2007-02-14
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 22 petitioners praying that closed circuit television monitoring be implemented in Todd Mall and adjacent areas. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. The petition is similar to a petition presented during the November 2006 sittings. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, business continues to make a major contribution to the economic and social development of the Northern Territory. We recognise the role it plays and we understand the importance of maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the business community about the issues we face. It is for this reason we set up the Northern Territory Business Round Table in 2001.
In that time, over 600 business and industry representatives have participated in 47 Business Round Table meetings across the Northern Territory, including a broad representation of grassroots business people, members of industry associations and unions, ministers and NT agency representatives.
During 2006, 140 participants attended nine Business Round Table meetings, including the first meeting on Groote Eylandt. Meetings were also held in Katherine, Alice Springs, Palmerston and in and around Darwin. I have continued my role as the BRT’s Chair, and discussions have focused on a broad range of issues affecting the Territory, as well as specific business development issues.
These meetings are not just talkfests. Discussions at BRTs have helped inform the work of government in areas like employment and retention of staff, procurement reform, crime prevention, tourism marketing and creating Darwin’s future. Employment and workforce development were frequently identified as a major ongoing issue confronting Territory enterprises. BRT participants across all sectors reported that attracting and retaining skilled staff has continued to be a critical issue affecting their business operations.
As a result of these discussions, we have developed a number of initiatives and programs to address these issues. For example, we continue to promote the Territory overseas as a great place to live, work and do business, and we have made considerable efforts to raise awareness within our business community about international migration programs.
Through DBERD’s Territory Business Upskills program, we conduct workshops for Territory businesses on the best ways of attracting and retaining staff. We are also addressing training needs and the need for population growth through our Skilled Worker Campaign, which has resulted in interstate and overseas migration to the Northern Territory. In fact, to date we have received inquiries from over 5500 people across the nation, and we continue to receive about 20 inquiries a week.
Ideas and issues raised at BRTs in relation to skill shortages have also contributed to our Jobs Plan initiatives, including employer and trainee initiatives.
We are listening to business and the BRT is just one way to achieve that. Feedback received from participants confirms that the BRT is seen as a valuable mechanism for business operators to work in partnership with the Territory government. Another round of BRT meetings is planned across the Territory for 2007 and registrations have already been received from people eager to participate.
Meetings held in the Darwin region will focus on different industry sector themes, including primary industry, light industry and domestic and commercial transport and, like previous years, we will travel to regional locations to support businesses right across the Territory.
As I said at the outset, we recognise the big contribution business makes to our growing economy, and I look forward to continuing our partnership in 2007.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for the report. Given some of the matters you raised and, of course, we all acknowledge the importance of business, one wonders why you have not seen fit to make a ministerial statement. We have two weeks of sittings; we invite you to bring on a statement.
You have talked about the importance of business to the Territory. There are issues about future growth. You have talked about various types of industries. You have talked about the importance of business in the regions. It is often heard from the Labor Party ‘jobs, jobs, jobs; growth, growth, growth’. We invite you to come to the Chamber at some point in the next week or so during these sittings and make a fair dinkum statement rather than simply tick the boxes on your way through as you deal with business.
I would have thought that some members of the business community would, in fact, be quite disappointed with the length of your report. You will remember that five minutes are provided for ministerial reports. You did not even fill that up.
One wonders, Madam Speaker, why it is that the Chief Minister, on the one hand, declares what could be described as her undying love for the business community, yet does not even bother to fill up her entitlement of a five minute speech - simply goes through and lists some areas. I appreciate that the government is keen to get its house in order for 2007, certainly compared to the disorder we saw in 2006, but I cannot stress enough the importance of business to the Territory. It is best illustrated, if the Chief Minister is serious, by bringing on a ministerial statement.
I made some comments yesterday in relation to ministerial reports. Time is against me, but they still stand.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your time has expired.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, it is interesting. We have a statement still in front of the parliament: Challenges Facing the Territory in 2007. I spoke for 45 minutes yesterday about some of the things that are key to the Business Round Table and businesses wanting to see work with government. So the Opposition Leader had …
Ms Carney: Why are you doing a report? She has no idea.
Ms MARTIN: No, no. The Opposition Leader had ample time yesterday in a response to that statement to tackle those issues. I talked about employment and training, attracting skills, all those issues as key issues for government. Working in partnership with business, I mentioned a number of times in the statement yesterday.
This was a report on the Business Round Table. If the Opposition Leader is sensitive about her lack of responding to these issues, then the answer is in her own hands.
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, at the 2006 Estimates Committee, I announced that the Territory government would deliver the first of many low-cost innovative housing initiatives for indigenous people in the regions within the 2006-07 financial year.
I am pleased to report that on 8 February, the Territory government called for expressions of interest to pilot low-cost innovative housing options in remote communities. This government has invested $2m in the Innovative Housing pilot project, which is geared to attract builders, designers and manufacturers who can deliver cost-effective and durable housing options. The project will put to the test the many innovative and low-cost housing solutions that the housing industry has touted and, most importantly, deliver new houses to people in the bush. Let me make it clear that these houses will be built in compliance with the many housing design standards and codes.
The pilot project will link into the Labor government’s $100m commitment to housing in remote regions. There is potential for the pilot project to expand in future and lead to the construction of a greater number of innovative houses in the bush, so there is a big incentive for the Territory construction industry’s best to step forward.
The pilot project represents a culmination of the Indigenous Housing and Innovative Housing Construction Workshop held in 2006, and the involvement of my department’s Indigenous Housing Advisory Board and I with housing manufacturers and building companies throughout the latter part of the 2006 period.
The pilot project will, in line with the tenets of our 20-year plan, incorporate real employment and training outcomes for the residents of remote communities. This government is committed to meeting the housing shortfall in remote communities, and part of that is about getting more housing for the indigenous housing dollar, implementing a robust and sustainable housing framework in the bush, and targeting our resources in a strategic way to bolster economic activity across the Territory.
Madam Speaker, the pilot project represents an opportunity for government to work closely with business for the benefit of the community. I believe that this project has the potential to develop into something bigger and create a sustainable manufacturing base for housing in the Territory.
I encourage interested parties to attend an industry briefing session on the pilot project in Darwin on Thursday 15 February. Details of the sessions are available through my office. I will provide the Assembly with more information as the pilot project rolls out.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I have to at least give the minister credit for trying to do something. Obviously, the government has recognised it has failed to produce the number of houses that are required to accommodate indigenous Territorians. In the minister’s speeches, he has admitted the failure of Territory Housing to continue to build enough homes in the bush for indigenous Territorians.
What the minister has not said – and this is something that has come to light in the last six or 12 months – is that more and more indigenous people are moving into our urban centres. In fact, there are homes in places like Yuendumu and Papunya that are currently vacant, which are normally provided to families who were supposed to be living out there. They are now living in towns like Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, or wherever. They have a second home from Territory Housing in the urban areas. This is double dipping; one family having one home in town and one home in the bush.
It is time that the government works on that. The home out in the bush is provided for a person. He might have 20 people in his family, but he is not allowed to give that home to his son or his daughter. That is not what Territory Housing is about. If your name is registered as the owner or the occupant, then you should occupy it. If you leave the place, then surrender the home. Surrender the home so that another family can have it. What is happening here is people are double dipping. I know of families in Alice Springs: the husband owns a house in town; he owns one in the bush. His wife has a home in town and another one in the bush. That is a couple having four homes. They cannot possibly occupy them at the same time.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the minister on the effort he is putting into trying to find a solution to low-cost housing in Aboriginal communities. It is something that is long overdue. I know the minister is very committed to trying to produce change and to get the best value for dollar we can so that more people, especially Aboriginal people, can have a reasonable form of accommodation and shelter in remote areas. I congratulate the minister for trying to do that.
I suppose he already knows that there has been a manufacturer in the Darwin region, John Waldmann, who is producing low-cost panels. Considering the price of land these days in the rural area, there would be quite a few people in my part of the world who might look at trying to build a house out of similar material because the cost of housing is skyrocketing, and this is a way that other people might use that technology.
When we are talking housing, there is a shortage of public housing. A lady rang me the other day and said: ‘I was told I could get a house in 21 months, and when I went to ask about my house, she said 27 months is now the figure’. With the cost of housing and land going up so dramatically, the government has to rethink its role in public housing because there is going to be more and more need, for not only public housing and places that we used to have, like the ex-Sundowner Caravan Park. I hope the minister will look at the broader picture as well.
Someone asked me the other day whether I knew that someone is going to import housing from China in packaged form. I do not know whether the minister has heard that, but I am interested and I hope we can produce low-cost housing within our own country rather than importing it.
Just one other thing, minister, I noticed in your changes for local government, it looks like housing might be a role of local government. I am a little wary of that being their role. It is the government’s role.
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank members opposite for their contribution. In the main, it has been very positive. In respect of the member for Greatorex, the important thing is that we are moving in the context of housing right across the Northern Territory, including indigenous housing, under a Territory housing framework. I have no doubt that by working with the ICHOs and the communities, it will bring better outcomes for people living in the bush.
I appreciate the contribution from the member for Nelson. You talked about Mr John Waldmann’sproject. I went out to visit; it is a great opportunity. What we are trying to do is to create the competition for people to come to us with different designs, including materials and, hopefully, it will give rise to cost-effective housing and, most importantly, a manufacturing base - maybe somewhere out in the regions - which will provide real employment and training opportunities for people in the regions who so lack it.
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, childcare is an issue right across Australia, and the Northern Territory is no exception. I advise the House of some good news for Territory families contained in the Report on Government Service Provision 2007. The report confirms the Northern Territory has the lowest average childcare fees in Australia. In fact, Territory fees are $19 a week cheaper than the Australian average. That is because the Martin government is the only state or territory government that provides a childcare subsidy. We directly reduce the cost of childcare for families.
I recently met with a group of childcare providers and we talked about the dilemma they face in setting fees. They see the impact of fee increases on the families that use their childcare centres. They made it very clear that it was the inadequacy of the Howard government’s Childcare Benefits Scheme that impacted on fees. They talked about how, under the Howard government’s arrangements, when the fees that families have to pay go up, the value of childcare benefits reduces - an absurd situation. The Howard government has responsibility for providing affordable and accessible childcare, and they are failing to do this.
The Howard Coalition is normally a pretty tight bunch. They pretty much always fall in line behind John Howard, whether it be interest rate rises, denial of climate change or the war in Iraq, they rarely dare to speak out, which is why you know that its childcare policies are so bad, because the Coalition has resorted to a public brawl on it. As Bronwyn Bishop says of John Howard’s approach to childcare: ‘Australian women won’t be fooled. They can be mistreated, but they are not fools’.
The most astounding thing is that the Howard government has now decided that their approach is to tell Territory families who cannot get childcare that they are wrong, that there is apparently no shortage. They claimed there were over 1000 childcare vacancies in the Northern Territory.
All these claims confirm that they have no idea of what is actually happening. You only have to walk five minutes from here down to the Mitchell Street Childcare Centre where they have 200 families waiting for a place and a 12-month waiting list. The director of that centre,Louise de Bomford, said she was absolutely mortified by the comments from the Commonwealth, and that is not just in Darwin. There are more than 2000 families on waiting lists in the Northern Territory. Lists are high in Alice Springs, Katherine and Nhulunbuy.
There is hope though, because there is now a new Commonwealth Minister for Community Services, Senator Nigel Scullion, our very own Senator from the Territory. Surely, he must know that the current approach is not working here. He must know that the model of treating childcare as a business rather than an essential service just does not work in the Territory, especially in our regional areas.
He should immediately work to reverse the Commonwealth’s policy of refusing to fund the establishment of childcare centres in regional areas. We will give the new minister time to get across his portfolios, but we will be suggesting that he immediately turn his attention, and the attention of his Cabinet, to this important issue. The Martin government has made a priority of keeping childcare affordable for Territory families. The Howard government needs to stop denying the childcare crisis and to act to create more childcare places that are more affordable for our families.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, those are the words of a media release from the Minister for Family and Children’s Services, obviously. This minister is one who is very quick to slag the former Country Liberal Party government for whatever ails this government. Do you know what? Childcare subsidy was something that the Country Liberal Party introduced, and funded it generously. It is good that this government continued the program.
The minister obviously has her facts wrong. Katherine, in fact, has a private childcare centre operating very successfully, just recently opened.
Minister, get your facts correct, otherwise your media release will be wrong. This is a government that says they are going to make the process more democratic, more open and more transparent. Bring on the debate properly. Do not get up here and sprout off for five minutes on a media release and expect the opposition to respond as effectively as we possibly can. We can, but I tell you, do it democratically and we can then have a proper debate on this matter.
The way that you carry on about childcare and John Howard – look, the federal election is a long time away. Concentrate on what you will do for the Northern Territory and for Territory children.
Childcare is important, and we all know that. In fact, my wife was the manager of the Alice Springs Childcare Centre for many years. We have been in the industry and we understand it. Minister, it is time you stopped grandstanding, bring on the debate properly, and tell Territorians what you are going to do. At least give the CLP credit for introducing a program that you currently support.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, childcare is a vexed question for me. The sad part about it is that many parents have to put children in to childcare because they have no other option; they need to pay the bills and the mortgage. It is part of society today that more and more young children - and they seem to be getting younger and younger when they go into childcare - are being brought up by carers rather than parents.
I say to the Territory government: if you can give more incentives to make sure that parents stay at home to mind their children until they are at least preschool age, that would be a good thing.
I am probably going to be howled down by all those career women saying: ‘Hang on, we want to have the choice of going to work’. That is fine, and childcare places do a great job, but I sometimes see very young children being put into very structured situations in childcare. I can cite a place where I saw little two-year-olds: they all eat at the same time, they have to pick up their plate and take them to be washed at the same time, they almost have to go to the toilet at the same time. These are little kids. These are kids that should not be structured in that way. They should be able to have a little freedom in the way they grow up. It worries me that we have a society that encourages parents to put their children into childcare.
In saying all that and getting that off my chest and beating my chest over it – I have to admit I did stay at home for 10 years to bring up my kids - anything you can do to relieve the cost burden on parents and provide more places for childcare is a necessity in the society we have today.
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I note that the member for Greatorex referred to childcare as an industry. That is clearly where we stand at odds. Childcare is not an industry; it is an essential service for families. If you treat it as an industry, you are not paying due care to the nurturing of children in childcare arrangements - whether it is centre-based care or family day care. If you treat it as an industry, you will get down to the economic drivers and, fundamentally, the care of the children will be compromised.
That is where I am completely at odds with the Coalition. You stick your head in the sand and say: ‘It is an industry’ and we can have our hands off that responsibility as a government. It is a federal government responsibility. They absolutely need to step up to it. Families are struggling. The CLP falls in line with its Canberra masters and says: ‘It is an industry’ and it is all good. We do not have to do anything about it.
There are places in the Territory where private providers will not open a centre. We need a choice between private centres, community-based centres and supported family day care.
Mr HENDERSON (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, today I inform the parliament of legal advice I have received from the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory. It is now beyond doubt that Canberra’s WorkChoices legislation has taken away the right of Territory workers to long service leave.
The Solicitor-General said:
Generally, if an employee ceased to be employed after seven years’ continuous service, that worker had a right to be paid an accrued long service leave rate of 1.3 weeks for every year of service. In the past, that entitlement could not be taken away by an employment contract.
We now know that Canberra’s WorkChoices legislation means that an AWA that provides for no long service leave at all will override the Northern Territory Long Service Leave Act. This situation arises because the Commonwealth’s Workplace Relations Act gives primacy to a workplace agreement over inconsistent territory legislation.
Madam Speaker, a worker who signs an AWA with this provision will miss out all together. The Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act limits the industrial relations powers of the Northern Territory. For this reason, Territory workers are exclusively covered by the federal industrial relations system. Northern Territory workers do not have a choice. The so-called WorkChoices legislation is unfair and this government opposes it. Every day, we learn more about the full effect of it. Territorians deserve a decent safety net of a minimum pay and employment conditions. Without these checks and balances in place, Territory workers face reductions in pay, conditions and protections, and employers face an increasingly conflict-based industrial environment.
Long service leave is the latest in the long list of rights to be taken away. The Northern Territory government believes the long service leave entitlement is an important tool for Territory business to attract and retain employees in a very tight labour market.
The latest data from Canberra‘s Office of the Employment Advocate shows that 1266 Territory workers signed an AWA in the period October to December 2006. Because the Commonwealth has stopped publishing details of the content of AWAs, we do not know how many of these may have displaced a long service leave entitlement.
This issue is a slow burn. Many workers may not realise the situation until they try to claim long service leave. It may have acted as a disincentive for others to work longer term in the Territory. I do not suggest that the vast majority of Territory employers are intent on eroding entitlements such as long service leave. However, it is clear that Canberra’s laws could encourage this activity by allowing a minority of disreputable employers to take advantage of the legal gap created by the WorkChoices regime. This, in turn, could place pressure on other employers to follow suit in order to compete.
The Northern Territory government is committed to fair, harmonious and productive workplace practices in the Northern Territory. I have written to the federal Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey, and I have asked him to reinstate the right of Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. I have done this because this parliament has no legislative power to change the situation.
WorkChoices legislation subverts the intention of the Northern Territory parliament to provide a minimum enforceable long service leave entitlement for employees.
We have learnt from bitter experience with the nuclear waste dump legislation that Canberra is happy to override our laws whenever they feel like it. On this issue, the Solicitor-General advised
I foreshadow that before Question Time, I will give notice of a motion calling on the Howard government to immediately reinstate the right of Territory workers to long service leave. Madam Speaker, I table a copy of the Solicitor-General’s advice.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, when I was first elected to this parliament in 2003, I had not experienced the parliamentary procedure of having ministerial reports for five minutes first thing in the morning without any material issued to the opposition to indicate what the reports will be about. It is a way of presenting something that you want to get out in the public domain without giving us any prior warning, which means we cannot have a debate about it.
Workplace relations is obviously a very hot subject around Australia and will, this year, be pursued by the Labor government with instructions from Canberra in the lead-up to the election. I thank the minister for his report, but two minutes is certainly not long enough to half address this. I thank him for tabling the Solicitor-General’s advice.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I am not necessarily a great fan of anything that is in the WorkChoices arrangements. I support AWAs to some extent, but I have always said that, especially where you are dealing with young people, there should be adequate protection to ensure people do not sign under duress.
There are two things that concern me about the minister’s report. One is that he is going to give us a fairly complicated legal document to debate without really giving me or other members any time to determine how truthful or otherwise it is ...
Ms Martin: It is our Solicitor-General, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: Well, sorry. Is it a case of ‘trust the minister’?
Mr Henderson: No, it is ‘trust the Solicitor-General’.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: That is right, but if I am having a debate, I need to know whether the Solicitor-General is correct. He might be correct.
Mr Henderson: I tabled it.
Mr WOOD: Okay, but to give us such short notice for such an important debate is unworthy of this House.
The second issue is what I have always had concerns with about this legislation; that is, the unfairness of people who can be dismissed without any protection when fewer than 100 people are employed. I would like to know what the Labor Party thinks of the Deputy Opposition Leader, Julia Gillard’s comments. When it comes to giving those people protection, she is talking about waiving what was the Labor Party’s original concept of giving people full protection. That is, where a business has fewer than 100 people, they were opposing the Howard government’s stand that they should not get any protection at all. Now the Deputy Opposition Leader is starting to waiver on that. I am interested to know whether the people who work for a company that is employing fewer than 100 people are going to have protection as I thought the Labor Party was going to give them.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
Continued from 30 November 2006.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, the opposition supports the amendment to the Work Health Act, which will enable the Northern Territory to comply with nationally agreed workers’ compensation cross-border provisions.
Similar legislation was passed in 1995 under the CLP but, at that time, there was no national agreement reached so the legislation lapsed. Thank goodness that is not the case today. This legislation will complement legislation being passed in other jurisdictions.
I am sure most members of this Assembly know people who work across borders regularly: transport operators, tourism operators, and contract workers. I have a brother who works across borders for many weeks of the year in the oil and gas industry. These are a perfect example of the people who will be affected by cross-border legislation.
This amendment bill ensures that mobile workers in all areas are adequately insured and, as I have said, the opposition supports this amendment.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for the opposition’s support of this bill.
It really is another step in the evolution of laws across jurisdictions in a number of areas to provide consistency of regulation and legal obligations on employees and employers. This legislation will ensure that we are consistent with the other states in respect of workers’ compensation and identifying under which state a worker is to be compensated.
The second reading went into a lot of detail about a series of tests that apply in regarding the state of connection of a worker. Although it was quite a lengthy second reading, the various limbs of the test are really commonsense. I am sure that this legislation is going to be welcomed by employees and employers alike because it will make the system that much easier on workers’ compensation where a worker is working across a number of jurisdictions and suffers an injury.
I advise the House that, through the Officer of the Commissioner for Public Employment and NT WorkSafe, we will be distributing to major employer organisations and to unions a Guide to Cross-Border Workers’ Compensation Provisions. It is a very good document. I will table a copy for members. I urge members to have them in electorate offices. The guide is very plain and simple, and it is up on the Internet on the department’s website.
I commend the officers in the department who have done such a great job not only putting the legislation together, but also putting together the marketing material to get it out to employers and employees. With those comments, I thank officers of our department. It is just great to see in the Northern Territory, despite the lines across the table, when we move on from this place, we certainly will work together, so Sue, good to see you here in the House.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 28 November 2006.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, in responding to the Treasurer’s mid-year report, I acknowledge comments that have been made about the Northern Territory economy. I premise my comments on the assertions of members opposite, particularly the Treasurer and those who form ranks behind him - the Labor Party cheer squad - that what has happened in the Northern Territory is a result of extraordinary discipline. They all nod in earnest agreement - yes, extraordinary discipline.
For anyone who can read, there is an element of management that is required of the high office of government, but there is a large dose of good luck. It is the same good luck that has positively affected the economies of Western Australia and Queensland. Western Australia, in particular, like the Northern Territory, has been a large beneficiary of the resources boom.
You cannot in all honesty stand up and crow about your great economic achievements - as can be discerned from the Treasurer’s mid-year report - being the extraordinary sole achievement of this Labor government. I will say it again: there are elements that are required of the high office that the Treasurer and this government hold. However, more reference to the good luck element would allow us to take a more realistic approach to ensure that we make hay whilst the sun is shining. It is those issues that need to be addressed.
Once again, issues rise to the surface of this report, such as the need for sound economic management to control certain factors that are inherent in boom times, such as inflation. Those measures have been largely controlled by interest mechanisms that have been applied federally, external to the Northern Territory. The national economy has been robust and well managed. The case is far more in the court of the good management of the Australian national economy. You will not find anyone who would disagree with that proposition. It follows the capacity of different state Treasurers to follow sound economic management at a national level. Underneath that is the resources boom that has benefited some states more than others.
When we look at the report, we find that there have been unexpected surpluses. They flow on because of the national economy performing strongly and, specifically, the resources boom that stimulates local activity in the Northern Territory. That is one reason why we have unexpected surpluses. They are not a result of good discipline; they are a result of good fortune. What do you do with these surpluses? The surplus comes to light most notably in the budgeting for a deficit, the expectation that you are going to fall short of your mark, and then to find – lo and behold - you have a surplus. That erodes the concept of good discipline. You have an expectation of a deficit and, blow me down, you have more than you expected.
Why do you have a surplus? I have already mentioned the factors. Running through the centre of this, undergirding the good fortune that has been crowed about by this government - quite insincerely, I allege - is the GST, which has been a very useful element for this Labor government to be able to conceal the river of gold that flows into the Territory economy as something of their own creation. The truth is that most people who manage their own businesses have a sense of the ebb and flow of fortune in the Territory. They know that this is the case, and they will enjoy it whilst it flows. They will require genuine discipline and sound economic management in the long term by those who govern this administration.
It was this very government, in opposition, that railed against the GST. The GST has now flowed and they are using it as an platform to create the impression that they have been extraordinary managers to create this wealth, rather than the CLP who did a terrible job. The truth is that the GST did not flow at that time. They conceal that deliberately and that is the dishonesty that really irks me and any person who wants to look at the truth about the economic fortunes of the Northern Territory.
Those matters that have been asserted with all earnestness from members opposite, from whom I would expect more, know that is the case. The last budget presented to this Chamber by the former government did not have the GST flowing through the centre of it. This government had it from the beginning, yet uses that windfall dishonestly to create an impression that there was a deficiency as the result of poor management by the former government, and now there has been extraordinary discipline and great management. Yet, through the heart of this lies a strong national economy, a strong resources boom - nothing to do with yourselves - and GST flowing right through the coffers, way in excess of anything that ever occurred before. Some of you who do not read or think about these things will think it is true. Some of you who know the facts will still nod dishonestly and assert that it is true because it scores a political point. Scoring a political point is the object of the exercise, is it not, honourable members? Scoring a political point and strengthening your political position to advance your political prospects. That is the objective, is it not? Not to advance and prosper the future of the Northern Territory.
Politics is the issue here. It is the spin and the creation of impressions to serve your own political end. To heck with the issues that will remain lodged with mums and dads across the Northern Territory - remote, and in the northern suburbs, and in the towns across the Territory - who are going to inherit the cost of that little exercise.
I am not going to stand on this side of the Chamber and say that that sort of stuff does not go on anywhere else except over there. It happens in parliaments and that is the sort of thing that lets the whole side down. However, in this case, those opposite know very well that there are certain issues that do need to be attended to, and they would much prefer to spend their efforts creating good impressions to serve their own ends.
In all this largesse and good fortune, which is masked by the term ‘good discipline’, it makes for good spin, but not for the truth of the matter. There has been some discipline because it is required. You cannot be completely inept because you have a department behind you that is managing, but there are policy decisions that are made by this government. It concerns many observers of the Territory economy that there are problems emerging; that in these good times with this strong flow, you have the signs of preparation for when the flow goes into a different cycle. That is why there have been caps placed upon the public service, why there have been measures put in place, and why there are stories around the traps. ‘No one has ever come to me …’, says anyone in government, ‘… telling me these sorts of things’. Well, you were in opposition once. We hear the stories that do not come to those who seek the patronage of government, but they flow to the opposition, those who are concerned, about the reduced flow, the cut backs, and the concern that is flowing through those who manage the Territory assets. The money is starting to dry up.
To illustrate what is called discipline and to demonstrate that is good fortune, last year’s general operating statement was looking at – as there has been each year - nearly $100m above budget. If you are in business and you get a fair bit more each year than you expected, you think: ‘Gee whiz, we must be doing pretty well, or can we trust these good seasons?’ Anyone who is in primary industry knows that if you have good season following good season, you cannot calibrate your planning on the basis of good season following good season. Anyone who knows history knows there are strong times and there are lean times.
However, each year there has been an increase of income of about $100m above budget. Last year, there was, in fact, $250m more than expected. That is the result of extraordinary discipline? No, it is largely GST, stamp duty and payroll tax. There may be an argument that it is because of all the activity in the marketplace that has resulted in the payroll tax, and that activity is the result of some strategy of government. However, if truth be known, there are elements of management required of the economy, but largely they are forces that exist beyond the control and management of government policy. That has harvested a result of $250m more than expected, which sounds like a bumper season. Must have had a good shower of rain at the right time, and the crop has come in above expectation.
Now, you have a budget surplus of $250m more than you expected. What would you do with that? Bear in mind, you organised how you were going to manage your own budget. Just like a household, you manage your own budget, that which is coming and that which is going, and at the end of the year: ‘Dear, look! We have made much more than we expected’. What are you going to do with that windfall? Are you going to acquit some of your debt? Are you going to turn out some of the obligations that will bite you in time to come and manage in the future? No. That is not the sort of discipline that was in place here.
There was, in fact, an expected deficit. You expected it to be short, but got $250m more than you expected. You achieved a surplus. Aha! Media releases, earnest little talks, PowerPoint presentations. They all nodded in agreement. Yes, yes, we have done a wonderful job with GST, stamp duty and all that sort of stuff. We have harvested stamp duty off those poor folk who are buying land. There are people out there who are struggling to afford land, but you are making a motzer out of the turnover of land and that sort of stuff, and it results in a surplus when you expected a deficit. There we have the media releases and the reinforced perception that you are doing a great job, but do not dig too deep on this one, particularly those who find this economic stuff a little complicated.
If you had $250m more than you expected, and you call it good discipline and good management, you would expect that there would be a $250m surplus - but no! This government talked about a $108m surplus. You lost $142m. If you expected a deficit, you have a surplus of $250m more than expected in income, and you came in with a $108m surplus, so there is $142m missing.
That is telling, in a sense, that with all the increased activity that resulted in the surplus. It is the capacity to manage in times that are booming that will determine how you fare in the lean times, and that is what concerns me. There will be responses from the Treasurer to say that I do not know what I am talking about, and reinforce the spin and try to protect the perception. However, the underlying concern is the capacity to manage when things are going well, which will determine how we fare when we really do need the capacity to manage; that is, in the lean times.
I turn to another factor that comes to light in the management of the Territory economy; that is, the issue of inflation. Perhaps I wander a little further from the mark, but I take my cues from members opposite when they are answering questions, which allows them great room to move. I want to touch on the issue of inflation because it is an area of great concern in the Northern Territory.
The issue has been responded to in two very different ways which, I believe, expose the word ‘discipline’ as just a word being used. The first response, the first round, was: ‘Oh, the reason that we have high inflation in the Territory is that we have a really strong economy, so all credit to us for this strong economy’. That was the first line trotted out. It came out again when we were dubbed by some as the inflation capital of Australia, it was: ‘The federal government is at fault here. It is nothing to do with us and we should turn our attention there’. It was a completely opposite message and it showed that in the heat of battle, we had lost our discipline.
What is causing high inflation in the Northern Territory? We could have a long talk about that, but there is one aspect that we really need to bear upon. I know that government has responded of late to this issue. I take opportunity to acknowledge the good work of the member for Nelson in raising this issue for many years. It is a national issue. A lot of the mechanisms that can address the issues that drive inflation in each of the states lies with the state governments; that is, the timely release of land. The government really needs to engage this issue very actively, much more than holding meetings to create the impression that something is being done about it. There are some fairly aggressive things that can be done to change not just the economy, but change our society by allowing young people greater access to housing.
I am sure members opposite are more and more aware, as are members on this side, of how difficult it is to buy a home. The cost of buying a home, or the cost of paying rent, is the greatest factor, in my view, to the inflation factors in the Northern Territory, and they can be addressed. There are matters that will lie with the federal government, and I am sure, in your attempts to deal with this issue, you will probably spend more energy than you need focusing on the federal government. I urge you, honourable members, to consider measures that can be applied by the Territory government to relieve this pressure and, thereby, control inflation.
It seems an extraordinary thing: if you fly into Alice Springs, look out the window and see the land all around you. When you land, one of the early conversations you will have with the Chamber of Commerce or anyone around the place in business will reveal that there is a land shortage. It seems an odd thing that there is a shortage of land …
Mr Stirling: That is not true. That is why it might seem odd because it is not true.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: The same applies in the Top End. If you did not have a shortage of land, honourable members who have responded in a knee-jerk fashion, if you understand how the free market works, if there was a greater supply of land in a more timely manner, do you think the cost of a block of land would go up or down? If you had lots and lots of bananas, let us say last year …
Mr Stirling: Depends if you want to kill the market completely or not.
Mr MILLS: Well, the price of bananas would have gone down if there more bananas in the marketplace ...
Mr Stirling: You can produce lots of land and houses are worth nothing.
Mr MILLS: All right. Take the hysterical response. I will take the interjection. Take the hysterical and defensive response. Of course, they are going to take it to the other extreme and say: ‘Oh, this bloke is advocating that we just open it up and let all the land free and we will destroy the market’. Not at all. We make sure that we protect and preserve the aspects of the free market so that there is a greater and more timely release of land. Otherwise, you have land that is out of the reach of the average purchaser - the young couple that cannot even dream of owning a home in a place that is short of land. You could release land in a more timely and efficient manner. You know you can.
Ms Lawrie: You would not negotiate, would you?
Mr MILLS: Oh, listen here! What do you know about this?
Ms Lawrie: It is my ministerial portfolio.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: What do you really know about it …
Ms Lawrie: A lot.
Mr MILLS: … other than your lines …
Ms Lawrie: A lot.
Mr MILLS: … the lines that you trot out. Think about it.
Ms Lawrie: It was land locked under the CLP. You refused to negotiate with native title holders!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Blain, please direct your comments through the Chair. Member for Karama, cease interjecting.
Ms Lawrie: He is provocative, Madam Speaker.
Mr Kiely: This is your fish and loaves of bread speech.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Sanderson! Member for Blain, direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr MILLS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am at your mercy to protect me from these inane interjections …
Mr Stirling: I will protect you, Terry.
Mr MILLS: … that really are as shallow as a puddle because they are not addressing the deeper issues. I may not be doing a very good job of trying to identify some of the issues that should concern honourable members, rather than scoring points and preserving and maintaining political perceptions. We really need to think more deeply about these issues rather than just trot out the lines to preserve your impression in the marketplace.
Issues related to the free market need to be attended to by this government. If I were in government, I would accept this, I would trust. Maybe you can try me out in time to come.
If you have land increasing in price, out of reach of the average person who wants to buy land, the only reason is there has been an untimely release of that land. There is a way. It has worked in other jurisdictions, in other countries where land has been released in a way that preserves and does not erode the value. It does not destroy the market, but releases it in a timely manner so that you can take the heat out of the market. That is the issue driving inflation in the Northern Territory
I offer that to this government as an issue they need to focus on carefully, rather than the hysterical responses that are going to distort what I am saying to preserve a political point when, in fact, it is going to be of no help to any young person wanting to have a realistic dream of home ownership. There are ways of strengthening the free market so that land can be released in a timely manner that will reduce the heat in the market and, at the same time, not destroy the market. If you have a free market, who is going to go into the business of destroying the market?
They are the sorts of controls over which government can watch. The government has not been in control of anything other than ensuring they enjoy the flow of stamp duty and revenue that comes from the transaction of land. Rather than have a policy that ensures that there is land available in a timely manner so that those who aspire to home ownership can acquire it in a timely manner, they would rather have a subtle policy shift to allow government to enjoy the benefits of real estate activity and take in more stamp duty than I believe is morally correct. They need to ensure that the heat is taken out of the market. That is the central issue that drives inflation in the Northern Territory ...
Mr Stirling: Yes, it is true. That part is true. I agree.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, at this point, there is much more I could say, but I will leave it at that because otherwise I will be provoked and say things that …
Mrs Braham: I was a bit worried there. Are you going to have me?
Mr MILLS: With those comments, the opposition makes observations on the Treasurer’s mid-year report. I thank the Treasurer for his helpful comments across the Chamber. I appreciate the briefings I have been able to have from Treasury from time to time, and I look forward to hearing further from honourable members.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his spirited and, at times, provocative comments. I was at times provoked but, nonetheless, I thought I showed commendable restraint in the face of some of those comments. I will come to them.
I want to say at the outset that this report further underlines the strength of the Territory economy that we are experiencing at the moment. Despite what the member for Blain said, it does underline the very strong economic management that this government has displayed in its five-and-a-bit years in office.
The key fiscal highlights include: the cash targets being unchanged across all years; the operating results surpluses predicted from 2006-07 ongoing; a further increase of investment in the Territory’s infrastructure in 2006-07 and all forward years from that announced in May 2006; nett debt down to $1681m by 2009-10, which will represent the $89m improvement on the May 2006 estimates; a nett debt revenue ratio of 48% in 2006-07, reducing to 45% 2009-10; and, importantly, nett debt plus employee liabilities to revenue ratio continuing to fall despite getting regular increases by the actuaries in our superannuation liabilities.
I want to go to some of the comments made by the member for Blain. He has, on a number of occasions in debate on the economy and the budget, talked about the preparedness of this government to do very well in the good times, which we are experiencing now. But he asks: what we do in the tough times and what have we done if times are tougher in the future? In fact, those attacks on our debt bottom line, that ratio of nett debt plus employee liabilities to revenue continuing to fall, in itself tells Territorians that this government is looking to the future so that when times are tougher, we will have those nett debt liabilities continuing to be driven down while times are good. That will serve us well if, at a time in the future - and there will be that time - things are not as strong economically as they are now.
If we look at the Access Economics five-year forecast of what might be ahead, on gross state product alone, they are forecasting 6.4% for 2006-07, 4.9% for 2007-08, 5.2% 2008-09, 3.9% 2009-10 and 4% in 2010-11. Access Economics will tell you beyond the three-year outlook, it starts to get a bit rubbery, but they are still strong growth figures considering the strength of the economy in the Territory today. They are strong growth figures coming off a strong base. It is not as though we are a basket case now and looking to strengthen in the future. We have a very strong economy at the moment, very buoyant, and these figures suggest that the buoyancy is there for the next five years. If we want to be a bit careful, let us say the next three definitely. Of course, Access Economics rotate these figures so that we will always have a five-year outlook and some certainty around the three years, given the experience of Access Economics in the past.
In relation to the public sector, the member for Blain suggested that there have been caps put on the public sector. I wish! There have been no caps put on public sector numbers. There have been no cuts to the public sector, as was suggested by the member for Blain. In fact, the growth of the public sector over the past 12 months, December 2005 to December 2006, has been curtailed certainly compared with the previous year. The figures as provided by Treasury are: December quarter 2005 - 15 135, December quarter 2006 - 15 156, an increase over the whole December to December of just 21. If we compare that with the growth that we saw from the December quarter 2004 to the December quarter 2005, it was 544. We have marginally increased over 12 months, December 2005 to December 2006, compared with the quite dramatic increase that we saw in the 12 months prior. Nevertheless, numbers in the public sector still need to come down.
I am happy that the growth we are seeing is now curtailed and we are virtually holding the line. We now need to see a steady and orderly reduction of numbers over the next 12 months. How that might be achievable will be subject to debate in Budget Cabinet over the coming weeks when we prepare the budget for a May release. However, it does suggest that the first step is to curtail extraordinary growth. That has been achieved. The next step is, without banging service delivery and the public sector around, to start to see an orderly decrease, which can be readily achieved through the steady churn that the public sector experiences. Over 3500 people leave the public sector each year, which suggests strong recruitment to stay ahead of that. We did stay ahead of it over the December 2005 to December 2006 period, but just. Numbers went up just 21.
The member for Blain was talking about housing, inflation and so on. Inflation at 5% was measured for the December quarter only. It spiked at 5% in the December quarter. The year to year, December 2005 to December 2006, was 4.4%, which is the more reliable movement. That is the movement across the year. A quarterly figure on its own, of course, is not sustainable; you have to take the longer-term view. December to December was 4.4% with a spike in the December quarter to 5%. Over 2% of that 5% was directly related to the surge in housing prices over the 12 or 18 months prior. If you take that over 2% - 2.1% or 2.2% - it brings the underlying rate of inflation, if you take housing out, to below 3%. The national average throughout the calendar year was 3.3%.
In the five years prior to that, the Territory was running along at 2.7% or 2.8% up to 3%, which is traditionally way below the national average. If you take the December quarter spike out, we are still under the national average and would expect to resume a CPI below the national average by about mid-year. Why do I say that? The Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory in its last publication, which is not long out, showed that the median house price in Darwin over the December quarter reduced by 3.9%. REINT says the median house price in Darwin reduced by 3.9% over the December quarter.
We are not just seeing a levelling off in the house price movement; we are beginning to see the first of a slight reduction. Those reductions will feed through to the CPI figure quite quickly, and we would expect some movement in the first quarter of this year following that, and again in the second quarter. My own view, and I have not tested this exactly with Treasury, is that we will see CPI return to the more traditional levels we have seen over the past five years by about mid-year.
You have to look at these things in context. You cannot grab at that 5% December quarter CPI and say: ‘Look, things are out of control’. They are not. It is a temporary spike and the REINT figures, which are the first released and ahead of the pack in terms of Australian Property Management and ABS, are still showing some growth. In the next quarter figures, it will be very interesting to see who is right here. Certainly, REINT are the ones handling the transactions on a daily basis. They are seeing the flow of house sales, they know what those houses are selling at. I would have thought that they are closer to the action, closer to the ground, and I am putting my money on them to be the most accurate in terms of the forecasters.
That takes me to affordability. The Leader of the Opposition yesterday was talking about affordability being off the map. We have shifted in housing affordability on the Australian list. We were the best jurisdiction for a long time in housing affordability. We slipped over the last quarter of last year to second. There is one place in Australia more affordable than us at the moment and that is ACT. However, if you talk to people from ACT, they find that unbelievable because they say their house prices are expensive. However, we are nowhere near the lead. Despite the drop off we have seen in New South Wales and Victoria, we are nowhere near their situation or, in fact, Western Australia.
The member for Blain suggested that government will not release land, that land is too expensive and that forces up the price of getting into the housing market. There are 500 blocks available or about to be available across the Top End now as I stand here, and the Territory, on average, turns off 300 a year. How can you say there is a land shortage when on the market, or about to be on the market, are 500 blocks and an annual turn-off of 300 a year? We have almost two years worth, on average numbers, of land out there on the market now. It is not true to say there is a land shortage at all.
The HIA runs this line frequently because they want to see great slabs of land released. They do not care what effect that is going to have on the market. They do not care about Mr and Mrs Smith in Wanguri and the effect that might have on the price of their house; they want to see more land released so they can get in there and develop it and build so they have jobs for their sector of the industry. That is fine. They are the industry spokesperson and it is their job to represent their industry and workers. However, the government’s job is to have a bigger view and ensure integrity around the market. To say there is a land shortage when there are 500 blocks and an average turn-off of 300 a year is simply not true.
The situation in Alice Springs - and I heard this, too, when I was down there about land shortage - is that over 40 blocks, I understand, in Larapinta Stage 2, are not selling - not selling. If you have blocks on the market and no one wants to buy them, it hardly suggests a land shortage. There are other factors at work that possibly need more exploration, understanding and analysis, but it is glib in the extreme to say that this is all around land availability. Nothing could be further from the truth.
For years when the CLP were in government, we did have problems with land availability in Central Australia. The land availability question then was the inability of the CLP government of the day to come to terms with native title and negotiate land use agreements and open up that land. The member for Blain and I both know about the mass of land that you fly over to get to Alice Springs. I could never understand why the CLP did not sit down with native title holders and work through those issues, as this government did quite readily when it did come to office. It took some time. It was not easy, but this government was effective and successful in getting that land on to the market.
I make those comments in relation to the fairly glib commentary that it all goes to land availability. That is not true. There are other factors that need to be understood, but almost two years worth of land in the Top End is available, and certainly land is available in Alice Springs.
Going back to the heart of the mid-year report, from an economic perspective, the key highlights include: gross state product revised up from 5.8% at the time of the budget in May last year to 6.2%; employment growth revised upwards from 2.3% to 5% due to stronger growth across all sectors; and population growth revised up from 1.5% to 1.7% due to stronger than estimated nett interstate migration to the Northern Territory.
In those terms, the only doomsayers are the Country Liberal Party because they see it as in their electoral interests to talk down the economy and, where there are silver clouds, they see enormously black heavy linings.
I am aware, as Access Economics and ABS remind us from time to time, of the volatility of the Northern Territory economy due mainly to its small size. Small upsets, of course, can cause major problems. The threat of interest rates is significant to the Northern Territory. Housing costs are high and interest rates have a much more stark effect in the Top End and the Centre than they do across the major eastern cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. It is the federal government’s failure to adequately manage interest rates that is not helping our cause at all.
We are also conscious of the fact that we have to have flexibility. We must have the capacity to respond to any downturn in construction or any other key economic indicator. A big part of the problem faced by the CLP in 1998 to 2001 was that they had no flexibility at all within their budget to counter a downturn in the economy. Instead of being able to spend more money on infrastructure projects, the CLP had saddled themselves with spiralling deficits and mounting debt. The debt of employee liabilities to revenue ratio in 1998 was 148%. It is now 113%, and we are looking to drive it lower.
Unlike those problems, the threats to our economy today are not generated by this government; they are external pressure points to which we have to respond. Our level of federal funding is determined by our relativities, and factors such as increase in population and size of the GST are small change when relativities can tighten finances considerably. A reduction in GST receipts has the same effect but, while GST growth is slowing, there has not been, so far, a decrease in those revenues.
Our population is also a fragile issue. While natural growth in overseas immigration remains strong, the Territory has only had rare periods since the mid-1980s when interstate migration has been in the positive. They have invariably been associated with the military growth around 1995 to 1997. It is remarked that we had a full year of positive interstate migration over the last 18 months or so. That remains a borderline issue, but it is still much better than it was. We are predicting 1.7% growth. That is strong growth, and we will do whatever we can to ensure that level of growth is maintained. We will do that by promoting the lifestyle of the Territory to all those people who are not fortunate to be living with us.
At any time, the government has to ensure flexibility in the budget. It has to provide enough funds to keep construction and the other economic drivers of the economy moving along. We have to invest in those key strategic drivers to keep expanding and growing the economy, and we have to manage budget issues such as public sector wages and requests for additional expenditure, and ensure that where we are in deficit territory, the deficit is very tightly controlled. They are the things that Treasury and the Treasurer’s office do on a daily basis because it does require daily management, scrutiny and effort. That is why, when we come to the key point of it, that Territorians cannot trust this economy to the CLP.
All I could do was to shake my head when I heard the latest intervention into enterprise bargaining by the Country Liberal Party. The member for Greatorex has form on this. He is fond of grabbing a cheat sheet from someone purporting to represent a union, as he did during the teachers’ EBA last time, and run to the electorate and copy it off a few hundred times and pay a few people to go and doorknock. He does not worry about the accuracy of the document that he is circulating. He has form again here because he has jumped in and urged nurses to take industrial action, just as he was urging teachers to do in the last EBA. We have seen a couple of times now where they have urged public servants to go for high wage increases. In what book of economic management such practice lies is beyond me: to urge public servants to go on strike and to go for high wage outcomes.
It is one thing to talk about the ability to recruit and retain your public servants. They are important issues, they are key issues on the table when you are in the middle of an EBA. It is one thing to support those things you might do about recruitment and retention, and to empathise with the concerns of the particular group, whether it is nurses, teachers, firies or whatever. However, it is another thing altogether to be urging industrial action in support of high wages outcomes, because that is fiscal vandalism - fiscal vandalism ...
Mr NATT: Madam Speaker, I move that the Treasurer be granted an extension of time to conclude his remarks pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STIRLING: I thank the House for their support. I say on that point that the business community is looking a little sideways at the CLP and wondering what might be behind this because it is not the CLP that the business community, the Chamber of Commerce and the rest of that constituency, has worked with in the past. Not only does the CLP persist in its view that the waterfront should be stopped, but they now support higher than reasonable wages outcomes and industrial action. That is beyond the pale.
Madam Speaker, we have delivered four budget surpluses in a row. This year, we will have a working deficit, but we will return to balance in 2009-10. We will manage wages with a reasonable and fair outcome, with those key issues of recruitment and retention in mind, despite the clamour for trouble from the opposition. We have to, and we will, balance the needs of all groups in the Northern Territory so that we can continue economic growth and development while spending what is required to address social issues. Importantly, we will keep securing and supporting the Territory lifestyle.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
Continued from 13 February 2007.
Ms LAWRIE (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, I commend the Chief Minister on her statement. It is a very broad statement and it identifies the government’s plan for action through 2007. I commend the Chief Minister for taking the opportunity on the first day of sittings for this year to let Territorians know the sort of work that we are very focused on delivering. It is extremely important to the social and economic health of the Territory that we focus on improvements within our regions.
I commend the Chief Minister for her bold views on saying that regional economic development is a key focus. Creating more jobs and opportunities for Aboriginal Territorians underpins a lot of the efforts of this government. Those opportunities are right across the construction sector in the bush, as well as the health and social services sector, because there are tremendous opportunities for indigenous employment across those fields.
We are able to focus on our regions because the Territory economy is in extremely good shape. We have just heard the Treasurer talking about his mid-year report. The economy is very strong in Darwin, we have enormous growth here. Everything I am hearing in Alice Springs as I visit is that business has picked up, boosted off the back of a strong tourism industry. We all know the mining potential for Central Australia as well.
The statement demonstrates how the Territory, as a jurisdiction, is bucking national trends with significant rates of low unemployment, high rates of growth and a very strong construction industry. Of the many economic indicators that demonstrate the success of the Territory economy, there is one that I particularly like; that is, spending on recreational items has increased by 30%. That shows me that Territorians, through our strong economy, are in a much better position to enjoy our great Territory lifestyle. They are able to get out and enjoy the lifestyle that we hold very dear, and which is one of the key reasons we live here.
Across my portfolios there are so many things planned this year, things that go right to the heart of improving the lives and wellbeing of Territorians. In my portfolio responsibility of Infrastructure, we have a capital works and infrastructure budget again at record level. We are delivering some $480m in cash into our capital works program. That sustains some 4400 direct jobs and many more indirectly. The construction industry is extremely solid. With around 250 dwellings built back in 2001; there are now over 1000 dwellings being built. It goes to the heart of a big basis to our building industry. It is great to travel around my electorate where a lot of subbies live. I can see that they are experiencing the benefits of the strong construction sector, themselves cashed up and building extensions on their family homes. The construction industry really does put money directly into the pockets of Territorians and Territory families.
It is an exciting time for our construction industry. It has come off the back of significant reforms undertaken by the previous minister to put some accreditation and registration into the building industry. That is certainly giving people confidence in their spend on their residential home.
In the area of transport, a key focus for 2007 will be the continuation of the implementation of our road safety reforms. That includes the introduction of a demerit scheme, which we are hoping to have introduced by the second half of this year. There is a great body of work that will be done across agencies, working together to produce the data and integrated systems that will be required for a demerit scheme.
We are currently rolling out a program of baby capsules in our regional areas to support and underpin the fact that we have now made it illegal to carry a baby under the age of 12 months unrestrained, and there is a whole array of communication and curriculum tools that will be going out to raise public awareness. Of course, you cannot deliver strong road safety reforms without focusing on your road networks so road funding is a key area of work for the Territory government this year.
I have a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mark Vaile, the week following sittings when I will be talking to him about the importance of ensuring that we have continued increased funding, particularly into our beef roads. They are a significant primary producer for us and the cattlemen are great advocates of strengthening our beef road network. The Territory government has put additional funding into improving our beef roads, and we will be going to Canberra to seek their support in even more funding targeted at our beef roads.
In addition to beef roads, we are focusing on our strategic roads such as those servicing the mining industry. An example is the Tanami Road where we are putting additional millions of dollars into repairs. We continue to say that key roads have still to be built. They need to be built in partnership between the Territory and Commonwealth governments. I refer, of course, to the Tiger Brennan extension running through Palmerston. That is a key road of strategic importance in our trade route through to the port. It is, obviously, a road of enormous benefit for bringing commuters into their jobs from the rural and Palmerston areas, and in the future that Tiger Brennan extension will be the main route into urban Darwin. It will be the new Stuart Highway, if you like. I cannot overstate the importance of that road in our strategic economic needs, particularly for those drivers down to the trade zone at the port. Obviously, the more you can provide the right infrastructure to get people to and from their jobs, the more efficient you are in running your workplaces.
I will be putting these views very strongly to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Prime Minister, Mark Vaile, and hope that they will start to heed the message coming from the Territory, which is that in partnership, we will put dollars into the road funding system. We are already spending an additional $50m per year to improve our roads network. We are spending $130m per year, which is $50m more than when the CLP were in government. We are certainly showing our commitment. It is time that the federal government stepped up and showed their commitment.
We are in partnership with what we are saying with the Cattlemen’s Association and the Trucking Association. We all agree on the strategic roads that need to be improved, and we all have costings and plans on how to improve them. The Territory government is stepping up to its responsibility, which we share with the federal government.
In terms of public transport, I will be focusing on how our bus system is operating in the Darwin urban area, the Darwin rural area and Palmerston as well as Alice Springs. I have my agency working on looking at how the bus system runs in Alice Springs and how we can improve it because the system has really not had a good review in decades. I am quite keen to see how we can provide an efficient and effective bus system in Central Australia in both urban areas, as well as buses linking the outer areas of Alice Springs, because there are growing numbers of people living in the rural areas. A key focus of my agency in transport will be looking at our bus systems.
Another significant priority for the government in 2007 is land release. We had a very positive forum earlier this month with me, the Treasurer and the Minister for Housing and Local Government sitting down at the table and meeting with industry groups. The real estate industry was represented, as was the Chamber of Commerce, the Housing Industry Association, the Construction Association and the Property Council. We had a robust discussion about land release. The Treasurer touched on this issue earlier in his remarks. If you rush your land release, if you have too much land out there, you distort the market, you devalue the assets that Territory families are sitting on, which is primarily their home values, of course. Therefore, government has to be very tuned in to what the industry is saying regarding land release requirements and, at the same time, have a sound assessment basis in which to release land.
We have had a strategic plan to release land in Palmerston in an area we will call Bellamack. That land release is going to come online in the 2007-08 financial year. It is in keeping, as you heard the Treasurer say earlier, with the cyclical timing of when we will have to have some 600 additional lots coming on to the market to be turned off. I was at the Lyons subdivision just recently, and there is an incredibly impressive rate of growth at that subdivision. Defence Housing has a fantastic subdivision there. There are some 700 lots in Lyons alone, with 350 lots out to public auction. We have 350 lots turning off in the northern suburbs, and we have some 500-odd lots still to be turned off under existing subdivisions of Rosebery and the like in Palmerston. As I said, there are another 600-odd lots to be turned off in Bellamack in the 2007-08 financial year depending on the mix of development leases.
A key issue we look at within our land release schedule is housing affordability. The government has been doing some modelling, working across agencies - my agency, Treasury and Housing - to look at what mix of conditions we could attach to development leases to encourage home affordability. In discussions I have had with significant developers in the Northern Territory, I have to say I have been impressed with the view they have taken to the issue of housing affordability. I am looking forward to some very exciting proposals under those development leases regarding potential home affordability, including packages for first home buyers. Interestingly, the HomeNorth scheme provides a doorway into the home market, and that door is open to both first home buyers and those people who do not currently own a home, but have previously owned a home. The door is not shut to the latter group. HomeNorth is a scheme which has enormous benefits.
On the issue of land release, you have to look at planning. We started the year off in a very positive sense with planning. We have introduced the new Northern Territory Planning Scheme. That scheme has been debated and consulted about for some seven years. It commenced in February, so we come into 2007 with a very consolidated, contemporary planning scheme that underpins planning for the Territory. I have given an undertaking to continue to work with all the stakeholders in the planning area to look at the use of area plans, for example. We are in discussion with Palmerston City Council about area plans of Palmerston. Those discussions will, obviously, be highly consultative and will be ongoing through this year.
We are working, in the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, very closely with the Department of Chief Minister in background support on the Chief Minister’s Creating Darwin’s Future, which is a very exciting, dynamic look at what we want our city to look like in the future, with a tremendous amount of public consultation. I know the Chief Minister is very proactive in getting out and listening to the people of the Top End about what they want their city to look like. A section of that will be a planning forum that I will host in April, bringing together key stakeholders - architects, Planning Action Network advocates, Property Council, HIA, TCA; all the key industry stakeholders participating.
Importantly, I also want the public to participate. We are looking at mechanisms at how to engage the public - the person who is not an industry stakeholder nor an advocate per se, but is a resident of Darwin and wants an opportunity to have their input into what they think Darwin should look like, particularly the CBD. We will be tackling issues of what should be the heights of buildings in the CBD, what will be the set back for buildings, how we want our streetscapes to look, and the nutting down into those difficult areas of debate that, as a society, we are mature enough to tackle, and lay down a strong plan for Darwin as a city that will hold us in good stead for its development for the next five, 10, 15 and 20 years. A forum of this nature is very important and has not been held in Darwin. I am very excited about the opportunity to host it. We are building on the experience of jurisdictions elsewhere which have had similar forums. All our major capital cities have had similar planning forums which gave everyone certainty about what their city was going to look like, and the opportunity for input.
In the area of my other agency of Family and Community Services, a key body of work this year will be looking at the implementation of any findings and recommendations that come out of the Chief Minister’s child sexual abuse inquiry. In addition, we will implement our new legislation dealing with the care and protection of children and young people. We have received some 70-odd submissions on that legislation. I am looking forward to introducing that key reform of our welfare legislation, the first reform in 20-odd years, into this Assembly this year.
We will continue to raise the issue of childcare and the lack of affordable childcare for Territory families. It is a cost that cripples families with young children and creates real barriers to entry into the workforce post having your children. It is something that is very squarely the responsibility of the federal government that they are ignoring and walking away from; that their own backbenchers are condemning them for. As minister responsible for Children’s Services, I will continue to take it up with the federal government and challenge them to start to listen to the cries of families suffering the financial burden of unaffordable childcare, and the barrier to even getting childcare. Childcare is often required so families can pay their mortgage and their bills. It is not necessarily a case of choice of returning to work; many mothers need to return to work post having their babies.
In looking at providing for families and providing a co-located centre, a bit of a one-stop-shop model for families in need, we are continuing with the implementation of what we call the families hub in the northern suburbs of Darwin, co-locating organisations such as the Toy Library and SIDS, Kids NT and other non-government organisations that provide support to families. I am looking forward to the implementation of that really exciting one-stop-shop model.
We will continue to tackle alcohol abuse in our communities. My division of Alcohol and Other Drugs is doing fantastic work in tackling volatile substance abuse, in wiping out petrol sniffing in our communities. It provides us with the opportunity to apply significant policy and operational input into tackling alcohol abuse, which is a core social problem and related to crime problems within our community.
We will also be looking at the disability review, an important piece of work that was undertaken late last year, which is definitely before our government early this year and, hopefully, for implementation through 2007.
We are working with the Commonwealth government. There is new mental health funding that has been opened up through the work of COAG, and the Territory government has had some significant discussions with the Commonwealth about how that new funding rolls out into places such as the Territory. We are unique; we cannot use the Medicare model of extension of mental health services across our regional and remote areas. We have been quite innovative in discussions with the federal government about improving our support and services to people with a mental illness. In relation to that, we will be amending our existing legislation, the Mental Health and Related Services Act, to provide a more contemporary regime to underpin the support that we give to people with a mental illness.
I will continue to work with the aged care sector, both as minister for aged within Family and Community Services, but also as minister for Planning, to look at how we can meet the needs of our ageing population. More and more Territorians are retiring here, just as Territorians are now bringing their aged relatives up from down south to retire here. We know we have an increasing demand on our aged system. My agency has been working very closely with aged care providers throughout Australia to talk to them about the benefits of operating in the Top End, and we have quite a few very interested aged care providers lining up to look at potential land sites around the Top End for aged care facilities.
In Multicultural Affairs, our focus will be to continue to challenge the Howard government not to walk away from multiculturalism, but to support it. Tragically, the Howard government has decided that multiculturalism does not work. We strongly disagree. I have been representing the multicultural groups in saying that very clearly to the federal government ...
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of 10 minutes in order that the minister may conclude her remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: I thank my colleagues for the extension of time. Within Multicultural Affairs, we have a very vibrant community. Our multicultural lifestyle in the Top End is one that we celebrate and encourage. We celebrate it through our wonderful festivals, which we will again be enjoying this year, whether it is our Glenti, the Barrio Fiesta or India at Mindil. We are also knocking on the door of the Chinese New Year festivals at the moment. They are all ways in which we can promote multiculturalism and celebrate the diversity of our society.
As Multicultural Affairs Minister, I look forward to attending those festivals and supporting our multicultural organisations through our grants regime. We have a record grants program for cultural events, and grants for facilities to improve the homes of multicultural groups. For example, the Kalymnian Hall at Batten Road will be receiving an improved car park as a result of significant government funding. The Islamic Society in Vanderlin Drive will, hopefully, finally realise their dream of a community hall extension on the site of their mosque, including a very important wash down facility for their deceased, which is a very important part of the Islamic faith. There is a very tangible way in which, through our grants, we can support our multicultural groups. We have the exciting project occurring at the Chung Wah Society with their main hall extension as well as their significant upgrade to the library area. I am looking forward to the opening of those facilities as well.
All in all, 2007 is a very strong year. We have strong growth supporting the work. The strong growth is not by accident; there have been years of strong financial management by the Martin Labor government which has put us in a position to be able to work solidly on providing economic improvements, construction, infrastructure improvements, improving our transport system, providing opportunities for jobs, encouraging employment in our regions, and underpinning improvements to our social service delivery that support disadvantaged Territorians, whether they be Territorians with a disability, aged Territorians or Territorians with a range of alcohol and drug problems. Mental illness, for example, is something for which we will see significant service increases this coming year.
It is a very busy year, one in which we cannot achieve success without the hard work of all of the people who work for the public service. I thank the people in my agencies; they do a fantastic job. I enjoy the privilege of working with them. I look forward to implementing a range of key action plans right across 2007 that will continue to improve a fantastic Territory lifestyle that we have, and support the health and wellbeing of the Territory, both in an economic and social sense.
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I support the priorities outlined by the Chief Minister and advise the House about some of the projects under way within our Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines that support those outlined by the Chief Minister.
The continued progress in lifestyle of Territory residents is made possible largely by the buoyant economy and that, in no small part, is due to the solid proactive work being undertaken within my department. Mining accounts for 20% of the Territory’s GSP and is our largest single economic industry. The Chief Minister said yesterday that through 2005 and 2006, the GSP grew by 7.5%. This year it is expected to be around 6.2%. Mining plays a large role in that GSP component.
We all know that the industry is booming, but the so-called commodities boom in the Territory is no accident. It is the result of carefully planned and focused effort. In our department’s Mines Division, our streamlined approvals process is ensuring that there are more explorers on the ground and that, in turn, translates into more viable mining operations that benefit the Territory’s economy and the regional communities located nearby.
All the hard work put in by our department is working, and the Territory is the beneficiary. There has been a 66% increase in applications for exploration tenure in 2006, and a 20% increase in granted mineral exploration licences. This equates to a 76% increase in mineral exploration expenditure and a staggering 70% increase in expenditure in petroleum exploration. However, there is more.
I recently visited China as part of an investment and exploration attraction program Building the Territory’s Resource Base, and the results of that visit are already being felt. Just last week, on 8 and 9 February, I hosted a high-powered delegation from the China Mining Chamber of Commerce and companies Sinosteel and Minmetals. For members’ information, the China Mining Chamber of Commerce has over 4000 members, and Sinosteel and Minmetals are two of the biggest metal production companies in China. These executives were in the Territory to learn more about the potential investment and exploration opportunities. With resource-hungry China requiring millions of tonnes of most metals, it is not difficult to see why our Mines and Energy Division is putting so much effort into this market. Another little adjunct to the China Mining Chamber of Commerce: they have linked our department’s website to theirs, and we understand that there are hundreds of hits a day, so the department’s work is being fed through to many Chinese companies and, obviously, that will create more interest.
As the Chief Minister mentioned, GBS Gold is developing a series of gold mining operations in the Pine Creek region and this, in turn, has fuelled a building and population boom in the area. The Chief Minister, the member for Katherine and some of my staff visited the first pouring in September last year. It was a very exciting day for the company. Members of their board visited from Canada and South Africa, and their Managing Director, Tony Simpson, has done some fantastic work in establishing strong local links and developing input and, more importantly, employing a local workforce. It is a wonderful success story for Pine Creek and the Katherine region.
The township of Pine Creek is feeling the positive spin-offs from these mining operations, and that means jobs for locals and a significant boost to the economy of the region, as at Batchelor and several other regional centres. One of the government’s priorities is development in regional areas. I am pleased to report that this priority is being assisted in a major way in many locations by the opening of new or reclaimed mining operations which have, in turn, been made possible by the policies and focus of the government.
Another priority is the economic development of indigenous communities and, again, our department has made significant progress in this regard. Within the Primary Industry Division of our department, excellent work is being done assisting and empowering indigenous communities. In both the pastoral industry and the fishing sector, the results have been outstanding through the successes of the Indigenous Pastoral Program, or IPP as we know it, and the Indigenous Marine Rangers project. Also in the mining industry, innovative partnership arrangements between mines and indigenous communities are now the norm rather than the exception.
IPP is a multi-agency program which seeks to address the needs of industry for more viable pastoral land and labour, and the needs of indigenous people for sustainable economic and social developments. The program often involves the use of under-utilised land resources under the control of indigenous communities. IPP is a great example of cooperation that involves the Northern Land Council, the Central Land Council, the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, the Indigenous Land Corporation, the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and our department.
In its first three years, the IPP achieved outstanding results, including developing country to carry and additional 25 000 head of cattle and, this year, further country is being brought into production allowing another 20 000 head. IPP has created jobs in indigenous communities, with 18 seasonal stock camp positions and 25 short-term fencing positions filled by indigenous people in a variety of locations. It has seen the establishment of an Indigenous Training Scheme, initially training and placing a number of young men from the Barkly region last year, with nine people in jobs on corporate pastoral properties this year. It has also seen significant integration of external agencies into the program. This includes training support from the FarmBis program, funding for indigenous training from the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and additional funding for core employees of the IPP from the National Landcare Program.
IPP is a pastoral success story. A new memorandum of understanding has been signed for the next five years, allowing the program to continue into the future.
As I mentioned at the beginning of my address, another area where my department is achieving excellent results is the Indigenous Marine Rangers program. My department supports six marine ranger units at Melville and Bathurst Islands, Borroloola, Elcho Island, Maningrida, Wadeye and Goulburn Island. We financially support these groups and work closely with them to build the group’s operating capacity. The marine rangers are the eyes and ears of the Territory’s coastline and provide back-up for Police, Fisheries, Customs, Quarantine, Conservation and other such agencies. In addition, the rangers are role models in their communities and they promote vital safety and conservation messages through their education and liaison activities.
