the face of, not just what the Chief Minister said, but the fact that many Aboriginal kids comes through mainstream sporting groups and achieve at a very high level. I would not like to see a situation where we start up a particular club based on racial or ethnic grounds. I know it is on the charts; I know it is one of those things that is being considered, and I hope that, in considering it, we look at outcomes and what we intend to do.
In remote communities, I know, for instance, that we play a lot of football, and I am not sure that is such a good idea, either. Before people cast me as a villain and an anti-football person, if you consider that you need 40 people in a small community before you even run on the ground to play a game of football, there are other team sports that include older and younger people, males and females, which are less physical in body contact, and here I mention basketball. I have mentioned it in this House before. The infrastructure needed for basketball, the fact that it is an international sport, the fact that you can play it in the Olympics and go all the way through to being the best in the world, the fact that when we have competitions when we bring kids in from the bush, there is some great natural ability among kids who play basketball, but not at a high level of competition. That could be hot-housed. I would like to see some of our sport and recreation officers who are community-based look at putting a little more effort into basketball and developing some team talent out there of both males and females.
I was interested to read today’s paper, where the Sport minister talked about obesity at some length. It is headed: Government Tackling a Heavy Problem at page 34 of today’s NT News. I note that it is not actually in the statement, although the Chief Minister did touch on it. I do not know if I am the only one to notice this, but it is a bit incongruous for the most obese person in this House to be talking about this, and I do not pretend to be thin. There is a significant issue here with leaders who put their own promises on the line about issues like this to come out and say that this is a government policy when we know he has been trying to tackle it for a year. He really has to come good with this.
All of us are leaders. All of us, through our words in this House, through our actions outside of it - whether we smoke, encourage junior sport, not only talk about looking after ourselves, but do it - it is a matter for the person rather than the minister to take this on. I wish him every success. It was a pretty brave effort - I was going to use the other word - to go on to Fred McCue’s program and make certain undertakings about weight loss. If this minister now has the talent to come out in the paper and say that part of this sport plan is to tackle junior obesity, and I do not find it in there either, but having taken that on, I wish him well. Genuinely, I hope he can show others just what he can achieve with his own personal stubbornness and tenacity to tackle this problem.
All of us in here have talked about how we could …
Mr Stirling: It must be good to be perfect.
Mr DUNHAM: I do not pretend to be perfect. … about how we can address certain of our social ailments. I include in that their non-attendance at school, use of illicit drugs, high levels of risk taking and self-harming activities among our young people, issues of community respect, and issues of promotion of values and leadership.
There is potential for this thin document here to do well in those areas. There is the potential for this document here to come out and encourage social values that we hold dear regarding school attendance, respect for one’s body, respect for others, respect for order and laws; it can come out of sport. I would, therefore, hope that this plan does take a very strong part in our efforts to address all manner of youth things. I wish the government and the minister every luck. It is not just a matter of infrastructure, it is a matter of ethics, resources, community attitude, and making sure that those of us who are able to help by personal example, in fact do so.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker – I believe that is right; it is confusing.
I would rather talk about the way junior sports should go and the importance of sport. I might address some of the issues that I see in the Junior Sports Plan. One of the difficulties that I have with these sort of policies is that they are written in a language that would put most people to sleep. I am not saying that is the intention, but sometimes they are written in a manner that is airy-fairy. We need documents that are straight to the point so that the average person can read them. These are good documents; there is no doubt it. I make that comment because I have a lot of books like this: they are called a plan; they all look very nice. They are delivered - this is certainly a well put together document. However, sometimes they end up sitting on shelves, and one of the reasons think they end up there is because their ideas sometimes do not turn into reality. I hope this document can turn into reality.
I will say a few things in general about junior sport - sport in general; it does not matter whether it is juniors, seniors or oldies. I was asked to say a few words at the Junior Rugby League presentation awards at Freds Pass the other night. We have also had the cricket junior awards; the Little Athletics awards; soccer awards last Sunday. Obviously, a lot of the sporting groups are finishing off their season and now of course, Aussie Rules is on the way. There is always plenty of activity, especially out in the rural area, and I imagine it is also the same for the rest of the Territory. I said to the kids and parents the other day that sport is vitally important for young people today. Not only does it bring health, but to me it brings team work. People learn how to work together.
It is very important in a society where individualism is put up to some extent as the great key, and I am not saying that individualism is not important, but we also, as a society, need to work together. Sport teaches people to work as a team. It also gives them discipline. I know we have said at times that discipline in schools is not particularly great; teachers come under fire from kids that cannot control their temper or whatever. Certainly sport is one way - whether it is deliberate or by accident - to introduce discipline into young people’s lives because if you want to win a game, you have to be disciplined. If you want to learn how to get bumped or have enough tenacity to beat the other side, then you have to have discipline. Sport certainly helps with that. As well as that, you get friendship and that is important. How many kids say they have nothing to do, go home and they are by themselves in their own house? Sometimes sport is the only place these kids can find some friendship, and that is important.
One speaker mentioned today - it might have been the member for Goyder - that one of the problems we have is that kids come home and both parents are working, and they have nothing to do. I am not sure how accurate I am when I make this statement, but I believe years ago there was a lot more sport in primary schools and that seems to have faded away. So you have kids, instead of knocking off from school and going back to have a game, an inter-school game of football or basketball, are now going home and sitting and playing a play station. They probably are a bit bored. Mum and Dad are not home yet and perhaps there is an area there that we need to look at.
Some people have said that one of the problems was that there was not any way of getting these kids from one school to another, and whether it has to do with public liability of teachers driving these kids to school in their own vehicles, I am not sure. It is an aspect that we can look at, to see if there are ways we can get kids from one school to the other. As the Chief Minister said, youth are our investment in the future, and money well spent now will be money that we do not have to spend on other issues later in life.
I have always been a great believer that one of the reasons kids get into trouble is sheer boredom. They get into crime, they go and find mischief, in some cases they get into drugs, and we need to encourage kids into sport. If you are training twice a week and then playing a game on a weekend, that certainly takes a bit of a sting out of your ability to get into trouble, especially if you want your team to win because you are going to have to be fit, so drugs are not in. Hopefully, you will start to eat more of the right foods, and if you are a bit obese, one way of trying to keep control of that is to play sport.
I have a little grandson - he is not that little actually – who was able to use the mouse on the computer at two-and-a-half, and he continued on that way. He is a champion Play Station 2 expert and he has certainly played a lot of computer in his early life. To some extent, that is why he is a little overweight, so I am hoping we can get him into Little Athletics. I believe he is going to be taking on soccer down at Batchelor. It does not take much, even in the early stages of life, to put on weight if they are not doing much exercise, so we have to encourage that.
The minister for Education made a good point. He said we can talk about a lot of these airy-fairy ideas, but we have to actually do something. This is not meant to be a pat on the back, but I do have a Youth Encouragement Scheme which basically giving kids in the Under-14s – and if I had enough revenue, I would do it in the Under-16s – a coupon each week to encourage them into sport because it is the Under-14s and the Under-16s that you are trying to hang on to. The member for Blain mentioned how we get this drop off at that age, about the Under-16s. The hormones come into play and kids tend to leave the sport.
We need some way of encouraging those kids to say in sport, whether it is through a system of coupons whereby when young people turn up for sport they get a coupon or other means, but that is an attempt at a practical outcome to encouraging children to stay in the sport because it is most important.
I certainly notice a drop off when you look at the numbers for soccer. You have Under-6s, Under-8s, Under-10s, Under-11s, Under-14s and as you get to Under-16s, it starts to waiver a bit and after that, it is non-existent. That is an area we have to encourage and we have to look at practical ways of encouraging kids to stay in sport because it will benefit our society in more ways than one, and save us a lot of money in the future.
On a couple of other issues, Participation and Pathways, we have to encourage kids to have some goal if they are going to play sport, whether it is just for fun – that is one goal – or whether young people are serious about it and would like to take it on as a vocation in life, we have to give kids the opportunity no matter which way they want to go.
There is also a section on volunteers. One area we forget when we talk about volunteers – and I do not see it mentioned here – is the parents who are the volunteers in many cases. However, we need to encourage and help parents who may not be running the water or marking the oval, but they are the people who have to get the kids to the sport, wash all the clothes and make sure the kids are up in time to get there. We should include in the volunteers a section on parents because without those people, we would not have kids on the field.
Quality and flexibility; I do not know whether you would include also the quality of our facilities. Freds Pass has an athletic track that basically goes around the edge of the Rugby League facilities and, having run it a few times, it is always a bit of a worry that you are going to break your ankle because it is a grass track with a few holes in it and it is not too even. If we are to promote good quality in our sport, then we have to have good quality facilities. Investing money in that area is money well spent.
The member for Goyder mentioned the problems he has with the new facility proposed for Palmerston. I slightly vary from the member for Goyder in saying that there should be one for each of us. One of the problems that I was going to raise another time, but I will raise it now, is that it is all very well to say that the facilities at Palmerston will serve the rural area when you have two buses in the morning and two buses at night and one bus on Saturday morning and that is the end of it. It does not really encourage kids to go and use the sporting facility in Palmerston. I am struggling to get the bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs. The idea of saying the facilities at Palmerston will be good for the rural area is really pie in the sky. The rural area needs facilities. Perhaps the two can develop side by side. There is a move at present, for instance, to have a Litchfield and Regional Soccer Association. Obviously, they are saying that we are the bigger area and if Palmerston want to join us, so be it.
It is important that we have facilities, otherwise we will not excel in the quality of the people we are churning out. That is not to say we do not have good facilities, except that in the case of people in the rural area you have to travel a fair way if you want to use the facilities at Marrara because you have to come into town. It is funny how many people complain when they have to play soccer in the rural area and we say: ‘What do you think we have to do every time we have to play at Bagot Park or Marrara? We have to travel in there.’
It always seems that it is painful for city people to pop out to the rural area, but it is okay for us mob to go in there. Having used the Marrara athletics facilities, I reckon they are terrific. Since this government has come into being, the facilities at Marrara have been upgraded. Most people would say they are world class. If we can find ways of getting more and more kids into, for instance, athletics, and I have mentioned before that one of the disappointing aspects of the NT Athletics Championships this year was the lack of Aboriginal participation. I know there are other Aboriginal carnivals, but it would be nice to see some of the talent in our Aboriginal communities being shown off at the NT Athletics Championships. We know all the Cathy Freeman-type people do exist, and there is a huge amount of talent in the Northern Territory. How we tap into that talent, I am not sure. We have to make that effort because as it is in the suburbs of Darwin or Palmerston or the rural area, boredom is a problem, and if we can get kids involved in sport, we go a long way down the path of reducing some of the problems we might face in the future.
The Chief Minister spoke about the number of children who head off interstate in sporting teams. Our Under-8 soccer raised something like $24 000 to go down to the Gold Coast recently for a sporting carnival and did very well. She said that sometimes we do not do that well, but my next door neighbour, Kieran Chin, and his brother Cameron are excellent athletes. I sometimes call them the double chins. Kieran is a junior. He just broke the Queensland record for the 200 metre hurdles. He is no slouch when it comes to running, and he came home with five medals for the North Queensland Championships. We do have people who can put themselves up there as equal to any other people in Australia.
We have to keep encouraging these people. It is good that us, as older people, get out and participate. It is not meant to be a boast, but I do try and get out and umpire Aussie Rules. I struggled around the Under-14s last Sunday at Marrara cricket ground. I have also tried to take up refereeing soccer, which is an interesting change from …
Mr Bonson: And destroying the Tiwi Islands, too.
Mr WOOD: Yes, obviously that hiccup with the Melville Islands in the Umpires Carnival was due to their lack of knowledge of certain rules, and any objections to that from the member for Arafura can obviously be taken as trying to get votes at the next election instead of dealing with reality.
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Mr WOOD: It is important that we are an example. If we are losing young people around the Under-16s, Under-18s, perhaps we need to get out and show people that sport is good. If you cannot play or umpire, be the water boy or water girl. There are plenty opportunities for people. Look at the number of older people who are involved in junior sport just making sure the water bottle is full of ice. That might not sound important, but it is when you are playing at 12 o’clock on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in Darwin.
The statement is a good statement. We have to come up with practical solutions. We do not want to bog ourselves down with committees and sub-committees and all that sort of stuff. We need practical ways to make sure our kids do get involved in sport, they stay in sport, and continue it right through their life. Sport is one of those things that as long as your knees can hold up, in my case, or other parts of the anatomy can keep going, it is a great recreation for people of all ages, and I welcome the minister’s Junior Sport Plan.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the youth sport framework statement. As all members of this House already know, I have a great interest in sport and recreation and the benefits that these activities provide for our community.
I proudly subscribe to the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang; that is, the link between body and mind. In Western terms, Yin and Yang surrounds the concept of healthy body, healthy mind. The human goal should be to find the balance between mental and physical fitness it is vital to maintain a physically and mentally healthy community. As a community, we now recognise that there is an increase in levels of overweight and obese children. This is sad and is caused by a combination of factors including diet, lack of participation in any physical activity, and the need for improved education of young people in the social and health benefits of participation in sports and recreation activities. It is known that 25% of all children under the age of 18 are considered overweight.
As all members of this House should know, you cannot play competitive sport forever. However, we as individuals can remain active. I try to remain active; I still play regular touch football with a team that a group of my friends formed over 10 years ago. I still play basketball with the University Rebels Basketball Club, where I have been a player, coach and committee member for over 20 years. I often go down and train with my football club, the Darwin Football Club, and stay involved in fundraising and assisting the current coaches and junior committees. I have also been a player at this club and a coach and a committee member. I am still involved in a Saturday soccer competition between friends at the Alawa Ovals. As a many members of this House know, my family played an important role in the development of Australian Rules football, basketball and Rugby League during a major portion of the 20th century.
I am speaking from a position of knowledge; that is why I support the youth sport framework statement. This statement relates to the most important factor, focussing on youth in the community. As the Chief Minister stated already today, the investment that we put into the youth today obviously will provide tomorrow with a better lifestyle and a better community. The decrease in people as players, coaches and committee in community-based sporting competitions is a concern and has been for a long time. I have often spoken to the Minister for Sport and Recreation about my concerns, and the philosophy of concentrating on participation above all else.
This is in direct contrast to the commercially organised sporting bodies that attract large sponsorship deals due to their ability to sell advertising space for television, radio stations, newspapers and other media. This then attracts the financial resources that leads to players, coaches and support staff being paid for their involvement in sport. However, we cannot lose sight of the ball in this debate. The priority has to be increasing participation of coaches, players, committee members and helpers at the community level of organised sports. This is the responsibility of any government, Territory and federal. It is important for the health, both physical and mental, of individuals within our community.
The minister has stated that the latest survey conducted in 2002 showed participation in organised sport and physical activities for Northern Territory is 44% - well above the national average of 40.9%. However, the minister also stated, and this is a direct quote:
He goes on:
That is a fantastic objective for this government and it should be a serious aim for every Territorian. This statement will increase rates of participation in males and females in organised sport. I would be interested to know, however, if indigenous people in remote areas are also considered in this report for organised sport, as in the percentages shown to be participating in sport.
The plan focusses on five key areas: increasing the number of Territorians playing sport; attracting and supporting volunteers to conduct junior sport programs; flexible junior sport programs that fit into modern day lifestyles; stronger partnerships between sports and schools; and increase the number and range of junior sports opportunities in regional and remote areas.
The plan will focus resources into encouraging Northern Territory sporting organisations to increase the quality of their programs and develop innovative strategies that will increase junior participation rates. This is vital at grass roots level. Why? Let me just quote some rough figures. Let us take AFL, for example. There are 16 teams in the AFL with an average of 40 to 50 players involved with each club, which is 640 to 800 players in the AFL making a living out of their sport. That is 640 to 800 players out of 20 million Australians making a living out of AFL football. The figures show that 99% of people playing or who are involved in Australian Rules Football do not make a living out of their sport. In other words, they play or are involved in the sport for fun and fitness, both mental and physical.
Normal everyday people - Australians, Territorians - rely on the support of each other, governing bodies, and state, territory and the Commonwealth governments to provide amenities. The minister has shown through the five key areas that we intend to attract and support junior sports programs. That is why I support the suggestion of the Apprentice Mentoring Program, to encourage young volunteers to take a more proactive role in organising and coordinating junior sport, rather than leaving it to the parents of children playing in those sports. This will encourage habits that we hope will carry them through their sporting life into adulthood, when one day they themselves will become parents. Along with the Ministers of Sport and Education, I encourage the role of schools in sports. I commend the Territory government’s sports plan for its active role in the development and coordinating ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport to improve the delivery of junior sports.
When I was growing up, school sports was vital to my health, both physical and mentally. The schools learned through school sports such as team work, physical fitness, game day tactics, mental concentration and general fun to participate will assist and guide many other young Territorians throughout their lives, as it has done for me. However, in the last decade, the connection between school sports and the recreation department, community sporting competitions have weakened. This is shown by the national concern of sports activists that school sports and physical education is becoming increasingly marginalised in the school curriculum. That is why I am encouraged by this government’s approval by facilitating better working relationships between the sports industry and the education sector. That is why I am encouraged by the Active Australian Schools Network role in ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport. Again, quoting from the minister’s statement:
Magnificent effort, minister, and I am sure that all members and colleagues will get behind you.
This statement offers hope to all sports lovers. It recognises that people’s involvement in sport as a player, committee person, volunteer or coach will be recognised and will be given strategic assistance.
In summary, I would like all members to turn to the document entitled Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006 produced by the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. I would like to quote directly from the plan on page 12, and I believe it eloquently summarises in simple English some vital points of what the junior sport plan will entail:
This a magnificent statement. It attacks a pillar of our modern society and our history as human beings, the physical nature of our relationship with our own bodies and our own community. I believe in healthy minds, healthy bodies. The good things that you can learn from participation in sport, whether volunteer, coach, committee person or player - team work, friendships, having fun, the concept of what community means.
This is on top of all the infrastructure commitments that we have already made as a government. For Traeger Park, there is a $5m commitment; we have already upgraded the hockey fields and work is under way on voltage and lighting upgrades to spectator facilities and planning stage. Marrara Oval, a $2.5m upgrade to the playing surface; player, officials and media facilities to accommodate AFL football and international cricket. I was involved in the Umpires Carnival just two weeks ago. I would have to say 600 local young men were able to play football on a fantastic $4m international basketball, netball and volleyball stadium at Marrara. I have taken the opportunity to play on those wooden courts, and there is no doubt it will lift the standard of play. The upgrade of Nguiu Football Oval will cost $300 000. Hopefully, we are going to produce some more Michael Longs out of the Tiwi Islands. The upgrade of the Katherine Sports Ground is for $500 000 - in planning stage at the moment, but will commence next year. The $500 000 upgrade of junior soccer competition facilities throughout the Northern Territory was announced just yesterday. The capital works commitment to soccer headquarters, at the moment estimated at around $5m, was announced yesterday, dependant on soccer accepting recommendations of an independent review.
Without doubt, the minister has shown that he is probably one of the all time greatest Sports ministers in the history of Northern Territory politics. He is doing a fantastic job, and he has the support of all the members. Participation would also solve many of our social problems. Education and physical fitness are two things that go hand-in-hand.
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their contributions to my ministerial statement on the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006. Might I add I am informed that we are the first jurisdiction in the country, that is the Northern Territory, to finalise its plan. As I said in the ministerial statement, the national plan is being put together and that will be organised by the end of the year.
I want to reiterate a couple of points I made in the statement, on how we have worked with the Australian Sports Commission in developing our new national framework for junior sport that we are going to be a part of, and what this document is about - the plan itself. Members should have that with them and peruse and promote it regardless of whether they are a member of government, opposition, or an Independent member of this Chamber, because it is a responsibility of us as politicians to do that. Something we truly believe in is ensuring that our kids have the best possible opportunities to participate in sport and recreation activities. That is what this is all about: encouraging kids to get off the couches away from the computer games and to get active, and to inform them that there is a lot for them to take part in with sport and recreational activities.
The contribution from the shadow minister, the member for Blain, was quite good in that he encouraged and supported the statement. I pick up the point when he spoke about the gap between 2.30 pm when kids knock off school - especially those in the high schools - and the period of time before they either head off to their training or to participate in other activities; whether that would be walking around Casuarina, K-mart, etcetera. It is certainly something that my colleague the minister for Education, has taken on board. It is something that, in August at the Ministerial Council on Sports and Recreation in Brisbane, we discussed. It is certainly on our agenda to ensure that we secure closer links between sport and education.
That is happening already, but I am keen to have talks with my colleague, the minister for Education, to ensure that we bring them a lot closer together. In fact, I mentioned this morning in the ministerial report on soccer and the development of junior soccer and yesterday in soccer summit, that it will be incumbent on me to talk to the minister for Education about soccer facilities that are being utilised with his Department of Education throughout the Northern Territory and how we can improve the conditions and facilities so that those kids, not only in soccer but in other sporting codes, are enjoying themselves in their chosen sport, whether it is basketball, AFL, soccer, softball or baseball, etcetera.
The contribution from the shadow minister, the member for Blain, was welcomed. I also welcome the contributions from the Chief Minister and my colleagues from this side of the House along with the member for Nelson. He spoke on how sport is important to all of us; and it is. Growing up in Darwin and participating in many sporting codes was something that we, as children, looked forward to. Back in those days, we played many sports - basketball, Rugby League, Aussie Rules, hockey, soccer - and really enjoyed it. It drove our parents a bit crazy because we wanted to have a go at everything.
What I can say from my experience is that sport, and the member for Nelson touched on it, is about team work. That is the most important thing that stayed with me in my years in participating in sport; learning that teamwork factor. I use that a lot throughout my life and work experiences, being able to explain that if you are part of a team, you can work with the team to move forward. If you want to be an individual team member then, obviously, you are striving to want to be somebody who can put themselves up in the spotlight as an individual, and you go out on a limb to do anything well. However, there is the old adage of a team of champions will always beat a champion team. The champion team, at the end of the day, is the one that will win out.
I am disappointed in the member for Drysdale. He obviously did not read the plan. He just decided that there was an opportunity to have a cheap shot at the Minister for Sport and Recreation.
Mr Stirling: Grub!
Mr AH KIT: It is grubby and, really, I should just flick it to one side, but he needs to understand that if he is a bit put off by the way I have tackled the job as Minister for Sport and Recreation, in being able to deliver to the sport and recreational community, he should say so, rather than attack an individual with personal guttersniping. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition made comments. In his interjections in Question Time I heard him saying: ‘Get out of the gutter’ …
Mr Burke: Yes, that was about this bloke over there.
Mr AH KIT: ‘Get out of the gutter’. He should turn around and talk to the member for Drysdale about the gutter tactics …
Mr Burke: Well, you should set a bit of an example on your side of the House, rather than patronising us.
Mr AH KIT: Well, the gutter tactics that they are up to – but that does not worry me. I am positive, happy with what I am doing, and I will move forward. If he wants to have a shot at children who are slightly overweight and obese people throughout the Northern Territory, go out there and tell the media and the people what you think of them.
It is lovely that the member for Drysdale portrays that he is a perfect specimen, a perfect male human being, and that he has what it takes. His wife and family must be very fortunate, because they do have the best, not just in the Territory, but in the world. He is the perfect person. I do not want to argue about that; I will let him be the perfect person. I will get on with doing my job, which is about, in this case, promoting and enhancing junior sport development as much as possible. I will not lower myself down into the gutter with him.
The contributions have been welcomed other than the rubbish from the member for Drysdale. We are going to move forward. I will continue to promote sport and recreation as much as possible and continue to work with the sporting community and my colleague the minister for Education, members of this government and members opposite who want to assist in ensuring that we protect and develop a lot more of the Territory lifestyle because we are unique. We are fortunate, and the former CLP government has to take some credit for what they were able to do in regard to promoting the Territory lifestyle and ensuring that sport and recreation was moving forward. Mind you, it was not moving it forward at the best possible pace. I am in the job, quite happy with what I am doing and getting the support from members of government and we will continue to promote sport whether it is at the junior or senior level.
In conclusion, to my department and officers of sport and recreation, to all those people on the Sport Reference Group that I named earlier in the statement, I thank them for their hard work. They have some more hard work ahead of them, of course, because this is only the Sport Plan 2003-2006 that has been put together. We are the first in Australia, so that is another first to us, another feather in our cap. But the hard work will continue because we need to move forward and start ensuring that what I said today is carried out and we continue to move forward. I conclude on that note.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to deliver a statement dealing with the discussion paper on changes to the principal club structure, and I table a copy of the discussion paper that has been circulated throughout the industry.
The statement today deliberately does not address those issues around corporate bookmakers, the proposed product fee arising from the cross-border betting task force or bet exchanges. Each of these issues are on the forthcoming agenda for debate at the racing ministerial council to be held on 31 October and I will report back to parliament following that ministerial council on those issues.
Here in Territory, we have small but strong horse racing industry. The Dry Season in particular sees quality racing not just in Darwin, but also in Alice Springs and the various country meetings held around the Territory. All the events are extremely well attended showing that Territorians love their racing. One statistic that does amaze me is the number of people who attend Darwin Cup each year, at around 25 000 people, practically getting up to one-third of the population of Darwin, an impressive figure. I have pointed out in the House before that to get that ratio down south, you need 1.3 million people at Randwick for Derby Day, at Easter, or 900 000 to Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day. Territorians appreciate that this industry provides a major impetus to our tourism figures and has a flow on effect in the general economy of job creation and consumer spending that cannot be underestimated.
Our racing carnivals attract a section of the community to the Territory year after year, event after event that may not normally come to us. It also makes our events calendar more dynamic and marketable, along with V8 Supercars, international cricket and now quality AFL games. The Territory can offer both its own citizens in Australia and the international public at large a horse racing calendar that is high class and high quality. As I have said, an impressive picture.
The Darwin Cup Carnival is one of the biggest highlights on the Territory’s social calendar, but that is not to detract from the other major racing events: the Alice Springs Cup, the Adelaide River Races, the Katherine and Tennant Creek Cups. While these events draw large crowds each year and are incredibly entertaining and enjoyable, the industry cannot afford to rest on its laurels.
There is more that can be done to enhance Territory horse racing. For example, while there is plenty of racing activity during the Dry, interest wanes in the Wet. The government is examining ways to increase interest in Wet Season racing. Part of the difficulty in attracting people to the races during the Wet is that the number of horses in each race is just five. We do not have enough horses or jockeys to have bigger fields. Part of the issue we are examining is how we attract more horse owners and train more jockeys.
As I said before, each of the country races held around the Territory is well supported, but there is a need to upgrade the tracks and increase the number of race meetings held at them. While the Darwin and Alice Springs Cups attract a reasonable number of interstate trainers, jockeys and horses to the Territory, we need to find ways to attract even more of them and for longer periods of time.
These are some of the issues facing Territory racing at the moment on which the government is working. Most of these are not new. The industry has been struggling to address them for a considerable period of time. Government recognises the challenges the industry faces and is committed to providing it with as much support as possible. We want to see the industry grow and develop.
Since becoming minister, I have spent a considerable amount of time talking to various sections of the horse racing industry, including the owners, trainers, jockeys, club committee members, bookies and punters. There is one thing that each of those people agree on, and that is we need to do more about developing Territory racing. That is why three weeks ago, I released a discussion paper that addresses the possibility of establishing a new principal club structure for the Northern Territory horse racing industry.
We have strong and vibrant racing here in the Territory, but it is important that we don’t let it stagnate. We need to constantly look at ways to improve and grow it, and that is the aim of the discussion paper. Government believes that giving consideration to a new principal club is one way to stimulate discussion and develop ideas within the industry about the future direction of racing, and ways to build on the industry we already have.
By way of background, the Territory had two principal clubs - Darwin and Alice Springs Turf Clubs - prior to 1995. Both were members of the Australian Conference of Principal Clubs, now known as the Australian Racing Board. In 1995, the ARB, after a review of membership and voting rights, decided that only one principal club could represent the Territory. That role went to the Darwin Turf Club. The Darwin Turf Club delegated its principal club powers to the Alice Springs Turf Club for racing conducted from Tennant Creek and south. This gave Alice Springs the power to oversee clubs and meetings in the southern half of the Northern Territory, but removed its representation from national level.
While Territory racing has been well served by the arrangement, there have been concerns expressed in recent times that the current model is not sufficiently representative of the whole industry and the perception that the current arrangement is too Darwin-centric. These concerns have been expressed to me by various sections of the racing industry in Darwin, Alice Springs and the regions. Government believes that establishing a new principal club may be one way to address those concerns, enhance Territory racing, and maintain a high standard of representation at the national level.
The move towards a more representative structure is not unique to the Territory. A number of states have already established statutory bodies as their principal clubs. While establishing a statutory body has advantages, it would probably require a more formal system of administration and thus impose additional costs on the industry and government.
A new principal club for the Territory could be established under existing legislation, which may be the most expedient and sensible way to proceed for an industry of our size. Under section 43 of the Racing and Betting Act, the principal club has control and general supervision of the race clubs within its jurisdiction. Its functions are to control, supervise, regulate and promote horse racing; initiate, develop and implement such policies as it considers conducive to the development and welfare of the horse racing industry; and the protection of the public interest.
Under the discussion paper currently being considered, those functions would not change should the principal club structure change, neither would the powers of a principal club as set out in the act. Some of those powers include to make, amend or repeal the rules of racing; allocate the dates and times of race meetings of those race clubs registered by it; investigate and report on proposals for the construction of new racecourses or for the alteration and renovation of existing racecourses; supervise the activities of race clubs registered by it, as well as people engaged in or associated with racing in its locality; and register and identify galloping horses. This is just a small sample of the powers of a racing principal club in the Territory, but gives some idea of the scope of roles and responsibilities. Those powers would largely stay the same under the proposed new structure.
The greatest difference proposed by the discussion paper would be the makeup of the principal club committee. The proposal is for the principal club committee to include one representative from the Darwin Turf Club, one representative from the Alice Springs Turf Club, two Owners and Trainers representatives, one each from Darwin and Alice, a country representative from outside Darwin and Alice, who would represent Tennant Creek, Pine Creek, Katherine and Adelaide River, and an independent chair with knowledge of the Australian racing industry and suitable qualifications perhaps in law or accounting. Under the proposal, all appointments would be made by the minister, with general members nominated by the industry and expressions of interest would be sought for the position of chair. The term of appointment would be for a three year period. At a national level, the chair would be a full member of the ARB, while the chief executive officer, or secretary of the principal club, would be appointed as an executive member of the ARB.
Under the proposed structure, the principal club would also administer the Northern Territory Racing Industry Agreement. The Darwin and Alice Springs Turf Clubs would revert to normal race clubs, keeping responsibility for the conduct of their local racing activity, and assisting the activity of race clubs in their locale. There may also be merit in making the new principal club the employer of the chief stewards of the Darwin and Alice Springs Turf Clubs. That would help remove any perception that members of an employing turf club committee may have influenced any of their decision-making.
This will obviously have funding implications that will need to be considered as part of the proposed structure. Potentially, the executive officer would head the administrative arm of the principal club. In terms of administrative support and staffing, depending on the additional duties required of the principal club, the administrative role may be able to be carried out by one person full-time. There is some scope for the day-to-day administrative tasks of the principal club to be undertaken by staff from one of the turf clubs. This would obviously need to be negotiated accordingly. Other considerations would need to include office accommodation, furnishings, computing equipment required by the chair, the executive officer and any administrative support.
Provision would also need to be made for meeting facilities. It is likely the principal club would have four meetings annually, with two per year in Darwin and two in Alice Springs. These meetings would need to be timed to occur just before the ARB holds its quarterly meetings, and other meetings could then occur via teleconferencing. Principal club members would be paid an appropriate sitting fee, plus travel and accommodation expenses as necessary.
I want to make clear that government recognises the establishment and running of a new principal club would incur certain additional costs, and it would be expected that government would absorb these costs as part of its funding agreement with industry. We have no intention of leaving the industry out of pocket from any changes made.
The current funding agreement with the industry is due to expire in July 2004, which means negotiations between government and industry will need to commence shortly in relation to the next funding agreement. It is a particularly opportune time to be opening up discussion about a new structure for the Territory’s principal horse racing club. It means that, if the proposal is to go ahead, the funding requirements of a new club could be considered as part of that new agreement.
This is a discussion paper. The government remains open to suggestions, feedback and advice from the industry on whether this or another model would be best for Northern Territory horse racing as a whole. The discussion paper is currently being circulated widely throughout the Territory. Interested parties have until 24 October 2003, that is next Friday, to make submissions.
As I said before, the Territory has a dynamic, highly professional racing industry. We want to build on that, while maintaining the high standard of our representation at the national level. For the information of members, I have tabled the principal club discussion paper and invite members to comment today, and to submit comments in writing.
Before completing the statement, I welcome to the Northern Territory, Mr Des Friedrich, the new Chief Executive of Darwin Turf Club. Mr Friedrich is from New Zealand, where he had 20 years’ racing involvement, most recently as the Chief Executive Officer of Hawkes Bay racing. I am sure all members will join with me in welcoming Des and his wife, Lu, to the Northern Territory and we wish him a long and productive stay with the Darwin Turf Club. He seems to have settled in fairly quickly. I have met him once, and I look forward to working with him.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I welcome the minister’s statement with regards to the discussion paper on the establishment of a horse racing principal club, and indicate at the outset that, from the opposition’s point of view, both sides of government have, historically in this House, generally, worked very cooperatively together in advancing the racing industry in the Northern Territory. I know that for much of that time the current minister was shadow responsible and, certainly from my recollection, all of the efforts of my government and previous Chief Ministers with regards the racing industry initiatives that were brought into this House were always responded to and commented on in a very cooperative way by the then shadow, who is now the Treasurer, the member for Nhulunbuy. I certainly intend to maintain that cooperative spirit. I was minister responsible for racing for some short while, and it is with great pleasure that I resume that role in a shadow capacity.
It is an interesting industry. From a personal perspective, it is something that has been with me all my life. My father was probably - I do not know if he ever hold records of this sort of things - one of the oldest and longest registered clerks in the racing industry. I do not know whether they ever have a book on that sought of thing, but dear old dad died at 92 only 12 months ago. During the last 15 years of his life, he was still active as a Registered Clerk at the racing clubs on the Gold Coast. He worked all his life primarily in Townsville and Brisbane, and then later in Sydney and on the Gold Coast. He worked for some of the flamboyant bookmakers in Australian racing history.
From my early days right through, my recollections of my father on Saturday nights were one of two things. Generally, coming back from a days racing, often he was charged with carrying the bookie’s bag with him. In those days, all the money was in the bag, generally counted and everything settled. I remember as kids, we used to be fascinated because on the odd occasion, Dad would empty the bag on the bed. For a family of six kids, it was quite a stunning sight for us to see bundles of money of the size and amounts that we could not see as anything other than a gold mine.
Some of the characters that I was introduced to in the racing game through my father were, as I said, not only noted in Australian racing circles for the flamboyance and skill, but also were wonderful gentlemen. Dad always brought us up - I guess many would dispute this notion – on the premise that in his opinion, racing was the most honest game that you could be involved in because there was no other business in the world where thousands, and sometime hundreds of thousands, of dollars could pass hands on the shake of a hand, and a man’s word was his bond and he settled his debts. Certainly, in my father’s case, those debts were often settled in the pub at the Sunday morning or afternoon session, which led to another problem which often beleaguered me in later life, because my mother always thought that pubs were great places for men to go to because my father never came home drunk and often came and flicked mum 20, 30 or 40, because that was her part of his kick.
The other reason I was always proud of my father was because, whilst he was a clerk all his life on the racing field, he was never a wealthy man. He was an ordinary clerk in the civil service at local government level, and my mother always vouched for the fact that, after she married him, through the whole of their married life, he had a sly kick in his pocket from the races, and he never opened his pay packet once. He always survived on his side kick and his racing kick. He always gave her a bit extra if she needed it. It was a great source of embarrassment for him, as I said, in his 70s, when all of a sudden he did not have that extra money coming in from the racing game. In his own quaint way, as a very proud man, he felt very embarrassed to go to my mother and ask her for some money.
It is with a great love of the industry as a whole that I endorse the fact that it is a very important industry in the Northern Territory, and is something that we want to see developed and promoted in the best way. The minister mentioned Mr Des Friedrich, the new CEO of the Turf Club. I rang Mr Friedrich this morning. I have not met him yet, but I rang and welcomed him to the Northern Territory and wished him all the very best in his new job. I am sure that he will undertake those responsibilities most capably. I understand that he has been involved in moves to create principal clubs in New Zealand. So in that capacity, he brings to the Northern Territory a great deal of experience.
We have spent a lot of time talking today about sport in general and initiatives in government to bring various sporting events such as AFL and cricket to the Northern Territory. We also recognised, as the minister said, the importance of the Darwin Cup Carnival and the Alice Springs Cup Carnival. Those are two major events in the Northern Territory which have grown over the years. From my observation, I thought the last Darwin Cup Day was the biggest cup day that I have experienced since I have been in the Northern Territory. It is great to see that event moving from strength to strength.
As the minister pointed out, we need to ensure that the industry grows and does not stagnate. It would be wrong of us to assume that just because we have a wonderful period of the carnival both in Darwin and Alice Springs during the Dry Season, that to all intents and purposes for those who are not involved in the industry, all is well. Of course, it is not the case. We need to do a lot more about Territory racing and if there was anything in the minister’s statement that I am slightly cautious about, it is the notion that this moving to a principal club concept will address many of the issues that are of great concern within the industry at the moment. I do not think that will be the case if the government only sees a restructuring of the principal club as its major objective. I am sure it does not, but the minister’s statement today does not point to any other initiatives that the principal club itself would be involved in other than the normal day to day business that the principal club based at Darwin Turf Club has involved itself in.
The first issue I raise on the notion of a principal club is the composition of the club. It includes representation from, as I understand it, owners and trainers. I assume the minister is aware that under the Australian Racing Board rules, as I understand it, registered members are not allowed to be members of the principal club, so I imagine when he talks about owners and trainers representatives, they would be other than registered members who would be recommended by the owners and trainers.
There are many issues that concern our industry at the moment. The minister said he did not want to address some of the issues with regards to corporate bookmakers and product fee issues and cross-border betting task forces or bet exchanges, and I understand and accept that statement. As the minister said, these issues are on the agenda for debate at the forthcoming racing ministerial council. We certainly would be interested to see what the government’s position is on a number of issues and it may be appropriate for him to mention one or two of those, particularly bet exchanges, because I am interested in that, if he can when he sums up.
As I said, the racing industry is strong during the carnival period, weak during the Wet Season, as the minister has pointed out. The reasons why the industry in some circles, dare I say it, could even be described as being in crisis - and I do not say that easily but some have mentioned that to me - cannot be dismissed. If we are talking about how we develop and grow the racing industry in the Northern Territory, the primary responsibility will rest with this principal club and the composition of that club, as indicated by the minister. It seems, on the face of it, fine from my perspective. It is the particular tasks that the principal club has to do, which are far more wide-ranging than the principal club has involved itself in over the past few years, that will really be the issues which have to be grappled with. In that context, the government will need to find the funding to address the issues that are identified. It is one thing to say we have this composition of a principal club, and the next day we have a new composition. However, creating a new principal club will not necessarily address any of the real problems that are there.
First, you have to identify the issues that are facing the racing industry at the moment. If it is broke, where is it particularly broke in some areas? That is a real SWOT analysis that has to be done: what needs to be fixed, how are those things going to be fixed, who has responsibility to fix those issues, and how much funding will it require? The minister would recognise that when the last funding agreement was negotiated by my government, it was negotiated in an atmosphere of moving to a principal club at that time. The complexities of the negotiation were such that we took the principal club issue off the agenda at the time, negotiated the funding issues, but the idea of moving to a principal club is something was always on our mind.
I do not wish to explore all of the issues that concern the industry, but it seems that one of the big issues in the Northern Territory is this: there are not enough horses racing. Because there are not enough horses racing, there is not enough ability for jockeys to earn a decent wage. Because of those two factors primarily, the industry itself is fairly limited and almost stagnant during a great deal of the year.
I understand that one of the problems in that context is that owners have less and less confidence in the skills of the trainers and the jockeys themselves. That needs to be addressed. I understand that in Victoria, there is a formal skills program in place whereby, through TAFE institutions, there are courses for jockeys and trainers. In fact, there are courses for many of the duties involved on and off the course in the racing industry are conducted through TAFE courses. To my mind, that is something that needs to occur in the Northern Territory. One would hope that that would be a challenge that the principal club would take on, and that the principal club would be supported strongly by government in doing so. That will require money, far more money than the minister has indicated in this statement, which essentially looks at the administrative requirements of the office of the principal club.
Owners are critically important to the industry. These are people - and the minister is one - who, unless they are fairly foolish, should not expect to make too much money out of racing.
Mr Stirling: Wait for the two year old!
Mr BURKE: They get themselves involved in the industry because of the love of the game and the love of the sport. Really, it is more than that; it is a love of the entertainment that racing brings to them. These are critical people because without owners getting themselves involved in the industry, you do not have much of an industry. You have to create an atmosphere whereby the owners are confident to invest.
As I said, if you have a lack of confidence in the ability and skills of your trainers, if you believe that many of your jockeys are overweight and not quite up to it because they do not have the competition they would have in other areas of Australia, fewer and fewer owners are going to make the commitment and maintain the investment. They will put their money or their interest elsewhere. I do not say that in a way to detract their industry at all; I simply say that owners need to be nurtured as very special people. There need to be incentives in there to attract more and more owners into industry, and those incentives include the upskilling of trainers and all those involved in the industry, including jockeys, and proper facilities. I know that they want a swimming pool at the race club. That is something that might be seen as expensive as the one capital works item for the Turf Club but, when we talk about the amount of money that goes into AFL and other sport in the Northern Territory, for an industry that does so much for tourism and to attract and convey the whole spirit of the Northern Territory, the racing industry needs a lot more support. It needs a lot more support in infrastructure improvements. The stabling facilities out there are not good and, whilst they would require some investment by the owners and trainers, they certainly require additional support from government.
Long term, you need a turf track. It is a track that is peculiar to the Northern Territory, but also limited. You put a horse on that track for work, and the amount of work you can give that horse is far less than you would give a horse down south because of the way that track knocks a horse around. If you race a horse on that track, you are going to take a lot more out of the horse than you would on tracks down south. A few years ago, Bart Cummings said to me that you will never get this industry really going until you turf that track. That will attract owners to get their horses up here because they are confident about the track on which it is going to race.
I know they are large capital spending requirements, and no one would expect those things to happen overnight. However, I give a commitment to the minister that the opposition supports the industry in its entirety. We recognise the importance of it. I do not see it as a sport. I see it as more than a sport. It is really entertainment, and in the entertainment industry, the product you are putting out all the time has to be first class. Your trainers have to be first class, your jockeys have to be first class, the people who serve out there have to be first class. Everything in a professional entertainment industry has to be very attractive to those involved, either has a spectator, as a one-time visitor, or for those who want to invest in the industry.
That is part of the challenge for our industry today, and I hope the government, in establishing this principal club, sees the wider role of the principal club in developing the industry and supports it in the issues that it needs to address. I can give a commitment that the opposition will certainly back the government in the initiatives that it proposes for developing the industry.
One issue I wanted to raise - and I would be interested in the minister’s comments - is that I understand there are some problems with the contractual arrangements we have with the TAB in that it is required to bet on so many races in the Northern Territory throughout the year. Many of these races now are very small races - sometimes four or five horses, particularly in the Wet Season - that do not attract much of a wager because of their smallness, and they are competing against large races in Queensland where, say, Rockhampton might have a race day where 120 horses are racing. TAB is only covering a couple of those races, whereas they are bound contractually to cover races up here. I understand that is creating concern in Queensland, and is something that cannot be ignored. We need to ensure that the racing product we are putting on to our TAB is a very attractive product. Otherwise, the message we are sending to the rest of the industry and to punters Australia-wide, particularly in Queensland, is that our industry needs a lot more support and is fairly mickey mouse in comparison to some of the country carnivals that they are running.
There are many challenges. I have only touched on one or two. My main reason was to support the minister in his statement. I look forward to a cooperative relationship on these issues in future.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the ministerial statement in respect of the discussion paper about the principal club. Might I say from the outset that it is a great credit to the minister that he has had the vision to place this issue on the racing industry agenda. We have heard the Leader of the Opposition’s support, and I am gratified that there is a bipartisan approach to this industry.
It is very much a fledgling industry, but it has a rich history in the Territory, going back to the 1890s, even a little earlier than that, and is something that can be supported right across the Territory.
I have occasion to speak to a wide cross-section of the industry from time to time, and it is fair to say that many people associated with the racing industry are grateful to the minister for his leadership, and the fact that he understands the industry and consults widely with them. On a personal level, I know he supports the industry - with slow horses at the moment, but, minister, your luck will turn. I have been down the same track and I have tried everything - the old tin of Pal and butcher’s knife horse psychology. It has not worked, but it is all in good fun.
The minister’s support is evidenced by the fact that he has attended all the Tennant Creek Cup meetings since becoming Racing minister. This commitment has not been lost on people in my electorate of Barkly. I guess it is indicative of the minister’s grassroots links with the industry. Indeed, people like Liam McKelvey, Paul Quinlan, Norm Bracken and John Lavery have all been very, very appreciative of the minister’s support. I know they are lobbying very hard to secure a third meeting in Tennant Creek, and they are also looking to upgrade the track, which is probably one of the better country tracks, along with Katherine and others. The future for racing in Tennant Creek is bright, particularly if we go down the path in respect of some of the suggestions or positions put by the minister.
I would like to direct my comments to country racing. At the moment, outside of Darwin and Alice Springs, we have meetings in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Pine Creek and Adelaide River. Most members might recall that in the not-too-distant past, there were meetings also held at Timber Creek, Barrow Creek, as well as a number of picnic meetings at places like Harts Range. Of course, Brunette Downs remains a country race meeting, and I hope that continues.
The rich Territory horse racing history and folklore stems from these roots; people associated with pastoral properties, cattle stations. Racing in the Territory might have really commenced when some of the station owners would get together and reckon that their horse was faster than the other. That is how a lot of these little meetings got going and that is how they spread throughout the Northern Territory and other regions of Australia.
A new principal club structure charged with, among other things, to control, supervise, regulate and promote horse racing, will do well to look at the tourism potential of the horse racing industry. It takes little imagination to see a Ghan full of racegoers getting off a train to go to a series of country cups along the railway line. We already have people flying in from other countries, like Japan into Alice Springs, and there is no reason why we cannot promote it in the Territory and, from a personal perspective, particularly in the smaller communities. I need only remind members of the Birdsville Cup, which occurs every year, a great meeting that attracts people from all over the world. There could well be a situation in the Northern Territory where something similar could occur. However, it takes vision, and that is why I welcome this statement.
The other thing that is important to understand, and other speakers have mentioned this, is that country racing Australia-wide is undergoing considerable pressure and restructuring. I suspect that an innovative and forward-looking principal club structure that is supportive of country racing would have the capacity to strengthen racing links between northern Western Australia, the Kimberley area, western Queensland and other parts of the Territory, particularly places like Kununurra, Wyndham and Mt Isa. I know that they have circuits in Queensland so there may be options at some time in the future to link in with some of those meetings.
It has been mentioned by the minister that one of the limiting factors to racing in the Territory is the number of available jockeys. A strengthened country racing industry would provide an opportunity to identify and train apprentice jockeys to feed into the wider Northern Territory industry. I know that about two years ago there was a proposal to run an apprentice training program in Alice Springs. I am not sure where it is today, but it is something we could have a look at, and I am sure the minister will work hard to that end.
In conclusion, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I applaud the minister’s statement. I support the minister’s vision for racing in the Northern Territory. It is going to be a very hard process, difficult to achieve, but the goodwill indicated in the House this evening and the fact that there are a lot of good, well-meaning people out there in the industry – horse owners, trainers and jockeys – who want a very viable industry and the suggestions put by the minister this evening are part of that. I support the minister’s statement.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I have a few observations about the Horse Racing Principal Club Discussion Paper. As the Leader of the Opposition indicated, there is support for the statement. The opposition have been big supporters of the racing industry for many years. I share a love of horses and horse racing. My grandfather worked for nearly 30 years at Randwick on the weekends. When I first went to the races, it was not the thrill of having a bet, it was the social interactions, the fact that my friends were involved. A couple of them had horses and it was always good fun to be part of a syndicate, to have a horse, to have an interest. Not that anything ever made any real money, but it was the thrill of being able to participate.
We have heard earlier today to some references to tourism and there was a dorothy dix question to the Minister for Tourism about how Territory tourism is faring, and there was a particular reference to Katherine. I have seen two groups of statistics. Last night on the news there was a report that stated that Territory tourism generally was down about 30% this year, whilst in Western Australia it had increased by 7%. There were other figures bandied about; I read a document saying that Top End tourism could be down as much as 50%.
It seems fairly obvious that the Northern Territory government did not do enough to market some of the big tourism attractions in the Northern Territory. The reason I mention the tourism aspect in relation to this ministerial statement is that there is no doubt, from the opposition’s perspective, that the racing industry is one of those huge tourist attractions in the Northern Territory. It is one in which not only locals are involved and, particularly for the Darwin Cup, there are people who travel religiously to the Northern Territory for that week, to not only enjoy what we have to offer in racing, but they stay on to enjoy some of the other tourism opportunities.
The ministerial statement is welcome, particularly if it is going to advance the industry. There are some questions that the Leader of the Opposition raised, and I understand from the nods from the member for Nhulunbuy that some of those issues are going to be answered in his response. There is a ministerial council coming up. There are some important issues which are affecting the industry and parliament would be the appropriate forum to articulate some of the views which the government has on things like corporate bookmakers, the proposed product fee arising from the cross-border betting task force, or betting exchanges.
I am not going to dwell on what is not in this statement, but let us deal with what is in the statement and what it means for Territory racing. From my opportunity to research what has been happening from a structural perspective in Northern Territory racing over the past 10 years, there seems little doubt that a great deal of credit needs to be given to the previous Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing, the member for Daly. There was a great deal of work done. There were a number of important initiatives which were welcomed by the racing industry. I remember, before my time in parliament, some of my peers saying that the member for Daly was doing a good job in this area. It is something he is obviously passionate about, and there is no doubt that the racing industry was going to go from strength to strength. It is a huge drawcard, as I said. I am sure that with the right support from government, with continued support from all stakeholders, it will continue to develop and grow.
The discussion paper that was tabled, The Future Control of Northern Territory Racing, September 2003, is something that raises a number of interesting proposals. One matter I wish to put on the record, and this is a personal view, at page 2 of that document, there is a suggested membership of this principal club. The principal club concept is a good one, but my concern is that there is only one representative from the Darwin Turf Club. Whilst, of course, we want to make sure that the Alice Springs Turf Club and country clubs, owners and trainers are strongly represented, there is no escaping the fact that, really, the crown on the racing industry in the Northern Territory is the Darwin Cup, and the fact that so many more people attend the Fannie Bay racetrack as opposed to the Alice Springs Turf Club.
There is a reference to owners and trainers. One of my better half’s cousins is a jockey, so it seems from a jockey’s perspective, there is a real need to have a say in what occurs in racing. These are the young men and women who often take enormous risks and, sure, they have a great lifestyle it seems, but they need to be independently represented in that principal club.
There is absolutely no doubt - and I endorse the minister’s comments and those of the Leader of the Opposition - that the Northern Territory enjoys a dynamic, professional and highly entertaining industry. That is the word: entertaining. Even those who are not partial to having a flutter, who are not excited by the atmosphere and the horses, come along because there is at least some entertainment. There are other things happening. Their friends are there; it is an opportunity to meet people. As you know, the lead up to the big Cup Carnival is a whole heap of opportunities for many Territory businesses to do business. There are several marquees where you go along - certainly in my previous life as a full-time solicitor – we would exchange cards, try and make contacts, you would do the hard yards to make sure these business people got to know you. If a real problem arose from a commercial perspective, then you would be a point of call and they would use your legal services. Now, that occurred at the races, that occurred in this wonderful environment which is the Northern Territory racing industry.
I endorse what the minister said in welcoming to the Northern Territory Mr Des Friedrich, the new Chief Executive of the Darwin Turf Club. I understand he hails from New Zealand and has an excellent reputation. He has been involved in the racing industry for at least a couple of decades, and I look forward to doing all I can to help him promote racing in the Territory, and to working closely with government to ensure that this important industry goes from strength to strength.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the Racing minister’s statement. The minister said that the racing industry has become an important part of our tourism calendar and our economic growth. This was also recognised by the Opposition Leader. His statement is quite right, so I am happy to support any move by the minister to improve and refine the operations of this industry.
The concept of the principal club is important on two counts. First, our relationship with national racing administration; and, second, our internal racing arrangements. National racing administration requires one main club in each state to deal with. That makes obvious sense. Internally, the principal club has an active and important role to play in the effective administration of the industry throughout the Territory. To my mind, that means the principal club should be thoroughly representative of all interests Territory-wide. We have heard the member for Barkly talk about the inclusion of areas such as Tennant Creek, Katherine, Pine Creek and Alice Springs.
The Darwin Turf Club has had principal club status since the mid-1990s, and has done a good job on that task. However, I agree with the minister that the time has come for this arrangement to be strengthen by the inclusion of a broader, more Territory-wide base for principal club arrangements. I am sure that clubs outside Darwin will find the arrangements and memberships proposed more satisfactory to them than the arrangements they have now. I was recently at a fundraiser at the Adelaide River racecourse, and my ear was bent there by members of the committee, on how they needed to have a voice on any new proposal.
The changes proposed are not radical. They do not go to the power of the principal club or its role. The minister has made it clear that those two areas remain essentially as they are today. The minister argues that the major change is in the representative nature of the new club, and herein lies the key to this proposal. The discussion paper outlines a club that has representatives from Darwin and Alice Springs, as well as country representatives outside of both major centres. This, in my view, is a key reform. The principal club arrangements to date may well place too much emphasis on Darwin-based advice. Whilst I am aware that the club has made every effort to be inclusive of all regions, it is inevitable that with the major racing focus being in Darwin and, given the size of the Darwin Cup, it will focus on that arrangement.
Having Alice Springs represented means the development of racing in the area will have new life. Already, Alice Springs is proving to be a vibrant and growing part of our racing industry The placing of this group into a more formal role within racing administration ensures that they have a say at the heart of issues being decided. Similarly, the inclusion of a country representative is a strong sign of the government’s support for the growth of country and regional racing. The Katherine and Tennant Creek cups, and the Adelaide River races are showing Territorians and others around the nation just what can be done with good promotion and organisation. The minister is certainly recognising this through his proposal to place someone from the area on the club board.
The minister is also broadening the involvement of direct line racing industry people. His proposal to include trainers and owners should be welcomed by the industry sector. The fact that he has also regionalised that by making one of those people from an area outside of Darwin is also another indication of the intention of the minister to make this a truly Territory-wide grouping.
The minister’s paper does not argue for the creation of a separate statutory authority which, I believe, would be overly bureaucratic for our stage of development. Instead, we have a proposal for a body that I believe will be very suited to the needs of racing development, both at our current stage and where we want to go in the future.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, the minister has indicated in this statement that the proposal is merely the first of a series of reforms he has in the pipeline for the industry. He mentioned betting exchanges, the product fee, cross-border betting etcetera. I look forward to seeing these proposals as they come to hand, and congratulate the minister for his ongoing development of this key industry.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will contribute briefly to this discussion paper and the minister’s statement. I thank him for that. It is very timely because there is a discussion paper that asks for input. Given that the time line for the discussion paper is still open, the minister can take the comments of the opposition as input to that discussion paper.
What we are talking about here is a principal club arrangement for the racing industry. That is timely because racing industry funding has to be, once again, negotiated and finalised by mid-next year roughly. It is also a timely statement because, as the minister pointed out, he is off to a ministerial council to discuss the racing industry in Australia in general. So, a very timely statement, and I thank the minister for that.
I will also pick up, as did the Leader of the Opposition, the fact that the minister did not want to talk about other issues in the racing industry that are currently before us, and have been before us for some time. It would be timely tonight to give some assurance to the opposition that, when it comes to issues such as product fees and cross-border betting and bet exchanges, what the position of the government is. It is all very well to say: ‘I am going off to talk about them’ but, hopefully, the minister is taking a position with him that reflects the needs and wishes of the racing industry. We have to keep in mind that, whilst we are only a little player in the Northern Territory, we have, for a number of years now, set an environment that not only encourages but supports those people who make huge investments in the industry in bookmaking and sports bookies and what have you, and these issues will affect their businesses quite dramatically. They are issues that we need to be at the forefront of and, hopefully, we will continue to be dynamic about the way we address those issues.
Much has been said about the racing industry and what its worth is to the Territory. I am not going to go over that ground. Suffice it to say that it is a very important industry for the Northern Territory in tourism, entertainment and sport and one that, carnival-wise at least, has been growing for a long, long time. That is due to good organisation by the current principal club and all of the other clubs involved in the industry who represent all of those participants, whether they are trainers, owners, jockeys, punters, people who just like to go along for the entertainment, or whoever they are. They have done a great job. I believe the principal club arrangement is a good thing. As the Leader of the Opposition indicated, during the first round of racing industry funding that provided the racing industry with the funding in its own hands in one pot rather than many pots, we talked about a principal club arrangement then and everyone knew of the intention and the goodwill to move towards having a principal club in the Northern Territory.
The minister has set out an example of how a principal club representation will be made up and that is a good thing. They will be issues that have to be addressed and I know that my colleague, the member for Goyder, has raised an issue regarding the Darwin Turf Club and their representation. I am sure there will be ideas floating around in the racing industry about how it should be done. However, if people involved can step away from that a little and understand that a principal club will be an entity separate from the representation - hopefully an incorporated body under the present act, which means it could be done without too much drama - whose interest and charter will be solely dedicated to enhancing the racing industry in the Northern Territory. I do not think it matters, at the end of the day, too much about the representation albeit that there will be disputes along the way, even with a principal club in place, about the amounts of dollars and what have you that flow one way or the other. However, it is important that people recognise that a principal club would be acting in the best interests of the whole industry and not just any one particular part.
Obviously, the arrangements that are put in place at the end of the day will have to reflect the industry today and its vision. The member for Barkly raised the issue of country racing, and there is great potential for more work to be done there. I know in my own area, the Pine Creek races do suffer a bit. It is not a lack of support, they have had reasonable support from the current principal club, which is the Darwin Turf Club, but really it is a case of timing. We have to get to a point where all of the racing is well coordinated so that all of the smaller jurisdictions and towns maximise their possibilities for good attendance, good turn out of horses and so forth.
