2014-05-13
Madam Speaker Purick took the Chair at 10 am.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the routine of business of the Assembly, Government Business, Notices and Orders of the Day, be arranged or suspended if a question or debate is before the Chair so as to permit the Treasurer to deliver the budget at 11 am today.
Motion agreed to.
Madam Speaker, I further move that the routine of business of the Assembly, Government Business, Notices and Orders of the Day, be arranged or suspended if a question or debate is before the Chair so as to permit a response to Budget 2014-15 by the Leader of the Opposition at 11 am on Wednesday 14 May 2014.
Motion agreed to.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, I seek leave of absence for the member for Nightcliff for today, tomorrow and Thursday.
Motion agreed to; leave granted.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of two Year 6 classes from Wanguri Primary School, accompanied by Julie Fraser, Mara Dobrini and Neil Vea Vea. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Parliament House and I hope you enjoy your time here.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received message No 16 from Her Honour the Administrator, recommending to the Legislative Assembly a bill for an act that authorises an amount to be paid from a central holding authority to the purposes of the agencies specified in the bill for the financial year ended 30 June 2015. The message is dated 9 May.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Filming in the Chamber
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have given permission for Sky News, Channel 9 and ABC to film, with sound, the budget address today and the response tomorrow.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also welcome and acknowledge in the visitor’s gallery Gail and John Cooper, who are visiting from Victoria and are involved in the polocrosse and National Polocrosse Championships coming up soon in Darwin; welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Elferink: Is there an electoral interest there Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: There might be.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
I table the Appropriation (2014-15) Bill and related papers.
This budget is the beginning of our children’s future. What we do today will have a long-term legacy for our children. This budget is also about taking direct and immediate action to tackle our pressing problems. We have an obligation to use our current opportunities to ensure our way of life is protected, but this government also has a duty to make sure our children have the same prosperity and opportunities we have. Our good fortune cannot be taken for granted and it cannot be squandered.
Our current opportunity has many parts. We have large gas reserves to provide energy. The world’s demand for food has reached a critical stage and the rest of Australia is starting to realise that northern Australia is the future of this great nation. But more needs to be done, and this government is taking action that will secure our children’s future by focusing on the family challenges of today.
The Country Liberals 2014 budget meets those challenges by delivering one of the largest land and housing releases in Territory history, one of the biggest road building programs and Australia’s most financially supportive programs for families and pensioners.
Direct action on economic growth: firstly, let me turn to the economy, which will continue to grow under this government. We are enjoying the highest level of economic growth in the nation, and our economy is expected to outperform most other jurisdictions over the budget and forward estimates period.
The Territory economy is expected to expand by 6% in 2014-15, well above the forecast growth for Australia. Labour market conditions are favourable, highlighted by strengthening employment growth and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Employment growth is expected to strengthen to 3.8%, with the average unemployment rate expected to fall to 4%. The outlook for the Territory economy is positive, with private investment expected to remain at a historical highs.
Direct action on cutting the debt burden: it has been well documented that this government, and Territorians, were left with a forecast $5.5bn of debt to pay off by the former Labor Treasurer who sits opposite – a debt that had an interest bill of $425m a year. I am pleased to report that the 2014 budget reduces the debt left to Territory families by the previous Labor government by $1.3bn, and interest repayments by $55m.
This budget highlights that unlike the members opposite, the Country Liberals are serious about fiscal management and lowering the debt burden on Territory families and our future generations.
The general government net operating balance will now be in surplus in 2014-15, a full two years ahead of the fiscal strategy target. At the non-financial public sector, the 2014-15 fiscal balance is a deficit of $723m, which is higher than projected in the 2013-14 budget, due to the unexpected delay in the completion of the Darwin Correctional Precinct. The delay results in a transfer of $521m from 2013-14 to 2014-15; however, over the forward estimates the deficit substantially reduces to only $39m in 2017-18.
More importantly, net debt is expected to only marginally increase over the forward estimates, with $4.2bn expected in 2017-18. Net debt to revenue will actually begin to fall over the forward estimates from 67% in the budget to 65% by 2017-18. This represents an overall improvement of $1.3bn and 33 percentage points from the 98% debt to revenue estimated by the former Labor government.
These significant improvements have been achieved through a combination of efficiency and service delivery improvements, and a focus on getting value for money; increased Territory revenue; and using the benefits to reduce debt rather than increase expenditure.
GST revenue remains the Territory’s largest revenue source, with $3.1bn expected in 2014-15, a $157m increase from that estimated a year ago. However, this increase is only one-off, as the Commonwealth Grants Commission’s 2014 update increased our relative share of the GST from 5.5% to 5.9%. This is an unprecedented high which is not sustainable. However, we have seen a substantial increase in our own source revenue of around $150m ongoing, due to the significant growth in our economy.
There is a policy change to the bookmakers turnover tax. From 2014-15, the tax threshold will increase from $262 500 to $555 000, raising an additional $2.8m.
Although not a revenue source for government consistent with provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, Motor Accident Compensation contributions will rise in line with CPI.
Ensuring expenses growth is limited and sustainable is the cornerstone of good financial management. This budget forecasts an operating expenses growth of 1.8% for the forward estimates, compared to revenue growth of 2.4% over the same period. This highlights that we are living within our means.
As you know, the government has made significant changes to the Power and Water Corporation by separating the monopoly and moving to adopt national energy market rules in line with other states. Could I remind the House that the government will not be selling off these assets, and the government will continue to set regulated tariffs and continue with the current subsidies.
The Power and Water debt is projected to rise to $1.6bn within the next two years. That is the equivalent of almost $7000 per man, woman and child in the Northern Territory, with an interest bill of $350 a year for each of us. The government is tackling Labor’s debt legacy right across our economy, and Power and Water will be no different.
Direct support to families: let me focus on families. Cost of living and affordable housing are critical issues facing all Territorians. The budget goes further than ever before in taking the pressure off the housing market, and contains increased assistance to help Territory families with everyday costs. We have increased childcare subsidies, sports vouchers and continued the back to school vouchers.
For a family of three children, two school age and one under two in childcare, this equates to $2145 in annual support from the Giles government. No other government in Australia is providing this level of financial help for its families.
This budget provides a total of $5.9m for enhanced childcare subsidies, including $1.3m to expand the scheme to include family day care, and $400 000 to increase the subsidy by 10%, further reducing the cost of childcare services for young children. Expanding the scheme to include family day care means an additional 1000 children will be eligible for this scheme. This equates to a total subsidy of $30 a week and around $1445 per year for a child under two. Budget 2014 includes an extra $5m for Territory families through the government’s Sport Voucher Scheme.
The Giles government is increasing the voucher from $75 to $200. This $7.9m initiative will ease the financial burden on Territory families, and includes more activities, such as dance, music lessons and other arts and cultural pursuits. The Sport Voucher Scheme also provides direct cash injections into many local and sporting organisations, supporting their viability.
This voucher payment is additional to the $6.6m already being provided to Territory families for the $150 back to school vouchers to help parents with expenses such as school uniforms and text books.
Let me state again, no other government in Australia is providing this level of financial help for its families.
Direct action on more affordable housing: the Adam Giles government fully understands and appreciates that our strong economy has put pressure on housing affordability, and we are taking immediate action on this challenging issue.
In addition to supporting Territory families directly, the Giles government is working on reducing the cost of housing by providing more residential land. This budget invests $84.4m in the most ambitious residential land release program ever undertaken by a Northern Territory government.
The new land will support the construction of 6500 new dwellings and will ensure ownership is within reach of the current and next generation of Territory families. The fast track roll-out of residential land across the Territory will develop a new suburb, Palmerston North, on 200 ha near the site of the new Palmerston Regional Hospital.
Berrimah Farm will also be revitalised into a major urban development. The total investment in residential land release includes;
$36.9m to continue head works in Palmerston east to support the releases at Zuccoli, stages three, four and five, estimated to supply 1840 lots
$8m to support an englobo release in Palmerston north and Berrimah Farm, estimated to supply 2000 residential lots
These initiatives will have a significant impact on improving housing affordability.
From today, the First Home Owner Grant will be amended to provide more targeted assistance to Territorians, increasing the grant from $25 000 to $26 000 for first home owners purchasing or building a new home. The $600 000 value cap will also be removed.
From 1 January 2015 the scheme will be directed to new homes only, with grants for existing homes to cease from this date. This encourages an increase in supply of housing, rather than just continued turnover of existing dwellings. By stimulating the market for new home construction, we are creating an environment for jobs in this sector and reducing upward pressure on the rental market.
The 2014 budget also continues to assist Territorians owning their home through the provision of HomeBuild Access loan products and services, providing home ownership opportunities for Territorians who would otherwise be unable to access private sector finance.
The Territory government’s Real Housing for Growth plan continues to provide more housing choices for Territorians. In 2014-15, $6.7m is being invested and 190 dwellings will be provided under the scheme.
Today’s budget also includes $224.3m for housing across the Territory, with $44.9m for urban public housing, $36.7m for government employee housing and $122.8m to construct new, and upgrade existing, housing in remote communities.
Direct action on improving education: we need skilled kids for our bright future. That is why the Giles government is committed to improving our children’s education and improving educational outcomes.
Improving educational outcomes in the bush is paramount to the Territory’s future. This budget allocates $40.5m over four years for new boarding facilities across the Territory to improve educational outcomes for students in the bush and provide them with the same level of educational support afforded to urban kids.
Budget 2014 includes $17m over three years to support implementation of a suite of reforms to increase school autonomy and improve educational outcomes. The reforms include the introduction of global school budgeting from 2015, a move towards the introduction of independent public schools and a review of the Education Act.
This budget builds the importance of schooling by investing in educational facilities over the next four years for new preschool, primary and special schools and facilities across the Territory, including:
$37m over two stages for a new preschool and primary school in Zuccoli
$1.2m for expanded preschool facilities at Rosebery
$20m for a new special school in Bellamack
$11.6m for NT Open Education Centre, including a generous $3m contribution from INPEX
$5.2m for extra classroom space to meet higher student attendance needs and related works at Maningrida, Galiwinku, Borroloola, Ntaria and Ali Curung schools.
This budget also provides for continued support for Indigenous Territorians to access training that links to community projects with employment outcomes, improved employment skills or enterprise development
Direct action to support safe and secure communities: this budget continues to invest resources to strengthen law and order, and delivers $709m to improve community safety across the Territory, with property offences, house break-ins, theft and property damage at their lowest level in 14 years.
Budget 2014 provides a total Police, Fire and Emergency Services budget of $382m. There is additional funding of $3.96m for continued upgrades for key ICT systems, including $910 000 to upgrade the NT fire alarm system transmission. The budget also invests in police facilities with:
$8.4m for repairs and maintenance
$9m to redevelop the Alice Springs Police Station
$15.6m to construct police facilities in Arlparra, Yuendumu and Pirlangimpi
$1.8m for overnight police facilities in Mt Liebig, Areyonga and Robinson River
$2.84m to continue to operate 24/7 counter services at Alice Springs Police Station, as well as upgrade and support the Northern Territory Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre.
Additional funding of $3m is allocated in this budget for a new Supreme Court in Alice Springs, and an additional $300 000 to investigate public interest disclosures.
The new Darwin Correctional Precinct will see the establishment of the Northern Territory Correctional Industries. This will provide more opportunities for inmates to receive valuable training to obtain the life skills required to assist reintegration into the community and reduce the risk of reoffending.
This budget continues to support government’s working prisons policy by providing:
$2.45m to establish a 50-bed regional work camp at Nhulunbuy
$1m to provide enhanced monitoring and surveillance of offenders in the community
$1.85m to support Sentenced to a Job and the continued enhancement of prison industries at Alice Springs Correctional Centre.
This budget provides additional support for the justice system through an additional $3.36m to establish and operate the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The tribunal will provide a streamlined and equitable approach to dispute resolution relating to administrative decisions.
Direct action for youth and children at risk: this budget also focuses on improving youth justice facilities and services to help reduce the number of young people at risk of offending and reoffending with the development of the youth justice framework, and includes:
$5.6m for early intervention targeted youth programs, including boot camps and community-based diversion programs
$9.75m for the operation of the youth detention centres across the Territory. Works will be undertaken at the Darwin Correctional Centre site at Berrimah upon its decommissioning for an expanded Darwin Youth Detention Centre.
Budget 2014 delivers more than $160m to the Department of Children and Families to provide a range of services to protect children in the Northern Territory from harm, including:
$33.9m for child protection services
$79.4m for out-of-home care services
$38.3m for family and parent support services.
In addition, funding to support youth initiatives in 2014-15 includes:
$800 000 towards recruitment, retention and support for foster and kinship carers, improving long-term care options for children
$940 000 continued funding to support the BushMob Youth Residential Rehabilitation Service in Alice Springs
$2.1m for improving management and accountability of out-of-home care services, providing better outcomes for children
$500 000 to operate a new residential care facility in Tennant Creek for children under 10 years.
Direct action on health: the 2014 budget demonstrates this government’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of Territorians with a $1.35bn investment in health-related expenditure.
The new health services framework will start on 1 July 2014, with primary health care services to be integrated into the Top End health service and the Central Australian health service, through the transfer of urban and remote primary health care from the Department of Health. The three separate entities - the department and the two health services - will continue to operate as a single Territory-wide system with consistent standards and protocols to ensure that service accessibility, safety and quality are not compromised by the changes.
In addition to expanded services, the 2014 budget provides $191m for health-related facilities, including $5m to continue preliminary works for stage one of the new Palmerston Regional Hospital.
The $150m Territory and Abbott government-funded Palmerston Regional Hospital will be delivered as planned. The site has been specifically chosen for its access and flexibility and, more importantly, it has space that can continue to meet the needs of a growing population. In addition, the Giles government continues to invest in the health and wellbeing of Territorians, including $22.8m for upgrades at Royal Darwin Hospital and $1.9m for the Emergency Department at Katherine Hospital.
This budget also provides funding to expand and maintain the range and quality of services available in the Territory, including:
$725 000 additional funding for mobile breast screening across remote communities and for a Palmerston-based service
$391 000 to support palliative respite care services in Alice Springs
$4.46m continued funding to provide an additional 400 elective surgery procedures a year.
Budget 2014 continues to deliver services to support mandatory rehabilitation for problem drinkers. More than 300 people have now been assessed and provided with medical withdrawal and rehabilitation services. The budget will see the establishment of custom-designed facilities, including:
the Darwin services transferring to a facility in Berrimah following its refurbishment into a therapeutic environment;
$3.9m for a secure treatment facility to complement expanded assessment capacity at the Katherine Hospital
assessment treatment facilities being developed in Tennant Creek
increased capacity in Alice Springs.
The Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme is designed to support those most in need and is the most generous in the nation. The 2014 budget includes $27.9m to support pensioners, seniors, carers and veterans for a range of concessions including utilities, car registration, travel and rates. However, to ensure the scheme provides help where it is really needed, from today all new applicants to the scheme will need to meet Commonwealth eligibility criteria by being in receipt of a Centrelink concession. No existing scheme members will be affected by this change.
Direction action on northern Australia development: one of the challenges for any government is to avoid the boom and bust cycles. Here in the Territory we are enjoying very strong growth, but we are not sitting back and resting on our laurels.
The government is taking action now to identify new opportunities and new businesses to diversify the Territory economy. We are focused on the Northern Australian development strategy, which includes growing our local businesses to take advantage of growth from Asia and domestic Australian markets. Building the north means growing our infrastructure, and this budget delivers total infrastructure spending of $1.14bn for land release, school and health facilities, housing and roads.
The roads program is one of the biggest seen in the Territory, with a total of $377.8m, including:
$83m for Tiger Brennan Drive
$30m for strategic economic development roads
$3m for the Larapinta Drive/Lovegrove Drive intersection
$7.3m to improve Outback Way roads
$81.2m for repairs and maintenance.
This budget provides additional funding of $1.8m to develop northern Australia through the establishment of a new Northern Australia Development Office that will, in partnership with the Commonwealth and industry, harness and coordinate economic development strategies locally, nationally and internationally
The NT government has also appointed a Northern Territory Commissioner to Indonesia and other ASEAN countries, who will provide in-country assistance and connections to help the Northern Territory conduct business and build closer ties within the region.
The Territory is making huge progress in building the live cattle trade with Indonesia in the wake of Labor’s damaging export ban. The Chief Minister has been working hard in the markets of Indonesia, Vietnam and, more recently, Timor-Leste, to expand our cattle, buffalo and other industries in this important region.
The recent finalisation of the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership is good news for the Territory. These agreements will provide opportunities for Territory exports to expand into the Korean and Japanese markets, and will benefit through progressive reductions in tariffs, particularly on horticulture, beef and resource commodities.
By way of example, Korea will progressively eliminate its 30% import duty on Australian mangoes, and, combined with opening up Stage 3 of the Ord, this will provide a massive opportunity for our growers and exporters.
Funding of $400 000 continues to be provided to lead Ord Stage 3 development work to expand irrigation channels into the Territory to release 14 500 ha of new agricultural land.
Direct action for local business: this budget recognises the importance of local businesses. It takes direct action through additional funding of $950 000 for a red tape abolition squad and procurement reforms, and $500 000 over two years to continue the business innovation support initiatives program to provide funding to small and medium businesses to pursue innovation and undertake research and development projects.
This budget also provides $51.4m to continue the release of commercial land to assist businesses and economic activity, including:
$5.1m for additional industrial lots at Darwin Business Park North
$6m at Darwin Business Park to service further subdivisions
$6.3m for five industrial lots by extending Muramats Road
$3m for the next stage of industrial release at Udall Road, Tennant Creek
$5.9m to continue works on the Wishart Road industrial precinct.
Direct action on mining and resources: mining investment remains crucial to the economic development of the Territory. This budget is investing in the Territory’s future through an additional $15.8m over four years to create opportunities for resource exploration.
This includes acquiring new precompetitive geoscience information, providing delivery of geoscience and exploration data to industry, providing industry grants for high-risk exploration and promotion of the Territory as an international exploration investment destination.
This geo-data will support the development of new mining opportunities and help expand current operations. This budget also promotes mining investment through an additional $8m over four years for an accelerated collaborative program to assess the Territory’s shale gas potential and resources.
More than $1m is provided to continuing improving mining approval time frames and water monitoring assessment of high-risk sites under the Mining Management Act.
In February this year the government granted the first Territory onshore gas licence in over 30 years to Central Petroleum’s Surprise development in Central Australia. There is also an extensive exploration program currently under way in the area. These projects have the potential to generate significant economic activity and employment opportunities in Central Australia.
Direct action on rural and regional areas: improving the autonomy and financial capability of local government is key to economic development in the bush. The government is restoring the voice of the bush by setting up 63 local authorities across the Territory. The local authorities will be involved in the planning and delivery of services and all expenditure matters involving their local community. This budget provides $5m towards local authorities, which in turn improves the financial sustainability of regional councils.
This increases the Northern Territory subsidy to local government in regional areas to $30.6m a year. This injection is in addition to the $10m for a regional economic development grant program, part of a three-year $30m program.
The Giles government has formed a new regional council area in the Wadeye, Palumpa and Peppimenarti region. This new council has been separated and up and running on 1 July this year. An additional $3m over two years has been allocated to fund the separation and to allow this new West Daly Regional Council to ramp up its presence in the area.
These changes, along with devolving a number of Territory government functions to LGANT, deliver on the NT Country Liberals promise to give communities back their voice on the services that are delivered.
The Northern Territory government is also delivering in regional areas through the Indigenous Business Tender Support Program. This program is focused on remote and regional Indigenous business, and aims to help to improve their ability to navigate government and private sector tender processes.
This budget also progresses capital projects in remote communities to provide capacity to support additional health, education and police facilities, as well as housing and roads. Projects include:
$14.85m to upgrade sewerage systems at Maningrida, Angurugu and Galiwinku
$2.6m to replace water storage facilities at Numbulwar and Yirrkala
$45m in partnership with the Commonwealth for a regional roads productivity package to upgrade Roper Highway, Port Keats Road, Arnhem Link Road, Buntine Highway, Central Arnhem Highway and Santa Teresa Road.
This year the market forces affected even major players such as Rio Tinto. The company’s decision to curtail operations at the Gove Alumina Refinery will first and foremost affect the people of Nhulunbuy. The Territory government and Rio Tinto have established a Regional Economic Development Fund to explore opportunities to attract new investment and industries into the region. The government will continue to explore measures to support the local community.
The Giles government’s commitment to Gove as a service and support centre for the East Arnhem region is evidenced by the more than $1bn projected expenditure in the region over the next five years on essential services, including health, education and police.
Funding of $2m is provided for the Regional Economic Development Fund. In addition, $500 000 is provided for development of a large vessel pontoon at Melville Bay in Nhulunbuy.
This budget also fosters significant economic development in the Tiwi Islands through investment in roads, infrastructure and services. In February, the Tiwi Plantations Corporation and Japanese company, Mitsui and Co, signed a memorandum of understanding to develop markets to sell Tiwi woodchip, creating up to 100 jobs for the local community.
Our investment in the Tiwis includes $800 000 to continue the Tiwi Islands ferry service and $260 000 to support Tiwi Islands economic development.
Direct action on agriculture: the Giles government is capitalising on the rapidly growing food demands of our Asian neighbours, and today I announce a new initiative which sees the establishment of the Food Industry Development Group to reshape and drive economic development activities in the agricultural sector.
This group will coordinate and implement economic development activities, including market analysis, new market development and facilitation of land investment packages with an aim to assist industry to attract overseas investment.
The demand for food in Asia is forecast to double by 2050, and this new food industry development group will focus on the live export markets, new products for China, aquaculture investments and ongoing support for Tiwi project works. As an important part of the government’s northern Australia development strategy, the group will also work with our counterparts in the Western Australian, Queensland and Commonwealth governments and their international trade offices.
Direct action on tourism: tourism is a cornerstone of the Territory’s economy. In 2012-13, more than 1.2m visitors supported 16 000 jobs in this sector. This budget continues government support for tourism, providing $13.6m to market the Territory internationally and $17.5m for domestic marketing activity in partnership with tourism retailers, airlines and other partners. This includes an additional $7.5m to market the Territory internationally and $500 000 for a regional and remote tourism product development grant program.
In addition, this budget adds to the Territory lifestyle by providing $5m for a boardwalk along the Darwin Esplanade and $2.5m to construct a tourism boardwalk in Alice Springs.
At the local level, Alice Springs could soon become a mecca for mountain bikers around the globe with the opening of a new world-class trail network at the Telegraph Station. The Country Liberals government provided $150 000 to build the new trails, which have been constructed to international standards.
As part of our Tourism Vision 2020 plan to boost tourism numbers, the Country Liberals government is exploring opportunities in the cruise sector to increase the number of cruise ship visits, attract home-based cruise ship operations and improve the visitor experience in the NT. With passenger, crew and operational spend, the cruise sector contributed an estimated $66.8m to the Northern Territory economy in 2012-13, up 3.7% from the previous year.
Territory lifestyle: the Giles government is proud of the Territory lifestyle, and this budget supports Territorians who want to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle, with greater resources for sport, recreation and cultural activities. This includes an additional $5m for the Sport Voucher Scheme and $5.6m for grants to peak sporting bodies and active recreation organisations that aim to keep Territory kids active and ensure all young Territorians have access to sporting and recreational activities.
This budget provides upgrades to major event infrastructure, including $4.3m for upgrades to the Hidden Valley Motor Sports Complex to support the delivery of local and national events, and competition; and $300 000 to continue upgrades to the Alice Springs drag strip to support hosting regional and national events.
This budget also provides $2.15m additional funding to bring AFL, NRL and A-league soccer matches to the Territory. This includes the Melbourne Demons versus Port Adelaide Power, Parramatta Eels versus the Canberra Raiders and the Adelaide United Football Club to play a pre-season match in, and deliver youth programs to, Central Australia.
This budget provides direct action of $44.9m to enhance the Territory’s arts and cultural experiences, including $7.2m to support the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory under its new governance arrangement as the independent statutory authority, and $500 000 to support Katherine’s cultural centre.
This budget supports creative Territorians with the Northern Territory Arts Grants Program providing funding of $6.8m in 2014-15 towards community arts and cultural infrastructure, arts organisations, festivals and events.
The budget also delivers anglers great opportunities to hook their next big catch, through:
$2.5m for the sustainable management of the Territory’s aquatic resource
$2.5m additional funding to upgrade two barrages on the Mary River to prevent salt water intrusion
$560 000 for the sustainable management of the Territory’s recreation fishing sector
$700 000 for ongoing development of Indigenous commercial fishing capacity
budget funding for additional CCTVs, including the installation of five CCTV cameras at the Elizabeth River boat ramp.
Protecting the Territory’s unique environment is an important part of our lifestyle. Budget 2014 provides:
additional funding of $2.4m for the acceleration of land and water suitability assessments
$5.8m for the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority to provide advice on environmental impacts of development proposals
$1.5m to continue to manage fire and weeds on Crown land across the Territory
$1m to continue the Environment Grants program.
In conclusion, this budget secures our children’s future and builds their children’s future. It maintains our commitment to drive down debt and highlights the sound fiscal management principles the Giles government has put in place. It is a budget which continues to harness the benefits from the economic growth we are experiencing and develops our regions. It is a budget that gives financial relief to families. It is a budget that will reduce the cost of housing for Territory families through accelerated land release. It is a budget that has a strong focus on law and order, improving educational and health outcomes and promoting the Territory lifestyle.
The Territory’s future is bright and we are creating prosperity for all Territorians, this generation and, most importantly, the next. I commend the Budget 2014-15 to the House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
This bill makes amendments to the First Home Owner Grant Act and the Racing and Betting Act, which form part of the government’s 2014 budget measures. The measures in this bill will improve the Territory’s overall fiscal position, through savings and additional revenue, while still providing generous assistance to first homebuyers who purchase or build new homes. A minor consequential amendment is also being made to the Stamp Duty Act.
The First Home Owner Grant was introduced in the year 2000 as part of a nationally consistent scheme designed to offset the effects of the goods and services tax on first homebuyers. Originally the grant was available to first homebuyers regardless of the type of home that was built or purchased. However, broad grant schemes of this kind have been criticised as inefficient and as fuelling higher property prices, rather than improving housing affordability.
In recent years all states and territories have progressively retargeted their first homeowner assistance towards the construction of new homes, reducing the pressure the grant adds to the demand for the limited stock of existing houses. From 1 July 2014 the only other jurisdiction providing a first homeowner grant for established homes will be Western Australia, at a much reduced amount of $3000.
From 1 January 2015 the Northern Territory will follow the national trend by limiting grants to newly built homes. This means the scheme will remain open for potential first homebuyers of established homes for about seven more months, which will provide potential first home buyers already looking for a suitable home with adequate notice of the policy change. An orderly transition period is also fiscally responsible.
The focus on new homes better targets assistance towards growing housing supply and employment in the construction sector. By promoting the supply of new homes the grant is less likely to place upward pressure on house prices in the Territory.
The bill also increases the amount of grant for the purchase or construction of new homes to $26 000, effective from today. Complimenting this, the bill also simplifies the administration of the First Home Owner Grant scheme by no longer subjecting new homes to a maximum value of $600 000.
Since December 2012 when the cap of $600 000 was introduced, numerous first home owners have been able to buy or build a new home for under this amount; however, with land and building costs increasing, this is becoming more difficult. As a result, to try to bring their purchase under the cap some parties are seeking to exclude such items as landscaping or fencing from their building contract. These items are then completed later. This can give rise to disputes and requirements that valuations are obtained of the completed new home.
While the introduction of the cap was intended to target affordable homes, its administration has been burdensome, imposing red tape on grant applicants, the building industry and on administration. Potential first home owners considering constructing or purchasing a new home can now do so with greater confidence of receiving $26 000 in assistance without the red tape surrounding the $600 000 cap.
Furthermore, the meaning of ‘new home’ is being clarified to allow the Commissioner of Territory Revenue to disregard a prior sale of the home in limited circumstances. This discretion is designed to enable, for example, a first home buyer of a newly built home to be eligible for the grant even if they buy their home by way of sub-sale. A sub-sale could occur in an off-the-plan development where an investor initially contracts to buy a unit from a developer but chooses to on-sell the unit to the first home buyer before construction is completed.
The bill also addresses a minor technical issue to ensure that where a building is used for short-term accommodation, such as a hotel or serviced apartment, the building ceases to be new after it is occupied. Accordingly, if the accommodation becomes available in the future for long-term residential occupation as a home, it clearly would not be characterised as a new home.
I now turn to the other key measure in the bill, the amendments to the Racing and Betting Act. Following significant changes to the Australian Racing industry, including reforms in Tasmania which threaten the Territory’s bookmaking industry, the Territory’s turnover tax model was replaced in 2010. A profits-based scheme was introduced, with the maximum amount of tax payable in a financial year capped at $250 000, indexed to the Darwin CPI.
The bookmaking industry is driven by online systems that allow customers and bookmakers to interact anywhere in the country and around the world. Accordingly, a generous tax concession was required to ensure that corporate bookmakers would not relocate interstate. In this global market the Territory must balance the need to raise revenue with ensuring that we continue to be a competitive place to conduct business.
The bill amends the Racing and Betting Act to increase the bookmaker tax cap from $250 000 to $500 000 revenue units, or $555 000 from 1 July 2014. This will maintain a balanced approach, not increasing the taxation burden to the point where bookmakers leave the Territory, while ensuring the bookmaking industry continues to pay a fair share of Territory taxes.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the associated explanatory statement.
Motion agreed to; debate adjourned.
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this government has delivered a budget that repairs past neglect and sets the course for a prosperous future. When the Country Liberals came to government we promised to reduce debt and we have. We promised to plan for the future and we have delivered. We promised to strengthen law and order and we have. We promised to grow the economy, and we continue to.
The Treasurer has today delivered a budget that cares for our families and builds a future that every Territorian can be proud of. This budget proves you can fix mistakes and build prosperity at the same time.
This budget delivers a net operating surplus a full two years ahead of schedule. When the Country Liberal Party came to government, the Territory’s coffers were bare. The finances had been run down to such a point that it was difficult to fund any new initiatives to rebuild the economy.
But we promised to fix debt, and by reducing waste, tightening our belts and staying focused on outcomes we have done just that. We have contained our operating expenses growth to 1.8% but grown our revenue to 2.4%. That has allowed us to reduce the debt burden on the Territory by $1.3bn and reduce the interest payments to service that debt by $55m per year. This outstanding achievement is allowing us to get on with business and build a future that generates wealth and jobs for everyone.
The Northern Territory government is leading the push to develop northern Australia. The Territory is ideally placed to supply more goods and services to Asia and the rest of Australia, and we must prepare for that future. It requires bold and innovative action right now. We have already opened the Northern Australia Development Office to spearhead the Territory’s role in this development and lay the foundation for what is likely to become the longest period of sustained economic growth in the Territory’s history.
We have invested $2.5m to ensure the Territory takes the lead role in the development of northern Australia. We are working closely with our counterparts in Western Australia and Queensland, as well as the federal government, and I am pleased to be able to say that after my early meetings with key stakeholders, we are right on track.
But we must never lose sight of the Territory’s needs. We are investing $3.75m to promote international trade and Asian engagement to create more investment opportunities for the Territory. This includes a Territory government trade and investment office in Asia to secure trade and investment deals for Territory businesses. We are promoting the Territory as a jurisdiction of choice for investors, and developing new business links within the region. We are exploring opportunities to diversify workforce and migration strategies to support small business and targeted local industries. We are removing red tape and encouraging new investment. We are streamlining the native title process, negotiating one-stop shops for environmental assessments to reduce red and green tape, reviewing work health and safety laws in the Northern Territory and working on key areas of national reform, including infrastructure, deregulation, competitiveness, productivity and reform of the federation and taxation systems.
New economic data shows our strategy is working. CommSec’s most recent State of the States report shows the Territory’s economic growth is up by 51.8% on the 10-year average, unemployment is down by more than 12% on a 10-year average and construction is up 112.7% for the same 10-year period. This government is proud of its open for business approach to economic development because it works.
It is estimated the Territory has reserves of more than 200 cubic trillion feet of unconventional gas in six basins. The industry rule of thumb is that one trillion cubic feet of gas is enough gas to power a city of one million people for 20 years. To compare, INPEX is tapping approximately 11 trillion cubic feet. We are already exporting billions of dollars’ worth of LNG to the world. We have a gas pipeline running the length of the Territory to Alice Springs, and by building a gas pipeline to Moomba in South Australia, for example, we could sell gas to the southeast corner of New South Wales and fix their gas crisis, or at least work towards it.
The potential for this industry is enormous. To ensure the onshore gas fields are managed correctly, this government is investing almost $1m to support an inquiry into the hydraulic fracturing system in the Northern Territory. Commissioner to the inquiry, Dr Allan Hawke, has promised that anybody who makes a submission will have the opportunity of a face-to-face meeting with him to explain and explore what they mean in their submission. The submissions will be posted on the inquiry’s website so people can see what others are arguing and have an opportunity to respond.
But it is not all about oil and gas. There are enormous opportunities and potential for increased agribusiness and export to Asia’s growing middle class. As they become wealthier, they are demanding a greater range and supply of quality produce, and this presents the Territory with a unique opportunity. We are one of the few places in Australia with the capacity to significantly increase food production; we have the space to tackle these new opportunities. So we have created the independent NT Planning Commission to facilitate economic growth, while also protecting the environment, cultural and heritage issues and our assets.
One of the priorities is to identify the release of surplus Crown land for development. We are considering new ways to reduce the complexity of land tenure arrangements, including changes to the Pastoral Land Act to increase the range of investment opportunities. This will open up even more opportunities in regional areas.
We are investing $4m in operational support to drive and coordinate economic development initiatives across the whole of the Territory, including on the Tiwi Islands, by attracting major projects.
We are also working to attract strategic Defence liaison opportunities, and a range of regional economic development opportunities, programs and initiatives will be driven to see those supported and supplemented. I have established Department of the Chief Minister offices in the East Arnhem, Big Rivers, Barkly and Central Australian regions to drive economic development outcomes and ensure the development of the Northern Territory benefits all Territorians.
By unlocking and developing the full potential of northern Australia, we are creating prosperity and jobs for everyone. We are increasing economic output, exports, improving our balance of trade and ensuring the Territory takes its place as one of Australia’s top economies.
Territorians have told us they want growth that suits their lifestyle. We are planning to ensure that development is sustainable and responsible, and future generations will thank us for our planning and vision. That is why this budget cares for our families now. The cost of living pressures hurt Territorians, and we blame that on Labor’s failures over the last eleven-and-a-half years.
We have reduced the cost of childcare services by increasing childcare subsidies and expanding the scheme to include family day care. This makes the subsidy available for an extra 1000 children who need our support.
We have added an extra $5m to the Sport Voucher Scheme to get more children off the couch and into organised sport and recreational activities. These vouchers have increased from $75 once a year to $200 per year, paid in two $100 instalments. We are expanding the scheme to include more activities, such as dance, music lessons, art and learn to swim lessons for children up to the age of five years. This will encourage our children to live healthier, happier lives and reduce the cost burden to families in getting their kids participating in these sports or recreational activities.
The Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme remains the most generous in the nation, starting at around $2m 10 years ago, reaching out to $27.9m this upcoming financial year. It supports those most in need with a range of concessions, including utilities, car registration, travel and rates.
We have increased the first home buyer’s grant for new homes by $1000 to $26 000, altered the eligibility requirements to encourage the construction of new housing and have removed the price cap. This will create new housing opportunities, building new houses, increasing the housing supply, creating more jobs and helping to drive down the cost of living.
This government is releasing new land faster than ever before in the Territory government’s history. We are investing more than $84m in new residential land releases in this budget to continuing driving down living costs and encourage people to buy their own housing. In total, we are providing more than $135m worth of infrastructure projects to facilitate residential and industrial land release to build our future.
A critical part of planning for our future is around health. As northern Australia develops and the economy grows, so will the population and the demand for healthcare. This government is investing $1.35bn in health in this budget. In addition, there is $22.8m for upgrades to the Royal Darwin Hospital and $1.9m for a new emergency department at the Katherine hospital. We have also boosted the funding for mobile breast screening in remote communities.
This government remains committed to the building of a new state-of-the-art regional hospital in Palmerston. The hospital will deliver Territorians a new emergency department, and cardiology, cancer and obstetric services in a large modern complex which is being designed specifically to include space for future growth. We are planning it properly to ensure we meet the needs of those we need to care for. This budget includes $5m for preliminary works within the hospital, due for completion mid-2018.
When we build a prosperous future we also have to ensure we build a safer community. We all know crime is continuing to drop across the Northern Territory in record levels. Property offences, house break-ins, theft, property damage and assaults are at their lowest levels in 14 years.
Alcohol Protection Orders introduced by this government in December 2013 have brought about a significant reduction in alcohol-related crime. Almost 1300 people are currently banned from drinking on these orders.
There are early positive signs the orders are starting to bite as a deterrent with a reduction in assaults. Official crime statistics show that during the first quarter of this year there has been a sustained downward trend in violent crime, with assaults down 19% Territory wide compared to the same period last year.
These figures are even more impressive when you look at the regional statistics, with assaults down 39% in Tennant Creek, 32% in Alice Springs and 21% in Katherine. The turnaround began in January, shortly after the introduction of the APOs and the beginning of intensive police operations outside bottle shops in Territory towns.
We are also building to meet future needs. Budget 2014 includes a $9m allocation to redevelop the Alice Springs police station, $15.6m to construct new police facilities at Alpara, Yuendumu and Pirlangimpi, and $1.8m for overnight police facilities in Mount Liebig, Areyonga and Robinson River.
We are supporting our emergency services through improved technology that includes $3.9m for continued upgrades to vital information, communication and technology systems, including $900 000 to upgrade Territory fire alarm transition systems.
We are rolling out iPads to every police officer to give them a mobile office in the field, and we are closing two police beats in Nightcliff and Casuarina, because we believe putting police officers on the street is more effective at driving down crime than sitting behind a desk.
We are making tough decisions that we know will free up police to tackle crime and protect women and children from violence, much to Labor’s dismay. Our police force has been bolstered by the signing of a new two-year, $48m agreement to provide 94 extra police officers to respond to any incidents at immigration detention centres in Darwin. The last agreement had expired, and it was great news in February that the federal government agreed to extend and boost our available resources.