One of our department’s and the government’s priorities is indigenous economic development. The low-tech aquaculture projects at Maningrida and Kulaluk are good examples of our department’s involvement in securing a viable future for indigenous communities. The groundbreaking research work undertaken by the Darwin Aquaculture Centre has allowed the development of mud crab aquaculture at the Gwalawa Daraniki Association’s mud crab farm at Kulaluk in Darwin, and the Bawinanga Corporation’s operation at Maningrida. I had the pleasure of visiting the aquaculture farm on a couple of occasions to inspect the breeding programs of the mud crabs and, of course, the barramundi. It is fascinating to see the large ponds of tiny hatchlings and juvenile crabs ready for transport to other sites. Both of these pilot programs have the potential to deliver financial independence to these communities. The Darwin Aquaculture Centre is providing expertise to enable the programs to continue into the future. These projects have inspired other indigenous communities to express interest in aquaculture and several other farms are in the planning.
Another of our department’s priorities that is having a profound impact is improving the pastoral industry and cattle exports through the application of innovative research. The department has nine research and development farms, comprising three headquarter farms in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs and six regional farms: the Victoria River Research Station, which is the principal pastoral research property; Douglas Daly Research Farm, where mixed farming research takes place; Beatrice Hill Research Farm, which is the development’s buffalo and floodplain research facility; the neighbouring Beatrice Hill is the Coastal Plains Research Farm, which is the principal horticultural research property; Ti Tree Research Farm, which is a small horticultural facility; and Old Man Plains Research Station, which is a new pastoral research centre in Central Australia.
While important research and development work is carried out on all properties, the best rangeland cattle production system developed at Victoria River Research Station has increased the production of breeder cows from below 50% to over 70%, with a parallel and significant reduction in breeder mortality. This translates to an extra 32 calves branded per 100 breeder cows per year. It is significant projects like this that are delivering real benefits to the industry and, in turn, the Territory’s economy.
Another example of the beneficial cooperative work being done is the Pigeon Hole Project. Otherwise known as Grazing Strategies for Tomorrow, this is the latest grazing research project in Australia and possibly the world, covering 300 km2 and involving upwards of 6000 cattle. It is a joint project between our department, Heytesbury Beef, CSIRO, the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and Arts, and the University of Queensland. It is sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia, and is an excellent example of government industry cooperation. The Pigeon Hole project has been running since 2001 and is an extension of the grazing studies our department has been running at Mt Sanford since 1993, which have shown that cattle production can be sustainably increased with appropriate infrastructure development and grazing management systems. Add to this two other projects, and it becomes clear just how much beneficial research work is being done by our department.
The Central Australian Grazing partnership is a large-scale study of alternative ways of rotating grazing and is being carried out in association with the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre and the Centralian Land Management Association. It was started in 2005, and the first results are becoming available now.
Also, we are involved in the Grazing Land Management project, which sees the latest knowledge on rangeland management applied on any individual basis to participating stations. This package has been a great success and is tailored to each property, ensuring better and more sustainable use of grasses and water which, in turn, improves the property’s bottom line and, as a result, the lifestyle of those on the station.
While I am on the subject of research, another section of our department which conducts important world-class research is the Diagnostic Services Division. This division conducted the field and development trials that have led to the replacement of a toxic organo-chlorine compound that was previously used in the Territory horticulture industry to control termites. This replacement chemical, which has been taken up by industry, is much safer to use and has considerably less impact on the environment.
The division is also currently working with the CSIRO and the CRC for plant biosecurity, to develop a project using molecular diagnostics to identify exotic termite species that threaten Australia, such as those that can be found on foreign fishing vessels. Identification of termites normal relies upon the findings of the soldier stage of the insect pest, which are often extremely difficult to find. This research will use termite frass/poo, potentially making exotic termite identification in future much quicker and easier, as well as more effective.
Madam Speaker, improving research that contributes to our standard of living is a major priority and a feather in the cap for the department, which is involved in world-class science. These are just some of the priority projects and achievements that our department is involved with. They continue to play a major role in securing and improving the lifestyle of Territorians. I commend the Chief Minister’s statement to the House.
Debate suspended.
Continued from earlier this day.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I must admit at first I thought: ‘No, I am not even going to bother. It is more of the same’. I know it is the start of the parliamentary year, and we have to set the scene, but there was not a lot of new stuff in it; it was just same old, same old. However, there are some remarks I want to make.
I want to ask the Chief Minister: what is this so-called ‘lifestyle’? We keep hearing ‘the Territory lifestyle’. I looked up the Macquarie Dictionary and it says that lifestyle is:
For people who live in the long grass, that is their lifestyle. Are we saying this is the great lifestyle of the Territory? The people in town camps say: ‘This is our lifestyle’. Is this the lifestyle we are supporting? What is this magical ‘lifestyle’ we keep hearing about? Is it going fishing? We do not do much of that in the Todd River, I have to admit. We even have our Administrator in a previous life carry on about ‘We’re bloody good drinkers in the Northern Territory’. Is that part of our lifestyle?
Ms Martin: Oh, are you attacking Ted?
Mrs BRAHAM: No, that is true and it is well documented. We seem to spend so much time in this House talking about alcohol and the problems it causes, but we also never have an event in Parliament House where alcohol is not served. What is this great lifestyle we keep carrying on about? What is the Chief Minister’s view of lifestyle? Perhaps in her response she can explain it to us.
If you ask me what we should be protecting in my life, I would like to have a home, respect for my property, to make sure the values I have for my family respect other people and other people’s way of life and the law. I would like to have privacy. I certainly would like to know that people around me act as a community, and all the different things we do such as sport and recreation add to the pleasure of this so-called lifestyle.
We have to be careful when we talk about the ‘lifestyle of the Territory’ because the lifestyle of the Territory, the image that is often portrayed to southerners, is that we are a little like cowboys, we drink a lot, we like to have a good time, and we tend to flaunt the law a bit, too. We are a bit laid back, a bit laissez-faire. Let us not promote the lifestyle without explaining what we are protecting.
I say to the Chief Minister: let us not get carried away with a word, let us make people understand. People on indigenous communities would say they have a wonderful lifestyle; we should be protecting that. Everyone has a different idea of what lifestyle is so let us not say: ‘This is the lifestyle …’ - as the Chief Minister said at the beginning and end of her statement - that we should protect without being sure of what we are talking about.
The Chief Minister talked about the main priorities of alcohol plans. It is a sad that alcohol does play such a big part in our lifestyle. However, the plan is to reduce supply, demand and harm. We had a meeting in Alice Springs last night to look at whether Alice Springs should become a dry town. If we say that, are we actually saying that alcohol should be such a predominant part of our lifestyle? If we are talking about how alcohol influences our lifestyle, perhaps we need to rethink where we are going with it. I know we are having a statement on alcohol later in the day, so I will save most of my remarks for that. It just worries me that we do seem to get carried away with this idea of Territory lifestyle that sometimes imposes one set of values on one lot of people and another set on others. We have to be careful about that.
The alcohol restrictions that have been introduced into Alice Springs have, in fact, caused problems for the town. Yes, we are seeing some benefits, but there are problems. Chief Minister, you might have been bit innovative and said that one of the things we can do, seeing there is so much litter created by bottles and cans, is introduce container deposit legislation. Do I see container deposit legislation in this paper for future generations of the Northern Territory? No. Would people in the Northern Territory like to see CDL? Yes. They have shown that very clearly in everything they have done at the shows and when there has been a survey. There was nothing in the statement to give any hope to people who might have some environmental issues and would like to see CDL. But no, it has been overlooked.
She also talked a lot about education for Aboriginal students in bush communities. That certainly is one of the top priorities that I would like to see this government continue. I will watch with interest the introduction and implementation of middle schools. So far in Alice Springs we have had some positive feedback, but I still have not seen the government taking any strong action on attendance and truancy. I know the minister has issued a media release about community officers who are going out to community schools to consult with parents. We have to remember that we have legislation. We have an act which says that parents should send their children to school. If they do not, it is against the law. But we do not get that strong action from the department.
For so long we have been saying: ‘What about the kids in town camps in Alice Springs? How are they going to get to school? What are we going to do about them?’ I had a couple of letters from the minister last year saying: ‘Yes, we are reviewing the truancy officer program’, and they were going to do this and that. Did the Chief Minister mention that in her statement? Not at all. We do not see any strong action on making sure students go to school. Is there going to be any tracking of students from remote communities? When they leave that remote community and go into town or go to another school, will there be any tracking to make sure they go to school? I think not.
If we are talking about employment for indigenous people, we must make sure they are educated. Unfortunately, they are not being educated. I know the Education minister went to Bradshaw not long ago to see how the Irrkerlantye kids are going, and yes, they are going okay. Quite a few of them have turned up, but he must also be concerned at the current policy at Bradshaw of these kids having their recess and lunch at different times from the rest of the school. It is of concern to me and I think it has been brought to your attention, minister. I hope you address it. If we are going to make students feel that they are part of our community, we must treat them as such, not differently.
I suggest to the Chief Minister that she should have added a clause saying we will have a core curriculum within our schools that will give kids skills for when they leave school. We all know the curriculum is so broad at the moment that it is easy to forget the main purpose of why students are there. I would like to have seen something not just concentrating on the senior kids in remote schools, but the younger as well.
The Chief Minister also talked about it being pleasing to see the life expectancy of Aboriginal women increase by three years and that infant mortality has fallen by 36%. That is good - very good - but where is evidence that the Chief Minister is thinking about our population growth and the fact that our population is growing older? What was in the statement to show that the government is providing for our senior citizens? Life expectancy for people in the Territory is increasing, not just for Aboriginal women. More seniors are staying in the Territory. That is to be commended, and we should make sure that they do. What do they want to stay? What incentive do they need? They want to feel safe and secure and to know they will have services to help them in their senior years. Certainly, we have some extremely good seniors organisations, but we need proper aged care facilities, and not just in towns, but in remote areas as well.
Aboriginal Hostels do a great job in Alice Springs, but there is more scope for those services to be extended to the bush so that aged people do not always have to leave their homes to have the care they need. They should be able to stay in their communities and be cared for in an environment that makes them safe, secure, healthy and happy. I would like to have seen something about how this government is going to deal with the ageing population.
Affordable housing was mentioned, as was housing for people in the bush. I noticed in the paper not long ago that there was a tender for 16 factory-built homes - which means either demountables or dongas - and it named the four destination communities for these houses. It is a good idea to set up an industry whereby you can erect these homes on communities, as long as the government is aware that these homes also have to be strong enough to cope with the number of people living in one house. Affordable housing on communities is good, but we should also be looking at affordable housing within our towns.
There was debate on land availability in Question Time today. I would not like to be a first home buyer now. The price of land that is available is far too high. Building costs have gone up and it must be very difficult for young people who want to buy their first residence. It is unfortunate that in Alice Springs, the release of land at Larapinta Stage 3 has been stalled for many reasons, not least of which is that developers feel that the cost of developing the land will be too great and the blocks will be out of the range of most people. Even if the government puts aside six first home buyer blocks, that is not enough to cater for demand.
I must comment on something the Treasurer said in his response yesterday. The member for Nelson pointed this out. The Treasurer was responding to comments by either the Leader of the Opposition or the member for Katherine:
This was a survey by Wendell Cox Consultancy, and was quoted on ABC News Online on 22 January. It ranks property prices in Darwin the seventh least affordable in Australia. If that does not clearly demonstrate that it is difficult for first home buyers to establish themselves in the Territory, I do not know what else you need.
Somehow or other, we should be promoting more home buyers, whether they are first or second home buyers; we need to make sure that people take on the Territory and stay here, that they make this their home and adopt this great lifestyle we keep hearing about. The Chief Minister should have addressed the issue of affordability of homes more than she did.
We have had a lot of debate about the police over the last 24 hours. All I can say is the police in Alice Springs do a great job with the resources they have. It is pretty well known that in a place like Alice, you burn out after about five years, and that is why we have a high turnover. That is probably not uncommon elsewhere in the Territory, too. To retain these people, we have to make their task more satisfactory. One of the things we need to do is to stop knocking the police and appreciate them more. I say to all members: remember that they are the ones who have to enforce the laws that we make. If we make more and more laws for them to enforce, then that is their problem, not ours. It is easy for us to make lots of laws, but if the demands on the police go up and up and up, that is a reflection on us as much as on them.
If we have a dry town in Alice Springs, all I can see happening is that we are asking the police to do more and more when, in fact, people should start taking responsibility for their own actions: stop doing the things they do, stop making our town look bad, be a good citizen, be a good resident of the Territory, and do not expect the police to always be chasing them.
We are going to have a debate on local government and the development of shires. There are lots of questions about that. I have already had an approach by a couple of people from remote communities who are concerned about being swallowed into a huge conglomerate. To date, because there is no detail of what is going to happen, they are worried that because they are a good council, they may be disadvantaged and have to wear the not-so-good councils, that they may lose control and autonomy. It is a real fear in the bush because people do not really know what is going on.
I have difficulty with the government agreeing with such large shires. When you look at the member for Barkly, these shires are geographically huge, and I worry that perhaps they are so vast and so remote, some of the little ones or those on borders will be forgotten. We will all be looking very closely at the amalgamation and the formation of new shires. There has to be a lot of work done to convince people that this is a good thing because, at the moment, they do not know what they are in for. There have been some people who have worked very hard in communities to make them work, and the last thing we want to do is to disadvantage them in any way.
When we talk about lifestyle, one thing that is good about the Territory is the number of sports we promote. When you look at a town like Alice Springs, you see the sporting facilities you have for a town of 26 000, you have to say: ‘Wow, this is tremendous!’ We have great things that come out of small towns like this - great people, great sports, great ventures - and we should be talking it up. Sometimes it worries me that we talk up the negatives and we forget to talk up the positives. We talk about the bad things, but we forget about all the good people in our communities, all the volunteers who help in sport or whatever area. If people were not committed to do the things they do, perhaps we could say: ‘No, we do not have such a healthy community.’ but when we know we have a healthy community, we should be talking up the good things.
What was the football academy launched last week?
Mr Hampton: Clontarf.
Mrs BRAHAM: Clontarf, yes. That is a great idea because the kids who were there loved it. They were so enthusiastic. If it means they will stay at school to be part of this academy, then great because, at the same time, they can learn the skills that will be useful when they leave. I wish luck with that academy and I hope it produces the footballers of the future. I will not go into that aspect at the moment; because that is another sore point from Central Australia: the opportunities provided for young footballers. Perhaps we can have that debate another day.
In closing, Mr Deputy Speaker, I was a little disappointed in the Chief Minister’s statement. I thought it would have a little more bite and something new, but, okay, we will wait and see what happens this year.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I support the Chief Minister’s important statement in which she outlined how this government is rising to the challenge of protecting our great Territory lifestyle through strong economic growth.
As the Chief Minister stated, the Territory has the best lifestyle in the country, and the main priority of this government in 2007 is to continue to deliver our great way of life. What a great statement.
Sadly, it was not always this way. As we entered the 21st century, the CLP was still in government. For some 28 long, arduous years, a succession of CLP governments had progressively run down the Territory’s economy. Despite years of social reform and lifestyle betterment under federal Labor, the CLP took the whingeing, carping, negative view and opposed these positive federal Labor reforms at every turn. Not surprisingly, there was a feeling of general despair amongst Territorians. As Territorians, we generally did not feel very good about ourselves any more. I remember those dour days.
By the time the Liberals came to power federally, as a nation we were starting to reap the benefits of social reform and, shortly thereafter, Labor’s economic reform started having a positive impact. The states were entering a second generation of prosperity and modernisation, and Australia was going global. However, here in the Territory, it was different. During all those years of CLP rundown, we looked on with envy at what the other Australians were getting from their state governments. Their lifestyles were full, and vibrant, major sporting and social events flourished, with new jobs and secondary industries being created. There was a housing boom in southern Australia and Queensland, and there was a general sea change exodus to the north. However, the Territory was definitely not the destination of first choice.
It was a good time to be Australian, unless you were a Territorian. All the while, the CLP propaganda machine was cranking up higher and higher, trying to brainwash us with the time-honoured CLP myth that Territorians were different and were happy with our second-rate life because we only aspired to more basic needs; the myth that we were unique and contemporary pioneers and we did not want to have the trappings of southern modernisation thrust down our throats because getting in to southern ideas would mean losing our rugged outdoors frontier identity - all a CLP propaganda myth! The CLP was ‘bugger the rest of Australia’, we did not want to conform. It was best if we did things our way, without southern interference or, more correctly, if we did things the CLP way.
The truth is that was clearly a cop-out, as the CLP tried to convince us that second best was good enough; that our uniqueness was more important than our lifestyle. Speaking of the CLP way, we all know what that was. They believed that all would be okay if they looked after their mates. Remember that? I do. If you were part of the CLP family, you would be okay; the rest could go to hell. Even that did not last. The economy got so bad by the end of the CLP reign, they could not afford to continue to look after their mates. Thankfully in 2001, Territorians came to see through the CLP charade, and the CLP government was promptly dispatched.
In 2001, the new Martin Labor government was empowered with the huge responsibility of dealing with the infamous financial black hole and, most importantly, we had the huge task of turning the economy around. It was hard at first but, through a mixture of major project promotion and responsible fiscal management, things did turn around. I am proud that this government has transformed the Territory, and we are now the leading nation in economic prosperity. Business activity is at an all time high and our economy is strong, robust and growing. Most importantly, once again Territorians are proud to call the Territory home. We now have the lifestyle that befits our geographic status at the top of Australia.
The word is getting out there and now other Australians are learning that the Territory is a great place to live, stay and raise a family. That is only half the story. Even though the Martin Labor government has turned the Territory around since 2001 and ushered in an era of unprecedented prosperity, this government is not resting on its laurels. As I said, we are leading the nation in economic prosperity. Business activity is at an all time record and our economy is strong, robust and growing, and most importantly, it is sustainable. We all know that a strong local economy benefits Territory families. That is what good governments are elected to do: deliver economic prosperity for the benefit of their constituents.
The CLP, on the other hand, is bereft of ideas. All they can do is come up with new ways to try to talk down the economy. While everyone else knows the local economy is strong and healthy, the CLP are clearly living in the past, a drab and pessimistic past that they created. Interestingly, the Opposition Leader and the member for Greatorex went on radio last week and again started trying to talk down the economy. My goodness! What a fist full of wishy-washy, ill-informed diatribe that was. They tried to latch on to a spike in Darwin’s CPI for the 2006 year as evidence of inflation. What a joke!
As someone who has a Masters degree in Economics, I can assure this House that any economist worth their salt will tell you that when you have a strong and growing economy, you need more workers and these workers need to be housed. This was highlighted by the Chief Minister when she said: ‘Last week, the Northern Territory recorded an unemployment level of 2%, the lowest on record’. Then she went on to proudly state: ‘More Territorians are in work than ever before’. This morning, I was looking through the CDU lifestyle survey and that shows that 36% of people who come to the Territory say they come here because of our great pay and our great work conditions. Well, that speaks volumes on the Territory’s economy.
Anyway, continuing my point, because these workers who are attracted to the Territory need to be housed, it creates a strong demand for housing and the law of supply and demand means that housing costs go up. Because of our size, the majority of our CPI is determined by our local housing demand. The 2006 CPI spike is temporary and it will ease as the current boost of new housing and unit developments currently being constructed come on to the market. Any Year 12 economics student can tell you that.
Just for the record, the Martin Labor government, through its $50m subsidy of electricity and water plus $74m tax cuts so far, should be congratulated for responsibly putting additional downward pressure on inflation. Again, this government is on the ball at the helm of a healthy and strong economy.
While our longer-term Territorians remember the bad old days of the CLP, there is now an emergent newer generation of Territorians and they, too, need to be assured that the Martin Labor government is at the helm of change and at the forefront of their expectations. This government is in tune with Territorians and their future as the Chief Minister’s statement clearly showed.
That is why our gross state production has seen an incredible growth rate of 7.5% driven by investment which, I am proud to say, has been attracted by the Martin Labor government. While investment has been the driver behind GSP growth, what is most important - and I stress this point - future GSP growth is forecast at 6.2% in 2006-07, but specifically on the back of outputs from the mining and energy sectors plus the economic cycle, is now moving to long-term sustainability based on production growth.
We are entering exciting times which will benefit all Territorians. There is no better way for this government to ensure Territorians participate in this burgeoning sustainable and responsible growth than to devote attention to the training and education of Territorians. The Martin Labor government is absolutely committed to ensuring Territorians have the skills appropriate for the needs engendered by our sustainable economic growth.
I was particularly pleased when the Chief Minister talked about how we are well ahead of our schedule to target 10 000 apprentices and trainees for 2008. With Jobs Plan 3, we will have a homegrown workforce trained on the basis of matching workforce skills with local industry needs. This is sustainable skills training at its best, and what I particularly like is that Jobs Plan 3 will target jobs in the bush.
Palmerston and the rural area surrounding Darwin are acknowledged as the fastest growing areas in the Territory. New estate developments are rapidly being developed and released, particularly in the Humpty Doo and Herbert areas of my electorate of Goyder.
Demand for rural blocks is strong as more and more families come to realise the intrinsic value of raising their children in the rural area. Affordable housing is important to all Territorians. I was very pleased to hear the Chief Minister proudly outline how Home Territory 2010 is providing great pathways for all Territorians to access safe and affordable housing. I am sure I did hear the Chief Minister correctly when she said that a massive $182m spread over 952 loans and shared equity purchases were funded by the government since 2003-04. Is that correct, Chief Minister?
Ms Martin: It might have been the Housing minister who provided those figures.
Mr WARREN: I am sure it is. Anyway, it is fabulous and it means a lot of happy Territorians indeed.
As the Chief Minister declared, the Labor government is delivering the largest capital education investment in the Territory’s history. My constituents have certainly benefited by the capital works expenditure of $12m at Palmerston High, and almost $5m spent on Taminmin High to bring these two great schools up to the sustainable education standard required as part of the middle schools and senior years reforms. The effective delivery of middle years programs to remote schools will continue to build on the already improving outcomes for indigenous secondary students. Over the spectrum of educational reform, I am confident that we will significantly improve access, engagement and learning outcomes for all students across the Territory. They will have greater access to a wider range of subjects, vocational education and training programs. The Martin Labor government has helped create 6000 new jobs in a safe environment during the last year. More than 2000 of these are new apprentices - another great news story.
As the Chief Minister reiterated, the health of all Territorians will continue to be a major priority of this government. The Martin Labor government has employed 270 more nurses, more than 100 extra doctors and created 50 more hospital beds across the Territory. Proudly, we have increased health funding by 64% since 2001.
Like most run-down departments we inherited in 2001, the police force was considerably under-resourced and under-funded. It took a 55% increase in expenditure on our police resources to turn things around. House break-ins are down over 50% over the six years of the Martin Labor government. Commercial break-ins are down 31% over the same period. Motor vehicle related offences are down 51%, and other theft is down by 25%. Property damage is down by 29%. We spend 2.5 times the national average on police. This is all great news.
Thanks to the Martin Labor government, we now have the Humpty Doo Police Station in my electorate of Goyder. It is a great success and recognition of the needs of our rural Territorians. The Humpty Doo Police Station has significantly broadened the reach of the police in the greater Darwin area and rural areas. Regular trips are now made to Dundee, Belyuen, Wagait Beach and Mandorah, as well as significantly extending the regularly serviced areas to the eastern and southern rural areas. So you can see, thanks to the Martin Labor government, the long arm of the law is reaching even further.
Earlier, I discussed growth in the rural area as a result of the Martin Labor government’s generation of economic wealth for Territorians. As Territorians become more prosperous, many look to our fabulous rural area for our local version of a sea change and, to meet this growth, this government is continuing to look at how to facilitate public transport in rural areas as well as urban areas. Thanks to this government, we now have regular school runs and significantly increased public transport services to the rural area. To take us into the future, we have recently carried out a comprehensive review of bus schedules targeting the services where they are most needed: new and better value-for-money fare structures and improved bus contracts.
Mr Deputy Speaker, this government is committed to delivering for all Territorians well into the future. Unlike the CLP, our lifestyle is utmost in our minds. We have, and will continue to back that up with strong, sustainable and responsible economic growth that has delivered to the Territory a lifestyle that is the best in Australia. I thank the Chief Minister for her most enlightening statement and I eagerly look forward to further updates from her over the coming years.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is an important statement to start the year, spelling out the government’s priorities for 2007. I thank all those who have contributed to the debate - the ministers who, in their own portfolio areas, talked about priorities, and certainly the very thoughtful contributions from other members of the House.
I do not think there was any gloss in the statement. What I did was outline key priorities for Territorians and the initiatives that we are putting in place to achieve those priorities or to tackle problems that we have. The statement ranged over a whole raft of areas that are critical to the future of the Northern Territory. It was a statement of fact. It did not try to pretend there are no problems when clearly there are, particularly in areas like alcohol. It was very much a practical document that will guide this government over 2007 in areas like local government, in tricky areas like child abuse, challenges like education and health, the challenges of creating a workforce that has the skills that we need - a whole range of issues.
I was disappointed to hear the Opposition Leader say that it was all gloss, there was nothing there and it was a statement of no substance. It is disappointing that an Opposition Leader who says that she should, in the fullness of time, be Chief Minister, should respond to a statement that outlines government’s agenda for 2007 by saying I was too busy or I do not have the resources for a response to this. The opposition has the resources that the Labor Party had in opposition. You turn up in the House and say: ‘Oh, I am just going to make a few comments on this’. It is an inadequate performance from the opposition and a real contempt of this parliament that the Opposition Leader should come in and say: ‘Oh, I do not see one statement’.
Just look at the Opposition Leader’s performance yesterday. There was one statement in this House, a major statement about the government priorities for the year, and there was no preparation done by the Opposition Leader for that statement. She put that on the record. There was one item of legislation in this House yesterday, the Professional Standards Bill, and the Opposition Leader could not even bother to be here to talk to that legislation as the shadow Attorney-General. In terms of the Opposition Leader’s contribution to debate here yesterday, she could not turn up for the only item of legislation that she had to deal with yesterday, and then, when it comes to the major statement in front of the House, the only statement in front of the House yesterday, said: ‘I could not manage to do anything that was constructive, so I am just going to make a few comments’. We listened to the Opposition Leader who had nothing constructive to say. This is the opposition who says they should be government because they know better, because they have a better vision for the Territory. Was there any sign of that yesterday? Not a bit, not a bit of that. All we heard from the Opposition Leader was dismissing what was put up. Was there any sense of an alternative? No, Mr Deputy Speaker; nothing at all.
The contribution by the Opposition Leader was superficial. She simply made some glib comments about the detail of the initiatives or priorities in the statement and it was negative, negative, negative. From an Opposition Leader who says: ‘I have ideas about the future of the Territory’, there were not any on show. It was simply a knocking exercise and a waste of this parliament’s time. From an Opposition Leader who is very critical of government, there was not an alternative. Not one - oh, sorry, I take it back; there was one. There was a reference to the fact that we should reintroduce mandatory sentencing. Let us turn full circle and go back to the mandatory sentencing regime. That was the only idea put on the whole range of issues across the Territory from alcohol management, the problems we have dealing with alcohol in the Territory, the initiatives government is taking – not a word from the opposition about whether we could do it differently, whether they would do it differently.
On education, there was just knocking, not accepting that where there is such a deficit in the bush in secondary education, that we have taken strides – no comment on that; just a dismissal, saying that there was not anything of substance in the speech. Yet, in key areas for Territorians, that is what we are dealing with. She accused me of choosing a sprinkling of issues I think important to talk about. Jobs! They are important. If the Opposition Leader tried stepping out the door of this parliament, she would find that a lot of Territorians are interested in a job. Health! Step out the door again. Education! Step out the door. Policing, alcohol management, the future of Alice Springs, the future of Darwin – they are all issues that are important to Territorians. Yet, the best contribution the Opposition Leader can make is to say that I have chosen a sprinkling of issues that I think are important.
The fundamental issues for Territorians are important. However, the Opposition Leader might have persuaded me in this House if she had produced a raft of issues that could articulate strategies that, perhaps, were more important to Territorians, but she did not.
I thank the ministers who contributed to this debate outlining what their portfolio issues were. I thank our backbenchers for their contributions. As far as the Opposition Leader goes, it was a disgraceful performance. It was a careless, lazy performance; it had no alternatives, and it was negative. The Opposition Leader wants to look at her performance in this House yesterday – not turning up for the only bill she had to debate, and not putting any effort at all into a major statement in this House is a real contempt for the parliamentary process.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Dr BURNS (Health): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I address one of the greatest challenges facing the Northern Territory: alcohol abuse. The high levels of harmful alcohol consumption among some groups continues to put many Territorians at risk. Too many Territorians are drinking in ways which put them and others at risk of gaol, injury, health problems, or death.
The Martin government recognises that the negative impact of alcohol on communities, families and individuals across the Territory is unacceptable. As a government, we are intent on dealing with these problems in an effective and comprehensive way. The majority of Territorians are responsible drinkers, and an enjoyable drink is an important part of our great Territory lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with sensible drinking.
It is, however, unfortunate that a significant proportion of Territorians engage in excessive alcohol consumption. This has a negative impact on not only those closest to them, but the community at large. Apart from the obvious human toll, alcohol abuse also puts massive pressure on services like our health agencies, law enforcement authorities, and the justice system.
The statistics underscore the significance of the challenge confronting the Territory. The Territory spends millions of dollars on dealing with alcohol-related harm. For example, nearly $7m is committed to treatment services. This year, $2.36m has been committed to sobering-up shelters alone. In 2005-06, per capita consumption in the Territory was calculated at 17.3 litres of pure alcohol per person. This is some 70% higher than for Australia as a whole.
As I mentioned, Territorians drink in ways that place them at greater risk of harm than other Australians. We all know about the dangers of drink driving. Territorians are nearly 50% more likely than other Australians to suffer short-term harm such as injury or illness as a result of drinking. Our harmful drinking patterns mean we are almost 80% more likely than other Australians to suffer long-term harm through chronic disease and permanent ill health.
On that basis, it is probably not surprising then that 24 927 people in the Territory were placed into protective custody in 2005-06. More than 6800 Territorians were hospitalised for alcohol-related conditions over that same period. Fifty-eight percent of assaults were alcohol-related and 65% of prisoners were gaoled for an alcohol-elated offence. Alcohol was involved in 71% of police incidents across the Territory. Alcohol was the main reason for people accessing treatment services; alcohol is the primary drug for 61% of clients admitted to substance treatment programs. Alcohol accounts for only 37% of admissions to the same services across Australia as a whole.
Then, of course, there is the tragic impact of harmful drinking on Aboriginal Territorians. This week’s release of the latest edition of National Health Indicators paints a grim picture of the disproportionately high toll alcohol is extracting on Aboriginal people right across Australia, including the Northern Territory. The National Health Indicators Bulletin 11 shows the NT central region has Australia’s highest incidence of alcohol-related Aboriginal deaths at 14 deaths per 10 000. The national average of alcohol-related deaths for all Australians, indigenous and non-indigenous, is 4.17 per 10 000. It is obvious from the statistics and what we in this House all know through our own experience that as a community, we drink too much.
The challenge is not only to address our high and harmful levels of alcohol consumption, but also to attack the culture of alcohol that has existed in the Territory since its settlement by Europeans. Governments over the years have recognised the problems and I pay particular tribute to former Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, in that regard. His well-intentioned Living with Alcohol program, unfortunately, foundered when a High Court ruling determined that the Territory did not have the capacity to impose a tax on alcohol that funded the initiative. It is unfortunate that, after this ruling stripped the Living with Alcohol program of its funding base, the CLP dropped the ball on alcohol and alcohol management throughout the Territory.
It is against this backdrop that the Martin government initiated its Alcohol Framework consultations, and in late 2004 adopted a new and innovative approach to the issues involved. I outline to members of the House some of the work that has occurred over the past two years in our efforts to address the pressing issues surrounding alcohol misuse and abuse. These problems are long-standing, complex and multifaceted. There is no magic bullet, no simple solution or single answer to the problems associated with alcohol. The government is intent on finding the best mix of strategies to make a difference whilst also not detracting from our great Territory lifestyle. Key to our approach is a whole-of-government perspective and the engagement of communities to find local solutions for the problems they face. We are conscious that the problems confronting communities differ across the Territory and that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work.
The whole-of-government emphasis is critical to ensuring success, although there are some agencies like Racing, Gaming and Licensing, Police and Health, which are going to be more directly involved than others. An example of the cooperative strategies being undertaken by different departments is the joint approach from Police and Racing, Gaming and Licensing to address liquor and antisocial behaviour problems around suburban supermarkets.
Sadly, this is a problem of which we all are well aware. The strategy involves intensive surveillance, engagement with drinkers and residents in the neighbourhood, training for supermarket staff in responsible service of alcohol, and increased public awareness of intervention and complaint processes.
This strategy was initially trialled in Darwin and is now being used in Alice Springs. Feedback from residents and community organisations in Darwin has been very positive. There was a notable reduction in alcohol-related antisocial behaviour near the liquor outlets in the area targeted as itinerants moved away from those general areas.
As I mentioned, a key feature of the government’s approach has been to facilitate local solutions to local problems. Alcohol problems are not the same in every part of the Territory and the resources available to different communities to address these problems vary. Obviously, life on a relatively isolated community is markedly different from that in an urban Territory centre. Similarly, the five major urban centres of the Territory differ from one another in significant ways. It is recognised that each location has different priorities for attention and that different strategies sensitive to local conditions and circumstances may need to be implemented.
This flexibility is being delivered through our alcohol management plans. These plans support local communities to develop their own responses to local alcohol and related issues. They require communities to look at issues in a strategic and connected way so that actions can be planned and linked to deliver the best possible outcomes. By detailing a clear framework for action, the plans also assist accountability of both government and non-government stakeholders to the local community.
Alcohol management plans have to be both practical and achievable. They are dynamic in the sense that they are continually revisited and modified as circumstances change, or the effectiveness of strategies becomes obvious. They are typically structured around demand reduction, harm reduction and supply reduction.
The Northern Territory Licensing Commission contributes to supply reduction by controlling the liquor licence conditions within an area. The decisions of the Commission can complement and contribute to broader based strategies. In some cases, communities want supply reductions. They see this as a way of securing some immediate change. In Nguiu, for example, full strength beer sales at the local club were suspended by the commission in 2006 following approaches by the community. The sale of only mid-strength and light beer has resulted in a significant reduction in violence and tension in the community, but we all realise there is more to do. In the first three months of the new restrictions, monthly alcohol-related after-hours call-outs for police dropped from 21 to one.
While I am pleased to be able to point to positive outcomes like this, I share the concerns of my colleague, the member for Arafura, who feels that more has to be done to address the impact of some of these social clubs on remote communities. Like her, I believe we have to look at the wider ramifications of alcohol on individual communities. We have to get a more clearly defined picture of what alcohol means in its health and social impacts.
Alcohol management plans can be initiated by any community, with government providing funding, expert advice and linkages at the departmental level. Government stays actively involved with each community through all stages in the development and implementation of a plan to help ensure the plan is realistic and manageable, while meeting both community and government expectations. Over the last 12 months, work has begun on developing comprehensive alcohol management plans and they are in various stages of development in a dozen communities across the Territory.
The 12-month alcohol management trial began in Alice Springs in October 2006. Initial discussions with community stakeholders have also occurred in Batchelor, Daly River, Darwin, Borroloola and Mataranka. A number of other communities have made initial inquiries. Financial assistance has been provided to Tennant Creek, Katherine, Gove, Jabiru, Palmerston and Timber Creek to enable work to begin in canvassing the issues and options for alcohol management plans. These plans are expected to be rolled out over the first half of this year.
In 2005-06, $94 000 was committed to the development of alcohol management plans across the Territory. A further $110 000 has been allocated for this purpose in the current financial year, along with $137 500 to assist in implementation.
I would like to highlight a couple of these plans to show the impact that they can have and the directions they are taking. The Alice Springs plan was the first to be implemented. It was developed under the auspices of a high-level task force headed by the Chief Minister, major community leaders and included the Mayor and an alderman from the Alice Springs Town Council. The plan was announced in September and details 23 specific actions to be implemented by agencies such as Justice, Police, Health, Racing, Gaming and Licensing, as well as the non-government and commercial sectors.
Early anecdotal reports suggest the plan is to produce positive outcomes that include a shift from wine products to beer and mixed spirits. I am pleased to report that, in the first three months of the restrictions, the amount of pure alcohol consumed in Alice Springs has fallen by 11%. Initial reports from Alice Springs Hospital indicate there have been fewer hospital presentations for alcohol-related injuries in the past three months and less disruption in some town camps. Police Southern Command has reported that apprehensions for protective custody have decreased by 50% in the first three months of the trial. However, we are also aware that there has been a product switch to beer associated with the trial, and there were reports that litter has become more noticeable.
Officers from Racing, Gaming and Licensing, the Department of the Chief Minister, Correctional Services and the Alice Springs Town Council are meeting to develop further strategies to deal with this aspect of the trial and work with the community to assist with positive solutions. I note that in a recent ABC interview, Gap Road Smart Mart Manager, Tony Phillips, who has been an Alice Springs resident for some 14 years, commented that he ‘has not seen any liquor supply laws make such a positive impact as these’.
Although there is yet to be a formal evaluation, the initial results are certainly encouraging, and I urge Alice Springs Town Council and aldermen who were represented on the original task force to support the trial in its entirety.
The work being undertaken in Nhulunbuy is also notable, largely for the innovative nature of what is being developed. Following a background report funded by government, a computer-based permit system has been proposed by the local Harmony Group. The Harmony Group broadly represents local government and non-government interests. The computer program likely to be used in Gove is called the ID-Eye. I have had a chance to see it in operation elsewhere in Australia and I am impressed by its potential. ID-Eye allows instant recognition of a person’s status as to whether or not they are permitted to buy alcohol. The Licensing Commission has given in-principle support to the proposal. This computer-based system will help in the enforcement of limits on takeaway sales. Importantly, it will also enable the proper enforcement and management of the plan by linking data from licensed outlets in the Nhulunbuy region.
As members of the House would appreciate, the potential of such a system for controlling access to alcohol is enormous. However, that potential must be balanced against the practical, legal, policy and ethical issues. Those issues are now being examined and, presuming matters can be satisfactorily addressed, it is expected that the system will be trialled in the next few months.
The idea for this system emerged from the experience of Groote Eylandt. After many years of discussion and negotiations, communities on Groote Eylandt introduced a permit system which allowed takeaway sales to be monitored and managed. We have seen some extremely encouraging results since the permit system was introduced on Groote Eylandt. There have been some dramatic reductions in alcohol-related incidents attended by police and the health clinic, especially after hours. There have been decreased levels of family violence, and a reduction in absenteeism in the indigenous workforce at the GEMCO mine. The Liquor Management Plan has received a ringing endorsement from GEMCO management. They have said:
Drink driving offences have dropped from 20 in the year prior to the implementation of the plan to four in the first year of operation. Aggravated assaults have fallen by 80% since 2003. I will say that again, Mr Deputy Speaker, because that is highly significant in a place like Groote Eylandt: aggravated assaults have fallen by 80% since 2003. There have also been reductions in property crime. This includes a dramatic reduction in unlawful entries. Not surprisingly, the island’s plan has been reported in the national press with its outcome of increased indigenous employment and business opportunities applauded. Such results are impressive and exemplify the kind of gains that can be made when local communities and government work together to find solutions for their issues.
In addition to working in partnership with communities and effectively coordinating the resources of government, the Martin government is also using its legislative and regulatory capacity to offer improved and more extensive options for the community to address alcohol issues. A complete rewrite of the Liquor Act is at the forefront of these initiatives. After more than 20 years of ad hoc amendments, a dedicated team led by Racing, Gaming and Licensing is working on a new act that will bring liquor control in line with contemporary thinking, experience and needs of the Northern Territory.
Our understanding of alcohol issues and the effectiveness of different control measures has changed markedly since the Northern Territory Liquor Act was first formulated. The new act will be fundamental to the way the Territory goes about managing the responsible promotion, supply and consumption of alcohol for many years to come. A draft is expected shortly, and I will be saying more about this at a later date.
Although we are still finalising the redrafting of the Liquor Act, it was decided in June last year to place a moratorium on the granting of new takeaway licences for 12 months. After that period, new takeaway licences will be limited to hotels and clubs only. There will be no new takeaway licences granted to supermarkets in the Northern Territory. This recognises that most consumption in the Territory, and the resultant consequences, occurs away from licensed premises. Some two-thirds of alcohol sales in the Territory are takeaways, and recent data from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia study showed that more than 90% of Territorians placed in the watch-house in Darwin last drank in a park, a public place or at home.
As a result of our election commitment, legislation has been passed that deals specifically with antisocial behaviour and alcohol. This includes the introduction of alcohol courts in July 2006. Forty-eight people have been referred to these special alcohol courts in Darwin and Alice Springs. One person has been issued with a prohibition order, while alcohol intervention orders have been made in relation to another 29 offenders. A prohibition order is aimed at preventing individuals with alcohol problems from drinking alcohol. Alcohol intervention orders put recipients under intensive supervision, including the prospect of mandatory rehabilitation or restrictions on where they can live. Alcohol courts are only in their early stages of operation and are dealing with offenders with complex rehabilitation and support needs.
As you know, Mr Deputy Speaker, the Territory’s remote communities have had the option of being declared dry for many years. In the 2005 election, the Martin government committed to offering people in the major centres the opportunity to declare dry areas. The dry area laws apply to both public and private areas. Alice Springs Town Council has already declared its interest in using the new laws. A public meeting is being held into the application, with the community having a chance to find out more about the application and its consequences.
Other councils are also considering using this tool to deal with public drinking and the problems it produces. I also note that the member for Nightcliff is currently working with her local community, as well as business, the Darwin City Council and police to see dry areas established in her electorate. I know we will hear more about that initiative later in this debate.
The new dry private premises laws have seen 49 successful applicants across the Territory use this new initiative to declare their residences dry, with another 22 applications pending. Indications are that this initiative is achieving some positive results. I noted a letter to the Editor of the Northern Territory News on 3 February, from Mr Bob Marquis of Fannie Bay. In his letter, Mr Marquis said:
I am not suggesting that Mr Marquis’ experience is absolutely representative of the results from the private dry areas law, but it indicates the initiative definitely can achieve success in certain cases.
One final strategy I would like to mention is that of Liquor Accords. These are essentially voluntary agreements between neighbouring licensees to implement consistent actions aimed at increasing patron care both on and around licensed premises. Their management usually involves other agencies such as Police or Health or Local Government. Accords have gained increasing popularity in other jurisdictions and several accords have been set up in various parts of the Territory with the help of the Australian Hotels Association. Tennant Creek licensees have joined together to ensure better management of alcohol in Tennant Creek. The Katherine licensees have been involved in similar discussions. The licensees involved are to be congratulated for their involvement.
The government is now considering a framework that will offer greater support for future accords. We are looking to strengthen local attempts at accords while also encouraging more licensees to become involved as part of the solution to alcohol-related harm. This is on top of ongoing discussions with the broader alcohol industry - and I include both retailers and wholesalers here - that are aimed at securing greater cooperation and support for government initiatives.
This government knows that sensible drinking is an important part of the Territory’s great lifestyle. Territorians must be able to continue to enjoy a drink with their friends and families, but the human and economic consequences of our high levels of alcohol consumption are all too obvious, and we have a responsibility to continue working to minimise the negative impact of alcohol across the Territory.
Our approach to addressing problem drinking that has been so prevalent for so long in the Territory must continue to be creative and flexible. We must not only continue to support good practice; we must continue to explore new options to address alcohol problems. We have made some important gains in tackling alcohol issues, but we are also realistic. We still have a long way to go because the culture of big drinking is a strong one in the Territory. Tackling this culture and achieving lasting change is a long-term proposition.
I applaud the efforts of those across the Territory, whether they are community members in councils, the police force or public servants, and all of those who embrace these new options. Their efforts to make a difference deserve our thanks. This government will continue to tackle alcohol misuse and abuse and the associated problems that it brings to our community. I believe the developments I have outlined today provide a sound platform for action and this government is committed to building on that platform.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of this statement.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s ministerial statement on alcohol abuse. There can be no question that much of the responsibility for much of the Territory’s crime, antisocial behaviour and general ill health can be laid at the door of alcohol abuse - this is not a few drinks on a Friday or Saturday night, but consistent and rampant alcohol abuse. To ignore it is to ignore the root cause of much of our social ill. That is why this statement from the minister is such an important one, and one which clearly puts into place the government’s alcohol agenda for the next few years.
The government has engaged on the development of clear, relevant and local alcohol management plans, plans that are devised in consultation with the local community so that they address the local trouble spots and issues. They are also based on data and research provided by the Alcohol Policy Unit and the Racing, Gaming and Licensing group as a whole.
The plans are carefully drawn up and then implemented and monitored. The government believes that it is important at all times to monitor the outcomes to ensure we are not wasting time on ineffective policies. It is hard to go past this approach; it is local, it is relevant, and it is comprehensive. It deals with the issues as they occur in each community. While there are many general aspects to a problem such as alcohol abuse, there are always local peculiarities that either magnify those problems or, alternatively, local issues which mitigate solutions that are applied elsewhere.
For members, I would like to outline my own and my electorate officer’s experience in assisting with the development of the local plans for Nhulunbuy which have been constructed as part of an overall attack on antisocial behaviour in this area. The first thing occurred was the formation of a local committee, headed up originally by Mike Hindle, the Town Administrator, with representation from Alcan, Northern Territory government agencies across the board, NGOs, the Chamber of Commerce and indigenous communities from the region. Over many months, ideas were refined and the group model studied very closely.
I was pleased to hear those indicative statistics mentioned by the minister in his statement because they are telling. They are telling when we are achieving such reductions across such a wide range of antisocial behaviour from alcohol abuse which leads to crime. Those figures speak for themselves. Senior Sergeant Tony Fuller, who came to Nhulunbuy from Groote, and John Cook from the local community Harmony Group, are to be commended for their leadership throughout what has been a very long term but a very well considered process, with the implementation of a permit system for takeaway alcohol now in sight.
Many people have been involved in the committee and many people in the community have been involved in the process. There has been extensive consultation, not with just Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala, but Ski Beach, Marngarr, Galupa and the outlying communities. I thank all those involved for their diligence and commitment. If it can work in Groote, we have a view that we can make it work in Nhulunbuy. That is the process that has occurred thus far in Nhulunbuy. I am most keen to see the implementation of this plan and, most importantly, the outcomes following implementation of the permit system.
The minister did speak, as I said, of the success of the actions in Groote Eylandt, Tiwi, Alice Springs. I am convinced we will be able to replicate that in Nhulunbuy because those figures do not just happen. Groote has been a trouble spot, particularly for domestic violence, for very many years. When we are talking about 50%, 60% and 70% reductions in those crime indicators, we are talking about a very significant move forward. You see it when you visit Groote in a whole range of areas; for example, the money spent by the people themselves from royalties on a training facility to enable them to skill up the local people for employment on the island. Ten years ago, that would have been a joke. You would not have been able to get people to go there. We see in the figures quoted by the minister in relation to sick leave from the indigenous employees of GEMCO. Everywhere you look on that island, there are very strong positives, all directly related to fact that they are off the grog.
It is in the context of those sorts of developments that we are seeing in place and the effectiveness of them that we should ask Alice Springs to have a little patience with where they are at the moment. The glass is a problem, we recognise that, but glass can be cleaned up much more easily than damaged, broken and brutalised bodies from the effects of alcohol abuse. We have to remember that the cost of alcohol abuse, the dysfunction of families that comes with it, the injuries, the trauma to individuals and the damage done to the families across the board is debilitating enough on its own. There is a huge economic cost behind it as well. The economic cost of failure of these people to be work ready in a time of labour shortage in the Northern Territory where everyone able to get a job does get a job, those who are suffering from the abuse of alcohol are missing the best opportunity in 40 years in the Northern Territory to become a mainstream part of the economic development of their own region.
Of course, there is the economic cost of providing the health services, costing the taxpayer and the government millions and reducing our ability to spend those funds in key preventative primary health care areas. There is the economic cost of crime and antisocial behaviour and the inevitable flow through the courts in the prison system. The list goes on in the direct cost on one hand and the cost of the lost opportunity on the other.
Clearly, we are learning as we go along, but the evidence to date has been positive. I am proud to be part of a government that has had the intestinal fortitude to tackle these difficult issues, unlike our opponents who have yet to miss any populist bandwagon that appears on the horizon.
The decision to halt takeaway licence applications for a year and then only to allow them for hotels and clubs in the future is not only giving this government and the community valuable breathing space to continue to develop local alcohol management plans, but it underlines the government seriousness in resolving this social problem. Perhaps if we had known more about it when we were first elected in 2001, the earlier that decision was made, the more we are going to benefit from it. With hindsight, I would like to have seen us make that decision far earlier than we did.
However, I support the minister’s statement wholeheartedly. Most importantly, I thank him for his individual and personal commitment for this ongoing work because this is one of the greatest social challenges that this government faces. He is doing a great job. We are there to support him and I want to encourage him to keep going in the direction he is.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, opposition supports the statement. There is no more important issue for us as a whole to address - and address it we must. It feeds into the very essence of that to which we aspire - a quality lifestyle - and to be able to capitalise on that which we have been blessed. Moreover, people in the Territory are our greatest resource. The harm that many inflict upon themselves, sadly, diminishes our capacity to make use of our location, the resources that we have, and the people themselves.
No one at any barbecue or gathering would go away without some reference being made to this issue - not in my experience, anyway. It appears at every gathering that I have had socially in the past four or five years, this issue rises to the surface, and increasingly so. What is useful in these discussions that occur in back yards and households all around the Territory is real information – data, facts and figures. That is what helps us to get a grasp on, first, the nature of a very serious problem; and, second, once we have a clear view of the nature of the problem, then we have some capacity to begin the process of putting in place appropriate measures to deal with that problem.
The minister has greater resources than I and perhaps has access to this information. I understand that when we consider the perception of indigenous Territorians as being those who have a problem with drink - it seems to be fairly evident and is often, sadly, the topic of conversation and does affect the perception of indigenous Territorians - I have heard that the number of problem drinkers who are indigenous are smaller as a percentage of the total indigenous population than the number of non-indigenous problem drinkers as a percentage of the total non-indigenous population. That is, there are many more indigenous Territorians who manage to live without alcohol problems. Sadly, what we see in our malls and public spaces reinforces a very negative perception which, in fact, is not the case when there are many indigenous Territorians who have maintained a noble fight against alcohol and go largely unrecognised.
We have noticed that in our tours around the Northern Territory, and I have mentioned it a few times in addresses here. There are some outstanding characters in communities right across the Territory, unsung heroes who should be elevated to the highest places of honour because of their contribution to a very serious problem. However, because they are far from highly populated areas and they struggle away in the backblocks dedicating their lives to combating this problem, they are largely not seen. Those indigenous leaders - particularly the men who have made a decision not to drink because they have seen the horror of it and the destructive effect of alcohol in their own lives and families - who have made a quality decision not to drink are heroes and need to be the catalyst for greater and more concerted action that will result in more being able to stand up and say: ‘I am now in control of this, and I do so for the sake of the young ones’.
I remember, most notably, two men with whom I spoke at Wadeye, and I wondered why they had chosen to take a leadership role. They told me their story. Once they were the worst of the worst, and they saw how bad they were and changed, and now have decided to fight the good fight. It is they and many others that I use as inspiration to continue my comments and whatever I can do to make a change in this area. I dedicate my comments to the indigenous men particularly who have made that quality decision to live a life alongside of and, in many cases, abstaining from alcohol so that they can make a difference.
These stories need to be told. They need to be understood and respected by many people who have discussions around our barbecues and feed a perception that is decidedly negative and has other factors that drive it, one being poverty and dislocation from the economic mainstream. Those issues aside, it is the data, the facts, the information we require.
There was reference made in the minister’s statement to Living with Alcohol. It is a program that has been spoken about with respect from both sides of the Chamber. That is heartening because we do recognise the problem and we have seen a program that has worked. We have recorded the reasons why that program ceased to operate. It was as a result of removal of a very important funding stream. I acknowledge that the underlying principles of the program itself were not continued, and that is a disappointment because those underlying principles still speak to us today. I understand, too, that the funding stream that was ceased as a result of a High Court decision was replaced by the Commonwealth in another form. I need to investigate that. Maybe the minister knows. Did that replaced funding stream by the Commonwealth continue to flow? Did it continue to flow in the same measure, and to what use was it put, and is it being put today?
In referring to the principles that guided the Living with Alcohol framework, I will say as a member of the opposition that those principles will hold the keys to a sound strategy to turn us around once again. There is a lot of activity at the moment, and I note the reference to the different enterprises in place in different communities. I am playing some small part in Palmerston and have observed at close quarters what is going on in Katherine. I applaud those communities that are getting together and endeavouring to come up with a framework or plan to deal with the problem in their own communities. That is very important because there is local ownership of the problem.
More importantly, you have that essential ingredient, but there is nothing worse than raising the expectations of a community in response to a deadly serious problem and not being able to have the underlying principles that will drive that enthusiasm, conviction, commitment and ownership by local communities through to success. There comes this opportune time. If you have the community on board, they have developed their plan, and there are not the resources behind to ensure that they have immediate success, you end up with compounding disappointment, and that is a grave concern.
Therefore, I urge the minister to assess the levels of deeper resourcing to the implementation in a very timely manner. We are talking about people; we are not talking about processes and bureaucracies. We are talking about people who are living in communities who are largely volunteers desirous of some change. Let their desire and their earnest expectation not be dashed by slow bureaucratic processes. It is absolutely critical because if that does occur, we might be able to tick boxes and have further statements, but we have disappointed folk out in the backblocks who have gotten themselves together in the hope that something might happen. It might just linger on.
There are lots of stakeholders and interest groups who will compete amongst themselves and, sadly, if it is left too late, those who have an interest to sell a little more alcohol or to compromise the plan in one way or another. We will still have the problem largely unaddressed to re-emerge another day.
I have not been in this Chamber for 28 years and it would appear that from comments that have been made most noticeably in a few addresses back, that there should be a war crimes tribunal for members of the former regime who decimated the Northern Territory. I was not a member of the former regime. There were some good things that happened in the past. Of course, when there is a change of government, which could happen, are we going to say: ‘Look at the terrible, terrible things. We might have a war crimes tribunal as well about the terrible, terrible things that happened’? Put that silly business aside, if you do not mind.
This is a very serious matter, as is anything that affects the potential of the Territory, which largely involves alcohol and indigenous issues. It really should transcend politics as far as possible. We could diminish that kind of banter and dishonesty that sometimes go on at the expense of a political point and we could make some real gains, as we are seeing in the substance abuse committee, which is one of things that gives me some hope. It is at least an opportunity to be useful in this Chamber.
The Living with Alcohol program provided real data. Before coming into this Chamber, I remember visiting the Alice Springs Show. I was absolutely floored to see the little display – which is probably still there, but I saw it a few years back - where there was a demonstration of the quantity of alcohol that the average person in Alice Springs had drunk in that year. It was an average. The minister cited 17.3 litres of pure alcohol. When you see that translated into cartons of beer, bottles of bourbon, casks of wine and mixed drinks, it is staggering. I remember seeing it, which was hard data provided by the Living with Alcohol program. The program was reinforced by advertisements on the television telling you that light beer is a suitable option, that Territorians could drink light beer. It reinforced a different approach to alcohol and the Living with Alcohol idea, that education process. Seeing that in front of me, I could not believe it. I could not believe that anyone could drink that much. Then what I found chilling was that I never did. Then I spoke to my wife and she never did. Perhaps together, or maybe with three or four of her friends, we might have been able to deal with that pile in front of us.
If I had not pulled my weight and a couple of others had not managed to consume the average, someone is drinking a heck of a lot. There are only two kidneys in every human being. It showed me that there are some people drinking extraordinary amount of alcohol. That is frightening. When you consider, too, that there would be many ladies drinking large amounts who are pregnant and that affects the next one, which I find most tragic. We have seen the effects. As an educator, I have seen the effects of young ones who, try as you might to get them to understand stuff, they have the effects of alcohol and they have never drunk. It comes through to the foetus. That is a significant effect; when you consider what is going on in our communities, and those who are drinking to excess, hopelessly consuming vast quantities of alcohol, and the harm that is impacting on the unborn, it is frightening. It is a problem that will be there for future members of this Chamber to address through education, health and our legal system. It has to be dealt with.
Living with Alcohol provided some very solid data. The problem has been clearly outlined, and it is shocking. We have spoken about cooperative strategies, and that is good. It is not new, but it is good and important. We need to have programs owned by local communities, which is absolutely essential, but there is a time, a human dynamic, that you must strike whilst the iron is hot. The three elements that the minister referred to in his statement are important: the demand for alcohol; the supply of that demand; and the harm that is caused as a result of consumption.
I recently had the great honour of visiting Taiwan and spent some time in Indonesia as well,. It was interesting to look at those societies and to see their appetite for alcohol. Do they have the same problems? Apparently not. In Taiwan, there was a time when the indigenous people had a serious alcohol problem and that has been reduced significantly. When I investigated how significant this alcohol problem was, it was nowhere near the level that we encounter. It is shocking to visit another society …
Mr McAdam: I am interested to find out how they reduced it.
Mr MILLS: Yes, I will talk about that, but it is some of the factors we are talking about and it will feed other discussions. I will make them in times to come, but thank you, member for Barkly.
It is quite startling when you visit other societies and you see that they do not have the same culture or the same demand or desire for alcohol. Alcohol sits in the shops alongside the cool drinks, and they do not seem to have any drama. It is a different culture. We undeniably have a very serious culture here that needs to be addressed with regards to capacity to live with alcohol. The demand is the culture that we have, which seems to elevate alcohol to a place that is harmful in its consumption, and the level of consumption is excessively high. The effect of that consumption is enormous and flows right through our society, as already outlined by the minister.
It was those three measures that were identified as the core principles of the Living with Alcohol framework. Culture was first. We need to change the culture and that requires education. One was to change the culture and our values and attitudes towards alcohol, and the other one was to change our capacity to live without alcohol or live with alcohol without harm. So it was the change of the culture through education, changing our values and our attitudes, and changing our capacity to live with alcohol without harm.
There are lots of families, especially after Christmas, who talk about reducing it, and they find it is not so hard to live a life with little or no alcohol. You often talk to people who say: ‘I am off the grog’, and they are enjoying that. That is a lifestyle that should be celebrated. That was the sort of thing that was promoted very strongly through Living with Alcohol, and it is important to change that culture because it changes the demand.
Then there were the control measures, which were legislation and regulation. Those control measures were put into effect to reinforce the cultural changes. These are some of the principles that applied, honourable member who made the inquiry by interjection, in Taiwan ...
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Blain, you have one minute.
Mr MILLS: Yes, okay, that is fine. There is much more that should be said, and I know that other members are raring to go and they all have great contributions to make.
The third ‘c’ was care, and that is the treatment. So it is the change of the culture, the putting in of the controls and, ultimately, the care that is provided. They were the three elements of the Living with Alcohol framework. I urge any honourable member who is interested in this, as they obviously are, they are all going to have a talk, to have a look back at that. It provides an excellent framework. The measures are there to inform the good intentions of this government, which is embarking on its endeavours to deal with this issue, with the support of opposition, I have to say, which makes it difficult for you politically because you like to have us in a different spot so that you can attack us and take your attention from the real issue. Nonetheless, I digress.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Mr Deputy Speaker, it was good to listen to the member for Blain’s contribution. He spoiled it towards the end when he said we like the political point scoring. I disagree with that because on the issue of alcohol abuse and the impact on our communities and families, there is agreement across both sides of the Chamber. It is an issue where we need to stop the politicising and playing politics because it is important. The impact of alcohol, both use and abuse, and how we might be able to work together to try to address it is critical.
The silent victims in a lot of this abuse are our children. I know that the Leader of the Opposition is very committed and has spoken quite passionately in the past about the impact of that abuse on our children. It does not matter what political ideology any of us have, at the end of the day, the abuse and impact of abuse on children gives rise to the same view. We all agree that something needs to be done.
I support the minister’s statement. His opening line was: ‘one of the greatest challenges facing the Northern Territory is alcohol abuse’. I could not agree more with that. All of us in this House agree about the impact of alcohol use and abuse, which we see with our families - I know I see it within my own family - our friends, and on many of our remote communities, our towns - it is everywhere amongst our constituencies. There is a problem there on which we all need to work together to try to address.
The result of this use and abuse can be seen with the horrific levels of violence that we see against our women and children, although there are instances where this violence from alcohol abuse can be from women to men. There is a lot of discussion about that. I am seeing it more and more. Certainly, it is a small representation, but it should not be dismissed. I have seen men being physically assaulted, quite badly, by women a number of times around town. I picked up a number of studies and went back through this because I forget the countless times that I have stood in this House and talked on the issue of violence against women. I stand here, very passionate, and will take whatever means as a member representing particularly indigenous women and the terrible plight that some of them go through.
I am also not blind to the emerging trend of violence with our women against our men. Moreover, we should look at the trend of violence perpetrated by women against women. In communities, women’s violence against other women, particularly older women against younger women when they are intoxicated, is certainly an issue that needs to be looked at and not dismissed as ‘it is just women, jealousy’, and pushing it to one side. It is assault against another person, but it is increasing and it is something that needs to be looked at because the incidence is on the rise.
Since 2001, we, as a government, have worked quite long and hard at addressing this issue. I know the previous Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing was responsible for a great initiative in setting up the Alcohol Framework. That certainly set a very positive framework, a better way forward in trying to get the issues of alcohol sorted out. There are issues that needed strong leadership. I know that being part of a government that has shown great leadership in this matter has been one that has not come without its controversy or criticism from various groups and sectors about the rights of the individual.
We went to the last election saying that we would bring in the antisocial behaviour laws. I remember the first time I talked as the Chair of the select committee inquiring into alcohol and cannabis use in our community. I raised the issue of mandatory or compulsory treatment, and taking away the right of that individual to say whether they consented and telling them they had to undergo treatment, so requiring the courts to say that this person needs to go into treatment.
I have always been an advocate of compulsory treatment because, with the right resources and treatment services, it can work. When you look at alcoholism, the system versus the theories of substance abuse and people, when it comes to indigenous people, a lot of people look at the whole issue of colonisation, dispossession and all of those things but, at the end of the day, alcoholism is a sickness and it has to be treated. Measures such as compulsory treatment outweigh the right of the individual to continually inflict damage regardless of the consequences to the family of the individual. As I said, the silent victims of alcohol abuse are our children who are without a voice or someone to advocate on their behalf about having to deal day in and day out, night after night, with the abuse.
I am not just talking as someone who spent 10 years in the health sector prior to coming into politics, but as a child who grew up in an environment where alcohol abuse certainly instilled in me a sense that I do have a choice. Maybe when I was growing up, there should have been someone advocating for my rights as a child so I did not have to put up with or cope with abuse that was happening within my own home environment. Do not get me wrong: everyone is entitled to drink. The member for Blain said that everyone sees it. He touched on it when he said it is an acceptable social standard and the old ethos or culture in the Territory where people constantly say: ‘Bloody good drinkers’ - I do not know whether that is parliamentary, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr Wood: Yes, yes. It is all right.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Is that all right, member for Nelson?
Mr Wood: Yes.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: It is that ethos of ‘we are bloody good drinkers in the Northern Territory’. That was the culture that a lot of people just accepted. I know that the member for Nelson shares some of my views on that. When you travel outside your own comfort zone and see your own area, you certainly see that the impact is wider.
Times have changed, both socially and economically. What was seen as social norms up here is now seen as problematic. Alcohol abuse has had an impact not just on the health system, but the community services system, the education system - you could go right through various systems on which it has impacted. The minister, my colleague, the member for Johnston, knows more than anyone here about some of those impacts from his previous life and the work he undertook in the research field for many years with indigenous communities. As the minister said, the problems are long-standing, complex and multifaceted. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution or answer to these problems. I could not agree more. We will never have a single answer to any of these problems.
One of the things I do want to touch on is the alcohol management plans that are working in my electorate. These have been very positive. Sure, there are some problems and they need to be worked out, but at least the community is driving those changes.
When I started preparing for this statement, I picked up my daughter’s thesis, which she completed with distinction not long ago. One of the things that she looked at was the use and abuse of alcohol and cannabis amongst the young indigenous population. One of the communities that she looked at was my own home community on the Tiwi Islands. I was reading the thesis and crying, and I do not mean shedding a few tears. Working in the health field, you read one report after another, and maybe this report was different because it was my daughter’s work. She had returned from Melbourne, and is continuing with her Honours degree in the field of Psychology. Her thesis is on young people on the Tiwi Islands.
The thesis uncovered what I said earlier about the emerging trend of young women - quite young women - overtaking the men in the use and abuse of alcohol, particularly in my own home community. When you look at the statistics, they are quite scary. The council has been used by the land council with the Tiwi Island local government, in respect of the diversionary program. All of them are starting to look at their resources and strategies to start doing what the member for Blain was talking about - education and trying to diverting particularly the young women in my own home community away from alcohol abuse.
Going over there for the Australia Day football and seeing young women, whose mothers I went to school with, in the club drinking and being quite drunk was something that brought great sadness. I am seeing more of these young women seeing that as the only way out. When you talk to them they say: ‘Oh, well, this person is doing it so it is okay. I can do it too’. The learnt behaviour is something that certainly needs to be jumped on by my people.
The Tiwi Land Council and the Tiwi local government and all of the organisations on the Tiwi Islands received for the first time a thesis or a research project done by one of their own, looking at the emerging trends of what is happening and to finally get inside the minds of 14-and 15-year-olds. Her cohort even included young children who wanted to participate, and she had to get parental consent for that - some of the parents did consent, some said no. In mainstream, they would not be allowed to drink because they are under age.
One of the areas that needs to be looked at - and I implore the minister to have his department look at it - is the level of home brewing. Because it is not illegal, you can buy the equipment for home brewing from Woollies and Coles and other department stores. I am not sure if they become illegal when the actual liquor is made, but in some of my communities, home brew is becoming a major problem.