Adelaide River has done very well because we have started - and I say ‘we’ because I am the patron of that club and the Adelaide River Show Society, the ARSS Club which runs the Adelaide River Cup - to promote it as a precursor to the Darwin Cup Carnival. It has worked very well because it fits in with all of the trainers and owners bringing their horses from down south, and it gives them a good chance to get them out, run them off and have a look at the competition. It is an easy track to run on because, fortunately, it is the only good, irrigated turf track in the Northern Territory. That race meeting has grown, and that is what a principal club can do because it can stand back and not look at the interests of the major clubs or even a smaller club, but look at the industry as a whole and how they can coordinate that. The Leader of the Opposition talked about some of the inherent issues within the industry that need addressing because we need to lift our game to compete with other states. It is all about competition, particularly when you talk about getting TAB coverage and you are competing against other jurisdictions that are putting on the agenda exciting race days that are competing with our out-of-carnival race meetings that are not quite so exciting.
It is about competition. A principal club arrangement can do big things. The issues that will require funding will come up in the racing industry funding agreement for which I assume negotiations are about to start. One would imagine you would want to have lead time of about six months so perhaps the principal club arrangement can be put in place and then the new funding agreement negotiated, with completion by mid-next year. There will be all sorts of issues to be addressed, not only with structural reform but also some financial reform.
What we will find, unlike the first time we nailed this racing industry funding agreement, is that now the figures that can be presented by the racing industry will be refined, whereas when we went to do it before and talked about costs against opportunity for different clubs and how much the industry was costing the taxpayer, it was very difficult to drill down to some definite figures. Hopefully, because of the requirements under that funding arrangement, those figures will be easy for the industry to put on the table, and for Treasury and the minister to accept and quantify and then move forward from there, having a look at what the deficiencies were in that funding or whether there was any excess, which I doubt very much. However, it will be an easier base from which to start.
As I said, it is very timely, and I wish the minister well with it. I am sure there will be hiccups along the way. The Leader of the Opposition has indicated our support for a principal club arrangement; it will be good for the industry in the long term.
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The only other thing I wanted to mention, whilst on this subject, is that the minister still has the issue of legislation that is on the Notice Paper, that he has not quite answered my question on, and that is ...
Mr Stirling: I put it in the adjournment.
Mr BALDWIN: Yes, I read the adjournment and I replied back to your adjournment.
Mr Stirling: I will talk to you straight after this.
Mr BALDWIN: The issue that is outstanding is whether or not those types of bets on tote odds around Australia are being offered, which the minister said they were in his introduction to the legislation. If they are being offered, is there legal certainty surrounding the entities offering them? That is the outstanding issue. Are we turning a blind eye, or policing this in a fairly sort of rigid manner?
I would like to see one of the issues the minister put to the ministerial council being, whilst we are talking about these other issues, product fees and what have you, in this day of globalisation, surely we up here can offer an amount that is being offered anywhere in any other state. We need to move on from this and create some legal certainty for our bookmakers because it is a product that people want. Around Australia, people want to be able to match the best prices available.
It has been tested in a number of fairly high profile cases between hardware stores. For instance, if you can get it there cheaper, then I will give you your money back, that sort of thing. Those principles have been tested, you can do it, it is not anti-trade, there are no barriers, but I understand where the minister is coming from. The barrier is: what will the industry do in applying pressure to the Northern Territory if we jump too quickly on that issue? I am sure in this round of talks, where we are talking about a product fee and all the other issues, it can be introduced and, hopefully, fixed.
Seeing we are talking about horse racing, which means you are usually talking about betting, I would like to place on the record that I had a bet recently with a couple of members of this House and one of them, like the Leader of the Opposition’s father, paid up at the earliest possible opportunity, and the other member still has not. I am still waiting. In the old days of the Leader of the Opposition’s father, you probably would have had a severe penalty placed upon you if you did not pay up at the earliest possible opportunity. So, I am looking forward to that payment being forthcoming.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): I have to say a few words about racing mainly because I am a loser, especially when it comes to racing. Therefore, I thought perhaps you might like a few words from a person who enjoys racing, but certainly does not gain any profit out of it, especially after the last Darwin Cup Carnival.
A member: Didn’t you win?
Mr WOOD: No, member for Daly, I did not win. In fact, it has kept me away from the races for a few months simply because I have to recover.
I thank the minister for this discussion paper. It raises a number of issues. The member for Goyder would also recognise that, in the rural area, the racing industry has some spin-offs, because there are a number of people in the rural area who deal with agistment. Of course, there is an industry that grows from the horse industry. You just have to look at the amount of stock feed sold, saddlery and equipment, veterinary requirements and the agistment costs. All that is creating an industry that sometimes we forget if we just concentrate on what runs around the race track. We forget the financial benefits, especially in the Darwin rural region. I image it is the same in Alice Springs; they would have people there who do the same for their industry.
I will comment on a couple of things in this document about the powers of the principal club. One reference was about the powers to allocate the dates and times of race meetings of those race clubs registered. I have been going to the Adelaide River races for years, and have always reckoned it is one of the nicest race tracks in the Territory. If you compare that with Timber Creek, it was like chalk and cheese, because once the first horse got in the front at Timber Creek, you could not see the rest. At least at Adelaide River, you have a grass track. It was watered all the way around. It has had some problems at times, with bushfires occurring just as the horses went round the first bend. I remember once when the wheel fell off the barriers, and they had to go and start the first race using the flag. My horse then came last. I keep blaming the club because the wheel fell off the barriers. It has always been a great meeting and reminds me of picnic races. When you see the number of people who turn up to Adelaide River for the races, especially over the last few years with buses travelling down there, it always surprised me there were not more race meetings there. It was just a great place …
Mr Stirling: Yes. We are going to put another one on.
Mr WOOD: Yes. I was always told it was because of the Darwin-centric rules, you might say, that meant that people in Darwin were a bit reluctant to have more than one or two race meetings down in Adelaide River. By having this principal club, perhaps we are going to have a more Territory-wide approach to the way racing goes in the Northern Territory. I have said it in a jocular manner, but the railway, for instance, may provide benefits, either tourists coming up from south, where you had promotion of our Darwin Cup, or we had a small train here that could take people down the track. Our principal racetracks are on the railway line: Pine Creek, Adelaide River, Katherine, and Tennant Creek - Tennant Creek might be a little off the way - where you can promote the railway to move people around to go and see racing in the Northern Territory.
The Opposition Leader mentioned something that struck a chord with me. The principal club could investigate and report on proposals for the construction of new racecourses, or for the alteration or renovation of existing racecourses. I have always wondered why we have a sand track at Fannie Bay. The touch football grounds are all watered by the recycled sewerage water from the Fannie Bay treatment plant. It seems, if there was the opportunity to have a grass track, that that would be one way to facilitate its growth and establishment, by using recycled water from the Fannie Bay treatment plant. It would make it a much prettier and much better racetrack. Even though Fannie Bay racetrack looks quite nice, a sand, oiled track never looks particularly great. Whilst it might be okay to race horses on, I do not think it particularly makes our track that attractive. As the Opposition Leader said, when you look across from the grandstand, the stables look like a place that could be tidied up a bit if we are to make Fannie Bay our major racetrack in the Northern Territory. It would be nice to see some more work done there. Maybe through this principal club, some of these things can occur. They certainly would cost a bit more money.
I do not know whether there is ever an opportunity for the trots to start. The reason I say that is the block of land that I own was owned by a gentleman who owned six horses and they were all trotters. He used to work them around the Howard Springs area but, sadly enough, because we did not have a trotting track, it never happened. I suppose races are like anything; the more you can vary things, the more you can keep people’s attention. Maybe there is an opportunity for a sand track in Fannie Bay one day that could run the trots. The principal club could perhaps look at the opportunity. It may be another way we could increase the use of the racetrack and the number of people involved in the sport.
When I talk about people involved in the sport, I have to mention that there is a horse in the rural area called Dubai Flier. It is owned by about every business person in the rural area. It is a bit of a case of the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker. To demonstrate that people enjoy their racing, this horse has not won a race yet. The closest he came was second. I do not know whether the minister can change the rules, but I do not know how you can get $1 a place. Surely, if you are going to put some money out, you have to earn something back, otherwise do not have a second place dividend. It has not got to winning anything yet. It has run second, third, fourth and fifth. I do not think the people who own it are too worried about it. They enjoy it. As the Opposition Leader said, people see it as entertainment. It can get a bit depressing if it never wins, but they certainly enjoy it. They meet at the Howard Springs Tavern the day before to work out the tactics, and then they catch the bus from the Howard Springs Tavern and come home. About two days after the race meeting, they all get together for a post mortem.
Dr Burns: Post mortem?
Mr WOOD: Yes, to find out what went wrong; should they sack the trainer, should they sack the jockey, are they giving it the right feed?
Dr Toyne: I thought the horse died.
Mr WOOD: This is all done over a few light ales, of course. What I am saying is that that horse, for those people, is a great avenue for them to get together and form friendships. It is not just about racing and the sport, it is something that a lot of people love and enjoy and, even though, I suppose, they are spending more money than they are winning, they still enjoy it.
The idea of a new principal club is a good idea. As the member for Barkly said, it would be good to put a bit more effort into country racing. Country racing, if it could be revived, then it could be included in tourism policy. I was sad to see the Timber Creek races fade away. The Timber Creek Ball, campdraft and races were part of the Territory for years and years and years. It was a place where all the ringers and city folk could meet. I wonder whether these things can be put back on the calendar and promoted more so that people coming up from south can look at the unique type of racing in the Northern Territory. At Harts Range and in the Barkly, there use to be a few race meetings that were famous. They all seemed to have died, which is sad. Whether this new principal club could put a new lease of life into that sort of racing in the Northern Territory I do not know, but it is certainly worth giving it a chance.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, that is my two bob each way. I thank the minister.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank members for the comments. The Leader of the Opposition is quite correct in saying that racing as an issue has enjoyed bipartisan support in this Assembly. That is a very positive strength for the industry because it knows that both sides are usually going to form a level of agreement. It is a positive sign that the strong history of agreement between us continues. It is such a pleasure to stand in this Chamber on an issue that unites us as members of this Assembly rather than, as is so often the case, a point of division.
To continue that level of cooperation and mutual agreement, I would ask the Leader of the Opposition if he has the time before 31 October, to seek a briefing on those issues that are confronting us at the next ministerial council so that we can go through and explore the position that the Northern Territory will be adopting because our stance will not be different from that adopted by the former government.
In relation to bet exchanges, he asked the question about our position. I have put this on the Parliamentary Record previously. We said we would not issue a bet exchange licence in this form. At this stage, the Northern Territory government would only consider issuing a bet exchange licence on Australian racing if the issuing of such bet exchange licences were otherwise endorsed by Australian Racing ministers, or another Australian jurisdiction issues a bet exchange licence, or would be satisfied in liaison with the Australian Racing Board that the issuing of such a bet exchange licence would lead to an equal or better return to the Australian racing industry. However, the Northern Territory government reserves our right to issue bet exchange licences for sports betting and overseas racing. That remains our position. That will be the position we carry to the ministerial council on 31 October but, depending on the outcome of that, all bets could well be off in relation to those issues because we need to see what positions are adopted and what decisions are made at that ministerial council.
In relation to the turf track, Bart Cummings comes here every year and consistently argues for a turf track. He has stated he will only bring his horses to race in the Territory once we have a turf track, as in Singapore and Hong Kong. Of course, both have similar tropical seasons; both close for about three months of the year during the rainy season. If we had a turf track only, we would face a similar position. The problem we have here is how we sustain our industry over a three-month closure because we could potentially risk losing what we have now in the sense that jockeys, owners, trainers, would not have anything over that three month period and could not afford to stay in the industry. If we were to move to a turf track, it would be critical to maintain the sand-oil track for that three or four months of Wet Season when the turf would not be capable of being raced on.
The question then arises, would a dual track, the sand-oil track and a turf track, all fit inside Fannie Bay and what the costs would be. They are all questions I have an open mind on, but it is not hard to imagine how splendid the Darwin Cup, on the first Monday in August, on a fast track - it would always be a fast track – would be with all of the colour and excitement that Fannie Bay offers now in August on a turf track. It would be something. Bart Cummings bringing a team of horses to participate in the Darwin Cup would be something in itself. A beautifully prepared turf track under the August sun would be something to see.
In relation to trotting, I am an old trotting man; I love trotting. It is something I miss up here. If I am down south and there is a trot meet, I will try to get there. If we were to move to a turf track, again, it is question of size and space. I do not think you would fit a grit track out there. At the moment, we have enough difficulty sustaining a horse ownership base in racing. It would be hard to see us sustaining a trotting industry as well, but I love the red hots, crooked as they are sometimes, and would love to see them here. However, that is something well into the future.
In terms of strengthening the horse ownership base, as the Leader of the Opposition suggested, it remains a weakness with the industry up here. I encourage members opposite to throw in for a syndicate. Go and buy a nag, get out there, get in the industry. That is one more horse going around and it is another 10 owners in the industry with the interest.
Until now, I have struck a dud, an absolute dud with Centre Playboy. He ran fourth on Saturday, and the caller actually had the temerity to say in the call: ‘Centre Playboy in last position, but up closer than usual’. That was his call! I was very disappointed in that commentary because he did beat one home in a Class 6 race. Five in the race and he finished fourth. I believe Centre Playboy is headed for a career as a dressage horse. He goes over 17 hands now. He is a beautiful looking horse. He steps high. One of his problems with racing is that he steps too high, he does not step out. Horses that do that make ideal dressage horses, so he could well be Darwin bound for a career in a slightly different form of equestrian event.
I am much more hopeful with the two-year-old I purchased at the yearling sales in Alice Springs and she will race first over the Melbourne Cup period in Alice Springs. Horse owners by their nature, Mr Acting Speaker, as you would know, have to have big hearts and lots of optimism and lots of hope. My hope is that the filly will be every bit as quick as Centre Playboy has been slow and may actually want to run in front of another horse in the event rather than follow along behind.
In relation to the structure of the proposed new principal club, the Leader of the Opposition raised this in relation to the ARB and whether it is an appropriate structure. I am meeting with Andrew Harding from the Australian Racing Board in the near future - certainly before the October 31 meeting - and we will be going over this structure with him as the representative of the ARB. We will check with him on the ARB’s views on compliance. We are keen to hear the views that come forth from the industry.
The member for Goyder raised the question of jockey representation on the principal club. One suggestion – and we are far from fixed on this - could be that each meeting of the principal club has on its agenda jockey business and a jockey delegate attends the meeting for that part of the agenda to put the jockeys’ views to the principal club, and the principal club discusses any issues they have with jockeys at that part of the meeting. I am not fixed on that. It would seem to be a sound way for jockeys’ views to be represented and they, in turn, have a delegate to get the views of the principal club. We are happy to see what views are proposed in relation to that.
I note that David Bates was reported recently in the NT News as claiming jockeys should have membership of the principal club in their own right. If you take jockeys, owners, trainers, bookies and punters, they are all an integral part of the industry. If you take any one of them away, then you ain’t got an industry basically. That does not mean to say that they should all be represented on the principal club, but we will work through all of these issues to achieve the best representation possible for the industry.
I covered the member for Daly’s concerns. I am happy for him to accompany the spokesperson on Racing to a briefing before the council if they so choose and can arrange it. The member for Daly would well appreciate that the odds against the Northern Territory and myself at this council on some of these issues will be 7-1. They are long odds. There is no doubt about that, but I can give the House and members opposite this assurance: I will be stating our case passionately, fervently and representing the interests of the Northern Territory, its racing industry and its corporate sports bookmakers every bit as strongly as those members opposite would have had to stand for the Northern Territory in different forums at different times as ministers in their own right.
I thank the members for Barkly and Millner for their input, both are keen race goers. The member for Barkly is an owner with considerably more success behind him than me. The member for Arnhem is in that category as well. I thank the member for Nelson. I picked up his point about the trotting. In relation to Adelaide River, that was an absolutely sensational meeting, one I was very sorry I missed on the reports I heard back – 3000-odd people at the last meeting down there. We are very keen to put another race meeting into that calender. It is a matter of working with them and the industry overall on optimum timing to capture the best possible crowd, but people love it. People love going to Adelaide River and they enjoy the meeting there.
In respect of Timber Creek, I was sorry when that went off the calendar. This is one of the realities: once they slip, it is very difficult to get them back. A number of elements in the industry have changed over time that used to make Timber Creek the success it was. They are not there now. As hard as it is to sustain a country or bush race meeting, it is easier than ever trying to get it back. So you have to put in and keep it going while it is there because the Timber Creek example is one to keep well to the forefront. Once they are gone, they are gone.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution. It is, as I said, a pleasure to participate in a debate where most minds are tuned to the same outcome.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the Leader of the Opposition:
Defence Technology Park in the Darwin area.
As my letter stated, it is a definite matter of public importance that the government anticipates the force structure changes occurring within the Australian Defence Force; anticipates the impact these changes will have on our Defence Forces, predominantly Army, located in Darwin, with regard to major equipment purchases and through-life support requirements; grasp the economic opportunities these decisions will provide to the Territory; and urgently commences a thorough evaluation of these events with the objective of establishing a Defence technology park in the Darwin area.
We all recognise the important contribution Defence makes to the Territory, both economically and socially. Often, over the years, either through ministerial statements or in debates, I, along with others in this House, have spoken of that contribution and how we as Territorians value our relationship with the Defence Forces. Shortly after I was elected to this parliament, I was given the opportunity to speak at a Defence seminar and presented a paper entitled The Australian Army and the Community in the Northern Territory. In that paper, I said and I quote:
I recall that I have referred to this premise in some way on most occasions I have had the opportunity to speak on Defence matters since that day. Today, however, the opportunities are crystal clear and achievable, provided the government has the vision to see the future, grasp the opportunities and run with them; hence my reason for raising this issue as an MPI today.
My case is this: currently, within Defence and Defence academics, there is a debate raging regarding the future capability requirements of our Defence Force. The debate settles mainly on Army’s future capability requirements in determining Army’s force structure. The question is: should Army’s structure focus mainly on its capability to defend Australia against a credible threat, or should Army be structured and equipped for extended operations outside of Australia? The requirement to defend our homeland as a first priority has been the basis of strategic planning and driven force structure decisions for many years. However, recent events have thrown that premise into sharp focus. Members may be aware of an article by Patrick Walters, The Australian newspaper’s National Security Editor, in The Weekend Australian of October 4-5. This excellent article sums up the situation and I will quote from that article in part. In referring to the government’s 2000 Defence White Paper, Walters reminds us that is says:
He continued:
He said:
Mr Walters also quoted from a speech delivered by the Chief of Army, Peter Leahy, in July this year, in which the General set out his views about the Army’s future role, and made the case for a new tank as the core of the combined arms team. Lieutenant-General Leahy said:
General Leahy said that, without a tank, it would be difficult for the Army to credibly conduct even high-end peace operations. Walters states that giving the Army what it requires will be a $500m investment. He went on:
This article by Walters is a synopsis of the total debate on this issue, and there are many other articles from which I could quote. However, from it we can make a number of assumptions, and they are: Army will be the largest beneficiary of equipment/capability purchases; force structure changes will focus on inter-operability with United States forces; and Army will aim to achieve an infantry combat brigade based on the United States combat team model.
Moving on from those assumptions, it is not hard to figure out that Army will get 60 to 70 tanks, and it is highly likely they will be General Dynamics Abrams. These tanks will form part of a fully equipped, mechanised brigade based in Darwin, comprising two mechanised infantry battalions and an armoured tank regiment. For the brigade to be inter-operable with United States forces, both mechanised battalions will need to replace the M113 with a new light armoured vehicle, probably, in my opinion, the new General Dynamics Striker about to be fielded in the Gulf in about two weeks. On this point, while I do not expect this to happen overnight, and I am aware that Army is currently upgrading the aged M113 fleet, this upgraded vehicle will not in itself meet the capability 1 Brigade will require. I expect, over time, Army to transition to another vehicle, and the Striker is an ideal replacement.
Also, for inter-operability, command, control communications systems will need significant upgrading, and much of that should occur in Darwin. This follows because the priority force to be upgraded is the armoured brigade that is already based at Robertson Barracks.
Another change that is happening in Defence is the concept of ‘through-life support’ by an original equipment manufacturer, or OEM. In the past, the method was to buy the equipment and sufficient spare parts to maintain it for its life. This involved enormous warehousing problems for Defence, and long lines of logistic supply. For example, the major spare parts store for the armoured vehicles based here is at Albury-Wodonga in Victoria. A glaring example of what this means is - and this happens today - an unserviceable power pack or even a brake drum from an armoured vehicle in Timor is delivered to Darwin, then shipped to Albury-Wodonga for storage. It is then shipped back to Darwin for repair and then back to Albury-Wodonga for storage, and later again from Albury-Wodonga back to Darwin, and to Timor for use.
The new concept of through-life support by original equipment manufacturers essentially says you buy the equipment and you buy a contract for the original manufacturer to maintain that equipment with original parts through its service life. This concept not only reduces the cost of government infrastructure for Defence support, but also reduces the engineering liability for the government. For example, all technical risks, that is equipment design, is passed on to the OEMs, not the government. It is also the responsibility of the manufacturer to keep the equipment updated and fully operational.
Defence will inexorably go to this system and these new equipment purchases will be under this system. They have already done this with the new patrol boats and attack helicopter. Austral is responsible for keeping the patrol boats on station and Australian Aerospace is responsible for keeping the helicopters in the air. Defence is responding to the economic realities. It makes much more sense to buy the gear and a service and update contract, rather than buying the hardware and 10 years worth of spare parts. It is the updating part of the contract that makes it doubly attractive. This equipment is enormously expensive and its life can be cut short or the equipment made archaic unless you constantly update with the rapidly developing technology. A warehouse full of 10 year-old spare parts does not keep the equipment up to date, only operable. But with through-life support by OEMs, Defence gets rid of its large warehouses of rapidly ageing and out-of-date spare parts, and the manufacturer both services and updates the equipment.
Where in the Northern Territory do we fit into all of this? The first thing to recognise is that it will be the Territory based Defence Forces that are going to be the major beneficiaries of these new equipment purchases. Being responsible for the through-life support of this equipment, the original manufacturer will want to locate its capability as close as possible to the end user. But - and there is always a but – if, despite the distances and travel involved, it is more cost competitive for the manufacturer to keep the bulk of their capability further south, then they will do so.
The simple facts are that in the southern states, there is an over supply of Defence facilities for Defence support industries. They can access these facilities at little or no cost and, with their overheads cheaper, they will remain in the southern states irrespective of where the end user is. It is more costly to conduct business in the Territory than the southern states, and cheaper to continue to send equipment down south. The worrying thing also is that the railway should make it even cheaper to send equipment south. We know that when the Australian Aerospace Tiger, a battlefield helicopter, is based here, while some basic day to day maintenance and minor heavy level support can be done locally, deeper level maintenance will be carried out in Brisbane, although in this context it is worth noting the experience with the Blackhawk. Initially, deep level maintenance was carried at Oakey, southern Queensland, even though the helicopters were based in Townsville, but within in five years, it was recognised that all maintenance should be done where the equipment is based.
I believe that is the way Defence will want to move with all equipment maintenance. The adoption of through-life support by OEMs will speed up this development. That presents a huge opportunity for the Territory, but it is an opportunity we should be grasping now so that we are ahead of the game. I know officers involved in the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development are hard working, but I believe the opportunities that are now presenting themselves need a top priority effort from government. We have to build a business case to attract the Defence support industries. We have to look now at what it is that will bring the major OEMs - General Dynamics, Tenix, ADI, Austral, Australian Aerospace, etcetera; one, possibly not all, but certainly I could name one priority one amongst them - here rather than them conducting their major maintenance down south.
We will have the equipment, the hardware, here: the tanks, the light armoured vehicles, the helicopters and the patrol boats. We can expect that many of these deals will be based on the original manufacturer being responsible for the continual maintenance and upgrading of this very expensive hardware. We can expect that if the conditions are right, those original manufacturers will want to be as close to the hardware they are servicing as is economically possible. We have to make it economically possible. We need to be moving now to create a Defence technology park that will make it cost-effective for those manufacturers to base here to service and upgrade the tanks, ASLAVs and helicopters at Robertson Barracks, and the patrol boats.
This is the next step in the huge boost our economy has received from the basing of all of these Defence assets in the Territory. First there was the construction boom in building the facilities, then there was the ongoing contribution to the economy from the presence of more than 10 000 Defence personnel and their families living here. Now we must get the ancillary industry, the Defence support industry, the Defence servicing industry here.
Territorians want more robust and more high technology industries to establish here. These are the industries that create jobs and demand skills that are hard to find. By attracting greater Defence industry capability here, we meet an emerging Defence need, provide the industrial base we want, and generate the skills requirements that provide the jobs that are so sought after. Traditional skills such as vehicle mechanics, fitters and electricians through to the more technical trades will also be required.
The strategy should begin with the setting up of a Defence task force that is fully resourced and focussed to meet these emerging opportunities as a very high priority of government. I am aware that one of the whole-of-government task forces announced in February this year relates to Defence, but it seems to be more limited to the construction projects involved, with movement of the helicopters here and the development of Bradshaw.
The Defence task force I am talking about needs to go much further. It needs to conduct a thorough SWOT analysis; identify what is required, then market ourselves to Defence industries as a real partner. We must show them that the Territory is well and truly open for their business and that we will facilitate their needs with infrastructure support and any other initiatives that are needed to attract them here.
If it is going to cost up-front money from the government, then so be it. The investment will be repaid many times over by the jobs and the boost to the economy this new industry will bring. The money is there with the increasing flow of GST funds. In the last budget, in Budget Paper No 2 at page 58, it is projected that the Territory will be receiving well above the guaranteed minimum amount from now on. The guaranteed minimum amount was what had been worked out the Territory would get to continue to be able to carry out government. The extra funding via the GST is just that: extra. It is some of this funding that we should be using to grab the Defence support industries and the jobs that they will bring. It is this that we should be using now to create the conditions, the incentives, the facilities to bring these manufacturers here to service the hardware that will be here. There is an urgent need for a Defence support strategy that incorporates the creation of a Defence technology park.
Mr Acting Speaker, the window of opportunity is here now with these new hardware purchases in the pipeline. If I were to leave the last word to Senator Hill, the Minister for Defence, I quote from an article in a journal entitled On Target of July-August 2003:
What he was saying is this: get the original equipment manufacturers to come to Australia by providing them with sustainable business, that is the through-life support of their equipment, thus, while they are in Australia, local industry will supply support to the OEM on a local basis. This support can then be transferred into the international market.
In summary, I proposed this MPI not in a spirit of criticising government; I raise it asking government to look very closely at this issue. I know all the work that is being done within the Defence Support area of the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development, and I make no criticism of the work that is being done. I also know they are looking to upgrade resources in that office. However, this opportunity requires a concerted and immediate effort. The simple fact is that original equipment manufacturers are maintaining the bulk of their capability in their states through direct incentives that they are giving them, or by those original equipment manufacturers lodging in outdated and no longer required Defence facilities.
We have to break the nexus of that cost competitive regime. We have to make sure that the Territory is cost competitive for these OEMs at every level and that, to my mind, means that we have to establish a Defence technology park, for want of a better phrase. We have to identify the facilities that they will need, and provide those facilities in order to attract them to the Territory. It will not come cheap, but it will come at enormous benefit to the Northern Territory. How long and how often do you hear people talk about establishing a manufacturing base, and what we have to do to secure it? I do not deny the importance of gas, but the reality is the opportunity is on our doorstep now. Putting aside the other services, the equipment purchases for Army, to meet capability requirements, are enormous. The through-life support requirements are not only large, but will bring skills and technology that we so desperately need. It is easy to see that the major effort and priority will be given to 1 Brigade.
There are many articles I have read that deal with Abrams tanks. I happen to have trained on an M1 Abrams tank. The technology in that tank is mind-boggling. It really is a quantum leap into the future and I cannot see any other decision being made by Army except to buy Abrams tanks. If you look at the concept of inter-operability, the way 1 Brigade will change its shape in future is obvious. All the requirements needed for upgrading all of that equipment and command control systems are large, and this will be done by original equipment manufacturers. General Dynamics, in my opinion, will be the primary OEM. We should be looking to attract them to the Northern Territory. This is as big as another railway project and the gas project in getting the Northern Territory and Darwin seen as a centre of Defence support, technical support, and an example of the way Defence conducts business in this new environment.
Mr HENDERSON (Defence Support): Mr Acting Speaker, first, I congratulate and thank the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this debate on this evening.
A matter of public importance debate has not been used before by the opposition in this first term of government, and it is very important that the opposition can come to parliament on any given business day, particularly in the spirit that the Opposition Leader has put this statement on the Parliamentary Record tonight, trying to be productive in contribution to public policy.
This is an interesting issue. Government is on the same wavelength as the Opposition Leader, as will be evident from my response. Terminology might be somewhat different, but I have to concur with virtually everything the Opposition Leader has said. I can identify, through my response, that through the Defence Support Division within my department, we are focussed on these issues not only at a departmental level, but with business and industry and the major prime contractors for Defence across the Northern Territory. We are putting increasing resources into understanding the strategic direction that Defence is taking, and looking to boost our capability in this area. I have discussed this around the corridors with the Leader of the Opposition. We are actually in the marketplace at the moment, and finding it hard to get the right person who can understand not only the Department of Defence’s bureaucracy, labyrinths and strategic processes, but also having the links to business and industry. We have been to the marketplace once for a Deputy Secretary position in my department. We received a number of applications. We did have the private sector on that recruitment panel, and it was determined that none of those applicants really met the standard that we are seeking. We are back in the marketplace again, and interviews will be conducted fairly shortly.
This issue is on government’s radar - my radar, as Minister for Defence Support - as a critical opportunity for growth in our economy. The Leader of the Opposition’s contribution is one that I will be asking departmental officers to have a look at, particularly any initiatives that can come from his well-informed comments, given his background.
The importance of Defence presence in the Northern Territory in a social, economic and strategic sense, cannot be overstated. Currently, there are approximately 5500 Defence personnel in the Territory. With families, this figure becomes approximately 12 500 or 6% of the Territory’s current population. This figure will increase further as a result of the relocation of 1st Aviation Regiment to Robertson Barracks over the next two years.
The ABS estimates that Defence recurrent expenditure, salaries and operational, in the Northern Territory in 2001-02 was $890m. Salaries represent approximately 50% of this recurrent expenditure. This is in addition to the capital works expenditure of around $1bn related to the Army Presence in the North project in the 1990s. The Defence population also contributes to the economy in other ways, apart from consumption and investment. The 1999 Defence census showed that approximately 60% of Defence partners work full-time, 40% have formal qualifications, and 20% were undertaking some form of study.
In addition to Defence expenditure, the Defence Housing Authority currently manages an estimated 2500 properties in the Territory. DHA expects to increase the housing stock by over 10% in 2003-04 and 2004-05, through major capital expenditure, including the recently announced Lee Point development. DHA also recently announced expenditure of $20m to refurbish DHA properties in Katherine. The first stage of this refurbishment was completed by a Katherine builder, with Stage 2 to be completed by a Darwin-based builder. In addition to the major capital works projects, such as construction of facilities at Robertson Barracks to facilitate the relocation of 1st Aviation Regiment and the Bradshaw Field Training Area, Defence has a further $100m of Northern Territory projects either in progress or in planning stages.
In recognition of the size and importance of the Defence presence in our community, the government has established a stand-alone Defence Support Division within my department. The new division is responsible for identifying and facilitating industry development opportunities in order to expand Defence-related business and activities in the Northern Territory, and building on the extensive work done to date.
In addition, the government has had in operation for some time a Defence Support Industries Task Force. This task force comprises representatives drawn from various agencies, and its aim is to coordinate support across government for Defence and Defence industry, aimed at maximising local content, business opportunities, employment opportunities and investment from original equipment manufacturers in the Northern Territory. In acknowledgment of the value to industry of the Defence presence in the Northern Territory, the Defence Support Division provides secretariat support to the Australian Industry Defence Network, or AIDN. AIDN has a membership of 58 in Darwin, compared with Sydney, with its massive population and presence of prime contractors, which has 70 members.
In the 12 months since October 2002, Northern Territory business has been successful in securing Defence contracts valued at more than $48m. This is a 20% increase over the 2001-02 financial year, which saw contracts of approximately $40m secured by Territory business.
The Bradshaw Field Training Area will be one of the major projects that will provide significant opportunities. The indigenous land use agreement for Bradshaw, signed on 16 July 2003, is another step forward in the development of this $64.8m project. The project involves considerable infrastructure development, and offers opportunities for local business in construction and maintenance of two airstrips capable of accommodating C130 planes, two 500-man camps, up to 200 km of unsealed roads, a training force maintenance area, a range control complex, two caretaker facilities, a landing craft area, environmental management facilities, sign posting, and fencing.
During a visit to Katherine in September, members of the Defence Support Division and I met with local business people to discuss with them these opportunities and how they might be involved. The Defence Support Division is currently working with Defence, the project manager, the TCA and AIDN Northern Territory, to provide a briefing to industry on this important project. I offered at that meeting - and I hope business in Katherine take up the offer - to establish a branch of the Australian Industry Defence Network in Katherine, and have stated that my department would provide secretariat facilities to that group to ensure that Katherine businesses are well placed to pick up on the opportunities created by Bradshaw. Also, I believe a lot more money from Tindal could find its way into the Katherine economy if there was a focussed approach from business to understand the requirements at Tindal and working in partnership. I am keen to progress the initiative that I offered at that meeting a couple of weeks ago.
Members will be aware that the ADF is acquiring 22 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters which are being manufactured by Australian Aerospace in Brisbane at a cost of $1.3bn. This project is known as AIR 87. Of these, 17 helicopters are to be based at Robertson Barracks to form a key component of 1st Aviation Regiment to be based there. An Australian Aerospace delegation, comprising Mr Joseph Saporito, CEO, Mr Rob Hunter, Vice-President, Production and Military Services, and Mr Marc Jouan Vice-President, Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Tiger Project, visited Darwin in August. The Defence Support Division of my department hosted this delegation whilst in Darwin. They arranged a number of meetings and events to ensure local entities such as AIDN, NTISO, NT Institute for Aviation Studies, members of the local rotary wing and electronics sectors, and the government’s own Defence Industries Task Force could engage with this delegation and explore potential opportunities for local business and our local economy.
I am pleased to advise that we are pursuing a number of opportunities for the Northern Territory in relation to these projects. Aerospace has agreed that through-life support for the helicopters including the deep-level maintenance, should be provided locally at Robertson Barracks. This is likely to result in around 20 aircraft engineers being based at Robertson Barracks undertaking this role and, Aerospace and government are exploring the creation of around five apprenticeships as part of this complement. I pay great credit to Australian Aerospace for their commitment. They have always been committed, from the first time I met them down in Sydney and the commitments that the Chief Minister was given in France through the parent company that if we have the capacity to provide deep-level maintenance and through-life support in Darwin, the commitment will come to fruition. Aerospace has expressed a strong commitment to employing and training Territorians wherever possible. An important component of the training for both skilled and apprentice engineering staff is likely to be a period working on the Tiger assembly line in Brisbane. I understand that Thales, a partner in this AIR 87 project with Aerospace, will position a number of training staff at Robertson Barracks in support of the training simulator to be based there.
Also, the Defence Support Division has commenced discussions with ADI regarding how command and control through-life support for the helicopters will be provided, and whether there might be opportunities for our local electronics sector. We did host a workshop for the first time for the local electronics engineering sector to make it aware of the huge opportunities there for the electronics industry for Defence and how a lot of that could come to the Northern Territory to support these types of deployments. An important and growing sector in the Northern Territory is our electronics sector, and members of this sector met with Aerospace during their visit and provided their company profiles seeking involvement with Aerospace on projects such as AIR 87. We are not just focussed on this project that has been announced and for which contracts have been awarded. Also, in the Aerospace sector, the AIR 9000 program has the potential to provide opportunities for local business participation. This project aims to rationalise the current eight types of helicopters to a maximum of four.
The Defence Support Division is currently liaising with the bidders to provide briefings to industry on their AIR 9000 proposals. AugustaWestland/BAA Systems have agreed to extend their briefings to include Darwin. Discussions are continuing with Sikorski to do likewise. Australian Aerospace provided a summary of their proposal during their visit in August and I would like to pay particular tribute to Bruce Mouatt, the new CEO of the NTISO, who came to me some six months or so ago when he first accepted the offer of the job to say: ‘Hey, there is a real opportunity for the Territory in this AIR 9000 program’. We are certainly working at a departmental level and with Bruce’s knowledge in this area to make sure that Darwin very much is on the radar of the major players who are going to be bidding for this opportunity when it comes out from Defence.
Eight of the 12 replacement Armidale Class Patrol Boats are to be stationed at Darwin Naval Base, with the first to be phased into service in mid-2005. Defence has recently announced that DMS Austral Consortium is the preferred tenderer and is entering contract negotiations with the expectation of signing a contract next month. Again, we did not hedge our bets with the three main tenderers for these patrol boats; I personally met with senior people and CEO of all three companies that were bidding for those patrol boats and encouraged as much local contact and through-life support to be based here in Darwin.
I have written to both DMS and Austral, congratulating them on their selection, wishing them every success in the negotiation process and, ultimately, in the delivery of the patrol boats. I will be accepting an invitation by Austral to visit their facilities in the near future, and aim to visit DMS to promote Darwin’s capabilities to provide through-life support for the new fleet. I can advise honourable members that when I met with DMS Austral whilst this tender process was under way, I was very impressed with their commitment to local industry development, partnering here and ensuring as much of that through-life support can be done in Darwin. It makes good business sense for them to do that, and they are prepared to invest in their long-term future in the Northern Territory. I will be meeting with them very soon.
Besides engaging with the prime Defence contractors previously mentioned, the Defence Support Division has been active in liaising with local prime representatives based in Darwin, such as General Dynamics, Serco Sodexho, Tenix, Defence Maritime Services or DMS, and Mack Trucks. The Defence Support Division has been in regular contact with the US Navy Regional Contracting Centre in Singapore. Of particular importance is attracting more US Naval visits for R and R, repairs and maintenance and sea swaps, the exchange of an entire ship’s complement beyond the theatre of operation in a foreign port. This has been trialled in Fremantle and we have put the proposal to the US Navy and continue to pursue that potential opportunity.
You may recall that the Chief Minister visited Admiral Le Fleur of the United States Navy in San Diego last December to promote Darwin as a sea swap option. The US Navy is convening a two-and-a-half day Fleet Support Conference in November, and the Defence Support Division has been active in promoting the event to relevant Darwin business. Thus far, four Darwin businesses have indicated an interest in attending this working conference. Among the issues to be discussed are: the regionalisation of contracts such as that for Australia, with three contracts being brought under one husbanding contract; the more practical matters faced by contractors; and the issues with sea swaps from both the US Navy and contractors’ perspectives.
Making the most of the economic opportunities presented to industry by Defence requires a proactive approach. The Defence Support Division has provided funding to AIDN NT to undertake a study of the five Defence industry sector plans. This study aims to determine local capabilities and identify opportunities for participation in present and future Defence projects, thereby setting a path for Territory Defence support industry. These studies will be looking at what we have to do to attract more investment to the Northern Territory, and for companies to either establish or set up joint ventures or agency representatives in the NT to support this hardware.
As you can see, Mr Acting Speaker, the government is committing considerable effort to identify, anticipate and secure economic opportunities arising from the Defence presence within our region. However, this is within a changing environment and policy framework. The Territory government is aware that Defence and the Commonwealth government are re-thinking Defence Force strategic capabilities, Defence budget allocations and the way Defence procures its capability.
We are aware, for instance, of the current debate - well publicised in the media - as to whether the F1-11 aircraft should be retired early, whether any of Australia’s submarines should be moth-balled and whether other acquisitions can be delayed to help balance the books and priorities. This debate, driven by budget concerns, is now linked to the debate as to what the Defence role should actually be. Is it to build up home defences against conventional attack? Is it to build up capacity to undertake expeditionary forces to fight in foreign fields? Is it to expand our counter-terrorist capabilities? Many would argue that Defence’s capabilities should meet all of those needs.
Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy, Chief of Army, is reported as saying the Army was going through a military transformation, which would result in a land force that is mobile, agile and versatile, and be able to operate independently, jointly or in coalitions across a complex spectrum of conflict as diverse as East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Solomons.
The view is that Army will change from a light infantry force to becoming a light armoured force. Given the significance in profile of the local Army presence at Robertson Barracks, we are closely watching this development and the associated debate as to whether the Army acquires replacement tanks and what version they may be. That is, as the Leader of the Opposition stated, whether they replace the existing Leopard tanks that were built in 1976 – around 30 years of age now – with the upgraded and newer version or, instead, purchasing the General Dynamics Abrams main battle tank, which would give them that inter-operability with the US Army.
The Defence Support Division has, throughout the past few months, been liaising with the local General Dynamics Logistic Centre located in Palmerston regarding this issue, and the possibility of new and expanded operations by General Dynamics in this region. I will be meeting with the Managing Director of General Dynamics Land Systems in Australia in the near future. The recent Defence Procurement Review 2003, led by Malcolm Kinraid AO, is likely to significantly change operations with Defence material organisation and the way Defence procures its capability.
In respect of the suggestion to establish a Defence technology park, an interesting concept from the Leader of the Opposition that does establish a picture, but there are active discussions with businesses engaged in the Defence support industry about future land requirements. We have not coined the phrase ‘Defence technology park’, but we are talking about future land requirements for Defence support industry. The East Arm development area is about to be rezoned Development, which has, as its over-arching land use objective, industry of strategic importance to the economic development of the Northern Territory. Government has taken action to preserve a transport corridor accommodating a rail connection between East Arm and Robertson Barracks. More than 90 hectares of land are available in Stage A of the Darwin Business Park. Up to 100 hectares of land are available on the private market in the East Arm development area.
I am running out of time. I am not sure that we are calling it a ‘Defence technology park’, but we are working strategically with Defence, the primes, the OEMs, understanding the capability requirements, trying to understand what the land issues are for Defence in the Northern Territory. I commend the Leader of the Opposition for the MPI and his continuing interest and support in this area.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, if people look at the history of Darwin, they would see that the name ‘garrison town’ has been used. If you look at the early attempts at settlement in places like at Port Essington and Victoria because it was seen as necessary to put a Defence presence into the north. If you look, for instance, at incursions that have been taking place for hundreds of years with people who are called Macassan, you will probably see that they are the great, great grandfathers of these small, brown seafarers who now sit in our harbour under guard.
The fact is that much of the defence in Australia has been based in the south, and it has been only in the last couple of decades that a continuing focus on the north has grown this place - and grown it has. The Defence resource in this place is enormous. If you look from a heritage point of view, we have talked about it in the past, East Point and the strips right through the Top End, Larrakeyah, Coonawarra, Tindal, RAAF Darwin, Robertson, Delamere and Bradshaw, you will see that there is enormous activity and infrastructure put here by Defence. If you look at the features of it, it is high tech, high specialisation. They are a major employer, a major exporter, a major trainer. They are wholly government owned, thank goodness, and they are a major accommodation provider.
The minister gave some details about the demographics of Defence people who come to this place. If you look at a salaries bill of $308m, you can see that they are an enormous consumer in this part of the world. Many of them also bring spouses who take their place in civilian society and provide, for instance, at Royal Darwin Hospital, a great capacity, with professional and trained people.
Darwin is a town that knows what its heritage is. It is a town that knows what its future is. It is a town that lives very comfortably with our various arms of Defence, and it is a town on the verge of some enormous opportunities that can come our way.
What we have to do as politicians is pretty much what the Leader of Opposition has pointed out, and that is to make sure that we can analyse the opportunity, gear ourselves to be ready and we can grasp it with both hands because it is only in doing that we will put ourselves in front of our competitors.
The minister talked about sea swaps. I read in the newspaper last Christmas about sea swaps and the Port of Fremantle being used. I took the opportunity to ring the highest ranking officer in the US Forces here in Australia at the time, and put the case that Darwin could be used. I was interested to find out later that, at the very time we were mounting this – from my point of view - fairly meek attempt to say: ‘We would like to be in the picture and we believe that we have the capacity and readiness’, the then Governor of West Australia was tramping up and down halls in Washington DC doing a much better job, as a retired Defence person of some rank, than I ever could on the phone. That is what we are up against. We have to make sure that we gear ourselves and that we are ready.
Let us look at what the future might bring. The minister pointed to some of that. Defence opportunities with AIR 87 through Aerospace is enormous. We are talking about armed reconnaissance helicopters based at Robertson, the C1444 patrol boat upgrade, the Armidale class boats replacing the Fremantle class, the Bradshaw training area has hardly hit its straps, the Defence industry distribution systems, the ship visits that the minister talked about when Defence personnel come here. There were 63 ships that visited in 2002. In 2003, the latest figures I have, 37 foreign military vessels visited Darwin for a total of 129 port days. Visiting personnel totalled 1309, and the estimated spend per visit is about $0.3m to $0.5m. So, with US plans to increase those visits, there is good potential, whether you sell ice-creams, tours to Kakadu, or even some of the nightly entertainment for which these people come ashore.
The industry sector plans and the Australian Industry Defence Network was mentioned by the minister. I did note the potential for US-Australian bases was not discussed by him. However, you have to recognise that this is an immense industry, and it has to be seen like that. When you are talking about 7% of the Territory’s population, you are talking about an immense wages bill, and an essential service for Australia. We must position ourselves.
The intellect the Leader of the Opposition has brought to this is good. I personally have seen two technology parks. I saw one in Shannon in Ireland and Curtin University in Western Australia has one. They are very smart ideas because if you sit them next to your seats of learning, next to people who are in the trade and who procure, manufacture, make, buy, and assemble things, you can have a really good relationship with those three arms. So you have your technology park, a TDZ or like, your learning institutions plugged into that and, all of a sudden, you have a capacity that can take on the world if you pick those niches correctly. The one in Curtin is engineering focussed, but the one in Shannon does a lot of work with life safety gear. There is a lot of diamond technology tied up there. We need to pick this niche correctly. An accident has put Darwin in a place where Defence has to be, as we know. Good government policy has put, with the Army presence in the north, an immense and non-returnable infrastructure here.
We now have to move to the next stage, and that is to look to the future. I do not believe I have a millionth of the capacity to analyse the style of the future as the Leader of the Opposition has done. It does not take much to realise that, no matter how much you know about a Abrams tank or Tiger helicopter, this is big and it must be grasped by us. The beneficiaries will be all of us. Whether you are somebody who interfaces through a business proposition with Defence or whether you are somebody who lives in a peaceful island in the south part of the world called Australia, Defence is the future in this place.
I commend the minister on his thoughtful response to this and on the catalogue of works that he was able to produce to show that the government is treating this matter seriously. I, for one, with quite a big Defence presence among my constituents, was very pleased he was able to provide that catalogue to the parliament. This debate is timely. The use of the MPI in such a productive and constructive way augers well for a bipartisan approach to this enormous industry. I commend the Leader of the Opposition for the MPI.
Mr VATSKALIS (Transport and Infrastructure): Mr Acting Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition for his initiative of bringing such an important matter to the attention of the House.
As the member for Drysdale said, this matter has bipartisan support for the Defence Forces, their establishment in Darwin, their contribution to the Northern Territory, and their continuous contribution to the economy and development of the Territory. The Defence Forces have been in Darwin for a long time. Darwin has been a Defence town. Recently, the government in Canberra, in its wisdom, decided to build up the Defence Forces in Darwin, and rightly so, especially with the very interesting situation in the north of Australia, and the recent developments in countries that border Australia. We have the rising of terrorism and other problems in our world.
One thing that always puzzled me is that, Darwin being a Defence town, we could see the build up of the Defence Forces - the Air Force, the Army and the Navy – yet there was a lack of support industries. In other countries, in Europe or America, when you have such a build up of Defence Forces, you tend to see the build up of Defence support industries in those towns to cater and provide support for the Defence Forces, their personnel, and their equipment. In Darwin, being in the Air Force, I was always puzzled to see that any time we had to service official equipment, we had to pack it up and send it down south. Here we have 5 Squadron in Katherine, and there is no support industry for avionics. Every time something goes wrong with an F18 or a small piece of the F18, it has to be packed up, sent down south and the aeroplane will be sitting on the tarmac, waiting for the spare part to arrive. This is time wasted, and very expensive. I recall very well that people complained that every time the tank needed to be serviced, they had to put it on a TNT semi-trailer, haul it all the way down to Victoria, service it and haul it back again. That was 15 days wasted plus the time to service it.
The Navy is the same. It is, I believe, only lately the Navy decided to service some of the patrol boats in Darwin and they used the Paspaley shipyard. The comments by the Navy were that they were very surprised that the industry in Darwin could do such a good job, and the job they had from the Paspaley shipyard was much better than was done in Sydney. There is industry in Darwin with capacity to provide support to the Defence Forces, but we do not have the industry, as mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition, to provide support for the growing needs of the Defence Forces and for the changing type of equipment.
The Army, as the Leader of the Opposition mentioned, is out there trying to buy new equipment, and they have to choose something very sophisticated either from Europe or America. However, for this kind of sophisticated equipment, they also need sophisticated support, workshops, factories, and things that can be provided very quickly because they are high technology and you cannot afford to have a multi-million dollar piece of equipment sitting in Robertson Barracks or anywhere else because you have to change some part, a very sensitive part, and something has to be imported from overseas or brought up from Victoria.
I was very pleased the other day to see in the magazine Northern Defence an article by Jessica Mark, General Dynamics Land System, Australia, that refers to the establishment of logistics support for the ASLAVs, so a lot of these light armoured vehicles will now be serviced and their spare parts provided here in Darwin rather than being brought from another state or city, at great savings to the industry and the Army. We have seen a change of mentality in the Army. Probably it was cheaper a few years back to load a truck and send it Victoria, but now, if you consider the total cost of the exercise, it is cheaper to provide support in the place where the armoured vehicle is based - or the aeroplane, or the patrol boats. In 2005, Darwin is going to have some patrol boats based here, very sophisticated patrol boats, brand new, the latest equipment, and they have to be supported in Darwin. That is the intention of the Navy and was included in the tender documents; they have to provide logistic support here in Darwin.
Coming from a country that is very small and had to rely, especially for Defence Force equipment, on imports from other countries - mainly from America as a member of NATO – they very quickly realised they had to build capabilities to provide support for their equipment not only because it was too expensive to import from America, but because they realised that being a part of an alliance and having some problems with another member of the alliance, namely Turkey, it would be very easy if the United States of America wanted to stop the dispute between Greece and Turkey by stopping the supply of spare parts and ammunition. Then the dispute would finish because neither of the two allies would be able to fight each other because their equipment would become obsolete. For example, every aeroplane, for every hour it flies, needs one or two hours of service.
So Greece decided to develop a Defence industry. Some weapons are now produced in Greece. Spare parts for armoured vehicles are produced in Greece and they have developed such an industry that every year, Greece has a Defence Expo with locally produced equipment and equipment produced in other countries of the region. It has become a major supplier of Defence equipment, ammunition, guns, rifles, cannon, to other countries in the region that cannot afford to buy very sophisticated equipment from United States, France, Germany or England.
Apart from buying the patent and building factories that produced the equipment, they invested in research. Not only did they provide support to their Defence Forces, but, arising from the support was research, further employment and further developing equipment because they used local initiative, experience and research.
I recall when I was in the Army, the Greek Air Force bought an anti-tank, anti-aircraft cannon and, within two years, they managed to produce the barrel of the cannon in a totally different technique from the Germans. The result was the German equipment manufacturer bought the patent from Greece to apply it in Germany to produce faster and cheaper equipment.
I support the Leader of the Opposition, as I do my colleague, the member for Wanguri, in the notion that this has to be bipartisan support. We also need a whole-of-government approach. It is not just one ministry or department that has to deal with Defence and Defence support, but every department has to assist in this effort. My Department of Lands and Planning is actively involved in working with DBIRD and the Defence Forces in order to provide what is necessary to establish an industry in Darwin: land. With the development of the Darwin Business Park and East Arm, which is currently being finalised, our objective is to entice more industries to set up shop in Darwin, and Defence industries in particular.
The second stage of the East Arm development area will be offered by tender, and we are prepared to assist the Defence industries if they want to establish themselves in Darwin. Many times in the past I have said that if somebody wants to establish an industry, they can come and talk to the government. The government is prepared to sit down and negotiate an offer of land, the method of payments and other ways to facilitate and make it easier for these industries to come to Darwin.
The government has also taken action to provide other initiatives to support the Defence Forces. For example, we have a preserved a transport corridor to accommodate a possible future rail connection between East Arm Port and Robertson Barracks – very vital. We have 90 hectares of land available in Stage A of the Darwin Business Park and, as I said, we will be calling for expressions of interest very soon for development proposals in the balance of this development area. We have 100 hectares of land available on the private market in the East Arm development area, and DBIRD and the newly established Land Development Corporation are evaluating likely developments and will be prepared to facilitate such a development.
We are very keen to understand the Commonwealth’s intention for the Coonawarra Naval Base. We believe that the Commonwealth government will dispose of the base as a surplus asset but, because it is very close to the airport and to the flight corridor, noise emissions will prevent development of this base as a residential area. It will be ideal for development as a light industrial area, very close to Winnellie, the service corridor, and both Robertson Barracks and the air base in Winnellie.
As I mentioned, we already have industry in Darwin that can cater for the Defence Forces. The Paspaley shipyards is one of them. We would like to see support for the Army, armoured vehicles, the Air Force and the aeroplanes. In addition to that, we are working cooperatively with the Defence Forces and Defence Force organisations, like the DHA, to provide land for residential purposes to house Defence personnel in Darwin. One of these initiatives is the new development at Lee Point, the result of a good agreement between the Defence Housing Authority and the Northern Territory government for such land to be developed into a new suburb to meet the needs of the Defence Forces.
We do not know what direction the federal government’s policy will take in the future. There is a lot of speculation: if it is going to be utilising the Army for peacekeeping operations outside Australia or they are going to have a combined portfolio for an Army to protect Australia because it would be able to operate in other countries. Whatever it will be, the reality is that the Army has to make an investment. It has to replace the current aged equipment, especially the tanks. What they are going to choose, I do not know. I am not familiar; I am not an expert. The Leader of the Opposition speculated that it is going to be American equipment. That might be so, but whatever they choose, the German or the American, we are in a unique position and should be able to work cooperatively to ensure that whatever comes to Darwin, we will be able to service and provide support by Territorians.
Let us get together and find a way to develop a package to invite these companies, wherever they are. Let us use the expertise of people like the Leader of the Opposition who has been in the Army for a long time - he is familiar with the structure and the equipment they use; he is familiar with the logic of the Army - and find out how we can get together and start talking, the same way we did for gas and other projects, in order to attract this investment in the Territory.
The reality is it is an investment that we will make today for the future of the Territory. We will be able to provide a lot of work for young Territorians, not only getting their hands dirty fixing and repairing tanks, but also on what will come out of these industries, especially the research and development of high technology supporting the Defence Forces.
I commend the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this matter to the House, and I offer my full support for being able to attract these industries in Darwin.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex.
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! It is convention in this House that matters of public importance have always been restricted to two people on each side of the House, and that has been standard convention for many years on advice from the Clerk. I move that Business of the Day be called on.
Mr BALDWIN: Just for clarification, Mr Acting Speaker, I know that you cannot debate this motion, but my understanding is that you cannot call on adjournment. You have to call on Business of the Day. My point of clarification is: could you explain what the business of the day will be?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Are you asking me or the Leader of Government Business?
Mr BALDWIN: Well, whoever wants to clarify it.
Mr Kiely: He is asking you.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Well, I have no …
Mr Baldwin: I can give you the standing order number.
Mr HENDERSON: In speaking to the point of order, my understanding, to get back to the Notice Paper, this is the motion put, given that there is no question before the Chair as it stands. This is a matter of public importance debate that, by leave, the House has suspended business to debate. It is the time that this opportunity is presented. There is no question before the Chair to move back into standing orders in terms of the Business of the Day, and this is the appropriate motion to put before the Chair.
Mr BALDWIN: Speaking to the minister’s point of order, because it is not our point of order, Mr Acting Speaker, we are happy for this to conclude. The fact of the matter is that you are allowed a maximum of two hours; we have had one hour. Standing convention or otherwise does not come into it; we have two speakers.
The other point I would like to make is that I informed the government through the normal processes of their Whip that we would have speakers that would fill that two hours. I also informed you, Mr Acting Speaker. However, we are happy to conclude on this point, but I will point out that the Leader of Government Business should look at Standing Order 94.2, and not bring on business if there is no business. We are happy to conclude.
Mr HENDERSON: Speaking to the comments from my opposition spokesman; this is a matter of public importance debate that has been conducted with goodwill and in the genuineness of the spirit in which the Leader of the Opposition introduced it. Both my colleague and I used our full amounts of time, the 20 minutes allocated to us, in contribution to this debate. The second speaker on the other side of the House barely used 10 minutes, so they had an opportunity to utilise a greater amount of time. If there was genuine commitment, then maybe another speaker who could have made a more fulsome contribution than the member for Drysdale should have participated in the debate.
We do have conventions in this parliament. This debate has been taken in good faith by the government. There was a significant contribution from the Leader of the Opposition but, in support from the rest of his colleagues, it was not very detailed, and it is time to move back to the business of the House.
Mr BALDWIN: I have to have one more say on this, Mr Acting Speaker, because the convention is two hours. The standing orders are very clear.
Mr Henderson: Maximum.
Mr BALDWIN: A maximum of two hours. It is not proper that a member reflects on the content of a member’s speech and provides an opinion as to whether it is a fulsome debate or not. The fact is, as has been notified to the government, we had a number of speakers.
We are happy to conclude because you have accepted this in good faith. They know now they have made a mistake in trying to pull this up because they have no government business to bring on, no Business of the Day, and we are, in fact, moving to adjournment.