When these officers are not needed for immigration duties they provide additional frontline support through the Darwin metropolitan police group. The hard fought extension of this agreement and the extra resources it brings have allowed us to restructure our recruitment schedule based on its growing needs. Our focus will be on recruiting for attrition, with several squads scheduled to pass through the academy in the year ahead.
We have allocated $8.4m for repairs and maintenance for police, fire and emergency services facilities across the Territory. The budget includes $600 000 to deliver and coordinate security emergency response services across the Territory. The Security and Emergency Recovery Unit in the Department of the Chief Minister has a central role to coordinate security and emergency management in the Northern Territory.
The Territory’s strategic location is attracting enormous investment in Defence, and that is another reason this budget is so focused on families. The Territory has 1% of Australia’s population but around 10% of Australia’s permanent Defence Force personnel. That is more than 6500 Defence personnel in total. Add Defence families to the equation, and it is estimated that Defence makes up more than 6% of the Territory’s population. That is a significant part of the Territory’s economy. Defence expenditure in the Territory for 2012-13 was $1.42bn, or around 7% of gross state product, the highest of any state or territory. We expect that 1150 Marines rotating through here this year will add to that figure.
The Territory is very welcoming and supportive of our Defence personnel, and we recognise the significant contribution Defence personnel and their families make to our communities. This is unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who only speaks negatively about the Defence community.
The Northern Territory government is committed to supporting those families in the Defence community. We believe Defence is part of our future, so we are ensuring we embed them in everything we do.
Northern Australia needs significant investment in infrastructure to realise its full potential. It is fundamental to our plan for developing northern Australia and maximising trade opportunities with Australia’s economic powerhouses. This budget delivers $1.14bn for land release, schools, health, housing and roads, and includes the Northern Territory government’s biggest ever contribution of over $200m of our own money into road infrastructure.
The Australian government is also contributing with big spending on roads in the 2013-14 budget with over $177.5m allocated to new, upgraded and safer roads. The combined record road investment of $377.8m will allow us to upgrade an additional 237 km of unsealed road and an additional 135 km of newly-sealed road. It is an investment that will open up the Territory, and it demonstrates our commitment to boosting economic growth within infrastructure in the regions.
We have also begun a Territory-wide planning study to prioritise vital infrastructure development to create even more economic development in regional areas. The study will ultimately lead to a 30-year Territory government regional infrastructure plan. We are investing $2.6m to develop a strategy for the future development of investment in the Darwin foreshore and port facilities, and working on a design concept for a second port. This detailed planning will secure our vision of becoming Australia’s northern gateway of choice and back it up with a long-term design and the flexibility to predict and meet customer demand.
We need more investment to make this a reality. This government is actively engaging with the federal government and private investors to build the infrastructure for the future. This government is getting on with the business of developing the Territory economy and delivering a better future for our children, no matter where they live. We have just completed the most comprehensive review on Indigenous education in 15 years to give our kids in remote areas a future. The A Share in the Future report will be officially released tomorrow, and it makes clear that previous efforts to improve results in remote schools, particularly at the secondary level, have failed and it is time for a completely new approach.
This government is committed to improving educational outcomes for kids in remote areas, and because education is important for a child’s future, we are investing to ensure we can get kids ready to get a job and get off welfare. The Country Liberals have committed $40.5m in budget 2014 to implement the recommendation from the Wilson’s Indigenous education review.
Pride is important, and owning your own home helps to build a culture that is proud and confident of its future. The government has a new policy where we are willing to sell up to 50% of all remote public housing stock back to tenants. Commencing on 1 July, housing will be made available on 40 or 49-year lease communities for sale to tenants. We are trying to break the cycle of people just living in public housing accommodation in remote areas. We believe everyone should be given an opportunity for home ownership. In any community where there is a 40 or longer year lease agreement, normally 40 or 99 year leases, we will provide an opportunity for people to purchase their home. We have limited it to 50%, although we know there will be a very slow take-up.
People who are successful in obtaining finance from the private sector and purchasing their own home will be offered a $20 000 grant to get them started in refurbishing their home. They will also be provided training opportunities to assist them through the transition of moving from the lifestyle of public housing into private home ownership, which will be a challenge for many people.
This government is also creating real private sector jobs and breaking the destructive stranglehold of sit-down money. We have already begun talks with a number of communities interested in pursuing real economic opportunities on their land. There has already been strong interest in places such as the Tiwi Islands, Wadeye and Ngukurr. We have entered into a partnership agreement with the Tiwi Land Council and the Land Development Corporation to progress economic development. We have also facilitated investment from the Japanese company, Mitsui, on the Tiwi forestry project, and we have brought a ferry service to the Tiwis. We are driving economic change in our regional centres like never before.
It might surprise you to note that more than 40% of the total capital works budget for this financial year is being spent on improving infrastructure in communities and supporting regional development. Budget 2014 includes an additional $10m for a new grant program to fund strategic economic infrastructure projects in remote communities to create real jobs.
We have developed an economic plan for Tennant Creek and we have opened a new $3.7m emergency department in Tennant Creek and a new GP service at the hospital. We have delivered new bush police stations in Gapuwiyak and Ramingining, and are now building facilities at Alpara, Yuendumu Pirlangimpi, Mt Liebig, Areyonga and Robinson River.
We are also accelerating the shire reform process with the introduction of new regional councils served by local authorities, made up of local people. We have added another $5m to assist that process to local government. There is still more work to be done, but it is a very impressive start, and much more is being spent in regional and remote areas than people ever expected.
Our northern Australia development plan is creating jobs and opportunities for new industries in the regions. Our road funding will improve the connectivity of regional centres and open the country up for a greater level of investment and jobs. We are working hard to attract more investment in industries that will help get people off welfare and into work. That is the mandate and the mantra of this government.
I have spoken many times about developing northern Australia and the benefits it will bring to Territorians. I have also promised it would not be development for development sake. This government is keeping its commitment to consult with Territorians about how they want to see the Territory grow. We have held preliminary community meetings in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Nhulunbuy, and the feedback is extremely positive. There is a recognition that the Territory’s infrastructure needs to be improved to attract new development and that our northern Australia development plan is the way to achieve it.
There is a belief that the government needs to look at the laws governing land tenure and, as I mentioned, we are doing that. People who attend the meetings also want to make sure development of the north is well planned and does not adversely affect their way of life. Budget 2014 is proof of that.
Our north Australia development website has been viewed almost 6000 times in the past few weeks, with the average person spending over five minutes studying the detail of the plan. The Country Liberals’ plan for the development of northern Australia will secure the Territory’s economic future for the rest of this nation. It encompasses the whole of the Territory and will create jobs, jobs and more jobs. We are succeeding where others have failed, particularly Labor.
Madam Speaker, I could talk for hours about all the good things this budget has done and will deliver on but, fortunately, eight other ministers and a range of backbenchers, including you, member for Goyder, have an opportunity to assist in delivering the key messages of this government and advancing what is occurring in the Northern Territory, particularly in your electorates.
The future of our parks, tourism, housing, transport, health, education, primary industries, correctional services – the list goes on and on. Investment is right across the board and we are building the Territory. This is the team that is leading the Territory forward to a prosperous future under the foundation of Framing the Future.
We have restructured our government agencies to ensure we have the right framework in place, and we now have a focused, vibrant and committed public service that is working more collaboratively, productively and smarter than ever before. Thank you very much to the public service, which the Leader of the Opposition and Labor like to scare and belittle. The public service is open and accountable, backed by a high degree of professionalism, transparency and standards we all respect.
This government has a plan and it is being implemented. I thank everybody who helps us with our plan, particularly the plan on north Australia through the vision of Framing the Future.
We promised to reduce debt and we have. We promised to grow the economy and we are. We promised to strengthen law and order and we have. We promised to plan for our future and we have delivered. We have a plan for the future and it is working. Growth and construction are up, unemployment and crime are down.
The Treasurer has delivered a budget that takes care of families and lays the foundation for future growth. It ensures all Territorians maintain their enviable lifestyle while we build for their very bright future. We are getting on with the job of building a better Territory, and we are succeeding. It is a very exciting time to be a Territorian.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I support what is nothing shy of an astonishing budget considering the environment we inherited a little more than 18 months ago.
I, when sitting in opposition, was often left aghast at the opportunities missed over a decade of Labor rule and at the problems they were creating. I cannot begin to imagine how often I stood on the other side of this House and lamented the great opportunity the introduction of the GST had afforded the former Labor government of the Northern Territory
Whilst they crowed much about a general government sector net debt situation of $900m, which was not bad, they missed the golden opportunity the GST afforded the Northern Territory to come back with a set of balanced books. I heard the former Treasurer, the current member for Karama and Leader of the Opposition, crow about how good a manager she was, when in fact she was awash with cash. Rather than reducing the credit card to nil, which Mr Gallop managed in WA, she continued to spend and barely touched the credit card bill at all.
She could have reduced the Territory’s general government sector net debt to zero, but what she left us was - blaming it on the GST - a whole-of-government sector projected debt of the now infamously famous $5.5bn. How could she possibly have gotten it so wrong after bathing in the deep end of the swimming pool of the GST cash bonanza?
But, it is what it is, and through careful financial management and cautious stepping forward, this government and the Treasurer of the Northern Territory have managed to take $1.3bn off the projected debt situation. Not only have we taken $1.3bn off that projected debt legacy from the members opposite, unlike their assertions, we have not done it by slashing 20% out of the public service. When we came to power, we did so with a guarantee that public servants jobs were safe. There were public servants in contractual environments, but the nature of those environments is that contracts come to an end. If the former government had not intended to go down this path themselves, as they knew they would have, they would not have left one third of the Territory’s public service on contract.
I note that we have far fewer people on contract, and the Education department is a good place to look for this. The number of people on contract has been vastly reduced and permanency is the hallmark of being a school teacher in the Northern Territory.
Mr Chandler: 30% to 14%.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on the interjection from the Minister for Education, 30% on contract to 14% today.
The fear mongering is out, but I did the sums the other day. They tried to howl me down while I was standing in this place; nevertheless, I finally got the numbers out. The public service is now 340 FTEs smaller than it was when we came to power.
Mr Chandler: Not thousands.
Mr ELFERINK: It is not thousands, not 20%, it is 340 positions. The opposition knows this because these numbers are clearly visible on the quarterly reporting available on the Office of Commissioner for Public Employment’s website. But they would rather see fear in the environment than tell the truth.
If you want to argue with government, by all means, bring on the argument, but argue issues; argue ideology and tell us why we should live in a socialist utopia through the lens of the Labor Party, why we should allow the unions to run the Education department and why we should let other people take charge of the functions of government. If those are the issues the members opposite want to run, then do so.
To do that you do not have to tell untruths, you can simply challenge us on policy areas. We believe there are substantial policy differences between us and the members opposite, not that we can readily find a policy on their website at the moment. Nevertheless, there are policy differences because there are ideological differences, but we do not see those arguments being held in this place. It is about the politics of personality, fear and misrepresentation; it is the argument that the cost of living has doubled since we came to power. Really? Has the price of a car doubled since we came to power? They are trying to be a bit cute with a few numbers. Saying the cost of living has doubled – I am pretty sure milk today does not cost twice as much as 18 months ago. Nevertheless, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
I will speak of a good story, and it will all be within the domain of the truth. As well as being the Leader of Government Business, I am the Attorney-General, Minister for Children and Families, Minister for Corrections and Minister for Public Employment. And in the 24 minutes I have left to speak there is much to get through.
Members will note that the figure for Corrections this year is substantially more than the figure for last year, namely the final estimate of an expenditure of $161 252m, compared to expenditure budgeted for the next year of $223 217m. Whilst this looks like a big injection of cash into the Corrections system – which it is – it is unfortunately the product of a Labor legacy rather than a bigger spend in the Corrections environment, because a large slice of that extra expenditure is to pay the rent at the new gaol, the prison Mahal, as I have referred to it in the past. It is a legacy we continue to suffer because of arrangements put in place by the former government.
The former government and minister were more focused on the building than what you do in it. That is a shame because they overstretched themselves substantially, and the taxpayer will continue footing the bill for the next 30 years. This is not a good outcome for the people of the Northern Territory, but it is what it is and the contracts are locked in place. Members will be reminded that I once described the contract as a frog’s bottom contract; it is watertight, so we are stuck with the arrangement. We will live with that contract and will continue to roll out programs which are about the people we have in custody, of which this government is proud, and of which I am a minister and proud to say I have had carriage of.
The Sentenced to a Job program is referred to in the minister’s second reading speech at the bottom of page 4 in Budget Paper Number 1:
I have been anxious, as the minister for Corrections, to make certain we bring the idea of employment into the Corrections facility far more assertively than has ever been contemplated. The Corrections environment is one which has undergone fundamental change, philosophically and actually, over the past year-and-a-half. I wanted to see people employed.
I am regularly asked how many Aboriginal people I have in custody. The answer to that question is in the order of 84% or 85%, depending on when you ask the question. I am unconvinced that is necessarily the best correlation to draw between offending and a correlative filter, because I cannot imagine what the colour of a person’s skin or their racial background has to do with offending behaviour per se, because what happens inside a person’s brain and heart is fundamentally what drives criminal behaviour, not their racial profile. There is a better question to ask in my opinion.
That question is, how many people in prison were unemployed at the time of their offending? I suspect the number is much higher than 85%. You would be getting close to 100%. I cannot begin to imagine how often I sat in courtrooms over the years to hear lawyer after lawyer in the lower court saying to the magistrate, ‘My client is unemployed’, ‘My client is in between jobs’, ‘My client is looking for work’, ‘My client is on Centrelink payments’, ‘My client is currently not engaged in actual work, your Worship’, etcetera.
By introducing a work environment, we intend to make certain one of the things a person who leaves prison today and into the future has is something they have never had in the past: something to lose. When prisoners walk out with thousands of dollars in their bank account and a job to go to on Monday morning, they are in a much better position than an unemployed person who is no more employable than the day they came into prison months or even years earlier. A person with savings and a job to go to has a much better chance of never returning to prison.
Preliminary but unreliable numbers coming out of the department indicate that the return rate of prisoners who have gone through the Sentenced to a Job program is significantly lower, to say the least, than prisoners who are leaving the rack and stack model and having the door hitting them on the backside on the way out.
For that reason, you will see more work being done by prison labour under supervision outside of the prison as well as inside the prison. I inspected recently the workshops we have been building in Alice Springs plus those that form part of the new gaol and was made aware of some of the contractual arrangements surrounding future jobs growth inside the prison wall.
We want to see an environment where prisoners graduate through the prison system to a point where they are fundamentally different people when they leave the Corrections system and go into the parole environment. I will hopefully address the Parole Board in the not so distant future as to what government’s expectations of it are and the philosophy which drives government in tying people to their jobs as a condition of parole into the future.
We are also working to establish a 50-bed regional work camp in Nhulunbuy. This hit the radio this morning with the member for Nhulunbuy going off a little excitedly having received some information but not having the complete picture, then suddenly realising her excitement was probably premature. Nevertheless, I had an opportunity to collar the member for Nhulunbuy in a corridor in this place yesterday and explain to her that an institution which is functioning under par — and that is no reflection on the Department of Health; it does a fine job, but in demand and usage it needs to find a better home.
Consequently, the Minister for Health and I had some conversations and found that a better use for this facility was to see Yolngu people serving their sentences on their own country, as well as some other prisoners, and serving the community of Nhulunbuy far more effectively than the alcohol treatment centre that is there now.
We are looking forward to offering those positions as far as we possibly can – I think we can cover all of them – to the people working in that environment now. That means an increasing capacity to place people in the Nhulunbuy work camp and for organisations in the community, like Gumatj, to tap into a labour source which is reliable, predictable, sober, well fed and has had a good night’s sleep. I look forward to working with the people in that part of the world to produce better outcomes for all people living in the Nhulunbuy area, whether they are Indigenous or otherwise.
I will skip through some of this stuff because I know how pressed for time we are and there are a number of highlights I would like to touch on. I will move on from my Correctional Services portfolios, suffice to say the corrections environment is no longer what was inherited by this government a little over 18 months ago.
I turn my attention to my role as Attorney-General. There are a number of highlights I wish to point out, not least of which is $3m for a new Supreme Court building in Alice Springs in a justice precinct. This government came to power with a promise to have a justice precinct in Alice Springs and once we were confronted, for lack of better words, with the financial situation left to us by the Northern Territory Labor Party, we had to deal with our promises and find better ways to get the same or similar results.
When looking at a greenfield site in Alice Springs to redevelop as a justice precinct, it came back with a $70m price tag, which was clearly beyond the scope when looking at the debt we were left with. The next option examined and discussed amongst my colleagues was having a Supreme Court built in the car park next to the Greatorex building and putting a car park underneath so you would have a building to complement the Greatorex building and could maintain the justice precinct. That came back with a price tag of $30m-odd.
We have now looked at other options and determined to go to the private sector. We are awaiting the results of some tenders which have been called for. I am not quite sure how far down the track we are, but I understand we are a fair way. Hopefully the private sector can create a building in the central part of Alice Springs which will enable a justice precinct to occur and a private sector developer to build a new building which we can place the Supreme Court inside. We look forward to some announcements in the not so distant future.
That will take pressure off the current courthouse in Alice Springs because it will free up one of the courts and will mean we can see good construction occurring in Alice Springs, which will be welcomed in that community – a lower court building, a Supreme Court building and a justice precinct for substantially less taxpayer expense than originally anticipated but, nevertheless, a substantial building.
The former Chief Magistrate, Hilary Hannam, raised some concerns, and there was a problem for the previous government with the quality of the kids’ cells in the Court of Summary Jurisdiction in Darwin. I agreed, and the initial intention was to redevelop the cells in the lower parts of the Court of Summary Jurisdiction in Darwin. Unfortunately, that court is already under substantial pressure. It is an older building; I remember it being new after they moved out of the Nelson building in Darwin. Darwin has grown so much that growing pains have also hit the Court of Summary Jurisdiction.
The $1m to create a new set of cells has been held over because it was worth $1.4m, so something happened with the former government’s estimation which was not correct. There are better ways to move forward. After substantial and lengthy negotiations with the Chief Justice of the Northern Territory - and I place on the record my gratitude to the Chief Justice for his flexibility – hopefully we will soon announce a stand-alone Youth Justice Court in Darwin, separate from the Court of Summary Jurisdiction. I am grateful to Dr Lowndes, the Chief Magistrate, and his Honour Chief Justice Trevor Riley for their forbearance and cooperation with coming to a solution. This will be a good solution for the people of the Northern Territory and will serve the court system well into the intermediate, if not long-term, future.
I also note that $3.36m is set aside to establish the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal. This is something I am proud of. I spoke of this idea on a number of occasions whilst in opposition, as the shadow Attorney-General, and an opportunity came up, because of a problem in a Cabinet meeting, to describe a Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal to my Cabinet colleagues.
I am grateful to them because they immediately saw the usefulness of such an approach. We are the last jurisdiction in this country, with the exception of Tasmania, to establish such a tribunal. These are well-established systems in other parts of the country; they have been kind enough to make all of the mistakes for us. Once we have established NT CAAT in the Northern Territory, we will quickly move to collapse many of the other functions of the other appellant tribunals into it. It is almost certain we will also collapse the Local Court’s Small Claims jurisdiction into the Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
These things are well used in other jurisdictions and well understood by people who move to the Northern Territory, because in other jurisdictions they have been around for some time.
I move on, with six minutes to go, to the Department of Children and Families. When I took over Children and Families with the assistance of the new CEO, Jodeen Carney, who most members would be familiar with, we went about fixing and sorting out many of the operational problems the organisation has. I was somewhat surprised to see the level of problems the organisation had and the legacy left to me by the former minister and now Independent member of this House.
It was a substantial challenge and continues to be so, but we are starting to sort it out. We have found a number of areas where simple efficiencies have led to savings, and those savings will not see a diminution in the amount of work the department does. For arguments sake, out-of-home care services – I am sure the Labor Party will make much of the slightly smaller budget in that area, but I do, before it gets excited, draw its attention to page 147 of Budget Paper No 3, ‘Out-of-Home Care Services’, line item ‘Days of out-of-home care’, where the final estimate for the 2013-14 budget is 290 000 days. Sadly, the budget for 2014-15 sees an increased number of days for the smaller budget of 319 000 days. I say ‘sadly’ because every out-of-home-care service day we purchase is representative of a day for a child who is not living with their family, who is neglected, abused or sexually abused. That saddens me, but as a minister of the Crown, I am, for a lack of better expressions, pleased to report we are able to get substantially more days, some 29 000 more days, out of that budget.
I was astonished to discover the sort of money that goes into paying for out-of-home care services, and it was one area the CEO and I agreed needed close examination. We made a number of discoveries which were concerning, and subsequently have been remedied. The quality of control in management of accounts coming in was a matter of concern to me as the minister, as it was to the CEO. I endorse the actions the CEO has taken to ensure those accounts were brought back under control. I am gratified to report we are having much better outcomes as a result of better management practices within the agency.
Nevertheless, I am grimly mindful of the onerous duty cast upon my shoulders by the Chief Minister in asking me to take on these duties, and I will continue to take them very seriously indeed.
I draw members’ attention to the child protection notifications received, on page 147, where, unfortunately, we are anticipating increased numbers of notifications. However, in the last report on this matter, the annual report by the Children’s Commissioner – page 42 if memory serves me – he pointed out in a graph that many of the increased notifications did not lead to increased numbers of kids in care or confirmations. Many of those notifications were coming from the police who, quite rightly, when they believe they have found incidents of neglect, pass them on to the department for its attention. The department responds, and that accounts for the increase in notifications. That increase in notifications is attended to.
I find myself with 45 seconds to go. I could, as the Chief Minister said, speak for many hours on all topics within the domain of my budgetary purview. I will get an opportunity to do so in the Estimates Committee where I look forward to proudly talking about the areas of the Northern Territory budget that come under my control as the minister. I will be proud to demonstrate to the people of the Northern Territory that they have an engaged minister who cares about the finances of the Northern Territory and about delivering quality and effective services.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I support the Northern Territory budget for 2014-15. Despite having to repay the former Labor government’s debt, the Country Liberals government has again increased the Health budget to ensure we are able to meet the growing demand for health services by Territorians.
This increase is driven by factors such as our ageing population, improved diagnostic technology, the Territory’s high levels of chronic disease and the cost of transporting remote Territorians so they can receive the essential care and treatment they deserve.
The $1.35bn Health budget is the largest of any Northern Territory government department and I am proud to say that it represents the biggest investment in Health by any Northern Territory government. Despite a tough budget climate, the Country Liberals government is investing $36.8m more in Northern Territory government funding. This brings the total Northern Territory government Health spend to $990.4m. It delivers on the government’s promise to expand health services, improve infrastructure and deliver the next stage in the Country Liberals plan to tackle chronic alcohol abuse.
In Central Australia we are investing more than $300m across health services. This is a $2m boost on last year’s budget and demonstrates the Country Liberals commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of people living in Central Australia. I am very pleased to announce that budget 2014 includes an extra $391 000 in funding to ensure the Alice Springs palliative respite care service can continue. The Alice Springs Respite Day Care House was opened in September last year and has been providing appropriate care for patients nearing the end of their lives. The former federal Labor government provided funding to establish the four-bedroom service but did not provide funding past July of this year. The sector has welcomed this announcement as it shares the Territory government’s belief that it is a unique facility for Alice Springs, tailored and focused on end-of-life care closer to home.
The Alice Springs Hospital and Tennant Creek Hospital also received an increase in funding to $203.9m under budget 2014, which is nearly $10m more than last year. The new Alice Springs emergency department delivered under the Country Liberals is one of the busiest emergency departments in the Territory. This government has allocated an extra $160 000 to the emergency department, bringing the total additional funding to $5.67m. The Alice Springs Hospital will also receive $26.74m for continuing remediation works and upgrades.
BushMob youth rehabilitation services in Alice Springs will receive a nearly $1m allocation to relocate and expand their services as part of the Country Liberals commitment to securing our children’s future.
The Territory government is committed to meeting its target of 400 extra elective surgeries. This year’s budget delivers $1.59m in continued funding for an additional 142 elective surgeries in Central Australia. Budget 2014 also recognises the government’s promise to improve the health outcomes of our most remote Territorians. The budget includes more than $8m in Commonwealth funding for new remote clinics, including Titjikala and Robinson River. This is part of the $50m program to provide bigger, better and more culturally appropriate health services, with dedicated spaces for a range of health services at Kaltukatjara, Papunya, Canteen Creek, Elliott, Ntaria, Ngukurr, Numbulwar and Galiwinku.
For the first time, women in remote communities will be able to access a remote breast screening service thanks to an additional $725 000 in funding. The breast screening four-wheel drive bus will travel to regional and remote locations to deliver breast screening services to women who have not had previous access. Budget 2014 also delivers $7.5m to continue to deliver expanded Patient Assistance Travel Scheme entitlements brought in by the Country Liberals, alternatively referred to as PATS.
In the Top End, Royal Darwin Hospital will receive $22.8m in upgrades, including the first stage of the $11.9m Commonwealth-funded refurbishment of the hospital’s paediatric ward. The upgrade will ensure the facilities will match the high-quality and hard-working staff operating within RDH, who are encouraged and excited by this upgrade and what it will mean for Territory children and their families.
Royal Darwin Hospital will also be able to implement enhanced capability to manage infection control through a $6.7m upgrade of the negative pressure rooms at the hospital.
Katherine Hospital will receive almost $2m to upgrade its air conditioning system. Katherine and Tennant Creek are also part of the Country Liberals plan to expand alcohol mandatory treatment as part of this governments plan to really tackle alcohol abuse across the Territory. More than $28m has been allocated to alcohol mandatory treatment this financial year, including the operation of a 12-bed treatment facility in Tennant Creek and building a 20-bed facility in Katherine.
By building this facility in Katherine we can expand the number of people who can access treatment in the town, giving them the chance to turn their lives around and reconnect with their family and community. It is estimated that the build will inject several million dollars into the Katherine area and the facility will also create many employment opportunities.
The Country Liberals government is also investing more money in this budget for the Territory’s most significant infrastructure project, the $150m Palmerston Regional Hospital. This budget confirms $10m in works to be undertaken for the preliminary planning and early construction works of Palmerston Regional Hospital. Environmental approval preparations and a survey of the road intersections began last month, and tender for the design work for this intersection will also be released this month.
Territorians will see work on the ground this year to progress this very important project. This is more money and more work than what was done under the 11 years of Labor. I am proud to say we will deliver on our time line to build a bigger and better hospital for Territorians. The Palmerston Regional Hospital works form part of Health’s capital and minor new works program, taking the total program to $160.9m.
In this budget we have continued to fund an additional $7.9m to subsidise eligible pensioners in the Northern Territory to meet the increase in tariffs for utilities and have provided $2.3m in ongoing funding, including an additional $800 000 to assist the non-government sector meet additional award wage increases for social and community service workers.
This is also a new look budget due to revolutionary changes introduced to the Health system by this Country Liberals government. From 1 July 2014, the Department of Health will be operating under the new Health Services Act, which will comprise three entities, being the Department of Health, the Top End Health Service and the Central Australia Health Service. The changes are designed to deliver greater control of healthcare decisions to local communities, improve the flexibility, responsiveness and innovation capacity of the public health system, and provide more effective and efficient public hospital and health services.
This budget delivers on the government’s promise to bolster health services for all Territorians, especially in the areas of greatest need.
Mr CHANDLER (Education): Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here for what has already been described as a remarkable budget, given the fiscal position we inherited about 20 months ago.
I congratulate the Treasurer on a responsible budget which recognises the hard work ahead of this government to pay back Labor’s debt. It is a challenge familiar to our colleagues in the Commonwealth parliament, who are faced with the same challenge of repairing the carnage inflicted on an economy by the reckless action of a Labor government.
The differences are stark between the fiscally prudent position adopted by the Country Liberals government focused on building the economy and broadening the Territory’s economic base, and the vacuum of policies that exists across the Chamber.
This budget is about securing the future for young Territorians. There are few greater areas in which the Country Liberals government can do this then by reducing the cost of living, delivering more affordable housing and investing in education.
The Country Liberal’s government is making the necessary decisions today to ensure we can capture the opportunities of tomorrow. The budget for Education is one of the achievements and opportunities. Our achievement is to deliver an education budget increase of 4.7% in a time of spending restraint through a combination of tight control of expenditures and new investment under the Australian government’s students first program. So before the opposition, the unions or anybody gets on the band wagon, we are increasing the Education budget by 4.7% over last year, not cutting it.
Our achievement is to deliver an education budget that provides funding to maintain the commitment to reducing costs for families and putting quality teachers into quality schools. Our achievement is to support investment in improving and expanding school facilities and funds for new projects that will drive innovation and improvement in Northern Territory schools.
Northern Territory schools are the best resourced schools in the country. This budget builds on this for the betterment of young Territorians. The Giles government continues to support families by reducing the cost of education through the $6.6m for the Back to School Payment Scheme, which provides $150 per student to assist parents with back to school expenses. This year we are also investing $5.9m in early childhood services, including an additional $1.3m to assist families with young children by extending the subsidy for childcare to providers of family day care services.
The opportunity afforded by this education budget is to make real and substantial improvements to education outcomes, for Indigenous students. Indigenous students represent over 40% of the student population, and the Northern Territory will only reach its economic and social potential when Indigenous students have the same life opportunities as all other Northern Territory students.
Madam Speaker, $40.5m over three years is allocated to commence implementation of the reforms and projects recommended in the Indigenous education review, the first critical examination of efforts and results in Indigenous education in the Northern Territory for 15 years. An amount of $2m will be committed to roll out new curriculum and resourcing materials, and training to teachers in all remote schools to provide consistency in the delivery of literacy, numeracy and oral English programs. We will work in partnership with communities to implement the improvements identified in the review so students have the literacy and numeracy skills to make choices in the 21st century, connected global village, and the Indigenous culture and language context to contribute to the development of their families and, of course, their communities.
We are investing $5.2m for additional classrooms in remote schools to support the increased student attendance and retention we are achieving in our partnerships with the communities and the Australian government. We are maintaining the early childhood services provided through the Families as First Teachers programs and integrating the efforts of Education with other agencies and service providers to improve the quality of early childhood services in this critical phase of learning development. An amount of $3.4m is also allocated to operate new child and families centres at Gunbalanya, Maningrida, Ngukurr, Yuendemu and Palmerston, and $1.2m is provided to extend the Rosebery preschool.
We know that improving outcomes for Indigenous students is a complex and difficult challenge, but we do not shy away from it. With the efforts of the Giles Country Liberals and the Abbott Coalition governments, and the dedication and professionalism of our teachers and trainers, we are embracing the opportunity to reform education services in remote locations by focusing on quality literacy and numeracy programs like never before.
We are also seeking a step change in outcomes for remote Indigenous secondary students by looking seriously at the recommendations in Bruce Wilson’s report, A Share in the Future, through building residential boarding facilities in the regional towns and delivering first-class secondary and vocational programs in regional high schools.
Globalisation is the other opportunity embraced by this budget for the benefit of Territorians. In today’s global society, the Territory’s and Territorians’ performance in education is not only ranked nationally with other states through NAPLAN, but also globally with other countries through the Programme for International Student Assessment, which ranks countries in a league table and is the focus for national targets for school improvements.
To keep up with global competitors, Territory schools, teachers and students need to be innovative with local solutions, and adopt best practices from other education systems and industry sources. We will ensure our children are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take the challenges and opportunities of living in the most exciting part of Australia.
The budget allocates $11.6m, in partnership with INPEX and the Ichthys LNG project, to establish a leading-edge facility that positions the Territory as a world-class provider of contemporary distance and virtual education services for secondary students. We already have the world’s best primary school distance education services through the Alice Springs and Katherine Schools of the Air, and we plan to extend this excellence into secondary education for regional and remote students in the Territory and beyond. Like I have said before, we cannot physically put the best science or maths teacher into every classroom across the Northern Territory, but we can with technology.
There is an allocation of $300 000 to develop a 10-year strategic plan to position the Territory as an international education and training hub, a destination of choice for international students and a respected participant in international research.
The department has led the negotiation of a $7.7m three-year contract for the STARS satellite network. I am sure most Territorians are unaware that through the STARS network, remote students, teachers, police and medical staff have broadband speeds that exceed the capacity of any planned NBN service in the bush. We will use this capacity, combined with interactive and online delivery, to expand the quality and scope of secondary education programs.
Innovation in education will also be fostered, with $3m to replace teacher laptops with lightweight touch-enabled devices. The Giles government will also accelerate training and professional development programs to enhance teachers’ capacity to deliver high-quality literacy and numeracy programs. The great opportunity afforded by this budget is the opportunity for schools arising from the most significant reform of school resourcing management since the schools framework was established with self-government.
There is an allocation of $17m over three years to increase school autonomy and introduce independent public schools. Global school budgets and a student-centred, needs-based school funding model will empower decision-making in schools. These reforms will provide schools with a one-line global budget based on the needs of their students so principals, school managers and school councils can make the decisions about the best mix of teachers and other services required to meet the learning needs of their students. These reforms will also reduce red tape by removing a cumbersome, complex and inconsistent staff allocation process that currently provides 80% of school funds.
The NT will introduce its first independent public schools in 2015. These schools will build on the agility provided with global budgets, with increased flexibility to select their staff and greater scope to engage with their school and business communities. Our approach to school autonomy will be informed and will benefit from the overwhelmingly positive experiences in Victoria and Western Australia, but it will be tailored for the Northern Territory environment.
The budget maintains this government’s commitment to supporting an efficient non-government school sector, with per capita student grants and subsidies on the interest costs for capital works. The improvements in services I have outlined are complemented with investments to improve existing education facilities and planning for new schools in the near future.
There is an allocation of $34.9m provided for repairs and maintenance for schools across the Territory, including $4m targeted to repair and upgrade school facilities in Central Australia. The department has also developed a school infrastructure plan for the greater Darwin area to cater for the projected rise in the student population. New school projects that will be designed this year and funded in future budgets include a special education school in Palmerston, enhancements to the Henbury special school, and a preschool and primary school in Zuccoli.
An amount of $5m is provided to offer vocational education and training and employment pathways in schools, including fruit trade training centres and pre-employment programs across the Territory, in partnership with mining, pastoral, tourism and other industries. These are valuable employment pathways for Territory students who do not wish to pursue tertiary studies, and they target industries seeking skilled workers.
The easiest thing for this government to do in education would be to continue to do the things the way they have always been done. However, this government is not happy with the results of education in the Northern Territory, and that it is why we have challenged convention. We will continue to find better and different ways to do things because we are focused on outcomes. We are focused on students and giving them every opportunity they deserve. We cannot do that by accepting that what we have done up until now is all we can possibly do for our students.
I suggest there is no one in this Chamber who has a different outcome in mind. We all want the same thing; we all want an improvement in educational outcomes, wherever you may live in the Northern Territory. But we have a difference in ideology. We have a difference in how we might achieve those results, but I, for one, cannot think that the results and the money that has been spent to date is all we can possibly do. There are other models. There are other ways of doing things that we need to try, because we have used just one method up to now, the Labor method of spending a great deal of money on resources.
I visited recently a school of 19 classrooms which had one SMART Board. We have schools that have SMART Boards in every classroom, and that is to be congratulated. In the Northern Territory, we have some of the best resources, but they are not helping with our results, particularly in remote communities.
Teachers have said to me that with the right curriculum, the right teacher and group of kids, you can teach them under a tree and get a decent education. Perhaps that is right, but we have well-resourced schools, great teachers, and something is going wrong. We are not getting the results we should for our children.
I know there is much happening outside the school gate that is affecting what is happening inside the school gate. We heard the member for Namatjira today say that in Papunya there were problems and the school was to close for the day. The school did not close today; there was a community meeting. A letter was sent suggesting the school would be closed because of the unruly behaviour in the community that was having a negative effect in the school grounds.
Again, parental responsibility has to play a part in this. The community has to be part of the solution. Schools and the education department cannot do everything. We need, and I hope we could get, a bipartisan approach to improving educational outcomes in the Northern Territory.
I could not believe, at a recent meeting of Education ministers around the country where I gave a presentation on the Indigenous review, the sincere interest shown by ministers from across Australia. Both Labor and Liberal Coalition ministers had an interest. Ministers want to travel to the Northern Territory this year to look at some of the challenges we face in our remote communities. There was a bipartisan position on the Northern Territory government’s approach to fixing education in our remote areas, but unfortunately I cannot get that bipartisan approach in this Chamber. I cannot get Labor to understand that we all want the same results, we just have a different view of how we can achieve them.
There are ideological differences in this Chamber, but the easiest thing would be to do nothing. I will not stand here as the Minister for Education and do nothing. I need to challenge convention. I need to find better opportunities for students across the Northern Territory. It does not matter whether you are at Darwin High School or a school at Yuendumu, Groote Eylandt or anywhere else across the Territory, you deserve every possible opportunity.
Another area where there are opportunities and achievements is Lands, Planning and the Environment. In this portfolio I have been entrusted to fix Labor’s housing crisis, a responsibility I do not take lightly, but a challenge I relish. One of the greatest pleasures I have had as minister is to see the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment transformed from a department of ‘Why?’ under Labor to a department of ‘Why not?’ This government constantly looks for solutions, not problems, and is driving the department to take a proactive approach to planning issues.
This budget will see an historical investment in land release, the biggest contribution this government can make to housing affordability and reducing the cost of living. Earlier this week I announced Bringing on Territory Land Release, the most ambitious land release program ever undertaken by a Territory government, and something I am very proud of.
The investment from this budget year alone will see 6500 new dwellings across the Northern Territory generating around $1.5bn in economic activity and creating well over 6000 jobs. This budget will take the biggest step towards ending Labor’s housing crisis in over a decade, something that has been hurting all Territorians. We will see $135.5m dedicated to fast-tracking existing land release and establishing exciting new opportunities.
The next major residential land release is in an area we have been critised for calling Palmerston north, but that will not be the name of the suburb. It is a way of describing an area people may not be familiar with.
Mr Wood: Holtze has been there for …
Mr CHANDLER: Holtze has been there for many years, as the member for Nelson points out, but many people, even in Palmerston, who have been here less than five years and do not know where Holtze is or have never heard of Kowandi. Please do not get tied up with a name. I know it is in Litchfield Shire and is currently called Holtze. Perhaps we can call it Woodlands.
What is important is that we have money in this year’s budget to push ahead with land release to potentially lower the cost of living for Territorians, and that is where they are hurting.
Mr Wood: Palmerston West called Weddell.