Maningrida has been fantastic in alcohol management plans. They do not have a social club but, since the development of the alcohol management plan for Maningrida, the community has turned around. Most of the people getting permits are in paid or full-time employment. If you are not in full-time employment, there are a number of criteria that you have to meet and it goes before a community board. That alcohol management plan is working quite well. It would not have worked without Maningrida Council, the traditional owners, the Kunibidji and the police who have set up a Drug and Alcohol Committee. They meet regularly. They discuss all the permit holders, any problems and, if there have been problems, those people’s permits are revoked.
I have heard it time and again from different people and government agencies that Gunbalanya has probably one of the best run pubs in the Northern Territory. That may be, but there is an impact. As the local member, I have camped there not just for one day, but three or four days. I have seen the impact and what happens at night. It is the only club in a remote Aboriginal community that is allowed to trade between 12 and 1.30 each day, which needs to be looked at. When you go to that community and meet with the council, everyone starts looking at their watch for 11.50 when they all get up and walk out. It is virtually impossible to have meetings with people after 1.30 pm. It has impacts on the council in that they lose the majority of their workforce; they cannot put people on heavy machinery because they are intoxicated. The minister and I have had discussions about this and he has undertaken to look at that.
In Jabiru, there are moves afoot to look at the issues with alcohol. The Gunbang Action Group out at Jabiru will take in parts of Gunbalanya and its outstations and the outstations around Jabiru. That is in its early days, but I know that RGL’s policy officers are working with the community to see how they can implement an effective alcohol management plan for Jabiru and its region.
Ms LAWRIE: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the minister be granted an extension of time to allow her to conclude her remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr Stirling: You’ll talk for an hour now.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: On this I probably could. The development of an alcohol management plan for Jabiru and the region, which I wholeheartedly support, will take in and look at the Bark Hut Inn, and Mary River. For the first time, we may be able to address the problem in the wider region because, when people leave Gunbalanya or Jabiru, it is quite convenient to drive down the road to load their cars up with cartons of grog. That is something that has to be taken into consideration. They are looking at the issue for that region, which is good. They are not just looking at Jabiru in isolation from the wider problem in the region.
Alcohol management plans have been quite effective in some of the communities. The ones I have mentioned have worked, but they can only work with the support of the community. The communities have to get behind them. The leaders in those communities certainly have to support them.
Alcohol is an ancient human practice, which is found in most cultures and societies. If you put tobacco to one side, which has different properties and social effects, alcohol is one of the main drugs of choice in Australia. When you add cannabis, they are probably the twin drugs of choice in Australia. They are the face of widespread and intractable social problems throughout this country. It has become notoriously evident that the problem is even more extreme, and is consequences more damaging, within our indigenous population.
The member for Blain touched on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome on which very little research has been done. This was a huge issue with the first nation people in America when Foetal Alcohol Syndrome rose to prominence. There needs to be more research or funding for the health or the community services sector. We often see and hear about behavioural problems of children in classrooms. When we see it in some of our communities where alcohol abuse is prevalent, people often dismiss it as ADD or hyperactivity, but no one ever looks at whether that child may have FAS.
Sometimes the symptoms, or the facial signs of a child suffering from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome are quite prominent, but if you read the research, some of those features can be disguised and can manifest themselves as erratic behaviour. This certainly needs to be looked at amongst children in some of those areas because it does add to learning difficulties and the ability to be part of that society.
I support the minister’s statement. It builds on the fantastic work that has already been done. I go back to what he said: ‘There is no simple solution or simple answers to these problems’. Too true. We need to be vigilant. We need to take a stance. We have certainly done that. It is not about politics; it is about addressing a long-standing problem, and securing both resources and the meeting of minds to address what is something that has the greatest impact on society.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank both the members for Blain and Arafura for their contributions, which I thought were pretty good. I know the member for Arafura feels strongly about this issue. As she has said, she has spoken often and invariably with some degree of passion and with great sincerity from her own personal and family experiences and, indeed, those of her constituents. Thank you, minister, you are always good to listen to in debates of this nature. I am sure I speak on behalf of all members when I say I find your comments insightful and useful.
There were so many interesting aspects to the statement, and thank you for bringing it to us. To a large extent, what I was going to say has been said by others on both sides of the Chamber. It is probably not important that I repeat them, but one interesting thing was on page 2, which said:
I was surprised to see that figure; I thought it might be more. Having said that, $7m in a small jurisdiction per head of population is very significant.
When one considers the multiple affects of alcohol, it makes the mind boggle. The member for Arafura mentioned some areas but, in a general sense, we are talking health, the legal system, our – as in all Territorians - own culture, indigenous culture and white fella culture. It really does filter down and impact on so many of us in the Northern Territory.
That is why your alcohol statement is to be applauded as a demonstration of effort on the part of government. Whilst I do not agree with every assertion, if I stand back from this statement, it is clear, minister, that you are committed to dealing with this problem. Having said that and, relatively speaking, I have not been in the Territory for all that long – 18 years or so - I do not think it can be asserted that previous governments did not have that commitment. Did some things succeed? Yes. Did some things fail? Yes. Minister, sadly - and I am sure you will agree that this will be the case - in parliaments to come in the Northern Territory, there will be someone sitting in your seat and mine and every other seat here, and they will be talking about alcohol.
Good luck because we, as Territorians, need every ounce of it. I do not propose, nor do we have the resources, frankly, to go through and do a summary of what was done 20 years ago. To a large extent, we need not dwell on that. It is important to go forward because future generations of indigenous and non-indigenous children are relying on you, minister, and your government for outcomes.
Not all of the initiatives in here will succeed; you and I both know that. However, unless you have a go, you will never know.
Equally, while there is a role for governments, there is also a role for people themselves. Given the rate of consumption or the consequences it has on our indigenous population, there is a necessity for Aboriginal people to themselves demonstrate some leadership in a similar way that you and all of your predecessors over a long period of time have shown when it comes to addressing this issue. There was a reference in the report to different regions having different priorities and needs. It is the case, when one talks about Aboriginal communities, that some are doing well. There are references to it in your statement. Some things are working well in some areas. It also follows, of course, that people in those areas are working well towards it. In other areas - and I am sure other members will talk about this in their contributions - they are just not working. No plans are working. The people themselves are not working towards it and it is very easy to become despairing when one sees what is happening.
We need to remember that alcoholism is an addiction. It is a health issue. We know that there are law and order consequences and all that sort of thing, but it is an addiction and, clearly, treatment services that go well beyond the garden variety sobering-up shelter need to be adequately funded. They need to be expert in their nature, not just a shed or a daggy little building somewhere. They need good people working in them with a level of expertise in dealing with alcohol addiction. There are pockets all around the Territory of things like that but, certainly, there are not enough. The resources required to address the problems of alcohol in our communities pale, I suggest, in comparison to the amount of effort that is required by everyone, those who live and are surrounded by alcohol every day, to people like you, being a minister of the Crown.
You may remember, minister, when Peter Toyne was the Health Minister and Justice minister and I brought a matter to his attention. I was shopping in Alice Springs and there was a bottle shop in Woollies. A trader came out and said: ‘Go into that shop and have a look at those casks’. I was stunned and outraged because on those casks were bright pictures, copies of $20 and $50 notes all over the cask, enticing people to buy the alcohol. Of all of the places in this country where packaging like that should not have been allowed to be sold, where do you reckon it was being sold? Right in the heart of Alice Springs. I cannot remember, but I think the Attorney-General dealt with the appropriate people and had a bit to say about that because it was certainly inappropriate.
Over and above government planning and dealing with stakeholders, odd bits and pieces come up, which also must surely have an effect on levels of drinking. I hope that we do not see casks like that in our bottle shops at any point in the future.
I note in the statement there was a reference to supply. Supply is a really interesting one. You would know, as it has been happening for years, about trafficking of alcohol. There are people who stack up their boots and their motor vehicles with grog and take them to communities, some of them dry communities. I cannot remember what the current penalty is, but I do not think it is very high. One thing you might like to consider with your colleagues, minister, in due course, is to see what you can do about the level of trafficking. I accept, as do you, that you cannot have police officers standing at the gates of communities, but you could work towards building the capacity of that community to deal with those traffickers. That is one thing. Another thing you could do is significantly increase the penalties for trafficking alcohol.
The member for Arafura talked about marijuana and the effects that has, and I know you feel strongly about that, too. When we see people - the scum of the earth in my view - who traffic ganja and grog into communities, they should not only feel the full force of the law, but the force of the law should be very forceful indeed because scum like that just should not be allowed to get away with it. You might be working on it, I do not know but, in a constructive contribution, you might wish to take it up in due course.
Data collection is important as well. I am sure you would be interested in that. We have a problem in the Territory when it comes to data collection, certainly in the area of domestic violence. I was interested to hear the member for Arafura talking about her observations of increasing levels of women-on-women violence. Her view was that much of it is alcohol related. It would be probably worthwhile – and it probably would not get immediate results, but over time - if you could construct a suitable way of collecting data, which is the basis of all good public policy. It may be of some assistance in the criminal justice system and solutions pertaining to that, but also in health outcomes and building the capacity of some of the communities, some of which, as you know, have quite strong women leaders. I am not sure that much is happening in that area.
The violence perpetrated against women and children goes, sadly, to a large extent without saying because it surrounds people almost every day. There is increasingly an acceptance of high levels of violence in Aboriginal communities. One need only look at the research - particularly interstate but here as well - of that increasing level of tolerance and acceptance of violence. In other words, it has become normal. People have become desensitised. Again, it goes to capacity building of communities. We have to, obviously, talk about economic prosperity in some of those communities. There is a view that some communities can never be economically prosperous. I am not sure that I necessarily accept that view. I do, however, accept that there are enormous difficulties ensuring or even working towards making them economically prosperous, but I know that both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people have to start. If you look at the examples of the arts movements in some of those communities, you see economic benefits that, in turn, go to pride and, obviously, it improves those communities. That is one example. I am sure you do not need too many of them.
When we talk about alcohol, not only should we talk about the people who are affected by it in terms of the violence perpetrated on them, and the people who are addicted, but we need also to talk about the effects on people who are not drunk, the people who are walking down the street who, on a bad day in some areas, need to step over a drunk or who need to duck and weave. We have all had that experience, I am sure. There needs to be proper ways of ensuring that people who are not drunk or affected by alcohol can go about their business. In that regard, we will differ.
You will remember that the CLP policy announced probably six or eight months was three strikes and you are in. If you are picked up three times in six months, you are taken before a court which has various dispositions available to it, one of which is the ultimate sanction of imprisonment. Another one involved ensuring that a magistrate could return a person to a community. Another one would ensure that the magistrate would have the ability to order that a person not drink for a period of time. You have a different view. You have introduced an alcohol court. We will differ on the adequacy of that. There does need to be recognition on your part, and that of your colleagues, that dealing with alcohol also involves dealing with the people who are affected by it.
In that regard, I note the dry towns proposal. We have been talking about that for some time. It will be very interesting to see how that goes. I note in your statement you referred to what is happening in Alice Springs. Early indications are good. Litter is a hell of a problem. I have constituents ringing me talking about the glass all over the place. They are very concerned about that, as you would expect them to be. It might never find its way into government media release but, objectively, you would have to take the view that in order to effectively analyse the benefits of the dry town proposals or trials, if you like, that a five-year analysis would probably be the mark. I suspect there will be peaks and troughs. Early indications are good, save and except for the litter. However, I believe, realistically, pulling the politics out of it, a five-year analysis would probably be on the mark to see, from a long-term point of view, whether things are seriously trending up, down or staying the same. I am sure you have given that consideration.
Yesterday in Question Time, minister, one of the questions was how much is being spent on advertising campaigns at point of sale in a drink driving sense. I am not sure that you answered that question, but there is a role for increased resources going into that. I see you are nodding your head to that so I am hopeful that you can do something ...
Dr Burns: I am saying that I am replying.
Ms CARNEY: Clearly, the links between grog and fatalities on our roads is demonstrated. It is self-evident, certainly from looking at the relevant material. I know this is not a debate about speed limits, but I am obliged to make the point that one wonders why, when the effects of alcohol and driving and fatalities are bundled up as one and create the figures they do, it is that speed limits is apparently the answer.
I am going through my notes. A point that the member for Blain made about the substance abuse committee, if memory serves me correctly, was that it was not a parliamentary committee when the CLP was in office. The member for Blain and my colleague, the member for Katherine, enjoy being on that committee. They feel as though they are making a bipartisan and effective contribution. It was a good committee to introduce and, of course, we wish the committee well in its future endeavours. Obviously, alcohol and marijuana are the important issues for that committee to pursue. Then, of course, we have the issue of petrol sniffing, but that is for another time.
One wonders if all of our terrific researchers, the people in floors above us, were to search every Assembly of the Northern Territory, how many times the word alcohol would appear. It would have to be many, many thousands.
I wish you well in your endeavours and hope that our successors are not going to be standing here in years to come talking about this. I suspect they will, which is terribly disappointing. However, if you, minister, can do anything to ensure that the word ‘alcohol’ is mentioned less frequently on the Parliamentary Record of the Northern Territory, you will have achieved a lot. This is not just about words, but improving health and the lifestyles of those people who are affected by alcohol.
This is not just peculiar to any one group. Even members of parliament, Mr Deputy Speaker are affected by it. Of course, we cannot help to reflect, as I am sure the member for Sanderson often does, on his behaviour last year when he was affected by alcohol and acted in such a lewd and crude manner.
I wish the government well and thank you for bringing on the statement, minister.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Minister for Health and his statement on ways in which the government is tackling matters relating to alcohol abuse. The minister rightly noted that alcohol abuse is one of the greatest challenges facing the Northern Territory, depicted the situation facing the Territory, and outlined a number of strategies that have been put in place to deal with this problem. These are hard issues and they require hard answers and determination by the government to deal with the problems.
Alcohol is, at its best, something that is enjoyed by most adult Territorians who enjoy an alcoholic drink with friends or family over a meal, watching the sunset or marking significant occasions, be they births, deaths or marriages, or as will be witnessed tonight around the world, sharing a bottle of champagne with their valentine to mark St Valentine’s day. Honourable members, I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day, albeit without alcohol whilst in the Chamber at least.
The majority of Territorians act responsibly with alcohol. However, unfortunately, as the minister said in his statement, too many Territorians are drinking in ways which put them and others as risk of gaol, injury, health problems or death.
In 2005-06, the per capita consumption of alcohol in the Territory was calculated at 17.3 litres of pure alcohol. This is some 70% higher than for Australia as a whole. Territorians are 50% more likely than other Australians to suffer short-term harm from alcohol than other Australians, and Territorians are 80% more likely to suffer long-term harm through chronic disease and permanent ill health. Similarly, alcohol is involved in 71% of police incidents across the Territory, and was the primary drug for 61% of clients admitted to substance treatment programs, compared with 37% to the same services across Australia.
There is a clear relationship between alcohol abuse and domestic violence, family and community dysfunction and breakdown, poverty and homelessness, antisocial behaviour in our streets and parks, and drink driving and related deaths and injuries.
I have to say I am particularly concerned about young people and the rate of alcohol consumption evidenced by our younger generation. National studies show that young people tend to binge drink, imbibing around 10 drinks in a session, but they do not consider this to be a problem. We still need to be considering ways to deal with this.
Tonight, I would like to focus on alcohol issues in my own electorate of Nightcliff. As the member for Nightcliff, the most consistent complaint I have received has been in relation to alcohol-related antisocial behaviour. Sadly, a small group of people with significant alcohol abuse problems create problems for the majority in some of our shopping centres and park areas, particularly in the Pavonia Place shopping centre where my electorate office is, the Woolworths Nightcliff complex, and parts of Sunset Cove. Humbugging and general antisocial behaviour can be very distressing to witness for families and people trying to go about their business in a peaceable fashion. It is also degrading and evidence of loss of identity for the people perpetrating the behaviour.
Over the past few months, I have been working with business owners, residents and the Darwin City Council in looking at declaring parts of the electorate dry under the dry area legislation and private premises legislation that was passed last year. This legislation is about targeting problem areas to allow people to enjoy our green open spaces and shopping centres. This is not about prohibition for all of Nightcliff; it is about stopping the minority of people who drink, loiter and humbug in certain areas. The public dry areas legislation allows the community, through a local council, the Director of Licensing or the Police Commissioner to apply to make areas dry. The private premises legislation gives residents and organisations the power to have their homes, schools, shopping centres, churches and hospitals declared dry.
I have been working with Alderman Bob Elix from the Darwin City Council in the areas which could be declared dry. Mr Elix has advised me today that a proposal to apply for dry areas will be put to the council on 27 February. If approved by the council, the Liquor Commission will hold an extensive consultation before making its decision on declaring an area dry. I encourage all aldermen to support this proposal. Antisocial behaviour is simply not acceptable.
I would also like to thank the owner of Nightcliff Woolworths complex for his support in the matter. Mr Tony Milhinhos, who is well known to members of this Chamber and who was the 2005 Senior Australian of the Year, continues to be a great community supporter and has decided to seek to declare his property, the Nightcliff Woolworths complex, as a dry area, an action which I am sure will be applauded by visitors to the shopping complex.
Breaches of either the public dry areas or private premises laws will result in alcohol being tipped out and a possible fine of up to $500. Both laws work in tandem with the 2 km law. Repeat offenders will be sent to the alcohol court, which provides the opportunity for rehabilitation. The government has supported rehabilitation options with an injection of funding of more than $1.5m over three years.
Since the announcement of these proposals, I have received much positive feedback because people are tired of antisocial behaviour in our streets and parks. Residents are also pleased that those committing the antisocial behaviour will be offered rehabilitation. One query that has come back is: will people still be able to drink on the foreshore as they do now? The answer is a clear yes. Drinking is permitted in the area from Sunset Park at the end of Aralia Street through to Chapman Road excluding the car park areas of Nightcliff Aquatic Centre. This is an area enjoyed by many families from across Darwin who enjoy a drink while they are picnicking or watching the sun set. Drinking in these areas is permitted by Darwin City Council by-laws from 4 pm to 10.30 pm from Monday to Friday and between 12 noon and 10.30 pm on weekends and public holidays. Most people who take advantage of these by-laws do so sensibly and this will continue. We will still be able to enjoy our great Territory lifestyle.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the proposal is aimed at disrupting the supply and addressing harm minimisation, rehabilitation and treatment. I commend the minister for his statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the minister on this important statement. It covers many of the areas that we have spoken about before. I do not think we need go over too much old ground about the effects of alcohol in our community, especially in some of our indigenous communities.
I note that on ABC Online on 12 February, last Monday, there was an interview with a lady from the National Drug Research Institute which studied every alcohol-related Aboriginal death between 2000 and 2004. From that, it was shown that alcohol causes the death of an indigenous Australian every 38 hours. If you go through this interview, there are some fairly telling statistics about suicide amongst indigenous women. It is the fourth largest killer of indigenous women, but the biggest killer is alcohol liver cirrhosis, and the second biggest killer, which is not too far behind, is haemorrhagic stroke. She said that is quite remarkable: haemorrhagic stroke is really by and large a disease of middle-aged and the elderly, and we are finding that haemorrhagic stroke is killing indigenous women at an average age of 25. Haemorrhagic stroke does not even figure among young women of that age in the general population. That adds another to the sad statistics about the effects of alcohol.
Minister, you covered a range of issues in your statement today. You talked about alcohol strategy plans, review of the Liquor Act, dry areas and liquor records. I feel what you are looking at is attacking the problem and not looking at the symptoms. These problems are not new. Many times I have and spoken about alcohol, as would other members. I have been speaking about alcohol for the last 37 years in the Northern Territory, so we have not come across these things in the last year. What I really want to know is what the government is doing to change the culture of excessive drinking in the Northern Territory. That is what I would like to have seen in this statement. The only reference you made to that is in the last paragraph. You said:
That is exactly right and that culture is not just about indigenous people; it is about the whole community. That is where the government is failing. We have put a lot of effort to working on strategies, which are mainly aimed at indigenous people, yet many of our alcohol problems are related to non-indigenous people.
I picked up a copy of the National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2009, which came out of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy in May of last year. It made a lot of recommendations and showed a lot of statistics, which would have, of itself, been a good basis for discussion today:
It says further:
The second matter the minister should have addressed is the Alcohol Framework. I have not heard much about the Alcohol Framework for quite a while but, as you know, there are 62 recommendations and I believe the government endorsed all bar one. Today would have been a perfect opportunity for the minister to have gone through those recommendations and tell us how many of them have been put in to place.
I was looking through them today and wondering where we sit with quite a few of these issues. For instance, recommendation 20:
Where are we with that recommendation? Recommendation 21, in which I know the member for Katherine would be interested, as I am:
Perhaps that is happening already; I do not know. Recommendation 34:
I think you were talking about that. The purpose of re-writing the Liquor Act is stated there. Recommendation 35:
This is something I have stood here time after time and asked: what are we doing? I do not believe anything has changed. The member for Araluen mentioned today: how many have we asked why companies are allowed to advertise vodka drinks in nice bottles that look like strawberry and raspberry drinks? No wonder the trend of young people drinking mixed drinks has gone up something like 50% against drinking beer.
Just watching the cricket over the one-day series, I saw the amount of advertising - a huge amount! Look at the boundary line in the cricket: it is Booney and Botham; it is VB everywhere and it is on prime time television. Have we done anything about either working with the Commonwealth on those issues, or have we done something within our own area to look at ways of restricting either the hours that alcohol is advertised or the type of alcohol that is being advertised?
Recommendation 46:
There is recommendation 53:
Recommendation 60 is an interesting one:
Minister, I know there has been a debate here about the reduction in RBTs, yet one of the recommendations was that we should develop an annual plan to do that. One gathers the impression, from the questions that were asked yesterday, whether there has been a reduction in the number of breath tests. You are talking now about increasing it because you are going to have a highway patrol, but it looks like this Recommendation 60 could have been doing that some years ago.
You must remember, the Alcohol Framework Final Report is dated July 2004. We are looking at nearly three years ago. Where have we marched on? In some things, we have; in many things I do not think we have.
What is lacking in this statement are some of the key areas that relate to the bigger picture, which is not just indigenous drinking. The bigger picture is societal drinking, our attitudes to drinking. The first goal of the National Strategy was to:
I have said before that we have a society that says it is not an offence to get drunk and it is okay to be drunk as long as you do not do any harm to anyone. Yet, one of the goals of the national strategy is to:
Intoxication has harmful effects and generally means you do not have control. Unfortunately, being drunk is part of the Territory’s lifestyle. I will quote the Chief Minister, with whom I certainly did not agree. This is in relation to a question from the Opposition Leader to the Chief Minister on antisocial behaviour and habitual drinking on 21 February last year. The opposition was promoting that drunkenness should be a crime, and the Chief Minister said:
That is part of our problem. It is so well entrenched that getting - pardon the language. Well, I will not use ...
Mrs Miller: You had better not use that one.
Mr WOOD: That might be a bit rough. Getting drunk is just normal. I am the patron of many sporting clubs and I know many people who think that is a great night out. That culture seems okay for non-indigenous people and yet, if we saw many Aboriginal people probably not even half as intoxicated, but just in the park shouting at someone, we would say: ‘Horror, horror’. Are we saying that to our own society? It is much harder as non-indigenous people, talking for myself, to change this culture. It so well entrenched in our culture that it is easy to say: ‘It is those itinerants, those people who are humbugging us. Oh, they are terrible’.
Yet, we seem to turn a blind eye to the bigger picture which is that there is an abuse of alcohol in our society as a whole. You just have to look at the statistics. Even when you work out the percentage of Aboriginal people living in the Territory, the statistics do show that not as many Aboriginal people do drink as the percentage of non-Aboriginal people, except that those who do drink tend to drink to levels of high risk, which is unfortunate.
The time has come. I am sure I used to see ads on television when Living with Alcohol was around, which criticised people getting drunk. We have to turn it around: being drunk or intoxicated is not a healthy thing; it is a sign of lack of control and it can lead to problems. Look at those figures for Aboriginal women who are dying from haemorrhagic stroke at such an early age because they have been intoxicated so many times. Is the example of non-indigenous people to indigenous people what has exacerbated the situation for many indigenous people?
Another issue, minister, that we need to look at is revenue. How can we get revenue from companies? The alcohol industry is probably one of the biggest industries in Australia. It makes enormous sums of money, otherwise they would not have so many ads on television. It must cost them a fortune. They basically run sport. Just go to Marrara; you cannot help but see it. I was at the footy. At least I saw there was more mid-strength beer around this time at the All Stars versus Essendon match. I complained last time that all I saw being sold was Cougar and full-strength Melbourne Bitter. At least there was a move to sell lighter beer.
We have to put more pressure on the federal government. I am not sure what the figures are. The member for Blain queries whether we get the same amount of money from them as when the Living with Alcohol campaign was running. We need lots more money because we need to be doing a lot more work on treatment of alcoholics. Sheila Millar was on the radio today. I have been down to Dillinya. People like Sheila are who we should be supporting. If the government says we do not have enough money, then we have to make a bigger …
Ms Lawrie: No, that is not it. That is not the reason.
Mr WOOD: I am just saying ‘if’; the word was ‘if’. If the government is saying there is not enough money for some of these programs, we need to try to get more money from the Commonwealth and from industry to help fund them.
ANSTI closed down. Maybe it has closed down for other reasons besides not enough funds but …
Ms Lawrie: No, no, it had nothing to do with funding. You know that, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: It is closed down now so I am interested to see what the government’s plans are for its revival. There has been talk about the compulsory treatment of people who have an alcohol problem. I have said time and again that we need to be looking at alternatives, places where we can take people - high-class places, good accommodation with gardens and educational facilities – who have orders to stay there. We know there are people who cannot help themselves because of the effects of alcohol.
Another matter came to me when I was reading the national strategy. They had a section on public perceptions. It was interesting to see what people thought should be done. This is probably a little different from what the experts might think should be done.
I know we have areas like football which are dry:
I know we do at Traeger Park. We certainly do not do it at Marrara:
There is certainly action in that direction in the Northern Territory:
We have gone down the path of opening up places in Mitchell Street quite late, but what has the effect been of violence in Mitchell Street? I am interested to hear from the police on such matters:
Minister, whilst I do appreciate what you have said today, what I have tried to highlight is that there are big gaps in what could have been put as a statement today. I am not knocking in the least what you are trying to do. They are good programs. Whether they work or not, only time will tell. They are difficult areas for any government to take on, but if you are to change the culture of big drinking in the Northern Territory, then you have to change the culture of, as the member for Arafura said, ‘the bloody good drinkers in the Northern Territory’. It might have been all right a few years ago when people laughed about it.
The reality is, underneath all that there is tragedy because we have abused our Territory lifestyle. How do we change that? We need to change it so people can enjoy moderate drinking and drink sensibly, but we have a long way to go. I would like to hear from the government what practical ways it has in mind to address some of these symptoms.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was not going to contribute to this debate because I feel as if all I have done in the last two days is talk about alcohol, but that has only highlighted the abuse of alcohol within the Territory.
From the outset, I am not standing here and playing a blame game with anyone. Alcohol abuse within the Territory is at such high levels that really serious steps need to be taken. I do not believe that the Territory government can do it alone financially. There needs to be support from the federal government and I suggest that may be through the funding of detox and rehabilitation centres because it is so serious it is not something that can be done by the Territory government and local councils alone.
It has been highlighted to me in Katherine in the time that we have lived there since late 1989. The seriousness is the tragedy of watching people destroy themselves through the abuse of alcohol. I have watched so many really lovely people slowly degenerate into brain-damaged vegetables and die, and some of them under the most dreadful circumstances. They have fallen asleep on the road and been run over, committed suicide, died of health-related issues such as kidney failure and cirrhosis of the liver. They were all young and did not have an opportunity to do something with their lives because they were hooked on alcohol and, unfortunately, did not have any lifestyle at all.
One person who comes to mind is someone who calls me ‘mum’. He is an indigenous man who he used to come to Red Gum Tourist Park to the shop and buy food regularly. I still see him quite a bit. His name is Maurice. Maurice and I formed a really good friendship - Mike is ‘dad’ and I am ‘mum’. I am using Maurice as one example. He had so much potential to develop into a wonderful leader of the Jawoyn, even working at the gorge as a park ranger. He had all those potentials, but he became hooked on alcohol for one reason or another and his life is meaningless. He wanders the streets. He tries to dry himself out regularly. He would deliberately be arrested so he could be sent to gaol for a few weeks when he would dry out. He would come out looking really good because he had been eating properly but, within a short space of time, there was despair and he was back on the streets and looking absolutely terrible again, just drunk. It is a tragedy. He is just one example of many that I see in the streets of Katherine regularly.
In the time that Mike and I had Red Gum Tourist Park, we used to witness some terrible violence due to alcohol across the road from the park. There is a camp called Red Gum Camp, which had nothing to do with our park, but they called it Red Gum because it was close by. We witnessed some really violent things there, in most cases women who physically hurt themselves or each other. They would smash a bottle when they were influenced by alcohol and physically attack each other. It was absolute tragedy. That has not changed at all.
Many times I have spoken in desperation and frustration about the effects of alcohol in our community. Every time we try to do something, it seems to be piecemeal. We seem to put our toe in and decide that we will put a bit of prohibition in here because that might work. Then we might put in a little dry area there because that might work. It has gone beyond that. We have to take a much stronger stand, and it is not going to be popular. Government is going to have to make a decision that is unpopular, whatever it is.
For instance, I am very much in favour of dry areas and I am talking about the whole of Katherine being dry. I am very much in favour of that. I would very much like to have seen government legislate for regional towns to be dry, but the responsibility is now back on the Katherine Town Council and Alice Springs Town Council. They think: ‘Oh, God. How far will we go? Will we just do this little area?’ I know that there are some members of Katherine Town Council who would like to have the whole of the town dry, whereas there is the push and pressure against it, supporting trialling three streets for a while to see how that goes.
I have spoken to Joy Baluch, the Mayor of Port Augusta, which had the same system in August 1986, when they just allocated some areas as dry. Her response to having particular areas dry was: ‘It will not work’. She has had it since 1986. In November of 2005, the Port Augusta City Council applied to the South Australian Liquor Commission to have Port Augusta declared dry for a 12-month trial run. I spoke to Mayor Joy Baluch and members of council in September last year, and they were very pleased with the difference that it had made to Port Augusta. It was a decision that was not popular in a lot of areas, including some aldermen on her own council. She felt so strongly about it that she said they were going to make this decision and trial it.
It has been very successful as far as they are concerned. All the statistical data will not be released until the end of March. They are having proper research done to see if it is working well and that they have not moved problems into private homes over the hill and that the police are happy. I am very impressed with the stand she has taken. The council has applied to extend their licence for the dry area for another 12 months.
I have not spoken to the Chamber of Commerce in Port Augusta, but I know that Katherine Town Council is having communication with the Chamber of Commerce to ensure that business and everyone is happy with it.
My experience from visiting Port Augusta, and walking the streets very early in the morning and getting the feel of a place, it is the best that I have ever seen it. It was a pleasure to walk the streets. I did not feel alarmed, I did not see any litter, or have violent, yelling or fighting people lying around. I saw a lot of indigenous people. They were just going about their daily business of going to the shop, buying their food, etcetera. I did see some come out of a hotel who got into a cab and disappeared to wherever; I do not know where. There was no one drinking on the foreshore or anywhere in Port Augusta. I have also spoken to a relative of mine who has a newsagency in Port Augusta and she said it has made a huge difference.
One of the challenges there, and it has been put to me is: ‘Okay, you have moved it. Where have you moved it to and is it just aesthetics you are after?’ The answer is no, it is not just aesthetics. That is only one part of it. The other part is that we have to have programs in place to deal with all of the issues and, as you know, there are about that many, that go with the alcohol problem.
In Katherine, we have a sobering-up shelter. On Saturdays mornings, over the last two weeks I have been listening to ABC radio with the walkman in the ear at about 5.30 am. It was alarming to hear that the 30 beds in the sobering-up shelter were full the night before, and more than that number were in police protective custody in the gaol. The police are so busy, they have plenty of other things they need to be doing. I do not consider the police primary role is to be taking care of drunks in a gaol; they have other things that are important they need to be doing. That is over 60 in Katherine alone. For me, I see the answer, and this is where I am saying you need funding from the federal government as well to deal with this. We need decent sobering-up shelters in each community. We need detox centres to take care of habitual drunks, and you need rehabilitation centres.
On the subject of rehabilitation centres, the one that we have at the Venn Block is not at full capacity and it could be. My information is that the reason it is not at full capacity is because there is not enough trained people there, so that may be another issue for government. I will follow it up when I get back to Katherine, but that is the information I have been given.
On the subject of rehabilitation, I have listened to other members talk about how it is important to have state-of-the-art rehabilitation and, of course, it is. However, not everyone is going to look for state-of-the-art. They need the programs that work well for them. I support what the member for Nelson said regarding Dillinyabecause that has worked very well for quite a few people. It has been a success. I encourage the minister to have a look at it. I know that Sheila Millar would be only too happy to show you what happens there and how she works her program. She is a trained counsellor and has had a lot of success. It is people such as Sheila who want to help, and yet they are not being given the financial support to do so.
I want to talk about support of sponsorship of sporting events if they are alcohol free. Two years ago, the AFL in Katherine, because we had such a disaster of football matches with drunks yelling and yahooing – and people get very excited when they are supporting their football team. However, the problem was that most times there was alcohol involved, and it was not a nice conducive atmosphere for families. The Katherine AFL decided to ban alcohol and have no alcohol for sale at all. You were not allowed to bring alcohol into the area, so it was alcohol free. I can assure you that it was just absolutely fantastic to go along and watch the games. Most of the teams that play in Katherine come from outlying communities and, by gee, can they play football! I love AFL. I am not into the others very much, but AFL, I am. It was an absolute pleasure for families to be able to run around and play and not have drunks falling over them, or them falling over drunks. The atmosphere was fantastic.
However, the AFL in Katherine lost a lot of money because they were not selling alcohol, so they need to be supported and encouraged to continue to have an alcohol-free environment so that it gives a good example for those young players who come in from communities. I would like to talk to the minister about how they go about getting some funding because they are really struggling to keep afloat and they do provide a fantastic atmosphere for those indigenous community teams that come in.
I am a sponsor – I think they call it the sponsor - of the AFL in Katherine. I have really admired the amount of work that Fred Murphy has done in the communities, as the member for Arnhem would know as well. Fred is a great bloke and he knows I am a soft touch, so he always comes to see me when he wants to have his sausages and $100 to go here, $200 there to bring the boys to Darwin. What he does with those young people is outstanding, and he needs to have support in an alcohol-free environment so that those wonderful, healthy young men continue to get on with their lives and lead a good life. They have great potential, those young people. I have a real soft spot for them. They are in your electorate, I think, member for Arnhem, but I like them. I would like very much to see some support given to sporting teams so that they can remain alcohol free.
I will close now because I know that we are going to be talking about substance abuse, and delivering a report at the Alice Springs sittings. As I said, I feel like I have talked about nothing but alcohol for the last two days. You do not have any opposition from me at all as far as dealing with the situation. However, I do believe that you are going to have to be tougher.
Debate adjourned.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arts and Museums): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry in the Northern Territory is the strongest and most highly developed in the nation and has been for half a century.
The Northern Territory government is immensely proud of the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry, and the achievements of the artists who have contributed to one of the Territory’s most important industries. It is an industry that enriches the cultural life of the Northern Territory and, indeed, the nation. It has done much to promote Australia and the Northern Territory internationally.
For me, as a Tiwi woman and as Arts minister, the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry is a special source of both pride and hope for the future. That hope for the future is based on the knowledge that this government is committed to developing the strengths of the industry in the years to come. I trust this commitment is a bipartisan one, shared amongst both opposition and Independent members of this Assembly.
In moving around the Territory meeting people from many walks of life, I get a strong sense that the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry is one that has not just the support but also the affection of many of my fellow citizens; that it is an industry we should support and that we should all be dealing fairly and equitably with the artists who make such a great contribution.
The Australian Senate is currently holding an inquiry into the future of the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. It is the most important investigation into its health and future for many years and a quarter of a century since the first comprehensive assessment of the industry. As the Territory Arts minister, I will be giving evidence to the inquiry. I table a copy of the Northern Territory government’s substantial submission to the Senate. The Northern Territory government welcomes and supports the inquiry.
I take a moment here to acknowledge the fine work of the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists, or ANKAAA, and the Association of Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Centres, Desart. These two Territory-based organisations are the peak representatives of Aboriginal artists across the Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. They were instrumental in convincing the former federal Arts minister, Senator Kemp, to endorse this inquiry and had a hand in developing its terms of reference. The work of these two organisations should be commended by us all here today.
In developing the Territory’s response to the terms of reference of the Senate inquiry, it struck me that it was important that this parliament also look at the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector and seriously debate its future. I will not go into the detail of the Senate submission, but would like to emphasise today three important elements of the government’s position on the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. First is the importance of the industry in historical and contemporary terms and where we might take it into the future. The second is the endorsement by this government of the National Indigenous Art Commercial Code of Conduct and our willingness to promote similar approaches by other governments - local, state and federal. The third is the role of the Northern Territory Indigenous Arts Strategy which is entering its second stage.
Art centres are the most successful and long lived Aboriginal economic enterprises. The core work of the Territory’s Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry is that performed by the Aboriginal-owned and controlled art centres. The great majority of these centres are located in remote parts of the Territory. To quote from our Senate submission:
Indeed, so successful has the art centre model been over the years, and despite the many trials and tribulations they have been through, it has been exported to other states in Australia. This is not something governments can take credit for, but is a tribute to the many dedicated art advisors who have served the centres over many years as well as the strength and commitment shown to the centres by the artists themselves. In the Territory alone, there are now over 35 bush-based art centres and a further dozen or so based in Alice Springs and Darwin. The member for MacDonnell has more than a dozen art centres in her seat alone. It is hard to image how she keeps up with them.
This is an important thing to understand about the role of the centres: the commitment of the artists to their centres. That commitment manifests itself in two important ways. First, the commitment of artists to their art centres has been a sustained one. A number of art centres throughout the Territory have been operating successfully for over 30 years, many for over 20 years. This is unprecedented anywhere in the nation for Aboriginal commercial enterprises.
In my seat of Arafura, for example, both Tiwi Designs and Maningrida Arts and Culture have been going since the 1970s. Injalak, Munupi and Jilamara got going in the 1980s. They are all businesses with solid artistic, cultural and commercial track records. It is not uncommon, almost routine, for the grandchildren of the founding members of these organisations to be working for their art centres as artists and administrators. In a market economy such as Australia, the idea of the family business has always been lauded. Our art centres must be up there as some of the best examples of family business in the nation.
That leads to the second vital aspect of artists’ support to their art centres. Over the same period, and for lesser periods in many more art centres, artists have contributed many millions of dollars in re-investing their surplus from sales, their profits, into keeping the art centres up and running. Again, if I may quote from our submission to the Senate:
This is the key to an understanding of the importance of the historical and contemporary role of art centres and their place in the future. Since the 1960s, there have been attempts to establish economic enterprises in remote Aboriginal towns and communities in the Northern Territory and other parts of the country. There have been any number of reasons advanced as to the failure of the vast majority of these projects and enterprises, but little analysis, if any, of why the art centres over and above any others have survived and, indeed, prospered.
At a rough guess, I will advance two reasons. First, as scant as it has been, governments, and other institutions including religious missions, have supported a reasonably consistent flow of capital and recurrent support to art centres that have been able to augment artist-generated profits. One reason that has been advanced for the failure of other Aboriginal enterprises has been the lack of consistent, long-term external support. For a variety of reasons, often intangible, there has been a favourable climate to supporting Aboriginal art enterprises over long periods. These steady investments have been repaid. By and large, the art centres have managed their capital and recurrent support well; far better than the many other failed attempts at creating remote enterprises. Again, by and large, the economic benefit now spread amongst some 5000 artists and crafts people is arguably the most efficient form of investment in income support of any ever advanced in remote Aboriginal communities.
Second, the art centres have always dealt from a position of competitive cultural and market advantage. Until relatively recently, there has been no real market competition for the production of indigenous culture. The rise of the carpetbaggers, forgers and Bali-based importers did not really arise until post-bicentenary years, and the growing national and international prominence of Aboriginal art. This cultural and market advantage is crucial. It is an arena from which Aboriginal artists have been able to deal, because of their cultural advantage, from a position of strength in the marketplace. The cultural and intellectual property embedded in the product has not been able to be supplanted by others, despite the marauding from the edges by the forgers and carpetbaggers.
This is recognised by the marketplace itself. The vast majority of purchasers of Aboriginal art have enormous goodwill to the artists. They prefer to buy genuine work and that profits of the work go back to the artist. That is why we must and do commit to continued support to the industry with an emphasis on support to the art centres.
It has often been said that government is no good at business, and it is an abomination that we should always be aware of. This is why, in our continued support to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry, we must take care to listen to the industry and allow them to run their affairs. We can assist, but we cannot drive innovation. We can encourage, but not dictate the ways in which the industry may wish to value add to their product. We can support, but not demand the ways in which existing and new markets can be built and developed. No one in government, for example, could have predicted the enormous success of the Desert Mob Marketplace held each year in Alice Springs. It was an initiative of Desart and its member communities. I understand similar developments in marketing are being floated in the Top End. Similarly, overseas initiatives of the art centres must be encouraged but cannot be directed by us.
The Northern Territory government’s commitment to the NAVA code of conduct leads to a consideration of what we - not just as a government, but fellow Territorians - can do to support the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. In the Northern Territory government’s submission to the Senate inquiry, we made a firm commitment to sign up and endorse, as a government, the National Indigenous Art Commercial Code of Conduct, which has been developed by the National Association of Visual Artists in conjunction with Desart and ANKAAA. This commitment is in the following terms:
Of course, in the customary meaning of the term, governments are not ordinarily involved in commercial dealings with Aboriginal art, so much of the code will not be strictly relevant, but there is a great deal that is directly related to what governments do. We support the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry as a vital investment in the people of the Northern Territory. We know that it has a critical role in economic, community and cultural development. We know that the industry itself will not provide the solutions to Aboriginal impoverishment and disadvantage, but that it is a sector which is a fundamental part of the Aboriginal and wider economies of regional and remote Northern Territory communities so we all have a strong stake in the future of the sector.
In the past, many governments have provided support to Aboriginal art in a fairly superficial, often exploitative way. Aboriginal visual arts has often been viewed as not much more than wallpaper to decorate government publications or, indeed, public offices. We have been happy to allow advertising agencies to throw in a few dots or scraps of cross-hatching to denote the Aboriginal experience, yet have ignored the wealth of possibilities in commissioning Aboriginal artists to produce the real thing.
Copyright and moral rights have often been ignored by commission and omission. Lip service has been paid to the role of the art centres and the work their members produce. The list goes on. By endorsing the forthcoming code, our government will primarily be focusing on an ethical approach to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry and the rights of indigenous artists. It will mean, to take a small example, developing a principled approach across all government agencies to negotiate proper licensing agreements with visual artists. The days of agencies insisting on unconscionable approaches to sole copyright over images instead of proper forms of licensing must be put behind us and this, of course, should apply to non-indigenous artists, for that matter.
As we said in our submission to the Senate inquiry:
Part of being rational and sensible is to deal with the industry in an ethical way. Governments do it with other industries, and there is no good reason why it should not extend to the arts - indigenous and non-indigenous.
As I speak today, the code has not been finalised, but the principles have been out there for public comment for some months. They are principles to which we will be signing up. As well as encouraging the Commonwealth and other states and territory governments to sign up to the code, I will also be encouraging local government throughout the nation to engage ethically with Aboriginal visual artists and crafts people and, similarly, sign up to this new code.
Since 2003, the Northern Territory government has been focused in its support to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector, particularly with the establishment of Australia’s first comprehensive indigenous arts strategy, Building Strong Arts Business. The Territory is now commencing the second part of this project. The policy acknowledges and promotes Aboriginal visual arts and craft as having economic as well as community development strands. For the first time, the new policy also recognises the primacy of cultural development.
The Northern Territory government has considerably increased its funding to Aboriginal art since 2001. Prior to that time, funding to indigenous projects as a proportion of total NT arts sponsorship ran at about 11% - that was 2000-01 - and this jumped to over 16% or $425 000 the following year. Commitments under the indigenous arts strategy Building Stronger Arts Business are currently at $1.09m per annum.
Building Stronger Arts Business recognises that the Northern Territory benefits from an exceptionally rich cultural heritage and that the cultural practices of indigenous Territorians reflect the ongoing and unbroken traditions of many millennia, as well as dynamic and changing approaches to artistic practices. It takes the position that Aboriginal arts and heritage industries are a significant part of the Northern Territory’s economy directly through employment, marketing and sales, and indirectly in societal wellbeing, cultural strength and support for tourism.
To quote from our Senate submission:
These original initiatives include investment in arts development through the Arts Grants program, the Northern Territory Indigenous Music Awards, Desert Mob Marketplace and export opportunities developed in partnership with the Department of the Chief Minister. The additional initiatives for the next three years include:
Governments at all levels should adopt and maintain consistent long-term policy and resourcing to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector. This is not special pleading. Governments routinely provide industry support programs inside and outside the cultural domain. The Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry clearly falls into both.
Building Stronger Arts Business has been, and continues to be, the Territory’s response to the need for such consistent support. I urge a similar approach from the Commonwealth. Similarly, it is important that there is ongoing support to its representative bodies from the art centres themselves through to representative bodies such as ANKAAA and Desart. In each case, this involves government at all levels approaching these bodies in the same way and with the same respect it treats other industry representative bodies.
Our government’s submission to the Senate calls for:
I make one final point today, and that concerns the issue of unethical conduct undertaken by some in the industry, from forgery to carpetbagging. These are issues that continue to bedevil the industry. Indeed, they are issues that have been raised extensively in the media by me and members opposite. I do not have easy answers to this continuing problem and have to be convinced of some proposals that have been raised; for example in licensing and regulation of aspects of the industry.
I am not saying I am rejecting these proposals out of hand, just that I need to be convinced that regulation of cultural industries must be treated with considerable caution. However, some areas of existing federal legislation such as the Trade Practices Act and Customs Act clearly need to be looked at. Certainly, immediate action can be undertaken by the Australian Taxation Office as a means of dealing with unethical and unscrupulous behaviour in dealing with the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. From what I have been told, a number of less reputable dealers in Aboriginal art would have difficulties sustaining their practices in the face of rigorous tax auditing.
In concluding, I am not sure if it is entirely parliamentary to draw attention to a necklace I often wear in this place. It is a silver image of a stingray, which is one of my totems. It was designed by Therese Burak. I also have this silk scarf designed by Therese Anne Munkara. These are things of great beauty and are very special to me as a Tiwi woman. They are important as well to me as Arts minister because they represent the work of many thousands of Territory artists from the desert to the islands. They are artists who are emblematic of both ancient tradition as well as contemporary innovation and, as such, give us all great hope for the future.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, as this is my first response as the shadow minister for Arts and Museums, I have to say that this is a portfolio to which I look forward. Museums and the arts industry is something that I have great delight in and I participate in quite regularly. My husband can attest to that. He says: ‘Do not go near any of that because it is going to cost me money’. I have quite a bit of art at home. I appreciate it - and most of it is indigenous art. I also have quite a bit of it in my office that I am very proud to have on display, especially a lot of Paddy Fordham’s to which I have taken a particular liking.
The minister’s statement today supports the national development of a framework that supports Australia’s indigenous visual arts and crafts. It is important that there are some clear guidelines to guarantee the security of indigenous art and craft into the future.
On the origins of the Senate inquiry, you should be a little careful here because the Northern Territory government should not claim that they were instrumental in convincing the Australian government to instigate this inquiry.
The former federal minister was aware of the issues facing the indigenous visual arts industry and reports of exploitative treatment of indigenous artists. The previous Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Hon Rod Kemp, canvassed the views of key players in the indigenous arts sector and identified the need for a parliamentary inquiry to fully examine the state of the industry and to identify ways to build a more sustainable indigenous arts industry.
The Senate inquiry has received 72 submissions covering many issues from a range of industry and government perspectives. This is a very strong response to the inquiry’s terms of reference and bodes well for a robust examination of the industry and the development of informed recommendations for the future. I must say that the submission by the Northern Territory government is a very comprehensive one. It took a little while to read through, and it was a very good submission.
Indigenous art centres are the foundation of the indigenous arts sector. Most of these centres operate in remote Australia and most are owned and controlled by indigenous people. Art centres provide materials, space to work and technical assistance for artists, facilitate linkages to national and international dealers, collectors and galleries, and ensure the artists receive appropriate remuneration for their work. The minister said this is not something governments can take credit for; however, the Australian government must be recognised for their commitment to this innovative model.
The National Arts and Crafts Industry Support program is a well-coordinated Australian federal government program that plays a key role in supporting arts centres to be as effective as possible. The program provides direct funding support to indigenous art centres and arts support and advocacy organisations with the objective of assisting arts centres to become stronger and build a more sustainable indigenous visual arts industry. In the 2006-07 budget, the Australian government announced an additional $1m for the National Arts and Craft Industry Support program and brought its annual funding to $5.644m.
A point that was not made in the ministerial statement is that young indigenous people need to be encouraged to continue their culture and traditions, and express their place in the world. One of the ways of accomplishing this outside of the family or community group is to utilise the school system to facilitate greater interest and education.
We cop a fair bit of slamming on this side of the House about what we have not done in the past, and we sit here and have to cop it. None of us four when we cop a slamming over everything that happens in this House and with this government ...
Ms Scrymgour: Did you not read page 2? I called for bipartisan support.
Mrs MILLER: Okay.
Ms Scrymgour: You are the one slamming and being political now. If you want me to get political, I will do it in my response.
Mrs MILLER: It is bipartisan. No matter how much the Labor government will have you believe that until they arrived on the scene there was no real promotion of Aboriginal visual arts and crafts, the CLP did not produce motherhood statements, but rather real promotion of Aboriginal art and crafts. Two of the most successful indigenous art exhibitions in the world, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, which is now entering its 24th year, and the Annual Desert Mob Exhibition, operating since 1991, are initiatives of the CLP government, and both continue to provide Aboriginal artists the opportunity to have their art displayed, to build their reputation and help establish the artists’ reputations on the national and international arts scene. This is opportunity in practice.
The federal government has also been very active in its continued support in all facets: legal, commercial, cultural and community. These include the Australia Council, which funded the National Association for the Visual Arts to develop a code of conduct for the indigenous visual arts industry. It includes the development of ethical indigenous art trade strategies and an indigenous commercial code of conduct. It is intended that the code will form the basis from which artists in the industry can promote ethical practices. The draft has been released for public comment, with the code to be finalised shortly.
The Australia Council has also announced a three-year strategy to protect and promote indigenous intellectual and cultural property. The strategy will promote advocacy within the arts sector, the development of consumer information, and provide educational resources for indigenous artists to help them better understand their rights in the arts marketplace.
Most relevant to the issue of exploitation in the industry are the Artists in Work and Other Side of the Coin initiatives, which I will now discuss. Artists in Work is a strategy to increase the participation of indigenous people in the arts sector through employment opportunities such as traineeships, scholarships, employer incentives and general positions. This initiative has a budget of $0.655m over three years from 2005 to 2008.
The Other Side of the Coin is designed to protect and promote indigenous cultural and intellectual property by providing the tools, information and resources required by indigenous artists to protect their works of art and to ensure a better understanding of the marketplace. This initiative is budgeted at $0.3m over two years from 2006 to 2008.
The Australian government’s Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records program funds activities to retain and revive Australia’s indigenous languages. It supports activities that help to maintain the strength of languages that are widely spoken and that preserve and revive endangered languages where there are a limited number of elderly speakers.
The Indigenous Culture Support program supports the maintenance of cultural practice within indigenous communities, and the promotion of indigenous cultures as dynamic and integral elements of Australian culture and identity. The Indigenous Culture Support program funds activities that encourage culturally vibrant indigenous communities. These activities, while based on traditional practices, are developed in a creative environment and contribute to the cultural identity and wellbeing of indigenous individuals and communities.
Indigenous art has, obviously, been popular in the Northern Territory for many years with both locals and tourists, and the interest is ever-increasing as time goes by. There are many and varied cultural interpretations from so many different areas throughout the Territory. My experience in the earlier years when we first arrived was that there were a few artists who, whenever they came to town and needed a few extra dollars, did some artwork and brought it along with them and sold it for whatever they could, wherever they could, so they could have some extra money. Some of the art and craft work at that stage was very good, but some of it was ordinary and painted quickly with the idea of getting a few extra dollars. It is also fair to say that, in most cases, even for the well-presented art, these people would have been paid a minimal amount for their work.
Fortunately, over the years there have been many changes which have occurred that have markedly improved the way indigenous art and craft is being marketed. This area is finally getting the respect it deserves, with ethical behaviour in the marketplace. I cannot say that has always been the case.
Aboriginal visual arts and craft is a very good medium for many indigenous communities to instil pride and to be a great economic driver for their communities. There is no doubt that there will always be a demand for authentic art and craft items, especially from international tourists who seek out indigenous works wherever they travel.
I support this government’s efforts in developing the industry further in the years to come. I believe this is a very achievable way to making conditions so much better for many of the artists who are able to retail their works towards achieving independence in their communities. The work of many of these art pieces has increased in value in a short space of years, and it is to the credit of many of these art centres that the artist is paid appropriately.
The minister spoke of unethical practices over the years, and she is quite right. I have witnessed it myself. I am sure many people here who have experienced Aboriginal communities and art and craft have seen the same thing happen. We now have some pieces of art being mass-produced in China, with attempts to sell it in Australia as authentic, so it is very good to see there is some control being put on that. This national framework to protect indigenous art and craft should see the demise of these rip-offs within the art and craft community.
My colleague, the member for Greatorex, spoke to me yesterday regarding a microdot, a system developed in the Territory. I have not seen this myself, but he thought I should table a microdot if I could find one. He said it would probably fit as a spot on the end of my finger. Apparently, it is a way of identifying art and preventing forgeries.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for her statement and look forward to the direction in which Aboriginal arts and craft is headed in the Northern Territory.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement. I share with the minister her pride in the Northern Territory’s indigenous visual arts, which we are privileged to call our own.
First, I acknowledge the invaluable contribution Aboriginal artists have made to this nation and, in particular, to the Northern Territory. We need to understand our indigenous history to fully appreciate the journey that has taken art from the Dreamtime to the world stage. Our indigenous people of the Northern Territory have been artists for many thousands of years. It has been part of our life and culture through imagery, dance and song. These three elements, along with our languages, have provided the basis for our long-standing rich and resilient culture.
In the old days, visual arts provided indigenous people with the means to record, represent and express stories and the journeys of ancestral beings through body painting and markings, ground paintings, bark paintings and rock art, together with decorations on artefacts and sacred objects.
Whilst these traditional arts are maintained throughout the Territory today, the past 30 years have seen the development of a new art movement, one in which Aboriginal artists have been able to take their culture to the rest of the world in a form which has delighted art lovers and which has returned substantial economic, social and cultural benefits to Aboriginal communities.
I am proud that my region, Central Australia, is the birthplace of the desert art movement, a movement that, as it has grown and flourished, has provided an art style that is recognisable all over the world; a movement that has given Australia part of its national visual identity. Since Geoffrey Barton recognised the extraordinary wealth of cultural knowledge held by the men of Papunya and brought their images to the market, the Central Australian Aboriginal art movement has gone from strength to strength.
Our paintings are now treasured not only right across Australia, but in Europe, the United States and more recently China, South-East Asia and even in the Middle East. The growth of the popularity of Aboriginal art and its appreciation by non-Aboriginal people has served an important function of assisting to maintain traditional culture. This is very true in my region, Central Australia, where traditional culture is still strong and where much of the painting is underpinned by the story or tjukurrpa, the law and the song. The traditional iconography is still to be found in our paintings, from the animal tracks to the marks depicting waterholes, dreaming tracks and ancestral people.
The original stories were fundamental to the survival of Aboriginal people in Central Australia, serving as location maps and acting as the means of transmission of moral and spiritual beliefs. Of course, nowadays, paintings for sale do not carry sacred or secret information, but artists often sing or tell the old stories as they are painting and, in this way, keep their culture both intact and alive.
I have visited arts centres such as the Warlukurlangu artists in Yuendumu in my electorate where the senior artists, old men and women, steeped in the original culture, are singing and painting alongside their children and grandchildren, where the artists still dance on special occasions, and where bush trips to important sites and remote parts of the country are the highlight of the arts centre program.
It is very important that we acknowledge the Aboriginal relationship to country and the traditional culture which is the core inspiration for the best of Aboriginal visual arts being produced today. Aboriginal artists have made the transition from traditional culture to contemporary art form without compromise, and for this we must respect them. Of course, with the development of the Aboriginal art that is made for the market and not for traditional purposes comes a shift to engagement with the mainstream commercial world and, in this shift, there has been and will continue to be major challenges. This is why today we are speaking about the federal government’s Senate inquiry into Australia’s indigenous visual arts and crafts sector.
The Northern Territory government has made a strong and comprehensive submission to the inquiry and the minister has already outlined a number of the issues contained in the submission. I endorse the minister’s remarks on the importance of the industry and the need for its ongoing support.
The minister has spoken on the important work being done by Aboriginal-owned arts centres in the Northern Territory. In my electorate, I am proud to say, is one of the leading arts centres in Australia: Warlukurlangu Artists at Yuendumu. Established in 1985, the arts centre has been the central cultural organisation in Yuendumu for more than 20 years. The arts centre has grown significantly in terms of sales and artist participation and is now one of the three largest arts centres in Central Australia. It is a shining example of a long-standing and successful Aboriginal-owned enterprise. Currently representing more than 300 artists, Warlukurlangu is managed by an executive committee made up of Aboriginal artists. For most of its history, Warlukurlangu has operated with a high level of community participation and engagement.
The arts centre undertakes a range of projects that nurture social and cultural objectives and are highly valued by its member artists. These projects often generate income, but this is not their main focus. Market responses to the bright acrylic paintings on canvas produced at Warlukurlangu have been very positive, resulting in increased demand and higher prices. This has placed Warlukurlangu in a very strong commercial position. As a result, substantial economic benefits flow back through the artist’s families and into the community, and the quality of life of the people has improved through better access to benefits such as good food, furniture, whitegoods and other items of value.
Profits the artists have reinvested back into Warlukurlangu have allowed the art centre to build not only a new office and gallery, but also much-needed staff and visitor accommodation. The arts centre is currently represented by well established, ethical commercial galleries in capital cities. It manages a busy exhibition schedule. These commercial galleries permit Warlukurlangu to showcase the highly sought after paintings produced by senior artists. The beautiful artwork from Warlukurlangu artists has been collected by public art galleries and museums for many years. Many of the family artists, such as Paddy Tjapaltjarri Simms and Paddy Tjapaltjarri Stewart are now painting alongside their children and grandchildren.
The arts centre has developed very effective sales strategies and business systems, which have been supported by marked improvements in the quality of the work. This has partly been achieved through the introduction of best practice preparation, conservation and storage techniques for artwork, and improved stock maintenance systems. Warlukurlangu staff also actively engage with the artists to support them in the production of quality fine art. Because of the best practice systems employed by Warlukurlangu, it has become a centre of excellence. It is able to share its knowledge, systems and experience with smaller Aboriginal arts centres right across the Northern Territory and it has been generous in doing so.
Feedback from the artists at Yuendumu is that while the money that flows from strong sales is highly valued, Warlukurlangu’s role in supporting social and cultural objectives and activities is equally important. As well as providing, for example, bush, interstate and sometimes international trips for artists, the arts centre makes a major contribution to the Yuendumu community through the eye and dog health programs. It is currently making a substantial contribution to the new community swimming pool and is now looking to implement an ear program, including surgery for Yuendumu children.
Another leading arts centre in Central Australia is, of course, the original art company, Papunya Tula owned by its shareholders, indigenous artists from the Western Desert. Like Warlukurlangu artists in Yuendumu, Papunya Tula is closely involved in a number of desert communities as well as running its highly successful commercial enterprise headquartered in Alice Springs.
It is quite well known that Papunya Tula artists support the Western Desert Dialysis Unit, which provides dialysis for Aboriginal people in Central Australia, but not many people understand the level of support that the company has actually provided.
The manager has stated that without Papunya Tula, the dialysis unit would not exist. As well as the $1.1m that made up the original donation, Papunya Tula is providing ongoing support, most recently some $200 000 raised for the unit by auctions of artworks held in London and Paris. The unit provides dialysis in both the remote community of Kintore and in Alice Springs, as well as self-care education for renal patients, employment of patient support workers, and other activities such as trips to country for patients and the Renal Choir. These services are for Aboriginal people from right across the Western Desert.
Papunya Tula Artists provides more social support than just the dialysis unit. They are currently working with other groups such as the Kumantjayi Perkins Children’s Trust to raise funds for a community swimming pool at Kintore. Last September, they facilitated and funded an excursion for young Kintore boys to Melbourne to meet positive role models and experience the opportunities in mainstream Australia.
I have spoken at some length about Warlukurlangu artists and Papunya Tula because it is important to understand the economic, social and cultural benefits that art centres provide. There are about 35 Aboriginal arts centres in Central Australia and many more communities which are making art and participating in the industry. This is a remarkable achievement.
We must remember that this industry involves many traditional people who, in Central Australia, have had very little exposure to Western business culture. It is a tribute to Aboriginal people’s adaptability that many artists have come to terms with contemporary business culture. On the whole, this has been most successful where artists have worked through their community art centres, where the arts staff, both white and indigenous, have provided a bridge between the artist and the market. For those artists in Central Australia without a community art centre, there have been more challenges. It is in this area of these unrepresented artists where many of the problems have arisen, which have resulted in the federal parliamentary inquiry.
In my electorate, as well as having Aboriginal-owned art centres, there are also a number of artists who work directly for one or more private dealers. Not all dealers are unethical, and a number provide good support services and fair market returns for Aboriginal artists. Sadly, some artists work for people who exploit their lack of English language, numeracy and understanding of value transactions in the commercial context. There are a number of examples of unethical and exploitative practices occurring in my electorate and, like others, I hear many terrible anecdotes about the practices, both in remote communities and in Alice Springs where my electorate takes in the town camps. Unfortunately, many visitors from remote communities who come to town for health or family reasons and who stay in town camps or camp around the town fall prey to unethical dealers who take advantage of their vulnerable situation and their need for income when far from home.
Recently, I am proud to say, Aboriginal people in Central Australia are taking a stand on these unethical practices. Some of our leading Aboriginal organisations have spoken out on issues - the Central Land Council, for example.
Some indigenous organisations have taken the step of setting up art centres themselves so that artists living in Alice Springs can work safely in Aboriginal-owned organisations where transactions are fair and transparent. Tangentyere Artists was set up by Tangentyere Council. It now supports 195 artists and teaches artists about pricing, care of materials and encourages innovative art practice. Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre was set up by Ngurratjuta Council. It now supports 314 artists, many of whom are town camp residents. Town camp residents and visitors can also access Tjanpi Aboriginal Baskets at the NPY Womens Council, and Eastern and Central Arrernte artists, some who live in town camps work at Irrkerlantye Arts.
Bindi Incorporated provides a valuable service to artists with special needs, as does the Greenbush Arts Group in the Alice Springs Prison. The work being done at Yarrenyty-Arltereto provide art projects as diversionary activities for some of the most disadvantaged people in Australia is having a positive social impact. It is inspiring to visit this program and see the progress that the artists have made over the last few years.
The Northern Territory government is keenly aware of the issues and needs of the Aboriginal visual arts sector. It has established Australia’s first comprehensive indigenous art strategy, Building Stronger Art Business. As the minister has pointed out, the cultural heritage and cultural practices of indigenous Territorians are a significant part of the Northern Territory’s economy and a primary contributor to social and cultural life here. As well as being a prime contributor to the social cohesion of indigenous communities, Aboriginal culture enriches and contributes to our multicultural community and provides a strong impetus for tourism, another important industry in the Northern Territory.
I support the minister’s argument that government contributions to the Aboriginal visual arts industry should not be seen as a subsidy, but rather as an investment. In my electorate, the funding support for Warlukurlangu Artists at Yuendumu has allowed them to extend their services to the adjacent community of Nyirripi, where people with family ties to Yuendumu live. Already, the artists at Nyirripi are seeing the benefits of working through an Aboriginal-owned art centre and their work is reaching new markets.
There is a strong argument for continued support for the strong art centres, so they can build up infrastructure and systems, as Warlukurlangu Arts has done, and to strengthen the smaller art centres, which are often in precarious situations with little cash flow or working capital. In addition, there are many more communities, at least five in my electorate, which are keen to also have their own art centres.
One of the Northern Territory government’s recommendations is that government at local, territory and national levels should adopt and maintain consistent long-term policy and resourcing to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector.
Small Aboriginal enterprises of all kinds, especially arts centres, have had to deal with significant changes over the last few years, particularly since the demise of ATSIC. Aboriginal arts centres have faced continually changing government expectations in general terms, such as the current changes to Centrelink and CDEP programs, as well as changes in guidelines for specific funding programs which support arts centres.
More importantly, the available funds have been virtually frozen for the last five years, a period during which the arts centres have consolidated, expanded and multiplied in line with industry growth. More funding investment is required so that other communities can benefit from the overall strength of the industry so that adequate infrastructure, skilled staff and training can be provided. While the Northern Territory government is able to support arts centres through its strategy and grants programs, a much stronger level of support would be achieved by the release of funds from the Aboriginal Benefits Account to support visual arts and crafts, as promised in 2004. This release of funds is one of the Northern Territory government’s recommendations made in the submission to the Senate inquiry.
Another of the Northern Territory government’s recommendations is the ongoing support for the representative organisations such as Desart and ANKAAA. I am familiar with the work Desart does right across Central Australia to support both arts centres and individual artists. Desart has often been the first port of call for artists in distress and, through their advocacy and mediation, many artists have been assisted to escape the clutches of unethical dealers as well as deal with breaches of copyright and intellectual property issues.