I, on behalf of the opposition, am happy to accept calling on the Business of the Day, although you cannot do it for an adjournment, because the member for Katherine is going to make her maiden speech. I would ask that members be silent in the usual way.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I will ask that, yes. I have had discussions with the Clerk. I gather it is the convention that we have two speakers from each side. I must admit, being an issue that I believe is of great importance to the Northern Territory, I probably was a little disappointed that we could not use up the time as in the standing orders. As the Leader of Government Business has said, this is one of the few times an MPI has been used.
However, bearing in mind that this is convention, I will ask: the question is that Business of the Day be called on.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Acting Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Honourable members, as the member for Daly has just pointed out, the member for Katherine will make her maiden speech. As is the convention, I ask that the member for Katherine be heard in silence.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Speaker, I am deeply honoured to stand here as the newly elected member for Katherine. I thank the people of Katherine for their support, and I reaffirm my commitment to work hard and productively for everyone in my electorate.
I am particularly humbled to have been selected to follow such a dedicated member of 16 years in Mike Reed, who has contributed greatly to the development of not only Katherine, but the Northern Territory. I especially thank Mike Reed for his invaluable cooperation and assistance to the people of Katherine following the 1998 floods.
Both my husband and I were born and lived in South Australian rural areas for most of our lives. I was born and raised in Smoky Bay on Eyre Peninsular at the edge of the Great Australian Bight, a small town now well noted for magnificent oysters and, most recently, the destination of the 2003 Eyre to Eyre Variety Bash, which raises so much money for children in our community.
I had a wonderful childhood, the eldest of four children on a mixed sheep and cereal farm, where we knew a lot of freedom. I thank my parents for trusting and encouraging my independence at an early age, and for teaching me respect for all people. My husband Mike and I arrived in Katherine from the smelting town of Port Pirie in South Australia in the last week of 1989 for Mike to manage the ANZ Bank, Katherine. We had never travelled further north than Alice Springs and, when we disembarked our plane at the old airport terminal in Darwin, we were quite overwhelmed by the lush, green, tropical beauty of the north, and the Wet Season storms.
Our arrival in Katherine the following day left me with the lingering memory of the magnificent flowering frangipani trees. We did not take long to fall in love with the lifestyle of the Top End and now proudly call ourselves Territorians. I am proud to say that three of our daughters, their husbands and five grandchildren have also recognised the opportunities that are offered in the Northern Territory and now live in Darwin, for which this Nanna is very grateful.
Prior to arriving in the Territory, I had experienced 12 years with the Education department and 14 years with St John Ambulance. I moved into the private sector for four years until Mike and I decided to make Katherine our permanent home and invested in tourism accommodation. Katherine’s economy relies significantly on the tourism industry and so it was a few short weeks later that I was elected to the executive of the Katherine Region Tourist Association. I have been heavily involved in all aspects of the tourist industry since, including Chairman of Katherine Region Tourist Association for four years, Vice-Chairman for two, a Commissioner on the Tourist Commission Board, and Vice-Chairman of Tourism Training NT. My vision for the future growth of the industry in Katherine requires significant infrastructure development, which I plan to see realised.
Having been raised in a small community, I have always been conscious of the progress of where I live being reliant on the willingness of those who live there to be actively involved in community planning, decision making and development. To that end, I have been involved at many levels in the community where I live. Until 29August this year, I had never considered a political life beyond that of which I was serving as an alderman of Katherine Town Council. However, life sometimes presents challenges and changes in direction at the most unexpected times. The opportunity to represent the people of Katherine as their elected member in the Legislative Assembly was offered and, after consultation with my husband and CLP colleagues, I decided that, as the member for Katherine, I would be able to serve my community more effectively. With a very short lead into the by-election, I committed to the task of becoming the local member.
Katherine is a very interesting electorate in that it encompasses a broad sector of industries, including horticulture, Defence, medium to large industries, commercial and retail business, public service, a very active art, cultural and heritage community and strong sporting associations. As representative of the people of Katherine, I will work hard to provide representation across all sectors of our community. The people of Katherine have given considerable input to the recently launched Katherine Region Development Plan, and I look forward towards the realisation of the outcomes for our community, economy and our people, natural resources and infrastructure. Our region has the potential to be the food bowl of the Northern Territory, complemented by freight hub utilising the new railway and linking with the Kimberley, an extremely important economic benefit to our region.
To the people of Katherine who have supported me wholeheartedly in my commitment to serve our community first as an alderman on Katherine Town Council and, more significantly and most importantly, as their elected representative in the House of Assembly: I thank you for your confidence. I am committed to the future growth and development of Katherine and its regions. I am committed to working for our youth and seniors, both of whom we lose too many for many and varied reasons. I am also very supportive of the arts community of Katherine that, through Territory Craft, is a very active and productive industry across all sectors of our community. Arts Katherine serves the Katherine region incredibly well, with ongoing projects offered in our indigenous communities. I am very proud of their achievements and look forward to assisting with their future projects.
There are many people I should thank for being so important in my life and, while I am unable to name them all now, I cannot miss the opportunity to thank my husband, Mike - for bringing me to this wonderful Top End, which is now our home, 13 years ago - our children, our grandchildren, family and friends for their support and encouragement in all that I do. A special thanks to Pauline Rayner for her wonderful wisdom and advice that has assisted me through many decisions in the last nine years; and Sharyn Innes for her belief in my leadership qualities when I did not have it.
I took a solemn vow on the Bible last Tuesday that I would render true and faithful service as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, a vow that I take very seriously. The judges of that vow will be the voters of Katherine and my family.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Acting Speaker, tonight I place on the record my sincere condolences to the Speaker, Mrs Loraine Braham, on the tragic and unexpected passing of her husband, Graeme, last Friday night. I offer Madam Speaker and her children, Peter and Michelle, and grandchildren, Samantha, Leah and Kasey, my thoughts and prayers at this very sad time. May Graeme rest in peace.
I am pleased to report on a recent three day trip I made to Central Australia to see first-hand progress towards better health services in the region. The visits were made with the assistance of and in conjunction with the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory, AMSANT. My aims were to listen to community views on health issues, to examine progress towards the implementation of two of the five Central Australian PHCAP health zones, and to look at progress towards implementation of remote renal dialysis services.
During the three days from 10 to 12 September, we visited four Aboriginal communities: Ntaria, Kintore and Yuendumu, west of Alice Springs, and Corella Creek in the North Barkly region. I also met with representatives from non-Aboriginal communities, principally from pastoral stations, from the Northern Barkly region at Brunette Downs.
The first community I visited was Ntaria, or Hermannsburg, west of Alice Springs. I was pleased to meet with Mr Peter Achurch, the principal of the primary school, who was kind enough to allow me to visit a number of the classrooms where I met with all the children and the teachers. I was impressed to learn that there are close links between the health clinic and the school at Ntaria. The nurses visit the school regularly to monitor and treat any health and hearing problems children may have. This is an excellent example at the local level of building links between education and health, a process that is vital for long term progress in the health of Aboriginal communities.
After visiting the school and the Health Centre, we shared lunch and met at some length with community members. These discussions were led by members of the Western Aranda Health Aboriginal Corporation, which complements the Department of Health and Community Services’ Primary Health Care services in the area, and Relekha, a local community organisation formed to address domestic violence, substance abuse and youth programs. Alison Hunt, the Relekha facilitator, made an inspiring presentation on the issues facing the community and how they are working to address them. Gus Williams, the Western Aranda Chairperson and Ntaria Council President, also spoke passionately about the community’s commitment to addressing issues of substance abuse.
The meeting then split into separate men’s and women’s groups. Issues of domestic violence, education and youth programs were raised with me by the women as being areas for action. I understand that the men, meeting with senior members of my department and staff, spoke about the need to make health services more accessible to Aboriginal men. Many of these issues are already being followed up by senior members of my department who have visited Hermannsburg since our meetings there.
I was most impressed by the dedication and responsibility with which the people of Hermannsburg are addressing the health and social problems they face. I would like to thank all members of the community, including Mr Leo Abbott, the Chairperson of the Tjuwunpa Outstation Resource Centre. I would also like to mention the dedication of two Aboriginal Health Workers at the Clinic: Marion Swift, who commenced employment 20 years ago in September 1983, and Erna Inkamala, who retired earlier this year and who worked for the health service for almost 30 years, starting in 1974. I congratulate them on their commitment and dedication to the people of Ntaria.
The following day, 11 September, I travelled to Kintore to meet with the Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku or Making Our Families Well organisation. This community-controlled organisation has raised over $1m for the establishment of dialysis services in the community so that residents who develop kidney disease do not have to relocate to Alice Springs for treatment.
Dr Paul Rivalland, Ms Sarah Brown and the committee itself made a detailed and impressive presentation on their plans for remote dialysis at Kintore. This is an inspiring proposal, one that I support personally and as part of our government’s commitment to bringing renal services closer to where people live.
On our visit, I was impressed by the level of community commitment, and the amount of thought and planning that the people of the Western Desert have already put into the provision of dialysis services on their lands. Accordingly, I have asked my department to provide appropriate support to the Western Desert dialysis organisation in their efforts to ensure access to renal services for their communities. I understand that since our visit to Kintore, senior members of my department have met with them to progress this issue.
Our meetings at Kintore also included the Pintupi Homelands Health Service, the independent community-controlled Aboriginal health service, members of which hosted a very interesting and informative tour of the community. I would like to thank Mr Jeff Warner of the Health Service for his assistance and support for our meetings. I would also like to extend my special thanks to Cameron Brown Japaltjarri, President of the Pintupi Homelands Health Service and dialysis committee member, and to Reggie Baldock Jampatjimpa, Health Service Vice-President, whose attentiveness to our needs was much appreciated.
I thank the Western Desert Dialysis Committee for their gift to the Northern Territory of a painting by Miriam Napanangka, which depicts designs associated with the soakage water site of Nyilla, just to the west of Jupiter Well. This beautiful painting, which now hangs in my office, is by a young artist who is establishing a fine reputation for herself, one of her designs having recently been selected for inclusion on an Australian postage stamp.
Before leaving the community, I visited the school where I joined the children in spirited renditions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and A-B-C-D. My thanks to the principal, Mr Peter Dietz, and to the teachers. I shall be following up on a number of the issues that they raised with me.
Also on 11 September, meetings were held at Yuendumu with community health representatives to discuss implementation of expanded primary health care services under the Primary Health Care Access Program. During meetings with the community and health staff, I was pleased to be able to confirm the provision of substantial Northern Territory government funds – up to $1m to be matched by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing for the construction of a new clinic building at Yuendumu.
In addition, I was able to assure the community that as soon as Commonwealth PHCAP funds were released, the employment of extra health staff and a Health Service Development Officer can proceed. After this, there will be a process for talking with all involved to incorporate the new service, and a move towards a properly supported structure of community control. The community meeting at which these matters were discussed went ahead despite sorry business. I would like to extend my special thanks to those who did attend, including Robbie Wallit, Connie Wallit, Francis Kelly and Gilly Spencer. Their contributions were invaluable.
I would also like to thank Lindsey Turner, the Nyirripi Council President, for his views on issues affecting health service delivery at his community. Since our meeting, I understand that my department has met with the Nyirripi community to put in place processes for better communication between health services staff and community members.
Late in the afternoon, we met with health service staff at Yuendumu. I was most impressed with their dedication and the enthusiasm with which they regarded the future of health services in the region and, in particular, the extra resources and movement towards community control that the PHCAP process promises. My staff and senior departmental officers spent the night at Yuendumu, where we were treated to a fine meal organised by Larry Kennaway, the CDEP coordinator. I would also like to thank the ladies and girls of the region for their fine dancing. I appreciated their thoughtfulness very much, along with the beautiful beads, which Connie Wallit gave me on behalf of the women of the community, and which are now on display in my office.
Finally, I was pleased to hear an account of the success of the Mt Theo Petrol Sniffer Outstation Program from the manager, Andrew Stojanovski. The success of this program in eradicating petrol sniffing from Yuendumu was a powerful illustration of the ability of Aboriginal communities to tackle and solve the social and health challenges they face.
The following day, 12 September, I travelled to the North Barkly health service zone, another of the five selected for the immediate roll out of PHCAP in the Central Australian region. In the morning, I met with representatives of the non-Aboriginal community and, in particular, the pastoral industry at Brunette Downs, to discuss the expanded primary health care services under the PHCAP program, and health services in the region.
I was particularly keen to assure the non-Aboriginal residents of this zone - indeed of all PHCAP zones - that the roll-out of the program will mean substantial injections of resources and better primary health care services for all residents of remote areas. My thanks to Henry and Bernadette Burke of Brunette Downs pastoral station for the hospitality and hosting our meeting, and the many participants for their views on health services in the region.
Later in the day, I met with representatives of the Aboriginal community at Corella Creek to discuss the planned new service arrangements. I was particularly encouraged by the commitment of the Aboriginal community to work towards better health services, and their assurance that such services would be for the benefit of al residents of the zone. There were too many people at the meeting for me to thank them individually, but I must record my gratitude to Max and Joy Priest of Corella Creek, whose strong and compassionate views on the betterment of health services in the region were an inspiration. Thank you, too, to health service staff of my department who assisted ably with the logistical arrangements, particularly the food that was provided.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I feel that the visits I have described were a great success. I would like to thank the communities that hosted our visits; the hard work they put in to making them productive and the generosity with which they shared their time and views. I would like to thank AMSANT for their participation and support, Ms Pat Anderson, the CEO of AMSANT, and Mr Robert Le Rossignol and Ms Donna Ah Chee of Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, contributed greatly to the success of the visits. My department and office will be following up on numerous issues that community members and organisations raised with me during the trip, and I look forward to further visits to these areas in future years.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I place on the record my gratitude to the Health minister for taking the time to travel around the Northern Territory, including places in my electorate. When I happened upon her in Hermannsburg, I was very happy to see her there. She will have been confronted with many of the issues that concern not only my electorate, but other electorates as well. I place on the record my thanks for her taking the time out to travel around the Northern Territory and see these places for herself. It is not often you see ministers in places like Kintore, and it is nice to know that the effort is being made.
Tonight, I clarify a potential error on my part in relation to a question that I asked the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services today. It arises out of page 158 of this year’s Budget Paper No 3, where the hours that the police dedicate to speed and red light camera checks are as listed 0.77 million hours. That is in a series of bullet points under the Performance Measures Quantity Hours that then has police, fire, speed and red light camera checks. It goes on to deal with traffic infringements and random breath testing stations. I also referred, in formulating that question, to page 99 of the 2002-03 budget, as well as paperwork forwarded to the minister in relation to the Estimates process. On re-reading the Estimates paperwork, the speed and red light camera checks are listed at 765 000 hours and it seems to be the measure which is used generally by the police for testing performance measures.
However, on re-reading it, I notice that the bullet points on both page 99 of last year’s budget papers as well as the Estimates paperwork, have not been reproduced, and at speed and red light camera checks, 765 000, that may well be individual speed and red light checks. As a consequence of that, if there has been a misinterpretation, it was a by-product of me reading page 158 of this year’s Budget Paper No 3, where it says that 0.77 million hours had been dedicated to speed and red light camera checks, and I read all other paperwork in light of that.
Consequently, if there has been a misrepresentation, or misinterpretation would be a more exact word, of the numbers, then I place that on the record for the sake of clearing the matter up and being tidy.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak about Kitty Kantilla. Over the past decade, Tiwi artist Kitty Kantilla, who was born in 1928, became one of Australia’s most collectable and sought after artists. She belonged to the older generation of Tiwi who grew up on their homelands relatively unaffected by the influence of the Bathurst Island Mission. She spent her youth in her father’s country at Yimpinari in Melville Island and moved to the small settlement of Paru after the war.
While she produced items for customary pukamani or burial ceremonies, it was not until the 1970s and 1980s, after the establishment of Tiwi Pima, which is a dedicated marketing outlet for traditional art and craft at Bathurst Island, that her talents began to emerge as a carver. During this time, she produced decorated figure carvings from the difficult medium of ironwood. She was one of a number of talented artists from this settlement, but her career did not escalate until she moved to her mother’s country at Milikapiti in the late 1980s. She started making carvings for Jilamari Arts soon after its establishment but gave this away in preference for painting with ochres on paper, then canvas.
It is in this medium and then later, print making, that Kitty Kantilla became well known. She has exhibited her work in a number of Tiwi exhibitions including the Museum and Arts Gallery of the Northern Territory in the 1994 Contemporary Territory Show, and most recently in the Art Gallery of New South Wales Tiwi exhibition, Pumpuni Jilamara. Kantilla has been presented in a number of solo commercial exhibitions, and the National Gallery of Victoria is planning a retrospective of her work for 2005. In 2002, she was awarded the Telstra Works on Paper Award at the 11th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. Her passing is another sad loss to the creative life of the nation.
On Monday 25 August at Nguiu, I, with the senior traditional landowner of Nguiu, Mr Walter Kerinauia, launched the Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit. In attendance was the federal member for Lingiari, Mr Warren Snowdon, and Senator Trish Crossin.
The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit was auspiced by TILG, or the Tiwi Island Local Government, and has received a total grant of $530 000 over two years under the Juvenile Pre-court Diversion Scheme. The scheme is funded under a four year agreement with the Commonwealth government. The initial grant of $209 000 to Tiwi Island Local Government was released in December 2002. The second release of $75 000 is due soon.
The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit committee members are elected from the four Tiwi communities of Nguiu, Wurankuwu, Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi, and other key local organisations. The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit committee members are Henry Dunn, who is the Chairperson, Maurice Rioli, Maralampuwuyi Kurrupuyu, Mark Fitzsimons, Gerard Broersen, John Cleary, Gawain Tipiloura, Kevin Doolan, Timothy Kerinaiua, Sylverius Tipiloura, Brian Clancy, Marcellus Mungatopi, Stephen Sparkes, Patricia Brogan, Jimmy Lolias, Gibson Farmer, Charles Tipungwuti, Luke Tipuamantamirri, and the OIC of Pirlangimpi Police.
The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit carries out case management on young offenders and those youth at risk on the Tiwi Islands. The coordinator, Kevin Doolan, commenced duties in March 2003. Five local people have been selected to fill other CDEP positions. The coordinator has certainly made positive links with the school and through what used to be the Tiwi Islands Health Board which had a program, Exploring Together, targeting kids in schools on the Tiwi Islands and working with those kids at risk in the schools and their families. It also works with other government funded programs and closely with an active committee representatives from each of the Tiwi clans.
As I said, the unit coordinator is Kevin Doolan and Sylverius Tipungwuti is the Youth Development Worker. Although I mentioned five, the Unit has now increased that to 10 CDEP positions, which the Tiwi Island Local Government has put into that unit. I said that I would mention the names of those participants so that I could send it over: Manny Tipungwuti, Fitzpatrick Fernando, Daniel Cunningham, Valentine Intalui, Stuart Tipiloura, Gilbert Alimankinni, Anthony Jason Puruntatameri, Marcellus Mungatopi, Mark Lee Thompson, Russell Yunupingu, which is not a Tiwi name; we all know that that comes from another part of the Northern Territory, and Francis Alimankinni.
It is early days for the unit to show any outcomes and improvements in working with at-risk youth on the island. However, there is a great commitment from the communities, all stakeholders involved in the Commonwealth and Territory governments. I congratulate the Tiwi Island Local Government and the police, both on the island and in Darwin, who have worked together with people from the Justice and Diversionary Units to pull this together. It is something that is working, with everybody working together. It is early days, but hopefully it will come to fruition.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I want to talk about what happens when you take street kids and kids out in the communities and take a bit of notice of them, find out their names, their interests, and start to help them as individuals instead of treating them like anonymous threat to society.
I am talking about two very important projects we have in Alice Springs, the Deadly Treadlies and Deadly Mob. To take them individually, the Deadly Treadlies, as the name suggests, is a program catering for street kids; kids who have been truanting from school, kids we have seen around Alice Springs for several years. They obtain from the police a whole lot of bike parts left over from the police yard. We are trying to find additional consignments of bikes from the capital cities on the east coast to increase the number of parts they have to work with. They have a big container full of broken bikes and any for kid who wants to come down, there are tools and help from the workers at Deadly Treadlies put together bikes for their own personal use and for the use of other kids who are been catered for in the youth programs around Alice Springs.
It is a fantastic program. I visited there, a week or two back and, as I sat talking to the organisers of Deadly Treadlies, there was a constant stream of kids from about 10 to 16 coming in, pulling out the bike that they had been working on, getting on with the next stage of fixing it up. This is a great way of engaging that age group on really good terms. You have to teach a lot of stuff to those kids to know how to put those bikes together and make them work. They are learning a lot of useful skills from doing it. More importantly, they are attaching themselves to a constructive activity within the community with people who notice them as human beings, want to get to know them and what they think about life, their favourite music, and what their favourite activities are. It makes an awful lot of common sense to go to the core of the interests of those kids.
Deadly Mob was funded from the Networking the Nation money, the Telstra sell-off money from the federal government. It set up an Internet caf in Alice Springs. Again, when I visited the Deadly Mob, there would have been probably 30 kids – and I recognised a lot of them; they were kids that you would not have seen at school in recent times. They were fully engaged in not only surfing the Internet with the help of people who work in Deadly Mob, but also developing elements to put on their own web site. There is a Deadly Mob web site that everyone is contributing to – photos of their footy team, their dogs, their friends, writing. We did not think these kids could write, but they get on to the Internet and, because they are so keen to get their story in there with all their mates, they are producing writing - and pretty good writing at times - including poetry, of which I saw a few examples.
It does not stop there. The Internet caf caters for the town kids, but the Deadly Mob are travelling out to the communities in Central Australia. So far, they have been to Finke, Docker River, Harts Range, Laramba, Lajamanu, Mutitjulu, Yuendumu, Kintore, Papunya, Willowra, Ti Tree, Mt Liebig, Areyonga, Santa Teresa, Hermannsburg and so on. They are up to 16 or 20 communities by now. Adolescents in those communities are now contributing equally into that web site as do the kids in town. So everyone is getting together and communicating through that web site.
The kids they are going out and seeing in these communities are the ones who are walking around, teenagers from 10 right up to 16 or 18, the ones who go off the radar screen. They stop talking to adults, certainly do not talk to white fellas too often, and they are pretty much refractory to any kind of strong communication. These are the kids who have jumped on this web site like it was going out of style and they are making fantastic contributions. There are 250 e-ail addresses that have been distributed to these kids and they are using these in regular exchanges as they are contributing to the web site. This is an absolute breakthrough in being able to relate to this age group of kids, the up and coming generation in both our remote communities and our urban indigenous families. I want to see Deadly Mob really supported not only by the Commonwealth, but we are certainly looking at ways in which Deadly Mob can be built into the things that we are working on as a government.
One very clear example is that Deadly Mob will be at Yuendumu on 23 October when we take the ICT firms through there to have a look at the Warlpiri Media Association and Warlukurlangu Artists. The Deadly Mob will be there and will show all of our ICT firms here in Darwin what their web site does and how it has mobilised these kids into participating into this activity. That is the very thing we are talking about regarding ICT being applied to remote communities and urban centres, to create a new medium in which to work with these kids and start to get their messages out and to get messages to them.
The Deadly Mob web site is also used with the approval of participants, for lots of information. So health and education matters are posted on the web site and shared around; important information about what these kids can access in the way of services and support. It applauds their achievements, whether it is in sport or purely the contributions to the web site itself. There is a whole lot of self-esteem appearing amongst the participants. I cannot speak highly enough of this project. You can tell from the way I am talking that this is a very, very exciting development. In fact, both of them are, in Alice Springs.
We are very proud of the people who have done this with these kids. It is great to see an approach that does not start with trying to lock them up at home or lock them up somewhere else, and treat them all as if they do not belong to their own community. This is the way to deal with this age group if you cannot deal with it through the conventional means. This is a way we can start to bring people back through into participating in education, in the broader community and in employment.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, how inspiring the Minister for Communication’s words were. It is great to hear of successes like that. Who would have thought it would have come through information technology?
I would like to say goodbye to a Territorian who will be remembered with love for a long time. Her memory is held not only in the legacy of her wonderful family, children and grandchildren, but because she was a very special person and Darwin is the poorer for her going. On Sunday, 21 September this year, Vivienne Paspaley died at her home in Myilly Point. Anyone less than Vivienne would have been remembered because of her marriage to the flamboyant and colourful Nicholas Paspaley, but Vivienne we remember for the kind of person she was, as well as for the great Territory family of which she became a vital part.
The stylish and beautiful Vivienne, who delighted Darwin, began life on 26 April 1913, the daughter of Mary Lavinia and James Mars Barry. She was born in Brisbane but grew up in Sydney, educated at Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School. In her final year, she was Dux of the school and was also awarded a gold medal for the best literary composition in New South Wales at the time. During the war years, Vivienne was employed as a private secretary to Sir Hudson Fysh, the first Chair of Qantas Empire Airways.
The story of her introduction to the young Nicholas Paspaley by Sir Hudson Fysh is the stuff of Territory legend. They say it was love at first sight; that she would have followed him to the end of the earth, and she nearly did. Vivienne and Nicholas married in 1944 and, two years later, moved to Darwin, raising three children here, Roslynne, Nicholas and Marilynne. There was a grace and elegance about Vivienne. Her dress sense and style people recall with much pleasure, because it originated from such an individuality. After the funeral, everyone told me stories of Vivienne’s elegance, lack of pretension, her warmth and inclusiveness, and her sensitivity to others in trouble or pain.
Vivienne was actively involved in St Mary’s Primary School, where her children attended, as well as Darwin’s Anglican congregation. She contributed hugely to civic and community life through active involvement in Red Cross, the golf club, the tennis club and others. She received a unique honour from her Rotary Club, which normally did not accept female members, and was named as an Honorary Life Member. Despite her acclaimed status, Vivienne continued in a real and practical way to work for the community, and was famous for the excellence of her cooking and baking.
She survived Cyclone Tracy, the death of her beloved husband, but was ill for many years before her death. At her funeral, her grandson, Nicholas Hannigan, said farewell and he shared with all of us the sense of love and loss to family and to community. Funerals are always sad; we remember the person who has gone, we remember other friends and family who have died, and we struggle to make sense of life and death. Yet, the funeral on that Wednesday following her death was amazing, attended by business people, friends and family from literally all over the world. It was a recognition of the kind of person Vivienne Paspaley was, and how much we have lost.
A very different person who died recently is legendary Territory character William James Garrison, known to us all as Cowboy Bill. In paying tribute tonight, I acknowledge the work of Eve Gibson and Bill’s good friend, Dwyn Delaney, who have provided much of the biographical detail about Bill’s life.
Cowboy Bill was born in South Australia in 1928, an only child who came into the care of an aunt following the early death of his parents. At 14, he was expelled from Marist Brothers Sacred Heart College in Adelaide for drinking altar wine under the Chapel. This led to Bill spending his formative teenage years in the cattle industry at Oodnadatta, various Central Australian properties, including Bond Springs, Alcoota and Erldunda, before trying his luck at Broken Hill. A stint in the Royal Australian Navy followed during which Bill served as a stoker mechanic on HMAS Australia, HMAS Quadrant and HMAS Warramunga, or the ‘wandering mongrel’ as he called her. After leaving the navy, Bill’s time was spent wandering the Territory’s cattle stations as a stockman, fencer, bore mechanic or drover.
Throughout his life, Bill loved the English language. The Bulletin magazine, with its section of Australian verse, became a regular companion, as did the Canadian author, Robert Service’s Songs of a Sourdough with its rollicking poems about the Yukon gold rush. Bill developed an extensive repertoire of bush yarns and poetry, which he further refined around the campfires during his years bull catching on St Vidgeons with the Whitely brothers, on Goodparla and Gimbat, with Jack Kitto at Rumbalara, and ringing for the Darcy boys at Mullapunyah.
In the late 1960s, Bill moved to Darwin and the tall cowboy with the ten gallon hat became a regular sight for over three decades at Darwin’s watering holes, yarning to tourists and locals alike over a beer or three. He even entered various yarn spinning competitions, competing with locals Tex Tyrrell and Mike Hayes who was later to gain fame as the Prickle Farmer, and even the legendary Frank Hardy.
When I joined the ABC in the Territory in the early 1980s, stories were still told of the long lunches enjoyed by reporters from the newsroom listening to Cowboy Bill and Mike Hayes swapping yarns, each intent on topping the other. I am assured that many TV bulletins went to air under the influence of those discussions and the drinking that had taken place. Bill would tell you that his drink of choice was ‘cane cutters cordial’ or Bundaberg rum, but offer him a drink and, after saying he would like a schooner of Drambuie thanks, he would settle for a schooner of VB. It would be the starting point for hours of Bill in full swing, plundering his fund of stories, including the cherished tale of the one-eyed saddler at Camooweal who promised Bill: ‘Stick with me, boy, and you will be fetlock deep in sovereigns’. The saying ‘fetlock deep in sovereigns’ was one of Bill’s favourites. It marked the time when he had been able to pay you back all the drinks you had ever shouted him.
Like all raconteurs, Bill had a prodigious memory and was also an excellent mimic of the voices and accents of those whose stories he passed on. He could also easily tell a story against himself, and many of his stories began or ended with him entering or emerging from a Territory police lockup somewhere. He had plenty of yarns about his associations with the old police lockup in Bennett Street. Its particular charm was that it looked over the back of the Vic and mates could be relied on to pass a drink through the barred windows.
Cowboy Bill Garrison has been a colourful element of Darwin’s life for the past 30 years, and - let us be frank - he owed many of us quite a few beers. I know few who would regret that they stayed longer than might have been prudent and left with pockets a few bob lighter. They knew that they had been in touch with a time and a man of the Territory it is almost impossible to find nowadays.
The Good Lord has scratched out the getaway for Cowboy Bill Garrison and, from this House, may he rest in peace.
I wish to acknowledge the significant contribution that Russell Adams made to the Darwin community over the last 20-plus years and express regret at his passing to his family, friends and work colleagues. Russell was born in Melbourne on 17 August 1958 and, although Russell died in Melbourne after a short illness at the age of 45 on 22 September, it was appropriate that he was flown home to Darwin for his burial.
Russell Adams first came to the Territory with the Army. He was a senior ammunition technician, explosive ordnance operator and bomb disposal expert with outstanding technical knowledge. In 2000, he was chosen to safeguard our interests at the Sydney Olympics in the Bomb Disposal Unit as part of the huge security contingent established for the Games. He spent more than 20 years with the military and on his retirement from the Army, Russell worked for Australian Defence Industry Services.
His passion was diving and as an identity in underwater diving community, he was a great role model to many budding dive professionals and beginner divers and will also be remembered for the wonderful legacy he has left behind. Richard Weisse, friend and director of Cullen Bay Marine Ventures and Cullen Bay Dive Shop, said: ‘Under Russell’s wing, you were always guaranteed a safe journey but, as a matter of courtesy, we would always asked Russell how he fared with the students he took diving in Darwin Harbour. To this question, he would unfailingly answer: “I brought them all back, didn’t I?”’
As a qualified skipper, commercial diver, recreational dive instructor and keen spear fisherman, Russell knew the Darwin harbour like an old friend. He had this theory that Darwin’s reefs were so rich and diverse that all you had to do was to change the name of a dive site, go to the same place and no one would be any the wiser. To test this theory, ‘Russell’s Rock’ was invented, with many popular reefs being renamed and the Russell’s Rock theory proven correct on many occasions.
He was a long-term member and President of the NT Divers Club, holding that position for two years prior to becoming ill.
Russell Adams was a man of high integrity honesty and inspiration, and a role model to so many. He will be sadly missed by his family, friends, work colleagues, diving students and all the people whose lives he touched during his 45 years. He is survived by his wife Anne, son Jason, daughter Corinna, grandson Logan, and parents Jeanette and Gordon Adams. I extend my sincere sympathy and those of my parliamentary colleagues on the passing of a popular and respected Territorian, Russell Adams.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, this evening I congratulate Karama School on its 21st birthday. Karama opened on 3 September 1982. The buildings were designed to be of low construction cost and low energy usage, hence were not built with any air conditioning.
On the first day of Karama School, there were 16 students and they reflected the multicultural nature of the neighbourhood, as there were at least seven different ethnic groups represented by these original students. I would like to read into Hansard the names of those original students: Mai Nguyen Thi Xuan, Jimmy Richards, Deyon Atkinson, Sanya McLean, Maria Billias, Ross Billias, Tina Ronland, My Tien Dang, Hong My Dang, Johan Boone, Melanie Vorwek, Diep Le, Phetphachanh Phoneyiem, Vicki Ilic, Kylie Barnier and Sharon Taite.
Karama School is still very much a multicultural school with now at least 17 different ethnic groups represented. By the mid-1990s, student numbers increased and demountables were brought in to provide sufficient classroom space. These temporary classrooms were replaced in 1997-98 with the more permanent construction of unit five, leading to the provision of some 480 student placements. Unit five was officially opened on Friday, 4 September 1998.
I am referring to information provided by the school in a lovely pamphlet entitled Celebration Concert. I had the pleasure of attending Karama School on a couple of occasions on 25 September, which was the celebration of the 21st birthday. I attended for a time capsule opening. With me, and presiding over that ceremony, was the minister for Education, Hon Syd Stirling. On behalf of the community, I extend our thanks to him for being there on this very special occasion.
We heard some fine words of praise from minister Stirling about the school and about the hard work many people have put in over the years. I want to echo the sentiments that he expressed. It is a school with which I have been familiar for some years now, and I have seen substantial changes in those years of association with Karama School. I am a past chair of that school.
It was a great delight to participate in the time capsule ceremony, to watch all the activities, and enjoy the cake ceremony in the airconditioned staffroom afterwards. We heard from the Karama School Choir, which took out Eisteddfod awards, and you could tell why. They are a magnificent choir. The celebrations continued into the evening with the Karama School concert. The master of ceremonies, as usual, was the Vice-Principal, Dee Preston. Dee is a woman of great strength and is a highly entertaining MC.
I had the opportunity to deliver the welcome address at the concert. I acknowledged the great efforts of the current chair of the school council, Helen Gugliotta, and her school council team in organising the 21st birthday celebrations. I also acknowledged that throughout the day and again that evening, the school was blessed with having three principals there: the current principal, Donna Howard, plus past principals, Bob Hale and Henry Gray who, between them, did very lengthy stints at Karama School and remain committed to the school today.
The school is one with which, once you have an association, you carry the association through your life. Representative of that notion is a current and popular teacher at the school, Chontelle Herd. Chontelle is a past student of the school, and it was beautiful to witness Chontelle, with a young school student, unearth the time capsule.
I also want to acknowledge the good work done by Buna Winkler. Buna has been an aide at that school for some 20 years. She works in the preschool section and is a stand-out member of the school community. She is well loved by the hundreds of children who have gone through that preschool. I have witnessed just how much the children gravitate towards Buna. When they are scared, when they are nervous about their first day of school, she is the one they gravitate to and hold on to her arm or her hand. She has a magnificent nature with children. She inspires and encourages them, she gives confidence to parents, she is the epitome of a great role model in that entry level of school. I really want, on behalf of the community, to thank Buna for the 20 years of hard work that she has put into that school community.
The school has had a bit of a facelift this past year, and I acknowledged, during my welcome speech, the hard work of the grounds staff at the school. They have gone to a lot of effort to beautify their garden surrounds. I acknowledged in my speech, as I do in this parliament, the excellent efforts of Noel Long and Jacko in making the school look as though it has had a mighty big facelift. I know a lot of work has gone in by the school to improve its physical appearance. They are about to embark on a painting program, the school has raised some $32 000 towards that program, a magnificent effort, and I congratulate the principal, Donna Howard, and her team for their efforts.
It is a wonderful school. I know they go to great efforts to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes. With some 17 different ethnic groups represented at the school, they certainly have their challenges. They need to have a good density of ratios of teachers and aides because many of the children struggle with English, which is not their first language. The role of ESL teachers is very important at the school, just as the role of our Aboriginal aides are very important at the school, and I acknowledge the work that Marion Peterson does in that respect. She is the AIEW at the school, and has organised a very good team of ATSI dancers who perform and are a great credit to our community. I also acknowledge the expression that the modern dancers have brought to the school, and the confidence that I have seen it give some of the older female students.
Karama is acknowledged as having a terrific football team, winning competitions. The school has that great mix of sport acumen, arts and cultural acumen and, importantly, the education strengths are growing day by day.
I congratulate the school for its 21st birthday. It is a school coming of age in a part of Darwin that I believe is maturing. They have reached the all-important marker of 21 years. They have had trials and tribulations over the years, but I have witnessed a great deal of maturity at the school level and I congratulate all the teachers, staff and students for the effort they put in to making it the very lovely school that it is today.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak on behalf of the Bagot Community and other members of the Bagot Community Health Centre, in regards to Parmas Pillay who, unfortunately, recently passed away. Parmas Pillay was born in the small town of Queenstown in the Republic of South Africa on 29 October 1948. He was the youngest of five children. Apartheid prevented Parmas studying in South Africa, so he went to India. He qualified as a dentist and returned to help the people of the Republic of South Africa by opening a dental practice in the remote town of Ladysmith. Despite losing both his parents at a young age, he was able to complete his education.
He had three children, all boys, who have been successful in attaining higher education. He migrated to Australia on a permanent basis in the early 1990s, and did some voluntary work in Brisbane. His dental qualification was not recognised for registration purposes in Australia. However, he immediately looked for opportunities to use his talents. Like his father in the Republic of South Africa, Parmas had a social desire to assist people who were worse off than himself or who were discriminated against. In the Northern Territory, he found his niche in life and was very comfortable working at the Bagot Community Health Centre.
He obtained his Masters Degree in Health Administration and Tropical Medicine. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and bush walking, all of which he found lacking in the large cities of Australia. He was a keen sportsman and loved cricket, and he was keen on teaching young children the art of the game.
The funeral service was held at the Bagot Community, and Parmas’ family travelled from all parts of the world to attend, from the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and southern regions of Australia. Parmas was, to say the least, a friend of the community members of Bagot and, in particular, the CDEP workers at the health centre. The President of the Health Centre’s is Darryl Cooktown, who often sought advice from Parmas, who was always willing to give it. The most important thing I can say about Parmas was that he was trusted by the people of the Bagot Community and his opinion was respected. His wisdom arose from an understanding of issues that Bagot Community faced every day.
I can honestly say, as the member for Millner, that the Bagot Health Centre is probably the most functional organism in the Bagot Community, and that is in no small measure due to Parmas Pillay. He was of unbelievable assistance to me, as well as to all community members and the community council. I know he was also of assistance to the previous President, Valmena White, the current Vice-President, Natalie Haywood, and all other council and community members.
My first experience of Parmas was as a candidate. I had gone to meet members of the Bagot Health Clinic. In my naivete, I rocked up and walked in and started introducing myself. Parmas had never seen me before, of course, and he took me into an office and asked me a few questions about who I was and what I stood for. Parmas was checking me out; he was seeing if I was a genuine person and whether I really had the interest of the Bagot Community at heart. I think I was able to convince him that I did, but there was no doubt in my mind that if Parmas thought I did not have an interest in assisting Bagot Community, he would have told me so, and he would have had no fear of telling every member of the Bagot Community.
Parmas will be greatly missed by not only his family, particular Praga Pillay, who provided me with this background. I had the opportunity to speak at the funeral service and it was a great honour, as it was for other members of the community and health professionals. Parmas will be sorely missed. His passing is a sad loss for everyone in the Bagot Community, Darwin and the Northern Territory and as a race of human beings. We lost a great man.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity tonight to talk about Down Syndrome Awareness Week, which started this week. Through the local association, I had the pleasure on Saturday of going to Harvey Norman at Berrimah and helping with the sausage sizzle put on by the Down Syndrome Association.
Harvey Norman is a great corporate identity in Darwin these days. They are new additions to the Territory, and we always check out new people and institutions. I am pretty sure that, with the civic responsibility that Harvey Norman is demonstrating in Darwin, they will be here for a long time. They will be held in great esteem by all members of the community. I have been to Harvey Norman a number of times, as have many people, and have seen the sausage sizzle that they encourage local community groups and schools to run. Harvey Norman puts on 250 sausages, 250 buns, sets up the barbecue and the gas and offers it to non-profit organisations. It is a good little earner for them.
I believe that the Down Syndrome Association on the day made over $600. The point is that Harvey Norman open up their hearts to the community and attract many fund raising groups. A great pat on the back has to go to Rick Seymour and to all the staff for the work that they do in supporting and promoting our organisations and our volunteers around the place. Hopefully, this adjournment will reach Harvey Norman corporate headquarters in Sydney. I put on record what a fabulous job the store and the staff are doing here. The staff get in and support the sausage sizzle. As a matter of fact, we sold more sausages to the staff than to customers. The store is kicking along. There were many customers coming through the door, which is good for them and good for the community. So a big pat on the back for Harvey Norman. Let us hope that we can attract more corporate citizens of their ilk to the Top End.
Having said that, I will get back to the Down Syndrome Association. It was a great pleasure to be able to get there and help them out. I was not cooking; I was handling the money. They had an expert cook, and his name was Grant. Barry Griffin, the President, was there. He was working away, as were Paul and Donna Rousham and their daughter, Tahnee, was helping us out with the money. Jenny and Michael Tiernan were there. Jenny was cutting up sausages and she had to tear off to resupply the onions. Her daughters, Lisa and Caitlyn, were helping out, too. It was fabulous. I met Yeo Tan; that is the first time I have met him and he is another great member of the Down Syndrome Association. His daughters are Vanessa and Melissa. I tell you what: those girls could go and start working now. They were really turning it over. As a matter of fact, everyone who was putting in there was fabulous. There was Grant and Robyn, who are the past president and founding members. Other committee members were coming and going – Sue Glasgow, Esther Tan – and some good members of the community who are also involved in the Toy Library, Rachael and John Kroes. They are also involved in the Down Syndrome Association. I can believe that because they are very civic minded. And there was Janet Podsiadly, a committee member of the association.
The association has quiz nights at the Casuarina Club on October 15, 22 and 29 starting at 7.30 pm. Everyone is welcome for a gold coin donation. Dig deep, give two gold coin donations. A matter of fact, give a little piece of paper to them; they do a fantastic job.
The closing function for the week’s events is a fabulous dinner and auction at the MGM on Saturday 18 October. Last year, they had it out at the hangar, I believe, and Qantas were great sponsors of it. They attract a lot of sponsorship, and rightly so. I have worked with people with Down Syndrome many years ago at a place called Coomarie in the ACT. I was the yardman/delivery driver. As the member for Araluen once said: ‘Geez, he was brought up wrong, that bloke. He was doing it hard’. Well, I was. I am not ashamed to have been a yardman or a driver working in a place where you have to get in and physically work hard. That is my background; I do not mind. I do not have to go out and work one day with the poor people to find out what it is like being poor, as the member for Araluen so nicely said to us. I worked there as a yardman and a storeman with people with Down Syndrome. Fabulous times I had there; I used to get out on the road. We would work all day and go out to the corner shop for lunch and then we be back in the afternoon after rounds, unloading the truck, cleaning up, getting away.
I tell you what: if I reckoned I was doing it tough, these people were too. There was no airconditioning, no cooling in the hot Canberra summer. That is pretty rugged, but I had a good time and I look back on the time that I worked with Coomarie, and I had a ball, enjoyed the people I worked with, and I would go back and work there again.
Places like Coomarie that create employment opportunities for people with Down Syndrome are an essential part of our society, and I commend them. I commend the local organisations that also create employment opportunities, not just specialist associations, but places like the Atrium. There are many establishments around town which have work programs to cater for the specific needs of people with Down Syndrome.
I have a few minutes left and I would like to turn my attention now to another great event in the electorate: the Casuarina Junior Football League, AFL. It was a great competition this year once again, and I am proud and pleased to be the Patron of the Casuarina Junior Football League. It is now in its fourth year. We have over 200 kids registered to play, and they all get out there and have a good game on Saturday. AFLNT support it very strongly, but most of the support comes from over 20 parent volunteers who run the league. The league, up to this time, has not attracted any government financial assistance. It is a completely self-funding community group. They deserve a big pat on the back for that. They have a hard-working committee that gets out there promotes the league.
I would particularly like to acknowledge the hard work that President Paul Wyatt does. He has made it known to everyone that this is his last year. As much as we would like to press gang him into working next year, it is only fair that one or another of us step up to the plate. No one will try will to compete with Paul for the work that he has done. Maybe it is a job that has to be spread around the executive. Perhaps that is a way of doing it. However, I am sure that members of the Casuarina Junior Football League will walk up to the plate and deliver the goods for the sake of the league and the kids who play.
As I said, Paul Wyatt was the President, but you cannot get by without team coaches and officials. In particular, the league is made up of six teams. They are the Sanderson Swans, which have Mark Kirby and Peter Clarke coaching and managing the team; the Wanguri Eagles, with Jenny Elliott and Sue Watson - who is also the Treasurer of the CJFL, and what a great job she is doing; the Leanyer Crows, with Shane Dignan and Mick Maloney. Mick’s wife works in Protocol and I see here down there supporting. A fabulous job, Mick does. There is Karama Power, with Craig Pollock and Joanne McDonald, who help get that team on to the paddock every week; the Casuarina Blues, with Adam Walding, Leigh Bujnowski and Gavin Johns; and there are the Johnston Dockers.
Dr Burns: Oh!
Mr KIELY: ‘Oh’, says the member for Johnston. What a great team they are. Glen Stanford and Glen Nicholson are hard working volunteers and committee men who help get that going.
I am pleased to advise the House that the league premiers for the 2003 season CJFL were none other than the Under-10s, the Sanderson Swans; the Under-12s, Sanderson Swans, so they got the double. Congratulations to Sanderson. I am off on Saturday to their presentation, which is at Casuarina Pool. I look forward to that and I look forward to meeting all the mums and dads, players and officials because they do a tremendous job. Sanderson Swans are a proud team. One can never talk enough about the good people of Sanderson, as I am sure my colleagues in this place would attest.
Today we had a ministerial statement from the Sports minister about making sure we get sport going along strongly, and part of junior development is Auskick. There is a chap by the name of Steve Glennon, who is a great man living in Sanderson. He is also known around town; he works at Delta Europcar. He is a great supporter of Auskick and does a fabulous job down there, with a lot of parents getting in there and helping with the young fellas. I am thankful to him. My young fella is in Auskick, and Steve and all the other dads get down and work with the boys to help them go.
A league such as Casuarina Junior Football League cannot exist without sponsors. Because it is such a good community league, there are many sponsors. In the brief time left, I should acknowledge some of them: the Frontier Hotel; Darwin Toy Library, supporters of junior sport in the NT - what a great organisation, whose 25th birthday is coming up soon, by the way; Springfield Butchers at Casuarina who have been supporting the club for a long time. Great sausages they put up, and that is wonderful.
I am just about out of time. I would like to say that it has been a pleasure this year, once again, to be the Patron of the Casuarina Junior Football League and I am happy, if they so desire, to be patron next year.
Mr Mills: I will put a word in for you, mate.
Mr KIELY: I will get a good word from the member for Blain - thank you!
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
ABSENCE OF SPEAKER
The CLERK: I advise honourable members that the Speaker, Honourable Loraine Braham MLA, will be unavoidably absent for the remainder of the sitting week owing to a family bereavement. Pursuant to Standing Order 9, the Deputy Speaker, the member for Nelson, will take the Chair.
MOTION
Deputy Speaker, Powers during absence of Speaker
Deputy Speaker, Powers during absence of Speaker
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Honourable members, I move that during the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker shall on each sitting day take the Chair of the Assembly and may, during such absence, perform the duties and exercise the authority of the Speaker in relation to all proceedings of the Assembly, and proceedings of standing and sessional committees to which the Speaker is appointed.
Motion agreed to.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Madam Speaker
Madam Speaker
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Acting Speaker, I move that leave of absence be granted to the Speaker, Mrs Loraine Braham, for today and the remainder of these sittings on account of a family bereavement.
Motion agreed to.
CONDOLENCE
Mr Graeme Braham
Mr Graeme Braham
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Acting Speaker, I express, on behalf of all members here, our condolences to the Speaker on the very sudden and unexpected death of her husband Graeme. The thoughts of everyone in this parliament, and Territorians, are with Madam Speaker and her family at this time of sadness.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Mr Acting Speaker, I briefly add my comments to those of the Chief Minister and express the sincere condolences of both myself and the CLP parliamentary wing to Madam Speaker and her family over their grievous loss. To lose a partner and a soul mate after more than 40 years together is a devastating event. For it to happen out of the blue, to be so unexpected, only magnifies the trauma.
Loraine left Graeme behind only a week or so ago to come to Darwin for the current sittings, as she has done so many times in the past nine years. There was no reason to believe he would not be there when she returned after the sittings, to listen and advise should she seek his counsel, as she so often did. Graeme drove himself to hospital because he was not feeling well on Friday, and died a few hours later. His sudden death and its impact on Loraine and their family is something none of us will understand unless we, too, suffer such tragic circumstances.
Loraine and Graeme met and married in Victoria more than 40 years ago. As a young couple they set out to find their fortune on the opal fields of Andamooka, but it was not to be and they turned up in Alice Springs in the early 1960s. As Loraine put in it her maiden speech to this parliament back in 1994, they arrived in Alice broke and searching for work. How many Territorians have begun over the years in the same way?
After years away from work while their children, Michelle and Peter, were growing up, Loraine went back to the work force, working her way up through the Education Department, and then embarking on a political career first with Alice Springs Council and then the Legislative Assembly. Throughout her public career, Graeme was there, always in the background and always supportive. In good times and bad he was there with advice, with counsel and, all importantly, support. His public role was limited to manning the polling booths on election days, but his private role was enormous. He was a huge influence and someone Loraine always talked to about decisions she was called on to make.
Her loss is devastating, as it is for Michelle, Peter and Kathy, and grandchildren, Samantha, Leah and Kasey. Michelle and Samantha were here in Darwin for Loraine when the news came through on Friday night. They and the rest of the family will be there for her in the days and years ahead. We, as her parliamentary family, will offer what support we can.
Mr Acting Speaker, such a sudden loss and its effect on one of our parliamentary colleagues puts whatever political differences we may have in their correct context. In the end, it is family that is important. On behalf of my colleagues, let me say again that we grieve for our parliamentary colleague at this time, and we extend our sympathy to Madam Speaker and her family.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I concur with what the Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition have said, and convey my sympathy to the Speaker and her family on the tragic and untimely death of Graeme.
Much is said in this parliament that can put us at odds with one another, but in times of sorrow and grief, we should reflect on the fragility and shortness of our lives on this earth, which may help put into perspective how unimportant our political differences are, and how much more important are our relationships with one another as human beings.
I will ask the Clerk to convey to the Speaker our thoughts and tell her that we remember her in our prayers during this time of great sadness for herself and her family, and for her Electorate Officer, Robyn.
Members: Hear, hear!
VISITORS
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I draw attention of honourable members to the presence in the gallery of Year 6 and 7 students from Nakara Primary School accompanied by their teacher Mr Gaetano Gugliotta. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors.
Members: Hear, hear!
RESPONSES TO PETITIONS
The CLERK: Mr Acting Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that a response to petition No 36 has been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the response will be included in the Hansard record.
- Petition No 36
Development proposal for 24 units on Trower Rd, Tiwi
Date Presented: 19 June 2003
Presented by: Mr Vatskalis
Referred to: Minister for Lands & Planning (Vatskalis)
Date response due: 15 October 2003
Date response received: 9 October 2003
Date response presented: 14 October 2003
On 6 June 2003 the Development Consent Authority granted consent to the application to develop Lot 9665,
Town of Nightcliff for 24 x 2 bedroom flats in 4 storeys. The land is zoned R3 (Residential 3) and flats require
consent in that zone under the NT Planning Scheme Development Provisions (Darwin Town Plan 1990).
The proposed flats will be appropriately setback from the Undoolya Street and Trower Road frontages to be
consistent with other buildings in these streets.
The proposed flats will be appropriately setback from the side boundaries so as to minimise overlooking onto
adjoining properties. A variation to the side building setbacks, which results in an encroachment of only
0.8 meters, was granted in the approval. Small balconies facing the site boundaries will be screened by
metal louvres to prevent overlooking.
The provisions of the Planning Scheme do not protect the views of adjoining properties.
The application originally included one-way entry from Undoolya Street and exit only onto Trower Road but
this was amended to entry and exit from Undoolya Street upon advice from the Darwin City Council.
The Power and Water Corporation advised the Development Consent Authority that sewerage reticulation is
available and the property is currently services. Power and Water also advised that any upgrading of the
existing services will be at the developer’s expense.
The application complies with the residential density requirements of the NT Planning Scheme and the proposed
height is consistent with the objective of the R3 zone.
The Development Consent Authority in the assessment of the development application did not consider
the under-development of adjoining land in the R3 zone.
Under the requirements of the Planning Act the Development Consent Authority had no basis on which to
reject the development application.
Residents in the area had strong objections to the development, on the grounds that the proposal was an over
development of the site, was completely out of keeping with surrounding low density development and would
badly affect the residential amenity of the suburb.
I met with resident representatives to listen to their concerns, and have a lot of sympathy for their position.
I wrote to the Lord Mayor of Darwin Mr Peter Adamson in July, asking Council to reconsider its position with
regard to traffic arrangements for the development. Having all traffic from the flats enter and exit on Undoolya
Street, a narrow local street, does not seem like a sensible arrangement to me.
I have had no response from Council.
I understand, however, from informal conversations with some aldermen, that Council may be considering some
treatment of Undoolya Street to alleviate potential traffic problems. I have not had this confirmed.
A group of local residents have recently submitted a rezoning application, to down-zone this and neighbouring blocks
from R3 to R2. This would not affect current developments, but would have the effect of limiting development on
one remaining parcel of land, and of limiting any future redevelopment to two storeys.
While I cannot pre-empt a decision I will make on this, I have decided that the proposal has sufficient merit to
warrant exhibition. The proposal will be advertised on Friday 17 October, and I have advised affected landowners.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
ICT Innovation in Remote Areas
ICT Innovation in Remote Areas
Dr TOYNE (Communications): Mr Acting Speaker, today, I want to answer the question of what Singapore, Yuendumu, Kalkarindji and Lajamanu have in common. One might think it is the downtown district, the bright lights, the wonderful accommodation but, in fact, what they have in common is that they are critically important to the development of our ICT industry in the Northern Territory.
Next week I will be taking a contingent of ICT industry members to visit Lajamanu, Kalkarindji and Yuendumu. These industry members will see first-hand what is needed in communities where ICT applications will have an impact once they start developing them.
There are two main aims of the trip: first, to build an ICT industry development by making the introductions that I hope will create partnerships between the ICT industry and community organisations; and second, this trip will provide exposure to a variety of community based organisations that are currently using ICT and whose business or service delivery would benefit from the use of ICT.
The ICT industry has identified over the past year through visits to the two CeBIT fairs in Germany and Sydney that one of the strengths of the industry lies in the development of digital content and remote area solutions, so remote communities are a logical place to start in the search for those solutions.
Over two days the contingent will visit health clinics and schools. They will attend bilingual production units, the media associations, community councils and other organisations within these communities to identify where their products and applications could add value. In the Territory, we have two valuable commodities. We have a motivated, inventive and intelligent ICT industry sector and we have experienced, innovative and knowledgable people living in remote areas. I am excited to bring these two groups together and hope that we see an explosion of ideas and innovations.
I would like to see the industry gain an increased understanding of what communities need and how they can provide it. I would like to see communities realise that improved ICT can do wonders for them in meeting their needs, including government service delivery and enterprise support. It can assist their education, their record keeping, their flow of information and general transactions.
The government has been working steadily to develop our ICT industry and improve the uptake and use of ICT in the remote area service delivery areas. We continue to encourage the development of content and materials for use on-line and to support remote area infrastructure development. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I am pleased to see the interest in this bush trip which will follow on from the extremely productive discussions we had in Singapore. I can report that some of the major corporations in Singapore are very keen to join in with our local industry, communities and government to pursue these joint venture developments, which have an enormous potential to impact on our export market entry.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Acting Speaker, I commend the minister for, at long last, seeing the horizon from his 5th floor office, that he understands that remote area communications is about using all the technology that is available and exposing it not only in the Territory, but overseas.
The digital divide is a very important issue. The digital divide is becoming more and more prominent as people with less access to technology cannot access the things that we use as everyday tools in our work. To see that the ICT people in the Territory are interested in our bush communities is good, and I commend the minister for such an innovative idea. It is well worth supporting and you will have no complaints from the opposition if this comes through with lots of positive outcomes for our bush communities.
Look at Aboriginal children who deal with computers through a non-language interface. They have been able to attune to the concept of accessing information through images with such enthusiasm, and through their approach, they have started to understand that: ‘Hey! I need to learn to read. Literacy becomes an important thing for me and now I must improve my literacy to enhance the interaction I can have with technology’. School children here in the gallery would understand that. Sometimes they look at a computer screen and say: ‘I don’t understand this. I need to improve some other skills before I can benefit from the web site that I am looking at.’ This is what Aboriginal kids in our remote communities have suddenly taken to, like ducks to water. It is terrific.
Dr TOYNE (Communications): Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for his very qualified and grudging support. If he does not own an Akubra hat, don’t bother buying one because even if you went out bush, you would never understand the place.
October Business Month
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Speaker, earlier this month I had the pleasure of launching October Business Month in Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin. Each year, my Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development conducts this event, a month-long program providing business people with the opportunity to develop their training and development needs to maximise business growth and job opportunities, and I personally try to get to as many of the regional centres as possible during October Business Month.
In response to the needs identified by Territory businesses, OBM 2003 is focussed on specific business essentials. The key areas of marketing, finance, human resources and e-business continue to be covered and have formed the framework for this year’s calendar of events. I advise honourable members that these themes are not selected by departmental staff or by myself as minister; they directly come from feedback post-October Business Month each year, and contacts my department has with business during the course of the year in the areas that business would like to see covered in October Business Month.
A number of keynote speakers who specialise in these areas have been secured to deliver presentations at a number of events across the Northern Territory. These speakers are Debbie Mayo-Smith, an international e-mail and Internet marketing guru who once worked as a market analyst on Wall Street. More and more, it is important for business to have an on-line presence. Earlier this year, government commissioned Sensis, the previous Yellow Pages, to conduct a survey and report on the take-up of e-business by our small business sector. I am pleased to say that report showed that Territory businesses are well represented and up there compared to other states with on-line presence. That was a very important report and one that has been circulated to the ICT community.
Already 100 people have registered for today’s lunch time presentation in Darwin: ‘Cheap, Easy and Effective Marketing Strategies to Sky Rocket Your Business’.