Mr CHANDLER: I will get to Weddell.
There is $4m in this year’s budget for stage one – 1500 dwellings – and an additional $730m in economic activity creating nearly 1800 new construction jobs and around 1400 direct jobs. The total project will have 10 000 dwellings.
Let us talk about Weddell. At this stage it is perhaps a pie in the sky fantasy. Only one person thinks it is a good idea, and that is the member for Johnston.
There was a lot of planning for brochures and community consultation, I will give the previous government that, but on taking over the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment, I was extremely disappointed with the lack of real planning for Weddell. There was a lot of hype around Weddell, but real planning behind the scenes to deliver a greenfield site had not been done.
The member for Johnston was at a recent public meeting in the suburb of Johnston making light of the fact this government had moved its focus away from the fact the previous government had put land aside for a seniors’ village. He made the public statement that had a Labor government been elected there would have been a seniors’ village there and there would not be the focus this government has on affordable housing.
I remind the member for Johnston that in the last budget put together by the former Labor government, that seniors village had fallen off the radar. It had been removed from the budget books and that information from the department is that it was no longer a priority of the former government to turn the area into a seniors’ village. Before he goes any further with his rhetoric about a seniors’ village in Johnston, it was not on the radar of the former government. Perhaps it was once, but in the last budget it had fallen off completely.
The new suburb, Berrimah Farm, has caused some concern. Again, it is something the former government spoke a lot about but did not get around to doing much. With this government you will see action, because money has been put aside for it, planning has already commenced and will continue.
There is $4m in this budget for headworks, and there is a possibility that area of land could house up to 2750 dwellings. The final makeup of those dwellings has not been decided. The Planning Commission has provided an area plan, but the final makeup of how much residential, commercial and small business land there will be is yet to be decided. It will happen through the normal processes; there will be community consultation, DCA applications, and the information the Planning Commission publishes is all open and available to the public.
There is an additional $685m worth of economic activity available in the Berrimah Farm area alone. That could create over 1600 new construction jobs and around 1300 indirect jobs through the broader economy multiplier effect. Fifteen hectares has been retained for Berrimah Farm and research activities. This was done after consultation with Mines and Energy to see how much land it required to keep going with its business. We have also been in contact with other Territory and Commonwealth departments about moving their operations into Berrimah Farm, so keeping the research facilities going is on the agenda.
This will provide opportunities for increased investment in land which is ideally suited to a number of uses. Some of the existing residential land releases in Palmerston east - the former government had the mindset they were getting on with business. They had a plan for Palmerston east, but this Country Liberals government, after just 20 months of being in government, is more than three years ahead of the former Labor government’s schedule.
They think they were on top of land release and had taken into account the economy and the major impacts that industries like INPEX have on a jurisdiction the size of the Northern Territory. They have lost the plot if they think they were keeping up with it, because we are not keeping up with it. It will not be until this budget is delivered and we have seen the land release under this budget that we will see a dint in some of the issues created through lack of land release, such as the cost of living. We are three years ahead of their schedule, and there is no clearer evidence to demonstrate how far out of touch the former Labor government was in this area.
There is $36.9m of new money for stages three, four and five of Zuccoli, bringing the whole of Zuccoli developments to 1750 residential lots, all affordable blocks with average prices points between $160 000 and $180 000 per block.
As I said, we have their project three years ahead of schedule. The only way we will get on top of land affordability is to keep going hard. If we went as slow as the former government on some of the issues we have in growing Darwin with some of the constraints of the rural area, nothing would ever happen.
This government understands that Labor’s housing crisis is not restricted to Darwin and Palmerston. Territorians are hurting in every town and community.
Budget 2014-15 invests in regions which have not seen land release for many years. There are many to mention, but I will read them to put on the record this government’s commitment to our regions:
$2m for Ti Tree for 34 single dwelling residential lots
$5.3m for Kilgariff in Alice Springs for headworks for its future stages
$1m for Larapinta Valley in Alice Springs, land development and the subdivision of 35 lots in Stage 1A as well as headworks for this new subdivision
$2m for Peko Road, Tennant Creek for subdivision infrastructure for 23 single dwelling residential lots
$2.7m for Katherine East Stage 2 headworks to support the future stage of land releases in Katherine East; Stage 1 is expected to begin this year
$3m for Kalkarindji subdivision design for approximately 20 residential lots, with construction forecast for completion in December 2014, thanks to a landmark Indigenous land use agreement. That is good news for Kalkarindji
$3m for Mataranka; subdivision design could yield 20 to 24 residential lots, six to 10 rural living lots and six to 10 industrial lots
$3m for Pine Creek subdivision design could potentially yield 10 residential lots already serviced, a 30 residential lot subdivision and four industrial lots
$2m drainage works in the rural area, such as in Howard Springs, to support further development of the district centre, if we can get any development out there without resistance.
Mr Wood: That is a bit below the belt.
Mr CHANDLER: You have been picking on me the whole time. You have not stopped. It is a wonder we get anything in the rural area.
As the Northern Territory leads the national push for northern Australia development, commercial industrial land will be essential if we are to take advantage of increased investment. Budget 2014 provides $51.1m for the release of this land right across the Northern Territory. Specific projects facilitated by budget 2014 include:
$6m at Darwin Business Park to service further subdivisions
$7.1m for the construction of 7 ha of land to create industrial lots by extending Muramats Road, East Arm …
Mr STYLES: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Section 77, I seek an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, member for Sanderson. I appreciate that you have an interest in the Territory budget. He is the man who builds stuff, the one who takes all the money from our budgets.
I will continue:
$5.9m to continue works on Wishart Road, Berrimah
$5.1m for additional industrial lots at Darwin Business Park North
$3m for the next stage of industrial release on Udall Road, Tennant Creek – is that how you pronounce it? I cannot ask the member as he is not here
$2.5m for a new industrial release for Humpty Doo, expected to begin this year
$800 000 to support agriculture, aquaculture, industrial and tourism industries on the Tiwi Islands
$500 000 at Middle Arm for the development of commercial and industrial land for downstream gas processing, extractive industries and commercial support industries.
Other capital works projects: with the release of the Darwin City Centre Master Plan earlier this year, the Country Liberals government will kick things off by contributing to one of the identified projects. We will invest $5m to build a boardwalk along the bottom of the Darwin Esplanade, from Doctors Gully to the Deckchair Cinema. Central Australia has not been forgotten, with $2.5m in this budget for a similar tourism-focused boardwalk along the Todd River.
Moving to the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority, the NTEPA, there is $5.85m to help the very independent EPA continue its work in protecting our environment, which we must keep pristine, and $1m to continue the environmental grants program helping community groups undertake projects and educate our community on the environmental issues we face, and that is double the previous government’s commitment to the environment. The grants are open to everybody, including centres like the Environment Centre or the Arid Lands Environment Centre in Alice Springs.
There is $800 000 to continue ensuring the Territory’s Planning Commission system facilitates sustainable economic growth; protects environmental, cultural and heritage assets; and connects people and places through the Planning Commission.
It is with great pleasure that I support the Treasurer in this budget. It secures our children’s future by investing in the right areas while tightening the belt so our children are not left to pay the price for our decadence. The budget is for all Territorians, not just a select few. It is for today’s priorities while looking to the future, a future that is very bright.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I look forward to the Estimates Committee where I am sure there will be many questions asked by members opposite, including the member for Nelson, who I am sure will have many questions about the rural area and how this government can continue to contribute to its growth.
Mrs PRICE (Community Services): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the Treasurer on his second budget. I agree with the Treasurer that this budget is about securing our children’s future, whether they live in Ludmilla, Larrimah or Lajamanu. They all have a right to have access to the same living standards and economic and social opportunities that will help them thrive and become contributing members of our community. To do that, we have to make the decisions necessary today to ensure we do not stifle the opportunities of tomorrow.
This budget focuses on the challenges of today. Those challenges include reducing the cost of living, delivering more affordable housing and continuing economic growth. I also include the much needed essential services infrastructure in the bush. This budget also delivers real outcomes for the Chief Minister’s plan for developing northern Australia.
We, as a government, have a strong focus in this budget on securing our children’s future. This will be achieved through better school facilities so our children are prepared for their bright future. We will ensure our children are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take on the challenges and opportunities of living in the most exciting part of Australia.
Our young people should have access to great recreational, cultural and artistic opportunities, including more support for childcare and the highly successful sports voucher program. We need to secure the future for our children that we all want, and we know we need to avoid stealing that future by leaving our children with unsustainable levels of debt, broken and worn out infrastructure and no plan.
I simply cannot support the energy of future generations being drained by paying back someone’s debt. It is a sad fact that every time a Labor government leaves office the country is further in debt, the credit cards are full and the cupboard is bare. Territorians can be assured this government’s economic plan is paying back Labor’s debt. A projected $5.5bn of debt is not paid back overnight, but we are making significant inroads in repaying that debt. It will be through the initiatives outlined by all my colleagues that we will secure our children’s future and deliver real action on the challenges of today.
I turn to three agencies I have responsibility for in my portfolios: the Parks and Wildlife Commission, the Department of Community Services and the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority.
Turning to the Parks and Wildlife Commission, I am pleased to say this government has maintained strong funding to the Commission, recognising its value to the Territory in tourism, regional and remote jobs and biodiversity protection.
The 2014-15 budget for the Parks and Wildlife Commission is $49.631m. This includes:
$17.330m for employee expenses
$12.802m for the purchase of goods and services
$3.901m for depreciation, $1.659m for services free of charge
$7.842m for the community service obligation payment to the Territory Wildlife Park
$0.71m for grants and $5.4m for repairs and maintenance.
The capital budget includes $0.292m for capital works, all being remote; $4.756m for minor new works and $0.260m for capital items. An additional $0.761m has been allocated for minor new works at the Territory Wildlife Park.
The overall budget highlights for the Commission are:
$5m for repairs and maintenance of infrastructure to ensure our parks and reserves provide safe and enjoyable visitor experiences throughout the Northern Territory
$1.59m for lease payments to Aboriginal Land Trusts for Aboriginal owned jointly managed parks. These payments benefit Aboriginal people in regional and remote area
$50 000 for grant funding to wildlife care organisations for the collection, care and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife in regional centres throughout the Territory. This service includes provision of a collection service for the local community, therefore ensuring the protection and humane treatment of injured native animals.
$0.15m in grant funding for the Land for Wildlife programs in Alice Springs and Darwin. This program increases education and awareness about the value of native flora and assists the community to enhance the natural values of the properties.
$0.2m for the ongoing management of the Olive Pink Botanical Gardens in Alice Springs. This site provides an important recreational site for local Alice Springs residents while also ensuring the protection and preservation of threatened rare endemic and culturally significant Central Australian plant species.
$0.45m for the removal of asbestos from urban parks and reserves
$0.2m to both the Central Land Council and the Northern Land Council to support joint management of parks and reserves throughout the Northern Territory.
$0.41m for the proactive of management of saltwater crocodiles across the Top End, including Darwin Harbour, increasing community safety in and around our waterways
$75 000 for the CROCWISE community education and awareness raising program to promote safe and enjoyable experiences in our Top End waters.
Highlights of the infrastructure part of the Commission’s budget are $5m for repairs and maintenance of infrastructure across parks and reserves throughout the Northern Territory. This includes repairs and maintenance of regional and remote areas where activities generate job opportunities and employment for local people, including Indigenous people. The repairs and maintenance budget includes repair of the 3 m breach barrage at Melaleuca Swamp. The area has economic, cultural and biological significance and these repairs will prevent salt water entering the freshwater wetlands.
This budget includes repair and replacement of visitor amenities at Barranyi National Park to enhance public enjoyment and ensure visitor safety when at the park. Funds are allocated for the management of several areas of rock art at Caranbirini Conservation Reserve where the deterioration of rock art has been observed due to water damage. Maintenance and protection of cultural relics and art is a significant component of the work of the Parks and Wildlife Commission, enabling it to continue to be enjoyed by further generations.
Repair of the boat ramp adjacent to the Surf Life Saving Club at Casuarina Coastal Reserve will provide an important community service by ensuring that emergency services vehicles are able to access the beach where public safety may be a primary concern. This budget has also allocated funding for the maintenance of structures and buildings at Howard Springs Nature Park - where is Gerry? - which are ageing and require some TLC. Looking at other parts of the Northern Territory, I am pleased to announce that the footbridge at Elsey National Park will be replaced to improve visitor amenities while also enhancing environmental values of the site.
The $4.765m minor new works budget highlights includes $0.85m for upgrades at Casuarina Coastal Reserve. Casuarina Coastal Reserve is the most visited park in the national parks estate. It is used extensively by local Territorians for walking, running and cycling in particular, and is a wonderful location for meeting with friends and having barbeques and picnics.
There has been $0.45m allocated to align the walking paths to the City of Darwin standards so they are a better fit within the Darwin urban bike path network. In addition, the commission will install bike racks at locations throughout the reserve to enable visitors to make better use of the reserve for a longer period of time. We have allocated $0.4m for upgrades to public toilets facilities at the Casuarina Coastal Reserve as the existing facilities are worn out and subject to some community concern regarding antisocial behaviour. To improve our visitor experience, the existing facilities will be removed and a new modern facility will be constructed in a more suitable location.
I am proud to announce that $1m has been allocated for upgrades of the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. The Alice Springs Telegraph Station is one of the most visited parks in the Northern Territory and provides a key site for local residents to cycle, walk and have barbeques and picnics. I have been there and done that; it is a beautiful spot. We have allocated $0.5m to enhance the cycling experience and make it more family friendly.
The commission will seal the riverside walk and provide a safe all-weather connection to the Alice Springs cycle path network, completing a connection loop to the town cycle path network. Another $0.5m has been allocated for amenities and improvements to accommodate larger audiences at the Telegraph Station. The construction of a new toilet block in the eastern area of the park will better cater for long-scale events, functions and outdoor concerts. The existing facilities are located some distance from this site; however, the new facilities will increase the value of the site for national and international events, providing an opportunity for the local community to better showcase the region as well as the local environment.
Turning to our other parks, $0.15m has been allocated for Charles Darwin National Park, which experiences considerable use of its mountain bike tracks for local clubs, associations and individuals. To continue to promote new activities for the public as well as ensuring existing facilities meet the needs of these groups, the commission will upgrade the existing mountain bike tracks so they align with Australian and international standards. These upgrades will further open up the park as a potential site for national events while continuing to offer an outstanding experience for local Territorians and visitors.
We have allocated $0.2m for upgrades at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, which are a popular walking and cycling destination for local people. To better accommodate visitors while also improving accessibility and the safety of the service road for staff, the commission will seal it, providing an all-weather pathway that can be used by staff and visitors alike.
This pathway will extend the full length of the gardens, increasing accessibility to all areas of the park. This will encourage more visitors to explore a greater range of exhibits, while also opening it for use to visitors for a much longer period of the year.
Sixty thousand dollars has been allocated for upgrade works to the Cascades Walk at the popular and famous Litchfield National Park. The Cascades Walk provides visitors with a fabulous opportunity to reconnect with nature. The site is less well known than other locations in the park, and some sections of the existing track mean it is not an easy walk for some visitors.
To improve safety, enjoyment and accessibility while minimising the impacts of visitor activity on the natural environment through the erosion of creek beds, the commission will install aluminium bridges across three creek crossings.
Another of our great parks and reserves to benefit from this future building budget is the Limmen National Park where $0.3m has been allocated to upgrade the existing campground at Butterfly Springs to cater for increasing visitor growth. It is estimated that 90% of visitors to Limmen National Park visit Butterfly Springs. The remoteness of this park meant it was originally designed to accommodate small numbers of visitors. However increasing visitation and use of the facilities means there is a need for the extension and upgrading of camping amenities at Butterfly Springs. This includes the creation of additional campsites with associated facilities, as well as the construction of a gravelled loop road with vehicle parking bays. This will create a greater capacity to support a larger number of visitors to the park, less damage to natural assets of the park and greater visitation for longer periods of time each year.
The 2014-15 budget has reduced from $50.421m in 2013-14 to $49.631m. This is a reduction of $0.79m and includes a reduction in grants of $0.20m, from $0.94m to $0.71m, with completion of contract agreements for Indigenous Ranger Group support positions and a reduction of $0.246m for the repairs and maintenance budget. The remainder of savings will be made across operational areas over the course of the financial year.
Turning to my Department of Community Services, I am proud to say the department works with stakeholders in remote communities and homelands across the Northern Territory to build local economies, deliver infrastructure, support regional services and coordinate remote service delivery. The department works to improve outcomes for people through effective engagement, service delivery, the coordination of initiatives, well-founded policy and the provision of interpreter and translator services.
In summary, total department expenditure in 2014-15 will be $152.81m, comprising of current grants of $101.744m, capital grants of $27.574m, employee expenses of $13.718m, administrative expenses of $8.871m and services free of charge of $0.9m.
My department is responsible for the funding of essential services in 72 remote Indigenous communities. In 2014-15 the Northern Territory is providing $73.1m for the delivery of electricity, water and sewerage services in 72 remote Indigenous communities through the contracted service provider, Indigenous Essential Services Pty Ltd, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Power and Water Corporation.
I am very pleased to announce that this budget provides significant infrastructure for the bush. Five priority capital projects with a total value of $17.5m will be delivered by Indigenous Essential Services to upgrade the essential services infrastructure.
These projects are in the following communities. Maningrida: improving the Maningrida sewerage system is a government election commitment, and $3m has been allocated in 2014-15 to upgrade the sewerage system. This upgrade will improve public health outcomes by reducing the risk of public contact with sewage effluent, particularly from the sewage outfall into the sea.
Angurugu: $6.95m has been allocated to stage one works for the replacement of the failing asbestos cement sewer mains at Angurugu. This upgrade will improve public health outcomes by reducing the risk of public contact with sewage effluent.
Yirrkala: $1m has been allocated for the replacement of a ground level water storage tank providing Yirrkala with a secure water supply into the future. Access to a clean and viable water supply is one of the key building blocks for any community. This project will underpin Yirrkala’s water supply for many years to come.
Numbulwar: $1.6m has been allocated to replace the elevated water storage tank. This will provide Numbulwar with a secure water supply by removing the risk of storage failure.
Galiwinku: $4.9m in joint Commonwealth and Northern Territory government funding for stage one upgrade of the sewerage system. This is a critical project that will support community growth and planned infrastructure developments at Galiwinku, including the new health clinic.
I am pleased to confirm that $4m is available for our hugely successful election commitment, Homelands Extra Allowance. This $4m commitment will build on the $2m allocated in this financial year. In this financial year alone, over $2.2m has been distributed to Indigenous service providers across the Territory to start work. So far over 450 applications have been received, with 298 dwellings in 149 separate homelands across the Territory already seeing results.
My department also administers grants which provide funding to homelands service providers for the delivery of municipal and essential services and for the maintenance of housing. If people from the bush are interested, I can tell them the exact amount their electorates have received for their homelands.
In 2014-15 the total funding of $37.7m will be available to homelands through my department, comprising:
$4m in Territory funding as part of a $14m four-year package to improve existing housing in homelands
$5.5m Commonwealth funding as part of $22m four-year program for the Northern Territory jobs package to deliver sustainable municipal and essential services employment positions in rural and remote Indigenous communities
$20.9m Commonwealth funding to continue the provision of municipal and essential services to homelands under the national partnership on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory
$7.3m to continue the provision of housing maintenance assistance to homeland residents.
In 2014-15, combined funding of $15.5m will be provided by the Commonwealth for the delivery of two major infrastructure programs in remote communities; $8.6m as part of a $19.5m three-year program to undertake the risk management, remediation and removal of medium-risk material containing asbestos from non-NTG community buildings in 34 remote Indigenous communities under the national partnership on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory; and $6.9m as part of a $10.6m two-year program for the provision of infrastructure upgrades and construction of a subdivision at Ilpiye Ilpiye town camp in Alice Springs.
My department undertakes the coordination of the land tenure in remote communities and is responsible for coordinating and negotiating leases for government infrastructure, including remote community housing.
In 2014-15, funding of $2.3m will be provided by the Commonwealth as part of a $7m three-year program to undertake cadastral survey plans in 47 remote communities. Surveys enable the transformation of communities into places that are properly planned and designed, and will assist with the establishment of property markets, home ownership and economic development in remote communities.
The Aboriginal Interpreter Service helps English speakers and Aboriginal Territorians who do not speak English as their first language to talk to each other and engage in meaningful communication through the use of interpreters. In 2014-15, the Aboriginal Interpreter Service will be provided with $4.1m in Commonwealth funding for the provision of Aboriginal interpreting services and Northern Territory coordination support under the National Partnership Agreement on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory, and $1.3m in Commonwealth funding in 2014-15 as part of a $5.4m four-year program for the provision of interpreting services to assist in alleviating language barriers faced by Indigenous people in the Territory.
The Northern Territory government is taking on innovative approaches to issues that affect men in the Northern Territory through a dedicated men’s policy function created within my department. In 2014-15 my department is establishing and resourcing the Indigenous Male Advisory Council to advise on issues and strategies identified by Indigenous men as being of significance in the fight to reduce family and domestic violence.
The Northern Territory government is adopting a new model of engagement to give Aboriginal people a voice, which will be known as First Circles. First Circles is a model of engagement with Aboriginal people in the Territory to enable Aboriginal people to provide advice to government in relation to the development and implementation of policy. The focus will be on developing regions and their economies, and will involve representatives in both the Top End and Central Australia. These representatives will meet with Cabinet throughout the year. In 2014-15, new ongoing funding of $0.8m will be provided for the establishment and implementation of First Circles.
As part of every agency sharing the load to reduce Labor’s debt burden, my department will achieve savings and revenue measures of $0.232m in 2014-15 and ongoing. In addition, my department will achieve savings of $8000 in 2014-15, $10 000 in 2015-16 and $12 000 per annum ongoing through the whole-of-government strategy to manage multifunctional devices. Further savings of an estimated $29 000 in 2014-15 and ongoing will be achieved through a whole-of-government measure in relation to air travel services.
I turn to the last agency in my portfolios, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority. The AAPA 2014 budget provides $5.251m for the protection of sacred sites across the Northern Territory. The allocation includes an additional $0.6m to continue phase two of the coordinated approach to issuing authority certificates for remote Aboriginal communities. The benefits of this project include cost reduction and time frame efficiencies for authority certificates associated with public works in remote communities. In addition, the central point of contact has proved to be a beneficial model in project planning and execution.
Towards the end of the first phase, discussions were held with the Department of Housing, the then Local Government and Regional Services, Department of Lands and Planning and Power and Water Corporation over the coordinated community authority certificate project. All agency partners agreed there is a need for that project to enter a second phase due to further planning and variations.
The second phase will address identified issues to ensure the benefits of the coordinated approach continue. The authority’s certificates for the first phase have been issued on the basis of the best available information provided by all three partners. However, since that time there has been refinement in a number of projects requiring variations to their regional authority certificates, and the emergence of a range of Northern Territory and Commonwealth projects in remote communities which were not accounted for in phase one.
The second phase commenced on 1 July 2012 and is due for completion on 30 June 2015. I look forward to receiving a report from AAPA on the merits and outcomes of this program.
AAPA is also required to achieve $0.2m in savings for the financial years 2014-15 ongoing. To implement these savings measures …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move that an extension of time be granted to the member for Stuart.
Motion agreed to.
Mrs PRICE: To implement these saving measures, AAPA will increase its goods and services revenue with efficiencies and full cost recovery for authority certificates, improve the cost recovery arrangements to ensure effective and efficient service delivery and replace the current information management database to allow online submissions and tracking of authority certificate processes.
We make no apologies for targeting all government spending to ensure we make wise investments that secure our children’s future. We cannot and must not reduce the opportunities for our children and their future simply because we cannot live within our means. This is not fair for anyone, and that is why we have taken the hard decisions to make savings across government.
We cannot keep spending like Labor did and continue to run up massive debts. I doubt we will burden the next generation with paying for our failure to be responsible and make hard decisions. This budget is a continuation of this government’s measured responses to the previous government’s irresponsible spending.
The good news is we are back on the right path to mending our financial situation. As Pantene says, it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. I look forward to working with my colleagues to fix the Labor mess, and deliver services and infrastructure that will grow the Territory for all Territorians. I support and commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, Julia Papandonakis, nee Canaris, was born in Ingham, Queensland on 4 July 1933, one of seven children born to Michael Canaris and Evangelia Kailis.
Her father, Michael Canaris, was born in November 1885 on the small Greek Island of Kastellorizo in the south Aegean Sea, and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1907. He spent the first years following his arrival labouring in Kalgoorlie and then fishing, pearl shell diving and operating an oyster bar in the northwest of Western Australia - Broome and Port Hedland.
He first arrived in Darwin in March 1916 from Wyndham, WA aboard the 1544 tonne ship, the New Zealand and found work at Vestey’s Meatworks at Bullocky Point, now Darwin High School.
In 1926 he married Evangelia Kailis, also born in Kastellorizo, the child of Michael Kailis and Flora Paspalis in Brisbane, Queensland. Michael and Evangelia Canaris initially settled in Ingham where their seven children were born.
In 1937-38 the family returned to Darwin where they operated the Great Northern Caf in Cavenagh Street where the chambers of Darwin City Council are now located.
Arriving back in Darwin in the late 1930s, a young Julie Canaris and her siblings were some of the first European kids living in Darwin, and many of their closest friends at the time were local Aboriginal kids.
It is amazing to think that Julie’s mum went to the NT government to ask for a house and was told there were none, but they could choose a block of land and build. The block of land they chose was on the cliffs of The Esplanade, opposite the old Travelodge, or the DoubleTree Hilton as it stands today.
In those early days there was no electricity or running water. Years later, Julie told the NT News:
The Canaris children would help bring in the fishing nets each night, with the catch of the day going straight to the kitchen of her mother’s restaurant in the old Chinatown in Cavenagh Street. The family rented the shop from Harry Chan, and served Greek and Australian home cooking, everything from fish and chips to Greek style fired fish, dolmades and moussaka.
The family was evacuated to Perth in 1941, just prior to the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, but upon their return to Darwin they went on to operate the Star Milk Bar in Smith Street, Darwin.
Julie married Tony Papandonakis in 1958. Tony, who was born on 12 January 1929 in Kalymnos, had arrived in Australia on 6 March 1956, and they lived at 6 Dashwood Crescent in the city. Together they raised four children: Michael, George, Nick and Evan.
One of the more colourful early stories about Julie Papandonakis has appeared on a website dedicated to the history of the fearless former editor of the NT News, Jim Bowditch, and some of his former staff in the 1960s.
There is a story that one of those staff members, an Englishman by the name of Donald Charles Duncan, described by a former journo, Peter Simon, as:
for several years had a room in a boarding house run by Tony and Julie Papandonakis. The online story records that Julie:
The journal goes on to describe Julie as:
Duncan repeatedly told staff at the NT News that Julie was a ‘good sport’, and he always knew his room at her establishment was waiting for him when he got out of Fannie Bay Gaol after his short spell.
In terms of old Darwin, Julie’s maiden name is now etched in history following her father Michael’s death in 1960, with Canaris Street in Wanguri named in his honour.
Tony and Julie moved into the 21 Bayview Street family home just prior to Cyclone Tracy. Julie’s work with the Greek community included being recognised as one of the original organisers of the Greek Glenti.
Although there are some reports the Glenti started earlier than 1988, it was the Bicentennial Carnival during the original Bougainvillea Festival that saw more than 10 000 people flock to the Greek school for what is known as the inaugural Glenti.
Together with the rest of the committee, Lillianne Gomatos, Koula Koulakis, Nick Koulakis and John Mousellis, they decided to turn it into an annual event. This work was enhanced with the assistance of Michael Milatos, Neville Pantazis and Nicholas Milatos, and was relocated to Bicentennial Park the following year.
Julie was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 1988 Australia Day Honours List. This was also a very special year as it was the year the bicentennial celebrations took place. She received the honour for her services to the Greek community.
Julie continued her love of cooking and was well known for her calamari and desserts, with many members of the Darwin community treated to her - I will have to get this right, member for Casuarina – galaktoboureko.
Mr Vatskalis: Nearly.
Mr GILES: Thank you for the vote of confidence. Vanilla slice to others. I could spell it …
Mr Wood: I thought it was a group of islands off the coast of South America.
Mr GILES: Thank you very much. This tradition continued when her youngest Evan purchased and operated the Greek restaurant Yots in Cullen Bay.
Julie would make trays of it fresh and bring it in personally to make sure it was treated the right way. Either Julie or Evan would often being heard telling patrons:
Julie’s children have all remained in Darwin, married and provided grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A wonderful photo appeared in the NT News to celebrate her 80th birthday last year, surrounded by her seven grandkids and two great-grandkids.
I had the pleasure, whilst Minister for Transport, of working with Julie’s son, Nick, who is a highly regarded public servant.
To Michael, George, Nick and Evan and the extended families who knew Julie Papandonakis simply as Aunty Julie, I take this opportunity of passing on my sincere condolences.
I have another adjournment speech I would like to make. I congratulate all of those involved in the Chief Minister’s Round Table of Young Territorians program. The round table is made up of 16 members aged between 15 and 25 years who represent a wide range of our geographical, cultural and ethnic diversity. The round table meets four times a year and allows young people to give the Territory government feedback on a wide variety of issues and initiatives. At the same time we provide them training in media, public speaking, research and report writing skills.
Each member of the round table is asked to conduct a community-based project where they research a topic, consult with the community and develop their findings into a report with recommendations. The members then present their findings to a panel that includes government ministers, department heads and community groups. The work these young Territorians do on behalf of the whole community is incredible, and I thank each member of the class of 2013 for their efforts.
Sebastian Mangalay Pascoe took on the difficult subject of the impact of gambling on young people living in Galiwinku. Sarah Tam-Perez tackled public speaking by developing a program called TedxYouth@Darwin and has made a series of recommendations about how to improve its market penetration. Lizzie Fogarty researched the viability of establishing a branch youth council for Scouts NT. Olivia Johnson studied the viability of establishing a group for young people with disabilities in Alice Springs. Caleb Maru looked into solving the problems of vandalism by creating an Alice Springs street art project. Thomas Ballas recommended that the government trial a targeted work experience program for Years 11 and 12 to improve students’ preparedness for life after school. Renon Shafer took on the elephant in the bedroom and the delivery of sexual health education. Janet Truong investigated the link between the use of support services and student stress levels. Jess Sullivan investigated the need and support for a travelling confidential mental and sexual health service for young people in remote areas. Natasha Pilakui made several recommendations on ways to reduce cyber bullying on the Tiwi Islands, and Allan Somerville looked into young Territorians in business creation after they leave school.
The round table is an excellent training ground for future leaders. Take last year’s round table volunteer, Caleb Maru from Alice Springs, for example. At 17 years of age, Caleb is currently completing year 12. He was a finalist in the 2014 Northern Territory Young Achiever Awards, Somerville Community Services Awards. He has become a leader and a role model within his community through a leadership courses at St Phillips College, the Desert Youth Leadership Program run by Desert Knowledge, and is chairperson of the Alice Springs Youth Council. Caleb also organises youth based events such as a drug and alcohol awareness movie marathon in Alice Springs to keep young people off the street during school holidays, and all while he is still at school, a fantastic effort.
Many other former members have gone on to become full-time government advisors, lawyers, company directors and business owners.
This year’s round table has begun and has been joined by another exciting group of young men and women from all over the Territory. Kids from Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Darwin, Mataranka, Galiwinku and Nhulunbuy have volunteered to make a contribution to the future of the Territory.
We held our first meeting in February and I am looking forward to working with the group during the rest of the year. Let me congratulate again everyone involved in the Round Table of Young Territorians last year and this year. I look forward to working with this year’s cohort as they develop their skills and work to provide a better Northern Territory.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Deputy Speaker, I pay tribute to Julie Papandonakis, a legend of the Greek community in Darwin. I do not have to write anything down; I will speak to you the way I spoke to Julie many times. The Territory has become what it is because of the contribution of many people, from the Indigenous people who have lived here for time immemorial to the people from other countries who have made this place their own land. It is combination of the two, because in the old days the Indigenous people and the migrants were very close, and they remain very close.
Julie Papandonakis’ family comes from Kastellorizo, an island with a long history in Greece, an island that has withstood invasion and maintained its Greekness for centuries. Unfortunately, poverty and disputes forced many Kastellorizians to migrate to other places such as America, and many came to Australia, mainly Sydney and some to Perth. Julie’s family initially went to Queensland where they opened, what else, a milk bar. Greeks were the first ones to start milk bars in Australia, and even today there is a museum in a town in Queensland commemorating the milk bar tradition and the Greek contribution.
Julie and her family lived there until the 1930s when her father heard Darwin was booming so the family settled in Darwin. They were caught in the bombing of Darwin and migrated to Perth – a person who leaves their home to go somewhere else is really a migrant so they went to Perth – but soon after the war they came back and established, what else, another milk bar, the Star Milk Bar.
Julie had three sisters, Flora, Pat and Marion. They established the Star Milk Bar at a time when many Greeks were coming to Australia, mostly from Kalymnos, because the Australian community had decided to get rid of the Japanese divers in Broome and tried to find new divers for pearl or pearl shell, which was the fashion at the time. The place they chose to bring people from was Kalymnos.
One Kalymnian was Tony Papandonakis. He worked on the pearl luggers, and there are photographs of him as a very young man, working on luggers in Broome. Following the death of their leader in Broome, a mysterious death which remains unexplained today, many Greek divers decided to come to Darwin. They heard there was a demand for working hands in Darwin because the Army was building a number of facilities. Many of them found their way to Darwin; among them was Tony Papadonakis.
Some of my good friends who migrated at that time and are still in Darwin told me when they first came here they went to the Star caf because they heard it was owned by Greeks. All of a sudden that caf became very popular, not because the milkshakes were fantastic – although they were – or the sweets, but because there were four beautiful young women of marriageable age. Many Greeks would hover around there looking at the girls. There were not many Greek girls at the time. I believe quite a number of Italians frequented that caf because there were not enough Italian girls in Darwin at the time.
One of the early Italian migrants, Mr Maddalozzo, told me that he and Tony Papandonakis. built the sewerage facilities in Darwin. As the Chief Minister said, Tony Papandonakis. was well known around town because he carried on his shoulder the air compressor he used for excavations.
Julie married early, against the advice of her mother, and went to Queensland. She came back after splitting with her husband. It was then she met Tony Papandonakis and they fell in love and were married. They had three children together, George, Nick and Evan. Michael, Julie’s first child, was one of Tony’s, or Papa as Julie called him, sons. He never discriminated against them. They were all his sons and he was very proud of him.
When I first came to Darwin in 1993 I was approached by SBS to present a weekly segment for the Greek program on SBS radio. I was quite happy to do so. That is how I met Julie. In one of my reports from Darwin I made comments that some people thought were not very favourable to the Greek community. Obviously they did not understand the tone of my report. I attended the Greek National Day at the Greek school in Nightcliff and, as I was enjoying a glass of wine with some of my friends, this lady came from the other side of the room, pinned me against the wall and gave me a good lecture on what I should and should not say on radio about the Greeks of Darwin. I was stunned; I did not know the lady and was introduced to her later. The fiery lady who pinned me to the wall was Julie Papandonakis.
I became good friends with Julie. After I explained to her what I said and what I meant she understood the joke in my report and since then we had a very good relationship. Mine and Julie’s paths, in my 22 years in Darwin, crossed many times at social occasions and at Evan’s restaurant. I still remember the sign on the wall saying all the sweets were made by his mother and his mother-in-law. Yes, the Chief Minister is right, her galaktoboureko was legendary in the Greek community.
I heard that Julie was admitted to hospital and during visit time she came out of hospital and went home. Again, I heard that she was admitted to hospital and I visited just before she died. I was expecting to see somebody very sick, but I saw Julie the way I remember her, still full of life, lying on the hospital bed. It was soon afterwards that Julie died. It was a great surprise when I found out that a letter in the newspaper written by Julie was dictated by Julie to her son to thank all the people at the hospital - the nurses and doctors who looked after her.
Julie passed away and many people attended her funeral at St Nicholas Greek church, not only Greek people, but many Australians. In the 84 years of her life, Julie made many friends in the Territory from all walks of life. She was instrumental in maintaining the Greek culture and in bringing together Australians and Greeks, and any other person who lived in Darwin. She was instrumental in maintaining the Greek tradition through the Greek dances she organised, and was very strong in the Greek church.
There are many people who contribute to the growth and cultural development of the Territory, and Julie was one of them. She leaves behind four sons and their families, but, most importantly, a very strong memory. She will be always be remembered for what she was, a strong woman who had the community in mind, who even in the last days of her life would thank somebody for looking after her.
We will never forget you, Julie.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to talk about the wonderful things happening in the beautiful community of Drysdale. I am extremely proud to be the patron of the Palmerston Combined Probus Club. Probus has been around for just over a year in Palmerston and is going well. I am honoured to be the inaugural patron, and I hope to be patron supporting Palmerston Probus for a long time. Probus held its AGM on 20 March this year. I was unable to attend as I was freshly married, but I did send my apologies. I need to thank the outgoing committee and acknowledge the incoming committee.
A massive thank you to Ken Cohalan OAM, who helped set up Palmerston Probus and was instrumental in getting membership, growing the club and moving things forward. I think it was always his plan to help establish the club and then move on and let it grow and develop in its own direction. Ken is a busy man and has his finger in many pies. I am sure in many ways he is relieved to hand over this duty to someone else. Having said that, he did an amazing job. He was constantly in communication with me, seeking information about things government was doing which affected seniors, and we developed a good, strong working relationship. I thank Ken for giving me the opportunity to be a conduit between Palmerston Probus and government.
I also thank Jim Wright, who was the Secretary of Palmerston Probus. He did an amazing job. Like Ken, he is another long-term member of Probus and Rotary organisations. He did an outstanding job, but due to personal circumstances, this year, unfortunately, he is unable to continue in that capacity. We will miss him, but he is still around, much like Ken, so I am sure we will be in constant contact.
Treasurer, Ron Pearse, did not escape remaining as Treasurer, so thank you to Ron for his past and ongoing contribution.
Welfare Officer, Sylvia McGough; the Dining Group Chair, Shirley Collins; Tours and Visiting Groups Chair, Ray Grimshaw; Singing Group Liaison, Rob Roos; Newsletter Editor, Christine Ilic; Club Photographer, Sylvia McGough; Cinema Theatre Group Chair, Dot Chapman; and Attendance/Welcome Officer, Connie Cohalan, thank you to those members of Palmerston Probus; you all played an important role and helped make our club a welcoming and special place.