Desart now has 41 member organisations that provide standard contracts for Aboriginal artists and assist arts centres with accessing legal and business advice. Desart members tell me that they are very appreciative of the valuable Networking the Nation program, which has seen the installation of state-of-the-art IT equipment, software and networking for remote art centres over the last few years.
I support the minister in her commendation of the industry organisations, Desart in Alice Springs and Central Australia and ANKAAA in the Top End and Kimberley. Their Aboriginal executives have shown leadership and commitment, and their staff have worked effectively for the indigenous visual arts industry.
I support the minister in her commitment of support for indigenous visual arts and crafts. Like her, I can see the industry provides hope for Aboriginal people, their culture and enterprises. With the support of all levels of government and, hopefully, with bipartisan support, our Northern Territory indigenous artists will continue to produce art that is a source of pride for all Australians.
I hope the Senate inquiry results in actions to clean up the industry, actions which remove unethical elements, and puts in place strong, long-term, whole-of-government policies that result in well-deserved support and investment in indigenous visual arts and crafts enterprises.
Mr Deputy Speaker, finally, I acknowledge traditional culture and the resilience of traditional culture. I acknowledge the strength and adaptability of the Aboriginal artists whose contemporary art works have taken them from the dreamtime to the world stage.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the statement from the Minister for Arts and Museums, predominantly from the point of view of the responsibility I have for Asian Relations and Trade; that is, the trade component.
Of course, before the current minister had the Arts and Museums portfolio, I had it for four years so it is something very dear to my heart. It is such a wonderful industry with such hope for the Territory and for Aboriginal people. I have been delighted to hear the words spoken by both the minister and the member for Stuart.
Aboriginal arts and crafts is attracting worldwide attention and acclaim, leading to some of our Territory artists having work included in the collections of major international galleries and museums. I must say I am very envious of the minister’s visit to the Musee du quai Branly in Paris to view the indigenous art exhibition last year. It must have been wonderful to see our artists’ works appreciated by so many people on the other side of the world.
It is important, however, that we do not focus on the high end of Aboriginal arts and craft. There are around 5000 practising Aboriginal visual artists and crafts people in the Territory. We have all heard of Minnie Pwerte and Rover Thomas, but there are many lesser known artists who derive income, satisfaction, expression and independence from their art work.
As you know, Mr Deputy Speaker, the indigenous arts and craft industry is a significant contributor to the Territory economy and, for this reason, I am particularly pleased that one of the first projects to emerge from our Indigenous Arts Strategy was the development of an Export Action Plan, an initiative of the Department of the Chief Minister.
The plan has been put in place to develop more export earnings, and to increase revenues and financial returns to our artists and art centres. It is a case of building on success. Aboriginal arts and crafts are being exported to more than 50 countries around the world. In addition, there are thousands of purchases of art and craft by tourists visiting the Territory and other parts of Australia, as well as over the Internet, after which works are mailed to buyers around the world. The statistics show that our largest export markets are Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the USA. These and other international marketplaces are becoming more discerning, and are keen to invest in genuine Aboriginal art work; this is, of course, artwork which has the correct providence.
The development of export markets is an extremely resource intensive activity. An art centre, for example, often only has one or two people managing and coordinating its many different functions. There is often little time left in the day for these dedicated people to turn their minds to other things, let alone the complexities of exporting. For a large number of artists and art centres, the cost of export marketing, which involves the production of artwork, introducing the artwork into the marketplace and exhibiting to potential buyers, is often too expensive.
These are just some of the major hurdles the industry faces in taking Aboriginal art to the world, and that is where the Export Action Plan comes in. A primary activity of the plan is to coordinate and sponsor inbound buying missions to the Territory, the Kimberley and the Central Desert. The missions are designed to introduce international buyers, galleries, collectors and curators directly to Aboriginal art centres with the aim of increasing exports in both the short and long term.
They were developed as a joint activity between the Territory and Australian governments, with the Western Australian government also involved in one of the missions. We also worked closely with ANKAAA and Desart to ensure we had the artists and art centres on board and ready to participate. In essence, these missions are an attempt to reverse the traditional model of developing exports. Instead of the artwork being taken to the market, we brought the market to the artwork. By doing this, potential buyers got to experience firsthand the country and stories which inspired the works, as well as meeting the artists in their own communities. Our visitors were also able to meet with art centre managers face-to-face, and establish relationships that we hope will strengthen in the years ahead.
The first missions involved European buyers, as Europe was identified as a primary target market. We initially planned for one mission from Europe, with two more from other key markets. However, due to high levels of interest, we decided that all three missions should come from Europe. I am pleased to advise they have proved very successful. All up, we have hosted 14 buyers from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Bahrain and Singapore; mainly gallery owners, private collectors and museum curators.
If sales are any indicator, the missions have exceeded all expectations. Sales currently stand at $500 000, and it is expected this figure will increase due to a number of exhibitions planned for later this year. More than 20 art centres were directly visited or came in to display and present their art and craft to these buyers, including Tjala Arts in Amata, just across the Territory-South Australia border; Warlukurlangu Arts on the edge of the Tanami Desert in Central Australia; Injaluk Arts; Maningrida Arts; Buku Larrnggay Mulka in Arnhem Land, and Waringarri and Mangkaja Arts in Western Australia.
A number of other art centres also benefited by participating in exhibitions with the buyers who visited them. For example, Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrng is an art centre at Mt Liebig, west of Alice Springs, and they have recently returned from a successful exhibition in Copenhagen in Denmark. The exhibition was held at the Galerie Knud Grothe owned by a buyer who was part of our second mission, and two high-profile female artists from Watiyawanu travelled to Demark to attend - Ngnoia Pollard Napaljarri and Lilly Kelly Napangardi.
We helped Ngnoia and Lilly with the costs of travel and accommodation through our Trade Support Scheme, and I know that it is an investment which will pay dividends for the artists, their community, and the Territory as a whole. A further three exhibitions are being planned for later this year as direct results of the missions, another at Galerie Knud Grothe, a second at a high profile gallery in London and one at the Red Dot Gallery in Singapore.
As you are aware Maningrida Arts exhibited at the La Fontaine Gallery in Bahrain last year and among its biggest fans were members of the royal family. I can inform the House that the owner of that gallery, Mrs Fatima Alireza, was so excited about the potential for future exhibitions that she signed as a participant in our third mission. I understand that she is currently considering an exhibition of Central Desert art, which is great news.
Not surprisingly, the success of these three missions has led my department to continue with the program. Two more missions are planned for this year, one from the US in May and another from Europe. Planning for both these missions is well advanced, with the US mission attracting a great deal of interest. It is shaping up as a blockbuster, and I look forward to reporting to the House on the outcomes of that mission. The success of these trade missions has prompted us to look at ways we can assist other sectors of the arts to develop their export markets - sectors such as music, dance and literature. If the visual arts are any guide, I am confident that other sectors can also enjoy similar success.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the minister on her statement and her commitment to indigenous arts and crafts, and I wish every success to our artists, all of whom are playing their part in taking the Territory to the world.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arts and Museums): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister, who I know was very reluctant to give up the Arts and Museums portfolio and has a strong commitment to this sector, but I will give it the same commitment that she did over her four years. The sector is growing, and it was heartening to hear the Chief Minister talk about other businesses being able to look to export markets. That is good news.
To the member for Stuart, thank you for your support. I remember visiting the Warlukurlangu Arts stand at the Desert Mob exhibition in Alice Springs. I wear quite proudly the shirt that they gave to me. When I am in the Top End, people often ask where that shirt and those colours came from. I do my fair bit of promotion for the arts centre in your electorate. They do a fantastic job. Listening to you speak reaffirmed what was in the statement about Warlukurlangu and Papunya Tula and how they are family institutions where the grandchildren of those artists are now working.
The role that is often overlooked is their contributions to social programs and the benefit of not just the artists and their families, but the whole community. What they put back into the communities is something that a lot of people do not know. When you sit down and talk to them about the role of these centres, people are astounded. I enjoyed your speech, so I thank your for your contribution.
The member for Katherine, the opposition spokesperson, said that she did not know much about art, although she is new in the portfolio. She talked about her couple of Paddy Fordham paintings and looked forward to being in the portfolio. I am certainly looking forward to having her as the shadow.
I was disappointed because it was clear that she was being contradictory when she said she did not know anything about the sector and then rambled about the federal government. It was clear that she did not read the statement. I will just go back over it. On page 2, I said that in this sector we needed a bipartisan approach and that I hoped that the opposition and Independents of this Assembly felt that.
Nowhere in the speech did I put the CLP down. I re-read the speech and thought maybe she was reading something else. There was no criticism whatsoever of the CLP and what they had done as the previous government.
I draw the attention of the member for Katherine to page 3, because she then went on with the second lot of rambling about the origins of the Senate inquiry and said that it was not the Northern Territory government. Well, if the member for Katherine had bothered reading the statement properly, I did not say the Northern Territory government was instrumental in getting this inquiry happening. If anything, I said that the Northern Territory government welcomed and supported the inquiry, and acknowledged the two main players. It was clear that she got some information from one of her federal counterparts regarding the role of the federal government in this. This is not something to play politics about because it is very important that we do work with the federal government, as I stressed in the statement, for our visual arts.
In the statement, I acknowledged both ANKAAA and Desart, who were the two prime movers, and they were the ones that should have been commended and applauded for the work that they have done. They were the two bodies instrumental in convincing the former federal arts minister, Senator Kemp, not only to endorse the inquiry, but they had a hand in developing its terms of reference. I think the member for Katherine needs to take back her words that I said the Northern Territory government was instrumental. If she had read the statement correctly - but they are very selective about what they think they read and then say, which is absolutely misleading. It is a serious thing to say something contrary to what is actually in the statement.
She said young indigenous people should be encouraged through education. If you go into any school, member for Katherine, the arts sector and education work hand-in-hand. There are many remote communities where art is carried through the schools. It is not just visual arts; music has been used as a fantastic medium with some of those remote schools to achieve better school attendance, so they have used music as that medium to get kids back to school.
The member for Katherine said that it was the CLP that initiated the Telstra Awards. The Telstra Awards are a national award and the major driver of that is Telstra. With Desert Mob, I did not say - and I reiterate - through this statement, that the CLP did nothing. All I said was that the Martin Labor government did more. When the Chief Minister was Arts minister, there was the Building Stronger Arts Business and, through that strategy, there was the inclusion of a dedicated Indigenous Arts Development Unit that simply was not there under the CLP but did come under the Labor government. I did not criticise the CLP. This is building on what was there. We have added to that.
The member for Katherine talked about the IPP Toolkit, that the Northern Territory was fully involved and on the consultative group. She brought up again about the micro-coded DNA to prevent forgeries. The member for Blain has raised this issue with me a couple of times. My office has written to the member for Blain every time he has raised this issue. Views from the sector in relation to this have been passed to the member for Blain. If the member for Katherine, who is now the shadow, wants information on that, we will certainly forward it.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank members who contributed to this. It is an important industry; it is getting bigger and better.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Deputy Speaker, 2006 was a big year for Catholics in the Territory. In August last year, the church celebrated the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Francis Gsell in the Territory. Father Gsell effectively established the Catholic Church here, and the centenary was a joyous occasion for many Territorians.
However, that was not the only century the Catholic Church celebrated last year. On 28 December, it was my pleasure to attend a Mass at St John’s College to pay tribute to and celebrate the 100th birthday of Brother Rexford John Pye. Brother Pye is one of our true pioneers. Not only has he lived here for over 65 years, his work has helped shaped the Territory into the place it is today.
Brother Pye was born in the Riverina district of New South Wales in 1906. He joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart at the age of 20, and took his first religious vows in 1930. Before arriving in the Territory in 1941, he spent 10 years at Downlands College in Toowoomba as a teacher and athletics coach. He was a top athlete in his younger days, although Brother Pye reckons at 80 he was still a top athlete. Go, Brother Pye!
Brother Pye has served the people of the Territory as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart ever since, mostly in some of our more remote communities. After three years at Port Keats, he was appointed to Bathurst Island in 1944. It was there his name first slipped into Territory folklore, as it was Brother Pye who introduced Aussie Rules to the Tiwi Islanders. He used an old World War II airstrip as a field and erected sticks as goal posts at either end. All of a sudden, the one-time athletics coach was now coaching football. The rest is history. The Tiwis embraced the sport with a passion and their natural gifts and athleticism is now appreciated by football fans across the country.
Brother Pye went on to serve as a missionary at the Channel Island Leper Station and in Daly River, where he continued his football coaching and ran the school boys’ boarding house. Despite a serious accident in the early 1960s when he was badly burned, and a near miss in India when his plane caught fire, Brother Pye continued to live life to the full. He wrote a number of books about the places he had come to know so well – Ports Keats, Daly River, the Tiwi Islands, Santa Teresa and East Aranda. He travelled abroad, had a personal audience with Pope Paul VI and, in 1986, was award the Order of Australia Medal.
The Historical Society of the Northern Territory commissioned a book about his life entitled Punderdelime - Brother John Pye - A Northern Territory Legend. Punderdelime is the nickname given to him by the Tiwis, which means ‘strength and maturity’.
Brother Pye still lives in Darwin and, on behalf of all Territorians, I wish him all the very best in the future. His is a certainly a remarkable life.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MARTIN: It was wonderful to be part of that celebration. I can assure everyone that Brother Pye at 100 is doing very well. He reckons that in his heyday, he could kick a goal from the halfway line of an AFL field. If that is the case, that is awesome!
The Centralian of the Year Award is a prestigious award that recognises the high achievers and community-minded people of Central Australia. This year, the selection committee had a large pool of entrants to choose from and competition was fierce. It was, therefore, no surprise to see the award being shared by two local heroes, Pippa Tessmann and Mildred Inkamala.
Pippa won her award for her commitment to sport and sports medicine. She is the President of the Southern Region of Sports Medicine Australia and, in 2006, won the Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award for her physiotherapy and sports injury clinic. As she has done in previous years, Pippa volunteered many hours of her time in the sport medicine team at last year’s Alice Springs Masters Games. She also volunteers hundred of hours every year sitting on the sidelines of many sports in Alice Springs performing her sports medicine duties. Sport is a big part of the Territory lifestyle, and volunteers like Pippa help it to continue. Congratulations, Pippa.
Mildred Inkamala received her Centralian of the Year Award for her long-standing commitment to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal communities. In particular, Mildred has worked hard in Hermannsburg helping the community and the police deal with crime and violence. She has supported many children and families in her role as a health worker, while also raising her own family. Mildred’s work has made a big difference to many people in her community and I hope her important work continues. My warmest congratulations go to her.
These are just two of many Centralians who make a contribution to their community every year. I thank them both for their commitment to the Territory.
Initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles are a vital part of improving the general health in our community. Often people look to government for direction in this area, but with the broad range of sport and recreation facilities, clubs and organisation in the community, there is also an important role for the private sector to play. There is no better example of this than the work that is being done at the Get Physical Gymnasium at the Alice Springs Memorial Club. Owned and operated by Jenny Steer and Maria Lennartz, their gym is leading the way in building a healthy lifestyle in Alice Springs while also bringing together groups within their community that would otherwise have little connection.
Jenny Steer has been involved in running gyms for many years and has seen firsthand the changing face of the fitness industry. She recognises that to be successful, there is an obligation to engage the community and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Maria Lennartz, who is a registered nurse, has been a partner in the business for the last three years. The combination of Jenny’s long history in the fitness industry and Maria’s health background has forged a winning formula. Get Physical Gym offers specialised gym sessions, including outreach services for community organisations such as CAAAPU and St Mary’s and has worked to promote active lifestyles in schools such as Yirara College, ANZAC Hill, OLSH, Living Waters and Gillen Primary School. Recently, they commenced a new program called KO for Kids, a program designed specifically for kids aged between eight and 15 years. Their attention to initiatives that tackle the issue of childhood obesity and improve the self-esteem of young people is to be commended.
Not to be outdone by the popular television series The Biggest Loser, Get Physical started their own Alice Springs-based competition, which has attracted over 180 participants. The approach involves a combination of scheduled exercise, healthy eating and nutritional advice along with peer support, and I am assured it does not involve anyone being voted out of the house. Their third Biggest Loser competition begins this week. It is immensely popular and has resulted in a total weight loss among participants of 258 kg in their first two programs.
It would be remiss of me to overlook congratulating the previous winners, Rudi Sebastiani who lost 14 kg in six weeks, and Renee Sutton, who won the second competition with the loss of 12 kg. Congratulations also to Deb Sizemore, one of the Biggest Loser facilitators, who herself has shed 32 kg. Deb has recently completed a course in Sydney with Professor Manny Noakes, author of the CSIRO diet book, and other leading nutritionists to enhance the Biggest Loser program.
I was also impressed to hear of Get Physical’s most recent and highly popular program, Boot Camp. Boot Camp started around 12 months ago with Sergeant Sean Jordan from the Joint Defence Facility, Pine Gap. Sean is a US Army physical trainer and has been instrumental in organising the Boot Camp sessions. Sean has now enlisted the help of Sergeant Dan Munchenbach from the US Army and Larry Foys from the US Navy. These training sessions often have up to 60 people going through their paces in the parks and up and down the hills around Alice Springs. The unique and vocal training methods of the US military are a novel sight for Alice Springs but, importantly, it is another sign of how the American community is adding to the great lifestyle of the town.
Too often we take the great work being done by people in the community for granted. Congratulations to both Jenny and Maria and their team at Get Physical for their commitment to healthy living in Alice Springs. Their community-minded spirit should be applauded. I also commend Sean, Dan and Larry from the Joint Defence Facility for sharing a piece of their American lifestyle with us. Alice Springs is a better place for the efforts of these people.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was interested in what the Chief Minister just said and I congratulate those who received awards. I will speak about the public service recipient in Alice Springs next time.
I want to raise an issue to which I am trying to find a solution. It is kids who are at risk; teenagers who have had a bit of a brush with the legal system but are causing a great deal of anxiety to their parents. They are running with the wrong group of teenager peers. There is a lot of peer pressure. They are out at night and experimenting a little with drugs and alcohol. They are not the sort of kids you would put in a diversionary program through the courts because they have not done anything to warrant going through that process, but they are kids who we identify as being very much at risk.
Good parents often feel as though they are being seen as bad parents if their teenager is off the rails a bit, but the parents are seeking help to get their child back on track. To be honest, in Alice Springs - and I could not find one elsewhere - there is no program to cater for these young people. I believe there are programs for indigenous children, but not for the non-indigenous child.
I have looked around Australia and there are many programs in other states. For instance, in Sydney there is a Youth In Search program which is widely televised. In Tasmania, there is the Wilderness Program, and in South Australia there is Operation Flinders. What we need is a program where these people can be taken away from their peers, put in a situation where they have to take responsibility for their actions, where they are challenged, and in a new environment.
I have talked to one of the Rotary groups, and I am seeking an organisation that will take this task on. They are usually run by volunteers with specialist people to help the young people, but they are not something that I have been able to find within the Territory for the children I am talking about.
If you think back, growing up can be pretty tough for some of our young people. They often get on the wrong track and are influenced by the wrong people. They are egged on and get a bit of a kick out of trying to push the boundaries as far as they possibly can. However, if we do not stop them now, they will end up coming into conflict with the law and going down a path we would hope they would not.
In my searching around, I have looked at Operation Flinders, which is a program that basically says: ‘We want to reinforce positive change for this person. We want to point them in a new direction, given them counselling and make them more responsible. We want them, when they have finished this course, to come back into their home environment and have a better attitude to the society within which they live, their family, perhaps stay at school longer than they normally would and not want to opt out too early as often many of these young people do. Basically, they will be given a new start to life’.
It is interesting that it is hard to find a program like this to give parents a bit of hope. A parent who was a professional, a very good operator, has recently left Alice Springs to take a teenager away and put him into a high school elsewhere because the parents felt the only way they could break the cycle was to get him away from town. That is a drastic move for any parent to make, but I can understand what they are saying.
I am going to seek further whether there is something government can assist with, perhaps even start. I am sure there are voluntary organisations such as the Variety Club, which raises funds that could be used to set up a camp such as this. We have facilities such as Hamilton Downs. The government owns Owen Springs. Perhaps we could set up some sort of adventure camp on one of these premises and take these teenagers out of their environment and put them in a situation where they have to take a deep breath and start all over, see the positive things in life and how they can contribute to their family.
I will be talking to the Minister for Family and Community Services. I am quite sure there are other members of parliament who have had parents approach them, as I have, about teenagers who need help. I am stymied. I am not sure where to go next, because there seems to be plenty of programs for children who have broken the law and go through diversionary programs, but there is nothing for those young people who are on the fringe, and they are the ones we need to capture now and stop before they go any further.
I ask if there is a member of the Assembly who can give me information about a program along these lines, I would appreciate it.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I begin by extending my congratulations to Mrs Denise Smith from Leanyer Primary School. The last day of school in 2006, 15 December, marked the end of Mrs Smith’s teaching career in the Northern Territory.
Denise has been a teacher with us in the Northern Territory for almost 25 years. Included has been time devoted to teaching at what was then Casuarina High School, Jingili Primary and Leanyer Primary Schools. Denise has been a member of Leanyer Primary School staff for the last 13 years, teaching in both the upper and middle primary areas. Denise is an excellent teacher. Planning, preparation, teaching, evaluation, refinement, revision and extension are aspects of the teaching equation fully covered, both thoughtfully and thoroughly.
Henry Gray, Principal of Leanyer, describes Denise of a role model in the way she developed her program; a very professional person who has been acknowledged as a thorough and meticulous staff member. Denise takes advice and shares her thoughts in a professional manner, in a team teaching situation she has developed with colleagues. She contributed to both unit and whole staff meetings, to administrative matters and professional discourse.
Denise has taken a keen interest in the wider context of school activities and participated in many extracurricular activities. No doubt, her most major contribution has been in the area of dance. Within and outside the school, Denise has been responsible for preparing children to dance in a technically correct and highly artistic manner. Through dance, she has done a lot to develop the confidence of children in the area of performing arts. She has motivated countless numbers of children to a love of dance and performing arts.
Denise Smith is a person who has made a significant contribution to education in the Northern Territory over many years. I am sure that members will join with me in wishing her the very best for her retirement and thanking her for her major and long-term contribution to education in our Territory.
It is nearly the end of February, and I take this opportunity to look back over the end of 2006, which was a very busy time in my electorate. As always, the schools were busy with end-of-year presentations and concerts, and farewelling the students who moved on to high school and middle school. It is always an absolute pleasure to attend these events, which take an enormous amount of planning and preparation. It is a fantastic opportunity to see the school’s and students’ achievements over the year.
I attended the Leanyer Primary School end-of-year awards night, and I had the honour of presenting the Paul Henderson Year 7 Academic Achievement Award to Anika Sorensen. Congratulations Anika, and good luck at high school; I am sure you will excel. I would also like to congratulate Courtney Chin from Leanyer, who was awarded the Board of Studies Year 7 Achievement Award and nominated for the Administrator’s Medal. Courtney then went on to be awarded the Administrator’s Medal for the Northern Suburbs. Well done, Courtney.
The St Andrew’s and Holy Spirit schools also held fabulous end-of-year presentations. It was fantastic to see so many students doing so well at school.
It was great to attend the end-of-year concert at Wanguri Primary School. It was a marvellous night, thoroughly enjoyed by family and many others.
Late last year, I had the sad job of farewelling the principal of Holy Spirit Primary School, Gill Webb. Gill has been a fantastic principal at Holy Spirit over eight years, I believe. Gill will be sadly missed by all of the staff and the students at Holy Spirit. Gill has moved on to another principal position within the Catholic school system. Gill, I wish you all the very best and thank you for the marvellous job you have done at Holy Spirit over the years.
However, this year, we welcome Bernadette Morriss as the new principal. Welcome to the school, Bernadette; I am sure you will enjoy and do a fantastic job. I look forward to catching up with Bernadette soon.
The Christmas spirit was alive and well around Leanyer and Wanguri, with many houses adorned with thousands of Christmas lights. Congratulations must go to Franco and Jenny Zuccarato who live near me in Haritos Street in Wanguri. Franco and Jenny did a marvellous job of covering their house with Christmas lights and were deservingly awarded the Power and Water Show Santa Where You Live competition prize yet again. That is two years running that Franco and Jenny have taken out an award. Franco, in particular, spends hundreds of hours putting the lights together, and it brings so much joy to probably many thousands of people who come from all over Darwin and Palmerston to see their home in Haritos Street. The amount of joy it brings to those people and to those kids is just indeterminable. Franco and Jenny, thank you for your wonderful Christmas spirit. Hotham Court is in Leanyer as well, where many homes compete and did an amazing job.
Lyons development is coming along very quickly. I conducted a site visit with the member for Casuarina over the last week or so. It was great to see the development coming along so well. The public ballot for Stage 1 of Lyons was a roaring success, with 31 blocks sold on the same day. Stage 2 is expected to be released in or around April, with the ballots held in May. Fifteen Defence Housing Authority homes have commenced construction, with a further 11 homes due to start soon. The builders who are participating in the Lyons Greensmart Display Village should be announced shortly, and the display village is due for completion mid-year. The neighbourhood facility is well under way and should be ready to move into around June. It is fantastic to see homes going up at a cracking pace and the suburb coming along so well.
I held my annual electorate Christmas party at Tracy Village on 11 December. It was a fantastic night. It was a great chance to catch up with community members and neighbours. These are the people who have supported me over the years, so it was great to catch up with them all before the busy Christmas holiday season kicked in.
I also had the pleasure of attending the Leanyer Seniors Village Christmas lunch. It is always refreshing to see the seniors. They form such a tight knit community within the village and are always a joy to spend time with. Well done to John and all the residents who organised the party. It was great to see you enjoying the Christmas spirit.
I also attended the Cambodian-Australian Community Christmas party. It was a great night filled with food, laughter and lots of people getting together. Congratulations to President Con and the rest of the committee and the organisers for a great night out.
Just before New Year, a quiz night was held for Mrs Irene McLennan to fundraise for her to go on a trip to Adelaide to visit her father for the first time since Irene was removed from her family as a child as part of the Stolen Generation. Mrs McLellan’s daughter, Vicki Hoult, lives in Leanyer and it was my pleasure to support this cause and attend the night. Well done, Vicki, for your organisation of such a great event. I know from Irene and a very large extended family that it was a wonderful trip and a great reunion between Irene and her father.
I spent New Year’s eve at a variety of different celebrations and functions with many members of our team. I travelled around with the members for Karama and Casuarina. I know the member for Johnston was out and about, and the member for Port Darwin, I think. We attended a number of celebrations. One was the Kalymnian Brotherhood annual New Year’s eve celebration. It was a fabulous event – great music, great food, great wine, a fair bit of whisky around. Congratulations to George Kalidonis, Peter Karpathakis and the organisers and committee.
Another venue we attended was the Portuguese Timorese Social Club, which was also fantastic. A big thanks to the president, Gloria de Castro Holl and other organisers and committee.
The Italian Club’s function was great event. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks must go to Felix Matarazzo and Nick de Candilo, who did a fantastic job as the Master of Ceremonies.
To round out the evening, we all attended the NT Timor-Chinese party at the clubhouse in Marrara. What an amazing feast! The pice de rsistance leading up to midnight was bringing out a pig on the spit. Thanks to Rui Mu, Danny Lay and the rest of the organisers. A big thank you to George Mu who helped bring it all together. George, Rui, Danny and everyone at the Timorese-Chinese organisation have done an amazing job rebuilding that clubhouse and bringing that community back together again.
As you can see, the Christmas and New Year period was a very busy one around Leanyer and Wanguri. However, we are right back into the swing of things with school going back and students getting back into their routines for 2007. I have been out visiting the schools in my electorate, plus many others as the minister now responsible for education. It is good to see the students’ enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
The government’s $50 Back to School voucher is again coming in very handy and getting many accolades from parents. It is such a big to help ease the burden to parents of getting the kids back to school.
Also, it has been fantastic to see many of the 5000 new computers that were rolled out into Territory schools late last year. The kids really appreciate, as do the teachers, being able to use new computers this year.
Saturday, 18 February, marks the beginning of Chinese New Year celebrations welcoming in the Year of the Golden Pig. I hope that the Year of the Golden Pig brings all my constituents and everyone here today a busy, productive and happy year ahead. I am sure that in future adjournment debates, we will be taking about celebrations with the Chinese community.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, first and foremost, I wish all my colleagues in this House a happy and healthy 2007 and …
Mr Henderson: Golden Pig!
Dr BURNS: That is right. Sadly, at the end of last year, two very important people who are known to me passed away. I would like to pay tribute to their memories.
The first is Phil Donohoe. Phil was a very well-known and very well-loved person in Darwin and beyond. I first met Phil in Gove where he was very much liked and respected in the Gove-East Arnhem area by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike. He did a fantastic job. He was a fantastic communicator with people - Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal - and very well respected.
I am sure he will be remembered by other members in their offerings during these sittings, as he touched people from all walks of life and different arenas and also through his family – his wife and children – his faith, his sport and his commitment to the community in so many ways. At Phil’s funeral in December, the minister of the Darwin Uniting Church gave the eulogy. The church was packed to the rafters and beyond and it was just amazing to see the range of people who had come to pay their respects and, moreover, to celebrate Phil’s life because it was a very special life.
I would like to quote from Steve Orme’s eulogy:
If I could just digress from Steve’s eulogy: Phil had very strong Christian beliefs and he lived his faith. That is very important. Returning to Steve’s eulogy:
Steve said that he was chatting with Phil a few months back and Phil expressed his dissatisfaction with the system and his place in it. To Steve, Phil had a truly prophetic spirit. He was critical of the system and could be very challenging in his critique.
I was always very grateful for Phil’s ideas and opinions as well as his support during my campaign to be elected to this House and his continued support over the years. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Phil, for your support. Thank you for your challenging ideas and opinions.
Phil was never bitter in his criticism, just enquiring, desiring something better, something more meaningful, relevant and just. He was committed to exploring ways in which he could make better things happen. Phil left us on 17 December 2006.
Phil was a wonderful caring man who gave of his time, his skills and his heart. He will be greatly missed, not only by myself but everyone whose lives he touched in so many ways. I wish to pass on my sincere condolences to Amanda, Grace, Jeremy, Patrick, Ruby and Alistair on their tragic loss.
If a measure of someone’s life and the esteem in which they are held is their funeral, Phil was loved by everyone. There were so many people from so many different walks of life and areas of Darwin society and from East Arnhem who were at his funeral; it was truly a tribute to his life.
I was saddened to learn of the death of Snow Procter, a constituent of mine with whom I shared many a cold beer. Snow died after a long illness. He had a stroke in 2004 and never really recovered. I first met Snow when I was doorknocking, and I liked his mischievous grin and the way that he could tell a joke. He was very friendly and supportive to me.
Snow, who was Adrian James Procter, was born on 7 January 1935 in South Australia, one of seven children. After leaving school, Snow worked in the mills before joining the Navy in 1952 at age 17. He served in many different areas, including the now infamous Montebello Islands off the north-west coast of Western Australia where Australia entered the atomic age when Britain exploded its first atom bomb on the islands in 1952.
In 1959, Snow was out of the Navy and travelling to Brisbane where he met Deidre somewhere around 1962 or 1963. He took up work with oil surveyors, but after he and Deidre were married in 1964, he started work with the fire brigade servicing fire extinguishers. A couple of years later, he switched careers again and joined Carrier Airconditioning.
It was whilst working with Carrier that Snow first travelled to Darwin as well as Papua New Guinea for working stints. During the first seven years of marriage, Snow spent three-and-a-half years in all away from home, leaving Deidre to raise Michael, who was born in 1965, and Ashley, born in 1968. Whenever Snow came home, the boys would not leave his side for fear he would be off again. It made it very difficult for Snow to get down to the pub for a beer with his mates sometimes, and that was probably a joke that Snow would have told, but I know that he loved his boys.
In 1973, the Procters travelled to Darwin for a two-year contract with Carrier. At the end of the first year, they left Darwin for a break down south, leaving their caravan home behind to face the wrath of Cyclone Tracy, which hit three days later. Snow would often joke about that. He was recalled to Darwin due to the need for airconditioning expertise during the rebuilding. The family arrived back in March 1975 and were housed on the liner Patris, which was tied up at Darwin waterfront for nine months to provide emergency accommodation for up to 900 people. Deidre hated deep water and this was a particularly trying time for her with her two young adventurous boys.
On arrival back in Darwin, Snow went looking for his caravan and spied a bloke towing it away down the street. When approached, the bloke told Snow he had been asked to tow it for the owner. The bloke soon found out who the real owner was; it was Snow.
Following a couple of years living in Nightcliff, the Procters moved into Ambon Street in Wagaman 30 years ago. In 1975, Snow left Carrier and joined Ansett, working as a porter at the airport until his retirement just before the airline’s collapse. Snow always had a sense of timing. He left Darwin just before Cyclone Tracy, and he left Ansett just before it went down.
I heard one story that Snow had a great way of getting even if he felt he had been wronged. He had been badly treated at the MVR once, and he recognised the offender at the airport on his way to London. Snow had great pleasure in ensuring his baggage made the long trip - via Argentina. In the words of his great friend, Barrie Martin: ‘Snow was a mighty little bloke’. Snow was very active in the Freemasons Lodge, and he was most interested in helping others in regard to the Masonic Village at Parap. He served as secretary and never failed to turn up for a working bee. He was also available to anyone needing the services of a JP.
Following his retirement, Snow turned to his great passion, orchids. He had a fantastic display of orchids and spent many hours tending them. Of course, there was football and he one of Collingwood’s most ardent supporters. He had a great collection of memorabilia, including teacups, teapots and numerous stubby holders, of course. Snow loved his orchids, his fishing, his football, his German Spaniels, and his beer. He lived his life to the fullest and will be sadly missed by all who new him. My sincere condolences to Deidre, Michael and Ashley, and to his mother, brothers and sister.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thought at the end of last year, with all that had happened health-wise to either the members of this Assembly or their families, that somehow with New Year 2007, everything was going to be different and better.
Unfortunately, tragedies do not take any notice of the dates and are totally unpredictable. This last couple of weeks have dealt out more than a fair share of sadness for many people, with the deaths of four people in and around Katherine, Pine Creek and Darwin. I would like to talk about those people tonight.
On 26 January, Max McConnell, fondly known as ‘Glassman’, was killed on Gorge Road at Katherine some time during the night when he had an accident whilst riding his motorcycle. Max was a very well-known identify by people around Katherine through his job as a glazier. He was the cheerful man who was called out at all hours of the night to secure business when windows were broken, and he was always cheerful and cracking a joke about something. He was always accompanied by his faithful little dog Toby, who was definitely the most wide awake at those times.
I first met Max when I was working for Semrite Constructions as their office manager so I, along with so many other Katherine people, am finding it very strange to not see Max and his glass ute driving around Katherine. Semrite’s owner, Greg Wright, his wife Darilyn, their sons Ben, Matt, James and Jack, and Greg’s mother, Merle Wright, have been Max’s extended family for the whole time that he has lived and worked in Katherine. They have been a wonderful support to Max’s partner, Sheila Millar, since Max’s untimely death.
The large crowd who came to pay their respects to Max at his funeral in St Paul’s Anglican Church in Katherine is testament to how widely known and respected he was and how well he was liked. I would like to read into the Parliamentary Record the eulogy his partner, Sheila Millar, read:
I happened to be there at that time, so I do know that they were sometimes very heated:
On 3 February, Kerry Diehm passed away in Katherine Hospital after a long struggle with cancer. Kerry has been a dedicated nurse at Katherine Hospital for many years and will be very much missed by her family and colleagues. Last Friday, Kerry’s funeral service was held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Katherine, and I would like to read into the Parliamentary Record her eulogy that was read by family friend, former Mayor of Katherine, Jim Forscutt.
I want to extend particular thanks to her daughter, Katie Oliver, whose support for her mother during her illness was exceptional. Katie was her mother’s carer and Kerry could not have asked more of her. She was a wonderful support during this time and put her passion for country music singing on hold to devote all of her time to her mum. Well done, Katie. You are a credit to your mum and dad.
On 4 February, we saw the tragic death of a wonderful young man and great sportsperson, Mark McCasker, another tragedy to cancer. My husband, Mike, and I have known Mark’s mum and dad, Jo and Ray McCasker of Virginia, for many years since Jo and I first met at a caravan industry meeting and we got on so well with them both.
I will never forget following the 1998 Katherine floods when we had mud and silt all over the caravan park grounds. A couple of weeks after the water dried up, the grass was growing like you would not believe right through all the dried silt. Without anyone asking, early one morning, Ray McCasker with young Mark arrived at the park, having driven from Coolalinga. He had a trailer behind with a ride-on mower and a couple of push mowers. Without any to-do, he and Mark set about mowing our park, then went on and mowed the other three caravan parks in Katherine. It took all day and they were absolutely filthy from all the fine dust, but neither Ray nor Mark complained.
They slept in swags that night and packed up and went home the next day. That is the sort of people the McCaskers are. It seemed just so unfair that Mark should be stricken with cancer at such a young age. Our deepest sympathy to Jo, Ray, Daniel, Ben, Rebecca and Jessica, who will miss Mark tremendously, as will his friends and his sporting mates.
On 5 February - this is awful, all these deaths lately – long-time Pine Creek resident, Earl Gano, died. While Earl has been having health issues for many years, it was still a shock to hear of his death. He has contributed so much to the Pine Creek community and to the tourism industry through his love of gold and heritage values. He was a character and will be long remembered by the people of Pine Creek and the thousands of visitors who have experienced gold panning with Earl.
I was going to read into the Parliamentary Record some of what his long-time friend, Des Fishlock, and his wife, Sandra, had to say on NT Country Hour following Earl’s death. I will do that tomorrow night when I have more time. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Earl’s funeral in Pine Creek last Sunday to share in the celebration of his life with his wife, Elaine and daughters, Holly and Crystal, but I extend to them my deepest sympathy for their loss and that of the Pine Creek community.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the death of a very prominent Territorian and certainly a major influence in the Pine Creek community, who, of course, is Earl Gano.
Earl was born on 12 April 1948 and died on 5 February 2007. He lived his life to the full, and right to the end. I spoke to him in Australia Day this year and he was still full of life, still undertaking his maintenance contracts around the town. He has been through numerous operations over the last 12 years. He has had a number of significant diseases, but he has fought his way through them. He just would not accept that these things could take their toll.
There was a lot said at the funeral, which was attended by many. There were people from a cross-section of the Territory and a cross-section of time in the Territory, from people he met only a few weeks before to people he met when he first came to the Territory in 1977, I believe. He influenced everyone. This short philosophy reflects his life the way that he saw it:
That is the way he lived his life. Earl was born in Calgary, Alberta in Canada, the eldest son of Ross ‘Bud’ and Irene Gano. A blizzard left the country roads impassable and Irene had to be airlifted to hospital. The irony of that situation is that Earl was born in a plane, and he died in a plane in transit from Katherine to Darwin.
Earl grew up with his family on a farm where he developed skills, his love for the bush, birds, insects and history. He learnt the workings of all the machinery on the farm. He inherited his father’s love for story telling and enjoyed recounting his childhood adventures. He attended Water Valley School and, at the end of Grade 10, he began an apprenticeship as a boilermaker welder. In his spare time, he attended art classes and produced and sold a number of artworks and sculptures, all while still a teenager.
It was at this time he met the love of his life, Elaine Treleaven at the Copper Kettle Caf. It was love at first sight and they were married in Madden, Alberta in 1969. Leaving Canada in 1971, they travelled throughout New Zealand, arriving in Australia in 1973.
Earl fell in love with Australia and embraced every aspect of life in his adopted country. After four years in Mataranka as a ranger, they moved to Pine Creek in 1977 and started Back O’ Beyond Tours in 1981. During his 24 years in the Territory, Earl made an invaluable contribution to Pine Creek. He ran buffalo hunting tours, and was one of the driving forces for many projects in town, including the locomotive restoration, establishment of the Miners Park, Railway Museum and the Repeater Station.
In 1996, he finished the vehicle tours and concentrated on his gold panning in Gun Alley. Anyone who has been to Pine Creek, and there have been thousands over the years, would know of his gold panning exploits in the town. He was a painter, poet and story teller, a husband and father and a good friend. He had a fascination for gold and the skills to create something from nothing, proved by building a front-end loader and backhoe on the front of a lawnmower. I have seen this lawnmower, which is a fantastic device. He had an enthusiasm for life and believed that you only go around once, so you have to grab it with all the gusto you can.
Earl died after a 20-year battle with leukaemia while being airlifted to Darwin. He was buried at the Pine Creek Cemetery with his legendary Akubra hat and his lizard skin boots. Earl has left Elaine and their daughters, Crystal and Holly. To Crystal, Holly and Elaine, Earl will always be remembered, he left a legacy in Pine Creek and, I believe, the rest of the Territory.
I will conclude my comments about Earl with a poem he wrote, which both Crystal and Holly read at the funeral. It is called The Dream:
That was written in 2003. Earl, you will be long remembered in the Pine Creek community. We will hear about some dedications to you in the years to come, which are well deserved.
I will now move on to some of my other communities. My great little footy players in Daly River actually got the chance to compete in the half-time match at the All Stars game just recently. Prior to that match in the Nauiyu community, they had a visit from the Essendon players who did a fantastic job getting around the communities. They visited Wadeye as well, and came to Daly River; there were five players and an assistant coach. Children from the Wooliana School, the St Francis Xavier School and the Woolaning School all attended sessions and had a great barbecue. The community arrived to meet all the players who had made themselves available, and had a great lunch there.
I acknowledge all the players who played in that match at the half time. The girls were Donna Foster, Mickayla Green, Stephanie Wilson, Bernadine Wungung and Janine Cooper. The boys were Jayd Salzgeber, Hayden Long, John Miller, Luke Parry, Jesiah Jimarin, John Luckan, Adam Sambono, Matthew Cronin, Justin Madigan and Ignathius Yarranyiar. I have mentioned before in this House that these guys are fantastic players. I have seen them in action at a round robin competition and they are certainly players we will see in the future - hopefully playing for the mighty Southern Districts.
I acknowledge three Australia Day Award recipients from my electorate. These awards are recognition of what the community thinks of these individuals. Citizen of the Year in Mataranka was Andrew Boon, and the junior was Troy Williams. It is certainly good recognition for them of their contribution to the community.
I attended the Australia Day celebrations at Pine Creek and Tommy Harbrow, a long-term Territorian, was recognised as the Citizen of the Year there. His acceptance speech was quite interesting. The junior was Natalie Sandy. Congratulations to Natalie.
The Timber Creek Citizen of the Year was Steve Hennessey and the junior was Jonas Johnson. Jonas has done a fantastic job with the youth in that community and it is sad to lose him. He is moving on to better things in Katherine. Thank you, Jonas, for all the hard work you have done.
The School of the Air Citizen of the Year was Amy Harding from Gorrie Station. Well done, Amy, for all your work. This is recognition for you.
The Mataranka School Citizen of the Year was Jessica Sullivan. I met Jessica at the Christmas break-up, and she is certainly a fantastic young lady.
At the Batchelor ceremony, which I presided over, we were fortunate enough to have two people who became citizens. It was the first time I have ever had to perform the citizenship ceremony. It was a great honour for me and I hope it was for them. Ineu Latter and Sirpa Hopf were the two ladies who pledged their allegiance to Australia. It was certainly a reminder to everyone present of what the pledge is about and what it means to be an Australian citizen. Congratulations to Ineu and Sirpa. You are valuable citizens of the community, and I look forward to working with you in the future.
There were a number of nominations for various awards during the ceremony. For the Young Citizen of the Year there were several nominations. Kiya Gill, who I have mentioned for all her work in the community, has now moved onto fundraising for the Red Cross Association across the Northern Territory. She was nominated for all her work in the community. Natasha Thompson was also mentioned. She is a fantastic young lady, and was the winner of the Young Citizen of the Year for Batchelor. Congratulations, Natasha.
Emma Murphy was nominated for Young Sportsperson of the Year. She has assisted with many events and the seniors luncheon, which is a great event that occurs around Darwin. She has also done a lot of work in callisthenics and was a worthy nominee. David Deveraux is a young fellow who attends the Batchelor Area School and is a keen sportsman in AFL and cricket. Winner of Young Sportsperson of the Year was Emma Murphy and congratulations to her.
For the adult Sportsperson of the Year, Gavin Webb was nominated. Gavin has done a great deal of work with the Active Australia program at the Batchelor Area School coaching the school kids in touch football and basketball. Gavin was the only nominee. I have seen some of the activities he has organised with the AFL football and my congratulations go to him.
The nominees for the Citizen of the Year, and there were quite a few, were Janet Murphy who has done a lot of work at the school as an early childhood teacher; Therese Balanzategui, a fantastic lady who performs at all events - she is a great singer and musician and they cannot get enough of Therese; Ron West works for the First Volunteer Group and is also President of the Bowls Club; Robbie Lewis works at many community events providing his skills free of charge with PA systems and various things; and Dr Martin Muis, a doctor in the community who has done invaluable work over the last 10 years. The Batchelor, Adelaide River, Tortilla Bush Fire Brigade, or BART, was nominated for all its work, including some of their volunteers who went down to Victoria to help with the bushfires. Rose Phillips was a nominee. Gillian Hunter has spent a lot of time organising festivals and working with the Open Garden scheme, and Sheila Bhana has done a lot of work with the Variety Club Bash and fund raises for the school. The final nominee was Bruce Garnett who is a fantastic bloke. He has won numerous awards and has done a lot of volunteer work with St John Ambulance. There were three awardees: Ron West, Dr Martin Muis and Rose Phillips. I congratulate them all.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I will leave further comments on the awards until my next adjournment.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I want to talk about several fabulous people from Alice Springs and Central Australia, all of whom named the honour of being named Centralian of the Year 2007. Mildred Inkamala and Pippa Tessmann share the honour of this year’s Centralian of the Year Award, and Kelvin Caspani was named as Young Centralian of the Year.
Mildred Inkamala is an outstanding indigenous Territorian and lives and works in Hermannsburg west of Alice Springs. Mildred was born Mildred Malbunka to missionary parents in 1958 in the Barrow Creek area. She married Carl Inkamala and together they have four children, three daughters and a son. 1994 was a turning point for Mildred and Carl, a year that would change their lives.
Mildred and Carl were heavy drinkers and funding was obtained through the Drug and Alcohol Services Association for them both to attend a national Alcoholics Anonymous conference. Their attendance at that conference inspired Mildred to change her lifestyle and make a plan for her future. Following the conference, Mildred went on to train as a teacher and health worker and she conducted the Skinny Kids Program at Ntaria.
In 1997, Mildred was commissioned by the Territory Health Service to complete the lung story painting, Good Lungs and Bad Lungs. Since completing the painting, Mildred has spoken at several national conferences on the lung story and other Aboriginal health issues.
Mildred and her husband Carl were also involved in the Probation Elders Program conducted at the Alice Springs gaol, which provides visiting and support for prisoners and their families. Both Mildred and Carl are always willing to support families in crisis and provide care to children in need. On many occasions, Mildred has spent several weeks supporting patients in hospitals, interpreting and lending personal support.
Mildred continues to provide support for families and those in need. Mildren has also become a qualified Aboriginal translator and her skills in translation are in high demand in both Central Australia and, indeed, the Top End. Mildred translates in the legal area, including court attendances, the hospital and at the gaol.
Mildred has been selected to represent Central Australia and the Northern Territory at the National Interpreter’s Conference in Canberra in June of this year. To her credit, Mildred has worked hard to overcome her addiction to alcohol and has progressed to be an irreplaceable support to her family, community and the people of Central Australia. Mildred has assisted many people in dealing with many problems that she herself has faced in environments that can be intimidating and confusing. It is fitting that Mildred receive public acknowledgement for her tireless work and efforts in advancing the lot of Central Australians.
Tonight, I also talk about Pippa Tessmann. She shared the award with Mildred Inkamala. Pippa was born and educated in London, graduating as a physiotherapist from the University of London in 1983. Pippa worked at the London Hospital for four years before travelling to Australia on a working holiday visa, first working in Central Australia at Glen Helen in 1987. Upon her return to the United Kingdom, Pippa immediately applied to emigrate to Australia - well done, Pippa. Pippa’s qualifications as a physiotherapist facilitated her emigration and she returned to Alice Springs to work as Chief Physiotherapist at the Alice Springs Hospital in 1989.
Pippa worked at the Community Health Centre and at the Old Timers Day Centre prior to opening her own physiotherapy clinic on Traeger Avenue in 1994. This clinic continues to grow under her leadership. Initially, Pippa operated as a sole practitioner and now she manages four physiotherapists, two massage therapists and a dietician. In 1996, the clinic achieved accreditation under the Australian Physiotherapy Association guidelines and continues to be accredited to this day. The clinic provides outreach services to Yulara and to remote Aboriginal communities.
Recently, as a community service initiative, the clinic has opened a lymphoedema clinic, a joint initiative with the Division of Primary Health Care and Palliative Care. It also conducts Healthy Heart classes with Healthy Living NT at the Alice Springs Hospital. The clinic is also a provider to Northern Territory Institute of Sport athletes.
Pippa continues to provide quality antenatal care as an educator at the Childbirth Education Centre on a voluntary basis. She unselfishly donates her time and sports medicine expertise to the local netball, Rugby League, Australian Rules, softball and Rugby Union competitions. In addition to utilising her skills, involvement in sport assisted her transition to Australia. Crossing into many cultures of the Red Centre, Pippa gained almost immediate acceptance into the Centralian community. Pippa has also travelled with local teams at Alice Springs, Territory and national representative levels on numerous occasions, on call 24 hours a day looking after our athletes, young and old. It is something she takes in her stride and has proved to be an invaluable member of any team.
In 1991 when she became an Australian citizen, Pippa sang the national anthem in front of 8000 people at the Traeger Park diamond. Pippa’s role at the Alice Springs Masters Games as Physiotherapist and Sports Medicine Clinic Coordinator is well known to many and certainly appreciated by all who come to know her during the week-long games.
Pippa’s involvement with the Alice Springs Masters Games commenced in 1990 and, commencing in 1993, Pippa has been a member of the Arafura Games Sports Medicine Team. Commencing in 2002, Pippa volunteered her skills and expertise as Sports Medicine Coordinator for the Central Australian Mountain Bike Challenge. Pippa has been President of Sports Medicine Australia Central Australian Branch since 2001, and is responsible for the education of sports trainers in Central Australia, voluntarily making sport in the Centre safer for all.
In 2001, Pippa was appointed to the Physiotherapist Registration Board of the Northern Territory, a ministerial appointment, and elected chair in 2006. This board oversees all regulatory matters concerning physios in the Territory and, as chair, she also sits on the Australian Physiotherapy Council, which is responsible for reviewing physiotherapy competency standards throughout Australia, and for accrediting university courses, ultimately governing the future of the physiotherapy profession within Australia.
Pippa’s love of sports medicine is clear and, in 2001, she became one of only 200 people in Australia who are accredited sports physiotherapists, recognition of her advanced sports physiotherapy skills.
In 2006, Pippa carried the Queen’s Baton in the Commonwealth Games baton relay and was appointed Sports Physiotherapist at the Melbourne games, working as part of the Australian team in the athletes’ village. Pippa was named Northern Territory Telstra Westpac Business Woman of the Year in 2006, due recognition of her enormous contribution to business in the Centre, Territory-wide and, indeed, nationally.
Pippa works tirelessly to promote physiotherapy and the opportunities of working in Alice Springs. She has presented at state, national and international conferences, enthralling audiences with anecdotes of her life in the Centre. Pippa mentors many young Centralians by lecturing and providing workshops at schools, careers nights and through work experience opportunities. Pippa has also been published in national and international physiotherapy journals, and continues to encourage youth to pursue opportunities available in Alice Springs. Pippa continues to assist people to reach their goals and is committed to providing excellent physiotherapy and sports medicine coverage to all - truly amazing achievements for this wife and mother of two, who she simply loves.
I know Pippa well. I respect her enormously and was delighted when she, with Mildred Inkamala, was awarded the honour of Centralian of the Year.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I now move to complete the trio of Centralians celebrated this Australia Day; that is, Kelvin Caspani, Young Centralian of the Year. Twenty-year-old Kelvin, who is a school teacher at Alice Springs High School, is an outstanding sportsman, having achieved many sporting accolades.
In 2004, Kelvin was selected in both the Territory men’s Open and Under 18 touch teams and the elite training camp. Kelvin then went on to be selected in the Australian Under 18 squad. In 2002, he won the Hourglass Challenge Tennis Tournament, a Tennis Australia sanctioned event. 2004 also saw Kelvin play in and win the premiership of the Townsville Men’s Touch Competition with Brothers. Kelvin also won Player of the Final for his performance in the game.
In 2005, Kelvin attended two Australian touch training camps in preparation for the Youth World Cup. Following the training camps, he represented Australia in the Under 18s Mixed touch team in the Youth World Cup, winning a gold medal. During 2005, Kelvin continued to participate in the local Alice Springs touch competition, captaining and coaching the Alice Springs Men’s Open touch team and attaining selection in the Northern Territory Open team.
Kelvin was Vice-Captain of the Territory Men’s Open touch team in the Australia Cup where they finished runners up. Kelvin also attended the Territory touch elite training camp this year. Kelvin won dual premierships with the A Grade Rugby Union club, Warriors, where he played on the wing and as a full back. Kelvin represented the Southern Cross Barbarians Open Men’s touch team at the National Touch League Championships, receiving the Player’s Player Award for the tournament in 2005 and the Coaches Award in 2004.
Not to favour any one code of football, Kelvin captained Central Memorial A Grade Rugby League club, winning the Best and Fairest Award and finishing runners up for the season. Kelvin, along with the Charles Darwin University AFL team, won the premiership at the inter-school challenge. In both 2004 and 2005, Kelvin won the Sportsman of the Year Award. He also won the Caltex All Rounder Award and the Physical Education Award at Charles Darwin University. In 2005, Kelvin was nominated for the Northern Territory Young Achiever of the Year Award in the sport category.
2006 was another year of sporting achievements for Kelvin. For the third consecutive year, Kelvin and his team played in the Alice Springs A Grade Rugby Union competition and he achieved Man of the Match in the grand final playing at full back. Also, Kelvin was Vice-Captain of the Northern Territory Men’s touch team in the Barbarians Cup held in Perth, winning Best and Fairest out of all the teams participating in the competition. Furthermore, Kelvin was selected for the Barbarians in Coffs Harbour at the National Touch Tournament.
Clearly, this young man is a very versatile, skilled sportsman, achieving success as a player of all forms of the league, whether it is Rugby League or Rugby Union, Australian Rules or touch football. My heartfelt congratulations and admiration go to Kelvin for the outstanding contribution he has made to sport to Alice Springs, Central Australia and the Northern Territory as well as Australia generally.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I have spoken about three impressive people from Central Australia. They all deserve the thanks and the congratulations of all members of the Legislative Assembly.
Dr Burns: Hear, hear!
Ms CARNEY: Hear, hear! Thank you. They are truly outstanding people; all of them are very different. I doubt that they even knew each other before they were joined as outstanding Centralians this year in January. However, I know they have all spoken to each other since and they will forever share this great honour. These three people in their own way really have made magnificent contributions. I join with members not only in congratulating them, but taking my hat off to them.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
PETITION
Closed Circuit TV Monitoring in Todd Mall Precinct
Closed Circuit TV Monitoring in Todd Mall Precinct
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 22 petitioners praying that closed circuit television monitoring be implemented in Todd Mall and adjacent areas. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. The petition is similar to a petition presented during the November 2006 sittings. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, we the undersigned respectfully observe that there is a breakdown of law and order in our community, inadequate resources for the police; unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour on our streets; and our personal safety at risk. Your petitioners further observe the alcohol abuse, antisocial behaviour and personal violence that take place in the mall when there are no police in the vicinity to enforce the law.
Your petitioners believe that CCTV monitoring will help control the level of antisocial and violent behaviour, act as a significant deterrent of such behaviour, and assist in the apprehension of perpetrators of antisocial behaviour and violence.
Your petitioners humbly pray that the Northern Territory government immediately implement closed circuit television monitoring in the Todd Mall and adjacent areas.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Business Round Table Program
Business Round Table Program
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, business continues to make a major contribution to the economic and social development of the Northern Territory. We recognise the role it plays and we understand the importance of maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the business community about the issues we face. It is for this reason we set up the Northern Territory Business Round Table in 2001.
In that time, over 600 business and industry representatives have participated in 47 Business Round Table meetings across the Northern Territory, including a broad representation of grassroots business people, members of industry associations and unions, ministers and NT agency representatives.
During 2006, 140 participants attended nine Business Round Table meetings, including the first meeting on Groote Eylandt. Meetings were also held in Katherine, Alice Springs, Palmerston and in and around Darwin. I have continued my role as the BRT’s Chair, and discussions have focused on a broad range of issues affecting the Territory, as well as specific business development issues.
These meetings are not just talkfests. Discussions at BRTs have helped inform the work of government in areas like employment and retention of staff, procurement reform, crime prevention, tourism marketing and creating Darwin’s future. Employment and workforce development were frequently identified as a major ongoing issue confronting Territory enterprises. BRT participants across all sectors reported that attracting and retaining skilled staff has continued to be a critical issue affecting their business operations.
As a result of these discussions, we have developed a number of initiatives and programs to address these issues. For example, we continue to promote the Territory overseas as a great place to live, work and do business, and we have made considerable efforts to raise awareness within our business community about international migration programs.
Through DBERD’s Territory Business Upskills program, we conduct workshops for Territory businesses on the best ways of attracting and retaining staff. We are also addressing training needs and the need for population growth through our Skilled Worker Campaign, which has resulted in interstate and overseas migration to the Northern Territory. In fact, to date we have received inquiries from over 5500 people across the nation, and we continue to receive about 20 inquiries a week.
Ideas and issues raised at BRTs in relation to skill shortages have also contributed to our Jobs Plan initiatives, including employer and trainee initiatives.
We are listening to business and the BRT is just one way to achieve that. Feedback received from participants confirms that the BRT is seen as a valuable mechanism for business operators to work in partnership with the Territory government. Another round of BRT meetings is planned across the Territory for 2007 and registrations have already been received from people eager to participate.
Meetings held in the Darwin region will focus on different industry sector themes, including primary industry, light industry and domestic and commercial transport and, like previous years, we will travel to regional locations to support businesses right across the Territory.
As I said at the outset, we recognise the big contribution business makes to our growing economy, and I look forward to continuing our partnership in 2007.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for the report. Given some of the matters you raised and, of course, we all acknowledge the importance of business, one wonders why you have not seen fit to make a ministerial statement. We have two weeks of sittings; we invite you to bring on a statement.
You have talked about the importance of business to the Territory. There are issues about future growth. You have talked about various types of industries. You have talked about the importance of business in the regions. It is often heard from the Labor Party ‘jobs, jobs, jobs; growth, growth, growth’. We invite you to come to the Chamber at some point in the next week or so during these sittings and make a fair dinkum statement rather than simply tick the boxes on your way through as you deal with business.
I would have thought that some members of the business community would, in fact, be quite disappointed with the length of your report. You will remember that five minutes are provided for ministerial reports. You did not even fill that up.
One wonders, Madam Speaker, why it is that the Chief Minister, on the one hand, declares what could be described as her undying love for the business community, yet does not even bother to fill up her entitlement of a five minute speech - simply goes through and lists some areas. I appreciate that the government is keen to get its house in order for 2007, certainly compared to the disorder we saw in 2006, but I cannot stress enough the importance of business to the Territory. It is best illustrated, if the Chief Minister is serious, by bringing on a ministerial statement.
I made some comments yesterday in relation to ministerial reports. Time is against me, but they still stand.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your time has expired.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, it is interesting. We have a statement still in front of the parliament: Challenges Facing the Territory in 2007. I spoke for 45 minutes yesterday about some of the things that are key to the Business Round Table and businesses wanting to see work with government. So the Opposition Leader had …
Ms Carney: Why are you doing a report? She has no idea.
Ms MARTIN: No, no. The Opposition Leader had ample time yesterday in a response to that statement to tackle those issues. I talked about employment and training, attracting skills, all those issues as key issues for government. Working in partnership with business, I mentioned a number of times in the statement yesterday.
This was a report on the Business Round Table. If the Opposition Leader is sensitive about her lack of responding to these issues, then the answer is in her own hands.
Low Cost Innovative Housing Options in Remote Communities
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, at the 2006 Estimates Committee, I announced that the Territory government would deliver the first of many low-cost innovative housing initiatives for indigenous people in the regions within the 2006-07 financial year.
I am pleased to report that on 8 February, the Territory government called for expressions of interest to pilot low-cost innovative housing options in remote communities. This government has invested $2m in the Innovative Housing pilot project, which is geared to attract builders, designers and manufacturers who can deliver cost-effective and durable housing options. The project will put to the test the many innovative and low-cost housing solutions that the housing industry has touted and, most importantly, deliver new houses to people in the bush. Let me make it clear that these houses will be built in compliance with the many housing design standards and codes.
The pilot project will link into the Labor government’s $100m commitment to housing in remote regions. There is potential for the pilot project to expand in future and lead to the construction of a greater number of innovative houses in the bush, so there is a big incentive for the Territory construction industry’s best to step forward.
The pilot project represents a culmination of the Indigenous Housing and Innovative Housing Construction Workshop held in 2006, and the involvement of my department’s Indigenous Housing Advisory Board and I with housing manufacturers and building companies throughout the latter part of the 2006 period.
The pilot project will, in line with the tenets of our 20-year plan, incorporate real employment and training outcomes for the residents of remote communities. This government is committed to meeting the housing shortfall in remote communities, and part of that is about getting more housing for the indigenous housing dollar, implementing a robust and sustainable housing framework in the bush, and targeting our resources in a strategic way to bolster economic activity across the Territory.
Madam Speaker, the pilot project represents an opportunity for government to work closely with business for the benefit of the community. I believe that this project has the potential to develop into something bigger and create a sustainable manufacturing base for housing in the Territory.
I encourage interested parties to attend an industry briefing session on the pilot project in Darwin on Thursday 15 February. Details of the sessions are available through my office. I will provide the Assembly with more information as the pilot project rolls out.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I have to at least give the minister credit for trying to do something. Obviously, the government has recognised it has failed to produce the number of houses that are required to accommodate indigenous Territorians. In the minister’s speeches, he has admitted the failure of Territory Housing to continue to build enough homes in the bush for indigenous Territorians.
What the minister has not said – and this is something that has come to light in the last six or 12 months – is that more and more indigenous people are moving into our urban centres. In fact, there are homes in places like Yuendumu and Papunya that are currently vacant, which are normally provided to families who were supposed to be living out there. They are now living in towns like Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, or wherever. They have a second home from Territory Housing in the urban areas. This is double dipping; one family having one home in town and one home in the bush.
It is time that the government works on that. The home out in the bush is provided for a person. He might have 20 people in his family, but he is not allowed to give that home to his son or his daughter. That is not what Territory Housing is about. If your name is registered as the owner or the occupant, then you should occupy it. If you leave the place, then surrender the home. Surrender the home so that another family can have it. What is happening here is people are double dipping. I know of families in Alice Springs: the husband owns a house in town; he owns one in the bush. His wife has a home in town and another one in the bush. That is a couple having four homes. They cannot possibly occupy them at the same time.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the minister on the effort he is putting into trying to find a solution to low-cost housing in Aboriginal communities. It is something that is long overdue. I know the minister is very committed to trying to produce change and to get the best value for dollar we can so that more people, especially Aboriginal people, can have a reasonable form of accommodation and shelter in remote areas. I congratulate the minister for trying to do that.
I suppose he already knows that there has been a manufacturer in the Darwin region, John Waldmann, who is producing low-cost panels. Considering the price of land these days in the rural area, there would be quite a few people in my part of the world who might look at trying to build a house out of similar material because the cost of housing is skyrocketing, and this is a way that other people might use that technology.
When we are talking housing, there is a shortage of public housing. A lady rang me the other day and said: ‘I was told I could get a house in 21 months, and when I went to ask about my house, she said 27 months is now the figure’. With the cost of housing and land going up so dramatically, the government has to rethink its role in public housing because there is going to be more and more need, for not only public housing and places that we used to have, like the ex-Sundowner Caravan Park. I hope the minister will look at the broader picture as well.
Someone asked me the other day whether I knew that someone is going to import housing from China in packaged form. I do not know whether the minister has heard that, but I am interested and I hope we can produce low-cost housing within our own country rather than importing it.
Just one other thing, minister, I noticed in your changes for local government, it looks like housing might be a role of local government. I am a little wary of that being their role. It is the government’s role.
Mr McADAM (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank members opposite for their contribution. In the main, it has been very positive. In respect of the member for Greatorex, the important thing is that we are moving in the context of housing right across the Northern Territory, including indigenous housing, under a Territory housing framework. I have no doubt that by working with the ICHOs and the communities, it will bring better outcomes for people living in the bush.
I appreciate the contribution from the member for Nelson. You talked about Mr John Waldmann’sproject. I went out to visit; it is a great opportunity. What we are trying to do is to create the competition for people to come to us with different designs, including materials and, hopefully, it will give rise to cost-effective housing and, most importantly, a manufacturing base - maybe somewhere out in the regions - which will provide real employment and training opportunities for people in the regions who so lack it.
Childcare Provision
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, childcare is an issue right across Australia, and the Northern Territory is no exception. I advise the House of some good news for Territory families contained in the Report on Government Service Provision 2007. The report confirms the Northern Territory has the lowest average childcare fees in Australia. In fact, Territory fees are $19 a week cheaper than the Australian average. That is because the Martin government is the only state or territory government that provides a childcare subsidy. We directly reduce the cost of childcare for families.
I recently met with a group of childcare providers and we talked about the dilemma they face in setting fees. They see the impact of fee increases on the families that use their childcare centres. They made it very clear that it was the inadequacy of the Howard government’s Childcare Benefits Scheme that impacted on fees. They talked about how, under the Howard government’s arrangements, when the fees that families have to pay go up, the value of childcare benefits reduces - an absurd situation. The Howard government has responsibility for providing affordable and accessible childcare, and they are failing to do this.