Peter Cox is a consultant with Macquarie Advisory Partnership and is an advisor to some of Australia’s leading organisations.
Ross Honeywill is, of all things, a social ecologist focussed on the future of business and is an internationally recognised authority on consumer behaviour and the impact of a rapidly changing social fabric on the future of business. Understanding consumer behaviour and motivations for purchasing is something that the business community is keen to hear about. Ross was the keynote speaker at the Katherine launch last Monday, which I attended. There were over 70 attendees on a Monday night in Katherine. It was a great turnout.
Participants will have the chance to hear former Territorian, Corrina Herbert, 2002 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Peel region in Western Australia, and winner of Western Australia’s Young Business Woman of the Year, and will join our Territory finalists in the 2003 Telstra Women’s Business Awards later this month. Corinna is a successful businesswoman and advocate for small and home-based businesses, and will encourage all home-based business operators with her presentation, ‘The Secrets of My Success’. Home-based business is the fastest growth sector of business nationally. ICT technology has opened up massive opportunities not only for urban businesses, but also for rural businesses that my colleague, the ICT minister, touched on earlier.
Again, government has funded the Business Enterprise Centre, run by Jack Hughes, to commission a consultancy on home-based business in the Northern Territory for the first time to try and get a real picture in the Territory of what is happening in that area and to develop strategies to assist more people to start up home-based businesses.
Not to forget October Business Month special keynote speaker, Mr Allan Pease, who drew record crowds to the official launches in Alice of over 150 people and, in Darwin, over 330 people. World renowned author of Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps, Allan Pease delivered an entertaining view of communication techniques to assist business people do business from around the meeting table to negotiating business deals. I acknowledge that the opposition member for Greatorex was there. It was a very informative speech.
I would like to congratulate Lyn White, NT Telstra Businesswoman of the Year 2003, and winner of the Westpac Group Business Owner Award. Lyn is the director of Jalyn Pty Ltd, and takes over the reins from the 2002 winner, Julie Newton, so Katherine businesswomen are going great guns. Congratulations to those people.
To our gold sponsor, Sensis, and silver sponsor, Original IT, a local Territory business, thank you, and a special thank you to my departmental staff in all of the regions who pull out all stops for October Business Month. They do a great job, above and beyond the call of duty, working after hours. My thanks to all those who produce a great calendar every year.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Mr Acting Speaker, It was good to that the government is carrying on some of the things put in place by the previous government, and that includes October Business Month, a great initiative.
However, let me point out issues at the forefront of businesses in the Northern Territory. They are upset that own-source taxation from this government is up. They are upset that population is down. They are upset that jobs are down. They are upset that unemployment is up. They are upset that Commonwealth money coming to this government is up by some hundreds of millions of dollars is not flowing through the community. They are upset that business confidence is down. They are upset that horticulture and tourism is down. They are upset that this government has cut primary industries, mining and tourism – all job generators – in this budget. That is what they are upset about.
It is a very good thing to have October Business Month. This government is also a business, and they are in the business of spending money - millions and millions of dollars of it. They have to great cracking with some of the stuff that was talked about in today’s NT News. They have to realise that these are not aberrant statistics. It is no good for the Deputy Chief Minister to come out and say: ‘ABS have it wrong; we have only lost a couple of thousand jobs. We have not lost 8000. We have lost a couple of thousand’. We have lost thousands of jobs. There are businesses closing down, up and down these streets, right out the front of Parliament House.
October Business Month – great. But let us concentrate on creating some jobs in this place. Let us concentrate on doing the business that government used to do well. Before the Business minister gets up and says: ‘Well, the opposition always knock matters to do with business’ - no, we do not. We are saying if you want to emulate the things that were done by the CLP, pick a couple of others, like job growth.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): In responding to the shadow spokesperson, what the business community is sick of is the whingeing, whining and carping of the opposition, and talking business down in the Northern Territory.
The statistics show that we are coming off a long period that started when they were in government. If we go back to the 2000-01 financial year, there was 0% growth in the economy; an economy that was going out of the door backwards. We now have economic growth forecasters consistently saying that economic growth is up in the Northern Territory. It is forecast to be ahead of the national average. We have massive projects coming on line.
Mr Dunham: Not we. The Commonwealth and the business sector. Not the government.
Mr HENDERSON: You see, again the member for Drysdale says the government is all things to business. Yes, we are driving the economy, but we are seeing massive private investment. We see residential and commercial building activity up, private investment. We are working, we are driving business, and they are sick of hearing the opposition talking business down.
Soccer – Future of the Sport
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Mr Acting Speaker, yesterday I met with Northern Territory soccer stakeholders and articulated a comprehensive blueprint to regenerate and progress soccer in the Northern Territory.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Northern Territory Soccer Federation, Darwin and Districts Junior Soccer Association, the Darwin Premier Soccer League, Territory Amateur Soccer League, Women’s Soccer, the Referees Association, and regional representatives of soccer in Nhulunbuy, Borroloola, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. I am pleased to inform the House that the representatives of the soccer community at yesterday’s meeting endorsed the government’s three-point plan to regenerate and progress the development of soccer in the Northern Territory.
The first point is funding for an independent review of the development of soccer in the Northern Territory. The Australian Sports Commission strongly supports such a review in line with the Crawford Review.
An independent three-person review committee has been appointed, and the members are: Mr Iain Summers, Chair, a chartered accountant and former Northern Territory Auditor-General. The second person is Ms Kate Costello, who is a lawyer, a former academic, and member of the independent national review into soccer. She was on the Crawford Review. The third person is Mr Roger Bottrall, who is the Director of Planning and Infrastructure Services at the Alice Springs Town Council and has extensive experience in the Central Australian region.
The terms of reference are to:
examine the current status of soccer in the Northern Territory;
future development of soccer in the Northern Territory in line with the intent of the Australian Soccer
Association Ltd;
stakeholders; and
In addition, the review will recommend specific strategies to develop and improve competitions and pathways for juniors, women and girls, and regional participants.
The review team will consult with all stakeholders including administrators, players, parents, local government, sponsors, and the Australian Soccer Association Ltd. It is expected that a draft report shall be prepared by early February 2004, with a final report by the end of February 2004.
The second point is funding of $500 000 in 2003–04 for a grants program to upgrade facilities used by junior soccer competitions throughout the Northern Territory. These facilities should also allow use by other junior sporting codes. This commitment recognises that junior soccer is played on local government or school facilities as primary venues throughout the Northern Territory in line with junior soccer practices Australia-wide.
The funding round will open in November 2003, and close in February 2004. Funds will be available to successful applicants in May 2004, with all projects completed, milestones reported against, and funds acquitted by 30 June 2005. Applicants are encouraged to source other cash or in-kind support from local organisations, councils and private companies to maximise the benefit of individual grants. Applications will also be encouraged where the improvements can be used by a range of other junior sports.
The third point sees planning commenced for the development of a dedicated government-owned two pitch soccer facility at the Marrara Sporting precinct. Planning will commence immediately for such a facility on the land adjacent to the corner of Henry Wrigley Drive and McMillans Road. The planned facility will be similar to that in place by other sports at Marrara, in that it will have a main pitch or oval with grandstand and amenities, with a secondary or No 2 pitch next door. Such a facility would be appropriate for the playing of A grade and representative fixtures.
The development of this facility will be contingent upon the accepted recommendations of the review being implemented by soccer authorities in the Northern Territory.
I am sure that members will all agree that today’s announcement is an exciting development regarding the future of soccer in the Northern Territory. I look forward to working with the soccer community to progress their future throughout the Northern Territory.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Acting Speaker, of course this announcement is welcomed by the opposition and will of course receive bipartisan support.
In the game of soccer, it seems that a lot of activity occurs before a goal is scored. I would have to say that a certain amount of activity has been in play for some time, even before this administration took office. Ultimately, a goal has been scored with the announcement the minister announced today. It is not a score registered to the CLP account, nor to the ALP account, but a goal for the sport of soccer in the Northern Territory.
I pledge my support and the support of the opposition for today’s announcement. I am particularly impressed by the structure of this review. We are speaking of the review, but we are also speaking of the facility that will be built, which is contingent upon the review.
We really must ensure - granted we do have quality leadership in that review team - that the governance aspects of soccer are completely, honestly and seriously addressed, and the recommendations are robust enough that the minister and this government ensures they are fully adhered to and complied with before we go to the next stage, because we can hold out hope for a great facility and speak lightly of the recommendations that may be contained within this review. That is the important aspect of this.
Finally, I thank you, minister, and officers of your office for the briefings that I received. More importantly, I am very pleased to see Zico Ilic yesterday on the news give his support. My thanks to the NT Soccer Federation for their support.
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Mr Acting Speaker, I welcome the bipartisan support by the shadow spokesperson for Sport and Recreation.
Yes, certainly, the summit meeting was told yesterday that we can begin the design and documentation, and we will do that. However, our government’s position was made very clear: the recommendations have to be implemented and that is conditional on us moving forward to commit ourselves to having the infrastructure put in place. That is something about which I want to talk to my colleague, Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, because we are mindful of the Arafura Games 2005, and it would be great if we could have that in place.
Royal Brunei Airlines – Increased Service to Darwin
Dr BURNS (Tourism): Mr Acting Speaker, I inform the House of details of the newly extended Royal Brunei Airlines services due to commence in a fortnight’s time, on 28 October.
This is an exciting development and will provide a further incremental boost to international aviation capacity into and out of Darwin but, more importantly, it will provide a direct and convenient route to Darwin from Europe through Brunei. I am informed that on the Tuesday service, for people flying direct from London to Brunei, there will be a just over a one hour stopover in Brunei, then they jump on the plane, Brunei to Darwin.
The new schedule will increase Royal Brunei’s services into Darwin from two to three services a week. This will offer a shorter stopover time in Brunei, as I just said, and this will benefit both inbound and outbound Darwin travellers.
The new service will be provided by an airbus A39-E, which has a seating capacity of about 120 and is used primarily on medium-haul flights. It is recognised as one of the most technologically advanced aircraft operating on commercial passenger routes in the world today. Not only will this new service provide more convenient connections in to the European markets, but will also provide expanded options for marketing the Northern Territory in to developing Asian markets.
The move by Royal Brunei to increase services to the Territory clearly indicates that they recognise that a business opportunity exists here. As the services grow, so, too, will the aviation market, attracting, in turn, other airlines to Territory routes.
The recent highly successful charter flights to Central Australia from Japan are another example of clever niche marketing. With another set of these charter flights scheduled for November this year, Central Australia’s tourism industry will be given another welcome boost. We know from the first set of these flights that these visitors have very high personal expenditure rates indeed.
The Martin government recognises the critical importance of international aviation capacity into the Territory. With a greater reliance on international tourism than most other Australian states and territories, the Territory has taken some serious hits as a result of the global downturn in international travel over the past two years. However, with positive figures starting to come in about recovery in this critical sector, I am confident that the initiatives I have outlined today form a basis for a strong comeback for Territory tourism.
The Labor government will continue to present formal business cases to a number of international airlines, including Silk Air and Malaysian Airlines, making the case for the extension of services to the Territory market. This work, together with ongoing negotiations with Qantas and Australian Airlines to implement additional international services into the Northern Territory show just how committed we are to building tourism capacity in the Territory.
More needs to be done, but the Territory’s tourism sector can be confident that as the recovery continues, the Martin government will be taking every opportunity that comes along to promote our unforgettable Territory tourism experiences to the rest of the world.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Speaker, of course the opposition and, indeed, all Territorians, welcome the charter flights into Central Australia and Royal Brunei increasing flights into the Territory. I am aware that that has been discussed for some time and, naturally, we all welcome it.
However, the Tourism Minister, as usual, spoke about clever niche marketing, positive figures and expanding options for marketing. The Tourism Minister says one thing but, in fact, does another. There are not positive figures for the tourism industry in the Northern Territory. There are a number of indicators which, even read by themselves but certainly taken together, do not paint a good picture. One is ABS figures released yesterday; the Northern Territory down 30% in visitors who indicated where they spent most time.
Tourism Top End figures - there is a graph - have reduced by 50% for January to August 2002 compared with January to August 2003. The NTTC, in a presentation to Alice Springs some weeks ago, provided figures on an overhead projector. Amongst the figures, one was international holiday expenditure down 17.6%. There are 20 000 visitors fewer in Katherine for January to September this year than the preceding year, a loss of $6.3m.
Things are not good on any objective analysis in the tourism industry in the Northern Territory. What the industry is calling for - and the minister knows they are calling for it because they are telling me – is they want more money, they want an injection of cash so that the wonderful qualities that the Northern Territory has to offer can be promoted and marketed overseas. We ask: minister, when will you do it?
Dr BURNS (Tourism): Mr Acting Speaker, I welcome the positive aspects of what the member opposite said, but let us get back to these figures, the ABS figures that have been often quoted.
These figures, from any reading of the way they are defined, are very open-ended figures and are open to a range of interpretations. What the member opposite is not saying is that the ABS, in a footnote specifically about the Northern Territory, acknowledged that, in the past, there have been difficulties with the accuracy of those figures as they pertain to the Northern Territory.
Regarding the door counter at Tourism Top End, they themselves do not claim that this is a measure of tourism numbers coming into Darwin and, in fact, the Northern Territory Tourism Monitor, soon to be released, will show a 4% increase over financial year to financial year in holiday visitors who stayed in commercial accommodation in Darwin.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
MOTION
Note Statement - Indigenous Education
Note Statement - Indigenous Education
Continued from 19 August 2003.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Speaker, I want to briefly talk about indigenous education. Before I start, I wish to make a couple of points in relation to the ministerial statement itself.
I was under the impression it was the order of this government that legislation came on before ministerial statements in this House as a general rule, because of the importance of legislation before this House. In fact, the Chief Minister herself has said in this House that the order of business shall always be legislation - if memory serves me correctly - before ministerial statements. Now we find ourselves talking about ministerial statements when I am aware that there are items on the Notice Paper dealing with legislation in the pipeline for today’s business. I am curious as to why there is a departure from the priorities of this House under this government.
The second point I wish to make in relation to ministerial statements is that, under the former government, when a ministerial statement as a general rule was laid on the Table, it was debated out fully and completely at the time that the minister deemed it was to be topical.
It is certainly the business of government on how this House operates and what comes up on the agenda, but it is something about which I would urge the government to be mindful; that when they say we are going to go down this path, they stick to it. When the minister brings important statements like indigenous education before this House, the minister should allow the matter to be debated out on the day, completely and thoroughly. I am certain that the minister can come back and say: ‘This gives you more chance to prepare’, and such things.
Things shift around on the Notice Paper and, as a consequence of that, we are never entirely sure what items are coming up. However, the point has been made and I would ask the government to turn their attention to it, and at least think about how they proceed through the Notice Paper from time to time.
This is not the first time indigenous education has been spoken about in this House, and it will not be last time. As a general statement, I congratulate the minister on the steps that he is taking in relation to the ministerial statement. However, I also very much look forward to the day that a ministerial statement entitled Indigenous Education will become as much an anathema as a ministerial statement on red-headed people’s education, or education for people over six feet tall. It is a sad fact of life, as it currently stands - and this is certainly recognised everywhere - that outcomes for indigenous people generally are much poorer than the rest of the community. Those of us who know and travel into indigenous communities from time to time see evidence of that on a regular basis.
It makes me sad when I go into these communities and see teachers in schools where attendance records are not particularly good, to see the outcomes of that because I know that the down- the-line effect is profound and does nothing to address all of the other social problems that we see in our communities.
One of the things that I have always maintained in relation to Aboriginal health, education and employment is that they are all pillars that should hold up a roof, and they cannot act independently of each other. To talk about indigenous education in isolation, without casting a wider net - I understand where it comes from regarding the minister’s position; he is, at the end of the day, the minister for Education. However, the general feeling I have is that it still tends to be this isolationist approach.
I notice from the minister’s statement that he does start to cast a wider net in several places and draws in knowledge and skills of organisations such as the Northern Land Council. I read into that as well, hopefully, the Central Land Council where appropriate in Central Australia. There is a very important role for the land councils to play in education, not only in their ability to deliver, but to create an environment in which education makes sense.
I have said in this House before that education needs an environment for it to make contextual sense. I once had a teacher in my electorate say to me that he may as well place a Picasso on a wall in his classroom and say to the kids: ‘Study that’. What he was actually driving at was that he goes into a classroom and teaches children numeracy and literacy as best he can in those circumstances, but then those kids leave the classroom, go into an environment in which that numeracy and literacy seems to make very little sense.
I am certain that many members in this House would have studied quadratic equations when they were in high school. I had to study them, but I would not recognise one at the moment, because I would not have a clue; I cannot remember what they look like. The important thing is that the education received needs to be used. If it is not used, if it does not find an environment to have a context, then it is an abstraction. This is the problem: once you leave a primary school in some of these communities, you go back into a community where the parents do not really rely on reading and writing a great deal, if you go to the shop you hand over a note and you get some coins and some notes back or you are told it is not enough and, if you go to the local health clinic to fill out a form, the form is generally filled out for you. Where, in the environment that these kids move into, is there a situation where that education makes sense?
The same is true, to a degree, for health. We also talk about the importance of health in our community, but it is an interesting point to ask the question: why is health important? Health is important to you and I because we need our health to go about our daily business, and to be able to be effective workers in our environment. The truth of the matter is that if you do not hold down a job and have no real reason to be healthy, why would you be healthy? Why would you engage in behaviour that would make you healthy. If you are idle and unhealthy or idle and healthy, you are still idle at the end of the day. The reason I mention this at such length is because there needs to be something to use the education for when you come out of the education process.
I urge the education processes to create practical educational outcomes - the minister certainly seems to be indicating that in his statement - because Mt Liebig would probably need a plumber or a carpenter before it needs a doctor of philosophy. I sense that that seems to be the thrust of the minister’s statement, and I applaud and welcome that.
This is the reason I say that the land councils have an important role, because I would urge the land councils to look at the environment out there and start asking themselves questions: ‘How can our country make the land work for the people who live there?’, as it has always done. Even prior to the arrival of Europeans, the land provided for the people who live there. I am arguing that there should be an extension of that philosophy. I am not suggesting for one second that they go back to traditional forms of income, but what I am suggesting is that the land can continue to provide for people.
It is within the contemplation of many traditional people that land does provide for Aboriginal people into the future, as is the case in the United States with a lot of land handed back - or those bits of land that have been handed back - to the traditional people who lived in the United States. Some of those folk have now slotted very well into the general economic environment, and find themselves able to generate wealth and jobs for themselves off that land, and they do so very effectively. The most common example that I see on television is the indigenous nation in America which actually has casinos set up on its land which is making huge amounts of wealth for its people.
I am not suggesting that Mt Liebig go out and buy a casino, but what I am suggesting is that they look at the country around and the people who live there and say: ‘How can we create jobs so that education, when it is delivered, makes sense?’ It is a logical progression. The reason that we go through an education system is so that we come out the other end and get a job. Those jobs have to be there in the first place, otherwise having the education is not going to do you a great deal of good.
What I urge the government to do - and I know that they are doing it, but continue to do - is to suggest, implore, plead with the land councils to look at a more commercial approach to traditional lands. We are starting to see signs of that. A great project is coming on line in the Finke area. I know that there are great projects in the Ti Tree area, but I hope to see much more of that sort of development occur because the technology by which to make these developments possible is out there. I have seen it overseas, as well as here in Australia, and I can see a day when Aboriginal land could create more wealth and could employ Aboriginal people. Now, how good would that be?
There are a couple of other issues that I wish to touch on. I mentioned the last time we spoke about indigenous education in this House the need to link or get kids into school, and to make parents responsible. The last time that I suggested this, I believe that the author of the Learning Lessons report, Bob Collins, was in the public gallery. I suggested that we should find a way in which to link child endowment to school attendance.
I continue to hold that belief simply because we, as an institution or a state, I suppose, should propose these ideas - and I am not just talking about indigenous people; I am talking across the board - to apply pressure to get kids to school. If we feel that we have a responsibility as a parliament to intervene from time to time in the welfare of children, then we should seriously consider linking child endowment - and I realise it comes through a federal department - with school attendance. It is incumbent upon us to try to ensure that kids have every opportunity to get an education and, if that means putting pressure on the parents, then let us put pressure on the parents. I have no major problem with that. If the way to do that is by linking child endowment payments to attendance at school, then let us do that. If we do not take steps and put a little pressure on parents through these sorts of processes, at the end of the day, we are not going to get these kids into school. Who are the losers? Not the parents. It is the kids themselves. Ultimately, if there are too many kids who fall through the cracks, the penalty will be paid by us all.
I turn my attention to a few other areas in relation to indigenous education. I wish to note from the Auditor-General’s Report of October 2003 some comments that he has made - and the minister needs to be made aware of these issues - in relation to the Batchelor Institute. There were a couple of key findings. One is, interestingly, a payment of $421 000 which was the result of a resource agreement with the Department of Employment, Education and Training, where money was paid to the institute to run certain courses which apparently were not run. There is an outstanding amount of $421 000. I urge the minister to re-visit this and take it up with the Batchelor Institute and urge them to run the courses.
If the courses have not been run, it is all very good for the money to go back and forth between departments and bureaucracies but, at the end of the day, I want to see the courses run so there is absolutely every opportunity given to make sure that Aboriginal kids as well as all other Territorians have a bite of the cherry so that they can enjoy part of the common wealth - little ‘c’, little ‘w’ - of the Northern Territory, and that common wealth is going to be shared amongst the citizens of the future, as it is shared out amongst the citizens of today. Those people without education are going to be on the receiving end of less than those with. So I urge the minister to visit that and find a way for those courses to be run.
A little note of concern out of the Auditor-General’s report in relation to the Batchelor Institute is that there is a need to run risk assessments. It was identified three years ago that these assessments needed to be done, and eight internal audits had to be conducted. To date, only two of those internal audits have been conducted in the Batchelor Institute, and I am concerned that the auditing system may not be living up to expectations. Whether you like it or not, these institutions and bureaucracies need to be audited and checked on how they are delivering services, not for the convenience of the bureaucracy, but to make sure that the outcomes are reaching the people down at the grassroots level - the customers, if you like, of these institutions.
From time to time, there is a sense that the inconvenience of the auditor doing the research gets in the way of service delivery. I hope that is not the case in this instance, but I would hope that the institute takes its job very seriously and revisits this aspect of their service delivery.
I wish to touch on one other subject in relation to the matter of indigenous education. I urge the minister to avoid the temptation that is out there, from time to time, to push indigenous people through in some fashion where they gain a qualification that is not reflected in the general community in the standard required for that education. The reason I say that is not because I am agin the idea per se, but I am terrified that if you have many indigenous people going through an educational system, like a normal university course or whatever, and they come out with a bit of paper and there is a reputation in the community for indigenous people receiving qualifications of a lower or revised standard. I am terrified on behalf of those indigenous people who end up sitting in front of potential employers with their legitimately earned qualifications being knocked back on the grounds that the employer is sitting there saying: ‘Oh, yes, it is an Aboriginal person with a qualification.’
I expect that qualifications attained by indigenous people reflect the general community. The reason I say that is to protect the integrity of indigenous education rather than to reflect upon it. It is a vitally important issue that the integrity of indigenous education be maintained for the sake of those people who are the customers of it and, at the end of the day, for the employers who have to rely upon it.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Speaker, before I begin my contribution to my colleague’s indigenous education statement, I pick up on the issues raised by the member for Macdonnell about the order of business in the House and legislation not being before this parliament today.
As government, it is our job to prioritise the business for this House. There has been a massive amount of legislation come before this parliament in the first two years of government. I remember on quite a number of occasions during my two years in opposition when we did not have legislation on a particular day for all sorts of reasons, including scheduling bottlenecks that occur in Parliamentary Counsel at particular times. So, it is not unheralded. I can assure the honourable member that our legislative reform program is well on track and we will be debating a lot of legislation in this parliament over the remainder of our term.
In respect of statements being adjourned back on to the Notice Paper, again, I accept his comments that the previous government did not do that. Well, just because the previous government did not do that does not mean to say that we have a different view of how debates can be progressed in this parliament. It is certainly standard in other Westminster parliaments for statements to be adjourned, and the reason why statements are adjourned on occasions - particularly very important statements like this one on indigenous education and the statement on the O’Sullivan review that I brought before this House - is that many members may want to speak on a particular statement.
The protocol is – and it is just a protocol - that government circulates a ministerial statement the night before to honourable members, who receive that statement at 6 pm or 7 pm, and people prepare a response. I would have thought the opportunity for members who have a very specific interest in a topic may want more time to prepare to a response. I believe it is good practice to adjourn statements back on to the Notice Paper where they are very important. There can be none as important as this statement on indigenous education.
I commend my colleague, the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, for presenting his second statement on indigenous education before this parliament for debate. Most members on our side of the House want to contribute to it because the issue of indigenous education is a crucial issue for the Northern Territory, for this government, and for our economy. I would like to couch my comments on this statement in terms of how important improved outcomes in indigenous education are going to be for the economic development of the Northern Territory over many years. I see this as being one of the key strategic areas that needs a lot of work.
I refer members to the first of three forums that our government has committed to hosting, being the Indigenous Economic Forum we hosted in March of this year in Alice Springs, the first time such a forum has been held by government to look, in partnership with indigenous people in the Northern Territory, at how we can develop economies and enterprise on Aboriginal land involving Aboriginal people. I was very pleased to be present for the entire two days of that forum. I urge honourable members to access the papers presented to that forum from the government web site.
I would like to speak to a paper today in my response that was presented by Dr John Taylor and Dr Yohannes Kinfu from the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the ANU in Canberra, entitled Indigenous Economic Futures in the Northern Territory: the Socio and Economic Background. Going to the key findings in what is quite a scary document regarding the profile of Aboriginal people in our economy, but the last dot point in the key findings states:
- The Northern Territory has a serious economic development problem. Around one-fifth of its resident adult
population remains impoverished, structurally detached from the labour market and ill-equipped to engage it.
That is a key structural problem in our economy that we neglect at our peril. That is why a very driven focus on indigenous education is so important. I acknowledge the member for Macdonnell’s well-intended comments. It is a bit of the chicken and the egg but, at the end of the day, Aboriginal people will not be able to participate in the economy, in any economy, unless they have an education that allows them to compete on merit for the jobs that are available and be able to produce in those jobs. That is why indigenous education is so very important.
I will quote some of the statistics that really go to the heart of what a massive problem we have inherited in the Northern Territory:
- Indigenous share of Territory income has declined, while the gap in personal income levels has widened.
The indigenous labour force participation rate has fallen to less than 40%.
Half of indigenous income is now from welfare. This rises to 66% if CDEP income is included.
Indigenous unemployment has dropped from 18% to 14% of the labour force, but if CDEP is counted as
unemployment then it rises from 53% to 57% of the labour force.
Indigenous people …
Obviously, the statistics in the document are from 2001 ABS statistics, so they are a bit out of date:
- … account for 25% of all adults in the Territory …
We know it is higher than that:
- … but the indigenous share of total income is only 11%.
- … indigenous share of income from employment, excluding CDEP …
- … is only 4%.
Only 4% of employment income in the Northern Territory, excluding CDEP, is actually generated from and with nearly 30% of our population. That is an extraordinary figure and goes to show the depth of the problem we have inherited in government.
- Participation in the labour market is constrained by predominantly non-urban location, continuing low
literacy and numeracy outcomes, low levels of post-secondary qualification, high levels of ill health.
- 40% of indigenous males reaching work force age will die before reaching retirement age.
- Working age numbers expanding and current rate of job growth is insufficient to maintain the employment rate
at its low level of 33%, including CDEP.
And here is the challenge:
- To achieve an employment rate equivalent to other Territorians would require the creation of an extra 2000 indigenous
jobs, inclusive of CDEP, each year for the next decade.
The structural problems that we have amongst the 30% of our population who own 50% of the land mass in the Northern Territory are absolutely massive. That problem is only going to get worse without a focussed effort from this government, and succeeding governments of whatever persuasion, to have specific targeted strategies in lifting education levels among Aboriginal people. It is not something that can be done from the mainstream. We have to have programs, targets, we have to be focussed. That is the essence of the Education minister’s statement to this House. I urge all members to get behind the government and what we are trying to do here.
My colleague stated that indigenous students make up nearly 4% of our student population. My colleague stated:
- I have made it clear that indigenous education is everybody’s business and there must be a sustained focus
on improved outcomes.
That is the message that has been delivered and is indicative of the leadership role that the minister has taken in that the core focus of everyone should be indigenous education. It is so important in urban, regional and remote settings for indigenous education and improving outcomes to be a focus of everyone’s business within the department. I commend him on that.
I also commend the government for picking up the Bob Collins Learning Lessons report, and putting resources behind it to implement those recommendations. I will give credit to the previous government for commissioning that report and challenging Bob Collins - a great Territorian and somebody who is passionate about the Northern Territory and indigenous aspirations within our population - to undertake that work, which will go down in history as being a seminal report and a wake-up call for government about the parlous state of indigenous education. I commend them for commissioning the report.
There is no commendation for the total failure to strategically get behind that report, in the 18 months or so of the last period of government, to actually focus on and implement those recommendations to start turning the ship around.
From day one, we have taken that report as a blueprint for a way forward. My colleague and the member for Arafura, as Parliamentary Secretary in this role, are really driving the department to implement those recommendations. We are starting to see some improved outcomes.
One of the key areas of Learning Lessons was a lack of student information at the school and at the system level. There is an old saying in every area of work and management, if you do not measure it, you cannot manage it. You cannot develop systems, strategies and programs if you do not know what on earth is going on out there with outcomes. Addressing those data deficiencies has been key to developing programs to start to turn indigenous education outcomes around. The MAP testing in indigenous communities for students eight, 10 and 12 years is certainly key to that for tracking outcomes to see how our indigenous kids are performing.
In respect of the funding relationship between the NT and federal governments, Collins stated that it was a 13-year-old dysfunctional relationship. It is an extraordinary observation in Learning Lessons that a key partner in delivering the resources to provide education in the Northern Territory, the Commonwealth government from where we derive 80% of our funding, had a dysfunctional relationship with the previous NT government for much of that 13 years. They were the same political persuasion, but regardless of that, there was a dysfunctional relationship between those two levels of government.
As a new member in this House, I remember when my colleague, the Justice minister who was then shadow Education minister, received a leaked report from the Education Department that showed how the department was systemically ripping off IESIP funding that was supposed to be going to Aboriginal schools and placing that funding in the mainstream schools. It was systemic, it was calculated and it was a total fraud of that program. I recall how outraged we were in the knowledge of the poor outcomes that our indigenous kids were achieving. The core funding coming from the Commonwealth, which was to be directed at those most impoverished kids in our community, was being ripped off blatantly and put into urban areas.
That censure debate will go down in history in respect of the absolute neglect and misappropriation of funding that should have been directed to indigenous education by the previous government.
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. I am not sure the word ‘misappropriation’ should be used in a debate of this type. It is a criminal offence and would appear not to conform with standing orders.
Mr HENDERSON: Speaking to the point of order. if the word ‘misappropriation’ is not accurate, we can go back through that debate and the correspondence between the Commonwealth and the Territory government at the time about the fact that funding was allocated to the IESIP program and was not spent in that program …
Mr Dunham: Were there charges arising? Did you report it to the police?
Mr HENDERSON: It is not a criminal offence in terms of fraud, but money was misappropriated from one area of government to another. If you rule ‘misappropriated’ is somehow criminal, I will withdraw that and use the word ‘misallocated’ in its place. I would like a ruling on the word ‘misappropriated’.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I will seek advice. I do not think there is a point of order. The reason being the minister has qualified the manner in which he was using the word ‘misappropriation’. As long as that was the intent of what the minister was saying, I will rule there is no point of order.
Mr HENDERSON: Mr Acting Speaker, if the member for Drysdale wants to challenge the history of this, he can get on his feet and challenge it. It was a very sad and sorry affair. What was also sad and sorry was argy bargy about whether we should set targets for outcomes in indigenous education. The previous government did not realise significant funding that was available from the Commonwealth for indigenous education because it was not brave enough to set target outcomes that they were committed to trying to achieve.
We committed to those targets in 2002. Quoting from the minister, we met 57% of the targets, and that compared with 32% of targets in 2001. It is a significant improvement. Again, unless you set targets and goals, you cannot develop strategies, programs, funding to meet them. Why the previous government was not brave enough to say: ‘Outcomes are appalling. We need to improve. These are the targets, and we are going to develop strategies, programs and funding to achieve those’. With much of that funding to come from the Commonwealth, for the life of me, I cannot understand why they would not just to put a number there. It should be beyond politics but, for whatever reason, the opportunity for each and every child in the Northern Territory to have access to a quality education system, to develop their own education to the maximum potential, is an opportunity that should be afforded to every child in the Northern Territory. We are committed to doing that.
To pay credit to my colleague, the minister for Education, there has been neglect of facilities and infrastructure in our schools in the bush. We have committed $3m of ongoing funding to upgrade remote schools. We would like to do more, and we would like to do more with health clinics, but we are making a start. We have programs, and we are particularly proud – and, again, congratulations to the minister – of the provision of secondary facilities at Kalkarindji and Minyerri. For the first time, these kids will be able to undertake senior studies at home in their own communities, a huge step forward.
We have a long way to go, but the end game is made up of lots of steps along the way. We have understood the problems of the lack of secondary education options for our kids in the bush and have started the long road to providing those opportunities. Government has also provided for Stage 2 at Maningrida, ensuring the completion of the Maningrida Community Education Centre upgrade. There will be further upgrades to bush schools announced in the budget for next year.
It is important that we employ Aboriginal people in our schools. I am pleased to see in the report that there are 600 core funded indigenous employees in our schools. We have made a financial commitment of $1m recurrent to remote employee work force development. Again, this is critical to ensure the capacity of those people in the bush.
One of the most pleasing things in the minister’s statement was that in the last 12 months, we have had 600 more indigenous kids in school than we had last year. That is huge outcome; we have a long, long way to go. Kids are not going to get an education unless they are in schools, but through the strategic approach that the minister and the department is taking, we have 600 more kids in our schools this year than last year. That is a sign of significant improvement. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Acting Speaker, having been one who learnt English as a second language in my childhood as a student in a missionary school in what was then Malaya, I have personal experience in education of a western system in a third world country, to which we sometimes compare our indigenous population in the Northern Territory.
It is important to understand that education is something that has to be valued by people. Until it is valued, we tend not to want to seek it Through the history of the development of the country, of the Northern Territory, there has been slow progress for indigenous people to appreciate that the importance of learning, the education system, as it applies at the moment. Education has to be made meaningful so that people who access that education say: ‘Yes, I want this because it is going to help me do certain things’. You can build all the schools you want all over the country. It is like taking a horse to water: unless the horse wants to drink, you can have all the water troughs around and it makes no difference.
Over the last two decades, more and more indigenous people are starting to appreciate that education is very important for them and, for their personal and community development, for them to have - as we all use the words - capacity building. Through the continued progress of those who have sought education becoming significant role models for their own community, other younger people are starting to follow suit. It is a long way from what we aspire for education for Aboriginal people. There will be a few more years before we can say generally that indigenous education is on a parity with mainstream education.
Earlier today, I spoke about information technology and how it has made learning attractive to our indigenous youth. When you look at a computer, particularly interactive web sites and computer games that indigenous youth can play with, it is all pictorial and very much conceptual. Without language, you can understand what you are doing and learn, through trial and error, how to interact with the computer program. Credit must be given to the designers and writers of these programs, who have been able to convert code into concepts where people, with or without language, can interact so easily. For myself to look at a Japanese computer program, without understanding the script or the language, I can still play the computer program. Likewise, I would see that Aboriginal children could relate to those programs, whether they could or could not read the English text that is on the screen.
Once you start to learn how to use these programs, you develop an inherent desire to improve your skill relating to that program. That is when it drives you to think: ‘Well, if I want to do better at this, I must have other processes in place to enable me to have a greater engagement with the program’. That is where you then go and seek that extra skill, whether that be literacy, numeracy, or even the verbal language. This is where computers have been such a great instrument in encouraging education among our indigenous children. That is where, I suppose, the indigenous kids themselves start to value computers and the education that helps support their interaction with that. Ideally, I hope that the parents also see the value in those things and, in turn, they will encourage their children to then seek to continue to look for improvements in their ability in numeracy and literacy.
Equality of access is about providing the facilities that are there. I thought I had equality of access when I was growing up in Malaya, going through a missionary school, right through to what we then called Form 5, the last year of senior high school, which is probably around pre-matriculation. We had to do two further years of Form 6 before we could go to university. I went through to Form 5, but I did not have the opportunity to go to university. So, I had to travel overseas, thousands of miles, to access further education. While it is well and good to be able to stay at home to study, sometimes going overseas, interstate or to another town to study is not such a bad thing because it exposes the child to different circumstances, standards of living, and opportunities that enhance or expand the horizons of that child. That is not to say that every child should go interstate or to another town or city to study. You have to make sure that whatever facility you have provides the child seeking that education meaningful challenges.
I was interested to hear the member for Macdonnell comment about ensuring that indigenous people, once they have received their certificates of attainment - whether it be a subject, a course or qualification - that those awards are meaningful. It is a crying shame when you walk up to an employer with your so-called qualification, and your employer starts to question the value of that qualification. It is demeaning to the recipient of that award and it brings a double standard into our communities; a particular certificate is taken on its face value and another is questioned. If that system currently applies, then it is up to government to influence institutions that provide this dual standard, whether it be through a private provider or any other, it does not really matter. It is up to government to ensure that providers can guarantee employers that the awards they provide are of equal standing with any other provider in the community. We try to encourage people who receive these awards to take their qualifications to any other part of the Territory or Australia and say: ‘Look, I have done this course and these are my qualifications. I am able to do the tasks that this certificate says I can’. We have to make sure that those awards are transferable in time and place across the country. If not, again, you start to question whether these things are of value.
I have used this in previous speeches; even medical degrees have been questioned by hospitals and by the population in general. A person of a certain ethnicity comes with a graduation certification and says: ‘I have graduated as a doctor. I am qualified as a doctor’. The population refuses to use that doctor because in their minds, they have devalued the doctor’s qualifications. They would rather go and see a doctor of another ethnic background because they believe that the second person would have gone through a fair and vigorous system of training, whereas the first one might not have. That is where you start to create a dual standard in qualifications, and employers and consumers in general make their own choices out of their perception of the value of that education. The reason why people do that is because they start to look at institutions that provide the certificates and say: ‘This institution has provided a certificate to this particular group for reasons other than academic qualifications’. That is a dangerous thing to do.
I support any moves by any government to improve education amongst indigenous people. It is very important that indigenous people in the Northern Territory receive the best education that we can afford. They have every right to that education and, every right to their natural place in the greater scheme of things in the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory will never progress fully without black and white walking side by side. The Territory has 25% of its population indigenous people and, if they are not part of the common people, then we will be forever held back in the progress of the Territory. I, for one, would like to see that those cooperative social – I do not know what the right word is - but cooperation between the two groups must be strongly knitted together for all Territorians’ sake.
In education in particular, it is important for us all to understand that parents and people must value education, encourage their kids to seek education, making sure that the education they receive is meaningful and valued. If we do that, we will have lots of progress, otherwise we will be forever arguing in this Chamber.
Dr BURNS (Tourism): Mr Acting Speaker, I want to make some comments in respect of the statement concerning indigenous education by my colleague the Treasurer and minister for Education.
In my statement, I would like to do two things: first, provide some observation of the critical importance of educational opportunities for indigenous Australians; and second, to provide some examples of work being undertaken in my portfolio areas in respect of indigenous education and training.
As members will know, before coming to parliament, I was heavily involved in health research and, before that, in teaching and developing courses for Aboriginal health workers. I have spent a great deal of time exploring some of the issues that underline the state of Aboriginal health, particularly in the Territory.
One of the key findings of the Learning Lessons report by Bob Collins is that education plays a critical role in determining the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians, particularly in the Northern Territory - an observation that I have made also through my own experiences. In fact, after the Collins report was tabled and published, there was quite a large conference here in Darwin hosted by the Australian Medical Association, looking at that nexus between Aboriginal health and education. It was a very interesting and thought provoking conference and it only focussed my attention on the importance of implementing the Collins report.
As the minister has said in his statement, right from day one, it was a priority of this Labor government to implement the Collins report. That is what we have set about to do. The committee that has been announced to oversee implementation of the Collins report and the involvement of my colleague, the member for Arafura, who is playing a pivotal role in implementation of the Collins report, really point to the fact that we are committed to its implementation.
There is a large and growing body of knowledge about the social determinants of health and evidence that relates health patterns to the organisation of society and the way in which society invests in its own human capital. Evidence worldwide shows a clear relationship between poverty, deprivation, social exclusion and ill health. Socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood, inadequate nutrition, poor education, unemployment and other socioeconomic factors all contribute to the state of an individual’s health irrespective of the level of access to health care services that the individual may have. That is a very important aspect. The example that the member for Greatorex gave was the simple one of leading a horse to water and all that sort of thing but, basically, there are many determinants for health for all of us.
Further, the factors that I have already outlined and circumstances shape the way that individuals identify themselves in which might seek to better themselves and also to safeguard their health. Bob Boughton, a Research Fellow with the Menzies School of Health Research, has explored the complex interrelationship between these factors in a paper published in January 2000 entitled What is the connection between Aboriginal education and Aboriginal health? In his paper, Boughton correctly identifies his conclusions that, while both health and education are key aspects of the way in which communities might govern themselves, education is the more complex because it is heavily involved with determining the position that an individual inhabits within society and empowering individuals to change that position. That is what Boughton had to say on this issue, and these patterns can be observed first-hand amongst the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory.
Some other researchers at the Menzies School, also tied up with the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, published in 2001 their conclusions about the determinants of health in relation to the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory. Devitt et al found that low levels of education and training had a disproportionately negative effect on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Territorians, and that improved levels of Aboriginal engagement in the economy and society are unlikely to occur without some change in education and training outcomes.
I have observed this first-hand in some of the work that I did at Maningrida in relation to young men and particularly problems of substance abuse. It was apparent that once the community started to develop education and training programs for those young men, they really embraced it wholeheartedly. It provided a new direction for them and it empowered them. Also, the way in which they were able to contribute back into their community was very important to their self-esteem. Education, training and opportunities were pivotal in that community being able to eliminate petrol sniffing, something with which they had been afflicted for well on 35 years.
These issues are very, very important. History in the Northern Territory has shown that not a lot of progress has been made in this area. That is why the Collins report was commissioned by the previous government, and that is why this government is looking at progressing the implementation of the Collins report.
We want to see the poor educational outcomes that have been experienced turned around so that employment opportunities for these students are greatly improved. As a government, we want to provide life-long learning opportunities for older Aboriginal people, so that they, too, can take advantage of benefits that further education and training can bring.
Most importantly, as a government, we want to work constructively with indigenous Territorians to ensure that education and training opportunities are best suited to the needs and wishes of indigenous people. We want to follow that path. We believe that the paths followed by the previous government were largely unproductive, hence the need for something like the Collins report, and for two ministerial statements by this government on this very important issue. It is a priority area for us.
I turn to some of the indigenous education and training programs being developed in my portfolio areas. The excellent work being done by the Fisheries Division of the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development in this area deserves some attention. The Aboriginal Marine Rangers program receives funding and support from Fisheries. These marine rangers have participated in various forms of training provided by Fisheries and other agencies.
In conjunction with the Northern Land Council, Fisheries has developed appropriate training schedules for the marine rangers. This training includes sharing experiences with a range of groups, such as when the Port Keats Rangers visited the rangers at Borroloola. I have had the pleasure of meeting them and seeing their work first-hand. There would be some people who would try and assert that the Aboriginal Marine Rangers program is a bit of a mickey mouse type thing, but nothing could be further from the truth. These rangers are embarking upon a program where, at the end of the day, they will be involved in the enforcement of fisheries regulations throughout the Northern Territory. At present, they are finding out the finer points of boatmanship, fisheries issues, and enforcement issues.
This training for Aboriginal Marine Rangers is real, it is occurring and it is being greeted warmly by the Aboriginal communities involved in it. We are looking at expanding this program. I have mentioned Borroloola and Port Keats; Maningrida is also very interested in this program.
Last year, marine rangers from Borroloola attended three days of training on fisheries compliance with the NT Police as part of the Aboriginal Community Police Officers, or ACPOs, training package. Here is an example of government agencies coming together to support these training initiatives. I commend them highly.
It is now likely that the opportunity for marine rangers will be extended to other interested communities and groups, and courses will be run before the end of the year. Recently, sea ranger groups across the NT participated in sea ranger training workshops in Gove, and there were others in Cobourg. The Gove workshop was set up for sea rangers from Ramingining across to Borroloola, while the Cobourg workshop catered for sea rangers from Maningrida across to Port Keats. Various state and Commonwealth agencies participated in each five-day training course to ensure that all aspects of coastal surveillance and fisheries monitoring were covered.
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of surveillance along our coastline. We are the front line here in Australia, and Aboriginal people inhabiting very remote areas of our coastline have an absolutely crucial part to play in surveillance. They notice the unusual, untoward things that are happening in their area, and it is very good that they are part of a network that can report these issues on to the proper authorities.
The fisheries group, Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit, Charles Darwin University and the NLC are participants in the Recognising Current Competencies Committee in relation to the marine rangers. This committee was formed with members from Primary Industry’s Training Advisory Committee, or PITAC, to implement a Certificate II in Fisheries Compliance. The units in the Certificate II Fisheries Compliance course will be transferable to other accredited courses, such as those that prepare students for employment within the seafood industry. It is envisaged that this package would be trialled in the Northern Territory with at least three marine ranger groups. The course is due to be trialled in 2004. It will offer rangers an opportunity to obtain a diploma level in Fisheries Compliance, which will enable graduates to undertake full compliance duties. The fisheries group has been working with the NLC, Charles Darwin University and NT Police and selected ranger groups to establish a training program. To date, Fisheries funds have assisted four ranger programs – Tiwi, Borroloola, Port Keats and Maningrida – employing a total of approximately 17 rangers. Sixteen of the current rangers have participated in some form of training related to their duties.
Before I move on to tourism, there is another area that I am particularly interested in, and that is training Aboriginal people for the pastoral industry. When I was at Brunette Downs a couple of months ago, I went out to Corella Creek and visited that community, and had a long discussion with them. For those members who might not be aware, Aboriginal people now living at Corella Creek were formerly resident at Brunette Downs and have moved to Corella Creek.
The community leaders there put a very strong case that there have been in the past some training programs offered for young people to get involved in the pastoral industry, and they have been quite successful. I am very interested. I have asked my department to look into this; to find a way forward on this issue. My understanding is that a number of people had training on a pastoral property about the basics of being involved in the pastoral industry, and a significant number of them were able to get employment. This is another area within the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development, in consultation with the Education and Training area, where we can develop things that could have applications right across the Territory and involve more Aboriginal people, particularly young Aboriginal men, in the pastoral industry where they will find challenging, useful and fulfilling roles to play.
Indigenous tourism is another area where education and training plays a critical role. The Northern Territory Tourist Commission is developing an Indigenous Tourism Strategy, soon to be released, which is aimed at facilitating greater involvement of indigenous people in the tourism industry through the development of sustainable indigenous tourism product.
The strategy will have a key focus on education and training, recognising that education and training programs play such a critical role in shaping industry development. The strategy will canvass some concrete proposals regarding industry-specific education and training, including industry-based cadetship programs to provide not only training and personal development opportunities, but also to provide important cross-cultural connections; and a scholarship program to facilitate participation in relevant educational and professional development opportunities.
Tourism is a very important area that I believe Aboriginal people, with the right sort of education and training, can participate in more fully. At present, it is disappointing to see the lack of Aboriginal product out there. The products that are out there are very good, but we need to build and expand on that. I see this area of education and training as absolutely crucial in the future development of this sector.
As my colleague, the minister for Education, said, this government believes that improving education and training is a critical plank in improving the social and economic outcomes for our Aboriginal communities. Numerous reviews, inquiries and consultations in recent years have overwhelmingly reported that, contrary to the apparent beliefs of some members opposite, indigenous people place a high priority on education. As the former Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs found in respect of indigenous education in its study entitled Indigenous School to Work Transition (1998), indigenous people, and I quote:
- … want for themselves and their children no less than as is afforded to other Australians. They expect that
educational processes should lead them to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to realise their individual
potential, lead satisfying lives, and contribute actively to the community.
Mr Acting Speaker, in seeking to help the Territory realise this goal, I can assure the House that I will continue to ensure that education and training opportunities for indigenous Territorians are maximised across my portfolio areas. I commend the minister’s statement to the House.
Mr VATSKALIS (Transport and Infrastructure): Mr Acting Speaker, mindful of the time, I will be brief with regards to my colleague, the minister for Education’s statement on indigenous education.
The statement was made in order to provide an update to the House about what the government is committed to do about indigenous education, and what the government has done. To his credit, the minister admits that there are more things to do and, as he does not believe in quick fixes, it is going to take a long time to sort things out in indigenous education. That is partially because of the neglect of the previous government of indigenous education, but also part of the complexity of the problem.
One point he made in his statement that is very important to remember is the issue that indigenous education is not only for the government, it is for everybody, including the opposition, any other political party, and every single person in the Territory because the reality is by neglecting indigenous education - or education for that matter - now we are asking for problems in the future.
One of the things that struck me a long time ago about indigenous education or lack of it was comments I heard from some elderly Aboriginal people when I was working at Danila Dilba. They said that they were really dismayed that they themselves had grown up in missions and foster homes - and they were very difficult conditions in the 1950s and 1960s - but they could read and write better than their grandchildren who had grown up in the 20th and 21st centuries attending well-equipped schools, not having to pay fees. That is something very important we have to remember.
To his credit, the minister for Education provided an update on what the government is doing about indigenous education and what he wants to see happen to indigenous education. He has adopted the recommendations of Learning Lessons and indigenous education is now a core responsibility of his department. At the same time, I believe it is a responsibility for every department, every minister because we have to have a holistic approach. We cannot expect indigenous education problems and issues to be resolved by one department only, because the Department of Education will provide the education background, teachers in schools and some training, but it is a responsibility of each department to provide opportunities. There is nothing more disappointing and dispiriting than finishing high school or tertiary education and being unable to have a job.
The Department of Education has done a lot of things and, in cooperation with other departments including my own department, has now moved quickly to address some of the issues that have plagued indigenous education for many years. Very quickly, we recognised that, in order to improve indigenous education and educational outcomes, we have to provide not only the teachers and equipment, but the facilities.
As a result, the government has allocated $3m ongoing funding to upgrade remote schools. Remote schools are the fundamental in keeping indigenous students in their communities, thus providing a better support to indigenous students by their families and their communities to graduate. A very good example is the Kalkarindji High School. It is one of the first high schools in the Territory to have a large number of Year 12 indigenous students graduating from that school. I was astounded when we visited Kalkarindji. When we walked into the classroom, there were seven or eight indigenous young adults finishing Year 12. I knew from my own experience and from other information that not many Aboriginal kids will graduate from Year 12 or even reach Year 10 or 11 in community high schools. Here we have a very good example of what we can achieve when we have dedication by the parents, the students and certainly the teaching staff.
Other schools that are going to be upgraded are Minyerri and Stage 2 at Maningrida with the completion of the Maningrida Community Education Centre upgrade. Another problem we have, of course, is the number of adequate teaching staff, and the large turnover of teaching staff who arrive from down south or other areas of the Territory in the communities, stay for a while and then disappear into the sunset again because either they are dissatisfied with their job, the facilities or housing.
As I stated previously in this parliament, as an Environmental Health Officer, I had to sign off condemnation orders for government housing provided to teachers, nurses or policemen because the houses were clearly substandard. It is a commitment of this government not only to upgrade houses but also to provide replacement of all housing stock and build new houses and provide teachers with adequate housing that is appropriate for people working in the communities. This is one of the strategies to maintain the teaching staff, to keep the teaching staff in the community and, in turn, to provide the teaching staff that, hopefully, will take indigenous children to a higher level of education. We will start seeing people graduating from these schools and entering university.
This government is exploring the introduction of new teaching methods and providing adequate support for teachers, parents and students because education is not the teachers teaching or the students learning; it is an inter-linked process between the teachers, students and parents. You can see that very often that the key to high achievers at school, university or college are the kids who attend school, the kids who are pushed and supported by their parents. One of the things we have seen recently in Australia is a lot of young adults of Asian background becoming high achievers in entry exams in universities or finishing university courses, and it is consistent. If you ask, they will tell you it is because they had the support of the family and the continuous push of the family to achieve.
A Vietnamese friend of mine who came as a refugee from Vietnam told me once that when he came here, they did not bring any money, gold or anything else. The only thing he brought with him was his education, his degree from Vietnam. He said you can lose gold, your belongings, your wealth, but education will remain with you forever, and you can create wealth by using your skills from education. That is true; education stays with you forever.
Because of the activity of the government, we have seen a higher retention rate of students at schools. I was very pleased to discuss this issue on the weekend with the Principal of Dripstone High School, Mary McCarthy. She told me that she was extremely pleased because, in the past two years, she has seen the number of indigenous kids coming to and staying at Dripstone High at Years 10, 11 and 12 increase significantly. We are talking about 30 indigenous children from the area who are at the high school competing with everyone else. They are achieving and they are going to finish at Dripstone High School and proceed to go to other education institutions and will achieve.
It is very encouraging to see that happening today in an urban high school because indigenous education is not just addressing issues from the bush; it is addressing issues in the urban environment. I am also very pleased when I visit the primary schools in my area - Alawa and Nakara, and I visit them on a monthly basis, especially during their assemblies - to see the number of indigenous children who attend these schools all the time. They are not wagging and missing lessons; they attend school. Some of them have significant problems at home, but they persist and attend school, and they are doing very well. That is very encouraging because we are not going to lose these children. These kids are going to progress and become really good citizens in our society. It is very encouraging.
The other thing that this government recognises - something that has been recognised for years by the professionals - is that unless the children who attend school are well fed and sheltered, they are not going to achieve much. We had the situation where a significant number of indigenous children in remote and urban communities were not doing very well at school for the simple reason that they could not hear well. They had problems with hearing caused by untreated sickness; ongoing infection of the ear. A lot of the children, when examined, were found to have deficient or complete loss of hearing. I know that well because I saw many of these cases coming through Danila Dilba Medical Service when I was there. Young children from the age of two up to the age of 14 or 16 would come in, and doctors, nurses and health workers would point to the problem that this untreated situation persisted for too long and the children now needed hearing aids. It is very well known, and I have personal experience of that.
A friend of ours had a young girl who was doing very badly at school until the age of 10 when somebody suggested that we take her to an optometrist. They took her and the optometrist put some glasses up to her eyes, and the girl said: ‘I can see clearly now.’ The question to her was: ‘If you could not see clearly before, why did you not say something?’ She said: ‘Doesn’t everyone see like that?’ She did not know better. She had a problem with her eyes and thought everyone had the same problem. That is the reason why she was falling behind at school. The moment the problem was treated, she went in leaps and bounds to become one of the best students in her class.
We have the same problem with indigenous children. We have lost generations of children who went through school and had not learned nearly enough of anything because of these persistent health problems being left unattended. It is something that this government is addressing and, together with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, providing teachers, assistants and health workers with the necessary skills to identify these problems and treat them where necessary.
As I said before, indigenous education is not only the responsibility for the minister for Education. It is the responsibility of every minister in this government, it is the responsibility of every department. In my department, we have worked actively with DEET, and with indigenous people, to provide these training opportunities through our different branches and operations. I am very pleased to say that we have a number of cadetships, traineeships, apprenticeships and placements in my department specifically targeting indigenous young adults to provide the opportunity, the skills and, of course, keep them in the department because we gain from their experience.
In Alice Springs, a young lady was employed by the Sacred Sites Authority for three months, a short-term placement. At the same time, it gave her enough confidence to put her foot in the door and apply for other jobs; it also gave her the necessary skills. In the Alice Springs Desert Park, we employ young people from the Arrernte Council and offer them a chance at traineeship. What is most important is we now have the first two indigenous zoology trainees in Australia working in Alice Springs at the Desert Park. I am really proud that my department provided this opportunity to these young people who otherwise would not have this opportunity, would never have acquired these skills.
Working together with Group Training NT, we will provide apprenticeships for school students who are going school but are interested in a job. My department is now providing in our different branches one day a week placement, and these people have started working with us in the Territory Wildlife Park, Mataranka, and the Botanic Gardens, learning skills. That then gives them an opportunity if they want to leave school to go directly to a job.
We have cadetships through the National Indigenous Cadet Program. That was originally offered to people with degrees, but now we offer it to people who are doing diplomas or other equivalent qualifications. The students are given work during school breaks, and we give them a great chance to do job training on the job. At the same time, we pay their HECS fees. If they graduate and they are successful, and they acquire the skills we want, we offer them a position in my department. That program costs $50 000 per annum for five students. This is a very small cost in what we can achieve and what we can provide these students and their families in the future. We open a new future for these people, and that is what is very important.
Last week, we had a graduate from that program and I am very pleased to advise the House that we offered him a place in DIPE in our Information Unit, which he has accepted. Next year, we are going to have another graduate, and I believe we are going to offer another position to that person within my department.
We provide technical training programs for people from remote communities. A typical example is a young man from Nhulunbuy who came to Darwin and is now doing a diploma in Civil Engineering with the support of my department who pays the HECS. He is paid a salary and, hopefully, when he finishes work with us, he will go back to his community to provide the skills he has acquired during his placement.
We have a mainstream program run with DCIS to ensure that trainees meet industry standards and allow them to gain competence and national accreditation before completing their training contracts.
It was my idea for indigenous people to come to Parks and Wildlife as trainees, as cadets and, starting from the bottom of the ladder, going up to become rangers. These rangers then can be utilised in different parks around the Northern Territory. Instead of having mainstream white, Anglo-Saxon or any other background rangers telling you the things they learn from the Aboriginal people, you can have local indigenous people who can talk to them about their experience, about the history of the area, the history as they found out from their fathers and mothers and forefathers.
I strongly support my colleague in his attempts to address the issues of indigenous education. However, one thing I want to stress is that the problems with indigenous education will not be resolved only by the minister for Education; it is a responsibility for all us on either side of this House.
Debate suspended.
VISITORS
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I advise honourable members of the presence in the Gallery of Year 10 and 11 students from St John’s College accompanied by their teacher, Stephen Meara. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors.