I love the atmosphere the club created and that there are positions like a Welfare Officer. Probus has people who care whether or not their friends turn up to a meeting. It was raised, importantly, at the last previous meeting that you should not pass on apologies for someone for the sake of it just because they are not there. There was a terrible incident interstate where someone passed on someone else’s apologies, and they had been in an accident and that was not noticed because of the apology logged on their behalf. There is a very strong community spirit in looking after one another. I value that the club distinguishes itself from others in that respect because many of those very strong community-minded elements within it.
We now welcome President Ray Grimshaw to Palmerston Probus. I look forward to working very closely with you over the next 12 months. I am sure you will be an excellent president; you seem to have good command of the group and a direction you want to follow. I expect to hear a lot from you, as I did from Ken. I am at your service and here to do what I can to strengthen the club and the knowledge of members.
I again thank past President, Ken Cohalan, who holds the title for the next 12 months, and welcome vice president Dot Chapman. It is very nice to see a woman in the executive of Palmerston Probus. It is nice to see a woman at that level of the club. There is a significant number of males on the executive, so I am right behind you there, Dot!
I also thank secretary, Marilyn Roberts. Marilyn, you are already doing an amazing job; I have received a lot of correspondence from you, and I look forward to working with you into the future. We have a Treasurer – Ron stayed on, as well as Christine as the bulletin editor of a fantastic publication. I have already recruited myself, Nathan Barrett and Peter Chandler to be advertising in your bulletins. We have raised a bit of revenue in a very short space, which was excellent. We look forward to reading every edition.
Shirley continues as the dining group coordinator, and she did that very well last year. I expect we will be looking forward to many events this year. Dot is also the entertainment – cinema and theatre – coordinator. Connie is the membership and fellowship officer. She does an exceptional job at welcoming everyone into Probus as well as making sure visitors and guests have scribbled their signature into the guest book.
Ken will continue as program and guest speaker officer. It is fantastic to see Ken’s continued contribution to the club. Tour and visits will be coordinated by Ray; he is busily coordinating the next overseas holiday for those who are interested, so we are already making headway in that space.
June Roos is also the singing officer and the position of club photographer is still vacant. If people are interested, please do not hesitate to get involved and take up one of those positions. I suspect it will be a very strong year. Coming out of today’s budget, the club will be seeking information about the changes to the Pension and Carer Concession Scheme. I look forward to having those conversations with them and providing whatever information I can to help support the club in any way.
I will also mention a few wonderful Territorians in Palmerston who are doing amazing things. Jamieson Kerle is participating in NT School Sport football in Sydney in July. I wish you the very best of luck, Jamieson. I think I speak on behalf of all my colleagues in saying congratulations for being picked to represent the Northern Territory. We very much look forward to hearing how it all went and hope you bring home success.
Katelyn Dixon is doing the 2014 RSPCA Million Paws Walk in May, and her mum Alana is working very hard to try to raise as much money as possible. She does have a Facebook page, so if you would like to donate money to Caitlin, please get on there; she is a gorgeous little girl, and we wish her all the very best with that walk.
Corey Sutton is going on the 25th anniversary expo representative baseball trip in the United States in June and July. Craig and Sharon, Corey’s parents, have been working hard lobbying members of parliament and of the community to help pay for Corey’s trip. Corey, you have done an amazing job to play representative baseball at this level. We wish you all the very best. It should be extremely exciting for you. No doubt you will have many fond memories to cherish over the course of your life coming out of this amazing experience. All the very best. We will be thinking of you. Please get back in touch with my office to let us know how you went.
The Northern Territory 9-ball team is playing in the world blackball championships in Scotland in October, which is amazing. You will find these guys at the Freds Pass Show this weekend. They will be under my big orange tent raising as much money as possible selling sausages and all sorts of other things. So if you are at Freds Pass this weekend and you are hungry, please make sure you go past the NT 9-ball tent because they will be trying to raise as much money as possible for this trip. We are extremely proud of you and we look forward to hearing, hopefully, of your success in Scotland. No doubt it will be an amazing trip nonetheless.
I had the privilege of going to SAM’s Dance Studio a couple of weeks ago, and not only did I get to meet the teachers and the wonderful girls who participate, but I was shown an exclusive cut into the performance they are busily preparing for the NT Eisteddfod. It was exhilarating and fantastic. I tried my best to participate in the warm up, but I was not appropriately dressed. I think some of the girls were giggling at me, wondering, what the heck is this woman doing dancing around the wooden floors in her work dress and heels? Nonetheless, I gave it a good shot.
I was at SAM’s Dance Studio because quite a few mums had lobbied me to have dance included in the Sport Voucher Scheme. I was able to achieve that for them. Following that we saw the roll out of many more recreational activities being included in the scheme. Thank you to them. I am pleased to have been able to assist and have dance incorporated. I loved coming down. I will have to do it more often, perhaps wearing some leggings and more appropriate clothing next time.
I also congratulate the Goldfish Bowl for working so closely with Gray Primary School, along with the school Sport Voucher Scheme. The school will now be sending kids to the Goldfish Bowl for much needed swimming lessons, for which they can utilise their school sports voucher, which has a direct impact on the cost of living. That is a fantastic outcome for parents at Gray Primary School.
Ms ANDERSON (Namatjira): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to put on record comments some people have made and to promote Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory. I will talk in brief tonight about my idea of community, about Aboriginal communities, the way they are, the reasons for the way they are and what they could become.
I speak not just as a member of this parliament and a representative of a new political formation, but as a community woman. I was raised in a bush community and I still live my life in communities. My families and my country are my home. We have heard for many years that things are bad on communities, that life there is lived without hope. We have heard them described in dismissive terms. We have even heard communities described by the Northern Territory government’s great experts in this field as dysfunctional.
The drum beat of ministers denouncing the failures of remote Aboriginal society has increased in the past few days. The member for Stuart explained her deep concern in the local newspaper on the weekend, and now we see the Attorney-General using the same forum to broadcast his ideas. More than a decade after Noel Pearson launched the national debate on the evils of passive welfare in Aboriginal society, the Attorney-General has discovered the theme and even raised it with his federal colleague, Senator Scullion.
I went through these comments made by the minister with great interest, as I well remember his brief period as the local member for my communities. The minister now says he has a plan to solve the problem of passive welfare by placing all community welfare payments under the control of regional boards, doubtlessly government appointed. He offers us little history lessons and concludes with a sharp message relayed through the pages of the Northern Territory News. Passive welfare, he claims, has:
This is quite a list of troubles. It used to be that when politicians spoke this way, we few Indigenous representatives would keep silent and hang our heads and wonder at the negativity of the portrait being painted. Maybe we could recognise a couple of the arguments but not the whole picture.
The time has come to speak out in careful terms and say clearly that remote communities are, in great part, functional. Their culture is not destroyed and they have their place in our Australia.
Welfare reform programs are already well under way, as is well known. They have been ongoing for the past five years in a calibrated trial in Cape York, and the Prime Minister himself is a keen believer in their merit. They have been tested in Cape York with engaged support of the local communities, not being imposed at the whim of a political eccentric. What then is the place of communities in the modern Northern Territory and what are their prospects? I want to tell you my thinking on this.
Of course life is hard when you live in poverty. Of course there are few jobs in communities, and many of the jobs that do exist are taken and held by outsiders. Of course welfare has been a knife at our throats, sapping and draining away the initiative of community people. We all know this, but communities are also places of love and family, of tradition and belief. They have their own value and are strongholds of Aboriginal culture. Mainstream Australians in the great capitals of south admire the Aboriginal communities of the outback, their people, their art and their landscapes. I would venture to say they think about the remote bush much more than they think or care about Darwin.
How easy it is to sit in judgment of remote communities of the desert and Top End when you are sitting in a smart government office. How easy it is to look down on people who live in simple conditions. How easy it is to assume that because communities are poor, they are full of people in despair.
This is not the way things really are. Men, women and children in communities are proud of themselves and happy in their world. They do not wake up in the morning and think to themselves, ‘How dysfunctional I am, how bad is life’. They wake up and think, ‘How lucky we are to be living on our country, in full possession of our language and culture, and a little removed from the madness, pace and poisons of the mainstream world’. If they did not think that they would not live on those communities. They have choices.
I get calls from my constituents along these lines. They say, ‘Why do outsiders continually assume we live in hell? We may lead a simple existence with poor expensive food from the shops, and it may be hard to get a good education, but we like the way the world is for us. We do not want to be saved; we want a fair share of the resources the government gives to people. We want to be treated justly. We would like to have economic opportunities.’ I can complete the argument for them. They deserve better.
Aboriginal people are the poorest people in the Territory, even though they own half the land and have native title rights over much more of it. Aboriginal people in the bush have appalling health and educational outcomes. They are neglected. I do not mean to pretend these dilemmas are simple, but it is wrong to blame the victims. The problem is not only the communities. I remember how thriving and prosperous bush communities were in the early days before great changes were introduced and the welfare system came in.
My point is this, there is no problem with the capacity of bush people; they are capable and gifted. They would like to have better social and economic prospects. They would like to engage with mainstream Australia in a full, deep fashion. They look up to those from their communities who have had the benefit of a good western education and can walk in both worlds.
There is a vast kingdom of unrealised human potential sitting on our doorstep in the communities. What a dreadful thing to let it all go to waste.
I suggest, as my little contribution to a new thinking tonight, that the way to make real progress swiftly in the bush is not to impose pointless outside solutions on bush people, but to transform the landscape by full joint partnership with men and women. In education, for instance, act now to make schools good places to be and draw children to the classroom of their own free will. Do no treat community residents as subjects to be directed, but as beings with unlimited horizons before them.
I hope that in a few simple words I have given you a foretaste of the lines of thinking in our new political party. We want to open new horizons for our communities and for everyone. We want to respect the dignity of the people for whom we make policy; we do not want to see them being degraded and viewed as ridiculous because they are disadvantaged. Everyone in Territory politics knows the remote bush has been starved of funds and the process of rebuilding them will take decades.
Let us begin to forge constructive solutions. If one ministerial aid in this building has listened and heard what I am saying tonight and not dismissed everything out of hand, I will count myself satisfied and lucky.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Mr Deputy Speaker, that invites a response. Congratulations to the member for Namatjira for raising the level of debate. I am pleased to hear it; it is a good thing.
There are a couple of things I want to put on the record. When I referred to boards, you and other people assumed they would be imposed. The boards I envisaged would have been local boards of local people making those decisions. I do not want to run other people’s lives for them.
What I did get sick and tired of, as a cop, was putting bodies into body bags. Do you know what the really sad part was? The vast majority of them were Aboriginal.
Ms Lee: Wrong.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear the member for Arnhem say ‘wrong’. No, the vast majority of people I put into body bags, especially the victims of domestic violence, were Aboriginal people. There are all sorts of ways the passive welfare system, which I have spoken about for a number of years – I have not recently discovered it – has decayed.
Let us take Ntaria, for example, which was once a community with a leather workshop, a butchery, they used to grow fruit and vegetables and sell them to Alice Springs; it was a thriving community. When I was the member for MacDonnell for eight years - if you call that fleeting, perhaps if you place it in to a context of 60 000 years it was fleeting – the proposal I took to the members opposite, whilst they were still members of the Country Liberals, reflected the idea of local boards, locally controlled with input from local people.
I cannot fix the problems of Yuendumu from Darwin. God knows that Canberra cannot fix the problems of Yuendumu from Canberra. I do not believe you can fix them from Alice Springs; the buy-in is not there. But you can try to speak to a local community and say, ‘You fix it on the ground’. There is a number of things I would like to do in that space, and the members for Namatjira, Arnhem and Arafura are fully cognisant of some of the things I am looking into, because I briefed them on one occasion when they came to my office. I am happy to inform those members that I have gone some distance down that path, and I am happy to brief them again, even though they now sit as Independents in this House, and to continue to brief them on what I am doing because I value their input, as long as it is constructive and genuinely aimed at achieving results in remote communities.
I want local communities working with local government representatives in the communities, saying, ‘All right, let us find the solutions for this community’. The solutions in Hermannsburg – Ntaria - will be different to the solutions in Yuendumu, Nyirripi, Yirrkala or any of those other places. I do not want to try to fix other people’s problems. I have enough trouble dealing with my own family issues on a daily basis, let alone trying to be the person who knows best for other families in other places when they do not speak the same language as me and have a different cultural context.
The very heart of my philosophy is, if you like, individualism, which means responses to people’s problems have to be driven by the people themselves. That also applies to economic results. I hear this word ‘victim’ percolate and find its way back into the member for Namatjira’s language. I do not want to see Aboriginal people as victims, but, unfortunately, that is the way we characterise Aboriginal people. I want to see Aboriginal people pull themselves up by their boot straps like anybody else.
Everybody in this Chamber, and in life, has problems. Some are worse than others, and they manifest in different ways, but you either find a way to deal with those issues and move forward and ahead, or you collapse under the weight of those problems. I know two quadriplegics in the Northern Territory who went on to run businesses and become employers. If there is anybody with a right to feel like a victim, it is surely a person who has lost all function of their arms and legs, yet they started businesses and become employers.
There are victims of sexual crimes; there are victims of other forms of crime, but they have the opportunity to say, ‘I am not going to be a victim. I refuse to be a victim. I will be a survivor and I will get the hell on with it.’ One of the things I want to encourage every person to do is to take an attitude of, ‘Nobody should be expected to fix my issues. Whilst the things that happen to people may be unfair, even downright criminal, if they wait for somebody else to come and fix them, they will be waiting for a very long time. If I take the attitude that it must be somebody else’s responsibility to fix me, I am damning myself because all I will take on is the mantle of victim, and that is all it will ever be.
Whether we are talking about Aboriginal people, non-Aboriginal people, people in Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Yuendumu or Santa Teresa, at an individual level they have a choice. ‘I can be more than what I am but I have to choose to do it.’ I draw on my personal experiences of things that have happened to me, which are all on the public record, such as issues with alcohol and sexual abuse; it happened. If I had waited for other people to come and rescue me from myself, if I had waited for a government policy to be the solution to my drinking problem or what happened to me as a kid, I would still be waiting now. I would still be sitting God knows where, in a gutter, in a park, in a lounge room, in a flat – I do not know where – saying ‘Any moment now, somebody will come and rescue me’.
I would like all people to say, ‘Whatever happens to me, whether fair or not, ultimately I will take on the duty and responsibility for myself to get out of it and move on, to become more than I currently am’. That is what I tried to do with my life, and it has been an exceptional journey. I have loved the journey I have been on. I would encourage any other person to go on that journey, a spiritual, physical, mental and emotional journey, to move forward through life and enjoy and extract from life the pleasure and relish you can get from it. However, the decision has to be taken, and the best way to smother that to death, the best way to crush it, is to remove choices from people. I am so critical of passive welfare because it removes choices.
If you say to a person, Aboriginal or not, ‘You have choice A and choice B, but whatever you do, outcome C will happen’, there is no point in making a choice. You have deprived that person of freedom. To be free you have to earn free. The harder you pursue your own freedom – freedom of mind, spirit, emotional baggage – the more freedom you will obtain. That, I do not believe, is limited to a cultural perspective. That is just a fundamental human perspective.
People pursuing their own lives will throw off the shackles of dependency because they know that is what freedom is. Freedom is, in many respects, the absorption and taking on of responsibility for self. The moment a person says, ‘I am responsible for me’, they begin a journey which changes their lives no matter who they are.
I am so critical of passive welfare because it suppresses that realisation. If you suppress that realisation in the core of the person then you have taken away their capacity to change themselves or, more to the point, they have chosen to abandon that capacity for the sake of a dole cheque.
Freedom for Aboriginal people and dignity for any person is not something that can be given to them. I cannot give any person their freedom, they must take it. I cannot give them their dignity; they must take it and develop it for themselves. You cannot walk around dishing out 500gm packs of dignity. It has to be earned; it has to be developed, and the way you develop it is by understanding that you have duties and responsibilities.
That is what I am trying to encourage. It is not oppressive or condescending or anything else like that, it is an encouragement to say to people, ‘Come on the journey’. I know full well that this applies to the human condition. It is not peculiar to any race or any culture in the world; it is universally a human quality.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will talk about a wonderful Aboriginal man. His name was Peter Brogan and he was a deacon.
If you want an example of someone who did take responsibility for his life and spread that throughout all the people he met, this is the person. I attended, along with the member for Arafura, his funeral at St Mary’s Cathedral last Thursday.
I will read from the eulogy. I thank Luke Morecombe for giving me a copy of it:
I seek leave to table the list of his brothers – his wife was Thecla Brogan – his Tiwi family, his children, who he was father-in-law to, grandpa of, great-grandpa of, great-great-grandpa of, plus all the other in-laws and all those he was godfather to.
Leave granted
I do not have time to read them all out, but it is a true indication of what family means for Aboriginal people. Although I am not Aboriginal, I regard myself as part of the family. It is a wonderful part of the society in which we live in the Northern Territory.
Peter was such a great person. I will read the names of the pall bearers to give you some idea of the family: Shawn Hill; Kenneth Mingun; Simon Bailey; Mathias Liddy; Greg Cusack; Bruno Long; Paul Motlop; Craig Cadell; Dean Rioli; Anthony Henry; Brian Stanislaus; and Gerry de la Cruz. You have nearly every form of sport represented there. It is so symbolic of the family. That is the love that was shown by all those people who attended the funeral for Peter Brogan, a wonderful man.
One special thing he has passed on is his - without being over religious – holiness, in the nice way. His gentle smile – all the people I have spoken said he was never angry, always spoke to people kindly and passed that on to members of his family and others who met him. A wonderful man, a true Territorian and someone many people will miss. May he rest in peace.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak about an event I attended on Saturday 10 May, which was last Saturday night. It was the 73rd annual Battle of Crete commemoration. A large gathering of Cretan people from the Darwin community, along with many of their friends, gathered at the Cypriot Club at Marrara to commemorate this famous battle.
I was grateful that many people turned up. I pay particular thanks to the following people: the Honorary Consul General of Greece, Mr John Anictomatis; President of the RSL, Mr Don Milford; Lieutenant Commander Chris Jones from the Royal Australian Navy; Mr Ron Mitchell from the Multicultural Council NT; Mr Evan Fitirikos, who is the President of the Cypriot Club; and Mr John Nicolakis from the Greek community. It was a great night.
Like Anzac Day, this is a time when Cretan people get together to commemorate the Battle of Crete. For those who may not know what the Battle of Crete was about, Crete is an island in Greece, in the middle of the Aegean Sea. It is a strategically located island in a military sense, one that the allied forces in World War II wanted to keep and the German and Italian forces wanted to take. In May 1941 there was a massive onslaught of German and Italian troops. They invaded the island, parachuted in, and there was a defence force comprising of Australian, New Zealand and British troops, along with a huge civilian resistance organisation. Not only that night, but the following day at a wreath laying ceremony, speeches were made of the heroism of the local people. Here was a people getting on with life in May 1941 who were thrown into a battle for their survival. They assisted, helped troops and fought side by side with the allied troops on the island.
Sadly, forces there were overwhelmed, evacuations were necessary, and the German and Italian forces continued to occupy the island of Crete. A number of Australian soldiers came back to Darwin, one of whom carried a memory of the ferocity of the battle and the heroism of those people who lived on the island, how they fought and died.
We remember those who died, but we also need to remember those who came back and were injured, either psychologically, physically, or those who came back and were unable to cope with much afterwards. There is an excerpt from something at the Australian War Memorial which reflects on the relationship that was formed and strengthened by this battle. It says:
I was very grateful for the attendance at that function of Mr Charlie Parrot. I have seen this gentleman around for many years, and for those who do not know who Charlie Parrot is, he is 93 years of age, he was at the Battle of Crete, and fought side by side with Cretan civilians. For many years, as I have been going to commemoration events and wreath laying ceremonies, Charlie has always been there. Sadly, he was a prisoner of war when the Germans and Italians overran the Allied forces there. Charlie turns up every year, comes along to remember his mates, those who came back with him and, sadly, those who did not.
A good night was had. These events occur in May every year. The Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand gathers to bring Cretans together from all of these associations, and to focus on maintaining and promoting community ties with Greece and Crete, as well to renew, strengthen and form new friendships.
These conventions also provide a platform to support relations between the veterans of the Battle of Crete and the greater Greek, Australian and New Zealand communities. As a result of that function there is always one the next day, held at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas on Cavenagh Street. For those who have been in Darwin a long time, it is a well-known venue. It is one of those whitewashed little Greek churches. For those who have not been in Darwin very long, it does not take long to find out where it is. It is very prominent on the corner of Cavenagh and Daly Streets.
Following a church service on Sunday morning, the wreath laying ceremony takes place and a number of people speak on the Cretan conflict and those who fought and died for our freedom. It was all part of the Allied thrust to protect freedom. As I said on the Saturday night, peace and freedom are very fragile things. If we do not stand up and protect them, we are likely to lose them. To listen to the speeches and be a part of the wreath laying ceremony was a moving experience, remembering there were people who went before us. As we do on Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand, in May, the Cretans celebrate the efforts of so many people and commemorate those who lived and died.
That was a great event on Sunday morning. I also thank Lieutenant Commander Chris Jones who brought a military contingent to lay wreaths and be present to remember the Australians who died in this great battle.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I will move on briefly to the Easter seniors’ lunch which was the Saturday after Easter at the Kalymnian Club. The Kalymnian Brotherhood puts this on every year. The Kalymnian Brotherhood is part of the Christmas and Easter functions for the seniors in our community, and what a fantastic job they do. The club gets all its volunteers together, collects donations and puts on a free event for our seniors to be entertained and have a fantastic lunch.
The entire Greek community throws their weight behind this, not just the Kalymnians. It was good to see the representatives from all the Greek associations there, with somewhere just under 300 seniors enjoying a hearty lunch, having great fun, catching up with friends and making some new ones. It is now a community tradition and has been for many years. It is also on the seniors’ calendar now. My thanks go to the Kalymnian Brotherhood and the other community groups who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the event went smoothly.
Many thanks to the army of ladies who slaved away to prepare the fabulous food. Those who have been there before will be looking forward to Christmas. Special thanks to the Greek dancers, the young people who entertain these people, the committee and the Grey Panthers, those lovely ladies from Palmerston who do those fantastic dances and entertain all during the day. It was a great event. Thank you.
Ms LEE (Arnhem): Mr Deputy Speaker, I stand to speak about the issues and concepts expressed in the online article titled, ‘Passive Welfare Massive Problems in the NT’ from Sunday 11 May 2014.
The Attorney-General, Mr Elferink, has made a number of statements to the Northern Territory News regarding what he sees as a catalyst for Aboriginal people with respect to dysfunctional communities and people. He says passive welfare is destroying Aboriginal people, particularly Aboriginal youth, to the extent that something radical needs to be done. He states that welfare payments should be administered by regional boards, which, in his view, would set people to work for their communities in return for Centrelink payments.
Mr Elferink states that he has taken this matter up with the Indigenous Affairs minister, Nigel Scullion, and Human Services minister, Marise Payne. He does not, however, say how his ideas for the administration of Centrelink payments would work. For instance, there is no detail on what he is articulating. It sounds like yet another solution to set fellow Aboriginal people against each other to carry out the government’s responsibilities in the areas of employment creation and community service delivery.
I note that Mr Elferink’s comments came after his ministerial colleague, minister Bess Price, Minister for Community Services, made a statement about the nature of Aboriginal communities. Minister Price clearly stated that Aboriginal people in Aboriginal communities are dysfunctional. Well I grew up in an Aboriginal community and I do not wake up every day thinking I am dysfunctional. It brought me here. But many of my loved ones and families are still left in the communities. They may never make it out, but at least one third of us do.
I am glad I have the opportunity to stand here and speak for those people. Minister Price went on to say that this debate about the dysfunctionality of Aboriginal people in Aboriginal communities needs to be debated in the open, and needs to be a proper debate about all the issues that caused it. Minister Price talked about domestic violence and the general discourse of Aboriginal dysfunctionality.
Well bring on the debate because this is one debate that needs to have the full engagement of this parliament. All stakeholders, especially Aboriginal people, need to be included in this debate. All the factors that lead to communities being rendered dysfunctional have, at their heart, outside influences which perpetuate the situation.
Aboriginal people do not think they are dysfunctional. In fact, Aboriginal people are extremely functional in many ways. If they can speak eight different languages – our law, the Madayin law, never changes. The laws in Parliament House do. Legislation is always changing. Our laws never change. We respect that and live by that. It is like Christianity, whether you are Catholic or not.
Aboriginal people recognise, after decades, that the dysfunctionality lies outside their communities when dealing with them as a people. Successive governments have for far too long perpetrated neglect, blame and misery on Aboriginal individuals, their families and their communities to such an extent that most Aboriginal people outside Aboriginal communities – the non-Aboriginal population – thinks it is a cultural problem of being Aboriginal.
Government departments, their officials and other agencies of a government nature have simply not been held accountable for the inertia that prevails in Aboriginal communities’ services delivery. Public servants are simply not held accountable for their inaction and the social blunders they commit in Aboriginal affairs. Governments find it easier to blame others for their mistakes and their inability to simply do the right thing. Capacity building has, as its central focus, employment strategies, economic development and infrastructure development as central planks to make Aboriginal people and communities a part of the mainstream employment and economic profile.
I am pleased the wellbeing of Aboriginal communities and people has been raised as a series of issues that need to be publicly discussed and dealt with. We are now beginning to have a debate that will bring to the attention of all people in the Northern Territory the serious issues related to the poverty and the most marginalised people in Australia to the forefront. We are now entertaining a new regime in governance equity for all Territorians, which is political ground that governments of all persuasions in the Northern Territory, since the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978, have not dared to tread.
It has been far too easy for governments of the Northern Territory to sweep the Aboriginal problem under the political carpet. Passive welfare and making people work for Centrelink payments is a short-sighted solution to a massive problem, aimed at solving job creation in remote Aboriginal communities. We have heard all this before. There is nothing new in what the Attorney-General is saying. It is a political road to nowhere.
I, and my colleagues, Alison Anderson and Francis Xavier, left the Country Liberal Party government because the government the Attorney-General is part of has simply torn up the social and economic contracts with the bush electorates. The way to alleviate passive welfare is to create jobs. When I say jobs I mean real jobs, not CDEP or the short-term funded job programs. For instance, many attempts have been made by your federal colleagues, such as the Remote Jobs and Communities Program – RJCP. After more than 18 months, that program has not delivered on the promise of job creation, social enterprise or community developments. In fact, RJCP is now putting money into the new school attendance officers. In my community there are only two. What about the rest of the community, the people who have worked there all their lives? The jobs go out of the community and there is nothing for them.
How, for instance, does your government create jobs at the end of the line for successful graduates of such programs? In other words, Mr Elferink, there simply is no light at the end of the tunnel for those people. It sounds very much like the training merry-go-round we seem to be unable to get off. The simple answer is job creation. Mr Elferink, you stated the notion of working for money was once a source of pride in an Indigenous community. It was until government guilt from past wrongdoings prompted idle money policies. Well, Mr Elferink, you seem to have found the answer to the problems. There seems to be, by your own admission, a need for job creation programs. Is that not the problem?
How many jobs in the Top End have been created for people in the Ichthys program? How many successful Indigenous applicants are there in the workforce of this ground breaking project? Could you please update the House on this matter? Further, minister, can you tell us how many jobs and economic programs have taken place in Aboriginal remote communities since your government came to power in 2012 and how many of them are or were Northern Territory programs?
Going back to what he said about the pride of people in Indigenous communities, there is pride. As I have said, even when I was in the Country Liberal government, education is the key. In my former job, yes, I put many people in body bags too, and I still do it today. I have to go home and bury them. I was in that job for 10 years and it is not nice. You have to pull your own family out of burnt cars. I understand you are talking about your previous job, but this is the reality we all have to face and come to terms with one day. You cannot make assumptions because you have never lived the life there.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I place on the record a few events and a few congratulations to people in the electorate of Nhulunbuy.
Our local Rotary club held a very successful quiz night. It is an iconic event, the Rotary Quiz Night in Nhulunbuy, held in February each year for as long as I can remember. Despite being postponed by a week due to a cyclone warning, the annual quiz night proceeded on Saturday 22 March. There is no shortage of creative minds in Nhulunbuy, and people are encouraged to dress up and have a theme when they come to quiz night. That theme can extend through to the supper we all take along. We had teams such as ‘Griller Tactics’ with people dressed up as chefs, ‘The Caesars’ and ‘Putting on the Ritz’. Over two dozen teams participated, but quite apart from the creative names, team smarts is what it is all about. The overall winners of the night were ‘Not Another Pasta Disaster’ with members Jason Laverick, Kade, Tina White, John, Derrian and Anna.
Congratulations also to the second placed team, ‘Three Years Minimum’ made up of the Fincham/Thompson clan – Rachel, Rob, Denise, Nick, Kerry and Sarah; and third place went to team ‘Dressed Down’ made up of Simone, Clint, Emma, Gill and Dave.
Well done to Leanne Perissy and her team of fellow Rotarians who worked tirelessly to create such a successful event. Congratulations to all the local community businesses which provided support and sponsorship to the event. I am very proud to be a sponsor of the event myself.
In total, the night raised in excess of $5000 and all that money goes to assist organisations within our local community. Like many others in the community, I look forward to the next event, which will be the Rotary Cricket Tournament to be held in Nhulunbuy in June. It will see cricketing legends Len Pascoe – who came to the inaugural event last year – and Jeff ‘Thommo’ Thomson, visiting Nhulunbuy to participate in the event.
Congratulations to the Nhulunbuy Rotary Club for the many events it holds. In the current climate in Nhulunbuy where things are not entirely rosy, to have community events such as these, be it a quiz night or a cricket tournament, certainly boosts community spirit.
I acknowledge the two Anzac Day events held on 25 April, being the 99th anniversary of Anzac Day. Crowds, to me, seem to get bigger and bigger in Nhulunbuy, as I know they do around the country. I congratulate the organisers from our local RSL, Mo McKay and Ivor Alexander, who have organised more Anzac Day events than they probably remember, keeping in mind the day before Anzac Day, 24 April, is also the commemoration of Kapyong. The emcee for both the dawn service and the 11 am service at the cenotaph was Mr John O’Brien. John and his family departed Nhulunbuy about three or four years ago, but it was good to have him back this year. It is not the first time he has come back to be emcee. He is an ex-serviceman, and a former engineer with Rio Tinto. John always does a wonderful job when he emcees Anzac Day services, so thanks to him, but, as I said, special thanks goes to Mo McKay and Ivor Alexander.
We have a strong Kiwi community in Nhulunbuy, so I acknowledge the contribution each year of the Kiwi Connection, a beautiful choral group that sings the New Zealand national anthem at those ceremonies. They sing beautiful harmonies, first in Maori and then the English version. Congratulations to Rachel Blundell, who unaccompanied, sang a very moving, very powerful version of the Australian national anthem at the 11 am cenotaph ceremony.
Wednesday 30 April saw Nhulunbuy High School’s annual swimming carnival. It was hosted at the local pool on what could not have been a better Dry Season day. Students and teachers gathered in their house colours, ready to cheer one another on. The official results of the day were: first place, Team Giddies with 3277 points; second, Team Latram with 2587 points; and third, Team Roper on 1956 points. Roper is the house my boys are in. They were a bit disappointed, but as we always remind our kids, it is not about winning, it is about having a good time and participating. I will place on the record who the winners were in both the female and male age categories. Keep in mind the carnival has always held, as I am sure other schools do, events that are about participation and having fun, not just a traditional swimming carnival.
However, there were winners. The under 13 female champion was Taylor Dowzard ,with the runner up being Bodhi Caldwell; the under 13 male champion was Mitchell Wise, the runner up Harry Pitkin; under 14 female champion was Jordin Ritchie-Clark, runner up Tiana Beauchamp; under 14 male champion was Macallaster Barnett, runner up Harry Parfitt; under 15 female champion was Cassie Body, with runner up going to Gabrielle Davidov; under 15 male champion was Jack Pitkin, runner up Cameron Stiff; under 16 female champion was Jade Kelly, with runner up being Ashley Verrall; under 16 male champion was Bryan Body, with runner up going to Dakota Priestley; open female champion was Pia Lynch with runner up being Abbey Rose-Faggs; and the open male champion was Alex Parfitt, with runner up going to Harry Walker. Well done to everybody who participated in Nhulunbuy High School’s swimming carnival, and well done to teachers who were there.
It can be a bit of a hot day out in the sun. Well done to the Year 12 kids who were doing some fundraising for their Year 12 formal and ran a sausage sizzle.
I also thank Rachel Verdell, who manages our town pool in Nhulunbuy. She does an amazing job and has put many improvements and innovations in place. It is much more than a swimming pool. There are many activities that occur at the pool, including her crossfit training classes, and it makes our local pool, or aquatic centre as it is known, a well-used place in our community.
I place on the record my congratulations to Tina White, who is a Nhulunbuy resident and is employed with Miwatj Health. Last Friday at a ceremony at Parliament House she was named Midwife of the Year in the Northern Territory. Tina contacted me a day or so before to let me know she had been nominated and was coming to Darwin for the awards ceremony.
She kindly invited me to join her on the Friday evening. Regrettably, I was already booked to travel home on Friday at the end of sittings.
Tina is an incredible woman. She is obviously an incredible nurse and midwife. She has lived in Nhulunbuy for a number of years. She has done two stints in Nhulunbuy. She and her family left a number of years ago and then returned, which is not an unusual thing for families to do. Tina has made an incredible contribution as a nurse and midwife. As I said, she is employed with Miwatj Health where she is held in extremely high regard by the Yolngu families she works with – mothers and babies but also dads.
She is also held in very high regard by her peers. She was nominated across three categories, not only as midwife of the year but the remote category and the leadership category as well. Congratulations to Tina. That is an awesome effort. I am very disappointed to know that Tina and her family will be leaving.
I also wish to place on the record the names of the house captains who have been announced for Nhulunbuy Primary School. There will be an awards ceremony this Friday at the school.
Congratulations to Arnhem captains, Patrick Watson and Lacey Asplin, and vice captains Laith Cavanagh and Francis Gurruwiwi; Daliwuy captains, LaMon Forbes and Tailah Whitmore, and vice captains, Callan Carey and Ella Seaniger; Mitchell captains, Brady Dooley and Claire Harris, and vice captains Jamie Moyle and Jolie Ross; and Wirruwuwuy captains Quade Te Oka and Wanetta Willis, and vice captains Jacob Brine and Lucy Harrington.
These young people have all been through an election process. It is no doubt a strong sign of the support they have of their peers at the school to have obtained these positions. Congratulations to each and every one of them.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
REORDER OF BUSINESS
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the routine of business of the Assembly, Government Business, Notices and Orders of the Day, be arranged or suspended if a question or debate is before the Chair so as to permit the Treasurer to deliver the budget at 11 am today.
Motion agreed to.
Madam Speaker, I further move that the routine of business of the Assembly, Government Business, Notices and Orders of the Day, be arranged or suspended if a question or debate is before the Chair so as to permit a response to Budget 2014-15 by the Leader of the Opposition at 11 am on Wednesday 14 May 2014.
Motion agreed to.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Member for Nightcliff
Member for Nightcliff
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, I seek leave of absence for the member for Nightcliff for today, tomorrow and Thursday.
Motion agreed to; leave granted.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of two Year 6 classes from Wanguri Primary School, accompanied by Julie Fraser, Mara Dobrini and Neil Vea Vea. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Parliament House and I hope you enjoy your time here.
Members: Hear, hear!
MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATOR
Message No 16
Message No 16
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received message No 16 from Her Honour the Administrator, recommending to the Legislative Assembly a bill for an act that authorises an amount to be paid from a central holding authority to the purposes of the agencies specified in the bill for the financial year ended 30 June 2015. The message is dated 9 May.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Filming in the Chamber
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have given permission for Sky News, Channel 9 and ABC to film, with sound, the budget address today and the response tomorrow.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also welcome and acknowledge in the visitor’s gallery Gail and John Cooper, who are visiting from Victoria and are involved in the polocrosse and National Polocrosse Championships coming up soon in Darwin; welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Elferink: Is there an electoral interest there Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: There might be.
APPROPRIATION (2014-2015) BILL
(Serial 79)
(Serial 79)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
I table the Appropriation (2014-15) Bill and related papers.
This budget is the beginning of our children’s future. What we do today will have a long-term legacy for our children. This budget is also about taking direct and immediate action to tackle our pressing problems. We have an obligation to use our current opportunities to ensure our way of life is protected, but this government also has a duty to make sure our children have the same prosperity and opportunities we have. Our good fortune cannot be taken for granted and it cannot be squandered.
Our current opportunity has many parts. We have large gas reserves to provide energy. The world’s demand for food has reached a critical stage and the rest of Australia is starting to realise that northern Australia is the future of this great nation. But more needs to be done, and this government is taking action that will secure our children’s future by focusing on the family challenges of today.
The Country Liberals 2014 budget meets those challenges by delivering one of the largest land and housing releases in Territory history, one of the biggest road building programs and Australia’s most financially supportive programs for families and pensioners.
Direct action on economic growth: firstly, let me turn to the economy, which will continue to grow under this government. We are enjoying the highest level of economic growth in the nation, and our economy is expected to outperform most other jurisdictions over the budget and forward estimates period.
The Territory economy is expected to expand by 6% in 2014-15, well above the forecast growth for Australia. Labour market conditions are favourable, highlighted by strengthening employment growth and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Employment growth is expected to strengthen to 3.8%, with the average unemployment rate expected to fall to 4%. The outlook for the Territory economy is positive, with private investment expected to remain at a historical highs.
Direct action on cutting the debt burden: it has been well documented that this government, and Territorians, were left with a forecast $5.5bn of debt to pay off by the former Labor Treasurer who sits opposite – a debt that had an interest bill of $425m a year. I am pleased to report that the 2014 budget reduces the debt left to Territory families by the previous Labor government by $1.3bn, and interest repayments by $55m.
This budget highlights that unlike the members opposite, the Country Liberals are serious about fiscal management and lowering the debt burden on Territory families and our future generations.