The Howard Coalition is normally a pretty tight bunch. They pretty much always fall in line behind John Howard, whether it be interest rate rises, denial of climate change or the war in Iraq, they rarely dare to speak out, which is why you know that its childcare policies are so bad, because the Coalition has resorted to a public brawl on it. As Bronwyn Bishop says of John Howard’s approach to childcare: ‘Australian women won’t be fooled. They can be mistreated, but they are not fools’.
The most astounding thing is that the Howard government has now decided that their approach is to tell Territory families who cannot get childcare that they are wrong, that there is apparently no shortage. They claimed there were over 1000 childcare vacancies in the Northern Territory.
All these claims confirm that they have no idea of what is actually happening. You only have to walk five minutes from here down to the Mitchell Street Childcare Centre where they have 200 families waiting for a place and a 12-month waiting list. The director of that centre,Louise de Bomford, said she was absolutely mortified by the comments from the Commonwealth, and that is not just in Darwin. There are more than 2000 families on waiting lists in the Northern Territory. Lists are high in Alice Springs, Katherine and Nhulunbuy.
There is hope though, because there is now a new Commonwealth Minister for Community Services, Senator Nigel Scullion, our very own Senator from the Territory. Surely, he must know that the current approach is not working here. He must know that the model of treating childcare as a business rather than an essential service just does not work in the Territory, especially in our regional areas.
He should immediately work to reverse the Commonwealth’s policy of refusing to fund the establishment of childcare centres in regional areas. We will give the new minister time to get across his portfolios, but we will be suggesting that he immediately turn his attention, and the attention of his Cabinet, to this important issue. The Martin government has made a priority of keeping childcare affordable for Territory families. The Howard government needs to stop denying the childcare crisis and to act to create more childcare places that are more affordable for our families.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, those are the words of a media release from the Minister for Family and Children’s Services, obviously. This minister is one who is very quick to slag the former Country Liberal Party government for whatever ails this government. Do you know what? Childcare subsidy was something that the Country Liberal Party introduced, and funded it generously. It is good that this government continued the program.
The minister obviously has her facts wrong. Katherine, in fact, has a private childcare centre operating very successfully, just recently opened.
Minister, get your facts correct, otherwise your media release will be wrong. This is a government that says they are going to make the process more democratic, more open and more transparent. Bring on the debate properly. Do not get up here and sprout off for five minutes on a media release and expect the opposition to respond as effectively as we possibly can. We can, but I tell you, do it democratically and we can then have a proper debate on this matter.
The way that you carry on about childcare and John Howard – look, the federal election is a long time away. Concentrate on what you will do for the Northern Territory and for Territory children.
Childcare is important, and we all know that. In fact, my wife was the manager of the Alice Springs Childcare Centre for many years. We have been in the industry and we understand it. Minister, it is time you stopped grandstanding, bring on the debate properly, and tell Territorians what you are going to do. At least give the CLP credit for introducing a program that you currently support.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, childcare is a vexed question for me. The sad part about it is that many parents have to put children in to childcare because they have no other option; they need to pay the bills and the mortgage. It is part of society today that more and more young children - and they seem to be getting younger and younger when they go into childcare - are being brought up by carers rather than parents.
I say to the Territory government: if you can give more incentives to make sure that parents stay at home to mind their children until they are at least preschool age, that would be a good thing.
I am probably going to be howled down by all those career women saying: ‘Hang on, we want to have the choice of going to work’. That is fine, and childcare places do a great job, but I sometimes see very young children being put into very structured situations in childcare. I can cite a place where I saw little two-year-olds: they all eat at the same time, they have to pick up their plate and take them to be washed at the same time, they almost have to go to the toilet at the same time. These are little kids. These are kids that should not be structured in that way. They should be able to have a little freedom in the way they grow up. It worries me that we have a society that encourages parents to put their children into childcare.
In saying all that and getting that off my chest and beating my chest over it – I have to admit I did stay at home for 10 years to bring up my kids - anything you can do to relieve the cost burden on parents and provide more places for childcare is a necessity in the society we have today.
Ms LAWRIE (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I note that the member for Greatorex referred to childcare as an industry. That is clearly where we stand at odds. Childcare is not an industry; it is an essential service for families. If you treat it as an industry, you are not paying due care to the nurturing of children in childcare arrangements - whether it is centre-based care or family day care. If you treat it as an industry, you will get down to the economic drivers and, fundamentally, the care of the children will be compromised.
That is where I am completely at odds with the Coalition. You stick your head in the sand and say: ‘It is an industry’ and we can have our hands off that responsibility as a government. It is a federal government responsibility. They absolutely need to step up to it. Families are struggling. The CLP falls in line with its Canberra masters and says: ‘It is an industry’ and it is all good. We do not have to do anything about it.
There are places in the Territory where private providers will not open a centre. We need a choice between private centres, community-based centres and supported family day care.
WorkChoices Legislation – Long Service Leave
Mr HENDERSON (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, today I inform the parliament of legal advice I have received from the Solicitor-General of the Northern Territory. It is now beyond doubt that Canberra’s WorkChoices legislation has taken away the right of Territory workers to long service leave.
The Solicitor-General said:
- There is no doubt that the Commonwealth intended that where long service leave was the subject of an AWA, for example having been traded off for a standard hourly rate increase, then the statutory rights provided for in state or territory legislation would be overridden.
Generally, if an employee ceased to be employed after seven years’ continuous service, that worker had a right to be paid an accrued long service leave rate of 1.3 weeks for every year of service. In the past, that entitlement could not be taken away by an employment contract.
We now know that Canberra’s WorkChoices legislation means that an AWA that provides for no long service leave at all will override the Northern Territory Long Service Leave Act. This situation arises because the Commonwealth’s Workplace Relations Act gives primacy to a workplace agreement over inconsistent territory legislation.
Madam Speaker, a worker who signs an AWA with this provision will miss out all together. The Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act limits the industrial relations powers of the Northern Territory. For this reason, Territory workers are exclusively covered by the federal industrial relations system. Northern Territory workers do not have a choice. The so-called WorkChoices legislation is unfair and this government opposes it. Every day, we learn more about the full effect of it. Territorians deserve a decent safety net of a minimum pay and employment conditions. Without these checks and balances in place, Territory workers face reductions in pay, conditions and protections, and employers face an increasingly conflict-based industrial environment.
Long service leave is the latest in the long list of rights to be taken away. The Northern Territory government believes the long service leave entitlement is an important tool for Territory business to attract and retain employees in a very tight labour market.
The latest data from Canberra‘s Office of the Employment Advocate shows that 1266 Territory workers signed an AWA in the period October to December 2006. Because the Commonwealth has stopped publishing details of the content of AWAs, we do not know how many of these may have displaced a long service leave entitlement.
This issue is a slow burn. Many workers may not realise the situation until they try to claim long service leave. It may have acted as a disincentive for others to work longer term in the Territory. I do not suggest that the vast majority of Territory employers are intent on eroding entitlements such as long service leave. However, it is clear that Canberra’s laws could encourage this activity by allowing a minority of disreputable employers to take advantage of the legal gap created by the WorkChoices regime. This, in turn, could place pressure on other employers to follow suit in order to compete.
The Northern Territory government is committed to fair, harmonious and productive workplace practices in the Northern Territory. I have written to the federal Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey, and I have asked him to reinstate the right of Territory workers to long service leave entitlements. I have done this because this parliament has no legislative power to change the situation.
WorkChoices legislation subverts the intention of the Northern Territory parliament to provide a minimum enforceable long service leave entitlement for employees.
We have learnt from bitter experience with the nuclear waste dump legislation that Canberra is happy to override our laws whenever they feel like it. On this issue, the Solicitor-General advised
- The inferior position of the Territory’s legislature vis-a-vis the Commonwealth legislature has been the subject of many advices from these Chambers. Once it is concluded that the AWA has the force of Commonwealth law, there is no question of amending Territory law to circumvent the Commonwealth law. It can’t be done.
I foreshadow that before Question Time, I will give notice of a motion calling on the Howard government to immediately reinstate the right of Territory workers to long service leave. Madam Speaker, I table a copy of the Solicitor-General’s advice.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, when I was first elected to this parliament in 2003, I had not experienced the parliamentary procedure of having ministerial reports for five minutes first thing in the morning without any material issued to the opposition to indicate what the reports will be about. It is a way of presenting something that you want to get out in the public domain without giving us any prior warning, which means we cannot have a debate about it.
Workplace relations is obviously a very hot subject around Australia and will, this year, be pursued by the Labor government with instructions from Canberra in the lead-up to the election. I thank the minister for his report, but two minutes is certainly not long enough to half address this. I thank him for tabling the Solicitor-General’s advice.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I am not necessarily a great fan of anything that is in the WorkChoices arrangements. I support AWAs to some extent, but I have always said that, especially where you are dealing with young people, there should be adequate protection to ensure people do not sign under duress.
There are two things that concern me about the minister’s report. One is that he is going to give us a fairly complicated legal document to debate without really giving me or other members any time to determine how truthful or otherwise it is ...
Ms Martin: It is our Solicitor-General, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: Well, sorry. Is it a case of ‘trust the minister’?
Mr Henderson: No, it is ‘trust the Solicitor-General’.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: That is right, but if I am having a debate, I need to know whether the Solicitor-General is correct. He might be correct.
Mr Henderson: I tabled it.
Mr WOOD: Okay, but to give us such short notice for such an important debate is unworthy of this House.
The second issue is what I have always had concerns with about this legislation; that is, the unfairness of people who can be dismissed without any protection when fewer than 100 people are employed. I would like to know what the Labor Party thinks of the Deputy Opposition Leader, Julia Gillard’s comments. When it comes to giving those people protection, she is talking about waiving what was the Labor Party’s original concept of giving people full protection. That is, where a business has fewer than 100 people, they were opposing the Howard government’s stand that they should not get any protection at all. Now the Deputy Opposition Leader is starting to waiver on that. I am interested to know whether the people who work for a company that is employing fewer than 100 people are going to have protection as I thought the Labor Party was going to give them.
Reports noted pursuant to standing orders.
WORK HEALTH AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 85)
(Serial 85)
Continued from 30 November 2006.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Speaker, the opposition supports the amendment to the Work Health Act, which will enable the Northern Territory to comply with nationally agreed workers’ compensation cross-border provisions.
Similar legislation was passed in 1995 under the CLP but, at that time, there was no national agreement reached so the legislation lapsed. Thank goodness that is not the case today. This legislation will complement legislation being passed in other jurisdictions.
I am sure most members of this Assembly know people who work across borders regularly: transport operators, tourism operators, and contract workers. I have a brother who works across borders for many weeks of the year in the oil and gas industry. These are a perfect example of the people who will be affected by cross-border legislation.
This amendment bill ensures that mobile workers in all areas are adequately insured and, as I have said, the opposition supports this amendment.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for the opposition’s support of this bill.
It really is another step in the evolution of laws across jurisdictions in a number of areas to provide consistency of regulation and legal obligations on employees and employers. This legislation will ensure that we are consistent with the other states in respect of workers’ compensation and identifying under which state a worker is to be compensated.
The second reading went into a lot of detail about a series of tests that apply in regarding the state of connection of a worker. Although it was quite a lengthy second reading, the various limbs of the test are really commonsense. I am sure that this legislation is going to be welcomed by employees and employers alike because it will make the system that much easier on workers’ compensation where a worker is working across a number of jurisdictions and suffers an injury.
I advise the House that, through the Officer of the Commissioner for Public Employment and NT WorkSafe, we will be distributing to major employer organisations and to unions a Guide to Cross-Border Workers’ Compensation Provisions. It is a very good document. I will table a copy for members. I urge members to have them in electorate offices. The guide is very plain and simple, and it is up on the Internet on the department’s website.
I commend the officers in the department who have done such a great job not only putting the legislation together, but also putting together the marketing material to get it out to employers and employees. With those comments, I thank officers of our department. It is just great to see in the Northern Territory, despite the lines across the table, when we move on from this place, we certainly will work together, so Sue, good to see you here in the House.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr HENDERSON (Employment, Education and Training)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MOTION
Note Paper - Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report, 2006-07
Note Paper - Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report, 2006-07
Continued from 28 November 2006.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Speaker, in responding to the Treasurer’s mid-year report, I acknowledge comments that have been made about the Northern Territory economy. I premise my comments on the assertions of members opposite, particularly the Treasurer and those who form ranks behind him - the Labor Party cheer squad - that what has happened in the Northern Territory is a result of extraordinary discipline. They all nod in earnest agreement - yes, extraordinary discipline.
For anyone who can read, there is an element of management that is required of the high office of government, but there is a large dose of good luck. It is the same good luck that has positively affected the economies of Western Australia and Queensland. Western Australia, in particular, like the Northern Territory, has been a large beneficiary of the resources boom.
You cannot in all honesty stand up and crow about your great economic achievements - as can be discerned from the Treasurer’s mid-year report - being the extraordinary sole achievement of this Labor government. I will say it again: there are elements that are required of the high office that the Treasurer and this government hold. However, more reference to the good luck element would allow us to take a more realistic approach to ensure that we make hay whilst the sun is shining. It is those issues that need to be addressed.
Once again, issues rise to the surface of this report, such as the need for sound economic management to control certain factors that are inherent in boom times, such as inflation. Those measures have been largely controlled by interest mechanisms that have been applied federally, external to the Northern Territory. The national economy has been robust and well managed. The case is far more in the court of the good management of the Australian national economy. You will not find anyone who would disagree with that proposition. It follows the capacity of different state Treasurers to follow sound economic management at a national level. Underneath that is the resources boom that has benefited some states more than others.
When we look at the report, we find that there have been unexpected surpluses. They flow on because of the national economy performing strongly and, specifically, the resources boom that stimulates local activity in the Northern Territory. That is one reason why we have unexpected surpluses. They are not a result of good discipline; they are a result of good fortune. What do you do with these surpluses? The surplus comes to light most notably in the budgeting for a deficit, the expectation that you are going to fall short of your mark, and then to find – lo and behold - you have a surplus. That erodes the concept of good discipline. You have an expectation of a deficit and, blow me down, you have more than you expected.
Why do you have a surplus? I have already mentioned the factors. Running through the centre of this, undergirding the good fortune that has been crowed about by this government - quite insincerely, I allege - is the GST, which has been a very useful element for this Labor government to be able to conceal the river of gold that flows into the Territory economy as something of their own creation. The truth is that most people who manage their own businesses have a sense of the ebb and flow of fortune in the Territory. They know that this is the case, and they will enjoy it whilst it flows. They will require genuine discipline and sound economic management in the long term by those who govern this administration.
It was this very government, in opposition, that railed against the GST. The GST has now flowed and they are using it as an platform to create the impression that they have been extraordinary managers to create this wealth, rather than the CLP who did a terrible job. The truth is that the GST did not flow at that time. They conceal that deliberately and that is the dishonesty that really irks me and any person who wants to look at the truth about the economic fortunes of the Northern Territory.
Those matters that have been asserted with all earnestness from members opposite, from whom I would expect more, know that is the case. The last budget presented to this Chamber by the former government did not have the GST flowing through the centre of it. This government had it from the beginning, yet uses that windfall dishonestly to create an impression that there was a deficiency as the result of poor management by the former government, and now there has been extraordinary discipline and great management. Yet, through the heart of this lies a strong national economy, a strong resources boom - nothing to do with yourselves - and GST flowing right through the coffers, way in excess of anything that ever occurred before. Some of you who do not read or think about these things will think it is true. Some of you who know the facts will still nod dishonestly and assert that it is true because it scores a political point. Scoring a political point is the object of the exercise, is it not, honourable members? Scoring a political point and strengthening your political position to advance your political prospects. That is the objective, is it not? Not to advance and prosper the future of the Northern Territory.
Politics is the issue here. It is the spin and the creation of impressions to serve your own political end. To heck with the issues that will remain lodged with mums and dads across the Northern Territory - remote, and in the northern suburbs, and in the towns across the Territory - who are going to inherit the cost of that little exercise.
I am not going to stand on this side of the Chamber and say that that sort of stuff does not go on anywhere else except over there. It happens in parliaments and that is the sort of thing that lets the whole side down. However, in this case, those opposite know very well that there are certain issues that do need to be attended to, and they would much prefer to spend their efforts creating good impressions to serve their own ends.
In all this largesse and good fortune, which is masked by the term ‘good discipline’, it makes for good spin, but not for the truth of the matter. There has been some discipline because it is required. You cannot be completely inept because you have a department behind you that is managing, but there are policy decisions that are made by this government. It concerns many observers of the Territory economy that there are problems emerging; that in these good times with this strong flow, you have the signs of preparation for when the flow goes into a different cycle. That is why there have been caps placed upon the public service, why there have been measures put in place, and why there are stories around the traps. ‘No one has ever come to me …’, says anyone in government, ‘… telling me these sorts of things’. Well, you were in opposition once. We hear the stories that do not come to those who seek the patronage of government, but they flow to the opposition, those who are concerned, about the reduced flow, the cut backs, and the concern that is flowing through those who manage the Territory assets. The money is starting to dry up.
To illustrate what is called discipline and to demonstrate that is good fortune, last year’s general operating statement was looking at – as there has been each year - nearly $100m above budget. If you are in business and you get a fair bit more each year than you expected, you think: ‘Gee whiz, we must be doing pretty well, or can we trust these good seasons?’ Anyone who is in primary industry knows that if you have good season following good season, you cannot calibrate your planning on the basis of good season following good season. Anyone who knows history knows there are strong times and there are lean times.
However, each year there has been an increase of income of about $100m above budget. Last year, there was, in fact, $250m more than expected. That is the result of extraordinary discipline? No, it is largely GST, stamp duty and payroll tax. There may be an argument that it is because of all the activity in the marketplace that has resulted in the payroll tax, and that activity is the result of some strategy of government. However, if truth be known, there are elements of management required of the economy, but largely they are forces that exist beyond the control and management of government policy. That has harvested a result of $250m more than expected, which sounds like a bumper season. Must have had a good shower of rain at the right time, and the crop has come in above expectation.
Now, you have a budget surplus of $250m more than you expected. What would you do with that? Bear in mind, you organised how you were going to manage your own budget. Just like a household, you manage your own budget, that which is coming and that which is going, and at the end of the year: ‘Dear, look! We have made much more than we expected’. What are you going to do with that windfall? Are you going to acquit some of your debt? Are you going to turn out some of the obligations that will bite you in time to come and manage in the future? No. That is not the sort of discipline that was in place here.
There was, in fact, an expected deficit. You expected it to be short, but got $250m more than you expected. You achieved a surplus. Aha! Media releases, earnest little talks, PowerPoint presentations. They all nodded in agreement. Yes, yes, we have done a wonderful job with GST, stamp duty and all that sort of stuff. We have harvested stamp duty off those poor folk who are buying land. There are people out there who are struggling to afford land, but you are making a motzer out of the turnover of land and that sort of stuff, and it results in a surplus when you expected a deficit. There we have the media releases and the reinforced perception that you are doing a great job, but do not dig too deep on this one, particularly those who find this economic stuff a little complicated.
If you had $250m more than you expected, and you call it good discipline and good management, you would expect that there would be a $250m surplus - but no! This government talked about a $108m surplus. You lost $142m. If you expected a deficit, you have a surplus of $250m more than expected in income, and you came in with a $108m surplus, so there is $142m missing.
That is telling, in a sense, that with all the increased activity that resulted in the surplus. It is the capacity to manage in times that are booming that will determine how you fare in the lean times, and that is what concerns me. There will be responses from the Treasurer to say that I do not know what I am talking about, and reinforce the spin and try to protect the perception. However, the underlying concern is the capacity to manage when things are going well, which will determine how we fare when we really do need the capacity to manage; that is, in the lean times.
I turn to another factor that comes to light in the management of the Territory economy; that is, the issue of inflation. Perhaps I wander a little further from the mark, but I take my cues from members opposite when they are answering questions, which allows them great room to move. I want to touch on the issue of inflation because it is an area of great concern in the Northern Territory.
The issue has been responded to in two very different ways which, I believe, expose the word ‘discipline’ as just a word being used. The first response, the first round, was: ‘Oh, the reason that we have high inflation in the Territory is that we have a really strong economy, so all credit to us for this strong economy’. That was the first line trotted out. It came out again when we were dubbed by some as the inflation capital of Australia, it was: ‘The federal government is at fault here. It is nothing to do with us and we should turn our attention there’. It was a completely opposite message and it showed that in the heat of battle, we had lost our discipline.
What is causing high inflation in the Northern Territory? We could have a long talk about that, but there is one aspect that we really need to bear upon. I know that government has responded of late to this issue. I take opportunity to acknowledge the good work of the member for Nelson in raising this issue for many years. It is a national issue. A lot of the mechanisms that can address the issues that drive inflation in each of the states lies with the state governments; that is, the timely release of land. The government really needs to engage this issue very actively, much more than holding meetings to create the impression that something is being done about it. There are some fairly aggressive things that can be done to change not just the economy, but change our society by allowing young people greater access to housing.
I am sure members opposite are more and more aware, as are members on this side, of how difficult it is to buy a home. The cost of buying a home, or the cost of paying rent, is the greatest factor, in my view, to the inflation factors in the Northern Territory, and they can be addressed. There are matters that will lie with the federal government, and I am sure, in your attempts to deal with this issue, you will probably spend more energy than you need focusing on the federal government. I urge you, honourable members, to consider measures that can be applied by the Territory government to relieve this pressure and, thereby, control inflation.
It seems an extraordinary thing: if you fly into Alice Springs, look out the window and see the land all around you. When you land, one of the early conversations you will have with the Chamber of Commerce or anyone around the place in business will reveal that there is a land shortage. It seems an odd thing that there is a shortage of land …
Mr Stirling: That is not true. That is why it might seem odd because it is not true.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: The same applies in the Top End. If you did not have a shortage of land, honourable members who have responded in a knee-jerk fashion, if you understand how the free market works, if there was a greater supply of land in a more timely manner, do you think the cost of a block of land would go up or down? If you had lots and lots of bananas, let us say last year …
Mr Stirling: Depends if you want to kill the market completely or not.
Mr MILLS: Well, the price of bananas would have gone down if there more bananas in the marketplace ...
Mr Stirling: You can produce lots of land and houses are worth nothing.
Mr MILLS: All right. Take the hysterical response. I will take the interjection. Take the hysterical and defensive response. Of course, they are going to take it to the other extreme and say: ‘Oh, this bloke is advocating that we just open it up and let all the land free and we will destroy the market’. Not at all. We make sure that we protect and preserve the aspects of the free market so that there is a greater and more timely release of land. Otherwise, you have land that is out of the reach of the average purchaser - the young couple that cannot even dream of owning a home in a place that is short of land. You could release land in a more timely and efficient manner. You know you can.
Ms Lawrie: You would not negotiate, would you?
Mr MILLS: Oh, listen here! What do you know about this?
Ms Lawrie: It is my ministerial portfolio.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: What do you really know about it …
Ms Lawrie: A lot.
Mr MILLS: … other than your lines …
Ms Lawrie: A lot.
Mr MILLS: … the lines that you trot out. Think about it.
Ms Lawrie: It was land locked under the CLP. You refused to negotiate with native title holders!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Blain, please direct your comments through the Chair. Member for Karama, cease interjecting.
Ms Lawrie: He is provocative, Madam Speaker.
Mr Kiely: This is your fish and loaves of bread speech.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Sanderson! Member for Blain, direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr MILLS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am at your mercy to protect me from these inane interjections …
Mr Stirling: I will protect you, Terry.
Mr MILLS: … that really are as shallow as a puddle because they are not addressing the deeper issues. I may not be doing a very good job of trying to identify some of the issues that should concern honourable members, rather than scoring points and preserving and maintaining political perceptions. We really need to think more deeply about these issues rather than just trot out the lines to preserve your impression in the marketplace.
Issues related to the free market need to be attended to by this government. If I were in government, I would accept this, I would trust. Maybe you can try me out in time to come.
If you have land increasing in price, out of reach of the average person who wants to buy land, the only reason is there has been an untimely release of that land. There is a way. It has worked in other jurisdictions, in other countries where land has been released in a way that preserves and does not erode the value. It does not destroy the market, but releases it in a timely manner so that you can take the heat out of the market. That is the issue driving inflation in the Northern Territory
I offer that to this government as an issue they need to focus on carefully, rather than the hysterical responses that are going to distort what I am saying to preserve a political point when, in fact, it is going to be of no help to any young person wanting to have a realistic dream of home ownership. There are ways of strengthening the free market so that land can be released in a timely manner that will reduce the heat in the market and, at the same time, not destroy the market. If you have a free market, who is going to go into the business of destroying the market?
They are the sorts of controls over which government can watch. The government has not been in control of anything other than ensuring they enjoy the flow of stamp duty and revenue that comes from the transaction of land. Rather than have a policy that ensures that there is land available in a timely manner so that those who aspire to home ownership can acquire it in a timely manner, they would rather have a subtle policy shift to allow government to enjoy the benefits of real estate activity and take in more stamp duty than I believe is morally correct. They need to ensure that the heat is taken out of the market. That is the central issue that drives inflation in the Northern Territory ...
Mr Stirling: Yes, it is true. That part is true. I agree.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, at this point, there is much more I could say, but I will leave it at that because otherwise I will be provoked and say things that …
Mrs Braham: I was a bit worried there. Are you going to have me?
Mr MILLS: With those comments, the opposition makes observations on the Treasurer’s mid-year report. I thank the Treasurer for his helpful comments across the Chamber. I appreciate the briefings I have been able to have from Treasury from time to time, and I look forward to hearing further from honourable members.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his spirited and, at times, provocative comments. I was at times provoked but, nonetheless, I thought I showed commendable restraint in the face of some of those comments. I will come to them.
I want to say at the outset that this report further underlines the strength of the Territory economy that we are experiencing at the moment. Despite what the member for Blain said, it does underline the very strong economic management that this government has displayed in its five-and-a-bit years in office.
The key fiscal highlights include: the cash targets being unchanged across all years; the operating results surpluses predicted from 2006-07 ongoing; a further increase of investment in the Territory’s infrastructure in 2006-07 and all forward years from that announced in May 2006; nett debt down to $1681m by 2009-10, which will represent the $89m improvement on the May 2006 estimates; a nett debt revenue ratio of 48% in 2006-07, reducing to 45% 2009-10; and, importantly, nett debt plus employee liabilities to revenue ratio continuing to fall despite getting regular increases by the actuaries in our superannuation liabilities.
I want to go to some of the comments made by the member for Blain. He has, on a number of occasions in debate on the economy and the budget, talked about the preparedness of this government to do very well in the good times, which we are experiencing now. But he asks: what we do in the tough times and what have we done if times are tougher in the future? In fact, those attacks on our debt bottom line, that ratio of nett debt plus employee liabilities to revenue continuing to fall, in itself tells Territorians that this government is looking to the future so that when times are tougher, we will have those nett debt liabilities continuing to be driven down while times are good. That will serve us well if, at a time in the future - and there will be that time - things are not as strong economically as they are now.
If we look at the Access Economics five-year forecast of what might be ahead, on gross state product alone, they are forecasting 6.4% for 2006-07, 4.9% for 2007-08, 5.2% 2008-09, 3.9% 2009-10 and 4% in 2010-11. Access Economics will tell you beyond the three-year outlook, it starts to get a bit rubbery, but they are still strong growth figures considering the strength of the economy in the Territory today. They are strong growth figures coming off a strong base. It is not as though we are a basket case now and looking to strengthen in the future. We have a very strong economy at the moment, very buoyant, and these figures suggest that the buoyancy is there for the next five years. If we want to be a bit careful, let us say the next three definitely. Of course, Access Economics rotate these figures so that we will always have a five-year outlook and some certainty around the three years, given the experience of Access Economics in the past.
In relation to the public sector, the member for Blain suggested that there have been caps put on the public sector. I wish! There have been no caps put on public sector numbers. There have been no cuts to the public sector, as was suggested by the member for Blain. In fact, the growth of the public sector over the past 12 months, December 2005 to December 2006, has been curtailed certainly compared with the previous year. The figures as provided by Treasury are: December quarter 2005 - 15 135, December quarter 2006 - 15 156, an increase over the whole December to December of just 21. If we compare that with the growth that we saw from the December quarter 2004 to the December quarter 2005, it was 544. We have marginally increased over 12 months, December 2005 to December 2006, compared with the quite dramatic increase that we saw in the 12 months prior. Nevertheless, numbers in the public sector still need to come down.
I am happy that the growth we are seeing is now curtailed and we are virtually holding the line. We now need to see a steady and orderly reduction of numbers over the next 12 months. How that might be achievable will be subject to debate in Budget Cabinet over the coming weeks when we prepare the budget for a May release. However, it does suggest that the first step is to curtail extraordinary growth. That has been achieved. The next step is, without banging service delivery and the public sector around, to start to see an orderly decrease, which can be readily achieved through the steady churn that the public sector experiences. Over 3500 people leave the public sector each year, which suggests strong recruitment to stay ahead of that. We did stay ahead of it over the December 2005 to December 2006 period, but just. Numbers went up just 21.
The member for Blain was talking about housing, inflation and so on. Inflation at 5% was measured for the December quarter only. It spiked at 5% in the December quarter. The year to year, December 2005 to December 2006, was 4.4%, which is the more reliable movement. That is the movement across the year. A quarterly figure on its own, of course, is not sustainable; you have to take the longer-term view. December to December was 4.4% with a spike in the December quarter to 5%. Over 2% of that 5% was directly related to the surge in housing prices over the 12 or 18 months prior. If you take that over 2% - 2.1% or 2.2% - it brings the underlying rate of inflation, if you take housing out, to below 3%. The national average throughout the calendar year was 3.3%.
In the five years prior to that, the Territory was running along at 2.7% or 2.8% up to 3%, which is traditionally way below the national average. If you take the December quarter spike out, we are still under the national average and would expect to resume a CPI below the national average by about mid-year. Why do I say that? The Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory in its last publication, which is not long out, showed that the median house price in Darwin over the December quarter reduced by 3.9%. REINT says the median house price in Darwin reduced by 3.9% over the December quarter.
We are not just seeing a levelling off in the house price movement; we are beginning to see the first of a slight reduction. Those reductions will feed through to the CPI figure quite quickly, and we would expect some movement in the first quarter of this year following that, and again in the second quarter. My own view, and I have not tested this exactly with Treasury, is that we will see CPI return to the more traditional levels we have seen over the past five years by about mid-year.
You have to look at these things in context. You cannot grab at that 5% December quarter CPI and say: ‘Look, things are out of control’. They are not. It is a temporary spike and the REINT figures, which are the first released and ahead of the pack in terms of Australian Property Management and ABS, are still showing some growth. In the next quarter figures, it will be very interesting to see who is right here. Certainly, REINT are the ones handling the transactions on a daily basis. They are seeing the flow of house sales, they know what those houses are selling at. I would have thought that they are closer to the action, closer to the ground, and I am putting my money on them to be the most accurate in terms of the forecasters.
That takes me to affordability. The Leader of the Opposition yesterday was talking about affordability being off the map. We have shifted in housing affordability on the Australian list. We were the best jurisdiction for a long time in housing affordability. We slipped over the last quarter of last year to second. There is one place in Australia more affordable than us at the moment and that is ACT. However, if you talk to people from ACT, they find that unbelievable because they say their house prices are expensive. However, we are nowhere near the lead. Despite the drop off we have seen in New South Wales and Victoria, we are nowhere near their situation or, in fact, Western Australia.
The member for Blain suggested that government will not release land, that land is too expensive and that forces up the price of getting into the housing market. There are 500 blocks available or about to be available across the Top End now as I stand here, and the Territory, on average, turns off 300 a year. How can you say there is a land shortage when on the market, or about to be on the market, are 500 blocks and an annual turn-off of 300 a year? We have almost two years worth, on average numbers, of land out there on the market now. It is not true to say there is a land shortage at all.
The HIA runs this line frequently because they want to see great slabs of land released. They do not care what effect that is going to have on the market. They do not care about Mr and Mrs Smith in Wanguri and the effect that might have on the price of their house; they want to see more land released so they can get in there and develop it and build so they have jobs for their sector of the industry. That is fine. They are the industry spokesperson and it is their job to represent their industry and workers. However, the government’s job is to have a bigger view and ensure integrity around the market. To say there is a land shortage when there are 500 blocks and an average turn-off of 300 a year is simply not true.
The situation in Alice Springs - and I heard this, too, when I was down there about land shortage - is that over 40 blocks, I understand, in Larapinta Stage 2, are not selling - not selling. If you have blocks on the market and no one wants to buy them, it hardly suggests a land shortage. There are other factors at work that possibly need more exploration, understanding and analysis, but it is glib in the extreme to say that this is all around land availability. Nothing could be further from the truth.
For years when the CLP were in government, we did have problems with land availability in Central Australia. The land availability question then was the inability of the CLP government of the day to come to terms with native title and negotiate land use agreements and open up that land. The member for Blain and I both know about the mass of land that you fly over to get to Alice Springs. I could never understand why the CLP did not sit down with native title holders and work through those issues, as this government did quite readily when it did come to office. It took some time. It was not easy, but this government was effective and successful in getting that land on to the market.
I make those comments in relation to the fairly glib commentary that it all goes to land availability. That is not true. There are other factors that need to be understood, but almost two years worth of land in the Top End is available, and certainly land is available in Alice Springs.
Going back to the heart of the mid-year report, from an economic perspective, the key highlights include: gross state product revised up from 5.8% at the time of the budget in May last year to 6.2%; employment growth revised upwards from 2.3% to 5% due to stronger growth across all sectors; and population growth revised up from 1.5% to 1.7% due to stronger than estimated nett interstate migration to the Northern Territory.
In those terms, the only doomsayers are the Country Liberal Party because they see it as in their electoral interests to talk down the economy and, where there are silver clouds, they see enormously black heavy linings.
I am aware, as Access Economics and ABS remind us from time to time, of the volatility of the Northern Territory economy due mainly to its small size. Small upsets, of course, can cause major problems. The threat of interest rates is significant to the Northern Territory. Housing costs are high and interest rates have a much more stark effect in the Top End and the Centre than they do across the major eastern cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. It is the federal government’s failure to adequately manage interest rates that is not helping our cause at all.
We are also conscious of the fact that we have to have flexibility. We must have the capacity to respond to any downturn in construction or any other key economic indicator. A big part of the problem faced by the CLP in 1998 to 2001 was that they had no flexibility at all within their budget to counter a downturn in the economy. Instead of being able to spend more money on infrastructure projects, the CLP had saddled themselves with spiralling deficits and mounting debt. The debt of employee liabilities to revenue ratio in 1998 was 148%. It is now 113%, and we are looking to drive it lower.
Unlike those problems, the threats to our economy today are not generated by this government; they are external pressure points to which we have to respond. Our level of federal funding is determined by our relativities, and factors such as increase in population and size of the GST are small change when relativities can tighten finances considerably. A reduction in GST receipts has the same effect but, while GST growth is slowing, there has not been, so far, a decrease in those revenues.
Our population is also a fragile issue. While natural growth in overseas immigration remains strong, the Territory has only had rare periods since the mid-1980s when interstate migration has been in the positive. They have invariably been associated with the military growth around 1995 to 1997. It is remarked that we had a full year of positive interstate migration over the last 18 months or so. That remains a borderline issue, but it is still much better than it was. We are predicting 1.7% growth. That is strong growth, and we will do whatever we can to ensure that level of growth is maintained. We will do that by promoting the lifestyle of the Territory to all those people who are not fortunate to be living with us.
At any time, the government has to ensure flexibility in the budget. It has to provide enough funds to keep construction and the other economic drivers of the economy moving along. We have to invest in those key strategic drivers to keep expanding and growing the economy, and we have to manage budget issues such as public sector wages and requests for additional expenditure, and ensure that where we are in deficit territory, the deficit is very tightly controlled. They are the things that Treasury and the Treasurer’s office do on a daily basis because it does require daily management, scrutiny and effort. That is why, when we come to the key point of it, that Territorians cannot trust this economy to the CLP.
All I could do was to shake my head when I heard the latest intervention into enterprise bargaining by the Country Liberal Party. The member for Greatorex has form on this. He is fond of grabbing a cheat sheet from someone purporting to represent a union, as he did during the teachers’ EBA last time, and run to the electorate and copy it off a few hundred times and pay a few people to go and doorknock. He does not worry about the accuracy of the document that he is circulating. He has form again here because he has jumped in and urged nurses to take industrial action, just as he was urging teachers to do in the last EBA. We have seen a couple of times now where they have urged public servants to go for high wage increases. In what book of economic management such practice lies is beyond me: to urge public servants to go on strike and to go for high wage outcomes.
It is one thing to talk about the ability to recruit and retain your public servants. They are important issues, they are key issues on the table when you are in the middle of an EBA. It is one thing to support those things you might do about recruitment and retention, and to empathise with the concerns of the particular group, whether it is nurses, teachers, firies or whatever. However, it is another thing altogether to be urging industrial action in support of high wages outcomes, because that is fiscal vandalism - fiscal vandalism ...
Mr NATT: Madam Speaker, I move that the Treasurer be granted an extension of time to conclude his remarks pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STIRLING: I thank the House for their support. I say on that point that the business community is looking a little sideways at the CLP and wondering what might be behind this because it is not the CLP that the business community, the Chamber of Commerce and the rest of that constituency, has worked with in the past. Not only does the CLP persist in its view that the waterfront should be stopped, but they now support higher than reasonable wages outcomes and industrial action. That is beyond the pale.
Madam Speaker, we have delivered four budget surpluses in a row. This year, we will have a working deficit, but we will return to balance in 2009-10. We will manage wages with a reasonable and fair outcome, with those key issues of recruitment and retention in mind, despite the clamour for trouble from the opposition. We have to, and we will, balance the needs of all groups in the Northern Territory so that we can continue economic growth and development while spending what is required to address social issues. Importantly, we will keep securing and supporting the Territory lifestyle.
Motion agreed to; paper noted.
MOTION
Note Statement - Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Note Statement - Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Continued from 13 February 2007.
Ms LAWRIE (Planning and Lands): Madam Speaker, I commend the Chief Minister on her statement. It is a very broad statement and it identifies the government’s plan for action through 2007. I commend the Chief Minister for taking the opportunity on the first day of sittings for this year to let Territorians know the sort of work that we are very focused on delivering. It is extremely important to the social and economic health of the Territory that we focus on improvements within our regions.
I commend the Chief Minister for her bold views on saying that regional economic development is a key focus. Creating more jobs and opportunities for Aboriginal Territorians underpins a lot of the efforts of this government. Those opportunities are right across the construction sector in the bush, as well as the health and social services sector, because there are tremendous opportunities for indigenous employment across those fields.
We are able to focus on our regions because the Territory economy is in extremely good shape. We have just heard the Treasurer talking about his mid-year report. The economy is very strong in Darwin, we have enormous growth here. Everything I am hearing in Alice Springs as I visit is that business has picked up, boosted off the back of a strong tourism industry. We all know the mining potential for Central Australia as well.
The statement demonstrates how the Territory, as a jurisdiction, is bucking national trends with significant rates of low unemployment, high rates of growth and a very strong construction industry. Of the many economic indicators that demonstrate the success of the Territory economy, there is one that I particularly like; that is, spending on recreational items has increased by 30%. That shows me that Territorians, through our strong economy, are in a much better position to enjoy our great Territory lifestyle. They are able to get out and enjoy the lifestyle that we hold very dear, and which is one of the key reasons we live here.
Across my portfolios there are so many things planned this year, things that go right to the heart of improving the lives and wellbeing of Territorians. In my portfolio responsibility of Infrastructure, we have a capital works and infrastructure budget again at record level. We are delivering some $480m in cash into our capital works program. That sustains some 4400 direct jobs and many more indirectly. The construction industry is extremely solid. With around 250 dwellings built back in 2001; there are now over 1000 dwellings being built. It goes to the heart of a big basis to our building industry. It is great to travel around my electorate where a lot of subbies live. I can see that they are experiencing the benefits of the strong construction sector, themselves cashed up and building extensions on their family homes. The construction industry really does put money directly into the pockets of Territorians and Territory families.
It is an exciting time for our construction industry. It has come off the back of significant reforms undertaken by the previous minister to put some accreditation and registration into the building industry. That is certainly giving people confidence in their spend on their residential home.
In the area of transport, a key focus for 2007 will be the continuation of the implementation of our road safety reforms. That includes the introduction of a demerit scheme, which we are hoping to have introduced by the second half of this year. There is a great body of work that will be done across agencies, working together to produce the data and integrated systems that will be required for a demerit scheme.
We are currently rolling out a program of baby capsules in our regional areas to support and underpin the fact that we have now made it illegal to carry a baby under the age of 12 months unrestrained, and there is a whole array of communication and curriculum tools that will be going out to raise public awareness. Of course, you cannot deliver strong road safety reforms without focusing on your road networks so road funding is a key area of work for the Territory government this year.
I have a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mark Vaile, the week following sittings when I will be talking to him about the importance of ensuring that we have continued increased funding, particularly into our beef roads. They are a significant primary producer for us and the cattlemen are great advocates of strengthening our beef road network. The Territory government has put additional funding into improving our beef roads, and we will be going to Canberra to seek their support in even more funding targeted at our beef roads.
In addition to beef roads, we are focusing on our strategic roads such as those servicing the mining industry. An example is the Tanami Road where we are putting additional millions of dollars into repairs. We continue to say that key roads have still to be built. They need to be built in partnership between the Territory and Commonwealth governments. I refer, of course, to the Tiger Brennan extension running through Palmerston. That is a key road of strategic importance in our trade route through to the port. It is, obviously, a road of enormous benefit for bringing commuters into their jobs from the rural and Palmerston areas, and in the future that Tiger Brennan extension will be the main route into urban Darwin. It will be the new Stuart Highway, if you like. I cannot overstate the importance of that road in our strategic economic needs, particularly for those drivers down to the trade zone at the port. Obviously, the more you can provide the right infrastructure to get people to and from their jobs, the more efficient you are in running your workplaces.
I will be putting these views very strongly to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Prime Minister, Mark Vaile, and hope that they will start to heed the message coming from the Territory, which is that in partnership, we will put dollars into the road funding system. We are already spending an additional $50m per year to improve our roads network. We are spending $130m per year, which is $50m more than when the CLP were in government. We are certainly showing our commitment. It is time that the federal government stepped up and showed their commitment.
We are in partnership with what we are saying with the Cattlemen’s Association and the Trucking Association. We all agree on the strategic roads that need to be improved, and we all have costings and plans on how to improve them. The Territory government is stepping up to its responsibility, which we share with the federal government.
In terms of public transport, I will be focusing on how our bus system is operating in the Darwin urban area, the Darwin rural area and Palmerston as well as Alice Springs. I have my agency working on looking at how the bus system runs in Alice Springs and how we can improve it because the system has really not had a good review in decades. I am quite keen to see how we can provide an efficient and effective bus system in Central Australia in both urban areas, as well as buses linking the outer areas of Alice Springs, because there are growing numbers of people living in the rural areas. A key focus of my agency in transport will be looking at our bus systems.
Another significant priority for the government in 2007 is land release. We had a very positive forum earlier this month with me, the Treasurer and the Minister for Housing and Local Government sitting down at the table and meeting with industry groups. The real estate industry was represented, as was the Chamber of Commerce, the Housing Industry Association, the Construction Association and the Property Council. We had a robust discussion about land release. The Treasurer touched on this issue earlier in his remarks. If you rush your land release, if you have too much land out there, you distort the market, you devalue the assets that Territory families are sitting on, which is primarily their home values, of course. Therefore, government has to be very tuned in to what the industry is saying regarding land release requirements and, at the same time, have a sound assessment basis in which to release land.
We have had a strategic plan to release land in Palmerston in an area we will call Bellamack. That land release is going to come online in the 2007-08 financial year. It is in keeping, as you heard the Treasurer say earlier, with the cyclical timing of when we will have to have some 600 additional lots coming on to the market to be turned off. I was at the Lyons subdivision just recently, and there is an incredibly impressive rate of growth at that subdivision. Defence Housing has a fantastic subdivision there. There are some 700 lots in Lyons alone, with 350 lots out to public auction. We have 350 lots turning off in the northern suburbs, and we have some 500-odd lots still to be turned off under existing subdivisions of Rosebery and the like in Palmerston. As I said, there are another 600-odd lots to be turned off in Bellamack in the 2007-08 financial year depending on the mix of development leases.
A key issue we look at within our land release schedule is housing affordability. The government has been doing some modelling, working across agencies - my agency, Treasury and Housing - to look at what mix of conditions we could attach to development leases to encourage home affordability. In discussions I have had with significant developers in the Northern Territory, I have to say I have been impressed with the view they have taken to the issue of housing affordability. I am looking forward to some very exciting proposals under those development leases regarding potential home affordability, including packages for first home buyers. Interestingly, the HomeNorth scheme provides a doorway into the home market, and that door is open to both first home buyers and those people who do not currently own a home, but have previously owned a home. The door is not shut to the latter group. HomeNorth is a scheme which has enormous benefits.
On the issue of land release, you have to look at planning. We started the year off in a very positive sense with planning. We have introduced the new Northern Territory Planning Scheme. That scheme has been debated and consulted about for some seven years. It commenced in February, so we come into 2007 with a very consolidated, contemporary planning scheme that underpins planning for the Territory. I have given an undertaking to continue to work with all the stakeholders in the planning area to look at the use of area plans, for example. We are in discussion with Palmerston City Council about area plans of Palmerston. Those discussions will, obviously, be highly consultative and will be ongoing through this year.
We are working, in the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, very closely with the Department of Chief Minister in background support on the Chief Minister’s Creating Darwin’s Future, which is a very exciting, dynamic look at what we want our city to look like in the future, with a tremendous amount of public consultation. I know the Chief Minister is very proactive in getting out and listening to the people of the Top End about what they want their city to look like. A section of that will be a planning forum that I will host in April, bringing together key stakeholders - architects, Planning Action Network advocates, Property Council, HIA, TCA; all the key industry stakeholders participating.
Importantly, I also want the public to participate. We are looking at mechanisms at how to engage the public - the person who is not an industry stakeholder nor an advocate per se, but is a resident of Darwin and wants an opportunity to have their input into what they think Darwin should look like, particularly the CBD. We will be tackling issues of what should be the heights of buildings in the CBD, what will be the set back for buildings, how we want our streetscapes to look, and the nutting down into those difficult areas of debate that, as a society, we are mature enough to tackle, and lay down a strong plan for Darwin as a city that will hold us in good stead for its development for the next five, 10, 15 and 20 years. A forum of this nature is very important and has not been held in Darwin. I am very excited about the opportunity to host it. We are building on the experience of jurisdictions elsewhere which have had similar forums. All our major capital cities have had similar planning forums which gave everyone certainty about what their city was going to look like, and the opportunity for input.
In the area of my other agency of Family and Community Services, a key body of work this year will be looking at the implementation of any findings and recommendations that come out of the Chief Minister’s child sexual abuse inquiry. In addition, we will implement our new legislation dealing with the care and protection of children and young people. We have received some 70-odd submissions on that legislation. I am looking forward to introducing that key reform of our welfare legislation, the first reform in 20-odd years, into this Assembly this year.
We will continue to raise the issue of childcare and the lack of affordable childcare for Territory families. It is a cost that cripples families with young children and creates real barriers to entry into the workforce post having your children. It is something that is very squarely the responsibility of the federal government that they are ignoring and walking away from; that their own backbenchers are condemning them for. As minister responsible for Children’s Services, I will continue to take it up with the federal government and challenge them to start to listen to the cries of families suffering the financial burden of unaffordable childcare, and the barrier to even getting childcare. Childcare is often required so families can pay their mortgage and their bills. It is not necessarily a case of choice of returning to work; many mothers need to return to work post having their babies.
In looking at providing for families and providing a co-located centre, a bit of a one-stop-shop model for families in need, we are continuing with the implementation of what we call the families hub in the northern suburbs of Darwin, co-locating organisations such as the Toy Library and SIDS, Kids NT and other non-government organisations that provide support to families. I am looking forward to the implementation of that really exciting one-stop-shop model.
We will continue to tackle alcohol abuse in our communities. My division of Alcohol and Other Drugs is doing fantastic work in tackling volatile substance abuse, in wiping out petrol sniffing in our communities. It provides us with the opportunity to apply significant policy and operational input into tackling alcohol abuse, which is a core social problem and related to crime problems within our community.
We will also be looking at the disability review, an important piece of work that was undertaken late last year, which is definitely before our government early this year and, hopefully, for implementation through 2007.
We are working with the Commonwealth government. There is new mental health funding that has been opened up through the work of COAG, and the Territory government has had some significant discussions with the Commonwealth about how that new funding rolls out into places such as the Territory. We are unique; we cannot use the Medicare model of extension of mental health services across our regional and remote areas. We have been quite innovative in discussions with the federal government about improving our support and services to people with a mental illness. In relation to that, we will be amending our existing legislation, the Mental Health and Related Services Act, to provide a more contemporary regime to underpin the support that we give to people with a mental illness.
I will continue to work with the aged care sector, both as minister for aged within Family and Community Services, but also as minister for Planning, to look at how we can meet the needs of our ageing population. More and more Territorians are retiring here, just as Territorians are now bringing their aged relatives up from down south to retire here. We know we have an increasing demand on our aged system. My agency has been working very closely with aged care providers throughout Australia to talk to them about the benefits of operating in the Top End, and we have quite a few very interested aged care providers lining up to look at potential land sites around the Top End for aged care facilities.
In Multicultural Affairs, our focus will be to continue to challenge the Howard government not to walk away from multiculturalism, but to support it. Tragically, the Howard government has decided that multiculturalism does not work. We strongly disagree. I have been representing the multicultural groups in saying that very clearly to the federal government ...
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of 10 minutes in order that the minister may conclude her remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: I thank my colleagues for the extension of time. Within Multicultural Affairs, we have a very vibrant community. Our multicultural lifestyle in the Top End is one that we celebrate and encourage. We celebrate it through our wonderful festivals, which we will again be enjoying this year, whether it is our Glenti, the Barrio Fiesta or India at Mindil. We are also knocking on the door of the Chinese New Year festivals at the moment. They are all ways in which we can promote multiculturalism and celebrate the diversity of our society.
As Multicultural Affairs Minister, I look forward to attending those festivals and supporting our multicultural organisations through our grants regime. We have a record grants program for cultural events, and grants for facilities to improve the homes of multicultural groups. For example, the Kalymnian Hall at Batten Road will be receiving an improved car park as a result of significant government funding. The Islamic Society in Vanderlin Drive will, hopefully, finally realise their dream of a community hall extension on the site of their mosque, including a very important wash down facility for their deceased, which is a very important part of the Islamic faith. There is a very tangible way in which, through our grants, we can support our multicultural groups. We have the exciting project occurring at the Chung Wah Society with their main hall extension as well as their significant upgrade to the library area. I am looking forward to the opening of those facilities as well.
All in all, 2007 is a very strong year. We have strong growth supporting the work. The strong growth is not by accident; there have been years of strong financial management by the Martin Labor government which has put us in a position to be able to work solidly on providing economic improvements, construction, infrastructure improvements, improving our transport system, providing opportunities for jobs, encouraging employment in our regions, and underpinning improvements to our social service delivery that support disadvantaged Territorians, whether they be Territorians with a disability, aged Territorians or Territorians with a range of alcohol and drug problems. Mental illness, for example, is something for which we will see significant service increases this coming year.
It is a very busy year, one in which we cannot achieve success without the hard work of all of the people who work for the public service. I thank the people in my agencies; they do a fantastic job. I enjoy the privilege of working with them. I look forward to implementing a range of key action plans right across 2007 that will continue to improve a fantastic Territory lifestyle that we have, and support the health and wellbeing of the Territory, both in an economic and social sense.
Mr NATT (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, I support the priorities outlined by the Chief Minister and advise the House about some of the projects under way within our Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines that support those outlined by the Chief Minister.
The continued progress in lifestyle of Territory residents is made possible largely by the buoyant economy and that, in no small part, is due to the solid proactive work being undertaken within my department. Mining accounts for 20% of the Territory’s GSP and is our largest single economic industry. The Chief Minister said yesterday that through 2005 and 2006, the GSP grew by 7.5%. This year it is expected to be around 6.2%. Mining plays a large role in that GSP component.
We all know that the industry is booming, but the so-called commodities boom in the Territory is no accident. It is the result of carefully planned and focused effort. In our department’s Mines Division, our streamlined approvals process is ensuring that there are more explorers on the ground and that, in turn, translates into more viable mining operations that benefit the Territory’s economy and the regional communities located nearby.
All the hard work put in by our department is working, and the Territory is the beneficiary. There has been a 66% increase in applications for exploration tenure in 2006, and a 20% increase in granted mineral exploration licences. This equates to a 76% increase in mineral exploration expenditure and a staggering 70% increase in expenditure in petroleum exploration. However, there is more.
I recently visited China as part of an investment and exploration attraction program Building the Territory’s Resource Base, and the results of that visit are already being felt. Just last week, on 8 and 9 February, I hosted a high-powered delegation from the China Mining Chamber of Commerce and companies Sinosteel and Minmetals. For members’ information, the China Mining Chamber of Commerce has over 4000 members, and Sinosteel and Minmetals are two of the biggest metal production companies in China. These executives were in the Territory to learn more about the potential investment and exploration opportunities. With resource-hungry China requiring millions of tonnes of most metals, it is not difficult to see why our Mines and Energy Division is putting so much effort into this market. Another little adjunct to the China Mining Chamber of Commerce: they have linked our department’s website to theirs, and we understand that there are hundreds of hits a day, so the department’s work is being fed through to many Chinese companies and, obviously, that will create more interest.
As the Chief Minister mentioned, GBS Gold is developing a series of gold mining operations in the Pine Creek region and this, in turn, has fuelled a building and population boom in the area. The Chief Minister, the member for Katherine and some of my staff visited the first pouring in September last year. It was a very exciting day for the company. Members of their board visited from Canada and South Africa, and their Managing Director, Tony Simpson, has done some fantastic work in establishing strong local links and developing input and, more importantly, employing a local workforce. It is a wonderful success story for Pine Creek and the Katherine region.
The township of Pine Creek is feeling the positive spin-offs from these mining operations, and that means jobs for locals and a significant boost to the economy of the region, as at Batchelor and several other regional centres. One of the government’s priorities is development in regional areas. I am pleased to report that this priority is being assisted in a major way in many locations by the opening of new or reclaimed mining operations which have, in turn, been made possible by the policies and focus of the government.
Another priority is the economic development of indigenous communities and, again, our department has made significant progress in this regard. Within the Primary Industry Division of our department, excellent work is being done assisting and empowering indigenous communities. In both the pastoral industry and the fishing sector, the results have been outstanding through the successes of the Indigenous Pastoral Program, or IPP as we know it, and the Indigenous Marine Rangers project. Also in the mining industry, innovative partnership arrangements between mines and indigenous communities are now the norm rather than the exception.
IPP is a multi-agency program which seeks to address the needs of industry for more viable pastoral land and labour, and the needs of indigenous people for sustainable economic and social developments. The program often involves the use of under-utilised land resources under the control of indigenous communities. IPP is a great example of cooperation that involves the Northern Land Council, the Central Land Council, the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, the Indigenous Land Corporation, the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and our department.
In its first three years, the IPP achieved outstanding results, including developing country to carry and additional 25 000 head of cattle and, this year, further country is being brought into production allowing another 20 000 head. IPP has created jobs in indigenous communities, with 18 seasonal stock camp positions and 25 short-term fencing positions filled by indigenous people in a variety of locations. It has seen the establishment of an Indigenous Training Scheme, initially training and placing a number of young men from the Barkly region last year, with nine people in jobs on corporate pastoral properties this year. It has also seen significant integration of external agencies into the program. This includes training support from the FarmBis program, funding for indigenous training from the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and additional funding for core employees of the IPP from the National Landcare Program.
IPP is a pastoral success story. A new memorandum of understanding has been signed for the next five years, allowing the program to continue into the future.
As I mentioned at the beginning of my address, another area where my department is achieving excellent results is the Indigenous Marine Rangers program. My department supports six marine ranger units at Melville and Bathurst Islands, Borroloola, Elcho Island, Maningrida, Wadeye and Goulburn Island. We financially support these groups and work closely with them to build the group’s operating capacity. The marine rangers are the eyes and ears of the Territory’s coastline and provide back-up for Police, Fisheries, Customs, Quarantine, Conservation and other such agencies. In addition, the rangers are role models in their communities and they promote vital safety and conservation messages through their education and liaison activities.
One of our department’s and the government’s priorities is indigenous economic development. The low-tech aquaculture projects at Maningrida and Kulaluk are good examples of our department’s involvement in securing a viable future for indigenous communities. The groundbreaking research work undertaken by the Darwin Aquaculture Centre has allowed the development of mud crab aquaculture at the Gwalawa Daraniki Association’s mud crab farm at Kulaluk in Darwin, and the Bawinanga Corporation’s operation at Maningrida. I had the pleasure of visiting the aquaculture farm on a couple of occasions to inspect the breeding programs of the mud crabs and, of course, the barramundi. It is fascinating to see the large ponds of tiny hatchlings and juvenile crabs ready for transport to other sites. Both of these pilot programs have the potential to deliver financial independence to these communities. The Darwin Aquaculture Centre is providing expertise to enable the programs to continue into the future. These projects have inspired other indigenous communities to express interest in aquaculture and several other farms are in the planning.
Another of our department’s priorities that is having a profound impact is improving the pastoral industry and cattle exports through the application of innovative research. The department has nine research and development farms, comprising three headquarter farms in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs and six regional farms: the Victoria River Research Station, which is the principal pastoral research property; Douglas Daly Research Farm, where mixed farming research takes place; Beatrice Hill Research Farm, which is the development’s buffalo and floodplain research facility; the neighbouring Beatrice Hill is the Coastal Plains Research Farm, which is the principal horticultural research property; Ti Tree Research Farm, which is a small horticultural facility; and Old Man Plains Research Station, which is a new pastoral research centre in Central Australia.
While important research and development work is carried out on all properties, the best rangeland cattle production system developed at Victoria River Research Station has increased the production of breeder cows from below 50% to over 70%, with a parallel and significant reduction in breeder mortality. This translates to an extra 32 calves branded per 100 breeder cows per year. It is significant projects like this that are delivering real benefits to the industry and, in turn, the Territory’s economy.
Another example of the beneficial cooperative work being done is the Pigeon Hole Project. Otherwise known as Grazing Strategies for Tomorrow, this is the latest grazing research project in Australia and possibly the world, covering 300 km2 and involving upwards of 6000 cattle. It is a joint project between our department, Heytesbury Beef, CSIRO, the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and Arts, and the University of Queensland. It is sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia, and is an excellent example of government industry cooperation. The Pigeon Hole project has been running since 2001 and is an extension of the grazing studies our department has been running at Mt Sanford since 1993, which have shown that cattle production can be sustainably increased with appropriate infrastructure development and grazing management systems. Add to this two other projects, and it becomes clear just how much beneficial research work is being done by our department.
The Central Australian Grazing partnership is a large-scale study of alternative ways of rotating grazing and is being carried out in association with the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre and the Centralian Land Management Association. It was started in 2005, and the first results are becoming available now.
Also, we are involved in the Grazing Land Management project, which sees the latest knowledge on rangeland management applied on any individual basis to participating stations. This package has been a great success and is tailored to each property, ensuring better and more sustainable use of grasses and water which, in turn, improves the property’s bottom line and, as a result, the lifestyle of those on the station.
While I am on the subject of research, another section of our department which conducts important world-class research is the Diagnostic Services Division. This division conducted the field and development trials that have led to the replacement of a toxic organo-chlorine compound that was previously used in the Territory horticulture industry to control termites. This replacement chemical, which has been taken up by industry, is much safer to use and has considerably less impact on the environment.
The division is also currently working with the CSIRO and the CRC for plant biosecurity, to develop a project using molecular diagnostics to identify exotic termite species that threaten Australia, such as those that can be found on foreign fishing vessels. Identification of termites normal relies upon the findings of the soldier stage of the insect pest, which are often extremely difficult to find. This research will use termite frass/poo, potentially making exotic termite identification in future much quicker and easier, as well as more effective.
Madam Speaker, improving research that contributes to our standard of living is a major priority and a feather in the cap for the department, which is involved in world-class science. These are just some of the priority projects and achievements that our department is involved with. They continue to play a major role in securing and improving the lifestyle of Territorians. I commend the Chief Minister’s statement to the House.
Debate suspended.
MOTION
Note Statement - Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Note Statement - Challenges for the Territory in 2007: Delivering the Territory Lifestyle
Continued from earlier this day.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I must admit at first I thought: ‘No, I am not even going to bother. It is more of the same’. I know it is the start of the parliamentary year, and we have to set the scene, but there was not a lot of new stuff in it; it was just same old, same old. However, there are some remarks I want to make.
I want to ask the Chief Minister: what is this so-called ‘lifestyle’? We keep hearing ‘the Territory lifestyle’. I looked up the Macquarie Dictionary and it says that lifestyle is:
- … a way of life that a group or a person accepts …
For people who live in the long grass, that is their lifestyle. Are we saying this is the great lifestyle of the Territory? The people in town camps say: ‘This is our lifestyle’. Is this the lifestyle we are supporting? What is this magical ‘lifestyle’ we keep hearing about? Is it going fishing? We do not do much of that in the Todd River, I have to admit. We even have our Administrator in a previous life carry on about ‘We’re bloody good drinkers in the Northern Territory’. Is that part of our lifestyle?
Ms Martin: Oh, are you attacking Ted?
Mrs BRAHAM: No, that is true and it is well documented. We seem to spend so much time in this House talking about alcohol and the problems it causes, but we also never have an event in Parliament House where alcohol is not served. What is this great lifestyle we keep carrying on about? What is the Chief Minister’s view of lifestyle? Perhaps in her response she can explain it to us.
If you ask me what we should be protecting in my life, I would like to have a home, respect for my property, to make sure the values I have for my family respect other people and other people’s way of life and the law. I would like to have privacy. I certainly would like to know that people around me act as a community, and all the different things we do such as sport and recreation add to the pleasure of this so-called lifestyle.
We have to be careful when we talk about the ‘lifestyle of the Territory’ because the lifestyle of the Territory, the image that is often portrayed to southerners, is that we are a little like cowboys, we drink a lot, we like to have a good time, and we tend to flaunt the law a bit, too. We are a bit laid back, a bit laissez-faire. Let us not promote the lifestyle without explaining what we are protecting.
I say to the Chief Minister: let us not get carried away with a word, let us make people understand. People on indigenous communities would say they have a wonderful lifestyle; we should be protecting that. Everyone has a different idea of what lifestyle is so let us not say: ‘This is the lifestyle …’ - as the Chief Minister said at the beginning and end of her statement - that we should protect without being sure of what we are talking about.
The Chief Minister talked about the main priorities of alcohol plans. It is a sad that alcohol does play such a big part in our lifestyle. However, the plan is to reduce supply, demand and harm. We had a meeting in Alice Springs last night to look at whether Alice Springs should become a dry town. If we say that, are we actually saying that alcohol should be such a predominant part of our lifestyle? If we are talking about how alcohol influences our lifestyle, perhaps we need to rethink where we are going with it. I know we are having a statement on alcohol later in the day, so I will save most of my remarks for that. It just worries me that we do seem to get carried away with this idea of Territory lifestyle that sometimes imposes one set of values on one lot of people and another set on others. We have to be careful about that.
The alcohol restrictions that have been introduced into Alice Springs have, in fact, caused problems for the town. Yes, we are seeing some benefits, but there are problems. Chief Minister, you might have been bit innovative and said that one of the things we can do, seeing there is so much litter created by bottles and cans, is introduce container deposit legislation. Do I see container deposit legislation in this paper for future generations of the Northern Territory? No. Would people in the Northern Territory like to see CDL? Yes. They have shown that very clearly in everything they have done at the shows and when there has been a survey. There was nothing in the statement to give any hope to people who might have some environmental issues and would like to see CDL. But no, it has been overlooked.
She also talked a lot about education for Aboriginal students in bush communities. That certainly is one of the top priorities that I would like to see this government continue. I will watch with interest the introduction and implementation of middle schools. So far in Alice Springs we have had some positive feedback, but I still have not seen the government taking any strong action on attendance and truancy. I know the minister has issued a media release about community officers who are going out to community schools to consult with parents. We have to remember that we have legislation. We have an act which says that parents should send their children to school. If they do not, it is against the law. But we do not get that strong action from the department.
For so long we have been saying: ‘What about the kids in town camps in Alice Springs? How are they going to get to school? What are we going to do about them?’ I had a couple of letters from the minister last year saying: ‘Yes, we are reviewing the truancy officer program’, and they were going to do this and that. Did the Chief Minister mention that in her statement? Not at all. We do not see any strong action on making sure students go to school. Is there going to be any tracking of students from remote communities? When they leave that remote community and go into town or go to another school, will there be any tracking to make sure they go to school? I think not.
If we are talking about employment for indigenous people, we must make sure they are educated. Unfortunately, they are not being educated. I know the Education minister went to Bradshaw not long ago to see how the Irrkerlantye kids are going, and yes, they are going okay. Quite a few of them have turned up, but he must also be concerned at the current policy at Bradshaw of these kids having their recess and lunch at different times from the rest of the school. It is of concern to me and I think it has been brought to your attention, minister. I hope you address it. If we are going to make students feel that they are part of our community, we must treat them as such, not differently.
I suggest to the Chief Minister that she should have added a clause saying we will have a core curriculum within our schools that will give kids skills for when they leave school. We all know the curriculum is so broad at the moment that it is easy to forget the main purpose of why students are there. I would like to have seen something not just concentrating on the senior kids in remote schools, but the younger as well.