Members: Hear, hear!
MOTION
Note Statement – Indigenous Education
Note Statement – Indigenous Education
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Speaker, there is no doubt that education is the key to improving a person’s opportunities, a person’s options in life. This government is about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in society to their fullest potential. That is why we place such an importance on education. Since coming to office, the Labor government has increased funds to education, and it has focussed education on literacy and numeracy improvement.
In the area of indigenous education, the government has been adamant that indigenous students will be given the fullest opportunity to participate in education at all levels. In return for that commitment, the government has also made it clear that indigenous students will be subject to the same rigour and outcome focuses as students from other groups in our community. In his speech, the minister highlighted a matter that is worthwhile repeating: that this government sees indigenous education as core business. As such, indigenous education is not isolated in a small pocket, but on the table in front of the executives of DEET every day for their consideration in respect of almost every issue, and this approach is absolutely essential.
Members should be aware that the population of our schools is changing. Today, indigenous children make up 40% to 50% of the student cohort of some urban schools. In communities such as Karama, I have been advised that indigenous students now make up approximately 200 of the 600 children attending that primary school. Many of these children are not from urban indigenous families. Many are the children of traditional people from communities who have moved to the major urban centres to access urban services such as health care, jobs and the like.
The issue of education that once exercised the minds of educators in the bush are now as relevant and as important to teachers in town. This changes the dynamic of education in a most significant way, and one which government has come to grips with in a very determined way. Learning Lessons implementation has been the key focus of this government’s agenda on indigenous education and, like our predecessors, we accepted the reports and recommendations, and have instructed the department to implement them. We also provided the funds necessary for those recommendations.
There are 151 recommendations, and the minister’s speech highlighted the progress of implementing these proposals in key policy areas. In the time available today, I wish to hone in on a few of those. The minister advised the House of the preliminary outcomes of the MAP testing regime. MAP testing is now mandatory for all students in Years 3, 5 and 7, and the department has increased indigenous student participation rates. It has also improved test delivery, and data analysis has been developed, providing greater capacity within schools to use the data to impact on student outcomes. Schools are now required to provide parents/carers with benchmark results for individual students in a way that is meaningful so that parents and carers can know that their child is progressing. This also applies in remote and urban schools and allows the true story to be told.
Preliminary results show that there is an improvement in the outcomes achieved by indigenous children in all of these important tests. It is only early days, and we do not want to get overly excited; however there is no doubt that progress is being made. One thing that I find amazing and, frankly, pretty well damning, is that until this government came to power, MAP testing was not compulsory for remote schools. If educators did not wish to put students through these tests, they simply opted out. What they say to me is one clear thing: no one cared about educational outcomes for children in the bush. That has all changed, given the commitment of this government.
The minister reported that Learning Lessons identified the need for parity in infrastructure to address the inequities between urban and remote schools. He advised that the department is developing a strategic approach in planning and provision of school infrastructure in remote communities in the Northern Territory. I am pleased that the minister has recognised the importance of this issue. There is no doubt that the capital infrastructure, capital items such as desks and chairs, and minor new works to remote schools needs radical redressing. Like a lot of things I say in the House in respect of the bush - perhaps I am a little impatient - but I believe it needs to occur within a very quick time frame.
Let me be absolutely clear about this: if every student chose to go to school today and walked into their local school, we would not be able to cope. There would not be enough classrooms, enough desks, and there certainly would not be enough teachers. It is an indictment on and indicative of the neglect of the previous government in respect of indigenous education in the bush. I know that it will take us quite some time to get infrastructure up in schools.
To my mind, the department really needs to sit down and to have a look at the list of communities, the number of school-aged kids, infant numbers and, of course, facilities available in those schools, and use this information as a baseline to determine where our infrastructure needs are going to arise. The department’s infrastructure program should be then based on meeting those needs. This may be a simplistic approach, but it strikes me as a way to start.
Another issue I wish to make some comment on is the employment of indigenous people in our schools. The minister’s statement indicates about 600 employees of the department are indigenous. This is pleasing, but I believe the critical issue is not so much the number, but the areas in which they work, the career path they have, and the potential in the future for more and more of our schools to be staffed and run by fully-trained indigenous teachers.
Two reasons for having this hope readily come to mind. The first is straightforward role models. It is critical for indigenous children to see indigenous role models holding positions such as teachers or principals in a local school. It is important for adults to see also that schools can be effectively run by people from the community. The second reason lies in the future of the Territory’s recruitment and retention efforts. I understand significant amounts of money are being poured into recruitment and retention strategies for the department. I understand that this is necessary. However, the day is fast approaching when teachers are going to be harder and harder to recruit and retain as the ageing work force on the east coast starts hitting hard.
The Territory is also in a position where the cohort of young school-age children coming through is increasingly indigenous. The one group of people that is here to stay is indigenous Territorians, and we need to tap that source of future employees now, and have those people ready well into the future to take up roles as educators and management and other professionals within the Education Department. The number of indigenous people working in the schools is an important statistic to know, but what is more important is the roles they are undertaking. I believe it is critical to our future that the number of fully-trained professional teachers coming from the indigenous community is perhaps the most critical statistic we need to see over time.
Increasing access for indigenous students to a preschool experience has been a priority for this government in keeping with the emphasis on early childhood education in Learning Lessons. The minister has advised the House of a program that has been extremely successful; that being our mobile preschools. The small community of Elliott in my electorate is trialling the Mobile School Program. I am advised that these trials are proving to be extremely worthwhile and that more effort will be put into the program. It is a pleasing result. Providing young children a good school experience at a very young age is critical to preparing these kids for a successful program later on.
The final issue I wish to address today, as I alluded earlier in the speech, is the government’s focus on literacy and numeracy. I am particularly pleased by this government’s demands to improve literacy and numeracy in indigenous education. Learning English and understanding mathematics provides better options for our young people’s futures.
I am pleased, therefore, that this government has insisted on some of these key outcomes:
a minimum two hours of exclusive literacy and numeracy teaching every day for every student in
every school;
assessment and a whole-of-school program of staff development so that staff are skilled in appropriate
literacy teaching and assessment approaches required by the school;
methods for teaching literacy to indigenous students for whom English is a second language. Such a study
is long overdue;
Accelerated Literacy. Accelerated Literacy has been trialled for two years in six schools in urban and remote
areas and, as a result of these and other efforts, the minister has been able to report that in Year 3, 103 more
indigenous students reached the national benchmark than in 2001. In Year 5, 44 more students reached the
national benchmark than did in 2001. In Year 3, 102 more students reached the national benchmark as opposed
to 2001 and in Year 5, 77 more students reached the national benchmark than they did in 2001.
These results are a small step toward the much larger goal of competency in literacy and numeracy across the Territory in all schools. This focus has been driven by the government right throughout all aspects of the department and I am hopeful that this focus will remain.
In conclusion, I point out that indigenous education has a long way to go, but I want to applaud the minister for taking some small steps in alleviating many of the issues that impact upon indigenous children and parents in the bush. I congratulate the minister for his statement and I wish him well.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his contribution to the debate. I know he retains a keen interest in matters of education in his own electorate and, certainly from the correspondence I receive from him as local member, he keeps me honest in relation to matters of educational importance in and around the Barkly.
I want to thank all members for their contribution to debate. From both sides of the House, it shows that there is an interest and a commitment to indigenous education, and that is welcome. I thank, particularly, the member for Greatorex for his contribution because he managed to speak twice. I have not had a chance to check both contributions yet, but I heard most of both of them. I give him 10 out of 10 for both persistence and, I suspect, consistency. As I said, I have not had a chance to check. I will not accuse him of plagiarism because I will take it in the first case they were his remarks last sittings and they were certainly his remarks again today. Good luck to him; he got away with it.
I also thank the member for Blain for the overall thrust of support throughout, but there were a couple of areas of confusion. The member for Blain made great play of this idea of achievement versus talk, and he spoke of achieving real outcomes, but the thrust of his speech overall could be described as loose rhetoric.
I can understand and appreciate that all of us have a personal journey in this job coming to grips with and understanding indigenous issues overall, particularly indigenous education issues. The member for Blain has been in parliament for some time. He needs to start being a bit more advanced and solid in his contributions than was demonstrated in his speech because, at some point in the life of this parliament, the Country Liberal Party will be called upon to put on the table their policy initiatives in this area of indigenous education. Some real thought and application has to go into that process. I did wonder how thoroughly the speech had been read because some of the remarks included reporting and measuring of outcomes that were not acknowledged.
The member for Blain also talked about my so-called soothing words about improvement over time. That jars a bit because I have been conscious of two things since I came into the position of minister of Education. The first was not to be dishonest, that is, to paint the picture as it was. I sat on the other side of the Chamber for 11 years, and I heard sittings after sittings, minister for Education after minister for Education, talk about the wonderful achievements in Northern Territory education. I knew that was not the reality in my electorate. Throughout my years in opposition, the more I travelled around, I not only suspected, I came to know that the situation with indigenous education in my electorate was not one-off; it was a consistent picture of poor performance throughout the Territory overall. I have been very conscious of trying to draw the line, to say that what we have is a history of failure largely in indigenous education, probably from the time the missionaries left.
The second point was, having established that we have a huge job ahead of us, to consciously highlight those positive results where they are achieved while at the same time taking action to address the negatives and the failures that surround us.
The member for Blain also stressed the fundamental approach needed was a question of restoration of social order in Aboriginal communities. He quoted Noel Pearson at some length. I do not shy from that. The social dysfunction in some of our communities is important and does impact on the delivery of services, be they health, education or policing. However, it is not solely an indigenous issue. There are non-Aboriginal families and parts of communities affected the same way right across the Territory. We cannot focus on that alone. Whilst we have to work on getting interaction and community development right, they are part of the issue.
I understand those issues. They are complex and they are issues that government has to continue to deal with. They are bound up with substance abuse in many cases and the law breaking associated with that. The picture is not all doom and gloom on the other hand. You get the impression from reading the comments of the member for Blain - and I do not think it was delivered in this fashion - that nothing going on in the bush has any real value. It does, and I encourage him to see some of the areas that are responding and meeting the challenge in achieving real outcomes in indigenous education. There are difficulties, we acknowledge that, but there are many great families out there that desperately try to do the right thing by themselves and by those children that are students.
I cannot afford, as minister for Education, to sit around waiting for some social engineering fix or some magic solution to fix all of these issues that alienate families and kids from the process. We have to roll up our sleeves. We have to encourage and cajole our principals, schools, our teachers to do the same and get on with the job. The focus of that effort has to be improving literacy and numeracy in our schools. There was a bit of decrying at the reliance on MAP tests as an indicator of the success of these programs. We do not rely totally on MAP results as any indication overall of success in indigenous education, but it is a long time since progress was shown in the attainment of literacy and numeracy. If we can turn those around, as those early results have shown, we should not be all that far away from the first analysis of this last round of results. I am going to take that as an indication that we are beginning to get things right.
It is an interesting argument that the member for Blain puts up in relation to testing, because he says as well that MAP results are confusing and fail to inform parents of the real outcomes or progress of their students. At least they are getting some feedback. For many years, indigenous parents did not have any idea. They were told that their children were doing secondary education at school simply because they had turned 13 or 14, and that simply was not the case. There was a point where the member for Blain was probably right, that MAP tests were confusing and the language in which they were described to parents was less than best practice, but that is changing. Those issues have changed, and I have made it clear that we have instructed the agency to make the MAP tests a much more meaningful reporting measure to parents.
Unlike our predecessors, we have made MAP testing compulsory. We will bring in a whole cohort of the student population into those Years 3, 5 and 7 for compulsory testing. That fact alone underlines the determination that we have as a government to making a difference in this area, compared with the lack of interested demonstrated by the previous government. It was a lack of compulsion that sent a wrong signal to indigenous parents. Why were they not picked up? What did it tell indigenous parents about education in their own schools when they were not compulsorily tested? It suggested that in relation to remote community schools, we were not serious about the quality and value of education that we were delivering to those parents.
I will give you an anecdotal example. One of the indigenous officers working at Larrakeyah School - a middle-class part of town, middle-class school, and always has a strong cohort of indigenous kids. They have a liaison officer who works with the families, gets these kids into school and, often as not, if these children are from Ramingining, Millingimbi, or parts of the bush out in Arnhem Land, they do not go to school, despite the efforts of Larrakeyah to follow up these families, and follow up with the school to see if these students are back in their own school. Discussion with parents suggests that Larrakeyah is a ‘real school’. Larrakeyah is perceived as a real school where the kids will get a real education. Tragically, the community school has not been seen as a real school, and certainly not serious. So this is the message, a very important message, that we have to turn around: these rural and remote community schools are very much serious institutions about delivering a quality education, just the same as Jingili, Marrara, Kormilda, Sanderson or any other of those schools.
One of the areas we are coming to grips with is the neglect in infrastructure in our schooling system, particularly but not limited to remote schools. The previous government, of course, had the Learning Lessons report in its hands from 1999. It did nothing with it, despite constant questioning by the member for Stuart in those last couple of years of opposition. I guess it is another abdication, a walking away from the sense of responsibility to indigenous education overall.
The government, teachers, parents and students themselves all have levels of responsibility in the education equation, and I accept that some communities have elements of dysfunction. However, I also accept that, until recently, many parents in those communities did not feel particularly engaged with the government on the issue of education. We are working to make sure that that is no longer the case, and I expect everyone to play their part in this.
We have a focus on literacy and numeracy. We expect core teaching of those subjects, and we expect that all schools will have a literacy plan. In focussing on that alone, we would expect to see results improve.
Basically, I am pleased that members who spoke raised issues and some solutions in a constructive and positive way, and I thank them for their input; their comments have been noted. I want to conclude by reiterating that our commitment to results in indigenous education will remain right at the top of the list until we get a real closure of the gap between attainment on these tests between what is achieved in the urban situation - in the urban schools of the Territory - and what is achieved in the rural and remote areas.
I want to thank the teachers, the parents, the students themselves across the Territory for their commitment to education. I thank the department for its ongoing and strong commitment to achieve the government’s agenda and goals in this area because there has had to have been something of a sea change in the department to swing the focus onto the bush, and to get the department to accept and recognise that all is not well out there. The results were certainly telling us that, and that there is a big job to pull them up to par.
To end on a positive note, those early results suggest to us that we are turning the corner on many of the issues. As we have made it compulsory and we get more into the test cohort each year, that would suggest it is going to be difficult, as well, to continue to sustain the levels of improvement we have had to this point, because we will get more students with very low levels of English literacy and numeracy, who have not been tested before, and have not had a lot of experience in school. The attendance officers were rounding up those who have been disengaged and some of them never engaged in the process of schooling. However, in that sense, if the results suffer as a consequence of getting more into the cohorts, so what?
We have a responsibility to educate those kids; they have a responsibility to be at school to a certain age. We will continue to work that way because only by getting them all in to a point where we can say: ‘Yes, we are delivering a quality education. Yes, our outcomes are improving to the level that we would expect across the board’, only then can we say that future Territorians will reap the benefits of the diligence and the work that this government, the department, and the teachers, are putting into the effort today.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan 2003 to 2006
Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan 2003 to 2006
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Mr Acting Speaker, I make a statement on the Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan for 2003 to 2006.
The Australian Sports Commission is working on the development of a new national framework for junior sport. The national framework will be released later this year. The Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan 2003- 2006 will complement this national framework.
The National Junior Sport Framework seeks to assist national sporting organisations to provide increased and improved opportunities for young people to participate at all levels of sport, and to provide safe and appropriate environments for the delivery of junior sport. The national framework will form a sound basis for national sporting organisations to increase their membership and to provide the best possible assistance for young people at all levels, whether their involvement is in non-competitive activities, learning new skills or competing at an elite level.
The national framework will aim to improve links between sporting organisations, schools, government, sport and recreation agencies and the Active Australia schools network in order to provide a team approach for the growth and delivery of junior sports programs in Australia.
The National Junior Sport Framework to be released later this year will supersede the 1994 National Junior Sport Policy. It will have the capacity to be continuously updated so that it maintains its currency. The primary objectives of the National Junior Sport Framework are to develop an extensive resource and research base for national sporting organisations delivering junior sport at all levels, and a template and resources to help national sporting organisations to develop sport-specific junior sport policies.
The new National Junior Sport Framework will support national sporting organisations to increase sports participation and junior club membership and is aimed at developing an enduring sport system for Australia. Peak bodies in the Northern Territory and their affiliates will implement the National Junior Sport Framework in partnership with my department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. The national framework has had nationwide consultation; including a workshop held in June 2003 in the Northern Territory.
In conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission, and the framework consultants, the University of Queensland, the department conducted a workshop as a means to providing feedback on the first draft of the framework. The workshop took place in Darwin on 5 June 2003 and involved 45 participants from the sport, education, government and non-government sectors. The workshop was very successful and provided valuable feedback to the Australian Sports Commission and the University of Queensland. Participants also presented strategies to address issues from the unique perspective of junior sport in the Northern Territory.
The second draft of the national framework will be circulated to states and territories for feedback before it is formally launched in November 2003. The Northern Territory Junior Sport Reference Group will provide feedback on the second draft of the framework when it meets later this month. Specific objectives of the revised national framework will be to:
build safe and appropriate environments for the delivery of junior sport;
Active Australia schools network in order to provide a team approach for junior sport growth and delivery
in Australia.
The Northern Territory’s Junior Sport Plan will complement these national objectives. Being active has many benefits, and physically active behavioural patterns are established early in life. Children need physical activity for healthy physical growth and development. However, numerous state-based and national surveys have confirmed the trend of decreasing levels of physical activity. This is emerging as a very significant issue in ensuring good health for all Australians.
Establishing a healthy lifestyle among our youth is obviously a key objective of government policy. Participating in organised sport is one of the most obvious ways to be active and is an integral part of the Territory lifestyle. Sport has so much it can offer young people, and it provides them with experiences and pathways that they can take into adulthood. Participation in sport has many social, health and educational benefits for our young Territorians. The Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan aims to increase participation rates and to make sport and recreation fun and exciting. The plan aims to have young Territorians balance the use of the Gameboy or computer joystick with the advantages, fun and experiences provided by participation in sport and recreation.
In September 2001, my department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs entered into a Sport Development Services Agreement with the Australian Sports Commission as part of Backing Australia’s Sporting Ability - A More Active Australia policy for 2001-2005. Aims of this policy include increasing the number of Australians participating in sport, particularly young people in organised sport and boosting membership in sporting organisations and clubs. In line with this policy, part of the agreement focuses on junior sport initiatives that aim to:
provide positive environments for junior participation and encourage young people to play active leadership
roles at club level;
and association competitions;
in sport and recreation.
Following on from this agreement, my department, in conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission, conducted a Junior Sport workshop in December 2001. The focus of the workshop was to seek input from sport, education and other key stakeholders into the future direction of junior sport within the Northern Territory. This workshop resulted in a draft operational plan for Northern Territory junior sport and the establishment of an Interim Junior Sport Reference Group.
My Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs also coordinated a Junior Sport Youth Forum in April 2002 to gain feedback from youth in regard to issues relating to participation and non-participation in junior sport. This forum, which formed part of Youth Week celebrations in 2002, involved approximately 80 young Territorians from a variety of backgrounds, physical abilities and included regional and remote participants.
In May 2002, a formalised Junior Sport Reference Group made up of leaders in the junior sport community was formed from the interim group. The Junior Sport Reference Group is made up of representation from the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation NT; Sports Medicine Australia NT; the Alice Springs Gymnastics Association; the Northern Territory Sailing Association; TC Raiders in Tennant Creek; the Northern Territory Hockey Association; the Department of Employment, Education and Training; and my Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs.
Since its formation in May, the Junior Sport Reference Group has been working on development of the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan.
The Junior Sport Youth Advisory Group and Regional Network has also been established, with meetings held in Alice Springs, Katherine, Darwin and Nhulunbuy. One representative from each region will attend meetings of the Junior Sport Reference Group to provide valuable input into junior sport issues. Feedback was sought from Northern Territory sporting organisations and other key partners within the junior sport and education industries on the development of the Northern Territory plan.
I would like to thank the following organisations and individuals for their valuable feedback: Alice Springs Junior Sport Regional Network; Alice Springs Netball Association; Alice Springs Town Council; AFL NT; Baseball Northern Territory Incorporated; Chief Minister’s Round Table for Young Territorians; Katherine Town Council; Ltyentye Apurte Community Council; Nhulunbuy Corporation Limited; Northern Territory Athletics; Northern Territory BMX Association Incorporated; Northern Territory Cycling Association; Northern Territory Gymnastic Association; Northern Territory Rugby Union; Northern Territory Sailing Association; Northern Territory Swimming Incorporated; Palmerston City Council; and participants at the Indigenous Sport Program Southern Region Workshop held in May 2003.
It is in this context of community consultation that the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006 has been developed as a means of making junior sport more accessible and enjoyable, and featuring a more customer focussed approach to junior sport. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of officially launching the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006. The creation and implementation of a Junior Sport Plan for the Northern Territory is recognition of the importance of providing opportunities for all young Territorians to participate in sport and recreation.
The plan seeks to address the key issues in providing access to safe, quality, interesting and enduring junior sport programs in urban, regional and remote areas. The plan encourages all sports to develop quality junior sports programs and develop innovative strategies that will increase junior participation rates. The plan is comprised of five key priority areas: participation and pathways; volunteers; quality and flexibility; school and community sport; and regional and remote programs.
Ongoing implementation of the plan will be coordinated through the Northern Territory Junior Sport Reference Group and monitored by the Office of Sport and Recreation in the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs.
The first priority area, participation and pathways, is aimed at increasing the number of young Territorians participating in sport. The latest survey conducted in 2002 showed participation in organised sport and physical activity for the Northern Territory is 44.5%, well above the national average of 40.9%. However, 15-year-old to 24-year-old males participating in organised sport in the Northern Territory has experienced a small decline from 64.6% in 2001 to 63.3% in 2002, below the 2002 national average of 68.3%. Females in this age bracket have experienced a slight increase, however, from 61.3% to 62%, whilst the national average is 63.9%. While these figures are for 15-year-old to 24-year-olds, physically active behaviour patterns are established early in life, and it is a priority of this plan to lift Northern Territory participation rates not only to equal the national average in all categories, but exceed it.
Junior sport is dependent on the recruitment and retention of many volunteers. This is becoming a pressing issue for an increasing number of sports. It is a key objective of the Territory Junior Sports Plan. An apprentice mentoring program for youth volunteers is an exciting direction that is part of this priority area, focussing on attracting and supporting volunteers for junior sports programs.
There is a need for junior sports programs to be flexible, of a high standard and to reflect customer needs. This is the third key priority area of the Territory plan. One example of a quality junior sports program already being delivered is Team Athletics. The success of Team Athletics is due to the program introducing athletics in a team-based, not individual, context that positively influences individual’s beliefs about participation in athletics and physical activity. Team Athletics is an introduction to physical activity, a platform for all sports, and an ideal environment in which to build positive attitudes that encourage children to engage in life-long sporting activity. Team Athletics is a new and innovative form of athletics for school children. It is just one of the initiatives that forms a part of Independent Grocers of Australia sponsorship of youth development programs to encourage more children to view athletics as a sport in which everyone can participate and have fun.
Schools play a major role in delivering junior sport, and the fourth priority area of the Territory Junior Sports Plan deals with developing and coordinating ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport to improve the delivery of junior sport.
The school environment is pivotal in providing opportunities for children to gain the basic social and motor skills necessary to participate in sport. There has been ongoing national concern within the sports industry that school sport and physical education is becoming increasingly marginalised in the school curriculum. The sports industry can assist in addressing this issue by working cooperatively with the education sector to ensure children develop the skills and interest required, and to encourage them to join community sporting programs.
Junior sport programs and products that address curriculum outcomes have been more successful and more readily accepted within schools and the education sector. The products developed by sporting organisations need to be compatible with school curriculum sports, and matched against specific outcomes. Many national sporting organisations have developed curriculum-targeted products as part of a strategy to increase membership under the Australian Sports Commission’s Targeted Sports Participation Growth Program.
The Active Australia Schools Network will play a large role in developing ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport. This network involves schools that show a commitment to sport and physical activity. Over the past year, the Northern Territory has nearly doubled its number of member schools from 32 in June 2002, to 60 member schools in September 2003. This is a school membership rate of 33% across the Northern Territory. I am pleased to advise that this figure is well above the national average of just 10%. This increase goes to show the commitment that the Northern Territory has made in positively promoting the Active Australia Schools Network.
My Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs has provided member schools with opportunities such as: assistance with the completion of sport and physical activity plans; facilitation of pilot programs linked more effectively to sporting organisations; coordinating regional network meetings where schools have been encouraged to work collaboratively utilising one another’s expertise and resources; coordinating professional development activities; and facilitating leadership programs in conjunction with a variety of sporting organisations.
The Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs has also been working with peak sporting organisations in the Northern Territory to improve service delivery within the education sector. Organisations were invited to presentations on the Active Australia Schools Network and the changes to the School Sport NT program for 2003. The sessions were highly successful in facilitating future pilot programs for junior sport.
Member schools from Nhulunbuy to Alice Springs have taken part in leadership programs as part of this network. Recently, O’Loughlin Catholic College ran a nine-week basketball leadership program for 15 students in Years 9 through to 11, which also incorporated sports medicine training. These students were then able to run two basketball sessions at the Holy Family Primary School, as well as coaching juniors from the Darwin Basketball Association. Next year, it is hoped to make use of these leaders as role models, and take the leadership program to St Francis Xavier School at Daly River. This is an excellent example of how sporting organisations and schools can work together to create ongoing benefits for students.
The final key priority area deals with regional and remote participation in sport. A focus of the plan is to encourage more young Territorians to participate in sport, especially those in regional and remote areas who do not have the same opportunities as in urban centres. It is particularly important to ensure all young Territorians are able to access sport, regardless of whether they reside in Darwin, Katherine, Numbulwar or Kintore.
One recent initiative is the fantastic softball program currently running in the Daly River region, enabling children in remote areas to access quality coaching and to compete against children from other communities. I would like to draw members’ attention to a recent workshop that successfully linked communities to sports. At the end of July this year, my Office of Sport and Recreation conducted a pilot workshop entitled Community Sport Mataranka 2003. The project was conducted in partnership with the Active Australia Schools Network, the Indigenous Sports Program, Sports Services, Northern Territory sporting organisations and schools.
The project was a result of ongoing consultation with Mataranka school staff. The major objective of this workshop was to improve the capacity of small remote communities to provide opportunities for participation in sport and to equip participants with the skills and confidence to conduct sporting activities in their regions. Sport development officers from basketball, Rugby League, hockey, touch football, tennis, athletics, netball, cricket, baseball, the AFL and gymnastics provided activities for students and professional development for teachers, school support staff, community sport and recreation officers and volunteers.
Rugby Union provided a professional development program and supporting resources to be used at the workshop. During the week, children had the opportunity to learn about and participate in a variety of sports appropriate to their skill level in teams of peers of similar ages. Students also participated in a leadership program to develop the skills required to organise a mini-competition for workshop participants. Attendance by Katherine schools took the number of students participating each day to between 90 and 110.
Twelve community sport and recreation officers attended from Timber Creek, Kalkarindji, Mataranka, Ngukurr, Binjari, Kalano and Borroloola. Teachers and school staff from Mataranka, Pine Creek, Jilkminggan, Urapunga and Wugularr who completed the professional development program will receive a certificate in General Principles of Coaching Level 1. Those who completed the professional development component will also receive the General Principles Certificate. A major highlight of the Community Sport Mataranka was the development of networks. People from education, the sports industry and communities developed a good understanding of each other’s roles that will translate into a strong support network.
The Office of Sport and Recreation has received positive feedback from participants. As a result of this workshop, bookings have been made for sport development officers to visit remote communities to share their resources.
Opportunities for similar projects in other areas are now being explored. As stated earlier, the Junior Sport Reference Group will coordinate the implementation of strategies within the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan over the next three years. My department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs, through the Office of Sport and Recreation, will take on a lead role in implementing these strategies and will monitor the plan’s achievements.
Northern Territories sporting organisations, peak bodies and regional associations and clubs will directly be involved in implementing strategies of the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan and be responsible for: developing and delivering sport-specific junior sports products; accessing improved delivery networks, for example, the Active Australia Schools network and new networks developed through piloting projects such as the Out of School Hours Sport Programs; and implementing new sport-specific junior sport policies aligned with the National Junior Sport Framework and the Northern Territory Junior Sports Plan. Sport-specific national junior sports policies developed as part of the National Junior Sport Framework will complement and support the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan.
I encourage all Northern Territory sporting organisations to proactively implement the plan, wherever they are located, and give more young Territorians the opportunity to play sport.
Mr Acting Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Acting Speaker, the statement is welcome and supported. It is noted that the statement is a response to a national framework being established, I presume under the direction of minister Kemp, who has also been active in the area of soccer.
Once again, the local response to soccer, in responding to the Crawford Review is, in fact, a response to a national restructure and establishment a new framework for the administration of the sport nationally.
In the Junior Sport Plan, we have a strategic plan to harmonise with the national framework. That is a good and timely move, particularly when the Australian Sports Commission, with their national framework, have not yet handed down their final report, but which I understand will be in November. It is good to see that we have this level of activity in the Northern Territory. Obviously, the minister is working closely with his colleagues interstate and with the federal minister to ensure we have unity between the two frameworks and that our framework, from my reading of it, complements that which has already been described by the national framework.
Going through the framework, we would probably not be particularly well served because generally, it is fully supported. I understand what has been articulated by the minister. From the point of view of every officer on the field endeavouring to promote the key priority areas, which are to increase the number of young Territorians participating in sport, of course that is fully supported.
A key priority area: to attract, educate and support sufficient volunteers to support junior sports programs. Who could do anything less than fully support that? Another key priority area: to improve the quality and flexibility of junior sports programs to reflect customer needs. Of course, fully supported. The final priority area, which I believe to be the most important one, is: to develop and coordinate ongoing partnerships which improve the delivery of junior sport between schools and community sport. That is the key area.
As I said, if my comments are restricted to reflecting on the strategy as it has been outlined by the minister, we would not do what we could do. I understand the position of opposition is to propose ideas for consideration, perhaps to challenge the way we do our business, to consider another way.
In starting this, we know that having kicked the footy, playing a bit of soccer, perhaps playing softball or doing a bit of athletics, joining a community group on the weekends, mum and dad shipping the kids out to Litchfield to Rural Little Athletics or into town here – and as a parent, I have done both; I have been all over the place with swimming, Little Athletics, hockey. Many parents are involved in this, they know what is going on, they want the best of their kids. However, I am going to come at it from this point of view: for all those good mums and dads, whether they are on communities, regional centres or here in the northern suburbs, there is this prevailing sense that there is something missing. Everyone is trying their best. The department is doing what it can do, but there seems to be some dislocation between what happens at the school and what happens with community-based sports. The Prime Minister, when he spoke at the Liberal Party convention earlier this year and echoed it later with this proposition to the community: ‘We need to find ways of better using our school facilities after school hours’.
That is a proposition that resonates fairly strongly here with regards to sport. It seems to be a waste of effort to have a school, fully-resourced, fully-staffed and closed at 2.30 pm, then we have a whole other set of activities and other groups of people – though I would have to say, there are many teachers who then transfer across and operate after hours, probably starting these programs around 4.30 pm or 5 pm. They help run the after-school program. However, school finishes at 2.30 pm and there is a gap when the kids seem to disappear into suburbia or town and then re-appear in a different form to be involved in sport. That is the gap that needs to be addressed.
In the good old days, we had active compulsory sport in schools, and there was active inter-school competition. The fact that we do not have active inter-school competitions that are fully supported, fully resourced and promoted and encouraged by government means that we are missing out on an opportunity. Now, of course, we are going to immediately run into an area of concern that must be pre-empted, that being teachers would then feel: ‘My goodness! Are we going to have all this school activity after school hours when we have just spent the whole day with our class?’. Anyone who has been close to schools and is sympathetic to what goes on in a classroom will know that is too much to place directly on a school community.
There are solutions, though, and they are going to come from interesting quarters. Mark Latham, for example, would support the idea of rewarding teachers for the extra that they do. Interestingly - I think it was yesterday - he made comment with regard to the issue of paying teachers performance pay, he articulated support for that concept. The federal minister, Brendan Nelson presented a report last Thursday that investigated what is happening in education, why so many teachers are leaving, what is the problem in education, why teachers are resigning from the profession instead of retiring; we have more people resigning from the teaching profession than retiring from it. We have 60% of those who graduate from universities and teachers colleges who continue on; 40% are lost in the first year. Why is it that teachers are leaving?
That has to be fairly and squarely looked at. There is immense pressure on teachers. What I am proposing is something that recognises that there is immense pressure on teachers, but still the answer lies in how we actually link sport and the school. There are ways of doing it. One is for those teachers we see in our School Sports Updates – and I am sure all members have a good look at that publication, because you will see names appear year after year after year. I was in schools for 10 years here, and I still read the School Sports Update, and I still see those great teachers I worked beside, year after year conducting sports programs, doing the exchanges: the hockey exchange, the Aussie Rules exchange, the swimming exchanges, the gymnastics, the athletics. It is those good teachers who step up, again and again, year after year, to carry sports programs. They are the ones who should be rewarded and recognised, not just recognised, but physically and sensibly rewarded for the part that they actually play.
In the report that Brendan Nelson presented to the community last Thursday, he drew attention to this; that there needs to not only be recognition, but actual paid performance. It is these teachers, I propose, who are the ones that need to be recognised and paid accordingly. There needs to be some kind of construction that I am sure the resources of government would be able to refine. I say simply: it is those teachers who are making an immense difference.
We are not looking at something superficial here; the minister well knows this: that which we find achieved through sport is not just occupying our young after school, making better use of facilities, or just keeping them busy, and it is more than keeping them healthy; it is the development of good lifestyle skills, a sense of who you are as a person, your ability to work in a team, to be fit and have a sense of your own purpose. A healthy child is one who is actively, physically engaged in sport. It engages the young person at all levels, so we all know it is far more than just keeping them occupied and off the streets; they should get into sport. It teaches much, much more. That leads to the opportunity for leadership skills, which is something I hope to come back to later.
We know there is the need. I sometimes shy away from these sorts of things, but I will not shy away from my supporting comments with regards to the need to develop a junior sports plan. We have a sense of tidiness, of reordering and restructuring. The questions that are being asked nationally will match up with what we are doing here in the Northern Territory, which is good. When we have a plan, often we think that the plan is the achievement, and it is not. An engagement plan or strategy is just that: a plan. It is making the plan work that is the real work. Making the difference is the real work, not the plan itself. That is where we, as politicians who represent our communities, real people, must ensure that these plans make a real difference to real people because we need to see our young people actively engaged.
Why are they participating less than they used to? ‘Why is that, Territorians?’, we ask each other. Why is that? What is happening to our young people that they are participating at a lesser degree than they once were? Granted, we might talk of percentage or decimal points: it is pretty good, but it is a little below the national standard. It should not be. However, the fact that it is prompts the question: why is it? Does this plan have the grunt to make that difference? I say that it is in priority area four; that being how do we link the school and sport? It is right there. It becomes a bit abstract if we have the school bell go, the kids disappear, and then come back and well-intentioned folk who have knocked off work come along and put on their joggers or their footy boots and they help this bunch of kids who know that it is a community program: ‘It is a different set-up than I had at school’. Anyone who has worked with kids knows that inherent in that are some other challenges. Really, that link needs to be there.
I heard a commentator yesterday on AM - I think it was - proposing that there should be compulsory sport in school. They were saying that it should be at the same level as reading, literacy, numeracy, maths, sport should be at the same position. It got my attention. First of all, I wanted to know whether it is compulsory in Northern Territory schools to participate in sport. Probably in primary schools, most of them would participate in sport, but I am not so sure whether it is compulsory in high schools. Anyone who has been involved in youth sports, you know that the kids are red hot and focussed and they will do anything; particularly if it is well run like Auskick and so on in those junior grades. But as they get into the high school era, that is where they start to become lost. That is where we need to put the emphasis. That is where we need the school. Our aspirations to deliver the benefit of sport need to be focussed on the area from late primary, Years 6 and 7, let’s say 12-year-olds up to 15, 16, 17. It is that area we are finding dramatic leakage from sport. We are finding talented young swimmers who hit puberty, they go into Year 7, and the structures are not there to support them all the way through. They go into high school and the same support structures are not there with regards to sport. It becomes optional, and they can depart the system.
That is where we are losing them. That is where we are finding them on the streets. I am not saying those same kids, but it is that cohort that we are finding our social problems and that is where we really need to put our effort. We have a massive number of kids playing soccer, there are paddocks full of them, but they are all fairly young. Then we have the older cohort over there playing soccer. It is like the dads are playing soccer, the kids are playing soccer, but it is the teenagers in the middle that are wandering in the car park. Where are they? It is they we need to be able to take from junior sport into adult sport. They are the kids who are in high school. It is that talent that could be developed. Minister, that is where we need to focus our attention. How do we make school sport work? For anyone out there listening who thinks: ‘Oh my goodness, it is working’, I know it is working.
I am talking about something fairly radical that rewards teachers for the extra that they put in to link the activities more directly with inter-school sporting competitions so that more are actively involved, so kids are still involved in the school. It helps to bring the morale, strength and focus of the school. The morale issue is very important so they feel they have a sense of belonging. They belong to their school, they might want to go along and support, to see their school have a game of football against another school. That needs to be encouraged.
I know it is going to be difficult, but there are solutions to these difficulties; and one of them, as I have already said, is rewarding those teachers who put in that extra bit. Do not just have them appear at 5.30 pm and go out and give another hand. Link it up to school. Find a way of rewarding them. Develop the structures. Bring in the supporters and resource it properly. You will probably find it is a bit expensive, and the Treasurer will say: ‘Well, you cannot do that’. However, you will be able to argue it well because in the longer term, these things have immense benefit and you will start finding the removal of certain weights upon, say, the Police budget, or the Health budget, or social issues would be diminished by a proactive way of linking school and sport together.
I support the fine work that has been undertaken by your department, minister. You are heading in the right direction but I would ask for the things that I have said with regards to compulsory physical education in high schools be considered and responded to, that the idea of inter-school competitions be encouraged in some way. You will be talking to your colleague. the minister for Education. We have to find creative ways of really recognising volunteers in meaningful ways, and I acknowledge the good work you have done with regard to holding functions here to recognise volunteers. There needs to be heaps of that.
At the AFLNT launch to their season on Saturday, it was tremendous to see Telstra come in and create – no, excuse me; it was not Telstra. It was the CEO, Chris Natt - saying that we have to find a way of recognising volunteers. He has a program designed, he has a price of about $50 000 on it. He described the program whereby all those good people who get involved in a junior AFL in our local teams, there is a huge amount, wonderful work that is done by community folk, are recognised and rewarded. He is looking for a sponsor. It is that kind of thing that we need to see a lot more of. Those volunteers who are recognised and rewarded will come back and perhaps encourage others. They are the lifeblood here. It is not plans. Plans are good because they provide some structure and guidance, but it is the people within those plans who really make that difference.
I would like to touch on one area of the plan and add my support to it. We have these pots on the hot plate, and this is the one I would like to turn the gas up on, as much as the linking of the school and our objectives in sport. It is leadership training. I have known some great young athletes - swimming, athletics, hockey - and I have seen them at presentation nights. You can see the sense of pride that they have; you can see their emerging leadership skills. That is great raw material in which we must invest.
You have mentioned recognition of leadership training. It is the training of young leaders on which we must strategically focus. There are lots of young leaders out there and, normally speaking, we do not have opportunities to recognise their leadership abilities because they are just being kids, but when you see them in a sporting endeavour, some of them will stand out in their ability to lead and to guide and encourage. There is a way we can recognise those qualities and kick in with some real training and support. It is good to see that that has been acknowledged and that there are things on foot.
With those words, minister, I welcome and support this statement.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Acting Speaker, I am very pleased to speak this afternoon in support of my colleague, the sports minister’s statement and release of the Junior Sports Plan 2003-2006.
In my experience of working with the minister, there is no more passionate advocate for participation in sport than minister Ah Kit. I remember the minister saying – I believe it was in the House after we came to government and were allocated portfolios by the Chief Minister – that he had won the jackpot in his portfolio allocation, particularly the sport portfolio because it had been such a huge part of his life. He certainly delivered that enthusiasm through all the work he is doing to advance sport in the Northern Territory. It is great to see the release of this plan today. I am very pleased to support the statement.
I would like to acknowledge that this plan will complement the national framework that will be released later this year. That framework is going to supersede the 1994 National Junior Sport Policy, so it is good to see that we are working in partnership at the national level. The specific objectives of the revised national framework are going to be to build safe and appropriate environments for the delivery of junior sport, assist national sporting organisations to increase their membership, to provide the best possible assistance for young people participating at all levels, and aim to better link sporting organisations, schools, government, sport and recreation agencies and the Active Australia Schools Network in order to provide a team approach for junior sports growth and delivery in Australia. When you look at those specific objectives and the priorities in this plan, they go hand in hand and will work in partnership at the national level.
Sport, as all of us here would agree, is the glue that binds, to a large part, our sense of national identity. As the father of three young children, two boys of nine and six, who are really getting into their sporting life and thoroughly enjoying participating in many sports, I am seeing for the first time the different levels of competitiveness at that age. Sport has always been a part of my life, it is a part of everybody’s life, and it takes it to a new level when you have young kids and you are on the weekend merry-go-round of running kids to different venues, seeing the joy and the enthusiasm with which children participate in sport. It is such a tragedy that some kids just do not have the opportunity to participate because they take to sport like a duck to water.
They find their own levels of competitiveness and, yes, there are some children out there who are shy and a bit retiring, and who may not want to compete, but they are certainly in the minority. The vast majority of kids, given the opportunity, will certainly get out there with a ball and bat, or whatever the implement might be, or want to run and jump and have a great time. Being such a massive part of our culture in Australia, it is sad to see that we have declining participation rates in some areas of sporting endeavour. From, I suppose, not just a general ethos, but also of long life, healthy living, it is a responsibility for governments to promote sport and to finance facilities and encourage our population to compete. It really does start with our children and, certainly, I am prepared to give credit where credit is due.
The sporting facilities that we have in the Northern Territory are absolutely fantastic, particularly in our urban centres. There is a long way to go in the bush, but the sporting facilities we have in Darwin are second to none for a city of around 100 000 people. They are used to an enormous extent, and cost a significant amount of money for ongoing maintenance and upgrades. We had our issues in Cabinet, as I am sure the previous government did, in continually having to money in to maintain these facilities at a standard that are not only acceptable for sport here in the Northern Territory, but also attractive for national and international competition in the Northern Territory. It does not come cheap, but everyone agrees that it is well worth it as an investment, not only for the entertainment value, but also the great participation value that it has.
I would like to particularly commend and congratulate my colleague on his announcement yesterday, and in the House today, of the three-point plan to revise and generate progress for soccer in the Northern Territory. It is a great participation sport at the junior level. I see many members of this House at various soccer fields, including yourself, Mr Acting Speaker, on a Sunday morning - people who have kids who play soccer - and we all meet on Sunday mornings. It is certainly a time I rule out in my diary; I do not want to be anywhere else on a Sunday morning during the soccer season other than to be out with the kids.
We can certainly say that, at a senior level, the code has degenerated over the years through factionalism, personalities and a lack of a strategic approach to the development of soccer in the Northern Territory. That has been to the detriment of our young talent we see in their hundreds running around Bagot and Malak oval, out at Litchfield, in Alice Springs, in their hundreds on a Sunday, thousands across the Northern Territory, in the very few pathways for them. Those pathways were not there to develop that talent through to senior competition in the Northern Territory and, if those kids have the talent, to national competition and, hopefully, into the world game.
One of the key things that I am looking forward to out of this review and the implementation of the recommendations is for that pathway to be built so that our young talent can progress to the ultimate of their abilities. I know any number of parents whose kids are great soccer players, and it is only through the parents’ love of the game, their links with clubs in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, that those kids get an opportunity to go and train and develop and play with those clubs. It is not as a result of structures and pathways that are available currently through the Northern Territory Soccer Federation.
I congratulate the minister on the release of that three-point plan. I had the opportunity to have a couple of beers on the balcony after the meeting yesterday with the soccer community from around the Northern Territory, and they were ecstatic. They unanimously said that this was the best offer that they had ever had. They see this review and the sign-up to the recommendations of the review as a real stimulus. The level of enthusiasm on that balcony last night was absolutely fantastic, and it was great to be part of it. I am really looking forward to the review and the outcomes.
It is not just in the towns that soccer is gaining momentum. One of the great surprises that I have had in government over the last couple of years was being out at Borroloola and seeing those kids out there. The only patch of green in Borroloola in the Dry Season is the soccer pitch. The photos of the kids in their guernseys, and the enthusiasm for the game - and those kids travel all over the Northern Territory to play - is absolutely magnificent. That indigenous talent is totally untapped at a national level. We have many Aboriginal kids moving through into AFL and some into Rugby League and we have had the Australian Cricket test team here this year on the Tiwi Islands, really excited about that indigenous talent moving through one day to the Australian test team. However, soccer is absolutely untapped. The skills of those kids was great to see.
It is also here in Darwin. I would like to commend a fellow by the name of Blair Cheshire who has the Didgeridoos at the Bagot Community, together as a team. My colleague, the member for Millner, might want to talk about Blair. There is some fantastic talent there from those kids. They have been playing in competitions in New Zealand and Sydney and, talking to Blair and other people, he really believes there is great untapped talent amongst our Aboriginal kids and the potential for soccer.
It is great to see that plan, minister, and you certainly have me there to do everything I can to push this sport of soccer in the Northern Territory.
I would like to talk particularly about the priority areas set out in the strategic directions in this document. Again, it is good to see the department coming together with a strategic plan with specific strategies, assigning responsibilities and those key partners. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It is good to see that the thought has gone in, and that links in with the national framework that is going to be released later this year.
The first objective is participation and pathways to increase the number of young Territorians participating in sport. I know it is obvious, but I do not think there is anyone here who would disagree that that is absolutely a priority. If we want people to have healthy lifestyles, then participating in sport is great. The strategies there are very important, and the partnerships with those other groups to increase the number of kids playing sports in the Northern Territory is good to see.
I pick up the promotion of fun and quality entry level junior sport experiences. It is so important that kids, when they have their first experience either in solo or team sports, have fun. If they do not have fun within their first couple of outings, they are going to walk away and it is very hard to get them back. It will be interesting to see how my big fellow goes this week in his second AFL outing for the Nightcliff Saints. I always thought Nightcliff were the Tigers, but in Under-10 AFL they are the Nightcliff Saints. He had his first blood nose on Saturday, playing against a team from Leanyer, and left the field in the third quarter with quite a mess on his face. Half-an-hour later he is saying: ‘Dad, when is it going to stop hurting?’. It will be interesting to see if he is back on the oval next week, but I believe he will be. We are not making a fuss of it. Promoting fun is what it is all about for kids at that level, and it is good to see that that direction is acknowledged.
The member for Blain talked about volunteers. I could not agree more. Across our community, and as local members, we know how important volunteers are to our social fabric and how hard it is at every level to get people to put up their hands to volunteer; whether it is at the local Rotary club, the school council or the sports groups. Even at a function for Defence Reserves in Parliament House a couple of nights ago, with the pressures on life and family with both partners working, it is harder and harder to get people to find the time and have the inclination to put up their hand to volunteer. In junior sports, we are so reliant on volunteers to see this up there as a key priority area to attract, educate and support sufficient volunteers for junior sports programs. I see that as being absolutely critical. Unless we have those volunteers, we do not have junior sport.
The strategic directions of providing coordinated and affordable training opportunities for volunteers, coaches, officials and sports trainers is absolutely vital, and to acknowledge those volunteers, whether they be coaches, officials, club officials, referees and umpires. I know the minister has had a specific strategy of getting those groups into receptions and functions at Parliament House to say thank you for the time that they put in. I know he hosted a function a couple of months ago for referees and umpires for all codes across the Top End. A number of people said that this was the first time they had been invited to Parliament House as a group and acknowledged for their contribution to sport as referees and umpires. People were absolutely stoked, and I commend the minister for saying thank you to these people because, at the end of the day, we do not have a game unless we have people who are refereeing and umpiring. We all know how difficult that job is and, at the elite level, the amount of sledging you cop as a referee or umpire is nothing compared to that as a player. It is a person of unique strength of character who goes on to be a referee or an umpire at the elite level. We do not have the games without them, and the fact that the minister is acknowledging this key area as being absolutely paramount in junior sports development, deserves congratulations.
The quality and flexibility of junior sports programs is important for ensuring that as many kids as possible participate. Footy and soccer is not for everyone and we need a broad range so that all kids can get involved.
Regarding schools and community support, again, how important sport is in all of our communities across the Northern Territory, particularly on communities where there is no economic activity to speak of, and there is a lot of idle time on people’s hands. Those communities that have a sport and recreation officer, that have real and committed volunteers to programs amongst those communities, are much stronger than the communities without active sport programs for kids. It is absolutely critical to develop those opportunities for kids across all communities in the Territory so that we have active sport programs. I would again like to place on the record my congratulations to the many sport and recreation officers in the bush who are very dedicated to developing sport in the bush amongst Aboriginal people. Many of them have been there for many years. They do a great job. We are putting more of those people on and they are going to be integral to the development of this plan.
Those comments also go to priority area 5 regarding regional and remote, to increase the number and range of junior sport opportunities in regional and remote areas. Those sport and recreation officers do a great job.
In summing up, I commend the minister for bringing this plan to the House today. I commend him for his great enthusiasm for his portfolio. I commend him for his ability to get significant amounts of money out of Cabinet for sport across the Northern Territory. I am sure that the minister will have bipartisan support from all members for this plan.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Mr Acting Speaker, the member for Blain summarised very well the opposition’s position, and I am not going to repeat the sensible comments and observations that he made.
There is absolutely no doubt that junior sport is crucial to the healthy development of children. Teams sports particularly promote the best human qualities such as loyalty, honesty, a sense of fair play and, of course, how to be gracious in defeat and also in victory.
The statement has a positive sentiment and the fundamental message is moving in the right direction. The basis sentiment is something to be commended. However, at the end of the day the proof will be in the pudding to see what sort of effect this plan has on real participation rates at a very basic level.
Rural kids are very active. Indeed, it is generally accepted that participation rates in outdoor activities are higher in the rural area. From a very narrow electorate perspective, I know that members have been at Freds Pass when there are numerous soccer teams from town and Palmerston. They come out to Freds Pass and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of kids, volunteers and parents involved in this process on a weekend.
Freds Pass itself is really an icon for the rural area. There are some 30 or 40 user groups. It is an enormous patch of land close to Palmerston, only a short drive from town, and is probably in the very centre of the built up portions of the rural area. On any weekend, you can see soccer, Rugby League, all the different codes of football, Aussie Rules and the like, Little Athletics, all the horse sports - polocrosse, dressage, jumping - dog events, BMX, netball and the list just goes on.
I note from the ministerial statement that a working group has been put together. It is an interim group and there is a fairly broad cross-section of interests represented. I acknowledge also that it seems there was an enormous amount of feedback from organisations across the Territory, and there is a comprehensive list of those parent sporting associations contained in pages 11 and 12 of the statement.
Our kids and promoting their involvement in sport is something that should be above politics. Any reasonable person in this parliament would support the basic sentiment of trying to get our kids more actively involved in sport to promote those human qualities, which they will hopefully exhibit when they are adults. None of the would be possible if it was not for the enormous amount of effort by volunteers. The members for Wanguri and Blain acknowledged that and I am not going to repeat it, but it is obvious. Once again, close to my home is Freds Pass. There are so many parents, so many people involved. There are people now involved in the coaching and umpiring side of junior sport who don’t have children in that area. I am thinking of Little Athletics. There are a few people who had children, they went to Rural Little Athletics, the children moved on and discovered fast cars and other distractions, but the parents are so committed to promoting junior sport that they have stayed on and maintain a coaching role. There are umpires who week in, week out, give their time for free in the form of unpaid volunteer work. They should be commended.
The plan is, of course, important, certainly as an initial first step. What concerns me is that there has been a fall in participation rate. There seems to be lots of rhetoric and motherhood statements but, at the end of the day, there are no clear, definitive answers, and there is probably no real yardstick to determine how successful the plan is going to be apart from time and the usual statistics on participation rates.
One of the matters which government can provide for is to ensure that the Territory has the very best sporting facilities, and that those sporting facilities are available to the broadest cross-section of junior sport and talent across the Northern Territory. We have some wonderful facilities in Darwin and across our regional centres.
We have had a recent announcement that there will be a multipurpose sports facility built on the super block at the top of Palmerston. On a personal note, I have some real reservations about the lack of long-term vision as to why that facility is going at the top of Palmerston when it should be at Freds Pass, it should be centralised. We will have the situation where we have Freds Pass, Weddell and Palmerston all within five or 10 minutes of each other, and there will be these three mediocre type sports facilities when there should be one Marrara type structure, something close, something central. Freds Pass is the ideal location for that to be constructed. What seems to be coming from this government is a certain lack of vision of the long-term future of our sporting facilities, but I suppose, as some people have said, we would rather have something in Palmerston than absolutely nothing at all. It is a step, albeit a shaky step, in the right direction.
I have said this in a couple of speeches I have given to my old school and the like, there is a skate rink opposite Taminmin High School and the kids on their BMXs get on there. The BMX track at Freds Pass has been demolished, of course. I was asked by a group of Year 9 kids: ‘What did you do when you were in Year 9 at Taminmin High School? We have the skate park across the road. What was there?’ I said there was nothing there. They were genuinely perplexed and said: ‘What did you do? What did you do after school?’ I told them the truth, which, of course, is that I was lucky enough to have a very supportive family. If I was not out bush fishing, camping or doing something like that, there was always my mum or dad available to take us into town to get involved heavily in junior sport. We played Rugby League during the Dry Season and Aussie Rules during the Wet, that went on until later on in my high school years.
I thought for a moment: ‘Gee, I have just made the assumption that these kids have at least one parent at home who is available to drive them about’. Things have changed. I asked them: ‘How many of your parents both work?’. Overwhelmingly, most of the kids in that class put their hands up and said: ‘Mum and dad work full-time’. So I suppose it comes back to the fundamental fabric of our society. Things are tighter, things are economically tougher. There are lots of kids now who grow up in this environment where mum and dad have to work, and work hard, to maintain their standard of living. So these kids knock off school at 3 pm, or 3.30 pm by the time they get home and, when they get home, they are there for a couple of hours by themselves.
Everyone looks back at when they were a kid. I am sure when I was growing up, it was not uncommon that there was at least one parent to pick you up from the bus stop, or sometimes they would pick you up from school; invariably someone was always available. If it was not my mum, it was my neighbour’s mum and dad. There was always someone there to take us somewhere to be actively involved in sport, and those parents, of course, had the time to become volunteers and promote junior sport.
I hope that this plan and these wonderful sentiments which are contained in this statement do not die the death of a thousand lashes like those recommendations from the Economic Development Summit that appeared on the government Internet site for a period of months, and then they were washed away like marks on a beach when the tide comes in. This Martin Labour government decided to reinvent the wheel and now we have these seven committees that will investigate different areas. It is rhetoric followed by rhetoric. The whole aim is to persuade the poor journalists that this government is doing something about this subject matter.
It has taken two years for the government to put together a plan. I wonder how long it is going to take until the plan is implemented and there are some real results. Once again, we need a mechanism to determine how successful or unsuccessful this plan is going to be and, ultimately, how effectively this government has implemented the plan.
Mr Acting Speaker, the jury is out. We will see what effect this is going to have on junior participation. The basic sentiment of trying to get more kids involved is absolutely fantastic and should be supported but, as with anything that this government does, I have reservations about their capacity to practically have an effect on the ground. We know they are good at making motherhood statements, at getting their media liaison people to massage the journalists and get the odd misleading story into the paper, but we know that they are just not good at delivering for Territorians on a day-to-day basis.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Acting Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of this statement. Normally, when you are speaking following a member of the opposition, you would make comment on what they said. The gratuitous nature of the comments that we heard mostly through that contribution do not deserve comment or to be taken seriously.
The issue of youth sport is serious. The minister has outlined the details of our Junior Sports Plan from 2003-2006. This, as the minister explained, will complement the national framework to be released next month. The minister articulated the aim of the Territory’s Junior Sports Plan: to seek to address the key issues in providing access to safe, quality, challenging and enduring junior sports programs right across the Territory in urban, regional and remote areas.
As Minister for Young Territorians and, of course, as a parent, I cannot emphasise how importantly I view the minister’s statement today. In this age of increasing automation, remote control, and a lifestyle that frequently sees young people working and playing on computers, watching television, doing study - a lot of those sedentary activities that seem to be forming a greater proportion of our young people’s lives - this focus on the health and fitness of our young people is a real issue. It is not only for their mental health, but also for their physical health.
I recently received a publication funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. It also came from the New South Wales Health Department, which is relevant to this discussion. I refer to the Getting Australia Active: Towards Better Practice for the Promotion of Physical Activity which came out in March last year. This most comprehensive publication contains much valuable information, but it is in section 3 on children and adolescents that is particularly relevant today. The publication argues conclusively:
- … that physical inactivity in childhood is linked to several health risk factors for ill health. For example, numerous
studies have shown the effectiveness of physical activity in reducing heart disease factors in children, and analysis
of the Australian Health and Fitness Survey from 1985 shows a link between fitness and blood pressure in children.
The report continues by noting that:
- The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among Australia’s children and youth is of growing concern.
A 1997 report noted that:
- … children be involved in physical activity rather than diet restriction as a means of maintaining healthy weight.
There are even more compelling reasons to promote physical activity in children. The report goes on to say that there is a relationship between physical activity and anxiety and stress, depressed moods, self-esteem, self-concept and self-efficacy, which is a key factor in learning and antisocial behaviour.
The Northern Territory is justly famous for our sporting youngsters, and as they get older. As the ministerial statement noted, participation in organised sport and physical activity in the Territory is well above the national average. Youth all over the Territory engage in football, basketball, touch, netball, swimming, sailing and a host of other sporting activities. Importantly, we want to build on our strengths and, through sport and training, provide sustainable activities that extend participation beyond youth and into active, healthy adulthood. This is a new approach. The plan will build partnerships and work together in ways that will enhance sporting opportunities for all Territorians.