The general government net operating balance will now be in surplus in 2014-15, a full two years ahead of the fiscal strategy target. At the non-financial public sector, the 2014-15 fiscal balance is a deficit of $723m, which is higher than projected in the 2013-14 budget, due to the unexpected delay in the completion of the Darwin Correctional Precinct. The delay results in a transfer of $521m from 2013-14 to 2014-15; however, over the forward estimates the deficit substantially reduces to only $39m in 2017-18.
More importantly, net debt is expected to only marginally increase over the forward estimates, with $4.2bn expected in 2017-18. Net debt to revenue will actually begin to fall over the forward estimates from 67% in the budget to 65% by 2017-18. This represents an overall improvement of $1.3bn and 33 percentage points from the 98% debt to revenue estimated by the former Labor government.
These significant improvements have been achieved through a combination of efficiency and service delivery improvements, and a focus on getting value for money; increased Territory revenue; and using the benefits to reduce debt rather than increase expenditure.
GST revenue remains the Territory’s largest revenue source, with $3.1bn expected in 2014-15, a $157m increase from that estimated a year ago. However, this increase is only one-off, as the Commonwealth Grants Commission’s 2014 update increased our relative share of the GST from 5.5% to 5.9%. This is an unprecedented high which is not sustainable. However, we have seen a substantial increase in our own source revenue of around $150m ongoing, due to the significant growth in our economy.
There is a policy change to the bookmakers turnover tax. From 2014-15, the tax threshold will increase from $262 500 to $555 000, raising an additional $2.8m.
Although not a revenue source for government consistent with provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, Motor Accident Compensation contributions will rise in line with CPI.
Ensuring expenses growth is limited and sustainable is the cornerstone of good financial management. This budget forecasts an operating expenses growth of 1.8% for the forward estimates, compared to revenue growth of 2.4% over the same period. This highlights that we are living within our means.
As you know, the government has made significant changes to the Power and Water Corporation by separating the monopoly and moving to adopt national energy market rules in line with other states. Could I remind the House that the government will not be selling off these assets, and the government will continue to set regulated tariffs and continue with the current subsidies.
The Power and Water debt is projected to rise to $1.6bn within the next two years. That is the equivalent of almost $7000 per man, woman and child in the Northern Territory, with an interest bill of $350 a year for each of us. The government is tackling Labor’s debt legacy right across our economy, and Power and Water will be no different.
Direct support to families: let me focus on families. Cost of living and affordable housing are critical issues facing all Territorians. The budget goes further than ever before in taking the pressure off the housing market, and contains increased assistance to help Territory families with everyday costs. We have increased childcare subsidies, sports vouchers and continued the back to school vouchers.
For a family of three children, two school age and one under two in childcare, this equates to $2145 in annual support from the Giles government. No other government in Australia is providing this level of financial help for its families.
This budget provides a total of $5.9m for enhanced childcare subsidies, including $1.3m to expand the scheme to include family day care, and $400 000 to increase the subsidy by 10%, further reducing the cost of childcare services for young children. Expanding the scheme to include family day care means an additional 1000 children will be eligible for this scheme. This equates to a total subsidy of $30 a week and around $1445 per year for a child under two. Budget 2014 includes an extra $5m for Territory families through the government’s Sport Voucher Scheme.
The Giles government is increasing the voucher from $75 to $200. This $7.9m initiative will ease the financial burden on Territory families, and includes more activities, such as dance, music lessons and other arts and cultural pursuits. The Sport Voucher Scheme also provides direct cash injections into many local and sporting organisations, supporting their viability.
This voucher payment is additional to the $6.6m already being provided to Territory families for the $150 back to school vouchers to help parents with expenses such as school uniforms and text books.
Let me state again, no other government in Australia is providing this level of financial help for its families.
Direct action on more affordable housing: the Adam Giles government fully understands and appreciates that our strong economy has put pressure on housing affordability, and we are taking immediate action on this challenging issue.
In addition to supporting Territory families directly, the Giles government is working on reducing the cost of housing by providing more residential land. This budget invests $84.4m in the most ambitious residential land release program ever undertaken by a Northern Territory government.
The new land will support the construction of 6500 new dwellings and will ensure ownership is within reach of the current and next generation of Territory families. The fast track roll-out of residential land across the Territory will develop a new suburb, Palmerston North, on 200 ha near the site of the new Palmerston Regional Hospital.
Berrimah Farm will also be revitalised into a major urban development. The total investment in residential land release includes;
$36.9m to continue head works in Palmerston east to support the releases at Zuccoli, stages three, four and five, estimated to supply 1840 lots
$8m to support an englobo release in Palmerston north and Berrimah Farm, estimated to supply 2000 residential lots
These initiatives will have a significant impact on improving housing affordability.
From today, the First Home Owner Grant will be amended to provide more targeted assistance to Territorians, increasing the grant from $25 000 to $26 000 for first home owners purchasing or building a new home. The $600 000 value cap will also be removed.
From 1 January 2015 the scheme will be directed to new homes only, with grants for existing homes to cease from this date. This encourages an increase in supply of housing, rather than just continued turnover of existing dwellings. By stimulating the market for new home construction, we are creating an environment for jobs in this sector and reducing upward pressure on the rental market.
The 2014 budget also continues to assist Territorians owning their home through the provision of HomeBuild Access loan products and services, providing home ownership opportunities for Territorians who would otherwise be unable to access private sector finance.
The Territory government’s Real Housing for Growth plan continues to provide more housing choices for Territorians. In 2014-15, $6.7m is being invested and 190 dwellings will be provided under the scheme.
Today’s budget also includes $224.3m for housing across the Territory, with $44.9m for urban public housing, $36.7m for government employee housing and $122.8m to construct new, and upgrade existing, housing in remote communities.
Direct action on improving education: we need skilled kids for our bright future. That is why the Giles government is committed to improving our children’s education and improving educational outcomes.
Improving educational outcomes in the bush is paramount to the Territory’s future. This budget allocates $40.5m over four years for new boarding facilities across the Territory to improve educational outcomes for students in the bush and provide them with the same level of educational support afforded to urban kids.
Budget 2014 includes $17m over three years to support implementation of a suite of reforms to increase school autonomy and improve educational outcomes. The reforms include the introduction of global school budgeting from 2015, a move towards the introduction of independent public schools and a review of the Education Act.
This budget builds the importance of schooling by investing in educational facilities over the next four years for new preschool, primary and special schools and facilities across the Territory, including:
$37m over two stages for a new preschool and primary school in Zuccoli
$1.2m for expanded preschool facilities at Rosebery
$20m for a new special school in Bellamack
$11.6m for NT Open Education Centre, including a generous $3m contribution from INPEX
$5.2m for extra classroom space to meet higher student attendance needs and related works at Maningrida, Galiwinku, Borroloola, Ntaria and Ali Curung schools.
This budget also provides for continued support for Indigenous Territorians to access training that links to community projects with employment outcomes, improved employment skills or enterprise development
Direct action to support safe and secure communities: this budget continues to invest resources to strengthen law and order, and delivers $709m to improve community safety across the Territory, with property offences, house break-ins, theft and property damage at their lowest level in 14 years.
Budget 2014 provides a total Police, Fire and Emergency Services budget of $382m. There is additional funding of $3.96m for continued upgrades for key ICT systems, including $910 000 to upgrade the NT fire alarm system transmission. The budget also invests in police facilities with:
$8.4m for repairs and maintenance
$9m to redevelop the Alice Springs Police Station
$15.6m to construct police facilities in Arlparra, Yuendumu and Pirlangimpi
$1.8m for overnight police facilities in Mt Liebig, Areyonga and Robinson River
$2.84m to continue to operate 24/7 counter services at Alice Springs Police Station, as well as upgrade and support the Northern Territory Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre.
Additional funding of $3m is allocated in this budget for a new Supreme Court in Alice Springs, and an additional $300 000 to investigate public interest disclosures.
The new Darwin Correctional Precinct will see the establishment of the Northern Territory Correctional Industries. This will provide more opportunities for inmates to receive valuable training to obtain the life skills required to assist reintegration into the community and reduce the risk of reoffending.
This budget continues to support government’s working prisons policy by providing:
$2.45m to establish a 50-bed regional work camp at Nhulunbuy
$1m to provide enhanced monitoring and surveillance of offenders in the community
$1.85m to support Sentenced to a Job and the continued enhancement of prison industries at Alice Springs Correctional Centre.
This budget provides additional support for the justice system through an additional $3.36m to establish and operate the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The tribunal will provide a streamlined and equitable approach to dispute resolution relating to administrative decisions.
Direct action for youth and children at risk: this budget also focuses on improving youth justice facilities and services to help reduce the number of young people at risk of offending and reoffending with the development of the youth justice framework, and includes:
$5.6m for early intervention targeted youth programs, including boot camps and community-based diversion programs
$9.75m for the operation of the youth detention centres across the Territory. Works will be undertaken at the Darwin Correctional Centre site at Berrimah upon its decommissioning for an expanded Darwin Youth Detention Centre.
Budget 2014 delivers more than $160m to the Department of Children and Families to provide a range of services to protect children in the Northern Territory from harm, including:
$33.9m for child protection services
$79.4m for out-of-home care services
$38.3m for family and parent support services.
In addition, funding to support youth initiatives in 2014-15 includes:
$800 000 towards recruitment, retention and support for foster and kinship carers, improving long-term care options for children
$940 000 continued funding to support the BushMob Youth Residential Rehabilitation Service in Alice Springs
$2.1m for improving management and accountability of out-of-home care services, providing better outcomes for children
$500 000 to operate a new residential care facility in Tennant Creek for children under 10 years.
Direct action on health: the 2014 budget demonstrates this government’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of Territorians with a $1.35bn investment in health-related expenditure.
The new health services framework will start on 1 July 2014, with primary health care services to be integrated into the Top End health service and the Central Australian health service, through the transfer of urban and remote primary health care from the Department of Health. The three separate entities - the department and the two health services - will continue to operate as a single Territory-wide system with consistent standards and protocols to ensure that service accessibility, safety and quality are not compromised by the changes.
In addition to expanded services, the 2014 budget provides $191m for health-related facilities, including $5m to continue preliminary works for stage one of the new Palmerston Regional Hospital.
The $150m Territory and Abbott government-funded Palmerston Regional Hospital will be delivered as planned. The site has been specifically chosen for its access and flexibility and, more importantly, it has space that can continue to meet the needs of a growing population. In addition, the Giles government continues to invest in the health and wellbeing of Territorians, including $22.8m for upgrades at Royal Darwin Hospital and $1.9m for the Emergency Department at Katherine Hospital.
This budget also provides funding to expand and maintain the range and quality of services available in the Territory, including:
$725 000 additional funding for mobile breast screening across remote communities and for a Palmerston-based service
$391 000 to support palliative respite care services in Alice Springs
$4.46m continued funding to provide an additional 400 elective surgery procedures a year.
Budget 2014 continues to deliver services to support mandatory rehabilitation for problem drinkers. More than 300 people have now been assessed and provided with medical withdrawal and rehabilitation services. The budget will see the establishment of custom-designed facilities, including:
the Darwin services transferring to a facility in Berrimah following its refurbishment into a therapeutic environment;
$3.9m for a secure treatment facility to complement expanded assessment capacity at the Katherine Hospital
assessment treatment facilities being developed in Tennant Creek
increased capacity in Alice Springs.
The Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme is designed to support those most in need and is the most generous in the nation. The 2014 budget includes $27.9m to support pensioners, seniors, carers and veterans for a range of concessions including utilities, car registration, travel and rates. However, to ensure the scheme provides help where it is really needed, from today all new applicants to the scheme will need to meet Commonwealth eligibility criteria by being in receipt of a Centrelink concession. No existing scheme members will be affected by this change.
Direction action on northern Australia development: one of the challenges for any government is to avoid the boom and bust cycles. Here in the Territory we are enjoying very strong growth, but we are not sitting back and resting on our laurels.
The government is taking action now to identify new opportunities and new businesses to diversify the Territory economy. We are focused on the Northern Australian development strategy, which includes growing our local businesses to take advantage of growth from Asia and domestic Australian markets. Building the north means growing our infrastructure, and this budget delivers total infrastructure spending of $1.14bn for land release, school and health facilities, housing and roads.
The roads program is one of the biggest seen in the Territory, with a total of $377.8m, including:
$83m for Tiger Brennan Drive
$30m for strategic economic development roads
$3m for the Larapinta Drive/Lovegrove Drive intersection
$7.3m to improve Outback Way roads
$81.2m for repairs and maintenance.
This budget provides additional funding of $1.8m to develop northern Australia through the establishment of a new Northern Australia Development Office that will, in partnership with the Commonwealth and industry, harness and coordinate economic development strategies locally, nationally and internationally
The NT government has also appointed a Northern Territory Commissioner to Indonesia and other ASEAN countries, who will provide in-country assistance and connections to help the Northern Territory conduct business and build closer ties within the region.
The Territory is making huge progress in building the live cattle trade with Indonesia in the wake of Labor’s damaging export ban. The Chief Minister has been working hard in the markets of Indonesia, Vietnam and, more recently, Timor-Leste, to expand our cattle, buffalo and other industries in this important region.
The recent finalisation of the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership is good news for the Territory. These agreements will provide opportunities for Territory exports to expand into the Korean and Japanese markets, and will benefit through progressive reductions in tariffs, particularly on horticulture, beef and resource commodities.
By way of example, Korea will progressively eliminate its 30% import duty on Australian mangoes, and, combined with opening up Stage 3 of the Ord, this will provide a massive opportunity for our growers and exporters.
Funding of $400 000 continues to be provided to lead Ord Stage 3 development work to expand irrigation channels into the Territory to release 14 500 ha of new agricultural land.
Direct action for local business: this budget recognises the importance of local businesses. It takes direct action through additional funding of $950 000 for a red tape abolition squad and procurement reforms, and $500 000 over two years to continue the business innovation support initiatives program to provide funding to small and medium businesses to pursue innovation and undertake research and development projects.
This budget also provides $51.4m to continue the release of commercial land to assist businesses and economic activity, including:
$5.1m for additional industrial lots at Darwin Business Park North
$6m at Darwin Business Park to service further subdivisions
$6.3m for five industrial lots by extending Muramats Road
$3m for the next stage of industrial release at Udall Road, Tennant Creek
$5.9m to continue works on the Wishart Road industrial precinct.
Direct action on mining and resources: mining investment remains crucial to the economic development of the Territory. This budget is investing in the Territory’s future through an additional $15.8m over four years to create opportunities for resource exploration.
This includes acquiring new precompetitive geoscience information, providing delivery of geoscience and exploration data to industry, providing industry grants for high-risk exploration and promotion of the Territory as an international exploration investment destination.
This geo-data will support the development of new mining opportunities and help expand current operations. This budget also promotes mining investment through an additional $8m over four years for an accelerated collaborative program to assess the Territory’s shale gas potential and resources.
More than $1m is provided to continuing improving mining approval time frames and water monitoring assessment of high-risk sites under the Mining Management Act.
In February this year the government granted the first Territory onshore gas licence in over 30 years to Central Petroleum’s Surprise development in Central Australia. There is also an extensive exploration program currently under way in the area. These projects have the potential to generate significant economic activity and employment opportunities in Central Australia.
Direct action on rural and regional areas: improving the autonomy and financial capability of local government is key to economic development in the bush. The government is restoring the voice of the bush by setting up 63 local authorities across the Territory. The local authorities will be involved in the planning and delivery of services and all expenditure matters involving their local community. This budget provides $5m towards local authorities, which in turn improves the financial sustainability of regional councils.
This increases the Northern Territory subsidy to local government in regional areas to $30.6m a year. This injection is in addition to the $10m for a regional economic development grant program, part of a three-year $30m program.
The Giles government has formed a new regional council area in the Wadeye, Palumpa and Peppimenarti region. This new council has been separated and up and running on 1 July this year. An additional $3m over two years has been allocated to fund the separation and to allow this new West Daly Regional Council to ramp up its presence in the area.
These changes, along with devolving a number of Territory government functions to LGANT, deliver on the NT Country Liberals promise to give communities back their voice on the services that are delivered.
The Northern Territory government is also delivering in regional areas through the Indigenous Business Tender Support Program. This program is focused on remote and regional Indigenous business, and aims to help to improve their ability to navigate government and private sector tender processes.
This budget also progresses capital projects in remote communities to provide capacity to support additional health, education and police facilities, as well as housing and roads. Projects include:
$14.85m to upgrade sewerage systems at Maningrida, Angurugu and Galiwinku
$2.6m to replace water storage facilities at Numbulwar and Yirrkala
$45m in partnership with the Commonwealth for a regional roads productivity package to upgrade Roper Highway, Port Keats Road, Arnhem Link Road, Buntine Highway, Central Arnhem Highway and Santa Teresa Road.
This year the market forces affected even major players such as Rio Tinto. The company’s decision to curtail operations at the Gove Alumina Refinery will first and foremost affect the people of Nhulunbuy. The Territory government and Rio Tinto have established a Regional Economic Development Fund to explore opportunities to attract new investment and industries into the region. The government will continue to explore measures to support the local community.
The Giles government’s commitment to Gove as a service and support centre for the East Arnhem region is evidenced by the more than $1bn projected expenditure in the region over the next five years on essential services, including health, education and police.
Funding of $2m is provided for the Regional Economic Development Fund. In addition, $500 000 is provided for development of a large vessel pontoon at Melville Bay in Nhulunbuy.
This budget also fosters significant economic development in the Tiwi Islands through investment in roads, infrastructure and services. In February, the Tiwi Plantations Corporation and Japanese company, Mitsui and Co, signed a memorandum of understanding to develop markets to sell Tiwi woodchip, creating up to 100 jobs for the local community.
Our investment in the Tiwis includes $800 000 to continue the Tiwi Islands ferry service and $260 000 to support Tiwi Islands economic development.
Direct action on agriculture: the Giles government is capitalising on the rapidly growing food demands of our Asian neighbours, and today I announce a new initiative which sees the establishment of the Food Industry Development Group to reshape and drive economic development activities in the agricultural sector.
This group will coordinate and implement economic development activities, including market analysis, new market development and facilitation of land investment packages with an aim to assist industry to attract overseas investment.
The demand for food in Asia is forecast to double by 2050, and this new food industry development group will focus on the live export markets, new products for China, aquaculture investments and ongoing support for Tiwi project works. As an important part of the government’s northern Australia development strategy, the group will also work with our counterparts in the Western Australian, Queensland and Commonwealth governments and their international trade offices.
Direct action on tourism: tourism is a cornerstone of the Territory’s economy. In 2012-13, more than 1.2m visitors supported 16 000 jobs in this sector. This budget continues government support for tourism, providing $13.6m to market the Territory internationally and $17.5m for domestic marketing activity in partnership with tourism retailers, airlines and other partners. This includes an additional $7.5m to market the Territory internationally and $500 000 for a regional and remote tourism product development grant program.
In addition, this budget adds to the Territory lifestyle by providing $5m for a boardwalk along the Darwin Esplanade and $2.5m to construct a tourism boardwalk in Alice Springs.
At the local level, Alice Springs could soon become a mecca for mountain bikers around the globe with the opening of a new world-class trail network at the Telegraph Station. The Country Liberals government provided $150 000 to build the new trails, which have been constructed to international standards.
As part of our Tourism Vision 2020 plan to boost tourism numbers, the Country Liberals government is exploring opportunities in the cruise sector to increase the number of cruise ship visits, attract home-based cruise ship operations and improve the visitor experience in the NT. With passenger, crew and operational spend, the cruise sector contributed an estimated $66.8m to the Northern Territory economy in 2012-13, up 3.7% from the previous year.
Territory lifestyle: the Giles government is proud of the Territory lifestyle, and this budget supports Territorians who want to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle, with greater resources for sport, recreation and cultural activities. This includes an additional $5m for the Sport Voucher Scheme and $5.6m for grants to peak sporting bodies and active recreation organisations that aim to keep Territory kids active and ensure all young Territorians have access to sporting and recreational activities.
This budget provides upgrades to major event infrastructure, including $4.3m for upgrades to the Hidden Valley Motor Sports Complex to support the delivery of local and national events, and competition; and $300 000 to continue upgrades to the Alice Springs drag strip to support hosting regional and national events.
This budget also provides $2.15m additional funding to bring AFL, NRL and A-league soccer matches to the Territory. This includes the Melbourne Demons versus Port Adelaide Power, Parramatta Eels versus the Canberra Raiders and the Adelaide United Football Club to play a pre-season match in, and deliver youth programs to, Central Australia.
This budget provides direct action of $44.9m to enhance the Territory’s arts and cultural experiences, including $7.2m to support the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory under its new governance arrangement as the independent statutory authority, and $500 000 to support Katherine’s cultural centre.
This budget supports creative Territorians with the Northern Territory Arts Grants Program providing funding of $6.8m in 2014-15 towards community arts and cultural infrastructure, arts organisations, festivals and events.
The budget also delivers anglers great opportunities to hook their next big catch, through:
$2.5m for the sustainable management of the Territory’s aquatic resource
$2.5m additional funding to upgrade two barrages on the Mary River to prevent salt water intrusion
$560 000 for the sustainable management of the Territory’s recreation fishing sector
$700 000 for ongoing development of Indigenous commercial fishing capacity
budget funding for additional CCTVs, including the installation of five CCTV cameras at the Elizabeth River boat ramp.
Protecting the Territory’s unique environment is an important part of our lifestyle. Budget 2014 provides:
additional funding of $2.4m for the acceleration of land and water suitability assessments
$5.8m for the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority to provide advice on environmental impacts of development proposals
$1.5m to continue to manage fire and weeds on Crown land across the Territory
$1m to continue the Environment Grants program.
In conclusion, this budget secures our children’s future and builds their children’s future. It maintains our commitment to drive down debt and highlights the sound fiscal management principles the Giles government has put in place. It is a budget which continues to harness the benefits from the economic growth we are experiencing and develops our regions. It is a budget that gives financial relief to families. It is a budget that will reduce the cost of housing for Territory families through accelerated land release. It is a budget that has a strong focus on law and order, improving educational and health outcomes and promoting the Territory lifestyle.
The Territory’s future is bright and we are creating prosperity for all Territorians, this generation and, most importantly, the next. I commend the Budget 2014-15 to the House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Debate adjourned.
TREASURY LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 80)
(Serial 80)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
This bill makes amendments to the First Home Owner Grant Act and the Racing and Betting Act, which form part of the government’s 2014 budget measures. The measures in this bill will improve the Territory’s overall fiscal position, through savings and additional revenue, while still providing generous assistance to first homebuyers who purchase or build new homes. A minor consequential amendment is also being made to the Stamp Duty Act.
The First Home Owner Grant was introduced in the year 2000 as part of a nationally consistent scheme designed to offset the effects of the goods and services tax on first homebuyers. Originally the grant was available to first homebuyers regardless of the type of home that was built or purchased. However, broad grant schemes of this kind have been criticised as inefficient and as fuelling higher property prices, rather than improving housing affordability.
In recent years all states and territories have progressively retargeted their first homeowner assistance towards the construction of new homes, reducing the pressure the grant adds to the demand for the limited stock of existing houses. From 1 July 2014 the only other jurisdiction providing a first homeowner grant for established homes will be Western Australia, at a much reduced amount of $3000.
From 1 January 2015 the Northern Territory will follow the national trend by limiting grants to newly built homes. This means the scheme will remain open for potential first homebuyers of established homes for about seven more months, which will provide potential first home buyers already looking for a suitable home with adequate notice of the policy change. An orderly transition period is also fiscally responsible.
The focus on new homes better targets assistance towards growing housing supply and employment in the construction sector. By promoting the supply of new homes the grant is less likely to place upward pressure on house prices in the Territory.
The bill also increases the amount of grant for the purchase or construction of new homes to $26 000, effective from today. Complimenting this, the bill also simplifies the administration of the First Home Owner Grant scheme by no longer subjecting new homes to a maximum value of $600 000.
Since December 2012 when the cap of $600 000 was introduced, numerous first home owners have been able to buy or build a new home for under this amount; however, with land and building costs increasing, this is becoming more difficult. As a result, to try to bring their purchase under the cap some parties are seeking to exclude such items as landscaping or fencing from their building contract. These items are then completed later. This can give rise to disputes and requirements that valuations are obtained of the completed new home.
While the introduction of the cap was intended to target affordable homes, its administration has been burdensome, imposing red tape on grant applicants, the building industry and on administration. Potential first home owners considering constructing or purchasing a new home can now do so with greater confidence of receiving $26 000 in assistance without the red tape surrounding the $600 000 cap.
Furthermore, the meaning of ‘new home’ is being clarified to allow the Commissioner of Territory Revenue to disregard a prior sale of the home in limited circumstances. This discretion is designed to enable, for example, a first home buyer of a newly built home to be eligible for the grant even if they buy their home by way of sub-sale. A sub-sale could occur in an off-the-plan development where an investor initially contracts to buy a unit from a developer but chooses to on-sell the unit to the first home buyer before construction is completed.
The bill also addresses a minor technical issue to ensure that where a building is used for short-term accommodation, such as a hotel or serviced apartment, the building ceases to be new after it is occupied. Accordingly, if the accommodation becomes available in the future for long-term residential occupation as a home, it clearly would not be characterised as a new home.
I now turn to the other key measure in the bill, the amendments to the Racing and Betting Act. Following significant changes to the Australian Racing industry, including reforms in Tasmania which threaten the Territory’s bookmaking industry, the Territory’s turnover tax model was replaced in 2010. A profits-based scheme was introduced, with the maximum amount of tax payable in a financial year capped at $250 000, indexed to the Darwin CPI.
The bookmaking industry is driven by online systems that allow customers and bookmakers to interact anywhere in the country and around the world. Accordingly, a generous tax concession was required to ensure that corporate bookmakers would not relocate interstate. In this global market the Territory must balance the need to raise revenue with ensuring that we continue to be a competitive place to conduct business.
The bill amends the Racing and Betting Act to increase the bookmaker tax cap from $250 000 to $500 000 revenue units, or $555 000 from 1 July 2014. This will maintain a balanced approach, not increasing the taxation burden to the point where bookmakers leave the Territory, while ensuring the bookmaking industry continues to pay a fair share of Territory taxes.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the associated explanatory statement.
Motion agreed to; debate adjourned.
APPROPRIATION (2014-2015) BILL
(Serial 79)
(Serial 79)
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, this government has delivered a budget that repairs past neglect and sets the course for a prosperous future. When the Country Liberals came to government we promised to reduce debt and we have. We promised to plan for the future and we have delivered. We promised to strengthen law and order and we have. We promised to grow the economy, and we continue to.
The Treasurer has today delivered a budget that cares for our families and builds a future that every Territorian can be proud of. This budget proves you can fix mistakes and build prosperity at the same time.
This budget delivers a net operating surplus a full two years ahead of schedule. When the Country Liberal Party came to government, the Territory’s coffers were bare. The finances had been run down to such a point that it was difficult to fund any new initiatives to rebuild the economy.
But we promised to fix debt, and by reducing waste, tightening our belts and staying focused on outcomes we have done just that. We have contained our operating expenses growth to 1.8% but grown our revenue to 2.4%. That has allowed us to reduce the debt burden on the Territory by $1.3bn and reduce the interest payments to service that debt by $55m per year. This outstanding achievement is allowing us to get on with business and build a future that generates wealth and jobs for everyone.
The Northern Territory government is leading the push to develop northern Australia. The Territory is ideally placed to supply more goods and services to Asia and the rest of Australia, and we must prepare for that future. It requires bold and innovative action right now. We have already opened the Northern Australia Development Office to spearhead the Territory’s role in this development and lay the foundation for what is likely to become the longest period of sustained economic growth in the Territory’s history.
We have invested $2.5m to ensure the Territory takes the lead role in the development of northern Australia. We are working closely with our counterparts in Western Australia and Queensland, as well as the federal government, and I am pleased to be able to say that after my early meetings with key stakeholders, we are right on track.
But we must never lose sight of the Territory’s needs. We are investing $3.75m to promote international trade and Asian engagement to create more investment opportunities for the Territory. This includes a Territory government trade and investment office in Asia to secure trade and investment deals for Territory businesses. We are promoting the Territory as a jurisdiction of choice for investors, and developing new business links within the region. We are exploring opportunities to diversify workforce and migration strategies to support small business and targeted local industries. We are removing red tape and encouraging new investment. We are streamlining the native title process, negotiating one-stop shops for environmental assessments to reduce red and green tape, reviewing work health and safety laws in the Northern Territory and working on key areas of national reform, including infrastructure, deregulation, competitiveness, productivity and reform of the federation and taxation systems.
New economic data shows our strategy is working. CommSec’s most recent State of the States report shows the Territory’s economic growth is up by 51.8% on the 10-year average, unemployment is down by more than 12% on a 10-year average and construction is up 112.7% for the same 10-year period. This government is proud of its open for business approach to economic development because it works.
It is estimated the Territory has reserves of more than 200 cubic trillion feet of unconventional gas in six basins. The industry rule of thumb is that one trillion cubic feet of gas is enough gas to power a city of one million people for 20 years. To compare, INPEX is tapping approximately 11 trillion cubic feet. We are already exporting billions of dollars’ worth of LNG to the world. We have a gas pipeline running the length of the Territory to Alice Springs, and by building a gas pipeline to Moomba in South Australia, for example, we could sell gas to the southeast corner of New South Wales and fix their gas crisis, or at least work towards it.
The potential for this industry is enormous. To ensure the onshore gas fields are managed correctly, this government is investing almost $1m to support an inquiry into the hydraulic fracturing system in the Northern Territory. Commissioner to the inquiry, Dr Allan Hawke, has promised that anybody who makes a submission will have the opportunity of a face-to-face meeting with him to explain and explore what they mean in their submission. The submissions will be posted on the inquiry’s website so people can see what others are arguing and have an opportunity to respond.
But it is not all about oil and gas. There are enormous opportunities and potential for increased agribusiness and export to Asia’s growing middle class. As they become wealthier, they are demanding a greater range and supply of quality produce, and this presents the Territory with a unique opportunity. We are one of the few places in Australia with the capacity to significantly increase food production; we have the space to tackle these new opportunities. So we have created the independent NT Planning Commission to facilitate economic growth, while also protecting the environment, cultural and heritage issues and our assets.
One of the priorities is to identify the release of surplus Crown land for development. We are considering new ways to reduce the complexity of land tenure arrangements, including changes to the Pastoral Land Act to increase the range of investment opportunities. This will open up even more opportunities in regional areas.
We are investing $4m in operational support to drive and coordinate economic development initiatives across the whole of the Territory, including on the Tiwi Islands, by attracting major projects.
We are also working to attract strategic Defence liaison opportunities, and a range of regional economic development opportunities, programs and initiatives will be driven to see those supported and supplemented. I have established Department of the Chief Minister offices in the East Arnhem, Big Rivers, Barkly and Central Australian regions to drive economic development outcomes and ensure the development of the Northern Territory benefits all Territorians.
By unlocking and developing the full potential of northern Australia, we are creating prosperity and jobs for everyone. We are increasing economic output, exports, improving our balance of trade and ensuring the Territory takes its place as one of Australia’s top economies.
Territorians have told us they want growth that suits their lifestyle. We are planning to ensure that development is sustainable and responsible, and future generations will thank us for our planning and vision. That is why this budget cares for our families now. The cost of living pressures hurt Territorians, and we blame that on Labor’s failures over the last eleven-and-a-half years.
We have reduced the cost of childcare services by increasing childcare subsidies and expanding the scheme to include family day care. This makes the subsidy available for an extra 1000 children who need our support.
We have added an extra $5m to the Sport Voucher Scheme to get more children off the couch and into organised sport and recreational activities. These vouchers have increased from $75 once a year to $200 per year, paid in two $100 instalments. We are expanding the scheme to include more activities, such as dance, music lessons, art and learn to swim lessons for children up to the age of five years. This will encourage our children to live healthier, happier lives and reduce the cost burden to families in getting their kids participating in these sports or recreational activities.
The Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme remains the most generous in the nation, starting at around $2m 10 years ago, reaching out to $27.9m this upcoming financial year. It supports those most in need with a range of concessions, including utilities, car registration, travel and rates.
We have increased the first home buyer’s grant for new homes by $1000 to $26 000, altered the eligibility requirements to encourage the construction of new housing and have removed the price cap. This will create new housing opportunities, building new houses, increasing the housing supply, creating more jobs and helping to drive down the cost of living.
This government is releasing new land faster than ever before in the Territory government’s history. We are investing more than $84m in new residential land releases in this budget to continuing driving down living costs and encourage people to buy their own housing. In total, we are providing more than $135m worth of infrastructure projects to facilitate residential and industrial land release to build our future.
A critical part of planning for our future is around health. As northern Australia develops and the economy grows, so will the population and the demand for healthcare. This government is investing $1.35bn in health in this budget. In addition, there is $22.8m for upgrades to the Royal Darwin Hospital and $1.9m for a new emergency department at the Katherine hospital. We have also boosted the funding for mobile breast screening in remote communities.
This government remains committed to the building of a new state-of-the-art regional hospital in Palmerston. The hospital will deliver Territorians a new emergency department, and cardiology, cancer and obstetric services in a large modern complex which is being designed specifically to include space for future growth. We are planning it properly to ensure we meet the needs of those we need to care for. This budget includes $5m for preliminary works within the hospital, due for completion mid-2018.
When we build a prosperous future we also have to ensure we build a safer community. We all know crime is continuing to drop across the Northern Territory in record levels. Property offences, house break-ins, theft, property damage and assaults are at their lowest levels in 14 years.
Alcohol Protection Orders introduced by this government in December 2013 have brought about a significant reduction in alcohol-related crime. Almost 1300 people are currently banned from drinking on these orders.
There are early positive signs the orders are starting to bite as a deterrent with a reduction in assaults. Official crime statistics show that during the first quarter of this year there has been a sustained downward trend in violent crime, with assaults down 19% Territory wide compared to the same period last year.
These figures are even more impressive when you look at the regional statistics, with assaults down 39% in Tennant Creek, 32% in Alice Springs and 21% in Katherine. The turnaround began in January, shortly after the introduction of the APOs and the beginning of intensive police operations outside bottle shops in Territory towns.
We are also building to meet future needs. Budget 2014 includes a $9m allocation to redevelop the Alice Springs police station, $15.6m to construct new police facilities at Alpara, Yuendumu and Pirlangimpi, and $1.8m for overnight police facilities in Mount Liebig, Areyonga and Robinson River.
We are supporting our emergency services through improved technology that includes $3.9m for continued upgrades to vital information, communication and technology systems, including $900 000 to upgrade Territory fire alarm transition systems.
We are rolling out iPads to every police officer to give them a mobile office in the field, and we are closing two police beats in Nightcliff and Casuarina, because we believe putting police officers on the street is more effective at driving down crime than sitting behind a desk.
We are making tough decisions that we know will free up police to tackle crime and protect women and children from violence, much to Labor’s dismay. Our police force has been bolstered by the signing of a new two-year, $48m agreement to provide 94 extra police officers to respond to any incidents at immigration detention centres in Darwin. The last agreement had expired, and it was great news in February that the federal government agreed to extend and boost our available resources.
When these officers are not needed for immigration duties they provide additional frontline support through the Darwin metropolitan police group. The hard fought extension of this agreement and the extra resources it brings have allowed us to restructure our recruitment schedule based on its growing needs. Our focus will be on recruiting for attrition, with several squads scheduled to pass through the academy in the year ahead.
We have allocated $8.4m for repairs and maintenance for police, fire and emergency services facilities across the Territory. The budget includes $600 000 to deliver and coordinate security emergency response services across the Territory. The Security and Emergency Recovery Unit in the Department of the Chief Minister has a central role to coordinate security and emergency management in the Northern Territory.
The Territory’s strategic location is attracting enormous investment in Defence, and that is another reason this budget is so focused on families. The Territory has 1% of Australia’s population but around 10% of Australia’s permanent Defence Force personnel. That is more than 6500 Defence personnel in total. Add Defence families to the equation, and it is estimated that Defence makes up more than 6% of the Territory’s population. That is a significant part of the Territory’s economy. Defence expenditure in the Territory for 2012-13 was $1.42bn, or around 7% of gross state product, the highest of any state or territory. We expect that 1150 Marines rotating through here this year will add to that figure.
The Territory is very welcoming and supportive of our Defence personnel, and we recognise the significant contribution Defence personnel and their families make to our communities. This is unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who only speaks negatively about the Defence community.
The Northern Territory government is committed to supporting those families in the Defence community. We believe Defence is part of our future, so we are ensuring we embed them in everything we do.
Northern Australia needs significant investment in infrastructure to realise its full potential. It is fundamental to our plan for developing northern Australia and maximising trade opportunities with Australia’s economic powerhouses. This budget delivers $1.14bn for land release, schools, health, housing and roads, and includes the Northern Territory government’s biggest ever contribution of over $200m of our own money into road infrastructure.
The Australian government is also contributing with big spending on roads in the 2013-14 budget with over $177.5m allocated to new, upgraded and safer roads. The combined record road investment of $377.8m will allow us to upgrade an additional 237 km of unsealed road and an additional 135 km of newly-sealed road. It is an investment that will open up the Territory, and it demonstrates our commitment to boosting economic growth within infrastructure in the regions.
We have also begun a Territory-wide planning study to prioritise vital infrastructure development to create even more economic development in regional areas. The study will ultimately lead to a 30-year Territory government regional infrastructure plan. We are investing $2.6m to develop a strategy for the future development of investment in the Darwin foreshore and port facilities, and working on a design concept for a second port. This detailed planning will secure our vision of becoming Australia’s northern gateway of choice and back it up with a long-term design and the flexibility to predict and meet customer demand.
We need more investment to make this a reality. This government is actively engaging with the federal government and private investors to build the infrastructure for the future. This government is getting on with the business of developing the Territory economy and delivering a better future for our children, no matter where they live. We have just completed the most comprehensive review on Indigenous education in 15 years to give our kids in remote areas a future. The A Share in the Future report will be officially released tomorrow, and it makes clear that previous efforts to improve results in remote schools, particularly at the secondary level, have failed and it is time for a completely new approach.
This government is committed to improving educational outcomes for kids in remote areas, and because education is important for a child’s future, we are investing to ensure we can get kids ready to get a job and get off welfare. The Country Liberals have committed $40.5m in budget 2014 to implement the recommendation from the Wilson’s Indigenous education review.