The Chief Minister also talked about it being pleasing to see the life expectancy of Aboriginal women increase by three years and that infant mortality has fallen by 36%. That is good - very good - but where is evidence that the Chief Minister is thinking about our population growth and the fact that our population is growing older? What was in the statement to show that the government is providing for our senior citizens? Life expectancy for people in the Territory is increasing, not just for Aboriginal women. More seniors are staying in the Territory. That is to be commended, and we should make sure that they do. What do they want to stay? What incentive do they need? They want to feel safe and secure and to know they will have services to help them in their senior years. Certainly, we have some extremely good seniors organisations, but we need proper aged care facilities, and not just in towns, but in remote areas as well.
Aboriginal Hostels do a great job in Alice Springs, but there is more scope for those services to be extended to the bush so that aged people do not always have to leave their homes to have the care they need. They should be able to stay in their communities and be cared for in an environment that makes them safe, secure, healthy and happy. I would like to have seen something about how this government is going to deal with the ageing population.
Affordable housing was mentioned, as was housing for people in the bush. I noticed in the paper not long ago that there was a tender for 16 factory-built homes - which means either demountables or dongas - and it named the four destination communities for these houses. It is a good idea to set up an industry whereby you can erect these homes on communities, as long as the government is aware that these homes also have to be strong enough to cope with the number of people living in one house. Affordable housing on communities is good, but we should also be looking at affordable housing within our towns.
There was debate on land availability in Question Time today. I would not like to be a first home buyer now. The price of land that is available is far too high. Building costs have gone up and it must be very difficult for young people who want to buy their first residence. It is unfortunate that in Alice Springs, the release of land at Larapinta Stage 3 has been stalled for many reasons, not least of which is that developers feel that the cost of developing the land will be too great and the blocks will be out of the range of most people. Even if the government puts aside six first home buyer blocks, that is not enough to cater for demand.
I must comment on something the Treasurer said in his response yesterday. The member for Nelson pointed this out. The Treasurer was responding to comments by either the Leader of the Opposition or the member for Katherine:
- She touched on that question of housing affordability. Over that five years, we were the most affordable in the whole of Australia to buy a house, and we are second on the list for home affordability to the ACT. I would have thought that would be a temporary thing and we will soon be back in the most affordable bracket. She actually made a comment that we are the most impossible place to buy a house in Australia. In fact, just by a narrow margin, we are the second best place in Australia for home affordability.
- Darwin has been rated among the 40 least affordable cities in the world to buy a house.
This was a survey by Wendell Cox Consultancy, and was quoted on ABC News Online on 22 January. It ranks property prices in Darwin the seventh least affordable in Australia. If that does not clearly demonstrate that it is difficult for first home buyers to establish themselves in the Territory, I do not know what else you need.
Somehow or other, we should be promoting more home buyers, whether they are first or second home buyers; we need to make sure that people take on the Territory and stay here, that they make this their home and adopt this great lifestyle we keep hearing about. The Chief Minister should have addressed the issue of affordability of homes more than she did.
We have had a lot of debate about the police over the last 24 hours. All I can say is the police in Alice Springs do a great job with the resources they have. It is pretty well known that in a place like Alice, you burn out after about five years, and that is why we have a high turnover. That is probably not uncommon elsewhere in the Territory, too. To retain these people, we have to make their task more satisfactory. One of the things we need to do is to stop knocking the police and appreciate them more. I say to all members: remember that they are the ones who have to enforce the laws that we make. If we make more and more laws for them to enforce, then that is their problem, not ours. It is easy for us to make lots of laws, but if the demands on the police go up and up and up, that is a reflection on us as much as on them.
If we have a dry town in Alice Springs, all I can see happening is that we are asking the police to do more and more when, in fact, people should start taking responsibility for their own actions: stop doing the things they do, stop making our town look bad, be a good citizen, be a good resident of the Territory, and do not expect the police to always be chasing them.
We are going to have a debate on local government and the development of shires. There are lots of questions about that. I have already had an approach by a couple of people from remote communities who are concerned about being swallowed into a huge conglomerate. To date, because there is no detail of what is going to happen, they are worried that because they are a good council, they may be disadvantaged and have to wear the not-so-good councils, that they may lose control and autonomy. It is a real fear in the bush because people do not really know what is going on.
I have difficulty with the government agreeing with such large shires. When you look at the member for Barkly, these shires are geographically huge, and I worry that perhaps they are so vast and so remote, some of the little ones or those on borders will be forgotten. We will all be looking very closely at the amalgamation and the formation of new shires. There has to be a lot of work done to convince people that this is a good thing because, at the moment, they do not know what they are in for. There have been some people who have worked very hard in communities to make them work, and the last thing we want to do is to disadvantage them in any way.
When we talk about lifestyle, one thing that is good about the Territory is the number of sports we promote. When you look at a town like Alice Springs, you see the sporting facilities you have for a town of 26 000, you have to say: ‘Wow, this is tremendous!’ We have great things that come out of small towns like this - great people, great sports, great ventures - and we should be talking it up. Sometimes it worries me that we talk up the negatives and we forget to talk up the positives. We talk about the bad things, but we forget about all the good people in our communities, all the volunteers who help in sport or whatever area. If people were not committed to do the things they do, perhaps we could say: ‘No, we do not have such a healthy community.’ but when we know we have a healthy community, we should be talking up the good things.
What was the football academy launched last week?
Mr Hampton: Clontarf.
Mrs BRAHAM: Clontarf, yes. That is a great idea because the kids who were there loved it. They were so enthusiastic. If it means they will stay at school to be part of this academy, then great because, at the same time, they can learn the skills that will be useful when they leave. I wish luck with that academy and I hope it produces the footballers of the future. I will not go into that aspect at the moment; because that is another sore point from Central Australia: the opportunities provided for young footballers. Perhaps we can have that debate another day.
In closing, Mr Deputy Speaker, I was a little disappointed in the Chief Minister’s statement. I thought it would have a little more bite and something new, but, okay, we will wait and see what happens this year.
Mr WARREN (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I support the Chief Minister’s important statement in which she outlined how this government is rising to the challenge of protecting our great Territory lifestyle through strong economic growth.
As the Chief Minister stated, the Territory has the best lifestyle in the country, and the main priority of this government in 2007 is to continue to deliver our great way of life. What a great statement.
Sadly, it was not always this way. As we entered the 21st century, the CLP was still in government. For some 28 long, arduous years, a succession of CLP governments had progressively run down the Territory’s economy. Despite years of social reform and lifestyle betterment under federal Labor, the CLP took the whingeing, carping, negative view and opposed these positive federal Labor reforms at every turn. Not surprisingly, there was a feeling of general despair amongst Territorians. As Territorians, we generally did not feel very good about ourselves any more. I remember those dour days.
By the time the Liberals came to power federally, as a nation we were starting to reap the benefits of social reform and, shortly thereafter, Labor’s economic reform started having a positive impact. The states were entering a second generation of prosperity and modernisation, and Australia was going global. However, here in the Territory, it was different. During all those years of CLP rundown, we looked on with envy at what the other Australians were getting from their state governments. Their lifestyles were full, and vibrant, major sporting and social events flourished, with new jobs and secondary industries being created. There was a housing boom in southern Australia and Queensland, and there was a general sea change exodus to the north. However, the Territory was definitely not the destination of first choice.
It was a good time to be Australian, unless you were a Territorian. All the while, the CLP propaganda machine was cranking up higher and higher, trying to brainwash us with the time-honoured CLP myth that Territorians were different and were happy with our second-rate life because we only aspired to more basic needs; the myth that we were unique and contemporary pioneers and we did not want to have the trappings of southern modernisation thrust down our throats because getting in to southern ideas would mean losing our rugged outdoors frontier identity - all a CLP propaganda myth! The CLP was ‘bugger the rest of Australia’, we did not want to conform. It was best if we did things our way, without southern interference or, more correctly, if we did things the CLP way.
The truth is that was clearly a cop-out, as the CLP tried to convince us that second best was good enough; that our uniqueness was more important than our lifestyle. Speaking of the CLP way, we all know what that was. They believed that all would be okay if they looked after their mates. Remember that? I do. If you were part of the CLP family, you would be okay; the rest could go to hell. Even that did not last. The economy got so bad by the end of the CLP reign, they could not afford to continue to look after their mates. Thankfully in 2001, Territorians came to see through the CLP charade, and the CLP government was promptly dispatched.
In 2001, the new Martin Labor government was empowered with the huge responsibility of dealing with the infamous financial black hole and, most importantly, we had the huge task of turning the economy around. It was hard at first but, through a mixture of major project promotion and responsible fiscal management, things did turn around. I am proud that this government has transformed the Territory, and we are now the leading nation in economic prosperity. Business activity is at an all time high and our economy is strong, robust and growing. Most importantly, once again Territorians are proud to call the Territory home. We now have the lifestyle that befits our geographic status at the top of Australia.
The word is getting out there and now other Australians are learning that the Territory is a great place to live, stay and raise a family. That is only half the story. Even though the Martin Labor government has turned the Territory around since 2001 and ushered in an era of unprecedented prosperity, this government is not resting on its laurels. As I said, we are leading the nation in economic prosperity. Business activity is at an all time record and our economy is strong, robust and growing, and most importantly, it is sustainable. We all know that a strong local economy benefits Territory families. That is what good governments are elected to do: deliver economic prosperity for the benefit of their constituents.
The CLP, on the other hand, is bereft of ideas. All they can do is come up with new ways to try to talk down the economy. While everyone else knows the local economy is strong and healthy, the CLP are clearly living in the past, a drab and pessimistic past that they created. Interestingly, the Opposition Leader and the member for Greatorex went on radio last week and again started trying to talk down the economy. My goodness! What a fist full of wishy-washy, ill-informed diatribe that was. They tried to latch on to a spike in Darwin’s CPI for the 2006 year as evidence of inflation. What a joke!
As someone who has a Masters degree in Economics, I can assure this House that any economist worth their salt will tell you that when you have a strong and growing economy, you need more workers and these workers need to be housed. This was highlighted by the Chief Minister when she said: ‘Last week, the Northern Territory recorded an unemployment level of 2%, the lowest on record’. Then she went on to proudly state: ‘More Territorians are in work than ever before’. This morning, I was looking through the CDU lifestyle survey and that shows that 36% of people who come to the Territory say they come here because of our great pay and our great work conditions. Well, that speaks volumes on the Territory’s economy.
Anyway, continuing my point, because these workers who are attracted to the Territory need to be housed, it creates a strong demand for housing and the law of supply and demand means that housing costs go up. Because of our size, the majority of our CPI is determined by our local housing demand. The 2006 CPI spike is temporary and it will ease as the current boost of new housing and unit developments currently being constructed come on to the market. Any Year 12 economics student can tell you that.
Just for the record, the Martin Labor government, through its $50m subsidy of electricity and water plus $74m tax cuts so far, should be congratulated for responsibly putting additional downward pressure on inflation. Again, this government is on the ball at the helm of a healthy and strong economy.
While our longer-term Territorians remember the bad old days of the CLP, there is now an emergent newer generation of Territorians and they, too, need to be assured that the Martin Labor government is at the helm of change and at the forefront of their expectations. This government is in tune with Territorians and their future as the Chief Minister’s statement clearly showed.
That is why our gross state production has seen an incredible growth rate of 7.5% driven by investment which, I am proud to say, has been attracted by the Martin Labor government. While investment has been the driver behind GSP growth, what is most important - and I stress this point - future GSP growth is forecast at 6.2% in 2006-07, but specifically on the back of outputs from the mining and energy sectors plus the economic cycle, is now moving to long-term sustainability based on production growth.
We are entering exciting times which will benefit all Territorians. There is no better way for this government to ensure Territorians participate in this burgeoning sustainable and responsible growth than to devote attention to the training and education of Territorians. The Martin Labor government is absolutely committed to ensuring Territorians have the skills appropriate for the needs engendered by our sustainable economic growth.
I was particularly pleased when the Chief Minister talked about how we are well ahead of our schedule to target 10 000 apprentices and trainees for 2008. With Jobs Plan 3, we will have a homegrown workforce trained on the basis of matching workforce skills with local industry needs. This is sustainable skills training at its best, and what I particularly like is that Jobs Plan 3 will target jobs in the bush.
Palmerston and the rural area surrounding Darwin are acknowledged as the fastest growing areas in the Territory. New estate developments are rapidly being developed and released, particularly in the Humpty Doo and Herbert areas of my electorate of Goyder.
Demand for rural blocks is strong as more and more families come to realise the intrinsic value of raising their children in the rural area. Affordable housing is important to all Territorians. I was very pleased to hear the Chief Minister proudly outline how Home Territory 2010 is providing great pathways for all Territorians to access safe and affordable housing. I am sure I did hear the Chief Minister correctly when she said that a massive $182m spread over 952 loans and shared equity purchases were funded by the government since 2003-04. Is that correct, Chief Minister?
Ms Martin: It might have been the Housing minister who provided those figures.
Mr WARREN: I am sure it is. Anyway, it is fabulous and it means a lot of happy Territorians indeed.
As the Chief Minister declared, the Labor government is delivering the largest capital education investment in the Territory’s history. My constituents have certainly benefited by the capital works expenditure of $12m at Palmerston High, and almost $5m spent on Taminmin High to bring these two great schools up to the sustainable education standard required as part of the middle schools and senior years reforms. The effective delivery of middle years programs to remote schools will continue to build on the already improving outcomes for indigenous secondary students. Over the spectrum of educational reform, I am confident that we will significantly improve access, engagement and learning outcomes for all students across the Territory. They will have greater access to a wider range of subjects, vocational education and training programs. The Martin Labor government has helped create 6000 new jobs in a safe environment during the last year. More than 2000 of these are new apprentices - another great news story.
As the Chief Minister reiterated, the health of all Territorians will continue to be a major priority of this government. The Martin Labor government has employed 270 more nurses, more than 100 extra doctors and created 50 more hospital beds across the Territory. Proudly, we have increased health funding by 64% since 2001.
Like most run-down departments we inherited in 2001, the police force was considerably under-resourced and under-funded. It took a 55% increase in expenditure on our police resources to turn things around. House break-ins are down over 50% over the six years of the Martin Labor government. Commercial break-ins are down 31% over the same period. Motor vehicle related offences are down 51%, and other theft is down by 25%. Property damage is down by 29%. We spend 2.5 times the national average on police. This is all great news.
Thanks to the Martin Labor government, we now have the Humpty Doo Police Station in my electorate of Goyder. It is a great success and recognition of the needs of our rural Territorians. The Humpty Doo Police Station has significantly broadened the reach of the police in the greater Darwin area and rural areas. Regular trips are now made to Dundee, Belyuen, Wagait Beach and Mandorah, as well as significantly extending the regularly serviced areas to the eastern and southern rural areas. So you can see, thanks to the Martin Labor government, the long arm of the law is reaching even further.
Earlier, I discussed growth in the rural area as a result of the Martin Labor government’s generation of economic wealth for Territorians. As Territorians become more prosperous, many look to our fabulous rural area for our local version of a sea change and, to meet this growth, this government is continuing to look at how to facilitate public transport in rural areas as well as urban areas. Thanks to this government, we now have regular school runs and significantly increased public transport services to the rural area. To take us into the future, we have recently carried out a comprehensive review of bus schedules targeting the services where they are most needed: new and better value-for-money fare structures and improved bus contracts.
Mr Deputy Speaker, this government is committed to delivering for all Territorians well into the future. Unlike the CLP, our lifestyle is utmost in our minds. We have, and will continue to back that up with strong, sustainable and responsible economic growth that has delivered to the Territory a lifestyle that is the best in Australia. I thank the Chief Minister for her most enlightening statement and I eagerly look forward to further updates from her over the coming years.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is an important statement to start the year, spelling out the government’s priorities for 2007. I thank all those who have contributed to the debate - the ministers who, in their own portfolio areas, talked about priorities, and certainly the very thoughtful contributions from other members of the House.
I do not think there was any gloss in the statement. What I did was outline key priorities for Territorians and the initiatives that we are putting in place to achieve those priorities or to tackle problems that we have. The statement ranged over a whole raft of areas that are critical to the future of the Northern Territory. It was a statement of fact. It did not try to pretend there are no problems when clearly there are, particularly in areas like alcohol. It was very much a practical document that will guide this government over 2007 in areas like local government, in tricky areas like child abuse, challenges like education and health, the challenges of creating a workforce that has the skills that we need - a whole range of issues.
I was disappointed to hear the Opposition Leader say that it was all gloss, there was nothing there and it was a statement of no substance. It is disappointing that an Opposition Leader who says that she should, in the fullness of time, be Chief Minister, should respond to a statement that outlines government’s agenda for 2007 by saying I was too busy or I do not have the resources for a response to this. The opposition has the resources that the Labor Party had in opposition. You turn up in the House and say: ‘Oh, I am just going to make a few comments on this’. It is an inadequate performance from the opposition and a real contempt of this parliament that the Opposition Leader should come in and say: ‘Oh, I do not see one statement’.
Just look at the Opposition Leader’s performance yesterday. There was one statement in this House, a major statement about the government priorities for the year, and there was no preparation done by the Opposition Leader for that statement. She put that on the record. There was one item of legislation in this House yesterday, the Professional Standards Bill, and the Opposition Leader could not even bother to be here to talk to that legislation as the shadow Attorney-General. In terms of the Opposition Leader’s contribution to debate here yesterday, she could not turn up for the only item of legislation that she had to deal with yesterday, and then, when it comes to the major statement in front of the House, the only statement in front of the House yesterday, said: ‘I could not manage to do anything that was constructive, so I am just going to make a few comments’. We listened to the Opposition Leader who had nothing constructive to say. This is the opposition who says they should be government because they know better, because they have a better vision for the Territory. Was there any sign of that yesterday? Not a bit, not a bit of that. All we heard from the Opposition Leader was dismissing what was put up. Was there any sense of an alternative? No, Mr Deputy Speaker; nothing at all.
The contribution by the Opposition Leader was superficial. She simply made some glib comments about the detail of the initiatives or priorities in the statement and it was negative, negative, negative. From an Opposition Leader who says: ‘I have ideas about the future of the Territory’, there were not any on show. It was simply a knocking exercise and a waste of this parliament’s time. From an Opposition Leader who is very critical of government, there was not an alternative. Not one - oh, sorry, I take it back; there was one. There was a reference to the fact that we should reintroduce mandatory sentencing. Let us turn full circle and go back to the mandatory sentencing regime. That was the only idea put on the whole range of issues across the Territory from alcohol management, the problems we have dealing with alcohol in the Territory, the initiatives government is taking – not a word from the opposition about whether we could do it differently, whether they would do it differently.
On education, there was just knocking, not accepting that where there is such a deficit in the bush in secondary education, that we have taken strides – no comment on that; just a dismissal, saying that there was not anything of substance in the speech. Yet, in key areas for Territorians, that is what we are dealing with. She accused me of choosing a sprinkling of issues I think important to talk about. Jobs! They are important. If the Opposition Leader tried stepping out the door of this parliament, she would find that a lot of Territorians are interested in a job. Health! Step out the door again. Education! Step out the door. Policing, alcohol management, the future of Alice Springs, the future of Darwin – they are all issues that are important to Territorians. Yet, the best contribution the Opposition Leader can make is to say that I have chosen a sprinkling of issues that I think are important.
The fundamental issues for Territorians are important. However, the Opposition Leader might have persuaded me in this House if she had produced a raft of issues that could articulate strategies that, perhaps, were more important to Territorians, but she did not.
I thank the ministers who contributed to this debate outlining what their portfolio issues were. I thank our backbenchers for their contributions. As far as the Opposition Leader goes, it was a disgraceful performance. It was a careless, lazy performance; it had no alternatives, and it was negative. The Opposition Leader wants to look at her performance in this House yesterday – not turning up for the only bill she had to debate, and not putting any effort at all into a major statement in this House is a real contempt for the parliamentary process.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Tackling the Misuse and Abuse of Alcohol in the Northern Territory
Tackling the Misuse and Abuse of Alcohol in the Northern Territory
Dr BURNS (Health): Mr Deputy Speaker, today I address one of the greatest challenges facing the Northern Territory: alcohol abuse. The high levels of harmful alcohol consumption among some groups continues to put many Territorians at risk. Too many Territorians are drinking in ways which put them and others at risk of gaol, injury, health problems, or death.
The Martin government recognises that the negative impact of alcohol on communities, families and individuals across the Territory is unacceptable. As a government, we are intent on dealing with these problems in an effective and comprehensive way. The majority of Territorians are responsible drinkers, and an enjoyable drink is an important part of our great Territory lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with sensible drinking.
It is, however, unfortunate that a significant proportion of Territorians engage in excessive alcohol consumption. This has a negative impact on not only those closest to them, but the community at large. Apart from the obvious human toll, alcohol abuse also puts massive pressure on services like our health agencies, law enforcement authorities, and the justice system.
The statistics underscore the significance of the challenge confronting the Territory. The Territory spends millions of dollars on dealing with alcohol-related harm. For example, nearly $7m is committed to treatment services. This year, $2.36m has been committed to sobering-up shelters alone. In 2005-06, per capita consumption in the Territory was calculated at 17.3 litres of pure alcohol per person. This is some 70% higher than for Australia as a whole.
As I mentioned, Territorians drink in ways that place them at greater risk of harm than other Australians. We all know about the dangers of drink driving. Territorians are nearly 50% more likely than other Australians to suffer short-term harm such as injury or illness as a result of drinking. Our harmful drinking patterns mean we are almost 80% more likely than other Australians to suffer long-term harm through chronic disease and permanent ill health.
On that basis, it is probably not surprising then that 24 927 people in the Territory were placed into protective custody in 2005-06. More than 6800 Territorians were hospitalised for alcohol-related conditions over that same period. Fifty-eight percent of assaults were alcohol-related and 65% of prisoners were gaoled for an alcohol-elated offence. Alcohol was involved in 71% of police incidents across the Territory. Alcohol was the main reason for people accessing treatment services; alcohol is the primary drug for 61% of clients admitted to substance treatment programs. Alcohol accounts for only 37% of admissions to the same services across Australia as a whole.
Then, of course, there is the tragic impact of harmful drinking on Aboriginal Territorians. This week’s release of the latest edition of National Health Indicators paints a grim picture of the disproportionately high toll alcohol is extracting on Aboriginal people right across Australia, including the Northern Territory. The National Health Indicators Bulletin 11 shows the NT central region has Australia’s highest incidence of alcohol-related Aboriginal deaths at 14 deaths per 10 000. The national average of alcohol-related deaths for all Australians, indigenous and non-indigenous, is 4.17 per 10 000. It is obvious from the statistics and what we in this House all know through our own experience that as a community, we drink too much.
The challenge is not only to address our high and harmful levels of alcohol consumption, but also to attack the culture of alcohol that has existed in the Territory since its settlement by Europeans. Governments over the years have recognised the problems and I pay particular tribute to former Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, in that regard. His well-intentioned Living with Alcohol program, unfortunately, foundered when a High Court ruling determined that the Territory did not have the capacity to impose a tax on alcohol that funded the initiative. It is unfortunate that, after this ruling stripped the Living with Alcohol program of its funding base, the CLP dropped the ball on alcohol and alcohol management throughout the Territory.
It is against this backdrop that the Martin government initiated its Alcohol Framework consultations, and in late 2004 adopted a new and innovative approach to the issues involved. I outline to members of the House some of the work that has occurred over the past two years in our efforts to address the pressing issues surrounding alcohol misuse and abuse. These problems are long-standing, complex and multifaceted. There is no magic bullet, no simple solution or single answer to the problems associated with alcohol. The government is intent on finding the best mix of strategies to make a difference whilst also not detracting from our great Territory lifestyle. Key to our approach is a whole-of-government perspective and the engagement of communities to find local solutions for the problems they face. We are conscious that the problems confronting communities differ across the Territory and that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work.
The whole-of-government emphasis is critical to ensuring success, although there are some agencies like Racing, Gaming and Licensing, Police and Health, which are going to be more directly involved than others. An example of the cooperative strategies being undertaken by different departments is the joint approach from Police and Racing, Gaming and Licensing to address liquor and antisocial behaviour problems around suburban supermarkets.
Sadly, this is a problem of which we all are well aware. The strategy involves intensive surveillance, engagement with drinkers and residents in the neighbourhood, training for supermarket staff in responsible service of alcohol, and increased public awareness of intervention and complaint processes.
This strategy was initially trialled in Darwin and is now being used in Alice Springs. Feedback from residents and community organisations in Darwin has been very positive. There was a notable reduction in alcohol-related antisocial behaviour near the liquor outlets in the area targeted as itinerants moved away from those general areas.
As I mentioned, a key feature of the government’s approach has been to facilitate local solutions to local problems. Alcohol problems are not the same in every part of the Territory and the resources available to different communities to address these problems vary. Obviously, life on a relatively isolated community is markedly different from that in an urban Territory centre. Similarly, the five major urban centres of the Territory differ from one another in significant ways. It is recognised that each location has different priorities for attention and that different strategies sensitive to local conditions and circumstances may need to be implemented.
This flexibility is being delivered through our alcohol management plans. These plans support local communities to develop their own responses to local alcohol and related issues. They require communities to look at issues in a strategic and connected way so that actions can be planned and linked to deliver the best possible outcomes. By detailing a clear framework for action, the plans also assist accountability of both government and non-government stakeholders to the local community.
Alcohol management plans have to be both practical and achievable. They are dynamic in the sense that they are continually revisited and modified as circumstances change, or the effectiveness of strategies becomes obvious. They are typically structured around demand reduction, harm reduction and supply reduction.
The Northern Territory Licensing Commission contributes to supply reduction by controlling the liquor licence conditions within an area. The decisions of the Commission can complement and contribute to broader based strategies. In some cases, communities want supply reductions. They see this as a way of securing some immediate change. In Nguiu, for example, full strength beer sales at the local club were suspended by the commission in 2006 following approaches by the community. The sale of only mid-strength and light beer has resulted in a significant reduction in violence and tension in the community, but we all realise there is more to do. In the first three months of the new restrictions, monthly alcohol-related after-hours call-outs for police dropped from 21 to one.
While I am pleased to be able to point to positive outcomes like this, I share the concerns of my colleague, the member for Arafura, who feels that more has to be done to address the impact of some of these social clubs on remote communities. Like her, I believe we have to look at the wider ramifications of alcohol on individual communities. We have to get a more clearly defined picture of what alcohol means in its health and social impacts.
Alcohol management plans can be initiated by any community, with government providing funding, expert advice and linkages at the departmental level. Government stays actively involved with each community through all stages in the development and implementation of a plan to help ensure the plan is realistic and manageable, while meeting both community and government expectations. Over the last 12 months, work has begun on developing comprehensive alcohol management plans and they are in various stages of development in a dozen communities across the Territory.
The 12-month alcohol management trial began in Alice Springs in October 2006. Initial discussions with community stakeholders have also occurred in Batchelor, Daly River, Darwin, Borroloola and Mataranka. A number of other communities have made initial inquiries. Financial assistance has been provided to Tennant Creek, Katherine, Gove, Jabiru, Palmerston and Timber Creek to enable work to begin in canvassing the issues and options for alcohol management plans. These plans are expected to be rolled out over the first half of this year.
In 2005-06, $94 000 was committed to the development of alcohol management plans across the Territory. A further $110 000 has been allocated for this purpose in the current financial year, along with $137 500 to assist in implementation.
I would like to highlight a couple of these plans to show the impact that they can have and the directions they are taking. The Alice Springs plan was the first to be implemented. It was developed under the auspices of a high-level task force headed by the Chief Minister, major community leaders and included the Mayor and an alderman from the Alice Springs Town Council. The plan was announced in September and details 23 specific actions to be implemented by agencies such as Justice, Police, Health, Racing, Gaming and Licensing, as well as the non-government and commercial sectors.
Early anecdotal reports suggest the plan is to produce positive outcomes that include a shift from wine products to beer and mixed spirits. I am pleased to report that, in the first three months of the restrictions, the amount of pure alcohol consumed in Alice Springs has fallen by 11%. Initial reports from Alice Springs Hospital indicate there have been fewer hospital presentations for alcohol-related injuries in the past three months and less disruption in some town camps. Police Southern Command has reported that apprehensions for protective custody have decreased by 50% in the first three months of the trial. However, we are also aware that there has been a product switch to beer associated with the trial, and there were reports that litter has become more noticeable.
Officers from Racing, Gaming and Licensing, the Department of the Chief Minister, Correctional Services and the Alice Springs Town Council are meeting to develop further strategies to deal with this aspect of the trial and work with the community to assist with positive solutions. I note that in a recent ABC interview, Gap Road Smart Mart Manager, Tony Phillips, who has been an Alice Springs resident for some 14 years, commented that he ‘has not seen any liquor supply laws make such a positive impact as these’.
Although there is yet to be a formal evaluation, the initial results are certainly encouraging, and I urge Alice Springs Town Council and aldermen who were represented on the original task force to support the trial in its entirety.
The work being undertaken in Nhulunbuy is also notable, largely for the innovative nature of what is being developed. Following a background report funded by government, a computer-based permit system has been proposed by the local Harmony Group. The Harmony Group broadly represents local government and non-government interests. The computer program likely to be used in Gove is called the ID-Eye. I have had a chance to see it in operation elsewhere in Australia and I am impressed by its potential. ID-Eye allows instant recognition of a person’s status as to whether or not they are permitted to buy alcohol. The Licensing Commission has given in-principle support to the proposal. This computer-based system will help in the enforcement of limits on takeaway sales. Importantly, it will also enable the proper enforcement and management of the plan by linking data from licensed outlets in the Nhulunbuy region.
As members of the House would appreciate, the potential of such a system for controlling access to alcohol is enormous. However, that potential must be balanced against the practical, legal, policy and ethical issues. Those issues are now being examined and, presuming matters can be satisfactorily addressed, it is expected that the system will be trialled in the next few months.
The idea for this system emerged from the experience of Groote Eylandt. After many years of discussion and negotiations, communities on Groote Eylandt introduced a permit system which allowed takeaway sales to be monitored and managed. We have seen some extremely encouraging results since the permit system was introduced on Groote Eylandt. There have been some dramatic reductions in alcohol-related incidents attended by police and the health clinic, especially after hours. There have been decreased levels of family violence, and a reduction in absenteeism in the indigenous workforce at the GEMCO mine. The Liquor Management Plan has received a ringing endorsement from GEMCO management. They have said:
- As of the financial year 2005 (pre-Liquor Management Plan implementation), our indigenous employees were running on an average of 7.1% sick leave. From July 2005 to the current date, these same employees are averaging 2.4% sick leave. We attribute this to the Liquor Management Plan.
Drink driving offences have dropped from 20 in the year prior to the implementation of the plan to four in the first year of operation. Aggravated assaults have fallen by 80% since 2003. I will say that again, Mr Deputy Speaker, because that is highly significant in a place like Groote Eylandt: aggravated assaults have fallen by 80% since 2003. There have also been reductions in property crime. This includes a dramatic reduction in unlawful entries. Not surprisingly, the island’s plan has been reported in the national press with its outcome of increased indigenous employment and business opportunities applauded. Such results are impressive and exemplify the kind of gains that can be made when local communities and government work together to find solutions for their issues.
In addition to working in partnership with communities and effectively coordinating the resources of government, the Martin government is also using its legislative and regulatory capacity to offer improved and more extensive options for the community to address alcohol issues. A complete rewrite of the Liquor Act is at the forefront of these initiatives. After more than 20 years of ad hoc amendments, a dedicated team led by Racing, Gaming and Licensing is working on a new act that will bring liquor control in line with contemporary thinking, experience and needs of the Northern Territory.
Our understanding of alcohol issues and the effectiveness of different control measures has changed markedly since the Northern Territory Liquor Act was first formulated. The new act will be fundamental to the way the Territory goes about managing the responsible promotion, supply and consumption of alcohol for many years to come. A draft is expected shortly, and I will be saying more about this at a later date.
Although we are still finalising the redrafting of the Liquor Act, it was decided in June last year to place a moratorium on the granting of new takeaway licences for 12 months. After that period, new takeaway licences will be limited to hotels and clubs only. There will be no new takeaway licences granted to supermarkets in the Northern Territory. This recognises that most consumption in the Territory, and the resultant consequences, occurs away from licensed premises. Some two-thirds of alcohol sales in the Territory are takeaways, and recent data from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia study showed that more than 90% of Territorians placed in the watch-house in Darwin last drank in a park, a public place or at home.
As a result of our election commitment, legislation has been passed that deals specifically with antisocial behaviour and alcohol. This includes the introduction of alcohol courts in July 2006. Forty-eight people have been referred to these special alcohol courts in Darwin and Alice Springs. One person has been issued with a prohibition order, while alcohol intervention orders have been made in relation to another 29 offenders. A prohibition order is aimed at preventing individuals with alcohol problems from drinking alcohol. Alcohol intervention orders put recipients under intensive supervision, including the prospect of mandatory rehabilitation or restrictions on where they can live. Alcohol courts are only in their early stages of operation and are dealing with offenders with complex rehabilitation and support needs.
As you know, Mr Deputy Speaker, the Territory’s remote communities have had the option of being declared dry for many years. In the 2005 election, the Martin government committed to offering people in the major centres the opportunity to declare dry areas. The dry area laws apply to both public and private areas. Alice Springs Town Council has already declared its interest in using the new laws. A public meeting is being held into the application, with the community having a chance to find out more about the application and its consequences.
Other councils are also considering using this tool to deal with public drinking and the problems it produces. I also note that the member for Nightcliff is currently working with her local community, as well as business, the Darwin City Council and police to see dry areas established in her electorate. I know we will hear more about that initiative later in this debate.
The new dry private premises laws have seen 49 successful applicants across the Territory use this new initiative to declare their residences dry, with another 22 applications pending. Indications are that this initiative is achieving some positive results. I noted a letter to the Editor of the Northern Territory News on 3 February, from Mr Bob Marquis of Fannie Bay. In his letter, Mr Marquis said:
- Since the installation of the ‘grog house’ sign on the front door in my neighbourhood there has not been any trouble from the residents. It has been unbelievably successful.
I am not suggesting that Mr Marquis’ experience is absolutely representative of the results from the private dry areas law, but it indicates the initiative definitely can achieve success in certain cases.
One final strategy I would like to mention is that of Liquor Accords. These are essentially voluntary agreements between neighbouring licensees to implement consistent actions aimed at increasing patron care both on and around licensed premises. Their management usually involves other agencies such as Police or Health or Local Government. Accords have gained increasing popularity in other jurisdictions and several accords have been set up in various parts of the Territory with the help of the Australian Hotels Association. Tennant Creek licensees have joined together to ensure better management of alcohol in Tennant Creek. The Katherine licensees have been involved in similar discussions. The licensees involved are to be congratulated for their involvement.
The government is now considering a framework that will offer greater support for future accords. We are looking to strengthen local attempts at accords while also encouraging more licensees to become involved as part of the solution to alcohol-related harm. This is on top of ongoing discussions with the broader alcohol industry - and I include both retailers and wholesalers here - that are aimed at securing greater cooperation and support for government initiatives.
This government knows that sensible drinking is an important part of the Territory’s great lifestyle. Territorians must be able to continue to enjoy a drink with their friends and families, but the human and economic consequences of our high levels of alcohol consumption are all too obvious, and we have a responsibility to continue working to minimise the negative impact of alcohol across the Territory.
Our approach to addressing problem drinking that has been so prevalent for so long in the Territory must continue to be creative and flexible. We must not only continue to support good practice; we must continue to explore new options to address alcohol problems. We have made some important gains in tackling alcohol issues, but we are also realistic. We still have a long way to go because the culture of big drinking is a strong one in the Territory. Tackling this culture and achieving lasting change is a long-term proposition.
I applaud the efforts of those across the Territory, whether they are community members in councils, the police force or public servants, and all of those who embrace these new options. Their efforts to make a difference deserve our thanks. This government will continue to tackle alcohol misuse and abuse and the associated problems that it brings to our community. I believe the developments I have outlined today provide a sound platform for action and this government is committed to building on that platform.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of this statement.
Mr STIRLING (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing’s ministerial statement on alcohol abuse. There can be no question that much of the responsibility for much of the Territory’s crime, antisocial behaviour and general ill health can be laid at the door of alcohol abuse - this is not a few drinks on a Friday or Saturday night, but consistent and rampant alcohol abuse. To ignore it is to ignore the root cause of much of our social ill. That is why this statement from the minister is such an important one, and one which clearly puts into place the government’s alcohol agenda for the next few years.
The government has engaged on the development of clear, relevant and local alcohol management plans, plans that are devised in consultation with the local community so that they address the local trouble spots and issues. They are also based on data and research provided by the Alcohol Policy Unit and the Racing, Gaming and Licensing group as a whole.
The plans are carefully drawn up and then implemented and monitored. The government believes that it is important at all times to monitor the outcomes to ensure we are not wasting time on ineffective policies. It is hard to go past this approach; it is local, it is relevant, and it is comprehensive. It deals with the issues as they occur in each community. While there are many general aspects to a problem such as alcohol abuse, there are always local peculiarities that either magnify those problems or, alternatively, local issues which mitigate solutions that are applied elsewhere.
For members, I would like to outline my own and my electorate officer’s experience in assisting with the development of the local plans for Nhulunbuy which have been constructed as part of an overall attack on antisocial behaviour in this area. The first thing occurred was the formation of a local committee, headed up originally by Mike Hindle, the Town Administrator, with representation from Alcan, Northern Territory government agencies across the board, NGOs, the Chamber of Commerce and indigenous communities from the region. Over many months, ideas were refined and the group model studied very closely.
I was pleased to hear those indicative statistics mentioned by the minister in his statement because they are telling. They are telling when we are achieving such reductions across such a wide range of antisocial behaviour from alcohol abuse which leads to crime. Those figures speak for themselves. Senior Sergeant Tony Fuller, who came to Nhulunbuy from Groote, and John Cook from the local community Harmony Group, are to be commended for their leadership throughout what has been a very long term but a very well considered process, with the implementation of a permit system for takeaway alcohol now in sight.
Many people have been involved in the committee and many people in the community have been involved in the process. There has been extensive consultation, not with just Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala, but Ski Beach, Marngarr, Galupa and the outlying communities. I thank all those involved for their diligence and commitment. If it can work in Groote, we have a view that we can make it work in Nhulunbuy. That is the process that has occurred thus far in Nhulunbuy. I am most keen to see the implementation of this plan and, most importantly, the outcomes following implementation of the permit system.
The minister did speak, as I said, of the success of the actions in Groote Eylandt, Tiwi, Alice Springs. I am convinced we will be able to replicate that in Nhulunbuy because those figures do not just happen. Groote has been a trouble spot, particularly for domestic violence, for very many years. When we are talking about 50%, 60% and 70% reductions in those crime indicators, we are talking about a very significant move forward. You see it when you visit Groote in a whole range of areas; for example, the money spent by the people themselves from royalties on a training facility to enable them to skill up the local people for employment on the island. Ten years ago, that would have been a joke. You would not have been able to get people to go there. We see in the figures quoted by the minister in relation to sick leave from the indigenous employees of GEMCO. Everywhere you look on that island, there are very strong positives, all directly related to fact that they are off the grog.
It is in the context of those sorts of developments that we are seeing in place and the effectiveness of them that we should ask Alice Springs to have a little patience with where they are at the moment. The glass is a problem, we recognise that, but glass can be cleaned up much more easily than damaged, broken and brutalised bodies from the effects of alcohol abuse. We have to remember that the cost of alcohol abuse, the dysfunction of families that comes with it, the injuries, the trauma to individuals and the damage done to the families across the board is debilitating enough on its own. There is a huge economic cost behind it as well. The economic cost of failure of these people to be work ready in a time of labour shortage in the Northern Territory where everyone able to get a job does get a job, those who are suffering from the abuse of alcohol are missing the best opportunity in 40 years in the Northern Territory to become a mainstream part of the economic development of their own region.
Of course, there is the economic cost of providing the health services, costing the taxpayer and the government millions and reducing our ability to spend those funds in key preventative primary health care areas. There is the economic cost of crime and antisocial behaviour and the inevitable flow through the courts in the prison system. The list goes on in the direct cost on one hand and the cost of the lost opportunity on the other.
Clearly, we are learning as we go along, but the evidence to date has been positive. I am proud to be part of a government that has had the intestinal fortitude to tackle these difficult issues, unlike our opponents who have yet to miss any populist bandwagon that appears on the horizon.
The decision to halt takeaway licence applications for a year and then only to allow them for hotels and clubs in the future is not only giving this government and the community valuable breathing space to continue to develop local alcohol management plans, but it underlines the government seriousness in resolving this social problem. Perhaps if we had known more about it when we were first elected in 2001, the earlier that decision was made, the more we are going to benefit from it. With hindsight, I would like to have seen us make that decision far earlier than we did.
However, I support the minister’s statement wholeheartedly. Most importantly, I thank him for his individual and personal commitment for this ongoing work because this is one of the greatest social challenges that this government faces. He is doing a great job. We are there to support him and I want to encourage him to keep going in the direction he is.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, opposition supports the statement. There is no more important issue for us as a whole to address - and address it we must. It feeds into the very essence of that to which we aspire - a quality lifestyle - and to be able to capitalise on that which we have been blessed. Moreover, people in the Territory are our greatest resource. The harm that many inflict upon themselves, sadly, diminishes our capacity to make use of our location, the resources that we have, and the people themselves.
No one at any barbecue or gathering would go away without some reference being made to this issue - not in my experience, anyway. It appears at every gathering that I have had socially in the past four or five years, this issue rises to the surface, and increasingly so. What is useful in these discussions that occur in back yards and households all around the Territory is real information – data, facts and figures. That is what helps us to get a grasp on, first, the nature of a very serious problem; and, second, once we have a clear view of the nature of the problem, then we have some capacity to begin the process of putting in place appropriate measures to deal with that problem.
The minister has greater resources than I and perhaps has access to this information. I understand that when we consider the perception of indigenous Territorians as being those who have a problem with drink - it seems to be fairly evident and is often, sadly, the topic of conversation and does affect the perception of indigenous Territorians - I have heard that the number of problem drinkers who are indigenous are smaller as a percentage of the total indigenous population than the number of non-indigenous problem drinkers as a percentage of the total non-indigenous population. That is, there are many more indigenous Territorians who manage to live without alcohol problems. Sadly, what we see in our malls and public spaces reinforces a very negative perception which, in fact, is not the case when there are many indigenous Territorians who have maintained a noble fight against alcohol and go largely unrecognised.
We have noticed that in our tours around the Northern Territory, and I have mentioned it a few times in addresses here. There are some outstanding characters in communities right across the Territory, unsung heroes who should be elevated to the highest places of honour because of their contribution to a very serious problem. However, because they are far from highly populated areas and they struggle away in the backblocks dedicating their lives to combating this problem, they are largely not seen. Those indigenous leaders - particularly the men who have made a decision not to drink because they have seen the horror of it and the destructive effect of alcohol in their own lives and families - who have made a quality decision not to drink are heroes and need to be the catalyst for greater and more concerted action that will result in more being able to stand up and say: ‘I am now in control of this, and I do so for the sake of the young ones’.
I remember, most notably, two men with whom I spoke at Wadeye, and I wondered why they had chosen to take a leadership role. They told me their story. Once they were the worst of the worst, and they saw how bad they were and changed, and now have decided to fight the good fight. It is they and many others that I use as inspiration to continue my comments and whatever I can do to make a change in this area. I dedicate my comments to the indigenous men particularly who have made that quality decision to live a life alongside of and, in many cases, abstaining from alcohol so that they can make a difference.
These stories need to be told. They need to be understood and respected by many people who have discussions around our barbecues and feed a perception that is decidedly negative and has other factors that drive it, one being poverty and dislocation from the economic mainstream. Those issues aside, it is the data, the facts, the information we require.
There was reference made in the minister’s statement to Living with Alcohol. It is a program that has been spoken about with respect from both sides of the Chamber. That is heartening because we do recognise the problem and we have seen a program that has worked. We have recorded the reasons why that program ceased to operate. It was as a result of removal of a very important funding stream. I acknowledge that the underlying principles of the program itself were not continued, and that is a disappointment because those underlying principles still speak to us today. I understand, too, that the funding stream that was ceased as a result of a High Court decision was replaced by the Commonwealth in another form. I need to investigate that. Maybe the minister knows. Did that replaced funding stream by the Commonwealth continue to flow? Did it continue to flow in the same measure, and to what use was it put, and is it being put today?
In referring to the principles that guided the Living with Alcohol framework, I will say as a member of the opposition that those principles will hold the keys to a sound strategy to turn us around once again. There is a lot of activity at the moment, and I note the reference to the different enterprises in place in different communities. I am playing some small part in Palmerston and have observed at close quarters what is going on in Katherine. I applaud those communities that are getting together and endeavouring to come up with a framework or plan to deal with the problem in their own communities. That is very important because there is local ownership of the problem.
More importantly, you have that essential ingredient, but there is nothing worse than raising the expectations of a community in response to a deadly serious problem and not being able to have the underlying principles that will drive that enthusiasm, conviction, commitment and ownership by local communities through to success. There comes this opportune time. If you have the community on board, they have developed their plan, and there are not the resources behind to ensure that they have immediate success, you end up with compounding disappointment, and that is a grave concern.
Therefore, I urge the minister to assess the levels of deeper resourcing to the implementation in a very timely manner. We are talking about people; we are not talking about processes and bureaucracies. We are talking about people who are living in communities who are largely volunteers desirous of some change. Let their desire and their earnest expectation not be dashed by slow bureaucratic processes. It is absolutely critical because if that does occur, we might be able to tick boxes and have further statements, but we have disappointed folk out in the backblocks who have gotten themselves together in the hope that something might happen. It might just linger on.
There are lots of stakeholders and interest groups who will compete amongst themselves and, sadly, if it is left too late, those who have an interest to sell a little more alcohol or to compromise the plan in one way or another. We will still have the problem largely unaddressed to re-emerge another day.
I have not been in this Chamber for 28 years and it would appear that from comments that have been made most noticeably in a few addresses back, that there should be a war crimes tribunal for members of the former regime who decimated the Northern Territory. I was not a member of the former regime. There were some good things that happened in the past. Of course, when there is a change of government, which could happen, are we going to say: ‘Look at the terrible, terrible things. We might have a war crimes tribunal as well about the terrible, terrible things that happened’? Put that silly business aside, if you do not mind.
This is a very serious matter, as is anything that affects the potential of the Territory, which largely involves alcohol and indigenous issues. It really should transcend politics as far as possible. We could diminish that kind of banter and dishonesty that sometimes go on at the expense of a political point and we could make some real gains, as we are seeing in the substance abuse committee, which is one of things that gives me some hope. It is at least an opportunity to be useful in this Chamber.
The Living with Alcohol program provided real data. Before coming into this Chamber, I remember visiting the Alice Springs Show. I was absolutely floored to see the little display – which is probably still there, but I saw it a few years back - where there was a demonstration of the quantity of alcohol that the average person in Alice Springs had drunk in that year. It was an average. The minister cited 17.3 litres of pure alcohol. When you see that translated into cartons of beer, bottles of bourbon, casks of wine and mixed drinks, it is staggering. I remember seeing it, which was hard data provided by the Living with Alcohol program. The program was reinforced by advertisements on the television telling you that light beer is a suitable option, that Territorians could drink light beer. It reinforced a different approach to alcohol and the Living with Alcohol idea, that education process. Seeing that in front of me, I could not believe it. I could not believe that anyone could drink that much. Then what I found chilling was that I never did. Then I spoke to my wife and she never did. Perhaps together, or maybe with three or four of her friends, we might have been able to deal with that pile in front of us.
If I had not pulled my weight and a couple of others had not managed to consume the average, someone is drinking a heck of a lot. There are only two kidneys in every human being. It showed me that there are some people drinking extraordinary amount of alcohol. That is frightening. When you consider, too, that there would be many ladies drinking large amounts who are pregnant and that affects the next one, which I find most tragic. We have seen the effects. As an educator, I have seen the effects of young ones who, try as you might to get them to understand stuff, they have the effects of alcohol and they have never drunk. It comes through to the foetus. That is a significant effect; when you consider what is going on in our communities, and those who are drinking to excess, hopelessly consuming vast quantities of alcohol, and the harm that is impacting on the unborn, it is frightening. It is a problem that will be there for future members of this Chamber to address through education, health and our legal system. It has to be dealt with.
Living with Alcohol provided some very solid data. The problem has been clearly outlined, and it is shocking. We have spoken about cooperative strategies, and that is good. It is not new, but it is good and important. We need to have programs owned by local communities, which is absolutely essential, but there is a time, a human dynamic, that you must strike whilst the iron is hot. The three elements that the minister referred to in his statement are important: the demand for alcohol; the supply of that demand; and the harm that is caused as a result of consumption.
I recently had the great honour of visiting Taiwan and spent some time in Indonesia as well,. It was interesting to look at those societies and to see their appetite for alcohol. Do they have the same problems? Apparently not. In Taiwan, there was a time when the indigenous people had a serious alcohol problem and that has been reduced significantly. When I investigated how significant this alcohol problem was, it was nowhere near the level that we encounter. It is shocking to visit another society …
Mr McAdam: I am interested to find out how they reduced it.
Mr MILLS: Yes, I will talk about that, but it is some of the factors we are talking about and it will feed other discussions. I will make them in times to come, but thank you, member for Barkly.
It is quite startling when you visit other societies and you see that they do not have the same culture or the same demand or desire for alcohol. Alcohol sits in the shops alongside the cool drinks, and they do not seem to have any drama. It is a different culture. We undeniably have a very serious culture here that needs to be addressed with regards to capacity to live with alcohol. The demand is the culture that we have, which seems to elevate alcohol to a place that is harmful in its consumption, and the level of consumption is excessively high. The effect of that consumption is enormous and flows right through our society, as already outlined by the minister.
It was those three measures that were identified as the core principles of the Living with Alcohol framework. Culture was first. We need to change the culture and that requires education. One was to change the culture and our values and attitudes towards alcohol, and the other one was to change our capacity to live without alcohol or live with alcohol without harm. So it was the change of the culture through education, changing our values and our attitudes, and changing our capacity to live with alcohol without harm.
There are lots of families, especially after Christmas, who talk about reducing it, and they find it is not so hard to live a life with little or no alcohol. You often talk to people who say: ‘I am off the grog’, and they are enjoying that. That is a lifestyle that should be celebrated. That was the sort of thing that was promoted very strongly through Living with Alcohol, and it is important to change that culture because it changes the demand.
Then there were the control measures, which were legislation and regulation. Those control measures were put into effect to reinforce the cultural changes. These are some of the principles that applied, honourable member who made the inquiry by interjection, in Taiwan ...
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Blain, you have one minute.
Mr MILLS: Yes, okay, that is fine. There is much more that should be said, and I know that other members are raring to go and they all have great contributions to make.
The third ‘c’ was care, and that is the treatment. So it is the change of the culture, the putting in of the controls and, ultimately, the care that is provided. They were the three elements of the Living with Alcohol framework. I urge any honourable member who is interested in this, as they obviously are, they are all going to have a talk, to have a look back at that. It provides an excellent framework. The measures are there to inform the good intentions of this government, which is embarking on its endeavours to deal with this issue, with the support of opposition, I have to say, which makes it difficult for you politically because you like to have us in a different spot so that you can attack us and take your attention from the real issue. Nonetheless, I digress.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Mr Deputy Speaker, it was good to listen to the member for Blain’s contribution. He spoiled it towards the end when he said we like the political point scoring. I disagree with that because on the issue of alcohol abuse and the impact on our communities and families, there is agreement across both sides of the Chamber. It is an issue where we need to stop the politicising and playing politics because it is important. The impact of alcohol, both use and abuse, and how we might be able to work together to try to address it is critical.
The silent victims in a lot of this abuse are our children. I know that the Leader of the Opposition is very committed and has spoken quite passionately in the past about the impact of that abuse on our children. It does not matter what political ideology any of us have, at the end of the day, the abuse and impact of abuse on children gives rise to the same view. We all agree that something needs to be done.
I support the minister’s statement. His opening line was: ‘one of the greatest challenges facing the Northern Territory is alcohol abuse’. I could not agree more with that. All of us in this House agree about the impact of alcohol use and abuse, which we see with our families - I know I see it within my own family - our friends, and on many of our remote communities, our towns - it is everywhere amongst our constituencies. There is a problem there on which we all need to work together to try to address.
The result of this use and abuse can be seen with the horrific levels of violence that we see against our women and children, although there are instances where this violence from alcohol abuse can be from women to men. There is a lot of discussion about that. I am seeing it more and more. Certainly, it is a small representation, but it should not be dismissed. I have seen men being physically assaulted, quite badly, by women a number of times around town. I picked up a number of studies and went back through this because I forget the countless times that I have stood in this House and talked on the issue of violence against women. I stand here, very passionate, and will take whatever means as a member representing particularly indigenous women and the terrible plight that some of them go through.
I am also not blind to the emerging trend of violence with our women against our men. Moreover, we should look at the trend of violence perpetrated by women against women. In communities, women’s violence against other women, particularly older women against younger women when they are intoxicated, is certainly an issue that needs to be looked at and not dismissed as ‘it is just women, jealousy’, and pushing it to one side. It is assault against another person, but it is increasing and it is something that needs to be looked at because the incidence is on the rise.
Since 2001, we, as a government, have worked quite long and hard at addressing this issue. I know the previous Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing was responsible for a great initiative in setting up the Alcohol Framework. That certainly set a very positive framework, a better way forward in trying to get the issues of alcohol sorted out. There are issues that needed strong leadership. I know that being part of a government that has shown great leadership in this matter has been one that has not come without its controversy or criticism from various groups and sectors about the rights of the individual.
We went to the last election saying that we would bring in the antisocial behaviour laws. I remember the first time I talked as the Chair of the select committee inquiring into alcohol and cannabis use in our community. I raised the issue of mandatory or compulsory treatment, and taking away the right of that individual to say whether they consented and telling them they had to undergo treatment, so requiring the courts to say that this person needs to go into treatment.
I have always been an advocate of compulsory treatment because, with the right resources and treatment services, it can work. When you look at alcoholism, the system versus the theories of substance abuse and people, when it comes to indigenous people, a lot of people look at the whole issue of colonisation, dispossession and all of those things but, at the end of the day, alcoholism is a sickness and it has to be treated. Measures such as compulsory treatment outweigh the right of the individual to continually inflict damage regardless of the consequences to the family of the individual. As I said, the silent victims of alcohol abuse are our children who are without a voice or someone to advocate on their behalf about having to deal day in and day out, night after night, with the abuse.
I am not just talking as someone who spent 10 years in the health sector prior to coming into politics, but as a child who grew up in an environment where alcohol abuse certainly instilled in me a sense that I do have a choice. Maybe when I was growing up, there should have been someone advocating for my rights as a child so I did not have to put up with or cope with abuse that was happening within my own home environment. Do not get me wrong: everyone is entitled to drink. The member for Blain said that everyone sees it. He touched on it when he said it is an acceptable social standard and the old ethos or culture in the Territory where people constantly say: ‘Bloody good drinkers’ - I do not know whether that is parliamentary, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr Wood: Yes, yes. It is all right.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Is that all right, member for Nelson?
Mr Wood: Yes.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: It is that ethos of ‘we are bloody good drinkers in the Northern Territory’. That was the culture that a lot of people just accepted. I know that the member for Nelson shares some of my views on that. When you travel outside your own comfort zone and see your own area, you certainly see that the impact is wider.
Times have changed, both socially and economically. What was seen as social norms up here is now seen as problematic. Alcohol abuse has had an impact not just on the health system, but the community services system, the education system - you could go right through various systems on which it has impacted. The minister, my colleague, the member for Johnston, knows more than anyone here about some of those impacts from his previous life and the work he undertook in the research field for many years with indigenous communities. As the minister said, the problems are long-standing, complex and multifaceted. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution or answer to these problems. I could not agree more. We will never have a single answer to any of these problems.
One of the things I do want to touch on is the alcohol management plans that are working in my electorate. These have been very positive. Sure, there are some problems and they need to be worked out, but at least the community is driving those changes.
When I started preparing for this statement, I picked up my daughter’s thesis, which she completed with distinction not long ago. One of the things that she looked at was the use and abuse of alcohol and cannabis amongst the young indigenous population. One of the communities that she looked at was my own home community on the Tiwi Islands. I was reading the thesis and crying, and I do not mean shedding a few tears. Working in the health field, you read one report after another, and maybe this report was different because it was my daughter’s work. She had returned from Melbourne, and is continuing with her Honours degree in the field of Psychology. Her thesis is on young people on the Tiwi Islands.
The thesis uncovered what I said earlier about the emerging trend of young women - quite young women - overtaking the men in the use and abuse of alcohol, particularly in my own home community. When you look at the statistics, they are quite scary. The council has been used by the land council with the Tiwi Island local government, in respect of the diversionary program. All of them are starting to look at their resources and strategies to start doing what the member for Blain was talking about - education and trying to diverting particularly the young women in my own home community away from alcohol abuse.
Going over there for the Australia Day football and seeing young women, whose mothers I went to school with, in the club drinking and being quite drunk was something that brought great sadness. I am seeing more of these young women seeing that as the only way out. When you talk to them they say: ‘Oh, well, this person is doing it so it is okay. I can do it too’. The learnt behaviour is something that certainly needs to be jumped on by my people.
The Tiwi Land Council and the Tiwi local government and all of the organisations on the Tiwi Islands received for the first time a thesis or a research project done by one of their own, looking at the emerging trends of what is happening and to finally get inside the minds of 14-and 15-year-olds. Her cohort even included young children who wanted to participate, and she had to get parental consent for that - some of the parents did consent, some said no. In mainstream, they would not be allowed to drink because they are under age.
One of the areas that needs to be looked at - and I implore the minister to have his department look at it - is the level of home brewing. Because it is not illegal, you can buy the equipment for home brewing from Woollies and Coles and other department stores. I am not sure if they become illegal when the actual liquor is made, but in some of my communities, home brew is becoming a major problem.
Maningrida has been fantastic in alcohol management plans. They do not have a social club but, since the development of the alcohol management plan for Maningrida, the community has turned around. Most of the people getting permits are in paid or full-time employment. If you are not in full-time employment, there are a number of criteria that you have to meet and it goes before a community board. That alcohol management plan is working quite well. It would not have worked without Maningrida Council, the traditional owners, the Kunibidji and the police who have set up a Drug and Alcohol Committee. They meet regularly. They discuss all the permit holders, any problems and, if there have been problems, those people’s permits are revoked.
I have heard it time and again from different people and government agencies that Gunbalanya has probably one of the best run pubs in the Northern Territory. That may be, but there is an impact. As the local member, I have camped there not just for one day, but three or four days. I have seen the impact and what happens at night. It is the only club in a remote Aboriginal community that is allowed to trade between 12 and 1.30 each day, which needs to be looked at. When you go to that community and meet with the council, everyone starts looking at their watch for 11.50 when they all get up and walk out. It is virtually impossible to have meetings with people after 1.30 pm. It has impacts on the council in that they lose the majority of their workforce; they cannot put people on heavy machinery because they are intoxicated. The minister and I have had discussions about this and he has undertaken to look at that.
In Jabiru, there are moves afoot to look at the issues with alcohol. The Gunbang Action Group out at Jabiru will take in parts of Gunbalanya and its outstations and the outstations around Jabiru. That is in its early days, but I know that RGL’s policy officers are working with the community to see how they can implement an effective alcohol management plan for Jabiru and its region.
Ms LAWRIE: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the minister be granted an extension of time to allow her to conclude her remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr Stirling: You’ll talk for an hour now.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: On this I probably could. The development of an alcohol management plan for Jabiru and the region, which I wholeheartedly support, will take in and look at the Bark Hut Inn, and Mary River. For the first time, we may be able to address the problem in the wider region because, when people leave Gunbalanya or Jabiru, it is quite convenient to drive down the road to load their cars up with cartons of grog. That is something that has to be taken into consideration. They are looking at the issue for that region, which is good. They are not just looking at Jabiru in isolation from the wider problem in the region.
Alcohol management plans have been quite effective in some of the communities. The ones I have mentioned have worked, but they can only work with the support of the community. The communities have to get behind them. The leaders in those communities certainly have to support them.
Alcohol is an ancient human practice, which is found in most cultures and societies. If you put tobacco to one side, which has different properties and social effects, alcohol is one of the main drugs of choice in Australia. When you add cannabis, they are probably the twin drugs of choice in Australia. They are the face of widespread and intractable social problems throughout this country. It has become notoriously evident that the problem is even more extreme, and is consequences more damaging, within our indigenous population.
The member for Blain touched on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome on which very little research has been done. This was a huge issue with the first nation people in America when Foetal Alcohol Syndrome rose to prominence. There needs to be more research or funding for the health or the community services sector. We often see and hear about behavioural problems of children in classrooms. When we see it in some of our communities where alcohol abuse is prevalent, people often dismiss it as ADD or hyperactivity, but no one ever looks at whether that child may have FAS.
Sometimes the symptoms, or the facial signs of a child suffering from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome are quite prominent, but if you read the research, some of those features can be disguised and can manifest themselves as erratic behaviour. This certainly needs to be looked at amongst children in some of those areas because it does add to learning difficulties and the ability to be part of that society.
I support the minister’s statement. It builds on the fantastic work that has already been done. I go back to what he said: ‘There is no simple solution or simple answers to these problems’. Too true. We need to be vigilant. We need to take a stance. We have certainly done that. It is not about politics; it is about addressing a long-standing problem, and securing both resources and the meeting of minds to address what is something that has the greatest impact on society.
Ms CARNEY (Opposition Leader): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank both the members for Blain and Arafura for their contributions, which I thought were pretty good. I know the member for Arafura feels strongly about this issue. As she has said, she has spoken often and invariably with some degree of passion and with great sincerity from her own personal and family experiences and, indeed, those of her constituents. Thank you, minister, you are always good to listen to in debates of this nature. I am sure I speak on behalf of all members when I say I find your comments insightful and useful.
There were so many interesting aspects to the statement, and thank you for bringing it to us. To a large extent, what I was going to say has been said by others on both sides of the Chamber. It is probably not important that I repeat them, but one interesting thing was on page 2, which said:
- The Territory spends millions of dollars on dealing with alcohol-related harm. For example, nearly $7m is committed to treatment services.
I was surprised to see that figure; I thought it might be more. Having said that, $7m in a small jurisdiction per head of population is very significant.
When one considers the multiple affects of alcohol, it makes the mind boggle. The member for Arafura mentioned some areas but, in a general sense, we are talking health, the legal system, our – as in all Territorians - own culture, indigenous culture and white fella culture. It really does filter down and impact on so many of us in the Northern Territory.
That is why your alcohol statement is to be applauded as a demonstration of effort on the part of government. Whilst I do not agree with every assertion, if I stand back from this statement, it is clear, minister, that you are committed to dealing with this problem. Having said that and, relatively speaking, I have not been in the Territory for all that long – 18 years or so - I do not think it can be asserted that previous governments did not have that commitment. Did some things succeed? Yes. Did some things fail? Yes. Minister, sadly - and I am sure you will agree that this will be the case - in parliaments to come in the Northern Territory, there will be someone sitting in your seat and mine and every other seat here, and they will be talking about alcohol.
Good luck because we, as Territorians, need every ounce of it. I do not propose, nor do we have the resources, frankly, to go through and do a summary of what was done 20 years ago. To a large extent, we need not dwell on that. It is important to go forward because future generations of indigenous and non-indigenous children are relying on you, minister, and your government for outcomes.
Not all of the initiatives in here will succeed; you and I both know that. However, unless you have a go, you will never know.
Equally, while there is a role for governments, there is also a role for people themselves. Given the rate of consumption or the consequences it has on our indigenous population, there is a necessity for Aboriginal people to themselves demonstrate some leadership in a similar way that you and all of your predecessors over a long period of time have shown when it comes to addressing this issue. There was a reference in the report to different regions having different priorities and needs. It is the case, when one talks about Aboriginal communities, that some are doing well. There are references to it in your statement. Some things are working well in some areas. It also follows, of course, that people in those areas are working well towards it. In other areas - and I am sure other members will talk about this in their contributions - they are just not working. No plans are working. The people themselves are not working towards it and it is very easy to become despairing when one sees what is happening.
We need to remember that alcoholism is an addiction. It is a health issue. We know that there are law and order consequences and all that sort of thing, but it is an addiction and, clearly, treatment services that go well beyond the garden variety sobering-up shelter need to be adequately funded. They need to be expert in their nature, not just a shed or a daggy little building somewhere. They need good people working in them with a level of expertise in dealing with alcohol addiction. There are pockets all around the Territory of things like that but, certainly, there are not enough. The resources required to address the problems of alcohol in our communities pale, I suggest, in comparison to the amount of effort that is required by everyone, those who live and are surrounded by alcohol every day, to people like you, being a minister of the Crown.
You may remember, minister, when Peter Toyne was the Health Minister and Justice minister and I brought a matter to his attention. I was shopping in Alice Springs and there was a bottle shop in Woollies. A trader came out and said: ‘Go into that shop and have a look at those casks’. I was stunned and outraged because on those casks were bright pictures, copies of $20 and $50 notes all over the cask, enticing people to buy the alcohol. Of all of the places in this country where packaging like that should not have been allowed to be sold, where do you reckon it was being sold? Right in the heart of Alice Springs. I cannot remember, but I think the Attorney-General dealt with the appropriate people and had a bit to say about that because it was certainly inappropriate.
Over and above government planning and dealing with stakeholders, odd bits and pieces come up, which also must surely have an effect on levels of drinking. I hope that we do not see casks like that in our bottle shops at any point in the future.