Territorians are well represented on the national scene, particularly in such areas as football, touch, track and field, swimming. For our comparatively small population base, young Territorians are able to demonstrate that they are able to hold their own and more when competing nationally. At present, though, it is easier for young Territorians in urban centres to access assistance and facilities. It is extraordinary when you consider how many of our young people go interstate to compete at various levels, starting as young as nine and 10. They are often going interstate in football, netball, swimming based activities. For the size of our population, we manage to do extraordinarily well. Often when a team goes interstate they know that it is going to be tough, but I have seen the coaches and managers work with teams, and they say: ‘Go for your personal best’. We have to be realistic when our young people go interstate. Competing against the numbers that you have in somewhere like New South Wales or Victoria is tough, but they do fantastically and they do it with a great spirit.
I have travelled a couple of times with teams and have been really proud not only of the performance that our young people put in, but also they way they do it. They come away with a reputation for friendliness, for trying hard and even when they are beaten, doing it graciously. It really is delightful to see young Territorians, even though often it is a tough ask in whatever sport they are competing in, doing well and being able to hold their heads up and coming away having built on the reputation of Territorians as friendly people and as certainly ones to try even when we are up against the odds. We might be small in population, but we certainly punch above our weight.
A focus of this junior sport plan is to encourage more participation by young Territorians from remote or regional centres who do not enjoy access to the same opportunities as their counterparts in urban centres do. The idea of extensive consultation outlined by the minister with the advice of the Junior Sport Reference Group and the added feedback from a broad range of community and sporting associations and groups has ensured that this plan is conceived, developed and driven by the key stakeholders themselves.
The consultation was wide ranging and took in organisations beyond and in addition to sporting associations. The Chief Minister’s Round Table for Young Territorians were among just some of the groups who provided valuable feedback. This comprehensive strategy of public and community consultation ensures the plan is both relevant and timely. Encouragement of junior sport not only offers a lifetime opportunity for health and physical activity but also provides a mechanism so that people can come together as equals to enjoy pitting their skills against themselves and others. We use the term ‘level playing field’ as a metaphor for equality within our society. This metaphor acknowledges the inherent equality provided through sporting interactions. The Territory is justly famous for our multiculturalism. Sport offers opportunities for groups from all different ethnic communities, spiritual beliefs and geographic backgrounds to come together and meet on equal grounds. Opportunities for greater sporting participation around the Territory promote interactions between different social groups and build the substance of friendships that can endure for a lifetime.
I have mentioned that this plan builds on existing strengths and here, like the minister, would like to pay a tribute to one of the keystones of our community sports programs: the role of volunteers. These are the people who work within schools and community sporting groups in regional and remote places all around the Territory for the love of the sport and the promotion of opportunity for kids to take part. Within the tapestry of national, Northern Territory government, regional, peak, local and community groups, the contribution of volunteers runs as a steady, bright thread. As the minister noted, this strategy recognises their role and builds on it. I am extremely interested, for example, in the Apprenticeship Mentoring Program for youth volunteers.
This plan looks specifically at the needs and requirements of young people participating in sport between the ages of five and 17. It seems to me we ask so much of our young people today; the penalties for not succeeding are so much greater. When I was growing up, there were a number of jobs available where individuals with manual dexterity, good oral skills and a pleasant manner could find employment in a number of areas. Increasingly, however, our society is asking for specific training or qualifications, demonstrated levels of competence across a range of fields that include, as a starting point, high levels of literacy and numeracy, computing skills, good interpersonal qualities and more.
The level of competence required in a highly competitive world puts great levels of stress upon our youth to achieve in a particular direction. The scenario where young people drop out of school and fail to achieve their full potential, suffer depression or worse, is now known to every member of the community. Academic achievement in school is important, but so is physical activity.
I notice with interest some statistics from a school in Western Australia recently given to me from the Territory’s Sport Academy. Balga Senior High School, which offers a school-based football program, found that overall school attendance of participants improved by 3%. In addition, the literacy and numeracy skills of participants doubled. Values, as determined by the parent community, were estimated to have improved by 30%. Similarly, health was estimated to have improved, also by 30%. Working in partnerships, schools and sport offer young people opportunities for enhanced physical activity, but at the same time participation also improves academic skills and personal esteem.
Childhood is important to our memories, our identity, our sense of self. Patterns established in youth are often maintained throughout life. The report I cited earlier noted, and I quote:
- One of the most useful things we can do for children may be to ensure that they have the skills to participate in
sports and other activities in an enjoyable and rewarding way. This approach should not only promote activity
among children but should also (1) increase enjoyment of physical activity; (2) promote a sense of mastery that
will support the development of self-esteem; and (3) develop a reservoir of skills that can be called upon across
the life span.
As I noted, our experiences in youth significantly impact on our adult life. There is clear evidence that at present at least, participation in sports drops significantly with age. The report from the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport noted that in Australia, by age 65 and over, just under 30% were engaged in organised sport, although the figures for Territorians were not sufficient to be able to conclusively determine participation rates in this age group.
The Territory figures for mature participation in active sport may well be less than the average. This would follow other trends in Territory participation in sport. As the minister noted in the statement, 15-year-old to 24-year-old males participating in organised sport has declined and, for 2002, is below the national average. Although it is to be congratulated that females in this age bracket have experienced an increase, this, too, is still below the national average.
We know that sport and increased physical activity assist with raising self-esteem, increased coordination, increased academic performance and enhanced social skills. For a range of reasons, participation in youth sport is very important.
I would like to go on the public record in this instance and say that I believe that working for the health and physical activity of our youth is an investment for the future as surely and as importantly as investments in the rail, energy or gas. Territory youth is our bank balance for the future because it is from them that our success in generations to come will be judged. A society that places a premium on the physical activity, health and wellbeing of our youth can surely be judged to be determining its priorities correctly.
I would particularly like to take this opportunity to thank the sporting community of the Territory for their involvement and input for a successful and relevant way forward for youth sporting opportunities. I commend the minister for his work and his department’s work, and look forward to seeing the success of this program in the future.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is interesting that the Chief Minister read quite a good speech. I am not sure it is indicative of her views on it, but it was quite a good speech, in terms of a speech that should be read by a Chief Minister. I note, for instance, that in a previous life as a media person, she did not like the sweaty game of football and was quite dismissive of it, and now she likes it.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! If the member opposite is going to quote my views on things, he should get it right at least. I have been a passionate supporter of football since I was that high. Do not come in here and verbal people.
Mr Dunham: You can make a personal explanation.
Ms MARTIN: No! That is rubbish. I have always been very upfront about it.
Mr DUNHAM: Okay. Let us now move to banning one of her members from participating in sport. What about that? What about banning one of your members from participating in sport because you thought that he had transgressed some law or other and therefore you banned him.
If we go through your statement, you talk about people who have sport taken from them suffer depression, and young people do not go on, and it has this terrible effect on their life. I hope you bear that in mind when you look at the mark, the scar, you put on one of your juniors by banning him from participating in sport.
I would like to talk also about just how powerful a thing sport can be for all of us, but particularly for young people. The Chief Minister talked about its impact on school attendance, for instance. That is true. I have seen schools that have a run a no-school, no-pool policy, including Nauiyu Nambiyu and others, and it is a good thing to get kids to school. Many of these programs are not formal sporting programs, they are programs of recreation and fun but, nonetheless, they do the same thing.
Indeed, while we are reminiscing about our youth, as the Chief Minister talked about her great passion for football, for instance, I can tell this House I had never seen a game of Australian Rules played. I grew up in Katherine where it was not played. Our sporting conquests were between the schools at Beswick and Katherine. Children were conveyed in the back of a cattle truck with a tarp over the top to Beswick. We did running and hop, skip and jump and all that stuff with them. The recreation centre in Katherine was the Katherine River, a great facility for us, something that is still there for people. This whole idea that government have to provide infrastructure, and parents have to do drop-off is part of it. A sense of parental importance certainly encourages the kids, but there is basic infrastructure in all our towns that was used in the past and can be used in the future.
I was pleased that the minister talked about multiculturalism, and the part it can play in bringing people together, meeting on equal ground and building a structure of friendship. That is true. There is immense participation between different racial and cultural groups, and I hope that continues. In fact, I am a little worried about proposals to build indigenous sporting clubs in Darwin. It flies in the face of, not just what the Chief Minister said, but the fact that many Aboriginal kids comes through mainstream sporting groups and achieve at a very high level. I would not like to see a situation where we start up a particular club based on racial or ethnic grounds. I know it is on the charts; I know it is one of those things that is being considered, and I hope that, in considering it, we look at outcomes and what we intend to do.
In remote communities, I know, for instance, that we play a lot of football, and I am not sure that is such a good idea, either. Before people cast me as a villain and an anti-football person, if you consider that you need 40 people in a small community before you even run on the ground to play a game of football, there are other team sports that include older and younger people, males and females, which are less physical in body contact, and here I mention basketball. I have mentioned it in this House before. The infrastructure needed for basketball, the fact that it is an international sport, the fact that you can play it in the Olympics and go all the way through to being the best in the world, the fact that when we have competitions when we bring kids in from the bush, there is some great natural ability among kids who play basketball, but not at a high level of competition. That could be hot-housed. I would like to see some of our sport and recreation officers who are community-based look at putting a little more effort into basketball and developing some team talent out there of both males and females.
I was interested to read today’s paper, where the Sport minister talked about obesity at some length. It is headed: Government Tackling a Heavy Problem at page 34 of today’s NT News. I note that it is not actually in the statement, although the Chief Minister did touch on it. I do not know if I am the only one to notice this, but it is a bit incongruous for the most obese person in this House to be talking about this, and I do not pretend to be thin. There is a significant issue here with leaders who put their own promises on the line about issues like this to come out and say that this is a government policy when we know he has been trying to tackle it for a year. He really has to come good with this.
All of us are leaders. All of us, through our words in this House, through our actions outside of it - whether we smoke, encourage junior sport, not only talk about looking after ourselves, but do it - it is a matter for the person rather than the minister to take this on. I wish him every success. It was a pretty brave effort - I was going to use the other word - to go on to Fred McCue’s program and make certain undertakings about weight loss. If this minister now has the talent to come out in the paper and say that part of this sport plan is to tackle junior obesity, and I do not find it in there either, but having taken that on, I wish him well. Genuinely, I hope he can show others just what he can achieve with his own personal stubbornness and tenacity to tackle this problem.
All of us in here have talked about how we could …
Mr Stirling: It must be good to be perfect.
Mr DUNHAM: I do not pretend to be perfect. … about how we can address certain of our social ailments. I include in that their non-attendance at school, use of illicit drugs, high levels of risk taking and self-harming activities among our young people, issues of community respect, and issues of promotion of values and leadership.
There is potential for this thin document here to do well in those areas. There is the potential for this document here to come out and encourage social values that we hold dear regarding school attendance, respect for one’s body, respect for others, respect for order and laws; it can come out of sport. I would, therefore, hope that this plan does take a very strong part in our efforts to address all manner of youth things. I wish the government and the minister every luck. It is not just a matter of infrastructure, it is a matter of ethics, resources, community attitude, and making sure that those of us who are able to help by personal example, in fact do so.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker – I believe that is right; it is confusing.
I would rather talk about the way junior sports should go and the importance of sport. I might address some of the issues that I see in the Junior Sports Plan. One of the difficulties that I have with these sort of policies is that they are written in a language that would put most people to sleep. I am not saying that is the intention, but sometimes they are written in a manner that is airy-fairy. We need documents that are straight to the point so that the average person can read them. These are good documents; there is no doubt it. I make that comment because I have a lot of books like this: they are called a plan; they all look very nice. They are delivered - this is certainly a well put together document. However, sometimes they end up sitting on shelves, and one of the reasons think they end up there is because their ideas sometimes do not turn into reality. I hope this document can turn into reality.
I will say a few things in general about junior sport - sport in general; it does not matter whether it is juniors, seniors or oldies. I was asked to say a few words at the Junior Rugby League presentation awards at Freds Pass the other night. We have also had the cricket junior awards; the Little Athletics awards; soccer awards last Sunday. Obviously, a lot of the sporting groups are finishing off their season and now of course, Aussie Rules is on the way. There is always plenty of activity, especially out in the rural area, and I imagine it is also the same for the rest of the Territory. I said to the kids and parents the other day that sport is vitally important for young people today. Not only does it bring health, but to me it brings team work. People learn how to work together.
It is very important in a society where individualism is put up to some extent as the great key, and I am not saying that individualism is not important, but we also, as a society, need to work together. Sport teaches people to work as a team. It also gives them discipline. I know we have said at times that discipline in schools is not particularly great; teachers come under fire from kids that cannot control their temper or whatever. Certainly sport is one way - whether it is deliberate or by accident - to introduce discipline into young people’s lives because if you want to win a game, you have to be disciplined. If you want to learn how to get bumped or have enough tenacity to beat the other side, then you have to have discipline. Sport certainly helps with that. As well as that, you get friendship and that is important. How many kids say they have nothing to do, go home and they are by themselves in their own house? Sometimes sport is the only place these kids can find some friendship, and that is important.
One speaker mentioned today - it might have been the member for Goyder - that one of the problems we have is that kids come home and both parents are working, and they have nothing to do. I am not sure how accurate I am when I make this statement, but I believe years ago there was a lot more sport in primary schools and that seems to have faded away. So you have kids, instead of knocking off from school and going back to have a game, an inter-school game of football or basketball, are now going home and sitting and playing a play station. They probably are a bit bored. Mum and Dad are not home yet and perhaps there is an area there that we need to look at.
Some people have said that one of the problems was that there was not any way of getting these kids from one school to another, and whether it has to do with public liability of teachers driving these kids to school in their own vehicles, I am not sure. It is an aspect that we can look at, to see if there are ways we can get kids from one school to the other. As the Chief Minister said, youth are our investment in the future, and money well spent now will be money that we do not have to spend on other issues later in life.
I have always been a great believer that one of the reasons kids get into trouble is sheer boredom. They get into crime, they go and find mischief, in some cases they get into drugs, and we need to encourage kids into sport. If you are training twice a week and then playing a game on a weekend, that certainly takes a bit of a sting out of your ability to get into trouble, especially if you want your team to win because you are going to have to be fit, so drugs are not in. Hopefully, you will start to eat more of the right foods, and if you are a bit obese, one way of trying to keep control of that is to play sport.
I have a little grandson - he is not that little actually – who was able to use the mouse on the computer at two-and-a-half, and he continued on that way. He is a champion Play Station 2 expert and he has certainly played a lot of computer in his early life. To some extent, that is why he is a little overweight, so I am hoping we can get him into Little Athletics. I believe he is going to be taking on soccer down at Batchelor. It does not take much, even in the early stages of life, to put on weight if they are not doing much exercise, so we have to encourage that.
The minister for Education made a good point. He said we can talk about a lot of these airy-fairy ideas, but we have to actually do something. This is not meant to be a pat on the back, but I do have a Youth Encouragement Scheme which basically giving kids in the Under-14s – and if I had enough revenue, I would do it in the Under-16s – a coupon each week to encourage them into sport because it is the Under-14s and the Under-16s that you are trying to hang on to. The member for Blain mentioned how we get this drop off at that age, about the Under-16s. The hormones come into play and kids tend to leave the sport.
We need some way of encouraging those kids to say in sport, whether it is through a system of coupons whereby when young people turn up for sport they get a coupon or other means, but that is an attempt at a practical outcome to encouraging children to stay in the sport because it is most important.
I certainly notice a drop off when you look at the numbers for soccer. You have Under-6s, Under-8s, Under-10s, Under-11s, Under-14s and as you get to Under-16s, it starts to waiver a bit and after that, it is non-existent. That is an area we have to encourage and we have to look at practical ways of encouraging kids to stay in sport because it will benefit our society in more ways than one, and save us a lot of money in the future.
On a couple of other issues, Participation and Pathways, we have to encourage kids to have some goal if they are going to play sport, whether it is just for fun – that is one goal – or whether young people are serious about it and would like to take it on as a vocation in life, we have to give kids the opportunity no matter which way they want to go.
There is also a section on volunteers. One area we forget when we talk about volunteers – and I do not see it mentioned here – is the parents who are the volunteers in many cases. However, we need to encourage and help parents who may not be running the water or marking the oval, but they are the people who have to get the kids to the sport, wash all the clothes and make sure the kids are up in time to get there. We should include in the volunteers a section on parents because without those people, we would not have kids on the field.
Quality and flexibility; I do not know whether you would include also the quality of our facilities. Freds Pass has an athletic track that basically goes around the edge of the Rugby League facilities and, having run it a few times, it is always a bit of a worry that you are going to break your ankle because it is a grass track with a few holes in it and it is not too even. If we are to promote good quality in our sport, then we have to have good quality facilities. Investing money in that area is money well spent.
The member for Goyder mentioned the problems he has with the new facility proposed for Palmerston. I slightly vary from the member for Goyder in saying that there should be one for each of us. One of the problems that I was going to raise another time, but I will raise it now, is that it is all very well to say that the facilities at Palmerston will serve the rural area when you have two buses in the morning and two buses at night and one bus on Saturday morning and that is the end of it. It does not really encourage kids to go and use the sporting facility in Palmerston. I am struggling to get the bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs. The idea of saying the facilities at Palmerston will be good for the rural area is really pie in the sky. The rural area needs facilities. Perhaps the two can develop side by side. There is a move at present, for instance, to have a Litchfield and Regional Soccer Association. Obviously, they are saying that we are the bigger area and if Palmerston want to join us, so be it.
It is important that we have facilities, otherwise we will not excel in the quality of the people we are churning out. That is not to say we do not have good facilities, except that in the case of people in the rural area you have to travel a fair way if you want to use the facilities at Marrara because you have to come into town. It is funny how many people complain when they have to play soccer in the rural area and we say: ‘What do you think we have to do every time we have to play at Bagot Park or Marrara? We have to travel in there.’
It always seems that it is painful for city people to pop out to the rural area, but it is okay for us mob to go in there. Having used the Marrara athletics facilities, I reckon they are terrific. Since this government has come into being, the facilities at Marrara have been upgraded. Most people would say they are world class. If we can find ways of getting more and more kids into, for instance, athletics, and I have mentioned before that one of the disappointing aspects of the NT Athletics Championships this year was the lack of Aboriginal participation. I know there are other Aboriginal carnivals, but it would be nice to see some of the talent in our Aboriginal communities being shown off at the NT Athletics Championships. We know all the Cathy Freeman-type people do exist, and there is a huge amount of talent in the Northern Territory. How we tap into that talent, I am not sure. We have to make that effort because as it is in the suburbs of Darwin or Palmerston or the rural area, boredom is a problem, and if we can get kids involved in sport, we go a long way down the path of reducing some of the problems we might face in the future.
The Chief Minister spoke about the number of children who head off interstate in sporting teams. Our Under-8 soccer raised something like $24 000 to go down to the Gold Coast recently for a sporting carnival and did very well. She said that sometimes we do not do that well, but my next door neighbour, Kieran Chin, and his brother Cameron are excellent athletes. I sometimes call them the double chins. Kieran is a junior. He just broke the Queensland record for the 200 metre hurdles. He is no slouch when it comes to running, and he came home with five medals for the North Queensland Championships. We do have people who can put themselves up there as equal to any other people in Australia.
We have to keep encouraging these people. It is good that us, as older people, get out and participate. It is not meant to be a boast, but I do try and get out and umpire Aussie Rules. I struggled around the Under-14s last Sunday at Marrara cricket ground. I have also tried to take up refereeing soccer, which is an interesting change from …
Mr Bonson: And destroying the Tiwi Islands, too.
Mr WOOD: Yes, obviously that hiccup with the Melville Islands in the Umpires Carnival was due to their lack of knowledge of certain rules, and any objections to that from the member for Arafura can obviously be taken as trying to get votes at the next election instead of dealing with reality.
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Mr WOOD: It is important that we are an example. If we are losing young people around the Under-16s, Under-18s, perhaps we need to get out and show people that sport is good. If you cannot play or umpire, be the water boy or water girl. There are plenty opportunities for people. Look at the number of older people who are involved in junior sport just making sure the water bottle is full of ice. That might not sound important, but it is when you are playing at 12 o’clock on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in Darwin.
The statement is a good statement. We have to come up with practical solutions. We do not want to bog ourselves down with committees and sub-committees and all that sort of stuff. We need practical ways to make sure our kids do get involved in sport, they stay in sport, and continue it right through their life. Sport is one of those things that as long as your knees can hold up, in my case, or other parts of the anatomy can keep going, it is a great recreation for people of all ages, and I welcome the minister’s Junior Sport Plan.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the youth sport framework statement. As all members of this House already know, I have a great interest in sport and recreation and the benefits that these activities provide for our community.
I proudly subscribe to the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang; that is, the link between body and mind. In Western terms, Yin and Yang surrounds the concept of healthy body, healthy mind. The human goal should be to find the balance between mental and physical fitness it is vital to maintain a physically and mentally healthy community. As a community, we now recognise that there is an increase in levels of overweight and obese children. This is sad and is caused by a combination of factors including diet, lack of participation in any physical activity, and the need for improved education of young people in the social and health benefits of participation in sports and recreation activities. It is known that 25% of all children under the age of 18 are considered overweight.
As all members of this House should know, you cannot play competitive sport forever. However, we as individuals can remain active. I try to remain active; I still play regular touch football with a team that a group of my friends formed over 10 years ago. I still play basketball with the University Rebels Basketball Club, where I have been a player, coach and committee member for over 20 years. I often go down and train with my football club, the Darwin Football Club, and stay involved in fundraising and assisting the current coaches and junior committees. I have also been a player at this club and a coach and a committee member. I am still involved in a Saturday soccer competition between friends at the Alawa Ovals. As a many members of this House know, my family played an important role in the development of Australian Rules football, basketball and Rugby League during a major portion of the 20th century.
I am speaking from a position of knowledge; that is why I support the youth sport framework statement. This statement relates to the most important factor, focussing on youth in the community. As the Chief Minister stated already today, the investment that we put into the youth today obviously will provide tomorrow with a better lifestyle and a better community. The decrease in people as players, coaches and committee in community-based sporting competitions is a concern and has been for a long time. I have often spoken to the Minister for Sport and Recreation about my concerns, and the philosophy of concentrating on participation above all else.
This is in direct contrast to the commercially organised sporting bodies that attract large sponsorship deals due to their ability to sell advertising space for television, radio stations, newspapers and other media. This then attracts the financial resources that leads to players, coaches and support staff being paid for their involvement in sport. However, we cannot lose sight of the ball in this debate. The priority has to be increasing participation of coaches, players, committee members and helpers at the community level of organised sports. This is the responsibility of any government, Territory and federal. It is important for the health, both physical and mental, of individuals within our community.
The minister has stated that the latest survey conducted in 2002 showed participation in organised sport and physical activities for Northern Territory is 44% - well above the national average of 40.9%. However, the minister also stated, and this is a direct quote:
- … 15-year-olds to 24-year-old males participating in organised sport in the Northern Territory have
experienced a small decline from 64.6% in 2001 to 63.3% in 2002, below the 2002 national average
of 68.3%. Females in this age bracket have experienced a slight increase from 61.3% to 62%, whilst the
national average is 63.9%.
He goes on:
- While these figures are for 15 year-olds to 24-year-olds, physical activity behaviour patterns are established
early in life, and it is a priority of this plan to lift Northern Territory participation rates not only to equal
the national average in all categories but to exceed.
That is a fantastic objective for this government and it should be a serious aim for every Territorian. This statement will increase rates of participation in males and females in organised sport. I would be interested to know, however, if indigenous people in remote areas are also considered in this report for organised sport, as in the percentages shown to be participating in sport.
The plan focusses on five key areas: increasing the number of Territorians playing sport; attracting and supporting volunteers to conduct junior sport programs; flexible junior sport programs that fit into modern day lifestyles; stronger partnerships between sports and schools; and increase the number and range of junior sports opportunities in regional and remote areas.
The plan will focus resources into encouraging Northern Territory sporting organisations to increase the quality of their programs and develop innovative strategies that will increase junior participation rates. This is vital at grass roots level. Why? Let me just quote some rough figures. Let us take AFL, for example. There are 16 teams in the AFL with an average of 40 to 50 players involved with each club, which is 640 to 800 players in the AFL making a living out of their sport. That is 640 to 800 players out of 20 million Australians making a living out of AFL football. The figures show that 99% of people playing or who are involved in Australian Rules Football do not make a living out of their sport. In other words, they play or are involved in the sport for fun and fitness, both mental and physical.
Normal everyday people - Australians, Territorians - rely on the support of each other, governing bodies, and state, territory and the Commonwealth governments to provide amenities. The minister has shown through the five key areas that we intend to attract and support junior sports programs. That is why I support the suggestion of the Apprentice Mentoring Program, to encourage young volunteers to take a more proactive role in organising and coordinating junior sport, rather than leaving it to the parents of children playing in those sports. This will encourage habits that we hope will carry them through their sporting life into adulthood, when one day they themselves will become parents. Along with the Ministers of Sport and Education, I encourage the role of schools in sports. I commend the Territory government’s sports plan for its active role in the development and coordinating ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport to improve the delivery of junior sports.
When I was growing up, school sports was vital to my health, both physical and mentally. The schools learned through school sports such as team work, physical fitness, game day tactics, mental concentration and general fun to participate will assist and guide many other young Territorians throughout their lives, as it has done for me. However, in the last decade, the connection between school sports and the recreation department, community sporting competitions have weakened. This is shown by the national concern of sports activists that school sports and physical education is becoming increasingly marginalised in the school curriculum. That is why I am encouraged by this government’s approval by facilitating better working relationships between the sports industry and the education sector. That is why I am encouraged by the Active Australian Schools Network role in ongoing partnerships between schools and community sport. Again, quoting from the minister’s statement:
- The Active Australian Schools Network will play a large role in developing ongoing partnerships between
schools and community sport. The network involves schools that show commitment to sport and physical
activity. Over the past year the Northern Territory has nearly doubled its number of member schools from
32 in June 2002 to 60 member schools in September 2003. This is a school membership rate of 33% across
the Northern Territory.
- Mr Acting Speaker, I am pleased to advise that this figure is well above the national average of just 10%.
Magnificent effort, minister, and I am sure that all members and colleagues will get behind you.
This statement offers hope to all sports lovers. It recognises that people’s involvement in sport as a player, committee person, volunteer or coach will be recognised and will be given strategic assistance.
In summary, I would like all members to turn to the document entitled Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006 produced by the Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs. I would like to quote directly from the plan on page 12, and I believe it eloquently summarises in simple English some vital points of what the junior sport plan will entail:
- The plan seeks to address the key priority areas of participation and pathways, volunteers, quality and flexibility,
schools and community sport, and regional and remote. The document is seeking to improve the quality and
availability of junior sport programs and will endeavour to develop and build upon partnerships between the
Office of Sport and Recreation, national sporting organisations, peak Northern Territory sporting organisations,
affiliated regional sporting organisations, local sporting clubs and local and government councils.
This a magnificent statement. It attacks a pillar of our modern society and our history as human beings, the physical nature of our relationship with our own bodies and our own community. I believe in healthy minds, healthy bodies. The good things that you can learn from participation in sport, whether volunteer, coach, committee person or player - team work, friendships, having fun, the concept of what community means.
This is on top of all the infrastructure commitments that we have already made as a government. For Traeger Park, there is a $5m commitment; we have already upgraded the hockey fields and work is under way on voltage and lighting upgrades to spectator facilities and planning stage. Marrara Oval, a $2.5m upgrade to the playing surface; player, officials and media facilities to accommodate AFL football and international cricket. I was involved in the Umpires Carnival just two weeks ago. I would have to say 600 local young men were able to play football on a fantastic $4m international basketball, netball and volleyball stadium at Marrara. I have taken the opportunity to play on those wooden courts, and there is no doubt it will lift the standard of play. The upgrade of Nguiu Football Oval will cost $300 000. Hopefully, we are going to produce some more Michael Longs out of the Tiwi Islands. The upgrade of the Katherine Sports Ground is for $500 000 - in planning stage at the moment, but will commence next year. The $500 000 upgrade of junior soccer competition facilities throughout the Northern Territory was announced just yesterday. The capital works commitment to soccer headquarters, at the moment estimated at around $5m, was announced yesterday, dependant on soccer accepting recommendations of an independent review.
Without doubt, the minister has shown that he is probably one of the all time greatest Sports ministers in the history of Northern Territory politics. He is doing a fantastic job, and he has the support of all the members. Participation would also solve many of our social problems. Education and physical fitness are two things that go hand-in-hand.
Mr AH KIT (Sport and Recreation): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank members for their contributions to my ministerial statement on the Northern Territory Junior Sport Plan 2003-2006. Might I add I am informed that we are the first jurisdiction in the country, that is the Northern Territory, to finalise its plan. As I said in the ministerial statement, the national plan is being put together and that will be organised by the end of the year.
I want to reiterate a couple of points I made in the statement, on how we have worked with the Australian Sports Commission in developing our new national framework for junior sport that we are going to be a part of, and what this document is about - the plan itself. Members should have that with them and peruse and promote it regardless of whether they are a member of government, opposition, or an Independent member of this Chamber, because it is a responsibility of us as politicians to do that. Something we truly believe in is ensuring that our kids have the best possible opportunities to participate in sport and recreation activities. That is what this is all about: encouraging kids to get off the couches away from the computer games and to get active, and to inform them that there is a lot for them to take part in with sport and recreational activities.
The contribution from the shadow minister, the member for Blain, was quite good in that he encouraged and supported the statement. I pick up the point when he spoke about the gap between 2.30 pm when kids knock off school - especially those in the high schools - and the period of time before they either head off to their training or to participate in other activities; whether that would be walking around Casuarina, K-mart, etcetera. It is certainly something that my colleague the minister for Education, has taken on board. It is something that, in August at the Ministerial Council on Sports and Recreation in Brisbane, we discussed. It is certainly on our agenda to ensure that we secure closer links between sport and education.
That is happening already, but I am keen to have talks with my colleague, the minister for Education, to ensure that we bring them a lot closer together. In fact, I mentioned this morning in the ministerial report on soccer and the development of junior soccer and yesterday in soccer summit, that it will be incumbent on me to talk to the minister for Education about soccer facilities that are being utilised with his Department of Education throughout the Northern Territory and how we can improve the conditions and facilities so that those kids, not only in soccer but in other sporting codes, are enjoying themselves in their chosen sport, whether it is basketball, AFL, soccer, softball or baseball, etcetera.
The contribution from the shadow minister, the member for Blain, was welcomed. I also welcome the contributions from the Chief Minister and my colleagues from this side of the House along with the member for Nelson. He spoke on how sport is important to all of us; and it is. Growing up in Darwin and participating in many sporting codes was something that we, as children, looked forward to. Back in those days, we played many sports - basketball, Rugby League, Aussie Rules, hockey, soccer - and really enjoyed it. It drove our parents a bit crazy because we wanted to have a go at everything.
What I can say from my experience is that sport, and the member for Nelson touched on it, is about team work. That is the most important thing that stayed with me in my years in participating in sport; learning that teamwork factor. I use that a lot throughout my life and work experiences, being able to explain that if you are part of a team, you can work with the team to move forward. If you want to be an individual team member then, obviously, you are striving to want to be somebody who can put themselves up in the spotlight as an individual, and you go out on a limb to do anything well. However, there is the old adage of a team of champions will always beat a champion team. The champion team, at the end of the day, is the one that will win out.
I am disappointed in the member for Drysdale. He obviously did not read the plan. He just decided that there was an opportunity to have a cheap shot at the Minister for Sport and Recreation.
Mr Stirling: Grub!
Mr AH KIT: It is grubby and, really, I should just flick it to one side, but he needs to understand that if he is a bit put off by the way I have tackled the job as Minister for Sport and Recreation, in being able to deliver to the sport and recreational community, he should say so, rather than attack an individual with personal guttersniping. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition made comments. In his interjections in Question Time I heard him saying: ‘Get out of the gutter’ …
Mr Burke: Yes, that was about this bloke over there.
Mr AH KIT: ‘Get out of the gutter’. He should turn around and talk to the member for Drysdale about the gutter tactics …
Mr Burke: Well, you should set a bit of an example on your side of the House, rather than patronising us.
Mr AH KIT: Well, the gutter tactics that they are up to – but that does not worry me. I am positive, happy with what I am doing, and I will move forward. If he wants to have a shot at children who are slightly overweight and obese people throughout the Northern Territory, go out there and tell the media and the people what you think of them.
It is lovely that the member for Drysdale portrays that he is a perfect specimen, a perfect male human being, and that he has what it takes. His wife and family must be very fortunate, because they do have the best, not just in the Territory, but in the world. He is the perfect person. I do not want to argue about that; I will let him be the perfect person. I will get on with doing my job, which is about, in this case, promoting and enhancing junior sport development as much as possible. I will not lower myself down into the gutter with him.
The contributions have been welcomed other than the rubbish from the member for Drysdale. We are going to move forward. I will continue to promote sport and recreation as much as possible and continue to work with the sporting community and my colleague the minister for Education, members of this government and members opposite who want to assist in ensuring that we protect and develop a lot more of the Territory lifestyle because we are unique. We are fortunate, and the former CLP government has to take some credit for what they were able to do in regard to promoting the Territory lifestyle and ensuring that sport and recreation was moving forward. Mind you, it was not moving it forward at the best possible pace. I am in the job, quite happy with what I am doing and getting the support from members of government and we will continue to promote sport whether it is at the junior or senior level.
In conclusion, to my department and officers of sport and recreation, to all those people on the Sport Reference Group that I named earlier in the statement, I thank them for their hard work. They have some more hard work ahead of them, of course, because this is only the Sport Plan 2003-2006 that has been put together. We are the first in Australia, so that is another first to us, another feather in our cap. But the hard work will continue because we need to move forward and start ensuring that what I said today is carried out and we continue to move forward. I conclude on that note.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Future Control of Northern Territory Thoroughbred Horse Racing
Future Control of Northern Territory Thoroughbred Horse Racing
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to deliver a statement dealing with the discussion paper on changes to the principal club structure, and I table a copy of the discussion paper that has been circulated throughout the industry.
The statement today deliberately does not address those issues around corporate bookmakers, the proposed product fee arising from the cross-border betting task force or bet exchanges. Each of these issues are on the forthcoming agenda for debate at the racing ministerial council to be held on 31 October and I will report back to parliament following that ministerial council on those issues.
Here in Territory, we have small but strong horse racing industry. The Dry Season in particular sees quality racing not just in Darwin, but also in Alice Springs and the various country meetings held around the Territory. All the events are extremely well attended showing that Territorians love their racing. One statistic that does amaze me is the number of people who attend Darwin Cup each year, at around 25 000 people, practically getting up to one-third of the population of Darwin, an impressive figure. I have pointed out in the House before that to get that ratio down south, you need 1.3 million people at Randwick for Derby Day, at Easter, or 900 000 to Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day. Territorians appreciate that this industry provides a major impetus to our tourism figures and has a flow on effect in the general economy of job creation and consumer spending that cannot be underestimated.
Our racing carnivals attract a section of the community to the Territory year after year, event after event that may not normally come to us. It also makes our events calendar more dynamic and marketable, along with V8 Supercars, international cricket and now quality AFL games. The Territory can offer both its own citizens in Australia and the international public at large a horse racing calendar that is high class and high quality. As I have said, an impressive picture.
The Darwin Cup Carnival is one of the biggest highlights on the Territory’s social calendar, but that is not to detract from the other major racing events: the Alice Springs Cup, the Adelaide River Races, the Katherine and Tennant Creek Cups. While these events draw large crowds each year and are incredibly entertaining and enjoyable, the industry cannot afford to rest on its laurels.
There is more that can be done to enhance Territory horse racing. For example, while there is plenty of racing activity during the Dry, interest wanes in the Wet. The government is examining ways to increase interest in Wet Season racing. Part of the difficulty in attracting people to the races during the Wet is that the number of horses in each race is just five. We do not have enough horses or jockeys to have bigger fields. Part of the issue we are examining is how we attract more horse owners and train more jockeys.
As I said before, each of the country races held around the Territory is well supported, but there is a need to upgrade the tracks and increase the number of race meetings held at them. While the Darwin and Alice Springs Cups attract a reasonable number of interstate trainers, jockeys and horses to the Territory, we need to find ways to attract even more of them and for longer periods of time.
These are some of the issues facing Territory racing at the moment on which the government is working. Most of these are not new. The industry has been struggling to address them for a considerable period of time. Government recognises the challenges the industry faces and is committed to providing it with as much support as possible. We want to see the industry grow and develop.
Since becoming minister, I have spent a considerable amount of time talking to various sections of the horse racing industry, including the owners, trainers, jockeys, club committee members, bookies and punters. There is one thing that each of those people agree on, and that is we need to do more about developing Territory racing. That is why three weeks ago, I released a discussion paper that addresses the possibility of establishing a new principal club structure for the Northern Territory horse racing industry.
We have strong and vibrant racing here in the Territory, but it is important that we don’t let it stagnate. We need to constantly look at ways to improve and grow it, and that is the aim of the discussion paper. Government believes that giving consideration to a new principal club is one way to stimulate discussion and develop ideas within the industry about the future direction of racing, and ways to build on the industry we already have.
By way of background, the Territory had two principal clubs - Darwin and Alice Springs Turf Clubs - prior to 1995. Both were members of the Australian Conference of Principal Clubs, now known as the Australian Racing Board. In 1995, the ARB, after a review of membership and voting rights, decided that only one principal club could represent the Territory. That role went to the Darwin Turf Club. The Darwin Turf Club delegated its principal club powers to the Alice Springs Turf Club for racing conducted from Tennant Creek and south. This gave Alice Springs the power to oversee clubs and meetings in the southern half of the Northern Territory, but removed its representation from national level.
While Territory racing has been well served by the arrangement, there have been concerns expressed in recent times that the current model is not sufficiently representative of the whole industry and the perception that the current arrangement is too Darwin-centric. These concerns have been expressed to me by various sections of the racing industry in Darwin, Alice Springs and the regions. Government believes that establishing a new principal club may be one way to address those concerns, enhance Territory racing, and maintain a high standard of representation at the national level.
The move towards a more representative structure is not unique to the Territory. A number of states have already established statutory bodies as their principal clubs. While establishing a statutory body has advantages, it would probably require a more formal system of administration and thus impose additional costs on the industry and government.
A new principal club for the Territory could be established under existing legislation, which may be the most expedient and sensible way to proceed for an industry of our size. Under section 43 of the Racing and Betting Act, the principal club has control and general supervision of the race clubs within its jurisdiction. Its functions are to control, supervise, regulate and promote horse racing; initiate, develop and implement such policies as it considers conducive to the development and welfare of the horse racing industry; and the protection of the public interest.
Under the discussion paper currently being considered, those functions would not change should the principal club structure change, neither would the powers of a principal club as set out in the act. Some of those powers include to make, amend or repeal the rules of racing; allocate the dates and times of race meetings of those race clubs registered by it; investigate and report on proposals for the construction of new racecourses or for the alteration and renovation of existing racecourses; supervise the activities of race clubs registered by it, as well as people engaged in or associated with racing in its locality; and register and identify galloping horses. This is just a small sample of the powers of a racing principal club in the Territory, but gives some idea of the scope of roles and responsibilities. Those powers would largely stay the same under the proposed new structure.
The greatest difference proposed by the discussion paper would be the makeup of the principal club committee. The proposal is for the principal club committee to include one representative from the Darwin Turf Club, one representative from the Alice Springs Turf Club, two Owners and Trainers representatives, one each from Darwin and Alice, a country representative from outside Darwin and Alice, who would represent Tennant Creek, Pine Creek, Katherine and Adelaide River, and an independent chair with knowledge of the Australian racing industry and suitable qualifications perhaps in law or accounting. Under the proposal, all appointments would be made by the minister, with general members nominated by the industry and expressions of interest would be sought for the position of chair. The term of appointment would be for a three year period. At a national level, the chair would be a full member of the ARB, while the chief executive officer, or secretary of the principal club, would be appointed as an executive member of the ARB.
Under the proposed structure, the principal club would also administer the Northern Territory Racing Industry Agreement. The Darwin and Alice Springs Turf Clubs would revert to normal race clubs, keeping responsibility for the conduct of their local racing activity, and assisting the activity of race clubs in their locale. There may also be merit in making the new principal club the employer of the chief stewards of the Darwin and Alice Springs Turf Clubs. That would help remove any perception that members of an employing turf club committee may have influenced any of their decision-making.
This will obviously have funding implications that will need to be considered as part of the proposed structure. Potentially, the executive officer would head the administrative arm of the principal club. In terms of administrative support and staffing, depending on the additional duties required of the principal club, the administrative role may be able to be carried out by one person full-time. There is some scope for the day-to-day administrative tasks of the principal club to be undertaken by staff from one of the turf clubs. This would obviously need to be negotiated accordingly. Other considerations would need to include office accommodation, furnishings, computing equipment required by the chair, the executive officer and any administrative support.
Provision would also need to be made for meeting facilities. It is likely the principal club would have four meetings annually, with two per year in Darwin and two in Alice Springs. These meetings would need to be timed to occur just before the ARB holds its quarterly meetings, and other meetings could then occur via teleconferencing. Principal club members would be paid an appropriate sitting fee, plus travel and accommodation expenses as necessary.
I want to make clear that government recognises the establishment and running of a new principal club would incur certain additional costs, and it would be expected that government would absorb these costs as part of its funding agreement with industry. We have no intention of leaving the industry out of pocket from any changes made.
The current funding agreement with the industry is due to expire in July 2004, which means negotiations between government and industry will need to commence shortly in relation to the next funding agreement. It is a particularly opportune time to be opening up discussion about a new structure for the Territory’s principal horse racing club. It means that, if the proposal is to go ahead, the funding requirements of a new club could be considered as part of that new agreement.
This is a discussion paper. The government remains open to suggestions, feedback and advice from the industry on whether this or another model would be best for Northern Territory horse racing as a whole. The discussion paper is currently being circulated widely throughout the Territory. Interested parties have until 24 October 2003, that is next Friday, to make submissions.
As I said before, the Territory has a dynamic, highly professional racing industry. We want to build on that, while maintaining the high standard of our representation at the national level. For the information of members, I have tabled the principal club discussion paper and invite members to comment today, and to submit comments in writing.
Before completing the statement, I welcome to the Northern Territory, Mr Des Friedrich, the new Chief Executive of Darwin Turf Club. Mr Friedrich is from New Zealand, where he had 20 years’ racing involvement, most recently as the Chief Executive Officer of Hawkes Bay racing. I am sure all members will join with me in welcoming Des and his wife, Lu, to the Northern Territory and we wish him a long and productive stay with the Darwin Turf Club. He seems to have settled in fairly quickly. I have met him once, and I look forward to working with him.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I welcome the minister’s statement with regards to the discussion paper on the establishment of a horse racing principal club, and indicate at the outset that, from the opposition’s point of view, both sides of government have, historically in this House, generally, worked very cooperatively together in advancing the racing industry in the Northern Territory. I know that for much of that time the current minister was shadow responsible and, certainly from my recollection, all of the efforts of my government and previous Chief Ministers with regards the racing industry initiatives that were brought into this House were always responded to and commented on in a very cooperative way by the then shadow, who is now the Treasurer, the member for Nhulunbuy. I certainly intend to maintain that cooperative spirit. I was minister responsible for racing for some short while, and it is with great pleasure that I resume that role in a shadow capacity.
It is an interesting industry. From a personal perspective, it is something that has been with me all my life. My father was probably - I do not know if he ever hold records of this sort of things - one of the oldest and longest registered clerks in the racing industry. I do not know whether they ever have a book on that sought of thing, but dear old dad died at 92 only 12 months ago. During the last 15 years of his life, he was still active as a Registered Clerk at the racing clubs on the Gold Coast. He worked all his life primarily in Townsville and Brisbane, and then later in Sydney and on the Gold Coast. He worked for some of the flamboyant bookmakers in Australian racing history.
From my early days right through, my recollections of my father on Saturday nights were one of two things. Generally, coming back from a days racing, often he was charged with carrying the bookie’s bag with him. In those days, all the money was in the bag, generally counted and everything settled. I remember as kids, we used to be fascinated because on the odd occasion, Dad would empty the bag on the bed. For a family of six kids, it was quite a stunning sight for us to see bundles of money of the size and amounts that we could not see as anything other than a gold mine.
Some of the characters that I was introduced to in the racing game through my father were, as I said, not only noted in Australian racing circles for the flamboyance and skill, but also were wonderful gentlemen. Dad always brought us up - I guess many would dispute this notion – on the premise that in his opinion, racing was the most honest game that you could be involved in because there was no other business in the world where thousands, and sometime hundreds of thousands, of dollars could pass hands on the shake of a hand, and a man’s word was his bond and he settled his debts. Certainly, in my father’s case, those debts were often settled in the pub at the Sunday morning or afternoon session, which led to another problem which often beleaguered me in later life, because my mother always thought that pubs were great places for men to go to because my father never came home drunk and often came and flicked mum 20, 30 or 40, because that was her part of his kick.
The other reason I was always proud of my father was because, whilst he was a clerk all his life on the racing field, he was never a wealthy man. He was an ordinary clerk in the civil service at local government level, and my mother always vouched for the fact that, after she married him, through the whole of their married life, he had a sly kick in his pocket from the races, and he never opened his pay packet once. He always survived on his side kick and his racing kick. He always gave her a bit extra if she needed it. It was a great source of embarrassment for him, as I said, in his 70s, when all of a sudden he did not have that extra money coming in from the racing game. In his own quaint way, as a very proud man, he felt very embarrassed to go to my mother and ask her for some money.
It is with a great love of the industry as a whole that I endorse the fact that it is a very important industry in the Northern Territory, and is something that we want to see developed and promoted in the best way. The minister mentioned Mr Des Friedrich, the new CEO of the Turf Club. I rang Mr Friedrich this morning. I have not met him yet, but I rang and welcomed him to the Northern Territory and wished him all the very best in his new job. I am sure that he will undertake those responsibilities most capably. I understand that he has been involved in moves to create principal clubs in New Zealand. So in that capacity, he brings to the Northern Territory a great deal of experience.
We have spent a lot of time talking today about sport in general and initiatives in government to bring various sporting events such as AFL and cricket to the Northern Territory. We also recognised, as the minister said, the importance of the Darwin Cup Carnival and the Alice Springs Cup Carnival. Those are two major events in the Northern Territory which have grown over the years. From my observation, I thought the last Darwin Cup Day was the biggest cup day that I have experienced since I have been in the Northern Territory. It is great to see that event moving from strength to strength.
As the minister pointed out, we need to ensure that the industry grows and does not stagnate. It would be wrong of us to assume that just because we have a wonderful period of the carnival both in Darwin and Alice Springs during the Dry Season, that to all intents and purposes for those who are not involved in the industry, all is well. Of course, it is not the case. We need to do a lot more about Territory racing and if there was anything in the minister’s statement that I am slightly cautious about, it is the notion that this moving to a principal club concept will address many of the issues that are of great concern within the industry at the moment. I do not think that will be the case if the government only sees a restructuring of the principal club as its major objective. I am sure it does not, but the minister’s statement today does not point to any other initiatives that the principal club itself would be involved in other than the normal day to day business that the principal club based at Darwin Turf Club has involved itself in.
The first issue I raise on the notion of a principal club is the composition of the club. It includes representation from, as I understand it, owners and trainers. I assume the minister is aware that under the Australian Racing Board rules, as I understand it, registered members are not allowed to be members of the principal club, so I imagine when he talks about owners and trainers representatives, they would be other than registered members who would be recommended by the owners and trainers.
There are many issues that concern our industry at the moment. The minister said he did not want to address some of the issues with regards to corporate bookmakers and product fee issues and cross-border betting task forces or bet exchanges, and I understand and accept that statement. As the minister said, these issues are on the agenda for debate at the forthcoming racing ministerial council. We certainly would be interested to see what the government’s position is on a number of issues and it may be appropriate for him to mention one or two of those, particularly bet exchanges, because I am interested in that, if he can when he sums up.
As I said, the racing industry is strong during the carnival period, weak during the Wet Season, as the minister has pointed out. The reasons why the industry in some circles, dare I say it, could even be described as being in crisis - and I do not say that easily but some have mentioned that to me - cannot be dismissed. If we are talking about how we develop and grow the racing industry in the Northern Territory, the primary responsibility will rest with this principal club and the composition of that club, as indicated by the minister. It seems, on the face of it, fine from my perspective. It is the particular tasks that the principal club has to do, which are far more wide-ranging than the principal club has involved itself in over the past few years, that will really be the issues which have to be grappled with. In that context, the government will need to find the funding to address the issues that are identified. It is one thing to say we have this composition of a principal club, and the next day we have a new composition. However, creating a new principal club will not necessarily address any of the real problems that are there.
First, you have to identify the issues that are facing the racing industry at the moment. If it is broke, where is it particularly broke in some areas? That is a real SWOT analysis that has to be done: what needs to be fixed, how are those things going to be fixed, who has responsibility to fix those issues, and how much funding will it require? The minister would recognise that when the last funding agreement was negotiated by my government, it was negotiated in an atmosphere of moving to a principal club at that time. The complexities of the negotiation were such that we took the principal club issue off the agenda at the time, negotiated the funding issues, but the idea of moving to a principal club is something was always on our mind.
I do not wish to explore all of the issues that concern the industry, but it seems that one of the big issues in the Northern Territory is this: there are not enough horses racing. Because there are not enough horses racing, there is not enough ability for jockeys to earn a decent wage. Because of those two factors primarily, the industry itself is fairly limited and almost stagnant during a great deal of the year.
I understand that one of the problems in that context is that owners have less and less confidence in the skills of the trainers and the jockeys themselves. That needs to be addressed. I understand that in Victoria, there is a formal skills program in place whereby, through TAFE institutions, there are courses for jockeys and trainers. In fact, there are courses for many of the duties involved on and off the course in the racing industry are conducted through TAFE courses. To my mind, that is something that needs to occur in the Northern Territory. One would hope that that would be a challenge that the principal club would take on, and that the principal club would be supported strongly by government in doing so. That will require money, far more money than the minister has indicated in this statement, which essentially looks at the administrative requirements of the office of the principal club.
Owners are critically important to the industry. These are people - and the minister is one - who, unless they are fairly foolish, should not expect to make too much money out of racing.
Mr Stirling: Wait for the two year old!
Mr BURKE: They get themselves involved in the industry because of the love of the game and the love of the sport. Really, it is more than that; it is a love of the entertainment that racing brings to them. These are critical people because without owners getting themselves involved in the industry, you do not have much of an industry. You have to create an atmosphere whereby the owners are confident to invest.
As I said, if you have a lack of confidence in the ability and skills of your trainers, if you believe that many of your jockeys are overweight and not quite up to it because they do not have the competition they would have in other areas of Australia, fewer and fewer owners are going to make the commitment and maintain the investment. They will put their money or their interest elsewhere. I do not say that in a way to detract their industry at all; I simply say that owners need to be nurtured as very special people. There need to be incentives in there to attract more and more owners into industry, and those incentives include the upskilling of trainers and all those involved in the industry, including jockeys, and proper facilities. I know that they want a swimming pool at the race club. That is something that might be seen as expensive as the one capital works item for the Turf Club but, when we talk about the amount of money that goes into AFL and other sport in the Northern Territory, for an industry that does so much for tourism and to attract and convey the whole spirit of the Northern Territory, the racing industry needs a lot more support. It needs a lot more support in infrastructure improvements. The stabling facilities out there are not good and, whilst they would require some investment by the owners and trainers, they certainly require additional support from government.
Long term, you need a turf track. It is a track that is peculiar to the Northern Territory, but also limited. You put a horse on that track for work, and the amount of work you can give that horse is far less than you would give a horse down south because of the way that track knocks a horse around. If you race a horse on that track, you are going to take a lot more out of the horse than you would on tracks down south. A few years ago, Bart Cummings said to me that you will never get this industry really going until you turf that track. That will attract owners to get their horses up here because they are confident about the track on which it is going to race.
I know they are large capital spending requirements, and no one would expect those things to happen overnight. However, I give a commitment to the minister that the opposition supports the industry in its entirety. We recognise the importance of it. I do not see it as a sport. I see it as more than a sport. It is really entertainment, and in the entertainment industry, the product you are putting out all the time has to be first class. Your trainers have to be first class, your jockeys have to be first class, the people who serve out there have to be first class. Everything in a professional entertainment industry has to be very attractive to those involved, either has a spectator, as a one-time visitor, or for those who want to invest in the industry.
That is part of the challenge for our industry today, and I hope the government, in establishing this principal club, sees the wider role of the principal club in developing the industry and supports it in the issues that it needs to address. I can give a commitment that the opposition will certainly back the government in the initiatives that it proposes for developing the industry.
One issue I wanted to raise - and I would be interested in the minister’s comments - is that I understand there are some problems with the contractual arrangements we have with the TAB in that it is required to bet on so many races in the Northern Territory throughout the year. Many of these races now are very small races - sometimes four or five horses, particularly in the Wet Season - that do not attract much of a wager because of their smallness, and they are competing against large races in Queensland where, say, Rockhampton might have a race day where 120 horses are racing. TAB is only covering a couple of those races, whereas they are bound contractually to cover races up here. I understand that is creating concern in Queensland, and is something that cannot be ignored. We need to ensure that the racing product we are putting on to our TAB is a very attractive product. Otherwise, the message we are sending to the rest of the industry and to punters Australia-wide, particularly in Queensland, is that our industry needs a lot more support and is fairly mickey mouse in comparison to some of the country carnivals that they are running.
There are many challenges. I have only touched on one or two. My main reason was to support the minister in his statement. I look forward to a cooperative relationship on these issues in future.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the ministerial statement in respect of the discussion paper about the principal club. Might I say from the outset that it is a great credit to the minister that he has had the vision to place this issue on the racing industry agenda. We have heard the Leader of the Opposition’s support, and I am gratified that there is a bipartisan approach to this industry.
It is very much a fledgling industry, but it has a rich history in the Territory, going back to the 1890s, even a little earlier than that, and is something that can be supported right across the Territory.
I have occasion to speak to a wide cross-section of the industry from time to time, and it is fair to say that many people associated with the racing industry are grateful to the minister for his leadership, and the fact that he understands the industry and consults widely with them. On a personal level, I know he supports the industry - with slow horses at the moment, but, minister, your luck will turn. I have been down the same track and I have tried everything - the old tin of Pal and butcher’s knife horse psychology. It has not worked, but it is all in good fun.
The minister’s support is evidenced by the fact that he has attended all the Tennant Creek Cup meetings since becoming Racing minister. This commitment has not been lost on people in my electorate of Barkly. I guess it is indicative of the minister’s grassroots links with the industry. Indeed, people like Liam McKelvey, Paul Quinlan, Norm Bracken and John Lavery have all been very, very appreciative of the minister’s support. I know they are lobbying very hard to secure a third meeting in Tennant Creek, and they are also looking to upgrade the track, which is probably one of the better country tracks, along with Katherine and others. The future for racing in Tennant Creek is bright, particularly if we go down the path in respect of some of the suggestions or positions put by the minister.
I would like to direct my comments to country racing. At the moment, outside of Darwin and Alice Springs, we have meetings in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Pine Creek and Adelaide River. Most members might recall that in the not-too-distant past, there were meetings also held at Timber Creek, Barrow Creek, as well as a number of picnic meetings at places like Harts Range. Of course, Brunette Downs remains a country race meeting, and I hope that continues.
The rich Territory horse racing history and folklore stems from these roots; people associated with pastoral properties, cattle stations. Racing in the Territory might have really commenced when some of the station owners would get together and reckon that their horse was faster than the other. That is how a lot of these little meetings got going and that is how they spread throughout the Northern Territory and other regions of Australia.
A new principal club structure charged with, among other things, to control, supervise, regulate and promote horse racing, will do well to look at the tourism potential of the horse racing industry. It takes little imagination to see a Ghan full of racegoers getting off a train to go to a series of country cups along the railway line. We already have people flying in from other countries, like Japan into Alice Springs, and there is no reason why we cannot promote it in the Territory and, from a personal perspective, particularly in the smaller communities. I need only remind members of the Birdsville Cup, which occurs every year, a great meeting that attracts people from all over the world. There could well be a situation in the Northern Territory where something similar could occur. However, it takes vision, and that is why I welcome this statement.
The other thing that is important to understand, and other speakers have mentioned this, is that country racing Australia-wide is undergoing considerable pressure and restructuring. I suspect that an innovative and forward-looking principal club structure that is supportive of country racing would have the capacity to strengthen racing links between northern Western Australia, the Kimberley area, western Queensland and other parts of the Territory, particularly places like Kununurra, Wyndham and Mt Isa. I know that they have circuits in Queensland so there may be options at some time in the future to link in with some of those meetings.
It has been mentioned by the minister that one of the limiting factors to racing in the Territory is the number of available jockeys. A strengthened country racing industry would provide an opportunity to identify and train apprentice jockeys to feed into the wider Northern Territory industry. I know that about two years ago there was a proposal to run an apprentice training program in Alice Springs. I am not sure where it is today, but it is something we could have a look at, and I am sure the minister will work hard to that end.
In conclusion, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I applaud the minister’s statement. I support the minister’s vision for racing in the Northern Territory. It is going to be a very hard process, difficult to achieve, but the goodwill indicated in the House this evening and the fact that there are a lot of good, well-meaning people out there in the industry – horse owners, trainers and jockeys – who want a very viable industry and the suggestions put by the minister this evening are part of that. I support the minister’s statement.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I have a few observations about the Horse Racing Principal Club Discussion Paper. As the Leader of the Opposition indicated, there is support for the statement. The opposition have been big supporters of the racing industry for many years. I share a love of horses and horse racing. My grandfather worked for nearly 30 years at Randwick on the weekends. When I first went to the races, it was not the thrill of having a bet, it was the social interactions, the fact that my friends were involved. A couple of them had horses and it was always good fun to be part of a syndicate, to have a horse, to have an interest. Not that anything ever made any real money, but it was the thrill of being able to participate.
We have heard earlier today to some references to tourism and there was a dorothy dix question to the Minister for Tourism about how Territory tourism is faring, and there was a particular reference to Katherine. I have seen two groups of statistics. Last night on the news there was a report that stated that Territory tourism generally was down about 30% this year, whilst in Western Australia it had increased by 7%. There were other figures bandied about; I read a document saying that Top End tourism could be down as much as 50%.