Pride is important, and owning your own home helps to build a culture that is proud and confident of its future. The government has a new policy where we are willing to sell up to 50% of all remote public housing stock back to tenants. Commencing on 1 July, housing will be made available on 40 or 49-year lease communities for sale to tenants. We are trying to break the cycle of people just living in public housing accommodation in remote areas. We believe everyone should be given an opportunity for home ownership. In any community where there is a 40 or longer year lease agreement, normally 40 or 99 year leases, we will provide an opportunity for people to purchase their home. We have limited it to 50%, although we know there will be a very slow take-up.
People who are successful in obtaining finance from the private sector and purchasing their own home will be offered a $20 000 grant to get them started in refurbishing their home. They will also be provided training opportunities to assist them through the transition of moving from the lifestyle of public housing into private home ownership, which will be a challenge for many people.
This government is also creating real private sector jobs and breaking the destructive stranglehold of sit-down money. We have already begun talks with a number of communities interested in pursuing real economic opportunities on their land. There has already been strong interest in places such as the Tiwi Islands, Wadeye and Ngukurr. We have entered into a partnership agreement with the Tiwi Land Council and the Land Development Corporation to progress economic development. We have also facilitated investment from the Japanese company, Mitsui, on the Tiwi forestry project, and we have brought a ferry service to the Tiwis. We are driving economic change in our regional centres like never before.
It might surprise you to note that more than 40% of the total capital works budget for this financial year is being spent on improving infrastructure in communities and supporting regional development. Budget 2014 includes an additional $10m for a new grant program to fund strategic economic infrastructure projects in remote communities to create real jobs.
We have developed an economic plan for Tennant Creek and we have opened a new $3.7m emergency department in Tennant Creek and a new GP service at the hospital. We have delivered new bush police stations in Gapuwiyak and Ramingining, and are now building facilities at Alpara, Yuendumu Pirlangimpi, Mt Liebig, Areyonga and Robinson River.
We are also accelerating the shire reform process with the introduction of new regional councils served by local authorities, made up of local people. We have added another $5m to assist that process to local government. There is still more work to be done, but it is a very impressive start, and much more is being spent in regional and remote areas than people ever expected.
Our northern Australia development plan is creating jobs and opportunities for new industries in the regions. Our road funding will improve the connectivity of regional centres and open the country up for a greater level of investment and jobs. We are working hard to attract more investment in industries that will help get people off welfare and into work. That is the mandate and the mantra of this government.
I have spoken many times about developing northern Australia and the benefits it will bring to Territorians. I have also promised it would not be development for development sake. This government is keeping its commitment to consult with Territorians about how they want to see the Territory grow. We have held preliminary community meetings in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Nhulunbuy, and the feedback is extremely positive. There is a recognition that the Territory’s infrastructure needs to be improved to attract new development and that our northern Australia development plan is the way to achieve it.
There is a belief that the government needs to look at the laws governing land tenure and, as I mentioned, we are doing that. People who attend the meetings also want to make sure development of the north is well planned and does not adversely affect their way of life. Budget 2014 is proof of that.
Our north Australia development website has been viewed almost 6000 times in the past few weeks, with the average person spending over five minutes studying the detail of the plan. The Country Liberals’ plan for the development of northern Australia will secure the Territory’s economic future for the rest of this nation. It encompasses the whole of the Territory and will create jobs, jobs and more jobs. We are succeeding where others have failed, particularly Labor.
Madam Speaker, I could talk for hours about all the good things this budget has done and will deliver on but, fortunately, eight other ministers and a range of backbenchers, including you, member for Goyder, have an opportunity to assist in delivering the key messages of this government and advancing what is occurring in the Northern Territory, particularly in your electorates.
The future of our parks, tourism, housing, transport, health, education, primary industries, correctional services – the list goes on and on. Investment is right across the board and we are building the Territory. This is the team that is leading the Territory forward to a prosperous future under the foundation of Framing the Future.
We have restructured our government agencies to ensure we have the right framework in place, and we now have a focused, vibrant and committed public service that is working more collaboratively, productively and smarter than ever before. Thank you very much to the public service, which the Leader of the Opposition and Labor like to scare and belittle. The public service is open and accountable, backed by a high degree of professionalism, transparency and standards we all respect.
This government has a plan and it is being implemented. I thank everybody who helps us with our plan, particularly the plan on north Australia through the vision of Framing the Future.
We promised to reduce debt and we have. We promised to grow the economy and we are. We promised to strengthen law and order and we have. We promised to plan for our future and we have delivered. We have a plan for the future and it is working. Growth and construction are up, unemployment and crime are down.
The Treasurer has delivered a budget that takes care of families and lays the foundation for future growth. It ensures all Territorians maintain their enviable lifestyle while we build for their very bright future. We are getting on with the job of building a better Territory, and we are succeeding. It is a very exciting time to be a Territorian.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I support what is nothing shy of an astonishing budget considering the environment we inherited a little more than 18 months ago.
I, when sitting in opposition, was often left aghast at the opportunities missed over a decade of Labor rule and at the problems they were creating. I cannot begin to imagine how often I stood on the other side of this House and lamented the great opportunity the introduction of the GST had afforded the former Labor government of the Northern Territory
Whilst they crowed much about a general government sector net debt situation of $900m, which was not bad, they missed the golden opportunity the GST afforded the Northern Territory to come back with a set of balanced books. I heard the former Treasurer, the current member for Karama and Leader of the Opposition, crow about how good a manager she was, when in fact she was awash with cash. Rather than reducing the credit card to nil, which Mr Gallop managed in WA, she continued to spend and barely touched the credit card bill at all.
She could have reduced the Territory’s general government sector net debt to zero, but what she left us was - blaming it on the GST - a whole-of-government sector projected debt of the now infamously famous $5.5bn. How could she possibly have gotten it so wrong after bathing in the deep end of the swimming pool of the GST cash bonanza?
But, it is what it is, and through careful financial management and cautious stepping forward, this government and the Treasurer of the Northern Territory have managed to take $1.3bn off the projected debt situation. Not only have we taken $1.3bn off that projected debt legacy from the members opposite, unlike their assertions, we have not done it by slashing 20% out of the public service. When we came to power, we did so with a guarantee that public servants jobs were safe. There were public servants in contractual environments, but the nature of those environments is that contracts come to an end. If the former government had not intended to go down this path themselves, as they knew they would have, they would not have left one third of the Territory’s public service on contract.
I note that we have far fewer people on contract, and the Education department is a good place to look for this. The number of people on contract has been vastly reduced and permanency is the hallmark of being a school teacher in the Northern Territory.
Mr Chandler: 30% to 14%.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on the interjection from the Minister for Education, 30% on contract to 14% today.
The fear mongering is out, but I did the sums the other day. They tried to howl me down while I was standing in this place; nevertheless, I finally got the numbers out. The public service is now 340 FTEs smaller than it was when we came to power.
Mr Chandler: Not thousands.
Mr ELFERINK: It is not thousands, not 20%, it is 340 positions. The opposition knows this because these numbers are clearly visible on the quarterly reporting available on the Office of Commissioner for Public Employment’s website. But they would rather see fear in the environment than tell the truth.
If you want to argue with government, by all means, bring on the argument, but argue issues; argue ideology and tell us why we should live in a socialist utopia through the lens of the Labor Party, why we should allow the unions to run the Education department and why we should let other people take charge of the functions of government. If those are the issues the members opposite want to run, then do so.
To do that you do not have to tell untruths, you can simply challenge us on policy areas. We believe there are substantial policy differences between us and the members opposite, not that we can readily find a policy on their website at the moment. Nevertheless, there are policy differences because there are ideological differences, but we do not see those arguments being held in this place. It is about the politics of personality, fear and misrepresentation; it is the argument that the cost of living has doubled since we came to power. Really? Has the price of a car doubled since we came to power? They are trying to be a bit cute with a few numbers. Saying the cost of living has doubled – I am pretty sure milk today does not cost twice as much as 18 months ago. Nevertheless, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
I will speak of a good story, and it will all be within the domain of the truth. As well as being the Leader of Government Business, I am the Attorney-General, Minister for Children and Families, Minister for Corrections and Minister for Public Employment. And in the 24 minutes I have left to speak there is much to get through.
Members will note that the figure for Corrections this year is substantially more than the figure for last year, namely the final estimate of an expenditure of $161 252m, compared to expenditure budgeted for the next year of $223 217m. Whilst this looks like a big injection of cash into the Corrections system – which it is – it is unfortunately the product of a Labor legacy rather than a bigger spend in the Corrections environment, because a large slice of that extra expenditure is to pay the rent at the new gaol, the prison Mahal, as I have referred to it in the past. It is a legacy we continue to suffer because of arrangements put in place by the former government.
The former government and minister were more focused on the building than what you do in it. That is a shame because they overstretched themselves substantially, and the taxpayer will continue footing the bill for the next 30 years. This is not a good outcome for the people of the Northern Territory, but it is what it is and the contracts are locked in place. Members will be reminded that I once described the contract as a frog’s bottom contract; it is watertight, so we are stuck with the arrangement. We will live with that contract and will continue to roll out programs which are about the people we have in custody, of which this government is proud, and of which I am a minister and proud to say I have had carriage of.
The Sentenced to a Job program is referred to in the minister’s second reading speech at the bottom of page 4 in Budget Paper Number 1:
- $1.85 million to support ‘Sentenced to a Job’ and the continued enhancement of prison industries at Alice Springs Correctional Centre.
I have been anxious, as the minister for Corrections, to make certain we bring the idea of employment into the Corrections facility far more assertively than has ever been contemplated. The Corrections environment is one which has undergone fundamental change, philosophically and actually, over the past year-and-a-half. I wanted to see people employed.
I am regularly asked how many Aboriginal people I have in custody. The answer to that question is in the order of 84% or 85%, depending on when you ask the question. I am unconvinced that is necessarily the best correlation to draw between offending and a correlative filter, because I cannot imagine what the colour of a person’s skin or their racial background has to do with offending behaviour per se, because what happens inside a person’s brain and heart is fundamentally what drives criminal behaviour, not their racial profile. There is a better question to ask in my opinion.
That question is, how many people in prison were unemployed at the time of their offending? I suspect the number is much higher than 85%. You would be getting close to 100%. I cannot begin to imagine how often I sat in courtrooms over the years to hear lawyer after lawyer in the lower court saying to the magistrate, ‘My client is unemployed’, ‘My client is in between jobs’, ‘My client is looking for work’, ‘My client is on Centrelink payments’, ‘My client is currently not engaged in actual work, your Worship’, etcetera.
By introducing a work environment, we intend to make certain one of the things a person who leaves prison today and into the future has is something they have never had in the past: something to lose. When prisoners walk out with thousands of dollars in their bank account and a job to go to on Monday morning, they are in a much better position than an unemployed person who is no more employable than the day they came into prison months or even years earlier. A person with savings and a job to go to has a much better chance of never returning to prison.
Preliminary but unreliable numbers coming out of the department indicate that the return rate of prisoners who have gone through the Sentenced to a Job program is significantly lower, to say the least, than prisoners who are leaving the rack and stack model and having the door hitting them on the backside on the way out.
For that reason, you will see more work being done by prison labour under supervision outside of the prison as well as inside the prison. I inspected recently the workshops we have been building in Alice Springs plus those that form part of the new gaol and was made aware of some of the contractual arrangements surrounding future jobs growth inside the prison wall.
We want to see an environment where prisoners graduate through the prison system to a point where they are fundamentally different people when they leave the Corrections system and go into the parole environment. I will hopefully address the Parole Board in the not so distant future as to what government’s expectations of it are and the philosophy which drives government in tying people to their jobs as a condition of parole into the future.
We are also working to establish a 50-bed regional work camp in Nhulunbuy. This hit the radio this morning with the member for Nhulunbuy going off a little excitedly having received some information but not having the complete picture, then suddenly realising her excitement was probably premature. Nevertheless, I had an opportunity to collar the member for Nhulunbuy in a corridor in this place yesterday and explain to her that an institution which is functioning under par — and that is no reflection on the Department of Health; it does a fine job, but in demand and usage it needs to find a better home.
Consequently, the Minister for Health and I had some conversations and found that a better use for this facility was to see Yolngu people serving their sentences on their own country, as well as some other prisoners, and serving the community of Nhulunbuy far more effectively than the alcohol treatment centre that is there now.
We are looking forward to offering those positions as far as we possibly can – I think we can cover all of them – to the people working in that environment now. That means an increasing capacity to place people in the Nhulunbuy work camp and for organisations in the community, like Gumatj, to tap into a labour source which is reliable, predictable, sober, well fed and has had a good night’s sleep. I look forward to working with the people in that part of the world to produce better outcomes for all people living in the Nhulunbuy area, whether they are Indigenous or otherwise.
I will skip through some of this stuff because I know how pressed for time we are and there are a number of highlights I would like to touch on. I will move on from my Correctional Services portfolios, suffice to say the corrections environment is no longer what was inherited by this government a little over 18 months ago.
I turn my attention to my role as Attorney-General. There are a number of highlights I wish to point out, not least of which is $3m for a new Supreme Court building in Alice Springs in a justice precinct. This government came to power with a promise to have a justice precinct in Alice Springs and once we were confronted, for lack of better words, with the financial situation left to us by the Northern Territory Labor Party, we had to deal with our promises and find better ways to get the same or similar results.
When looking at a greenfield site in Alice Springs to redevelop as a justice precinct, it came back with a $70m price tag, which was clearly beyond the scope when looking at the debt we were left with. The next option examined and discussed amongst my colleagues was having a Supreme Court built in the car park next to the Greatorex building and putting a car park underneath so you would have a building to complement the Greatorex building and could maintain the justice precinct. That came back with a price tag of $30m-odd.
We have now looked at other options and determined to go to the private sector. We are awaiting the results of some tenders which have been called for. I am not quite sure how far down the track we are, but I understand we are a fair way. Hopefully the private sector can create a building in the central part of Alice Springs which will enable a justice precinct to occur and a private sector developer to build a new building which we can place the Supreme Court inside. We look forward to some announcements in the not so distant future.
That will take pressure off the current courthouse in Alice Springs because it will free up one of the courts and will mean we can see good construction occurring in Alice Springs, which will be welcomed in that community – a lower court building, a Supreme Court building and a justice precinct for substantially less taxpayer expense than originally anticipated but, nevertheless, a substantial building.
The former Chief Magistrate, Hilary Hannam, raised some concerns, and there was a problem for the previous government with the quality of the kids’ cells in the Court of Summary Jurisdiction in Darwin. I agreed, and the initial intention was to redevelop the cells in the lower parts of the Court of Summary Jurisdiction in Darwin. Unfortunately, that court is already under substantial pressure. It is an older building; I remember it being new after they moved out of the Nelson building in Darwin. Darwin has grown so much that growing pains have also hit the Court of Summary Jurisdiction.
The $1m to create a new set of cells has been held over because it was worth $1.4m, so something happened with the former government’s estimation which was not correct. There are better ways to move forward. After substantial and lengthy negotiations with the Chief Justice of the Northern Territory - and I place on the record my gratitude to the Chief Justice for his flexibility – hopefully we will soon announce a stand-alone Youth Justice Court in Darwin, separate from the Court of Summary Jurisdiction. I am grateful to Dr Lowndes, the Chief Magistrate, and his Honour Chief Justice Trevor Riley for their forbearance and cooperation with coming to a solution. This will be a good solution for the people of the Northern Territory and will serve the court system well into the intermediate, if not long-term, future.
I also note that $3.36m is set aside to establish the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal. This is something I am proud of. I spoke of this idea on a number of occasions whilst in opposition, as the shadow Attorney-General, and an opportunity came up, because of a problem in a Cabinet meeting, to describe a Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal to my Cabinet colleagues.
I am grateful to them because they immediately saw the usefulness of such an approach. We are the last jurisdiction in this country, with the exception of Tasmania, to establish such a tribunal. These are well-established systems in other parts of the country; they have been kind enough to make all of the mistakes for us. Once we have established NT CAAT in the Northern Territory, we will quickly move to collapse many of the other functions of the other appellant tribunals into it. It is almost certain we will also collapse the Local Court’s Small Claims jurisdiction into the Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
These things are well used in other jurisdictions and well understood by people who move to the Northern Territory, because in other jurisdictions they have been around for some time.
I move on, with six minutes to go, to the Department of Children and Families. When I took over Children and Families with the assistance of the new CEO, Jodeen Carney, who most members would be familiar with, we went about fixing and sorting out many of the operational problems the organisation has. I was somewhat surprised to see the level of problems the organisation had and the legacy left to me by the former minister and now Independent member of this House.
It was a substantial challenge and continues to be so, but we are starting to sort it out. We have found a number of areas where simple efficiencies have led to savings, and those savings will not see a diminution in the amount of work the department does. For arguments sake, out-of-home care services – I am sure the Labor Party will make much of the slightly smaller budget in that area, but I do, before it gets excited, draw its attention to page 147 of Budget Paper No 3, ‘Out-of-Home Care Services’, line item ‘Days of out-of-home care’, where the final estimate for the 2013-14 budget is 290 000 days. Sadly, the budget for 2014-15 sees an increased number of days for the smaller budget of 319 000 days. I say ‘sadly’ because every out-of-home-care service day we purchase is representative of a day for a child who is not living with their family, who is neglected, abused or sexually abused. That saddens me, but as a minister of the Crown, I am, for a lack of better expressions, pleased to report we are able to get substantially more days, some 29 000 more days, out of that budget.
I was astonished to discover the sort of money that goes into paying for out-of-home care services, and it was one area the CEO and I agreed needed close examination. We made a number of discoveries which were concerning, and subsequently have been remedied. The quality of control in management of accounts coming in was a matter of concern to me as the minister, as it was to the CEO. I endorse the actions the CEO has taken to ensure those accounts were brought back under control. I am gratified to report we are having much better outcomes as a result of better management practices within the agency.
Nevertheless, I am grimly mindful of the onerous duty cast upon my shoulders by the Chief Minister in asking me to take on these duties, and I will continue to take them very seriously indeed.
I draw members’ attention to the child protection notifications received, on page 147, where, unfortunately, we are anticipating increased numbers of notifications. However, in the last report on this matter, the annual report by the Children’s Commissioner – page 42 if memory serves me – he pointed out in a graph that many of the increased notifications did not lead to increased numbers of kids in care or confirmations. Many of those notifications were coming from the police who, quite rightly, when they believe they have found incidents of neglect, pass them on to the department for its attention. The department responds, and that accounts for the increase in notifications. That increase in notifications is attended to.
I find myself with 45 seconds to go. I could, as the Chief Minister said, speak for many hours on all topics within the domain of my budgetary purview. I will get an opportunity to do so in the Estimates Committee where I look forward to proudly talking about the areas of the Northern Territory budget that come under my control as the minister. I will be proud to demonstrate to the people of the Northern Territory that they have an engaged minister who cares about the finances of the Northern Territory and about delivering quality and effective services.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I support the Northern Territory budget for 2014-15. Despite having to repay the former Labor government’s debt, the Country Liberals government has again increased the Health budget to ensure we are able to meet the growing demand for health services by Territorians.
This increase is driven by factors such as our ageing population, improved diagnostic technology, the Territory’s high levels of chronic disease and the cost of transporting remote Territorians so they can receive the essential care and treatment they deserve.
The $1.35bn Health budget is the largest of any Northern Territory government department and I am proud to say that it represents the biggest investment in Health by any Northern Territory government. Despite a tough budget climate, the Country Liberals government is investing $36.8m more in Northern Territory government funding. This brings the total Northern Territory government Health spend to $990.4m. It delivers on the government’s promise to expand health services, improve infrastructure and deliver the next stage in the Country Liberals plan to tackle chronic alcohol abuse.
In Central Australia we are investing more than $300m across health services. This is a $2m boost on last year’s budget and demonstrates the Country Liberals commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of people living in Central Australia. I am very pleased to announce that budget 2014 includes an extra $391 000 in funding to ensure the Alice Springs palliative respite care service can continue. The Alice Springs Respite Day Care House was opened in September last year and has been providing appropriate care for patients nearing the end of their lives. The former federal Labor government provided funding to establish the four-bedroom service but did not provide funding past July of this year. The sector has welcomed this announcement as it shares the Territory government’s belief that it is a unique facility for Alice Springs, tailored and focused on end-of-life care closer to home.
The Alice Springs Hospital and Tennant Creek Hospital also received an increase in funding to $203.9m under budget 2014, which is nearly $10m more than last year. The new Alice Springs emergency department delivered under the Country Liberals is one of the busiest emergency departments in the Territory. This government has allocated an extra $160 000 to the emergency department, bringing the total additional funding to $5.67m. The Alice Springs Hospital will also receive $26.74m for continuing remediation works and upgrades.
BushMob youth rehabilitation services in Alice Springs will receive a nearly $1m allocation to relocate and expand their services as part of the Country Liberals commitment to securing our children’s future.
The Territory government is committed to meeting its target of 400 extra elective surgeries. This year’s budget delivers $1.59m in continued funding for an additional 142 elective surgeries in Central Australia. Budget 2014 also recognises the government’s promise to improve the health outcomes of our most remote Territorians. The budget includes more than $8m in Commonwealth funding for new remote clinics, including Titjikala and Robinson River. This is part of the $50m program to provide bigger, better and more culturally appropriate health services, with dedicated spaces for a range of health services at Kaltukatjara, Papunya, Canteen Creek, Elliott, Ntaria, Ngukurr, Numbulwar and Galiwinku.
For the first time, women in remote communities will be able to access a remote breast screening service thanks to an additional $725 000 in funding. The breast screening four-wheel drive bus will travel to regional and remote locations to deliver breast screening services to women who have not had previous access. Budget 2014 also delivers $7.5m to continue to deliver expanded Patient Assistance Travel Scheme entitlements brought in by the Country Liberals, alternatively referred to as PATS.
In the Top End, Royal Darwin Hospital will receive $22.8m in upgrades, including the first stage of the $11.9m Commonwealth-funded refurbishment of the hospital’s paediatric ward. The upgrade will ensure the facilities will match the high-quality and hard-working staff operating within RDH, who are encouraged and excited by this upgrade and what it will mean for Territory children and their families.
Royal Darwin Hospital will also be able to implement enhanced capability to manage infection control through a $6.7m upgrade of the negative pressure rooms at the hospital.
Katherine Hospital will receive almost $2m to upgrade its air conditioning system. Katherine and Tennant Creek are also part of the Country Liberals plan to expand alcohol mandatory treatment as part of this governments plan to really tackle alcohol abuse across the Territory. More than $28m has been allocated to alcohol mandatory treatment this financial year, including the operation of a 12-bed treatment facility in Tennant Creek and building a 20-bed facility in Katherine.
By building this facility in Katherine we can expand the number of people who can access treatment in the town, giving them the chance to turn their lives around and reconnect with their family and community. It is estimated that the build will inject several million dollars into the Katherine area and the facility will also create many employment opportunities.
The Country Liberals government is also investing more money in this budget for the Territory’s most significant infrastructure project, the $150m Palmerston Regional Hospital. This budget confirms $10m in works to be undertaken for the preliminary planning and early construction works of Palmerston Regional Hospital. Environmental approval preparations and a survey of the road intersections began last month, and tender for the design work for this intersection will also be released this month.
Territorians will see work on the ground this year to progress this very important project. This is more money and more work than what was done under the 11 years of Labor. I am proud to say we will deliver on our time line to build a bigger and better hospital for Territorians. The Palmerston Regional Hospital works form part of Health’s capital and minor new works program, taking the total program to $160.9m.
In this budget we have continued to fund an additional $7.9m to subsidise eligible pensioners in the Northern Territory to meet the increase in tariffs for utilities and have provided $2.3m in ongoing funding, including an additional $800 000 to assist the non-government sector meet additional award wage increases for social and community service workers.
This is also a new look budget due to revolutionary changes introduced to the Health system by this Country Liberals government. From 1 July 2014, the Department of Health will be operating under the new Health Services Act, which will comprise three entities, being the Department of Health, the Top End Health Service and the Central Australia Health Service. The changes are designed to deliver greater control of healthcare decisions to local communities, improve the flexibility, responsiveness and innovation capacity of the public health system, and provide more effective and efficient public hospital and health services.
This budget delivers on the government’s promise to bolster health services for all Territorians, especially in the areas of greatest need.
Mr CHANDLER (Education): Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here for what has already been described as a remarkable budget, given the fiscal position we inherited about 20 months ago.
I congratulate the Treasurer on a responsible budget which recognises the hard work ahead of this government to pay back Labor’s debt. It is a challenge familiar to our colleagues in the Commonwealth parliament, who are faced with the same challenge of repairing the carnage inflicted on an economy by the reckless action of a Labor government.
The differences are stark between the fiscally prudent position adopted by the Country Liberals government focused on building the economy and broadening the Territory’s economic base, and the vacuum of policies that exists across the Chamber.
This budget is about securing the future for young Territorians. There are few greater areas in which the Country Liberals government can do this then by reducing the cost of living, delivering more affordable housing and investing in education.
The Country Liberal’s government is making the necessary decisions today to ensure we can capture the opportunities of tomorrow. The budget for Education is one of the achievements and opportunities. Our achievement is to deliver an education budget increase of 4.7% in a time of spending restraint through a combination of tight control of expenditures and new investment under the Australian government’s students first program. So before the opposition, the unions or anybody gets on the band wagon, we are increasing the Education budget by 4.7% over last year, not cutting it.
Our achievement is to deliver an education budget that provides funding to maintain the commitment to reducing costs for families and putting quality teachers into quality schools. Our achievement is to support investment in improving and expanding school facilities and funds for new projects that will drive innovation and improvement in Northern Territory schools.
Northern Territory schools are the best resourced schools in the country. This budget builds on this for the betterment of young Territorians. The Giles government continues to support families by reducing the cost of education through the $6.6m for the Back to School Payment Scheme, which provides $150 per student to assist parents with back to school expenses. This year we are also investing $5.9m in early childhood services, including an additional $1.3m to assist families with young children by extending the subsidy for childcare to providers of family day care services.
The opportunity afforded by this education budget is to make real and substantial improvements to education outcomes, for Indigenous students. Indigenous students represent over 40% of the student population, and the Northern Territory will only reach its economic and social potential when Indigenous students have the same life opportunities as all other Northern Territory students.
Madam Speaker, $40.5m over three years is allocated to commence implementation of the reforms and projects recommended in the Indigenous education review, the first critical examination of efforts and results in Indigenous education in the Northern Territory for 15 years. An amount of $2m will be committed to roll out new curriculum and resourcing materials, and training to teachers in all remote schools to provide consistency in the delivery of literacy, numeracy and oral English programs. We will work in partnership with communities to implement the improvements identified in the review so students have the literacy and numeracy skills to make choices in the 21st century, connected global village, and the Indigenous culture and language context to contribute to the development of their families and, of course, their communities.
We are investing $5.2m for additional classrooms in remote schools to support the increased student attendance and retention we are achieving in our partnerships with the communities and the Australian government. We are maintaining the early childhood services provided through the Families as First Teachers programs and integrating the efforts of Education with other agencies and service providers to improve the quality of early childhood services in this critical phase of learning development. An amount of $3.4m is also allocated to operate new child and families centres at Gunbalanya, Maningrida, Ngukurr, Yuendemu and Palmerston, and $1.2m is provided to extend the Rosebery preschool.
We know that improving outcomes for Indigenous students is a complex and difficult challenge, but we do not shy away from it. With the efforts of the Giles Country Liberals and the Abbott Coalition governments, and the dedication and professionalism of our teachers and trainers, we are embracing the opportunity to reform education services in remote locations by focusing on quality literacy and numeracy programs like never before.
We are also seeking a step change in outcomes for remote Indigenous secondary students by looking seriously at the recommendations in Bruce Wilson’s report, A Share in the Future, through building residential boarding facilities in the regional towns and delivering first-class secondary and vocational programs in regional high schools.
Globalisation is the other opportunity embraced by this budget for the benefit of Territorians. In today’s global society, the Territory’s and Territorians’ performance in education is not only ranked nationally with other states through NAPLAN, but also globally with other countries through the Programme for International Student Assessment, which ranks countries in a league table and is the focus for national targets for school improvements.
To keep up with global competitors, Territory schools, teachers and students need to be innovative with local solutions, and adopt best practices from other education systems and industry sources. We will ensure our children are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take the challenges and opportunities of living in the most exciting part of Australia.
The budget allocates $11.6m, in partnership with INPEX and the Ichthys LNG project, to establish a leading-edge facility that positions the Territory as a world-class provider of contemporary distance and virtual education services for secondary students. We already have the world’s best primary school distance education services through the Alice Springs and Katherine Schools of the Air, and we plan to extend this excellence into secondary education for regional and remote students in the Territory and beyond. Like I have said before, we cannot physically put the best science or maths teacher into every classroom across the Northern Territory, but we can with technology.
There is an allocation of $300 000 to develop a 10-year strategic plan to position the Territory as an international education and training hub, a destination of choice for international students and a respected participant in international research.
The department has led the negotiation of a $7.7m three-year contract for the STARS satellite network. I am sure most Territorians are unaware that through the STARS network, remote students, teachers, police and medical staff have broadband speeds that exceed the capacity of any planned NBN service in the bush. We will use this capacity, combined with interactive and online delivery, to expand the quality and scope of secondary education programs.
Innovation in education will also be fostered, with $3m to replace teacher laptops with lightweight touch-enabled devices. The Giles government will also accelerate training and professional development programs to enhance teachers’ capacity to deliver high-quality literacy and numeracy programs. The great opportunity afforded by this budget is the opportunity for schools arising from the most significant reform of school resourcing management since the schools framework was established with self-government.
There is an allocation of $17m over three years to increase school autonomy and introduce independent public schools. Global school budgets and a student-centred, needs-based school funding model will empower decision-making in schools. These reforms will provide schools with a one-line global budget based on the needs of their students so principals, school managers and school councils can make the decisions about the best mix of teachers and other services required to meet the learning needs of their students. These reforms will also reduce red tape by removing a cumbersome, complex and inconsistent staff allocation process that currently provides 80% of school funds.
The NT will introduce its first independent public schools in 2015. These schools will build on the agility provided with global budgets, with increased flexibility to select their staff and greater scope to engage with their school and business communities. Our approach to school autonomy will be informed and will benefit from the overwhelmingly positive experiences in Victoria and Western Australia, but it will be tailored for the Northern Territory environment.
The budget maintains this government’s commitment to supporting an efficient non-government school sector, with per capita student grants and subsidies on the interest costs for capital works. The improvements in services I have outlined are complemented with investments to improve existing education facilities and planning for new schools in the near future.
There is an allocation of $34.9m provided for repairs and maintenance for schools across the Territory, including $4m targeted to repair and upgrade school facilities in Central Australia. The department has also developed a school infrastructure plan for the greater Darwin area to cater for the projected rise in the student population. New school projects that will be designed this year and funded in future budgets include a special education school in Palmerston, enhancements to the Henbury special school, and a preschool and primary school in Zuccoli.
An amount of $5m is provided to offer vocational education and training and employment pathways in schools, including fruit trade training centres and pre-employment programs across the Territory, in partnership with mining, pastoral, tourism and other industries. These are valuable employment pathways for Territory students who do not wish to pursue tertiary studies, and they target industries seeking skilled workers.
The easiest thing for this government to do in education would be to continue to do the things the way they have always been done. However, this government is not happy with the results of education in the Northern Territory, and that it is why we have challenged convention. We will continue to find better and different ways to do things because we are focused on outcomes. We are focused on students and giving them every opportunity they deserve. We cannot do that by accepting that what we have done up until now is all we can possibly do for our students.
I suggest there is no one in this Chamber who has a different outcome in mind. We all want the same thing; we all want an improvement in educational outcomes, wherever you may live in the Northern Territory. But we have a difference in ideology. We have a difference in how we might achieve those results, but I, for one, cannot think that the results and the money that has been spent to date is all we can possibly do. There are other models. There are other ways of doing things that we need to try, because we have used just one method up to now, the Labor method of spending a great deal of money on resources.
I visited recently a school of 19 classrooms which had one SMART Board. We have schools that have SMART Boards in every classroom, and that is to be congratulated. In the Northern Territory, we have some of the best resources, but they are not helping with our results, particularly in remote communities.
Teachers have said to me that with the right curriculum, the right teacher and group of kids, you can teach them under a tree and get a decent education. Perhaps that is right, but we have well-resourced schools, great teachers, and something is going wrong. We are not getting the results we should for our children.
I know there is much happening outside the school gate that is affecting what is happening inside the school gate. We heard the member for Namatjira today say that in Papunya there were problems and the school was to close for the day. The school did not close today; there was a community meeting. A letter was sent suggesting the school would be closed because of the unruly behaviour in the community that was having a negative effect in the school grounds.
Again, parental responsibility has to play a part in this. The community has to be part of the solution. Schools and the education department cannot do everything. We need, and I hope we could get, a bipartisan approach to improving educational outcomes in the Northern Territory.
I could not believe, at a recent meeting of Education ministers around the country where I gave a presentation on the Indigenous review, the sincere interest shown by ministers from across Australia. Both Labor and Liberal Coalition ministers had an interest. Ministers want to travel to the Northern Territory this year to look at some of the challenges we face in our remote communities. There was a bipartisan position on the Northern Territory government’s approach to fixing education in our remote areas, but unfortunately I cannot get that bipartisan approach in this Chamber. I cannot get Labor to understand that we all want the same results, we just have a different view of how we can achieve them.
There are ideological differences in this Chamber, but the easiest thing would be to do nothing. I will not stand here as the Minister for Education and do nothing. I need to challenge convention. I need to find better opportunities for students across the Northern Territory. It does not matter whether you are at Darwin High School or a school at Yuendumu, Groote Eylandt or anywhere else across the Territory, you deserve every possible opportunity.
Another area where there are opportunities and achievements is Lands, Planning and the Environment. In this portfolio I have been entrusted to fix Labor’s housing crisis, a responsibility I do not take lightly, but a challenge I relish. One of the greatest pleasures I have had as minister is to see the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment transformed from a department of ‘Why?’ under Labor to a department of ‘Why not?’ This government constantly looks for solutions, not problems, and is driving the department to take a proactive approach to planning issues.
This budget will see an historical investment in land release, the biggest contribution this government can make to housing affordability and reducing the cost of living. Earlier this week I announced Bringing on Territory Land Release, the most ambitious land release program ever undertaken by a Territory government, and something I am very proud of.
The investment from this budget year alone will see 6500 new dwellings across the Northern Territory generating around $1.5bn in economic activity and creating well over 6000 jobs. This budget will take the biggest step towards ending Labor’s housing crisis in over a decade, something that has been hurting all Territorians. We will see $135.5m dedicated to fast-tracking existing land release and establishing exciting new opportunities.
The next major residential land release is in an area we have been critised for calling Palmerston north, but that will not be the name of the suburb. It is a way of describing an area people may not be familiar with.
Mr Wood: Holtze has been there for …
Mr CHANDLER: Holtze has been there for many years, as the member for Nelson points out, but many people, even in Palmerston, who have been here less than five years and do not know where Holtze is or have never heard of Kowandi. Please do not get tied up with a name. I know it is in Litchfield Shire and is currently called Holtze. Perhaps we can call it Woodlands.
What is important is that we have money in this year’s budget to push ahead with land release to potentially lower the cost of living for Territorians, and that is where they are hurting.
Mr Wood: Palmerston West called Weddell.
Mr CHANDLER: I will get to Weddell.
There is $4m in this year’s budget for stage one – 1500 dwellings – and an additional $730m in economic activity creating nearly 1800 new construction jobs and around 1400 direct jobs. The total project will have 10 000 dwellings.
Let us talk about Weddell. At this stage it is perhaps a pie in the sky fantasy. Only one person thinks it is a good idea, and that is the member for Johnston.
There was a lot of planning for brochures and community consultation, I will give the previous government that, but on taking over the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment, I was extremely disappointed with the lack of real planning for Weddell. There was a lot of hype around Weddell, but real planning behind the scenes to deliver a greenfield site had not been done.
The member for Johnston was at a recent public meeting in the suburb of Johnston making light of the fact this government had moved its focus away from the fact the previous government had put land aside for a seniors’ village. He made the public statement that had a Labor government been elected there would have been a seniors’ village there and there would not be the focus this government has on affordable housing.
I remind the member for Johnston that in the last budget put together by the former Labor government, that seniors village had fallen off the radar. It had been removed from the budget books and that information from the department is that it was no longer a priority of the former government to turn the area into a seniors’ village. Before he goes any further with his rhetoric about a seniors’ village in Johnston, it was not on the radar of the former government. Perhaps it was once, but in the last budget it had fallen off completely.
The new suburb, Berrimah Farm, has caused some concern. Again, it is something the former government spoke a lot about but did not get around to doing much. With this government you will see action, because money has been put aside for it, planning has already commenced and will continue.
There is $4m in this budget for headworks, and there is a possibility that area of land could house up to 2750 dwellings. The final makeup of those dwellings has not been decided. The Planning Commission has provided an area plan, but the final makeup of how much residential, commercial and small business land there will be is yet to be decided. It will happen through the normal processes; there will be community consultation, DCA applications, and the information the Planning Commission publishes is all open and available to the public.
There is an additional $685m worth of economic activity available in the Berrimah Farm area alone. That could create over 1600 new construction jobs and around 1300 indirect jobs through the broader economy multiplier effect. Fifteen hectares has been retained for Berrimah Farm and research activities. This was done after consultation with Mines and Energy to see how much land it required to keep going with its business. We have also been in contact with other Territory and Commonwealth departments about moving their operations into Berrimah Farm, so keeping the research facilities going is on the agenda.
This will provide opportunities for increased investment in land which is ideally suited to a number of uses. Some of the existing residential land releases in Palmerston east - the former government had the mindset they were getting on with business. They had a plan for Palmerston east, but this Country Liberals government, after just 20 months of being in government, is more than three years ahead of the former Labor government’s schedule.
They think they were on top of land release and had taken into account the economy and the major impacts that industries like INPEX have on a jurisdiction the size of the Northern Territory. They have lost the plot if they think they were keeping up with it, because we are not keeping up with it. It will not be until this budget is delivered and we have seen the land release under this budget that we will see a dint in some of the issues created through lack of land release, such as the cost of living. We are three years ahead of their schedule, and there is no clearer evidence to demonstrate how far out of touch the former Labor government was in this area.
There is $36.9m of new money for stages three, four and five of Zuccoli, bringing the whole of Zuccoli developments to 1750 residential lots, all affordable blocks with average prices points between $160 000 and $180 000 per block.