I note in the statement there was a reference to supply. Supply is a really interesting one. You would know, as it has been happening for years, about trafficking of alcohol. There are people who stack up their boots and their motor vehicles with grog and take them to communities, some of them dry communities. I cannot remember what the current penalty is, but I do not think it is very high. One thing you might like to consider with your colleagues, minister, in due course, is to see what you can do about the level of trafficking. I accept, as do you, that you cannot have police officers standing at the gates of communities, but you could work towards building the capacity of that community to deal with those traffickers. That is one thing. Another thing you could do is significantly increase the penalties for trafficking alcohol.
The member for Arafura talked about marijuana and the effects that has, and I know you feel strongly about that, too. When we see people - the scum of the earth in my view - who traffic ganja and grog into communities, they should not only feel the full force of the law, but the force of the law should be very forceful indeed because scum like that just should not be allowed to get away with it. You might be working on it, I do not know but, in a constructive contribution, you might wish to take it up in due course.
Data collection is important as well. I am sure you would be interested in that. We have a problem in the Territory when it comes to data collection, certainly in the area of domestic violence. I was interested to hear the member for Arafura talking about her observations of increasing levels of women-on-women violence. Her view was that much of it is alcohol related. It would be probably worthwhile – and it probably would not get immediate results, but over time - if you could construct a suitable way of collecting data, which is the basis of all good public policy. It may be of some assistance in the criminal justice system and solutions pertaining to that, but also in health outcomes and building the capacity of some of the communities, some of which, as you know, have quite strong women leaders. I am not sure that much is happening in that area.
The violence perpetrated against women and children goes, sadly, to a large extent without saying because it surrounds people almost every day. There is increasingly an acceptance of high levels of violence in Aboriginal communities. One need only look at the research - particularly interstate but here as well - of that increasing level of tolerance and acceptance of violence. In other words, it has become normal. People have become desensitised. Again, it goes to capacity building of communities. We have to, obviously, talk about economic prosperity in some of those communities. There is a view that some communities can never be economically prosperous. I am not sure that I necessarily accept that view. I do, however, accept that there are enormous difficulties ensuring or even working towards making them economically prosperous, but I know that both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people have to start. If you look at the examples of the arts movements in some of those communities, you see economic benefits that, in turn, go to pride and, obviously, it improves those communities. That is one example. I am sure you do not need too many of them.
When we talk about alcohol, not only should we talk about the people who are affected by it in terms of the violence perpetrated on them, and the people who are addicted, but we need also to talk about the effects on people who are not drunk, the people who are walking down the street who, on a bad day in some areas, need to step over a drunk or who need to duck and weave. We have all had that experience, I am sure. There needs to be proper ways of ensuring that people who are not drunk or affected by alcohol can go about their business. In that regard, we will differ.
You will remember that the CLP policy announced probably six or eight months was three strikes and you are in. If you are picked up three times in six months, you are taken before a court which has various dispositions available to it, one of which is the ultimate sanction of imprisonment. Another one involved ensuring that a magistrate could return a person to a community. Another one would ensure that the magistrate would have the ability to order that a person not drink for a period of time. You have a different view. You have introduced an alcohol court. We will differ on the adequacy of that. There does need to be recognition on your part, and that of your colleagues, that dealing with alcohol also involves dealing with the people who are affected by it.
In that regard, I note the dry towns proposal. We have been talking about that for some time. It will be very interesting to see how that goes. I note in your statement you referred to what is happening in Alice Springs. Early indications are good. Litter is a hell of a problem. I have constituents ringing me talking about the glass all over the place. They are very concerned about that, as you would expect them to be. It might never find its way into government media release but, objectively, you would have to take the view that in order to effectively analyse the benefits of the dry town proposals or trials, if you like, that a five-year analysis would probably be the mark. I suspect there will be peaks and troughs. Early indications are good, save and except for the litter. However, I believe, realistically, pulling the politics out of it, a five-year analysis would probably be on the mark to see, from a long-term point of view, whether things are seriously trending up, down or staying the same. I am sure you have given that consideration.
Yesterday in Question Time, minister, one of the questions was how much is being spent on advertising campaigns at point of sale in a drink driving sense. I am not sure that you answered that question, but there is a role for increased resources going into that. I see you are nodding your head to that so I am hopeful that you can do something ...
Dr Burns: I am saying that I am replying.
Ms CARNEY: Clearly, the links between grog and fatalities on our roads is demonstrated. It is self-evident, certainly from looking at the relevant material. I know this is not a debate about speed limits, but I am obliged to make the point that one wonders why, when the effects of alcohol and driving and fatalities are bundled up as one and create the figures they do, it is that speed limits is apparently the answer.
I am going through my notes. A point that the member for Blain made about the substance abuse committee, if memory serves me correctly, was that it was not a parliamentary committee when the CLP was in office. The member for Blain and my colleague, the member for Katherine, enjoy being on that committee. They feel as though they are making a bipartisan and effective contribution. It was a good committee to introduce and, of course, we wish the committee well in its future endeavours. Obviously, alcohol and marijuana are the important issues for that committee to pursue. Then, of course, we have the issue of petrol sniffing, but that is for another time.
One wonders if all of our terrific researchers, the people in floors above us, were to search every Assembly of the Northern Territory, how many times the word alcohol would appear. It would have to be many, many thousands.
I wish you well in your endeavours and hope that our successors are not going to be standing here in years to come talking about this. I suspect they will, which is terribly disappointing. However, if you, minister, can do anything to ensure that the word ‘alcohol’ is mentioned less frequently on the Parliamentary Record of the Northern Territory, you will have achieved a lot. This is not just about words, but improving health and the lifestyles of those people who are affected by alcohol.
This is not just peculiar to any one group. Even members of parliament, Mr Deputy Speaker are affected by it. Of course, we cannot help to reflect, as I am sure the member for Sanderson often does, on his behaviour last year when he was affected by alcohol and acted in such a lewd and crude manner.
I wish the government well and thank you for bringing on the statement, minister.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Minister for Health and his statement on ways in which the government is tackling matters relating to alcohol abuse. The minister rightly noted that alcohol abuse is one of the greatest challenges facing the Northern Territory, depicted the situation facing the Territory, and outlined a number of strategies that have been put in place to deal with this problem. These are hard issues and they require hard answers and determination by the government to deal with the problems.
Alcohol is, at its best, something that is enjoyed by most adult Territorians who enjoy an alcoholic drink with friends or family over a meal, watching the sunset or marking significant occasions, be they births, deaths or marriages, or as will be witnessed tonight around the world, sharing a bottle of champagne with their valentine to mark St Valentine’s day. Honourable members, I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day, albeit without alcohol whilst in the Chamber at least.
The majority of Territorians act responsibly with alcohol. However, unfortunately, as the minister said in his statement, too many Territorians are drinking in ways which put them and others as risk of gaol, injury, health problems or death.
In 2005-06, the per capita consumption of alcohol in the Territory was calculated at 17.3 litres of pure alcohol. This is some 70% higher than for Australia as a whole. Territorians are 50% more likely than other Australians to suffer short-term harm from alcohol than other Australians, and Territorians are 80% more likely to suffer long-term harm through chronic disease and permanent ill health. Similarly, alcohol is involved in 71% of police incidents across the Territory, and was the primary drug for 61% of clients admitted to substance treatment programs, compared with 37% to the same services across Australia.
There is a clear relationship between alcohol abuse and domestic violence, family and community dysfunction and breakdown, poverty and homelessness, antisocial behaviour in our streets and parks, and drink driving and related deaths and injuries.
I have to say I am particularly concerned about young people and the rate of alcohol consumption evidenced by our younger generation. National studies show that young people tend to binge drink, imbibing around 10 drinks in a session, but they do not consider this to be a problem. We still need to be considering ways to deal with this.
Tonight, I would like to focus on alcohol issues in my own electorate of Nightcliff. As the member for Nightcliff, the most consistent complaint I have received has been in relation to alcohol-related antisocial behaviour. Sadly, a small group of people with significant alcohol abuse problems create problems for the majority in some of our shopping centres and park areas, particularly in the Pavonia Place shopping centre where my electorate office is, the Woolworths Nightcliff complex, and parts of Sunset Cove. Humbugging and general antisocial behaviour can be very distressing to witness for families and people trying to go about their business in a peaceable fashion. It is also degrading and evidence of loss of identity for the people perpetrating the behaviour.
Over the past few months, I have been working with business owners, residents and the Darwin City Council in looking at declaring parts of the electorate dry under the dry area legislation and private premises legislation that was passed last year. This legislation is about targeting problem areas to allow people to enjoy our green open spaces and shopping centres. This is not about prohibition for all of Nightcliff; it is about stopping the minority of people who drink, loiter and humbug in certain areas. The public dry areas legislation allows the community, through a local council, the Director of Licensing or the Police Commissioner to apply to make areas dry. The private premises legislation gives residents and organisations the power to have their homes, schools, shopping centres, churches and hospitals declared dry.
I have been working with Alderman Bob Elix from the Darwin City Council in the areas which could be declared dry. Mr Elix has advised me today that a proposal to apply for dry areas will be put to the council on 27 February. If approved by the council, the Liquor Commission will hold an extensive consultation before making its decision on declaring an area dry. I encourage all aldermen to support this proposal. Antisocial behaviour is simply not acceptable.
I would also like to thank the owner of Nightcliff Woolworths complex for his support in the matter. Mr Tony Milhinhos, who is well known to members of this Chamber and who was the 2005 Senior Australian of the Year, continues to be a great community supporter and has decided to seek to declare his property, the Nightcliff Woolworths complex, as a dry area, an action which I am sure will be applauded by visitors to the shopping complex.
Breaches of either the public dry areas or private premises laws will result in alcohol being tipped out and a possible fine of up to $500. Both laws work in tandem with the 2 km law. Repeat offenders will be sent to the alcohol court, which provides the opportunity for rehabilitation. The government has supported rehabilitation options with an injection of funding of more than $1.5m over three years.
Since the announcement of these proposals, I have received much positive feedback because people are tired of antisocial behaviour in our streets and parks. Residents are also pleased that those committing the antisocial behaviour will be offered rehabilitation. One query that has come back is: will people still be able to drink on the foreshore as they do now? The answer is a clear yes. Drinking is permitted in the area from Sunset Park at the end of Aralia Street through to Chapman Road excluding the car park areas of Nightcliff Aquatic Centre. This is an area enjoyed by many families from across Darwin who enjoy a drink while they are picnicking or watching the sun set. Drinking in these areas is permitted by Darwin City Council by-laws from 4 pm to 10.30 pm from Monday to Friday and between 12 noon and 10.30 pm on weekends and public holidays. Most people who take advantage of these by-laws do so sensibly and this will continue. We will still be able to enjoy our great Territory lifestyle.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the proposal is aimed at disrupting the supply and addressing harm minimisation, rehabilitation and treatment. I commend the minister for his statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the minister on this important statement. It covers many of the areas that we have spoken about before. I do not think we need go over too much old ground about the effects of alcohol in our community, especially in some of our indigenous communities.
I note that on ABC Online on 12 February, last Monday, there was an interview with a lady from the National Drug Research Institute which studied every alcohol-related Aboriginal death between 2000 and 2004. From that, it was shown that alcohol causes the death of an indigenous Australian every 38 hours. If you go through this interview, there are some fairly telling statistics about suicide amongst indigenous women. It is the fourth largest killer of indigenous women, but the biggest killer is alcohol liver cirrhosis, and the second biggest killer, which is not too far behind, is haemorrhagic stroke. She said that is quite remarkable: haemorrhagic stroke is really by and large a disease of middle-aged and the elderly, and we are finding that haemorrhagic stroke is killing indigenous women at an average age of 25. Haemorrhagic stroke does not even figure among young women of that age in the general population. That adds another to the sad statistics about the effects of alcohol.
Minister, you covered a range of issues in your statement today. You talked about alcohol strategy plans, review of the Liquor Act, dry areas and liquor records. I feel what you are looking at is attacking the problem and not looking at the symptoms. These problems are not new. Many times I have and spoken about alcohol, as would other members. I have been speaking about alcohol for the last 37 years in the Northern Territory, so we have not come across these things in the last year. What I really want to know is what the government is doing to change the culture of excessive drinking in the Northern Territory. That is what I would like to have seen in this statement. The only reference you made to that is in the last paragraph. You said:
- We still have a long way to go because the culture of big drinking is a strong one.
That is exactly right and that culture is not just about indigenous people; it is about the whole community. That is where the government is failing. We have put a lot of effort to working on strategies, which are mainly aimed at indigenous people, yet many of our alcohol problems are related to non-indigenous people.
I picked up a copy of the National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2009, which came out of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy in May of last year. It made a lot of recommendations and showed a lot of statistics, which would have, of itself, been a good basis for discussion today:
- The goal of the Strategy is to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harm to individuals, families and communities in the context of developing safer and healthy drinking cultures in Australia.
To achieve this goal, the Strategy has four aims:
1. Reduce the incidence of intoxication among drinkers.
2. Enhance public safety and amenity at times and in places where alcohol is consumed.
3. Improve health outcomes among all individuals and communities affected by alcohol consumption.
4. Facilitate safer and healthier drinking cultures by developing community understanding about the special properties of alcohol and through regulation of its availability.
It says further:
In light of the evidence of alcohol-related harm in the general community and within specific sub-populations, both universal approaches to reduce overall consumption and strategies targeted to reduce harm are needed in Australia.
The second matter the minister should have addressed is the Alcohol Framework. I have not heard much about the Alcohol Framework for quite a while but, as you know, there are 62 recommendations and I believe the government endorsed all bar one. Today would have been a perfect opportunity for the minister to have gone through those recommendations and tell us how many of them have been put in to place.
I was looking through them today and wondering where we sit with quite a few of these issues. For instance, recommendation 20:
- The Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination should work with sporting and recreation clubs to promote responsible attitudes to alcohol and responsible serving and use of alcohol.
Where are we with that recommendation? Recommendation 21, in which I know the member for Katherine would be interested, as I am:
- Government should establish and promote a fund to provide grants to support alcohol free community events.
- The Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination should develop proposals to provide support to families of drinkers to protect their money from drinkers’ requests or demands. These might include promotion of alternative financial services including Centrepay, consultation with community organisations about their ability to offer such support, and introduction of any required administrative or legislative measures. The Office should publicise the possibility of such measures being included in Local or Regional Alcohol Management Plans.
Perhaps that is happening already; I do not know. Recommendation 34:
- The current Liquor Act should be replaced by a new Act ...
I think you were talking about that. The purpose of re-writing the Liquor Act is stated there. Recommendation 35:
- The Licensing Commission should, in partnership with the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination and industry members, develop a code of practice for advertising and promotion of takeaway products …
This is something I have stood here time after time and asked: what are we doing? I do not believe anything has changed. The member for Araluen mentioned today: how many have we asked why companies are allowed to advertise vodka drinks in nice bottles that look like strawberry and raspberry drinks? No wonder the trend of young people drinking mixed drinks has gone up something like 50% against drinking beer.
Just watching the cricket over the one-day series, I saw the amount of advertising - a huge amount! Look at the boundary line in the cricket: it is Booney and Botham; it is VB everywhere and it is on prime time television. Have we done anything about either working with the Commonwealth on those issues, or have we done something within our own area to look at ways of restricting either the hours that alcohol is advertised or the type of alcohol that is being advertised?
Recommendation 46:
- The maximum penalty for taking liquor into a restricted area should increase as the amount of alcohol involved increases.
There is recommendation 53:
- The Northern Territory Government should, in conjunction with other State and Territory governments, request the Commonwealth Government alter the taxation arrangements that apply to alcohol in Australia to:
- increase the cost of low-cost high-alcohol products including cask wine and fortified wine products;
- reduce the cost of low-alcohol beer (and if necessary increase the cost of full strength beer); and
- create incentives for the production and marketing of low-alcohol mixed drinks.
- If the Commonwealth does not make the Australia-wide changes to alcohol taxation that we recommend, the Northern Territory Government should explore a proposal for the Commonwealth to bring into force for a period of five years a law using the Territories power of the Australian Constitution that:
- reinstates the wine cask levy in the Northern Territory as it applied during 1995–1997; and
- makes specific taxation laws for the Northern Territory that have the same effect on alcohol prices as the licensing fee regime in place from 1992–1997.
Recommendation 60 is an interesting one:
- The Northern Territory Police, Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination and the Inter Departmental Committee on Alcohol Policy should develop annual plans for random breath testing which includes targets for the number of random breath tests per year, and identifies hot spots and key times of year for testing…
Minister, I know there has been a debate here about the reduction in RBTs, yet one of the recommendations was that we should develop an annual plan to do that. One gathers the impression, from the questions that were asked yesterday, whether there has been a reduction in the number of breath tests. You are talking now about increasing it because you are going to have a highway patrol, but it looks like this Recommendation 60 could have been doing that some years ago.
You must remember, the Alcohol Framework Final Report is dated July 2004. We are looking at nearly three years ago. Where have we marched on? In some things, we have; in many things I do not think we have.
What is lacking in this statement are some of the key areas that relate to the bigger picture, which is not just indigenous drinking. The bigger picture is societal drinking, our attitudes to drinking. The first goal of the National Strategy was to:
- Reduce the incidence of intoxication among drinkers.
I have said before that we have a society that says it is not an offence to get drunk and it is okay to be drunk as long as you do not do any harm to anyone. Yet, one of the goals of the national strategy is to:
- Reduce the incidence of intoxication among drinkers.
Intoxication has harmful effects and generally means you do not have control. Unfortunately, being drunk is part of the Territory’s lifestyle. I will quote the Chief Minister, with whom I certainly did not agree. This is in relation to a question from the Opposition Leader to the Chief Minister on antisocial behaviour and habitual drinking on 21 February last year. The opposition was promoting that drunkenness should be a crime, and the Chief Minister said:
- It will make drunkenness a crime, and for thousands of Territorians, it would put an end to a night out. Ask the Mitchell Street publicans what they think of that. To be an innocent drunk is part of the Territory’s life …
That is part of our problem. It is so well entrenched that getting - pardon the language. Well, I will not use ...
Mrs Miller: You had better not use that one.
Mr WOOD: That might be a bit rough. Getting drunk is just normal. I am the patron of many sporting clubs and I know many people who think that is a great night out. That culture seems okay for non-indigenous people and yet, if we saw many Aboriginal people probably not even half as intoxicated, but just in the park shouting at someone, we would say: ‘Horror, horror’. Are we saying that to our own society? It is much harder as non-indigenous people, talking for myself, to change this culture. It so well entrenched in our culture that it is easy to say: ‘It is those itinerants, those people who are humbugging us. Oh, they are terrible’.
Yet, we seem to turn a blind eye to the bigger picture which is that there is an abuse of alcohol in our society as a whole. You just have to look at the statistics. Even when you work out the percentage of Aboriginal people living in the Territory, the statistics do show that not as many Aboriginal people do drink as the percentage of non-Aboriginal people, except that those who do drink tend to drink to levels of high risk, which is unfortunate.
The time has come. I am sure I used to see ads on television when Living with Alcohol was around, which criticised people getting drunk. We have to turn it around: being drunk or intoxicated is not a healthy thing; it is a sign of lack of control and it can lead to problems. Look at those figures for Aboriginal women who are dying from haemorrhagic stroke at such an early age because they have been intoxicated so many times. Is the example of non-indigenous people to indigenous people what has exacerbated the situation for many indigenous people?
Another issue, minister, that we need to look at is revenue. How can we get revenue from companies? The alcohol industry is probably one of the biggest industries in Australia. It makes enormous sums of money, otherwise they would not have so many ads on television. It must cost them a fortune. They basically run sport. Just go to Marrara; you cannot help but see it. I was at the footy. At least I saw there was more mid-strength beer around this time at the All Stars versus Essendon match. I complained last time that all I saw being sold was Cougar and full-strength Melbourne Bitter. At least there was a move to sell lighter beer.
We have to put more pressure on the federal government. I am not sure what the figures are. The member for Blain queries whether we get the same amount of money from them as when the Living with Alcohol campaign was running. We need lots more money because we need to be doing a lot more work on treatment of alcoholics. Sheila Millar was on the radio today. I have been down to Dillinya. People like Sheila are who we should be supporting. If the government says we do not have enough money, then we have to make a bigger …
Ms Lawrie: No, that is not it. That is not the reason.
Mr WOOD: I am just saying ‘if’; the word was ‘if’. If the government is saying there is not enough money for some of these programs, we need to try to get more money from the Commonwealth and from industry to help fund them.
ANSTI closed down. Maybe it has closed down for other reasons besides not enough funds but …
Ms Lawrie: No, no, it had nothing to do with funding. You know that, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: It is closed down now so I am interested to see what the government’s plans are for its revival. There has been talk about the compulsory treatment of people who have an alcohol problem. I have said time and again that we need to be looking at alternatives, places where we can take people - high-class places, good accommodation with gardens and educational facilities – who have orders to stay there. We know there are people who cannot help themselves because of the effects of alcohol.
Another matter came to me when I was reading the national strategy. They had a section on public perceptions. It was interesting to see what people thought should be done. This is probably a little different from what the experts might think should be done.
- When the general population was asked to nominate possible measures to reduce alcohol-related harm the following responses were given by more than half of those surveyed:
- increasing the number of alcohol-free events (63.3%);
- increasing the number of alcohol-free dry zones (63.3%);
I know we have areas like football which are dry:
- serving only low-alcohol beverages at sporting events (60.6%);
I know we do at Traeger Park. We certainly do not do it at Marrara:
- limiting TV advertising until after 9.30 pm (71.4%);
- more severe penalties for drink driving (85.9%);
- stricter laws against serving drunk customers (83.8%);
There is certainly action in that direction in the Northern Territory:
- restricting late-night trading of alcohol (51.9%);
We have gone down the path of opening up places in Mitchell Street quite late, but what has the effect been of violence in Mitchell Street? I am interested to hear from the police on such matters:
- strict monitoring of late-night licensed premises (72.1%);
- increasing the size of standard drink labels on alcohol containers (66.4%); and
- adding national drinking guidelines to alcohol containers (69.9%).
- One third or more supported reducing pub and club trading hours, banning alcohol sponsorship at sporting events and increasing the tax on alcohol to pay for health, education and treatment of alcohol problems (AIHW 2005).
Minister, whilst I do appreciate what you have said today, what I have tried to highlight is that there are big gaps in what could have been put as a statement today. I am not knocking in the least what you are trying to do. They are good programs. Whether they work or not, only time will tell. They are difficult areas for any government to take on, but if you are to change the culture of big drinking in the Northern Territory, then you have to change the culture of, as the member for Arafura said, ‘the bloody good drinkers in the Northern Territory’. It might have been all right a few years ago when people laughed about it.
The reality is, underneath all that there is tragedy because we have abused our Territory lifestyle. How do we change that? We need to change it so people can enjoy moderate drinking and drink sensibly, but we have a long way to go. I would like to hear from the government what practical ways it has in mind to address some of these symptoms.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was not going to contribute to this debate because I feel as if all I have done in the last two days is talk about alcohol, but that has only highlighted the abuse of alcohol within the Territory.
From the outset, I am not standing here and playing a blame game with anyone. Alcohol abuse within the Territory is at such high levels that really serious steps need to be taken. I do not believe that the Territory government can do it alone financially. There needs to be support from the federal government and I suggest that may be through the funding of detox and rehabilitation centres because it is so serious it is not something that can be done by the Territory government and local councils alone.
It has been highlighted to me in Katherine in the time that we have lived there since late 1989. The seriousness is the tragedy of watching people destroy themselves through the abuse of alcohol. I have watched so many really lovely people slowly degenerate into brain-damaged vegetables and die, and some of them under the most dreadful circumstances. They have fallen asleep on the road and been run over, committed suicide, died of health-related issues such as kidney failure and cirrhosis of the liver. They were all young and did not have an opportunity to do something with their lives because they were hooked on alcohol and, unfortunately, did not have any lifestyle at all.
One person who comes to mind is someone who calls me ‘mum’. He is an indigenous man who he used to come to Red Gum Tourist Park to the shop and buy food regularly. I still see him quite a bit. His name is Maurice. Maurice and I formed a really good friendship - Mike is ‘dad’ and I am ‘mum’. I am using Maurice as one example. He had so much potential to develop into a wonderful leader of the Jawoyn, even working at the gorge as a park ranger. He had all those potentials, but he became hooked on alcohol for one reason or another and his life is meaningless. He wanders the streets. He tries to dry himself out regularly. He would deliberately be arrested so he could be sent to gaol for a few weeks when he would dry out. He would come out looking really good because he had been eating properly but, within a short space of time, there was despair and he was back on the streets and looking absolutely terrible again, just drunk. It is a tragedy. He is just one example of many that I see in the streets of Katherine regularly.
In the time that Mike and I had Red Gum Tourist Park, we used to witness some terrible violence due to alcohol across the road from the park. There is a camp called Red Gum Camp, which had nothing to do with our park, but they called it Red Gum because it was close by. We witnessed some really violent things there, in most cases women who physically hurt themselves or each other. They would smash a bottle when they were influenced by alcohol and physically attack each other. It was absolute tragedy. That has not changed at all.
Many times I have spoken in desperation and frustration about the effects of alcohol in our community. Every time we try to do something, it seems to be piecemeal. We seem to put our toe in and decide that we will put a bit of prohibition in here because that might work. Then we might put in a little dry area there because that might work. It has gone beyond that. We have to take a much stronger stand, and it is not going to be popular. Government is going to have to make a decision that is unpopular, whatever it is.
For instance, I am very much in favour of dry areas and I am talking about the whole of Katherine being dry. I am very much in favour of that. I would very much like to have seen government legislate for regional towns to be dry, but the responsibility is now back on the Katherine Town Council and Alice Springs Town Council. They think: ‘Oh, God. How far will we go? Will we just do this little area?’ I know that there are some members of Katherine Town Council who would like to have the whole of the town dry, whereas there is the push and pressure against it, supporting trialling three streets for a while to see how that goes.
I have spoken to Joy Baluch, the Mayor of Port Augusta, which had the same system in August 1986, when they just allocated some areas as dry. Her response to having particular areas dry was: ‘It will not work’. She has had it since 1986. In November of 2005, the Port Augusta City Council applied to the South Australian Liquor Commission to have Port Augusta declared dry for a 12-month trial run. I spoke to Mayor Joy Baluch and members of council in September last year, and they were very pleased with the difference that it had made to Port Augusta. It was a decision that was not popular in a lot of areas, including some aldermen on her own council. She felt so strongly about it that she said they were going to make this decision and trial it.
It has been very successful as far as they are concerned. All the statistical data will not be released until the end of March. They are having proper research done to see if it is working well and that they have not moved problems into private homes over the hill and that the police are happy. I am very impressed with the stand she has taken. The council has applied to extend their licence for the dry area for another 12 months.
I have not spoken to the Chamber of Commerce in Port Augusta, but I know that Katherine Town Council is having communication with the Chamber of Commerce to ensure that business and everyone is happy with it.
My experience from visiting Port Augusta, and walking the streets very early in the morning and getting the feel of a place, it is the best that I have ever seen it. It was a pleasure to walk the streets. I did not feel alarmed, I did not see any litter, or have violent, yelling or fighting people lying around. I saw a lot of indigenous people. They were just going about their daily business of going to the shop, buying their food, etcetera. I did see some come out of a hotel who got into a cab and disappeared to wherever; I do not know where. There was no one drinking on the foreshore or anywhere in Port Augusta. I have also spoken to a relative of mine who has a newsagency in Port Augusta and she said it has made a huge difference.
One of the challenges there, and it has been put to me is: ‘Okay, you have moved it. Where have you moved it to and is it just aesthetics you are after?’ The answer is no, it is not just aesthetics. That is only one part of it. The other part is that we have to have programs in place to deal with all of the issues and, as you know, there are about that many, that go with the alcohol problem.
In Katherine, we have a sobering-up shelter. On Saturdays mornings, over the last two weeks I have been listening to ABC radio with the walkman in the ear at about 5.30 am. It was alarming to hear that the 30 beds in the sobering-up shelter were full the night before, and more than that number were in police protective custody in the gaol. The police are so busy, they have plenty of other things they need to be doing. I do not consider the police primary role is to be taking care of drunks in a gaol; they have other things that are important they need to be doing. That is over 60 in Katherine alone. For me, I see the answer, and this is where I am saying you need funding from the federal government as well to deal with this. We need decent sobering-up shelters in each community. We need detox centres to take care of habitual drunks, and you need rehabilitation centres.
On the subject of rehabilitation centres, the one that we have at the Venn Block is not at full capacity and it could be. My information is that the reason it is not at full capacity is because there is not enough trained people there, so that may be another issue for government. I will follow it up when I get back to Katherine, but that is the information I have been given.
On the subject of rehabilitation, I have listened to other members talk about how it is important to have state-of-the-art rehabilitation and, of course, it is. However, not everyone is going to look for state-of-the-art. They need the programs that work well for them. I support what the member for Nelson said regarding Dillinyabecause that has worked very well for quite a few people. It has been a success. I encourage the minister to have a look at it. I know that Sheila Millar would be only too happy to show you what happens there and how she works her program. She is a trained counsellor and has had a lot of success. It is people such as Sheila who want to help, and yet they are not being given the financial support to do so.
I want to talk about support of sponsorship of sporting events if they are alcohol free. Two years ago, the AFL in Katherine, because we had such a disaster of football matches with drunks yelling and yahooing – and people get very excited when they are supporting their football team. However, the problem was that most times there was alcohol involved, and it was not a nice conducive atmosphere for families. The Katherine AFL decided to ban alcohol and have no alcohol for sale at all. You were not allowed to bring alcohol into the area, so it was alcohol free. I can assure you that it was just absolutely fantastic to go along and watch the games. Most of the teams that play in Katherine come from outlying communities and, by gee, can they play football! I love AFL. I am not into the others very much, but AFL, I am. It was an absolute pleasure for families to be able to run around and play and not have drunks falling over them, or them falling over drunks. The atmosphere was fantastic.
However, the AFL in Katherine lost a lot of money because they were not selling alcohol, so they need to be supported and encouraged to continue to have an alcohol-free environment so that it gives a good example for those young players who come in from communities. I would like to talk to the minister about how they go about getting some funding because they are really struggling to keep afloat and they do provide a fantastic atmosphere for those indigenous community teams that come in.
I am a sponsor – I think they call it the sponsor - of the AFL in Katherine. I have really admired the amount of work that Fred Murphy has done in the communities, as the member for Arnhem would know as well. Fred is a great bloke and he knows I am a soft touch, so he always comes to see me when he wants to have his sausages and $100 to go here, $200 there to bring the boys to Darwin. What he does with those young people is outstanding, and he needs to have support in an alcohol-free environment so that those wonderful, healthy young men continue to get on with their lives and lead a good life. They have great potential, those young people. I have a real soft spot for them. They are in your electorate, I think, member for Arnhem, but I like them. I would like very much to see some support given to sporting teams so that they can remain alcohol free.
I will close now because I know that we are going to be talking about substance abuse, and delivering a report at the Alice Springs sittings. As I said, I feel like I have talked about nothing but alcohol for the last two days. You do not have any opposition from me at all as far as dealing with the situation. However, I do believe that you are going to have to be tougher.
Debate adjourned.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Pride and Hope for the Future: the Territory’s Aboriginal Visual Arts and Craft Industry
Pride and Hope for the Future: the Territory’s Aboriginal Visual Arts and Craft Industry
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arts and Museums): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry in the Northern Territory is the strongest and most highly developed in the nation and has been for half a century.
The Northern Territory government is immensely proud of the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry, and the achievements of the artists who have contributed to one of the Territory’s most important industries. It is an industry that enriches the cultural life of the Northern Territory and, indeed, the nation. It has done much to promote Australia and the Northern Territory internationally.
For me, as a Tiwi woman and as Arts minister, the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry is a special source of both pride and hope for the future. That hope for the future is based on the knowledge that this government is committed to developing the strengths of the industry in the years to come. I trust this commitment is a bipartisan one, shared amongst both opposition and Independent members of this Assembly.
In moving around the Territory meeting people from many walks of life, I get a strong sense that the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry is one that has not just the support but also the affection of many of my fellow citizens; that it is an industry we should support and that we should all be dealing fairly and equitably with the artists who make such a great contribution.
The Australian Senate is currently holding an inquiry into the future of the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. It is the most important investigation into its health and future for many years and a quarter of a century since the first comprehensive assessment of the industry. As the Territory Arts minister, I will be giving evidence to the inquiry. I table a copy of the Northern Territory government’s substantial submission to the Senate. The Northern Territory government welcomes and supports the inquiry.
I take a moment here to acknowledge the fine work of the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists, or ANKAAA, and the Association of Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Centres, Desart. These two Territory-based organisations are the peak representatives of Aboriginal artists across the Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. They were instrumental in convincing the former federal Arts minister, Senator Kemp, to endorse this inquiry and had a hand in developing its terms of reference. The work of these two organisations should be commended by us all here today.
In developing the Territory’s response to the terms of reference of the Senate inquiry, it struck me that it was important that this parliament also look at the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector and seriously debate its future. I will not go into the detail of the Senate submission, but would like to emphasise today three important elements of the government’s position on the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. First is the importance of the industry in historical and contemporary terms and where we might take it into the future. The second is the endorsement by this government of the National Indigenous Art Commercial Code of Conduct and our willingness to promote similar approaches by other governments - local, state and federal. The third is the role of the Northern Territory Indigenous Arts Strategy which is entering its second stage.
Art centres are the most successful and long lived Aboriginal economic enterprises. The core work of the Territory’s Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry is that performed by the Aboriginal-owned and controlled art centres. The great majority of these centres are located in remote parts of the Territory. To quote from our Senate submission:
- A central thread of the history of the indigenous visual arts and craft industry is the story of the Aboriginal arts and crafts centres themselves. When a comprehensive narrative of Aboriginal economic enterprise in the Northern Territory is written, these centres will be seen as the earliest and most successful exponents of economic independence. A similarly thorough treatise on Aboriginal cultural history will afford them similar status as custodians of tradition and ongoing cultural development. It has not been an easy history: much of it has been, and continues to be, a hand-to-mouth existence highly dependent on the energies and commitment of the artists and the people they have employed.
Indeed, so successful has the art centre model been over the years, and despite the many trials and tribulations they have been through, it has been exported to other states in Australia. This is not something governments can take credit for, but is a tribute to the many dedicated art advisors who have served the centres over many years as well as the strength and commitment shown to the centres by the artists themselves. In the Territory alone, there are now over 35 bush-based art centres and a further dozen or so based in Alice Springs and Darwin. The member for MacDonnell has more than a dozen art centres in her seat alone. It is hard to image how she keeps up with them.
This is an important thing to understand about the role of the centres: the commitment of the artists to their centres. That commitment manifests itself in two important ways. First, the commitment of artists to their art centres has been a sustained one. A number of art centres throughout the Territory have been operating successfully for over 30 years, many for over 20 years. This is unprecedented anywhere in the nation for Aboriginal commercial enterprises.
In my seat of Arafura, for example, both Tiwi Designs and Maningrida Arts and Culture have been going since the 1970s. Injalak, Munupi and Jilamara got going in the 1980s. They are all businesses with solid artistic, cultural and commercial track records. It is not uncommon, almost routine, for the grandchildren of the founding members of these organisations to be working for their art centres as artists and administrators. In a market economy such as Australia, the idea of the family business has always been lauded. Our art centres must be up there as some of the best examples of family business in the nation.
That leads to the second vital aspect of artists’ support to their art centres. Over the same period, and for lesser periods in many more art centres, artists have contributed many millions of dollars in re-investing their surplus from sales, their profits, into keeping the art centres up and running. Again, if I may quote from our submission to the Senate:
- The notion that support to the industry is a ‘subsidy’ and not an investment is erroneous. This is no better summed up than by the actions of Aboriginal artists themselves and the Aboriginal art centres they support. These artists, over many years, have re-invested … many more millions than have been received as so-called ‘subsidies’. The artists have invested in their future, not subsidised it, and we should all learn from this.
This is the key to an understanding of the importance of the historical and contemporary role of art centres and their place in the future. Since the 1960s, there have been attempts to establish economic enterprises in remote Aboriginal towns and communities in the Northern Territory and other parts of the country. There have been any number of reasons advanced as to the failure of the vast majority of these projects and enterprises, but little analysis, if any, of why the art centres over and above any others have survived and, indeed, prospered.
At a rough guess, I will advance two reasons. First, as scant as it has been, governments, and other institutions including religious missions, have supported a reasonably consistent flow of capital and recurrent support to art centres that have been able to augment artist-generated profits. One reason that has been advanced for the failure of other Aboriginal enterprises has been the lack of consistent, long-term external support. For a variety of reasons, often intangible, there has been a favourable climate to supporting Aboriginal art enterprises over long periods. These steady investments have been repaid. By and large, the art centres have managed their capital and recurrent support well; far better than the many other failed attempts at creating remote enterprises. Again, by and large, the economic benefit now spread amongst some 5000 artists and crafts people is arguably the most efficient form of investment in income support of any ever advanced in remote Aboriginal communities.
Second, the art centres have always dealt from a position of competitive cultural and market advantage. Until relatively recently, there has been no real market competition for the production of indigenous culture. The rise of the carpetbaggers, forgers and Bali-based importers did not really arise until post-bicentenary years, and the growing national and international prominence of Aboriginal art. This cultural and market advantage is crucial. It is an arena from which Aboriginal artists have been able to deal, because of their cultural advantage, from a position of strength in the marketplace. The cultural and intellectual property embedded in the product has not been able to be supplanted by others, despite the marauding from the edges by the forgers and carpetbaggers.
This is recognised by the marketplace itself. The vast majority of purchasers of Aboriginal art have enormous goodwill to the artists. They prefer to buy genuine work and that profits of the work go back to the artist. That is why we must and do commit to continued support to the industry with an emphasis on support to the art centres.
It has often been said that government is no good at business, and it is an abomination that we should always be aware of. This is why, in our continued support to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry, we must take care to listen to the industry and allow them to run their affairs. We can assist, but we cannot drive innovation. We can encourage, but not dictate the ways in which the industry may wish to value add to their product. We can support, but not demand the ways in which existing and new markets can be built and developed. No one in government, for example, could have predicted the enormous success of the Desert Mob Marketplace held each year in Alice Springs. It was an initiative of Desart and its member communities. I understand similar developments in marketing are being floated in the Top End. Similarly, overseas initiatives of the art centres must be encouraged but cannot be directed by us.
The Northern Territory government’s commitment to the NAVA code of conduct leads to a consideration of what we - not just as a government, but fellow Territorians - can do to support the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. In the Northern Territory government’s submission to the Senate inquiry, we made a firm commitment to sign up and endorse, as a government, the National Indigenous Art Commercial Code of Conduct, which has been developed by the National Association of Visual Artists in conjunction with Desart and ANKAAA. This commitment is in the following terms:
- … the Northern Territory government would be prepared to sign up to the National Indigenous Art Commercial Code of Conduct in its dealings with the sector and would encourage other governments and their agencies to follow suit.
Of course, in the customary meaning of the term, governments are not ordinarily involved in commercial dealings with Aboriginal art, so much of the code will not be strictly relevant, but there is a great deal that is directly related to what governments do. We support the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry as a vital investment in the people of the Northern Territory. We know that it has a critical role in economic, community and cultural development. We know that the industry itself will not provide the solutions to Aboriginal impoverishment and disadvantage, but that it is a sector which is a fundamental part of the Aboriginal and wider economies of regional and remote Northern Territory communities so we all have a strong stake in the future of the sector.
In the past, many governments have provided support to Aboriginal art in a fairly superficial, often exploitative way. Aboriginal visual arts has often been viewed as not much more than wallpaper to decorate government publications or, indeed, public offices. We have been happy to allow advertising agencies to throw in a few dots or scraps of cross-hatching to denote the Aboriginal experience, yet have ignored the wealth of possibilities in commissioning Aboriginal artists to produce the real thing.
Copyright and moral rights have often been ignored by commission and omission. Lip service has been paid to the role of the art centres and the work their members produce. The list goes on. By endorsing the forthcoming code, our government will primarily be focusing on an ethical approach to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry and the rights of indigenous artists. It will mean, to take a small example, developing a principled approach across all government agencies to negotiate proper licensing agreements with visual artists. The days of agencies insisting on unconscionable approaches to sole copyright over images instead of proper forms of licensing must be put behind us and this, of course, should apply to non-indigenous artists, for that matter.
As we said in our submission to the Senate inquiry:
- Rather than seeing the resourcing of the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry as a form of ‘subsidy’, with all its connotations of welfarist hand outs, thinking about the industry should be recast as an approach to rational and sensible investment.
Part of being rational and sensible is to deal with the industry in an ethical way. Governments do it with other industries, and there is no good reason why it should not extend to the arts - indigenous and non-indigenous.
As I speak today, the code has not been finalised, but the principles have been out there for public comment for some months. They are principles to which we will be signing up. As well as encouraging the Commonwealth and other states and territory governments to sign up to the code, I will also be encouraging local government throughout the nation to engage ethically with Aboriginal visual artists and crafts people and, similarly, sign up to this new code.
Since 2003, the Northern Territory government has been focused in its support to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector, particularly with the establishment of Australia’s first comprehensive indigenous arts strategy, Building Strong Arts Business. The Territory is now commencing the second part of this project. The policy acknowledges and promotes Aboriginal visual arts and craft as having economic as well as community development strands. For the first time, the new policy also recognises the primacy of cultural development.
The Northern Territory government has considerably increased its funding to Aboriginal art since 2001. Prior to that time, funding to indigenous projects as a proportion of total NT arts sponsorship ran at about 11% - that was 2000-01 - and this jumped to over 16% or $425 000 the following year. Commitments under the indigenous arts strategy Building Stronger Arts Business are currently at $1.09m per annum.
Building Stronger Arts Business recognises that the Northern Territory benefits from an exceptionally rich cultural heritage and that the cultural practices of indigenous Territorians reflect the ongoing and unbroken traditions of many millennia, as well as dynamic and changing approaches to artistic practices. It takes the position that Aboriginal arts and heritage industries are a significant part of the Northern Territory’s economy directly through employment, marketing and sales, and indirectly in societal wellbeing, cultural strength and support for tourism.
To quote from our Senate submission:
- Building Stronger Arts Business works from the stance that the arts sector is a significant employer and source of income, particularly in regional and remote areas where opportunities for market engagement are scarce. The sector supports a range of positive cultural and social outcomes through income generation, educational and training opportunities, and allowing people to remain on country to work together, engage in customary economic activity, and to share customary knowledge.
- In summary, Building Stronger Arts Business includes three pathways for the future development of indigenous art in the Northern Territory: negotiation and partnership - Talking Arts Business; service delivery - Doing Arts Business; and showcasing opportunities - Sharing Arts Business as follows:
- Talking Arts Business includes the need to develop strong and strategic partnerships with indigenous art practitioners and Commonwealth and Territory government sector organisations to ensure the sustainable growth of the sector.
Doing Arts Business includes the provision of strong and culturally appropriate services to encourage arts development and to provide indigenous art practitioners with advice, support and opportunities for training and employment in the arts.
Sharing Arts Business includes creating opportunities to promote and showcase the Territory’s indigenous arts sector to local, national and international markets to maximise cultural and economic returns and to encourage respect and understanding of indigenous culture.
These original initiatives include investment in arts development through the Arts Grants program, the Northern Territory Indigenous Music Awards, Desert Mob Marketplace and export opportunities developed in partnership with the Department of the Chief Minister. The additional initiatives for the next three years include:
- establishing and maintaining whole-of-government partnerships to deliver economic, social and cultural benefits to indigenous communities through the arts, in the areas of health, education, business development and tourism;
- building on successes through indigenous arts and cultural tourism opportunities to provide local jobs for local people; and
- informing strong indigenous arts policy and strategies through research and data collection in relation to the indigenous arts sector.
Governments at all levels should adopt and maintain consistent long-term policy and resourcing to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector. This is not special pleading. Governments routinely provide industry support programs inside and outside the cultural domain. The Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry clearly falls into both.
Building Stronger Arts Business has been, and continues to be, the Territory’s response to the need for such consistent support. I urge a similar approach from the Commonwealth. Similarly, it is important that there is ongoing support to its representative bodies from the art centres themselves through to representative bodies such as ANKAAA and Desart. In each case, this involves government at all levels approaching these bodies in the same way and with the same respect it treats other industry representative bodies.
Our government’s submission to the Senate calls for:
- a comprehensive, fully costed assessment of all infrastructure requirements across the industry, including the development of standard methodologies for determining minimum requirements and formulae for calculating costs for new entrants to the art centre network;
- a structured and timetabled approach across, say, five years to meet identified infrastructure needs; and
- in consultation with ANKAAA and Desart membership, a planned approach to prioritising infrastructure needs for the art centres over that five years.
The Northern Territory government is more than willing to work with the Australian government on these and other issues facing the industry.
I make one final point today, and that concerns the issue of unethical conduct undertaken by some in the industry, from forgery to carpetbagging. These are issues that continue to bedevil the industry. Indeed, they are issues that have been raised extensively in the media by me and members opposite. I do not have easy answers to this continuing problem and have to be convinced of some proposals that have been raised; for example in licensing and regulation of aspects of the industry.
I am not saying I am rejecting these proposals out of hand, just that I need to be convinced that regulation of cultural industries must be treated with considerable caution. However, some areas of existing federal legislation such as the Trade Practices Act and Customs Act clearly need to be looked at. Certainly, immediate action can be undertaken by the Australian Taxation Office as a means of dealing with unethical and unscrupulous behaviour in dealing with the Aboriginal visual arts and craft industry. From what I have been told, a number of less reputable dealers in Aboriginal art would have difficulties sustaining their practices in the face of rigorous tax auditing.
In concluding, I am not sure if it is entirely parliamentary to draw attention to a necklace I often wear in this place. It is a silver image of a stingray, which is one of my totems. It was designed by Therese Burak. I also have this silk scarf designed by Therese Anne Munkara. These are things of great beauty and are very special to me as a Tiwi woman. They are important as well to me as Arts minister because they represent the work of many thousands of Territory artists from the desert to the islands. They are artists who are emblematic of both ancient tradition as well as contemporary innovation and, as such, give us all great hope for the future.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, as this is my first response as the shadow minister for Arts and Museums, I have to say that this is a portfolio to which I look forward. Museums and the arts industry is something that I have great delight in and I participate in quite regularly. My husband can attest to that. He says: ‘Do not go near any of that because it is going to cost me money’. I have quite a bit of art at home. I appreciate it - and most of it is indigenous art. I also have quite a bit of it in my office that I am very proud to have on display, especially a lot of Paddy Fordham’s to which I have taken a particular liking.
The minister’s statement today supports the national development of a framework that supports Australia’s indigenous visual arts and crafts. It is important that there are some clear guidelines to guarantee the security of indigenous art and craft into the future.
On the origins of the Senate inquiry, you should be a little careful here because the Northern Territory government should not claim that they were instrumental in convincing the Australian government to instigate this inquiry.
The former federal minister was aware of the issues facing the indigenous visual arts industry and reports of exploitative treatment of indigenous artists. The previous Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Hon Rod Kemp, canvassed the views of key players in the indigenous arts sector and identified the need for a parliamentary inquiry to fully examine the state of the industry and to identify ways to build a more sustainable indigenous arts industry.
The Senate inquiry has received 72 submissions covering many issues from a range of industry and government perspectives. This is a very strong response to the inquiry’s terms of reference and bodes well for a robust examination of the industry and the development of informed recommendations for the future. I must say that the submission by the Northern Territory government is a very comprehensive one. It took a little while to read through, and it was a very good submission.
Indigenous art centres are the foundation of the indigenous arts sector. Most of these centres operate in remote Australia and most are owned and controlled by indigenous people. Art centres provide materials, space to work and technical assistance for artists, facilitate linkages to national and international dealers, collectors and galleries, and ensure the artists receive appropriate remuneration for their work. The minister said this is not something governments can take credit for; however, the Australian government must be recognised for their commitment to this innovative model.
The National Arts and Crafts Industry Support program is a well-coordinated Australian federal government program that plays a key role in supporting arts centres to be as effective as possible. The program provides direct funding support to indigenous art centres and arts support and advocacy organisations with the objective of assisting arts centres to become stronger and build a more sustainable indigenous visual arts industry. In the 2006-07 budget, the Australian government announced an additional $1m for the National Arts and Craft Industry Support program and brought its annual funding to $5.644m.
A point that was not made in the ministerial statement is that young indigenous people need to be encouraged to continue their culture and traditions, and express their place in the world. One of the ways of accomplishing this outside of the family or community group is to utilise the school system to facilitate greater interest and education.
We cop a fair bit of slamming on this side of the House about what we have not done in the past, and we sit here and have to cop it. None of us four when we cop a slamming over everything that happens in this House and with this government ...
Ms Scrymgour: Did you not read page 2? I called for bipartisan support.
Mrs MILLER: Okay.
Ms Scrymgour: You are the one slamming and being political now. If you want me to get political, I will do it in my response.
Mrs MILLER: It is bipartisan. No matter how much the Labor government will have you believe that until they arrived on the scene there was no real promotion of Aboriginal visual arts and crafts, the CLP did not produce motherhood statements, but rather real promotion of Aboriginal art and crafts. Two of the most successful indigenous art exhibitions in the world, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, which is now entering its 24th year, and the Annual Desert Mob Exhibition, operating since 1991, are initiatives of the CLP government, and both continue to provide Aboriginal artists the opportunity to have their art displayed, to build their reputation and help establish the artists’ reputations on the national and international arts scene. This is opportunity in practice.
The federal government has also been very active in its continued support in all facets: legal, commercial, cultural and community. These include the Australia Council, which funded the National Association for the Visual Arts to develop a code of conduct for the indigenous visual arts industry. It includes the development of ethical indigenous art trade strategies and an indigenous commercial code of conduct. It is intended that the code will form the basis from which artists in the industry can promote ethical practices. The draft has been released for public comment, with the code to be finalised shortly.
The Australia Council has also announced a three-year strategy to protect and promote indigenous intellectual and cultural property. The strategy will promote advocacy within the arts sector, the development of consumer information, and provide educational resources for indigenous artists to help them better understand their rights in the arts marketplace.
Most relevant to the issue of exploitation in the industry are the Artists in Work and Other Side of the Coin initiatives, which I will now discuss. Artists in Work is a strategy to increase the participation of indigenous people in the arts sector through employment opportunities such as traineeships, scholarships, employer incentives and general positions. This initiative has a budget of $0.655m over three years from 2005 to 2008.
The Other Side of the Coin is designed to protect and promote indigenous cultural and intellectual property by providing the tools, information and resources required by indigenous artists to protect their works of art and to ensure a better understanding of the marketplace. This initiative is budgeted at $0.3m over two years from 2006 to 2008.
The Australian government’s Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records program funds activities to retain and revive Australia’s indigenous languages. It supports activities that help to maintain the strength of languages that are widely spoken and that preserve and revive endangered languages where there are a limited number of elderly speakers.
The Indigenous Culture Support program supports the maintenance of cultural practice within indigenous communities, and the promotion of indigenous cultures as dynamic and integral elements of Australian culture and identity. The Indigenous Culture Support program funds activities that encourage culturally vibrant indigenous communities. These activities, while based on traditional practices, are developed in a creative environment and contribute to the cultural identity and wellbeing of indigenous individuals and communities.
Indigenous art has, obviously, been popular in the Northern Territory for many years with both locals and tourists, and the interest is ever-increasing as time goes by. There are many and varied cultural interpretations from so many different areas throughout the Territory. My experience in the earlier years when we first arrived was that there were a few artists who, whenever they came to town and needed a few extra dollars, did some artwork and brought it along with them and sold it for whatever they could, wherever they could, so they could have some extra money. Some of the art and craft work at that stage was very good, but some of it was ordinary and painted quickly with the idea of getting a few extra dollars. It is also fair to say that, in most cases, even for the well-presented art, these people would have been paid a minimal amount for their work.
Fortunately, over the years there have been many changes which have occurred that have markedly improved the way indigenous art and craft is being marketed. This area is finally getting the respect it deserves, with ethical behaviour in the marketplace. I cannot say that has always been the case.
Aboriginal visual arts and craft is a very good medium for many indigenous communities to instil pride and to be a great economic driver for their communities. There is no doubt that there will always be a demand for authentic art and craft items, especially from international tourists who seek out indigenous works wherever they travel.
I support this government’s efforts in developing the industry further in the years to come. I believe this is a very achievable way to making conditions so much better for many of the artists who are able to retail their works towards achieving independence in their communities. The work of many of these art pieces has increased in value in a short space of years, and it is to the credit of many of these art centres that the artist is paid appropriately.
The minister spoke of unethical practices over the years, and she is quite right. I have witnessed it myself. I am sure many people here who have experienced Aboriginal communities and art and craft have seen the same thing happen. We now have some pieces of art being mass-produced in China, with attempts to sell it in Australia as authentic, so it is very good to see there is some control being put on that. This national framework to protect indigenous art and craft should see the demise of these rip-offs within the art and craft community.
My colleague, the member for Greatorex, spoke to me yesterday regarding a microdot, a system developed in the Territory. I have not seen this myself, but he thought I should table a microdot if I could find one. He said it would probably fit as a spot on the end of my finger. Apparently, it is a way of identifying art and preventing forgeries.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for her statement and look forward to the direction in which Aboriginal arts and craft is headed in the Northern Territory.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the minister’s statement. I share with the minister her pride in the Northern Territory’s indigenous visual arts, which we are privileged to call our own.
First, I acknowledge the invaluable contribution Aboriginal artists have made to this nation and, in particular, to the Northern Territory. We need to understand our indigenous history to fully appreciate the journey that has taken art from the Dreamtime to the world stage. Our indigenous people of the Northern Territory have been artists for many thousands of years. It has been part of our life and culture through imagery, dance and song. These three elements, along with our languages, have provided the basis for our long-standing rich and resilient culture.
In the old days, visual arts provided indigenous people with the means to record, represent and express stories and the journeys of ancestral beings through body painting and markings, ground paintings, bark paintings and rock art, together with decorations on artefacts and sacred objects.
Whilst these traditional arts are maintained throughout the Territory today, the past 30 years have seen the development of a new art movement, one in which Aboriginal artists have been able to take their culture to the rest of the world in a form which has delighted art lovers and which has returned substantial economic, social and cultural benefits to Aboriginal communities.
I am proud that my region, Central Australia, is the birthplace of the desert art movement, a movement that, as it has grown and flourished, has provided an art style that is recognisable all over the world; a movement that has given Australia part of its national visual identity. Since Geoffrey Barton recognised the extraordinary wealth of cultural knowledge held by the men of Papunya and brought their images to the market, the Central Australian Aboriginal art movement has gone from strength to strength.
Our paintings are now treasured not only right across Australia, but in Europe, the United States and more recently China, South-East Asia and even in the Middle East. The growth of the popularity of Aboriginal art and its appreciation by non-Aboriginal people has served an important function of assisting to maintain traditional culture. This is very true in my region, Central Australia, where traditional culture is still strong and where much of the painting is underpinned by the story or tjukurrpa, the law and the song. The traditional iconography is still to be found in our paintings, from the animal tracks to the marks depicting waterholes, dreaming tracks and ancestral people.
The original stories were fundamental to the survival of Aboriginal people in Central Australia, serving as location maps and acting as the means of transmission of moral and spiritual beliefs. Of course, nowadays, paintings for sale do not carry sacred or secret information, but artists often sing or tell the old stories as they are painting and, in this way, keep their culture both intact and alive.
I have visited arts centres such as the Warlukurlangu artists in Yuendumu in my electorate where the senior artists, old men and women, steeped in the original culture, are singing and painting alongside their children and grandchildren, where the artists still dance on special occasions, and where bush trips to important sites and remote parts of the country are the highlight of the arts centre program.
It is very important that we acknowledge the Aboriginal relationship to country and the traditional culture which is the core inspiration for the best of Aboriginal visual arts being produced today. Aboriginal artists have made the transition from traditional culture to contemporary art form without compromise, and for this we must respect them. Of course, with the development of the Aboriginal art that is made for the market and not for traditional purposes comes a shift to engagement with the mainstream commercial world and, in this shift, there has been and will continue to be major challenges. This is why today we are speaking about the federal government’s Senate inquiry into Australia’s indigenous visual arts and crafts sector.
The Northern Territory government has made a strong and comprehensive submission to the inquiry and the minister has already outlined a number of the issues contained in the submission. I endorse the minister’s remarks on the importance of the industry and the need for its ongoing support.
The minister has spoken on the important work being done by Aboriginal-owned arts centres in the Northern Territory. In my electorate, I am proud to say, is one of the leading arts centres in Australia: Warlukurlangu Artists at Yuendumu. Established in 1985, the arts centre has been the central cultural organisation in Yuendumu for more than 20 years. The arts centre has grown significantly in terms of sales and artist participation and is now one of the three largest arts centres in Central Australia. It is a shining example of a long-standing and successful Aboriginal-owned enterprise. Currently representing more than 300 artists, Warlukurlangu is managed by an executive committee made up of Aboriginal artists. For most of its history, Warlukurlangu has operated with a high level of community participation and engagement.
The arts centre undertakes a range of projects that nurture social and cultural objectives and are highly valued by its member artists. These projects often generate income, but this is not their main focus. Market responses to the bright acrylic paintings on canvas produced at Warlukurlangu have been very positive, resulting in increased demand and higher prices. This has placed Warlukurlangu in a very strong commercial position. As a result, substantial economic benefits flow back through the artist’s families and into the community, and the quality of life of the people has improved through better access to benefits such as good food, furniture, whitegoods and other items of value.
Profits the artists have reinvested back into Warlukurlangu have allowed the art centre to build not only a new office and gallery, but also much-needed staff and visitor accommodation. The arts centre is currently represented by well established, ethical commercial galleries in capital cities. It manages a busy exhibition schedule. These commercial galleries permit Warlukurlangu to showcase the highly sought after paintings produced by senior artists. The beautiful artwork from Warlukurlangu artists has been collected by public art galleries and museums for many years. Many of the family artists, such as Paddy Tjapaltjarri Simms and Paddy Tjapaltjarri Stewart are now painting alongside their children and grandchildren.
The arts centre has developed very effective sales strategies and business systems, which have been supported by marked improvements in the quality of the work. This has partly been achieved through the introduction of best practice preparation, conservation and storage techniques for artwork, and improved stock maintenance systems. Warlukurlangu staff also actively engage with the artists to support them in the production of quality fine art. Because of the best practice systems employed by Warlukurlangu, it has become a centre of excellence. It is able to share its knowledge, systems and experience with smaller Aboriginal arts centres right across the Northern Territory and it has been generous in doing so.
Feedback from the artists at Yuendumu is that while the money that flows from strong sales is highly valued, Warlukurlangu’s role in supporting social and cultural objectives and activities is equally important. As well as providing, for example, bush, interstate and sometimes international trips for artists, the arts centre makes a major contribution to the Yuendumu community through the eye and dog health programs. It is currently making a substantial contribution to the new community swimming pool and is now looking to implement an ear program, including surgery for Yuendumu children.
Another leading arts centre in Central Australia is, of course, the original art company, Papunya Tula owned by its shareholders, indigenous artists from the Western Desert. Like Warlukurlangu artists in Yuendumu, Papunya Tula is closely involved in a number of desert communities as well as running its highly successful commercial enterprise headquartered in Alice Springs.
It is quite well known that Papunya Tula artists support the Western Desert Dialysis Unit, which provides dialysis for Aboriginal people in Central Australia, but not many people understand the level of support that the company has actually provided.
The manager has stated that without Papunya Tula, the dialysis unit would not exist. As well as the $1.1m that made up the original donation, Papunya Tula is providing ongoing support, most recently some $200 000 raised for the unit by auctions of artworks held in London and Paris. The unit provides dialysis in both the remote community of Kintore and in Alice Springs, as well as self-care education for renal patients, employment of patient support workers, and other activities such as trips to country for patients and the Renal Choir. These services are for Aboriginal people from right across the Western Desert.
Papunya Tula Artists provides more social support than just the dialysis unit. They are currently working with other groups such as the Kumantjayi Perkins Children’s Trust to raise funds for a community swimming pool at Kintore. Last September, they facilitated and funded an excursion for young Kintore boys to Melbourne to meet positive role models and experience the opportunities in mainstream Australia.
I have spoken at some length about Warlukurlangu artists and Papunya Tula because it is important to understand the economic, social and cultural benefits that art centres provide. There are about 35 Aboriginal arts centres in Central Australia and many more communities which are making art and participating in the industry. This is a remarkable achievement.
We must remember that this industry involves many traditional people who, in Central Australia, have had very little exposure to Western business culture. It is a tribute to Aboriginal people’s adaptability that many artists have come to terms with contemporary business culture. On the whole, this has been most successful where artists have worked through their community art centres, where the arts staff, both white and indigenous, have provided a bridge between the artist and the market. For those artists in Central Australia without a community art centre, there have been more challenges. It is in this area of these unrepresented artists where many of the problems have arisen, which have resulted in the federal parliamentary inquiry.
In my electorate, as well as having Aboriginal-owned art centres, there are also a number of artists who work directly for one or more private dealers. Not all dealers are unethical, and a number provide good support services and fair market returns for Aboriginal artists. Sadly, some artists work for people who exploit their lack of English language, numeracy and understanding of value transactions in the commercial context. There are a number of examples of unethical and exploitative practices occurring in my electorate and, like others, I hear many terrible anecdotes about the practices, both in remote communities and in Alice Springs where my electorate takes in the town camps. Unfortunately, many visitors from remote communities who come to town for health or family reasons and who stay in town camps or camp around the town fall prey to unethical dealers who take advantage of their vulnerable situation and their need for income when far from home.
Recently, I am proud to say, Aboriginal people in Central Australia are taking a stand on these unethical practices. Some of our leading Aboriginal organisations have spoken out on issues - the Central Land Council, for example.
Some indigenous organisations have taken the step of setting up art centres themselves so that artists living in Alice Springs can work safely in Aboriginal-owned organisations where transactions are fair and transparent. Tangentyere Artists was set up by Tangentyere Council. It now supports 195 artists and teaches artists about pricing, care of materials and encourages innovative art practice. Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre was set up by Ngurratjuta Council. It now supports 314 artists, many of whom are town camp residents. Town camp residents and visitors can also access Tjanpi Aboriginal Baskets at the NPY Womens Council, and Eastern and Central Arrernte artists, some who live in town camps work at Irrkerlantye Arts.
Bindi Incorporated provides a valuable service to artists with special needs, as does the Greenbush Arts Group in the Alice Springs Prison. The work being done at Yarrenyty-Arltereto provide art projects as diversionary activities for some of the most disadvantaged people in Australia is having a positive social impact. It is inspiring to visit this program and see the progress that the artists have made over the last few years.
The Northern Territory government is keenly aware of the issues and needs of the Aboriginal visual arts sector. It has established Australia’s first comprehensive indigenous art strategy, Building Stronger Art Business. As the minister has pointed out, the cultural heritage and cultural practices of indigenous Territorians are a significant part of the Northern Territory’s economy and a primary contributor to social and cultural life here. As well as being a prime contributor to the social cohesion of indigenous communities, Aboriginal culture enriches and contributes to our multicultural community and provides a strong impetus for tourism, another important industry in the Northern Territory.
I support the minister’s argument that government contributions to the Aboriginal visual arts industry should not be seen as a subsidy, but rather as an investment. In my electorate, the funding support for Warlukurlangu Artists at Yuendumu has allowed them to extend their services to the adjacent community of Nyirripi, where people with family ties to Yuendumu live. Already, the artists at Nyirripi are seeing the benefits of working through an Aboriginal-owned art centre and their work is reaching new markets.
There is a strong argument for continued support for the strong art centres, so they can build up infrastructure and systems, as Warlukurlangu Arts has done, and to strengthen the smaller art centres, which are often in precarious situations with little cash flow or working capital. In addition, there are many more communities, at least five in my electorate, which are keen to also have their own art centres.
One of the Northern Territory government’s recommendations is that government at local, territory and national levels should adopt and maintain consistent long-term policy and resourcing to the Aboriginal visual arts and craft sector.
Small Aboriginal enterprises of all kinds, especially arts centres, have had to deal with significant changes over the last few years, particularly since the demise of ATSIC. Aboriginal arts centres have faced continually changing government expectations in general terms, such as the current changes to Centrelink and CDEP programs, as well as changes in guidelines for specific funding programs which support arts centres.
More importantly, the available funds have been virtually frozen for the last five years, a period during which the arts centres have consolidated, expanded and multiplied in line with industry growth. More funding investment is required so that other communities can benefit from the overall strength of the industry so that adequate infrastructure, skilled staff and training can be provided. While the Northern Territory government is able to support arts centres through its strategy and grants programs, a much stronger level of support would be achieved by the release of funds from the Aboriginal Benefits Account to support visual arts and crafts, as promised in 2004. This release of funds is one of the Northern Territory government’s recommendations made in the submission to the Senate inquiry.
Another of the Northern Territory government’s recommendations is the ongoing support for the representative organisations such as Desart and ANKAAA. I am familiar with the work Desart does right across Central Australia to support both arts centres and individual artists. Desart has often been the first port of call for artists in distress and, through their advocacy and mediation, many artists have been assisted to escape the clutches of unethical dealers as well as deal with breaches of copyright and intellectual property issues.
Desart now has 41 member organisations that provide standard contracts for Aboriginal artists and assist arts centres with accessing legal and business advice. Desart members tell me that they are very appreciative of the valuable Networking the Nation program, which has seen the installation of state-of-the-art IT equipment, software and networking for remote art centres over the last few years.
I support the minister in her commendation of the industry organisations, Desart in Alice Springs and Central Australia and ANKAAA in the Top End and Kimberley. Their Aboriginal executives have shown leadership and commitment, and their staff have worked effectively for the indigenous visual arts industry.
I support the minister in her commitment of support for indigenous visual arts and crafts. Like her, I can see the industry provides hope for Aboriginal people, their culture and enterprises. With the support of all levels of government and, hopefully, with bipartisan support, our Northern Territory indigenous artists will continue to produce art that is a source of pride for all Australians.