It seems fairly obvious that the Northern Territory government did not do enough to market some of the big tourism attractions in the Northern Territory. The reason I mention the tourism aspect in relation to this ministerial statement is that there is no doubt, from the opposition’s perspective, that the racing industry is one of those huge tourist attractions in the Northern Territory. It is one in which not only locals are involved and, particularly for the Darwin Cup, there are people who travel religiously to the Northern Territory for that week, to not only enjoy what we have to offer in racing, but they stay on to enjoy some of the other tourism opportunities.
The ministerial statement is welcome, particularly if it is going to advance the industry. There are some questions that the Leader of the Opposition raised, and I understand from the nods from the member for Nhulunbuy that some of those issues are going to be answered in his response. There is a ministerial council coming up. There are some important issues which are affecting the industry and parliament would be the appropriate forum to articulate some of the views which the government has on things like corporate bookmakers, the proposed product fee arising from the cross-border betting task force, or betting exchanges.
I am not going to dwell on what is not in this statement, but let us deal with what is in the statement and what it means for Territory racing. From my opportunity to research what has been happening from a structural perspective in Northern Territory racing over the past 10 years, there seems little doubt that a great deal of credit needs to be given to the previous Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing, the member for Daly. There was a great deal of work done. There were a number of important initiatives which were welcomed by the racing industry. I remember, before my time in parliament, some of my peers saying that the member for Daly was doing a good job in this area. It is something he is obviously passionate about, and there is no doubt that the racing industry was going to go from strength to strength. It is a huge drawcard, as I said. I am sure that with the right support from government, with continued support from all stakeholders, it will continue to develop and grow.
The discussion paper that was tabled, The Future Control of Northern Territory Racing, September 2003, is something that raises a number of interesting proposals. One matter I wish to put on the record, and this is a personal view, at page 2 of that document, there is a suggested membership of this principal club. The principal club concept is a good one, but my concern is that there is only one representative from the Darwin Turf Club. Whilst, of course, we want to make sure that the Alice Springs Turf Club and country clubs, owners and trainers are strongly represented, there is no escaping the fact that, really, the crown on the racing industry in the Northern Territory is the Darwin Cup, and the fact that so many more people attend the Fannie Bay racetrack as opposed to the Alice Springs Turf Club.
There is a reference to owners and trainers. One of my better half’s cousins is a jockey, so it seems from a jockey’s perspective, there is a real need to have a say in what occurs in racing. These are the young men and women who often take enormous risks and, sure, they have a great lifestyle it seems, but they need to be independently represented in that principal club.
There is absolutely no doubt - and I endorse the minister’s comments and those of the Leader of the Opposition - that the Northern Territory enjoys a dynamic, professional and highly entertaining industry. That is the word: entertaining. Even those who are not partial to having a flutter, who are not excited by the atmosphere and the horses, come along because there is at least some entertainment. There are other things happening. Their friends are there; it is an opportunity to meet people. As you know, the lead up to the big Cup Carnival is a whole heap of opportunities for many Territory businesses to do business. There are several marquees where you go along - certainly in my previous life as a full-time solicitor – we would exchange cards, try and make contacts, you would do the hard yards to make sure these business people got to know you. If a real problem arose from a commercial perspective, then you would be a point of call and they would use your legal services. Now, that occurred at the races, that occurred in this wonderful environment which is the Northern Territory racing industry.
I endorse what the minister said in welcoming to the Northern Territory Mr Des Friedrich, the new Chief Executive of the Darwin Turf Club. I understand he hails from New Zealand and has an excellent reputation. He has been involved in the racing industry for at least a couple of decades, and I look forward to doing all I can to help him promote racing in the Territory, and to working closely with government to ensure that this important industry goes from strength to strength.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the Racing minister’s statement. The minister said that the racing industry has become an important part of our tourism calendar and our economic growth. This was also recognised by the Opposition Leader. His statement is quite right, so I am happy to support any move by the minister to improve and refine the operations of this industry.
The concept of the principal club is important on two counts. First, our relationship with national racing administration; and, second, our internal racing arrangements. National racing administration requires one main club in each state to deal with. That makes obvious sense. Internally, the principal club has an active and important role to play in the effective administration of the industry throughout the Territory. To my mind, that means the principal club should be thoroughly representative of all interests Territory-wide. We have heard the member for Barkly talk about the inclusion of areas such as Tennant Creek, Katherine, Pine Creek and Alice Springs.
The Darwin Turf Club has had principal club status since the mid-1990s, and has done a good job on that task. However, I agree with the minister that the time has come for this arrangement to be strengthen by the inclusion of a broader, more Territory-wide base for principal club arrangements. I am sure that clubs outside Darwin will find the arrangements and memberships proposed more satisfactory to them than the arrangements they have now. I was recently at a fundraiser at the Adelaide River racecourse, and my ear was bent there by members of the committee, on how they needed to have a voice on any new proposal.
The changes proposed are not radical. They do not go to the power of the principal club or its role. The minister has made it clear that those two areas remain essentially as they are today. The minister argues that the major change is in the representative nature of the new club, and herein lies the key to this proposal. The discussion paper outlines a club that has representatives from Darwin and Alice Springs, as well as country representatives outside of both major centres. This, in my view, is a key reform. The principal club arrangements to date may well place too much emphasis on Darwin-based advice. Whilst I am aware that the club has made every effort to be inclusive of all regions, it is inevitable that with the major racing focus being in Darwin and, given the size of the Darwin Cup, it will focus on that arrangement.
Having Alice Springs represented means the development of racing in the area will have new life. Already, Alice Springs is proving to be a vibrant and growing part of our racing industry The placing of this group into a more formal role within racing administration ensures that they have a say at the heart of issues being decided. Similarly, the inclusion of a country representative is a strong sign of the government’s support for the growth of country and regional racing. The Katherine and Tennant Creek cups, and the Adelaide River races are showing Territorians and others around the nation just what can be done with good promotion and organisation. The minister is certainly recognising this through his proposal to place someone from the area on the club board.
The minister is also broadening the involvement of direct line racing industry people. His proposal to include trainers and owners should be welcomed by the industry sector. The fact that he has also regionalised that by making one of those people from an area outside of Darwin is also another indication of the intention of the minister to make this a truly Territory-wide grouping.
The minister’s paper does not argue for the creation of a separate statutory authority which, I believe, would be overly bureaucratic for our stage of development. Instead, we have a proposal for a body that I believe will be very suited to the needs of racing development, both at our current stage and where we want to go in the future.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, the minister has indicated in this statement that the proposal is merely the first of a series of reforms he has in the pipeline for the industry. He mentioned betting exchanges, the product fee, cross-border betting etcetera. I look forward to seeing these proposals as they come to hand, and congratulate the minister for his ongoing development of this key industry.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I will contribute briefly to this discussion paper and the minister’s statement. I thank him for that. It is very timely because there is a discussion paper that asks for input. Given that the time line for the discussion paper is still open, the minister can take the comments of the opposition as input to that discussion paper.
What we are talking about here is a principal club arrangement for the racing industry. That is timely because racing industry funding has to be, once again, negotiated and finalised by mid-next year roughly. It is also a timely statement because, as the minister pointed out, he is off to a ministerial council to discuss the racing industry in Australia in general. So, a very timely statement, and I thank the minister for that.
I will also pick up, as did the Leader of the Opposition, the fact that the minister did not want to talk about other issues in the racing industry that are currently before us, and have been before us for some time. It would be timely tonight to give some assurance to the opposition that, when it comes to issues such as product fees and cross-border betting and bet exchanges, what the position of the government is. It is all very well to say: ‘I am going off to talk about them’ but, hopefully, the minister is taking a position with him that reflects the needs and wishes of the racing industry. We have to keep in mind that, whilst we are only a little player in the Northern Territory, we have, for a number of years now, set an environment that not only encourages but supports those people who make huge investments in the industry in bookmaking and sports bookies and what have you, and these issues will affect their businesses quite dramatically. They are issues that we need to be at the forefront of and, hopefully, we will continue to be dynamic about the way we address those issues.
Much has been said about the racing industry and what its worth is to the Territory. I am not going to go over that ground. Suffice it to say that it is a very important industry for the Northern Territory in tourism, entertainment and sport and one that, carnival-wise at least, has been growing for a long, long time. That is due to good organisation by the current principal club and all of the other clubs involved in the industry who represent all of those participants, whether they are trainers, owners, jockeys, punters, people who just like to go along for the entertainment, or whoever they are. They have done a great job. I believe the principal club arrangement is a good thing. As the Leader of the Opposition indicated, during the first round of racing industry funding that provided the racing industry with the funding in its own hands in one pot rather than many pots, we talked about a principal club arrangement then and everyone knew of the intention and the goodwill to move towards having a principal club in the Northern Territory.
The minister has set out an example of how a principal club representation will be made up and that is a good thing. They will be issues that have to be addressed and I know that my colleague, the member for Goyder, has raised an issue regarding the Darwin Turf Club and their representation. I am sure there will be ideas floating around in the racing industry about how it should be done. However, if people involved can step away from that a little and understand that a principal club will be an entity separate from the representation - hopefully an incorporated body under the present act, which means it could be done without too much drama - whose interest and charter will be solely dedicated to enhancing the racing industry in the Northern Territory. I do not think it matters, at the end of the day, too much about the representation albeit that there will be disputes along the way, even with a principal club in place, about the amounts of dollars and what have you that flow one way or the other. However, it is important that people recognise that a principal club would be acting in the best interests of the whole industry and not just any one particular part.
Obviously, the arrangements that are put in place at the end of the day will have to reflect the industry today and its vision. The member for Barkly raised the issue of country racing, and there is great potential for more work to be done there. I know in my own area, the Pine Creek races do suffer a bit. It is not a lack of support, they have had reasonable support from the current principal club, which is the Darwin Turf Club, but really it is a case of timing. We have to get to a point where all of the racing is well coordinated so that all of the smaller jurisdictions and towns maximise their possibilities for good attendance, good turn out of horses and so forth.
Adelaide River has done very well because we have started - and I say ‘we’ because I am the patron of that club and the Adelaide River Show Society, the ARSS Club which runs the Adelaide River Cup - to promote it as a precursor to the Darwin Cup Carnival. It has worked very well because it fits in with all of the trainers and owners bringing their horses from down south, and it gives them a good chance to get them out, run them off and have a look at the competition. It is an easy track to run on because, fortunately, it is the only good, irrigated turf track in the Northern Territory. That race meeting has grown, and that is what a principal club can do because it can stand back and not look at the interests of the major clubs or even a smaller club, but look at the industry as a whole and how they can coordinate that. The Leader of the Opposition talked about some of the inherent issues within the industry that need addressing because we need to lift our game to compete with other states. It is all about competition, particularly when you talk about getting TAB coverage and you are competing against other jurisdictions that are putting on the agenda exciting race days that are competing with our out-of-carnival race meetings that are not quite so exciting.
It is about competition. A principal club arrangement can do big things. The issues that will require funding will come up in the racing industry funding agreement for which I assume negotiations are about to start. One would imagine you would want to have lead time of about six months so perhaps the principal club arrangement can be put in place and then the new funding agreement negotiated, with completion by mid-next year. There will be all sorts of issues to be addressed, not only with structural reform but also some financial reform.
What we will find, unlike the first time we nailed this racing industry funding agreement, is that now the figures that can be presented by the racing industry will be refined, whereas when we went to do it before and talked about costs against opportunity for different clubs and how much the industry was costing the taxpayer, it was very difficult to drill down to some definite figures. Hopefully, because of the requirements under that funding arrangement, those figures will be easy for the industry to put on the table, and for Treasury and the minister to accept and quantify and then move forward from there, having a look at what the deficiencies were in that funding or whether there was any excess, which I doubt very much. However, it will be an easier base from which to start.
As I said, it is very timely, and I wish the minister well with it. I am sure there will be hiccups along the way. The Leader of the Opposition has indicated our support for a principal club arrangement; it will be good for the industry in the long term.
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The only other thing I wanted to mention, whilst on this subject, is that the minister still has the issue of legislation that is on the Notice Paper, that he has not quite answered my question on, and that is ...
Mr Stirling: I put it in the adjournment.
Mr BALDWIN: Yes, I read the adjournment and I replied back to your adjournment.
Mr Stirling: I will talk to you straight after this.
Mr BALDWIN: The issue that is outstanding is whether or not those types of bets on tote odds around Australia are being offered, which the minister said they were in his introduction to the legislation. If they are being offered, is there legal certainty surrounding the entities offering them? That is the outstanding issue. Are we turning a blind eye, or policing this in a fairly sort of rigid manner?
I would like to see one of the issues the minister put to the ministerial council being, whilst we are talking about these other issues, product fees and what have you, in this day of globalisation, surely we up here can offer an amount that is being offered anywhere in any other state. We need to move on from this and create some legal certainty for our bookmakers because it is a product that people want. Around Australia, people want to be able to match the best prices available.
It has been tested in a number of fairly high profile cases between hardware stores. For instance, if you can get it there cheaper, then I will give you your money back, that sort of thing. Those principles have been tested, you can do it, it is not anti-trade, there are no barriers, but I understand where the minister is coming from. The barrier is: what will the industry do in applying pressure to the Northern Territory if we jump too quickly on that issue? I am sure in this round of talks, where we are talking about a product fee and all the other issues, it can be introduced and, hopefully, fixed.
Seeing we are talking about horse racing, which means you are usually talking about betting, I would like to place on the record that I had a bet recently with a couple of members of this House and one of them, like the Leader of the Opposition’s father, paid up at the earliest possible opportunity, and the other member still has not. I am still waiting. In the old days of the Leader of the Opposition’s father, you probably would have had a severe penalty placed upon you if you did not pay up at the earliest possible opportunity. So, I am looking forward to that payment being forthcoming.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): I have to say a few words about racing mainly because I am a loser, especially when it comes to racing. Therefore, I thought perhaps you might like a few words from a person who enjoys racing, but certainly does not gain any profit out of it, especially after the last Darwin Cup Carnival.
A member: Didn’t you win?
Mr WOOD: No, member for Daly, I did not win. In fact, it has kept me away from the races for a few months simply because I have to recover.
I thank the minister for this discussion paper. It raises a number of issues. The member for Goyder would also recognise that, in the rural area, the racing industry has some spin-offs, because there are a number of people in the rural area who deal with agistment. Of course, there is an industry that grows from the horse industry. You just have to look at the amount of stock feed sold, saddlery and equipment, veterinary requirements and the agistment costs. All that is creating an industry that sometimes we forget if we just concentrate on what runs around the race track. We forget the financial benefits, especially in the Darwin rural region. I image it is the same in Alice Springs; they would have people there who do the same for their industry.
I will comment on a couple of things in this document about the powers of the principal club. One reference was about the powers to allocate the dates and times of race meetings of those race clubs registered. I have been going to the Adelaide River races for years, and have always reckoned it is one of the nicest race tracks in the Territory. If you compare that with Timber Creek, it was like chalk and cheese, because once the first horse got in the front at Timber Creek, you could not see the rest. At least at Adelaide River, you have a grass track. It was watered all the way around. It has had some problems at times, with bushfires occurring just as the horses went round the first bend. I remember once when the wheel fell off the barriers, and they had to go and start the first race using the flag. My horse then came last. I keep blaming the club because the wheel fell off the barriers. It has always been a great meeting and reminds me of picnic races. When you see the number of people who turn up to Adelaide River for the races, especially over the last few years with buses travelling down there, it always surprised me there were not more race meetings there. It was just a great place …
Mr Stirling: Yes. We are going to put another one on.
Mr WOOD: Yes. I was always told it was because of the Darwin-centric rules, you might say, that meant that people in Darwin were a bit reluctant to have more than one or two race meetings down in Adelaide River. By having this principal club, perhaps we are going to have a more Territory-wide approach to the way racing goes in the Northern Territory. I have said it in a jocular manner, but the railway, for instance, may provide benefits, either tourists coming up from south, where you had promotion of our Darwin Cup, or we had a small train here that could take people down the track. Our principal racetracks are on the railway line: Pine Creek, Adelaide River, Katherine, and Tennant Creek - Tennant Creek might be a little off the way - where you can promote the railway to move people around to go and see racing in the Northern Territory.
The Opposition Leader mentioned something that struck a chord with me. The principal club could investigate and report on proposals for the construction of new racecourses, or for the alteration or renovation of existing racecourses. I have always wondered why we have a sand track at Fannie Bay. The touch football grounds are all watered by the recycled sewerage water from the Fannie Bay treatment plant. It seems, if there was the opportunity to have a grass track, that that would be one way to facilitate its growth and establishment, by using recycled water from the Fannie Bay treatment plant. It would make it a much prettier and much better racetrack. Even though Fannie Bay racetrack looks quite nice, a sand, oiled track never looks particularly great. Whilst it might be okay to race horses on, I do not think it particularly makes our track that attractive. As the Opposition Leader said, when you look across from the grandstand, the stables look like a place that could be tidied up a bit if we are to make Fannie Bay our major racetrack in the Northern Territory. It would be nice to see some more work done there. Maybe through this principal club, some of these things can occur. They certainly would cost a bit more money.
I do not know whether there is ever an opportunity for the trots to start. The reason I say that is the block of land that I own was owned by a gentleman who owned six horses and they were all trotters. He used to work them around the Howard Springs area but, sadly enough, because we did not have a trotting track, it never happened. I suppose races are like anything; the more you can vary things, the more you can keep people’s attention. Maybe there is an opportunity for a sand track in Fannie Bay one day that could run the trots. The principal club could perhaps look at the opportunity. It may be another way we could increase the use of the racetrack and the number of people involved in the sport.
When I talk about people involved in the sport, I have to mention that there is a horse in the rural area called Dubai Flier. It is owned by about every business person in the rural area. It is a bit of a case of the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker. To demonstrate that people enjoy their racing, this horse has not won a race yet. The closest he came was second. I do not know whether the minister can change the rules, but I do not know how you can get $1 a place. Surely, if you are going to put some money out, you have to earn something back, otherwise do not have a second place dividend. It has not got to winning anything yet. It has run second, third, fourth and fifth. I do not think the people who own it are too worried about it. They enjoy it. As the Opposition Leader said, people see it as entertainment. It can get a bit depressing if it never wins, but they certainly enjoy it. They meet at the Howard Springs Tavern the day before to work out the tactics, and then they catch the bus from the Howard Springs Tavern and come home. About two days after the race meeting, they all get together for a post mortem.
Dr Burns: Post mortem?
Mr WOOD: Yes, to find out what went wrong; should they sack the trainer, should they sack the jockey, are they giving it the right feed?
Dr Toyne: I thought the horse died.
Mr WOOD: This is all done over a few light ales, of course. What I am saying is that that horse, for those people, is a great avenue for them to get together and form friendships. It is not just about racing and the sport, it is something that a lot of people love and enjoy and, even though, I suppose, they are spending more money than they are winning, they still enjoy it.
The idea of a new principal club is a good idea. As the member for Barkly said, it would be good to put a bit more effort into country racing. Country racing, if it could be revived, then it could be included in tourism policy. I was sad to see the Timber Creek races fade away. The Timber Creek Ball, campdraft and races were part of the Territory for years and years and years. It was a place where all the ringers and city folk could meet. I wonder whether these things can be put back on the calendar and promoted more so that people coming up from south can look at the unique type of racing in the Northern Territory. At Harts Range and in the Barkly, there use to be a few race meetings that were famous. They all seemed to have died, which is sad. Whether this new principal club could put a new lease of life into that sort of racing in the Northern Territory I do not know, but it is certainly worth giving it a chance.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, that is my two bob each way. I thank the minister.
Mr STIRLING (Racing, Gaming and Licensing): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank members for the comments. The Leader of the Opposition is quite correct in saying that racing as an issue has enjoyed bipartisan support in this Assembly. That is a very positive strength for the industry because it knows that both sides are usually going to form a level of agreement. It is a positive sign that the strong history of agreement between us continues. It is such a pleasure to stand in this Chamber on an issue that unites us as members of this Assembly rather than, as is so often the case, a point of division.
To continue that level of cooperation and mutual agreement, I would ask the Leader of the Opposition if he has the time before 31 October, to seek a briefing on those issues that are confronting us at the next ministerial council so that we can go through and explore the position that the Northern Territory will be adopting because our stance will not be different from that adopted by the former government.
In relation to bet exchanges, he asked the question about our position. I have put this on the Parliamentary Record previously. We said we would not issue a bet exchange licence in this form. At this stage, the Northern Territory government would only consider issuing a bet exchange licence on Australian racing if the issuing of such bet exchange licences were otherwise endorsed by Australian Racing ministers, or another Australian jurisdiction issues a bet exchange licence, or would be satisfied in liaison with the Australian Racing Board that the issuing of such a bet exchange licence would lead to an equal or better return to the Australian racing industry. However, the Northern Territory government reserves our right to issue bet exchange licences for sports betting and overseas racing. That remains our position. That will be the position we carry to the ministerial council on 31 October but, depending on the outcome of that, all bets could well be off in relation to those issues because we need to see what positions are adopted and what decisions are made at that ministerial council.
In relation to the turf track, Bart Cummings comes here every year and consistently argues for a turf track. He has stated he will only bring his horses to race in the Territory once we have a turf track, as in Singapore and Hong Kong. Of course, both have similar tropical seasons; both close for about three months of the year during the rainy season. If we had a turf track only, we would face a similar position. The problem we have here is how we sustain our industry over a three-month closure because we could potentially risk losing what we have now in the sense that jockeys, owners, trainers, would not have anything over that three month period and could not afford to stay in the industry. If we were to move to a turf track, it would be critical to maintain the sand-oil track for that three or four months of Wet Season when the turf would not be capable of being raced on.
The question then arises, would a dual track, the sand-oil track and a turf track, all fit inside Fannie Bay and what the costs would be. They are all questions I have an open mind on, but it is not hard to imagine how splendid the Darwin Cup, on the first Monday in August, on a fast track - it would always be a fast track – would be with all of the colour and excitement that Fannie Bay offers now in August on a turf track. It would be something. Bart Cummings bringing a team of horses to participate in the Darwin Cup would be something in itself. A beautifully prepared turf track under the August sun would be something to see.
In relation to trotting, I am an old trotting man; I love trotting. It is something I miss up here. If I am down south and there is a trot meet, I will try to get there. If we were to move to a turf track, again, it is question of size and space. I do not think you would fit a grit track out there. At the moment, we have enough difficulty sustaining a horse ownership base in racing. It would be hard to see us sustaining a trotting industry as well, but I love the red hots, crooked as they are sometimes, and would love to see them here. However, that is something well into the future.
In terms of strengthening the horse ownership base, as the Leader of the Opposition suggested, it remains a weakness with the industry up here. I encourage members opposite to throw in for a syndicate. Go and buy a nag, get out there, get in the industry. That is one more horse going around and it is another 10 owners in the industry with the interest.
Until now, I have struck a dud, an absolute dud with Centre Playboy. He ran fourth on Saturday, and the caller actually had the temerity to say in the call: ‘Centre Playboy in last position, but up closer than usual’. That was his call! I was very disappointed in that commentary because he did beat one home in a Class 6 race. Five in the race and he finished fourth. I believe Centre Playboy is headed for a career as a dressage horse. He goes over 17 hands now. He is a beautiful looking horse. He steps high. One of his problems with racing is that he steps too high, he does not step out. Horses that do that make ideal dressage horses, so he could well be Darwin bound for a career in a slightly different form of equestrian event.
I am much more hopeful with the two-year-old I purchased at the yearling sales in Alice Springs and she will race first over the Melbourne Cup period in Alice Springs. Horse owners by their nature, Mr Acting Speaker, as you would know, have to have big hearts and lots of optimism and lots of hope. My hope is that the filly will be every bit as quick as Centre Playboy has been slow and may actually want to run in front of another horse in the event rather than follow along behind.
In relation to the structure of the proposed new principal club, the Leader of the Opposition raised this in relation to the ARB and whether it is an appropriate structure. I am meeting with Andrew Harding from the Australian Racing Board in the near future - certainly before the October 31 meeting - and we will be going over this structure with him as the representative of the ARB. We will check with him on the ARB’s views on compliance. We are keen to hear the views that come forth from the industry.
The member for Goyder raised the question of jockey representation on the principal club. One suggestion – and we are far from fixed on this - could be that each meeting of the principal club has on its agenda jockey business and a jockey delegate attends the meeting for that part of the agenda to put the jockeys’ views to the principal club, and the principal club discusses any issues they have with jockeys at that part of the meeting. I am not fixed on that. It would seem to be a sound way for jockeys’ views to be represented and they, in turn, have a delegate to get the views of the principal club. We are happy to see what views are proposed in relation to that.
I note that David Bates was reported recently in the NT News as claiming jockeys should have membership of the principal club in their own right. If you take jockeys, owners, trainers, bookies and punters, they are all an integral part of the industry. If you take any one of them away, then you ain’t got an industry basically. That does not mean to say that they should all be represented on the principal club, but we will work through all of these issues to achieve the best representation possible for the industry.
I covered the member for Daly’s concerns. I am happy for him to accompany the spokesperson on Racing to a briefing before the council if they so choose and can arrange it. The member for Daly would well appreciate that the odds against the Northern Territory and myself at this council on some of these issues will be 7-1. They are long odds. There is no doubt about that, but I can give the House and members opposite this assurance: I will be stating our case passionately, fervently and representing the interests of the Northern Territory, its racing industry and its corporate sports bookmakers every bit as strongly as those members opposite would have had to stand for the Northern Territory in different forums at different times as ministers in their own right.
I thank the members for Barkly and Millner for their input, both are keen race goers. The member for Barkly is an owner with considerably more success behind him than me. The member for Arnhem is in that category as well. I thank the member for Nelson. I picked up his point about the trotting. In relation to Adelaide River, that was an absolutely sensational meeting, one I was very sorry I missed on the reports I heard back – 3000-odd people at the last meeting down there. We are very keen to put another race meeting into that calender. It is a matter of working with them and the industry overall on optimum timing to capture the best possible crowd, but people love it. People love going to Adelaide River and they enjoy the meeting there.
In respect of Timber Creek, I was sorry when that went off the calendar. This is one of the realities: once they slip, it is very difficult to get them back. A number of elements in the industry have changed over time that used to make Timber Creek the success it was. They are not there now. As hard as it is to sustain a country or bush race meeting, it is easier than ever trying to get it back. So you have to put in and keep it going while it is there because the Timber Creek example is one to keep well to the forefront. Once they are gone, they are gone.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank all members for their contribution. It is, as I said, a pleasure to participate in a debate where most minds are tuned to the same outcome.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Defence Force Structure Changes
Defence Force Structure Changes
Mr ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the following letter from the Leader of the Opposition:
- Dear Mr Acting Deputy Speaker,
In accordance with Standing Order 94, I intend to raise today, as a matter of public importance, that as
a matter of urgency, the government:
2. anticipates the impact these changes will have on our Defence Forces, predominantly Army,
located in Darwin with regard to major equipment purchases and through-life support requirements;
3. grasps the economic opportunities these decisions will provide to the Territory; and,
Defence Technology Park in the Darwin area.
Yours sincerely
Denis Burke
Leader of the Opposition
As my letter stated, it is a definite matter of public importance that the government anticipates the force structure changes occurring within the Australian Defence Force; anticipates the impact these changes will have on our Defence Forces, predominantly Army, located in Darwin, with regard to major equipment purchases and through-life support requirements; grasp the economic opportunities these decisions will provide to the Territory; and urgently commences a thorough evaluation of these events with the objective of establishing a Defence technology park in the Darwin area.
We all recognise the important contribution Defence makes to the Territory, both economically and socially. Often, over the years, either through ministerial statements or in debates, I, along with others in this House, have spoken of that contribution and how we as Territorians value our relationship with the Defence Forces. Shortly after I was elected to this parliament, I was given the opportunity to speak at a Defence seminar and presented a paper entitled The Australian Army and the Community in the Northern Territory. In that paper, I said and I quote:
- The Australian Army build-up in the north is very welcome, and the fact that the Defence Force is the third
largest contributor to the Territory economy is widely appreciated in the Northern Territory. The real challenge
or, more correctly stated, the real opportunity for the future will come from a realisation of the importance
of developing industries in the north, and with a commitment to do so.
I recall that I have referred to this premise in some way on most occasions I have had the opportunity to speak on Defence matters since that day. Today, however, the opportunities are crystal clear and achievable, provided the government has the vision to see the future, grasp the opportunities and run with them; hence my reason for raising this issue as an MPI today.
My case is this: currently, within Defence and Defence academics, there is a debate raging regarding the future capability requirements of our Defence Force. The debate settles mainly on Army’s future capability requirements in determining Army’s force structure. The question is: should Army’s structure focus mainly on its capability to defend Australia against a credible threat, or should Army be structured and equipped for extended operations outside of Australia? The requirement to defend our homeland as a first priority has been the basis of strategic planning and driven force structure decisions for many years. However, recent events have thrown that premise into sharp focus. Members may be aware of an article by Patrick Walters, The Australian newspaper’s National Security Editor, in The Weekend Australian of October 4-5. This excellent article sums up the situation and I will quote from that article in part. In referring to the government’s 2000 Defence White Paper, Walters reminds us that is says:
- For much of the [past] two decades, Army planning has been overwhelmingly focussed on meeting lower level
contingencies on Australian territory. That focus will now be broadened to meet a wider range of possible
contingencies both on Australian territory and beyond …
He continued:
- The battle being joined in Canberra on the future of the Army revolves squarely around the issue of its future
war fighting capability.
He said:
- The most contentious aspect to be debated by Cabinet’s National Security Committee this month is the Army’s
plan to replace its German-built Leopard tanks with a more modern platform - possibly the Leopard 2 or the
US-built Abrams.
Mr Walters also quoted from a speech delivered by the Chief of Army, Peter Leahy, in July this year, in which the General set out his views about the Army’s future role, and made the case for a new tank as the core of the combined arms team. Lieutenant-General Leahy said:
- I believe that our Army must move from a light infantry force to a light armoured force with increased protection,
fire power and mobility
General Leahy said that, without a tank, it would be difficult for the Army to credibly conduct even high-end peace operations. Walters states that giving the Army what it requires will be a $500m investment. He went on:
- Besides new tanks, Army experts working on the lessons of the Iraq war cite the need for the assets such as helicopters
and the heavy troop transport as well as accelerated investment in state-of-the-art surveillance and command and
control systems.
This article by Walters is a synopsis of the total debate on this issue, and there are many other articles from which I could quote. However, from it we can make a number of assumptions, and they are: Army will be the largest beneficiary of equipment/capability purchases; force structure changes will focus on inter-operability with United States forces; and Army will aim to achieve an infantry combat brigade based on the United States combat team model.
Moving on from those assumptions, it is not hard to figure out that Army will get 60 to 70 tanks, and it is highly likely they will be General Dynamics Abrams. These tanks will form part of a fully equipped, mechanised brigade based in Darwin, comprising two mechanised infantry battalions and an armoured tank regiment. For the brigade to be inter-operable with United States forces, both mechanised battalions will need to replace the M113 with a new light armoured vehicle, probably, in my opinion, the new General Dynamics Striker about to be fielded in the Gulf in about two weeks. On this point, while I do not expect this to happen overnight, and I am aware that Army is currently upgrading the aged M113 fleet, this upgraded vehicle will not in itself meet the capability 1 Brigade will require. I expect, over time, Army to transition to another vehicle, and the Striker is an ideal replacement.
Also, for inter-operability, command, control communications systems will need significant upgrading, and much of that should occur in Darwin. This follows because the priority force to be upgraded is the armoured brigade that is already based at Robertson Barracks.
Another change that is happening in Defence is the concept of ‘through-life support’ by an original equipment manufacturer, or OEM. In the past, the method was to buy the equipment and sufficient spare parts to maintain it for its life. This involved enormous warehousing problems for Defence, and long lines of logistic supply. For example, the major spare parts store for the armoured vehicles based here is at Albury-Wodonga in Victoria. A glaring example of what this means is - and this happens today - an unserviceable power pack or even a brake drum from an armoured vehicle in Timor is delivered to Darwin, then shipped to Albury-Wodonga for storage. It is then shipped back to Darwin for repair and then back to Albury-Wodonga for storage, and later again from Albury-Wodonga back to Darwin, and to Timor for use.
The new concept of through-life support by original equipment manufacturers essentially says you buy the equipment and you buy a contract for the original manufacturer to maintain that equipment with original parts through its service life. This concept not only reduces the cost of government infrastructure for Defence support, but also reduces the engineering liability for the government. For example, all technical risks, that is equipment design, is passed on to the OEMs, not the government. It is also the responsibility of the manufacturer to keep the equipment updated and fully operational.
Defence will inexorably go to this system and these new equipment purchases will be under this system. They have already done this with the new patrol boats and attack helicopter. Austral is responsible for keeping the patrol boats on station and Australian Aerospace is responsible for keeping the helicopters in the air. Defence is responding to the economic realities. It makes much more sense to buy the gear and a service and update contract, rather than buying the hardware and 10 years worth of spare parts. It is the updating part of the contract that makes it doubly attractive. This equipment is enormously expensive and its life can be cut short or the equipment made archaic unless you constantly update with the rapidly developing technology. A warehouse full of 10 year-old spare parts does not keep the equipment up to date, only operable. But with through-life support by OEMs, Defence gets rid of its large warehouses of rapidly ageing and out-of-date spare parts, and the manufacturer both services and updates the equipment.
Where in the Northern Territory do we fit into all of this? The first thing to recognise is that it will be the Territory based Defence Forces that are going to be the major beneficiaries of these new equipment purchases. Being responsible for the through-life support of this equipment, the original manufacturer will want to locate its capability as close as possible to the end user. But - and there is always a but – if, despite the distances and travel involved, it is more cost competitive for the manufacturer to keep the bulk of their capability further south, then they will do so.
The simple facts are that in the southern states, there is an over supply of Defence facilities for Defence support industries. They can access these facilities at little or no cost and, with their overheads cheaper, they will remain in the southern states irrespective of where the end user is. It is more costly to conduct business in the Territory than the southern states, and cheaper to continue to send equipment down south. The worrying thing also is that the railway should make it even cheaper to send equipment south. We know that when the Australian Aerospace Tiger, a battlefield helicopter, is based here, while some basic day to day maintenance and minor heavy level support can be done locally, deeper level maintenance will be carried out in Brisbane, although in this context it is worth noting the experience with the Blackhawk. Initially, deep level maintenance was carried at Oakey, southern Queensland, even though the helicopters were based in Townsville, but within in five years, it was recognised that all maintenance should be done where the equipment is based.
I believe that is the way Defence will want to move with all equipment maintenance. The adoption of through-life support by OEMs will speed up this development. That presents a huge opportunity for the Territory, but it is an opportunity we should be grasping now so that we are ahead of the game. I know officers involved in the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development are hard working, but I believe the opportunities that are now presenting themselves need a top priority effort from government. We have to build a business case to attract the Defence support industries. We have to look now at what it is that will bring the major OEMs - General Dynamics, Tenix, ADI, Austral, Australian Aerospace, etcetera; one, possibly not all, but certainly I could name one priority one amongst them - here rather than them conducting their major maintenance down south.
We will have the equipment, the hardware, here: the tanks, the light armoured vehicles, the helicopters and the patrol boats. We can expect that many of these deals will be based on the original manufacturer being responsible for the continual maintenance and upgrading of this very expensive hardware. We can expect that if the conditions are right, those original manufacturers will want to be as close to the hardware they are servicing as is economically possible. We have to make it economically possible. We need to be moving now to create a Defence technology park that will make it cost-effective for those manufacturers to base here to service and upgrade the tanks, ASLAVs and helicopters at Robertson Barracks, and the patrol boats.
This is the next step in the huge boost our economy has received from the basing of all of these Defence assets in the Territory. First there was the construction boom in building the facilities, then there was the ongoing contribution to the economy from the presence of more than 10 000 Defence personnel and their families living here. Now we must get the ancillary industry, the Defence support industry, the Defence servicing industry here.
Territorians want more robust and more high technology industries to establish here. These are the industries that create jobs and demand skills that are hard to find. By attracting greater Defence industry capability here, we meet an emerging Defence need, provide the industrial base we want, and generate the skills requirements that provide the jobs that are so sought after. Traditional skills such as vehicle mechanics, fitters and electricians through to the more technical trades will also be required.
The strategy should begin with the setting up of a Defence task force that is fully resourced and focussed to meet these emerging opportunities as a very high priority of government. I am aware that one of the whole-of-government task forces announced in February this year relates to Defence, but it seems to be more limited to the construction projects involved, with movement of the helicopters here and the development of Bradshaw.
The Defence task force I am talking about needs to go much further. It needs to conduct a thorough SWOT analysis; identify what is required, then market ourselves to Defence industries as a real partner. We must show them that the Territory is well and truly open for their business and that we will facilitate their needs with infrastructure support and any other initiatives that are needed to attract them here.
If it is going to cost up-front money from the government, then so be it. The investment will be repaid many times over by the jobs and the boost to the economy this new industry will bring. The money is there with the increasing flow of GST funds. In the last budget, in Budget Paper No 2 at page 58, it is projected that the Territory will be receiving well above the guaranteed minimum amount from now on. The guaranteed minimum amount was what had been worked out the Territory would get to continue to be able to carry out government. The extra funding via the GST is just that: extra. It is some of this funding that we should be using to grab the Defence support industries and the jobs that they will bring. It is this that we should be using now to create the conditions, the incentives, the facilities to bring these manufacturers here to service the hardware that will be here. There is an urgent need for a Defence support strategy that incorporates the creation of a Defence technology park.
Mr Acting Speaker, the window of opportunity is here now with these new hardware purchases in the pipeline. If I were to leave the last word to Senator Hill, the Minister for Defence, I quote from an article in a journal entitled On Target of July-August 2003:
- The way to achieve the objective of sustaining critical areas of Defence industry capability is to increase Australian
industry’s long-term commercial viability by supporting its entry into the supply chains of the international Defence
market.
What he was saying is this: get the original equipment manufacturers to come to Australia by providing them with sustainable business, that is the through-life support of their equipment, thus, while they are in Australia, local industry will supply support to the OEM on a local basis. This support can then be transferred into the international market.
In summary, I proposed this MPI not in a spirit of criticising government; I raise it asking government to look very closely at this issue. I know all the work that is being done within the Defence Support area of the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development, and I make no criticism of the work that is being done. I also know they are looking to upgrade resources in that office. However, this opportunity requires a concerted and immediate effort. The simple fact is that original equipment manufacturers are maintaining the bulk of their capability in their states through direct incentives that they are giving them, or by those original equipment manufacturers lodging in outdated and no longer required Defence facilities.
We have to break the nexus of that cost competitive regime. We have to make sure that the Territory is cost competitive for these OEMs at every level and that, to my mind, means that we have to establish a Defence technology park, for want of a better phrase. We have to identify the facilities that they will need, and provide those facilities in order to attract them to the Territory. It will not come cheap, but it will come at enormous benefit to the Northern Territory. How long and how often do you hear people talk about establishing a manufacturing base, and what we have to do to secure it? I do not deny the importance of gas, but the reality is the opportunity is on our doorstep now. Putting aside the other services, the equipment purchases for Army, to meet capability requirements, are enormous. The through-life support requirements are not only large, but will bring skills and technology that we so desperately need. It is easy to see that the major effort and priority will be given to 1 Brigade.
There are many articles I have read that deal with Abrams tanks. I happen to have trained on an M1 Abrams tank. The technology in that tank is mind-boggling. It really is a quantum leap into the future and I cannot see any other decision being made by Army except to buy Abrams tanks. If you look at the concept of inter-operability, the way 1 Brigade will change its shape in future is obvious. All the requirements needed for upgrading all of that equipment and command control systems are large, and this will be done by original equipment manufacturers. General Dynamics, in my opinion, will be the primary OEM. We should be looking to attract them to the Northern Territory. This is as big as another railway project and the gas project in getting the Northern Territory and Darwin seen as a centre of Defence support, technical support, and an example of the way Defence conducts business in this new environment.
Mr HENDERSON (Defence Support): Mr Acting Speaker, first, I congratulate and thank the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this debate on this evening.
A matter of public importance debate has not been used before by the opposition in this first term of government, and it is very important that the opposition can come to parliament on any given business day, particularly in the spirit that the Opposition Leader has put this statement on the Parliamentary Record tonight, trying to be productive in contribution to public policy.
This is an interesting issue. Government is on the same wavelength as the Opposition Leader, as will be evident from my response. Terminology might be somewhat different, but I have to concur with virtually everything the Opposition Leader has said. I can identify, through my response, that through the Defence Support Division within my department, we are focussed on these issues not only at a departmental level, but with business and industry and the major prime contractors for Defence across the Northern Territory. We are putting increasing resources into understanding the strategic direction that Defence is taking, and looking to boost our capability in this area. I have discussed this around the corridors with the Leader of the Opposition. We are actually in the marketplace at the moment, and finding it hard to get the right person who can understand not only the Department of Defence’s bureaucracy, labyrinths and strategic processes, but also having the links to business and industry. We have been to the marketplace once for a Deputy Secretary position in my department. We received a number of applications. We did have the private sector on that recruitment panel, and it was determined that none of those applicants really met the standard that we are seeking. We are back in the marketplace again, and interviews will be conducted fairly shortly.
This issue is on government’s radar - my radar, as Minister for Defence Support - as a critical opportunity for growth in our economy. The Leader of the Opposition’s contribution is one that I will be asking departmental officers to have a look at, particularly any initiatives that can come from his well-informed comments, given his background.
The importance of Defence presence in the Northern Territory in a social, economic and strategic sense, cannot be overstated. Currently, there are approximately 5500 Defence personnel in the Territory. With families, this figure becomes approximately 12 500 or 6% of the Territory’s current population. This figure will increase further as a result of the relocation of 1st Aviation Regiment to Robertson Barracks over the next two years.
The ABS estimates that Defence recurrent expenditure, salaries and operational, in the Northern Territory in 2001-02 was $890m. Salaries represent approximately 50% of this recurrent expenditure. This is in addition to the capital works expenditure of around $1bn related to the Army Presence in the North project in the 1990s. The Defence population also contributes to the economy in other ways, apart from consumption and investment. The 1999 Defence census showed that approximately 60% of Defence partners work full-time, 40% have formal qualifications, and 20% were undertaking some form of study.
In addition to Defence expenditure, the Defence Housing Authority currently manages an estimated 2500 properties in the Territory. DHA expects to increase the housing stock by over 10% in 2003-04 and 2004-05, through major capital expenditure, including the recently announced Lee Point development. DHA also recently announced expenditure of $20m to refurbish DHA properties in Katherine. The first stage of this refurbishment was completed by a Katherine builder, with Stage 2 to be completed by a Darwin-based builder. In addition to the major capital works projects, such as construction of facilities at Robertson Barracks to facilitate the relocation of 1st Aviation Regiment and the Bradshaw Field Training Area, Defence has a further $100m of Northern Territory projects either in progress or in planning stages.
In recognition of the size and importance of the Defence presence in our community, the government has established a stand-alone Defence Support Division within my department. The new division is responsible for identifying and facilitating industry development opportunities in order to expand Defence-related business and activities in the Northern Territory, and building on the extensive work done to date.
In addition, the government has had in operation for some time a Defence Support Industries Task Force. This task force comprises representatives drawn from various agencies, and its aim is to coordinate support across government for Defence and Defence industry, aimed at maximising local content, business opportunities, employment opportunities and investment from original equipment manufacturers in the Northern Territory. In acknowledgment of the value to industry of the Defence presence in the Northern Territory, the Defence Support Division provides secretariat support to the Australian Industry Defence Network, or AIDN. AIDN has a membership of 58 in Darwin, compared with Sydney, with its massive population and presence of prime contractors, which has 70 members.
In the 12 months since October 2002, Northern Territory business has been successful in securing Defence contracts valued at more than $48m. This is a 20% increase over the 2001-02 financial year, which saw contracts of approximately $40m secured by Territory business.
The Bradshaw Field Training Area will be one of the major projects that will provide significant opportunities. The indigenous land use agreement for Bradshaw, signed on 16 July 2003, is another step forward in the development of this $64.8m project. The project involves considerable infrastructure development, and offers opportunities for local business in construction and maintenance of two airstrips capable of accommodating C130 planes, two 500-man camps, up to 200 km of unsealed roads, a training force maintenance area, a range control complex, two caretaker facilities, a landing craft area, environmental management facilities, sign posting, and fencing.
During a visit to Katherine in September, members of the Defence Support Division and I met with local business people to discuss with them these opportunities and how they might be involved. The Defence Support Division is currently working with Defence, the project manager, the TCA and AIDN Northern Territory, to provide a briefing to industry on this important project. I offered at that meeting - and I hope business in Katherine take up the offer - to establish a branch of the Australian Industry Defence Network in Katherine, and have stated that my department would provide secretariat facilities to that group to ensure that Katherine businesses are well placed to pick up on the opportunities created by Bradshaw. Also, I believe a lot more money from Tindal could find its way into the Katherine economy if there was a focussed approach from business to understand the requirements at Tindal and working in partnership. I am keen to progress the initiative that I offered at that meeting a couple of weeks ago.
Members will be aware that the ADF is acquiring 22 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters which are being manufactured by Australian Aerospace in Brisbane at a cost of $1.3bn. This project is known as AIR 87. Of these, 17 helicopters are to be based at Robertson Barracks to form a key component of 1st Aviation Regiment to be based there. An Australian Aerospace delegation, comprising Mr Joseph Saporito, CEO, Mr Rob Hunter, Vice-President, Production and Military Services, and Mr Marc Jouan Vice-President, Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Tiger Project, visited Darwin in August. The Defence Support Division of my department hosted this delegation whilst in Darwin. They arranged a number of meetings and events to ensure local entities such as AIDN, NTISO, NT Institute for Aviation Studies, members of the local rotary wing and electronics sectors, and the government’s own Defence Industries Task Force could engage with this delegation and explore potential opportunities for local business and our local economy.
I am pleased to advise that we are pursuing a number of opportunities for the Northern Territory in relation to these projects. Aerospace has agreed that through-life support for the helicopters including the deep-level maintenance, should be provided locally at Robertson Barracks. This is likely to result in around 20 aircraft engineers being based at Robertson Barracks undertaking this role and, Aerospace and government are exploring the creation of around five apprenticeships as part of this complement. I pay great credit to Australian Aerospace for their commitment. They have always been committed, from the first time I met them down in Sydney and the commitments that the Chief Minister was given in France through the parent company that if we have the capacity to provide deep-level maintenance and through-life support in Darwin, the commitment will come to fruition. Aerospace has expressed a strong commitment to employing and training Territorians wherever possible. An important component of the training for both skilled and apprentice engineering staff is likely to be a period working on the Tiger assembly line in Brisbane. I understand that Thales, a partner in this AIR 87 project with Aerospace, will position a number of training staff at Robertson Barracks in support of the training simulator to be based there.
Also, the Defence Support Division has commenced discussions with ADI regarding how command and control through-life support for the helicopters will be provided, and whether there might be opportunities for our local electronics sector. We did host a workshop for the first time for the local electronics engineering sector to make it aware of the huge opportunities there for the electronics industry for Defence and how a lot of that could come to the Northern Territory to support these types of deployments. An important and growing sector in the Northern Territory is our electronics sector, and members of this sector met with Aerospace during their visit and provided their company profiles seeking involvement with Aerospace on projects such as AIR 87. We are not just focussed on this project that has been announced and for which contracts have been awarded. Also, in the Aerospace sector, the AIR 9000 program has the potential to provide opportunities for local business participation. This project aims to rationalise the current eight types of helicopters to a maximum of four.
The Defence Support Division is currently liaising with the bidders to provide briefings to industry on their AIR 9000 proposals. AugustaWestland/BAA Systems have agreed to extend their briefings to include Darwin. Discussions are continuing with Sikorski to do likewise. Australian Aerospace provided a summary of their proposal during their visit in August and I would like to pay particular tribute to Bruce Mouatt, the new CEO of the NTISO, who came to me some six months or so ago when he first accepted the offer of the job to say: ‘Hey, there is a real opportunity for the Territory in this AIR 9000 program’. We are certainly working at a departmental level and with Bruce’s knowledge in this area to make sure that Darwin very much is on the radar of the major players who are going to be bidding for this opportunity when it comes out from Defence.
Eight of the 12 replacement Armidale Class Patrol Boats are to be stationed at Darwin Naval Base, with the first to be phased into service in mid-2005. Defence has recently announced that DMS Austral Consortium is the preferred tenderer and is entering contract negotiations with the expectation of signing a contract next month. Again, we did not hedge our bets with the three main tenderers for these patrol boats; I personally met with senior people and CEO of all three companies that were bidding for those patrol boats and encouraged as much local contact and through-life support to be based here in Darwin.
I have written to both DMS and Austral, congratulating them on their selection, wishing them every success in the negotiation process and, ultimately, in the delivery of the patrol boats. I will be accepting an invitation by Austral to visit their facilities in the near future, and aim to visit DMS to promote Darwin’s capabilities to provide through-life support for the new fleet. I can advise honourable members that when I met with DMS Austral whilst this tender process was under way, I was very impressed with their commitment to local industry development, partnering here and ensuring as much of that through-life support can be done in Darwin. It makes good business sense for them to do that, and they are prepared to invest in their long-term future in the Northern Territory. I will be meeting with them very soon.
Besides engaging with the prime Defence contractors previously mentioned, the Defence Support Division has been active in liaising with local prime representatives based in Darwin, such as General Dynamics, Serco Sodexho, Tenix, Defence Maritime Services or DMS, and Mack Trucks. The Defence Support Division has been in regular contact with the US Navy Regional Contracting Centre in Singapore. Of particular importance is attracting more US Naval visits for R and R, repairs and maintenance and sea swaps, the exchange of an entire ship’s complement beyond the theatre of operation in a foreign port. This has been trialled in Fremantle and we have put the proposal to the US Navy and continue to pursue that potential opportunity.
You may recall that the Chief Minister visited Admiral Le Fleur of the United States Navy in San Diego last December to promote Darwin as a sea swap option. The US Navy is convening a two-and-a-half day Fleet Support Conference in November, and the Defence Support Division has been active in promoting the event to relevant Darwin business. Thus far, four Darwin businesses have indicated an interest in attending this working conference. Among the issues to be discussed are: the regionalisation of contracts such as that for Australia, with three contracts being brought under one husbanding contract; the more practical matters faced by contractors; and the issues with sea swaps from both the US Navy and contractors’ perspectives.
Making the most of the economic opportunities presented to industry by Defence requires a proactive approach. The Defence Support Division has provided funding to AIDN NT to undertake a study of the five Defence industry sector plans. This study aims to determine local capabilities and identify opportunities for participation in present and future Defence projects, thereby setting a path for Territory Defence support industry. These studies will be looking at what we have to do to attract more investment to the Northern Territory, and for companies to either establish or set up joint ventures or agency representatives in the NT to support this hardware.
As you can see, Mr Acting Speaker, the government is committing considerable effort to identify, anticipate and secure economic opportunities arising from the Defence presence within our region. However, this is within a changing environment and policy framework. The Territory government is aware that Defence and the Commonwealth government are re-thinking Defence Force strategic capabilities, Defence budget allocations and the way Defence procures its capability.
We are aware, for instance, of the current debate - well publicised in the media - as to whether the F1-11 aircraft should be retired early, whether any of Australia’s submarines should be moth-balled and whether other acquisitions can be delayed to help balance the books and priorities. This debate, driven by budget concerns, is now linked to the debate as to what the Defence role should actually be. Is it to build up home defences against conventional attack? Is it to build up capacity to undertake expeditionary forces to fight in foreign fields? Is it to expand our counter-terrorist capabilities? Many would argue that Defence’s capabilities should meet all of those needs.
Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy, Chief of Army, is reported as saying the Army was going through a military transformation, which would result in a land force that is mobile, agile and versatile, and be able to operate independently, jointly or in coalitions across a complex spectrum of conflict as diverse as East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Solomons.
The view is that Army will change from a light infantry force to becoming a light armoured force. Given the significance in profile of the local Army presence at Robertson Barracks, we are closely watching this development and the associated debate as to whether the Army acquires replacement tanks and what version they may be. That is, as the Leader of the Opposition stated, whether they replace the existing Leopard tanks that were built in 1976 – around 30 years of age now – with the upgraded and newer version or, instead, purchasing the General Dynamics Abrams main battle tank, which would give them that inter-operability with the US Army.
The Defence Support Division has, throughout the past few months, been liaising with the local General Dynamics Logistic Centre located in Palmerston regarding this issue, and the possibility of new and expanded operations by General Dynamics in this region. I will be meeting with the Managing Director of General Dynamics Land Systems in Australia in the near future. The recent Defence Procurement Review 2003, led by Malcolm Kinraid AO, is likely to significantly change operations with Defence material organisation and the way Defence procures its capability.
In respect of the suggestion to establish a Defence technology park, an interesting concept from the Leader of the Opposition that does establish a picture, but there are active discussions with businesses engaged in the Defence support industry about future land requirements. We have not coined the phrase ‘Defence technology park’, but we are talking about future land requirements for Defence support industry. The East Arm development area is about to be rezoned Development, which has, as its over-arching land use objective, industry of strategic importance to the economic development of the Northern Territory. Government has taken action to preserve a transport corridor accommodating a rail connection between East Arm and Robertson Barracks. More than 90 hectares of land are available in Stage A of the Darwin Business Park. Up to 100 hectares of land are available on the private market in the East Arm development area.
I am running out of time. I am not sure that we are calling it a ‘Defence technology park’, but we are working strategically with Defence, the primes, the OEMs, understanding the capability requirements, trying to understand what the land issues are for Defence in the Northern Territory. I commend the Leader of the Opposition for the MPI and his continuing interest and support in this area.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, if people look at the history of Darwin, they would see that the name ‘garrison town’ has been used. If you look at the early attempts at settlement in places like at Port Essington and Victoria because it was seen as necessary to put a Defence presence into the north. If you look, for instance, at incursions that have been taking place for hundreds of years with people who are called Macassan, you will probably see that they are the great, great grandfathers of these small, brown seafarers who now sit in our harbour under guard.
The fact is that much of the defence in Australia has been based in the south, and it has been only in the last couple of decades that a continuing focus on the north has grown this place - and grown it has. The Defence resource in this place is enormous. If you look from a heritage point of view, we have talked about it in the past, East Point and the strips right through the Top End, Larrakeyah, Coonawarra, Tindal, RAAF Darwin, Robertson, Delamere and Bradshaw, you will see that there is enormous activity and infrastructure put here by Defence. If you look at the features of it, it is high tech, high specialisation. They are a major employer, a major exporter, a major trainer. They are wholly government owned, thank goodness, and they are a major accommodation provider.
The minister gave some details about the demographics of Defence people who come to this place. If you look at a salaries bill of $308m, you can see that they are an enormous consumer in this part of the world. Many of them also bring spouses who take their place in civilian society and provide, for instance, at Royal Darwin Hospital, a great capacity, with professional and trained people.
Darwin is a town that knows what its heritage is. It is a town that knows what its future is. It is a town that lives very comfortably with our various arms of Defence, and it is a town on the verge of some enormous opportunities that can come our way.
What we have to do as politicians is pretty much what the Leader of Opposition has pointed out, and that is to make sure that we can analyse the opportunity, gear ourselves to be ready and we can grasp it with both hands because it is only in doing that we will put ourselves in front of our competitors.
The minister talked about sea swaps. I read in the newspaper last Christmas about sea swaps and the Port of Fremantle being used. I took the opportunity to ring the highest ranking officer in the US Forces here in Australia at the time, and put the case that Darwin could be used. I was interested to find out later that, at the very time we were mounting this – from my point of view - fairly meek attempt to say: ‘We would like to be in the picture and we believe that we have the capacity and readiness’, the then Governor of West Australia was tramping up and down halls in Washington DC doing a much better job, as a retired Defence person of some rank, than I ever could on the phone. That is what we are up against. We have to make sure that we gear ourselves and that we are ready.
Let us look at what the future might bring. The minister pointed to some of that. Defence opportunities with AIR 87 through Aerospace is enormous. We are talking about armed reconnaissance helicopters based at Robertson, the C1444 patrol boat upgrade, the Armidale class boats replacing the Fremantle class, the Bradshaw training area has hardly hit its straps, the Defence industry distribution systems, the ship visits that the minister talked about when Defence personnel come here. There were 63 ships that visited in 2002. In 2003, the latest figures I have, 37 foreign military vessels visited Darwin for a total of 129 port days. Visiting personnel totalled 1309, and the estimated spend per visit is about $0.3m to $0.5m. So, with US plans to increase those visits, there is good potential, whether you sell ice-creams, tours to Kakadu, or even some of the nightly entertainment for which these people come ashore.
The industry sector plans and the Australian Industry Defence Network was mentioned by the minister. I did note the potential for US-Australian bases was not discussed by him. However, you have to recognise that this is an immense industry, and it has to be seen like that. When you are talking about 7% of the Territory’s population, you are talking about an immense wages bill, and an essential service for Australia. We must position ourselves.
The intellect the Leader of the Opposition has brought to this is good. I personally have seen two technology parks. I saw one in Shannon in Ireland and Curtin University in Western Australia has one. They are very smart ideas because if you sit them next to your seats of learning, next to people who are in the trade and who procure, manufacture, make, buy, and assemble things, you can have a really good relationship with those three arms. So you have your technology park, a TDZ or like, your learning institutions plugged into that and, all of a sudden, you have a capacity that can take on the world if you pick those niches correctly. The one in Curtin is engineering focussed, but the one in Shannon does a lot of work with life safety gear. There is a lot of diamond technology tied up there. We need to pick this niche correctly. An accident has put Darwin in a place where Defence has to be, as we know. Good government policy has put, with the Army presence in the north, an immense and non-returnable infrastructure here.
We now have to move to the next stage, and that is to look to the future. I do not believe I have a millionth of the capacity to analyse the style of the future as the Leader of the Opposition has done. It does not take much to realise that, no matter how much you know about a Abrams tank or Tiger helicopter, this is big and it must be grasped by us. The beneficiaries will be all of us. Whether you are somebody who interfaces through a business proposition with Defence or whether you are somebody who lives in a peaceful island in the south part of the world called Australia, Defence is the future in this place.