As I said, we have their project three years ahead of schedule. The only way we will get on top of land affordability is to keep going hard. If we went as slow as the former government on some of the issues we have in growing Darwin with some of the constraints of the rural area, nothing would ever happen.
This government understands that Labor’s housing crisis is not restricted to Darwin and Palmerston. Territorians are hurting in every town and community.
Budget 2014-15 invests in regions which have not seen land release for many years. There are many to mention, but I will read them to put on the record this government’s commitment to our regions:
$2m for Ti Tree for 34 single dwelling residential lots
$5.3m for Kilgariff in Alice Springs for headworks for its future stages
$1m for Larapinta Valley in Alice Springs, land development and the subdivision of 35 lots in Stage 1A as well as headworks for this new subdivision
$2m for Peko Road, Tennant Creek for subdivision infrastructure for 23 single dwelling residential lots
$2.7m for Katherine East Stage 2 headworks to support the future stage of land releases in Katherine East; Stage 1 is expected to begin this year
$3m for Kalkarindji subdivision design for approximately 20 residential lots, with construction forecast for completion in December 2014, thanks to a landmark Indigenous land use agreement. That is good news for Kalkarindji
$3m for Mataranka; subdivision design could yield 20 to 24 residential lots, six to 10 rural living lots and six to 10 industrial lots
$3m for Pine Creek subdivision design could potentially yield 10 residential lots already serviced, a 30 residential lot subdivision and four industrial lots
$2m drainage works in the rural area, such as in Howard Springs, to support further development of the district centre, if we can get any development out there without resistance.
Mr Wood: That is a bit below the belt.
Mr CHANDLER: You have been picking on me the whole time. You have not stopped. It is a wonder we get anything in the rural area.
As the Northern Territory leads the national push for northern Australia development, commercial industrial land will be essential if we are to take advantage of increased investment. Budget 2014 provides $51.1m for the release of this land right across the Northern Territory. Specific projects facilitated by budget 2014 include:
$6m at Darwin Business Park to service further subdivisions
$7.1m for the construction of 7 ha of land to create industrial lots by extending Muramats Road, East Arm …
Mr STYLES: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Section 77, I seek an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CHANDLER: Thank you, member for Sanderson. I appreciate that you have an interest in the Territory budget. He is the man who builds stuff, the one who takes all the money from our budgets.
I will continue:
$5.9m to continue works on Wishart Road, Berrimah
$5.1m for additional industrial lots at Darwin Business Park North
$3m for the next stage of industrial release on Udall Road, Tennant Creek – is that how you pronounce it? I cannot ask the member as he is not here
$2.5m for a new industrial release for Humpty Doo, expected to begin this year
$800 000 to support agriculture, aquaculture, industrial and tourism industries on the Tiwi Islands
$500 000 at Middle Arm for the development of commercial and industrial land for downstream gas processing, extractive industries and commercial support industries.
Other capital works projects: with the release of the Darwin City Centre Master Plan earlier this year, the Country Liberals government will kick things off by contributing to one of the identified projects. We will invest $5m to build a boardwalk along the bottom of the Darwin Esplanade, from Doctors Gully to the Deckchair Cinema. Central Australia has not been forgotten, with $2.5m in this budget for a similar tourism-focused boardwalk along the Todd River.
Moving to the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority, the NTEPA, there is $5.85m to help the very independent EPA continue its work in protecting our environment, which we must keep pristine, and $1m to continue the environmental grants program helping community groups undertake projects and educate our community on the environmental issues we face, and that is double the previous government’s commitment to the environment. The grants are open to everybody, including centres like the Environment Centre or the Arid Lands Environment Centre in Alice Springs.
There is $800 000 to continue ensuring the Territory’s Planning Commission system facilitates sustainable economic growth; protects environmental, cultural and heritage assets; and connects people and places through the Planning Commission.
It is with great pleasure that I support the Treasurer in this budget. It secures our children’s future by investing in the right areas while tightening the belt so our children are not left to pay the price for our decadence. The budget is for all Territorians, not just a select few. It is for today’s priorities while looking to the future, a future that is very bright.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I look forward to the Estimates Committee where I am sure there will be many questions asked by members opposite, including the member for Nelson, who I am sure will have many questions about the rural area and how this government can continue to contribute to its growth.
Mrs PRICE (Community Services): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the Treasurer on his second budget. I agree with the Treasurer that this budget is about securing our children’s future, whether they live in Ludmilla, Larrimah or Lajamanu. They all have a right to have access to the same living standards and economic and social opportunities that will help them thrive and become contributing members of our community. To do that, we have to make the decisions necessary today to ensure we do not stifle the opportunities of tomorrow.
This budget focuses on the challenges of today. Those challenges include reducing the cost of living, delivering more affordable housing and continuing economic growth. I also include the much needed essential services infrastructure in the bush. This budget also delivers real outcomes for the Chief Minister’s plan for developing northern Australia.
We, as a government, have a strong focus in this budget on securing our children’s future. This will be achieved through better school facilities so our children are prepared for their bright future. We will ensure our children are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take on the challenges and opportunities of living in the most exciting part of Australia.
Our young people should have access to great recreational, cultural and artistic opportunities, including more support for childcare and the highly successful sports voucher program. We need to secure the future for our children that we all want, and we know we need to avoid stealing that future by leaving our children with unsustainable levels of debt, broken and worn out infrastructure and no plan.
I simply cannot support the energy of future generations being drained by paying back someone’s debt. It is a sad fact that every time a Labor government leaves office the country is further in debt, the credit cards are full and the cupboard is bare. Territorians can be assured this government’s economic plan is paying back Labor’s debt. A projected $5.5bn of debt is not paid back overnight, but we are making significant inroads in repaying that debt. It will be through the initiatives outlined by all my colleagues that we will secure our children’s future and deliver real action on the challenges of today.
I turn to three agencies I have responsibility for in my portfolios: the Parks and Wildlife Commission, the Department of Community Services and the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority.
Turning to the Parks and Wildlife Commission, I am pleased to say this government has maintained strong funding to the Commission, recognising its value to the Territory in tourism, regional and remote jobs and biodiversity protection.
The 2014-15 budget for the Parks and Wildlife Commission is $49.631m. This includes:
$17.330m for employee expenses
$12.802m for the purchase of goods and services
$3.901m for depreciation, $1.659m for services free of charge
$7.842m for the community service obligation payment to the Territory Wildlife Park
$0.71m for grants and $5.4m for repairs and maintenance.
The capital budget includes $0.292m for capital works, all being remote; $4.756m for minor new works and $0.260m for capital items. An additional $0.761m has been allocated for minor new works at the Territory Wildlife Park.
The overall budget highlights for the Commission are:
$5m for repairs and maintenance of infrastructure to ensure our parks and reserves provide safe and enjoyable visitor experiences throughout the Northern Territory
$1.59m for lease payments to Aboriginal Land Trusts for Aboriginal owned jointly managed parks. These payments benefit Aboriginal people in regional and remote area
$50 000 for grant funding to wildlife care organisations for the collection, care and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife in regional centres throughout the Territory. This service includes provision of a collection service for the local community, therefore ensuring the protection and humane treatment of injured native animals.
$0.15m in grant funding for the Land for Wildlife programs in Alice Springs and Darwin. This program increases education and awareness about the value of native flora and assists the community to enhance the natural values of the properties.
$0.2m for the ongoing management of the Olive Pink Botanical Gardens in Alice Springs. This site provides an important recreational site for local Alice Springs residents while also ensuring the protection and preservation of threatened rare endemic and culturally significant Central Australian plant species.
$0.45m for the removal of asbestos from urban parks and reserves
$0.2m to both the Central Land Council and the Northern Land Council to support joint management of parks and reserves throughout the Northern Territory.
$0.41m for the proactive of management of saltwater crocodiles across the Top End, including Darwin Harbour, increasing community safety in and around our waterways
$75 000 for the CROCWISE community education and awareness raising program to promote safe and enjoyable experiences in our Top End waters.
Highlights of the infrastructure part of the Commission’s budget are $5m for repairs and maintenance of infrastructure across parks and reserves throughout the Northern Territory. This includes repairs and maintenance of regional and remote areas where activities generate job opportunities and employment for local people, including Indigenous people. The repairs and maintenance budget includes repair of the 3 m breach barrage at Melaleuca Swamp. The area has economic, cultural and biological significance and these repairs will prevent salt water entering the freshwater wetlands.
This budget includes repair and replacement of visitor amenities at Barranyi National Park to enhance public enjoyment and ensure visitor safety when at the park. Funds are allocated for the management of several areas of rock art at Caranbirini Conservation Reserve where the deterioration of rock art has been observed due to water damage. Maintenance and protection of cultural relics and art is a significant component of the work of the Parks and Wildlife Commission, enabling it to continue to be enjoyed by further generations.
Repair of the boat ramp adjacent to the Surf Life Saving Club at Casuarina Coastal Reserve will provide an important community service by ensuring that emergency services vehicles are able to access the beach where public safety may be a primary concern. This budget has also allocated funding for the maintenance of structures and buildings at Howard Springs Nature Park - where is Gerry? - which are ageing and require some TLC. Looking at other parts of the Northern Territory, I am pleased to announce that the footbridge at Elsey National Park will be replaced to improve visitor amenities while also enhancing environmental values of the site.
The $4.765m minor new works budget highlights includes $0.85m for upgrades at Casuarina Coastal Reserve. Casuarina Coastal Reserve is the most visited park in the national parks estate. It is used extensively by local Territorians for walking, running and cycling in particular, and is a wonderful location for meeting with friends and having barbeques and picnics.
There has been $0.45m allocated to align the walking paths to the City of Darwin standards so they are a better fit within the Darwin urban bike path network. In addition, the commission will install bike racks at locations throughout the reserve to enable visitors to make better use of the reserve for a longer period of time. We have allocated $0.4m for upgrades to public toilets facilities at the Casuarina Coastal Reserve as the existing facilities are worn out and subject to some community concern regarding antisocial behaviour. To improve our visitor experience, the existing facilities will be removed and a new modern facility will be constructed in a more suitable location.
I am proud to announce that $1m has been allocated for upgrades of the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. The Alice Springs Telegraph Station is one of the most visited parks in the Northern Territory and provides a key site for local residents to cycle, walk and have barbeques and picnics. I have been there and done that; it is a beautiful spot. We have allocated $0.5m to enhance the cycling experience and make it more family friendly.
The commission will seal the riverside walk and provide a safe all-weather connection to the Alice Springs cycle path network, completing a connection loop to the town cycle path network. Another $0.5m has been allocated for amenities and improvements to accommodate larger audiences at the Telegraph Station. The construction of a new toilet block in the eastern area of the park will better cater for long-scale events, functions and outdoor concerts. The existing facilities are located some distance from this site; however, the new facilities will increase the value of the site for national and international events, providing an opportunity for the local community to better showcase the region as well as the local environment.
Turning to our other parks, $0.15m has been allocated for Charles Darwin National Park, which experiences considerable use of its mountain bike tracks for local clubs, associations and individuals. To continue to promote new activities for the public as well as ensuring existing facilities meet the needs of these groups, the commission will upgrade the existing mountain bike tracks so they align with Australian and international standards. These upgrades will further open up the park as a potential site for national events while continuing to offer an outstanding experience for local Territorians and visitors.
We have allocated $0.2m for upgrades at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, which are a popular walking and cycling destination for local people. To better accommodate visitors while also improving accessibility and the safety of the service road for staff, the commission will seal it, providing an all-weather pathway that can be used by staff and visitors alike.
This pathway will extend the full length of the gardens, increasing accessibility to all areas of the park. This will encourage more visitors to explore a greater range of exhibits, while also opening it for use to visitors for a much longer period of the year.
Sixty thousand dollars has been allocated for upgrade works to the Cascades Walk at the popular and famous Litchfield National Park. The Cascades Walk provides visitors with a fabulous opportunity to reconnect with nature. The site is less well known than other locations in the park, and some sections of the existing track mean it is not an easy walk for some visitors.
To improve safety, enjoyment and accessibility while minimising the impacts of visitor activity on the natural environment through the erosion of creek beds, the commission will install aluminium bridges across three creek crossings.
Another of our great parks and reserves to benefit from this future building budget is the Limmen National Park where $0.3m has been allocated to upgrade the existing campground at Butterfly Springs to cater for increasing visitor growth. It is estimated that 90% of visitors to Limmen National Park visit Butterfly Springs. The remoteness of this park meant it was originally designed to accommodate small numbers of visitors. However increasing visitation and use of the facilities means there is a need for the extension and upgrading of camping amenities at Butterfly Springs. This includes the creation of additional campsites with associated facilities, as well as the construction of a gravelled loop road with vehicle parking bays. This will create a greater capacity to support a larger number of visitors to the park, less damage to natural assets of the park and greater visitation for longer periods of time each year.
The 2014-15 budget has reduced from $50.421m in 2013-14 to $49.631m. This is a reduction of $0.79m and includes a reduction in grants of $0.20m, from $0.94m to $0.71m, with completion of contract agreements for Indigenous Ranger Group support positions and a reduction of $0.246m for the repairs and maintenance budget. The remainder of savings will be made across operational areas over the course of the financial year.
Turning to my Department of Community Services, I am proud to say the department works with stakeholders in remote communities and homelands across the Northern Territory to build local economies, deliver infrastructure, support regional services and coordinate remote service delivery. The department works to improve outcomes for people through effective engagement, service delivery, the coordination of initiatives, well-founded policy and the provision of interpreter and translator services.
In summary, total department expenditure in 2014-15 will be $152.81m, comprising of current grants of $101.744m, capital grants of $27.574m, employee expenses of $13.718m, administrative expenses of $8.871m and services free of charge of $0.9m.
My department is responsible for the funding of essential services in 72 remote Indigenous communities. In 2014-15 the Northern Territory is providing $73.1m for the delivery of electricity, water and sewerage services in 72 remote Indigenous communities through the contracted service provider, Indigenous Essential Services Pty Ltd, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Power and Water Corporation.
I am very pleased to announce that this budget provides significant infrastructure for the bush. Five priority capital projects with a total value of $17.5m will be delivered by Indigenous Essential Services to upgrade the essential services infrastructure.
These projects are in the following communities. Maningrida: improving the Maningrida sewerage system is a government election commitment, and $3m has been allocated in 2014-15 to upgrade the sewerage system. This upgrade will improve public health outcomes by reducing the risk of public contact with sewage effluent, particularly from the sewage outfall into the sea.
Angurugu: $6.95m has been allocated to stage one works for the replacement of the failing asbestos cement sewer mains at Angurugu. This upgrade will improve public health outcomes by reducing the risk of public contact with sewage effluent.
Yirrkala: $1m has been allocated for the replacement of a ground level water storage tank providing Yirrkala with a secure water supply into the future. Access to a clean and viable water supply is one of the key building blocks for any community. This project will underpin Yirrkala’s water supply for many years to come.
Numbulwar: $1.6m has been allocated to replace the elevated water storage tank. This will provide Numbulwar with a secure water supply by removing the risk of storage failure.
Galiwinku: $4.9m in joint Commonwealth and Northern Territory government funding for stage one upgrade of the sewerage system. This is a critical project that will support community growth and planned infrastructure developments at Galiwinku, including the new health clinic.
I am pleased to confirm that $4m is available for our hugely successful election commitment, Homelands Extra Allowance. This $4m commitment will build on the $2m allocated in this financial year. In this financial year alone, over $2.2m has been distributed to Indigenous service providers across the Territory to start work. So far over 450 applications have been received, with 298 dwellings in 149 separate homelands across the Territory already seeing results.
My department also administers grants which provide funding to homelands service providers for the delivery of municipal and essential services and for the maintenance of housing. If people from the bush are interested, I can tell them the exact amount their electorates have received for their homelands.
In 2014-15 the total funding of $37.7m will be available to homelands through my department, comprising:
$4m in Territory funding as part of a $14m four-year package to improve existing housing in homelands
$5.5m Commonwealth funding as part of $22m four-year program for the Northern Territory jobs package to deliver sustainable municipal and essential services employment positions in rural and remote Indigenous communities
$20.9m Commonwealth funding to continue the provision of municipal and essential services to homelands under the national partnership on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory
$7.3m to continue the provision of housing maintenance assistance to homeland residents.
In 2014-15, combined funding of $15.5m will be provided by the Commonwealth for the delivery of two major infrastructure programs in remote communities; $8.6m as part of a $19.5m three-year program to undertake the risk management, remediation and removal of medium-risk material containing asbestos from non-NTG community buildings in 34 remote Indigenous communities under the national partnership on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory; and $6.9m as part of a $10.6m two-year program for the provision of infrastructure upgrades and construction of a subdivision at Ilpiye Ilpiye town camp in Alice Springs.
My department undertakes the coordination of the land tenure in remote communities and is responsible for coordinating and negotiating leases for government infrastructure, including remote community housing.
In 2014-15, funding of $2.3m will be provided by the Commonwealth as part of a $7m three-year program to undertake cadastral survey plans in 47 remote communities. Surveys enable the transformation of communities into places that are properly planned and designed, and will assist with the establishment of property markets, home ownership and economic development in remote communities.
The Aboriginal Interpreter Service helps English speakers and Aboriginal Territorians who do not speak English as their first language to talk to each other and engage in meaningful communication through the use of interpreters. In 2014-15, the Aboriginal Interpreter Service will be provided with $4.1m in Commonwealth funding for the provision of Aboriginal interpreting services and Northern Territory coordination support under the National Partnership Agreement on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory, and $1.3m in Commonwealth funding in 2014-15 as part of a $5.4m four-year program for the provision of interpreting services to assist in alleviating language barriers faced by Indigenous people in the Territory.
The Northern Territory government is taking on innovative approaches to issues that affect men in the Northern Territory through a dedicated men’s policy function created within my department. In 2014-15 my department is establishing and resourcing the Indigenous Male Advisory Council to advise on issues and strategies identified by Indigenous men as being of significance in the fight to reduce family and domestic violence.
The Northern Territory government is adopting a new model of engagement to give Aboriginal people a voice, which will be known as First Circles. First Circles is a model of engagement with Aboriginal people in the Territory to enable Aboriginal people to provide advice to government in relation to the development and implementation of policy. The focus will be on developing regions and their economies, and will involve representatives in both the Top End and Central Australia. These representatives will meet with Cabinet throughout the year. In 2014-15, new ongoing funding of $0.8m will be provided for the establishment and implementation of First Circles.
As part of every agency sharing the load to reduce Labor’s debt burden, my department will achieve savings and revenue measures of $0.232m in 2014-15 and ongoing. In addition, my department will achieve savings of $8000 in 2014-15, $10 000 in 2015-16 and $12 000 per annum ongoing through the whole-of-government strategy to manage multifunctional devices. Further savings of an estimated $29 000 in 2014-15 and ongoing will be achieved through a whole-of-government measure in relation to air travel services.
I turn to the last agency in my portfolios, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority. The AAPA 2014 budget provides $5.251m for the protection of sacred sites across the Northern Territory. The allocation includes an additional $0.6m to continue phase two of the coordinated approach to issuing authority certificates for remote Aboriginal communities. The benefits of this project include cost reduction and time frame efficiencies for authority certificates associated with public works in remote communities. In addition, the central point of contact has proved to be a beneficial model in project planning and execution.
Towards the end of the first phase, discussions were held with the Department of Housing, the then Local Government and Regional Services, Department of Lands and Planning and Power and Water Corporation over the coordinated community authority certificate project. All agency partners agreed there is a need for that project to enter a second phase due to further planning and variations.
The second phase will address identified issues to ensure the benefits of the coordinated approach continue. The authority’s certificates for the first phase have been issued on the basis of the best available information provided by all three partners. However, since that time there has been refinement in a number of projects requiring variations to their regional authority certificates, and the emergence of a range of Northern Territory and Commonwealth projects in remote communities which were not accounted for in phase one.
The second phase commenced on 1 July 2012 and is due for completion on 30 June 2015. I look forward to receiving a report from AAPA on the merits and outcomes of this program.
AAPA is also required to achieve $0.2m in savings for the financial years 2014-15 ongoing. To implement these savings measures …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move that an extension of time be granted to the member for Stuart.
Motion agreed to.
Mrs PRICE: To implement these saving measures, AAPA will increase its goods and services revenue with efficiencies and full cost recovery for authority certificates, improve the cost recovery arrangements to ensure effective and efficient service delivery and replace the current information management database to allow online submissions and tracking of authority certificate processes.
We make no apologies for targeting all government spending to ensure we make wise investments that secure our children’s future. We cannot and must not reduce the opportunities for our children and their future simply because we cannot live within our means. This is not fair for anyone, and that is why we have taken the hard decisions to make savings across government.
We cannot keep spending like Labor did and continue to run up massive debts. I doubt we will burden the next generation with paying for our failure to be responsible and make hard decisions. This budget is a continuation of this government’s measured responses to the previous government’s irresponsible spending.
The good news is we are back on the right path to mending our financial situation. As Pantene says, it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. I look forward to working with my colleagues to fix the Labor mess, and deliver services and infrastructure that will grow the Territory for all Territorians. I support and commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, Julia Papandonakis, nee Canaris, was born in Ingham, Queensland on 4 July 1933, one of seven children born to Michael Canaris and Evangelia Kailis.
Her father, Michael Canaris, was born in November 1885 on the small Greek Island of Kastellorizo in the south Aegean Sea, and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1907. He spent the first years following his arrival labouring in Kalgoorlie and then fishing, pearl shell diving and operating an oyster bar in the northwest of Western Australia - Broome and Port Hedland.
He first arrived in Darwin in March 1916 from Wyndham, WA aboard the 1544 tonne ship, the New Zealand and found work at Vestey’s Meatworks at Bullocky Point, now Darwin High School.
In 1926 he married Evangelia Kailis, also born in Kastellorizo, the child of Michael Kailis and Flora Paspalis in Brisbane, Queensland. Michael and Evangelia Canaris initially settled in Ingham where their seven children were born.
In 1937-38 the family returned to Darwin where they operated the Great Northern Caf in Cavenagh Street where the chambers of Darwin City Council are now located.
Arriving back in Darwin in the late 1930s, a young Julie Canaris and her siblings were some of the first European kids living in Darwin, and many of their closest friends at the time were local Aboriginal kids.
It is amazing to think that Julie’s mum went to the NT government to ask for a house and was told there were none, but they could choose a block of land and build. The block of land they chose was on the cliffs of The Esplanade, opposite the old Travelodge, or the DoubleTree Hilton as it stands today.
In those early days there was no electricity or running water. Years later, Julie told the NT News:
- Our father would load up the back of the ute with 44-gallon drums and we would fill them up from the water pipe in Mitchell Street.
The Canaris children would help bring in the fishing nets each night, with the catch of the day going straight to the kitchen of her mother’s restaurant in the old Chinatown in Cavenagh Street. The family rented the shop from Harry Chan, and served Greek and Australian home cooking, everything from fish and chips to Greek style fired fish, dolmades and moussaka.
The family was evacuated to Perth in 1941, just prior to the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, but upon their return to Darwin they went on to operate the Star Milk Bar in Smith Street, Darwin.
Julie married Tony Papandonakis in 1958. Tony, who was born on 12 January 1929 in Kalymnos, had arrived in Australia on 6 March 1956, and they lived at 6 Dashwood Crescent in the city. Together they raised four children: Michael, George, Nick and Evan.
One of the more colourful early stories about Julie Papandonakis has appeared on a website dedicated to the history of the fearless former editor of the NT News, Jim Bowditch, and some of his former staff in the 1960s.
There is a story that one of those staff members, an Englishman by the name of Donald Charles Duncan, described by a former journo, Peter Simon, as:
- … myopic, thirsty and better class, he was also known as Dapper Donald, a strange title considering he was often found in a crumpled and dishevelled state by the constabulary.
for several years had a room in a boarding house run by Tony and Julie Papandonakis. The online story records that Julie:
- .. felt sorry for him, even though he used to help himself to her salami and cheese kept in a downstairs fridge.
The journal goes on to describe Julie as:
- … a vivacious woman with a well-built husband, Tony, who was in the excavation business. Mrs Papandonakis had a long association with (Jim) Bowditch and the NT News. A number of NT News staff boarded at her residence, including this writer.
When she yelled, “Righto, you boys!”, you knew you were in trouble with the landlady.
She gave Bowditch a tongue lashing over an item he wrote in the NT News. In the early days, when she and her husband were battling, Tony had a compressor but could not afford a truck to tow it to job sites, relying on a friend to do so.
At times, he and a workmate would carry jackhammers and other equipment which could be stolen if left overnight on an excavation site. One morning, Bowditch saw them trudging along with the equipment and wrote a paragraph for the True North which went something like this: “No wonder the Greeks have so much money, they are so mean they carry their jackhammers to a job rather than use a truck’.
- On reading this, Julie flew into a rage, drove to the News and ‘got stuck into’ Bowditch. When she explained the reason for her rage, he apologised. What had upset her most was that her husband was described as Greek when he had only recently become naturalised and was proud to be an Australian.
Duncan repeatedly told staff at the NT News that Julie was a ‘good sport’, and he always knew his room at her establishment was waiting for him when he got out of Fannie Bay Gaol after his short spell.
In terms of old Darwin, Julie’s maiden name is now etched in history following her father Michael’s death in 1960, with Canaris Street in Wanguri named in his honour.
Tony and Julie moved into the 21 Bayview Street family home just prior to Cyclone Tracy. Julie’s work with the Greek community included being recognised as one of the original organisers of the Greek Glenti.
Although there are some reports the Glenti started earlier than 1988, it was the Bicentennial Carnival during the original Bougainvillea Festival that saw more than 10 000 people flock to the Greek school for what is known as the inaugural Glenti.
Together with the rest of the committee, Lillianne Gomatos, Koula Koulakis, Nick Koulakis and John Mousellis, they decided to turn it into an annual event. This work was enhanced with the assistance of Michael Milatos, Neville Pantazis and Nicholas Milatos, and was relocated to Bicentennial Park the following year.
Julie was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 1988 Australia Day Honours List. This was also a very special year as it was the year the bicentennial celebrations took place. She received the honour for her services to the Greek community.
Julie continued her love of cooking and was well known for her calamari and desserts, with many members of the Darwin community treated to her - I will have to get this right, member for Casuarina – galaktoboureko.
Mr Vatskalis: Nearly.
Mr GILES: Thank you for the vote of confidence. Vanilla slice to others. I could spell it …
Mr Wood: I thought it was a group of islands off the coast of South America.
Mr GILES: Thank you very much. This tradition continued when her youngest Evan purchased and operated the Greek restaurant Yots in Cullen Bay.
Julie would make trays of it fresh and bring it in personally to make sure it was treated the right way. Either Julie or Evan would often being heard telling patrons:
- it’s so fresh it’s still warm from the oven.
Julie’s children have all remained in Darwin, married and provided grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A wonderful photo appeared in the NT News to celebrate her 80th birthday last year, surrounded by her seven grandkids and two great-grandkids.
I had the pleasure, whilst Minister for Transport, of working with Julie’s son, Nick, who is a highly regarded public servant.
To Michael, George, Nick and Evan and the extended families who knew Julie Papandonakis simply as Aunty Julie, I take this opportunity of passing on my sincere condolences.
I have another adjournment speech I would like to make. I congratulate all of those involved in the Chief Minister’s Round Table of Young Territorians program. The round table is made up of 16 members aged between 15 and 25 years who represent a wide range of our geographical, cultural and ethnic diversity. The round table meets four times a year and allows young people to give the Territory government feedback on a wide variety of issues and initiatives. At the same time we provide them training in media, public speaking, research and report writing skills.
Each member of the round table is asked to conduct a community-based project where they research a topic, consult with the community and develop their findings into a report with recommendations. The members then present their findings to a panel that includes government ministers, department heads and community groups. The work these young Territorians do on behalf of the whole community is incredible, and I thank each member of the class of 2013 for their efforts.
Sebastian Mangalay Pascoe took on the difficult subject of the impact of gambling on young people living in Galiwinku. Sarah Tam-Perez tackled public speaking by developing a program called TedxYouth@Darwin and has made a series of recommendations about how to improve its market penetration. Lizzie Fogarty researched the viability of establishing a branch youth council for Scouts NT. Olivia Johnson studied the viability of establishing a group for young people with disabilities in Alice Springs. Caleb Maru looked into solving the problems of vandalism by creating an Alice Springs street art project. Thomas Ballas recommended that the government trial a targeted work experience program for Years 11 and 12 to improve students’ preparedness for life after school. Renon Shafer took on the elephant in the bedroom and the delivery of sexual health education. Janet Truong investigated the link between the use of support services and student stress levels. Jess Sullivan investigated the need and support for a travelling confidential mental and sexual health service for young people in remote areas. Natasha Pilakui made several recommendations on ways to reduce cyber bullying on the Tiwi Islands, and Allan Somerville looked into young Territorians in business creation after they leave school.
The round table is an excellent training ground for future leaders. Take last year’s round table volunteer, Caleb Maru from Alice Springs, for example. At 17 years of age, Caleb is currently completing year 12. He was a finalist in the 2014 Northern Territory Young Achiever Awards, Somerville Community Services Awards. He has become a leader and a role model within his community through a leadership courses at St Phillips College, the Desert Youth Leadership Program run by Desert Knowledge, and is chairperson of the Alice Springs Youth Council. Caleb also organises youth based events such as a drug and alcohol awareness movie marathon in Alice Springs to keep young people off the street during school holidays, and all while he is still at school, a fantastic effort.
Many other former members have gone on to become full-time government advisors, lawyers, company directors and business owners.
This year’s round table has begun and has been joined by another exciting group of young men and women from all over the Territory. Kids from Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Darwin, Mataranka, Galiwinku and Nhulunbuy have volunteered to make a contribution to the future of the Territory.
We held our first meeting in February and I am looking forward to working with the group during the rest of the year. Let me congratulate again everyone involved in the Round Table of Young Territorians last year and this year. I look forward to working with this year’s cohort as they develop their skills and work to provide a better Northern Territory.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Mr Deputy Speaker, I pay tribute to Julie Papandonakis, a legend of the Greek community in Darwin. I do not have to write anything down; I will speak to you the way I spoke to Julie many times. The Territory has become what it is because of the contribution of many people, from the Indigenous people who have lived here for time immemorial to the people from other countries who have made this place their own land. It is combination of the two, because in the old days the Indigenous people and the migrants were very close, and they remain very close.
Julie Papandonakis’ family comes from Kastellorizo, an island with a long history in Greece, an island that has withstood invasion and maintained its Greekness for centuries. Unfortunately, poverty and disputes forced many Kastellorizians to migrate to other places such as America, and many came to Australia, mainly Sydney and some to Perth. Julie’s family initially went to Queensland where they opened, what else, a milk bar. Greeks were the first ones to start milk bars in Australia, and even today there is a museum in a town in Queensland commemorating the milk bar tradition and the Greek contribution.
Julie and her family lived there until the 1930s when her father heard Darwin was booming so the family settled in Darwin. They were caught in the bombing of Darwin and migrated to Perth – a person who leaves their home to go somewhere else is really a migrant so they went to Perth – but soon after the war they came back and established, what else, another milk bar, the Star Milk Bar.
Julie had three sisters, Flora, Pat and Marion. They established the Star Milk Bar at a time when many Greeks were coming to Australia, mostly from Kalymnos, because the Australian community had decided to get rid of the Japanese divers in Broome and tried to find new divers for pearl or pearl shell, which was the fashion at the time. The place they chose to bring people from was Kalymnos.
One Kalymnian was Tony Papandonakis. He worked on the pearl luggers, and there are photographs of him as a very young man, working on luggers in Broome. Following the death of their leader in Broome, a mysterious death which remains unexplained today, many Greek divers decided to come to Darwin. They heard there was a demand for working hands in Darwin because the Army was building a number of facilities. Many of them found their way to Darwin; among them was Tony Papadonakis.
Some of my good friends who migrated at that time and are still in Darwin told me when they first came here they went to the Star caf because they heard it was owned by Greeks. All of a sudden that caf became very popular, not because the milkshakes were fantastic – although they were – or the sweets, but because there were four beautiful young women of marriageable age. Many Greeks would hover around there looking at the girls. There were not many Greek girls at the time. I believe quite a number of Italians frequented that caf because there were not enough Italian girls in Darwin at the time.
One of the early Italian migrants, Mr Maddalozzo, told me that he and Tony Papandonakis. built the sewerage facilities in Darwin. As the Chief Minister said, Tony Papandonakis. was well known around town because he carried on his shoulder the air compressor he used for excavations.
Julie married early, against the advice of her mother, and went to Queensland. She came back after splitting with her husband. It was then she met Tony Papandonakis and they fell in love and were married. They had three children together, George, Nick and Evan. Michael, Julie’s first child, was one of Tony’s, or Papa as Julie called him, sons. He never discriminated against them. They were all his sons and he was very proud of him.
When I first came to Darwin in 1993 I was approached by SBS to present a weekly segment for the Greek program on SBS radio. I was quite happy to do so. That is how I met Julie. In one of my reports from Darwin I made comments that some people thought were not very favourable to the Greek community. Obviously they did not understand the tone of my report. I attended the Greek National Day at the Greek school in Nightcliff and, as I was enjoying a glass of wine with some of my friends, this lady came from the other side of the room, pinned me against the wall and gave me a good lecture on what I should and should not say on radio about the Greeks of Darwin. I was stunned; I did not know the lady and was introduced to her later. The fiery lady who pinned me to the wall was Julie Papandonakis.
I became good friends with Julie. After I explained to her what I said and what I meant she understood the joke in my report and since then we had a very good relationship. Mine and Julie’s paths, in my 22 years in Darwin, crossed many times at social occasions and at Evan’s restaurant. I still remember the sign on the wall saying all the sweets were made by his mother and his mother-in-law. Yes, the Chief Minister is right, her galaktoboureko was legendary in the Greek community.
I heard that Julie was admitted to hospital and during visit time she came out of hospital and went home. Again, I heard that she was admitted to hospital and I visited just before she died. I was expecting to see somebody very sick, but I saw Julie the way I remember her, still full of life, lying on the hospital bed. It was soon afterwards that Julie died. It was a great surprise when I found out that a letter in the newspaper written by Julie was dictated by Julie to her son to thank all the people at the hospital - the nurses and doctors who looked after her.
Julie passed away and many people attended her funeral at St Nicholas Greek church, not only Greek people, but many Australians. In the 84 years of her life, Julie made many friends in the Territory from all walks of life. She was instrumental in maintaining the Greek culture and in bringing together Australians and Greeks, and any other person who lived in Darwin. She was instrumental in maintaining the Greek tradition through the Greek dances she organised, and was very strong in the Greek church.
There are many people who contribute to the growth and cultural development of the Territory, and Julie was one of them. She leaves behind four sons and their families, but, most importantly, a very strong memory. She will be always be remembered for what she was, a strong woman who had the community in mind, who even in the last days of her life would thank somebody for looking after her.
We will never forget you, Julie.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to talk about the wonderful things happening in the beautiful community of Drysdale. I am extremely proud to be the patron of the Palmerston Combined Probus Club. Probus has been around for just over a year in Palmerston and is going well. I am honoured to be the inaugural patron, and I hope to be patron supporting Palmerston Probus for a long time. Probus held its AGM on 20 March this year. I was unable to attend as I was freshly married, but I did send my apologies. I need to thank the outgoing committee and acknowledge the incoming committee.
A massive thank you to Ken Cohalan OAM, who helped set up Palmerston Probus and was instrumental in getting membership, growing the club and moving things forward. I think it was always his plan to help establish the club and then move on and let it grow and develop in its own direction. Ken is a busy man and has his finger in many pies. I am sure in many ways he is relieved to hand over this duty to someone else. Having said that, he did an amazing job. He was constantly in communication with me, seeking information about things government was doing which affected seniors, and we developed a good, strong working relationship. I thank Ken for giving me the opportunity to be a conduit between Palmerston Probus and government.
I also thank Jim Wright, who was the Secretary of Palmerston Probus. He did an amazing job. Like Ken, he is another long-term member of Probus and Rotary organisations. He did an outstanding job, but due to personal circumstances, this year, unfortunately, he is unable to continue in that capacity. We will miss him, but he is still around, much like Ken, so I am sure we will be in constant contact.
Treasurer, Ron Pearse, did not escape remaining as Treasurer, so thank you to Ron for his past and ongoing contribution.
Welfare Officer, Sylvia McGough; the Dining Group Chair, Shirley Collins; Tours and Visiting Groups Chair, Ray Grimshaw; Singing Group Liaison, Rob Roos; Newsletter Editor, Christine Ilic; Club Photographer, Sylvia McGough; Cinema Theatre Group Chair, Dot Chapman; and Attendance/Welcome Officer, Connie Cohalan, thank you to those members of Palmerston Probus; you all played an important role and helped make our club a welcoming and special place.
I love the atmosphere the club created and that there are positions like a Welfare Officer. Probus has people who care whether or not their friends turn up to a meeting. It was raised, importantly, at the last previous meeting that you should not pass on apologies for someone for the sake of it just because they are not there. There was a terrible incident interstate where someone passed on someone else’s apologies, and they had been in an accident and that was not noticed because of the apology logged on their behalf. There is a very strong community spirit in looking after one another. I value that the club distinguishes itself from others in that respect because many of those very strong community-minded elements within it.
We now welcome President Ray Grimshaw to Palmerston Probus. I look forward to working very closely with you over the next 12 months. I am sure you will be an excellent president; you seem to have good command of the group and a direction you want to follow. I expect to hear a lot from you, as I did from Ken. I am at your service and here to do what I can to strengthen the club and the knowledge of members.
I again thank past President, Ken Cohalan, who holds the title for the next 12 months, and welcome vice president Dot Chapman. It is very nice to see a woman in the executive of Palmerston Probus. It is nice to see a woman at that level of the club. There is a significant number of males on the executive, so I am right behind you there, Dot!
I also thank secretary, Marilyn Roberts. Marilyn, you are already doing an amazing job; I have received a lot of correspondence from you, and I look forward to working with you into the future. We have a Treasurer – Ron stayed on, as well as Christine as the bulletin editor of a fantastic publication. I have already recruited myself, Nathan Barrett and Peter Chandler to be advertising in your bulletins. We have raised a bit of revenue in a very short space, which was excellent. We look forward to reading every edition.