I hope the Senate inquiry results in actions to clean up the industry, actions which remove unethical elements, and puts in place strong, long-term, whole-of-government policies that result in well-deserved support and investment in indigenous visual arts and crafts enterprises.
Mr Deputy Speaker, finally, I acknowledge traditional culture and the resilience of traditional culture. I acknowledge the strength and adaptability of the Aboriginal artists whose contemporary art works have taken them from the dreamtime to the world stage.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the statement from the Minister for Arts and Museums, predominantly from the point of view of the responsibility I have for Asian Relations and Trade; that is, the trade component.
Of course, before the current minister had the Arts and Museums portfolio, I had it for four years so it is something very dear to my heart. It is such a wonderful industry with such hope for the Territory and for Aboriginal people. I have been delighted to hear the words spoken by both the minister and the member for Stuart.
Aboriginal arts and crafts is attracting worldwide attention and acclaim, leading to some of our Territory artists having work included in the collections of major international galleries and museums. I must say I am very envious of the minister’s visit to the Musee du quai Branly in Paris to view the indigenous art exhibition last year. It must have been wonderful to see our artists’ works appreciated by so many people on the other side of the world.
It is important, however, that we do not focus on the high end of Aboriginal arts and craft. There are around 5000 practising Aboriginal visual artists and crafts people in the Territory. We have all heard of Minnie Pwerte and Rover Thomas, but there are many lesser known artists who derive income, satisfaction, expression and independence from their art work.
As you know, Mr Deputy Speaker, the indigenous arts and craft industry is a significant contributor to the Territory economy and, for this reason, I am particularly pleased that one of the first projects to emerge from our Indigenous Arts Strategy was the development of an Export Action Plan, an initiative of the Department of the Chief Minister.
The plan has been put in place to develop more export earnings, and to increase revenues and financial returns to our artists and art centres. It is a case of building on success. Aboriginal arts and crafts are being exported to more than 50 countries around the world. In addition, there are thousands of purchases of art and craft by tourists visiting the Territory and other parts of Australia, as well as over the Internet, after which works are mailed to buyers around the world. The statistics show that our largest export markets are Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the USA. These and other international marketplaces are becoming more discerning, and are keen to invest in genuine Aboriginal art work; this is, of course, artwork which has the correct providence.
The development of export markets is an extremely resource intensive activity. An art centre, for example, often only has one or two people managing and coordinating its many different functions. There is often little time left in the day for these dedicated people to turn their minds to other things, let alone the complexities of exporting. For a large number of artists and art centres, the cost of export marketing, which involves the production of artwork, introducing the artwork into the marketplace and exhibiting to potential buyers, is often too expensive.
These are just some of the major hurdles the industry faces in taking Aboriginal art to the world, and that is where the Export Action Plan comes in. A primary activity of the plan is to coordinate and sponsor inbound buying missions to the Territory, the Kimberley and the Central Desert. The missions are designed to introduce international buyers, galleries, collectors and curators directly to Aboriginal art centres with the aim of increasing exports in both the short and long term.
They were developed as a joint activity between the Territory and Australian governments, with the Western Australian government also involved in one of the missions. We also worked closely with ANKAAA and Desart to ensure we had the artists and art centres on board and ready to participate. In essence, these missions are an attempt to reverse the traditional model of developing exports. Instead of the artwork being taken to the market, we brought the market to the artwork. By doing this, potential buyers got to experience firsthand the country and stories which inspired the works, as well as meeting the artists in their own communities. Our visitors were also able to meet with art centre managers face-to-face, and establish relationships that we hope will strengthen in the years ahead.
The first missions involved European buyers, as Europe was identified as a primary target market. We initially planned for one mission from Europe, with two more from other key markets. However, due to high levels of interest, we decided that all three missions should come from Europe. I am pleased to advise they have proved very successful. All up, we have hosted 14 buyers from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Bahrain and Singapore; mainly gallery owners, private collectors and museum curators.
If sales are any indicator, the missions have exceeded all expectations. Sales currently stand at $500 000, and it is expected this figure will increase due to a number of exhibitions planned for later this year. More than 20 art centres were directly visited or came in to display and present their art and craft to these buyers, including Tjala Arts in Amata, just across the Territory-South Australia border; Warlukurlangu Arts on the edge of the Tanami Desert in Central Australia; Injaluk Arts; Maningrida Arts; Buku Larrnggay Mulka in Arnhem Land, and Waringarri and Mangkaja Arts in Western Australia.
A number of other art centres also benefited by participating in exhibitions with the buyers who visited them. For example, Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrng is an art centre at Mt Liebig, west of Alice Springs, and they have recently returned from a successful exhibition in Copenhagen in Denmark. The exhibition was held at the Galerie Knud Grothe owned by a buyer who was part of our second mission, and two high-profile female artists from Watiyawanu travelled to Demark to attend - Ngnoia Pollard Napaljarri and Lilly Kelly Napangardi.
We helped Ngnoia and Lilly with the costs of travel and accommodation through our Trade Support Scheme, and I know that it is an investment which will pay dividends for the artists, their community, and the Territory as a whole. A further three exhibitions are being planned for later this year as direct results of the missions, another at Galerie Knud Grothe, a second at a high profile gallery in London and one at the Red Dot Gallery in Singapore.
As you are aware Maningrida Arts exhibited at the La Fontaine Gallery in Bahrain last year and among its biggest fans were members of the royal family. I can inform the House that the owner of that gallery, Mrs Fatima Alireza, was so excited about the potential for future exhibitions that she signed as a participant in our third mission. I understand that she is currently considering an exhibition of Central Desert art, which is great news.
Not surprisingly, the success of these three missions has led my department to continue with the program. Two more missions are planned for this year, one from the US in May and another from Europe. Planning for both these missions is well advanced, with the US mission attracting a great deal of interest. It is shaping up as a blockbuster, and I look forward to reporting to the House on the outcomes of that mission. The success of these trade missions has prompted us to look at ways we can assist other sectors of the arts to develop their export markets - sectors such as music, dance and literature. If the visual arts are any guide, I am confident that other sectors can also enjoy similar success.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the minister on her statement and her commitment to indigenous arts and crafts, and I wish every success to our artists, all of whom are playing their part in taking the Territory to the world.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arts and Museums): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister, who I know was very reluctant to give up the Arts and Museums portfolio and has a strong commitment to this sector, but I will give it the same commitment that she did over her four years. The sector is growing, and it was heartening to hear the Chief Minister talk about other businesses being able to look to export markets. That is good news.
To the member for Stuart, thank you for your support. I remember visiting the Warlukurlangu Arts stand at the Desert Mob exhibition in Alice Springs. I wear quite proudly the shirt that they gave to me. When I am in the Top End, people often ask where that shirt and those colours came from. I do my fair bit of promotion for the arts centre in your electorate. They do a fantastic job. Listening to you speak reaffirmed what was in the statement about Warlukurlangu and Papunya Tula and how they are family institutions where the grandchildren of those artists are now working.
The role that is often overlooked is their contributions to social programs and the benefit of not just the artists and their families, but the whole community. What they put back into the communities is something that a lot of people do not know. When you sit down and talk to them about the role of these centres, people are astounded. I enjoyed your speech, so I thank your for your contribution.
The member for Katherine, the opposition spokesperson, said that she did not know much about art, although she is new in the portfolio. She talked about her couple of Paddy Fordham paintings and looked forward to being in the portfolio. I am certainly looking forward to having her as the shadow.
I was disappointed because it was clear that she was being contradictory when she said she did not know anything about the sector and then rambled about the federal government. It was clear that she did not read the statement. I will just go back over it. On page 2, I said that in this sector we needed a bipartisan approach and that I hoped that the opposition and Independents of this Assembly felt that.
Nowhere in the speech did I put the CLP down. I re-read the speech and thought maybe she was reading something else. There was no criticism whatsoever of the CLP and what they had done as the previous government.
I draw the attention of the member for Katherine to page 3, because she then went on with the second lot of rambling about the origins of the Senate inquiry and said that it was not the Northern Territory government. Well, if the member for Katherine had bothered reading the statement properly, I did not say the Northern Territory government was instrumental in getting this inquiry happening. If anything, I said that the Northern Territory government welcomed and supported the inquiry, and acknowledged the two main players. It was clear that she got some information from one of her federal counterparts regarding the role of the federal government in this. This is not something to play politics about because it is very important that we do work with the federal government, as I stressed in the statement, for our visual arts.
In the statement, I acknowledged both ANKAAA and Desart, who were the two prime movers, and they were the ones that should have been commended and applauded for the work that they have done. They were the two bodies instrumental in convincing the former federal arts minister, Senator Kemp, not only to endorse the inquiry, but they had a hand in developing its terms of reference. I think the member for Katherine needs to take back her words that I said the Northern Territory government was instrumental. If she had read the statement correctly - but they are very selective about what they think they read and then say, which is absolutely misleading. It is a serious thing to say something contrary to what is actually in the statement.
She said young indigenous people should be encouraged through education. If you go into any school, member for Katherine, the arts sector and education work hand-in-hand. There are many remote communities where art is carried through the schools. It is not just visual arts; music has been used as a fantastic medium with some of those remote schools to achieve better school attendance, so they have used music as that medium to get kids back to school.
The member for Katherine said that it was the CLP that initiated the Telstra Awards. The Telstra Awards are a national award and the major driver of that is Telstra. With Desert Mob, I did not say - and I reiterate - through this statement, that the CLP did nothing. All I said was that the Martin Labor government did more. When the Chief Minister was Arts minister, there was the Building Stronger Arts Business and, through that strategy, there was the inclusion of a dedicated Indigenous Arts Development Unit that simply was not there under the CLP but did come under the Labor government. I did not criticise the CLP. This is building on what was there. We have added to that.
The member for Katherine talked about the IPP Toolkit, that the Northern Territory was fully involved and on the consultative group. She brought up again about the micro-coded DNA to prevent forgeries. The member for Blain has raised this issue with me a couple of times. My office has written to the member for Blain every time he has raised this issue. Views from the sector in relation to this have been passed to the member for Blain. If the member for Katherine, who is now the shadow, wants information on that, we will certainly forward it.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank members who contributed to this. It is an important industry; it is getting bigger and better.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
ADJOURNMENT
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Deputy Speaker, 2006 was a big year for Catholics in the Territory. In August last year, the church celebrated the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Francis Gsell in the Territory. Father Gsell effectively established the Catholic Church here, and the centenary was a joyous occasion for many Territorians.
However, that was not the only century the Catholic Church celebrated last year. On 28 December, it was my pleasure to attend a Mass at St John’s College to pay tribute to and celebrate the 100th birthday of Brother Rexford John Pye. Brother Pye is one of our true pioneers. Not only has he lived here for over 65 years, his work has helped shaped the Territory into the place it is today.
Brother Pye was born in the Riverina district of New South Wales in 1906. He joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart at the age of 20, and took his first religious vows in 1930. Before arriving in the Territory in 1941, he spent 10 years at Downlands College in Toowoomba as a teacher and athletics coach. He was a top athlete in his younger days, although Brother Pye reckons at 80 he was still a top athlete. Go, Brother Pye!
Brother Pye has served the people of the Territory as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart ever since, mostly in some of our more remote communities. After three years at Port Keats, he was appointed to Bathurst Island in 1944. It was there his name first slipped into Territory folklore, as it was Brother Pye who introduced Aussie Rules to the Tiwi Islanders. He used an old World War II airstrip as a field and erected sticks as goal posts at either end. All of a sudden, the one-time athletics coach was now coaching football. The rest is history. The Tiwis embraced the sport with a passion and their natural gifts and athleticism is now appreciated by football fans across the country.
Brother Pye went on to serve as a missionary at the Channel Island Leper Station and in Daly River, where he continued his football coaching and ran the school boys’ boarding house. Despite a serious accident in the early 1960s when he was badly burned, and a near miss in India when his plane caught fire, Brother Pye continued to live life to the full. He wrote a number of books about the places he had come to know so well – Ports Keats, Daly River, the Tiwi Islands, Santa Teresa and East Aranda. He travelled abroad, had a personal audience with Pope Paul VI and, in 1986, was award the Order of Australia Medal.
The Historical Society of the Northern Territory commissioned a book about his life entitled Punderdelime - Brother John Pye - A Northern Territory Legend. Punderdelime is the nickname given to him by the Tiwis, which means ‘strength and maturity’.
Brother Pye still lives in Darwin and, on behalf of all Territorians, I wish him all the very best in the future. His is a certainly a remarkable life.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MARTIN: It was wonderful to be part of that celebration. I can assure everyone that Brother Pye at 100 is doing very well. He reckons that in his heyday, he could kick a goal from the halfway line of an AFL field. If that is the case, that is awesome!
The Centralian of the Year Award is a prestigious award that recognises the high achievers and community-minded people of Central Australia. This year, the selection committee had a large pool of entrants to choose from and competition was fierce. It was, therefore, no surprise to see the award being shared by two local heroes, Pippa Tessmann and Mildred Inkamala.
Pippa won her award for her commitment to sport and sports medicine. She is the President of the Southern Region of Sports Medicine Australia and, in 2006, won the Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award for her physiotherapy and sports injury clinic. As she has done in previous years, Pippa volunteered many hours of her time in the sport medicine team at last year’s Alice Springs Masters Games. She also volunteers hundred of hours every year sitting on the sidelines of many sports in Alice Springs performing her sports medicine duties. Sport is a big part of the Territory lifestyle, and volunteers like Pippa help it to continue. Congratulations, Pippa.
Mildred Inkamala received her Centralian of the Year Award for her long-standing commitment to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal communities. In particular, Mildred has worked hard in Hermannsburg helping the community and the police deal with crime and violence. She has supported many children and families in her role as a health worker, while also raising her own family. Mildred’s work has made a big difference to many people in her community and I hope her important work continues. My warmest congratulations go to her.
These are just two of many Centralians who make a contribution to their community every year. I thank them both for their commitment to the Territory.
Initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles are a vital part of improving the general health in our community. Often people look to government for direction in this area, but with the broad range of sport and recreation facilities, clubs and organisation in the community, there is also an important role for the private sector to play. There is no better example of this than the work that is being done at the Get Physical Gymnasium at the Alice Springs Memorial Club. Owned and operated by Jenny Steer and Maria Lennartz, their gym is leading the way in building a healthy lifestyle in Alice Springs while also bringing together groups within their community that would otherwise have little connection.
Jenny Steer has been involved in running gyms for many years and has seen firsthand the changing face of the fitness industry. She recognises that to be successful, there is an obligation to engage the community and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Maria Lennartz, who is a registered nurse, has been a partner in the business for the last three years. The combination of Jenny’s long history in the fitness industry and Maria’s health background has forged a winning formula. Get Physical Gym offers specialised gym sessions, including outreach services for community organisations such as CAAAPU and St Mary’s and has worked to promote active lifestyles in schools such as Yirara College, ANZAC Hill, OLSH, Living Waters and Gillen Primary School. Recently, they commenced a new program called KO for Kids, a program designed specifically for kids aged between eight and 15 years. Their attention to initiatives that tackle the issue of childhood obesity and improve the self-esteem of young people is to be commended.
Not to be outdone by the popular television series The Biggest Loser, Get Physical started their own Alice Springs-based competition, which has attracted over 180 participants. The approach involves a combination of scheduled exercise, healthy eating and nutritional advice along with peer support, and I am assured it does not involve anyone being voted out of the house. Their third Biggest Loser competition begins this week. It is immensely popular and has resulted in a total weight loss among participants of 258 kg in their first two programs.
It would be remiss of me to overlook congratulating the previous winners, Rudi Sebastiani who lost 14 kg in six weeks, and Renee Sutton, who won the second competition with the loss of 12 kg. Congratulations also to Deb Sizemore, one of the Biggest Loser facilitators, who herself has shed 32 kg. Deb has recently completed a course in Sydney with Professor Manny Noakes, author of the CSIRO diet book, and other leading nutritionists to enhance the Biggest Loser program.
I was also impressed to hear of Get Physical’s most recent and highly popular program, Boot Camp. Boot Camp started around 12 months ago with Sergeant Sean Jordan from the Joint Defence Facility, Pine Gap. Sean is a US Army physical trainer and has been instrumental in organising the Boot Camp sessions. Sean has now enlisted the help of Sergeant Dan Munchenbach from the US Army and Larry Foys from the US Navy. These training sessions often have up to 60 people going through their paces in the parks and up and down the hills around Alice Springs. The unique and vocal training methods of the US military are a novel sight for Alice Springs but, importantly, it is another sign of how the American community is adding to the great lifestyle of the town.
Too often we take the great work being done by people in the community for granted. Congratulations to both Jenny and Maria and their team at Get Physical for their commitment to healthy living in Alice Springs. Their community-minded spirit should be applauded. I also commend Sean, Dan and Larry from the Joint Defence Facility for sharing a piece of their American lifestyle with us. Alice Springs is a better place for the efforts of these people.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was interested in what the Chief Minister just said and I congratulate those who received awards. I will speak about the public service recipient in Alice Springs next time.
I want to raise an issue to which I am trying to find a solution. It is kids who are at risk; teenagers who have had a bit of a brush with the legal system but are causing a great deal of anxiety to their parents. They are running with the wrong group of teenager peers. There is a lot of peer pressure. They are out at night and experimenting a little with drugs and alcohol. They are not the sort of kids you would put in a diversionary program through the courts because they have not done anything to warrant going through that process, but they are kids who we identify as being very much at risk.
Good parents often feel as though they are being seen as bad parents if their teenager is off the rails a bit, but the parents are seeking help to get their child back on track. To be honest, in Alice Springs - and I could not find one elsewhere - there is no program to cater for these young people. I believe there are programs for indigenous children, but not for the non-indigenous child.
I have looked around Australia and there are many programs in other states. For instance, in Sydney there is a Youth In Search program which is widely televised. In Tasmania, there is the Wilderness Program, and in South Australia there is Operation Flinders. What we need is a program where these people can be taken away from their peers, put in a situation where they have to take responsibility for their actions, where they are challenged, and in a new environment.
I have talked to one of the Rotary groups, and I am seeking an organisation that will take this task on. They are usually run by volunteers with specialist people to help the young people, but they are not something that I have been able to find within the Territory for the children I am talking about.
If you think back, growing up can be pretty tough for some of our young people. They often get on the wrong track and are influenced by the wrong people. They are egged on and get a bit of a kick out of trying to push the boundaries as far as they possibly can. However, if we do not stop them now, they will end up coming into conflict with the law and going down a path we would hope they would not.
In my searching around, I have looked at Operation Flinders, which is a program that basically says: ‘We want to reinforce positive change for this person. We want to point them in a new direction, given them counselling and make them more responsible. We want them, when they have finished this course, to come back into their home environment and have a better attitude to the society within which they live, their family, perhaps stay at school longer than they normally would and not want to opt out too early as often many of these young people do. Basically, they will be given a new start to life’.
It is interesting that it is hard to find a program like this to give parents a bit of hope. A parent who was a professional, a very good operator, has recently left Alice Springs to take a teenager away and put him into a high school elsewhere because the parents felt the only way they could break the cycle was to get him away from town. That is a drastic move for any parent to make, but I can understand what they are saying.
I am going to seek further whether there is something government can assist with, perhaps even start. I am sure there are voluntary organisations such as the Variety Club, which raises funds that could be used to set up a camp such as this. We have facilities such as Hamilton Downs. The government owns Owen Springs. Perhaps we could set up some sort of adventure camp on one of these premises and take these teenagers out of their environment and put them in a situation where they have to take a deep breath and start all over, see the positive things in life and how they can contribute to their family.
I will be talking to the Minister for Family and Community Services. I am quite sure there are other members of parliament who have had parents approach them, as I have, about teenagers who need help. I am stymied. I am not sure where to go next, because there seems to be plenty of programs for children who have broken the law and go through diversionary programs, but there is nothing for those young people who are on the fringe, and they are the ones we need to capture now and stop before they go any further.
I ask if there is a member of the Assembly who can give me information about a program along these lines, I would appreciate it.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I begin by extending my congratulations to Mrs Denise Smith from Leanyer Primary School. The last day of school in 2006, 15 December, marked the end of Mrs Smith’s teaching career in the Northern Territory.
Denise has been a teacher with us in the Northern Territory for almost 25 years. Included has been time devoted to teaching at what was then Casuarina High School, Jingili Primary and Leanyer Primary Schools. Denise has been a member of Leanyer Primary School staff for the last 13 years, teaching in both the upper and middle primary areas. Denise is an excellent teacher. Planning, preparation, teaching, evaluation, refinement, revision and extension are aspects of the teaching equation fully covered, both thoughtfully and thoroughly.
Henry Gray, Principal of Leanyer, describes Denise of a role model in the way she developed her program; a very professional person who has been acknowledged as a thorough and meticulous staff member. Denise takes advice and shares her thoughts in a professional manner, in a team teaching situation she has developed with colleagues. She contributed to both unit and whole staff meetings, to administrative matters and professional discourse.
Denise has taken a keen interest in the wider context of school activities and participated in many extracurricular activities. No doubt, her most major contribution has been in the area of dance. Within and outside the school, Denise has been responsible for preparing children to dance in a technically correct and highly artistic manner. Through dance, she has done a lot to develop the confidence of children in the area of performing arts. She has motivated countless numbers of children to a love of dance and performing arts.
Denise Smith is a person who has made a significant contribution to education in the Northern Territory over many years. I am sure that members will join with me in wishing her the very best for her retirement and thanking her for her major and long-term contribution to education in our Territory.
It is nearly the end of February, and I take this opportunity to look back over the end of 2006, which was a very busy time in my electorate. As always, the schools were busy with end-of-year presentations and concerts, and farewelling the students who moved on to high school and middle school. It is always an absolute pleasure to attend these events, which take an enormous amount of planning and preparation. It is a fantastic opportunity to see the school’s and students’ achievements over the year.
I attended the Leanyer Primary School end-of-year awards night, and I had the honour of presenting the Paul Henderson Year 7 Academic Achievement Award to Anika Sorensen. Congratulations Anika, and good luck at high school; I am sure you will excel. I would also like to congratulate Courtney Chin from Leanyer, who was awarded the Board of Studies Year 7 Achievement Award and nominated for the Administrator’s Medal. Courtney then went on to be awarded the Administrator’s Medal for the Northern Suburbs. Well done, Courtney.
The St Andrew’s and Holy Spirit schools also held fabulous end-of-year presentations. It was fantastic to see so many students doing so well at school.
It was great to attend the end-of-year concert at Wanguri Primary School. It was a marvellous night, thoroughly enjoyed by family and many others.
Late last year, I had the sad job of farewelling the principal of Holy Spirit Primary School, Gill Webb. Gill has been a fantastic principal at Holy Spirit over eight years, I believe. Gill will be sadly missed by all of the staff and the students at Holy Spirit. Gill has moved on to another principal position within the Catholic school system. Gill, I wish you all the very best and thank you for the marvellous job you have done at Holy Spirit over the years.
However, this year, we welcome Bernadette Morriss as the new principal. Welcome to the school, Bernadette; I am sure you will enjoy and do a fantastic job. I look forward to catching up with Bernadette soon.
The Christmas spirit was alive and well around Leanyer and Wanguri, with many houses adorned with thousands of Christmas lights. Congratulations must go to Franco and Jenny Zuccarato who live near me in Haritos Street in Wanguri. Franco and Jenny did a marvellous job of covering their house with Christmas lights and were deservingly awarded the Power and Water Show Santa Where You Live competition prize yet again. That is two years running that Franco and Jenny have taken out an award. Franco, in particular, spends hundreds of hours putting the lights together, and it brings so much joy to probably many thousands of people who come from all over Darwin and Palmerston to see their home in Haritos Street. The amount of joy it brings to those people and to those kids is just indeterminable. Franco and Jenny, thank you for your wonderful Christmas spirit. Hotham Court is in Leanyer as well, where many homes compete and did an amazing job.
Lyons development is coming along very quickly. I conducted a site visit with the member for Casuarina over the last week or so. It was great to see the development coming along so well. The public ballot for Stage 1 of Lyons was a roaring success, with 31 blocks sold on the same day. Stage 2 is expected to be released in or around April, with the ballots held in May. Fifteen Defence Housing Authority homes have commenced construction, with a further 11 homes due to start soon. The builders who are participating in the Lyons Greensmart Display Village should be announced shortly, and the display village is due for completion mid-year. The neighbourhood facility is well under way and should be ready to move into around June. It is fantastic to see homes going up at a cracking pace and the suburb coming along so well.
I held my annual electorate Christmas party at Tracy Village on 11 December. It was a fantastic night. It was a great chance to catch up with community members and neighbours. These are the people who have supported me over the years, so it was great to catch up with them all before the busy Christmas holiday season kicked in.
I also had the pleasure of attending the Leanyer Seniors Village Christmas lunch. It is always refreshing to see the seniors. They form such a tight knit community within the village and are always a joy to spend time with. Well done to John and all the residents who organised the party. It was great to see you enjoying the Christmas spirit.
I also attended the Cambodian-Australian Community Christmas party. It was a great night filled with food, laughter and lots of people getting together. Congratulations to President Con and the rest of the committee and the organisers for a great night out.
Just before New Year, a quiz night was held for Mrs Irene McLennan to fundraise for her to go on a trip to Adelaide to visit her father for the first time since Irene was removed from her family as a child as part of the Stolen Generation. Mrs McLellan’s daughter, Vicki Hoult, lives in Leanyer and it was my pleasure to support this cause and attend the night. Well done, Vicki, for your organisation of such a great event. I know from Irene and a very large extended family that it was a wonderful trip and a great reunion between Irene and her father.
I spent New Year’s eve at a variety of different celebrations and functions with many members of our team. I travelled around with the members for Karama and Casuarina. I know the member for Johnston was out and about, and the member for Port Darwin, I think. We attended a number of celebrations. One was the Kalymnian Brotherhood annual New Year’s eve celebration. It was a fabulous event – great music, great food, great wine, a fair bit of whisky around. Congratulations to George Kalidonis, Peter Karpathakis and the organisers and committee.
Another venue we attended was the Portuguese Timorese Social Club, which was also fantastic. A big thanks to the president, Gloria de Castro Holl and other organisers and committee.
The Italian Club’s function was great event. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks must go to Felix Matarazzo and Nick de Candilo, who did a fantastic job as the Master of Ceremonies.
To round out the evening, we all attended the NT Timor-Chinese party at the clubhouse in Marrara. What an amazing feast! The pice de rsistance leading up to midnight was bringing out a pig on the spit. Thanks to Rui Mu, Danny Lay and the rest of the organisers. A big thank you to George Mu who helped bring it all together. George, Rui, Danny and everyone at the Timorese-Chinese organisation have done an amazing job rebuilding that clubhouse and bringing that community back together again.
As you can see, the Christmas and New Year period was a very busy one around Leanyer and Wanguri. However, we are right back into the swing of things with school going back and students getting back into their routines for 2007. I have been out visiting the schools in my electorate, plus many others as the minister now responsible for education. It is good to see the students’ enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
The government’s $50 Back to School voucher is again coming in very handy and getting many accolades from parents. It is such a big to help ease the burden to parents of getting the kids back to school.
Also, it has been fantastic to see many of the 5000 new computers that were rolled out into Territory schools late last year. The kids really appreciate, as do the teachers, being able to use new computers this year.
Saturday, 18 February, marks the beginning of Chinese New Year celebrations welcoming in the Year of the Golden Pig. I hope that the Year of the Golden Pig brings all my constituents and everyone here today a busy, productive and happy year ahead. I am sure that in future adjournment debates, we will be taking about celebrations with the Chinese community.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, first and foremost, I wish all my colleagues in this House a happy and healthy 2007 and …
Mr Henderson: Golden Pig!
Dr BURNS: That is right. Sadly, at the end of last year, two very important people who are known to me passed away. I would like to pay tribute to their memories.
The first is Phil Donohoe. Phil was a very well-known and very well-loved person in Darwin and beyond. I first met Phil in Gove where he was very much liked and respected in the Gove-East Arnhem area by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike. He did a fantastic job. He was a fantastic communicator with people - Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal - and very well respected.
I am sure he will be remembered by other members in their offerings during these sittings, as he touched people from all walks of life and different arenas and also through his family – his wife and children – his faith, his sport and his commitment to the community in so many ways. At Phil’s funeral in December, the minister of the Darwin Uniting Church gave the eulogy. The church was packed to the rafters and beyond and it was just amazing to see the range of people who had come to pay their respects and, moreover, to celebrate Phil’s life because it was a very special life.
I would like to quote from Steve Orme’s eulogy:
- Phil was born on 26 May 1961 in Bonbeach, Victoria, the third child of Jack and Jean Donohoe. Phil has two older sisters, Christine and Felicity. He grew up in Woodend, north-west of Melbourne. From his early years, Phil was a man on a spiritual journey. At the age of 14, he ‘changed sides’ from Catholicism to Protestantism. He prayed for wisdom and spent the next six years talking to older and wiser Christians as he sorted through the issues of faith.
If I could just digress from Steve’s eulogy: Phil had very strong Christian beliefs and he lived his faith. That is very important. Returning to Steve’s eulogy:
- As a kid, his mother made him take biscuits every Christmas to an old lady who lived in the town. Perhaps that started his journey of caring for others. By the time he was 20, he had worked out that if faith meant anything, it meant caring for the poor, oppressed, the lonely, the downhearted, widows and orphans. He was seriously thinking about taking a vow of celibacy, I guess to commit himself totally to the care of others but he met Amanda with whom he fell totally in love. He thought it wise to ask older and wiser people if they agreed with his decision to marry Amanda. They did, so he did and thus began 22 years of happy marriage and family life for Phil.
But his spiritual journey continued.
At 27, he was in a secure job in Portland as the Chief Environmental Health Officer, married with two children and a mortgage, yet he had a strong sense that there was more to life than this. He applied for a job within the NT government to work in Arnhem Land. He heard nothing for months. During that time, some old friends from Hawthorne West Baptist Church rang to say that the position of manager of a boarding house the church ran for low income earners was vacant. They asked if Phil would apply. With a strong sense of God’s calling, Phil and Amanda as a team sold their house and took up the position.
- Together they ran the place caring for drunks, those on drugs, suicidal people and those who were lost and lonely. Phil always believed that God had given him the desire of his heart - a beautiful woman, and Carrical Boarding House with its magnificent architecture. Phil appreciated beautiful things.
- The idea of community was central to Phil’s faith. After the boarding house and now with four kids, Phil and Amanda spent time in Lancefield where some other Christians were living. Phil went back to working as an Environmental Health Officer but constantly asking God: ‘Where next?’
He saw an ad for another job in the Northern Territory working at Tennant Creek. He applied and ended up in Nhulunbuy on a two-year contract. Eighteen months into the contract he met Richard Trudgen. They became close friends. While trying to decide his future, Phil was told by Richard: ‘In two years, you will just be starting to do anything useful for Aboriginal people. It takes that long to get to know people and begin to understand the culture’.
From that point, Phil and Amanda knew what their future would be. They knew what Richard said was true. They could see that it was a bad thing for indigenous communities to have white people come and go and the people they work with keep changing. They stayed here in the north. With his commitment to the community and his desire to see things happen, Phil started a little group called AMRRIC, Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities.
Phil cared deeply for people. He also liked beautiful things: art, architecture and women. As a town, Nhulunbuy did not feed this side of his character. After five years he had to leave to return to the city. The family moved to Darwin. This meant having a mortgage again. He hated that; he felt restricted by it and he had to have a good job to pay the mortgage. All he really wanted to do was visit people and encourage them.
Steve said that he was chatting with Phil a few months back and Phil expressed his dissatisfaction with the system and his place in it. To Steve, Phil had a truly prophetic spirit. He was critical of the system and could be very challenging in his critique.
I was always very grateful for Phil’s ideas and opinions as well as his support during my campaign to be elected to this House and his continued support over the years. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Phil, for your support. Thank you for your challenging ideas and opinions.
Phil was never bitter in his criticism, just enquiring, desiring something better, something more meaningful, relevant and just. He was committed to exploring ways in which he could make better things happen. Phil left us on 17 December 2006.
Phil was a wonderful caring man who gave of his time, his skills and his heart. He will be greatly missed, not only by myself but everyone whose lives he touched in so many ways. I wish to pass on my sincere condolences to Amanda, Grace, Jeremy, Patrick, Ruby and Alistair on their tragic loss.
If a measure of someone’s life and the esteem in which they are held is their funeral, Phil was loved by everyone. There were so many people from so many different walks of life and areas of Darwin society and from East Arnhem who were at his funeral; it was truly a tribute to his life.
I was saddened to learn of the death of Snow Procter, a constituent of mine with whom I shared many a cold beer. Snow died after a long illness. He had a stroke in 2004 and never really recovered. I first met Snow when I was doorknocking, and I liked his mischievous grin and the way that he could tell a joke. He was very friendly and supportive to me.
Snow, who was Adrian James Procter, was born on 7 January 1935 in South Australia, one of seven children. After leaving school, Snow worked in the mills before joining the Navy in 1952 at age 17. He served in many different areas, including the now infamous Montebello Islands off the north-west coast of Western Australia where Australia entered the atomic age when Britain exploded its first atom bomb on the islands in 1952.
In 1959, Snow was out of the Navy and travelling to Brisbane where he met Deidre somewhere around 1962 or 1963. He took up work with oil surveyors, but after he and Deidre were married in 1964, he started work with the fire brigade servicing fire extinguishers. A couple of years later, he switched careers again and joined Carrier Airconditioning.
It was whilst working with Carrier that Snow first travelled to Darwin as well as Papua New Guinea for working stints. During the first seven years of marriage, Snow spent three-and-a-half years in all away from home, leaving Deidre to raise Michael, who was born in 1965, and Ashley, born in 1968. Whenever Snow came home, the boys would not leave his side for fear he would be off again. It made it very difficult for Snow to get down to the pub for a beer with his mates sometimes, and that was probably a joke that Snow would have told, but I know that he loved his boys.
In 1973, the Procters travelled to Darwin for a two-year contract with Carrier. At the end of the first year, they left Darwin for a break down south, leaving their caravan home behind to face the wrath of Cyclone Tracy, which hit three days later. Snow would often joke about that. He was recalled to Darwin due to the need for airconditioning expertise during the rebuilding. The family arrived back in March 1975 and were housed on the liner Patris, which was tied up at Darwin waterfront for nine months to provide emergency accommodation for up to 900 people. Deidre hated deep water and this was a particularly trying time for her with her two young adventurous boys.
On arrival back in Darwin, Snow went looking for his caravan and spied a bloke towing it away down the street. When approached, the bloke told Snow he had been asked to tow it for the owner. The bloke soon found out who the real owner was; it was Snow.
Following a couple of years living in Nightcliff, the Procters moved into Ambon Street in Wagaman 30 years ago. In 1975, Snow left Carrier and joined Ansett, working as a porter at the airport until his retirement just before the airline’s collapse. Snow always had a sense of timing. He left Darwin just before Cyclone Tracy, and he left Ansett just before it went down.
I heard one story that Snow had a great way of getting even if he felt he had been wronged. He had been badly treated at the MVR once, and he recognised the offender at the airport on his way to London. Snow had great pleasure in ensuring his baggage made the long trip - via Argentina. In the words of his great friend, Barrie Martin: ‘Snow was a mighty little bloke’. Snow was very active in the Freemasons Lodge, and he was most interested in helping others in regard to the Masonic Village at Parap. He served as secretary and never failed to turn up for a working bee. He was also available to anyone needing the services of a JP.
Following his retirement, Snow turned to his great passion, orchids. He had a fantastic display of orchids and spent many hours tending them. Of course, there was football and he one of Collingwood’s most ardent supporters. He had a great collection of memorabilia, including teacups, teapots and numerous stubby holders, of course. Snow loved his orchids, his fishing, his football, his German Spaniels, and his beer. He lived his life to the fullest and will be sadly missed by all who new him. My sincere condolences to Deidre, Michael and Ashley, and to his mother, brothers and sister.
Mrs MILLER (Katherine): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thought at the end of last year, with all that had happened health-wise to either the members of this Assembly or their families, that somehow with New Year 2007, everything was going to be different and better.
Unfortunately, tragedies do not take any notice of the dates and are totally unpredictable. This last couple of weeks have dealt out more than a fair share of sadness for many people, with the deaths of four people in and around Katherine, Pine Creek and Darwin. I would like to talk about those people tonight.
On 26 January, Max McConnell, fondly known as ‘Glassman’, was killed on Gorge Road at Katherine some time during the night when he had an accident whilst riding his motorcycle. Max was a very well-known identify by people around Katherine through his job as a glazier. He was the cheerful man who was called out at all hours of the night to secure business when windows were broken, and he was always cheerful and cracking a joke about something. He was always accompanied by his faithful little dog Toby, who was definitely the most wide awake at those times.
I first met Max when I was working for Semrite Constructions as their office manager so I, along with so many other Katherine people, am finding it very strange to not see Max and his glass ute driving around Katherine. Semrite’s owner, Greg Wright, his wife Darilyn, their sons Ben, Matt, James and Jack, and Greg’s mother, Merle Wright, have been Max’s extended family for the whole time that he has lived and worked in Katherine. They have been a wonderful support to Max’s partner, Sheila Millar, since Max’s untimely death.
The large crowd who came to pay their respects to Max at his funeral in St Paul’s Anglican Church in Katherine is testament to how widely known and respected he was and how well he was liked. I would like to read into the Parliamentary Record the eulogy his partner, Sheila Millar, read:
- Maxwell Leslie McConnell, whom we all know as Max, was born Warrnambool, Victoria on 17 February 1947, the youngest of two sons. He has an older brother called Robert.
Max went to university and gained a Bachelor of Arts and was always very good at drawing and sketching.
Max went to Vietnam during the war - although he never spoke much about what happened there … only a few little things every now and then.
Max travelled around Australia quite a bit before he arrived in Katherine. He worked for a while in Darwin but liked Katherine and decided to stay for a while. He worked at the Crossways Hotel amongst other odd jobs until he became interested in glazing.
I met Max in 1989 when I was working at Corroboree Hostel and Max was working for P & M Glass in Crawford Street. P & M Glass was bought by Semrite Constructions, which at that time was owned by Greg Wright and Peter Semrau. Max then continued working as a glazier for Semrite Glass and Aluminium.
With Max’s experience as a glazier - and with the assistance of his friend Ian Hutcheon, they designed and built the glass cutting table with air lift that is still in use today. The discussions they had when designing this table were long and sometimes heated …
I happened to be there at that time, so I do know that they were sometimes very heated:
- … but they achieved an excellent result.
Max bought the glass and aluminium business from Greg approximately two years ago and, of course Ferg - who has been working with him for over 12 years - was still with him right up to the end. Max, Ferg and Max’s dog, Toby, have been a very familiar sight around Katherine for so many years that it will take a lot of getting used to not seeing Max in the glass ute any more.
Max took Toby everywhere he could. He was always with him during the callouts that Max had in the middle of the night, and Toby was always the most wide awake of everyone at those times. Toby had a special seat in the glass ute where Max could put tools under him, and he also had his own special box seat on the motorbike, which was lambs wool lined. Nothing like Toby travelling in style.
As a young man, Max was really keen to be a boxer. He took up lessons, and was very conscientious but, after many knockouts, his trainer decided Max wasn’t going to make any money and suggested that he should give it away and take up another sport. So Max decided working with glass was going to be as dangerous an occupation as he was going to tackle in the future. Max was always a supporter of boxing and would like to have seen more of it in Katherine.
Now, who would believe that Max was a romantic person?
He would bring me flowers lots of times. I wasn’t used to that and would tell him off, but he never stopped doing that. He was very thoughtful and romantic, although when we would go to Darwin for whatever reason, and the chance to be romantic by the sea was there, where was Max? Looking at glass with me bored as hell.
There wouldn’t be many businesses in Katherine that Max had not done work for over the years - and especially in the middle of the night when he was called out to repair broken windows. He was always cheerful, it didn’t matter what hour of the night it was and how grumpy the business person was - there was Max smiling and cracking jokes with Toby right by his side.
On 3 February, Kerry Diehm passed away in Katherine Hospital after a long struggle with cancer. Kerry has been a dedicated nurse at Katherine Hospital for many years and will be very much missed by her family and colleagues. Last Friday, Kerry’s funeral service was held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Katherine, and I would like to read into the Parliamentary Record her eulogy that was read by family friend, former Mayor of Katherine, Jim Forscutt.
- We are here today to reflect upon and honour the life of Kerry Anne Diehm. Kerry was born in Winton on 27 April 1953 to parents Fredrick Andrew and Joan Adele. Kerry grew up in Winton with brother Gregory and sister Dale and was educated at St Patrick’s Convent. Kerry loved her sports, and swimming was her favourite. Kerry broke many records in competitions and, to this very day, still holds the fastest lap time in the Winton pool.
- Kerry’s dedication to swimming earned her a certificate as a swimming coach. Kerry’s grandfather, Billy, was not only a brilliant businessman, but a great bushman and a well-known horseman, with many successful race horses to his credit. From Billy’s influence, Kerry’s great love of not only horses, but the animal world evolved.
With a new goal to become a vet, Kerry was disappointed to discover she needed a higher level of education than she had completed. Not to be deterred, Kerry looked after animals for love and trained to be one of the best triple certificate RNs to have blessed our region.
Before Kerry went into nursing she worked for Main Roads in Winton. In 1973, Kerry finished her career in nursing at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. In 1975, she moved to Mt Isa and continued nursing until she moved to Townsville in 1977, where she did her training to become a midwife.
Roley has shared many memories about his life with Kerry that we would like to share with you.
It was in Townsville that Kerry met Roley Oliver. Roley and Kerry had met once before through friends, but the flames of passion really started when Roley rang Kerry … to go to a dance or was it a rodeo? No. Roley called his new flame to bail him out of gaol for an unpaid over-loading fine. This obviously did the trick because Kerry and Roley moved on in their new life together. They went fruit picking and did general work within Queensland. Their journey continued on to Tennant Creek, where they worked for road work companies throughout the Barkly Tablelands.
Kerry took up cooking for the road work crews with a little shooting on the side and learnt a few things about the outback, like how to cook up bush turkeys and that the older the turkey, the harder the eating.
In 1982, Kerry and Roley became very proud parents of a little baby girl, Katie Maree Oliver. After Katie was born they then moved on to Banka Banka Station, where livestock and road construction were there lives.
Working with a Katherine company called Hickey Contracting, each choice taking the family closer to the tropics. During the years ahead they began working in the Douglas Daly region such as Oolloo Station and Emerald Springs.
1985 saw Kerry, Roley and Katie call Katherine town home and they all settled down at Lot 2610 Kingston Road. Kerry went on and worked at a childcare and women’s crisis centre before continuing her career in nursing. Kerry was in charge of the Jack Roney Wing at the Katherine Hospital for eight years and, further down the track, took on major roles in areas such as infection control and Clinical Nurse Manager.
Kerry’s knowledge was sought after on many occasions, not just in the hospital environment, but also on the home front. Ever the quiet achiever, Kerry gave more of herself to countless individuals in her personal time, offering her love and applying her expertise to help a friend in their time of need. Kerry would often be called on to help out with nursing emergencies or she would simply rise to the occasion as a volunteer like she did during the 1998 floods. Kerry loved the Wet Season. It was her favourite time of the year, and in 1998 she got to see it in its full glory.
Kerry was passionate about her country music and became a volunteer with the Katherine County Music Muster in 2000. Sharing her mother’s love of country music, Katie joined Kerry as a volunteer in 2001. Kerry was involved with the Muster committee for many years, becoming Vice-President and Artist Coordinator until she involuntarily become physically incapable of pursuing the commitment and dedication required for such a role. Kerry never did do things by halves.
Kerry’s favourite country music artist without a doubt was their very own Katie Oliver. To see Katie become an independent country music singer was Kerry’s dream. Kerry taught Katie that to make it on her own would take longer and be harder, but independence and freedom to make her own decisions as a performer was the best way for Katie to go.
Together they travelled the roads, went boot scooting in Tamworth, cut the demos, sold the CDs and booked the road tour with fellow performers. Without hesitation, Katie postponed her rising career to be at her mother’s side through her challenges to come. Without a doubt, we reap what we sow. Our greatest pleasure as your family and friends, Katie, will be to see you take your mum’s advice and continue on your path to success as you, Kerry and Roley had planned if that is what you choose to do.
When you sit quietly and think about Kerry Diehm and what she was really all about, it is impossible to sum her up in a paragraph. Kerry did not mince words, as all of you would know. So, to rattle on with fancy sentences full of love and praise simply would not do. Kerry was a simple person, one with common sense, so we have chosen some words that we think explain what this incredible lady meant to so many people. While these words are read, please feel free to reflect on your own personal moments with Kerry and how she touched your life.
Kerry was: giving, generous, compassionate, educated, dedicated, tireless, honest, truthful, trustworthy, loyal, practical, stubborn, a fighter, protective, strong, gentle and caring.
As real as you will find, Kerry was a friend, a mate, the very best kind. So selfishly, we shed tears that Kerry has left us to join so many loved ones lost. But rest assured at the gates of Heaven, Kerry would have entered with a list of names and one condition, being that all the names on her list of people she loves that she would reserve the right to watch over us all.
Kerry Diehm was one special woman. No doubt she will make one heck of a guardian angel! You did things your way and you made us all so proud. Goodbye, Kez, just for now.
I want to extend particular thanks to her daughter, Katie Oliver, whose support for her mother during her illness was exceptional. Katie was her mother’s carer and Kerry could not have asked more of her. She was a wonderful support during this time and put her passion for country music singing on hold to devote all of her time to her mum. Well done, Katie. You are a credit to your mum and dad.
On 4 February, we saw the tragic death of a wonderful young man and great sportsperson, Mark McCasker, another tragedy to cancer. My husband, Mike, and I have known Mark’s mum and dad, Jo and Ray McCasker of Virginia, for many years since Jo and I first met at a caravan industry meeting and we got on so well with them both.
I will never forget following the 1998 Katherine floods when we had mud and silt all over the caravan park grounds. A couple of weeks after the water dried up, the grass was growing like you would not believe right through all the dried silt. Without anyone asking, early one morning, Ray McCasker with young Mark arrived at the park, having driven from Coolalinga. He had a trailer behind with a ride-on mower and a couple of push mowers. Without any to-do, he and Mark set about mowing our park, then went on and mowed the other three caravan parks in Katherine. It took all day and they were absolutely filthy from all the fine dust, but neither Ray nor Mark complained.
They slept in swags that night and packed up and went home the next day. That is the sort of people the McCaskers are. It seemed just so unfair that Mark should be stricken with cancer at such a young age. Our deepest sympathy to Jo, Ray, Daniel, Ben, Rebecca and Jessica, who will miss Mark tremendously, as will his friends and his sporting mates.
On 5 February - this is awful, all these deaths lately – long-time Pine Creek resident, Earl Gano, died. While Earl has been having health issues for many years, it was still a shock to hear of his death. He has contributed so much to the Pine Creek community and to the tourism industry through his love of gold and heritage values. He was a character and will be long remembered by the people of Pine Creek and the thousands of visitors who have experienced gold panning with Earl.
I was going to read into the Parliamentary Record some of what his long-time friend, Des Fishlock, and his wife, Sandra, had to say on NT Country Hour following Earl’s death. I will do that tomorrow night when I have more time. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Earl’s funeral in Pine Creek last Sunday to share in the celebration of his life with his wife, Elaine and daughters, Holly and Crystal, but I extend to them my deepest sympathy for their loss and that of the Pine Creek community.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the death of a very prominent Territorian and certainly a major influence in the Pine Creek community, who, of course, is Earl Gano.
Earl was born on 12 April 1948 and died on 5 February 2007. He lived his life to the full, and right to the end. I spoke to him in Australia Day this year and he was still full of life, still undertaking his maintenance contracts around the town. He has been through numerous operations over the last 12 years. He has had a number of significant diseases, but he has fought his way through them. He just would not accept that these things could take their toll.
There was a lot said at the funeral, which was attended by many. There were people from a cross-section of the Territory and a cross-section of time in the Territory, from people he met only a few weeks before to people he met when he first came to the Territory in 1977, I believe. He influenced everyone. This short philosophy reflects his life the way that he saw it:
- Life should not be a journey to the grave with an intention of arriving safely in an attractive, well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, beer in hand, totally worn out and screaming: ‘Woo hoo! What a ride!’
That is the way he lived his life. Earl was born in Calgary, Alberta in Canada, the eldest son of Ross ‘Bud’ and Irene Gano. A blizzard left the country roads impassable and Irene had to be airlifted to hospital. The irony of that situation is that Earl was born in a plane, and he died in a plane in transit from Katherine to Darwin.
Earl grew up with his family on a farm where he developed skills, his love for the bush, birds, insects and history. He learnt the workings of all the machinery on the farm. He inherited his father’s love for story telling and enjoyed recounting his childhood adventures. He attended Water Valley School and, at the end of Grade 10, he began an apprenticeship as a boilermaker welder. In his spare time, he attended art classes and produced and sold a number of artworks and sculptures, all while still a teenager.
It was at this time he met the love of his life, Elaine Treleaven at the Copper Kettle Caf. It was love at first sight and they were married in Madden, Alberta in 1969. Leaving Canada in 1971, they travelled throughout New Zealand, arriving in Australia in 1973.
Earl fell in love with Australia and embraced every aspect of life in his adopted country. After four years in Mataranka as a ranger, they moved to Pine Creek in 1977 and started Back O’ Beyond Tours in 1981. During his 24 years in the Territory, Earl made an invaluable contribution to Pine Creek. He ran buffalo hunting tours, and was one of the driving forces for many projects in town, including the locomotive restoration, establishment of the Miners Park, Railway Museum and the Repeater Station.
In 1996, he finished the vehicle tours and concentrated on his gold panning in Gun Alley. Anyone who has been to Pine Creek, and there have been thousands over the years, would know of his gold panning exploits in the town. He was a painter, poet and story teller, a husband and father and a good friend. He had a fascination for gold and the skills to create something from nothing, proved by building a front-end loader and backhoe on the front of a lawnmower. I have seen this lawnmower, which is a fantastic device. He had an enthusiasm for life and believed that you only go around once, so you have to grab it with all the gusto you can.
Earl died after a 20-year battle with leukaemia while being airlifted to Darwin. He was buried at the Pine Creek Cemetery with his legendary Akubra hat and his lizard skin boots. Earl has left Elaine and their daughters, Crystal and Holly. To Crystal, Holly and Elaine, Earl will always be remembered, he left a legacy in Pine Creek and, I believe, the rest of the Territory.
I will conclude my comments about Earl with a poem he wrote, which both Crystal and Holly read at the funeral. It is called The Dream:
The gift of dream is the head of steam
That drives a man to win.
It was the dream, I am sure, drove me to endure
All the tough spots I’ve been in.
Now it’s very hard when they’ve drawn your card
And your number’s up, they say,
And your dreams are dashed and your chips are cashed
To regroup and fight next day.
It was dreams led me, far across the sea
To the land of golden soil
Where I met my match diggin’ out my patch
In the Territory’s rock-hard soil.
Dreams can be a lure, they can kill or cure
Leave Midas without a dime.
It’s the friends you’ve made, while the game you’ve played
That will balance the scales in time.
If it’s dreams that drive, then you’ve got to strive
To build more when hope is gone.
It’s the dream to win, that keeps Aussies in
Makes us toil from dusk ‘til dawn
Fly Eureka’s flag, back that Phar Lap nag
Play cricket like Sir Don.
We’re not quitters here, have no bloody fear
Pull your socks up, and carry on.
That was written in 2003. Earl, you will be long remembered in the Pine Creek community. We will hear about some dedications to you in the years to come, which are well deserved.
I will now move on to some of my other communities. My great little footy players in Daly River actually got the chance to compete in the half-time match at the All Stars game just recently. Prior to that match in the Nauiyu community, they had a visit from the Essendon players who did a fantastic job getting around the communities. They visited Wadeye as well, and came to Daly River; there were five players and an assistant coach. Children from the Wooliana School, the St Francis Xavier School and the Woolaning School all attended sessions and had a great barbecue. The community arrived to meet all the players who had made themselves available, and had a great lunch there.
I acknowledge all the players who played in that match at the half time. The girls were Donna Foster, Mickayla Green, Stephanie Wilson, Bernadine Wungung and Janine Cooper. The boys were Jayd Salzgeber, Hayden Long, John Miller, Luke Parry, Jesiah Jimarin, John Luckan, Adam Sambono, Matthew Cronin, Justin Madigan and Ignathius Yarranyiar. I have mentioned before in this House that these guys are fantastic players. I have seen them in action at a round robin competition and they are certainly players we will see in the future - hopefully playing for the mighty Southern Districts.
I acknowledge three Australia Day Award recipients from my electorate. These awards are recognition of what the community thinks of these individuals. Citizen of the Year in Mataranka was Andrew Boon, and the junior was Troy Williams. It is certainly good recognition for them of their contribution to the community.
I attended the Australia Day celebrations at Pine Creek and Tommy Harbrow, a long-term Territorian, was recognised as the Citizen of the Year there. His acceptance speech was quite interesting. The junior was Natalie Sandy. Congratulations to Natalie.
The Timber Creek Citizen of the Year was Steve Hennessey and the junior was Jonas Johnson. Jonas has done a fantastic job with the youth in that community and it is sad to lose him. He is moving on to better things in Katherine. Thank you, Jonas, for all the hard work you have done.
The School of the Air Citizen of the Year was Amy Harding from Gorrie Station. Well done, Amy, for all your work. This is recognition for you.
The Mataranka School Citizen of the Year was Jessica Sullivan. I met Jessica at the Christmas break-up, and she is certainly a fantastic young lady.
At the Batchelor ceremony, which I presided over, we were fortunate enough to have two people who became citizens. It was the first time I have ever had to perform the citizenship ceremony. It was a great honour for me and I hope it was for them. Ineu Latter and Sirpa Hopf were the two ladies who pledged their allegiance to Australia. It was certainly a reminder to everyone present of what the pledge is about and what it means to be an Australian citizen. Congratulations to Ineu and Sirpa. You are valuable citizens of the community, and I look forward to working with you in the future.
There were a number of nominations for various awards during the ceremony. For the Young Citizen of the Year there were several nominations. Kiya Gill, who I have mentioned for all her work in the community, has now moved onto fundraising for the Red Cross Association across the Northern Territory. She was nominated for all her work in the community. Natasha Thompson was also mentioned. She is a fantastic young lady, and was the winner of the Young Citizen of the Year for Batchelor. Congratulations, Natasha.
Emma Murphy was nominated for Young Sportsperson of the Year. She has assisted with many events and the seniors luncheon, which is a great event that occurs around Darwin. She has also done a lot of work in callisthenics and was a worthy nominee. David Deveraux is a young fellow who attends the Batchelor Area School and is a keen sportsman in AFL and cricket. Winner of Young Sportsperson of the Year was Emma Murphy and congratulations to her.
For the adult Sportsperson of the Year, Gavin Webb was nominated. Gavin has done a great deal of work with the Active Australia program at the Batchelor Area School coaching the school kids in touch football and basketball. Gavin was the only nominee. I have seen some of the activities he has organised with the AFL football and my congratulations go to him.
The nominees for the Citizen of the Year, and there were quite a few, were Janet Murphy who has done a lot of work at the school as an early childhood teacher; Therese Balanzategui, a fantastic lady who performs at all events - she is a great singer and musician and they cannot get enough of Therese; Ron West works for the First Volunteer Group and is also President of the Bowls Club; Robbie Lewis works at many community events providing his skills free of charge with PA systems and various things; and Dr Martin Muis, a doctor in the community who has done invaluable work over the last 10 years. The Batchelor, Adelaide River, Tortilla Bush Fire Brigade, or BART, was nominated for all its work, including some of their volunteers who went down to Victoria to help with the bushfires. Rose Phillips was a nominee. Gillian Hunter has spent a lot of time organising festivals and working with the Open Garden scheme, and Sheila Bhana has done a lot of work with the Variety Club Bash and fund raises for the school. The final nominee was Bruce Garnett who is a fantastic bloke. He has won numerous awards and has done a lot of volunteer work with St John Ambulance. There were three awardees: Ron West, Dr Martin Muis and Rose Phillips. I congratulate them all.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I will leave further comments on the awards until my next adjournment.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I want to talk about several fabulous people from Alice Springs and Central Australia, all of whom named the honour of being named Centralian of the Year 2007. Mildred Inkamala and Pippa Tessmann share the honour of this year’s Centralian of the Year Award, and Kelvin Caspani was named as Young Centralian of the Year.
Mildred Inkamala is an outstanding indigenous Territorian and lives and works in Hermannsburg west of Alice Springs. Mildred was born Mildred Malbunka to missionary parents in 1958 in the Barrow Creek area. She married Carl Inkamala and together they have four children, three daughters and a son. 1994 was a turning point for Mildred and Carl, a year that would change their lives.
Mildred and Carl were heavy drinkers and funding was obtained through the Drug and Alcohol Services Association for them both to attend a national Alcoholics Anonymous conference. Their attendance at that conference inspired Mildred to change her lifestyle and make a plan for her future. Following the conference, Mildred went on to train as a teacher and health worker and she conducted the Skinny Kids Program at Ntaria.
In 1997, Mildred was commissioned by the Territory Health Service to complete the lung story painting, Good Lungs and Bad Lungs. Since completing the painting, Mildred has spoken at several national conferences on the lung story and other Aboriginal health issues.
Mildred and her husband Carl were also involved in the Probation Elders Program conducted at the Alice Springs gaol, which provides visiting and support for prisoners and their families. Both Mildred and Carl are always willing to support families in crisis and provide care to children in need. On many occasions, Mildred has spent several weeks supporting patients in hospitals, interpreting and lending personal support.
Mildred continues to provide support for families and those in need. Mildren has also become a qualified Aboriginal translator and her skills in translation are in high demand in both Central Australia and, indeed, the Top End. Mildred translates in the legal area, including court attendances, the hospital and at the gaol.
Mildred has been selected to represent Central Australia and the Northern Territory at the National Interpreter’s Conference in Canberra in June of this year. To her credit, Mildred has worked hard to overcome her addiction to alcohol and has progressed to be an irreplaceable support to her family, community and the people of Central Australia. Mildred has assisted many people in dealing with many problems that she herself has faced in environments that can be intimidating and confusing. It is fitting that Mildred receive public acknowledgement for her tireless work and efforts in advancing the lot of Central Australians.
Tonight, I also talk about Pippa Tessmann. She shared the award with Mildred Inkamala. Pippa was born and educated in London, graduating as a physiotherapist from the University of London in 1983. Pippa worked at the London Hospital for four years before travelling to Australia on a working holiday visa, first working in Central Australia at Glen Helen in 1987. Upon her return to the United Kingdom, Pippa immediately applied to emigrate to Australia - well done, Pippa. Pippa’s qualifications as a physiotherapist facilitated her emigration and she returned to Alice Springs to work as Chief Physiotherapist at the Alice Springs Hospital in 1989.
Pippa worked at the Community Health Centre and at the Old Timers Day Centre prior to opening her own physiotherapy clinic on Traeger Avenue in 1994. This clinic continues to grow under her leadership. Initially, Pippa operated as a sole practitioner and now she manages four physiotherapists, two massage therapists and a dietician. In 1996, the clinic achieved accreditation under the Australian Physiotherapy Association guidelines and continues to be accredited to this day. The clinic provides outreach services to Yulara and to remote Aboriginal communities.
Recently, as a community service initiative, the clinic has opened a lymphoedema clinic, a joint initiative with the Division of Primary Health Care and Palliative Care. It also conducts Healthy Heart classes with Healthy Living NT at the Alice Springs Hospital. The clinic is also a provider to Northern Territory Institute of Sport athletes.
Pippa continues to provide quality antenatal care as an educator at the Childbirth Education Centre on a voluntary basis. She unselfishly donates her time and sports medicine expertise to the local netball, Rugby League, Australian Rules, softball and Rugby Union competitions. In addition to utilising her skills, involvement in sport assisted her transition to Australia. Crossing into many cultures of the Red Centre, Pippa gained almost immediate acceptance into the Centralian community. Pippa has also travelled with local teams at Alice Springs, Territory and national representative levels on numerous occasions, on call 24 hours a day looking after our athletes, young and old. It is something she takes in her stride and has proved to be an invaluable member of any team.
In 1991 when she became an Australian citizen, Pippa sang the national anthem in front of 8000 people at the Traeger Park diamond. Pippa’s role at the Alice Springs Masters Games as Physiotherapist and Sports Medicine Clinic Coordinator is well known to many and certainly appreciated by all who come to know her during the week-long games.
Pippa’s involvement with the Alice Springs Masters Games commenced in 1990 and, commencing in 1993, Pippa has been a member of the Arafura Games Sports Medicine Team. Commencing in 2002, Pippa volunteered her skills and expertise as Sports Medicine Coordinator for the Central Australian Mountain Bike Challenge. Pippa has been President of Sports Medicine Australia Central Australian Branch since 2001, and is responsible for the education of sports trainers in Central Australia, voluntarily making sport in the Centre safer for all.
In 2001, Pippa was appointed to the Physiotherapist Registration Board of the Northern Territory, a ministerial appointment, and elected chair in 2006. This board oversees all regulatory matters concerning physios in the Territory and, as chair, she also sits on the Australian Physiotherapy Council, which is responsible for reviewing physiotherapy competency standards throughout Australia, and for accrediting university courses, ultimately governing the future of the physiotherapy profession within Australia.
Pippa’s love of sports medicine is clear and, in 2001, she became one of only 200 people in Australia who are accredited sports physiotherapists, recognition of her advanced sports physiotherapy skills.
In 2006, Pippa carried the Queen’s Baton in the Commonwealth Games baton relay and was appointed Sports Physiotherapist at the Melbourne games, working as part of the Australian team in the athletes’ village. Pippa was named Northern Territory Telstra Westpac Business Woman of the Year in 2006, due recognition of her enormous contribution to business in the Centre, Territory-wide and, indeed, nationally.
Pippa works tirelessly to promote physiotherapy and the opportunities of working in Alice Springs. She has presented at state, national and international conferences, enthralling audiences with anecdotes of her life in the Centre. Pippa mentors many young Centralians by lecturing and providing workshops at schools, careers nights and through work experience opportunities. Pippa has also been published in national and international physiotherapy journals, and continues to encourage youth to pursue opportunities available in Alice Springs. Pippa continues to assist people to reach their goals and is committed to providing excellent physiotherapy and sports medicine coverage to all - truly amazing achievements for this wife and mother of two, who she simply loves.
I know Pippa well. I respect her enormously and was delighted when she, with Mildred Inkamala, was awarded the honour of Centralian of the Year.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I now move to complete the trio of Centralians celebrated this Australia Day; that is, Kelvin Caspani, Young Centralian of the Year. Twenty-year-old Kelvin, who is a school teacher at Alice Springs High School, is an outstanding sportsman, having achieved many sporting accolades.
In 2004, Kelvin was selected in both the Territory men’s Open and Under 18 touch teams and the elite training camp. Kelvin then went on to be selected in the Australian Under 18 squad. In 2002, he won the Hourglass Challenge Tennis Tournament, a Tennis Australia sanctioned event. 2004 also saw Kelvin play in and win the premiership of the Townsville Men’s Touch Competition with Brothers. Kelvin also won Player of the Final for his performance in the game.
In 2005, Kelvin attended two Australian touch training camps in preparation for the Youth World Cup. Following the training camps, he represented Australia in the Under 18s Mixed touch team in the Youth World Cup, winning a gold medal. During 2005, Kelvin continued to participate in the local Alice Springs touch competition, captaining and coaching the Alice Springs Men’s Open touch team and attaining selection in the Northern Territory Open team.
Kelvin was Vice-Captain of the Territory Men’s Open touch team in the Australia Cup where they finished runners up. Kelvin also attended the Territory touch elite training camp this year. Kelvin won dual premierships with the A Grade Rugby Union club, Warriors, where he played on the wing and as a full back. Kelvin represented the Southern Cross Barbarians Open Men’s touch team at the National Touch League Championships, receiving the Player’s Player Award for the tournament in 2005 and the Coaches Award in 2004.
Not to favour any one code of football, Kelvin captained Central Memorial A Grade Rugby League club, winning the Best and Fairest Award and finishing runners up for the season. Kelvin, along with the Charles Darwin University AFL team, won the premiership at the inter-school challenge. In both 2004 and 2005, Kelvin won the Sportsman of the Year Award. He also won the Caltex All Rounder Award and the Physical Education Award at Charles Darwin University. In 2005, Kelvin was nominated for the Northern Territory Young Achiever of the Year Award in the sport category.
2006 was another year of sporting achievements for Kelvin. For the third consecutive year, Kelvin and his team played in the Alice Springs A Grade Rugby Union competition and he achieved Man of the Match in the grand final playing at full back. Also, Kelvin was Vice-Captain of the Northern Territory Men’s touch team in the Barbarians Cup held in Perth, winning Best and Fairest out of all the teams participating in the competition. Furthermore, Kelvin was selected for the Barbarians in Coffs Harbour at the National Touch Tournament.
Clearly, this young man is a very versatile, skilled sportsman, achieving success as a player of all forms of the league, whether it is Rugby League or Rugby Union, Australian Rules or touch football. My heartfelt congratulations and admiration go to Kelvin for the outstanding contribution he has made to sport to Alice Springs, Central Australia and the Northern Territory as well as Australia generally.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I have spoken about three impressive people from Central Australia. They all deserve the thanks and the congratulations of all members of the Legislative Assembly.
Dr Burns: Hear, hear!
Ms CARNEY: Hear, hear! Thank you. They are truly outstanding people; all of them are very different. I doubt that they even knew each other before they were joined as outstanding Centralians this year in January. However, I know they have all spoken to each other since and they will forever share this great honour. These three people in their own way really have made magnificent contributions. I join with members not only in congratulating them, but taking my hat off to them.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016