I commend the minister on his thoughtful response to this and on the catalogue of works that he was able to produce to show that the government is treating this matter seriously. I, for one, with quite a big Defence presence among my constituents, was very pleased he was able to provide that catalogue to the parliament. This debate is timely. The use of the MPI in such a productive and constructive way augers well for a bipartisan approach to this enormous industry. I commend the Leader of the Opposition for the MPI.
Mr VATSKALIS (Transport and Infrastructure): Mr Acting Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition for his initiative of bringing such an important matter to the attention of the House.
As the member for Drysdale said, this matter has bipartisan support for the Defence Forces, their establishment in Darwin, their contribution to the Northern Territory, and their continuous contribution to the economy and development of the Territory. The Defence Forces have been in Darwin for a long time. Darwin has been a Defence town. Recently, the government in Canberra, in its wisdom, decided to build up the Defence Forces in Darwin, and rightly so, especially with the very interesting situation in the north of Australia, and the recent developments in countries that border Australia. We have the rising of terrorism and other problems in our world.
One thing that always puzzled me is that, Darwin being a Defence town, we could see the build up of the Defence Forces - the Air Force, the Army and the Navy – yet there was a lack of support industries. In other countries, in Europe or America, when you have such a build up of Defence Forces, you tend to see the build up of Defence support industries in those towns to cater and provide support for the Defence Forces, their personnel, and their equipment. In Darwin, being in the Air Force, I was always puzzled to see that any time we had to service official equipment, we had to pack it up and send it down south. Here we have 5 Squadron in Katherine, and there is no support industry for avionics. Every time something goes wrong with an F18 or a small piece of the F18, it has to be packed up, sent down south and the aeroplane will be sitting on the tarmac, waiting for the spare part to arrive. This is time wasted, and very expensive. I recall very well that people complained that every time the tank needed to be serviced, they had to put it on a TNT semi-trailer, haul it all the way down to Victoria, service it and haul it back again. That was 15 days wasted plus the time to service it.
The Navy is the same. It is, I believe, only lately the Navy decided to service some of the patrol boats in Darwin and they used the Paspaley shipyard. The comments by the Navy were that they were very surprised that the industry in Darwin could do such a good job, and the job they had from the Paspaley shipyard was much better than was done in Sydney. There is industry in Darwin with capacity to provide support to the Defence Forces, but we do not have the industry, as mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition, to provide support for the growing needs of the Defence Forces and for the changing type of equipment.
The Army, as the Leader of the Opposition mentioned, is out there trying to buy new equipment, and they have to choose something very sophisticated either from Europe or America. However, for this kind of sophisticated equipment, they also need sophisticated support, workshops, factories, and things that can be provided very quickly because they are high technology and you cannot afford to have a multi-million dollar piece of equipment sitting in Robertson Barracks or anywhere else because you have to change some part, a very sensitive part, and something has to be imported from overseas or brought up from Victoria.
I was very pleased the other day to see in the magazine Northern Defence an article by Jessica Mark, General Dynamics Land System, Australia, that refers to the establishment of logistics support for the ASLAVs, so a lot of these light armoured vehicles will now be serviced and their spare parts provided here in Darwin rather than being brought from another state or city, at great savings to the industry and the Army. We have seen a change of mentality in the Army. Probably it was cheaper a few years back to load a truck and send it Victoria, but now, if you consider the total cost of the exercise, it is cheaper to provide support in the place where the armoured vehicle is based - or the aeroplane, or the patrol boats. In 2005, Darwin is going to have some patrol boats based here, very sophisticated patrol boats, brand new, the latest equipment, and they have to be supported in Darwin. That is the intention of the Navy and was included in the tender documents; they have to provide logistic support here in Darwin.
Coming from a country that is very small and had to rely, especially for Defence Force equipment, on imports from other countries - mainly from America as a member of NATO – they very quickly realised they had to build capabilities to provide support for their equipment not only because it was too expensive to import from America, but because they realised that being a part of an alliance and having some problems with another member of the alliance, namely Turkey, it would be very easy if the United States of America wanted to stop the dispute between Greece and Turkey by stopping the supply of spare parts and ammunition. Then the dispute would finish because neither of the two allies would be able to fight each other because their equipment would become obsolete. For example, every aeroplane, for every hour it flies, needs one or two hours of service.
So Greece decided to develop a Defence industry. Some weapons are now produced in Greece. Spare parts for armoured vehicles are produced in Greece and they have developed such an industry that every year, Greece has a Defence Expo with locally produced equipment and equipment produced in other countries of the region. It has become a major supplier of Defence equipment, ammunition, guns, rifles, cannon, to other countries in the region that cannot afford to buy very sophisticated equipment from United States, France, Germany or England.
Apart from buying the patent and building factories that produced the equipment, they invested in research. Not only did they provide support to their Defence Forces, but, arising from the support was research, further employment and further developing equipment because they used local initiative, experience and research.
I recall when I was in the Army, the Greek Air Force bought an anti-tank, anti-aircraft cannon and, within two years, they managed to produce the barrel of the cannon in a totally different technique from the Germans. The result was the German equipment manufacturer bought the patent from Greece to apply it in Germany to produce faster and cheaper equipment.
I support the Leader of the Opposition, as I do my colleague, the member for Wanguri, in the notion that this has to be bipartisan support. We also need a whole-of-government approach. It is not just one ministry or department that has to deal with Defence and Defence support, but every department has to assist in this effort. My Department of Lands and Planning is actively involved in working with DBIRD and the Defence Forces in order to provide what is necessary to establish an industry in Darwin: land. With the development of the Darwin Business Park and East Arm, which is currently being finalised, our objective is to entice more industries to set up shop in Darwin, and Defence industries in particular.
The second stage of the East Arm development area will be offered by tender, and we are prepared to assist the Defence industries if they want to establish themselves in Darwin. Many times in the past I have said that if somebody wants to establish an industry, they can come and talk to the government. The government is prepared to sit down and negotiate an offer of land, the method of payments and other ways to facilitate and make it easier for these industries to come to Darwin.
The government has also taken action to provide other initiatives to support the Defence Forces. For example, we have a preserved a transport corridor to accommodate a possible future rail connection between East Arm Port and Robertson Barracks – very vital. We have 90 hectares of land available in Stage A of the Darwin Business Park and, as I said, we will be calling for expressions of interest very soon for development proposals in the balance of this development area. We have 100 hectares of land available on the private market in the East Arm development area, and DBIRD and the newly established Land Development Corporation are evaluating likely developments and will be prepared to facilitate such a development.
We are very keen to understand the Commonwealth’s intention for the Coonawarra Naval Base. We believe that the Commonwealth government will dispose of the base as a surplus asset but, because it is very close to the airport and to the flight corridor, noise emissions will prevent development of this base as a residential area. It will be ideal for development as a light industrial area, very close to Winnellie, the service corridor, and both Robertson Barracks and the air base in Winnellie.
As I mentioned, we already have industry in Darwin that can cater for the Defence Forces. The Paspaley shipyards is one of them. We would like to see support for the Army, armoured vehicles, the Air Force and the aeroplanes. In addition to that, we are working cooperatively with the Defence Forces and Defence Force organisations, like the DHA, to provide land for residential purposes to house Defence personnel in Darwin. One of these initiatives is the new development at Lee Point, the result of a good agreement between the Defence Housing Authority and the Northern Territory government for such land to be developed into a new suburb to meet the needs of the Defence Forces.
We do not know what direction the federal government’s policy will take in the future. There is a lot of speculation: if it is going to be utilising the Army for peacekeeping operations outside Australia or they are going to have a combined portfolio for an Army to protect Australia because it would be able to operate in other countries. Whatever it will be, the reality is that the Army has to make an investment. It has to replace the current aged equipment, especially the tanks. What they are going to choose, I do not know. I am not familiar; I am not an expert. The Leader of the Opposition speculated that it is going to be American equipment. That might be so, but whatever they choose, the German or the American, we are in a unique position and should be able to work cooperatively to ensure that whatever comes to Darwin, we will be able to service and provide support by Territorians.
Let us get together and find a way to develop a package to invite these companies, wherever they are. Let us use the expertise of people like the Leader of the Opposition who has been in the Army for a long time - he is familiar with the structure and the equipment they use; he is familiar with the logic of the Army - and find out how we can get together and start talking, the same way we did for gas and other projects, in order to attract this investment in the Territory.
The reality is it is an investment that we will make today for the future of the Territory. We will be able to provide a lot of work for young Territorians, not only getting their hands dirty fixing and repairing tanks, but also on what will come out of these industries, especially the research and development of high technology supporting the Defence Forces.
I commend the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this matter to the House, and I offer my full support for being able to attract these industries in Darwin.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex.
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! It is convention in this House that matters of public importance have always been restricted to two people on each side of the House, and that has been standard convention for many years on advice from the Clerk. I move that Business of the Day be called on.
Mr BALDWIN: Just for clarification, Mr Acting Speaker, I know that you cannot debate this motion, but my understanding is that you cannot call on adjournment. You have to call on Business of the Day. My point of clarification is: could you explain what the business of the day will be?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Are you asking me or the Leader of Government Business?
Mr BALDWIN: Well, whoever wants to clarify it.
Mr Kiely: He is asking you.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Well, I have no …
Mr Baldwin: I can give you the standing order number.
Mr HENDERSON: In speaking to the point of order, my understanding, to get back to the Notice Paper, this is the motion put, given that there is no question before the Chair as it stands. This is a matter of public importance debate that, by leave, the House has suspended business to debate. It is the time that this opportunity is presented. There is no question before the Chair to move back into standing orders in terms of the Business of the Day, and this is the appropriate motion to put before the Chair.
Mr BALDWIN: Speaking to the minister’s point of order, because it is not our point of order, Mr Acting Speaker, we are happy for this to conclude. The fact of the matter is that you are allowed a maximum of two hours; we have had one hour. Standing convention or otherwise does not come into it; we have two speakers.
The other point I would like to make is that I informed the government through the normal processes of their Whip that we would have speakers that would fill that two hours. I also informed you, Mr Acting Speaker. However, we are happy to conclude on this point, but I will point out that the Leader of Government Business should look at Standing Order 94.2, and not bring on business if there is no business. We are happy to conclude.
Mr HENDERSON: Speaking to the comments from my opposition spokesman; this is a matter of public importance debate that has been conducted with goodwill and in the genuineness of the spirit in which the Leader of the Opposition introduced it. Both my colleague and I used our full amounts of time, the 20 minutes allocated to us, in contribution to this debate. The second speaker on the other side of the House barely used 10 minutes, so they had an opportunity to utilise a greater amount of time. If there was genuine commitment, then maybe another speaker who could have made a more fulsome contribution than the member for Drysdale should have participated in the debate.
We do have conventions in this parliament. This debate has been taken in good faith by the government. There was a significant contribution from the Leader of the Opposition but, in support from the rest of his colleagues, it was not very detailed, and it is time to move back to the business of the House.
Mr BALDWIN: I have to have one more say on this, Mr Acting Speaker, because the convention is two hours. The standing orders are very clear.
Mr Henderson: Maximum.
Mr BALDWIN: A maximum of two hours. It is not proper that a member reflects on the content of a member’s speech and provides an opinion as to whether it is a fulsome debate or not. The fact is, as has been notified to the government, we had a number of speakers.
We are happy to conclude because you have accepted this in good faith. They know now they have made a mistake in trying to pull this up because they have no government business to bring on, no Business of the Day, and we are, in fact, moving to adjournment.
I, on behalf of the opposition, am happy to accept calling on the Business of the Day, although you cannot do it for an adjournment, because the member for Katherine is going to make her maiden speech. I would ask that members be silent in the usual way.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I will ask that, yes. I have had discussions with the Clerk. I gather it is the convention that we have two speakers from each side. I must admit, being an issue that I believe is of great importance to the Northern Territory, I probably was a little disappointed that we could not use up the time as in the standing orders. As the Leader of Government Business has said, this is one of the few times an MPI has been used.
However, bearing in mind that this is convention, I will ask: the question is that Business of the Day be called on.
Motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Acting Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Honourable members, as the member for Daly has just pointed out, the member for Katherine will make her maiden speech. As is the convention, I ask that the member for Katherine be heard in silence.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Acting Speaker, I am deeply honoured to stand here as the newly elected member for Katherine. I thank the people of Katherine for their support, and I reaffirm my commitment to work hard and productively for everyone in my electorate.
I am particularly humbled to have been selected to follow such a dedicated member of 16 years in Mike Reed, who has contributed greatly to the development of not only Katherine, but the Northern Territory. I especially thank Mike Reed for his invaluable cooperation and assistance to the people of Katherine following the 1998 floods.
Both my husband and I were born and lived in South Australian rural areas for most of our lives. I was born and raised in Smoky Bay on Eyre Peninsular at the edge of the Great Australian Bight, a small town now well noted for magnificent oysters and, most recently, the destination of the 2003 Eyre to Eyre Variety Bash, which raises so much money for children in our community.
I had a wonderful childhood, the eldest of four children on a mixed sheep and cereal farm, where we knew a lot of freedom. I thank my parents for trusting and encouraging my independence at an early age, and for teaching me respect for all people. My husband Mike and I arrived in Katherine from the smelting town of Port Pirie in South Australia in the last week of 1989 for Mike to manage the ANZ Bank, Katherine. We had never travelled further north than Alice Springs and, when we disembarked our plane at the old airport terminal in Darwin, we were quite overwhelmed by the lush, green, tropical beauty of the north, and the Wet Season storms.
Our arrival in Katherine the following day left me with the lingering memory of the magnificent flowering frangipani trees. We did not take long to fall in love with the lifestyle of the Top End and now proudly call ourselves Territorians. I am proud to say that three of our daughters, their husbands and five grandchildren have also recognised the opportunities that are offered in the Northern Territory and now live in Darwin, for which this Nanna is very grateful.
Prior to arriving in the Territory, I had experienced 12 years with the Education department and 14 years with St John Ambulance. I moved into the private sector for four years until Mike and I decided to make Katherine our permanent home and invested in tourism accommodation. Katherine’s economy relies significantly on the tourism industry and so it was a few short weeks later that I was elected to the executive of the Katherine Region Tourist Association. I have been heavily involved in all aspects of the tourist industry since, including Chairman of Katherine Region Tourist Association for four years, Vice-Chairman for two, a Commissioner on the Tourist Commission Board, and Vice-Chairman of Tourism Training NT. My vision for the future growth of the industry in Katherine requires significant infrastructure development, which I plan to see realised.
Having been raised in a small community, I have always been conscious of the progress of where I live being reliant on the willingness of those who live there to be actively involved in community planning, decision making and development. To that end, I have been involved at many levels in the community where I live. Until 29August this year, I had never considered a political life beyond that of which I was serving as an alderman of Katherine Town Council. However, life sometimes presents challenges and changes in direction at the most unexpected times. The opportunity to represent the people of Katherine as their elected member in the Legislative Assembly was offered and, after consultation with my husband and CLP colleagues, I decided that, as the member for Katherine, I would be able to serve my community more effectively. With a very short lead into the by-election, I committed to the task of becoming the local member.
Katherine is a very interesting electorate in that it encompasses a broad sector of industries, including horticulture, Defence, medium to large industries, commercial and retail business, public service, a very active art, cultural and heritage community and strong sporting associations. As representative of the people of Katherine, I will work hard to provide representation across all sectors of our community. The people of Katherine have given considerable input to the recently launched Katherine Region Development Plan, and I look forward towards the realisation of the outcomes for our community, economy and our people, natural resources and infrastructure. Our region has the potential to be the food bowl of the Northern Territory, complemented by freight hub utilising the new railway and linking with the Kimberley, an extremely important economic benefit to our region.
To the people of Katherine who have supported me wholeheartedly in my commitment to serve our community first as an alderman on Katherine Town Council and, more significantly and most importantly, as their elected representative in the House of Assembly: I thank you for your confidence. I am committed to the future growth and development of Katherine and its regions. I am committed to working for our youth and seniors, both of whom we lose too many for many and varied reasons. I am also very supportive of the arts community of Katherine that, through Territory Craft, is a very active and productive industry across all sectors of our community. Arts Katherine serves the Katherine region incredibly well, with ongoing projects offered in our indigenous communities. I am very proud of their achievements and look forward to assisting with their future projects.
There are many people I should thank for being so important in my life and, while I am unable to name them all now, I cannot miss the opportunity to thank my husband, Mike - for bringing me to this wonderful Top End, which is now our home, 13 years ago - our children, our grandchildren, family and friends for their support and encouragement in all that I do. A special thanks to Pauline Rayner for her wonderful wisdom and advice that has assisted me through many decisions in the last nine years; and Sharyn Innes for her belief in my leadership qualities when I did not have it.
I took a solemn vow on the Bible last Tuesday that I would render true and faithful service as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, a vow that I take very seriously. The judges of that vow will be the voters of Katherine and my family.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Acting Speaker, tonight I place on the record my sincere condolences to the Speaker, Mrs Loraine Braham, on the tragic and unexpected passing of her husband, Graeme, last Friday night. I offer Madam Speaker and her children, Peter and Michelle, and grandchildren, Samantha, Leah and Kasey, my thoughts and prayers at this very sad time. May Graeme rest in peace.
I am pleased to report on a recent three day trip I made to Central Australia to see first-hand progress towards better health services in the region. The visits were made with the assistance of and in conjunction with the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory, AMSANT. My aims were to listen to community views on health issues, to examine progress towards the implementation of two of the five Central Australian PHCAP health zones, and to look at progress towards implementation of remote renal dialysis services.
During the three days from 10 to 12 September, we visited four Aboriginal communities: Ntaria, Kintore and Yuendumu, west of Alice Springs, and Corella Creek in the North Barkly region. I also met with representatives from non-Aboriginal communities, principally from pastoral stations, from the Northern Barkly region at Brunette Downs.
The first community I visited was Ntaria, or Hermannsburg, west of Alice Springs. I was pleased to meet with Mr Peter Achurch, the principal of the primary school, who was kind enough to allow me to visit a number of the classrooms where I met with all the children and the teachers. I was impressed to learn that there are close links between the health clinic and the school at Ntaria. The nurses visit the school regularly to monitor and treat any health and hearing problems children may have. This is an excellent example at the local level of building links between education and health, a process that is vital for long term progress in the health of Aboriginal communities.
After visiting the school and the Health Centre, we shared lunch and met at some length with community members. These discussions were led by members of the Western Aranda Health Aboriginal Corporation, which complements the Department of Health and Community Services’ Primary Health Care services in the area, and Relekha, a local community organisation formed to address domestic violence, substance abuse and youth programs. Alison Hunt, the Relekha facilitator, made an inspiring presentation on the issues facing the community and how they are working to address them. Gus Williams, the Western Aranda Chairperson and Ntaria Council President, also spoke passionately about the community’s commitment to addressing issues of substance abuse.
The meeting then split into separate men’s and women’s groups. Issues of domestic violence, education and youth programs were raised with me by the women as being areas for action. I understand that the men, meeting with senior members of my department and staff, spoke about the need to make health services more accessible to Aboriginal men. Many of these issues are already being followed up by senior members of my department who have visited Hermannsburg since our meetings there.
I was most impressed by the dedication and responsibility with which the people of Hermannsburg are addressing the health and social problems they face. I would like to thank all members of the community, including Mr Leo Abbott, the Chairperson of the Tjuwunpa Outstation Resource Centre. I would also like to mention the dedication of two Aboriginal Health Workers at the Clinic: Marion Swift, who commenced employment 20 years ago in September 1983, and Erna Inkamala, who retired earlier this year and who worked for the health service for almost 30 years, starting in 1974. I congratulate them on their commitment and dedication to the people of Ntaria.
The following day, 11 September, I travelled to Kintore to meet with the Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku or Making Our Families Well organisation. This community-controlled organisation has raised over $1m for the establishment of dialysis services in the community so that residents who develop kidney disease do not have to relocate to Alice Springs for treatment.
Dr Paul Rivalland, Ms Sarah Brown and the committee itself made a detailed and impressive presentation on their plans for remote dialysis at Kintore. This is an inspiring proposal, one that I support personally and as part of our government’s commitment to bringing renal services closer to where people live.
On our visit, I was impressed by the level of community commitment, and the amount of thought and planning that the people of the Western Desert have already put into the provision of dialysis services on their lands. Accordingly, I have asked my department to provide appropriate support to the Western Desert dialysis organisation in their efforts to ensure access to renal services for their communities. I understand that since our visit to Kintore, senior members of my department have met with them to progress this issue.
Our meetings at Kintore also included the Pintupi Homelands Health Service, the independent community-controlled Aboriginal health service, members of which hosted a very interesting and informative tour of the community. I would like to thank Mr Jeff Warner of the Health Service for his assistance and support for our meetings. I would also like to extend my special thanks to Cameron Brown Japaltjarri, President of the Pintupi Homelands Health Service and dialysis committee member, and to Reggie Baldock Jampatjimpa, Health Service Vice-President, whose attentiveness to our needs was much appreciated.
I thank the Western Desert Dialysis Committee for their gift to the Northern Territory of a painting by Miriam Napanangka, which depicts designs associated with the soakage water site of Nyilla, just to the west of Jupiter Well. This beautiful painting, which now hangs in my office, is by a young artist who is establishing a fine reputation for herself, one of her designs having recently been selected for inclusion on an Australian postage stamp.
Before leaving the community, I visited the school where I joined the children in spirited renditions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and A-B-C-D. My thanks to the principal, Mr Peter Dietz, and to the teachers. I shall be following up on a number of the issues that they raised with me.
Also on 11 September, meetings were held at Yuendumu with community health representatives to discuss implementation of expanded primary health care services under the Primary Health Care Access Program. During meetings with the community and health staff, I was pleased to be able to confirm the provision of substantial Northern Territory government funds – up to $1m to be matched by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing for the construction of a new clinic building at Yuendumu.
In addition, I was able to assure the community that as soon as Commonwealth PHCAP funds were released, the employment of extra health staff and a Health Service Development Officer can proceed. After this, there will be a process for talking with all involved to incorporate the new service, and a move towards a properly supported structure of community control. The community meeting at which these matters were discussed went ahead despite sorry business. I would like to extend my special thanks to those who did attend, including Robbie Wallit, Connie Wallit, Francis Kelly and Gilly Spencer. Their contributions were invaluable.
I would also like to thank Lindsey Turner, the Nyirripi Council President, for his views on issues affecting health service delivery at his community. Since our meeting, I understand that my department has met with the Nyirripi community to put in place processes for better communication between health services staff and community members.
Late in the afternoon, we met with health service staff at Yuendumu. I was most impressed with their dedication and the enthusiasm with which they regarded the future of health services in the region and, in particular, the extra resources and movement towards community control that the PHCAP process promises. My staff and senior departmental officers spent the night at Yuendumu, where we were treated to a fine meal organised by Larry Kennaway, the CDEP coordinator. I would also like to thank the ladies and girls of the region for their fine dancing. I appreciated their thoughtfulness very much, along with the beautiful beads, which Connie Wallit gave me on behalf of the women of the community, and which are now on display in my office.
Finally, I was pleased to hear an account of the success of the Mt Theo Petrol Sniffer Outstation Program from the manager, Andrew Stojanovski. The success of this program in eradicating petrol sniffing from Yuendumu was a powerful illustration of the ability of Aboriginal communities to tackle and solve the social and health challenges they face.
The following day, 12 September, I travelled to the North Barkly health service zone, another of the five selected for the immediate roll out of PHCAP in the Central Australian region. In the morning, I met with representatives of the non-Aboriginal community and, in particular, the pastoral industry at Brunette Downs, to discuss the expanded primary health care services under the PHCAP program, and health services in the region.
I was particularly keen to assure the non-Aboriginal residents of this zone - indeed of all PHCAP zones - that the roll-out of the program will mean substantial injections of resources and better primary health care services for all residents of remote areas. My thanks to Henry and Bernadette Burke of Brunette Downs pastoral station for the hospitality and hosting our meeting, and the many participants for their views on health services in the region.
Later in the day, I met with representatives of the Aboriginal community at Corella Creek to discuss the planned new service arrangements. I was particularly encouraged by the commitment of the Aboriginal community to work towards better health services, and their assurance that such services would be for the benefit of al residents of the zone. There were too many people at the meeting for me to thank them individually, but I must record my gratitude to Max and Joy Priest of Corella Creek, whose strong and compassionate views on the betterment of health services in the region were an inspiration. Thank you, too, to health service staff of my department who assisted ably with the logistical arrangements, particularly the food that was provided.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I feel that the visits I have described were a great success. I would like to thank the communities that hosted our visits; the hard work they put in to making them productive and the generosity with which they shared their time and views. I would like to thank AMSANT for their participation and support, Ms Pat Anderson, the CEO of AMSANT, and Mr Robert Le Rossignol and Ms Donna Ah Chee of Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, contributed greatly to the success of the visits. My department and office will be following up on numerous issues that community members and organisations raised with me during the trip, and I look forward to further visits to these areas in future years.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I place on the record my gratitude to the Health minister for taking the time to travel around the Northern Territory, including places in my electorate. When I happened upon her in Hermannsburg, I was very happy to see her there. She will have been confronted with many of the issues that concern not only my electorate, but other electorates as well. I place on the record my thanks for her taking the time out to travel around the Northern Territory and see these places for herself. It is not often you see ministers in places like Kintore, and it is nice to know that the effort is being made.
Tonight, I clarify a potential error on my part in relation to a question that I asked the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services today. It arises out of page 158 of this year’s Budget Paper No 3, where the hours that the police dedicate to speed and red light camera checks are as listed 0.77 million hours. That is in a series of bullet points under the Performance Measures Quantity Hours that then has police, fire, speed and red light camera checks. It goes on to deal with traffic infringements and random breath testing stations. I also referred, in formulating that question, to page 99 of the 2002-03 budget, as well as paperwork forwarded to the minister in relation to the Estimates process. On re-reading the Estimates paperwork, the speed and red light camera checks are listed at 765 000 hours and it seems to be the measure which is used generally by the police for testing performance measures.
However, on re-reading it, I notice that the bullet points on both page 99 of last year’s budget papers as well as the Estimates paperwork, have not been reproduced, and at speed and red light camera checks, 765 000, that may well be individual speed and red light checks. As a consequence of that, if there has been a misinterpretation, it was a by-product of me reading page 158 of this year’s Budget Paper No 3, where it says that 0.77 million hours had been dedicated to speed and red light camera checks, and I read all other paperwork in light of that.
Consequently, if there has been a misrepresentation, or misinterpretation would be a more exact word, of the numbers, then I place that on the record for the sake of clearing the matter up and being tidy.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak about Kitty Kantilla. Over the past decade, Tiwi artist Kitty Kantilla, who was born in 1928, became one of Australia’s most collectable and sought after artists. She belonged to the older generation of Tiwi who grew up on their homelands relatively unaffected by the influence of the Bathurst Island Mission. She spent her youth in her father’s country at Yimpinari in Melville Island and moved to the small settlement of Paru after the war.
While she produced items for customary pukamani or burial ceremonies, it was not until the 1970s and 1980s, after the establishment of Tiwi Pima, which is a dedicated marketing outlet for traditional art and craft at Bathurst Island, that her talents began to emerge as a carver. During this time, she produced decorated figure carvings from the difficult medium of ironwood. She was one of a number of talented artists from this settlement, but her career did not escalate until she moved to her mother’s country at Milikapiti in the late 1980s. She started making carvings for Jilamari Arts soon after its establishment but gave this away in preference for painting with ochres on paper, then canvas.
It is in this medium and then later, print making, that Kitty Kantilla became well known. She has exhibited her work in a number of Tiwi exhibitions including the Museum and Arts Gallery of the Northern Territory in the 1994 Contemporary Territory Show, and most recently in the Art Gallery of New South Wales Tiwi exhibition, Pumpuni Jilamara. Kantilla has been presented in a number of solo commercial exhibitions, and the National Gallery of Victoria is planning a retrospective of her work for 2005. In 2002, she was awarded the Telstra Works on Paper Award at the 11th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. Her passing is another sad loss to the creative life of the nation.
On Monday 25 August at Nguiu, I, with the senior traditional landowner of Nguiu, Mr Walter Kerinauia, launched the Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit. In attendance was the federal member for Lingiari, Mr Warren Snowdon, and Senator Trish Crossin.
The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit was auspiced by TILG, or the Tiwi Island Local Government, and has received a total grant of $530 000 over two years under the Juvenile Pre-court Diversion Scheme. The scheme is funded under a four year agreement with the Commonwealth government. The initial grant of $209 000 to Tiwi Island Local Government was released in December 2002. The second release of $75 000 is due soon.
The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit committee members are elected from the four Tiwi communities of Nguiu, Wurankuwu, Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi, and other key local organisations. The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit committee members are Henry Dunn, who is the Chairperson, Maurice Rioli, Maralampuwuyi Kurrupuyu, Mark Fitzsimons, Gerard Broersen, John Cleary, Gawain Tipiloura, Kevin Doolan, Timothy Kerinaiua, Sylverius Tipiloura, Brian Clancy, Marcellus Mungatopi, Stephen Sparkes, Patricia Brogan, Jimmy Lolias, Gibson Farmer, Charles Tipungwuti, Luke Tipuamantamirri, and the OIC of Pirlangimpi Police.
The Tiwi Islands Youth Development Unit carries out case management on young offenders and those youth at risk on the Tiwi Islands. The coordinator, Kevin Doolan, commenced duties in March 2003. Five local people have been selected to fill other CDEP positions. The coordinator has certainly made positive links with the school and through what used to be the Tiwi Islands Health Board which had a program, Exploring Together, targeting kids in schools on the Tiwi Islands and working with those kids at risk in the schools and their families. It also works with other government funded programs and closely with an active committee representatives from each of the Tiwi clans.
As I said, the unit coordinator is Kevin Doolan and Sylverius Tipungwuti is the Youth Development Worker. Although I mentioned five, the Unit has now increased that to 10 CDEP positions, which the Tiwi Island Local Government has put into that unit. I said that I would mention the names of those participants so that I could send it over: Manny Tipungwuti, Fitzpatrick Fernando, Daniel Cunningham, Valentine Intalui, Stuart Tipiloura, Gilbert Alimankinni, Anthony Jason Puruntatameri, Marcellus Mungatopi, Mark Lee Thompson, Russell Yunupingu, which is not a Tiwi name; we all know that that comes from another part of the Northern Territory, and Francis Alimankinni.
It is early days for the unit to show any outcomes and improvements in working with at-risk youth on the island. However, there is a great commitment from the communities, all stakeholders involved in the Commonwealth and Territory governments. I congratulate the Tiwi Island Local Government and the police, both on the island and in Darwin, who have worked together with people from the Justice and Diversionary Units to pull this together. It is something that is working, with everybody working together. It is early days, but hopefully it will come to fruition.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I want to talk about what happens when you take street kids and kids out in the communities and take a bit of notice of them, find out their names, their interests, and start to help them as individuals instead of treating them like anonymous threat to society.
I am talking about two very important projects we have in Alice Springs, the Deadly Treadlies and Deadly Mob. To take them individually, the Deadly Treadlies, as the name suggests, is a program catering for street kids; kids who have been truanting from school, kids we have seen around Alice Springs for several years. They obtain from the police a whole lot of bike parts left over from the police yard. We are trying to find additional consignments of bikes from the capital cities on the east coast to increase the number of parts they have to work with. They have a big container full of broken bikes and any for kid who wants to come down, there are tools and help from the workers at Deadly Treadlies put together bikes for their own personal use and for the use of other kids who are been catered for in the youth programs around Alice Springs.
It is a fantastic program. I visited there, a week or two back and, as I sat talking to the organisers of Deadly Treadlies, there was a constant stream of kids from about 10 to 16 coming in, pulling out the bike that they had been working on, getting on with the next stage of fixing it up. This is a great way of engaging that age group on really good terms. You have to teach a lot of stuff to those kids to know how to put those bikes together and make them work. They are learning a lot of useful skills from doing it. More importantly, they are attaching themselves to a constructive activity within the community with people who notice them as human beings, want to get to know them and what they think about life, their favourite music, and what their favourite activities are. It makes an awful lot of common sense to go to the core of the interests of those kids.
Deadly Mob was funded from the Networking the Nation money, the Telstra sell-off money from the federal government. It set up an Internet caf in Alice Springs. Again, when I visited the Deadly Mob, there would have been probably 30 kids – and I recognised a lot of them; they were kids that you would not have seen at school in recent times. They were fully engaged in not only surfing the Internet with the help of people who work in Deadly Mob, but also developing elements to put on their own web site. There is a Deadly Mob web site that everyone is contributing to – photos of their footy team, their dogs, their friends, writing. We did not think these kids could write, but they get on to the Internet and, because they are so keen to get their story in there with all their mates, they are producing writing - and pretty good writing at times - including poetry, of which I saw a few examples.
It does not stop there. The Internet caf caters for the town kids, but the Deadly Mob are travelling out to the communities in Central Australia. So far, they have been to Finke, Docker River, Harts Range, Laramba, Lajamanu, Mutitjulu, Yuendumu, Kintore, Papunya, Willowra, Ti Tree, Mt Liebig, Areyonga, Santa Teresa, Hermannsburg and so on. They are up to 16 or 20 communities by now. Adolescents in those communities are now contributing equally into that web site as do the kids in town. So everyone is getting together and communicating through that web site.
The kids they are going out and seeing in these communities are the ones who are walking around, teenagers from 10 right up to 16 or 18, the ones who go off the radar screen. They stop talking to adults, certainly do not talk to white fellas too often, and they are pretty much refractory to any kind of strong communication. These are the kids who have jumped on this web site like it was going out of style and they are making fantastic contributions. There are 250 e-ail addresses that have been distributed to these kids and they are using these in regular exchanges as they are contributing to the web site. This is an absolute breakthrough in being able to relate to this age group of kids, the up and coming generation in both our remote communities and our urban indigenous families. I want to see Deadly Mob really supported not only by the Commonwealth, but we are certainly looking at ways in which Deadly Mob can be built into the things that we are working on as a government.
One very clear example is that Deadly Mob will be at Yuendumu on 23 October when we take the ICT firms through there to have a look at the Warlpiri Media Association and Warlukurlangu Artists. The Deadly Mob will be there and will show all of our ICT firms here in Darwin what their web site does and how it has mobilised these kids into participating into this activity. That is the very thing we are talking about regarding ICT being applied to remote communities and urban centres, to create a new medium in which to work with these kids and start to get their messages out and to get messages to them.
The Deadly Mob web site is also used with the approval of participants, for lots of information. So health and education matters are posted on the web site and shared around; important information about what these kids can access in the way of services and support. It applauds their achievements, whether it is in sport or purely the contributions to the web site itself. There is a whole lot of self-esteem appearing amongst the participants. I cannot speak highly enough of this project. You can tell from the way I am talking that this is a very, very exciting development. In fact, both of them are, in Alice Springs.
We are very proud of the people who have done this with these kids. It is great to see an approach that does not start with trying to lock them up at home or lock them up somewhere else, and treat them all as if they do not belong to their own community. This is the way to deal with this age group if you cannot deal with it through the conventional means. This is a way we can start to bring people back through into participating in education, in the broader community and in employment.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, how inspiring the Minister for Communication’s words were. It is great to hear of successes like that. Who would have thought it would have come through information technology?
I would like to say goodbye to a Territorian who will be remembered with love for a long time. Her memory is held not only in the legacy of her wonderful family, children and grandchildren, but because she was a very special person and Darwin is the poorer for her going. On Sunday, 21 September this year, Vivienne Paspaley died at her home in Myilly Point. Anyone less than Vivienne would have been remembered because of her marriage to the flamboyant and colourful Nicholas Paspaley, but Vivienne we remember for the kind of person she was, as well as for the great Territory family of which she became a vital part.
The stylish and beautiful Vivienne, who delighted Darwin, began life on 26 April 1913, the daughter of Mary Lavinia and James Mars Barry. She was born in Brisbane but grew up in Sydney, educated at Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School. In her final year, she was Dux of the school and was also awarded a gold medal for the best literary composition in New South Wales at the time. During the war years, Vivienne was employed as a private secretary to Sir Hudson Fysh, the first Chair of Qantas Empire Airways.
The story of her introduction to the young Nicholas Paspaley by Sir Hudson Fysh is the stuff of Territory legend. They say it was love at first sight; that she would have followed him to the end of the earth, and she nearly did. Vivienne and Nicholas married in 1944 and, two years later, moved to Darwin, raising three children here, Roslynne, Nicholas and Marilynne. There was a grace and elegance about Vivienne. Her dress sense and style people recall with much pleasure, because it originated from such an individuality. After the funeral, everyone told me stories of Vivienne’s elegance, lack of pretension, her warmth and inclusiveness, and her sensitivity to others in trouble or pain.
Vivienne was actively involved in St Mary’s Primary School, where her children attended, as well as Darwin’s Anglican congregation. She contributed hugely to civic and community life through active involvement in Red Cross, the golf club, the tennis club and others. She received a unique honour from her Rotary Club, which normally did not accept female members, and was named as an Honorary Life Member. Despite her acclaimed status, Vivienne continued in a real and practical way to work for the community, and was famous for the excellence of her cooking and baking.
She survived Cyclone Tracy, the death of her beloved husband, but was ill for many years before her death. At her funeral, her grandson, Nicholas Hannigan, said farewell and he shared with all of us the sense of love and loss to family and to community. Funerals are always sad; we remember the person who has gone, we remember other friends and family who have died, and we struggle to make sense of life and death. Yet, the funeral on that Wednesday following her death was amazing, attended by business people, friends and family from literally all over the world. It was a recognition of the kind of person Vivienne Paspaley was, and how much we have lost.
A very different person who died recently is legendary Territory character William James Garrison, known to us all as Cowboy Bill. In paying tribute tonight, I acknowledge the work of Eve Gibson and Bill’s good friend, Dwyn Delaney, who have provided much of the biographical detail about Bill’s life.
Cowboy Bill was born in South Australia in 1928, an only child who came into the care of an aunt following the early death of his parents. At 14, he was expelled from Marist Brothers Sacred Heart College in Adelaide for drinking altar wine under the Chapel. This led to Bill spending his formative teenage years in the cattle industry at Oodnadatta, various Central Australian properties, including Bond Springs, Alcoota and Erldunda, before trying his luck at Broken Hill. A stint in the Royal Australian Navy followed during which Bill served as a stoker mechanic on HMAS Australia, HMAS Quadrant and HMAS Warramunga, or the ‘wandering mongrel’ as he called her. After leaving the navy, Bill’s time was spent wandering the Territory’s cattle stations as a stockman, fencer, bore mechanic or drover.
Throughout his life, Bill loved the English language. The Bulletin magazine, with its section of Australian verse, became a regular companion, as did the Canadian author, Robert Service’s Songs of a Sourdough with its rollicking poems about the Yukon gold rush. Bill developed an extensive repertoire of bush yarns and poetry, which he further refined around the campfires during his years bull catching on St Vidgeons with the Whitely brothers, on Goodparla and Gimbat, with Jack Kitto at Rumbalara, and ringing for the Darcy boys at Mullapunyah.
In the late 1960s, Bill moved to Darwin and the tall cowboy with the ten gallon hat became a regular sight for over three decades at Darwin’s watering holes, yarning to tourists and locals alike over a beer or three. He even entered various yarn spinning competitions, competing with locals Tex Tyrrell and Mike Hayes who was later to gain fame as the Prickle Farmer, and even the legendary Frank Hardy.
When I joined the ABC in the Territory in the early 1980s, stories were still told of the long lunches enjoyed by reporters from the newsroom listening to Cowboy Bill and Mike Hayes swapping yarns, each intent on topping the other. I am assured that many TV bulletins went to air under the influence of those discussions and the drinking that had taken place. Bill would tell you that his drink of choice was ‘cane cutters cordial’ or Bundaberg rum, but offer him a drink and, after saying he would like a schooner of Drambuie thanks, he would settle for a schooner of VB. It would be the starting point for hours of Bill in full swing, plundering his fund of stories, including the cherished tale of the one-eyed saddler at Camooweal who promised Bill: ‘Stick with me, boy, and you will be fetlock deep in sovereigns’. The saying ‘fetlock deep in sovereigns’ was one of Bill’s favourites. It marked the time when he had been able to pay you back all the drinks you had ever shouted him.
Like all raconteurs, Bill had a prodigious memory and was also an excellent mimic of the voices and accents of those whose stories he passed on. He could also easily tell a story against himself, and many of his stories began or ended with him entering or emerging from a Territory police lockup somewhere. He had plenty of yarns about his associations with the old police lockup in Bennett Street. Its particular charm was that it looked over the back of the Vic and mates could be relied on to pass a drink through the barred windows.
Cowboy Bill Garrison has been a colourful element of Darwin’s life for the past 30 years, and - let us be frank - he owed many of us quite a few beers. I know few who would regret that they stayed longer than might have been prudent and left with pockets a few bob lighter. They knew that they had been in touch with a time and a man of the Territory it is almost impossible to find nowadays.
The Good Lord has scratched out the getaway for Cowboy Bill Garrison and, from this House, may he rest in peace.
I wish to acknowledge the significant contribution that Russell Adams made to the Darwin community over the last 20-plus years and express regret at his passing to his family, friends and work colleagues. Russell was born in Melbourne on 17 August 1958 and, although Russell died in Melbourne after a short illness at the age of 45 on 22 September, it was appropriate that he was flown home to Darwin for his burial.
Russell Adams first came to the Territory with the Army. He was a senior ammunition technician, explosive ordnance operator and bomb disposal expert with outstanding technical knowledge. In 2000, he was chosen to safeguard our interests at the Sydney Olympics in the Bomb Disposal Unit as part of the huge security contingent established for the Games. He spent more than 20 years with the military and on his retirement from the Army, Russell worked for Australian Defence Industry Services.
His passion was diving and as an identity in underwater diving community, he was a great role model to many budding dive professionals and beginner divers and will also be remembered for the wonderful legacy he has left behind. Richard Weisse, friend and director of Cullen Bay Marine Ventures and Cullen Bay Dive Shop, said: ‘Under Russell’s wing, you were always guaranteed a safe journey but, as a matter of courtesy, we would always asked Russell how he fared with the students he took diving in Darwin Harbour. To this question, he would unfailingly answer: “I brought them all back, didn’t I?”’
As a qualified skipper, commercial diver, recreational dive instructor and keen spear fisherman, Russell knew the Darwin harbour like an old friend. He had this theory that Darwin’s reefs were so rich and diverse that all you had to do was to change the name of a dive site, go to the same place and no one would be any the wiser. To test this theory, ‘Russell’s Rock’ was invented, with many popular reefs being renamed and the Russell’s Rock theory proven correct on many occasions.
He was a long-term member and President of the NT Divers Club, holding that position for two years prior to becoming ill.
Russell Adams was a man of high integrity honesty and inspiration, and a role model to so many. He will be sadly missed by his family, friends, work colleagues, diving students and all the people whose lives he touched during his 45 years. He is survived by his wife Anne, son Jason, daughter Corinna, grandson Logan, and parents Jeanette and Gordon Adams. I extend my sincere sympathy and those of my parliamentary colleagues on the passing of a popular and respected Territorian, Russell Adams.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, this evening I congratulate Karama School on its 21st birthday. Karama opened on 3 September 1982. The buildings were designed to be of low construction cost and low energy usage, hence were not built with any air conditioning.
On the first day of Karama School, there were 16 students and they reflected the multicultural nature of the neighbourhood, as there were at least seven different ethnic groups represented by these original students. I would like to read into Hansard the names of those original students: Mai Nguyen Thi Xuan, Jimmy Richards, Deyon Atkinson, Sanya McLean, Maria Billias, Ross Billias, Tina Ronland, My Tien Dang, Hong My Dang, Johan Boone, Melanie Vorwek, Diep Le, Phetphachanh Phoneyiem, Vicki Ilic, Kylie Barnier and Sharon Taite.
Karama School is still very much a multicultural school with now at least 17 different ethnic groups represented. By the mid-1990s, student numbers increased and demountables were brought in to provide sufficient classroom space. These temporary classrooms were replaced in 1997-98 with the more permanent construction of unit five, leading to the provision of some 480 student placements. Unit five was officially opened on Friday, 4 September 1998.
I am referring to information provided by the school in a lovely pamphlet entitled Celebration Concert. I had the pleasure of attending Karama School on a couple of occasions on 25 September, which was the celebration of the 21st birthday. I attended for a time capsule opening. With me, and presiding over that ceremony, was the minister for Education, Hon Syd Stirling. On behalf of the community, I extend our thanks to him for being there on this very special occasion.
We heard some fine words of praise from minister Stirling about the school and about the hard work many people have put in over the years. I want to echo the sentiments that he expressed. It is a school with which I have been familiar for some years now, and I have seen substantial changes in those years of association with Karama School. I am a past chair of that school.
It was a great delight to participate in the time capsule ceremony, to watch all the activities, and enjoy the cake ceremony in the airconditioned staffroom afterwards. We heard from the Karama School Choir, which took out Eisteddfod awards, and you could tell why. They are a magnificent choir. The celebrations continued into the evening with the Karama School concert. The master of ceremonies, as usual, was the Vice-Principal, Dee Preston. Dee is a woman of great strength and is a highly entertaining MC.
I had the opportunity to deliver the welcome address at the concert. I acknowledged the great efforts of the current chair of the school council, Helen Gugliotta, and her school council team in organising the 21st birthday celebrations. I also acknowledged that throughout the day and again that evening, the school was blessed with having three principals there: the current principal, Donna Howard, plus past principals, Bob Hale and Henry Gray who, between them, did very lengthy stints at Karama School and remain committed to the school today.
The school is one with which, once you have an association, you carry the association through your life. Representative of that notion is a current and popular teacher at the school, Chontelle Herd. Chontelle is a past student of the school, and it was beautiful to witness Chontelle, with a young school student, unearth the time capsule.
I also want to acknowledge the good work done by Buna Winkler. Buna has been an aide at that school for some 20 years. She works in the preschool section and is a stand-out member of the school community. She is well loved by the hundreds of children who have gone through that preschool. I have witnessed just how much the children gravitate towards Buna. When they are scared, when they are nervous about their first day of school, she is the one they gravitate to and hold on to her arm or her hand. She has a magnificent nature with children. She inspires and encourages them, she gives confidence to parents, she is the epitome of a great role model in that entry level of school. I really want, on behalf of the community, to thank Buna for the 20 years of hard work that she has put into that school community.
The school has had a bit of a facelift this past year, and I acknowledged, during my welcome speech, the hard work of the grounds staff at the school. They have gone to a lot of effort to beautify their garden surrounds. I acknowledged in my speech, as I do in this parliament, the excellent efforts of Noel Long and Jacko in making the school look as though it has had a mighty big facelift. I know a lot of work has gone in by the school to improve its physical appearance. They are about to embark on a painting program, the school has raised some $32 000 towards that program, a magnificent effort, and I congratulate the principal, Donna Howard, and her team for their efforts.
It is a wonderful school. I know they go to great efforts to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes. With some 17 different ethnic groups represented at the school, they certainly have their challenges. They need to have a good density of ratios of teachers and aides because many of the children struggle with English, which is not their first language. The role of ESL teachers is very important at the school, just as the role of our Aboriginal aides are very important at the school, and I acknowledge the work that Marion Peterson does in that respect. She is the AIEW at the school, and has organised a very good team of ATSI dancers who perform and are a great credit to our community. I also acknowledge the expression that the modern dancers have brought to the school, and the confidence that I have seen it give some of the older female students.
Karama is acknowledged as having a terrific football team, winning competitions. The school has that great mix of sport acumen, arts and cultural acumen and, importantly, the education strengths are growing day by day.
I congratulate the school for its 21st birthday. It is a school coming of age in a part of Darwin that I believe is maturing. They have reached the all-important marker of 21 years. They have had trials and tribulations over the years, but I have witnessed a great deal of maturity at the school level and I congratulate all the teachers, staff and students for the effort they put in to making it the very lovely school that it is today.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak on behalf of the Bagot Community and other members of the Bagot Community Health Centre, in regards to Parmas Pillay who, unfortunately, recently passed away. Parmas Pillay was born in the small town of Queenstown in the Republic of South Africa on 29 October 1948. He was the youngest of five children. Apartheid prevented Parmas studying in South Africa, so he went to India. He qualified as a dentist and returned to help the people of the Republic of South Africa by opening a dental practice in the remote town of Ladysmith. Despite losing both his parents at a young age, he was able to complete his education.
He had three children, all boys, who have been successful in attaining higher education. He migrated to Australia on a permanent basis in the early 1990s, and did some voluntary work in Brisbane. His dental qualification was not recognised for registration purposes in Australia. However, he immediately looked for opportunities to use his talents. Like his father in the Republic of South Africa, Parmas had a social desire to assist people who were worse off than himself or who were discriminated against. In the Northern Territory, he found his niche in life and was very comfortable working at the Bagot Community Health Centre.
He obtained his Masters Degree in Health Administration and Tropical Medicine. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and bush walking, all of which he found lacking in the large cities of Australia. He was a keen sportsman and loved cricket, and he was keen on teaching young children the art of the game.
The funeral service was held at the Bagot Community, and Parmas’ family travelled from all parts of the world to attend, from the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and southern regions of Australia. Parmas was, to say the least, a friend of the community members of Bagot and, in particular, the CDEP workers at the health centre. The President of the Health Centre’s is Darryl Cooktown, who often sought advice from Parmas, who was always willing to give it. The most important thing I can say about Parmas was that he was trusted by the people of the Bagot Community and his opinion was respected. His wisdom arose from an understanding of issues that Bagot Community faced every day.
I can honestly say, as the member for Millner, that the Bagot Health Centre is probably the most functional organism in the Bagot Community, and that is in no small measure due to Parmas Pillay. He was of unbelievable assistance to me, as well as to all community members and the community council. I know he was also of assistance to the previous President, Valmena White, the current Vice-President, Natalie Haywood, and all other council and community members.
My first experience of Parmas was as a candidate. I had gone to meet members of the Bagot Health Clinic. In my naivete, I rocked up and walked in and started introducing myself. Parmas had never seen me before, of course, and he took me into an office and asked me a few questions about who I was and what I stood for. Parmas was checking me out; he was seeing if I was a genuine person and whether I really had the interest of the Bagot Community at heart. I think I was able to convince him that I did, but there was no doubt in my mind that if Parmas thought I did not have an interest in assisting Bagot Community, he would have told me so, and he would have had no fear of telling every member of the Bagot Community.
Parmas will be greatly missed by not only his family, particular Praga Pillay, who provided me with this background. I had the opportunity to speak at the funeral service and it was a great honour, as it was for other members of the community and health professionals. Parmas will be sorely missed. His passing is a sad loss for everyone in the Bagot Community, Darwin and the Northern Territory and as a race of human beings. We lost a great man.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity tonight to talk about Down Syndrome Awareness Week, which started this week. Through the local association, I had the pleasure on Saturday of going to Harvey Norman at Berrimah and helping with the sausage sizzle put on by the Down Syndrome Association.
Harvey Norman is a great corporate identity in Darwin these days. They are new additions to the Territory, and we always check out new people and institutions. I am pretty sure that, with the civic responsibility that Harvey Norman is demonstrating in Darwin, they will be here for a long time. They will be held in great esteem by all members of the community. I have been to Harvey Norman a number of times, as have many people, and have seen the sausage sizzle that they encourage local community groups and schools to run. Harvey Norman puts on 250 sausages, 250 buns, sets up the barbecue and the gas and offers it to non-profit organisations. It is a good little earner for them.
I believe that the Down Syndrome Association on the day made over $600. The point is that Harvey Norman open up their hearts to the community and attract many fund raising groups. A great pat on the back has to go to Rick Seymour and to all the staff for the work that they do in supporting and promoting our organisations and our volunteers around the place. Hopefully, this adjournment will reach Harvey Norman corporate headquarters in Sydney. I put on record what a fabulous job the store and the staff are doing here. The staff get in and support the sausage sizzle. As a matter of fact, we sold more sausages to the staff than to customers. The store is kicking along. There were many customers coming through the door, which is good for them and good for the community. So a big pat on the back for Harvey Norman. Let us hope that we can attract more corporate citizens of their ilk to the Top End.
Having said that, I will get back to the Down Syndrome Association. It was a great pleasure to be able to get there and help them out. I was not cooking; I was handling the money. They had an expert cook, and his name was Grant. Barry Griffin, the President, was there. He was working away, as were Paul and Donna Rousham and their daughter, Tahnee, was helping us out with the money. Jenny and Michael Tiernan were there. Jenny was cutting up sausages and she had to tear off to resupply the onions. Her daughters, Lisa and Caitlyn, were helping out, too. It was fabulous. I met Yeo Tan; that is the first time I have met him and he is another great member of the Down Syndrome Association. His daughters are Vanessa and Melissa. I tell you what: those girls could go and start working now. They were really turning it over. As a matter of fact, everyone who was putting in there was fabulous. There was Grant and Robyn, who are the past president and founding members. Other committee members were coming and going – Sue Glasgow, Esther Tan – and some good members of the community who are also involved in the Toy Library, Rachael and John Kroes. They are also involved in the Down Syndrome Association. I can believe that because they are very civic minded. And there was Janet Podsiadly, a committee member of the association.
The association has quiz nights at the Casuarina Club on October 15, 22 and 29 starting at 7.30 pm. Everyone is welcome for a gold coin donation. Dig deep, give two gold coin donations. A matter of fact, give a little piece of paper to them; they do a fantastic job.
The closing function for the week’s events is a fabulous dinner and auction at the MGM on Saturday 18 October. Last year, they had it out at the hangar, I believe, and Qantas were great sponsors of it. They attract a lot of sponsorship, and rightly so. I have worked with people with Down Syndrome many years ago at a place called Coomarie in the ACT. I was the yardman/delivery driver. As the member for Araluen once said: ‘Geez, he was brought up wrong, that bloke. He was doing it hard’. Well, I was. I am not ashamed to have been a yardman or a driver working in a place where you have to get in and physically work hard. That is my background; I do not mind. I do not have to go out and work one day with the poor people to find out what it is like being poor, as the member for Araluen so nicely said to us. I worked there as a yardman and a storeman with people with Down Syndrome. Fabulous times I had there; I used to get out on the road. We would work all day and go out to the corner shop for lunch and then we be back in the afternoon after rounds, unloading the truck, cleaning up, getting away.
I tell you what: if I reckoned I was doing it tough, these people were too. There was no airconditioning, no cooling in the hot Canberra summer. That is pretty rugged, but I had a good time and I look back on the time that I worked with Coomarie, and I had a ball, enjoyed the people I worked with, and I would go back and work there again.
Places like Coomarie that create employment opportunities for people with Down Syndrome are an essential part of our society, and I commend them. I commend the local organisations that also create employment opportunities, not just specialist associations, but places like the Atrium. There are many establishments around town which have work programs to cater for the specific needs of people with Down Syndrome.
I have a few minutes left and I would like to turn my attention now to another great event in the electorate: the Casuarina Junior Football League, AFL. It was a great competition this year once again, and I am proud and pleased to be the Patron of the Casuarina Junior Football League. It is now in its fourth year. We have over 200 kids registered to play, and they all get out there and have a good game on Saturday. AFLNT support it very strongly, but most of the support comes from over 20 parent volunteers who run the league. The league, up to this time, has not attracted any government financial assistance. It is a completely self-funding community group. They deserve a big pat on the back for that. They have a hard-working committee that gets out there promotes the league.
I would particularly like to acknowledge the hard work that President Paul Wyatt does. He has made it known to everyone that this is his last year. As much as we would like to press gang him into working next year, it is only fair that one or another of us step up to the plate. No one will try will to compete with Paul for the work that he has done. Maybe it is a job that has to be spread around the executive. Perhaps that is a way of doing it. However, I am sure that members of the Casuarina Junior Football League will walk up to the plate and deliver the goods for the sake of the league and the kids who play.
As I said, Paul Wyatt was the President, but you cannot get by without team coaches and officials. In particular, the league is made up of six teams. They are the Sanderson Swans, which have Mark Kirby and Peter Clarke coaching and managing the team; the Wanguri Eagles, with Jenny Elliott and Sue Watson - who is also the Treasurer of the CJFL, and what a great job she is doing; the Leanyer Crows, with Shane Dignan and Mick Maloney. Mick’s wife works in Protocol and I see here down there supporting. A fabulous job, Mick does. There is Karama Power, with Craig Pollock and Joanne McDonald, who help get that team on to the paddock every week; the Casuarina Blues, with Adam Walding, Leigh Bujnowski and Gavin Johns; and there are the Johnston Dockers.
Dr Burns: Oh!
Mr KIELY: ‘Oh’, says the member for Johnston. What a great team they are. Glen Stanford and Glen Nicholson are hard working volunteers and committee men who help get that going.
I am pleased to advise the House that the league premiers for the 2003 season CJFL were none other than the Under-10s, the Sanderson Swans; the Under-12s, Sanderson Swans, so they got the double. Congratulations to Sanderson. I am off on Saturday to their presentation, which is at Casuarina Pool. I look forward to that and I look forward to meeting all the mums and dads, players and officials because they do a tremendous job. Sanderson Swans are a proud team. One can never talk enough about the good people of Sanderson, as I am sure my colleagues in this place would attest.
Today we had a ministerial statement from the Sports minister about making sure we get sport going along strongly, and part of junior development is Auskick. There is a chap by the name of Steve Glennon, who is a great man living in Sanderson. He is also known around town; he works at Delta Europcar. He is a great supporter of Auskick and does a fabulous job down there, with a lot of parents getting in there and helping with the young fellas. I am thankful to him. My young fella is in Auskick, and Steve and all the other dads get down and work with the boys to help them go.
A league such as Casuarina Junior Football League cannot exist without sponsors. Because it is such a good community league, there are many sponsors. In the brief time left, I should acknowledge some of them: the Frontier Hotel; Darwin Toy Library, supporters of junior sport in the NT - what a great organisation, whose 25th birthday is coming up soon, by the way; Springfield Butchers at Casuarina who have been supporting the club for a long time. Great sausages they put up, and that is wonderful.
I am just about out of time. I would like to say that it has been a pleasure this year, once again, to be the Patron of the Casuarina Junior Football League and I am happy, if they so desire, to be patron next year.
Mr Mills: I will put a word in for you, mate.
Mr KIELY: I will get a good word from the member for Blain - thank you!
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016