Shirley continues as the dining group coordinator, and she did that very well last year. I expect we will be looking forward to many events this year. Dot is also the entertainment – cinema and theatre – coordinator. Connie is the membership and fellowship officer. She does an exceptional job at welcoming everyone into Probus as well as making sure visitors and guests have scribbled their signature into the guest book.
Ken will continue as program and guest speaker officer. It is fantastic to see Ken’s continued contribution to the club. Tour and visits will be coordinated by Ray; he is busily coordinating the next overseas holiday for those who are interested, so we are already making headway in that space.
June Roos is also the singing officer and the position of club photographer is still vacant. If people are interested, please do not hesitate to get involved and take up one of those positions. I suspect it will be a very strong year. Coming out of today’s budget, the club will be seeking information about the changes to the Pension and Carer Concession Scheme. I look forward to having those conversations with them and providing whatever information I can to help support the club in any way.
I will also mention a few wonderful Territorians in Palmerston who are doing amazing things. Jamieson Kerle is participating in NT School Sport football in Sydney in July. I wish you the very best of luck, Jamieson. I think I speak on behalf of all my colleagues in saying congratulations for being picked to represent the Northern Territory. We very much look forward to hearing how it all went and hope you bring home success.
Katelyn Dixon is doing the 2014 RSPCA Million Paws Walk in May, and her mum Alana is working very hard to try to raise as much money as possible. She does have a Facebook page, so if you would like to donate money to Caitlin, please get on there; she is a gorgeous little girl, and we wish her all the very best with that walk.
Corey Sutton is going on the 25th anniversary expo representative baseball trip in the United States in June and July. Craig and Sharon, Corey’s parents, have been working hard lobbying members of parliament and of the community to help pay for Corey’s trip. Corey, you have done an amazing job to play representative baseball at this level. We wish you all the very best. It should be extremely exciting for you. No doubt you will have many fond memories to cherish over the course of your life coming out of this amazing experience. All the very best. We will be thinking of you. Please get back in touch with my office to let us know how you went.
The Northern Territory 9-ball team is playing in the world blackball championships in Scotland in October, which is amazing. You will find these guys at the Freds Pass Show this weekend. They will be under my big orange tent raising as much money as possible selling sausages and all sorts of other things. So if you are at Freds Pass this weekend and you are hungry, please make sure you go past the NT 9-ball tent because they will be trying to raise as much money as possible for this trip. We are extremely proud of you and we look forward to hearing, hopefully, of your success in Scotland. No doubt it will be an amazing trip nonetheless.
I had the privilege of going to SAM’s Dance Studio a couple of weeks ago, and not only did I get to meet the teachers and the wonderful girls who participate, but I was shown an exclusive cut into the performance they are busily preparing for the NT Eisteddfod. It was exhilarating and fantastic. I tried my best to participate in the warm up, but I was not appropriately dressed. I think some of the girls were giggling at me, wondering, what the heck is this woman doing dancing around the wooden floors in her work dress and heels? Nonetheless, I gave it a good shot.
I was at SAM’s Dance Studio because quite a few mums had lobbied me to have dance included in the Sport Voucher Scheme. I was able to achieve that for them. Following that we saw the roll out of many more recreational activities being included in the scheme. Thank you to them. I am pleased to have been able to assist and have dance incorporated. I loved coming down. I will have to do it more often, perhaps wearing some leggings and more appropriate clothing next time.
I also congratulate the Goldfish Bowl for working so closely with Gray Primary School, along with the school Sport Voucher Scheme. The school will now be sending kids to the Goldfish Bowl for much needed swimming lessons, for which they can utilise their school sports voucher, which has a direct impact on the cost of living. That is a fantastic outcome for parents at Gray Primary School.
Ms ANDERSON (Namatjira): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to put on record comments some people have made and to promote Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory. I will talk in brief tonight about my idea of community, about Aboriginal communities, the way they are, the reasons for the way they are and what they could become.
I speak not just as a member of this parliament and a representative of a new political formation, but as a community woman. I was raised in a bush community and I still live my life in communities. My families and my country are my home. We have heard for many years that things are bad on communities, that life there is lived without hope. We have heard them described in dismissive terms. We have even heard communities described by the Northern Territory government’s great experts in this field as dysfunctional.
The drum beat of ministers denouncing the failures of remote Aboriginal society has increased in the past few days. The member for Stuart explained her deep concern in the local newspaper on the weekend, and now we see the Attorney-General using the same forum to broadcast his ideas. More than a decade after Noel Pearson launched the national debate on the evils of passive welfare in Aboriginal society, the Attorney-General has discovered the theme and even raised it with his federal colleague, Senator Scullion.
I went through these comments made by the minister with great interest, as I well remember his brief period as the local member for my communities. The minister now says he has a plan to solve the problem of passive welfare by placing all community welfare payments under the control of regional boards, doubtlessly government appointed. He offers us little history lessons and concludes with a sharp message relayed through the pages of the Northern Territory News. Passive welfare, he claims, has:
- … destroyed culture, communities and lives; visible in the squalor of remote communities and in their disturbing alcohol, violence and suicide statistics.
This is quite a list of troubles. It used to be that when politicians spoke this way, we few Indigenous representatives would keep silent and hang our heads and wonder at the negativity of the portrait being painted. Maybe we could recognise a couple of the arguments but not the whole picture.
The time has come to speak out in careful terms and say clearly that remote communities are, in great part, functional. Their culture is not destroyed and they have their place in our Australia.
Welfare reform programs are already well under way, as is well known. They have been ongoing for the past five years in a calibrated trial in Cape York, and the Prime Minister himself is a keen believer in their merit. They have been tested in Cape York with engaged support of the local communities, not being imposed at the whim of a political eccentric. What then is the place of communities in the modern Northern Territory and what are their prospects? I want to tell you my thinking on this.
Of course life is hard when you live in poverty. Of course there are few jobs in communities, and many of the jobs that do exist are taken and held by outsiders. Of course welfare has been a knife at our throats, sapping and draining away the initiative of community people. We all know this, but communities are also places of love and family, of tradition and belief. They have their own value and are strongholds of Aboriginal culture. Mainstream Australians in the great capitals of south admire the Aboriginal communities of the outback, their people, their art and their landscapes. I would venture to say they think about the remote bush much more than they think or care about Darwin.
How easy it is to sit in judgment of remote communities of the desert and Top End when you are sitting in a smart government office. How easy it is to look down on people who live in simple conditions. How easy it is to assume that because communities are poor, they are full of people in despair.
This is not the way things really are. Men, women and children in communities are proud of themselves and happy in their world. They do not wake up in the morning and think to themselves, ‘How dysfunctional I am, how bad is life’. They wake up and think, ‘How lucky we are to be living on our country, in full possession of our language and culture, and a little removed from the madness, pace and poisons of the mainstream world’. If they did not think that they would not live on those communities. They have choices.
I get calls from my constituents along these lines. They say, ‘Why do outsiders continually assume we live in hell? We may lead a simple existence with poor expensive food from the shops, and it may be hard to get a good education, but we like the way the world is for us. We do not want to be saved; we want a fair share of the resources the government gives to people. We want to be treated justly. We would like to have economic opportunities.’ I can complete the argument for them. They deserve better.
Aboriginal people are the poorest people in the Territory, even though they own half the land and have native title rights over much more of it. Aboriginal people in the bush have appalling health and educational outcomes. They are neglected. I do not mean to pretend these dilemmas are simple, but it is wrong to blame the victims. The problem is not only the communities. I remember how thriving and prosperous bush communities were in the early days before great changes were introduced and the welfare system came in.
My point is this, there is no problem with the capacity of bush people; they are capable and gifted. They would like to have better social and economic prospects. They would like to engage with mainstream Australia in a full, deep fashion. They look up to those from their communities who have had the benefit of a good western education and can walk in both worlds.
There is a vast kingdom of unrealised human potential sitting on our doorstep in the communities. What a dreadful thing to let it all go to waste.
I suggest, as my little contribution to a new thinking tonight, that the way to make real progress swiftly in the bush is not to impose pointless outside solutions on bush people, but to transform the landscape by full joint partnership with men and women. In education, for instance, act now to make schools good places to be and draw children to the classroom of their own free will. Do no treat community residents as subjects to be directed, but as beings with unlimited horizons before them.
I hope that in a few simple words I have given you a foretaste of the lines of thinking in our new political party. We want to open new horizons for our communities and for everyone. We want to respect the dignity of the people for whom we make policy; we do not want to see them being degraded and viewed as ridiculous because they are disadvantaged. Everyone in Territory politics knows the remote bush has been starved of funds and the process of rebuilding them will take decades.
Let us begin to forge constructive solutions. If one ministerial aid in this building has listened and heard what I am saying tonight and not dismissed everything out of hand, I will count myself satisfied and lucky.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Mr Deputy Speaker, that invites a response. Congratulations to the member for Namatjira for raising the level of debate. I am pleased to hear it; it is a good thing.
There are a couple of things I want to put on the record. When I referred to boards, you and other people assumed they would be imposed. The boards I envisaged would have been local boards of local people making those decisions. I do not want to run other people’s lives for them.
What I did get sick and tired of, as a cop, was putting bodies into body bags. Do you know what the really sad part was? The vast majority of them were Aboriginal.
Ms Lee: Wrong.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear the member for Arnhem say ‘wrong’. No, the vast majority of people I put into body bags, especially the victims of domestic violence, were Aboriginal people. There are all sorts of ways the passive welfare system, which I have spoken about for a number of years – I have not recently discovered it – has decayed.
Let us take Ntaria, for example, which was once a community with a leather workshop, a butchery, they used to grow fruit and vegetables and sell them to Alice Springs; it was a thriving community. When I was the member for MacDonnell for eight years - if you call that fleeting, perhaps if you place it in to a context of 60 000 years it was fleeting – the proposal I took to the members opposite, whilst they were still members of the Country Liberals, reflected the idea of local boards, locally controlled with input from local people.
I cannot fix the problems of Yuendumu from Darwin. God knows that Canberra cannot fix the problems of Yuendumu from Canberra. I do not believe you can fix them from Alice Springs; the buy-in is not there. But you can try to speak to a local community and say, ‘You fix it on the ground’. There is a number of things I would like to do in that space, and the members for Namatjira, Arnhem and Arafura are fully cognisant of some of the things I am looking into, because I briefed them on one occasion when they came to my office. I am happy to inform those members that I have gone some distance down that path, and I am happy to brief them again, even though they now sit as Independents in this House, and to continue to brief them on what I am doing because I value their input, as long as it is constructive and genuinely aimed at achieving results in remote communities.
I want local communities working with local government representatives in the communities, saying, ‘All right, let us find the solutions for this community’. The solutions in Hermannsburg – Ntaria - will be different to the solutions in Yuendumu, Nyirripi, Yirrkala or any of those other places. I do not want to try to fix other people’s problems. I have enough trouble dealing with my own family issues on a daily basis, let alone trying to be the person who knows best for other families in other places when they do not speak the same language as me and have a different cultural context.
The very heart of my philosophy is, if you like, individualism, which means responses to people’s problems have to be driven by the people themselves. That also applies to economic results. I hear this word ‘victim’ percolate and find its way back into the member for Namatjira’s language. I do not want to see Aboriginal people as victims, but, unfortunately, that is the way we characterise Aboriginal people. I want to see Aboriginal people pull themselves up by their boot straps like anybody else.
Everybody in this Chamber, and in life, has problems. Some are worse than others, and they manifest in different ways, but you either find a way to deal with those issues and move forward and ahead, or you collapse under the weight of those problems. I know two quadriplegics in the Northern Territory who went on to run businesses and become employers. If there is anybody with a right to feel like a victim, it is surely a person who has lost all function of their arms and legs, yet they started businesses and become employers.
There are victims of sexual crimes; there are victims of other forms of crime, but they have the opportunity to say, ‘I am not going to be a victim. I refuse to be a victim. I will be a survivor and I will get the hell on with it.’ One of the things I want to encourage every person to do is to take an attitude of, ‘Nobody should be expected to fix my issues. Whilst the things that happen to people may be unfair, even downright criminal, if they wait for somebody else to come and fix them, they will be waiting for a very long time. If I take the attitude that it must be somebody else’s responsibility to fix me, I am damning myself because all I will take on is the mantle of victim, and that is all it will ever be.
Whether we are talking about Aboriginal people, non-Aboriginal people, people in Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Yuendumu or Santa Teresa, at an individual level they have a choice. ‘I can be more than what I am but I have to choose to do it.’ I draw on my personal experiences of things that have happened to me, which are all on the public record, such as issues with alcohol and sexual abuse; it happened. If I had waited for other people to come and rescue me from myself, if I had waited for a government policy to be the solution to my drinking problem or what happened to me as a kid, I would still be waiting now. I would still be sitting God knows where, in a gutter, in a park, in a lounge room, in a flat – I do not know where – saying ‘Any moment now, somebody will come and rescue me’.
I would like all people to say, ‘Whatever happens to me, whether fair or not, ultimately I will take on the duty and responsibility for myself to get out of it and move on, to become more than I currently am’. That is what I tried to do with my life, and it has been an exceptional journey. I have loved the journey I have been on. I would encourage any other person to go on that journey, a spiritual, physical, mental and emotional journey, to move forward through life and enjoy and extract from life the pleasure and relish you can get from it. However, the decision has to be taken, and the best way to smother that to death, the best way to crush it, is to remove choices from people. I am so critical of passive welfare because it removes choices.
If you say to a person, Aboriginal or not, ‘You have choice A and choice B, but whatever you do, outcome C will happen’, there is no point in making a choice. You have deprived that person of freedom. To be free you have to earn free. The harder you pursue your own freedom – freedom of mind, spirit, emotional baggage – the more freedom you will obtain. That, I do not believe, is limited to a cultural perspective. That is just a fundamental human perspective.
People pursuing their own lives will throw off the shackles of dependency because they know that is what freedom is. Freedom is, in many respects, the absorption and taking on of responsibility for self. The moment a person says, ‘I am responsible for me’, they begin a journey which changes their lives no matter who they are.
I am so critical of passive welfare because it suppresses that realisation. If you suppress that realisation in the core of the person then you have taken away their capacity to change themselves or, more to the point, they have chosen to abandon that capacity for the sake of a dole cheque.
Freedom for Aboriginal people and dignity for any person is not something that can be given to them. I cannot give any person their freedom, they must take it. I cannot give them their dignity; they must take it and develop it for themselves. You cannot walk around dishing out 500gm packs of dignity. It has to be earned; it has to be developed, and the way you develop it is by understanding that you have duties and responsibilities.
That is what I am trying to encourage. It is not oppressive or condescending or anything else like that, it is an encouragement to say to people, ‘Come on the journey’. I know full well that this applies to the human condition. It is not peculiar to any race or any culture in the world; it is universally a human quality.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will talk about a wonderful Aboriginal man. His name was Peter Brogan and he was a deacon.
If you want an example of someone who did take responsibility for his life and spread that throughout all the people he met, this is the person. I attended, along with the member for Arafura, his funeral at St Mary’s Cathedral last Thursday.
I will read from the eulogy. I thank Luke Morecombe for giving me a copy of it:
- Peter Brogan was born at Papungala near Port Keats in 1929 and grew up there until he was about five years old. From there he was taken to the Alice Springs Bungalow and he went to school there. He was then taken to Kahlin Compound in Darwin. In 1941, when he turned 12, he was taken to Garden Point Mission on Melville Island. At the time Father Connors and Brother Bennett were in charge of the boys.
In 1942, when the Japanese bombed Darwin, the girls were evacuated to Darwin and sent south to Carrington in South Australia. Peter and the boys stayed at Garden Point to look after the place. When Peter completed his schooling on the mission, his first job was working with Father John Flynn as a mechanic. Later on he worked in the market garden with Brother John Barrett. He also worked on the tobacco plantation. Peter was also the skipper of the Quail, a boat left by the Americans as a gift to the mission.
Peter would also go out with the rest of the boys in the evenings on the Quail, crocodile shooting. Every Sunday was a hunting day, either fishing off the Quail or wallaby shooting at 17 Mile. The boys also went camping out at Goolumbini and from there they would walk to Paru to round up donkeys and bring them back to Garden Point.
He loved camping and hunting at Wulawunga and looking for seagull or turtle eggs on Seagull Island as well as fishing and looking for mud crabs at Air Force Creek.
Peter was looked after on the mission by Justin, Charlie and Long Lyn Puruntatameri, growing into a man. His family is now entrenched into Tiwi culture and accepted by the Tiwi people.
Peter met Thecla on the mission at Garden Point. They married in 1950 at the old church and established a village called St Anne’s where other married couples lived.
In 1967, the government assisted in the handover of the mission to the Tiwi people. Most of the children and families were sent into Darwin. Peter and Thecla were one of the only couples who stayed on at Garden Point. Peter never left Garden Point, since he arrived as a 12-year-old boy, for over 70 years. Although he loved his family at Palumpa, he could never go back to live but he loved to go back and visit.
Peter was ordained a deacon by Bishop Ted Collins msc on Saturday 7 July 1990 at Our Lady of Victories Church at Garden Point. He was the first person to be ordained by the Catholic Church from the Tiwi Islands. Father John Leary msc was a great support in his training towards the big day. Father Tim reflects that not only was that day significant for Peter but also for his wife and family, the Tiwi Islands communities, and indeed for the Catholic Church. Thecla was very much part of the liturgy, clothing him his diaconal chasuble, symbolising her vital role in his journey and ministry. Peter would go on to be a faithful Catholic Aboriginal leader representing the church on many occasions in different events.
Peter developed a real pastoral heart. He visited many people, especially the sick, providing them with Holy Communion and the support of his prayers. He instructed many parents as they prepared for their children’s baptisms. He prepared a number of couples for marriage too. Sister Barbara reflects that he was a simple, gentle and holy man, going to the church every morning for prayer, often with kids trailing behind him. His love, care and responsibility for the church was constant. He took seriously his vocation to care for the people and for God’s house. When Peter was around you could be confident things would get done. Even during his sickness he was still trying to reach out. When Patrick Puruntatameri’s brother passed away, Peter got Kurt to take him up that night in the wheelchair so he could be with family. He said the prayers and blessings for the one who had passed. He also had a strong devotion to Mary, carrying his rosary beads with him and often praying the rosary.
For a time Peter served as a board member of Nungalinya Theological College in Darwin and at Manalama, which represents the Catholic students at the college. Farther Mauri recalls his conscientious and quiet questioning ways he brought to these roles.
When in Darwin Peter always felt at home at St Martin de Porres Catholic Aboriginal Community. He was part of this family which has many of its founders from the Garden Point Community. The unique sense of belonging, community and family he felt there was the same as deep bonds experienced by the Garden Point mob.
Peter also had a stint as manager of the Pularumpi Town Council.
Peter was a faithful, long serving member of the Garden Point Community.
During his time in the hospice before going home, Peter had a constant procession of family and friends visiting him. His peaceful, and even joyful, acceptance of his diagnosis touched many people. His faith in God and belief in Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist was unflinching. Father Dan recalls the first thing Peter said as he arrived at the hospice was, ‘Do you have Holy Communion?’
Father Mauri spent Easter this year at Garden Point and reflected how being with Peter deepened his experience and understanding of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection. At times Peter’s mind would wander, but when focused he was vividly aware of the Lord’s presence – the source of his peace. The image of Mary holding the body of her son reminded him of the painful privilege and later consolation that the family have had in tenderly caring for Peter these last few years.
In his last days back at the hospice he was surrounded by his loving family and friends. After one of the prayer times he calmly and confidently said to Farther Dan, ‘I think it’s my time’. Peter was as rock solid in his faith, hope and love during his final days of suffering and death as he was during his whole life.
The family would like to thank all Royal Darwin Hospital staff who looked after Peter, including Dr Yousuf, Dr Nadin, Dr Christina, Dr Sarah and all the hospice staff.
Well done good and faithful servant, come and share your master’s happiness.
I seek leave to table the list of his brothers – his wife was Thecla Brogan – his Tiwi family, his children, who he was father-in-law to, grandpa of, great-grandpa of, great-great-grandpa of, plus all the other in-laws and all those he was godfather to.
Leave granted
I do not have time to read them all out, but it is a true indication of what family means for Aboriginal people. Although I am not Aboriginal, I regard myself as part of the family. It is a wonderful part of the society in which we live in the Northern Territory.
Peter was such a great person. I will read the names of the pall bearers to give you some idea of the family: Shawn Hill; Kenneth Mingun; Simon Bailey; Mathias Liddy; Greg Cusack; Bruno Long; Paul Motlop; Craig Cadell; Dean Rioli; Anthony Henry; Brian Stanislaus; and Gerry de la Cruz. You have nearly every form of sport represented there. It is so symbolic of the family. That is the love that was shown by all those people who attended the funeral for Peter Brogan, a wonderful man.
One special thing he has passed on is his - without being over religious – holiness, in the nice way. His gentle smile – all the people I have spoken said he was never angry, always spoke to people kindly and passed that on to members of his family and others who met him. A wonderful man, a true Territorian and someone many people will miss. May he rest in peace.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak about an event I attended on Saturday 10 May, which was last Saturday night. It was the 73rd annual Battle of Crete commemoration. A large gathering of Cretan people from the Darwin community, along with many of their friends, gathered at the Cypriot Club at Marrara to commemorate this famous battle.
I was grateful that many people turned up. I pay particular thanks to the following people: the Honorary Consul General of Greece, Mr John Anictomatis; President of the RSL, Mr Don Milford; Lieutenant Commander Chris Jones from the Royal Australian Navy; Mr Ron Mitchell from the Multicultural Council NT; Mr Evan Fitirikos, who is the President of the Cypriot Club; and Mr John Nicolakis from the Greek community. It was a great night.
Like Anzac Day, this is a time when Cretan people get together to commemorate the Battle of Crete. For those who may not know what the Battle of Crete was about, Crete is an island in Greece, in the middle of the Aegean Sea. It is a strategically located island in a military sense, one that the allied forces in World War II wanted to keep and the German and Italian forces wanted to take. In May 1941 there was a massive onslaught of German and Italian troops. They invaded the island, parachuted in, and there was a defence force comprising of Australian, New Zealand and British troops, along with a huge civilian resistance organisation. Not only that night, but the following day at a wreath laying ceremony, speeches were made of the heroism of the local people. Here was a people getting on with life in May 1941 who were thrown into a battle for their survival. They assisted, helped troops and fought side by side with the allied troops on the island.
Sadly, forces there were overwhelmed, evacuations were necessary, and the German and Italian forces continued to occupy the island of Crete. A number of Australian soldiers came back to Darwin, one of whom carried a memory of the ferocity of the battle and the heroism of those people who lived on the island, how they fought and died.
We remember those who died, but we also need to remember those who came back and were injured, either psychologically, physically, or those who came back and were unable to cope with much afterwards. There is an excerpt from something at the Australian War Memorial which reflects on the relationship that was formed and strengthened by this battle. It says:
- Heat haze dances on the little Cretan church with whitewashed walls, bell tower, and terracotta roof tiles. The building stands out from the green coastal scrub that surrounds it on the hillside overlooking a sparkling blue ocean. But the scrub includes banksia and wattle and the sparkling blue is not the Mediterranean. The church is at Prevelly Park, where the Margaret River flows into the Indian Ocean. It is a personal tribute by a Western Australian survivor of the battles of Crete in May 1941 to the heroism of the Cretan people and their bond with Australian soldiers.
I was very grateful for the attendance at that function of Mr Charlie Parrot. I have seen this gentleman around for many years, and for those who do not know who Charlie Parrot is, he is 93 years of age, he was at the Battle of Crete, and fought side by side with Cretan civilians. For many years, as I have been going to commemoration events and wreath laying ceremonies, Charlie has always been there. Sadly, he was a prisoner of war when the Germans and Italians overran the Allied forces there. Charlie turns up every year, comes along to remember his mates, those who came back with him and, sadly, those who did not.
A good night was had. These events occur in May every year. The Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand gathers to bring Cretans together from all of these associations, and to focus on maintaining and promoting community ties with Greece and Crete, as well to renew, strengthen and form new friendships.
These conventions also provide a platform to support relations between the veterans of the Battle of Crete and the greater Greek, Australian and New Zealand communities. As a result of that function there is always one the next day, held at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas on Cavenagh Street. For those who have been in Darwin a long time, it is a well-known venue. It is one of those whitewashed little Greek churches. For those who have not been in Darwin very long, it does not take long to find out where it is. It is very prominent on the corner of Cavenagh and Daly Streets.
Following a church service on Sunday morning, the wreath laying ceremony takes place and a number of people speak on the Cretan conflict and those who fought and died for our freedom. It was all part of the Allied thrust to protect freedom. As I said on the Saturday night, peace and freedom are very fragile things. If we do not stand up and protect them, we are likely to lose them. To listen to the speeches and be a part of the wreath laying ceremony was a moving experience, remembering there were people who went before us. As we do on Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand, in May, the Cretans celebrate the efforts of so many people and commemorate those who lived and died.
That was a great event on Sunday morning. I also thank Lieutenant Commander Chris Jones who brought a military contingent to lay wreaths and be present to remember the Australians who died in this great battle.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I will move on briefly to the Easter seniors’ lunch which was the Saturday after Easter at the Kalymnian Club. The Kalymnian Brotherhood puts this on every year. The Kalymnian Brotherhood is part of the Christmas and Easter functions for the seniors in our community, and what a fantastic job they do. The club gets all its volunteers together, collects donations and puts on a free event for our seniors to be entertained and have a fantastic lunch.
The entire Greek community throws their weight behind this, not just the Kalymnians. It was good to see the representatives from all the Greek associations there, with somewhere just under 300 seniors enjoying a hearty lunch, having great fun, catching up with friends and making some new ones. It is now a community tradition and has been for many years. It is also on the seniors’ calendar now. My thanks go to the Kalymnian Brotherhood and the other community groups who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the event went smoothly.
Many thanks to the army of ladies who slaved away to prepare the fabulous food. Those who have been there before will be looking forward to Christmas. Special thanks to the Greek dancers, the young people who entertain these people, the committee and the Grey Panthers, those lovely ladies from Palmerston who do those fantastic dances and entertain all during the day. It was a great event. Thank you.
Ms LEE (Arnhem): Mr Deputy Speaker, I stand to speak about the issues and concepts expressed in the online article titled, ‘Passive Welfare Massive Problems in the NT’ from Sunday 11 May 2014.
The Attorney-General, Mr Elferink, has made a number of statements to the Northern Territory News regarding what he sees as a catalyst for Aboriginal people with respect to dysfunctional communities and people. He says passive welfare is destroying Aboriginal people, particularly Aboriginal youth, to the extent that something radical needs to be done. He states that welfare payments should be administered by regional boards, which, in his view, would set people to work for their communities in return for Centrelink payments.
Mr Elferink states that he has taken this matter up with the Indigenous Affairs minister, Nigel Scullion, and Human Services minister, Marise Payne. He does not, however, say how his ideas for the administration of Centrelink payments would work. For instance, there is no detail on what he is articulating. It sounds like yet another solution to set fellow Aboriginal people against each other to carry out the government’s responsibilities in the areas of employment creation and community service delivery.
I note that Mr Elferink’s comments came after his ministerial colleague, minister Bess Price, Minister for Community Services, made a statement about the nature of Aboriginal communities. Minister Price clearly stated that Aboriginal people in Aboriginal communities are dysfunctional. Well I grew up in an Aboriginal community and I do not wake up every day thinking I am dysfunctional. It brought me here. But many of my loved ones and families are still left in the communities. They may never make it out, but at least one third of us do.
I am glad I have the opportunity to stand here and speak for those people. Minister Price went on to say that this debate about the dysfunctionality of Aboriginal people in Aboriginal communities needs to be debated in the open, and needs to be a proper debate about all the issues that caused it. Minister Price talked about domestic violence and the general discourse of Aboriginal dysfunctionality.
Well bring on the debate because this is one debate that needs to have the full engagement of this parliament. All stakeholders, especially Aboriginal people, need to be included in this debate. All the factors that lead to communities being rendered dysfunctional have, at their heart, outside influences which perpetuate the situation.
Aboriginal people do not think they are dysfunctional. In fact, Aboriginal people are extremely functional in many ways. If they can speak eight different languages – our law, the Madayin law, never changes. The laws in Parliament House do. Legislation is always changing. Our laws never change. We respect that and live by that. It is like Christianity, whether you are Catholic or not.
Aboriginal people recognise, after decades, that the dysfunctionality lies outside their communities when dealing with them as a people. Successive governments have for far too long perpetrated neglect, blame and misery on Aboriginal individuals, their families and their communities to such an extent that most Aboriginal people outside Aboriginal communities – the non-Aboriginal population – thinks it is a cultural problem of being Aboriginal.
Government departments, their officials and other agencies of a government nature have simply not been held accountable for the inertia that prevails in Aboriginal communities’ services delivery. Public servants are simply not held accountable for their inaction and the social blunders they commit in Aboriginal affairs. Governments find it easier to blame others for their mistakes and their inability to simply do the right thing. Capacity building has, as its central focus, employment strategies, economic development and infrastructure development as central planks to make Aboriginal people and communities a part of the mainstream employment and economic profile.
I am pleased the wellbeing of Aboriginal communities and people has been raised as a series of issues that need to be publicly discussed and dealt with. We are now beginning to have a debate that will bring to the attention of all people in the Northern Territory the serious issues related to the poverty and the most marginalised people in Australia to the forefront. We are now entertaining a new regime in governance equity for all Territorians, which is political ground that governments of all persuasions in the Northern Territory, since the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978, have not dared to tread.
It has been far too easy for governments of the Northern Territory to sweep the Aboriginal problem under the political carpet. Passive welfare and making people work for Centrelink payments is a short-sighted solution to a massive problem, aimed at solving job creation in remote Aboriginal communities. We have heard all this before. There is nothing new in what the Attorney-General is saying. It is a political road to nowhere.
I, and my colleagues, Alison Anderson and Francis Xavier, left the Country Liberal Party government because the government the Attorney-General is part of has simply torn up the social and economic contracts with the bush electorates. The way to alleviate passive welfare is to create jobs. When I say jobs I mean real jobs, not CDEP or the short-term funded job programs. For instance, many attempts have been made by your federal colleagues, such as the Remote Jobs and Communities Program – RJCP. After more than 18 months, that program has not delivered on the promise of job creation, social enterprise or community developments. In fact, RJCP is now putting money into the new school attendance officers. In my community there are only two. What about the rest of the community, the people who have worked there all their lives? The jobs go out of the community and there is nothing for them.
How, for instance, does your government create jobs at the end of the line for successful graduates of such programs? In other words, Mr Elferink, there simply is no light at the end of the tunnel for those people. It sounds very much like the training merry-go-round we seem to be unable to get off. The simple answer is job creation. Mr Elferink, you stated the notion of working for money was once a source of pride in an Indigenous community. It was until government guilt from past wrongdoings prompted idle money policies. Well, Mr Elferink, you seem to have found the answer to the problems. There seems to be, by your own admission, a need for job creation programs. Is that not the problem?
How many jobs in the Top End have been created for people in the Ichthys program? How many successful Indigenous applicants are there in the workforce of this ground breaking project? Could you please update the House on this matter? Further, minister, can you tell us how many jobs and economic programs have taken place in Aboriginal remote communities since your government came to power in 2012 and how many of them are or were Northern Territory programs?
Going back to what he said about the pride of people in Indigenous communities, there is pride. As I have said, even when I was in the Country Liberal government, education is the key. In my former job, yes, I put many people in body bags too, and I still do it today. I have to go home and bury them. I was in that job for 10 years and it is not nice. You have to pull your own family out of burnt cars. I understand you are talking about your previous job, but this is the reality we all have to face and come to terms with one day. You cannot make assumptions because you have never lived the life there.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I place on the record a few events and a few congratulations to people in the electorate of Nhulunbuy.
Our local Rotary club held a very successful quiz night. It is an iconic event, the Rotary Quiz Night in Nhulunbuy, held in February each year for as long as I can remember. Despite being postponed by a week due to a cyclone warning, the annual quiz night proceeded on Saturday 22 March. There is no shortage of creative minds in Nhulunbuy, and people are encouraged to dress up and have a theme when they come to quiz night. That theme can extend through to the supper we all take along. We had teams such as ‘Griller Tactics’ with people dressed up as chefs, ‘The Caesars’ and ‘Putting on the Ritz’. Over two dozen teams participated, but quite apart from the creative names, team smarts is what it is all about. The overall winners of the night were ‘Not Another Pasta Disaster’ with members Jason Laverick, Kade, Tina White, John, Derrian and Anna.
Congratulations also to the second placed team, ‘Three Years Minimum’ made up of the Fincham/Thompson clan – Rachel, Rob, Denise, Nick, Kerry and Sarah; and third place went to team ‘Dressed Down’ made up of Simone, Clint, Emma, Gill and Dave.
Well done to Leanne Perissy and her team of fellow Rotarians who worked tirelessly to create such a successful event. Congratulations to all the local community businesses which provided support and sponsorship to the event. I am very proud to be a sponsor of the event myself.
In total, the night raised in excess of $5000 and all that money goes to assist organisations within our local community. Like many others in the community, I look forward to the next event, which will be the Rotary Cricket Tournament to be held in Nhulunbuy in June. It will see cricketing legends Len Pascoe – who came to the inaugural event last year – and Jeff ‘Thommo’ Thomson, visiting Nhulunbuy to participate in the event.
Congratulations to the Nhulunbuy Rotary Club for the many events it holds. In the current climate in Nhulunbuy where things are not entirely rosy, to have community events such as these, be it a quiz night or a cricket tournament, certainly boosts community spirit.
I acknowledge the two Anzac Day events held on 25 April, being the 99th anniversary of Anzac Day. Crowds, to me, seem to get bigger and bigger in Nhulunbuy, as I know they do around the country. I congratulate the organisers from our local RSL, Mo McKay and Ivor Alexander, who have organised more Anzac Day events than they probably remember, keeping in mind the day before Anzac Day, 24 April, is also the commemoration of Kapyong. The emcee for both the dawn service and the 11 am service at the cenotaph was Mr John O’Brien. John and his family departed Nhulunbuy about three or four years ago, but it was good to have him back this year. It is not the first time he has come back to be emcee. He is an ex-serviceman, and a former engineer with Rio Tinto. John always does a wonderful job when he emcees Anzac Day services, so thanks to him, but, as I said, special thanks goes to Mo McKay and Ivor Alexander.
We have a strong Kiwi community in Nhulunbuy, so I acknowledge the contribution each year of the Kiwi Connection, a beautiful choral group that sings the New Zealand national anthem at those ceremonies. They sing beautiful harmonies, first in Maori and then the English version. Congratulations to Rachel Blundell, who unaccompanied, sang a very moving, very powerful version of the Australian national anthem at the 11 am cenotaph ceremony.
Wednesday 30 April saw Nhulunbuy High School’s annual swimming carnival. It was hosted at the local pool on what could not have been a better Dry Season day. Students and teachers gathered in their house colours, ready to cheer one another on. The official results of the day were: first place, Team Giddies with 3277 points; second, Team Latram with 2587 points; and third, Team Roper on 1956 points. Roper is the house my boys are in. They were a bit disappointed, but as we always remind our kids, it is not about winning, it is about having a good time and participating. I will place on the record who the winners were in both the female and male age categories. Keep in mind the carnival has always held, as I am sure other schools do, events that are about participation and having fun, not just a traditional swimming carnival.
However, there were winners. The under 13 female champion was Taylor Dowzard ,with the runner up being Bodhi Caldwell; the under 13 male champion was Mitchell Wise, the runner up Harry Pitkin; under 14 female champion was Jordin Ritchie-Clark, runner up Tiana Beauchamp; under 14 male champion was Macallaster Barnett, runner up Harry Parfitt; under 15 female champion was Cassie Body, with runner up going to Gabrielle Davidov; under 15 male champion was Jack Pitkin, runner up Cameron Stiff; under 16 female champion was Jade Kelly, with runner up being Ashley Verrall; under 16 male champion was Bryan Body, with runner up going to Dakota Priestley; open female champion was Pia Lynch with runner up being Abbey Rose-Faggs; and the open male champion was Alex Parfitt, with runner up going to Harry Walker. Well done to everybody who participated in Nhulunbuy High School’s swimming carnival, and well done to teachers who were there.
It can be a bit of a hot day out in the sun. Well done to the Year 12 kids who were doing some fundraising for their Year 12 formal and ran a sausage sizzle.
I also thank Rachel Verdell, who manages our town pool in Nhulunbuy. She does an amazing job and has put many improvements and innovations in place. It is much more than a swimming pool. There are many activities that occur at the pool, including her crossfit training classes, and it makes our local pool, or aquatic centre as it is known, a well-used place in our community.
I place on the record my congratulations to Tina White, who is a Nhulunbuy resident and is employed with Miwatj Health. Last Friday at a ceremony at Parliament House she was named Midwife of the Year in the Northern Territory. Tina contacted me a day or so before to let me know she had been nominated and was coming to Darwin for the awards ceremony.
She kindly invited me to join her on the Friday evening. Regrettably, I was already booked to travel home on Friday at the end of sittings.
Tina is an incredible woman. She is obviously an incredible nurse and midwife. She has lived in Nhulunbuy for a number of years. She has done two stints in Nhulunbuy. She and her family left a number of years ago and then returned, which is not an unusual thing for families to do. Tina has made an incredible contribution as a nurse and midwife. As I said, she is employed with Miwatj Health where she is held in extremely high regard by the Yolngu families she works with – mothers and babies but also dads.
She is also held in very high regard by her peers. She was nominated across three categories, not only as midwife of the year but the remote category and the leadership category as well. Congratulations to Tina. That is an awesome effort. I am very disappointed to know that Tina and her family will be leaving.
I also wish to place on the record the names of the house captains who have been announced for Nhulunbuy Primary School. There will be an awards ceremony this Friday at the school.
Congratulations to Arnhem captains, Patrick Watson and Lacey Asplin, and vice captains Laith Cavanagh and Francis Gurruwiwi; Daliwuy captains, LaMon Forbes and Tailah Whitmore, and vice captains, Callan Carey and Ella Seaniger; Mitchell captains, Brady Dooley and Claire Harris, and vice captains Jamie Moyle and Jolie Ross; and Wirruwuwuy captains Quade Te Oka and Wanetta Willis, and vice captains Jacob Brine and Lucy Harrington.
These young people have all been through an election process. It is no doubt a strong sign of the support they have of their peers at the school to have obtained these positions. Congratulations to each and every one of them.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016